Rookie: Baek Jaesung 12 - Fire and Ice Boars
A single monster cloaked head to toe in blue light barreled toward Yeonji's back like a full-throttle truck—fast and brutally heavy. Its size was about the same as the Blaze Boar.
Unlike the passionate red fur, flaming mane, and scorching flames it could snort from its nostrils instead of mere breath, the beast gunning for the back of Yeonji's head was covered in pale blue fur verging on sky-blue, with a mane of solid ice. On closer look, it wasn't frozen—it was just an ice mane.
"Grrroooaaarrr!"
Its roar was indistinguishable from a Blaze Boar's. If you swapped the colors, you'd swear they were brothers from the same litter. The difference? This one screamed ice attribute from a mile away.
"I'm good!"
Yeonji handled the sneak attack like a pro, exploiting the opening with ease. Her raw strength and agility were just that superior.
"Iron Fist!"
Her mana-reinforced fist smashed into the monster's face, framed by its translucent ice mane.
The thing hit even harder than a Blaze Boar. Yeonji's body twisted violently mid-impact, flinging her backward.
"Unni!"
Rina's chains lashed out at the ice boar. But it leaped lightly, dodging with ease. A pain-in-the-ass combo of raw destructive power and lightning reflexes.
"A Frost Boar! Those two live in totally different environments!"
Sujin cried out in shock.
Nothing's absolute in a dungeon. This Level House was a freak show of impossibilities—orks from the sea, Krakens in the mountains. What mattered now was how to put this thing down.
I'd held back to let the girls sync up, but time to join the fray. That Blaze Boar seemed seriously tough. The guidebook pegged it at 7~8-rank average, but this one's upper 7 or borderline 6.
"Holy Missile."
I fired at both boars. The tracking light barrage split, homing in on each.
At the same instant, Yeonji and Jisu charged—their fists clenched like collapsing mountains at the Blaze Boar, Jisu's sword gleaming with sharp mana and murderous intent at the Frost Boar.
But the enemy boars ramped up too. The Blaze Boar wrapped itself in erupting volcano flames; the Frost Boar sheathed in glacial ice, leaking chill into the air.
"Groooaaarrr!"
Their bellows swelled the flames and ice encasing them.
The Blaze Boar's fire shifted from red to searing blue. The heat singed our cheeks from over ten meters away. Yeonji, mid-charge, buffed herself again.
"Stone Skin!"
Her already gray-tinged skin turned full granite. She plunged into the licking flames without hesitation.
Her armor—worth as much as Rina's sword—could tank over 2,000°C. And her body? Solid rock.
Her mana-packed fist hammered the Blaze Boar. Not just a punch—a KHC straight punch. The swirling mana pressure rivaled the beast's own inferno.
"Grraaaooow!"
As fist met skull, my light bolt slammed its flank. Flames surged, flesh tore, blood sprayed—but evaporated mid-air from its own heat.
The Blaze Boar dug in, refusing to yield, rubbing its forehead against her fist before snapping its jaws wide—like it meant to chomp it off.
And it did bite down. But Yeonji's stone skin shrugged off the fangs.
"One Sword, Two Cuts!"
Jisu swept her blade down clean on the Frost Boar. Ice spikes erupted from its back like spears, but her strike cleaved them all in one go.
"Grraaaooow!"
My Holy Missile tagged its side too. Yet it barreled on. Hesitation meant death—for it or us.
The Frost Boar gaped wide and charged. Déjà vu of the Blaze Boar. But Jisu didn't clash head-on like Yeonji. Everyone's got their style.
She pivoted on her left foot like a Spanish matador—graceful, lethal. The raging boar missed.
"Death Sword!"
Her blade's mana flushed crimson, heavy killing intent wilting any nearby flowers.
She lunged—but my honed senses clocked it as a feint.
"Grrroooaaarrr!"
The Frost Boar charged straight. They closed to point-blank. Then Jisu twisted sideways, thrusting into its flank.
"Watch out!"
But the boar was smarter than it looked. As she dropped low and pivoted, it whipped around too.
Like the Blaze Boar earlier, its weapons weren't just ice and teeth. Its ice-sheathed tail cracked like a whip.
"Kyaa!"
It connected. Jisu flew meters into the air. I tracked her arc and caught her.
"Light Cure."
Right arm fracture—minor. Skill-healable; she'd be back in action.
"Groooowl!"
The Frost Boar glared venomously at me holding Jisu. Target switch. But it couldn't strike yet.
Thud!
Its tail sliced clean at an angle, hitting the ground. Jisu hadn't lost focus even then.
She'd landed a solid hit despite the curveball. I set her by Rina.
"Guard Jisu."
"Got it!"
"Grrroooaaarrr!"
The Blaze Boar's flames sharpened, blinding white-hot like sunlight. No longer mere fire.
"Ngh!"
Yeonji grunted, averting her eyes. I sensed massive mana surging in the boar.
"Yeonji! Careful!"
No sooner said than the flames detonated with thunderous boom.
Kaboom rumble rumble!
The blast wave hit us. I turned—Yeonji, blasted head-on, flew my way. Her armor shredded. Revise that assessment: full 6-rank minimum.
"I got you!"
I caught her safely. Her rock-hard body softened back to normal.
No burns thanks to ability buffs, but blood trickled from her ragged breaths.
"Pushed your mana too hard."
Internal injuries. She dropped to one knee. My gaze locked on the Blaze Boar.
The explosion was its trump card too—fur singed upright, one tusk snapped. Overreach.
"I can still go."
She forced herself up. Gutsy, fearless—great, but burning out early kills exploration.
"Leave the rest to us."
Chains yanked her back to Rina.
"Oppa’s right, unni. Can't go down this early. You're the tank. Party falls without one."
Two left: Blaze and Frost Boars.
Tough opener. Guild scouts would've upped the raid rating. Another party? Wiped.
Time Pause and blitz? Nah—waste a prime growth chance. Even rushing clears, this was perfect spice: not too easy, not suicidal. Tailor-made for us.
Blaze Boar against Sujin? Perfect match.
I glanced; she nodded. No words needed—eye contact said it all. Sometimes better than talk, especially now.
Flames leaked from the Blaze Boar's maw again, Zippo-flickering with each snort. Sujin faced it head-on.
"Water Arrow!"
A dozen water arrows materialized around her. Cute like a water park show, but the mana oozing off them? No joke. Especially on a fire beast.
All locked on the flame-wreathed brute.
It stomped, flames forming a shield. Blue fire barrier vaporized the arrows.
"Grrroooaaarrr!"
The half-severed-tailed Frost Boar howled at me. Dozens of ways to kill it flashed.
"Time Acceleration."
Bio-time boost. World crawls—objects, environment, Frost Boar included.
No agility matches this speed.
"Darkness Arrow."
Shadow-solidified arrow—my second-strongest attribute nuke—formed silently. (Top's Holy Missile.)
It shattered the ice armor. Not deep enough? Fine—setup complete.
"Holy Missile."
Light slug to the exposed body. I moved—Light Saber in right hand.
"Groooaaar!"
It sensed doom, thrashed to flee. No initial charge vibe now.
Futile. My accelerated speed outpaced it. Holy Missile grazed a foreleg.
"Grrraaaooow!"
It collapsed forward. Fate sealed.
Shwick!
Light blade severed hind legs. Momentum carried into True Kick—inner power vortex pulverizing its face. No sacrificial pig head now. It crumpled, caved-in.
Wordy, but under five seconds. One-sided. Sujin still mid-duel.
Her hands spread wide—mana roiling, big tech incoming.
Blaze Boar sensed it, scraped earth to charge early. But Sujin finished first.
"Heavy Rain!"
Rain fell sudden.
"Groaa?!"
Whiiiish!
Drops gained power. Not devastating—just a drizzle.
But summoning localized rain? Insane growth. It cooled our weary backs.
Sujin stomped. Raindrops froze mid-air—like time-stopped.
Fairy-tale magic. Watercolor masterpiece material. Each droplet packed dense mana.
She'd infused her whole mana pool. The girl who once bailed on hunts from mana drought? Legend.
"Crimson Shower!"
Palms clenched—barrage unleashed.
Tiny needles to the boar. Wuxia name? Heavenly Flower Rain. Pure projectiles.
"Squeeeeal!"
Flame armor resisted—like before. But no campfire survives a downpour. Arrows doused the blaze, pierced deep, stole life.
"Groooaaaan!"
Last lament, then collapse.
"Hoo... Tough."
Sujin dropped to her knees, spent.