Chapter 15
Hand Over It Over or Get Ripped
(TN: i called the skill teaching of thousand mastery but i think teaching of martial arts more suited to it)
"......"
In the silence.
Kang Jaeho smiled faintly and rummaged through his pocket.
Then, he bit into a cigarette.
Sizzle!
The matchstick, burning in the middle of the desert, looked terribly ominous.
"Um, excuse me..."
It was when a man who seemed to be the older brother among the siblings stepped forward.
Leaving his younger sister behind, he asked cautiously.
"Party Leader Kang Jaeho?"
"Yeah?"
"What does it mean... the boss type?"
[To break the seal of the ancient desert scorpion king, a sacrifice must be offered.]
[Place the offering on top of the two engraved magic runes.]
[The sacrifice must be a living Hunter of Grade F or higher.]
The information for the stage was available to all party members.
Kang Jaeho smirked.
"What does it mean? Can't you figure it out by looking?"
"Yes?"
"Offer a sacrifice. Two Hunters of Grade F or higher, alive. Don't you understand?"
"I understand, but..."
"Oh, you understand? That's good then. What are you waiting for? Hurry up."
Kang Jaeho pointed to the altar.
"...What?"
The male porter was flustered.
Kang Jaeho was relaxed, as if enjoying the situation.
"Heh, quite naive, huh?"
"Well, with such a lack of awareness."
The hunters next to him chuckled.
The porter shouted.
"You, you're insane!"
"Insane? Well... if it's more comfortable for you to think that way, it's probably for the better."
"What, why are you doing this to us?"
The younger sister at the back also stepped forward.
"You, did you intend to do this from the beginning?"
"Oh my, what are you saying?"
"Yes?"
"You guys never thought it was strange? Why would we spend more on you scraps than usual? Common sense dictates that expensive rewards come with a high price. Didn't you know?"
The porters were taken aback by Kang Jaeho's true colors.
I, too, found it absurd.
'Why bother acting so high and mighty in front of me?'
There's only one answer.
He must have confidence in his abilities to overpower me.
Swoosh.
I, who's getting disgusted , stepped towards Kang Jaeho.
"Hmm? You don't need to interfere, you know? We only plan on using them as sacrifices."
I stared at Kang Jaeho without a word.
Someone who treats a fellow human's life as if it were a fly.
The world labels such people as 'villains'. And I... had no intention of compromising with 'villains' for my own goals.
"Well, well. You're more straightforward than I thought. Or perhaps are you a saint?"
"It's Noisy. What is your purpose?" I asked.
"Purpose? What do you mean?"
"Why did you come all the way to the Mercenary Guild to bring me here?"
"Heh, you weren't completely clueless, were you?"
"Speak."
Kang Jaeho expression hardened.
I couldn't put my finger on why, but there was something different about his demeanor.
Despite not being overwhelmingly strong, there was a chilling sensation down my spine.
"Indeed, that dungeon. It wasn't just luck that you conquered it, was it?"
Kang Jaeho's mouth twisted.
"Yes, you probably anticipated it as well. Our curiosity about 'dungeon reward'. I'm not sure how you managed to roast that Ranker girl, but because of that, we had to go through the trouble of bringing you to the dungeon."
He shook the sword he held.
Other hunters also wielded their weapons and formed a formation.
"But remember this. We have no intention of being hostile towards you."
"No intention of being hostile?"
"Yes, that's right. That's why I'm showing you."
Kang Jaeho looked at the trembling porters.
"We're these kinds of people, and whether you want to join us is up to you. Of course, if you want to join, you'll have to share some of the dungeon reward with us. Our team is fair when it comes to distribution."
"Crazy."
If I were to summarize their words, it would be something like this: I'm a villain, but do you want to join forces? If you do, give us some 'reward'.
Yeah, take it or leave it.
Swish! Swish!
Bone 3 arrow shot forth with terrifying speed.
The startled hunters quickly raised their arms.
Ting!
Kang Jaeho swiftly deflected it.
"Oh ho, is this your answer? You'll regret it," Kang Jaeho taunted.
"Hunters like me don't make a habit of teaming up with wild animals."
My gaze was resolute.
By my standards, they were not human.
In fact, they were closer to monsters in the shape of human.
'A monster's true taste comes from the hunt.'
Even if i lose...'
There was no turning back from here.
The Ranker I want was not an 'evil' Ranker.
'And above all...'
Compared to the old man at the dungeon, this was nothing.
It even felt worth trying.
I made my decision and led the skeletons into a charge.
"Do you think gaining dungeon reward will instantly makes you stronger? Just a few days ago, you were nothing more than a porter!"
Kang Jaeho, realizing the negotiations had fallen apart, spat out curses.
But I chose not to bother.
Their shouts in my ears sounded like 'oink!' 'oink!' and nothing more.
['Bone 5' uses the skill 'Air Shield (Lv.1).]
After using a basic defensive skill, I clashed with all my might.
***
"Hoo, hoo!"
My gaze was fixed solely on Kang Jaeho.
My breathing was getting heavier.
The skeletons, excluding Bone 3, were locked in combat with the remaining hunters.
Only Bone 3 and Kang Jaeho were watching each other, reading the moves.
"It's Stronger than I thought."
Although he was a C-rank hunter, he seemed to possess a power close to B-rank.
It was a strength far beyond what I had faced before.
"But..."
Oddly enough, that was what I welcomed.
Just a few days ago, I was struggling against D-rank orcs.
Now, I had grown enough to hold my own against a top-tier C-rank hunter.
"Heh heh heh."
Did Kang Jaeho sense my confidence? He chuckled as if he found it amusing.
"It's almost comical to think you consider yourself worthy of facing me. You're way overestimating yourself."
"......?"
"Do you know why we boldly attacked an unidentified grade dungeon?"
Because we're not afraid.
I furrowed my brows.
His gaze seemed fixed on something, as if he were waiting for someone.
In that eerie moment, I hesitated for a moment, feeling a sharp sensation, like something was about to slice through my neck.
"Bone 3!"
Chaang!
Bone 3 deflected the dagger flying from the darkness.
It's scary.
If I had been a little slower, it could have pierced through my neck.
"Kreuugh."
The force was quite intense, even me a summoner, I felt the shock.
"What's going on?"
My heart sank coldly.
The opponent was soundless and moved incredibly fast.
Clearly a high rank Hunter right?
"Kkeukkeuk."
It was then that Kang Jaeho responded to my confusion with a chuckle.
"It's because there's someone watching our backs. In the world, they call us the 'Shadow Breakers.'"
"The Shadow Breakers?!" I shouted without thinking.
Even as an E-rank mercenary, I had heard that name repeatedly.
A nefarious criminal organization hiding in the underground world.
I'd heard that they've been a headache for both the Association and the guilds on the surface.
"Kkeukkeuk. Yes, you poor soul. The hunter you're facing now is an A-rank assassin dispatched by the Shadow Breakers."
"A-rank...." It was a despairing revelation.
In a situation where I was barely holding my own against a C-rank hunter, now I was facing not even a B-rank, but an A-rank?
The gap between the two ranks was so immense that hoping for luck or a miracle seemed futile.
Swoosh.
It was then that a figure cloaked in darkness appeared.
"Is it him? The one who cleared the dungeon that Kisoyul failed to conquer?"
He asked, his voice low.
Kang Jaeho respectfully nodded, "Yes, sir." With the arrival of a hunter possessing immense presence, the fierce battle momentarily paused.
Behind me, the two porters stood with dejected expressions.
Behind the newly arrived assassin, five hunters wore relaxed expressions.
"Sigh."
I breathed out.
To be honest, there was no answer.
A situation without a solution.
Behind me, the porters gripped the edges of their clothes.
"We're sorry. It seems like we're causing unnecessary trouble."
"Thank you. Even though... it seems like this is as far as it goes... Still, I'm truly grateful. Ugh, I'm sorry."
The young siblings choked on their sobs.
what had they done wrong?
Simply for being weak.
Was there a reason for them to be sacrificed?
It was a feeling of something boiling inside me.
My Emotions blazed.
'I don't want to give up.'
I wanted to save them.
That's why I turned to the one person I could rely on.
'The old man.'
I nodded my head.
No matter how you looked at it, that seemed to be the only option.
Advice from a super powerhouse mighty enough to refer to an A-rank as 'such thing'.
"And now that the cooldown is over."
[Skill: 'Teaching of Martial Arts' (S-rank) is activated.]
[Consuming 20 energy.]
['Master of the Martial Arts' appears.]
I summoned my Trump card here.
***
"Haah."
The old man let out a heavy sigh.
Then, he shook his head vigorously.
"Tsk tsk, that's right. I knew it from the moment a clueless fellow like you started wandering around."
The old man's form was transparent, and his voice resonated only inside my head.
The hunters in front of me couldn't perceive anything.
"Elder, the situation is urgent. Please give me your advice!"
I shouted inwardly, and the old man chuckled.
"Advice? Hah. You can't even handle those guys. Tsk tsk... It's lamentable. To think you fail to deal with such trash, and dare claiming to be my disciple."
"Don't just lament! If I die, won't you also on trouble?"
"So, who told you to create this situation? The one feeling unjust is me, you fool! No matter how adept I am in Mastery, how can I make the impossible possible?"
"Geez!"
I pinched my brow.
At this rate, I'd only wasted my energy.
"Ugh...!"
The situation was deteriorating.
The murderous aura emanating from him had grown even stronger.
He spoke up.
"Since it's our first meeting, let's keep it nice. What's this dungeon reward you've obtained?"
"...."
The assassin inquired about dungeon reward.
For an instant, my eyes widened.
Since their purpose in bringing me here was clear, it meant they couldn't easily take my life.
In other words, dealing damage was possible.
"Oh-ho, indeed, there must be such a method."
The old man also mumbled approvingly,
"Yes, if you're facing the assassin alone, there is a way.
Of course, I can't guarantee a 100% success rate, but at least you can use Donggwieojin.
Good.
Give it a try.
If you succeed, I'll help you."
Donggwieojin (同歸於盡), a term for facing death together with opponent.
It refers to using a hidden move against a formidable opponent.
I stared at the assassin and spoke up, "Do you wish to know about dungeon reward?"
"Yes," he nodded.
"A reward from, an unknown dungeon that even Kisoyul can't clear. It's bound to be tempting."
"Then I will tell you. Naturally, I must. You are an A-rank hunter after all."
"That's a good choice. You're wiser than I thought."
The satisfied assassin nodded as he withdrew his aura.
"But."
I said
"I believe I should face those guys who struck me from behind in a match before that."
"What?"
The assassin furrowed his brow again.
"Because, I've been too frustrated and angry to talk about it. They need a lesson in manners."
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