novelraw Chapter 21 : Chapter 21
Chapter 21 : Chapter 21
Chapter 21: Making an Impression (2)
Ryu Jinwoo and the Lycanthrope's forms were projected onto the simulator screen.
"He's up against a pretty tough opponent right from the start."
The Hunters senior commented briefly.
Lycanthrope, an entity classified as Grade 7 on the standard chart set by the Hero Authority.
The beast possessed agile movements unfitting for its large body, along with lycanthropic characteristics.
And that agility was particularly powerful in a hunting simulation.
"Aren't Lycanthropes not a very high grade?"
"The standards are a bit different in a simulation. Fast and agile opponents are the toughest."
The senior answered Do Haru's question.
His explanation was as follows.
In the hunting simulation, the player is given 100 HP.
The core objective in the simulation is to eliminate the enemy while protecting your HP.
In other words, 'getting attacked' itself is the problem.
"You can dodge slow attacks. But fast attacks are hard to dodge."
The senior continued his explanation, waving his hands animatedly.
"A Lycanthrope's attack power isn't very high, around 5 to 10. But because of its fast attack speed, if you're not careful, your HP will be depleted in an instant. That's why it's tricky."
"So it's like getting soaked in a drizzle."
"Exactly."
After hearing the senior's explanation, Do Haru looked at the screen with a worried expression.
Ryu Jinwoo's next move, as he faced the monster, seemed crucial.
"I don't think it'll be much of a problem."
"Huh? Hayun, you know that kid well?"
"I can't say I know him well yet, but I've seen some things."
Seol Hayun calmly answered the senior's question.
The moment Seol Hayun finished speaking, the Lycanthrope charged at Ryu Jinwoo.
Sharp claws sprang from the Lycan's hands as it drew a diagonal line.
The claws, which appear in an instant, make the Lycan's attacks even more difficult to predict.
Because it extends its reach at an unexpected moment.
'He's going to get hit once at the start.'
The senior thought as if it were a matter of course.
Because that's what usually happened to those who faced a Lycan for the first time.
However, this time was different.
At the scene that unfolded next, the senior's mouth fell open.
Ryu Jinwoo had pulled his head back.
Just enough so that the Lycan's claws wouldn't reach.
"What in the—"
A mumble mixed with bewilderment escaped, but it was still too early to be surprised.
Because after that, Ryu Jinwoo continued to perfectly counter the Lycan's attacks.
Even against the onslaught of attacks that poured down like a torrential rain, he smoothly twisted his body and dodged everything as if flowing with water.
A sight that was close to an art form, the audience watched with bated breath.
The senior was one of them.
Awooo-!
The Lycan tilted its head back and let out a howl.
It was the signal announcing the start of phase 2.
Immediately after, the beast, whose movements had become even swifter, brought its claws down toward Ryu Jinwoo's neck.
The trajectory of the claws glowing blue.
However, Ryu Jinwoo, as if he had been waiting for that moment, quickly raised his sword.
Clang-!
Ryu Jinwoo's sword blocked the claws.
Following that, Ryu Jinwoo's arm muscles rippled like a wave.
As he momentarily twisted his wrist, the sword rotated in a circle, and the sharp blade grazed past the Lycan's fingers.
Graaa-!
Along with the monster's scream, the severed fingers scattered in the air.
The opponent was left defenseless.
Ryu Jinwoo, not missing the flow, carved a single sword line from the Lycan's groin to its head.
[1 STAGE CLEAR]
The word signaling the end of the battle filled the screen.
"......Whoa! That was crazy!'
"He didn't get hit once. He didn't get hit once!"
"I guess it was true he beat Jin Cheongha!"
As the screen declared the clearing of the first stage, fierce cheers erupted from the audience.
"What happened....... How did he do that?"
Amidst the exclamations of admiration, the senior muttered in a dazed voice.
"No matter how fast a Lycan is, it's not faster than Instructor Hojin."
Seol Hayun explained nonchalantly.
"That's our Jinwoo! I believed in you!"
"For someone who believed, you looked pretty worried."
As Do Haru cheered with both fists clenched, Seol Hayun gave her a light scolding, and Do Haru scratched her head.
"That's because the senior was scaring me~."
Meanwhile, the senior muttered to himself, staring at the screen with a blank face.
He was mulling over Seol Hayun's words, 'it's not faster than Hojin.'
"Does that mean...... that kid dodged Instructor Hojin's attacks?"
An uneasy feeling, his hands were already drenched in sweat.
***
"The 21st challenger, Ryu Jinwoo, will now challenge the final stage! I'd like to inform you all in advance that in the last 10 years, not a single freshman has cleared the final stage! Will Ryu Jinwoo be able to break that record?"
As the Hunters senior holding the megaphone shouted resoundingly, the crowd's cheers followed.
'He's adding a spoonful of pressure.'
[HP: 100/100]
The demonic beasts I had faced up to the 5th stage were Grade 6~8.
In a system of a total of 10 grades, they were beasts corresponding to the semi-intermediate level.
I had come this far without getting hit even once against demonic beasts that would have been overwhelming for a freshman.
Not getting hit.
That was a goal I was more than confident enough to achieve.
It was partly thanks to the trait [Evasion Instinct], but also because I knew all the patterns of the monsters set in the 'simulation'.
They moved exactly as I had seen in the real game.
Having learned some minor skills was a great help.
[Tactical Manual]
[Swordsmanship]
- Upward Slash [Grade 9]
- Twist [Grade 8]
- Cross Slash [Grade 7]
I had been using minor techniques in between since I faced the Lycan.
Each one was not a very significant skill on its own, but it shone when used in the right place at the right time.
Lower-grade skills had little to no recoil, so they were also fine to use consecutively.
When the Lycan's claws grazed past, I would twist my wrist and slash with a 'Twist', and then finish it off with an 'Upward Slash'.
There was no flashy technique that could finish it in one go.
But it served as a solid foundation, allowing for continuous combat.
'Thanks to that, I'm damn tired, though.'
I concentrated all my senses to dodge the enemy's attacks here and there and linked minor techniques to defeat them.
So right now, I'm in a state of being extremely fatigued.
But the fatigue will end soon.
Because this stage is the last one, one way or another.
My gaze naturally turned to the audience surrounding the simulator.
Among the crowd, who were cheering with drinks and snacks in hand, having found an interesting spectacle, one person entered my field of vision.
A person wearing a blue hood and diligently writing something.
I know who that person is.
And I also know that depending on what kind of performance I show in this 5th stage, they could become a very important person, or not.
[Hidden Mission: The Fourth Estate is watching you!]
-Someone is watching you. Put on a performance that will satisfy them.
'Well, the bait is taken.'
All that's left is to satisfy him.
"Isn't it amazing? He hasn't been hit even once, he's at full health! He dodged all the attacks! To put it bluntly, he's insane! If he clears it while maintaining 100 HP...... it'll be a 'first' in history!"
The Hunters club senior, wanting to add to the fun, was enthusiastically trying to get a response from the aple.
[The final stage will begin]
A message announcing the final battle.
Once again, with a crackling sound, the pocket dimension unfolded, and the surrounding environment changed rapidly.
This map was particularly wide and high.
Dudududu-
The sound of the ground rumbling echoed vividly in my ears.
Marble pillars rose up to support the ceiling, and mysterious patterns were engraved on each pillar and wall.
A faint blue light dimly illuminated the interior.
It was unmistakably a temple.
And a temple that served a grotesque evil god at that.
'They've crossed the line, and by a lot.'
There was probably no one in Zero who didn't know the master of this temple.
Gradually, everything began to shake.
A vibration transmitted from the floor, and at the same time, the gloomy cry of a beast was heard from afar.
Soon, the huge altar located in the center of the temple opened and split apart.
From the crevice, a huge figure revealed itself.
['Balrog (Ver. Min)' will appear.]
A huge body that didn't suit the name Minimum Version at all.
It looked to be at least 5 meters tall.
Its muscle-covered skin glistened red, and on its forehead, a curved horn with the temple's crest engraved on it adorned its head.
The huge axe it held in its hand was the size of a person.
"Whoa, what? A Balrog as the final boss? Even if it's a downgraded version, isn't this a scam?"
"I think even an instructor would have a hard time with that."
I could hear people murmuring at the sudden vertical rise in the monster's class.
At this, the announcer hurriedly grabbed the microphone.
"E-, everyone! I'm saying this in case you misunderstand! This simulator is programmed to analyze the user's previous stage clear data and load an opponent that matches it!"
When he said that, the audience's murmuring began to subside.
Following that, the announcer's words struck a chord with the people.
"To be frank! It's just because the challenger is so damn good!"
At the same time as the announcer's shout, a crimson light, beyond red, shot out from the Balrog's eyes and struck me.
As the beast recognized me, it let out a rough roar, and the entire temple shook violently.
An insurmountable wall, an impenetrable shield.
Right now, no matter what kind of rhetoric I attached, it wouldn't be an exaggeration.
In the first place, Hunters doesn't want a freshman who perfectly overcomes the ordeal they've set.
They just make the more talented individuals feel a stronger thirst.
By making them fall at the last step.
Whoong-!
Finally, the Balrog began to move.
The beast, which had raised its hand high, slammed it down on the floor.
I threw myself to the side to dodge before the attack landed.
Bang-!
A rough explosion erupted, and the ground shattered.
The shockwave spread out, and the surrounding marble pillars shook.
An attack with a hidden intention to shake the opponent's balance rather than a direct hit.
I threw myself to the side to dodge before the attack landed.
Regaining my balance, I hid my body behind one of the temple pillars that rose up on the map.
The beast just stared at me with an indifferent expression.
In the Balrog's eyes, I probably looked like a single bug.
The beast raised its arm once again.
Bang, bang, booom, bang.
The Balrog slammed the ground with its palm, and I dodged by throwing my whole body.
It was like a little kid playing with a cricket.
And the sad fact was that I was that cricket.
As fatigue builds up, the space to evade is constantly shrinking.
If it's a Balrog's attack, the moment I slip once, it'll be game over in that one shot.
Kuooo-!
The beast, which had been lightly hitting the floor, snorted roughly and began to raise its arm high.
It seemed determined to completely smash the floor to catch the annoying bug.
'This pattern, I know it.'
The small gap that appears every time the Balrog swings its arm wide, the beast's next action was naturally drawn in my head.
Kwaaaang-!
An explosion that was incomparably larger than before erupted.
It went beyond a dent in the floor; some of the pillars that supported the surroundings even began to crack and collapse.
The scenery and sensations that were transmitted so vividly even though it was a simulation.
It was a moment where I couldn't help but be surprised by the reproduction rate of magitech.
The Balrog raised its hand with a triumphant expression.
It was clear that not only the Balrog's body but also its intelligence was included in the downgrade.
"What are you so happy about?"
The foolish appearance of the Balrog, like a golem without intelligence.
Ironically, being too strong sometimes even dulls the senses.
Because the beast didn't even know that I had stabbed a knife into the back of its hand.
The moment the Balrog raised its hand again, I pulled out my knife and started running up its arm.
The Balrog's eyes widened.
'Now.'
On this opportunity that would not come again, I concentrated all my senses on the tips of my toes.
[Shadow Chase]
As the skill was activated, a sensation jolted from below my legs.
Along with the burning pain of my muscles tearing, I explosively kicked off.
Shik-
Next was the void.
Even the sensation of my feet touching the ground disappeared.
When I looked around for a moment.
I had already passed the Balrog's shoulder.
"Krrk-!"
The Balrog let out a breath as if flustered by the sudden situation.
In the meantime, my body was soaring in a parabola toward the beast's face.
The Balrog's weakness is publicly known.
The strange pattern engraved in the center of its forehead, between its two curved horns.
Now, I had to pour everything I had into that point.
The strongest move I could choose with the strength I had left.
The form of the sword Hojin had wielded flashed through my mind.
For a moment, the cool air silenced the surroundings.
Hojin's swordsmanship, which accurately pierced the gaps in consciousness.
That spirit and conviction dwelled in my body.
[Crimson Wolf: Blood Fang]
Kwa-deuk-!
The menacing blade accurately pierced the intended point.
The sensation of smoothly tearing through flesh was transmitted through my hand.
Graaaah-!
The Balrog let out a pained cry and clutched its face.
But there was no way it would fall from this.
Because the beast still had plenty of health left.
One thing was certain.
-......Human...... kill.......
The Balrog was angry.
Its crimson eyes dilated and filled with madness.
When it removed the hand covering its face, its horns began to twist strangely.
As if alive, they squirmed and stretched out longer and sharper.
The stream of blood flowing from the wound ran across its face, drawing a gruesome pattern.
As expected, this space and the Balrog were all just illusions.
A Balrog bleeding?
It was probably because the creator had never seen a real Balrog.
If they had met a real Balrog, this machine probably wouldn't have been born.
Anyway, what this meant was clear.
That my attack had inflicted a significant blow on the beast.
That it had started to recognize me, who had been an annoying cricket, as a threatening hornet.
And that, because the Balrog had unleashed its true power, there was no longer even a shred of hope for me.
And in the meantime, I was on the verge of collapsing from accumulated fatigue.
Therefore, the decision I had to make was simple.
"Forfeit stage."
[HP 100/100]
[You have failed to clear the final stage.]
[Terminating the simulation.]
Along with a brief message, the Balrog and the temple's appearance disappeared like a momentary mirage.
I could see the inside of the simulator and the audience reflected on the outside.
Just like that, both I and the audience were all frozen for a long time.
"What is this!"
"Did-, did he just give up? He landed a hit! It's just getting started!"
"I just bought popcorn!"
The thick silence was broken, and the complaints of the people gathered around the simulator could be heard.
"Ah, what is this! The challenger has given up the challenge. With just one step left!"
The announcer holding the megaphone also reacted with disbelief.
Talk all you want. My business is done.
At that moment, I felt a particularly intense gaze from among the chaotic crowd.
When I looked there, my eyes met with the person wearing a blue hood.
At this point, even the dullest person would know.
That it was a big catch.
[Hidden Mission: The Fourth Estate is watching you!]
-He nodded. You will now proceed to the next step.