All Chapters of From Trash Rank to Untouchable: Chapter 31
- Chapter 40
51 chapters
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While the squad busied themselves with measurements and rough calculations, Eric sat on the floor, his back against the cold dungeon wall. His eyes moved slowly across the vast space around them, intrigued “The size of a dungeon,” he said at last, turning his head toward Calvin, who stood nearby with his arms crossed and his shoulder pressed against the stone. “It has nothing to do with its rank, right? This place is massive, but it’s mostly empty.” Calvin dipped his chin once and glanced at him. “Yeah. Sure does.” They resumed walking and time dragged on, their footsteps echoing endlessly. Eventually, Calvin broke the silence. “You’re really pushing it, huh?” he said, eyeing the two bags slung over Eric’s shoulders. “Carrying all that in a dungeon this big. You sure you’re fine?” Eric shot him a sideways look. “Are you asking because you’re concerned,” he said flatly, “or because you’re pretending to be?” Calvin looked away with a faint sneer. ‘Good. Good. Looks l
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Eric watched Calvin claw at the ground as he tried to push himself up, a groan tearing from his throat, his body trembling from the impact, yet Eric’s expression did not change at all.‘So David’s light magic isn’t just for illumination,’ he thought calmly. ‘It’s offensive magic too.’What interested him more was the reason behind it. ‘Are they planning to cut us out and take the money for themselves, or is there something else at play?’Oracle’s voice echoed in his mind, followed by translucent text.〈That scenario holds a 90 percent probability.〉Eric shifted his gaze to Landon, his eye sharpening slightly. ‘Then that remaining ten percent must be something even more interesting.’Across the room, Landon was staring at him now, eyes narrowed, lips curling in faint disbelief‘He’s not… freaking out?’“You,” he said slowly. “you do not look surprised at all.”Eric didn’t bother denying it.“You’ve known something was off this whole time, haven’t you?”Eric lifted an eyebrow and let ou
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The dungeon trembled.Stone groaned above them as the massive body above them finally moved.Segment after segment scraped through the upper tunnels, grinding against rock, tearing loose chunks of crystal and dust, revealing the full form of the boss. A gigantic centipede-like monster, its body long enough to snake through the ceiling passages. Red chitin plated its frame in overlapping layers and dozens of hooked legs scraped the stone floor as it descended.Its head lowered slowly.Mandibles clicked together as thick saliva dripped onto the cavern floor, sizzling faintly where it landed.Eric felt it clearly through vibration detection, every movement registering like a pulse beneath his feet.“Oh fuck,” Calvin muttered, still unable to move. “This is insane. This is fucking unbelievable! You bastards!”The moment the monster fully revealed itself, Oracle’s voice echoed in Eric’s mind.〈Target confirmed〉〈Type: B-rank centipede-type dungeon monster〉〈Threat level: Extreme〉〈Kill ob
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Eric lowered his sword just as Landon hurried toward him, panic clear on his face.“Stop,” Landon said quickly. “Stop for a second.”Eric lifted his eye, irritation flashing. “Stop?” he snapped. “Why the hell would I stop? That thing is the dungeon’s core monster. Isn’t killing it the whole point?”Landon swallowed hard.He stared at Eric as if he were seeing him for the first time. His gaze flicked left and right, thoughts racing.Then he looked at the struggling centipede.It was massive, terrifying by any standard, yet now it lay there helpless, writhing weakly like a creature that had been declawed. Rendered powerless, useless, like a domesticated beast.“Wh-what did you do?” Landon asked, his voice unsteady. “You did something to it, didn’t you? Aren’t you E-rank? How could you do something like this if you’re just an E-rank?”Eric frowned. “Why does that sound like you’re accusing me of something?”David gritted his teeth and walked forward. Behind Landon, he muttered something
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After Eric and Calvin emerged from the B-rank gate and it finally dissolved into thin air, the onlookers were left frozen in shock.They were the only survivors.Soon after, both of them were summoned to the district’s Dungeon Management Department for questioning and reassessment.A woman seated behind a desk, thin glasses perched on her nose, flipped through the gate licensing contract. She frowned slightly as she read.“You’re telling me that every hunter who entered the gate with you, including the A-rank hunter Landon Carroll, died in action,” she said. Her gaze lifted slowly. “And the only survivors are… an E-rank.” She paused, then added, “And you, of course, being an A-rank.”Calvin lowered his eyes.‘Me, an A-rank,’ he thought bitterly. ‘I didn’t do a single thing.’However, he said nothing, because he did not need to be told that Eric would not want attention or exposure.So he bobbed his head. “Yes. That’s… um… that’s correct. Things happened. The boss was far stronger than
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“What?” Regan asked sharply, staring at his father. “A marriage alliance with the Patels?”His father sat behind a wide desk in an office lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, the city skyline stretching out behind him. Regan’s expression made it clear he hated the idea.Joseph Vale leaned back against the edge of the desk, his arms folded. “This is about building strength, Regan. Our family isn’t strong enough anymore. Vale Enterprises has been declining since Arnold’s death, and you know that. We’ve fallen behind.”Regan clenched his jaw but said nothing.“A solid alliance with the Patels will stabilize us,” Joseph continued. “Once we regain our footing, we can finally move toward forming ties with the Noir Group.”Regan scoffed. “Noir Group?” He shook his head. “Come on, Dad. That’s a fantasy. Even I know that’s impossible. An alliance with the Patels won’t get us anywhere near them.”Joseph met his gaze without flinching. “Every step matters, son. Every move we make brings us clos
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Eric followed Calvin into the living room and paused, taking in the sheer size of the place. Golden lights illuminated the high ceilings and wide walls, casting a warm glow that made the mansion look almost unreal.Calvin headed up the stairs without another word and Eric stayed behind, his eyes roaming the room.Even though he had once lived a privileged life, he had never lived in a place this large. His father had always insisted on simplicity. A simple house. A simple family.Eric remembered his father joking that homes like this were built for people who did not want to see each other. Too many rooms. Too much distance.That was never the life he wanted.Which was why they lived in a normal home.And perhaps why the rest of the family never bothered to take it from them.Eric bobbed his head at the realization.Upstairs, Calvin stopped in front of his father’s room and knocked softly.“What do you think you’re doing?”Calvin froze.He took a slow breath before turning to face his
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Two years ago, Oscar Kenton could still clearly remember his final meeting with his good friend, Arnold Vale, and the strange promise he had asked him to keep.Arnold had spoken calmly, almost gently.“Life is fleeting,” he said. “No one truly knows how it begins or how it ends. I need you to do something important for me, Oscar, as a friend.”Oscar had frowned then, uneasy.“If one day my son, Eric, ever comes to you, reject whatever he comes for. Do not listen to his reasons. Just give him this.”Oscar glanced down at the octagonal box resting in his hand as he descended the stairs.Eric turned his good eye toward Oscar, his posture straightening at once, his expression settling into something calm and respectful.Oscar stopped short.The last time he had seen Eric, the boy had barely reached his shoulder. Now he stood tall, broad shouldered, his presence composed in a way that did not belong to someone his age.And his eye.Oscar’s gaze lingered there for a fraction too long. Som
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At 7:25 a.m.“Good morning, everyone,” the female TV host said, her smile professional, eyes bright on the camera. “I’m here with our special guest…” She gestured.The camera shifted to a broad-shouldered man. Red and yellow striped hair, medium length and neatly styled, framed his sharp features and he wore a sharp black suit and tie.“Nice to meet you,” he said calmly. “I’m Jarvis Klark.”The host leaned forward slightly. “Hunter Klark, as one of the only eight S-Rank hunters in the country, you must keep extremely busy. What is a hunter’s life like when you’re not exploring dungeons?”Jarvis tilted his head, considering. “That’s a good question. Most of the time is spent training. Hunters must maintain their skills every single day. Lose touch with real combat for even a short period, and your instincts dull.”The host’s eyes widened. “Every day? That sounds exhausting. And with the Hunters’ Competition coming up in a few months, do you think Ground Zero Guild will have a chance a
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Eric pushed himself up from the sofa, blinking once before fixing Kim with a gaze as cold as winter steel.She stumbled back instinctively, putting space between them, her hands raised slightly.“Take deep breaths, Eric,” she said cautiously. “Before you do something you’ll regret.”Anger flared like fire through Eric, his disbelief boiling over. “Do you know what you just did, Kim? Do you have the slightest clue what bomb you just dropped on my life?!”Kim looked up at him, her chest heaving uneasily. Then she scoffed. “What I did, I did for our family!”Eric let out a sharp, humorless laugh, shaking his head. “Kim, this isn't a joke. This is foolish! You had no fucking right to sign me into marriage! No right!”“Don’t be selfish, Eric!” Kim shot back, her own anger flaring. “Didn’t you hear what I just said? This is our chance! Marrying into the Patels is the only ladder we’ve got to actually improve our lives. All you’ve ever done is struggle, struggle, and get nowhere! This is it.