Thump, thump, thump, thump.
“Hee-heeing!”
The closer I got to the Evil Horses, the more agitated they became. A special chemical that provoked Poison-type Monsters. The chemical I had doused myself with whenever I entered a dungeon with Bi-soo was taking effect.
If I used Poison Step, I could naturally chase them down, but that was too much of a bother. The easiest way was to have them chase the scent of the chemical and run toward me.
“Hee-hee-heeing!!”
Of course, for other Hunters, this was no different from a suicide mission. It had the fatal flaw of drenching oneself in a cluster of highly concentrated poison. But for a Poison-type Hunter, such a flaw was as good as nonexistent.
Thududududu.
From all directions, Evil Horses approached, pointing their horns at me. Their physical level was a mere ‘D’, but their hard horns were an exception. The rest of their bodies were weak, but if impaled by those horns, even a C-rank Knight would be wounded.
Shwack. One. Slice.
Another one.
I swung Exa, narrowly dodging the charging horns as if brushing past them. They collapsed to the ground, thick blood pouring from their necks. In truth, it didn't matter if I cut a vital spot like the neck or somewhere else; they would die all the same.
But after training with Master Oh Ji-ho, I had developed a stronger sense of purpose. Instead of fighting randomly, I began to pursue the most effective movements.
Quickly. And cleanly. Slice.
"Oops, that was a bad cut."
There were times I aimed precisely for a vital spot, and times I didn't. But one thing was for sure, there was a certain form to my movements when I swung Exa. Realizing that my movements had become more fluid, I finally felt a bit like a Hunter. Of course, my type was still 'healer'.
“Hunter Cheon Hae-seon!! Danger—!!”
Iron Arm came waddling over, weighed down by his heavy equipment. Only after watching my massacre up close did he finally realize. The one truly in danger wasn't me, but the Evil Horses surrounding me.
“This... can’t be!!”
I could see Iron Arm's eyes beyond his gas mask. His eyes were wide with shock, so much so that his thick eyelids were completely hidden.
“Hunter Cheon Hae-seon....”
“Yes.”
“Didn’t you say you were a healer?!”
“I did.”
“Then how...”
There were too many things that had happened to explain. And I had no particular desire to explain. I gave a brief reply and started moving again.
“Because before I am a healer, I am a Hunter.”
Slice.
“...!!”
As I cut them down one by one, soon less than half of them remained. Suddenly, two of the ones charging me changed their course toward Iron Arm.
Oh dear.
He should be careful.
Grab.
But my worry was unfounded. Iron Arm grabbed the horns of the Evil Horses charging him from the left and right, then swung his arms with a monstrous roar.
“Kraaaaaah!!”
Bam!! Ooh.
The two Evil Horses, unintentionally forced into a headbutt, tumbled to the ground. Looking at their crushed heads, it seemed their skulls had been smashed to pieces.
‘To swing Evil Horses weighing hundreds of kilograms with both hands...’
It was a moment that made me realize anew that Iron Arm was a B-rank Knight. Iron Arm probably thought I was a strange person, but frankly, the feeling was mutual. Why was a B-rank Knight working as one of the cleaners?
“Ugh! Keuk! Hunter Cheon Hae-seon! I'm going to take a short break!”
“....”
A moment ago he was making a fuss about the danger, and now he was going to leave it all to me and rest. It seemed he had held his breath while exerting himself. No matter how good the gas mask was, it couldn't provide a perfect seal.
Slice.
Until I cut down the last one. I put the Evil Horses on the ground without using Poison Step. And more than half of them had sustained fatal wounds to their vital spots.
Even if it weren't for Exa, they would have found it difficult to continue fighting. Looking back on my battles so far, this was quite an encouraging result.
“It’s one surprise after another....”
Since Iron Arm was also a Knight-type, he seemed to have an idea. This was a level of physical attack far superior to that of a decent Knight Assassin, let alone a healer.
“Shouldn't you retake the Hunter Qualification Test...?”
I gave a slight smile and shrugged my shoulders.
“Now that the pests are gone, you should be able to gather the minerals easily, right?”
“Huh? Ah... Yes! Of course.”
“Keep working. I'll be back.”
“Be back? Where are you going...”
“Where else? When you come to a dungeon, you have to go smash the head honcho.”
In the past, he would have jumped up and tried to stop me. But after the recent battle, Iron Arm seemed to have changed his mind.
“Call me anytime you need help.”
I nodded once and moved away.
“Oh ho.”
Was it the saying, ‘sincerity moves heaven’? A boss Monster appeared that would let me use the martial arts I'd learned to my heart's content. Compared to the boss Monsters seen in existing Poison Dungeons, its toxicity was on the weaker side.
However, the reason it could earn its 3-star (★★★) title was due to its 'mixed attributes'. Not only was it difficult to defeat in combat, but as you fought, you would slowly become poisoned. For regular Hunters, it must feel like fighting a beast coated in poison.
“Awooo-” Acting like a proper wolf, it spotted me and howled at the sky.
‘Its physical level is C and it's a combat-type. There’s no better opponent.’
Shhh...
I relaxed my grip on Exa. As Ether was no longer being infused into it, Exa's blade disappeared. There are two reasons to disarm on a battlefield.
You’ve either lost the will to fight, or you’re confident you can win without a weapon.
“Come at me.”
I beckoned with my finger, provoking the Ashen Wolf. Master Oh Ji-ho certainly said so. That my martial arts skills surpassed those of a B-rank Knight.
But that just meant I could face one; in terms of pure physical strength, a two-tier difference was like heaven and earth. If I didn't use Poison Step, that gap would feel even wider. By engaging in close combat with a higher-tier opponent directly, I would be able to feel that difference.
In that sense, the Ashen Wolf with a physical level of ‘C’ was a perfect practice partner.
“Awooo-!”
It seems the provocation worked. The Ashen Wolf let out a roar and immediately kicked off the ground. Normally, I would have used Poison Step to jump far away, but things were different now.
I planted both feet firmly on the ground and watched it. In no time, it had reached my chest. Just as its vicious claws were about to tear at my face, I raised my arms and changed their direction.
Whap.
My psychic power level wasn't high enough to use Phantom Strike yet. If I were to measure my Awakened Value, it would be too low to pass the standard. At best, I could only divert the path of an attack, just as I had trained.
I barely managed to divert its attack, but it was so strong that the point of contact throbbed with a sharp pain.
“Agh, damn it.”
The Ashen Wolf didn't even allow me time to grumble. Left paw, right paw, and even kicks (!). A variety of attacks came in, making me wonder why it even had poison if it was going to fight like this.
They said wolf-types were called the ‘best fighters,’ and it was certainly not an empty claim. It seems the saying that the best practice is a real fight is true. My 'survival instincts,' which hadn't activated when fighting Oh Ji-ho, were making my senses much sharper.
Pow. Clatter, crash. Fourteen times?
Or was it fifteen? It seemed that was my limit for now. After diverting the relentlessly pouring attacks several times.
I ended up taking a hit to the chest from the Ashen Wolf.
Gulp.
I spat out a mouthful of blood and quickly focused my mind. It seemed it was still too difficult to damage it with only counterattacks like Oh Ji-ho. If so, what if I tried a preemptive strike?
“Awooo-” It roared once more, as if confident of its victory.
A regular Hunter would find it hard to endure not just because of the physical damage, but also because of the poison. But its roar didn't last long. Because I, having healed in an instant, leaped toward it instead.
Phat.
When I, who it thought would collapse any second, attacked, it took a step back in surprise. Soon, a barrage of attacks using every part of my body poured down on the Ashen Wolf. Looking at its large head, I couldn't bring myself to use a headbutt.
I concentrated as much as possible while attacking in various ways. It might be disoriented by the sudden attack now, but considering my physical level, it would soon counterattack. That would be the decisive moment.
“Awooo-” It had taken a few hits, but the damage probably wasn't significant.
As expected, it swung its right paw wide.
Flash.
That feeling I always got from Oh Ji-ho. I have to revive that feeling. Phantom Strike is fundamentally a type of 'Illusion Technique' that imposes my mind onto the opponent.
A radius of several meters like Oh Ji-ho's was impossible, but perhaps I could do it on a small part of its incoming attack. After sending a 'formless' Ether toward it, I moved to its side like a wave.
Ssssk. Whoosh!!
The dizzying sound of air being torn passed by the tip of my nose. If it had read my movement, it would have corrected the direction of its attack, but its attack was clearly aimed at my original position.
‘Success...!!’
An electrifying thrill ran down my spine. The range was embarrassingly small compared to Oh Ji-ho's, but I had completely deceived the opponent.
‘From here, immediately...’
Without even a moment to rejoice, I pushed the Ashen Wolf's elbow with one hand. To make its paw, which had just brushed past my nose, head toward its own face.
Thwack!! Strike.
Like Kim Gwan-tae, who was toyed with by Oh Ji-ho in the black market, it was struck directly in the face by its own attack.
Crunch.
An unpleasant cracking sound came from its face. Its nose seemed to be completely shattered. But it seemed to be seized by an emotion far greater than pain.
Bewilderment.
It was feeling the same bewilderment I had felt countless times when fighting Oh Ji-ho.
“Awoo?”
The wolf, standing blankly with its paws hanging, soon swung its paw again.
Pow.
This time, its own side.
Pow!
This time, its own chest. Its attacks repeatedly changed course and headed toward itself.
Haha.
How does it feel, you bastard? Compared to what I went through, this is nothing...
Pow.
“Keuk.”
Suddenly, Phantom Strike stopped working. I took a direct hit to the jaw from its paw, and was sent flying, spinning like a top. Maybe because I was caught off guard, thinking I wouldn't get hit, my vision spun.
If I didn't have my Self-Healing Ability, I would have passed out right there.
‘Why?’
The method was the same as before. The effect had been getting better and better. Then the only remaining conclusion was that my 'limit' had been exhausted.
‘I shouldn’t overuse it.’
“Hunter Cheon Hae-seeeeeeeon!!”
Ah, crap.
Of all the times to show up. I could hear Iron Arm's scream from a distance.
“Just wait a little!! I’ll take care of that damn wolf... cough!”
Seeing him run, it looked like he would collapse, vomiting blood, before he even got here. How much time had passed? The gas mask wasn't foolproof, so there was no need to drag this out any longer.
“Awooo!!”
Both of us had taken damage. It didn't have a Healing Ability, so I just needed to land one more solid blow. I tried my best to recall the feeling of Phantom Strike and closed my eyes to heighten my concentration.
“No!!!!”
To Iron Arm's eyes, it must have looked like I'd given up. But the unique scent of the wolf was so clear it was as if I could grasp it in my hand.
And now.
I snapped my closed eyes open.
Flash.
The Ashen Wolf extended both paws at once, as if to shatter my head. This attack had enough power to literally send me to the grave.
Ssssr.
I gathered my last remaining concentration, leaned my upper body back slightly, and in that same posture, extended both arms to twist the trajectory of its attack.
Thwack!!!
Its attack struck the jaw, crushing the bone. Not my jaw, of course, but its own.
“Keng!!”
A cry different from before. The wolf, having taken an unrecoverable blow, died on the spot.
“Heok. Heok.”
They say you should practice like it's a real fight, but I feel like if I did this twice, there wouldn't be any bones left to bury. But the gains were just as great. I had caught a 3-star (★★★) boss Monster not as a Poison-type Hunter, nor as a healer, but as a 'Knight'.
“Am I dreaming right now....”
Mixed with the sound of my own ragged breathing, I heard Iron Arm's dumbfounded voice.