After Returning, My Abilities are Infinite

Episode 99. The War of the Stars (5)

It was a skill that I had never used before. But accepting the power did not feel awkward. The Akashic Records had long become a part of me through countless training sessions, and using it was no different from moving my body.

Looking at Seong Yoo-hyun, who was dropping down towards me, I felt my consciousness sink.

[Selecting a ‘story’.]

Everything turned black. It was a little different from the Library-like place I had seen before. It felt like I was floating in space, in a vast night sky.

Countless stories were floating in the air, twinkling like stars. Some of them were huge, planet-like ‘myths’, and some were ‘fables’ floating like dust.

Which one should I use? There was no need to borrow something grand. Seong Yoo-hyun was not such a formidable opponent, and people were watching. A power that could counter him and also defeat him entirely.

I did not deliberate for long.

[Will you select this story?]

I nodded, and clusters of starlight seeped into my body. The darkness lifted, and everything became bright again. I could see Seong Yoo-hyun, who was already right in front of me.

[Skill ‘Preview’ activated.]

[Calculating the level difference between soul class and the selected ‘story’.]

.

.

.

[Analysis complete.]

[Skill duration is 10 seconds.]

There was no explosion of massive power, great enough to burst my body. However, it didn’t occur to me at all that I was going to lose to him now. It wasn’t as if my muscles’ quality had changed or that I was bestowed with enormous powers. But I was now an entirely different person.

『He was a genius.』

I dragged my foot back. At the same time, my body moved on its own, following the ‘memory’ it had absorbed. An ingenious movement I could have never imagined with the techniques I mastered. My hands and legs moved as if they were doing a modern dance.

Seong Yoo-hyun’s descending fist grazed the tip of my nose. My moving hand grabbed him by the wrist. To break it? No. It was to keep him from avoiding the ‘skill’ I was about to use.

“……!”

No matter how much Seong Yoo-hyun’s strength had increased, he couldn’t shake off my hand in that position. Neither could he defend himself. His charge was as crude as it was powerful.

An instant weak spot. The ‘being’ dwelling inside me was not one to miss it.

『He could easily defeat 10 adults at the age he started to walk. Once his muscles developed, even famous fighters were no match for him.』

The foot that I dragged back kicked the ground. Crack. The first thing it hits is the elbow. Seong Yoo-hyun’s arm bends in the opposite direction, his wrist still caught.

His hunting suit’s durability is rapidly reduced, and white bone sticks out from his skin. Nevertheless, he was still falling steadily due to momentum. Slowly coming towards me.

『Moorim raved upon hearing his name, and soon every step he took and every gesture he made was recorded as Mugong. At the age of less than thirty, he had already become the strongest in Moorim.』

Ta-ak. My leg that landed the kick hit the ground again. I dragged his wrist toward me. Seong Yoo-hyun was now closer to me.

I let go of his wrist and stretched out my arm further. My hand bent like a snake and soon grasped the back of his neck like a harpoon. Seong Yoo-hyun’s body, falling along with gravity, neared towards me faster.

『There was no one in Moorim who didn’t know him.』

Thwack. While I was pulling his neck, my knee shot up. Most of his hunting suit’s durability was already exhausted. The only thing left was his bare body.

Seong Yoo-hyun’s eyes were wide open, and his face looked incredulous. He was looking at the approaching knee quite clearly.

I’m sure he knows. That if the attack doesn’t stop and strikes his head, enhanced body or not, he would die on the spot.

The force from the charge, the perfect timing of the knee kick, and the exact weak spot. No one can survive this.

[The greatest warrior of an era, Moorim Maengju’s ‘divine skill’ helps you.]

Thwaaaack.

“Haarghh!!”

I twisted my knee very slightly and rammed it, not into his head, but into his chest where the hunting suit was hardest.

But that alone seemed to have caused great damage. The moment he suffered the attack, Seong Yoo-hyun was flung away, rolling over the floor. He grasped his chest and groaned.

Thick blood burst out of his mouth. All of the skills and characteristics he activated were disabled. It didn’t take even 10 seconds for the 1st class Hunter, called the second strongest after the Four Guardian Gods’ guild master, to collapse. Five seconds. That was exactly how long it took.

“Ugh… ughhh….”

Seong Yoo-hyun’s face crumpled up as he moaned in pain.

And for a moment, everyone in the hall was dumbfounded. Most were not even fully aware of what had just happened.

The people sitting in the stands were rewinding their cameras, scratching their heads because they didn’t understand the situation. The Association staff, who played the role of referee, was dazedly looking at the both of us.

“…So that’s how he became a 1st class Hunter so quickly,”

Only a few of the 1st class Hunters.

The top 5 Hunters, not by the Association’s rankings, but by the standards of numerous Analysts in the Hunting industry, were the only ones aware of the current situation.

“H… Hunter Jeong Si-woo, what are you doing! When the durability of the hunting suit is exhausted, you cannot attack! Your attack also can’t be strong enough to exhaust the durability and cause extra damage…!”

The staff barely came to his senses and yelled as he pushed at me.

“Y…you’re disqualified. You’re disqualified!”

“Oh, okay.”

I replied unenthusiastically to the angry staff member and glanced around the stadium. Seong Yoo-hyun was still out of his mind, and staff members of the Association looked resentful as they glared at me.

“…….”

And some of the Association officials were looking at me differently. Before, it was like they were staring at a kid who had dared to kill their boss. But now, it was like they had realized that I was a predator, no different from Kim Min-jae.

‘…Well, this should be enough.’

I shrugged and turned to walk back to the waiting room. Disqualification? Whatever. I wasn’t interested in winning anyway. I took off my hunting suit and hummed a tune.

“Now I see… Why guild master Kim Young-hwan paid so much attention.”

I heard someone say. It sounded like he was talking to me.

“……?”

I unconsciously raised my head and caught a man’s eyes.

“I thought you were just a lucky kid, but I was wrong. I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

The most famous in the Hunting industry, and the strongest among those who stood in the ranks of great Heroes. The Hunter of Hunters. Objectively the ‘best Hunter’ at this point, who was best suited to be called a ‘Star’ which this event referred to.

The man who was always at the top of the official Analyst Hunter rankings.

The world called him the Scavenger.

Lee Hyun-seung was looking at me.

* * *

[It’s a shame. I would have liked it better if you beat them all.]

“This is enough. And if I provoke the Association too much… it’ll be hard to take over.”

All I had to do was make them bite the bait, then fish them out. With the Association in my hands, the Hunting industry would be as good as my own. Now was the time to be patient rather than react emotionally.

[Well, your name’s value has gone up, so that’s satisfying. I’ve read enough praise for you on the internet, but it feels good every time.]

“Hahaha…”

I slowly stretched, listening to the Traveler’s childish comments. After using the power of ‘Moorim Maengju’ earlier, my muscles were a little stiff. It wasn’t a skill I could fully utilize yet. It was because I lacked understanding of ‘ki’, as the Traveler had said over and over.

[But there are no major side effects now, are there? Normally you would have been ill for a day, but I’ve expanded your vessel so you can now accept the power of powerful beings.]

“Yes, yes. Thank you.”

[Hm, you don’t sound that sincere.]

“…Come on, this is sincere enough.”

I laughed at the Traveler taking credit. Well, I couldn’t deny that he had helped. Ordinarily, my bones and joints would have ached, but the fact that I got off with stiff muscles meant that my ‘spirit’, which was the basis of the Akashic Records, had grown rather than my physical ability.

[By the way… who was that guy?]

“Who?”

[You know, the guy who was staring at you, looking high and mighty.]

“Ah. Lee Hyun-seung….”

The Traveler’s description was a little rude, but it suited Lee Hyun-Seung perfectly.

“He’s currently the strongest Hunter. Although he won’t be in the next few years.”

[He won’t?]

“Yes. Lee Hyun-seung dies when the Fourth Disaster comes.”

It was near the time Kim Young-hwan originally died. That’s why there was so much confusion at the time. Two Hunters of the top 5 died at the same time.

“If he hadn’t died… he probably would have been as strong as the Five Heroes. He was so dedicated to protecting humanity. Ever since his Awakening, he didn’t take a single day off of hunting.”

[…….]

“And his nickname, Scavenger, came from the fact that he cleans up Monsters so neatly, although it isn’t a nickname fit for a top Hunter.”

Hm, the Traveler nodded.

“Fortunately, in my past life, the Martial God filled his place. I don’t know if he’ll do as good a job this time since the Fourth Disaster will appear more quickly… But I believe in him.”

[Right, so he’s the most powerful man at the moment… Haha.]

“He’s really strong. Especially since his ability is perfectly suited to wiping out Monsters.”

[Still, you’ll overtake him in a few years. Don’t praise him so much. Hahaha.]

“…I don’t know if it’s possible.”

I replied, smiling half-heartedly. Well, at this rate, I would surpass everybody one day. After all, it was already a miracle that I got to this level in two years.

[So, are you done warming up now?]

The Traveler asked, looking at me shaking my wrists.

“Oh, yeah. I think I’ll be fine.”

I answered casually. The next moment, the Traveler placed his hand on my head and spoke.

[Okay, now that we’ve checked the Akashic Records’ reward, it’s time to check the other thing that you earned.]

I nodded. Instead of replying again, I activated the ‘Characteristic’ I earned recently.

[Characteristic, ‘The Spirit of Moorim’ activated.]

The unknown Characteristic that made Kim Young-hwan the man he was now, which was now mine.

“…Ugh.”

At the same time, the sight before my eyes began to writhe and change.