TGGCH 09

Chapter – 09

Knights’ Graveyard (4)

Clang!                    

“Ugh!”

The blade that had been slicing across my chest was stopped right at my solar plexus.

Grempel had twisted the trajectory of his greatsword and wedged it into the path where my spear should have advanced, blocking the strike.

Unfortunately, the 「Spear of Radiance Blessed by the Sacrament」 wasn’t overpowered enough to slice through a boss monster’s weapon like butter.

‘If it had a Weapon Break effect, maybe…’

As things stood, I couldn’t cut Grempel in half along with that greatsword.

‘In that case…’

If I couldn’t kill him outright, I had to reduce his combat power as much as possible.

“Hup!”

I twisted the spear, changing the angle of the blade from diagonal to vertical.

In that position, I swept it upward and severed Grempel’s left shoulder.

Slice!

• Kaaaaaaaah!!

The left arm, severed at the shoulder, tumbled across the ground.

No blood flowed.

Because he was undead, after all.

• You mere outsider!!

The greatsword became engulfed in black and red flames.

Losing one arm had clearly been a heavy blow; the torrent of emotion grew fiercer.

The ‘Madness’ engraved on the ring began releasing its power even more violently.

[‘The Fallen King, Grempel’ has entered the ‘Berserker’ state!]

Watching the message pop up, I smiled with satisfaction.

‘Berserker State’—a status ailment that appeared when Madness stacks exceeded 30.

Attack power would skyrocket, but defense and recovery would drop by about 90%. Mental derangement came as a bonus.

• I’ll kill you allllllllll!!!

The blood-red greatsword pulverized everything around it.

Rather than targeted attacks on me, it felt more like wild, indiscriminate swinging.

I had been slightly worried whether Grempel could endure the side effects of Madness, but it seemed the mental derangement from ‘Berserker Stat’ was too much to handle.

‘This is my chance.’

Even before entering Berserker State, my attacks had been landing well.

With his defense now lowered, destroying his body in a single strike should be possible.

The problem was breaking through that rampaging greatsword to drive my spear in.

‘Throw the spear?’

The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I quickly shook my head.

Unlike with the necromancer, the chance of it being blocked midway was high, and failure would leave me with no options.

“What the hell is that greatsword?”

Most equipment used by undead carried a gloomy aura in itself.

That was also why the Wraith Knights’ armor was pierced by holy power.

On the other hand, the greatsword Grempel wielded showed no reaction to holy power at all.

If it was simply a matter of the weapon’s grade, that would be one thing.

‘It felt like it was actually pushing holy power away.’

Among high-ranking undead, it wasn’t uncommon to see equipment with holy power resistance, but most were in the form of accessories like necklaces or rings. I had never seen a greatsword like this in my previous life either.

‘I’ll think about that later.’

I steadied my breathing and gripped the spear with the blade pointed downward.

The moment I kicked off the ground and charged—

• Where are you! Where the hell are you!!

Grempel was still lost in Berserker State, wildly destroying everything around him.

As the distance closed, the heavy whooshing sounds battered my ears.

The chilling sword wind brushed against my skin.

In that state, even using Lan  to deflect all those swings was uncertain.

‘One wrong move and my body will be crushed.’

I would break in from the left side.

Thanks to the severed arm, the greatsword swung far less frequently on the left compared to the right.

Whoosh! Whooosh! Kwaaaaang!

Grempel, consumed by madness, brought the greatsword crashing down.

The instant I entered that attack range, strategy and planning lost all meaning.

I had to rely purely on instinct to seek the correct answer.

I kept my eyes moving without pause, searching for the timing.

The most perfect opening.

I waited for the moment a gap would appear in that storm of blades.

“……!”

In a fleeting instant.

I bent my knees and instantly closed the distance.

What I needed now was speed and precision.

I poured every ounce of focus into those two elements.

Like a single arrow.

I charged blindly toward the target.

I didn’t need much power.

Just one technique.

If I could successfully thrust the spear into the opponent—

“Zha (扎)!”

It would be a perfect 100.

Crunch!

My spear pierced straight through the center of Grempel’s abdomen.

Whether due to the lowered defense or not, the lower half of his body shattered and collapsed.

“Keuk…!”

A powerless breath leaked out.

“Heh……”

Sweat poured down like a waterfall.

As the extreme tension finally released, my body felt heavy.

In terms of pure physical ability, Grempel had been superior.

If not for my experience from my previous life, it would have been me who was cut apart and dying.

Thinking that sent a chill down my spine, but I didn’t show it and simply looked down at the fallen Grempel.

• Kuhuhu… So it has come to this.

As soon as he became unable to fight, the Berserker State seemed to dissipate. Grempel spoke in a surprisingly calm tone.

I brushed back my sweat- and blood-soaked hair and watched the dying boss.

• In the end, I too will sleep alongside this land.

“…Well, sorry about that.”

To think there would come a day when I felt pity for a boss monster inside a Gate.

Still, watching a being I could actually communicate with die wasn’t exactly pleasant.

• Kuhaha… There is no need for apologies, outsider.

Grempel spoke as if letting out a relieved sigh.

• Instead… I have one last request.

“What is it?”

• Take back my name. I do not wish to die like this and tarnish my ancestors’ name.

…Seriously?

The words nearly slipped out, but then—

[Route has been updated.]

[Hidden Route – The One Who Could Not Become a Monarch]

▷ Choice

① Take the name.

② Do not take the name.

The route had updated once again.

However, this time it was a little different.

‘There’s a choice.’

While previous hidden routes had only given vague hints and let me decide whether to follow them or not, this one presented me with a direct choice within the route.

“……”

And my choice was ‘Do not take the name.’

“No.”

• …Why?

“Why would I take your name?”

I was literally just an outsider from another dimension.

What right did someone like me have to take another’s name?

“My job was only to deliver your name and take down the rampaging enemy. I have neither reason nor obligation to take your name.”

• ……

“And why are you so obsessed with your name anyway? Tarnishing your ancestors’ name or whatever… You’d rather die without a name for that kind of reason? Are you stupid?”

While walking through the ruined Korean Peninsula,

I had gathered the remaining corpses and built graveyards—hundreds, thousands of them.

The tombstones in those graves were always blank.

Nothing could be carved onto them.

Because I didn’t know the names of the dead.

“Honor, money—none of it means anything after you die. So shouldn’t you at least leave your name behind in this world?”

• ……

“You are Grempel. You died by my hand today. That’s the end of it.”

• …You are truly an interesting being.

His voice had become strangely lighter.

Grempel struggled to support his crumbling body.

• Then, I shall accept that name.

His lower body had completely vanished, and most of his upper body was turning to dust and scattering.

• I am Grempel.

His neck disappeared.

• Simply… Grempel. That is the name I lived and died with.

As his head began to collapse,

• Outsider.

Grempel left behind what sounded like his final words.

• Do not trust the Monarchs.

Monarchs.

The moment I heard that word, my eyes snapped open.

“…What? Wait, what did you say?”

[You have defeated the boss, ‘Grempel’!]

[You have acquired 「Mad Blood Ring (S)」.]

[You have acquired 25 Exp.]

[You have acquired 「Fragment of the World」.]

[Body  stat has increased by 1!]

[Body stat has increased by 1!]

……

[Hidden Route discovered!]

[Special rewards will be given.]

▷ Rewards

① 「C-rank Skill Book」

② 「Low-grade Random Box」

③ 「Azure Key Fragment (1/3)」

In front of the Gate at Seongnae-dong, Daegu.

As the promised five-hour mark approached, a strange tension began to flow through the crowd.

“No way he actually cleared it, right?”

“It’d be lucky if he didn’t die.”

The reporters had already prepared failure scenarios in bulk. Among them were some who had even predicted his death.

At first, it seemed a bit excessive, but seeing the Hunter Association employees’ behavior gradually lent credibility to the rumors.

Their faces turned pale as they moved about in a flurry, and soon they had stationed Association-affiliated Hunters near the Gate.

‘Something happened inside the Gate!’

Stimulating rumors spread like wildfire.

On social media, the atmosphere had already concluded that Lee Tae-hyun was dead or had suffered equivalent injuries.

[Real-time situation in front of the Gate Lee Tae-hyun entered]

(Photo)

Hunters from the Association lined up in front of the Gate ㄷㄷㄷㄷ

What the hell happened?

• Wait, did Lee Tae-hyun actually die?

└ What does the Association Hunters waiting have to do with him dying? I seriously don’t know.

└ Current Hunter answering: When a Gate clear fails and the entrance reopens, Association Hunters go in, clear the Gate, and collect the bodies.

└ That’s why Association Hunters are called undertakers for no reason lololol

• As expected of Tae-hyun lololol Even when he dies, he does it artistically.

• Look at the ambulances lined up next to it… Would they have provided this kind of service even if it was a regular Hunter who went in?

└ It’s confirmed that the Association and Lee Tae-hyun have some kind of connection lolol Why else would they treat him so lavishly for no reason?

└ I’m not from the Yoo Seong fan or anything, but I knew it would end up like this ever since he messed with Yoo Seong-wook. His face just gives off those vibes.~

└ Ugh, physiognomy-obsessed Yoo seong fans get out.

Countless suspicions and gossip.

Seong Ju-ah, who was sitting amid the heated scene, swallowed dryly.

She had completed every preparation that could be done from the outside.

Once a raid on a Gate had begun, it would not reopen unless the people who entered came out or died inside.

A disaster that had never happened before.

A Gate whose difficulty had suddenly changed.

And of all places, it had to happen in the Gate Lee Tae-hyun entered.

“…Does that guy attract disasters wherever he goes?”

Muttering to herself, she checked the watch on her wrist.

There were roughly ten minutes left until the five-hour clear time Lee Tae-hyun had mentioned.

She hadn’t expected Lee Tae-hyun to come out exactly on time.

If he managed to escape somehow, she would immediately send in the prepared Hunters to investigate the Gate and raise questions about the difficulty change.

Just as Seong Ju-ah was reviewing her plan once more—

Vwoooong…!

The Gate rippled, and a human figure emerged from within.

Clothes soaked in blood, a battered body.

A man leaning on a silver spear like a cane as he walked out.

“Lee Tae-hyun survival confirmed!”

The waiting medical team hurriedly surrounded him.

Camera flashes from the surrounding area burst like fireworks.

He briefly widened his eyes in surprise before his face returned to its usual sharp expression.

“Haah… Looks like I got out safely.”

The tension that had been constricting Seong Ju-ah’s body melted away in an instant.

If he had died inside, things would have become incredibly troublesome in many ways.

“A-Team, enter.”

At Seong Ju-ah’s signal, five Association Hunters moved in unison.

The man at the front reached out toward the Gate……

“Anomaly detected. Anomaly detected.”

The man couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

“Team Leader, what are you doing? Why aren’t you going in?”

“Uh… um… well……”

Before he could answer his team member’s question—

Fwoosh!

The Gate vanished.

It slowly closed from the edges and completely disappeared.

There was only one thing this could mean.

‘Clear.’

Not a failure, and certainly not a break.

A complete Gate clear.

Everyone present stood with their mouths agape.

“What… the…?”

Seong Ju-ah’s reaction was no different from the others.

All eyes turned to Lee Tae-hyun.

Despite the medical team’s attempts to stop him, he limped away from the scene.

A worthless Hunter who had solo-cleared this Gate in just five hours.

The worthless Hunter, Lee Tae-hyun.

That day, the internet burned with stories about him.