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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: King of the Hunters
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Caster.
A general term for Awakened Ones who use spells.
Typically classified as magic-users, they were capable of manifesting the most diverse range of supernatural abilities among the Awakened.
With enough preparation, even a low-tier Awakened One could blow away an entire house, making them quite useful.
The problem, however, lay in that very preparation.
Sacrifices, catalysts, rituals, magic circles, and so on.
The more powerful the spell, the more preparation it required. Even the simplest of spells necessitated an act known as chanting.
This made them the most vulnerable class in the heat of battle.
Such was the nature of a Caster, and for that reason, an escort was essential.
"Oul Ruo, IaD, Amod."
In that sense…
Dion's decision to approach Rashanta, who was hanging upside down far above the Dreadwood Arbor, was the very definition of recklessness.
To any observer, it was a suicide mission, but…
What followed was anything but.
"JAd."
*Fwoosh!*
The moment Dion finished his incantation, his index finger pointed straight at Rashanta.
An arrow of darkness shot through the air.
It was a basic form of black magic that a combat-type Awakened One could easily block, let alone a common person.
Naturally, Rashanta, a dungeon boss, swatted it away with its scythe.
But that was only the beginning.
"JAd, JAd, JAd."
*Fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh!*
It was fired.
And fired again.
And again.
With every chant, another arrow of darkness was loaded and unleashed in a torrential rain.
The high-tier class, [Black Sorcerer], could shorten chant times and amplify power with sufficient sacrifices.
This, combined with the trait [Chant Shortening] he had also acquired, was a monumental feat.
It was an absurd rate of spell-fire that would have made even Silan, the original owner of these abilities, doubt his own eyes.
Five times, ten times, twenty times.
The barrage of dark arrows relentlessly embedded themselves all over Rashanta's colossal body.
*Thud-thud-thud-thud!*
Its body shuddered.
The scythes paused for a moment.
Perhaps because its exoskeleton was as large and durable as its frame…
Despite the numerous hits, the dark arrows shattered without inflicting any significant wounds on Rashanta.
Still, it must have felt the pain.
Or perhaps it was displeased with being attacked so one-sidedly.
Rashanta finally abandoned its defensive stance and launched a counterattack.
*Whoosh!*
"Whoa!"
The instant the flower bud on Rashanta's back twitched…
A vine, incomparably longer and more lethal than any whip, shot out like lightning.
Dion quickly leaped away, dodging the vine, and used a strand of spider silk from his hand to swing to another branch.
[Black Spider's Grasp].
It was the power of a treasure that allowed him to freely create and manipulate all sorts of spider silk.
But Rashanta extended five more vines, relentlessly pursuing him.
Thanks to this, Dion had no time to chant, forced to constantly leap and fly between branches.
Like a mosquito dodging a fly swatter.
"Trying to deny me a chance to chant? I'll admit, if I just keep running, I'll be the one to fall."
*Whap, whap, whoosh!*
"But, you praying mantis, I have a question for you."
*Whoosh!*
"—Why do you think I'm the only hunter after you?"
*Halt.*
Did it feel something instinctively, even without the intelligence to understand Dion's words?
The moment Rashanta paused…
A crimson gleam shot out from the shadow of the leaves and pierced through its body.
*Piiing!*
Was it thanks to the insect's characteristically wide field of vision and reflexes?
Or was it because it had used an additional vine as a shield?
Although it had dodged the fatal surprise attack from behind, the crimson gleam curved in mid-air and impaled Rashanta's body, causing it to swing its forelegs wildly.
But the crimson light effortlessly slipped between the two scythes and landed on Dion's shoulder.
"I know you're already acquainted, so introductions aren't really necessary… but I'll introduce you, just for the sake of courtesy."
…
"This is my new friend, Heda."
Seeing the beautiful, ruby-like bee on Dion's shoulder, Rashanta raised its scythes.
It had no choice.
That bee was none other than the third named boss of this Hunter's Forest.
Though it was only the size of a finger, it was an even more stealthy and deadly hunter for that very reason.
It was [The Ruthless Blood Wasp Queen, 'Heda'].
The two people who had been watching the scene unfold while fighting, wary of Dion—or more accurately, Rashanta—were Lea and Chavera, the top tamers of the Dreadwood Arbor.
Their eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets.
"He, he tamed a named boss? In just half a day?"
"Impossible! Taming a named monster is nearly impossible even for a high-ranking master summoner…!"
"Don't tell me he's already broken through the transcendent wall at his age?"
"...!!!"
Dion smirked at the two's outrageous misconception.
If Heda hadn't been a Blood Wasp Queen…
If he hadn't been able to use a loophole…
Even Dion wouldn't have been able to tame Heda with just the 2-star class [Beast Tamer].
It wasn't even a proper taming, so it was hard to say he had truly made her his familiar.
But for now, this was enough.
—Enough to take down Rashanta.
"Heda, could you help me out a little more?"
*Bzzzz.*
As if Dion's request was all it took, Heda vibrated her wings and took to the air.
Perhaps it, too, sensed the strangeness of the situation, despite its lack of intelligence.
Rashanta, which had been craning its neck oddly, raised its scythes as if to say it wouldn't be caught off guard again, but…
Unfortunately for it, Rashanta had to face more than just one person and one creature.
*Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.*
From between the trees.
From between the leaves.
Or from among the corpses.
Countless crimson shadows rose from all directions.
[Blood Wasp]☆, [Large Blood Wasp]☆☆, [Poison Blood Wasp]☆☆, [Arrow Blood Wasp]☆☆, [Mist Blood Wasp]☆☆, [Vampiric Blood Wasp]☆☆, and more.
From wasps the size of a fingernail to ones as large as a person, a swarm of over several hundred blood-wasp-type monsters surrounded the area.
It was truly a queen's army.
The largest single-species monster force in the Hunter's Forest, and the very reason the Blood Wasp Queen was a named boss, had revealed itself.
*Swoosh!*
Feeling threatened by this army…
Rashanta unfurled dozens of vines from its flower bud and swung them in all directions, and the blood wasps, following their queen's will, swarmed in unison.
What began then was a truly fierce battle.
Vines cracked like whips.
Forelegs sliced through blood wasps like scythes.
The blood wasps, though bursting and being cut down, continued their assault, looking for an opening.
All the while, the queen hid among them, striking Rashanta with surprise attacks, and Dion rained down magic from behind.
A pandemonium of bodily fluids and flesh rained down, a chaotic melee fought not just left and right, but above and below as well.
Amidst this hellish battlefield…
Dion thought with cold composure.
'As expected, we're at a slight disadvantage.'
The fierce battle had left wounds on Rashanta, but compared to its massive size, they were merely minor scratches.
On the other hand, the Blood Wasp Queen's army was being decimated at a terrifying rate. At this pace, the balance between the two would soon collapse.
This was all the more pressing since the Dreadwood Arbor below was also in increasing danger.
But Dion remained unfazed, parrying the vines that continued to pursue him with his sword and countering with spells.
He just had to hold out to win.
Dion had a reason for his unwavering belief.
That was why Dion smiled leisurely even as he narrowly dodged Rashanta's vines.
*Craaash!*
"Gah?!"
…Until a giant axe suddenly flew at him.
It was a close call.
Just a second's delay in his evasion would have split him in two. Immediately after narrowly avoiding the crisis…
Dion dodged another incoming vine and threw himself to the side.
He then smirked at his attacker.
The half-troll mutant, now larger and tougher than before, the burn on one side of its face from the crow's explosion regenerating at a frightening speed.
He looked into Chubaba's murderous eyes and chuckled.
"Well, I guess there's no easy way in life."
—A bright smile bloomed on his face, as if he couldn't contain his excitement.
***
Half-troll.
A race that possessed the troll's regeneration and massive build.
And the intelligence of another race.
Born with a combination of only the best traits, they were a race that was infinitely close to a superior species.
Despite this, half-trolls were often looked down upon for three reasons.
One, their appearance was even more hideous than a troll's.
Two, all their traits, from physical strength to size and regeneration, were inferior to a full-blooded troll's.
And three, like mules, they were sterile.
For these reasons, half-trolls could never establish a family line and were never treated as nobility.
Most of them died rough lives as mercenaries or criminals.
Nevertheless… or rather, because of this, half-trolls were popular as mercenaries.
They were stronger than most mercenaries, didn't die easily, and if they did, the client could save on the fee.
*Craaash!!!*
And at this moment…
Chubaba was proving the merits of a half-troll with its entire body.
Despite having become a mutant due to mana contamination…
No, precisely because of it, its abilities had been strengthened to a level rivaling a pure-blooded troll as it swung its axe.
"Hup!"
Dion swiftly dodged the axe that swung like a storm.
It was an agile evasion made possible by the physical abilities enhanced beyond their limits by the talent of the [Bloodshed Star].
The problem was that Chubaba wasn't Dion's only opponent right now.
*Swoosh!*
As if waiting for this very moment…
Three vines shot out like snakes striking their prey.
Dion flipped his body to dodge one vine and blocked another with his sword.
But the last vine managed to graze Dion's shoulder.
The razor-sharp thorns on the vine, coupled with its immense power and speed, tore away the flesh on his shoulder as if ripping it off.
But even with the pain that would have made an ordinary warrior scream and collapse…
Dion didn't even let out a groan.
He didn't flinch.
He simply aimed his free hand at Chubaba, forming the shape of a pistol.
"JAd."
*Fwoosh!*
With a short incantation…
An arrow of darkness shot from his fingertips.
It was a product of black magic powerful enough to deal significant damage to a combat-type Awakened One, but Chubaba didn't fall even after taking it to the face.
As if it had been bitten by a mosquito.
It just shook its head, regenerated the wound, and charged again, swinging its axe.
Dion rolled away from the attack, which would have been enough to cleave a high-ranking Awakened One in two if they were careless, as if he had expected it.
He narrowed his eyes at the mushroom-and-fungi-covered Chubaba.
Like a hunter observing its prey.
"Kuaaaargh!!!"
Was it displeased by his gaze?
Or did it instinctively sense something?
Chubaba swung its axe more fiercely as it charged.
The sight of it swinging an axe the size of a man's torso like a toy was overwhelming.
Dozens of low-ranking Awakened Ones would have been turned into mincemeat in an instant. Dion had no choice but to focus on dodging, let alone countering.
This was especially true since Rashanta, while surrounded by blood wasps, continued to attack Dion with its vines.
*Swish!*
His wrist swelled.
His side was torn.
Blood spurted from his ear.
By sacrificing less important parts of his body to protect his vitals, Dion was quickly covered in blood.
It was to be expected.
Dion's 3-star class was [Black Sorcerer].
A Caster whose true potential was realized in a rear position, as its powerful single-shot attacks required chanting.
On the other hand, Chubaba was a half-troll with the powerful standalone class [Barbarian], and its mutation had made it as strong as a pure-blooded troll.
Moreover, Chubaba's fearsomeness wasn't limited to its combat prowess.
'[Intermediate Regeneration] and [Poison Spores]. Quite a good combination.'
Feeling the spores spread by the mushrooms and fungi covering Chubaba's body, along with a musty smell…
Dion smirked.
It was a good thing he had acquired [Low-grade Poison Resistance] and [Low-grade Disease Resistance] from hunting countless monsters.
If he hadn't, the spores would have slowly dulled his movements until he was chopped to pieces by the axe.
That was the terror of a mutant.
On top of its original class and enhanced physique, the uncertainty of what new traits it might have acquired made it a monster as tricky as any named boss.
Of course, this was a different story for Dion, who had a status window.
*Craaash!*
But knowing and responding were two different things.
It was inevitable that he would be at a disadvantage from the moment he failed to finish off Chubaba with the spell he cast when it first intervened.
This was especially true since he didn't have the luxury of using a spell powerful enough to instantly kill Chubaba while also keeping Rashanta in check.
And yet…
Dion did not waver.
He paid no heed to the wounds appearing all over his body and simply watched Chubaba.
The wild trajectory of the axe.
The placement of its striding feet.
The twitching of its massive muscles.
Though all intelligence had vanished…
The erratic yet explosive movements, born from the synergy of the [Barbarian]'s talent and its wild nature, were all reflected with crystal clarity in Dion's crimson eyes. The moment he twisted his wrist…
—Swapping the current class with a class stored by the special effect of [Class Changer]
[Ignitionist]☆☆ → [Swordsman (Soldier + Blademaster)]☆☆
*Clang!*
"Krrk!?"
Following the elegant arc of the sword, the axe that had been aimed at Dion's head struck empty air.
Chubaba swung its axe even more fiercely, but the result was the same.
As if it had suddenly become a magnet…
Dion's sword stuck to the axe.
A slight movement of the blade's tip was enough to send Chubaba's axe swinging wildly off course.
When he pushed, it retreated.
When he pulled, it charged in.
The more it tried to shake him off, the more tenaciously the sword clung to it.
As if he knew in advance how Chubaba would swing its axe.
"Don't be surprised. I've fought plenty of half-trolls myself."
Despite having lost its intelligence, Chubaba's face contorted as if it couldn't believe what was happening. Dion smiled warmly at it.
"Barbarians and mutants, too."
The Calamity War.
The final war of Odobaekryeong that had swept through all cities and races.
Dion, who had been at the heart of it, had fought countless enemies. Though he had lost his power and abilities upon returning to the past, his experience remained intact.
The swordsmanship enhancement from the [Swordsman] class he had chosen for the situation, the physical enhancement from [Berserker], and the agility from [Thief].
Traits like [Superhuman Strength] and [Combat Logic] acquired from killing countless monsters and leveling up.
And above all, the transcendent talent of the [Bloodshed Star].
All of this, combined with his combat experience, allowed him to perfectly read Chubaba's movements.
Of course, that alone was not enough.
No matter how much skill and experience he drew upon, it wasn't enough to gain the upper hand in close combat against the mutated Chubaba.
Especially since he had to deal with Rashanta's vines at the same time.
But…
"And a pincer attack, you see, can actually be a hindrance if you're not in sync."
*Fwoosh!*
Timing it with the strike of Rashanta's vine, Dion masterfully guided Chubaba's axe.
The axe chopped the vine to pieces.
The vine entangled the axe.
In that moment, as the two monsters hindered each other's movements and an opening was revealed…
*Thwack-thwack!*
"Kuwoork?!"
As if sprouting from within…
Arrows pierced both of Chubaba's eyes.
Dion didn't need to check where they came from.
There was only one dark elf who could cover him so flawlessly while commanding the Dreadwood Arbor.
"—Just as I'd expect from Arsha, the perfect wife."
*Stab!*
Like a soaring dragon…
Dion kicked off the ground and leaped into the air.
The sword in his hand shot like lightning, plunging under Chubaba's jaw, through its palate, and into its brain.
It was a truly fatal blow.
Even then, Chubaba's terrifying regeneration tried to mend its brain… but unfortunately for it, Dion's attack wasn't over yet.
"Ad, AiN, Aut."
*Fwoosh!*
"Ku, ugh."
As the short incantation echoed…
Black flames erupted from the sword.
It was a low-grade black magic spell, its power greatly reduced by the shortened chant, but it was more than enough.
Enough to stop the regeneration of the brain already pierced by the blade and burn it to ashes.
And so, as molten brain matter and blood poured from its eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, Chubaba's eyes rolled back.
*Thud.*
"Huu… Whoa!"
*Crash!*
As its massive body collapsed, sending a great tremor through the branch…
Dion, who was pulling his sword from Chubaba's head with a deep exhale, suddenly rolled across the ground.
A thick whip, formed from several intertwined vines, had torn Chubaba's corpse to shreds.
And in the process, it had also shattered the sword embedded in Chubaba's head.
"Not only do you interfere in someone else's fight, but you also launch a surprise attack. What an ill-mannered mantis."
In the end, Dion abandoned the broken sword and drew a dagger.
Dodging the continuous onslaught of vines, he observed Rashanta's condition.
'The blood wasps… are almost wiped out.'
Of the hundreds of blood wasps that had been there, only a few dozen remained.
The Blood Wasp Queen, Heda, was also dripping red blood from a wound on her side, likely from being struck by a vine.
Even though they were both named bosses…
One was a mere area boss, the other a dungeon boss.
The gap between them was just that large.
This was especially true since they had been forced to attack recklessly to keep Rashanta from interfering while Dion dealt with Chubaba.
'My condition isn't great either, and the Dreadwood Arbor is being pushed back.'
Moreover, Dion was not in good shape either.
From his ear to his shoulder and forearm…
His body was so torn and bruised that there were more wounded parts than unscathed ones.
If it had been the original Chubaba, it would have been easier.
But fighting a Chubaba that had become twice as strong through mutation while also fending off Rashanta's attacks meant he couldn't possibly have come out unharmed.
And it went without saying that the situation at the Dreadwood Arbor, which had been outmatched from the start, was dire.
'This might be a little tight.'
He didn't even need to draw on his experience from the Calamity War.
It was a precarious situation.
At this rate, no matter how hard they fought, they would either be annihilated or suffer losses tantamount to annihilation even if they won.
But Dion did not grow anxious.
He simply focused on dodging the vines and using short incantations to keep Rashanta in check.
As if he were waiting for something.
*Twitch!*
It was then that it happened.
The forest spiders and slave soldiers were not enough, so the Hara tribe had taken up arms themselves at the Dreadwood Arbor.
In the midst of fighting the monsters more fiercely than anyone else…
The beastkin girl's ears suddenly perked up, and she turned around.
She ran straight to the Dreadwood Arbor, grabbed onto the windows and balconies, and scaled its outer wall.
Finally reaching the top of the Dreadwood Arbor, the girl took a deep breath.
And…
"Awooooooooooo—!"
A deep.
Heavy.
And resounding.
The beastly howl, surprisingly loud for someone mute, echoed thunderously.
Loud enough to be heard not only by the others fighting fiercely, but also by Dion, high up on the branches.
"You're finally here."
Was it because he knew the moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived?
Dion looked down at Orr Kai and smiled, a radiant expression like a blooming flower.
After starting his third life, Dion had grown stronger faster than before and had gained much more.
The dark elves, including Arsha, and his 3-star class were already achievements beyond his expectations.
But honestly, the most unexpected boon Dion had acquired was something else entirely.
Orr Kai.
The beastkin girl he had found at the Ketlick Slave Market while trying to buy useful slaves for the lowest possible price.
To the hyena girl who had been starving, unaware of her own talent, but whose talent he had personally taught and helped blossom, Dion gave a thumbs-up.
As Orr Kai, despite being covered in blood, wagged her tail and smiled with satisfaction…
"Good job, my lucky charm."
*Rumble-rumble-rumble.*
The forest shook.
On the opposite side of the branches where the monsters attacking the Dreadwood Arbor were swarming, a massive shadow appeared.
A reptile with an immense body, a horned tail, and six eyes and legs.
The 3-star Divine Beast, 'Basilisk,' which had been slumbering beneath the territory for a long time after losing its contractor, had awakened upon meeting a new one.
It had come, following its driver's call.
And on its back…
A □-shaped mansion.
—It was the Crouching Dragon Manor.
Name: Orr Kai
Race: Beastkin
Title: Basilisk's Contractor
Classes:
[Syntonist]☆☆☆ Lv3
[Barbarian]☆☆ Lv2
[Slave]☆ Lv5
[Glutton]☆ Lv4
[Brawler]☆ Lv3
Traits: [Sympathetic Resonance (SR)], [Feral Nature (N)](New)
[Sympathetic Resonance]
1. Resonance with Divine Beasts greatly ↑
2. Assimilation with Divine Beasts moderately ↑
3. Resonance distance limit with contracted Divine Beast removed
4. Intelligence moderately ↓
5. Loss of language
—For only a beast may truly understand another beast, and a beast blessed by the gods is no exception.
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