Chapter 169

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 169. Pandemonium (4)

While Alexander Aaron was holding back the villains of Pandemonium, Kwon Hudon, Mei Hong, and Gael Garcia sprinted toward the procedure room.

“Huh? What the hell are these brats?”

But there were simply too many villains attacking the hospital. Before they could even reach their destination, the three ran into one of Pandemonium's criminals.

He was a man covered head to toe in thick, tangled hair like a gorilla. Judging by the stench, he hadn't washed in days. His filthy fur reeked.

“Well, this works out. I was getting bored on my own.”

The filthy man licked his lips with a grin. Each word he spoke made the foul odor worse.

“Wh-what should we do?”

Kwon Hudon glanced at Mei Hong and Gael Garcia. But it was a needless question. Both were already prepared for battle.

“What else? We cut our way through.”

“I concur.”

With a graceful flick of her wrist, Mei Hong drew her longsword. Animal ears suddenly sprouted from Gael Garcia’s head.

“Tch. You kids think you can mess with me?”

The filthy man scoffed in disbelief, letting out a derisive laugh.

“Let’s see if you still talk big after I break every bone in your body.”

Hair began to sprout even more rapidly from the man’s body. His already gorilla-like figure now fully transformed into something indistinguishable from an actual gorilla.

The tangled hair began to interlock, wrapping around his body like armor. It was a bizarre skill—unnamed, but clearly dangerous.

“Let’s start with you!”

He charged at Mei Hong. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of her, swinging his massive fist.

Even just from watching his movements, it was clear: his stats were higher than all three of theirs. But they had the advantage of numbers.

Kwon Hudon threw himself between them, blocking the attack with his arm clad in Black Scale Armor.

“Guh!”

Even with the armor, the blow sent Kwon flying into the air. The man shouted in annoyance.

“Stupid brat, stop acting—”

Just then, Gael Garcia slashed at the man’s face with clawed hands.

The thick fur dampened the blow, preventing the claws from sinking in fully. But the impact still twisted the man’s head violently to the side.

“You little—!”

He snapped his head back around—and at that moment, a blinding slash grazed his neck.

The blade tore through the fur protecting his throat, cutting into the skin beneath.

“…Tch.”

The man staggered backward in haste. His muscles weren’t injured, but the realization that his defenses had been breached sent a chill down his spine.

“Looks like these brats have some bite after all…”

More fur erupted from his body. The strands twisted and layered over one another.

His previously light brown coat darkened to a deep, murky brown.

“Guess I’ll get serious now.”

The man’s aura shifted completely. The oppressive killing intent made all three instinctively flinch.

At that moment, they understood something clearly: until now, he hadn’t just underestimated them—he hadn’t even considered them enemies worth fighting.

“Well, now it’s getting interesting.”

“Agreed.”

“Why are you two acting so calm…?”

But the three weren’t done either—they had been holding back as well.

Their own energy now surged to a higher level.

And then it happened.

Five rings made of aura shot through the air in silence. They embedded themselves across the man’s body.

“…Kuh!”

He couldn’t even scream. Blood gushed from his mouth—he died instantly.

The trio turned, startled, in the direction the rings had come from.

There stood Secretary Kim, steadying himself against a wall with one hand.

“Secretary Kim?!”

Kwon Hudon rushed over to support him. He nodded slightly in gratitude.

“What happened to you?”

“I was attacked by a man named Odin. If it weren’t for Lady Kwon Mi, I wouldn’t have survived.”

Though his life was spared, hisbody hadn’t recovered. The lingering effects of Odin’s curse were severe.

“Odin, you said?”

Kwon Hudon’s expression turned grim.

He was well-versed in Hunter affairs—there was no way he hadn’t heard of Odin.

One of only 17 Councilmens within Pandemonium.

A man infamous for his cruelty. The thought of his mother facing off against such a foe filled him with dread.

“Kwon Hudon, there’s no need to worry.”

Secretary Kim, sensing his anxiety, spoke calmly.

“You know better than anyone how strong your mother is. Even if he is a Councilmen, there’s nothing to fear.”

His eyes were unwavering—completely confident in his words.

Thanks to his reassurance, Kwon Hudon felt his fear begin to ease.

“Still… the three of you held your own against that guy.”

Secretary Kim looked down at the man’s corpse.

Mei Hong tilted her head. “Do you know who he was?”

“His name was Kim Moon-seok. A scumbag who made his living taking crew members hostage on cargo ships and demanding ransom.”

There was pure disgust in Secretary Kim’s eyes. As someone who held pride in being part of the Black Sharp Corps, he considered the likes of Kim Moon-seok beneath contempt.

“Still, he was undeniably skilled…”

More than five world-ranked Hunters had tried to capture Kim Moon-seok and ended up buried at sea.

Yet these three had survived his assault. No, more than that—they had pushed him back.

True, Kim Moon-seok hadn’t fought at full power. But Secretary Kim had a gut feeling: even if he had, he still wouldn’t have won.

“For now, let’s head underground. No telling what other scum we might run into.”

* * *

The three of them descended to the basement along with Secretary Kim.

As soon as they arrived at the procedure room, a strong smell of blood hit them.

The hallway from the staircase to the entrance of the room was drenched in blood and torn flesh.

And standing in the middle of it all was Joo Hayun.

She was visibly out of breath, likely having just finished a battle.

“You’re all here.”

Joo Hayun recognized the four and greeted them warmly.

“But why are the three of you standing so far back?”

She looked at Kwon Hudon, Mei Hong, and Gael García as she asked. The three wore awkward expressions.

“Uh… so, wait… you’re saying you took on all these people by yourself?”

“Yes, I did.”

The three were visibly stunned. Joo Hayun, however, looked entirely unbothered.

“Looks like you’ve all forgotten which team Miss Joo was a part of,” Secretary Kim remarked.

Only then did the three remember—Joo Hayun had been part of the Chairman’s personal team.

“What happened to your body? Why are you this badly injured?”

“I ran into Odin.”

Joo Hayun’s expression shifted dramatically, as if a bomb had just gone off.

“…You mean that man is here?”

“That’s right. Lady Kwon Mi is confronting him now.”

Even hearing this, her expression didn’t ease. Secretary Kim patted her on the shoulder, as if to reassure her.

“I know you have a grudge against him. But this isn’t the time to prioritize revenge. Lady Kwon Mi will return with his head. Let that be enough.”

“…Understood.”

Joo Hayun nodded, though her eyes betrayed a worry she couldn’t hide.

“More importantly, we need to call for reinforcements from Hyukcheon as soon as possible.”

Her face suddenly turned grave.

“I’ve held the line alone up to this point… but that’s only been a matter of luck.”

Right now, the most important location in the hospital was this procedure room—because the enemy’s target was none other than Kwon Hanul.

Yet the defense here was pathetically thin. The only capable fighter was Joo Hayun, and Secretary Kim had suffered a massive loss of power due to the curse.

“Just a moment.”

Secretary Kim gathered the last remnants of his mana and used Karama’s Herald, sending messages to Hyukcheon members throughout the hospital.

–All personnel who have finished combat, report to the procedure room in the basement immediately. We’re short on fighters.

He waited for replies. But no matter how long he waited, none came.

–Why isn’t anyone responding?

–Ah, sorry, I was too busy to reply.

At last, a reply came. It was from Alexander Aaron.

–Sorry, sir. I can’t come help. This guy… knows what he’s doing. I need more time.

Alexander Aaron was breathing heavily. It was clear that the situation on her end wasn’t good.

–Aaron?

–I’ll contact you again later!

With that, the connection was cut. Another reply soon followed from a different operative.

–Sorry for the delay in responding! I’ll wrap things up quickly and head over!

–An apology should come first. Frankly, we’re stretched too thin here.

–Khk… right now… khk… I’m in trouble…

As more responses came in, Secretary Kim’s expression grew increasingly grim.

The situation was unraveling. It appeared Hyukcheon members were being pushed back across the board.

“…It seems none of them can make it.”

He spoke with a hardened expression.

“But don’t worry. Once Lady Kwon Mi takes care of Odin, everything will—”

Suddenly, Secretary Kim snapped his head toward the staircase. Joo Hayun and the other three followed suit.

Step.

A sound came from the descending stairs.

Thud.

Something dropped.

Step, thud.

The noises continued rhythmically and deliberately.

Then, the figure came into view.

“Oh? What’s with the crowd here?”

A young man, dressed in flamboyant clothes but with hair as dry and gray as an old man’s, descended the stairs with a bright smile.

“This feels like I stumbled onto some treasure.”

He was dragging someone by the hair.

The moment they saw who it was, Kwon Hudon’s face went blank. Then, like a fire catching dry brush, rage spread across his face.

“What did you do to my mom?!”

Secretary Kim shouted urgently, “Stop him!”

Gael García and Mei Hong grabbed Kwon Hudon, preventing him from lunging forward.

“Mom? Ah… so you’re her son.”

The young man—Odin—lifted the woman by her hair. Kwon Mi’s face came up with it. He slapped her cheek repeatedly as he spoke.

“Hey, look. It’s your son.”

Kwon Mi could only groan faintly, clearly unconscious. Odin chuckled and tossed her aside like trash.

“She’s totally out of it. Sorry, kid. I didn’t mean to mess her up that badly.”

Kwon Hudon struggled furiously, trying to break free. Mei Hong and Gael García held on for dear life.

“…What did you do to Lady Kwon Mi?”

“What did I do? Oh, plenty. I’ve been working on a new, special kind of magic lately.”

“Magic? Don’t talk nonsense!”

Secretary Kim roared.

“There’s no trace of mana in her! Are you telling me you did this with magic?!”

He knew. Right now, there was nothing left inside Kwon Mi. Her immense mana, the overwhelming presence unique to the Black Dragon’s bloodline—it was all gone.

At this moment, Kwon Mi was no different from an ordinary person.

“You’re pretty sharp. I noticed that earlier too.”

Odin laughed.

“I said talk!”

“You are sharp, but not too quick on the uptake.”

Odin pointed to Kwon Mi.

“Why do you think I didn’t kill her and dragged her all the way here? It’s a warning. To show you how dangerous I am. Don’t even think about resisting.”

Clap. Odin clapped his hands.

“I’ll give you a chance. Open that door yourselves, bring Kwon Hanul out in front of me, and I’ll let you live.”

Ah, right.

Odin added as if remembering something.

“I’ll have to make one exception, though.”

His gaze turned to Joo Hayun.

“Joo Hayun, you’re coming with me.”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]