Riko stood still as night had fallen over all of Korea. He was standing in the forest, holding a key in his hand.
'Is it finally time for me to grow stronger?'
Riko extended the hand holding the key, and a massive red gate opened before him.
Riko had come to enter the gate because he wanted to increase his power. He was worried about his brother, Jun.
He knew that Jun was an S-rank hunter, and he also felt that in the future, he would face difficulties at the S-rank level or even higher.
'At this level, I wouldn't even be able to scratch Jun… or any S-rank hunter.'
Yes, Riko always thought about the top. He wanted to become stronger.
Riko slowly entered the gate. The moment he stepped inside, it closed behind him. The forest fell into complete silence.
The manager of the Black Scorpion Guild sat in his office, thinking about Riko.
'Why has Riko been acting so strange lately?'
He turned and looked out the window, where the moon was visible through the large office glass.
'Why does the air suddenly feel heavier?'
Riko had entered the Demon World gate. He found himself standing in front of a massive tower, with a huge beast sleeping at the entrance.
Riko immediately understood that this enormous creature was the guardian of the tower's gate.
It was a wolf—but unlike any wolf Riko had faced before.
It radiated immense power. Riko instantly realized that this wolf was no ordinary monster.
[Absolute King of Wolves – Rank B+]
'Rank B+?'
The wolf woke up and saw Riko standing before it. It stepped closer.
Riko stared at the wolf in shock.
He could feel an overwhelming and unusual aura coming from it.
"...."
Suddenly, without warning, the wolf launched an attack. Riko barely managed to dodge it.
He avoided the strike with difficulty, but he had already realized something—
That attack was the weakest thing the wolf had.
The wolf was already very close to A-rank.
Riko unconsciously stepped back.
Up until this moment, he had no plan to defeat a wolf that was close to S-rank.
'How am I supposed to defeat this thing?'
'It's just a monster… but it's insanely strong.'
The wolf stared at Riko without any fear.
It stood there calmly, as if nothing had happened.
'This thing… is terrifying.'
Riko summoned two new daggers.
He had obtained them in the gate where he killed the black wolf.
The system had given them to him because he had become specialized in poison.
All thanks to the Death Poison technique, of course.
[Information]
Name: Poison Daggers
Specialization: These daggers are permanently infused with poison
Riko smiled faintly, full of confidence.
He thought victory was already within his reach.
'Wolf… I've already won.'
Riko dashed toward the wolf at high speed.
But in the next moment—
The wolf raised its claw and struck Riko's body.
Boom!
Riko was sent flying backward at tremendous speed.
That attack was incredibly powerful.
[The player is in danger against this wolf]
'Damn…'
He said it while still in the air.
Riko struggled to regain his balance.
Then he landed, though not steadily.
He was now far from the wolf after being thrown a great distance.
But—
In just a single moment, the wolf reached him.
It stood right in front of him.
Riko's eyes widened in shock.
'How…?'
How did it locate him so fast?
At that moment, Riko realized the truth.
This wolf… was not just a monster.
It possessed intelligence similar to humans—just like the Skeleton King.
But there was one difference.
This wolf… couldn't speak.
Riko stood facing the wolf, holding the poison daggers.
He had already realized that it possessed intelligence.
'Is this wolf… like that king?'
With just one attack, the wolf had nearly killed him.
But Riko dodged at the last second.
At this point, he became far more cautious.
Thanks to that, he managed to evade the wolf's attacks.
He knew the wolf was stronger than him.
But now, he was thinking of a way to defeat it with the least possible damage.
'Every method I think of… is filled with risk.'
He wanted to leave this battle with minimal losses.
Suddenly—
He remembered something.
'Auto-Healing…'
His eyes widened slightly.
'I got it!'
At that moment, the wolf charged at him again.
But this time—
Riko didn't dodge.
Instead, he raised his daggers and blocked the attack directly.
Clang!
The wolf was surprised.
It had expected Riko to evade as usual.
But instead… he faced it head-on.
Now Riko was fighting with everything he had.
Because he realized this was the only way to defeat this monster.
Suddenly—
A red aura burst from his body.
He rushed toward the wolf at incredible speed.
The two began exchanging blows.
A strike from the wolf.
A block from Riko.
An attack from Riko.
A dodge from the wolf.
The battle ignited.
The force of their clashes shook the ground beneath them.
[The player is now fighting at full power, which will negatively affect him]
Riko blocked the wolf's attacks with all his strength.
He had no other choice.
This was the only way to win.
The wolf also began taking the fight more seriously.
It still wasn't using its full power… but it was getting close.
Because Riko was fighting with unexpected ferocity.
[The player is gradually approaching exhaustion. He must end the battle quickly]
Riko attacked with his daggers at the right moments.
And blocked at the right moments.
His focus reached its peak.
Because the wolf's power was extremely close to A-rank.
And the difference between C-rank and A-rank…
Was like the difference between heaven and earth.
A massive gap.
But fortunately for Riko…
The wolf was only close to that rank, not fully there yet.
Suddenly—
The wolf raised its massive claw.
Then struck Riko's body with immense force.
Boom!
Riko was launched far away.
His body crashed violently into a ruined structure.
Dust scattered around him.
[The player is now in a miserable state]
Riko's body lay among the debris, unable to move, surrounded by dust as broken rubble pressed against his limbs.
Pain spread through his body like fire. His breathing was heavy and uneven, his chest rising and falling with difficulty.
He began to feel something strange.
A cold sensation… creeping into his depths.
Yes… it was the feeling of approaching death.
The wolf stood before the ruins where Riko lay, watching him silently. Its eyes observed him without urgency, as if simply waiting for his end.
[The player is trying to use Adaptation, but unfortunately this is not possible because the battle has not lasted long enough]
At that moment, Riko sank into his thoughts.
A feeling of despair began to consume him.
He was on the verge of losing his will to live.
But—
Suddenly, he remembered.
His mother's face.
His home.
The people waiting for him.
'…No.'
His eyes widened slightly.
'Not now…'
'This isn't the time for me to die.'
He began to resist the pain.
He clenched his teeth, his hands trembling as he pushed the debris off his body.
Then—
He stood up.
He emerged from the rubble with difficulty. His body was exhausted, but his eyes burned with renewed determination.
He looked at the wolf.
"You… wolf… prepare for your death."
He said it in a weak voice… but filled with determination.
The wolf didn't move.
It just stared at him coldly.
As if looking down on him.
[Iron Body technique activated]
[Death Poison technique activated]
[Ice King technique activated]
[Summon Dead technique activated]
In a single moment, energy exploded within Riko's body.
He activated more than half of his abilities at once.
[Poison has been injected into the player's daggers]
[Damage will be increased tenfold because the player is using daggers compatible with the "Death Poison" technique]
[The player's body durability has been enhanced and his energy has been fully restored]
Riko's body stabilized again. His wounds stopped bleeding, and his energy surged back suddenly.
Suddenly—
An ice armor formed around his body. Transparent blue layers fully enveloped him, resembling the armor he had once seen in a dream.
[The player's body has been coated with the "Ice King" armor]
Directly behind him—
Small dark portals appeared.
From them emerged skeletal soldiers clad in armor, wielding weapons.
[Human skeletal soldiers have been summoned]
Riko raised his dagger.
"Attack!!"
The soldiers charged toward the wolf.
At the same moment—
Riko also rushed forward.
But he was faster than them.
He reached the wolf before they did.
The battle resumed.
Riko and the wolf exchanged attacks at terrifying speed.
But the moment the soldiers entered the battlefield—
They were instantly destroyed.
Their skeletal bodies shattered in an instant.
[Summon Dead has been canceled due to the intensity of the battle]
Riko didn't stop.
He kept fighting.
Attacks collided.
Speed increased.
Power surged.
Riko was now using his full true strength.
All his techniques.
His body was operating at its absolute limits.
And his energy had been fully restored thanks to "Iron Body."
As for the wolf—
It stopped underestimating him.
It began using its full power.
Because it realized…
Riko had become a real threat.
The wolf charged at him with full force.
Its attacks became more violent.
Faster.
Deadlier.
But—
Riko blocked them.
With speed far beyond C-rank.
As if…
He were an A-rank hunter.
But that didn't come without a price.
Riko's body began to take damage gradually.
Using multiple techniques at once was putting immense strain on him.
'I have to end this now…'
[Full Stealth technique activated]
Suddenly—
Riko disappeared.
Along with his armor.
His presence vanished completely.
The wolf could no longer sense him.
No sound.
No aura.
No existence.
The wolf grew tense.
It began looking around cautiously.
It hadn't expected a human to reach this level.
Riko suddenly appeared behind it.
He attacked—
But the wolf easily dodged.
Riko's eyes widened.
'What…?!'
Despite being invisible…
The wolf reacted.
Because of its high combat experience.
Riko disappeared again.
Trying to end the battle quickly.
[Remaining duration of "Full Stealth": 3:55]
'Damn it!'
Time wasn't on his side.
'This won't be enough…'
At a decisive moment—
Riko pushed his body beyond its limits.
He vanished—
Then suddenly appeared near the wolf's eye.
A direct stab.
He pierced its left eye.
The wolf screamed in pain.
It became enraged.
It raised its claw and struck Riko.
But—
The moment it touched Riko's body—
The bones in its claw shattered.
The wolf howled in even greater pain.
It retreated.
Fear began to show.
It realized something.
This human…
Was not normal.
This was…
"Death."
Waiting for anyone who faced him.
Suddenly—
Riko disappeared.
Then appeared again right in front of its face.
A second stab.
He pierced its right eye.
The wolf lost its vision.
It became blind.
Riko immediately took advantage of the opportunity.
He began stabbing its right eye repeatedly.
Attack after attack.
Without stopping.
The "Death Poison" technique was working.
And the poison daggers amplified its effect.
The poison spread rapidly through the wolf's body.
Then—
Riko stopped.
For a moment.
The wolf's body collapsed to the ground.
The earth trembled under its weight.
["Absolute King of Wolves" has been defeated]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[You have advanced to Rank B]
Riko's eyes widened in shock.
His breathing was heavy.
He looked at the messages before him in disbelief.
His level had increased tremendously.
And he had advanced to Rank B.
End of Chapter (18)