The D-Rank Calamity (Part 3)
The thundering, earth-shaking roars echoing from the ground sent a wave of pure terror through every hunter who stood upon it.
Only those who could roughly gauge the beast’s size by the sheer force of its bellows had remained here, turning their strength into a liability.
The ground trembled so violently that some hunters were already beginning to slip from their lines.
“W-we’re out!!”
“If we fight, it’s just suicide!!”
“D-dammit, I still have so much I want to do!!”
Do-hyun could not help but give a wry smile at the sight of hundreds of hunters scattering in an instant, leaving only dozens behind.
Maybe that was the smart choice. Rather than freeze in fear here and get in the way, it was far better to simply flee.
Even the skilled hunters seemed to share the same thought.
Instead of stopping those who tried to leave, they actually egged them on.
“Everyone who can escape, get out quick!!”
“If you think this is suicide, just go already!!”
“Your life is precious, hahahaha.”
“If you can’t move because you’re too tense, you’ll really die—get out now!!”
The remaining hunter parties numbered no more than ten.
Though the enemy force numbered fewer than fifty, their overwhelming presence caused mana to surge in visible waves, rising like pale fog.
Now only the skilled hunters remained.
Some hunters stared at Do-hyun’s party with admiration.
They had noticed the party earlier, but those who had not were now watching from behind, secretly laughing at the sight of only three hunters.
It was not mockery.
‘Only this much presence and just three of them.’
‘These are real skilled hunters.’
‘Even us mid-tier species struggle with this.’
‘A human inferior species has someone this capable?’
‘Not ordinary at all. I should remember their faces. I might run into them later.’
Do-hyun’s party was simply that awe-inspiring.
From the beginning, entering such a useless battle just to shine in the D-rank zone screamed “elite warrior.” Skilled hunters would never dislike such presence.
Do-hyun himself smiled faintly as he watched the remaining hunters.
He could understand their mixed emotions as superior and inferior species.
‘It’s at least C-rank.’
Among the assembled hunters, who were mostly the same species, Do-hyun’s party was the weakest, and even they only managed C-rank.
Bruton’s party stood out: Bruton himself was A-rank, the others all B-rank.
Other parties were mostly led by B-ranks with C-rank members.
Remembering Galakro’s A-rank trait that Do-hyun had barely beaten, Bruton was slightly weaker, but with subordinates already engaged, he had to be at least as powerful as the previous Galakro.
‘Such a warrior.’
Do-hyun felt a flood of things to witness today and readied himself.
Without a word from Do-hyun, Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan already assumed their stances.
Hana Rin used flight magic to move to a secluded spot while concealing her mana to the utmost.
Ji Yu-chan did the same, wrapping his mana in the art of concealment.
Everyone present followed suit as the Death Worm approached.
Only moments later, the mana vanished and the tremors intensified.
Do-hyun saw it.
‘There it is.’
A massive, crimson-painted circular zone.
As the hunters retreated as far as possible, the Death Worm suddenly shot upward.
KWAAAAAAA———!!!
Stones flew everywhere as the worm’s length stretched skyward toward the dungeon ceiling—easily over a hundred meters.
Yet its body and tail still slammed into the ground.
A few parties trembled at the sheer size, but they did not falter.
They simply looked troubled about how to take it down.
Just then Do-hyun saw it.
‘I’m analyzing the D-rank zone boss, Death Worm.’
‘Thanks to the effects of Sword King’s Intuition [A] and Dragon Heir [S], analysis succeeded.’
Thus the status window appeared.
‘The Death Worm.’
‘Trait: Zone Boss [D].’
‘Skills: [Dragon Bloodline of the Earth [S]], [Swallow [A]], [Steel Scales [A]], [Bite [B]], [Earth Dragon Breath [B]], [Charge [C]]…’
‘Stats: Strength 80, Agility 70, Vitality 80, Mana 60.’
‘Hah… of course.’
Even higher than when Galakro had pushed body modification to its limit with the aesthetics of sacrifice.
Unlike that time, this Death Worm had no penalty, so its stats could be used fully.
In short, a creature that could rampage with power normally expected from above C-rank.
The only problem was that if it wasn’t stopped here, its stats would keep rising.
‘I have to end this quickly.’
Do-hyun activated every skill he could.
First, he boosted his regeneration with Guardian’s Body and added the newly acquired armor skill.
Then he offered a massive amount of mana as sacrifice to the aesthetics of sacrifice to strengthen his regeneration even further.
“Huuu…”
After breathing in deeply, Do-hyun decided to attack first.
He had already analyzed the Death Worm and knew its weakness was only its mouth.
But what if he pierced those hard scales?
With full momentum, he spun his magic bullet at maximum sharpness and added rotational power.
He infused the armor skill into the spear and added the hardening skill.
Though each individual was weaker than the steel scales, the combined power erupted.
SIIIIIIIII————!
The spear tip glowed red-hot from its violent spin.
At that moment Do-hyun unleashed Extinction, adding its aura.
Since the Death Worm was only D-rank, its steel scales might not even be fully active.
So Do-hyun concentrated everything and launched the spinning spear.
KWLLL—!!
The spear, carrying the black aura of Extinction, slammed into the scales with a roar that split the ground.
KWADDDDDDD—!!!
The spinning tip and the blackened aura of Extinction dug in with desperate force, turning the spear tip bright red.
Even sparks were vaporized by the heat.
The heat spread beyond the scales and into the surroundings, but gradually slowed.
The black color from Extinction began to fade.
KIIGIIIIING———.
Twuung——
Even the spin slowed, and the spear itself melted and became a blunt lump of metal that rolled across the ground.
Yet the scales had only been heated.
‘The technique failed.’
Just then, an unexpected trajectory fired a blinding white beam that struck the heated scales.
CHEEZEEZEEZEEZEEZEEZET———!!!
The heat around was instantly lowered, and the scales were frozen solid.
Stress waves from the heat shock caused unbearable force.
The combined attack from Do-hyun’s spear and Hana Rin’s frost ray hit.
KUGUGUGU, KUGUGUGUGU——!!
The powerful scales could not withstand the pressure and cracked.
Just then Ji Yu-chan and Do-hyun appeared with golden swords, swinging them in unison at the cracked scales.
Golden blades formed a giant X and slammed into the scales.
The sound of the blades biting into the scales echoed, creating deep scars.
CHEEZEEZEEZEEZEEZEEZET———!!!
KWAAAAAAAANG———!!!
The golden sword qi pierced deeper into the X-shaped scars.
The Death Worm writhed in pain, feeling the sensation for the first time—being bitten.
“KIIIIIEEEEIK———!!”
Sharp sonic waves spread outward, threatening to rupture eardrums.
Do-hyun opened his mouth first and unleashed a mighty roar.
“———————!”
The collision of the two roars canceled each other out perfectly, leaving no damage.
The Death Worm had barely stood up when it was already struck.
It had been less than one second.
Other parties were shocked at the perfect teamwork, but Do-hyun and Ji Yu-chan were still falling from the sky.
The Death Worm, angered, shook its head.
KUUUUUUUUUU——!!!
The massive mass alone rivaled great magic.
Do-hyun and Ji Yu-chan frowned as they saw it up close.
They had just been hit when the black shadow grabbed them and pulled them away from the Death Worm’s range.
Black shadows caught them mid-fall.
Then the head struck the ground, sending up a massive dust cloud that erupted shockwaves.
KWAAAAAAA————!!!
KUGUUUUUUUUU————!!!
WHUUUUUUUUUUUUU—————!!!
The entire area was engulfed in dirt and dust.
Do-hyun and Ji Yu-chan looked up from above, seeing the overwhelming power.
In the midst of it all, the Laughing Dragonfly—Bruton—smiled and spoke.
“Excellent teamwork.”