The Tyrant's Demise
A little while later.
I headed toward the water’s edge with Lee Jiyoung in tow.
“A-are we hunting right away?”
“What better training is there than real combat?”
“Still, it’s a bit…”
Lee Jiyoung trailed off, her words hanging in the air.
She looked much younger than she had in my previous life, of course. But seeing the woman who would one day earn the title Wall of Lamentation fidgeting like a nervous new hire was genuinely refreshing.
“You called me Master earlier, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Then stop doubting and trust me. It’ll go well.”
Her mouth fell open in shock.
Maybe I sounded too confident for someone with zero evidence?
No. I had seen her future. I knew exactly what she was capable of.
Her talent and potential were anything but ordinary. Did she think becoming a High Ranker was easy? Outstanding unique abilities alone weren’t enough to rise above countless other players and claim that title.
“I-I’ll give it a try!”
Her voice rang with firm resolve.
Good. She’d hold up fine in actual combat.
“What’s the maximum range of your barrier?”
“One hundred meters.”
“Perfect. I’ll lure the fish into range. The moment it collides, activate your barrier.”
“Yes!”
Splash!
I dove straight into the lake.
When I spread Ultrasound through the water, the positions of the monsters became clear.
Contractor, I am not certain this woman will truly be of help.
Oh come on, just wait and see.
This goddess really only spoke up when I couldn’t talk back.
I used Embrace of Greed to corrupt the water around me, provoking the sleeping catfish nearby.
A pair of round eyes snapped open. The Tyrant Catfish spotted me and charged immediately.
Same pattern as the iron carp, only 1.5 times faster. Its body was also larger, so I guessed its ramming power was easily double that of the carp.
I seized control of the surrounding water with Embrace of Greed.
My mana drained rapidly. This was the only way to restrain the creature even for a moment.
The Tyrant Catfish is a master of hit-and-run.
Its entire body was slick and slippery. Unlike the iron carp, it never stayed still after impact. It would strike and immediately retreat, circling wide before charging again.
If I failed to catch it on the first rush, the hunt would become nearly impossible.
That was why Lee Jiyoung’s role was crucial.
I spread both arms wide and waited for the Tyrant Catfish to come.
Spine Armor durability decreased by 17%.
The Spine Armor, reinforced by the iron carp’s essence and Iron Scales, absorbed quite a bit of the impact.
I reached out with both arms toward the Tyrant Catfish now pressed against my chest.
My hands kept slipping. With no footing underwater, it was difficult to apply full strength.
“Gururung.”
The catfish thrashed from side to side. I was far stronger, but the underwater penalty made it hard to hold on.
At that moment—
Vibration Barrier × 2
A rainbow-colored barrier formed over the catfish’s head and belly.
Ziiiiiing!
The vibrations emitted by the barrier used the monster’s own body as a medium and amplified.
The fish’s movements have slowed!
Nyx sounded surprised. Of course she was.
The true use of vibration wasn’t limited to pure destruction. By placing objects at regular intervals, you could slow movement without pulverizing the target. It was a form of debuff.
Much easier than grinding an enemy down to the molecular level.
She was trembling earlier, but she’s doing great now!
As expected of a future High Ranker.
I smiled faintly and activated Sharp Claws.
A dark crimson aura settled over my razor-sharp nails.
Embrace of Greed could only corrupt one property at a time. Since the barrier was handling the restraint, I shifted the corruption toward boosting my attack power.
Blood Claw Technique activated.
Both feet are off the ground. Martial power reduced.
Even though it was a claw technique, using it underwater meant I couldn’t exert full strength. Martial arts required proper stances involving both arms and legs, after all.
I had no choice but to accept the penalty.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
My Sharp Claws-enhanced hands tore relentlessly into the slippery hide of the Tyrant Catfish.
Red blood bloomed through the blue water. Unlike the fight with the iron carp, this hunt was drenched in gore.
The catfish twisted wildly. At first it rammed me with its head, then opened its maw and tried to bite.
But—
Spine Armor durability decreased by 8%.
Spine Armor durability decreased by 7%.
The armor, strengthened by the iron carp’s essence, absorbed most of the damage.
The Tyrant Catfish had grown desperate and tried to bite me, but—
That’s actually better for me.
Stepping on its tongue stabilized my posture.
My claws traced even more dazzling arcs.
Some time later, the Tyrant Catfish suddenly stopped moving.
Acquired 0.9% experience.
The system announced the monster’s death. The hunt had taken more than twice as long as the iron carp fight.
Truly impressive. Your insight is always precise!
Nyx sounded impressed.
What, this is enough to surprise you?
I used Devour to consume the Tyrant Catfish’s corpse.
* * *
◈ One essence of the same type has been perfectly absorbed.
◈ New skill acquired — Gills
Gills
Grade: ★
Type: Passive
Allows breathing underwater. Resistance while moving in water is reduced by 20%.
Oho! The ability we needed has finally appeared!
Nyx cheered.
The ability to breathe underwater, plus a bonus that reduced water resistance. This would definitely help in underwater combat against Ness.
I experimentally opened my mouth underwater.
Fresh air seeped into my lungs. Even when I filled my mouth with water, there was no discomfort.
“The effect is solid.”
My voice spread clearly through the water.
Now I could answer Nyx even when she spoke underwater.
Contractor, are you now going to slay that Ness creature?
“Not yet. I need more preparation to hunt it.”
Did you not say there were no more essences worth devouring in this lake?
“My arsenal isn’t limited to Devour alone.”
I tapped my temple with my right hand.
Devour was powerful, but my mind contained all the knowledge from my previous life.
Information is power. Even if my raw strength was lacking, proper use of information let me defeat any enemy.
Contractor, will that woman also participate in the hunt for Ness?
“No. Ness’s territory is deeper in the lake. I can’t bring her there.”
Rainbow Island’s lake was the most dangerous area on the tutorial floor. Lee Jiyoung didn’t have the ability to move freely underwater like I did, and the main battlefield lay beyond the maximum range of her barrier. Asking for her help there was impossible.
I explained the situation to her.
“Then this is as far as I go.”
“Not bad for a one-day master, right?”
“One-day? Master Jinho, you are my eternal teacher.”
Lee Jiyoung bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
She really is a fine child.
Oh? She had sounded displeased at first, but her opinion seemed to have changed quickly.
“How much did your level rise?”
“Thanks to Master’s grace, I reached level 17.”
For reference, her level had been only 7 before we formed a party. Raising it by ten levels in less than half a day… the Tyrant Catfish really was strong. She had gained this much experience even though she hadn’t dealt direct damage.
We didn’t obtain any byproducts from the monster’s corpse, but Lee Jiyoung looked as if she had gained something far more valuable.
“This is the end of our team activities.”
Player Yu Jinho has left the party.
Insufficient members. The party has been automatically disbanded.
I had accelerated the awakening of Lee Jiyoung’s ability by several years. The rest was up to her.
“The next time we meet, I will have perfect control over my barrier.”
She left with a confident stride. It reminded me of the Wall of Lamentation I remembered from the future.
That child will become strong.
“I think so too.”
It is thanks to the time you invested in guiding her.
“Guiding? It was mutual benefit.”
Helping Lee Jiyoung wasn’t purely out of nostalgia for my previous life. I had needed her help to hunt the Tyrant Catfish more easily.
After the hunt ended, I leaned my back against a tree near the lake.
This was my second rest since the red cave. Even with Blessing of the Earth Mother, I couldn’t ignore accumulated fatigue.
A wide yawn escaped my mouth.
You feel fatigue as well.
“Obviously. I’m a human with blood flowing through my veins.”
I thought what flowed through your veins was not blood.
“Are you serious?”
Hehe, it was a jest.
Nyx let out a soft laugh.
How boring.
Is it now time to hunt the ruler of the lake?
“Let me check my status first.”
I opened my status window.
5★ Dragon Heart
3★ Superhuman Strength / Sixth Sense / Cold Blood
2★ Eagle Eye / Spine Armor / Roar / Acid Blood / Mud Trap / Three Talents Qi Gong / Blood Claw Technique
1★ Sharp Claws / Dissolve / Agile Hind Legs / Gills / Fire / Blaze / Energy Bolt / Regeneration / Blood Drain
Blessing of the Earth Mother — Rank 1
Embrace of Greed — Rank 1
Total stats over 500. That was without counting item bonuses. It was on par with players who had just entered the early level 100 range.
The number of skills I had absorbed through Devour had already surpassed twenty.
At this point, I was confident I could win even if the Swamp Demon King and the Blood Mountain Lord attacked me at the same time.
This was the result of devouring the essences of every monster on Rainbow Island.
Contractor, I have a question.
“What is it?”
That giant snake called Ness. Is there any rule saying only you may target that monster?
“Only if someone has a death wish.”
A small chuckle escaped my lips.
The ruler of the lake, the giant serpent Ness, was known among players as the so-called “graduation assignment.”
It was the strongest monster on the tutorial stage. It never left the lake, so any hunt required accepting a massive terrain penalty.
“It’s literally the final boss of the tutorial.”
I see.
“Just to be sure, shall we check?”
I activated the stage leaderboard.
Looking at the top players’ scores would give me a good idea of this batch’s overall level. Back in the day, I used to bet on tutorial outcomes pretty accurately.
While scanning the tutorial status, my eyes suddenly stopped on one particular line.
“Goddess, put the Ness hunt on hold.”
What happened?
“There’s something I need to hunt before that snake.”
I kicked off the ground and stood up.