Chapter 35: 5th Floor. Forest of Monsters (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 35: 5th Floor. Forest of Monsters (3)
Sshhh.
A beast lunged from the rift.
Clang!
Kang Jun-hyeok managed to parry the strike, but he couldn't follow up. Even when he swung his sword, the creature simply vanished like mist.
It was an absurd power, one that functioned without delay or lag. To stand against such an authority, one needed overwhelming strength. Unfortunately, the beast held the advantage over Kang Jun-hyeok in both speed and raw power.
No matter how one looked at it, Jun-hyeok had no chance of winning. This wasn't a sentiment shared only by the Master of All Weapons.
Kang Jun-hyeok looked up at the sky. He could feel a gaze piercing through from beyond—a gaze that was alien and twisted.
It was likely the Hunger Growing in the Rift, the entity that had imposed this trial upon him. The gaze was thick with mockery and amusement, directed at both Kang Jun-hyeok and the Master of All Weapons.
Jun-hyeok muttered under his breath, "You two seem acquainted."
[We’ve crossed paths a few times. It is a regret of mine that I never managed to rip that thing's belly open.]
The Master of All Weapons spoke in a low tone before questioning Jun-hyeok:
[So, do you truly believe you can win?]
"I get why you're skeptical, but just watch." Jun-hyeok narrowed his eyes. "I'm starting to figure it out."
[Bark!]
The beast lunged again, tearing through space. Jun-hyeok swung his greatsword to parry the blow. The moment he tried to counter, the creature immediately dove back into the rift.
Since there was no telling where it would reappear, he had no choice but to expand his senses and wait. But this time was different. As if he knew exactly where it would emerge, he thrust his greatsword behind his back.
[Yelp!]
Simultaneously, the beast burst out from the very spot where the blade had been thrust. The creature, which had been about to sink its teeth into him, was startled by the incoming steel and hurriedly hid itself again.
[Whine!]
The beast reappeared a short distance away, hesitating.
[Proficiency in Observation has increased significantly.]
[Have you read its patterns?]
"In the end, that thing is a sentient being too."
Rift Movement was an alien authority. Understanding or dismantling the power itself was impossible for a human. However, the one using it was ultimately a Servant of the Victor. As long as he could grasp the user's habits, reading the movement wasn't impossible.
The beast’s fur bristled.
[Grrrr!]
It vanished instantly. Jun-hyeok lowered his stance. He blocked an attack as the creature lunged from the front.
Screeeech!
The beast began attacking from various angles at will, but Jun-hyeok—having grasped its patterns—did not fall for the feints. From that point on, he barely allowed a single strike to land.
[Proficiency in Insight has increased from F to E.]
• Proficiency in Insight has increased significantly.
[Impressive.]
The Master of All Weapons was genuinely moved. Reading an attack pattern and reacting ahead of time was easier said than done, especially when the opponent was an alien entity like this. Yet, Jun-hyeok had mastered it almost perfectly after only an hour of combat. Even the Master of All Weapons wasn't sure if he could have adapted that quickly.
[However...]
Even so, the fundamental problem remained. Jun-hyeok was remarkable for reading the patterns, but it wasn't enough to land a decisive counter. Even if he anticipated the location and reacted first, the beast could simply retreat into the rift immediately.
He couldn't reach 100% accuracy. Because he had to endure minor grazing hits to maintain his position, Jun-hyeok’s health was steadily depleting.
"My health is down to about 20%."
Yet, there wasn't a hint of anxiety on Jun-hyeok’s face. He looked certain of his victory.
Really? Can he really win?
The possibility flickered through the Master of All Weapons' mind. Jun-hyeok tightened his grip on the greatsword.
"Then let's do this."
[Bark!]
He blocked the lunging beast's teeth with his blade and took a step back. Seeing the movement as an attempt to flee, the creature began to attack even more fiercely.
Clash! Clang!
Jun-hyeok’s body swayed. Teeth and claws missed him by a hair's breadth. Growing impatient, the beast became even faster.
Bang!
Jun-hyeok was knocked back as if he had lost his balance. The beast didn't miss the opening and lunged straight for his throat.
[Awoooo!]
[Instant Acceleration.]
In an instant, Jun-hyeok spun around and bolted in the opposite direction.
[Wh-whine?]
Perhaps not expecting him to turn his back and flee so pathetically, the beast hesitated for a moment. The distance between them widened rapidly. At that sight, the creature let out a mocking howl.
[Snarl!]
The beast vanished into the rift and reappeared right in front of the fleeing Jun-hyeok. Running was useless; it could simply close the gap through the rift. It intended to sink its teeth into the neck of the prey that had dared to run so foolishly.
[...Bark?]
But as the beast approached, it sensed something was wrong. The face of the prey, who should have been fleeing in terror, was perfectly calm.
And in the hand that had held the greatsword, there was now a spear.
"I've been waiting for this."
[Spear Throw.]
The spear tore through the air.
* * *
The spear flew toward the beast at high speed.
Normally, the moment Jun-hyeok tried to throw a weapon, the beast would have hidden in the rift. It wouldn't have given him the opening to throw it in the first place. But because it was focused on a "fleeing" target, its judgment had been delayed.
[Bark!]
Even so, it shouldn't have mattered. If it moved through the rift, the spear would simply whistle through empty air. Both the beast and the Master of All Weapons thought so.
The beast dove into the rift. The moment he saw that, Jun-hyeok’s lips curled upward.
"Got you."
The Master of All Weapons couldn't understand Jun-hyeok’s confidence. He had merely activated the Spear Throw skill, and the beast had already dodged it.
But soon, the meaning of those words became clear.
The trajectory of the flying spear suddenly bent. It curved toward the beast, which had moved behind Jun-hyeok’s back. The creature let out a terrified yelp.
[Yipe!]
The beast moved through the rift again. But nothing changed. The spear adjusted its trajectory once more, homing in on its target. Finally, unable to react in time, the beast’s leg was pierced.
Thwack!
[Howl!]
Jun-hyeok didn't miss the opening and pulled out another spear.
[Spear Throw.]
He charged toward the beast alongside the projectile. The creature endured the pain and moved through the rift again, but the spear never let its target go.
[Awoooo!]
Eventually, a second spear lodged itself in the beast's foreleg. Jun-hyeok slammed his greatsword down. Howling in pain, the creature tried to escape into the rift.
[Spear Throw.]
He activated the skill again. The spear whistled toward the beast. Only then did the Master of All Weapons fully realize what was happening.
[An Active Skill.]
Active Skills were gifts bestowed upon players by the Master of the Tower. And the Master of the Tower was the new Master of the Universe. In essence, that power was a much higher-tier authority than something like the Hunger Growing in the Rift.
The authority the beast wielded was the ability to move through the rift. But the effect of the Spear Throw skill granted by the Master of the Tower was absolute:
[Accurately throws the spear toward the target.]
It didn't matter if the beast moved through the rift; the spear simply followed it.
"If that side uses an unfair authority, I just have to respond with an equally unfair power," Jun-hyeok muttered softly.
The Master of All Weapons let out a low groan.
[You knew from the very beginning.]
Jun-hyeok knew that Spear Throw could counter Rift Movement. That was why he had been certain of victory. Being pushed back was merely a tactic to grasp the beast's patterns and lure it into a false sense of security. Everything had been calculated.
Jun-hyeok showed his answer through action. He rushed toward the beast and brought his greatsword down.
[Whine!]
The beast hurriedly moved through the rift, but the spear in mid-air instantly changed its trajectory and pierced the creature. Jun-hyeok pulled out another spear.
[Awoooooo!]
The beast struggled, howling. It wasn't that the creature couldn't respond—the spear simply flew toward the target; it didn't bypass physical defenses. It could have hidden behind trees or swatted the spear away. But the beast was panicking because its "absolute" ability had been countered. Moreover, Jun-hyeok wasn't giving it any time to regain its composure.
He pushed, and pushed, and pushed. To make matters worse, the effect of the Queen's Poison Stinger kicked in. The beast's movements slowed noticeably.
Crunch!
And finally...
Clang!
The greatsword reached the beast. Foreleg and blade collided. The creature had been cornered to the point where it couldn't even find the focus to move through the rift.
Jun-hyeok didn't miss the chance. He pulled out another spear and threw it into the sky, using the time delay of the falling projectile to pressure the beast further.
[Whine!]
The beast's body was becoming a gruesome sight, riddled with spears. Its eyes suddenly changed.
[Grrrrrrr!]
It ignored the incoming spear and lunged at Jun-hyeok. Realizing it couldn't dodge, it decided to kill Jun-hyeok first. It wasn't a bad judgment—Jun-hyeok’s health was below 20%. If the beast attacked with total disregard for its own life, it could be fatal.
But Jun-hyeok had been waiting for that as well.
[Grace of Benevolence.]
The Unique Active Skill he had obtained by defeating Alessandro. Its effect was to recover 50% of total health. His health surged back up in an instant.
Squelch!
While offering his own shoulder to the beast's bite, he drove a dagger into its neck. Simultaneously, he periodically activated Spear Throw to prevent it from escaping.
And finally...
Crack.
He crushed the beast's foreleg, and his greatsword pierced its chest. The creature's hide was incredibly tough, stopping the blade just before it reached the heart.
[Thrust.]
Taking one more step forward, he poured his entire weight into the blow. The greatsword tore through the beast's chest and emerged from its back.
[Awoooooooo!]
Even so, the beast did not die immediately. It held on through sheer tenacity. Jun-hyeok slammed the greatsword into the ground and ripped it sideways through the creature's torso.
[Whimper...]
Only then did the struggling cease. The beast went limp.
[Level Up.]
• Health +30
• Strength +2
• Speed +1
• Feat +1
• Proficiency in Spear Throw has increased from F to E.
• Proficiency in Spear Throw has increased from E to D.
• Proficiency in Observation has increased from E to D.
• Proficiency in Instant Acceleration...
System windows scrolled down before his eyes.
"Whew."
The beast's corpse soon turned into vines and vanished. Jun-hyeok sheathed his greatsword and looked up at the sky. He could still feel the gaze from above.
But there was no longer any mockery. There was only silence.
"What are you looking at?" Jun-hyeok smirked. "Hand over the reward."