Auto Hunting

No. 180

It wasn’t that big. The Goblin before him was only about two to three meters tall.

With its slight build, it looked more like a tall human than a monster.

It was sitting atop the ridge, staring at the space where he and Lee Jae-hak had faced countless Goblins.

“You seemed relaxed,” Yoo-seong remarked. Only then did the beast turn its head to face him.

“…!”

The creature’s face was different from the other Goblins they had faced. The others had human-like faces, surprisingly. The only difference they had from humans was their size, as well as their grotesque horns and fangs.

However, this creature looked different.

Yoo-seong remembered something he saw in a textbook when he was in high school.

Anyone who had completed their education in Korea would have seen it at least once.

‘It’s the devil’s face,’ he thought.

“I’m not,” the creature responded in Korean.

Its voice was so low-pitched that it seemed to come from the depths of the earth.

“I was thinking about what just occurred,” it added.

“Ah, the death of your people?” Yoo-seong asked.

“Huh? Are you talking about those?”

The creature raised itself up and stretched its arms. Only then could Yoo-seong see the other differences in its body structure.

The bones on its chest and ribs were at a sharper angle, and both of its arms hung down below its knees.

‘This guy,’ Yoo-seong thought. ‘A species we have never encountered before.’

“In this world, there’s not a single entity left I could call ‘my people.’ Those who you thought were my kindred…”

The Goblin looked down at the field once more.

“They are nothing but my creations, the result of my handmade improvements. The natural bodies of Garams could not endure the harshness of this world. That is why I altered their physical structure, even if it meant their intelligence would be lost in the process.”

Yoo-seong considered what the creature had said for a moment.

‘Was the human-like appearance the result of the genetic manipulation, or was it the horns and fangs on the Goblins’ heads?’

“So, Garam is what your race is called…” Yoo-seong said, trying to prompt the creature to continue speaking.

However, it did not show any reaction to his words. Rather, it seemed deep in thought as it looked over the battlefield. It didn’t even seem interested in the enemy right in front of him.

After a few moments of silence, it opened its mouth once more.

“Do you know what, Slave?”

Its eyes turned to Yoo-seong.

“This world you’re standing in was an unimaginable hell thousands of years ago.”

“You guys tamed it and made it tolerable?”

“It would be more accurate to say that we adapted to survive. The Garam lost the purity of their blood…”

“One of them survived, though,” Yoo-seong nudged his head in the direction of the creature.

“I am strong.”

“…”

The creature wasn’t lying.

Yoo-seong knew it and felt the creature’s strength.

In fact, he had already pressed the button before climbing up the ridge.

However, the strength he felt wasn’t that of a monster. Rather, the level and the purity of the Aura he could feel was more reminiscent of an old man he knew.

Jin Wei-baek.

“In both body and mind, I was greater than the average of my people. I reached the top of the Garam before I even became an adult. Over time, I developed the knowledge and ability to change the structure of all life in the world.”

“It would have been nice, then, if you had altered your people and made them strong before you were sent to this hell,” Yoo-seong scoffed.

“I lacked foresight at that time. My people were not born with the same strength as mine; we thought that it was blasphemy for our bloodline to do things that weren’t worthy of respect. And that was my stain.”

The Goblin’s eyes bore through Yoo-seong’s. He couldn’t help but feel goosebumps rise on his back.

“That is the reason I created your kind, Slave.”

“…!”

If Yoo-seong understood it correctly, the monster before him, like the Gray Leader, had already lived through years of regret.

“The moment I took the first offspring of your kind into my hand… I was proud. The greatest masterpiece I have ever created.”

In that context, Yoo-seong realized he was facing a creature that had altered and improved the human species.

“The other races said their purpose was to retake our world and enjoy their old glory,” Yoo-seong said, despite his shock. “Are you different?” he continued.

“Don’t you find them funny, Slave? You are not weak. Even if the boundary between this world and your world was gone, would it be possible to push your kind to extinction?”

“…”

‘No,’ Yoo-seong thought.

The world would change when the world beyond the crack emptied out into the human world.

It would literally be Hell on Earth. Countless people would suffer and die. However, it wouldn’t mean that humans would go extinct.

Modern civilization was strong enough. Even without hunters, humans would persevere against the monsters.

However, the rich and comfortable twenty-first-century life as humans knew it would be gone. Countries would collapse. Weapons of mass destruction would crush the monsters, even as they turned the world into a vast battlefield.

In the end, the humans would win. However, all that would be left for them to rule on would be ash and ruins.

“They don’t want to believe it.” The Goblin shook its head. “The other races still believe that humans are nothing but livestock. Every single creature born here was taught that way, so how could they not be brainwashed?”

“Are you against the other races?”

“No… but humans are my creations. I could not use my own hands against them, so I sent these creatures to help their cause instead.”

As their dialogue continued to flow peacefully, Yoo-seong’s senses were telling him the opposite. The danger was getting closer as they spoke.

“But now…”

Go-oh-oh-oh-!

Aura boiled around the last Garam.

“Watching the slaughter that happened here revived the feelings I thought I had forgotten.”

“I would be more comfortable if you got to the point,” Yoo-seong answered.

In the blink of an eye, the reinforced Queen’s Hug covered his body.

The Garam’s expression crumpled with fury.

“In this place… you will die!”

The next moment, however, the creature’s expression became dull once more. It resumed speaking with its usual slow, calm tone.

“After that, I will go over to your world and do as much as I can…”

“Didn’t you just say that, even with your abilities, humans could not be wiped out?”

“Right… but I know what you really fear is not the extinction of your species.”

“…!”

“It’s the loss of the comfort and prosperity you are currently enjoying.”

To survive in a world made of nothing but ash and ruins, that would be the greatest misfortune for mankind.

“As far as my abilities can take me… I will destroy as much of your world as possible.”

“You know,” Yoo-seong sighed, “I now understand the characteristics of the race called Garam.”

He felt Auto-Hunt begin to work.

“They are useless and verbose creatures,” he added.

Taa-aang-!

Explosive Acceleration shortened the distance between them in no time.

“Ah… now you’re going to be angry, right?” the Garam said.

Yoo-seong quickly arrived in front of the creature, his wrist blade shining intensely with the dragon’s flame.

However, it was a feint.

Just before he struck the Garam’s body with the tip of his blade, Yoo-seong quickly turned and stretched his leg toward the creature’s face.

It was the function of the tattoo on Yoo-seong’s right leg, the Tech of Acceleration. It doubled the speed of the body part it was engraved on. Combined with Explosive Acceleration and the ability to regenerate Aura even after placing his entire CE on one leg, could there have been a better buff for Yoo-seong?

Fa-oah-!!!

The vibration in the air as his leg moved toward the target was powerful enough to tear the eardrums of lesser creatures.

Pagak-!

However…

“…!”

“Such a simple way of solving emotions.” The Garam’s voice sounded disappointed.

Yoo-seong’s kick did not reach its temple. Despite his incredible speed, the Garam easily caught Yoo-seong’s ankle and stopped the impact.

“It doesn’t have any practical value,” the Garam added.

Auto Hunt immediately made Yoo-seong cross his arms before his chest. Yoo-seong couldn’t even see the counter-attack flying towards him, but…

Kagang-!

Quick, efficient, and powerful.

The Garam’s fist slammed against Yoo-seong’s arms, sending him rolling across the ground.

Yoo-seong’s arms tingled with pain. Despite the reinforced Queen’s Hug and the full coat of Aura that Auto-Hunt had covered his arms with, he felt the shock of the impact to his bones.

Shhhh-!

As soon as he stopped rolling, Auto Hunt made Yoo-seong bounce back up and run toward the Garam once more.

The Plum Sword glowed from his hands, and the two strongest creatures started dancing.

“…!”

Yoo-seong’s blade passed through the Garam’s skin, and a red-hot wound swelled on impact.

However, it wasn’t fatal.

Pot-!

Yoo-seong’s left foot suddenly stomped on the ground and kicked high.

Spider Threads rose from the ground with speed comparable to bullets, aiming for the Garam’s eyes.

“What…?” the Garam muttered in wonder.

However…

Yoo-seong saw the Garam’s lower body twist to the side. More than avoiding the incoming Spider Webs, it was able to attack Yoo-seong’s other leg with a low kick, as his left foot was still in the air.

“Hngggh-!”

Yoo-seong immediately lifted his other leg to dodge it, but…

Pagak-!

The Garam’s massive fist caught him as he hung in mid-air.

An explosion of shock erupted around his chest.

For the second time, Yoo-seong was thrown back. However, this time, the shock was quite different from the first.

The taste of blood filled Yoo-seong’s mouth.

Even so, the physical damage was just minor. With Yoo-seong’s stamina and durability, he would be able to endure it.

The mental damage, however, was a different story.

‘Twice.’

Yoo-seong was unable to comprehend what had just happened.

‘I lost twice.’

‘Auto-Hunt lost twice.’

“That’s some great armor,” the Garam remarked as Yoo-seong lay stunned.

There wasn’t any physical damage on the Queen’s Hug, despite the Garam smashing it with a fist full of Aura.

“I won’t say you are unworthy of it, but… there’s something in it that you just can’t use at your current skill level.”

As Yoo-seong slowly staggered up, the Garam appeared before him.

“Now I know for sure,” the creature whispered as its palm stretched out toward Yoo-seong. “Your identity, the source of your strength…”