China's Divine Spear
Wang Feng, China's SS-rank hunter.
He was one of only three SS-rank hunters in the world, standing alongside America's Garcia and Leysha Barrett. Known by grand titles like "China's Strongest Spear," "The Xiang Yu of the 21st Century" or "Lü Bu Reborn," and "Number One Among Men," his reputation preceded him everywhere.
Behind his back, people called him crude names like "that mad dog bastard" due to his infamous personality, but no one dared belittle his actual prowess.
His primary weapon was the Dragon Fang Spear, forged from the tooth of an SS-rank monster, the Earth Dragon, slain years ago on the 67th floor of the Shanghai Great Labyrinth.
After acquiring it, Wang Feng began earning the moniker "Divine Spear," his fame exploding overnight.
As the name implied, his spear technique was nothing short of divine.
He overwhelmed not just monsters but fellow hunters using pure spearmanship alone, securing his title as "Number One Among Men."
Of course, he had never clashed with other SS-rank hunters like Garcia, Leysha, or the late Charlotte Michelle.
Yet Wang Feng himself—and all of China—wore the title without hesitation.
And now, he was demonstrating exactly why he was the Divine Spear, why he was Number One Among Men.
As the penthouse exploded around him, Wang Feng hurled himself into the air.
Hwuduk— Leaping clear of the collapsing debris, he finally got a clear look at the monster that had attacked him.
'Hydra!'
Nine heads gleamed with predatory eyes, all fixed on him.
A massive monster typically found only in Europe's great labyrinths.
Its power and renown rivaled even a Kumiho, and now it loomed right before him.
'Why the hell is something like this in the middle of the city? The nearest labyrinth is at least thirty minutes away.'
A flicker of doubt crossed his mind, but Wang Feng sprang into action without delay.
Dodging the hydra's immediate follow-up strike, he vaulted into the air once more.
In an instant, he was airborne, plunging straight down toward the street hundreds of meters below—without a single piece of gear.
Fear didn't touch his face.
Casually swinging his spear, he jammed the shaft into the building's exterior wall.
Bam! Kkigigik—
The embedded spear slowed his fall naturally.
But the attacks didn't stop. A snake head slithered down the building's facade in pursuit, jaws splitting wide as it lunged at his face.
Shaaaa—!!!
Not one, not two, but three heads striking from different angles at once.
Wang Feng yanked the spear free from the wall.
In the same motion, he used the shaft's flex for rebound, sweeping it horizontally in a wide arc.
Kyaaak—!
The counterattack flowed like water in mere seconds. The heads recoiled, gashes across their snouts, shrieking in pain.
Deep cuts—crimson blood rained down like a storm.
The wounds regenerated in a fairy-tale instant, but the warning was clear. The hydra hesitated to press the assault.
Wang Feng watched it coolly, then leaped downward like a bird—whoosh, whoosh—finally touching down on solid ground.
Yang Hong landed a step behind him.
"You alright, boss?!"
"Don't make a fuss, Yang Hong. It was just a quick hello."
Wang Feng glanced sideways.
The hydra had descended too, coiled like a mountain, glaring silently.
It dwarfed most colossal monsters—twice their size, by the look of it.
Not small compared to the adjacent skyscraper.
"Hydras pack poison, naturally. Stay sharp, Yang Hong."
"Yes, boss! I'll relay it to the raid team."
"Basic antidotes might not cut it. Tell them to bring a few elixirs too."
"Got it, boss!"
After issuing orders to Yang Hong, Wang Feng spun his spear with a flourish—binggeur.
The brief standoff between monster and hunter ended with Wang Feng moving first.
Logically, stalling defensively until his raid team arrived was optimal.
But he didn't wait.
His arrogance? No.
Even with his ego, Wang Feng was a seasoned SS-rank hunter who knew patience, who could bide his time.
For victory, he'd swallow retreat or humiliation without flinching.
Yet he charged anyway—his veteran instincts at work.
'This thing... it's not used to fighting.'
Not quite. More like an odd unfamiliarity in its movements.
As if it hadn't mastered its own body.
'Freshly evolved? All that power, but no clue how to wield it.'
Inflict maximum damage before it adapts.
Decision made, he acted.
As if confirming his read, the hydra faltered under his ferocious onslaught.
Nine heads clashing into each other, hindering their own efforts—no coordination, not even basic teamwork.
Wang Feng grinned.
'If I play this right, I could solo an SS-rank monster—the first ever!'
A feat beyond even Garcia, the current world's strongest, or the legendary Seong Jae-myeong of old.
The thrill of possibly claiming it ignited him.
Luck from the beast's inexperience, not pure skill—but a legend was a legend.
His spear strikes grew fiercer.
Yet for all his onslaught, the hydra refused to crumple.
Beyond its clumsy motions, its durability and absurd regeneration shrugged off the blows.
Not just enduring—it was adapting, starting to push back.
The tide, once in Wang Feng's favor, shifted sharply.
Shaaaa—!
One particularly vicious head lunged, jaws gaping.
Speed belying its bulk. Wang Feng leveled his spear horizontally.
Using its momentum to skewer it clean.
'Turn you into a kebab in one go!'
He pulled his arm back, then thrust at the perfect moment.
The spear tip sliced air with a shrill whistle, darting toward the head.
Then—a massive fireball hurtled at him, as if anticipated.
"Tch...! Magic?!"
Thrust home, and one head down—but at the cost of serious burns. Wang Feng twisted his wrist instead, spinning with the momentum.
Whoosh—
The fireball grazed past, scorching the air where he'd stood.
"Hoo—"
But the assault continued. Two more heads knew exactly where he'd dodge, clamping in from both sides.
Off-balance, Wang Feng clicked his tongue and swung wide.
Bluish mana gathered at the tip, sharpening into a blade.
In a blink, he'd forged something straight out of a wuxia tale—a blade aura—and unleashed it on the incoming heads.
They twisted necks desperately, avoiding a clean bisect.
But not fully—the exposed throats took the hit.
Crimson sprayed.
"Hah... not going down easy, huh."
Half-severed necks mangled, yet regenerating fast. Wang Feng tsked.
Neither at full strength yet, but this SS-rank beast lived up to the hype.
"Looks like it's getting the hang of its body now. This won't be easy."
His words said one thing, his face another—a grin brimming with barely contained glee.
He laughed savagely, exhilaration plain.
The surrounding streets lay in ruins from their clash, screams echoing nearby.
Wang Feng couldn't care less.
Collateral? Money or power would clean it up later.
Right now, only toppling this monster mattered.
"Boss—!"
"Raid leader."
"Eighty-four members of the Cheoncheon Raid Team and 138 hunters from the Chinese Hunter Association have just arrived."
"The Black King Sect Guild rushed here to aid Lord Wang!"
"Green Ground Guild, here to support...!"
"Starling Guild...!"
"Tianxia Supreme Guild...!"
"We're...!"
Hunters poured into the devastated city center.
Dozens, hundreds gathering—soon over a thousand strong.
Despite many already dispatched to handle the other SS-rank Kumiho on the outskirts.
China's massive population meant hunter numbers to match.
And they kept coming, no end in sight.
With over a thousand at his back, Wang Feng grinned.
"Whatever you were thinking, it was stupid, monster. Showing up smack in the hunters' lair. Not that a beast would know better."
Soloing an SS-rank? Off the table.
He didn't mind.
The skirmish proved it impossible anyway. A hollow title meant nothing—victory did.
"Don't cry foul over the odds, monster. That's how beasts always end."
Shiii—
The hydra's nine heads flicked tongues as Wang Feng assumed his stance.
Nine pairs of eyes bored into him. He licked his lips slowly.
"Alright then. Let's get serious, monster."
The assault began with Wang Feng and his Cheoncheon Raid Team at the fore.
One of the world's strongest ground forces, all S-rank hunters.
Led by the Divine Spear himself, Number One Among Men.
With roars, Wang Feng and Cheoncheon charged—followed by a thousand hunters surging as one.
Nix, in hydra form, watched them come, eyes gleaming silently.