Safe Zone Mull (2)
Not only one magic circle had appeared.
A variety of geometric patterns glowing in ochre hues.
They looked like different kinds of magic circles.
But as soon as Do-hyun saw them, he instantly understood what kind of magic they were.
【『Hana Rin』's skill 「Low-Grade Elemental Magic: Stone Spear [E]」 has been analyzed.】
【Successful analysis of skill 「Low-Grade Elemental Magic: Stone Spear [E]」.】
【+50 AP acquired.】
【Skill below standard.】
【Skill 「Low-Grade Elemental Magic: Stone Spear [E]」 acquired without spending AP.】
【Further analysis of E-grade skills for mana enhancement is no longer possible.】
Of course, it was thanks to the power of analysis.
But there was still one thing that puzzled Do-hyun.
‘With only Stone Spears, how could it possibly break through the Stone Lizard’s hardening?’
He had already analyzed both completely. It was obvious.
Stone Spears lacked the piercing power to break that hardened shell.
An F-rank monster, sure, but hardening was an efficient skill. Stone Spear favored blunt force over penetration.
It was impossible to pierce the armored exterior with its high resistance.
Above all, Do-hyun knew Hana Rin had to know that. So he watched her with a hint of expectation.
Over the magic circles, rock spears rose into the air.
They had sharp tips, but the penetration power was still clearly insufficient compared to a real spear.
Five spears materialized in the empty space.
But Hana Rin’s magic didn’t end there.
New magic circles appeared on the five floating spears. A colorless, translucent circle unfolded.
Do-hyun instantly understood her intention.
【『Hana Rin』's skill 「Low-Grade General Magic: Sharpness [E]」 has been analyzed.】
【Successful analysis of skill 「Low-Grade General Magic: Sharpness [E]」.】
【+50 AP acquired.】
【Skill below standard.】
【Skill 「Low-Grade General Magic: Sharpness [E]」 acquired without spending AP.】
【Further analysis of E-grade skills for mana enhancement is no longer possible.】
Low-grade general magic, Sharpness.
Do-hyun realized it was the spell that made objects sharper and more cutting. He had no choice but to nod.
The moment Do-hyun acknowledged it, the five spears fell toward the five charging Stone Lizards.
Stone Lizards couldn’t look up, so they never saw the spears raining down. The spears struck with terrifying speed.
Shuuu——
Puuubuuuk——!
Five Stone Lizards’ heads were instantly pierced by rock spears. The points were so sharp they went straight through and buried deep into the ground, heads barely visible above the surface. The monsters died instantly.
Hana Rin grinned proudly. The guide party members gasped in shock.
“I-I can’t believe it…”
“They killed five Stone Lizards in one shot…”
“…”
They were a guide party that had hunted here many times. Yet they had failed to kill even one of the hardest Stone Lizards around. Now they had slain five in an instant. No wonder they were stunned.
Cheon Seong-min couldn’t even finish his sentence.
The party had needed at least thirty minutes to kill five of these monsters. The gap was glaring.
The three of them stood speechless, unable to speak. Then Ji Yu-chan stepped forward.
Normally he would have been amazed or frightened by Hana Rin’s spell. But not him.
Instead, he scowled, drew his sword, and charged forward at lightning speed.
“N-No!!”
“The piercing power of Stone Lizards is…”
“S-Stop them!!”
The fastest thief in the party, Bang Yu-ri, rushed to block Ji Yu-chan. It was useless.
“W-What speed is that…!!”
She had been a hunter for half a year, yet she couldn’t even shadow Ji Yu-chan, who had dropped out of the program after just one week.
Ji Yu-chan shot forward faster than the Stone Lizard itself. He had already drawn his sword mid-stride, poured mana into his body using the Mana Manipulation skill and swordsmanship, and swung the blade with all his might.
Even geniuses entering late couldn’t keep up with these F-rank monsters.
The hardened exterior of a Stone Lizard was too tough for a sword to pierce. Magic had support skills, but a real blade? No way.
Bang Yu-ri chased after him, imagining the worst.
The image of Ji Yu-chan’s attack bouncing off the Stone Lizard’s armor like a truck.
But when he finally reached the monster, something impossible happened. Ji Yu-chan’s sword sliced through the head like cutting tofu, the blade moving with fluid grace.
Swish——
Paaat——!
He kicked the ground and exploded the earth like a bomb. His body ignored inertia as he darted sideways. He severed the head of another Stone Lizard in one smooth stroke.
Swish—
The single, perfect sword cut looked like a line drawn through the air.
Ji Yu-chan weaved between the remaining three, moving like the letter “Z” chaining five heads in one fluid sequence.
Sruuung——
The sword blazed with a dark blue light. The five heads fell one after another, bodies crumbling to dust.
Just like Hana Rin, he had cut five at nearly the same time.
The ten Stone Lizards that had been there a moment ago were now gone.
“W-What…?”
“W-Was it really possible with just a sword…??”
“I-I don’t understand…”
Cheon Seong-min answered, stunned. He had no words for what he had just witnessed.
The guide party stood in total disarray. They had been ready to help with ten monsters, yet two people had finished the job alone. The sheer scale left them speechless.
‘It’s unbelievable.’
When the association called them geniuses, Do-hyun had thought, ‘If the gap is that big, how much of a difference would it make?’ He had assumed it was just empty praise. But it wasn’t.
He had hunted in Safe Zone Mull for over half a year. He had seen talented people, but these were the first monsters he had ever witnessed.
Cheon Seong-min swallowed hard.
Do-hyun grinned. “Next one is mine.”
Cheon Seong-min jumped in surprise and looked at him. Was Do-hyun going to fight the next monster too?
Not long after, a thick cloud of dust rose in the distance—far enough that the naked eye couldn’t make out the shape.
Had he really spotted it from that far away? Cheon Seong-min thought. He had heard the association praise Do-hyun as the ultimate genius more than once. What would happen now?
The Stone Lizards had already reached close range.
Hana Rin fiddled with her magic staff without looking, as if it was obvious. Ji Yu-chan returned to his post, sheathed his sword, and watched with focused eyes, as if he refused to miss even one.
Cheon Seong-min felt a strange presence from Do-hyun and unconsciously turned his gaze. Do-hyun flicked his fingers with a smirk.
Tap—!
The snap echoed. Do-hyun dashed forward like a bullet.
No trace of mana control remained. His mana mastery was terrifying. But what astonished Cheon Seong-min most was how perfectly he controlled that supercharged body.
Kwaaaah——
When Ji Yu-chan kicked the ground, a bomb-like explosion erupted. When Do-hyun did the same, it felt like a tank mine detonating. The earth flipped. He shot forward at impossible speed.
Before Cheon Seong-min could even gasp, Do-hyun reached the Stone Lizard, swung his blade, and a blinding light burst from the edge.
Had someone said speed was power by itself? Now that power and mana were combined, it was only a small blade, yet it unleashed a massive crescent-shaped energy that looked like a new moon. The three Stone Lizards in a row were sliced clean in half.
But it wasn’t over. Do-hyun moved again. He stabbed the blade into the two remaining monsters and withdrew it, swinging again. The cut was similar yet different.
Not the thin crescent like before, but a full moon-shaped blade swung once, slicing both monsters at once.
“…”
“…”
“…”
The guide party had no time to react. Stone spears descended from above, pierced through the remaining heads, and buried deep into the ground using Sharpness for extra cutting power.
Do-hyun watched and smiled contentedly. “That’s enough, right?”
The guide party stared in a daze. They watched Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan’s reactions. The overwhelming power had left them speechless.
Yet…
“Haa… You’ve finally learned it.”
“Tsk… What kind of sword energy is that?”
Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan shook their heads, already familiar with the scene.
The guide party swallowed hard, staring with open mouths.
‘…The association wasn’t exaggerating.’
Do-hyun smiled happily at the message that appeared for him.
【Total of 20 『Stone Lizard』 defeated in the party.】
【+400P acquired.】
【+400AP acquired.】
And…
‘The gaze hasn’t felt this weak since I left the village?’
The moment he entered the Black Gate, the gaze had been faint. He hadn’t paid much attention. But now that he had finished hunting and returned to Safe Zone Mull, the gaze followed him again.
Even in the dorm it lingered. Do-hyun frowned and glanced sideways.
【『Churak』】
【Trait: Bat [D]】
【Skills】
▶「Ultrasonic Wave [D]」
▶「Gliding [D]」
▶「Flight [D]」
▶「Sonar Roar [E]」
▶「Blade Technique [E]」
▶「Stealth [E]」
【Stats】
▶「Strength: 17」
▶「Agility: 23」
▶「Constitution: 21」
▶「Mana: 15」
※ Bat humanoid.
※ Hunters killed: 9
【Successful analysis.】
【+150 AP acquired.】
‘Another one?’
The gaze that had been watching them since the Black Gate. He had analyzed them without knowing. He had secretly learned a new skill. They had clearly underestimated him.
‘I can’t just sit quietly.’