Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: 17. Countdown (6)
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There was no time to sort out his thoughts right now.
The moment his vision shifted, Kang San drew in a sharp breath at the sight of the werewolf lunging toward him and dodged the attack.
Whoosh—!
It was slow.
Part of it was the aftermath of his boosted stats, but sensing the killing intent allowed him to react with a full breath's leeway in every evasion. That made a significant difference. He calmly sidestepped the werewolf's ferocious charges and relentless swings, then sliced open its chest in a single breath.
Slash.
Splatter—!
4%.
It signified the evolution of the Blood Demon Art.
Unable to check the details right now, Kang San focused on dealing with the werewolves in front of him. About ten more. Only once his attack power reached 40% did the pesky foes finally vanish from sight.
He caught his breath.
His mind and body were far from normal, so he took his time focusing on recovery instead of rushing.
Variables don't account for the situation.
For Kang San, securing a physical state ready to handle variables took precedence over verifying changes.
'First, the Blood Demon Art.'
The upgrades were straightforward.
Attack power per kill rose from 3% to 4%, the upgrade condition shifted from 1,000 kills to 2,000, and the base attack boost climbed from 30% to 40%. It was a massive leap overall. Unbeknownst to Kang San, he'd slain exactly 1,000 werewolves here over the past month.
He clicked his tongue.
Truth be told, when he first checked the Blood Demon Art's info, he hadn't expected it to meet the second condition and evolve.
But another fact from the details stood out: the Blood Demon Art's stats no longer rose from mere werewolves. Kang San's abilities now matched C-Rank level. Same-tier werewolves no longer influenced the Blood Demon Art's fourth star. If they did, his accumulated stats wouldn't read zero kills.
Next.
Blood Demon Sword Art, Third Form.
The effects lived up to expectations.
If he could unleash a 100% attack power boost as an area attack, it would dominate crowds. Back when the Blood Demon faced the Nangong clan's pursuit squad, foes caught in Explosive Kill's devastation were utterly helpless.
'The power is impressive, but...'
Suddenly.
A memory surfaced.
The Blood Demon descending on the village.
And the sight of him massacring the people—it made the Blood Demon Art feel unwelcome.
But he didn't waver as much as before.
Kang San had already classified the Blood Demon as a villain.
Separating that life from his own, he resolved to judge all derived powers solely on their technical value. No amount of struggle would alter his past life. With repeated memories yielding unchanging truths, Kang San severed emotional ties to his previous incarnation with a few steadying breaths.
He let the memories flow away.
He was living a new life now, and clinging to the past achieved nothing.
Swish, swish.
Wiping the blood and flesh from his blade, he prepared for whatever came next.
Two months later.
Kang San's time felt longer, but it was ample for events to unfold outside.
'When will big bro come out?'
Jeong Chan-woo.
While prepping for a raid, he fiddled with his gear, a glum expression crossing his face.
Having heard about Kang San from Jo Han-byeol, he'd figured he'd see him again in about a month. But a month came and went with no word. The first month, he'd been honing basics at the training grounds, but then Jo Han-byeol's relayed "warning" from Kang San echoed in his mind.
"...So pass this on to the others. Tell them to give their all and improve themselves. If they don't put in maximum effort while I'm gone, the gap between us will widen more than they think."
Kang San's words.
He hadn't paid them much mind at first.
But as Kang San's absence dragged on, mulling them over, he realized he couldn't just coast like before. There was already a massive gap between him and Kang San. If it widened even further as Kang San implied, could they still party together?
Impossible.
He hadn't slacked the first month, but Jeong Chan-woo knew he needed more growth.
That's why he tapped Heavenly Firmament connections.
Through his manager, he found a party, joining today's raid like usual.
Heavenly Firmament affiliate.
C-Rank hunter Yoo Soo-young said,
"This raid is in the Red Troll habitat, a C-Rank hunting ground. These monsters outclass regular D-Rank trolls physically, so do not push yourselves. Understood?"
"Yes."
Yoo Soo-young's gaze turned to Jeong Chan-woo.
This raid.
For Jeong Chan-woo, it was just another in his routine. But to Yoo Soo-young, he was an unwelcome tagalong.
Her party could've handled it solo, but requests to include him couldn't be ignored. He was Heavenly Firmament too, after all. Son of a high exec—background too heavy to refuse.
And the result?
The current mess.
Jeong Chan-woo wasn't arrogant, but Yoo Soo-young voiced concerns again anyway.
"Remember—no pushing it."
Things progressed smoothly.
Heavenly Firmament members were skilled, but as time passed, Yoo Soo-young sensed Jeong Chan-woo's presence.
"Guardian Shield."
Boom—!
Jeong Chan-woo's role.
Sub-tanker.
With a main tanker already in Yoo Soo-young's party, she just wanted him handling spillover mobs. He stuck to it without deviation. The issue? Even that provided tremendous stability.
Just like now.
The moment the Red Troll noticed the rear, Jeong Chan-woo had already pulled its aggro with Guardian Shield.
And then,
"Three ahead, one behind. No rush. Clear the back first, nice and steady."
Jeong Chan-woo assessed calmly.
Yoo Soo-young was a dealer.
So his playstyle was obvious.
'Makes it easy. He tracks the battlefield, handles everything, so I can focus purely on damage.'
The details differed.
Blocking rear attackers was basic, but he secured space perfectly as her skill cooldowns ticked. Not just that— he'd dash forward to assist if the front strained, then ghost back if the rear threatened. She'd viewed him skeptically at first, but stability grew undeniable.
'This guy's no parachute.'
With skills like this.
They should recruit him.
Then.
Crack!
Thud.
Jeong Chan-woo suddenly slammed sideways.
A Red Troll had hurled a rock ambush-style, and he'd intercepted before Yoo Soo-young registered it.
"You okay!?"
"Yeah, fine."
Jeong Chan-woo dusted off.
Truly unharmed.
He'd activated Iron Body the instant he spotted it, boosting defense on impact and minimizing damage. Calmly, he resumed guarding Yoo Soo-young's front. As if it were nothing, just sub-tanker duty.
That sight.
'...He's the real deal.'
Jeong Chan-woo no longer seemed an intruder.
Raid ended.
Before loot split, Yoo Soo-young huddled her party.
"Jeong Chan-woo. Thoughts?"
"I like him a lot."
"Never played like a plain D-Rank anyway. Figured a parachute like him couldn't hack regular parties, but sub-tanking? Perfect. You all saw—Red Troll breaches? He blocks timely. Calculates cooldowns for positioning. Not easy. Little more growth, he'll hit C-Rank fast."
"Asking means you're recruiting, right? Hundred percent yes."
Consensus formed.
He impressed.
Other roles, maybe—but a free agent tanker? Unheard of.
'Heard he had a party before...'
Didn't matter.
D-Rank party was basically solo.
Gem in the rough.
Yoo Soo-young pulled Jeong Chan-woo aside.
He'd stayed for settlement, puzzled by the sudden call.
"What's up?"
"Straight to it. We want to recruit you. Word is you hop parties for raids. How about fixed with us? You'd climb to C-Rank quick. And as you know, we're Heavenly Firmament."
"... ."
Tempting offer.
But.
Jeong Chan-woo didn't bite immediately.
Staring at Yoo Soo-young, his voice lacked excitement.
"First, corrections. I hop parties not because they reject me, but to experience variables from different setups. Same scenario, different members—variables and counters change entirely. That said, I agree I need a steady party short-term. But one condition."
Last two months.
Jeong Chan-woo reflected constantly.
What he did wrong, lacks, how Kang San would've handled it.
Dozens of raids.
Dozens of variables.
Dozens of offers.
Each time, Jeong Chan-woo asked,
"This raid—what was I lacking? If it's a critique I accept, I'll consider Yoo Soo-young's offer."