Chapter 63
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Centaur Khan
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In fact, there wasn’t really any reason to choose Black Bear in the first place.
Hye-rin noona seemed to think their conditions were good, but that wasn’t the case.
A gate?
I didn’t need one at all. I could hunt monsters while exploring the other world. It was a bit riskier, but the leveling speed was faster this way.
I explained all those reasons. Hye-rin noona looked relieved on one hand but wore a complicated expression on the other.
In the meantime, the raid cleared the first floor in an instant and pushed straight ahead to the boss room on the second floor.
“Wow, it’s huge.”
In the center of the boss room was a low hill, and atop it sat a tent like the ger used by Mongolians.
Otherwise, it was just an empty plain. Fitting for a 2-star dungeon, the plain was enormous. And filling that plain were centaurs.
“At least sixty of them, right?”
“There are two Centaur Vanguard Leaders too, and right in front of that ger is the Centaur Khan.”
They said the conquest difficulty matched a 3-star gate, and it wasn’t an empty promise. If they all charged at once, it’d be hard to say the pike soldiers could hold them back.
‘Others maybe, but not the Centaur Vanguard Leaders or the Khan.’
Centaur Vanguard Leaders were 2.5-star monsters, and the Khan was 3-star. Plus, they moved as one with the sixty centaurs.
‘How the hell are they planning to block this?’
“Kiyoooo!!”
The herd of centaurs sorted their front lines and prepared to charge. In response, Black Bear formed their wall of spears as before and loosed arrows.
‘It won’t be that easy this time.’
I was watching with half worry, half anticipation when Kim Shin-woo, the team leader, stepped forward.
He whispered softly, his expression unshaken even facing the terrifying centaur charge.
“Stone Wall.”
At that moment, rocks began jutting up two meters in front of where the pike soldiers stood.
The name Stone Wall didn’t quite fit, as the rock wall only rose to waist height.
But even that seemed to take a toll on Kim Shin-woo, his face turning pale.
Thud thud thud!
By then, the centaur herd had closed right up to them. Arrow barrages had whittled them down to about forty.
They couldn’t dodge the suddenly risen stone wall and smashed straight into it.
“Kraaak!”
Almost all that hit the wall broke their front legs. Even survivors wouldn’t fight properly.
A few leaped over the obstacle, but pikes were waiting at their landing spots.
Puk! Puk!
In a single clash, most centaurs lost their lives. That was Lance Charging. As powerful as it was, failure meant huge backlash.
“Impressive, right?”
Kim Shin-woo raised his hand, face still bloodless. On his finger was a ring embedded with a yellow mana crystal.
“Our guild has plenty of artifacts prepared. This isn’t something you make with skill alone. You need all sorts of materials.”
In other words, no matter how many artisans Santa Maria had, they couldn’t catch up to Black Bear.
“Over fifty 1-star dungeons, ten 2-stars, three 3-stars, one 4-star… That’s the gates we hold.”
No wonder they offered a gate so easily—Black Bear’s power exceeded our expectations.
“You can encounter over ten monster types here. This ring’s mana crystal came from a gnome shaman we caught.”
Gnomes were also called earth spirits. Tough opponents wielding stone golems and earth magic.
But once it got out their mana crystals enabled earth magic, everyone hunted them nonstop.
“Even a team leader like me gets gear like this. You can imagine what the branch manager receives, right?”
“How about explaining after the hunt’s done? The Centaur Khan’s still alive and kicking.”
Despite the arrow barrage, stone wall, and spear wall combo, the Centaur Khan was unscathed.
The moment the wall rose, it leaped high—high enough to clear the wall, spears, and even the archers.
Then it wheeled around widely, preparing another charge.
“You must’ve been bored just watching. Want to take the boss? I’d love to see that rumored skill in action.”
Kim the team leader nodded toward the Centaur Khan, proposing I hunt it. An unexpected courtesy. But I could guess the reason.
To check if I was truly a 4-star hunter or just hype, via a fight with the Centaur Khan.
“Then I won’t hold back.”
I had no reason to refuse.
‘Boss monsters give tons of EXP. Can’t pass that up.’
Noona watched anxiously from the side. I gave her a slight smile to say don’t worry and stepped forward.
“Oh, how do we split the loot?”
“Loot goes to the one who hunts it, of course.”
“As expected… you’re generous. Then I’ll take it down.”
In my left hand, a steel throwing spear. In my right, Gentle Breeze.
Too bad, but no Meteor Chase today. Risk of blowing my cover, and I wasn’t proficient enough against 3-stars yet.
‘Alright. Time to fight in my original style for once.’
I charged toward the Centaur Khan rushing like the wind.
* * *
‘Is this guy really a 4-star hunter?’
Kim Shin-woo watched the masked man’s back, recalling his talk with branch manager Han Se-young.
“Make him fight the Khan. First, confirm if he’s truly 4-star.”
“…Do we really need to go that far?”
Kim Shin-woo didn’t like feeding a 3-star monster to some nameless guy.
That’s why he’d been prickly with Song Hye-rin and the masked man. But Han Se-young thought differently.
“You gotta toss bait like that. Can’t miss a big fish by skimping on bait.”
“Who knows. Big fish or just heavy sea trash—we’ll see.”
“No loss. If he lacks the skill, he won’t beat the Khan.”
The Centaur Khan was strong even among 3-stars. Add the open plain terrain, and conquest difficulty skyrocketed.
‘Even a proper 3-star hunter can’t face the Khan without prep. If he wins, it’s strong proof he’s 4-star.’
If he took it down without prep, he’d admit it then. That the guy was worth the effort to recruit.
‘…If he wins, that is.’
“Kiyoooo!”
“Hup!”
With a loud shout, the Centaur Khan and masked man clashed.
Kwang!
* * *
“Kiyoooo!”
A monster towering five meters shook the ground as it charged. The Centaur Khan swung its spear in perfect human-horse unity.
‘Can’t win head-on.’
Taking that straight was foolish.
The Khan was a 3-star like a naga, no—higher attack and mobility. Could call it 3.5-star.
‘Let’s probe with the sling first?’
Iron balls flew at the Khan’s head. But it tilted its spear shaft, blocking effortlessly.
Darts aimed at its ankles got swatted away too. Impressive skill.
‘Not just fast feet?’
It looked stacked in strength and agility.
Illusion could win easily, but I held back.
‘They want a skill show, but can’t reveal all my cards.’
I gripped Gentle Breeze. Attacks with it were already seen by the instructor and rumors spread. No need to hide.
‘Strong Strike!’
Gentle Breeze rode the wind. Power easily over 120.
Block it lightly like the naga, and it’d lose a wrist.
‘Underestimate it. Please underestimate me.’
But the Khan was more cautious than the naga. It eyed Gentle Breeze’s path, sidestepped lightly, and dodged.
Smooth even at full gallop. Centaurs were orc upgrades for sure.
If an orc’s charge was straight short-distance, the centaur’s ‘Gallop’ turned freely.
‘But defense lower than orcs. Land one solid hit, and it’s mine.’
From blocking and dodging everything, its defense wasn’t high. Bind those fast legs, and easy win.
‘Recall!’
Gentle Breeze returned. I timed it, lunging forward with a thrust.
Front and back attack—even a Centaur Khan couldn’t block easily.
Or so I thought…
Thud thud thud!
Forgot one thing. It could move too. Much faster than me.
‘What the hell, why so fast?’
“Kiyoooo!!”
The Khan closed faster than Gentle Breeze returned. This wasn’t pincer; I’d get picked off.
Whoosh!
Pointed spear tip suddenly in my face. Gallop plus thrust shrank distance instantly, faster than expected.
‘Kuh! Tail Bite!’
Against it, Tail Bite. Duck low to dodge thrust, spin in an arc out of charge range.
‘Chance!’
Tail Bite was a counter blending dodge and attack, catching the Khan’s side.
Swish—swish—
Gentle Breeze returned right then. I thrust at its flank.
‘Can’t dodge th—’
But the Khan mocked my prediction, sidestepping fast on four legs to evade, then spinning in place to dodge Gentle Breeze.
And swung its shaft in counter. Its spin was way faster than my Tail Bite.
Guh!
Hit by the shaft, I instinctively threw a dart at its foot. One hit to bind a leg, and easy win.
But the Khan backpedaled swiftly, as if anticipating, dodging the dart.
‘Fuck, does that make sense? Sidestep, spin, backpedal—all that fast?’
Unbelievable, but I saw it. The Khan’s mobility transcended my common sense.
“D-Die, whoa!”
Plus its height meant all attacks came from above. More power, harder to dodge.
Thought of going low for ankles, but nearly ate a kick getting close.
‘Naga or Khan, it’s mobility battle. Keep up, and I’ve got a shot.’
Unlike naga fight, no helpful terrain here. Total open plain.
“Urk!”
Meanwhile, its relentless attacks left me with accumulating wounds. I countered each time, but it dodged easily.
‘Losing in mobility. Bind its legs even briefly…’
Bind. The legs. How?
Then an idea hit.
‘Dunno if it’ll work, but worth a shot.’
Out of the Khan’s sight, I tied a sling strap to a shuriken.
Not the 5-meter one for Meteor Chase, but a 1-meter one made for the sling.