Chapter 441: Juicer (1)

“W-what exactly is that method?”

Instead of answering Park Taeseok’s question, Choi Kanghyuk abruptly said something completely unrelated.

“Could I borrow your sword?”

“???”

Though puzzled, Park Taeseok handed over the sword he was holding.

With the sword in hand, Choi Kanghyuk approached the Lycanthrope’s corpse.

He shoved the sword back into its pierced throat and began digging around inside.

Even in death, its absurdly tough hide and muscles remained unchanged, and veins bulged all across Choi Kanghyuk’s forearms.

After rummaging through the corpse for a while, Choi Kanghyuk thrust his hand inside and pulled something out.

A stone containing a peculiar energy.

It was a magic stone.

Holding the magic stone out toward the hunters, Choi Kanghyuk spoke.

“If you surrender every magic stone we obtain inside the gate to me, we may be able to make it out alive.”

Magic stones were one of a hunter’s primary sources of income.

The reason gates and monster corpses had become profitable resources was also largely because of magic stones.

Monster hides and bones could be used to make armor and weapons, but demand for those was limited.

Magic stones, on the other hand, had countless uses.

Especially after technology was developed to convert the energy inside magic stones into electricity, their value had skyrocketed.

And Choi Kanghyuk was asking them to surrender that entire source of income.

The hunter with glasses spoke in an uneasy tone.

“....... Are you saying that if we give you the magic stones, you’ll carry us through the gate? I know you’re stronger than us, Hunter Choi Kanghyuk. But you aren’t strong enough to kill every Lycanthrope alone—”

Realizing that the hunters had misunderstood him, Choi Kanghyuk spoke.

“I don’t mean that I’ll take the magic stones as payment for carrying you. There’s a way to use them.”

“A way to use the magic stones? What is it?”

“I can absorb the energy inside them and fight.”

“!?”

The hunter with glasses flinched and shouted.

“A-are you insane? More than a hundred awakened people around the world have died trying that! The WHA has outright forbidden it!”

WHA. World Hunter(Hero) Association.

The World Hunter(Hero) Association.

A community of those called heroes or hunters, depending on the country.

One of the acts they had designated an absolute taboo was absorbing the energy inside magic stones.

The reason was simple.

Ever since gates first began appearing, many people had tried the same thing Choi Kanghyuk was suggesting.

Every single one of them had either exploded and died or gone mad and caused a rampage.

And those symptoms were all too familiar to Choi Kanghyuk.

‘Simply put, it causes qi deviation.’

In fact, that was precisely why Choi Kanghyuk had not absorbed any magic stones until now.

Even before a gate opened in his office, Choi Kanghyuk had known that magic stones existed.

After all, they were the reason hunting had become such a lucrative profession.

When he first learned about them, Choi Kanghyuk had thought.

‘Couldn’t I restore my internal energy with those and work as a hunter?’

However, that idea did not last long.

‘....... I thought they were spiritual medicine, but they were poison?’

The energy inside was far too chaotically mixed.

If Choi Kanghyuk, whose body was already filled with turbid energy, tried to absorb the energy of a magic stone, qi deviation would be all but guaranteed.

Of course, he could have taken the risk.

That was where the second problem arose.

It simply was not cost-effective.

Even if he fought after absorbing the energy from a magic stone, he still had no way to restore the internal energy he consumed.

That meant every time his internal energy ran low while working as a hunter, he would have to buy another magic stone and absorb it.

And each time, he would have to risk qi deviation all over again.

There were simply too many problems, so Choi Kanghyuk had abandoned his greed and lived as a gym owner instead.

‘Though I never imagined a gate would open in my office.’

After spending two months practicing Shaolin martial arts inside the office gate.

Even if it was only a small amount, pure internal energy had accumulated in his dantian.

Furthermore, at least some of the turbid energy clogging his acupoints had been cleared away.

On top of that, the martial arts Choi Kanghyuk had learned belonged to Shaolin.

The Taishan and North Star. Thousand-Year Shaolin. All Martial Arts Under Heaven Originate from Shaolin.

They were martial arts so pure and orthodox that Shaolin was called the foundation of the righteous path.

Under these conditions, he might succeed in absorbing the energy of a magic stone.

‘Though it isn’t one hundred percent certain.’

That was also why he had still refrained from absorbing magic stones after forming a dantian and expelling some of the turbid energy.

Even after he began working as a hunter.

There was no guarantee that it was completely safe.

Moreover, he had no reason to take the risk.

When he could absorb pure natural energy inside the office gate, why would he spend money to absorb the energy of magic stones?

‘Magic stones are like Satan’s phlegm, while natural energy is the grace of the Lord. No, the Buddha. Of course.’

But now was the moment to gamble for survival.

The abnormal gate phenomenon.

Monsters that suddenly absorbed the moon’s magic power and transformed into Lycanthropes.

‘Right. If I want to fight those damned juicers, I have no choice but to become a juicer myself.’

Having resolved to abandon the path of the natural lifter and inject drugs for just one day, Choi Kanghyuk spoke.

“I know it’s dangerous. But we have no other option anyway, do we?”

“But.......”

The hunter with glasses, who had been about to dissuade him, trailed off.

He wanted to stop him, but he had no alternative plan either.

“Then starting now, please collect the magic stones from the Silverfang corpses.”

At Choi Kanghyuk’s instruction, the hunters moved with complicated expressions.

One by one, they extracted magic stones from the Silverfang corpses scattered nearby.

They placed all of them in front of Choi Kanghyuk.

One B-rank magic stone about the size of the first joint of a pinky finger.

And several D-rank magic stones roughly the size of pebbles.

Sitting cross-legged, Choi Kanghyuk spoke to the hunters.

“Until I finish absorbing all of these, you must not touch me under any circumstances.”

Choi Kanghyuk was capable of moving qi while active, but this time, he needed to focus entirely on qi circulation.

The energy was simply too chaotic.

If anyone disturbed him from outside, he would fall into qi deviation on the spot.

After giving his warning, Choi Kanghyuk tossed all the magic stones into his mouth.

‘The universal rule is that spiritual medicine should be eaten. Of course.’

He recalled the Great Restoration Pill and Small Restoration Pill he had consumed back when he was Mujin.

However, this was slightly different.

Even after the stones passed down his throat, their energy did not flow out.

The chaotic energies remained stuck together in a thick, tangled mass.

Choi Kanghyuk drew upon the energy in his dantian and stimulated the magic stones.

Crackle.

Cracks formed across the D-rank magic stones.

At the same time, thick and chaotic energies began flowing out.

‘Ghk.’

Choi Kanghyuk circulated his internal energy while reciting the key principles of the Buddhist Heart Art.

The pure internal energy of Buddhism wrapped around the chaotic forces.

Then, while embracing those chaotic energies, it moved toward his acupoints.

As it did, the filthy energy slowly began to neutralize.

***

“I-is he really all right?”

Park Taeseok muttered in a voice filled with worry.

His gaze was fixed on Choi Kanghyuk, who sat cross-legged.

He had not moved for thirty minutes.

That did not mean he looked peaceful.

Veins all across his body repeatedly bulged and subsided.

The veins that rose even appeared black and murky.

Since he was wearing only swimming trunks, there was no way they could fail to notice.

“....... For now, I think all we can do is pray that he succeeds.”

Every hunter wore an earnest expression.

Their lives depended on it.

At that moment, a faint rustling sound reached the hunters’ ears.

They hurriedly turned their heads toward the source.

And shadows of despair fell across their faces.

Monsters were approaching from beyond the bushes.

More than ten Silverfangs.

And Lycanthropes.

There were even two Lycanthropes.

“W-weren’t there only supposed to be one in each pack......?”

A female hunter voiced her confusion, but no one could answer her.

Having spotted their prey, the Lycanthropes let out a howl.

Awoooooooo!

The monsters that had been approaching slowly all accelerated at once.

Naturally, the two Lycanthropes were at the very front.

Their overwhelming speed was difficult to follow with the naked eye.

The distance closed in an instant.

Perhaps anticipating the feast about to begin, saliva streamed from the mouths of both Lycanthropes.

The Lycanthrope that arrived one step ahead swung its arm while howling.

Awooooooooo!!

Park Taeseok, who stood at the front, could not even bring himself to block.

As he stood frozen in place, staring blankly, something appeared from behind him.

Clang!!!

A deafening metallic sound.

The hunters screamed his name.

“Hunter Choi Kanghyuk!!”

It was astonishing.

Choi Kanghyuk had blocked the Lycanthrope’s claws with his bare hand.

Those same claws had clearly torn through his skin earlier.

‘Huh?’

Thanks to that question, Park Taeseok noticed a subtle difference.

A faint scarlet energy surrounded Choi Kanghyuk’s fist.

It was Fist Energy, formed from Buddhist energy.

At that moment, Choi Kanghyuk opened his fist wide and interlocked his fingers with the hand of the Lycanthrope pressing against him.

“You filthy juicers dare try that with me!”

He violently swung his arm, causing the Lycanthrope caught in his grip to spin through the air.

Earlier, he had barely managed to restrain a Lycanthrope using a takedown technique.

But now, he held the advantage even in raw strength.

It was possible thanks to the doping known as internal energy.

His dantian and acupoints were overflowing with internal energy.

Fully juiced, Choi Kanghyuk was unstoppable.

The body of the Lycanthrope spinning in his grasp crashed into the other Lycanthrope charging behind it.

Bang!!!

After knocking both Lycanthropes back, Choi Kanghyuk hurriedly shouted.

“Hold out for just a little while! I’ll quickly deal with those two and join you!”

Ignoring the Silverfangs, he charged straight toward the two Lycanthropes.

Awoooooooo!!

The two frenzied Lycanthropes swung both arms wildly.

However, Choi Kanghyuk easily slapped their attacks aside with both hands as though swatting flies.

Crunch!!

With a single punch, he shattered the ribs of one Lycanthrope.

His technique had been superior from the beginning.

Thanks to his internal energy, he no longer fell behind in speed or strength, and because he could form Fist Energy, he no longer needed to worry about their claws or teeth.

As a result, the battle was so one-sided that it barely seemed like a two-against-one fight.

Choi Kanghyuk’s fist struck the already-caved-in ribs once again.

Crunch!!

Inside the completely shattered rib cage, the Lycanthrope’s organs were reduced to pulp.

Awooooo.......

Along with a weakened howl, thick blood poured violently from the Lycanthrope’s mouth.

After finishing off one, Choi Kanghyuk relentlessly pressured the remaining Lycanthrope.

This time, Choi Kanghyuk’s fist slammed into its face.

Crunch!!

His fist flew once again toward the crushed cheekbone.

Crunch!!

The Lycanthrope’s skull was far too fragile to endure his cruel method of repeatedly striking the same spot.

Crunch!!

After killing both Lycanthropes, Choi Kanghyuk hurriedly rejoined the hunters.

Even the Silverfangs that had yet to evolve were now far stronger than ordinary Silverfangs.

They were too much for D-rank hunters to handle on their own.

“Ghk.”

The hunters were in the middle of a desperate crisis.

Choi Kanghyuk reached them in an instant and kicked a Silverfang with all the momentum of his charge.

Thud!!

The kicked Silverfang’s bones and muscles literally burst apart.

The startled hunters voiced their confusion.

“Huh?”

“Why is he already......?”

Naturally, the hunters turned their heads.

“Ah?”

Two Lycanthrope corpses lay sprawled on the ground.

‘D-didn’t he struggle against even one earlier?’

‘Even if he absorbed magic stones.......’

‘Should I try eating one too?’

While the last hunter entertained that insane thought.

Crunch! Crunch!

The Silverfangs were being smashed apart in Choi Kanghyuk’s hands.

Awooooooooo!!

At that moment, one surviving Silverfang let out a violent howl.

Immediately afterward, the moon’s magic power began gathering around it.

A sign of transformation or evolution.

Noticing it, the hunters shouted.

“Hunter Choi Kanghyuk! Th-that one is trying to transform!”

“Let’s kill it before it finishes, like last time!”

For some reason, Choi Kanghyuk shook his head.

“Come on! There’s no such thing as fighting fair against monsters!”

“That’s right! This is our chance!!”

Realizing that they had misunderstood him, Choi Kanghyuk spoke.

“We have to kill it after it transforms if we want a B-rank magic stone, don’t we?”

“.......”

“We still have a long way to go before clearing the gate, so I need to stockpile the B-rank magic stones I’ll be eating while we have the chance.”

Choi Kanghyuk had developed a proper taste for drugs.

No.

For magic stones.