READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 325: Second Awakening
The Beast number one discovered this and tried to throw a cliché insult like, “What the hell are you!”
However, upon witnessing the ensuing situation, the Awakened’s mouth snapped shut immediately.
“…….”
Bones.
Ligaments connecting the bones.
Tendons that graft onto these ligaments.
Finally, skin and hair covering everything.
The man before them had, in a way that could only be seen in an anatomy textbook, healed his own wounds.
Was that shattered head, which looked so completely smashed that one could clearly see what was inside, really filling up that quickly?
Witnesses couldn’t help but stifle their words at a scene that resembled ‘magic.’
Such a form of bodily restoration had never been reported, not even once, to them, who controlled information worldwide.
“…….”
But the blond man simply continued staring blankly at the ground, regardless of the confusion around him.
Then, without a change in expression, he slowly raised his hand.
And as if checking if everything was properly attached, he began to grope around his own head.
A few seconds later, in the midst of the dark silence, the blond man spoke.
“…is….”
It started as a murmur too quiet to hear.
“…I am….”
But by the time he lifted his head slightly, his voice had grown loud enough for everyone to hear.
– I am not wrong…
Thump.
At the same moment, the hearts of the Beasts raced again.
The two Beasts, aside from Enzo, wondered if this mysterious phenomenon was Kim Gi-ryeo’s skill and decided to take him down before it became a major problem.
However, the two Awakened who had rushed forward suddenly stopped as they reached the cave’s end.
“Ugh!”
“Kuheum!”
It was no surprise.
As S-Class Hunters, they were now facing a terror against which they had never felt the slightest twinge of fear in their lives.
“…….”
Clatter.
Something resembling a person had perfectly restored even the solitary tear drop that was now moistening the crystal.
The expression on the man’s face as he regarded the pack of beasts was strikingly calm.
Yet within his wide-open pupils was undoubtedly a hint of something akin to joy…
*
To explain again.
Kim Gi-ryeo (김기려) was a 24-year-old man from South Korea.
His bank balance was 3,320 won.
His emergency cash was 11,800 won.
And if we were to tally his assets, all he had was the deposit for a shabby studio apartment of around five pyeong, making him a bona fide destitute.
But through relentless effort, he discovered some advantages in this flesh.
=【PIXY MDE 07/03】======
Level: F
Aw: 15.97
Apparent hardness: 0.1
——————==
At first, it was 12.
Then it was 14.
And when he realized this phenomenon and measured again, he saw the number 15.97, indicating that he had, interestingly, a constitution that gradually increased in magic power.
‘Maybe I’m the only growth-type superhuman on Earth.’
But now that he thought about it, he should have focused on the part where Kim Gi-ryeo’s magic power had volatility in the first place.
After all, they had just established a plausible hypothesis based on several experiments.
[15.97Aw]
Immediately after seeing that 15.97 test result, he faced an unusually severe injury in the [Six-wing Corridor].
Midway through, he felt a genuine life-threatening risk from the battle against Kang Chang-ho in places like Incheon and Seoul.
And after all this chaos, when he measured his awakening level with samples purchased at the Tokyo Artifact Expo…
[28.11Aw]
Something about this number had changed drastically in a short time.
Could this possibly be a coincidence?
A normal scholar would have to revise their previous hypothesis that Kim Gi-ryeo’s growth was merely time-dependent, right?
[News Flash: [Full Video] Strange phenomena reported in major cities like Texas and Washington!]
Besides, how was it that superhumans emerged on this planet called Earth anyway?
Was it simply because they were exposed to vast amounts of magic power?
No, if it were that simple, primitive humans wouldn’t have coined the term ‘awakened’ to collectively refer to sorcerers.
[Test Result: F-Class Awakened]
In fact, all truths hinted at by Kim Gi-ryeo’s identity were encapsulated in that one line.
What humanity needed to break barriers.
The power that had kept those primal beasts alive since ancient times.
Stress.
Even before conducting magic recovery experiments, he had anticipated this alone.
Indeed, one of the greatest causes of mutations on Earth was such stimuli and pain.
“I am not wrong…”
To be specific, the magic he had wielded was assuredly problematic somewhere.
To be exact, it wasn’t the structure itself that was flawed.
It was simply that this soul’s empty wish had been slightly obnoxiously answered by the mana.
[To be reborn as the being with the highest magic power on this planet.]
Yeah.
He was truly not wrong.
Above all, the current situation proved it.
“…….”
All in all, looking back, it was a dangerously reckless matter.
He had been hurt badly enough for his brain to dry up.
Yet that very shock had fully blossomed his physical talents…
‘Hmm.’
At this point, it must be stated clearly that Kim Gi-ryeo’s relatively weak awakening was instead due to this body’s cells protecting him.
As seen with the compression phenomenon, mana was somewhat dangerous to the less evolved Earthlings.
‘If I had awakened to this level from the start, my life could have been in danger. I might have ended up in a vegetative state like those with mana addiction or been shattered to pieces.’
Kim Gi-ryeo’s body instinctively held back everything to prevent collapse.
And while this body gradually took its time to adapt to the new age of change, when it finally felt ready to fully express its abilities without bursting…
When the vessel named Kim Gi-ryeo was ready to embrace the pure love of mana, it only needed a shock to awaken once again.
‘Hmm.’
Anyhow.
If you hadn’t just died quietly and drearily.
If you could have lived a bit longer.
Somehow struggling to the very end, you could have intensely crossed the threshold of life and death.
You could have reaped your own harvest.
With the miraculous love granted to this body, surely the problem of diseases could have been resolved somehow.
Well, in truth, from the perspective of someone alone starving to death in a cramped room, such future plans would probably have not crossed his mind.
‘Perhaps every act of self-destruction in this world is just as tragic.’
He returned to reality after a brief moment of contemplation with his restored brain.
In any case, this situation could be summarized in a few short words.
“Ugh!”
“Kuheum!”
The only occurrence of a [Second Awakening] in modern Earth.
Moreover, if one had to classify it in terms of level, this could be seen as the emergence of a sort of SS-Class.
He pierced through the existing limits thrust upon him by the continuation of his life-threatening moments and finally confronted the true magic power of this corpse.
“…….”
Hiss, huff.
Good grief, how long has it been since he felt this refreshing?
‘This planet almost faced a terrible fate. Surely, with this exceedingly precious talent, who would have expected it to end its days by dying alone?’
While two individuals wearing Beast bone masks charged at him…
Just a single glance at their direction was enough to freeze their movements.
Gack!
After all, using the explicit title of SS-Class Hunter once more, should he just hammer it home?
[3.0.0 Changes]
● Second Awakening
● The magic power of the captured body restored to a level close to its original limit.
● Medium to large-scale magic unleashed.
In any case.
While enduring the soul of a Great Mage, he finally possessed a physical body that surpassed previous top-class hunters in terms of fuel capacity. So what more could he say?
Swish.
“Ugh?”
He tilted the head of his fully empowered body to gaze at the egoists.
“One meal.”
And he momentarily told them the price of their sins.
“8,400 won for an average meal, three times a day for 24 hours. And that’s for about a year or so.”
“W-What…?”
“So much effort went into shaping this body up to this weight… What a bunch of worms.”
At the same time, he cheekily checked to see if the peach-colored skin had been restored adequately by rubbing his cheeks.
A mammal’s fingertips were not as precise as those of an Alphauri, but…
Gak!
Huh!
That was the last conversation he would have with the grunts.
In an instant, the chest of one beast exploded with a torrent of blood.
The mass of flesh bursting forth from the Beast’s back drew a vibrant pattern in midair.
Normally, S-Class Awakened were surrounded by powerful magic without conscious awareness, but someone’s mental energy had hastily revealed the sorcerer’s vulnerability.
“Indeed, controlling my strength is a bit tricky.”
Perhaps it was because he had just experienced a Second Awakening, but he was still not adapted to this new magic.
So, the small Beast that received an accidental fatal strike fell limply, unable to even scream.
“…! ……!!”
Of course, the skeleton mask next to him registered a similar shock.
As a practice to adjust his output control, he immediately cast magic on the rest.
Gack, ugh! Gah!
The surviving Beast found itself choking as its flesh swelled from its throat, blocking its airway.
And at that moment…
Splash!
Noticing something was terribly wrong, Enzo the Hunter rushed to join in.
Far away, the sound of something piercing the air could be heard.
Without warning, Enzo threw a spear that ignored defenses.
‘Sure, I could catch it with telekinesis, but I didn’t feel the need.’
However, attacking with such a low-quality earth spear against someone who had awakened a talent exceeding the standard S-Class was utterly futile.
Even with just a pico-meter distance from his eyeball, the spear ultimately failed to pierce anything and simply froze in mid-air.
He caught the suspended spear with his thumb and forefinger and spoke.
“By the way, I heard you murmuring when I was somewhat conscious, Enzo Chiano. Weren’t you saying you could spare your lifespan for work?”
No response came.
But it didn’t matter.
He tossed aside the ‘cheap’ epic-grade spear from Earth that Enzo had reflexively triggered before facing him.
He had completely withstood Enzo’s torrent of electric blasts.
Crackle crackle.
Even while being bombarded with skill upon skill, not a single hair on his dyed head moved.
It was almost as if he had transcended the laws of inertia.
After all, he was not like them.
This kind of otherworldliness was indeed his true nature.
“Ha ha!”
Was Enzo Chiano the type to think even while having such a simple impression?
Seeing that he didn’t falter amidst the violent skill bombardment, Enzo made a decision to escape from this place using items.
Of course, before his self-satisfied laugh could fully unfold, Kim Gi-ryeo made his move.
“──?!”
What appeared to be merely a flick of his finger on his left arm.
But at that moment, Enzo’s body abruptly froze as though held in ice.
He looked at Kim Gi-ryeo, drenched in cold sweat.
“From what I gather, this incident was likely a group plan, and it seems someone higher up was giving orders… ”
If he now had a grasp on the output, it was time to end it all.
“I’ll leave your circumstances to you to figure out later. In truth, if everything had been perfect, I would’ve just needed to subdue you. But in my current state, I can’t be confident of preventing you from committing further crimes.”
Utilizing [Golem Craft] to search through all memories was now fully possible.
He minimized unnecessary questioning and approached Enzo.
With a measured motion, he drew a cross on Enzo’s chest with his forefinger.
To explain accurately, he had used his mana to slice open the guy’s lungs in that shape.
“Haha! Ugh. …Cough.”
Enzo released another hollow laugh.
He must not have predicted that he would be so effortlessly overwhelmed by a recently assessed E-Class Hunter who had previously only run away.
The last Beast struggled to move its rigid body for a long while but ultimately succumbed to its injuries and lost consciousness.
In that brief period, he had dealt with the three top-level Awakened of the modern age.
‘Life truly is unpredictable~’
This was indeed the true power of a Great Mage.
Yet, defeating the enemy before him didn’t mean his task was complete. Right after vanquishing Enzo, he immediately turned around.
“K-Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter…”
“Huh…?”
There stood South Koreans with dazed expressions, critically eyeing him.
By the way, they were all within the barrier he had thrown up when Enzo was crazily attacking, just in case.
“Are you all okay?”
Swish swish.
He brushed his hands in the air to cap off the transparent barrier.
Then he approached his colleagues, who seemingly hadn’t regained their senses, and attempted some first aid.
“Thanks to you, I lived… Ugh!”
“Wait a minute. I can drink alone… Ack!”
He swiftly shoved a mana potion he had subtly taken from their pockets into their mouths like a bottle-feed for babies.
With this, they could slightly offset the effects of [Mana Drain].
“…….”
At that moment.
Sunwoo-yeon, who was huddled in the corner, glanced at him with a pale blue face, trembling.
So, he approached her too to administer the final treatment.
“H-Hunter?”
She must have been in this state because her body was overwhelmed by the magic flowing from him.
“Ah….”
Puff.
He placed his palm on the front of the association member’s forehead, deploying a calming spell.
‘Oops.’
Was his output too strong? Sunwoo-yeon’s face softened a bit excessively… but, oh well, it should be fine!
‘Seems I’ve unwittingly turned this into an experiment. I should refrain from casting magic targeting Earthlings for now.’
After all, it was a spell that would wear off with time.
After taking some suitable medications and resting for a bit, Garion, the Guild master of the Magic Tower, and others began to regain their senses sequentially.
They seemed to have a lot to ask him, but, as professional hunters, they prioritized his questions first.
“Oh! By the way, what about the other people? A-Class Hunters! It seems like the room changed and they might’ve moved again…!”
“I believe they are all alive. However, with the remaining monsters, I’m not sure if we can launch an attack with the injured…”
“Let’s search other floors!”
They were flustered, not knowing how to resolve the problems that rose in the dungeon.
“No need for that.”
Because standing here was a Mage who had regained at least one tenth of their former abilities.
“Excuse me?”
“What did you just say…?”
Trot trot trot.
Having finished speaking, he stepped to the center of the way, the sound of his dress shoes echoing.
With closed eyes, the power surging through this feeding box and various magical structures came vividly to him.
If he had grasped space, he inhaled deeply one last time while activating the final spell.
“Mm?”
Gurgle…
From somewhere, a strange sound of something swelling began to resonate.
“Wait a minute, I’m not sure if it’s just my imagination, but I think something just—”
As Seo Esther noticed the noise…
Waaaaaaaaah!
Huh!
Shwaaaa!
Waves crashed through the dungeon.
Sunlight blazed down into the room and tangled in the many corridors, overwhelming the spot where they stood with an immense amount of moisture before they could even shout again.
Bubbling bubbling bubbling.
1st floor.
2nd floor.
And including the 3rd floor, where the nest’s leader lay asleep…
The magic flooded all spaces to drown anything that wasn’t human.
Ding!
He braced himself against the explosive currents surrounding him.
Before long, not long after, he felt the PIXY new model analyzer’s functions ringing out a refreshing alarm.
[Congratulations!]
This spatial movement influences even challengers who have died in normal circumstances, making it a perfectly clean conclusion.
[GATE CLEAR!]
[Auto-Eject detected.]
[In 11 seconds, all personnel will exit the area.]
[10….]
[9….]
*
“Fuhah!”
Cough.
Guh-urk!
And eleven seconds later, outside…
“Somebody save us!”
Although they had clearly set it up for survivors to breathe, who knew why people were coughing all around right after clearing the dungeon.
‘Did they reflexively hold their breath as the water swelled? A species that has the tradition of diving into the sea during summer…’
He looked at the alien creatures coughing like wet mice for a moment with pity.
That was when…
“Kim, Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter!”
Most people didn’t know how they had escaped, but Seo Esther, having witnessed everything from the side, could make such a proclamation.
“Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter. Was this your awakening attribute? This was your main skill, wasn’t it?”
“Eh?”
“Were you of the water element? Otherwise, how could a human pull off a strategy like this?!”
Buzz buzz.
At those words, the area erupted into a commotion.
“Huh.”
“What?”
“This was done by that Hunter…?”
But he could only respond with a relaxed demeanor.
“That’s true.”
Somehow, doubts like ‘Now really…?’ swirled in his heart, yet…
Anyway, the truth was that the attribute Kim Gi-ryeo was most talented at was, as visible, the water-related type.
So, due to its ease and smoothness of activation, he had unconsciously employed related magic during this attack as well.
‘Hmm.’
And additionally, if it were presumed that Kim Gi-ryeo had successfully undergone the Second Awakening while still alive…
Honestly, Korea’s representative fire mage Jeong Ha-seong and Moritake Ito wouldn’t stand a chance.
That was the nature of this body’s talent.
With such a staggering magic power gap, he would only create discomfort for his fellow countriesmen, and given he was such a cold sorcerer, merely being nearby would suffocate fire-elemental sorcerers.
‘Even under the condition that I concluded my class. If Jeong Ha-seong met the Second Awakening Kim Gi-ryeo, his skill potency would likely plummet.’
Moreover, what if Zhu Han, the S-Class water-elemental Hunter from a neighboring country, fared against him?
That was utterly implausible.
Earth was a planet lacking in water, which meant elemental water sorcerers generally employed a less cost-effective way of producing their mediums themselves.
Even if the water was made by them, control was not always guaranteed.
Regardless of who produced it, the water of this world would be seen to follow Kim Gi-ryeo’s will as he pleased.
His raw talent set him in a different league altogether.
Hence, if the powerhouse named Kim Gi-ryeo rose to prominence, even Zuhan would be at a complete loss…
In short, the conditions wouldn’t have been favorable.
But speculations were ultimately meaningless.
Again, let’s be clear: he was a soul unbound by the primitive rule of one elemental per person.
Chuckle… Chuckle chuckle.
Alright.
Having sort of resolved the Beast situation, he had finally regained the status of a mage.
So what was the first thing to do?
“Ah!”
Swish.
He turned his head toward the direction where Sunwoo-yeon was sitting.
“Almost forgot! It’s not the time for that. Call Kang Chang-ho to me right now…!”
Then he boldly shouted.
Although he had decided to refrain from capping Earthling heads after the previous incident in the hospital, upon reflection, he felt it was time to get his due recompense.
‘I’ll make him bow down and apologize in the marketplace!’
Hahaha!
He sped towards the holder of the [Seocher] skill.
Since he hadn’t modified the tracking skills for Earth yet, he had originally thought to enlist Sunwoo-yeon’s help in locating Kang Chang-ho.
At this point, however, something else escaped his lips instead of a laugh.
Cough.
“Graah!”
“Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter!”
“Aaaah! Brother!”
It was a scarlet spray of blood.
Due to attempting a strong skill without having acclimated to the massive mana, his lungs had torn.
‘Ah, a heavy overload.’
He instinctively reattached the ruined organ.
But still, for the sake of their delicate lungs, it seemed better to refrain from any additional magic for a while.
Having made a certain judgment, he decided to lie calmly on the road to minimize the shock inflicted on his body.