Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Feast of the Valen Taurro
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Chapter 75
"What the hell is this...?"
Jeong-hyeon was even starting to feel a bit deflated.
No matter how much experience he had hunting even a Demi Drake, the Valen Taurro he was facing now was a notoriously infamous monster in 4th-level gates.
A body that could easily leap over an ordinary truck.
And speed that made a truck look like nothing.
That overwhelming charge of massive weight wasn't something even a seasoned tank from 4th-level gates could take lightly.
The best you could hope for was to deflect it, and if they charged in a herd, you had to dodge no matter what.
That was why the standard tactic for hunting Valen Taurro was to force sharp turns to bleed off their speed before going in for the kill.
However,
Thud-
The massive Valen Taurro was crumbling helplessly right now.
Done in by a single dagger that was little more than a skewer compared to its bulk.
'Our matchup is weirdly perfect.'
Jeong-hyeon looked down at the black dagger that had returned to his right hand and smacked his lips.
Of course, normally, a D-rank Throwing Skill couldn't one-shot a Valen Taurro.
Even if thrown perfectly, it would bounce off that insane speed and the thick muscles covering its body.
But after leveling up his Throwing Skill to 3rd-level from the Demi Drake hunt.
And with the agility synergy hitting D-rank.
Above all, the artifact he casually named 'Black' shattered that unspoken rule.
The Throwing Skill's power, now seemingly doubled, had reached a level where calling it D-rank felt embarrassing.
Every throw pierced the Valen Taurro's skull effortlessly and scrambled its brain.
Even its blistering speed, which normally would've prevented the dagger from lodging properly, combined with the Throwing Skill's overwhelming accuracy to actually amplify the relative speed.
In fact, when he'd tested a throw on a stationary Valen Taurro, it hadn't landed properly.
Anyway, to the Molu Guild members who had no idea about any of this, the scene unfolding before them looked nothing short of magic.
"H-Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon. What the hell is this?"
Hun-il asked in a voice full of disbelief.
The other party members behind him weren't much different.
There had been an isolated Valen Taurro, so he'd planned to show off the skills of veteran hunters right away.
The agility-based melee dealers would split aggro and force sharp turns.
Once its speed dropped enough, the tank steps in to halt it completely.
Then the dealers, including the mage, pour on concentrated fire to bring it down.
Easy to say, but pulling off that tactic required real experience and skill.
They'd been so confident showing off Molu Guild's prowess to an unregistered hunter.
Who could've imagined that unregistered hunter dropping a Valen Taurro in two dagger throws?
'Maybe the party that came before wounded it?'
Hun-il approached the fallen Valen Taurro, entertaining that ridiculous notion for a closer look.
Of course, that wasn't the case.
Jeong-hyeon's first dagger hadn't even landed a solid hit, and until the Valen Taurro charged in rage, he'd been cursing up a storm inside while preparing his response.
It had definitely been at full health then.
Up close, the only visible wounds were one slash and one puncture from the dagger.
"Ah, we got lucky."
Jeong-hyeon's voice came from behind Hun-il, who was still dazed and confused about what he was seeing.
Lucky?
'If you were this lucky, you wouldn't be a hunter!'
This was lottery-winning luck three times over.
But sadly, Hun-il's shock didn't end there.
This self-proclaimed lucky bastard unregistered hunter started a full-on Valen Taurro massacre.
Thud-
"Whoops. Slipped, but it stuck perfectly."
Thud-
"Oof. Wasn't aiming there, but it hit just right."
Thud-
"Sheesh. If it throws this well every day, I'd be rich by now."
Jeong-hyeon didn't even give Hun-il or the Molu Guild folks a chance to join the hunt.
And all while spouting nonsense about luck nonstop.
It was so absurd it didn't even make him angry.
But the real spectacle was yet to come.
"Ah, just throwing daggers is getting kinda boring. Don't you think?"
With that, he yanked the mace off his back.
Then strode right into the path of a charging Valen Taurro.
"Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon! That's dangerous!"
Even veteran tanks struggled to block a full-speed Valen Taurro charge.
His ghost-like dagger throws suggested a Throwing Skill trait, but what did he plan to do facing it head-on with a mace?
Normally, he'd grab Jeong-hyeon by the scruff before he settled in and run, but the timing was off in this no-win situation.
"Pull back, everyone!"
Hun-il ordered the rest of the party.
Too late to evacuate Jeong-hyeon.
He couldn't let the whole party get wiped saving one newbie.
The vice-master had ordered him to take good care of Jeong-hyeon, but what could he do if the guy insisted on walking into a Valen Taurro's path?
Whoosh- Whoosh-
"Leader, what do we do?!"
Right before Jeong-hyeon and the Valen Taurro collided.
Even amid his team member's frantic shout, Hun-il couldn't issue any orders.
He just figured this hunt would end quicker than expected.
And if Jeong-hyeon died, Molu Guild's already shaky reputation would be totally ruined.
That was the bitter thought on his mind.
But,
"Huh?"
The next instant, Hun-il's jaw dropped.
Jeong-hyeon's figure, which he'd thought would be smashed to bits by the Valen Taurro, vanished.
Crack! Crack!
Then reappeared atop the Valen Taurro's back, smashing its head with the mace.
"What the...?"
The party members couldn't hide their shock at the bizarre scene, like some kind of bullfight.
He'd never heard of taking down a Valen Taurro like that.
Sure, it was possible in theory.
But with the clear limit of under 4th-level in this gate, it was impossible.
Maybe an S-rank could pull it off, but no way this unregistered guy was S-rank.
'Or is he actually...?'
Maybe.
No way,
Dozens of suspicions raced through Hun-il's mind.
Boom-
Finally, Jeong-hyeon finished off the Valen Taurro and dropped back to the ground.
It hadn't taken long, but the Valen Taurro's speed had put them just shy of 1km away.
Jeong-hyeon hit the dirt and immediately sprinted back toward Hun-il and the party.
"Huh? Huh?"
Had he swapped souls with the Valen Taurro after bashing its head?
But the question Jeong-hyeon blurted out upon stopping in front of Hun-il only confused him more.
"You guys aren't hungry by any chance?"
'Is this my 5-year service anniversary hidden camera prank?'
If it was, he'd gladly kiss everyone involved in this theatrical nonsense.
Jeong-hyeon tilted his head at Hun-il's silence, then approached the fire-element mage Na Jung-hyeon.
"Could you light a fire for me?"
"Pardon? Oh, sure."
And so, C-rank 3rd-level fire mage Na Jung-hyeon ended up with the bizarre first task in the gate: starting a campfire.
***
Hunters were human too—they needed food to survive.
No, with their insanely high basal metabolic rates and massive energy expenditure, food was essential for hunts.
But who had time for fancy cooking in a life-or-death gate?
Most hunters packed preserved rations focused purely on calories and nutrients, grimacing through them during breaks.
No matter how hard the manufacturers tried, those foods just couldn't taste good.
And since they splurged on meals outside, those rations tasted even worse by comparison.
But here in the "Valen Taurro Plains," a strange sight unfolded.
A vast plain stretching to the unbroken horizon.
In its midst, a campfire blazed, and meats sizzled on a broad, flat stone.
Sizzle-
'Damn, that sound is killer!'
Jeong-hyeon marveled at the incredible sizzle as he flipped the meat with tongs.
Had he brought this meat from outside?
Of course not.
The answer lay in the Valen Taurro carcass a short distance from where Jeong-hyeon and the party sat.
Most people wouldn't even think of touching monster meat.
Instinctual fear of it.
And for most, that fear was justified.
Monster meat was tough, tasteless, and often toxic—best avoided.
But among all those monsters, some had delicacies known only to those in the know.
Valen Taurro sirloin was one such cut.
Back when he worked at the workshop, the team lead had brought back a precious hunk for the crew to devour.
Beef-like, yet melting in the mouth with a subtle spice-like aroma.
Jeong-hyeon could confidently say it was the best meat of his life.
The shock came later when he learned it was Valen Taurro meat.
But hey, if it tasted good and was edible, who cared where it came from.
"H-Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Ah, Valen Taurro meat is seriously delicious. Just wait a sec."
The other party members freaked out when Jeong-hyeon pulled out a utility knife, skinned the beast down the middle, and started butchering.
The gleam in his eyes screamed danger to anyone watching.
And with the Valen Taurro's massive size, he was practically diving into the carcass to extract chunks of meat—grotesque as hell.
"Now just need to drain the blood."
Covered head to toe in the beast's dark red blood, Jeong-hyeon grinned widely, dealing mental damage to the onlookers.
And so the half-forced(?) gate meat party commenced.
At first, the party members looked like they'd never touch monster meat.
But once it hit the grill, things changed.
"Uh, um. Is this really tasty?"
Tank Kim Chan-il asked tentatively.
Not all tanks, but they were usually the position that used their bodies the most.
So they tended to love food the most.
He sounded skeptical, but Chan-il's face said he was already sold 100%.
Honestly, the fresh butchering had been shocking, but the grilled meat's visuals were next-level.
The golden-brown sear and the aroma electrifying every cell screamed quality.
This meat was amazing!
Not just Chan-il—the other hunters had edged noticeably closer to the grill.
Jeong-hyeon watched them with an inner smile.
"This Valen Taurro sirloin is great for hunters too. Hard to put into words."
"I-Is it done now?"
The party members gulped audibly, unable to hold back anymore.
It had been ready a while ago, but Jeong-hyeon met their eyes slowly, teasing them before nodding.
"Come on, dig in."
That was the signal.
Chomp chomp-
The first bites were cautious, but from the second, manners went out the window.
The meat vanished from the grill in seconds.
"Hey, Jung-hyeon. One more fire. Hurry!"
"O-Okay!"
Now they were making their own extra grill spot.
Valen Taurro sirloin was heavenly.
It looked like beef, after all.
100% free-range natural.
If fresh-off-the-plain meat didn't taste amazing, that'd be the real surprise.
Even Hun-il, the leader holding back airs, found himself stuffing his mouth full before he knew it.
A sudden thought hit him.
'This was supposed to be us showing Jeong-hyeon-ssi a good time...?'
But priorities had flipped completely.
Hunting?
Jeong-hyeon soloed it with daggers and mace.
And now they were the ones getting the full experience.
Via some unheard-of Valen Taurro meat party.
'Screw it!'
The heavenly taste in his mouth clearly trumped the confusion in his head.
Hun-il cleared his mind and focused on the meat.
"One more plate here!"
"Coming right up."
The yield from one house-sized Valen Taurro was beyond imagination.
More than enough for everyone to stuff themselves, so Jeong-hyeon grinned generously and loaded the grill.
'And now it's my turn to eat.'
This was why he'd joined Molu Guild's trial despite his hesitations.
To eat that Valen Taurro meat again!
Jeong-hyeon's eyes gleamed once more, and suddenly, noticeably less meat made it to the others' mouths.
'Huh? Where'd the meat go?'
Jeong-hyeon's razor-sharp senses snatched the perfectly grilled pieces faster than anyone.