Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 127

Weapon-Eating Bastard – Episode 127

Not far south of Busan lies an island shrouded in dark energy.

Known as Tsushima in Japan and Daemado in Korea, this island was once a crucial spiritual nexus connecting Korea to Japan. However, after the Great War, it transformed into a hazardous zone uninhabitable by humans.

A naval officer overseeing military transport ships from Busan to Daemado fidgeted with the identification card in his hand, letting out a long sigh.

“Rank 4… You’re a Hunter, I see.”

The officer examined the ID, then looked up at the man standing before him.

‘Wow, I’ve met plenty of Hunters here, but this guy is something else. Are all Rank 4 Hunters like this?’

The man, with a dark, grimy sword at his hip, had a face full of scars.

“Is there a problem?”

“Ah, no. Your identification checks out, and you have verification from the Hunter Association… I’m just a bit concerned since you’re going alone.”

The officer scratched the back of his neck.

“All your documents are in order… but are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“Don’t worry. I’m well aware of the dangers there. If the paperwork is fine, I’d like to depart immediately.”

A voice that echoed as if from a cave.
The officer inwardly flinched at the sheer force of the man’s presence.

‘He’s really something. Do all Rank 4s have voices that boom like that…?’

The officer decided to stop thinking about it.

He couldn’t bring himself to keep talking to such a menacing-looking Hunter.

Eventually, the transport ship set off.
The ship didn’t approach Daemado directly but stopped some distance offshore.

“This is as close as we can get.”

The officer said, gazing at the sky above Daemado in the distance.

Woo-oong…!

The island’s sky was stained black.
The distant roars of monsters and the ghostly wails of the wind sent shivers down his spine.

“Be careful. Things have been ominous lately.”

“Ominous? What do you mean?”

“The Japanese strike team cleared it out a few months ago… but the monsters are spawning faster than before. The inside of Daemado has been unusually turbulent lately.”

“Thank you for the warning.”

“So, I recommend you take a quick look around and come back right away… Oh!”

Before the officer could finish, the man leaped from the bow of the ship.

Splash!

The man channeled mana into his feet and slowly walked across the water.

“Hmph…”

He knew that those who wielded mana could walk on water, but it was still a sight he couldn’t get used to.

‘Well, I’m sure he knows what he’s doing. I should just mind my own business. It’s a dangerous place, so he’ll be careful.’

The officer turned the ship around and headed back towards Haeundae.

And then.

“Ahem, um, ah.”

The man began to clear his throat once the ship was far enough away.

In an instant, the voice that had echoed like a cave transformed into that of a young boy whose voice was just starting to break.

Not only that, but his menacing features began to twist, soon turning into the face of a sharp-eyed boy.

“Hoo, I almost died of discomfort putting on that weird act.”

Black hair, light brown eyes, somewhat sharp features, and bright red lips.
The Rank 4 Hunter was none other than Lee Cheol, the youngest of the Soongmoo Lee family.

“I wish I could grow up faster.”

He had to use the Myriad Manifestations Iron Skin ability [an ability that allows the user to change their appearance] to disguise himself and even alter his voice to avoid troublesome misunderstandings.

It was fortunate that he was dealing with a regular officer; someone skilled in mana would have noticed the voice modulation.

“Daemado…”

I gazed at Daemado, shrouded in black mist, my eyes gleaming.

I would have to spend the next year in that ominous place.

* * *

There are several unique phenomena in the world.

First, the uncharted territories, overrun by monsters and transformed to the point where they can hardly be considered part of the same world anymore.

Second, the gates that open due to mana imbalances.

Third, the dungeons, where ancient mana imbalances have persisted and solidified over long periods.

Excluding the uncharted territories, which are deemed unmeasurable, the other two are classified from Rank 1 to Rank 10 based on mana readings, with special designations like “Quasi” or “Special” added when unique elements are present.

And beyond these ranks, there exist dungeons with grades like A, B, C, D, or Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta.

These are the special dungeons.

‘In reality, even that designation is just for administrative purposes.’

Special dungeons differ from ordinary dungeons in their formation and structure.

If one had to compare, they were closer to uncharted territories.

While ordinary dungeons are places where prolonged mana imbalances have solidified over time, special dungeons refer to spiritual lands that were captured and corrupted by monsters during the Great War.

“Hoo!”

I immediately stepped onto Daemado.

The moment I set foot on the island, I sensed numerous foreign presences everywhere.

This was why people couldn’t set foot here.

I had only just reached the coast, but it was already teeming with so many monsters that it was practically an uncharted territory.

‘Perfect.’

This was precisely why I chose Daemado.

I could engage in practical combat with monsters whenever I wanted, without external interference.

Moreover, Daemado was home to various monsters ranging from Rank 6 to Rank 4.

There was no better place for training.

-Kieek!

At that moment, before I had even properly entered the island, a monster greeted me, as if to prove it was a special dungeon.

A Rank 5 monster, a Black Hare.
A massive black rabbit the size of a large dog glared at me with blood-red eyes.

‘Alright. Let’s get started.’

Thus began my life in the Beta-grade dungeon, the Monster Colony.

* * *

When living in the wilderness for an extended period, the first things to secure are a base and a water source.

While a base can be changed, water isn’t available everywhere, so I always searched the mountains for water first.

But this time, there was no need.

Kwaang!

I rampaged through the Black Hare village, unleashing aura without restraint.

Back in my days as a cadet, aura was one of my trump cards, but now I had enough mana to use it freely.

-Kieeeeek!

Black Hares were known for their hides as tough as steel.

However, when Mujin, imbued with aura, was swung, they split like paper, scattering blood.

I lightly subdued the Black Hares and moved forward.

‘Since I received the subjugation records and maps from the Black Turtle Society, I don’t need to search for water like before. It’s marked on the map.’

Having the cooperation of an information merchant was a great help in this regard.

Thanks to that, I decided to focus more on securing a base for training rather than finding water.

‘Where there are Black Hares, there is a Maenggek [a leopard-like monster]. If I kill it and take its lair, I can create an environment where I can train without being disturbed by monsters.’

The Quasi-Rank 4 monster Maenggek was a leopard-like creature with a peculiar pattern on its forehead.

The Maenggek’s actual combat danger was close to Rank 5, but it was classified as Quasi-Rank 4 due to its special ability.

Its stealth ability.

Moreover, the Maenggek could use it not only on itself but also on spaces and objects.

The cave that the Maenggek had long used as its lair was isolated from the surrounding space as if a high-level formation had been deployed.

If I could use that place as a base, I could focus on training without worrying about unexpected monster attacks.

‘The problem is….’

Could I hunt it?

The Maenggek lived in packs.

According to the subjugation records, they formed groups of at least four and up to twenty.

Assuming the worst, I imagined facing twenty Quasi-Rank 4 monsters.

Impossible.

Extremely dangerous.

According to common sense, that was the case.

‘I can do it.’

I had already achieved accomplishments that surpassed common sense, both by the standards of the Soongmoo Lee family and the world.

I was no longer the same person who struggled against the Human-Faced Spider Plants in the early days of the cadet corps.

‘I didn’t come to this dangerous place to worry about mere Maenggek.’

I recalled the battle on Mount Toham and the battle on Mount Halla.

Just a few Maenggek.

They would make for decent sparring partners.

I began to set a trap to lure out the Maenggek.

I swung the corpses of the Black Hares around, scattering droplets of blood to spread the scent.

Then, I gathered all the corpses in one place and concealed myself nearby, deploying a Mirage of Vigorous Energy [a technique to mask one’s presence].

How much time had passed?

Several tens of minutes passed, but I maintained my focus and surveyed the surroundings.

-Keureureu….

Then, I heard a beastly cry I had never heard before.

A monster with white fur covering its entire body instead of brown fur, a Maenggek.

‘Four of them. They’re either scouting or surveying the area.’

The creatures cautiously surveyed the surroundings, paused for a moment, and began to devour the Black Hare corpses.

-Keureung!

Once they had finished feeding, they quickly left the area after surveying the surroundings once more.

I waited a short while before following them.

* * *

Was it because they were ranked monsters?

As if sensing something was amiss, they began to scatter.

Unlike lower-level monsters, they possessed intelligence.

I had a feeling that whichever one I chased, I would fall into a trap.

‘Just what I wanted. Just lead the way properly.’

I deliberately released my concealment and chased after the Maenggek.

And then.

-Keureureu….

In an instant, a wide clearing appeared.

And in a space where there was clearly nothing, more than ten Maenggek suddenly emerged, surrounding me.

It was a trap.

Of course, I already knew that.

‘Fifteen in total.’

Ten were visible.

Five were concealed.

They appeared to be adults.

The amount of mana I sensed from them was different.

-Kaaaang!

Several Maenggek slowly moved, blocking my retreat.

The killing intent emanating from the Maenggek pack caused my sixth sense to react.

‘As expected, my prediction was correct.’

I felt that sensation and became certain.

‘I’ve become much stronger than I thought.’

Even though I had fallen into a trap set by fifteen Quasi-Rank 4 monsters, I didn’t feel any sense of danger.

-Kaaaaaang!

At that moment, one of the Maenggek charged at me.

I moved Mujin.

Swgaak!

The Demon Subduing Strike [a powerful sword technique] that shot out bisected the charging Maenggek’s body.

The red blood splattered across the ground.
The Demon Subduing Strike, which I used to use as a finishing move, could now be used continuously even with aura skills activated.

-Keureuk!?

The Maenggek pack flinched.

It was because the weakest individual in the group had charged in for reconnaissance, but they hadn’t expected it to die in one hit.

Tuhng!

The moment they flinched, I moved first.

Swgeok!

I dodged the incoming attacks and swung Mujin and Heukya, successively cutting down the Maenggek.

Each time my body and the Maenggek’s body intersected, blood splattered in all directions.

However, amidst the rain of blood, not a single drop touched Eunhan’s clothes.

-Keureureureu….

The surviving Maenggek stepped back.

I aimed at those Maenggek, shaking Mujin in the air.

“Now, ten left.”

I stepped over the corpses of the five Maenggek and charged towards the Maenggek surrounding me.

* * *

It didn’t even take 30 minutes to deal with the Maenggek.

It wouldn’t have even taken half that time if the five that seemed to be the leaders hadn’t run away.

Woong…!

And I was able to find the Maenggek’s nest.

The sensation when entering the nest was very unfamiliar.

It was clearly in front of me, but it felt like I couldn’t recognize that it was there.

A strange flow of mana distorted my senses.

It even deceived the sixth sense that was dormant in the Soongmoo Lee family’s bloodline. I wouldn’t have been able to find it if it weren’t for the Mystic Eyes [an ability to perceive hidden things].

‘There seemed to be a few adults too… Did they do a sloppy job of subjugation? Or did they hide to avoid the subjugation’s eyes?’

It was probably both.

Daemado was subjugated alternately by Japan and Korea every two years.

If the number of monsters increased too much, they would cross the sea and flow into the mainland.

However, in a situation where Daemado was no one’s territory and they had to spend capital and manpower to deal with it, no one would faithfully carry out their mission.

They probably didn’t bother to deal with the hidden Maenggek.

It was at that moment.

-Keoeoeoeoeoeong!

I flinched.

A terrifying roar echoed into the cave.

Fear.

Fear that tingled and vibrated through my skin.

The fear wasn’t enough to move the Black Energy, as it was far away.

I shook off the foul energy that had seeped into my body by circulating mana through it once.

‘It’s not close. Then….’

It’s the center of the island.
The spiritual nexus where the densest mana flowed in from the mainland, and the place where the most severe spiritual contamination had occurred.

Unlike Jeokcheong Island, where barriers were installed to control the level of monsters, there were no such safety devices here.

There would be monsters that had absorbed the contaminated mana and grown in size.

-Seeeeeeeek!

-Keoeoeoeong!

The roars echoed one after another, to the point where the air vibrated.

For a moment, the ground shook, and pieces of rock fell from the cave ceiling.

‘Have the monsters in the center started fighting over territory?’

The subjugation forces didn’t touch the center if they could help it.

Daemado was an island where a native overlord didn’t yet exist.
The center would be a battleground for monsters.

‘I’ll have to advance to that place eventually.’

Not now, of course.

I reached the depths of the cave.