Chapter 251: The Hell King (1)

The Hell King grinned as it watched the Hunters circle on the dark, crimson-stained ground. It bounced on its toes like an overexcited child.

—Starting now...

Kang Man-Ki's voice echoed through the earpieces of every Hunter surrounding the Hell King.

—We will begin the subjugation.

***

Since when?

Yoo Seh-Eun closed in on the Hell King, thrusting her sword, her mind drifting as she searched her memory for an answer. She couldn't recall exactly.

"Probably from the beginning," she muttered under her breath.

Kim Ki-Rok had always acted with unwavering conviction, consistently proving himself right. No matter the difficulty, he resolved problems in a single stroke. With sharp intelligence and inventive ideas, he accomplished feats that left others stumped. Kim Ki-Rok helped the good when they were in trouble and punished the wicked, sometimes with money, sometimes through force, and other times by leveraging crucial information.

That was why the shock hit so much harder.

To Yoo Seh-Eun and the rest of the DG Guild Hunters, Kim Ki-Rok was the one who could overcome any hardship. So when they saw the footage of his duel with the Hell King, it shook them. Even against stronger foes, he always found a way to close the gap, deftly weaving through attacks and defenses. But in the fight with the Hell King, he had been relentlessly driven back.

"Damn it..."

The words slipped out before she realized. Watching the Hell King swing a massive fist with cold determination, Yoo Seh-Eun barely managed to hurl herself out of its path.

When had it started...?

***

The sizzle of meat filled the air at the Piggy Regular, a barbecue joint across from the DG Guild.

"I think you're amazing, Guildmaster."

One of the guild members spoke up as Kim Ki-Rok manned the grill.

"Hm? Me?" Kim Ki-Rok replied.

"Yes. No matter the level gap or stat difference, you always find a way to narrow that gap and defeat monsters with unexpected tactics. And when a guild member asks for advice, you solve their problem by the next day or within a week at the most," the member said.

"So... you think I'm amazing?" Kim Ki-Rok asked.

"I do."

He picked up a piece of meat and dropped it onto Kim Ji-Hee's plate. "Roasted garlic isn't spicy. Eat some vegetables. Finish your rice. Want some doenjang-jjigae or kimchi-jjigae?"

"Mister," Kim Ji-Hee protested.

"Yeah?"

"My stomach's about to burst. Stop feeding me," she said.

"Aigo, then eat some more after you digest everything."

"Ugh."

Shivering, Kim Ji-Hee scrambled to her feet and slid into a seat at another table, seeking refuge among other Hunters.

Kim Ki-Rok quietly watched her go, then returned to grilling. "Amazing, huh..."

"You don't think so?" the Hunter asked.

"Of course not."

"Why not?"

"Because I have no talent."

The table fell silent as everyone turned to stare at Kim Ki-Rok.

"What? No talent?" Yoo Seh-Eun blurted, incredulous.

Kim Ki-Rok calmly flipped the meat, unruffled. "None at all. Let's put it this way. In the past, no one in the guild could beat me in a duel."

Before S-Class Gates, no one in the DG Guild could beat him. As S-Class Gates proliferated, more members began defeating him, and eventually everyone managed to win against him in solo combat.

Although Kim Ki-Rok was familiar with many weapon styles, as well as skilled in both grappling and striking martial arts, that was where it ended. He was always a step behind those with true talent in any particular field.

"I'm someone who falls short in everything," he admitted.

"Short...? In what way?" someone asked.

He nodded. "Simply put, I'm always number two."

"You... the Guildmaster?"

"We're talking about talent, Ms. Seh-Eun."

Yoo Seh-Eun paused, then replied, "Okay."

"Not 'okay.' Let's see... After Mr. Kang Seh-Hyuk, who's next best with a shield?" Kim Ki-Rok asked.

Kang Seh-Hyuk was a DG Guild Hunter, renowned for his shield skills, sharpened with guidance from a knight after an alliance with the Yuashiel Dimension had been formed.

"Tae-Hwan oppa," Yoo Seh-Eun answered.

"Hmm... Poor example," Kim Ki-Rok admitted.

Yoo Tae-Hwan, like The Five Siblings of the Mapogu, belonged to his own fixed team that operated within Gates.

"And Mr. Jae-Hoon. Mr. Young-Tae," Yoo Seh-Eun continued.

"Okay, that's enough," Kim Ki-Rok said, stuffing more meat into her mouth. He reconsidered. "Alright, I have a better example."

"What is it?" she asked, chewing.

"Technical jobs."

"Technical jobs?"

"Who's the best potion maker after Sister Yoon-Joo?" he said, bringing up their guild's renowned potion brewer.

"You, Guildmaster."

"Right. Now, who's the second-best blacksmith after Mr. Kang Woo-Hyuk?" Kim Ki-Rok continued.

Kang Woo-Hyuk, with his equipment crafting and Reinforcement Skills, was respected worldwide, not just in Korea.

"Guildmaster?" Yoo Seh-Eun guessed.

"Frankly, I'm good at everything," Kim Ki-Rok said with a wry smile.

"

Ugh,

you're so annoying."

"But! I'm always a little below the true specialists."

He excelled at many things, but never became the very best in any one of them. Truly a jack of all trades, master of none.

"Even if you focused on one field from now on?" Lee Ji-Yeon, the fire Elemental warrior, asked.

Kim Ki-Rok nodded. "Yes."

"But why?"

"As I said, it's because I have no exceptional talent. And that gap becomes a fatal weakness in combat."

"But you're good at everything. Can't you just fill the gaps with other techniques?" another protested.

"It doesn't work like that. You all know about Swordsmanship, Axemanship, Spearmanship, martial arts, and so on, right?"

Those who were listening nodded in agreement.

"The best I can reach with any of those is A-Class," Kim Ki-Rok said.

"Huh?"

"No matter how hard I try, I can't break through to S-Class."

"Isn't it just a matter of time?"

"No. Every single one of my skills stops at A-Class. My growth stalled way back in 2044."

Silence settled over the table.

Despite revealing his weakness, Kim Ki-Rok smiled as he continued. "SS-Class Gates will show up on Earth soon. In the worst-case scenario, we might even face Hell, the Gate I fear most. I won't be able to participate in SS-Class Gates or Hell."

"Because of your lack of talent?" someone asked.

"Exactly. Using stats and levels to compensate for talent only gets me through S-Class Gates. SS-Class Gates, and especially Hell, will require Hunters who've reached the pinnacle in one field."

What Kim Ki-Rok said was the truth. With the flood of S-Class Gates, Earth soon faced a new crisis. Within the new SS-Class Gates, Kim Ki-Rok could only provide rear support, using Discernment and tactical insight, handling lesser monsters while others took on the worst threats.

***

The Hell King was coming, and Kang Seh-Hyuk could not avoid it, as there was a Hunter who had missed the timing to evade. With a thunderous crash, he intercepted the Hell King's blow, absorbing the impact as both he and the Hunter behind were blasted backward.

The Hunters had forgotten how Kim Ki-Rok once kept retreating, outmatched by sheer talent. He had slowly shifted from leading the charge to supporting from behind. Yet his resourcefulness, intelligence, and problem-solving with Discernment masked this truth. No one had noticed him stepping back.

"Black mana detected! Fall back!" Baek Min-Hyuk shouted, his beast senses sharper than anyone's.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

At Baek Min-Hyuk's warning, the Hunters who had been closing in and slashing at the Hell King quickly broke away.

A surge of black mana blasted skyward, crashing down on the spot they'd just vacated.

"Wow! An instant-kill move right at the start? Is this for real?"

They'd already seen, in the footage of Kim Ki-Rok's duel with the Hell King, that the monster used not only fists and feet but also wielded deadly black mana.

—Ranged unit, watch its movements.

Lee Yeon-Hwa's voice echoed in their earpieces. The ranged Hunters, who had been pouring out skills and spells, immediately split into two teams: one attacking the Hell King, the other tracking the black mana morphing into whips.

—Greatsword incoming!

The call from a ranged Hunter reached those fighting up close.

—Target the knee and left arm! Hunter Yoo Seh-Eun!

Yoo Seh-Eun had been waiting for the greatsword attack but snapped to attention. Seeing the Hell King charge, the footage she'd studied in the conference room flashed through her mind. She raised her sword instinctively, but with her comrades flying in from every direction, she focused.

Knee, left arm.

She repeated the target points in her mind.

Taking a quick step back, she twisted her torso and turned her head. The Hell King's fist grazed her nose, a blow she would have taken full-on if she hadn't moved first.

Confident in her actions, Yoo Seh-Eun spoke calmly, "Ji-Yeon."

***

If you asked someone who Kim Ki-Rok trusted most in the guild, you'd get a range of answers such as Kim Ji-Hee, the Mapogu siblings, Kang Woo-Hyuk, and perhaps Lee Ji-Yeon. But if you asked the guild members themselves, the answer was definitely Lee Ji-Yeon, the first genius Kim Ki-Rok had selected.

Why not Kim Ji-Hee? The reason was simply that Kim Ki-Rok saw her more as a daughter rather than a guild member.

"Miss Ji-Yeon," Kim Ki-Rok had said.

"Yes?"

"You trust me, right?"

Lee Ji-Yeon nodded. "I do."

Lee Ji-Yeon felt the same way about Kim Ki-Rok. She would put all her faith in the man who had recognized her talent first, who had always nurtured her growth.

"Even if I gave you truly absurd advice, would you listen?"

"Yes."

"If, by some chance, you like me, please throw those feelings away—"

Lying on the bed, Kim Ki-Rok watched as Lee Ji-Yeon shook her head hard. "Not that much," she said immediately.

"My heart hurts," Kim Ki-Rok joked.

"Do you have feelings for me?" Lee Ji-Yeon asked.

"No," he answered flatly. "To me, Miss Ji-Yeon is that."

"That?"

"The eldest daughter."

Just like that, she gained a new father.

"A good, kind eldest daughter who honors her parents and cares for her siblings, unlike the rebellious second daughter who shouts and misbehaves despite all my hard work. An eldest daughter I don't want to see married off."

With her new fatherly figure, she became a proper eldest daughter.

"Who's the second daughter?" Lee Ji-Yeon asked.

"Ms. Seh-Eun."

"Aha...?"

I'm younger, though,

she thought, but let it pass. She noticed the seriousness in Kim Ki-Rok's gaze, belying his gentle smile.

"Please continue, Guildmaster," Lee Ji-Yeon said.

"In the fight against the Hell King, when our second daughter creates an opening, she'll call for you."

"Yes."

"That's when you strike."

"How?"

"Summon your Elementals."

***

The Hell King jerked his head, his gaze shifting from Yoo Seh-Eun to Lee Ji-Yeon. For a moment, his expression softened into a smile, as if he'd been waiting for her. Still, Lee Ji-Yeon didn't waver.

Above the Hell King, black mana had shaped itself into greatswords and began to rain down. He conjured dozens, making them impossible to dodge. But Lee Ji-Yeon stood her ground.

"Ine."

With a flare, Ine was summoned just as the black mana nearly touched Lee Ji-Yeon's head. The greatswords froze in place, and the Hell King, who had been glaring at her, turned.

Sensing the natural mana infused with the power of purification and the presence of a Hunter gifted in weakening Hell monsters, the Hell King's focus snapped to Ine, the fire Elemental now blazing behind him.

Slash!