Chapter 59 – Mongrel

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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A whopping five.

The Demon Legion Commanders surrounded Ho-yeol’s party.

It was natural for those watching to feel anxious.

-Crazy, is this real life?!

-No matter what, this is too much!!

-What are the other guilds doing? Can’t even draw aggro for real.

The Demon King’s Army’s movement?

It was a familiar pattern to Players at least.

A monster’s habit of trying to dispose of the most threatening enemy first.

Because an aggro system also existed in Arcana.

Even while knowing it couldn’t be helped, they couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

However.

“……Hold on a second. I see some familiar faces?”

The despairing atmosphere did not last long.

The zooming angle.

Because familiar faces revealed their appearances from within it.

“If my eyes aren’t wrong, I think that’s Jesse Heinness?!”

Jesse, why are you coming out from there……?

It was natural for such reactions to burst out.

Wasn’t Jesse affiliated with the Shining Guild no matter what?

But it wasn’t something that couldn’t be understood either.

Because Jesse was someone who didn’t even show her face during the Yusra Kingdom.

-What the, don’t tell me that tabloid rumor was real?

-What tabloid rumor? Talking about things only you guys know again.

-No lol that Jesse might leave Shining lol

-For real, that’s bullshit.

-The rumor that she didn’t have much lingering attachment to the guild in the first place has been going around continuously yeah yeah.

However, the more they looked, the more they couldn’t just dismiss it as mere nonsense.

Jesse’s face in the broadcast screen.

Her pupils in particular, distinctly different from usual.

Sparkle sparkle

Because they were sparkling.

-No, doesn’t she look really motivated somehow??

-Is this really the Jesse Heinness I knew???

-For real lol she doesn’t even say a proper word at official events.

What in the world could be the reason for that?

One of the cast members threw out a provocative talking point.

“……Come to think of it, this isn’t the first meeting between Player Lee Ho-yeol and Jesse Heinness, right? Why, even during the Count Ascura raid. The two of them matched their breathing…….”

But that was a topic that shouldn’t be touched.

Who are Lee Ho-yeol and Jesse Heinness?

If it’s about mainstream popularity, they are star players counted on one hand even among Players.

Even the mass media that goes crazy for provocative materials.

Considering the backlash, they are the ones who can’t be messed with recklessly.

-Step aside.

-This is the limit of my patience.

-Formality is nowhere to be found.

Lee Ho-yeol especially even more so!

Before the viewers could even bombard the bulletin board.

The host hastily began an explanation.

“This is Expert Hwang Gyo-jun’s very personal opinion. VBC, including myself, clarifies the fact that we do not agree with Expert Hwang’s opinion in the slightest.”

“……Yes? No, hold on a second. I made a slip of the tongue!”

Moreover.

Even putting aside that conjecture, there seemed to be a clear reason.

Soon after, Ho-yeol’s magic manifesting in the air.

Due to the influence of the Aesthetic stat.

A resplendent sight began to unfold to the point of being brilliant.

“To think attribute magic could feel this resplendent……!”

“It’s like looking at a piece of painting.”

“The generated statues grabbed the Demon Legion Commanders’ legs?!”

Even watching it through a screen makes one think it’s beautiful.

If one were to watch such a thing right before their eyes?

-……It’s understandable that magic nerd Jesse’s eyes would roll back.

-For real, Jesse’s eyes weren’t sparkling for no reason lololol

-Is it possibly a new skill? Did he grow again in that short time?!!

-Couldn’t it just be that he was hiding it? lololol

-Hiding, he probably just had no need to use it until now.

Its outer appearance was extraordinary from the start.

Is there a need to explain its power separately?

Ho-yeol was coordinating the battlefield with magic.

It was a scenery that was embarrassing to even call it hunting.

It was literally a one-sided slaughter.

The time it took for the wings of the five Legion Commanders to be broken.

Was merely around ten minutes.

“……It’s over. Everyone.”

As dumbfounded as the cast members were.

The viewers also didn’t have that much to say.

-Just Homen.

With this, the Demon Legion Commanders defeated by Ho-yeol’s side were six in total.

According to the additional update details…….

The remaining were merely four.

-Even so, they’ll surely catch around four lolololol

-For now, Shining and Unification of the World will probably cut one each.

-I guess we can assume the rest will form an alliance and hunt them??

So how is the situation on the other guilds’ side going?

The viewers who changed the channel out of curiosity.

Some of them couldn’t help but flinch.

Because on the other side as well.

A completely unimaginable development was unfolding.

A single Player facing a Demon Legion Commander alone.

At his identity, the viewers of South Korea were astonished.

“……Hey, isn’t that Nam Tae-min?!”

*

Nam Tae-min had flinched.

‘Class Quest……? Suddenly?’

Barbarian Class Rank 1.

In the meantime, Nam Tae-min was someone who searched through all kinds of rumors and quests for the class quest.

When he actually searched, he couldn’t even find a single clue.

To think a class quest would suddenly pop up in a situation like this.

Nam Tae-min was a little glad.

‘……Maybe I can do something.’

Frost in a crisis.

If it’s the reward of a class quest, his growth was practically guaranteed.

He might be able to contribute to the recapture of Frost.

With that thought, Nam Tae-min checked the quest window.

[Class Quest : Proof of Wildness]

The Alpha has breathed his last.

Young and new Alpha.

Prove your true wildness.

“……!”

And he realized.

The reason the class quest popped up for him.

The Alpha.

That was referring to the strongest Barbarian.

“……Keren.”

Back when Arcana was a game.

Keren was an NPC who stayed in the forest near Frost and helped Players advance to the Barbarian class.

But Nam Tae-min knew.

That Arcana is no longer a simple game.

Keren is not an NPC but a human like himself, an Arcanian.

‘Keren was done in by the demons.’

Suddenly, a conversation he shared with Keren came to mind.

-A Barbarian’s secret technique? You, desire something like that?

Back when he was asking around for information regarding the class quest.

Nam Tae-min had also asked Keren for that information.

At that time, Keren laughed heartily and replied.

-To be tempted by something like a secret technique. You are weak, my younger brother!

……He brushed it off as nothing important back then but.

He felt like he finally understood the meaning of those words now.

-When the time comes, you will naturally come to know everything, my brother.

That’s right.

A Barbarian’s secret technique is something given only to the ‘Alpha’.

As the Alpha, Keren, breathed his last.

The class quest popped up for Nam Tae-min.

So, the fact that the class quest popped up means…….

“……Keren was alive until just now.”

Chew them alive, demon bastards!

Grit

Veins bulged on Nam Tae-min’s muscles.

Anger genuinely surged within Nam Tae-min.

From his biological older brother, Nam Chul-min, to Keren who was practically a sworn brother.

He had only been suffering at the hands of the demon bastards.

Crack

Due to Nam Tae-min’s grip strength, the thick greatsword handle began to crack.

It was then.

When [Demon Legion Commander, Horican] revealed its appearance before Nam Tae-min’s eyes.

A half-human half-bird armed with a spear.

Horican saw Nam Tae-min and tilted its head.

Then it looked at the blood smeared on the tip of its spear and opened its beak.

“How strange. I definitely killed it by stabbing its flank with this spear.”

“……?”

“Why is there a beast bastard emitting the exact same smell here?”

“!!!”

Beast bastard.

A derogatory nickname referring to a barbarian.

Nam Tae-min could notice right away.

It’s this guy.

The one who killed Keren was exactly this birdbrain.

As if proving it, the voice of his older brother, Nam Chul-min, rang in his ears.

-Hey, Nam Tae-min!! Get a hold of yourself!! That bastard is at least Level 500!!

Level 500.

His own level was merely Level 374.

Naturally, he wouldn’t be able to win.

It was right to run away as his older brother said.

However, his heart was pondering.

Thump thump

Roughly to an extent he had never felt before.

Run away. You can’t win. The level gap is too severe.

The rationality that was constantly shouting gradually blurred.

The muscles all over his body began to writhe even more violently.

He felt his stamina being consumed just from the physical pulsations.

“Pant, pant.”

Nam Tae-min breathed roughly.

It was then.

Sizzle

Steam began to rise from Nam Tae-min’s body.

At the same time, a message popped up before his eyes.

[You have fulfilled the conditions.]

[The reward is provided.]

[You have acquired the Class Unique Skill, ‘Call of Wildness’.]

[You have fulfilled the conditions.]

[The Class Unique Skill, ‘Call of Wildness’ activates.]

Craaaack!
──────

Call of Wildness : Awakens true wildness, drastically increasing Wildness.

──────

[Wildness].

The Barbarian’s class-unique stat.

It was exactly thanks to the Wildness stat that Barbarians could exert explosive monstrous strength.

Such a Wildness stat rising.

And drastically rising at that.

The enhancement of those physical abilities was beyond words.

Crackle!

The greatsword handle Nam Tae-min was gripping completely shattered.

But he didn’t mind.

Swoooosh!

Because Nam Tae-min threw the greatsword at Horican just like that.

The speed emitting from that muscular strength was beyond imagination.

To the point where even the winged Horican couldn’t completely evade it.

Kwakwakwang!

It hastily raised its spear to block the greatsword but.

The impact was to the extent Horican was pushed back dozens of meters.

If it hadn’t offset the power by flapping its wings.

It would have been smashed into a pile of collapsed buildings.

Brrr, Horican shook its head at a rapid speed.

“I don’t know what’s going on but. Indeed, just like a beast bastard. That strength of yours is amazing. But a beast is merely a beast. I shall hunt you slowly.”

Flap!

Horican spread its wings and soared.

‘There’s no need to go out of my way to fight on the ground.’

That was a lesson learned while facing another beast bastard.

Horican had almost literally been in big trouble after folding its wings thinking Keren was a dying bastard.

However, Nam Tae-min and Keren looked different in Horican’s eyes.

‘Similar, but the emitted smell is different.’

Perhaps the difference between a beast of prey and a beast of prey’s cub?

If it’s a beast’s cub, it can sufficiently hunt it alone.

It was when Horican was being conceited.

Craaaack!

“!”

Pain was felt from its ankle.

It was because Nam Tae-min grabbed Horican’s leg and hung on.

[A ‘fracture’ occurs to the Demon Legion Commander, Horican.]

“How dare you……!!”

Horican swiftly swung its spear.

Nam Tae-min, whose forearm was stabbed, fell straight down from the empty air.

But there was no impact from it.

Landing lightly on all fours.

Because the drastically increased Wildness made Nam Tae-min truly move like a beast.

Dash!

Nam Tae-min scaled the building and jumped up again.

“You beast cub!”

Horican urgently tried to widen the distance but it was inadequate.

Grab

Rather, Horican got its wing root grabbed.

Nam Tae-min’s forearm flinched and then.

Riiiiiiiip!

He tore Horican’s wing off just like that.

[A ‘bleeding’ occurs to the Demon Legion Commander, Horican.]

Horican lost its balance and fell straight down.

Nam Tae-min did not miss such Horican.

Crunch!

He grabbed Horican’s long neck and began to twist it.

“……Kkuek!”

Horican couldn’t understand.

That bastard too, and this bastard too.

Beast bastards were different from ordinary humans.

However, he himself is also not an ordinary bird.

‘I am different from that birdbrain, Kupican……!’

Even if it loses its wings, it has arms and legs.

While falling, Horican sharply raised its spear.

And aimed the spear at Nam Tae-min who grabbed it.

It wasn’t to attack.

It was to shake him off.

‘To dodge, you’ll have no choice but to let go.’

However.

Stab

Nam Tae-min was still gripping Horican’s neck.

It definitely felt like it stabbed though……?

Horican momentarily recalled Keren.

Because of fighting restlessly for dozens of days.

Even though he was covered in blood and the bones of his whole body were smashed.

The beast bastard who didn’t submit until the very, very end.

‘Damn it……!’

Horican realized.

‘This beast bastard is also exactly the same!’

Right, there was no such thing as rationality in beast bastards.

When words don’t get through, there’s no way threats would work.

Horican twisted its body with its one and only wing.

Perhaps it had an effect.

“!”

The grip holding its neck was gradually loosening.

“Pant, pant…….”

[Call of Wildness] which takes extreme stamina consumption as its price.

Due to his stamina being depleted, [Call of Wildness] was deactivated.

And it was also because Nam Tae-min’s rationality returned.

Of course, the reason wasn’t important to Horican.

Crash!

Nam Tae-min who crashed onto the floor with a loud roar.

Horican approached such Nam Tae-min.

“Ignorant beast bastard. You’re even exactly the same up to that miserable end.”

Miserable end?

Bullshit.

He wanted to laugh at it but since he didn’t even have the stamina for that.

Nam Tae-min laughed inwardly.

‘……I feel like I finally understand a bit now.’

Why, what that pride in the chest Ho-yeol-ssi spoke of is.

Right, what moved Nam Tae-min was pride.

Keren’s pride he wanted to protect.

And his own pride that couldn’t ignore that pride.

Therefore, there were no regrets.

“How is it that beast bastards are more foolish than beasts. Even beasts tuck their tails and run away when they meet their natural enemy. Did you think I, Horican-nim, would be defeated by a trivial guy like you? There’s a limit to delusions. You bug-like human.”

A beast bastard, huh.

Right, even throwing away his greatsword and running around on all fours…….

If others saw it, it definitely would have looked like that.

If he could, Nam Tae-min wanted to ask.

‘Did I look like a beast to you too, Hyung?’

Playfully like that.

Why, if last words are serious.

Only the people left behind become sad.

Of course, the moment he fell.

In a situation where his earphones were smashed, he couldn’t hear his brother’s voice.

However.

Step

The answer to that returned with certainty.

“A beast bastard, you say, babbling without knowing your place.”

Ironically.

“However, I understand, trivial demon.”

From Ho-yeol.

“!”

Ho-yeol was seen within his blurring vision.

And he saw his guild members running towards him.

Nam Tae-min could intuite.

‘……Hyung?’

The fact that Nam Chul-min, he had conveyed the situation to the guild members.

Nam Tae-min flinched for a moment.

‘……Then did he perhaps also see me running around on all fours?’

Isn’t it Ho-yeol who values formality more than anyone else.

There wouldn’t be a more degrading appearance than that.

Since even he himself thought he was nothing but a beast bastard.

But that was a truly useless worry.

“Since you do not know pride. A human who fights to carry through with their pride.”

“……!”

“It is something the inferior breed that is you demons can never comprehend.”

Ho-yeol spitting it out calmly as always.

Nam Tae-min fell into deep emotion, and Horican fell into bewilderment.

‘How come?’

A dangerous smell wafted from the silver-haired man.

……The mixed smell of the blood of six Demon Legion Commanders including Kupican!

Horican realized it intuitively.

That that man is exactly its natural enemy……!

‘I, I must run away.’

If it were in a perfect state, maybe, but its wing was ripped off.

Horican twitched its beak.

‘Right, bewitch him with words and use the opening to…….’

“Kku, kkueeek!”

But Horican couldn’t even open its beak.

Fwoosh!

Immediate Search, Interference, manifestation.

Because flames soared up starting from its beak.

While violently twisting its body in pain for a moment.

“I do not converse with my prey.”

An icy voice was heard in Horican’s ears.

“Shut up. Mongrel.”

*

AAU Korea Branch.

“……I can’t believe it.”

Those watching Ho-yeol through the monitor as if their souls had left them.

In the midst of that.

Tap tap tap!

Yoon Soo-gyeom, who was typing on the keyboard, opened his mouth.

“……I think I know, Hyun-joon. What kind of guy the Demon King is!”

“R-Really? Senior?!”

“Yeah. I’m 99.9 percent certain.”

The time has finally come to earn his keep.

Moreover, this was information that would be more helpful to Ho-yeol than anyone else.