Ch. 36 - Chapter 36

Dadadada.

“Neeiiigh!”

As I got closer to the ‘Evil Horses,’ they started to grow agitated.

A special drug that stimulates poison monsters.

The drug that I would apply every time I entered the dungeon with Bisu had taken effect.

I could obviously use ‘Poison Steps' to chase them down, but that was too much of a hassle.

Following the scent of the drug and charging toward me was the easiest path.

“Neigh!!”

Of course, for other hunters, it would be no different from a suicide attempt.

Because there was a fatal drawback of being doused in a thick concentration of poison.

But in front of a ‘Poisoner’, such a drawback might as well not exist.

Thudududu.

The ‘Evil Horses’ charged in from all directions, thrusting their horns forward.

Their physical level was only around ‘D’ at best, but those solid horns were the exception.

The rest of their bodies were fragile, but if you get pierced by those horns, even a C-rank Knight can end up injured.

Swoosh.

One down.

Slash.

Another one.

I dodged the incoming horns by a hair’s breadth and swung Exa.

They slumped to the ground, thick blood gushing from their necks.

In truth, it didn't matter whether I cut them in a vital point or not, they died just the same.

But after training with Teacher Oh Jiho, I've developed a bit more sense of purpose.

Instead of fighting haphazardly, I pursued the most effective path.

Quickly.

And accurately.

Slash.

"Oops, missed the mark."

Sometimes I hit the vital point precisely, and sometimes I didn’t.

But one thing was certain, there was a certain ‘feel’ in the way I swung Exa now.

Realizing that my movements had become more fluid, I finally started to feel like a proper Hunter.

Of course, my type still remained as a ‘Healer’.

“Hunter Chun Haesun!! Look out—!!”

Yuk Cheolwan came waddling over, weighed down by heavy gear.

Only after witnessing my massacre up close did he finally realize, the real danger wasn’t the Evil Horses surrounding me, but myself.

“This… this can’t be!!”

Through the gas mask, I could see Yuk Cheolwan’s eyes.

He was so wide-eyed in shock that the whites of his eyes were visible like headlights.

"Hunter Chun Haesun..."

"Yes."

"Didn’t you say you were a Healer?!"

"I did."

"Then how can you....."

There was too much I’ve been through to explain it all.

And truthfully, I didn’t really feel like explaining anyway.

I gave a short reply and moved again.

“Because before I’m a Healer, I’m a Hunter.”

Slash.

".....!!"

I slashed them one after another, and before I knew it, less than half of them were left.

As I cut them down one by one, before I knew it, less than half of them remained.

Suddenly, two of the ones charging at me veered off toward Yuk Cheolwan.

Damn.

He’d better be careful.

Chomp.

But my concern turned out to be unfounded.

Yuk Cheolwan grabbed the charging horns of the Evil Horses with both hands, then let out a fierce roar as he swung his arms.

“Raaagh!!”

Crash!!

Oh wow.

The two Evil Horses, forced into an accidental headbutt, tumbled to the ground in a heap.

Judging by their crushed heads, their skulls must’ve been shattered.

‘He swung around Evil Horses weighing hundreds of kilograms with just his bare hands…..’

It was a moment when I realized once again that Yuk Cheolwan was a B-rank knight.

Yuk Cheolwan probably thought I was the weird one, but honestly, I felt the same about him.

Why was a B-rank Knight stuck doing cleaner work?

“Ugh! Cough! Hunter Chun Haesun! I’m going to take a quick break!”

“……”

Earlier he was making a fuss about how dangerous it was, and now he was just leaving it all to me so he could rest.

Looks like he was holding his breath while using his strength.

No matter how good the gas mask was, it couldn't block everything completely.

Slash.

Until I cut down the last one, I didn’t use ‘Poison Steps', I just brought the Evil Horses to the ground by hand.

And more than half of them had suffered critical wounds to their vital points.

Even without Exa, they wouldn’t have lasted long in battle against me it seems.

Looking back on the fight so far, this was a pretty encouraging result.

“It’s one surprise after another……”

Since Yuk Cheolwan was also a Knight, it seemed he could guess what was going on.

This wasn’t just beyond a ‘healer’, it was a level of physical attack far superior to that of an ordinary knight or assassin.

“How about you retake the hunter qualification test…?”

I gave a slight smile and lifted both shoulders.

“Now that the troublemakers are gone, we should be able to collect the minerals with ease, right?”

“Huh? Ah… yes! Of course.”

“Keep working. I’ll be back soon.”

“Back? Where are you going…?”

“Where else? We’re in a dungeon, so it's time to smash the boss’s head.”

If it were before, he would’ve jumped up and tried to stop me. But after the recent battle, it seemed Yuk Cheolwan had changed his mind.

“Call for me if you need help.”

I gave a brief nod, then set my body in motion.

***

“Oh ho.”

Isn’t there a saying, ‘Sincerity moves even the heavens’?

A boss mob appeared, giving me the chance to fully use the martial arts I’d mastered so far.

[Decoror Wolf 

Type – Poison, Combat 

Difficulty Level: 3 stars (★★★) 

Physical Ability: ‘C’-rank 

Other: ‘D’-rank]

Compared to the boss mobs found in the previous Poison Dungeons, its toxicity was relatively weak.

However, the reason it earned the 3-star (★★★) rating was because of its ‘mixed traits.’

Not only was defeating it in battle no easy feat, but over time you could end up gradually getting poisoned.

For most hunters, it would feel like facing a beast coated in deadly venom.

“Woo—”

It roared toward the sky after spotting me, acting all wolf-like.

‘With a physical level of C and being a combat type, there’s no opponent better suited than this one.’

Swish…

I relaxed the grip on Exa in my hand.

Since no more Aether was being infused, the blade of Exa vanished.

There are two reasons why someone disarms on the battlefield.

Either they've lost their will to fight, or they're confident they can handle it without a weapon.

"Come at me."

I flicked my fingers and taunting the Decoror Wolf.

Teacher Oh Jiho had definitely said it.

My martial arts had surpassed those of a ‘B’-rank Knight.

But that only meant I was capable of handling it. In terms of raw physical strength, a two-tier difference is like heaven and earth.

If I didn’t use ‘Poison Step,’ that gap would feel even wider.

Going head-to-head with a higher-tier level directly would really make you feel the difference.

In that sense, the Decoror Wolf with a physical level of ‘C’ was a perfect sparring partner.

“Woo—!”

Looks like the taunt worked.

After letting out a roar, the Decoror Wolf immediately leapt off the ground, vanishing from where it was moments ago.

I’d have used ‘Poison Step’ to bounce off to a safe distance, but now it was different.

I planted both feet firmly on the ground and kept my eyes on the beast.

Before I knew it, it had reached right in front of my chest.

Just as its vicious claws were about to rip at my face, I raised both arms and changed their direction.

Thud.

With my current psychokinetic power, I was still not at the level to use ‘Phantom Strike.’

Even if I were to measure my Awakening stats, I'd be disqualified.

At best, I could only deflect the attack’s path as I trained.

I barely managed to dodge the beast’s strike, but it was so strong that the point of contact tingled painfully.

“Ah, damn.”

The Decoror Wolf didn’t even give me time to grumble.

Its claws reaching just enough to make me worry but never touching me, gliding the air that surrounded my clothes and face. The barrage of the attacks coming from the right left and then jaws were alarming enough to make me wonder why it even had poison if it was going to fight like this.

They say the wolf-types are called the ‘ultimate fighter,’ and it wasn’t an empty rumor it seemed.

It seems the saying that the best practice is real combat is indeed true.

The ‘survival instinct’ that didn’t activate when fighting Teacher Oh Jiho was now sharpening my senses even more.

Thud.

Smack, smack.

Fourteen times?

Fifteen?

That seemed to be my limit for now.

Dodging a flurry of relentless attacks again and again.

In the end, the Decoror Wolf landed a blow right on my chest.

Cough.

After coughing up a mouthful of blood, I quickly focused my mind.

It seemed that, like with Teacher Oh Jiho, just counterattacking to hurt this guy was still too much to ask.

In that case, what if I took the initiative and struck first?

“Woo—”

The creature howled again, seemingly confident about victory.

For other hunters, it would be tough to endure, not only due to the physical damage but also because of the poisoning.

However, the beast’s howl didn’t last very long.

Having healed instantly, I leapt at the beast this time instead.

Thud.

The beast seemed taken aback, stepping back when I, who looked like I might collapse at any moment, launched an attack.

Soon, a full-body assault rained down on the Decoror Wolf from everywhere.

Looking at its large head, I couldn’t bring myself to go for a headbutt.

So I focused my mind as much as possible, attacking with a variety of techniques.

Right now it was probably thrown off by the sudden attack, but considering its physical level it would soon counterattack.

That would be the moment to decide the battle.

"Woo-"

It may have taken a few hits, but they probably weren't serious.

As expected, the beast swung its right claws in a wide arc.

Slash.

That feeling I always got from Teacher Oh Jiho.

I had to bring that feeling back.

‘Phantom Strike’ is basically a type of ‘illusion’ that overshadows the opponent's mind.

It might not be possible to cover a radius of several meters like Teacher Oh Jiho, but I might at least be able to replicate part of his attacks.

After sending ‘Formless’ Aether toward the beast, I moved to its side like a ripple.

Swoosh.

BOOM!!

A dizzying sound of tearing through the air grazed past the tip of my nose.

If it had read my movement, it would have adjusted its attack direction, but its strike clearly aimed at where I originally stood.

‘Success…!!’

A thrilling shiver ran down my spine.

The range was embarrassingly small compared to Teacher Oh Jiho’s, but I had completely deceived my opponent.

‘Right now…’

Without even a moment to rejoice, I pushed the Decoror Wolf’s elbow away with one hand.

The beast’s paw that brushed past my nose was redirected toward its own face.

Wham!!

Strike.

Just like Kim Gwantae, who was toyed with by Teacher Oh Jiho in the black market, the beast ended up hitting its own face with its attack.

Crunch.

A sickening cracking sound emanated from the beast's face.

It felt like his nose was completely shattered.

But it seemed overwhelmed by an emotion far stronger than pain.

Utter disbelief. Shaking its head trying to pass the dizziness away it seemed.

The same disbelief I felt countless times while fighting Teacher Oh Jiho was now felt by the beast.

“Woo?”

The wolf stood there dumbfounded with its arms hanging down, then swung its front paw again.

Smack.

This time, it struck its side.

Smack!

Now to the chest.

Its attacks kept changing course to target itself.

Haha.

How does that feel, you bastard?

Compared to what I’ve endured, this is nothing...

Smack.

“Ugh.”

Suddenly, the ‘illusion’ stopped responding.

I took a direct hit to the jaw from its paw, then spun like a top and was sent flying.

Maybe because I let my guard down thinking I wouldn’t get hit, my vision was spinning.

If I didn’t have my own healing ability, I would’ve passed out right there.

‘Why?’

The method was the same as before.

The effect kept improving.

Then the only conclusion left is that my own ‘limit’ had been completely reached.

‘I shouldn’t overuse it too much.’

“Hunter Chun Haesuuuuuuun!!”

Ah, damn.

Of all times, why did he have to show up now?

I heard Yuk Cheolwan’s desperate shout from afar.

“Just hold on a little longer!! I’ll take down that damn wolf myself… cough!”

Judging by the way he was running, he would probably collapse coughing up blood before he even got to me.

How much time had passed?

Since the gas mask wasn’t foolproof, there was no point in dragging this out any longer.

“Wooo!!”

Both the beast and I had taken damage. 

Since it had no healing ability, I only needed to land one solid hit.

I did my best to regain the feel for the ‘illusion’ and closed my eyes to boost my concentration.

“No!!!”

From Yuk Cheolwan’s perspective, it probably looked like I’d given up.

But the beast’s distinct scent was so clear it felt almost tangible in my hands.

And now,

I snapped my eyes wide open.

Flash.

The Decoror Wolf stretched both paws forward as if ready to smash my head.

This was literally a force capable of killing.

Sss…

Gathering the last of my concentration, I slightly lowered my upper body and, maintaining that posture, extended both arms to deflect the beast’s attack trajectory.

Wham!!!

The beast’s attack struck the jaw, crushing the bone.

Of course, it wasn’t my jaw but its own.

“Keeeeng!!”

A cry of a different kind than before.

The wolf, struck with an irrecoverable blow, collapsed and died immediately.

“Huff. Huff.”

They say to train as if it’s real combat, but if I did that twice, I wouldn’t even be able to recover my bones.

But it was worth it.

I defeated a 3-star (★★★) boss mob as a ‘Knight’, not a Poisoner or a Healer.

"Am I dreaming..."

Mingled with my own ragged breathing was Yuk Cheolwan's dazed voice.

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