Chapter 48. Why Did He Avoid It?

Inside the shelter, Kwon Soo-Young was comforting the children.

“I'll go out and help too!”

“Don't be ridiculous! You're still a student!”

“But I've been training for situations like this!”

However, a sudden commotion prompted her to lift her head and look.

There was a student in a school uniform arguing with their high school teacher.

That kid is...

Although the student was from the high school division, she recognized their face. They were somewhat famous for never missing the top spot since their admission.

Absolutely not! You're not even a proper Hunter yet! Just sit down quietly!

The teacher's stern command made the student sit down in frustration. The teacher was right. What could a student even do? Nevertheless, the commotion made Kwon Soo-Young's resolve waver a bit.

"Ms. Shin-Hye, would it be better for me to go out and lend a hand?" Kwon Soo-Young asked the principal.

"You, Ms. Kwon?" the principal replied.

"Even though it's been a while, I was still a D-rank so..." Kwon Soo-Young replied.

She thought that in this emergency situation, people might need as many Hunters as possible. Although she’d been retired for a long time, she could still handle weak beasts. Her gaze swum as she thought about going out to fight.

Noticing her feeling of uncertainty, the principal slowly shook her head.

"Ms. Kwon, everyone has a role to play. Don’t you have something you need to prioritize right now?"

Saying that, the principal glanced around at the children.

"

Ah...

"

The tremor in Kwon Soo-Young's eyes subsided. The principal was absolutely right.

Yes, I am the teacher of these children right now.

She steeled her heart as she looked at the children. Her gaze then fell on Kim So-Eun, who was clinging tightly to Siwelin. Although Kim So-Eun’s face was buried in Siwelin's embrace, Kwon Soo-Young didn’t need to see her expression to know how worried she was about her father.

"Do you think So-Eun's father will be alright? I heard he's only an E-rank..." Kwon Soo-Young said.

"Well... Team Leader Park Tae-Sang is out there with him. He's a seasoned B-rank Hunter, so they should be fine," the principal replied.

"Oh, I see," Kwon Soo-Young said.

Knowing that made her feel a bit relieved. In this field, being a B-rank meant you were a seasoned veteran.

He’ll probably have the E-rank doing minor tasks or providing cover...

There should not be any danger in doing these minor tasks. Kwon Soo-Young looked at Kim So-Eun again. She never wanted to see that sweet child in tears.

***

Clang—!

"

Keugh!

"

Kim Do-Joon staggered back several steps, barely blocking the attack of the figure. His hands trembled uncontrollably from the impact.

"You've suddenly become weaker. What's the matter?" the figure asked, looking confused.

"Who knows," Kim Do-Joon replied nonchalantly to the figure’s curious question.

However, cold sweat was already trickling down his back. He couldn’t just say that his buff had just worn off, could he?

―There was a time limit?

Of course there was. If the buff skill due to her blessing were unlimited, it wouldn’t be a buff but a bodily modification!

― Damn it!

Karlish cursed.

Since parting ways with Siwelin, quite a lot of time had passed while hunting monsters. It wouldn’t be strange for the buff to expire. Until now, Kim Do-Joon and the figure’s strength and speed had been on par. Although he was somewhat lacking in skill, Kim Do-Joon had compensated by using the Thorn of Searshader.

But now, with the blessing gone, he was noticeably lacking in both strength and speed. Sweat trickled down his forehead and into his eyes. This time, it was truly dangerous. Kim Do-Joon had faced numerous crises before, but he never felt as threatened as he was now.

The figure slowly approached Kim Do-Joon, no longer lowering their guard. They were cautiously advancing, wary of any tricks Kim Do-Joon might pull.

Hmm... A trick...

Kim Do-Joon opened his inventory and pulled out a spear. This time, it was not Karlish, but the thunder spear wrapped in blue lightning. Then, he hurled it at the figure.

Crackle!

The thunder spear, an Epic-rarity weapon that had never let him down, was now in Kim Do-Joon's hands.

"

Tsk

."

The figure did not even try to avoid, merely clicking their tongue.

Crackle!

Soon, the lightning exploded, enveloping the figure’s body. Thanks to the falling rain, the force was even more intense.

What a useless effort.

The figure, named Eldora, thought as he took the lightning head-on. There was no way this attack could penetrate his defenses. The power bestowed upon Eldora was among the highest of its kind.

The world lit up, engulfed by the absolute radiance of the lightning. Briefly, as the blinding light faded, Eldora saw Kim Do-Joon hurling his spear at him.

"What the...!" Eldora was flustered.

He couldn’t believe it! How did Kim Do-Joon soundlessly, quickly close the distance?! He didn’t sense him at all!

Although the thunder spear couldn’t harm Eldora, the high voltage was able to momentarily blind and deafen him.

In the meantime, Kim Do-Joon had closed the gap. He lowered his body and swung the spear from below, performing a diagonal upward slash.

Eldora moved, not to block the spear, but to launch a counterattack. However, Kim Do-Joon had already embedded black thorns into Eldora's limbs.

Eldora gritted his teeth.

"

Ugh,

this pesky little...!"

Thud!

Blinded, deafened, and immobilized, Kim Do-Joon's upward strike lifted Eldora off the ground. Yet, Eldora seemed to have remained unscathed.

In midair, freed from the thorns’ restraints, Eldora swung his sword. Kim Do-Joon also thrust his spear, and their attacks clashed one more time.

Clang!

Kim Do-Joon remained unharmed thanks to his Invincible Body. This ability was indeed his most prized power so far. Eldora was the same. Somehow, he had managed to twist his body midair and avoided Kim Do-Joon’s spear. Perhaps, he had used the wind to maneuver.

Realizing he’d failed, Kim Do-Joon's eyes darkened with disappointment. He had hoped to destabilize Eldora’s posture and find an opening, but that monster could move freely even in the air.

Eldora landed and immediately charged again. Having used up the hidden thunder spear, Kim Do-Joon had no more tricks left.

"Time to die," Eldora shouted, charging forward.

Eldora’s relentless attacks filled the air. Kim Do-Joon could barely block them all. While he wasn’t cut, he couldn’t nullify the impacts completely.

Slowly but surely, Kim Do-Joon was being pushed back.

Thud!

All of the sudden, his retreating foot caught on something―a flowerbed! Although he quickly regained his stance, Eldora did not miss the brief opening.

"You’re not the only one with secret skills."

Eldora placed his unoccupied left hand on Kim Do-Joon’s chest. A shiver of inexplicable dread washed over Kim Do-Joon.

Just as Kim Do-Joon was about to activate his thorns, Eldora said, "Silaphe."

Then, a gust of wind erupted from Eldora's hand.

Boom!

Suddenly, Kim Do-Joon's vision flashed, his eyes turning bloodshot. The wind shot through the air, tore through his skin and muscles, and wreaked havoc inside his body. A violent storm, tempest, was tearing through him from within.

"

Ugh, gah!

"

Feeling nauseous, Kim Do-Joon vomited blood uncontrollably. The blood mixed with the puddles on the ground, created an eerie pattern.

Thud.

Kim Do-Joon collapsed on the ground, drained of his strength. In his fading vision, he saw what looked like pieces of flesh. Had he vomited up his own entrails...?

"

Phew

, what a hassle," Eldora muttered.

The sound seemed distant now, even though it came from right above him.

― Hey, you fool! Master! Snap out of it!

And with that, Kim Do-Joon lost consciousness.

***

[You have gained the Superior Regeneration effect.]

***

Park Tae-Sang couldn’t gather his thoughts. Just by watching Kim Do-Joon fight, it was clear that the man was far stronger than a B-rank like himself. He assumed Kim Do-Joon was not quite an S-rank, so he settled on A-rank.

At first, their battle seemed fine. Kim Do-Joon was holding his own. However, suddenly, the balance tipped.

After that, Kim Do-Joon was consistently being pushed back. The fact that Kim Do-Joon managed to land a perfect hit even while being overwhelmed was astounding, but that did not change the tide of the battle. And then, in an instant, Kim Do-Joon collapsed.

Now, Park Tae-Sang knew that he was the monster's next target.

“Ah,

aaah!

Run! Everyone, run away!” Park Tae-Sang screamed into his walkie talkie as he fled.

He glanced at Kim Do-Joon lying on the ground, then squeezed his eyes shut. He ran further and further away from him. He felt guilty, but he wanted to live. Who in their right mind wouldn’t?

As a B-rank Hunter, Park Tae-Sang’s movements were much faster than an average person’s. Still, he couldn’t feel at ease.

How could he feel safe? Park Tae-Sang knew that he had to reach a secure location to feel safe. As he thought about it, a certain location came to his mind.

As he ran frantically, a sliver of his conscience made him glance at Kim Do-Joon for one last time. The monster, Eldora, was standing still, seemingly having no intention of chasing him.

Park Tae-Sang’s pace quickened even more, and only then did Eldora leisurely start moving.

***

― Get up, you fool! You can’t die here! There’s so much left for you to do!

“...”

― Do you even know how many spear techniques you still have to learn? You don’t have time for this. Besides, didn’t you promise to find my memories?

“...”

―You can’t just die! You can’t die here! What about So-Eun? You need to protect your daughter!

Sss—

Kim Do-Joon’s finger moved as he lay in a pool of blood.

“So-Eun...” Kim Do-Joon muttered with unfocused eyes.

Seeing this, Karlish urgently shouted.

― Yes, that’s right! You said you’d be a father, not a hero! How can a man who can’t protect his daughter call himself a father?

Kim Do-Joon’s vision, which used to be blurry like a fog, started to clear up. Grasping onto his slowly sharpening senses, Kim Do-Joon murmured.

“Re... generation...”

[Skill: You have used the Superior Regeneration effect.]

Kim Do-Joon used the regeneration effect on his other equipment on himself. His body slowly began to heal. With trembling hands, he took out and drank a potion.

One after another, Kim Do-Joon kept drinking the potion without stopping. As a Hunter and potion crafter, he knew better than anyone that drinking more potion wouldn’t stack the effects.

But he downed more anyway, driven by the anxious hope that doing so might speed up his recovery, even by a minute or a second.

After some time, Kim Do-Joon had recovered enough to move somewhat.

“Where did he go?” Kim Do-Joon asked Karlish.

― I don’t know. But go to the shelter quickly! He might have gone there!

Karlish’s words made Kim Do-Joon's eyes widen. He leaped into action, the scenery blurring past him.

“

Cough!

”

― Don’t push yourself too hard, you fool!

Kim Do-Joon, who hadn’t fully recovered, coughed a mouthful of blood, which stained the road. Kim Do-Joon’s eyes darkened further, but he didn’t slow down.

― But, do you even have a chance of winning?

“... Who knows,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

Siwelin was at the shelter, meaning he could fully heal and receive her blessing again. However, that’d only bring him back to square one.

“But there was one thing that seemed strange,” Kim Do-Joon said.

― Huh? Something strange?

Kim Do-Joon recalled the fight, the countless exchanges, his probing for weaknesses, and the final technique that Eldora used. Among all these moments, one stood out to him.

“When I attacked him while he was in the air, he created wind to dodge my attack,” Kim Do-Joon said.

― Right. Normally, when one is up in the air, that would leave one defenseless.

Karlish clicked his tongue, thinking of the myriad abilities Eldora seemed to possess.

― But how is that strange?

Kim Do-Joon explained. “Why did he avoid it?”

― Huh? What do you mean why? If an attack is coming, of course you would... Oh, wait...

Karlish fell silent, deep in thought.

With a sudden burst of speed, Kim Do-Joon kicked off the ground again.