Chapter 114. Worth A Try

"Did you see that? That’s insane!"

"What the hell is that!"

People watching the broadcast couldn’t help but gasp. Whether they were watching on a bench in the middle of a street, gathered at home with family and friends, or glued to their smartphones with their better half in chic cafés, everyone in the nation had the same reaction.

The broadcast had already captivated everyone’s attention from the start, and it was now gaining even more momentum, making the ratings shoot up. However, an unexpected presence appeared out of nowhere and took down Ko Cheong-Cheon, turning the tide.

"Oppa, wasn't that guy supposed to be the strongest? What will happen now?" shakily asked a young woman.

"

Umm...

I-I don’t know...”

A moment of stunned silence spread through every corner of the nation. Despite the shock, people clung to hope.

"It’ll be okay, right? I mean, there are still plenty of S-ranks over there. Ko Cheong-Cheon will recover in no time, especially with Shin Yoo-Sung on his side."

It was natural for them to think this way. To the average person, Hunters were seen as superhumans who possessed unimaginable power. No one could imagine the S-rank Hunters, who stood at the very pinnacle, being easily defeated.

Everyone turned their attention back to the screen, focusing intently.

— Urgh!

— Hey! Are you okay?

— It’s going your way! Block it—no, get out of the way!

However, contrary to their hopes, the situation only worsened. No matter how much time passed, things didn’t improve at all.

***

A hunting party composed of four S-rank Hunters and around twenty elite A-ranks had been assembled to subjugate the Giant Woodland. Their goal had been to exterminate the Therianthrope lurking deep within the forest, but now, the Hunters had become the hunted all because of a single being: the Blood Lion.

Thud—!

"

Aaah!

"

"Park Jung-Woo!"

"Hey, don’t get distracted! Dodge!"

Some of the nation’s finest Hunters were being tossed aside like ragdolls. The elite Mercenaries, who had come from abroad, were no different. They were all thrown into the air and crashed to the ground before they could even land a scratch on the Blood Lion.

One by one, they fell like autumn leaves in a storm. Some lay twisted on the ground, their limbs bent in unnatural directions.

"Damn it!" a Hunter cursed under his breath.

"

Shh!

" another hissed, desperately trying to stay calm.

Even the three remaining S-rank Hunters were struggling against the Blood Lion.

Walter’s sword couldn’t reach him, and Yeon Hong-Ah kept missing. Even though she had planted explosive spells all over the battlefield, the Blood Lion evaded them using primal instinct, as if sensing them from miles away.

Suddenly, the Blood Lion opened his mouth wide, a sickening sound accompanying it.

Creeeak—

"Get ready!" someone shouted.

"What’s he doing now?" another Hunter yelled anxiously.

The Hunters braced themselves as they waited for the Blood Lion’s next move. Nevertheless, what happened next stunned them.

"

Hoaaahm...

"

The Blood Lion didn’t attack; it simply yawned in boredom as if this fight against three S-ranks and twenty elite A-ranks was nothing more than a tedious routine.

The Hunters broke into a cold sweat. In contrast, the Blood Lion was clearly dissatisfied.

Gyorang... I’ll rip your heart out when I return.

The Blood Lion seethed, recalling the werewolf who had brought him the news about the intruders. He couldn’t believe he made a fuss over such a pathetic display. His bloodlust flared as he glanced over the hunting party.

What he wanted was a fight to the death—not this pathetic joke. Unfortunately, a true battle could only occur when both sides were equal; most of his opponents were complete trash.

Still, there were a few who showed some promise. Counting the one he had taken out first, at least two or three of them could damage him. If he had been asleep or under the influence of something, they could’ve actually posed a danger.

However, without those specific conditions, they didn’t stand a chance against him. The gap between them and the Blood Lion was simply so vast that it made the notion of a true fight impossible. Besides, the Blood Lion had no intention of giving himself any handicap. In his mind, a real fight meant he would also go all out.

“You bastard—!” Ko Cheong-Cheon shouted, making the Blood Lion's ears perk up. Despite the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, he rushed toward the Blood Lion.

"Ko Cheong-Cheon!" Shin Yoo-Sung shouted.

With a quick gesture, Shin Yoo-Sung’s power surged and enveloped Ko Cheong-Cheon with a white glow, rapidly healing his injuries. Within moments, the S-rank Healer fully healed him, stopping even the blood spilling from his lips.

Feeling the pain dissipating, Ko Cheong-Cheon charged at the Blood Lion once more. He then threw a punch at the creature.

Boom!

Although the creature easily caught his attack, Ko Cheong-Cheon still smirked.

Got you!

Ko Cheong-Cheon's skill stirred the very core of the Blood Lion’s arm, causing the dense mana flowing within to ripple violently. The Blood Lion couldn’t help but be shocked.

Hmm, that girl earlier... and now this human too... They have some interesting techniques.

It was barely noticeable, but he sounded slightly amused. It was the kind of fleeting curiosity one would feel when stumbling across an oddly shaped rock while walking.

"

Ha!

"

With a sudden burst of strength, the Blood Lion flexed his arm. His muscles bulged, and the turbulent mana was swiftly silenced, like a ruler effortlessly quelling a minor rebellion. If his body were a kingdom and the mana his subjects, then the Blood Lion was the most brutal of tyrants.

“What the...!”

Ko Cheong-Cheon instantly knew that he had failed. Normally, his skill could easily blow arms apart, but the Blood Lion remained unscathed.

“Not bad.” The Blood Lion smirked. He then punched Ko Cheong-Cheon in the face and slammed him into the ground.

Baaaam!

The earth beneath them sank, forming a massive crater. The other Hunters scrambled back, desperately trying to avoid falling into the widening pit.

No one dared to speak. Amid the ensuing silence, someone gulped audibly.

The Blood Lion had just treated Ko Cheong-Cheon, one of the strongest among them, like a child.

“What a monster...” someone whispered.

“Monster” was the perfect description for him. For the first time in what felt like forever, it wasn’t just a word used for prey in a hunt; it carried its full, terrifying meaning.

The Blood Lion turned his gaze toward them

—

more specifically, at Shin Yoo-Sung, who had just healed Ko Cheong-Cheon.

“He’s looking this way!” someone shouted in alarm.

In dungeon raids, Healers had to be protected at all costs. Hence, the moment the Blood Lion’s eyes landed on Shin Yoo-Sung, Yeon Hong-Ah instinctively threw herself in front of him, casting layers upon layers of protective barriers as she moved. However, it was no use.

The Blood Lion’s fist tore through every single barrier and brutally slammed into Yeon Hong-Ah.

“

Aack!

”

Her vision went black. Time seemed to slow and stretch out like molasses. Amid it all, she realized something horrifying—she was floating.

The attack had sent her flying helplessly. Knowing she was about to lose consciousness, panic surged through her. She couldn’t possibly pass out now, of all times!

Fear clawed at her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hold on to her fading awareness.

Just before everything went dark, she felt something unexpected—a gentle hand catching her. It was warm and comforting, as if someone had reached out to keep her from drifting away entirely.

Huh?

***

The Blood Lion found the Healer, Shin Yoo-Sung, more of an annoyance than a threat. The human just kept tirelessly healing the injured. Hence, he decided to target him first.

He knew the woman, Yeon Hong-Ah, would intervene to protect the Healer, but it didn’t matter; he could just swat her away. However, just as everything was about to go according to plan, a new human appeared out of nowhere, completely grabbing his attention.

“Huh? So-Eun’s dad?”

With Yeon Hong-Ah cradled in his arms, Kim Do-Joon turned toward the source of the noise. Only one person called him “So-Eun’s dad.” It was the same man who’d been pestering him to let his daughter join the Mir Guild—and more recently, had even made a pass on Siwelin. Shin Yoo-Sung.

Although Kim Do-Joon didn’t particularly like him, now was not the time for personal grudges. He had to prioritize the situation.

“Please take care of her,” Kim Do-Joon said calmly as he passed Yeon Hong-Ah to Shin Yoo-Sung.

“Yes, of course!” Shin Yoo-Sung responded quickly. He rushed over to receive the unconscious, bleeding Yeon Hong-Ah.

With her safely handed off, Kim Do-Joon’s focus immediately shifted. Standing before him was the Blood Lion, whose mere gaze was enough to make the weak faint.

Without warning, the Blood Lion kicked off from the ground and charged toward Kim Do-Joon. Kim Do-Joon twisted his body just in time to dodge a punch so narrowly that it still grazed his ear.

The Blood Lion raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

With his gaze on Kim Do-Joon, his eyes shone differently from when he had fought Ko Cheong-Cheon earlier.

This time, it wasn’t just mere curiosity but actual interest.

Kim Do-Joon barely had time to catch his breath before a barrage of punches followed. Each strike carried enough power to tear through the air with sheer force. Moreover, they were aimed at his vital points.

Baaam! Booom! Baam!

Kim Do-Joon deflected each blow. The collisions were so fierce that they created thunderous explosions that echoed across the battlefield.

“You’re quite Impressive for a human,” the Blood Lion commented with gleaming eyes.

The battle wasn’t quite the life-or-death struggle he craved, but it was certainly more fun than any he had so far. At the very least, it was turning into a good warm-up.

“Wow...” Shin Yoo-Sung muttered in awe as he watched the two clash.

His hands were still busy healing Yeon Hong-Ah, but his gaze was glued to Kim Do-Joon.

He wasn’t the only one. Every Hunter, including Ko Cheong-Cheon, stood frozen, captivated by the sight of Kim Do-Joon not yielding even an inch to the monster.

Even Walter looked so stunned that it seemed as if his entire worldview had been shattered. He knew Kim Do-Joon was stronger than him; he learned that the hard way during their sparring match.

Nevertheless, he only realized now that Kim Do-Joon held back the whole time they fought. The Kim Do-Joon in front of him was completely different from the man he had sparred with. It was not just a matter of having a weapon or not, or whether he was serious. The sheer force radiating from him was on an entirely different level.

“

Kuh... Hahahaha!

You’re pretty good, Human!”

As the Blood Lion’s excitement grew, his attacks became even more ferocious. Each blow was sharper than the last, and even though Kim Do-Joon successfully deflected them, the force made his hands tingle.

Amid all the chaos, their fists collided in midair, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

Baaam—!

If it had been anyone else, their entire arm would have shattered from the impact, their bones bursting through flesh. However, Kim Do-Joon’s arm remained intact. However, his face twisted in pain as he withdrew his fist, clearly affected by the blow.

"

Ah

..." Kim Do-Joon groaned, feeling the strain.

He was visibly getting overwhelmed, and the Blood Lion took advantage of it, attacking even faster and more relentlessly. Kim Do-Joon started getting pushed back, the balance he had been maintaining now beginning to slip.

The Hunters began to lose the glimmer of hope that they had felt earlier. In the end, nothing had changed; they were still in a dire situation.

However, the Blood Lion thought differently—he was sensing something that others didn’t.

Huh? Something’s wrong. What's going on?

His smile slowly faded, and doubt crept into his eyes. He was getting a strange and unsettling feeling.

Kim Do-Joon could sense his confusion too. They were locked in close combat, exchanging blows at an intense pace. He could feel the monster’s every breath and every shift in its gaze.

This will be tough,

Kim Do-Joon thought as he absorbed the sensations,

but it’s worth a try.