Chapter 28
“Kyah!”
The Hwain let out a grotesque scream and collapsed.
With a sword pierced through its chest, the creature, which had been impaled on a tree, soon lowered its head.
‘Tenth one. Clear.’
After hunting the first Hwain, Lee Do-jae continued to face the emerging Hwain.
One by one, two by two.
He quickly hunted them down before they could call for more Hwain.
And as he continued to hunt them, Do-jae began to feel a strange emotion.
‘What is this uneasy feeling?’
Is it because the creatures resemble humans?
Or is it because of their reactions?
The Hwain continued to speak to him incessantly.
It was the same with the Red Orc.
As he faced stronger creatures, a peculiar emotion began to swell within him.
Having only fought against mindless beings of levels 7 to 10 until now, he was confused by the fact that he was fighting those capable of communication.
‘Do other hunters feel this way?’
There have always been attempts to coexist with monsters.
There were a few humans advocating for the respect of monsters’ right to life and scholars trying to communicate with them.
However, such people were treated as heretics.
Many had suffered and been hurt by monsters.
Monsters had always shown unconditional hostility toward humans, and there had never been a single instance of monsters trying to communicate with humans.
In the end, monsters were the natural enemies of humans.
Thus, Do-jae had always regarded monsters as prey, but he felt something strange toward the Hwain that spoke to him.
And strangely enough, it wasn’t pity or guilt he felt.
‘I want to kill them.’
A fierce animosity.
A strong emotion that boiled within him, insisting that he must kill the monsters.
Clap.
Do-jae lightly slapped his cheeks.
‘Monsters are just monsters.’
He shouldn’t be swayed by emotions.
Not being influenced by emotions was a fundamental principle of hunting.
It was probably due to the Golem’s eyes.
Especially since the ‘spirit’ stat he had begun investing in after obtaining the Golem’s eyes seemed to be affecting him.
“Hmm?”
Although the hunt was over, he felt that his mana was still being consumed.
It wasn’t to the point of concern, but it was a noticeable change.
‘Could that direction be where Kim Joon-su is?’
The ongoing mana consumption was likely due to the Golem that had been sent out, recovering the mana it used.
And that Golem was located in the area where Kim Joon-su, as the leader, was stationed.
‘They said they were resting in a safe area, though.’
Of course, just because it was a safe area didn’t guarantee 100% safety.
Moreover, since Do-jae’s core was still connected to the Golem, he needed to hurry toward Kim Joon-su’s location.
‘But why isn’t the clear message popping up?’
It was strange that there was no notification despite completing the quest that required hunting 10 creatures.
Normally, notifications would appear immediately upon completion.
At that moment.
Jolt.
His temples throbbed.
It was a signal.
A danger signal sent by his instincts!
‘There’s something!’
As he raised his head to look up, he spotted a new Hwain standing silently on a tree above him.
It was watching Do-jae without making any noise or movement.
“Kyah!”
As I locked eyes with the black-eyed monster, it murmured lowly.
This one was different from the other monsters.
While the ones I had encountered before openly displayed aggression, this one did not.
Something feels different…
First of all, there was a physical difference compared to the others.
It wore a vest that looked like an armored scale, tied with chains, and it wielded a dagger instead of a bow.
And it was grinning down at me, as if monitoring my movements.
I immediately used the Golem’s Eye on it.
[Monster Information]
Name: Salma
Classification: Monster (Hwain)
Details: 187 years old, 191 cm tall, 89 kg, Leader of the Kalia Tribe’s Scout Team, skilled in dagger combat.
Status: Hostility / Rage / Mourning
It has a name?
Monsters typically don’t have names.
Ever since I obtained the Golem’s Eye, I had used it on monsters several times, but it always displayed [None] for their names.
There were no special details, and it was a well-known fact, so there wasn’t much need for additional information.
Thus, I hadn’t thought to use the Golem’s Eye particularly.
However, the moment I saw the information on this one, Salma, I realized he was not a mere ordinary monster.
The Kalia Tribe must refer to the gathering of Hwain in this area.
There are examples of humans naming locations after significant events, like the “Dragon of Auvergne,” named after the region in France where the dungeon break occurred.
But this was the first time I had come to know a monster’s name directly.
“Kyauur.”
As it slowly drew its sword, it landed on the ground as softly as a feather.
It’s coming!
***
“Hey, what’s going on? The regeneration stopped?”
“Right? What’s happening?”
Jang Pil-ho and Lee Ji-woong ceased their attacks.
The golem, which had previously regenerated quickly even after being sliced in half, was now moving noticeably slower.
“Is it just me, or has it become really sluggish?”
“Yeah, I’ve felt that too since a while ago.”
Clank—.
The golem moved sluggishly, its core exposed, and its light flickered weakly.
It was regenerating slowly, but it was disturbingly unstable.
“This is strange. Could something have happened to the captain? Isn’t it connected to him?”
“Come on, that can’t be it.”
As the golem’s regeneration slowed, they began to feel something was off.
While playing with the golem had been fun, they were starting to worry.
“Hey, let’s stop. I didn’t mean to make you fight.”
“What? You’re the one who was having fun earlier.”
At that moment, a rumbling sound came from afar, and they heard Kim Joon-su’s urgent shout.
His voice was filled with panic.
“Jang Pil-ho! Lee Ji-woong!”
They rushed back to their original spot in haste.
What they saw was a fierce battle taking place.
“T-troll?”
“Where did these trolls suddenly come from?!”
Three trolls were engaged in combat with Son Jeong-gyu, Kim Joon-su, and Yuk Hyun-jae.
At least Son Jeong-gyu was holding his ground, having puffed up his body, but Kim Joon-su and Yuk Hyun-jae were barely dodging attacks.
“I’m going towards Hyun-jae!”
“I’ll head to Joon-su’s side!”
After assessing the situation, they quickly split up to join Son Jeong-gyu and Yuk Hyun-jae.
***
Returning to just before the 11th Hwain attacked Lee Do-jae.
Clang—!
The clash of swords sent sparks flying.
“Haha!”
Do-jae started laughing.
As their swords collided, laughter escaped him.
This is fun!
Salma’s sword carried immense weight.
Moreover, seeing it pull back instantly after the clash showcased its incredible speed.
Let’s see how skilled he really is?
Do-jae and Salma began exchanging blows.
Navigating through the forest like it was home, Salma lunged at him from unseen spots.
However, each time, Do-jae easily parried.
Not stopping there, Do-jae began to strike back incrementally.
He made his next attack more powerful and faster, ensuring Salma would notice.
“Kyauur. Kyaaa.”
The monster looked as if it were surprised.
Then, it narrowed its eyes, glaring at Do-jae.
Such a varied expression.
Do-jae found it intriguing.
Though, it was a slightly different kind of interest.
I’m getting a thrill from this.
Numerous hunting strategies began to fill Do-jae’s mind.
Confronting with a Sword
Do-jae summoned a new golem by pulling out a magic stone and launched a coordinated attack.
With his sword in subspace, he unleashed a flurry of indiscriminate strikes, consumed by the singular thought of killing the foe.
“Kyahh!”
The creature charged at him again, propelling itself off the ground.
Do-jae was far from idle.
Swish!
Do-jae swung his opposite arm vigorously.
The golem armor that enveloped his arm was released, sending stones hurtling through the air.
Clang.
Clang, clang!
The creature effortlessly parried dozens of stones with its swift sword. The speed of its strikes was so incredible that none of the stones touched its body, instead plummeting to the ground.
However.
Rustle.
The stones were merely a distraction to obscure its vision.
Do-jae slipped in and severed one of its legs.
“Kuahh!”
The creature screamed in agony.
Thick, black blood flowed from its thigh.
I barely avoided it in that fleeting moment.
He had intended to completely sever the leg, but the creature was agile.
As Do-jae’s sword made contact with its skin, it twisted its body just enough to evade a clean cut.
But the depth of the wound was evident from the significant amount of blood streaming down.
Slash!
The creature leaped up into a tree on its injured leg.
Judging by the tattered clothing it was tearing, it seemed to be attempting to staunch the bleeding.
Where do you think you’re going?
Do-jae didn’t grant it any leeway.
Before it could even tie up its leg, he kicked the tree down.
“Kuiehh!”
The creature clutched its mangled leg and jumped to another tree.
With each jump, Do-jae toppled the trees, hindering its movement.
There won’t be anywhere left to run.
As all the surrounding trees fell, the creature came down to the ground, keeping its distance.
It was still bleeding heavily and could barely stand, swaying as it did.
Was it this easy?
When they first exchanged swords, Do-jae had thought the creature dangerous.
But he never imagined it would become so easy with just a single attack.
He even felt a pang of regret.
“Kyahh.”
The creature stumbled back, limping.
Do-jae slowly closed the distance between them.
Rustle.
He sliced at the creature’s intact leg.
It raised its sword to block, but lost its grip due to the force of Do-jae’s strike.
Thud.
With both legs now incapacitated, the creature crashed to the ground.
Now it began to crawl.
Crunch.
Crack!
Do-jae stepped on one of its arms.
The sound of breaking bone suggested that this arm was also no longer functional.
“Kuyaaah!”
The creature glared at Do-jae, screaming as if in despair.
He couldn’t understand the meaning of its cries.
In fact, he didn’t want to know.
Press—.
Do-jae firmly pressed down on its upper body.
Then he raised his sword vertically.
Swish.
He thrust the blade into the creature’s brow.
[Your level has increased.]
[You have cleared the quest.]
[You are receiving rewards.]
[New effects have been added to the “Heart of the Golem.”]
[Achievement exceeded!]
[You have received additional rewards.]
[“Purple Chest”]
—
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