F-Class Destiny Hunter

Chapter 91:

Chapter 91

In his past life, Seo Gangrim had tried various methods to utilize his abilities. However, he wasn't strong enough to kill a living human and steal their abilities, nor did he possess the power to defeat humanoid demons. So, he considered another option—what about the corpses buried in graves?

'In my past life, I failed even at this,' he thought.

He had tried to dig up graves and steal the Destiny from the deceased. However, when he activated his ability, he only received a failure message:

[The corpse has been damaged, and your spirit has weakened.]

[You lack the magical power needed to steal the Destiny.]

People commonly combined the terms "hon" and "baek" to refer to the soul and spirit, respectively. When a person died, the soul left the body, but the spirit remained within the corpse. "Destiny Theft" was the act of taking what's left in the spirit, which required a significant amount of magical power. Therefore, if the corpse is damaged or too much time has passed, the Destiny becomes blurred. Since there was not much fate left in a long-dead body, an enormous amount of magic power was needed.

'In my past life, I failed due to a lack of magical power, but this time is different.'

It hadn't been long since Han Cheol's death, which was a fortunate circumstance. Han Cheol had passed away around Awakening Day, and many people had regretted that he hadn't become an outstanding Awakened.

Seo Gangrim continued digging without hesitation. 'A few years might be uncertain, but if it's been only a few months, there should be enough baek left.'

As he dug up the artisan's grave, he couldn't help but admire the quality of the spade Han Roya had made. It smoothly broke through the tough soil every time he thrust it in.

He hadn't seen Han Roya's Destiny, but she seemed to possess some skill.

"What is this lunatic doing? Oh my! This guy is digging up my grave!"

As Seo Gangrim continued digging in silence, he heard someone's voice. It was the voice of a grumpy old man. Despite the anger in the voice, Seo Gangrim kept digging.

'Is that Han Cheol? It seems he's become a guardian spirit.'

Seo Gangrim ignored the voice and continued his work.

'Even in the afterlife, his voice sounds clear. Is it because of my karma? Or maybe this is Han Cheol's grave.'

The voices of gods were easily heard inside the Demon Realm. However, communication was weaker in the mortal realm.

'Being closer to the boundary probably makes it easier to hear the voices of the deceased,' Seo Gangrim thought, smiling bitterly, as he spread the soil.

Meanwhile, Han Cheol was shouting at the top of his lungs, as if he were bursting his eardrums. 【You thief! Are you digging up someone else's grave because you have nothing to steal? You, there's nothing in my grave! You'll face divine punishment!】

Even the mention of divine punishment didn't faze Seo Gangrim. He wasn't a particularly powerful god. In other words, he couldn't directly harm Seo Gangrim.

Amidst his digging, his spade struck something, making a distinct sound.

'Finally, the coffin is here.'

It had been recently constructed, made of sturdy oak wood. When the coffin appeared, Han Cheol's cursing intensified.

Seo Gangrim ignored him and proceeded to open the coffin lid.

"Hu..."

A foul stench immediately wafted out as he opened the coffin. It hadn't been long since the burial, only a few months. Seo Gangrim didn't avert his gaze from the gruesome sight and moved on to the next step.

[The ability 'Destiny Theft' is activated!]

[Magical power equivalent to the damaged baek will be consumed.]

[You have acquired the ability 'Blacksmith's Flame'!]

Upon acquiring the ability, Seo Gangrim displayed a satisfied expression. His expression wasn't one of reverence toward the corpse in front of him. Han Cheol, on the other hand, looked horrified .

【What on earth are you doing? Why are you digging up someone else's grave?】

"I have some business to attend to. I'll make sure to clean up neatly," Seo Gangrim replied.

After covering the coffin lid once more, Seo Gangrim began filling the hole. Perhaps because the grave had already been dug up, Han Cheol remained relatively quiet. When about half of the hole was filled, Han Cheol's voice could be heard again.

【You rotten scoundrel! You dug up my grave, so at least do me a favor as a human being!】 Han Cheol's voice sounded somewhat resigned.

Seo Gangrim, still holding dirt in his hands, asked, "Please, go on."

【You seem to hear my voice, so go to my granddaughter and ask her to open her Destiny. I'm trying to send her a revelation, but she can't hear it. I'm suffering, unable to make money properly at my age, working hard in front of the forge every day. It's frustrating to die like this, so I need her to see the light.】

Han Roya was currently unable to open her Destiny, and telepathic communication was also blocked because her Awakened abilities were dormant. Han Cheol's voice wouldn't be heard either.

"All right, I understand. I'll finish what needs to be done here and take care of it," Seo Gangrim promised.

Han Cheol wanted to take Han Roya to the Destiny Protection Bureau to awaken her Destiny, but there was no need to go through all that trouble. Seo Gangrim could awaken her abilities himself. In any case, he had planned to recruit Han Roya after stealing Han Cheol's abilities.

With the theft of the Blacksmith's Flame, Seo Gangrim had gained the ability to refine weapons. He would be able to take care of the weapons of other members for the time being. However, this was only a temporary solution. He wasn't really interested in blacksmithing and would rather invest in a different ability for future achievements.

'Besides, the Flying Tiger Sect needs a proper blacksmith, and if I leave Han Roya here like this, the Destiny Protection Bureau will come looking for her,' Seo Gangrim thought.

Taking care of a crucial artisan was essential, and he couldn't let her be taken by the Destiny Protection Bureau. Once his business was finished, he planned to recruit Han Roya immediately.

After restoring the grave to its original state, Seo Gangrim moved on. However, he didn't descend the mountain; instead, he climbed higher.

【Why are you going up? What are you trying to do on the mountain?】 Han Cheol asked.

Ignoring Han Cheol's question, Seo Gangrim silently ascended the mountain. From the elevated vantage point, he could see a somber scene that could be described as eerie. This was due to the numerous graves and tombstones scattered throughout the area.

Han Cheol expressed astonishment at the sight. 【Are you seriously thinking of digging up other graves?】

He had successfully stolen abilities from Han Cheol's corpse just moments ago. If he could acquire the same level of ability from other corpses, he would grow rapidly. He wanted to test it as soon as he left the education facility. Fortunately, this mountain was full of graves.

'It's best to steal from freshly deceased bodies, but I can't kill people,' Seo Gangrim thought.

Without hesitation, he began digging up the graves. Han Cheol's initial protests gradually faded, and he eventually gave up. Seo Gangrim, who had just successfully stolen Han Cheol's ability, seemed eager to continue.

As Seo Gangrim excavated a nearby grave, he unearthed a coffin. The corpse inside appeared to have decomposed almost entirely.

[The ability 'Stealing the Birth Chart' is activated!]

[Magical power equivalent to the damaged baek will be consumed.]

[The activation is canceled due to insufficient magical power.]

'It seems that very old corpses are still too challenging,' Seo Gangrim remarked.

He had successfully stolen abilities from Han Cheol who died only a few months ago, but it seemed that the magical power consumption was too high when dealing with corpses that had been dead for many years. Nevertheless, Seo Gangrim did not seem discouraged.

'It's not entirely impossible. With enough magic power, I can even steal from an old corpse.'

Seo Gangrim checked another tomb and found a recently buried body. As he began digging through another tomb, Han Cheol, now with a half-hearted tone, asked, 【What on earth are you doing, going around digging up other people's graves? It doesn't seem like you're stealing anything... Is it a hobby?】

"You could call it a hobby..."

As he continued to dig up the tomb, Seo Gangrim fell silent. An uneasy silence filled the air. No, it wasn't just silence; in the darkness, there were sounds of footsteps.

'Demons?'

Since the Awakening Day, demons had been appearing not only in the Demon Realm but also in the human world. Especially in places with strong Qi, like tombs, demons were easier to find.

As Seo Gangrim glanced back, he saw a pair of glowing eyes in the darkness.

- Krrrr...

- Krung...!

Soon, one pair became two, then several pairs, and eventually, dozens of pairs of eyes stared at Seo Gangrim.

【You, you, run away! Get out of here quickly! They're demons!】

Upon closer inspection, the demons appeared to be of the lower rank. Each one was individually easy to handle, but their sheer numbers posed a problem. It seemed like the darkness was now filled with demons. Seo Gangrim remained vigilant, drawing his weapon.

'There are too many of them.'

He had used a significant amount of magic power to steal Hancheol's abilities, and it had left him drained. He had a means of escape, but he couldn't afford to let his guard down.

As Seo Gangrim raised his sword and watched the demons closely, the night suddenly turned crimson.

Dozens of demons were seen falling to the ground in an instant. Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and the demons themselves seemed unaware that they had died.

"Demons often appear around places with strong Qi, like graveyards."

Standing behind the vanquished demons was someone in black attire with a mask. It seemed to be an agent of the Destiny Protection Bureau. He held a sword that was shimmering with blood.

- Krrr...

The demons now targeted the agent instead of Seo Gangrim, rushing at him in anger. Each time they approached, the ground turned crimson.

- Seoguk!

Precise and ruthless swordsmanship. In an instant, numerous demon corpses piled up. Blood droplets clung to the blade, dripping to the ground.

Drenched in blood, the agent approached Seo Gangrim, who had been vigilant against the demons.

"I anticipated this, it seems you're up to something vulgar."

The man's voice was familiar. In fact, even before he spoke, Seo Gangrim knew who he was. The long, braided hair was a distinctive feature. Seo Gangrim didn't say anything, not because he couldn't recognize the man, but because there was nothing he could say.

The man, misunderstanding Seo Gangrim's silence, spoke calmly, "Seems like you don't recognize me."

It wasn't because he didn't recognize him; he couldn't speak because he recognized him all too well. As the man slowly removed his mask, a familiar face was revealed. The second-in-command of Flying Tiger Sect, Kang Dohyeon. He looked at Seo Gangrim with a sharp gaze.

"Long time no see, Seo Gangrim."

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