EP3. An S-Rank Hunter's Outing
All eyes in the raid party were fixed on the lich and its necklace.
It was a horrifying sight just to behold.
The lich hovered in midair, gazing down at Jae-jun and the raid members.
Dengchi raised his shattered shield, his face pale with fear.
The other raid members had already lost all will to fight.
Before the battle began, Jeong-hwan and the support hunters had cast buffs on the team.
Dazzling light converged from every direction.
"Magic Defense, Vitality Boost!"
Jeong-hwan chanted the spell, but the lich merely stared down at them with its pitch-black glowing eyes.
'Does it stay put until we strike first?'
Before Jae-jun could finish the thought, the surrounding black demonic energy began to roil and surge.
"...Taunt first!
Then unload the DPS!
Watch the patterns close!"
Dengchi bellowed with as much force as he could muster, but Jae-jun knew it was futile.
That busted shield wouldn't block even a single hit—they'd be turned to pulp.
The lich's aura was just that overwhelming.
'Guess it's time for me to step up for real.'
The Frost Blade was already in Jae-jun's hand, drawn from his inventory.
'A guy like this has to drop at least a mana stone.'
Jae-jun was already eyeing the loot.
He wanted to cover Hestia's meal for the day and head home.
His grip tightened on the Frost Blade.
Mana seeped into the blade, white frost billowing out in stark contrast to the black demonic energy.
Grrrrroooo—
The lich finally reacted.
A guttural, hostile growl erupted from its mouth.
Kraaaaa—
"Everyone, fall back."
The whole raid party whipped around to stare at Jae-jun in utter disbelief at the voice from behind.
"I'll handle this alone."
'Is that F-rank nuts?'
Dengchi was so stunned he nearly forgot the lich looming right in front of them.
Jae-jun had no intention of explaining or convincing anyone.
Dengchi, feeling the lich's power in his bones, wore an expression of pure incredulity.
'...He's lost it.
Whether he's crazy or I am.'
Maybe.
Could the lich have hit them with some mental attack?
That would explain why this guy had gone mad.
Dengchi asked Jae-jun once more.
"...You're gonna solo it?"
Jae-jun was getting annoyed at Dengchi's persistent questions.
"You wanna take it then?"
Dengchi shook his head vigorously.
Jae-jun wasn't expecting anything from the raid members or Tae-seong anyway.
As long as they didn't snipe the kill while buzzing around trying to "help," it'd be a win.
'That'd be the real nightmare.'
Jae-jun advanced slowly toward the lich.
The raid members instinctively parted, clearing a path without realizing it.
"Wh-what the hell?"
"Hyung, that F-rank dude seems loaded, doesn't he?"
His actual nickname really was Dengchi.
A snicker escaped Jae-jun despite the tension.
"...See?
He's laughing!
I told you he's crazy!"
"Just shut up and watch!"
The lich looked down at Jae-jun stepping forward alone.
Its ragged robe fluttered as it rose even higher.
Then it raised a long, spike-like finger.
Magic?
But the finger wasn't pointed at Jae-jun.
Kiiiiiik—
The finger raked sharply across the foreheads of the skulls on the necklace.
The skulls shuddered as if in agony, their jawbones clattering open.
Harrowing screams burst from the skulls' mouths.
Kwaaaaaak!
"Curse!"
Each skeleton head spewed curses toward Jae-jun and the party.
Black smoke coiled around Jae-jun like living serpents.
[Lich's Skeleton Head casts Curse.]
[Lich's Skeleton Head casts Curse.]
.
.
[Lich's Skeleton Head casts Curse.]
[Mana stat correction greatly reduces curse effects.]
Mana stats even handled this?
Most of the curses were nullified.
But the faint stinging on his face from the remnants was irritating.
'Let's end this quick!'
'Inferno!'
[Inferno cast.]
[Mana consumption varies with flame size.]
[30,000 mana per second.]
Jae-jun channeled his mana and unleashed it on the lich.
A massive torrent of fire snaked like a serpent, engulfing the lich.
Whoooosh!
Kwaaaaaak!
The flames, centered on the skeletons, formed a colossal vortex at Jae-jun's command.
Boom!
Boom!
Dengchi and the raid members, along with Tae-seong, stared in stunned silence.
The inferno roiled and surged at Jae-jun's gesture, too intense to approach.
"...Th-that's an F-rank?"
'No way in hell that's F-rank.
At least A-rank!
He's hiding his rank!'
Dengchi's face drained of color.
He'd heard rumors, though never seen it himself.
People who faked lower ranks to enter low-grade gates.
Most had shady motives.
Serial killers.
Criminals needing new identities.
Gates were perfect for crooks—only the victim knew what happened inside.
Dengchi swallowed hard.
Rumble!
Whoooosh!
The immense heat and vortex swept up the surrounding demonic energy, triggering explosions.
For a moment, the lich's form flickered within the fiery whirl.
'Does this thing have fire resistance like the Skeleton Knights?'
As the flames subsided, the lich came into view.
Its ragged robe had burned away completely.
But the lich itself was unscathed.
A blue spherical barrier had blocked the fire.
'A shield?'
Jeong-hwan, the mage, shouted the answer from behind.
"Frost Barrier!
Fire won't work!"
The flames weakened dramatically near the barrier.
'So not elemental resistance, then?'
The lich pointed a finger at Jae-jun.
Jae-jun's hair stood on end.
'Something's coming!'
He dodged sideways without hesitation.
An invisible force whipped up a gale, grazing past him by inches.
Thud—
The ground where he'd stood cratered like it'd been smashed by a hammer.
'One hit and it's not just a scratch.'
Jae-jun's eyes sharpened.
'Focus.'
His movements grew more precise, swifter.
'Here it comes!'
Thud—
He ducked a strike at his head and pressed forward.
Each flick of the lich's finger cratered and shattered the earth, like an earthquake.
Thud—
Jae-jun closed the distance, weaving past the invisible assaults.
'Acceleration!'
[Acceleration cast.]
The world around Jae-jun began to slow.
—
Tae-seong's eyes were glued to Jae-jun, wide as saucers.
"Nice!
That's it, hyung!"
Even watching from afar made his legs shake.
Yet Jae-jun effortlessly evaded unseen attacks, steadily closing in.
The calm, precise movements sent chills through him—his hands trembled.
"Insane.
Absolutely insane!"
Tae-seong flailed his arms in the air, ignoring the raid members nearby.
If he'd been up there, he'd be a bloody smear by now.
But.
'I can get that strong too!'
Tae-seong's face lit up with ecstasy as he clenched his fist.
He didn't notice his lip splitting from the excitement.
Tae-seong was C-rank, but his ability wasn't.
His skill was Mimicry, an S-rank power.
He could perfectly copy others' abilities.
He'd joined this raid to mimic the other hunters' skills.
He'd already copied Dengchi's Taunt.
But he never imagined the F-rank Jae-jun would be this strong.
It was terrifying just to watch—his hair stood on end.
'I need to mimic that guy's power.'
Tae-seong's eyes glowed green as he locked onto Jae-jun intently.
His hands still shook with thrill.
—
Thud—
While Tae-seong schemed, the lich's assaults rained down relentlessly.
As Jae-jun grew accustomed, he found some breathing room.
And just like that, he was right beneath it.
'Go for the neck in one shot.'
Once the barrier was down, slicing bones would be easy.
Jae-jun kicked off the ground, swinging his blade.
Crack!
The first strike dimmed the blue glow.
A crack appeared.
'Gotcha!'
'Rend!'
Mana gathered at his blade tip, unleashing the second strike in a flash.
His sword blurred into afterimages.
Clang!
Third strike!
Claaang!
Fourth!
Crackle-crack!
The barrier shattered.
Jae-jun's blade didn't stop, arcing toward the lich's head.
"It's over!"
Then, a sluggishness crept over his body.
Dread wrapped around him like sticky sludge.
Only the lich's finger seemed to move at normal speed.
'What the—
this feeling.'
The finger reached for one of the skulls.
As it neared, the skull's face twisted in terror.
Waaaang—
Waaaaang—
Sharp nails dug into an eye socket.
Squelch—
The eye burst, white fluid mixing with blood and oozing out.
Euuuuaaaagh!
The skull's mouth gaped wide, shrieking in agony.
The scream morphed into an unintelligible incantation.
Euuueeepro—pro!
Simultaneously, frigid winds whipped around the lich.
Shiiiiew—
'Magic?'
Jae-jun's mind raced.
But his body slowed even more, against his will.
The lich's hand enveloped another child's skull.
Squelch—
The eye-popped child skull wailed identically.
Euuuuaaaagh!
Shiiiieeeeew—
Up close, the lich's black pupils gleamed as it stared at Jae-jun.
'Danger!'
Jae-jun sensed something ominous in that gaze and twisted aside.
'Blink!'
At that instant.
A ferocious ice storm erupted around the lich.
"Frost Nova!"
A voice laced with horror cried out from behind.