Chapter 19: Skill Plunder (3)

Chapter 19: Skill Plunder (3)

A short time later.

Kang-hoo encountered the main boss in the wilderness and immediately engaged in a fierce battle.

It was called a battle, but he was busy dodging the relentless onslaught of the opponents attacks.

Just crazy.

Kang-hoo smirked bitterly.

Shadow Black Mage, Alisha.

A female boss monster with an androgynous, strangely enchanting voice.

Of course, that wasnt her only feature.

Her combat abilities felt overwhelming, making even Kim Mok-hyuns skills seem insignificant.

From the start, Kang-hoo couldnt approach her because of the relentless assault of her black magic.

The more troublesome part was that:

Alisha covered her frontal defense with attacks targeting Kang-hoo.This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.

For defense in other directions, she used a circular skill that revolved around her body.

Its usually called protective magic. It constantly rotates, targeting approaching enemies.

Because of that, leaping and sidestepping are practically sealed.

Sidestepping would move him to Alishas rear, right at the edge of the protective magic.

In other words, even if he successfully sidestepped, he would be hit by the protective magic and immediately lose his stealth.

Naturally, hed be exposed to the damage of the protective magic, inevitably getting wounded.

He was worried about Alishas boss skill, Blood Flower.

Once a certain level of damage accumulated, she would use Blood Flower.

Then, Kang-hoos wounds and flowing blood would act as a catalyst, causing an explosion.

With his already low health, he wouldnt be surprised if Blood Flower instantly killed him.

Of course, Kang-hoo wasnt the only one finding Alisha troublesome.

Alisha was also dissatisfied with not having landed a single attack since the battle started.

Main bosses have the feature of sharing data from past battles, even after dungeon resets.

Hence, Alisha had data from various battles.

However, there was no one like Kang-hoo, who hadnt been hit even once at the beginning of the fight.

She might have halted his advance, but that was all.

From a defensive perspective, it might have been a success, but offensively, it was merely a waste of mana without any effect.

Moreover, since Kang-hoo easily evaded with leap skills, her assessment of his abilities was inadequate.

While Alisha glared at Kang-hoo, searching for another opening,

Kang-hoo, too, was intently observing her, lending importance to their current confrontation.

Troublesome, but thats what makes it interesting.

Every phase of the battle was fraught with danger and challenge.

But it was only at this level that he would feel a sense of true accomplishment and growth upon winning.

Honestly, if he stuck to opponents appropriate for his level, it would be easy. A few strikes and they would fall.

But his growth would then plateau, and he might not acquire any valuable Plunder skills.

The reason Kang-hoo advanced so much faster than other hunters was straightforward.

He was hoarding experience from dungeons far above his level, making growth a certainty.

An average hunter would need at least a fortnight to progress, even with full guild support.

That was the bare minimum, and with rest and waiting periods included, it nearly amounted to a month.

Hmm

Kang-hoo, who seldom made a sound, emitted a hum for the first time in a long while.

He had already used up two Solarkiums in what was nothing more than a skirmish without a direct clash.

I seem to have grasped her pattern of attack. The only skill Ive shown is my leap.

Kang-hoo, despite being at a disadvantage in the situation, believed he had a strategic upper hand. There was good reason for this belief.

It appeared to be time to make a decisive move.

Master of defense, thats just a fallacy. A stalemate is never a triumph. Its merely an excuse for those without skill.

It was time to unleash all his strategically reserved skills at once.

Crackling!

The protective barrier collided with Alishas shield, causing a fierce reaction.

It was like testing which of two hot griddles was hotter by stacking them against each other.

With the protective barrier absorbing the shields impact, Kang-hoo had a perfect opportunity for a free attack.

Unfortunately for Alisha, her reaction was a half-beat too slow, probably due to overconfidence in her shields power.

She likely didnt expect an assassin to possess such a defensive skill.

Thanks to this, he gained the advantage of that half-beat.

Instinctively, his body moved before his mind, his hand already stretching forward.

Thrust!

Aaaah!

The dagger pierced deep into her left side, causing her immense pain.

[Flame Attribute Added]

Kang-hoo then added a flame attribute to the dagger he held.

There was no better attribute than fire to deepen wounds and hasten the journey to death.

As he poured his mana into it, the dagger rapidly heated up, feeling as though it had just been pulled from a furnace.

Damn it.

The curse he had been holding back burst forth.

Pouring all his mana in one go, it felt as if his brain were draining along with it.

Despite his body writhing in pain, his clear mind forced him in front of Alisha.

And then,

Youre not the only stubborn one!

Kang-hoo, gripping the dagger tightly with both hands, powerfully plunged it into the upper part of her chest.

It was like melting hot metal burning through bone and flesh.

!

Even Alisha, a main boss with a fairly strong body, couldnt withstand the dagger.

It wasnt just a simple stabbing but more like pouring molten iron from a furnace.

The skin melted, the flesh melted.

Then, as the bones melted away, the frail heart hidden inside couldnt withstand it.

Numerous enemies hunters that Alisha had faced flashed through her mind like a zoetrope.

And she realized.

Sometimes the life of a main boss can end so insignificantly, so pathetically

It was a performance that would have been admirable if she were an ally.

From start to finish, Kang-hoos responses and tactics were clean.

Including not showing his skills strategically, everything was well-planned.

Boom!

Alisha, fallen, couldnt revive her severed breath, despite her bulging eyes.

[Your level has drastically increased to 32.]

His level jumped three steps at once.

At the same time, the basic level 30 assassin skill Acceleration was automatically added.

A variety of accelerations, such as attack and movement acceleration, were most useful for Kang-hoo.

Furthermore, with maximum proficiency applied immediately, the range and extensibility of Acceleration were beyond imagination.

[The following skills can be plundered from the target with 'Plunder' activated.]

[Blood Flower]

And the boss skill Blood Flower, which he had been anticipating from the start, was also acquired.

The skill was unmatched by any other hunter.

Its utility was limitless.

It could create a decisive wound at the battles outset.