Chapter 161: The Variable

Episode 161

– ?

– Huh?

– ????

– What?

– Did I see that right…?

The moment Kim Jinsung eliminated the rift with his Mana sphere, the chat speed in the ‘Sselephone’ broadcast exploded.

Everyone was shocked, and the commentators were no exception.

[…Wait a minute. It seems like the rift disappeared right after being hit by Alopsky’s attack…?]

[I saw it too… We should check again just in case.]

[Ah, they’re replaying that scene now.]

The scene of Alopsky firing the Mana sphere was replayed on the TV screen.

After reviewing it several times, from normal speed to slow motion, the commentators looked at each other.

[…It seems like the rift really disappeared after the Mana sphere exploded…]

[Right…?]

The dumbfounded commentators, unable to speak, were broadcasted live through the internet.

It was almost a broadcasting accident level of silence, but not many people were paying attention to their reactions.

Everyone was too shocked by the fact that a ‘Void’ rift had been eliminated with a normal attack.

The Triunfo Clan members, in particular, were the most shocked.

“Whoa?!”

“What?!”

Even the members of Hunter Team 6, who were cheering for Alopsky, were so surprised that they jumped to their feet.

“You can eliminate the Void without using a Mana Subspace? Then…”

Aster, who had also stood up in surprise, muttered to himself, then turned to Ricardo, their master, and asked,

“Doesn’t that mean Alopsky’s level is at least that of a Team 1 leader?”

Ricardo didn’t answer.

He was the only one who remained calm, lost in deep thought.

“…If it’s pure skill, you’re right.”

He finally spoke after a long silence.

“Then it’s safe to say that a genius, a prodigy who can rival Francisco, the fourth strongest in Triunfo, has been born at the young age of less than thirty.”

“……!”

“But unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the case.”

His voice was still calm as he continued.

“My personal feeling is that the Mana sphere he used just now is his unique ability.”

“If it’s a unique ability…”

“It seems like he used a special move that can eliminate the Void. Look.”

He gestured towards the TV with his chin.

“He’s just focusing on dodging, except when he throws the Mana sphere. Why would he need to dodge if he could eliminate the Void with normal attacks?”

Everyone focused on the TV screen.

They saw Alopsky desperately dodging the incoming Void projectiles and purple missiles.

“If it’s a special move, as I said, then it’s not that surprising. Of course, it’s still impressive to possess a special move that can eliminate the Void.”

“Hmm…”

Aster and the others nodded at Ricardo’s words. His explanation was so logical that they couldn’t refute it.

And Francisco, the leader of Hunter Team 1, was thinking the same thing.

‘…Judging by the circumstances, it definitely seems like a unique ability.’

He was also focusing on Alopsky, who was desperately dodging Patavina’s attacks on the TV screen.

If he could already handle the Void, there would be no reason for him to be running away like that. He could just create a thick protective barrier around himself and block everything.

‘Yes, it must be a unique ability. It’s impossible for him to have reached a level similar to mine at that age.’

There were only a handful of people on Earth who could handle the Void normally.

If someone asked him to name them, he could rattle them off immediately. That’s how few there were.

‘But it’s still surprising that he possesses a special move with that much power.’

His gaze returned to Alopsky on the TV screen.

Alopsky, who had moved out of Patavina’s range, was extending his hand towards the remaining purple rift and creating another Mana sphere.

‘More importantly… this means it’ll be difficult for Juan to come in first place in the first round.’

From being the first to find Patavina to the power of his Mana sphere, which had shocked all the viewers,

Juan had nothing on Alopsky, both in terms of impact and process.

And judging by the power of that Mana sphere, it seemed like Alopsky would be the one to defeat Patavina first.

‘An unexpected variable has appeared…’

As Francisco rested his elbow on the armrest of the sofa and rubbed his forehead,

Alopsky fired the Mana sphere he had created towards the last purple rift.

**Boom!**

The smoke from the explosion cleared, revealing that the rift had been cleanly eliminated.

* * *

“……!”

Juan’s eyes trembled as he saw the Void Rift disappear after another explosion.

He had held onto a sliver of hope after the first rift was eliminated, but now, seeing the same thing happen again, he had no choice but to accept it.

‘He can really eliminate the Void? With such a simple method?’

Of course, he had also eliminated the rift just now using a Mana Subspace.

But compared to the method Alopsky used, there was a huge difference in efficiency and difficulty.

First of all, a Mana Subspace was a high-level technique that could only be used by those who could clear a level 20 demon world dungeon alone.

And the amount of Mana required to create one was enormous. He had almost exhausted all his Mana before eliminating the rift just now.

On the other hand, the Mana sphere Alopsky used?

Even a B-rank hunter on Earth could easily use it. And it didn’t even consume that much Mana.

At their current level, both Juan and Alopsky could create that Mana sphere over a thousand times.

‘How can he eliminate it like that…?’

He was dying to know how Alopsky did it, but that wasn’t important right now.

He had to stop his thoughts and dodge an incoming Void projectile.

‘Focus! What’s important now is to gain an advantage over that Russian guy.’

He regained his focus and sharpened his gaze.

His priority was to defeat Patavina, the boss of this Void Dungeon, before Alopsky.

‘…But how can I win?’

He suddenly felt hopeless as he recalled Alopsky’s feat.

He had to search for and find all the hidden cores before he could even face Patavina one-on-one, while Alopsky could just keep throwing Mana spheres.

Just like now.

‘Another Mana sphere…!’

A giant Mana sphere was forming on Alopsky’s outstretched palms.

And he was looking directly at the sky where Patavina was.

‘Is he really trying to defeat Patavina with just Mana spheres…?’

Juan could only watch helplessly.

If those Mana spheres could really eliminate Patavina, then it would be a waste of time to search for other cores.

‘…He fired it!’

A Mana sphere, much larger than the previous ones, shot towards Patavina.

**Booooooooom!**

Patavina was engulfed in an explosion with a deafening roar.

This time, the explosion seemed to last much longer. It was that powerful.

After a long time, the smoke from the explosion cleared, and

“……!!”

Juan’s eyes widened.

Patavina had disappeared without a trace.

‘…Did he really defeat it…?’

He was shocked and realized that the surrounding sky had returned to its original state, no longer purple.

And a black portal was forming where Patavina had been.

It was the return portal that appeared after defeating the boss.

“……”

He lowered his hands, his expression, posture, and gaze all conveying a sense of ‘defeat’.

It was understandable.

‘That Patavina, which took thirty of us over an hour to defeat back then, was defeated so easily…’

He felt pathetic, remembering how he had cheered as if he had conquered the world after barely defeating Patavina in the past.

Alopsky, oblivious to his reaction, was walking towards the return portal.

—

▶ You have defeated a monster.

▶ Acquired 500 Beast Karma Points.

▶ Acquired the monster’s comprehensive trait ‘Ruler of the Void’.

▷ Ruler of the Void: Grants the following traits and permanently stored skills:

– Permanently increases all stats by 200, excluding Skin Defense.

– Void Judgment: Fires a laser beam imbued with the power of the ‘Void’. Consumes 100 Mana.

– Void Projectile: Fires a small projectile imbued with the power of the ‘Void’. Consumes 1 Mana.

– Summon Void Eye: Summons a ‘Void Eye’ nearby. Consumes 1,000 Mana.

—

‘…A reward worthy of a boss.’

Kim Jinsung nodded in satisfaction and cleared the notification window.

He was pleased with the abilities, but he was even more pleased with the incredible increase in his Beast Karma Points and stats.

‘I’m going now. I’ll be back sooner next time.’

[Hmph! I don’t believe you. You said the same thing last time. Do you know how many days I waited for you?!]

‘…Don’t wait for me so anxiously. It’s not like you’re my girlfriend… See you later.’

He said his goodbyes and stepped into the return portal.

Dantalian’s farewell echoed in his head.

[Come back as soon as possible! And get used to the Void ability quickly. It’s a pretty good ability.]

‘Alright~.’

He replied casually and continued walking.

Only after the surrounding environment changed and he returned to the real world from the dungeon,

‘…Wait a minute.’

He realized something.

‘Didn’t that bastard Dantalian just tell me to get used to the Void ability…?’

His face hardened.

How did Dantalian know he had absorbed the Void ability?

“Ah, you’re back. Come here.”

One of the evaluation team members, who had been waiting at the portal entrance, beckoned him.

As Kim Jinsung approached, the member placed a measuring device on his hunter watch and pressed a button.

A beep sounded, and he said,

“Congratulations on clearing the first round in first place.”