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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 18
“Big Chicken,” they mock the creature known as the Kokastrian—but in reality, only an S-rank hero could face this monster with any confidence. There are three reasons for that:
1. It can fly.
2. It has extremely acute senses.
3. It boasts insane durability—just a tank.
When heroes around the world were surveyed about the toughest monster traits to contend with, nine out of ten named flight capability, five cited preemptive sensory instincts, and three mentioned impenetrable toughness. Heads shook at how brutal these traits are to deal with.
In short: despite its silly nickname, the Kokastrian is one of the most feared monsters among heroes.
“Wait… did he just one-punch it?”
Park Seungho—the main dealer of the Silken Lily Guild—couldn’t believe his eyes. No one had ever knocked a Kokastrian down with a single punch.
“He’s not dead yet.”
Hearing that, Dojun lifted his leg and delivered a crushing stomp to the Kokastrian’s skull.
“That’s how you finish the job.”
Seungho, along with Hwang Jinju and Choi Doyeon of the Silken Lily Guild, just stood there—staring at Dojun, mouths half-open, caught somewhere between awe and disbelief.
“Wh… Who is that guy?”
Even Jeong Injoo—who prided herself on being unshakable after everything she’d been through—was stunned silent, eyes flicking instinctively to Hyun Jooyeon.
And Jooyeon couldn’t hide her stunned expression either.
“…Just incredibly strong human?”
She muttered the words, frowning, feeling irresponsible as an S-rank hero.
’Who the hell is this guy?’
To Hyun Jooyeon, Dojun remained an enigma.
‘Are you really not afraid of Kang Yeong-pyo?’
After witnessing how ruthlessly Dojun defeated Kang Cheol-woo, Jooyeon realized one of two things: he either lacked fear entirely, or he was so freakishly powerful that he didn’t need it.
Now, she recognized it's the latter.
There are many strong heroes who can knock down a Kokastrian with one punch. But only a true powerhouse can do it like he did.
How many heroes in the world could spot a Kokastrian in advance and knock it out of the sky with a single punch?
Not many—not even in Hyun Jooyeon’s mind.
And the few who did come to mind were all heroes active overseas. In other words, there was no one in Korea who could pull off what Dojun just had.
If one glimpse tells the whole story, then Dojun was undoubtedly an S-rank hero.
He was right.
Did he have any reason to fear Kang Yeong-pyo?
Absolutely not.
—But that’s only if it’s a one-on-one fight.
When you factor in the full might of the Black Tiger Guild under Kang Yeong-pyo’s command? Then yes, it’s hard to deny Dojun’s actions flirted with recklessness.
Unless Dojun also had some kind of powerful backing that could check Black Tiger’s influence…
‘He’s completely on his own… Then again, no one even knew he had this kind of power.’
Hyun Jooyeon wondered if perhaps there was some force supporting him behind the scenes. It was possible. But that was something only time would tell.
‘I was just planning to skim the perimeter and call it a day…’
Even in a low-rank Rift—a Class 1, the lowest difficulty—the center was always dangerous.
Jooyeon had intended to simply show Dojun the lay of the land without pushing deep or burning too much of her own energy.
But now she couldn’t help herself—she wanted to see just how far Dojun’s strength really went.
“Unni, I’m heading into the center.”
“The center?”
Jeong Injoo frowned at the sudden change of plans, but she was sharp—she understood immediately.
“Want us to come along?”
Honestly, Injoo was curious too.
The man who’d knocked out a Kokastrian with a single punch. She tried to keep her cool, but her heart was pounding like never before.
‘Who is he? Since when did we have a guy like that in Korea?’
She was a hero herself—driven by admiration, now flooded with curiosity.
“No. Just the two of us.”
Jooyeon shook her head.
“Tch. What, we’re dead weight now?”
Injoo scoffed, though Jooyeon gently waved it off, brushing her hair behind her ear.
“Nah, I just figured I’d ask.”
Still, the disappointment was written all over Injoo’s face.
“Do—”
Jooyeon stopped herself. She figured Dojun might not want his identity exposed too casually.
“Hey.”
At her call, Dojun—who was rummaging through the Kokastrian’s corpse for the mana stone—looked up.
“I don’t share loot with people who don't contribute.”
With that, he casually stuffed the mana stone into the old, worn backpack slung over his shoulder.
It was a high-grade stone. Definitely not cheap. But neither Jooyeon, Injoo, nor any of the Silken Lily guild members were about to start bickering over a million won.
Even so, the group—all previously starstruck and fascinated by him—now looked like they’d bitten into a lemon.
“Wasn’t planning on asking.”
Jooyeon shot back, clicking her tongue. She hadn’t even meant to react, but the sheer nerve of it got to her.
“Look, with your skills, this place doesn’t really suit you. Are you thinking about heading into the center?”
She pointed into the heart of the Rift.
The jungle was so dense it nearly blocked out the sky. It wasn’t a place just anyone could walk into—not without serious guts.
“Sounds fun.”
Dojun’s response made Jooyeon nod like she’d been expecting it.
“I know the terrain well. I’ll take the lead. Stick close unless you want to get lost.”
With no warning, she launched herself forward—vanishing in a burst of speed, like a bullet from a gun.
Dojun, watching her go, curled his lips into a slight smirk.
If Jooyeon was a bullet, then Dojun was—
“Light. He’s like light.”
Injoo muttered under her breath, staring in disbelief at the imprint his foot left behind.
“Guild leader, are we just gonna stay here?”
Seungho asked.
Injoo furrowed her brow.
“…Think you can keep up?”
“Not really.”
“Exactly. We’re uninvited guests. Let’s stick to what we came here to do—hunt around the outskirts.”
That creeping sense of alienation—and helplessness—settled over Injoo like a fog.
Others might still call her an A-rank hero, sing her praises. But next to an S-rank?
She’d never felt smaller in her life.
＊ ＊ ＊
The most outstanding of Hyun Jooyeon’s abilities was her speed.
In all of South Korea, there were only one or two heroes who could match her in that regard. That’s why she didn’t expect Dojun to keep up.
‘Should I slow down a bit?’
She was just starting to wonder—
“When are you going to pick up the pace?”
“KYAAH!”
Dojun’s voice murmured right beside her, and Hyun Jooyeon let out a genuine shriek, skidding to an abrupt halt in shock.
She turned to face him, eyes wide.
“Y-You—how did you...”
How can you be this fast?
The words never quite made it out.
What truly unsettled her wasn’t just the speed. It was how close he was—so close she could’ve reached out and touched him.
If Dojun had harbored any bad intentions...
A cold shiver ran down her spine, sweat trickling down the nape of her neck. She hadn’t been this tense since the day she was evaluated as S-rank.
Whatever she was thinking—whatever nerves she was barely holding onto—Dojun didn’t seem to care. His expression remained casual, as if none of this mattered to him.
“You ran like you were trying to shake me off. But you’re slower than I expected.”
Jooyeon’s face flushed red, even to the tips of her ears.
“Wh-Who said I was trying to shake you off?!”
But Dojun didn’t even pretend to listen. His gaze was fixed ahead.
“Hey, Mr. Seo Dojun! When someone talks to you, the least you can do is pretend to listen, you know?”
“Never mind that. What’s over there?”
Dojun raised a finger and pointed toward the heart of the Rift.
“You mean the boss monster that lives in the core?”
“Boss monster?”
“Have you heard of the Kaserian? It’s a giant bird-type monster and absolute nightmare fuel. It won’t move from its spot unless you hit first, so we’re safe as long as you don’t do anything stupid. And for the record? It takes three S-ranks to bring that thing down. Minimum.”
Just as she said, this Rift housed a boss-class monster known as Kaserian. And it was absurdly strong.
In fact, the first time an S-rank hero attempted to subjugate it, they’d led a raid with thirty A-rank heroes. That ended with all thirty A-ranks dead—and the S-rank barely escaping with their life.
Later, that same hero, burning for revenge, organized a second raid. They poured in a fortune to assemble one S-rank and 200 A-rank hunters.
They were confident. Arrogant. This time, they’d bring Kaserian down.
And they did.
But it came at a catastrophic price.
All 200 A-rank hunters were annihilated. The S-rank mercenary, who’d joined for a hefty sum, was critically wounded. Sure, they killed the Kaserian—but at what cost? It was a blood-soaked victory that shattered reputations and ended careers. The lead hero, once celebrated, became a cautionary tale.
And yet… because the Kaserian never leaves its territory unless provoked, the Rift was still classified as Danger Level 1. A technicality hiding a death trap.
“Kaserian... it carries a ‘mythic-grade’ mana stone, right?”
Mythic-grade—just below Legendary—was famous for its rarity and cost.
Even the base price of such a stone started at ₩10 billion.
Still, that didn’t mean it was worth the risk of trying to kill Kaserian for one.
“You’re not seriously thinking of hunting it, are you?! That’s insane!! I absolutely won’t allow—!”
Before she could even finish her sentence, Dojun was gone.
Hyun Jooyeon prided herself on her speed. She’d never doubted it. But now, watching how fast Dojun had moved...
She knew.
She’d been arrogant.
“…How is he that fast?”
Dumbfounded, Jooyeon stood frozen for a moment before snapping herself back to her senses.
“No! Wait!”
The direction Dojun had bolted toward—
That was Kaserian’s territory.
“I told you not to go that way!”
She took off after him like a shot fired from a gun.
But even running at full strength, she couldn’t catch up.
And right before her eyes—unable to stop him in time—
KWAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
A roar tore through the air.
There it was.
Kaserian.
A monstrous, pterosaur-like creature—its body alone over 20 meters long, wingspan nearing 100.
Its blazing crimson eyes locked onto Dojun with bone-chilling killing intent, fury radiating from its massive frame as he stepped into its domain.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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