087. The Unbeatable Enemy: Neutral Monster
Neutral monsters were unbeatable foes designed to snag artifacts, stir up chaotic skirmishes, or simply loom as threats across the map. And though they were called monsters, they didn't always take on grotesque, beastly forms. The key to handling them? Basic intel on the damn things. Just like knowing an opponent's swordplay let you dismantle it effortlessly, the more you knew about bosses, the bigger your edge.
But a newbie fresh off promotion to Second Division wouldn't know jack about bosses.
Even if it was a familiar boss, executing the strategy firsthand was a whole different beast. No way they'd just roll over and win. Dare to steal the Rookie of the Year from Jihu, our team's ace who pulled off superplays with 1v2s nearly every match in Second Division?
With solid backing like that—Lee Geun-taek circling the wagons—it reeked of favoritism. This was their shot. Time to strip that sorry excuse for a player bare. Sure, it'd tarnish Lee Geun-taek's rep as Korea's hunter poster boy, but whatever. Blame the doddering old fool chasing pipe dreams of handing artifacts to that punk as his successor.
"Let's get started. Picking the monster might give one side an edge, so random it is. Cool with you?"
"Yeah. Do whatever."
The guy smirked as he said it. What a prick. Hated how he'd talked back to Kang Jun-hyuk at the awards too. Nothing about him sat right.
Type: Neutral Monster Response Training, Random. Starting.
With a crowd of hunters packed around the machine, the match kicked off. Stepping into the arena revealed a dim, sprawling cave.
What monster is this?
The murky vibe ratcheted up the tension. Then, suddenly, torches embedded in the walls ignited one by one—like cueing up a epic boss fight in a game. Instinct screamed: this wasn't any boss he'd faced before.
A dungeon with staging like this? Too infamous not to know...
As the flames fully lit the vast cavern, something writhed at the center. Thud. Crack. Massive bones erupted from the floor, mimicking a colossal human skeleton. Arms first, clawing out from underground, hauling its full frame into view.
No way... that thing...
Skeletons were dime-a-dozen. Cloaked ones? Not weird. But a Skeleton Knight this size? Towering like a damn skyscraper, utterly overwhelming.
***
Meanwhile, outside, the stadium buzzed over the beast that had spawned.
"Whoa... a Skeleton Knight. But that size? First time seeing one like this. You ever run into something like this, senpai?"
"I check the neutral monster compendium religiously, but this is new to me. Normal Skeleton Knights are just fodder—human-sized trash mobs, not boss-tier."
The hunters watching perked up, sensing drama.
"So random pulled an uncharted neutral monster?"
"Uncharteds are pure fundamentals. No strats for either side."
"Size aside, it's still a Skeleton Knight. X-tier fodder, right?"
Officially undebuted in league play, these were dubbed "uncharted monsters" by the public. Not entirely accurate—they were Tower vets from the 1st gen hunters' frontline brawls. Still, league players focused on frequent spawns; no time to cram every obscure threat.
That challenger from Second Division—who'd so cockily called out Lee Chang-hyun—wasn't faring great.
"Oh, charging in already?"
"Melee DPS. Obvious play."
Air Anchors let him aerial-dodge the Skeleton Knight's massive sword swings. Swinging pendulum-style between anchors, he rocketed to head level in a flash.
Clang!!
A searing beam of light slammed his blade into the skull. Mana-reinforced, plus some skill ripple—vibrations practically visible. But...
"Damn... that looked brutal, yet the skull's pristine."
"Heh. Kid's in for it."
"No dent? Time for plan B."
"If all the bones are that tough, he's cooked."
Not a scratch on the behemoth. Whispers spread: tougher than expected.
"How would you handle it, Lee Min-seok sunbae?"
"Hmm... Sword-proof armor. Tricky, but you know my style."
"True. You'd shred it easy with your ability. Me too... Stuff like this needs a skill to pierce that defense."
Kang Jun-hyuk crossed his arms. Lee Min-seok nodded agreement.
"Neither looks packing enough punch... Attrition war, then. Who outlasts the Knight."
"Yeah. Thought we'd see fireworks. Not this grind."
As the Second Division player flailed against the unbreakable giant, fun news dropped.
"Whoa... he's not turtling? Firing guns too—mana hogs. No damage, still blasting away."
"..."
Lee Min-seok turned. True enough.
Smart kid... why the spam?
Some trick to drop it? Nah—bullets barely scratched. Mystery deepened.
***
Hunters League had a quirky structure. Third Division differed from Second Division; Second Division from First Division; First Division from international. One constant: bigger stages demanded more from hunters.
Third Division was teamfight focus. Second Division+ added neutral monster competence.
Uncharted neutral, though... didn't see that coming.
Even pre-regression, he'd never tangled with this one. Pure fundamentals clash—raw hunting basics.
Neutrals weren't PvP; different flavor entirely. Classify by type, pinpoint shared weaknesses, plot approach, flag pitfalls. Total hunting playbook.
And basics start with observation.
First: behavior, type, potential weak spots.
Boss-grade, so special patterns possible...
Core moves: Sword fast, but dodgeable. Air Anchor/Beat made it comfy—til mana dipped, then dicey. Gear guzzled mana; track it.
Monster basics mapped. Time to strike.
Standard Skeleton Knight weak spot: head. Smash skull, done. Loaded a Mana Bomber mag.
One-shot would be sweet...
Doubtful. Not like shooting shielded foes—unpredictable. Bang! Rat-tat! Boom!!
Detonation shock rippled the air. Dust cleared... skull untouched.
Not even a nick...
Tough nut. Strongest firepower bounced? Damage options zilch.
...Or so you'd think.
Most would've bailed to survival mode. Not him.
No teeth? Use gums.
Pre-regression horrors dwarfed this. Key: never quit. Rationalize, chunk problems. Fastest solve.
Issue: Head too tanky.
Option one: Small Knights? Head spot-on. But this skyscraper—same?
Don't assume unverified. Blasted everywhere—arms, shoulders, ribs, legs, feet. Nope.
All bones same durability?
Or just tanky frame, head still vital? Unprovable.
Minamino Takumi? Cakewalk. Piercing Eye showed squat.
Last resort: bone-on-bone smash.
Dove in. Knight ditched sword, hand-grabbed—fat chance.
Drilled core, legs, ace Anchor mobility laughed at slowpoke. Ransacked its guard... but no self-pummeling dummy.
Wanted wild swings for collision... too smart.
High-tiers had brains. Knew self-hits wouldn't dent its own armor.
No answers. Yet thrill surged.
Near-impossible puzzles always had solutions on review.
I'll find it.
That was all.