Chapter 29: The Inheritor of Survival TalentThe Inheritor of Survival Talent

Chapter 29

Name: Kang Minhyuk

Age: 29

Height: 193 cm

Occupation: Hunter

Special Note: Independent B-grade hunter and the son of Kang Chan. He is currently on trial for decimating the Bangtaesan Clan, which recently had slain his father.

[Let’s revisit the profile of contestant Kang Minhyuk for those who are not familiar with him.]

[He’s the only son of the hunter ‘Kang Chan.’ Probably a name familiar to all of our Colosseum viewers.]

[That’s right. Didn’t he contribute enormously to the first season of Colosseum?]

[He’s considered one of the foundational members who shaped Colosseum.]

Kang Chan, known as the modern-day Sirasoni, never once belonged to a clan during his life. He always hunted monsters alone, challenged dungeons alone, and climbed the tower alone.

Once, he assessed himself,

“I am a hunter with better survival skills than anyone else on Earth.”

Everyone agreed with that. If Kang Chan, who survived over 30 years as a lone hunter, would not be considered exceptional in survival, who would be?

Baek Jun, a hunter junior to Kang Chan, held the same view.

That’s why, when Baek Jun produced the Colosseum program, he first sought Kang Chan for advice and asked him to participate.

Baek Jun believed nobody suited the survival-themed Colosseum better than Kang Chan.

After much persuasion, Kang Chan eventually appeared on Colosseum Season 1, and as everyone knows, the program was a massive hit.

[Now his only child is participating in Colosseum! After the news of Kang Minhyuk’s appearance broke yesterday, it created an immense buzz online, right?]

[It reached second place in real-time searches and third among trending videos, I assume?]

[Exactly! For the record, the first place for searches and the first and second place for trending videos were all held by Kim Jinsung.]

[Honestly, I thought Kang Minhyuk would garner the most views due to his father’s fame, but this result is a bit surprising.]

“Even I believed that Kang Minhyuk would dominate the views,” said one of the PDs listening to the commentary, to which the female PD next to him shook her head.

“I was sure Kim Jinsung would take first place. His young age is an advantage by itself. He’s got a cute and innocent look.”

“Hmm… Kang Minhyuk does look quite intimidating.”

“He’s got the kind of face that men would like. On the other hand, Kim Jinsung has the sort of face that would be popular with all ages, genders, and demographics.”

As they were talking,

[Ah, right as we speak! Participants are starting to converge from all around!]

[Is a second scuffle for the supply box starting?]

As the commentators shouted, viewers could see through their TVs that most of the remaining participants hidden in the bushes were approaching the supply box.

***

Participants edged towards the supply box, continually checking their surroundings. About 15 participants were converging on the box, with them all sharing similar thoughts.

“If we don’t fight now, someone might snatch it and flee.”

“If we can just team up to take down that one person…”

“He looks pretty strong, but numbers have the advantage, right?”

In fact, they were all targeting and advancing towards Minhyuk with their weapons drawn. His size of over 190 cm and the intimidating aura he exuded was on another level compared to the other participants. They all recognized him as a formidable common enemy to overcome.

Kang Minhyuk looked around sharply and then reached into the supply box. After pulling out a greatsword from the box, he quickly checked the hilt.

– Colosseum Greatsword (Class 1)

‘Power Up’ skill available.

Power Up: Increases strength by 50%. Continuously consumes mana while activated.

After reading the description, he tossed the greatsword he’d been holding down to the ground. Holding the new greatsword with both hands, he took up a combat stance.

Clang!

A loud sound resonated from the greatsword as Kang Minhyuk instinctively swung it, deflecting a crossbow bolt shot by one of the distant participants. That was the signal.

“Kill him!”

“Get that big guy first!”

The approaching participants started charging at Kang Minhyuk with full force. When they got close, Kang Minhyuk’s eyes turned a blood red.

“Arrgh!”

“Cough…”

With a single swing of his greatsword, Kang Minhyuk brought down three opponents in front of him, sending blood spraying as they fell to the ground. Then, suddenly,

Thump!

The blade of an opponent’s sword had deeply pierced Kang Minhyuk’s back. However, instead of showing signs of shock,

Swoosh!

Minhyuk swiftly retaliated, slashing the opponent’s throat. In a flash, he had dispatched four attackers. Yet, there were still many rushing at him. Another sword stroke slashed Kang Minhyuk’s side, causing copious amounts of blood to flow.

Even so, Minhyuk, unfazed by the pain, launched an immediate counterattack.

Thump!

“Ugh!”

As the opponent’s abdomen was impaled by the greatsword, the light quickly faded from his eyes. Kang Minhyuk pulled out the greatsword, and as the assailant helplessly collapsed, another thunk sounded from Kang Minhyuk’s neck area.

The participant who had previously fired the crossbow bolt had now successfully targeted Kang Minhyuk’s neck.

The archer participant shouted:

“I hit the neck! Quickly finish him off!”

“Wha-?!”

Eyes wide in shock, the crossbow-wielding participant couldn’t believe his eyes as Kang Minhyuk, with his neck properly punctured, seemed unfazed and swung his sword again.

Two more participants fell, bleeding out from Minhyuk’s blade.

“Wha-, wha-?!”

Stuttering out confusion, the participant with the crossbow had a look of disbelief etched across their face.

Then, the unbelievable happened. Kang Minhyuk nonchalantly pulled the arrow out of his neck. However, what shocked the onlookers was something else entirely.

“Why isn’t he bleeding…?”

Common sense dictates that if someone is punctured like that, they should bleed profusely, right?

But there wasn’t a single drop of blood spilling out. Not a single drop.

“It stopped bleeding already? That isn’t normal.”

Upon closer inspection, sure enough, the gash on Kang Minhyuk’s side, even though deep, had already stopped bleeding.

“Is he even human…?”

The participant who fired the arrow began to question Kang Minhyuk’s very nature.

“He just pulled out the arrow effortlessly!”

“That’s Kang Minhyuk for you!”

“I still can’t get used to him fighting with a sword sticking out!”

“Ouch, just watching makes my neck hurt.”

“Wow…”

“Classic Kang Minhyuk swamp battle.”

“He’s already taken down more than ten, hasn’t he? He’s truly powerful.”

“Doesn’t that sword in his back hurt him?”

The chat and the viewers, as well as the staff in the control room, all shared similar reactions. Though they had expected such a scene, it was still hard to get used to each time they saw it unfold.

Baek Jun appeared calm, as if he had anticipated this.

‘Kang Minhyuk’s inherited vampiric trait—he demonstrates its advantage in one-versus-many fights.’

The vampiric trait.

A trait once held by Kang Chan, Kang Minhyuk’s father, which Baek Jun knew Minhyuk had inherited.

It was a trait that allowed the user to absorb blood shed by opponents through their weapon and recover their own health and wounds.

Thanks to this unbelievable ability, Kang Minhyuk could fight so openly, even with a sword embedded in his back.

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Kang Minhyuk’s HP would have been fully restored by now.

‘Certainly, among all the contestants, Kang Minhyuk is the strongest right now. No one comes to mind who could beat him one-on-one.’

Perhaps Fade with a stealth attack could slice the throat in one stroke?

Kim Jinsung also stood no chance against Kang Minhyuk right now. Whether in physical abilities, traits, as well as the swordsmanship and survival skills inherited from his father, Kim Jinsung did not surpass him in any aspect.

‘And with the supply box items now in his possession, there’s nothing in the preliminaries that can stop Kang Minhyuk.’

The superior items from the supply box were like wings on a tiger for someone as strong as Kang Minhyuk. And now, Minhyuk was close to sprouting those wings by taking possession of the supply box.

Back at the valley, where the supply box had dropped,

‘That’s a monster…!’

Suddenly, the participants enclosing Minhyuk ceased their attacks, looking terror-stricken, unwilling to approach the box as if facing an unkillable beast covered haphazardly in swords.

In that paused moment, Minhyuk silently observed the scene, then slowly began to pull out and discard the swords from his body.

“woaah”

“What is he, a zombie?”

Their faces filled with more fear upon witnessing this, and Minhyuk, unperturbed, began to leisurely collect the items from the supply box. He calmly put on the special armor, and no one dared to attack even as he fitted the boots perfectly. Even the participant with the crossbow thought,

“I can’t kill that thing. I’ll just pick up the dead’s loot after he leaves.”

Resigning himself to not defeat Minhyuk, he looked at his quiver. From over fifty arrows, less than ten remained.

Realizing it was a waste to use the remaining arrows on a creature that wouldn’t bleed, the participant dismissed further attacks.

Just as Minhyuk caused everyone to lose their fighting spirit,

“—–!”

His expression suddenly became frantic, the first change seen since arriving. Something was amiss: one item that should have been in the supply box was missing.

“Where’s the backpack?”

The extra-large bag filled with top-grade consumables such as food and potions.

The essential item that should have been in the supply box was nowhere to be found.

“Ah, what’s happened here? The backpack that should be in the supply box is gone!”

“I’m sure I saw it in the box just a moment ago. Where did it go?”

“Did someone take it? But it was impossible for someone to secretly steal it, wasn’t it?”

The commentators, looking flustered, were unable to hide their bewilderment on their faces, and the staff in the control room felt the same.

“Huh? What’s that?”

“Surely they didn’t forget to put it in the box?”

“No, I saw it when the lid was first opened.”

“The props department just contacted us, they checked all items before the plane took off.”

“So someone took it?”

As everyone pondered, Baek Jun, who had been observing all the monitors, shouted,

“Monitor 41!”

Everyone’s gaze directed toward monitor number 41.

An unfamiliar participant was seen running at full speed towards the mountain summit, with a large backpack slung over one arm. The bag he was holding was clearly one that could only come from a supply box.

“There it is!”

“Camera 41! Keep tracking that person, don’t lose sight!”

“Check the participant’s identity!”

“How did someone take that and run?”

While the control room focused on the participant captured by monitor number 41, Baek Jun, who first noticed him, spotted something else.

“Kim Jinsung is on the move.”

Kim Jinsung, who had been perched atop the tall tree, watching the valley just moments before, was now nowhere to be seen on monitor number 8.