Chapter 05
This special blood, purchased at a Hunter shop, was designed to lure monsters.
After thoroughly coating a wooden stick with the blood, Ha-jun stealthily followed Lee Kang-woo.
Meanwhile, Lee Kang-woo was strolling through the dungeon without a single care in the world.
With a half-empty bottle of alcohol in one hand and his sword slung over his shoulder like a carefree gangster, there wasn’t a trace of tension to be found.
To him, this place wasn’t a dangerous dungeon, but merely a theme park to satisfy his own desires.
But—
‘You won’t be getting out of here alive today.’
As Ha-jun carefully shook the wooden stick, a pungent, fishy smell of blood spread in all directions.
It wasn’t just ordinary blood.
It was hunting blood, made by adding special materials that stimulate a monster’s instincts to human blood.
Usually, tanks apply it to their equipment to draw a monster’s aggro, but—
‘It can be used like this too.’
Ha-jun slowly shook the stick, spreading the scent of blood along Lee Kang-woo’s path.
Lee Kang-woo had no idea that he himself had already become the prey.
Lee Kang-woo swung his sword with a satisfied expression, spraying the blood from the blade into the air.
Several already cold corpses lay scattered at his feet.
“Having some decent fun today, huh? More fresh prey than I thought. Usually, there aren’t many idiots with no sense who dare to come into illegal gates.”
A particularly lucky day.
And there was still prey left.
A man whose hamstrings had been cut, unable to even run away, begged with his last shred of hope.
“P-Please…”
But before he could finish—
Thud—
Without a moment’s hesitation, Lee Kang-woo plunged his sword into the man’s chest.
As a short scream rang out and the floor was stained with blood, Lee Kang-woo pulled out his sword with a satisfied, cruel smile.
To him, even the despair and misery of the dying were nothing more than simple entertainment.
“Damn, you died boringly. Hey, is that really all you’ve got for a finale?”
Lee Kang-woo irritably pushed the corpse’s shoulder with the tip of his foot.
It seemed it was still alive, as a faint groan escaped.
At that, Lee Kang-woo let out a giggling laugh, pleased.
He stabbed the corpse with his sword once more.
The interior of the dungeon reeked of the fishy smell of blood.
And as Lee Kang-woo’s slaughter continued, that nauseating scent dyed the dungeon deeper and deeper.
‘What an idiot.’
The smell of human blood is one of a monster’s favorites.
Yet, because he was recklessly spilling blood like that, his surroundings were already filled with goblins drawn by the scent.
Of course, normally, they wouldn’t pose much of a threat to a D-rank Hunter like Lee Kang-woo, but—
‘I’m here today.’
Ha-jun, who had been quietly watching the situation from a tree, took out another hunting blood pack from his bag.
Although Lee Kang-woo had already spread enough blood, this was to lure the goblin horde more reliably.
Ha-jun slightly tore the blood pack and thoroughly soaked a few stones he had picked up earlier in the blood.
Then, he threw the stones with all his might into the darkness surrounding Lee Kang-woo.
Thud— Thud—
The sound of stones bouncing and rolling on the ground was heard.
It was a faint sound, barely audible to human ears, but it was a sufficient signal for the sharp-eared goblins.
After throwing all the stones he had, Ha-jun looked at the wooden stick in his hand and muttered.
“Won’t be needing this anymore either.”
Below the tree Ha-jun was perched on, a horde of goblins, drawn by the scent of blood, was already swarming.
They just couldn’t dare to attack because Ha-jun was up in the tree.
Ha-jun swung the stick and threw it with all his might towards the direction where Lee Kang-woo was.
“Heave-ho.”
And at that moment, the goblins’ gazes all turned towards that spot.
Now, the real beginning was at hand.
After finishing his hunt, Lee Kang-woo sat on a tree stump to catch his breath.
He had placed his blood-stained sword on the ground and was tipping his alcohol bottle when—
Rustle.
His previously quiet surroundings began to stir.
Annoyed by the sudden presence, Lee Kang-woo stood up.
“Tch, goblins, is it.”
He threw down his alcohol bottle and looked around.
At first, he didn’t think much of it.
Goblins were nothing more than simple prey.
But—
As red eyes began to appear, one by two, from the darkness of the forest, Lee Kang-woo had no choice but to change his mind.
“Kiiik—!”
“Kkeek—!”
The number of goblins was far greater than expected.
It wasn’t just one or two; the entire horde had begun to react to the scent of blood and move.
Lee Kang-woo frowned.
“Why are there so many.”
Only now did he realize the situation was serious.
Lee Kang-woo drew the sword at his waist and quickly assumed a combat stance.
Swoosh—!
As he took a step forward—
“Kieeeeeek—!”
Taking that as a signal, the goblins all charged towards him at once.
“Tch, what a nuisance.”
But Lee Kang-woo was a D-rank Hunter with extensive real combat experience. He wasn’t particularly flustered or nervous.
He was just a little annoyed that his rest had been interrupted by mere E-rank goblins.
Shooook—
Lee Kang-woo cut down the leading goblin with a single stroke—
“Kieeeeee—!”
Blood splattered everywhere as the goblin’s head rolled on the ground.
But that wasn’t the end.
Other, highly agitated goblins were rushing in all at once.
“Tsk, no matter how many of these damn beasts I cut down, it’s never any fun.”
Lee Kang-woo clicked his tongue but calmly swung his sword, beginning to cut down the goblins one by one.
One, two—
Whenever he swung his sword, goblins fell like autumn leaves.
But—
Lee Kang-woo didn’t notice at all.
The fact that someone was approaching from the darkness, aiming for this moment when he was immersed in battle.
“This is really endless—!”
The more goblins swarmed, the faster Lee Kang-woo swung his sword.
Whenever his sword flashed, goblin limbs flew through the air, and fresh blood spouted like fountains here and there.
But there were far too many goblins than expected.
Cut down one, and another would attack; cut that one down, and the next would immediately follow.
Lee Kang-woo’s initially relaxed expression gradually hardened, and sweat began to form on his brow.
And finally, only three of the many goblins remained before him.
The creatures, thoroughly frightened, were hesitantly backing away, but—
“Where do you think you’re running, you sons of bitches—!”
There was no way the murderer Lee Kang-woo would let them off easily.
Furious to the point of screaming, Lee Kang-woo instantly decapitated two of the goblins.
And just as he was about to swing his sword to finish off the last remaining one—
Thud—!
His thinking stopped due to a hot, foreign sensation felt below his abdomen.
A dagger, seemingly flying in from outside his awareness, had inexplicably dug deep into his abdomen.
“What, what the…”
The pain followed slowly.
Along with an excruciating pain as if his intestines were burning, Lee Kang-woo nervously decapitated the last remaining goblin.
And he roared.
“Kuaaaagh—! Who the hell is it!”
D-rank Hunters are superhumans who don’t die easily from ordinary injuries.
But no matter how superhuman, they are ultimately mere humans made of flesh and blood.
If stabbed, they die.
As the assassin who had attacked him pulled out the dagger—
“Kkeuaaaaagh—!”
Blood gushed into the air, and Lee Kang-woo screamed even more horribly.
His face pale, his breath ragged.
Instinctively pressing down on his stomach to stop the bleeding, but he couldn’t stop the dark red liquid dripping between his fingers.
“You bastard… who are you…!”
Mustering his last remaining strength, he raised his sword with trembling hands.
And he gritted his teeth at the one who had stabbed him.
A man walking towards him leisurely.
The identity of the one who had inflicted a fatal wound on Lee Kang-woo was none other than Ha-jun.
“Who knows? What does it matter to someone who’s about to kick the bucket soon?”
“You f***ing bastard—!”
Even while bleeding profusely, Lee Kang-woo, driven by spite, swung his sword.
“Die—! Just dieeeee—!!”
The name of Lee Kang-woo’s skill was Weakness Identification.
It was a skill that allowed him to instinctively recognize how weak an opponent was.
Thanks to this skill, Lee Kang-woo had been able to avoid fights with the strong and only hunt those weaker than himself.
In his eyes, Ha-jun was clearly a weakling, and moreover, an unawakened person, not a Hunter.
“Uuaaaaaah—! How dare you! An unawakened b*stard dares to—!”
To survive, Lee Kang-woo staggered but swung his sword relentlessly.
Hwoong—
Hwoong—
Even if it was a wild, desperate attack from a dying man, it was still the attack of a D-rank Hunter.
It remained a threatening attack for Ha-jun, an unawakened person, but—
The trajectory of the sword cleaving the air was too slow and too obvious.
Ha-jun calmly twisted his body to evade the attack.
And—
Thud.
He plunged the dagger deep into his body once more.
This time, into the heart.
“Keo, keok….”
Lee Kang-woo’s body swayed violently, and the sword in his hand fell helplessly to the ground.
His knees buckled, and dark red blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
“Haa… haa….”
Now, only death remained.
He reached out with trembling hands and begged to be saved one last time.
“P-Please… s-save me….”
But Ha-jun didn’t hesitate for a single moment.
“F*ck you—.”
Seogeok—
Lee Kang-woo’s blood soaked the dirt floor.
He didn’t particularly feel any guilt about killing someone.
He had simply done what needed to be done.
As Lee Kang-woo’s body slowly crumpled, only Ha-jun remained in that spot.
‘It’s over.’
It was at that moment.
With an intense dizziness that felt like the world was warping, Ha-jun slumped down.
“Kruuk, here it comes….”
Every nerve in his body sharpened, and even a single bloodstain soaked into the floor appeared abnormally clear.
Soon, his ears felt muffled, then all sorts of sounds began to be heard clearly.
The eerie wind, the sound of tiny insects crawling on the floor.
His senses became so acute that he could feel all of it clearly, and at the same time—
Something that surged hotly through his body soon spread throughout his entire being.
It was the moment he awakened his mana.
