Chapter 71: Awakening (2)
Chapter 71: Awakening (2)
The battle against the massive pack of wolves dragged on.
A pack of Dire Wolves usually numbered over a hundred, so even as they were slaughtered by Han Shin, Grace, and Laysia, they continued to lunge relentlessly.
Even in the heat of combat, Grace kept a constant eye on Han Shin.
Now that she had leveled up and reclaimed even a fraction of her former strength, dealing with the Dire Wolves was well within her capabilities. She was particularly adept at reading the flow of the battlefield against large numbers of beast-type monsters, a skill honed during her days as a knight.
Since Laysia was a martial artist even stronger than herself, Grace didn't feel the need to worry about her; instead, her focus remained entirely on Han Shin.
Back when she was a knight, Dire Wolves were the kind of creatures that frequently caused injuries even when apprentice knights went out on subjugation missions. Having trained Han Shin herself since he summoned her, she knew his current skill level all too well, making her concern only natural.
She stayed within arm's reach, prepared to rush to his aid the moment he fell into danger, and even went out of her way to provoke the Dire Wolves. She intentionally struck her shield with her sword, creating a sharp metallic clang. It was a technique she had used during her knighthood to threaten and taunt enemies.
Thanks to her efforts, she ensured that the Dire Wolves didn't swarm Han Shin all at once.
Laysia followed suit, intentionally making noise as she snapped the wolves' legs or crushed their skulls. She would then grab the carcasses and hurl them at any wolves attempting to approach Han Shin, successfully drawing their aggro toward herself.
Thanks to the efforts of the two women, Han Shin was able to maintain the fight with relative ease.
‘Lord Han Shin... something about him has changed.’
Grace sensed a shift. Even considering that she and Laysia were providing indirect support, Han Shin was fighting exceptionally well. She had been watching him closely, worried that a dangerous situation might arise given his current level, but she felt no such sense of crisis.
‘He isn’t using Qi... so what kind of power is he wielding?’
Grace realized that Han Shin had awakened his talent as an Awakener and was utilizing that power. There was no other explanation for someone becoming this much stronger in such a short period.
However, it was difficult to tell exactly what kind of talent he had awakened. All she could see for now was that he was moving faster and more relentlessly than before, yet his breathing remained perfectly steady.
She already knew he wasn't a Mage-type Awakener who had learned to use Mana, and she checked his weapon to see if he was a warrior using Qi, but she saw no sign of Sword Energy. Even the faintest trace of Sword Energy should have been visible, but since there was none, Grace was bewildered; Han Shin’s power was not what she had expected.
In truth, seeing his remarkable talent for handling weapons, she had inwardly speculated that he might be a warrior. Seeing that this wasn't the case left her feeling perplexed.
‘Still, Lord Han Shin has definitely grown stronger.’
Though her guess had been wrong, a sense of pride welled up within her as she watched him handle the lunging Dire Wolves with ease—striking with his shield, piercing and slashing with his sword, and steadily thinning their numbers.
*
The leader of the Dire Wolves.
The Alpha was, naturally, the Boss Monster of this dungeon. It watched with fury as its subordinates were slaughtered without being able to put up a fight. Through observation, it had already realized that these opponents were beyond its strength.
However, it also knew there was no escape. Though its nature had been turned feral by magic, its instincts as an Alpha to lead and protect its pack remained.
The Alpha moved with the intent of taking at least one of them to the grave, targeting the one who looked the weakest.
That target was, of course, Han Shin.
It was an undeniable fact that he was weaker than Grace and Laysia, and the Alpha Dire Wolf recognized this immediately. It wanted to tear out Han Shin’s throat and end his life before its pack was completely annihilated.
Its fur, stained a deeper shade of black than the average Dire Wolf, possessed a sleek sheen, and its frame was significantly larger. Standing a full head taller than the others, it was a monster possessed of a different level of power entirely, thanks to being reinforced by magic.
Normally, a creature of such size would be easily spotted when moving, but...
The Alpha Dire Wolf circled around, approaching Han Shin slowly through the dense trees and undergrowth where the light didn't reach. This monstrous wolf, larger than a bison, moved with as much silence as possible.
Its movements were filled with a lethal determination to kill Han Shin, knowing that if it slipped up even slightly, Grace and Laysia would be upon it instantly.
Meanwhile, Han Shin was fully immersed in the rhythm of battle, his body moving instinctively as he slashed and stabbed at the lunging wolves.
He slammed his shield down on the face of a Dire Wolf that lunged for his hand, shattering its snout. Seizing that opening, he lunged toward another wolf pouncing from his right, dropping his stance low and slashing his sword across its form as he passed.
Riiip!
The wolf’s belly was sliced open cleanly, spilling hot blood and entrails onto the ground. It was a sight that would have turned the stomach of most ordinary people, but Han Shin felt nothing of the sort.
Ever since becoming the Proxy of Tiamat, he had strangely felt himself becoming stronger in every aspect, and his recovery rate had improved. In truth, Han Shin had felt a bit nauseous at first, but he had adapted so quickly that the feeling had long since vanished.
"Huff... huff..."
Han Shin regulated his breathing exactly as Grace had taught him. She had told him that during a prolonged battle, it was better to breathe in a steady rhythm rather than gasping for air, and he was following that advice to the letter. It had already become a habit he performed naturally without conscious thought.
Since he had been fighting almost without rest since the battle began, Han Shin prepared himself for the next opponent.
‘What is this?’
A chilling sensation washed over him. It was a feeling he had never experienced before. Han Shin instinctively knew that something was targeting him.
Rustle! Rustle!
The Alpha Dire Wolf burst through the thicket. Larger and darker than any of the others, the Alpha leaped directly at Han Shin. The Dire Wolves were already agile for their size, but this creature was on another level.
‘The Boss!’
Han Shin immediately recognized the identity of the creature targeting him. It was clearly stronger than the others, and he understood why his senses had screamed a warning. Sensing the crisis, he realized he needed to move faster and swing his sword with more power.
It was clear that simply raising his shield to block the attack would be difficult. His shield wasn't large enough to cover his entire body, and the wickedly glowing claws and the sharp teeth visible in the beast's gaping maw were more than capable of shredding flesh and crushing bone.
Han Shin judged that to avoid this attack, he couldn't just stay low; he had to jump high.
The Power of Tiamat resided within his body. He had been using it unconsciously until now, but now he recognized this power and knew he could direct it.
Thud!
Han Shin kicked off the ground. He reinforced his physical body with the Power of Tiamat that permeated his being to propel himself upward.
He soared ten meters into the air with an ease that felt absurd even to himself.
The Alpha was stunned as its target vanished in an instant.
Boom!
The sound of a heavy body crashing into the ground echoed. It was only natural, as the beast was too massive to land silently after launching itself with the sole intent of killing Han Shin.
As the Alpha looked around to find where Han Shin had gone, it felt a cold sensation at the crown of its head. It realized its mistake, but it was already too late.
Falling back toward the ground, Han Shin gripped his sword in a reverse grip and aimed precisely for the Dire Wolf’s head.
The result was almost anticlimactic; the Alpha was killed instantly, its brain pierced by Han Shin’s single strike.
Seeing their leader fall to Han Shin, the remaining Dire Wolves were visibly shaken. It was only natural for them to be agitated when their pack leader—the strongest among them—had been killed in a single blow.
Though they didn't think of fleeing, as they had been turned feral by the dungeon's magic, they became a disorganized rabble and were suppressed with much greater ease.
Grace and Laysia were both stunned that Han Shin had handled the Boss Monster on his own. They both decided that they would need to have a word with him once the remaining stragglers were wiped out.