The First Defeat
Most of the bone arrows didn't even reach the Cyclops Giant. Only a few struck its legs or thighs, dealing minor damage.
That was because of the order Mu-hyuk had given. They had to be extra careful not to hit its eye.
Hmm, again...
It was at that moment.
The giant lifted its leg high.
"All units, retreat!"
Mu-hyuk issued the command hastily, but the skeletons' slightly awkward movements made it hard for them to evade perfectly.
Boom!
A shockwave erupted, sweeping over the skeletons.
Several Bone Sword skeletons tumbled across the floor.
Still, none were unsummoned, so it could be called a relief.
Bone Bows, continuous...
Mu-hyuk suddenly halted his command as a thought struck him.
Something felt off.
What if...
Even with maximum caution, arrows had no eyes—they could miss the mark.
What if one accidentally hit the giant's eye by mistake?
Come to think of it, magic attacks were dangerous too.
They'd damage the eye.
He wanted to use them.
Arrows and magic were reliable ways to deal clear damage to the beast.
But he decided to eliminate the risk.
"......"
In the end, only one option remained.
Bone Swords and Enhanced Bones.
And the knight aspirants to face it.
"All units, hold position!"
"Yes, sir!"
Once the shockwave fully dissipated.
"Attack!"
At Mu-hyuk's command, the aspirants kicked off the ground.
Whoosh.
In that gap, Mu-hyuk canceled the summons of the Mages and Bone Bows. Only then did his slowly depleting MP start to recover.
Mu-hyuk watched the situation, sending in Bone Swords and Enhanced Bones with restored HP whenever the aspirants fell back, harassing the Cyclops Giant.
Of course, the aspirants rested when the skeletons stepped up.
They took turns like that, steadily whittling away at the giant's HP for a long while, but the end was still nowhere in sight.
Perhaps because of that, the aspirants' expressions grew stiff as time passed. They were exhausted both physically and mentally.
"Attack again!"
They couldn't even shout battle cries anymore.
"Haa, haa..."
They ran with labored breaths, heavy with fatigue.
They swung their swords while circling the Cyclops Giant.
When it attacked, they thrust out their shields to minimize the impact, but those small shocks had accumulated, straining their wrists and shoulders.
It hurts.
Painful.
The thought came unbidden.
"Hup...!"
Even their sword swings wobbled.
In that instant, they spotted the giant's fist.
Watching its swinging trajectory, aspirant Parkun thrust out his shield.
Bang!
The shock traveled up his aching wrist and shoulder.
Ugh...!
As these moments repeated, their bodies grew heavier.
That's where the mistake began.
Feeling no impact from the shield, he assumed the giant's attack had stopped—as it naturally would.
Parkun followed the ingrained pattern.
No shock.
So, counterattack.
His body moved on instinct.
Swish.
He raised his upper body and thrust the sword in his right hand forward. His shield lowered belatedly, clearing his vision.
Parkun's eyes widened for a split second. The Cyclops Giant's attack wasn't over.
It had swung its fist with an even larger motion than usual, which was why no shock had come.
And unfortunately, with his upper body slightly bent, the sword he thrust out was now in a straight line with the giant's eye.
"No!"
Mu-hyuk, who had been watching, shouted, but it was too late to alter the trajectory.
"Hup...!"
A chilling sensation raced up his arm.
Parkun's body froze.
"Ah..."
It was because of the mad, feral aura emanating from the Cyclops Giant.
Grrr, grrr...
Its wounded eye squeezed shut.
Its senses would sharpen to extremes, and its destructive power and movements would reach an entirely new level.
And that beast stomped its foot.
Boom.
The motion was shorter, the shockwave fiercer.
"Kuh!"
"Dodge, get away!"
The shockwave swept over the aspirants.
The fierce wind even affected Mu-hyuk.
Damn...!
He could only raise his arm to shield his eyes.
Once the powerful aftershock passed.
He finally lowered his arm and checked ahead.
All Aspirants Down!
All the aspirants lay scattered on the ground.
Groaning in pain.
*
The Cyclops Giant moved.
To kill the aspirants who lay fallen, unable to move, only groaning.
Grrr...
He couldn't let them die.
For the quest reward?
No, that wasn't even on his mind now.
Then why?
Because he didn't want to see them die.
He had grown attached.
Yes.
That reason was enough.
Whoosh.
He kicked off the ground.
Wind Step.
He finally used the skill from the Grokion set.
Mu-hyuk remembered it clearly.
He had rewatched videos of users using Wind Step countless times.
What he felt from those videos was one thing: Wind Step truly shone in desperate, bloody close-quarters combat, sword in hand.
Yeah, I can do this.
As he advanced, he scooped up a sword and shield from the floor.
Perhaps because of the sudden burst of speed.
For a moment, the world seemed to slow down—an illusion.
At the same time, a line appeared before his eyes. Following it, he instantly closed in on the Cyclops Giant.
He passed by it at full charge speed, slashing with his sword.
Slash.
Added speed boosted cutting power.
Damage the same?
Of course.
But the process and outcome were definitely different.
Like the Cyclops Giant's severed finger now.
Grrroar!
*
Everything looked different.
The Cyclops Giant's movements, the tiny gaps between—now captured as lines in his vision.
Its fists and legs whipped in from all directions, terrifyingly fast.
Terrifying destructive power.
Yet fear didn't grip him.
Mu-hyuk was using Wind Step too.
In that speed, the giant's movements were clear.
But...
Mu-hyuk furrowed his brow and swung his sword again.
Slash.
This time, a deep gash along its side.
Silver blood sprayed.
A bit more, faster.
He had the advantage, but he had to hurry.
Wind Step consumed 20 MP per second.
Mu-hyuk's remaining MP was barely 1,400.
Enough for about 1 minute 20 seconds at most.
To react to the berserk beast's movements, he had no choice but to use Wind Step—but the time was too short, too limited.
In the end, one way forward.
Inflict maximum damage.
That was all Mu-hyuk could do.
While also saving the aspirants.
Slash.
After slicing its thigh, he scooped up a nearby aspirant and hurled him far away.
No choice, to protect from the impending shockwave.
That was when it happened.
The giant raised its leg.
Damn!
Fortunately, Mu-hyuk was close; he closed in and targeted the opposite ankle.
But a descending fist blocked his path.
No choice—he grazed it, severing another finger.
But that was it.
Boom!
The shockwave erupted in all directions.
"Kuh!"
Mu-hyuk flew backward too.
Wind Step canceled instantly.
Damn, Wind Step!
He reactivated it, closing distance while scanning around.
The aspirants, knocked down earlier, had been swept back by the shockwave.
Most twitched faintly, but two showed no movement at all.
Anxiety surged.
No...!
He wanted to check their status first.
But he couldn't.
The Cyclops Giant was berserk.
Cursing inwardly, he followed the new line before his eyes.
Wind whistled above his head.
The giant, targeting the approaching Mu-hyuk, smashed down with its fist. The line distorted, reappearing elsewhere.
Hup!
Mu-hyuk followed it.
The world warped.
Like shattered pieces fitting back together, reality reformed.
In that instant, he saw it.
Himself behind the giant.
He thrust his sword belatedly.
Stab.
A wound in its waist—but a bit slow.
The berserk beast was already swinging its fist at him again.
Damn...
Time was running out.
About 20 seconds left?
He'd focus on the giant till the end.
They clashed fiercely, intertwined.
Meanwhile.
Aspirant Parkun, watching, couldn't hide his shock.
The movements were visible, but exaggerated, it was like beams of light clashing and striking each other.
That fast. A bit darker inside, and eyes couldn't follow.
"Ah, ahh..."
The fierce exchange lasted quite a while.
Or so it felt.
About 20 seconds, actually?
Then Mu-hyuk abruptly stopped.
The Cyclops Giant's kick, stained with wounds all over, struck him, sending him flying powerlessly through the air.
Thud.
He crashed into the wall and fell.
"Ugh..."
He groaned, lifting his head.
Pain was minimal.
But MP was depleted, and HP had dropped by hundreds from that single kick.
Victory was gone.
So close...
Mu-hyuk thought even then.
A bit more time, and he could've slain it.
The Cyclops Giant was that battered.
Swish.
Mu-hyuk turned, eyes meeting Kokon's.
"Kokon."
"Y-yes, Captain!"
"Oun."
"Yes...?"
"You're the only two who look fine. Take your comrades and head to the 6th floor."
"What about you, Captain?"
"I'll go once you're all down. Hurry."
"But..."
"Now!"
Oun and Kokon hesitated.
But under his firm gaze, they sighed and hurriedly hoisted their comrades.
As knight aspirants, they had the strength—carrying two or three at a time.
"Whew."
Mu-hyuk smiled faintly and downed the MP potion he'd prepared just in case.
MP (20) recovers every 10 seconds.
Wind Step impossible.
Skeleton summons were better.
"Bone Sword summon."
He sent Enhanced Bones and Bone Swords forward.
The madly charging Cyclops Giant trampled the Bone Swords mercilessly.
But Enhanced Bone 1 and 2 blocked its rush somewhat.
Though pushed back hard, they charged again, clashing to buy time.
"Archer summon. Mage summon."
Now he summoned Bone Bows and Bone Mages.
Rapid fire.
Magic attacks.
Bone arrows flew, four elemental magics striking the giant.
Kaboom!
Mu-hyuk used Powerful Arrow Shot too.
Blessing of the Dead.
He even healed Enhanced Bone 2.
Swish.
Glancing around, Mu-hyuk smiled softly.
All aspirants had descended to the 6th floor.
Roaaar!
But the giant didn't fall.
It seemed even angrier.
Roaring, it grabbed Enhanced Bone 1 and hurled it.
Then pounded Enhanced Bone 2's shield repeatedly.
Bang, boom!
Finally, Enhanced Bone 2 shattered.
Grrr...
Closing in, it casually crushed the Bone Bows and Bone Mages.
Haa, how do you even beat that?
Of course, without avoiding the eye, it might've been possible.
Pushing aside regret, he maximized distance. But its movements were on another level.
Without Wind Step, dodging was impossible.
In the end, the Cyclops Giant's fist struck him, slamming him into the wall again.
Rushing at him, it swung its leg at his face.
Thud, thud!
Consecutive kicks battered him.
HP reaches 0.
You have died.
Excluding suicides and reckless early dungeon runs.
This was his first proper defeat in a real fight.