Ch 63
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 63
Even among A-grade monsters of the same rank, their levels aren't necessarily similar.
Like the B-grade Shadow Reaper and A-grade Ogre, there exist monsters that possess far superior power compared to typical A-grade monsters, even within the same grade.
The creature that instantly swallowed the martial artist and disappeared is one such beast.
Great Sand Worm, the Disaster of the Desert.
It's a colossal monster that can grow up to 20 meters in length with a diameter easily exceeding 2 meters. It moves deep within the sand making it difficult to detect, its outer skin is tougher than Ogre hide, it deflects most magic spells, and its regenerative ability rivals that of Trolls.
Its intelligence level is also high, and while only one or two are discovered worldwide per year, each appearance causes tremendous casualties, earning it the name "disaster."
Since none had ever appeared domestically until now, I never thought such a creature would emerge...
"Everyone, quickly return and reform the formation!"
Kim Dae-chan urgently shouted, and the hunters who had been charging forward were rapidly returning.
Fortunately, there was no second attack and they safely reformed their formation, but Kim Dae-chan's expression is grave.
"We'll maintain formation and quickly retreat to outside the portal. That creature isn't something we can capture with our current forces!"
To capture a Great Sand Worm, you need to restrain it with binding magic when it emerges from the sand, which requires at least an S-rank magician or a minimum of five skilled and well-coordinated A-rank magician.
Of course, our party does have five magician, but they've already consumed considerable magic in combat, and excluding the three examiners, two are applicants who just came to take the A-rank exam.
No matter how exceptional Kim Dae-chan is as an S-rank hunter, he can't extract a creature hiding deep in the sand, so this is a sound judgment.
"But then, what about Hyun-sik..."
"Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do. He's already been devoured. There's no possibility of survival."
Kim Dae-chan shook his head as he spoke, but this is clearly an incorrect judgment.
Great Sand Worms have no teeth and swallow people whole, digesting them solely with stomach acid.
Of course, their internal hide is also as strong and tough as their outer skin, making it difficult to break through.
Still, an A-rank hunter should be able to survive for about 30 minutes.
In the original work, there was content where one of the protagonist's companions was swallowed by a Great Sand Worm and then rescued.
"No. He might not be dead yet. If we quickly defeat that creature, we can save him."
"Shin-hyeok?"
"What kind of... Nonsense are you talking about."
Though everyone showed negative opinions and expressions since the leader had already ordered a retreat, Kim Dae-chan's expression, who gave the retreat order, was different.
"Great Sand Worms have no teeth. They digest prey solely with stomach acid, but while the inner skin is tough and impossible to break through, an A-rank hunter should be able to survive for about 30 minutes."
"Is this reliable information?"
"As a hunter school instructor, I regularly review various monster research papers and materials to provide accurate education to students."
"But to capture that creature with our current forces would be difficult. If it came out to face us directly, I could somehow manage it, but I've heard it's quite cunning..."
"It's true that its intelligence is high, and the standard method for capturing a Great Sand Worm requires an S-rank magician or more than five skilled A-rank magicians, but there is a way."
"What method?"
"There was a paper published in America before. It was a paper that started with the hypothesis that Great Sand Worms, while appearing in desert-type portals, might actually quite like water. It included content about witnessing the creature surface when it rains, and since its body is mostly composed of moisture, perhaps it's not that the creature appears in desert-type portals, but rather the portals become desertified because of the creature."
"What does the creature liking water have to do with capturing it? Stop spouting academic nonsense and just explain the method."
"We lure it out by spraying water with magic. Then it will think it's raining and surface. We target that moment to freeze and capture it."
"Wait. Only two people can use freezing magic."
"Can't all magicians create water? Two people use freezing magic while the rest use water creation magic."
"Great Sand Worms have considerable magic resistance, so just two people won't be able to freeze it..."
"I know that. So instead of freezing the creature, we freeze the ground around it. The ground has no magic resistance."
"Freeze the ground?"
"If the soft sand becomes hard frozen ground, the creature won't be able to move easily either. If it's in a wet state, freezing shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
Everyone looked impressed, but actually all that academic paper stuff is complete lies, and this is the method the protagonist used in the original work.
"Water creation may be simple magic, but we can't spray it over this entire wide area."
"I can specify the location."
Though it moves deep in the sand, I detected it faintly earlier, so if I draw out more internal energy, I should be able to do it.
"Really? Then let's give it a try."
"Great Sand Worms have degenerated eyes and locate our position through vibrations rather than sight. It might attack us first instead of the water, so you mustn't move until the ground is completely frozen."
After warning them, I drew my internal energy to its limit and infiltrated it between the sand grains, soon locating the creature's position.
I was worried it might have fled far away, but perhaps one person wasn't satisfying enough, as it's in the underground about 20 meters ahead, not too far away.
"20 meters forward, underground. Please pour water in that direction. Since luring it out is most important, don't hold back any strength and use everything you have."
As the three magicians chant their spells, large water droplets soon form in the air 20 meters ahead and pour down onto the ground at a frightening speed.
Since the ground was sand, it quickly seeped in and disappeared, but water creation is basic magic among basic magic.
Perhaps because I told them not to hold back, water poured down endlessly.
The creature below must have noticed the water outside, as wet sand rose up and the Great Sand Worm revealed itself.
When it instantly devoured the martial artist earlier, only its head emerged before going back underground, but this time it slowly surfaces, revealing its entire body, which is so massive it brings a train to mind.
"It... Really does seem to like water."
"Fortunate that the paper was accurate. Now's the time. Please use freezing magic. Avoid hitting the creature as much as possible."
The two magician in charge of freezing must have been pre-casting, as frost immediately began forming as soon as I finished speaking, and the ground started freezing rapidly upon contact.
Fortunately, the creature seems distracted by the water and hasn't noticed anything strange yet... Huh? What?
Suddenly Kim Dae-chan charges forward without a word.
I was planning to target it when it was completely frozen, but why is he suddenly rushing ahead alone...
Feeling frustrated, I also ran after Kim Dae-chan.
Sensing Kim Dae-chan's movement ahead, the creature suddenly twists its body and begins ramming its head into the ground.
THUD! THUD!
Though the ground is already frozen, it wasn't frozen deeply, so a large hole forms in just two strikes.
Fortunately, Kim Dae-chan arrives and stabs the fleeing creature's body with his sword wrapped in blue sword energy.
As expected of sword energy, it cuts through the creature's tough hide like tofu and blue blood spurts out.
However, it wasn't a very effective attack against the massive creature, as it thrashes and instantly strikes Kim Dae-chan with its tail.
THUD!
Though he seems to have crouched and taken a defensive stance momentarily, he couldn't completely nullify the force, and Kim Dae-chan is sent flying.
That's why you shouldn't charge out alone...
Thinking we might lose the creature at this rate, I drew up my internal energy and sent it all to my legs, barely reaching the creature.
Seeing that more than 2/3 of it had already entered the hole with only the tail section remaining, I immediately launched my sword.
With speed unsuited to its massive body, it quickly disappeared completely into the hole, tail and all, and even my launched sword became invisible, but it doesn't matter.
Igi Eo Geom is never a technique that relies on sight.
Based on Singeomhapil (Unity of Body and Sword), I'm connected to the sword, so as long as internal energy and mental strength follow, the range is virtually unlimited.
Of course, as the distance from the sword increases, the consumption of internal energy and mental strength also increases exponentially, so it's never a technique that can be used limitlessly.
Before long, the sensation of the sword connected to me conveyed that it had penetrated the tail, so I advanced the sword as is.
In that brief moment, I don't know how far it had fled, but my dantian tingled and felt like the connection would break at any moment, yet I gritted my teeth and endured.
The creature must be thrashing violently below as the entire ground shakes, but my sword finally reached the creature's head and succeeded in cutting through the core that functions like a heart.
Simultaneously, the connection was severed, and strength drained from my body as exhaustion overwhelmed me, causing me to collapse.
Looking at the sky turning yellow, it seems fortunately this creature was the last monster... Ugh, I really feel like I'm dying.
After becoming a transcendent master, I thought I'd never run out of internal energy, but having scraped it clean to the bottom, I feel like I can't even move a finger.
"Did... Did you defeat it?"
Kim Dae-chan, who had been sent flying earlier, returns and asks with an extremely shocked expression.
Looking at his disbelieving eyes, I want to say 'Then did it suffocate itself by going underground alone? Why did you suddenly charge out alone and make things difficult?'
But I don't have the energy for such a long speech, so I squeeze out what little I have and barely open my mouth.
"Sh... Shut up and just dig."
I confirmed the martial artist's survival while advancing the sword earlier.
Since the monster is dead, there's a possibility he could surface on his own, but he probably exhausted all his strength enduring, so if we don't rescue him quickly, he might suffocate.
Perhaps offended by being told to shut up, he initially frowned, but soon understanding what I meant, he loudly instructed people to come over and began digging.
The magician s, spearman, and archer who came running all threw down their weapons and dug.
Before long, cheers can be heard, so they must have successfully rescued the martial artist.
Though the first impression wasn't good, I received an apology, so if something had gone wrong, it would have been very uncomfortable. He's someone I met for the first time today and might never see again, but still, the hard work was worthwhile.
"This is your sword, right? We found it near the head."
Hyun-sik offers me a sword covered in blood.
"Ah, thank you."
"Dae-chan also said you defeated the creature, and everyone was amazed when your sword was actually found in the creature's core. How's your body?"
"I scraped my magic clean to the bottom, so it's even hard to speak. How's the martial artist?"
"He's unconscious but we confirmed he's breathing, and we've decided to send him outside the portal immediately for treatment."
"That's fortunate."
"Can you move? If you need treatment, I'll assign someone to get you out first for medical care."
"Ah, then what about the examination..."
"Starting from detecting the monsters hidden in the sand early in the conquest to practically defeating such a creature alone, what are you worried about? You'll obviously pass."
"I see. I don't think I need treatment, and I should be fine after resting a bit."
"Are you really okay? Don't overdo it. How can you rest in a place like this... Even if you rest, go outside to rest."
"But there's still body cleanup remaining."
"We can handle that among ourselves."
"No, still..."
"Oh my, you clearly look like you're in mana exhaustion. You shouldn't overdo it in that condition. Don't worry about settlement either. Everything is being recorded on body cam, so no one will steal your share. Don't worry and go outside to rest. You've more than earned the right."
Though I said I was fine again, Hyun-sik told me not to be stubborn and left, saying he'd report to Kim Dae-chan.
Nice!
Actually, my internal energy is already recovering quickly and my stamina has returned to some degree, enough to walk alone.
If I had told the truth, I would have been forced to participate in body cleanup too, so I exaggerated a bit out of laziness... Fortunately it worked.
***
After returning the silver ID and waiting about 5 minutes, a staff member hands me a shiny gold ID.
A-rank Hunter Kang Shin-hyeok.
I thought it would be easy to pass since there's no theory exam, just magic measurement and practical tests, but it was harder than expected.
Of course, if it hadn't been for the Great Sand Worm that appeared at the end, it would have gone as planned... Well, as they say, all roads lead to Seoul, and anyway, no one died and I passed the examination, so it's fine.
The settlement was also quite good, though the Great Sand Worm carcass is not included.
The company said it would take a day or two to put it up for auction, and since it's a rare monster with high utility value and they'll distribute according to contribution, I have high expectations.
Everything is satisfactory, but there's still one thing left to handle.
I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out a business card.
[Ares Guild Master Kim Dae-chan
010-1234-4321]
After finishing body cleanup and arriving at the association, when getting off the bus, Kim Dae-chan approached and said he wanted to talk, giving me his business card and telling me to contact him once the promotion procedures were complete.