Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Hunter's Flag
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Hunter's Flag.
A one-time consumable item that blocks all effects within a certain range for a set duration.
But as befitting such an ability, its penalties were severe. The most critical drawback was that it blocked not only the enemy's effects but also one's own.
Disarmament.
It was no different from fighting bare-fisted in that state.
And that wasn't all.
The range of the Fighter's Domain was extremely small as well.
Fortunately, the last room was compact enough to just barely cover it.
Moreover, effects coming in from outside weren't even blocked.
'It doesn't work at all on guys whose level difference is 30 or more.'
Luke's current level was 58.
On the other hand, the German possessed by the skeleton was level 85.
Thus, the level gap was precariously just within limits.
Of course, if the opponent left the domain, the effect would end immediately, but thanks to the narrow room, there was no worry for now.
'It's the perfect item for gearheads and skill spammers.'
However, the duration wasn't very long.
So, he had to take the guy down before the Fighter's Domain expired.
'With my specialty: one-on-one mano-a-mano.'
And purely with physical combat at that.
-Hm? A ring?
"I prepared it specially for you, you bastard. What do you think? Pretty good, right?"
-Effect blocking? For something like that, the power from the flag feels weak. At best, it's a temporary phenomenon.
Damn it.
Quick on the uptake.
'But even if you figured it out, it's already too late.'
That's right.
The flag's domain had already engulfed both him and German.
All that was left was the right provocation.
Luke recalled the rough, feral image of the guy from his memories.
"What, getting cold feet? Even a Ten Emperors guy gets scared of a one-on-one? Hesitating against a punk like me."
-…….
"Well, yeah, without your bow, you can't use dagger arts or Blink, so it must feel risky. Oh, but same for me... Whoa, no way. You don't have confidence in a pure skill fight? Nah, even so, you're the big boss of the hunters called Ten Emperors. And against a guy without stamina like me!"
Little by little.
"You're on a whole different level from those losers who can't do shit without gear or skills. Yeah, of course."
Scratching at his temper bit by bit.
"No way the first hunter hero is just gonna stall until the flag's domain vanishes, right?"
Just like those punchable villain archetypes standing nearby.
Grinning slyly while slowly testing him.
'Bite.'
Come on.
'Please bite.'
Before more precious time slipped away.
-Ha.
'Yes!'
German let out a scoff.
The current situation must have seemed utterly ridiculous.
But he didn't know.
That he'd already fallen for the provocation.
-Fine, now I get it. You're not some illusion. Not even a remnant of the past.
"Oh, really?"
-Just a fake putting on a pathetic imitation to trick me. Nothing more, nothing less. That shadow I saw earlier was probably another clever ploy to deceive me. I don't know how you got in here, but...
Flash!
His eyes sharpened intensely.
-This place will be your grave!
At the same time, he charged with an overwhelming pressure.
'Jackpot.'
A really big one, too.
"What? A character that amazing is set as the final boss in the first tomb?"
Meanwhile.
After other operations team leads had come and gone.
Once the situation was roughly sorted, Team Lead 1 Kwang-ho entered the conference room with Sang-shik.
Discussing the level 4 occurrence condition.
A top-grade emergency alert issue, no less.
"I told you. He's testing the successor's worthiness while possessing the skeleton."
Kwang-ho replied, rubbing his forehead.
Sang-shik, sitting across from him, grew even more agitated.
"No, wouldn't that make it even more dangerous? That user who skipped all the prerequisite quests and barged in midway might clear it..."
"Even without the bow, that's absolutely impossible."
"Pardon?"
"As I said from the start, the Ten Emperors were designed as continental heroes, NPCs that Yong-ho-seop handled most of himself in the initial setup. Data on the demon king they repelled is mostly lost for story reasons, but we have a decent amount on the Ten Emperors."
"For the hidden scenario, right?"
"Exactly."
Kwang-ho nodded and took a sip from the water bottle beside him.
Then he resumed explaining why German couldn't be beaten.
"Anyway, as key figures like that, their abilities were naturally designed at near-top-tier levels."
"N-Near top-tier?"
"Yeah. German possessing the skeleton is estimated at 20-30 levels higher than the opposing user. No matter how high-level the user is, they can't bridge that boss gap."
"Then fighting at a similar level would..."
"Idiot, I told you. Designed at top-tier. Regardless of level bracket, stats, skills, physicals—all set to monster levels."
"Just how extreme is that?"
"Beyond top rankers."
"Whaaat?!"
"And he even has an artifact that lets him use Blink."
"Wait, then no one can beat him?"
Sang-shik shot up from his seat.
It was that unexpectedly monstrous.
"That's why it's a worthiness test. Set a benchmark, and if you exceed it, he accepts you as successor."
"Ah, so that's why you said even without the bow, it's unbeatable."
"Yeah. No need to worry about that. The real issue is how that user inserted into the hidden scenario midway. And how he entered that dungeon."
"But it'll really be fine, right? If the dungeon gets cleared..."
Kwang-ho chuckled at Sang-shik's concern.
"I said it's fine. It won't get cleared."
He added,
"Unless it's a pure physical brawl with a guy like Luke."
Kwajik!
One rib flew off.
Staggering form.
Muddled mind.
He felt almost no pain while possessing the skeleton, but the impact shook his entire body of bones.
'What is this?'
German thought.
'Why am I being pushed back?'
At first, the positioning had favored him.
Dagger arts honed over decades roaming mountains, feral instincts granting superhuman movement.
He'd been overwhelming the foe with them.
Yet, what was this pathetic state?
'Just moments ago, he was on the brink of death.'
Peok!
Pushed back.
Kang!
Being pushed back.
Not long after combat began, he'd started getting overwhelmed instead.
'This guy is...'.
In his past travels across the continent, meeting countless powerhouses, this was a first.
Someone overpowering a Ten Emperors with pure skill.
Even fighting without a bow, this exceeded expectations by far.
Perhaps that's why.
He began to fear the guy's abilities.
'How can he grow stronger with every exchange?'
He was read.
Gaze.
Stance.
Direction.
Even his psyche.
The more they fought, the more minutely he was read.
As if pierced through.
Analyzing the opponent in real-time, constantly devising counters.
Like a snake tightening its coils.
'And not allowing even a single effective hit.'
A monster.
Even the Night King, lord of shadows, couldn't do this.
'No.'
This wouldn't do.
'I can't let him read my attacks anymore!'
Face and soul alike were on the line of annihilation.
So, change plans: avoid clashes until the flag vanished.
'Yes, first create distance...'.
It was then.
"Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?"
-……!
Even his withdrawing motion was read?
His eyes wavered at the blade diving low.
Left?
No, right?
Which way was it assaulting from?
For a split second, German's red eyes darted.
And soon, feral instinct screamed.
'No, a feint.'
The real attack was a kick flying from upper left.
'Blocked!'
His wrist reacted in under a second, precisely blocking the foot.
Might as well...
Deok!
Grab one foot entirely, sealing part of his body.
Hoist the leg skyward, denying range and balance entirely.
Peok!
'What?!'
No, couldn't deny it.
Just staggered by the other leg after a spin.
'This guy's balance sense too...'.
Exceptional.
Realizing too late, German hastily prepared for follow-ups.
It changed.
The guy's movements shifted again as he rose.
Shoulders swaying side to side, instantly narrowing his stance.
The accelerated blade tip stabbed through empty air.
A completely different assault style.
Shuk!
Once.
Shuk!
Twice.
Shushuk!
Dozens of times in succession.
Erratic thrusts like a viper's strikes filled the space.
Teop!
German responded by sweeping the stabbing wrist accordingly.
Sometimes frontal.
Sometimes low.
Peok!
Or knees surging unexpectedly.
'Damn, not even giving me a moment to create distance?'
Reading his thoughts once more in that brief instant.
Otherwise, he wouldn't choose thrusting patterns.
Why?
With short blades like daggers, thrusts incurred the least loss on misses.
Teop!
Even if blocked or wrist swept, quick recovery for another combo.
'A human specialist optimized for fighting humans.'
Thousands.
Tens of thousands.
No, over a hundred thousand?
How many foes to reach that level?
Unknown.
Incomprehensible.
But one thing was certain.
The human before him was a monster.
With superior skill.
'Fine, I admit it.'
Not some imitating fake.
'But...'.
That didn't mean he'd go down easy.
Kaaaaang!
Blades locking oppositely, screeching discord.
Shock transmitted through both hands.
Cling on.
Keep clinging, burning meaningless time.
For one sole chance.
'Get anxious.'
Worrying over the soon-vanishing flag.
'The moment a gap opens...'.
Your end.
German believed so, raising his elbow vertically.
Minimizing energy waste.
Only short hit-and-run responses.
Stockpiling stamina for the impending moment.
And if a gap appeared first, finish it then.
'Either way, doesn't matter.'
Any method to slay the monster ahead.
'Just a bit longer...'.
That's when.
"Oh, come to think of it, I forgot to mention this."
The guy suddenly muttered.
"I said it back then."
-……?
"Do you have what it takes to handle it?"
At first, he hadn't understood.
But soon, past memories resurfaced.
'You bastard.'
'Huh?'
'Do you have what it takes?'
'What nonsense is this punk spouting...'
'You'll regret it.'
Forgotten.
No, desperately suppressed memory.
Yet, how did this guy know?
'No, he couldn't know. Right, this is just a cunning ploy to confuse me...'.
German believed that.
Wanted to believe.
But.
Dugeun!
In that instant, the devil tore its sly mouth wide, shattering the thought.
"I said you'd regret it?"
-No, you...
"You've truly forgotten that fear from back then."
-You definitely...
Dugeundugeun!
Clearly imprisoned, ended his life there.
-How?
Dead silence enveloping all.
Time gears misaligning.
The moment the question filled his mind, German saw it.
His own throat reflected in those malice-filled eyes, blade heading there.
Pajijijik!
And the flag that should be over his shoulder was already gone.
'No way, he timed even the flag's disappearance to say that...'.
Degurrr!
Only after his vision plunged downward did German realize.