Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Cave Mantis
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It had been 13 years since gates first appeared in the world.
Though the initial chaos resembling a catastrophe had long since given way to a period of stability, monsters remained dangerous existences nonetheless.
When facing monsters that emerged according to each gate's level, party hunting was the fundamental principle.
In other words, only after assembling a tank, dealers, and a healer did strategies or tactics become viable.
But there was a hunter who faced multiple monsters alone?
Inside a gate, no less?
'Who's the monster here...?'
The party members watching Jeong-hyeon's hunt couldn't hide their bewilderment.
Thirty minutes into mining Merrillium.
Quite a few monsters had attacked during that time.
Not only the cockroaches and cave orcs they'd encountered so far, but also massive bees called killer bees and rock spiders, which were an upgraded version of rock spiders.
These were monsters ranging from level 4 to 5, so considering it was a mission gate, they weren't particularly tricky opponents.
The problem was that Jeong-hyeon had handled all of them by himself.
"Hup, looks like more are coming."
Jeong-hyeon, who had been sitting in the middle of the chamber idly watching the party members work, would occasionally stand up like this.
And whenever he did, a monster really appeared from one of the three passages.
At first, the party members had thrown down their tools to help him.
No matter how strong Jeong-hyeon was, facing multiple monsters alone had to be tough.
But,
*Thwip—thud—*
That was it.
Jeong-hyeon threw a dagger, and the monster died.
It repeated like a law of nature—a consistent attack and outcome.
"Um... Do you not need any help?"
"Huh? Oh, don't worry about me. Just keep working comfortably."
Even when asked if he was okay alone, Jeong-hyeon just waved it off casually, as if telling them to finish up their business.
At this point, the party members were starting to wonder if they'd entered the mission gate to clear it or just to mine as usual.
But what could they do?
Jeong-hyeon truly acted as if it took no effort at all, leisurely spectating before catching monsters.
Then, as the work neared its end, Jeong-hyeon suddenly broke the monotonous pattern.
"Hm? This one's a bit big, huh?"
Sensing a presence different from the previous monsters, Jeong-hyeon tilted his head.
But even so, monsters couldn't touch that guy anyway.
Already accustomed to Jeong-hyeon's non-combat-like combats, the party members ignored it and kept jamming their pickaxe-like tools into the vein.
However, they realized something was different after Jeong-hyeon threw his dagger into the darkness as usual.
Jeong-hyeon tilted his head and muttered to himself.
"Missed?"
The monster that appeared this time wasn't dodging or blocking his thrown daggers—it was advancing while parrying them.
"For now, everyone, move back a bit from the entrance and keep working."
Even though his dagger had been blocked, Jeong-hyeon calmly instructed the nearby party members to relocate.
He just wanted to get a look at what it was.
On the other hand, despite his relaxed attitude, the party members began feeling uneasy.
His strongest weapon was his throwing skill, so what was the plan if it got close?
They retreated from the entrance as instructed, but since the Merrillium mining was mostly done anyway, everyone was prepared to jump into battle at any moment.
And when the monster finally entered the chamber, the party members could only gape in shock.
"A mantis!"
It was a cave mantis, similar in overall form to a praying mantis but gleaming black.
The difference was the three pairs of rear legs supporting its body, aside from its pair of blade-like front legs.
Cave mantises had a notorious reputation in mine-type gates.
They were practically the apex predator of the ecosystem.
Solitary creatures, they were several times larger than others and perfectly shaped for navigating caves, ruling as predators.
They boasted ridiculous power, hunting even cave orc herds solo—not to mention cockroaches or killer bees.
In truth, they frequently caused casualties even in level 5 or 6 gates.
"A mantis is dangerous...!"
Deok-jin, who had tried to suggest party hunting upon seeing this monster on a different level from what Jeong-hyeon had faced before.
He couldn't imagine it being taken down with daggers.
But his urgent plea didn't fully land.
Instead of drawing the dagger he'd been using so well, Jeong-hyeon grabbed the mace he'd meekly kept slung on his back.
He then approached the mantis without a care for the party members.
The massive mantis, which seemed tall enough to touch the chamber ceiling when fully upright, swung its front legs threateningly at the human boldly approaching alone.
*Shwick—shwick—*
"Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon!"
The mantis's front leg swings were incredibly fast.
Even arrows from top-tier archers could be blocked by them.
U-yeong urgently called out to Jeong-hyeon and dashed forward.
Not just the speed—the destructive power was burdensome even for a tank.
His scale armor looked high-quality, but a direct hit would be unbearable for anyone but a tank.
But even U-yeong had to halt awkwardly mid-stride.
He'd thought that even blocking with the mace, the force would send him flying or he'd take the hit and suffer severe injury.
"That's why the dagger got blocked, huh?"
Yet in the next moment, Jeong-hyeon was standing there as if he'd always been in position, perfectly evading the mantis's attack range while nodding to himself.
His expression and eyes showed none of the tension or fear one should have against a powerful monster.
Just satisfaction, as if a curiosity had finally been resolved.
"......?"
Among the party members, the experienced Deok-jin and Jeong-geun had faced mantises before.
But no tank or melee dealer they'd hunted with had ever shown such leisure against one.
On the contrary, they'd grown up hearing seniors warn that letting your guard down against a mantis meant instant death.
To them, Jeong-hyeon's display was nothing short of dismantling common sense from the ground up.
"Let's see just how fast you move."
Of course, Jeong-hyeon wasn't being careless against the mantis as the party imagined.
To him, the giant mantis was fast.
Compared to what he'd hunted so far, it had enough speed to threaten him.
But it wasn't enough to make him tense, given the lineup of foes he'd faced.
Honestly, it wasn't as huge as an onyx golem, as tough as a demi drake, or as strong as a doll.
No carelessness, but no excessive fear either.
As Jeong-hyeon pondered how to kill it, Jeong-geun's shout came from behind.
"Wind Slash incoming!"
At the same time, the sensation of magic manifesting.
It was Wind Slash, compressing air into a sharp blade.
He must have thought it was too much for one person.
Given its mantis form, the mantis's weakness was its relatively frail rear legs.
Crushing them with Wind Slash would greatly restrict its movement, and with luck, immobilize it entirely—a textbook spell use.
The mantis, focused on Jeong-hyeon, sensed the fierce magic targeting its lower body and slightly lifted its head.
"Where you looking?"
Seizing that brief gap, Jeong-hyeon dove into the opening on the mantis's right side.
"Wha—!"
Jeong-geun's panicked voice followed, unprepared for Jeong-hyeon's sudden move.
In low-rank hunts, maybe, but in level 5 gate clears, the front line shouldn't move rashly when the rear attacks.
Monsters fixate on targets, unaware of incoming attacks' direction.
Getting hit by friendly fire was the most pathetic thing.
Sure enough, it looked like Jeong-hyeon was charging right into the Wind Slash, panicking Jeong-geun.
'Like I wouldn't sense it coming.'
Of course, Jeong-hyeon wouldn't get hit by magic from behind.
With C-rank combat sense, B-rank movement, and B-rank mana sensitivity combined, he had detection like an early warning system.
From outside, his charge seemed insane, and the mantis visibly panicked.
"Tsk—"
Normally, it could leisurely guard its spot until the spell hit, but a sudden charge?
Block the spell, and the human was a threat; block the human, and the spell's impact would hurt.
Its sturdy front legs could handle Wind Slash, but the rear ones were riskier.
In the end, the mantis prioritized blocking the spell, ignoring Jeong-hyeon.
After all, the human's weapon was like a mere twig to it.
Music to Jeong-hyeon's ears.
'Ignoring me means you die.'
A translucent aura rippled over his mace.
Confirming the mantis had dismissed him, Jeong-hyeon poured neutral mana enchantment into the onyx material.
Then, he stepped on the mantis's front leg—lowered to block the incoming spell—and leaped up.
"Tsk?"
The mantis reflexively lifted its right front leg slightly.
To instinctively block the leaping Jeong-hyeon.
That split-second action backfired.
*Slash—*
In the brief gap as Jeong-hyeon jumped and the right front leg rose, one of the pursuing Wind Slashes struck a rear leg.
It hit the exoskeleton, not a joint, so it didn't sever clean, but the impact was still severe.
The mantis's massive body tilted slightly, letting Jeong-hyeon easily reach head height.
'Have you ever had your head smashed?'
By the time the mantis twisted to right itself, Jeong-hyeon had swung the mace back in a full wind-up.
Its compound eyes' final sight was filled with the mace's iron ball hurtling toward it.
*Crack—*
"Nice feel!"
It was neutral magic enchantment, which even tough golems couldn't withstand.
Upgraded with onyx, no insect head or compound eyes covered in exoskeleton could endure, no matter how infamous the monster.
Green blood spurted from the mantis's pathetically crushed head.
No matter its reputation, it was still a living thing.
With its head smashed, its massive body could only collapse to the ground.
*Thud—thud—*
Of course, Jeong-hyeon finished with thorough mercy kills before lowering the dripping mace and turning to the party.
"So, this guy's the strongest in here, right?"
"......"
No one could easily reply to Jeong-hyeon's smile, which felt oddly chilling.
That you seem like the strongest here.