The Land of the Vampire, Beltane (7)
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Generally, an S-grade Holder can hunt an S-grade monster alone.
In all aspects such as ability stats, rune utilization, and items, the S-grade Holder is superior.
Unless it’s a job class like holy or special types where solo play is almost impossible, hunting S-grade monsters is surprisingly on the easier side.
It’s not for nothing that S-grade Holders are considered transnational talents.
‘The same goes for me.’
And I’m an S-grade Holder who recently completed certification.
Among them, I’m a Holder particularly specialized in solo play.
That’s why I’ve been able to easily handle Termen’s high-ranking warriors, estimated to be S-grade monster level, until now.
This is an achievement I’ve accomplished without using my contractors or ultimate skills.
‘It’s a bit different starting from the highest rank...’
But the rank of Feltaned, the Termen warrior in front of me, is the highest rank.
It’s a rank I’m encountering for the first time.
Judging by the aura being emitted, it seems to possess a power more formidable than any monster I’ve faced so far... But it doesn’t exude an aura as powerful as the <Transcendent> Dragons or <Owner of the Demon Sword> Hwang Seong-yeon.
In other words, it means it’s an intermediate strong being between ordinary strong beings and absolute strong beings.
‘This is why a rank readjustment is needed.’
This is a point strongly argued in academic circles recently.
Many monsters surpassing the ability of S-grade monsters have already appeared, and their power measurements have mostly been completed.
Then, shouldn’t new designations like SS-grade monster or SSS-grade monster emerge – this is the current trend.
Especially with claims that the rank distinctions between Holders and monsters don’t match, causing confusion, the readjustment of Holder and monster ranks was virtually inevitable.
The problem was that the International Holder Association was so conservative that it showed a lukewarm attitude to these changes.
“Focus on the battle, challenger!”
In the moment I was distracted, Feltaned swung its main weapon, the mace.
That’s right.
It’s a ‘mace’.
Feltaned was a unique warrior who used a mace as the main weapon.
This was clearly different from all the Termen warriors I’ve encountered so far who all used swords.
Perhaps from the highest rank, they start using their own special weapons.
‘Moreover, it’s fast.’
Feltaned was pushing me hard with quick successive attacks.
Despite using such a long-reaching and heavy weapon, there’s no sense of falling behind in speed at all.
As I parried with my holy sword, I sensed that this was an opponent I should never underestimate.
‘Plus, that condensing magical power...’
With each attack, magical power constantly condensed on Feltaned’s mace, flying as additional hits.
Like mage-class Holders condensing magical power, magical power gathers on the surface of the mace, but unlike magic, the speed is very fast and the process is simple.
Especially, the amount of condensation is more than expected, giving a feeling of seeing my [Wave Sword Technique] ability before it evolved.
I couldn’t be certain, but this ability was likely to be Feltaned’s ‘will’.
‘Feltaned’s will is directly related to combat.’
Actually, the [Warrior who Manifested Will] rune I acquired this time.
Most of the wills registered as its sub-runes are related to ‘willpower’ effects.
Despair, pride, fear, curiosity, sloth....
As can be seen from the names of the wills, they were mostly abilities that inflict abstract attacks on the opponent’s mind or buff one’s own mental state.
In other words, abilities not related to direct combat.
Only [Will of Greed] and [Will of Obsession] were combat-related runes.
Among them, [Will of Greed] is the power to absorb the opponent’s magical power little by little, as confirmed before.
[Will of Obsession] is the power to inflict additional hits up to 10 stacks when continuously attacking the same part of the same target.
Just as direct combat-related wills are not this common, the will of Feltaned, the highest-ranking warrior, also seemed to be a quite rare ability.
‘Okay. Analysis complete.’
Having roughly analyzed the opponent’s ability, I immediately switched to an aggressive combat stance.
‘Madness, Dragonization.’
Pu, Kaang-
Kwagaga-!!
I block Feltaned’s mace with the shield filled with magical power and holy power.
Although it’s a decisive blow that came from close range, I blocked it lightly to the point of being futile.
“What is this...?”
Feltaned’s expression watching this was close to the worst.
All my attacks hit, and all the opponent’s attacks are blocked...
Is there an opponent who could endure seeing such a selfish damage exchange?
Feltaned finally couldn’t hold back and shouted.
“D-Damn it...!! Strike down!!”
Finally, the verbal command came out.
It means that the ultimate skill he had been saving until the end is about to manifest.
But I was certain that attack would never be effective.
‘You’ve come too far.’
Feltaned had already taken too much damage from my successive attacks.
The [Distortion’s Shadow] and [Chain Lightning] combo had almost shattered his left shoulder, and the ‘mental attack’ skills and skills like [Poison Attack] that grated on his nerves, used whenever time allowed, had distracted his attention.
Slowly, little by little, but precisely.
His combat ability was already being eroded.
An ultimate skill used in such a state can never fully exert its power.
The tide of battle had already sharply tilted in my favor.
“Flow like rapids.”
After slightly increasing the distance and gathering momentum, I perfectly block his ultimate skill with [True Flowing Sword].
Pat- Paat-!
Kukwa- Kwaa-
Kwaa-!!
Feltaned’s ultimate skill was one where mace-shaped attacks formed of magical power rained down randomly within range, but due to the nature of the skill taking the form of projectiles, it was too easy to block with [True Flowing Sword].
2 seconds.
2 seconds was enough time to block Feltaned’s attack.
“......”
Shocked by the result, Feltaned blankly stared at me.
I nodded and picked up the knuckles again with Art of Weapon Exchange.
I had used the strongest skill that could attack with knuckles once, but unfortunately for Feltaned, I had an overpowered skill that could reset the cooldown of a skill once.
‘Merciful Grace Period.’
[Merciful Grace Period], a derivative skill of the [Apprentice Agent of Sednilen] rune.
As I said before, it’s an overpowered skill that resets the cooldown of derivative skills.
And [Primordial Attack] is not a skill that falls under the exception.
Of course, cooldown reset is possible.
Sut- Seuseuu-
Paat-!
The derivative skill contained in the mythical-grade rune shines and melts into my fist.
The cooldown of [Primordial Attack] that I used earlier returns, and it immediately becomes available for use.
And.
I look at Feltaned with a grin.
“Let’s take one more hit.”
“Ku, kuaak...!!”
Originally, hitting the same place again hurts the most.
Whether the one being hit is a monster or a warrior.
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