Chapter 113. Glad I Fought Him

Park Sung-Hyun was a pilot stationed at an airstrip in Seoul, awaiting further orders. The main hunting party had already been deployed, with his senior transporting them all the way to Haenam. Meanwhile, he was left behind as a contingency plan, in case additional support was needed.

I might not even have to deploy,

he thought as he relaxed in the waiting room, idly watching TV.

The media had been endlessly hyping up the danger of the Therianthropes and the terrifying S-rank dungeon, which had him on edge. But in reality, things seemed to be going smoothly, with the hunting party dominating.

The star of the show was undoubtedly Ko Cheong-Cheon, whose actions were so ruthless and graphic that the footage had to be censored. Monsters exploded like ants under his heel, bursting with violent precision.

Well, it’s been years since the Therianthropes were first discovered...

Hunters' combat skills had evolved quickly, keeping up with the rapid changes of the modern world. Moreover, there were four S-rank Hunters in that dungeon, with each having cleared several S-rank dungeons in the past. So, there was no reason to panic.

Feeling somewhat reassured, Park Sung-Hyun tossed a peanut into his mouth, eyes still glued to the screen. Just then, the door burst open with a bang.

“Captain Park!”

Park Sung-Hyun choked on his peanut, coughing violently.

“

Cough, cough!”

Park Sung-Hyun swallowed the peanut while glaring at his subordinate in annoyance.

“

Phew

... What’s going on?” Park Sung-Hyun asked.

“President Son Chang-Il is on his way here with reinforcements. He wants us to prepare to depart immediately,” the subordinate replied.

“Reinforcements?” Park Sung-Hyun turned back toward the TV, puzzled.

The hunting party didn’t even look like they needed extra help...

However, he wasn’t a Hunter, so he wasn’t an expert on these things. Maybe there was something only those on the ground could see. He should just follow orders.

“Alright, I can go right away. How many do we have?” Park Sung-Hyun asked.

“Well...” The subordinate hesitated, squinting as if unsure how to say it.

“Spit it out already,” Park Sung-Hyun snapped, growing impatient.

“Just one. And... he’s only an A-rank,” the subordinate replied.

“What?” Park Sung-Hyun furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief.

***

The transport plane soared into the sky. Park Sung-Hyun glanced at the instrument panel in annoyance. It took an immense amount of manpower and resources to get a plane like this into the air. And he had to do this just for one

A-rank

Hunter!

Besides, the site didn’t even look that dangerous...

In that case, there was only one explanation. Realizing that the hunting party had things under control, President Son Chang-Il decided to send one of his own Hunters to take credit. That theory solidified when Park Sung-Hyun learned that Hunter had recently been promoted through the president’s personal recommendation.

Disgusting.

Park Sung-Hyun thought, his lips curling in disdain.

Wherever money was involved, corruption wasn’t far behind, but to see it so blatantly made his stomach turn! And for the worse part, he was part of it, aiding this ridiculous scheme!

I’ll be keeping an eye on him. If this guy doesn’t pull his weight, I’ll make sure everyone knows what happened.

Although he doubted raising a complaint would actually do much good, the thought of calling out the injustice gave him some satisfaction.

Meanwhile, inside the transport plane, Kim Do-Joon, the source of Park Sung-Hyun’s frustration, sat with his eyes closed, deep in thought.

An S-rank dungeon...

It was his first time facing such a high-level challenge, but strangely, he didn’t feel any fear. Instead, a calm yet sharp tension ran through his body, filling him with a sense of anticipation.

I’m glad I fought Walter.

Without that experience, he would’ve felt much more apprehensive about what was to come. However, that duel had given him a clear understanding of his own strength, allowing him to approach this challenge with confidence.

Right, I still had this.

Kim Do-Joon suddenly opened his eyes and checked his notifications.

[Item Box (Random, Epic)]

It was a reward he had earned for clearing the Frozen Harbor. He had completely forgotten about it. Without hesitation, he tapped the message to open the box.

Given that he was the only one in the transport plane, there was no need for discretion. Even if someone was watching, they would’ve just seen him pulling something from his inventory.

As soon as he activated the box, an item materialized before him.

[Iron Staff of the Non-Gold Lotus]

Whoa!

Kim Do-Joon lurched as the weight of the staff nearly threw him off balance. With a loud crack, the chair he had been sitting on shattered under the strain.

The staff was incredibly heavy! Even with his strength stats already well over 70, he had to quickly wrap his arms with mana just to lift it.

This is ridiculous... Does the staff only have two effects?

The staff only had two effects. One was a standard attack power increase that came with most weapons. The second effect, however, was more unique: Weight Amplification.

[Weight Amplification]

[The more mana you pour into it, the heavier it becomes.]

Reading the brief description, Kim Do-Joon could not help but laugh.

What is this, the staff version of Sun Wukong’s Ruyi Jingu Bang?

The staff didn’t seem like it could extend in length, though.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Should I copy-paste this effect?

The first option was nothing special, but the Weight Amplification skill seemed useful. After giving it some thought, Kim Do-Joon came to a conclusion.

I think it’s better to keep this for now.

He decided to set the idea aside. There could be more pressing needs inside the Giant Woodland, which required the Weight Amplification skill. Besides, it wouldn’t be wise to use his copy-pasting ability hastily.

With a sigh of relief, Kim Do-Joon stashed the Iron Staff back into his inventory, feeling lighter without its oppressive weight dragging him down.

“...”

He glanced at the destroyed chair beneath him, scratching his cheek in mild embarrassment before moving over to an intact seat.

“We’ve arrived!”

A few minutes later, the voice of the pilot crackled through the intercom.

The transport plane touched down at the designated drop point, where the previous hunting party had landed earlier.

***

Meanwhile, deep within the Giant Woodland...

“The catfolk are being slaughtered. We’ve tried to intervene, but we’re not enough. What will you do, My King?” a gruff voice growled.

However, there was no reply. Instead, a deafening crash filled the air.

Thud—!

A massive tree, easily over fifty meters tall, toppled to the ground with a single, devastating strike. The werewolf, witnessing the sheer power of the scene, broke into a cold sweat.

“So what?” the figure responsible for the destruction, referred to as the king, asked.

“What do you mean? We have to take action! You’re the king of this forest, after all,” the werewolf stammered, struggling to comprehend the nonchalant response.

“I told you that I don’t care about such things,” the king scoffed, dismissing the werewolf’s plea with a sneer.

His fists clenched, showing he was ready to pounce again at a moment’s notice. The werewolf was caught off guard. Certainly, they had forced the title of "king" upon this being, even though he had no interest in it. Nevertheless, this was his domain now. He was expected to defend it when invaders breached the territory.

I guess there’s no other choice.

The werewolf gulped. There was one way to get the king involved, but it was quite risky. The mere mention of it could lead to the king's wrath, leading him to be killed on the spot. Still, he couldn’t just ignore the situation any longer.

"The humans... the ones who invaded this time... They’re the strongest I've ever seen. They might even be stronger than you,” said the werewolf.

“

Whoa

,” the king's interest was finally piqued.

The king's eyes glowed a deep, blood-red as his massive, beastly hand reached toward the werewolf. For a moment, the werewolf braced himself, convinced this would be the end. However, the expected deathblow never came.

Instead, the king’s hand roughly ruffled the werewolf’s head, almost as if he were petting a misbehaving dog.

The werewolf sighed in relief, barely believing his luck. He had survived offending the king’s pride. However, the reprieve didn’t last long.

"You’ve got guts, saying something like that to me," the king growled, a murderous aura pouring out of him like a waterfall.

Baaaam—!

Before the werewolf could react, the king grabbed him and hurled him into the sky. The werewolf soared high, slamming into the branches of a massive tree. He collapsed unconscious, foaming at the mouth.

“What an impertinent wretch,” the king muttered with a frown.

Yet, despite the violence, the werewolf’s words had hit their mark. The king’s interest was piqued. Someone strong enough to make the werewolf speak out of line had entered the forest.

"Guess I’ll take a look."

The king finally moved, a rare smile forming on his lips. The thought of facing an opponent strong enough to threaten him was exhilarating. He wondered if these invaders would be able to put his life in danger. Could they push him to the edge in a life-or-death struggle?

He couldn’t care less about the forest. All that ever mattered to him was battle. He wanted to fight to the death against the strongest opponent he could find.

The King of the Giant Woodland, the Blood Lion, was just that kind of warrior.

***

The hunting party continued advancing without any major threats. Leading the charge were Ko Cheong-Cheon and Walter, with Yeon Hong-Ah providing firepower from the rear. Shin Yoo-Sung would keep an eye on the group, casting protective barriers. Meanwhile, the A-rank Hunters supported them all.

It was a perfect formation that not even the Therianthrope could break through. In fact, none of the enemies had been able to damage Shin Yoo-Sung’s shield. The werewolves almost did, but they were dealt with before anything else could happen.

As a result, the group had been moving smoothly, even though it was an S-rank dungeon.

Guess I was worried for nothing.

If it keeps going like this... we will be fine.

This is what people mean when they talk about catching a free ride in a dungeon.

Despite this dungeon being an S-rank, the atmosphere among the A-rank Hunters was especially light. Surprisingly, this S-rank dungeon was easier than some of the A-rank ones they had faced, thanks to the sheer power of the S-rank Hunters at the front and back.

Only one person was dissatisfied. It was Ko Cheong-Cheon.

Is there really no stronger foe?

He yearned for an opponent that only he could defeat, a beast so formidable that it required his strength to overcome. If this mission ended too easily, both he and his Mercenaries group could face criticism. People would wonder why they had gotten involved at all, when the Korean Hunters could have handled everything on their own.

The official reason for Ko Cheong-Cheon’s defection to the Mercenaries Guild was to secure their support in this expedition. However, if there wasn’t enough danger, his involvement would be seen as unnecessary, damaging future negotiations with the Korean government.

As these thoughts weighed on him, a deep voice rumbled from behind.

"Are you the leader?"

Ko Cheong-Cheon whirled around in shock. Behind him stood a towering figure, at least three meters tall, with a blood-red mane resembling a lion’s. It was one of the Therianthrope, staring him down with cold eyes.

Ko Cheong-Cheon’s eyes widened in disbelief. How had something so massive snuck up on him? He hadn’t sensed it at all.

Whoosh!

Then, the Therianthrope’s fist came hurtling toward him. Instinctively, Ko Cheong-Cheon raised both arms to block, surrounding himself with as much mana as he could.

However, it wasn’t enough.

Crack—!

His wrist bones snapped like brittle twigs. The impact didn’t stop at his arms, but crashed into his chest, shattering his ribs.[1] He was launched backward like a bullet, flying through the air and smashing through the trunks of several giant trees.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Ko Cheong-Cheon finally came to a halt after breaking through multiple trees, slamming into the ground in a heap.

The entire hunting party stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Their leader had been taken down before anyone could even blink.

Amid the stunned silence, the Blood Lion growled in dissatisfaction.

"Is this all?"

***

Kyaaak!

Thud!

Kim Do-Joon easily dispatched another Therianthrope that lunged at him from the treetops. Had they stayed hidden in the trees, it would’ve been more challenging, but they foolishly attacked head-on, making things far too easy for him.

They must have underestimated him, thinking he was an easy prey because he was alone.

Should I go this way?

Kim Do-Joon continued to follow the trail of the hunting party, occasionally cutting down the odd Therianthrope that crossed his path.

Then, suddenly, he paused, furrowing his eyebrows.

“

Hmm

?”

He could sense an overwhelming energy up ahead, far greater than anything he had encountered before. The aura was massive, dwarfing even Walter.

With a grim expression, Kim Do-Joon sped up, rushing toward the source of the immense power.

1. Careful what you wish for ☜