Chapter 173: Mystery Dungeon (4)

Chapter 173: Mystery Dungeon (4)

The battle started immediately.

From the beginning, since the Mystery Dungeon’s internal structure changes each time one enters, there is no specific strategy to clear it.

Therefore, the only way was to conduct exploratory battles and gather data, which marked the beginning of the strategy.

Shiaaang!

As soon as it started, Falks swung his scythe greatly, creating a massive blade wind towards Kang-hoo and his party.

When the blade wind, resembling the shape of a scythe, cut through space, the space itself began to split.

It was not just a simple shape of a scythe; the twisted space followed its shape.

Jang Tae-jin and Yeon Soo-ah began with a standard response, using their defensive skills.

Without knowing exactly what kind of enemy Falks was, they couldn’t just launch an all-out offensive recklessly.

Kuuung! Kuuung!

The incoming blade wind immediately shattered Jang Tae-jin’s Qi Wall and hit Yeon Soo-ah’s defensive field.

Even Choi Ho-soo, who usually confronted the enemy directly, was cautious this time.

In a situation where the power was not accurately measured, charging in recklessly could lead to death.

However, Kang-hoo’s response was different.

As Falks moved towards an unknown device after creating the blade wind at the beginning.

【Soul Tracker】

【Tracking target 'Falks'.】

【Full tracking within a 1km radius. Even in perfect stealth mode.】

Kang-hoo utilized the Soul Tracker constellation ability he had plundered from the Choi Jin-ho and Choi Jin-soo brothers earlier.

Although it could only be used once per target, it was not an ability meant to be used twice against a monster.

Taaat!

Falks pressed a button with his fingertip, activating the device.

Suddenly, a greenish glow spread out in all directions, and then a change occurred.

What had just been rock-like structures decorating the terrain began moving, turning into living stone golems. That’s right. The golems were Falks’ minions.

Simultaneously, Falks naturally disappeared from everyone’s sight. It was undoubtedly stealth.

“Let’s retreat for now!”

Jang Tae-jin shouted.

The minions began moving, but Falks, their master, was nowhere to be seen.

Jang Tae-jin spread his Qi sense to its maximum to search the surroundings, but Falks’ trace was elusive.

It was the same for Choi Ho-soo, who tried to sense the enemy’s scent through the flow of the wind, and Yeon Soo-ah, who chased after the presence through the flow of spiritual energy.

All three of them pursued Falks with all their might, but he had disappeared without a trace.

“I’m really useless at times like this.”

Park Dong-jae, who uttered these self-reproachful words, was in the same situation. As a buffer, he had no ability to detect stealth.

However, at that moment, Kang-hoo was already running towards somewhere with all his might.

He disappeared as silently as Falks, to the extent that even Park Dong-jae, who was tracking Kang-hoo’s location, lost him.

It happened almost simultaneously.

As Falks vanished somewhere in the canyon terrain, Kang-hoo also disappeared without a trace from view.

“Kang-hoo hyung?”

Park Dong-jae tried to pinpoint Kang-hoo’s expected location following the flow of the buffs, but it was just an empty space.

In a situation where it was impossible to know where he was, the golems powered by the device began surrounding them one by one.

The situation itself was not dangerous.

Already adapting to the situation, the rest of the party retreated to prevent the formation of a siege.

All processes were swift, standard, and in a very desirable direction to minimize risk.

Park Dong-jae had always been in sync with the Myeongga Guild members in such an atmosphere.

Therefore, they had achieved stable dungeon strategies by maximizing gains and minimizing losses.

However, Kang-hoo was not there.

It was something Park Dong-jae had anticipated even before entering the dungeon.

Kang-hoo tended to respond in a twisted way rather than dealing stably with special situations.

He was the type to turn factors that could be dangerous to him into greater dangers for his opponent.

Rather than defending against an attack, he counterattacked much more aggressively. The approach was distinctly different.

Sure enough.

Falks, preoccupied with watching his golems fight the party in front, missed Kang-hoo’s movement and ended up showing a gap.

It was only ‘one time’ of carelessness, but it was a fatal mistake.

Of course, Falks didn’t just take it lying down.

Although he couldn’t grab the scythe, he still had enough strength to swing his thick, elongated arms.

Whooong!

With a sound of cutting through the wind, Falks’ fist, tracing a semicircle, flew towards Kang-hoo’s face.

In an instant, Kang-hoo considered buying time with skills like Quick Evasion but immediately changed his mind.

Rather than giving Falks a chance to catch his breath, he decided it was better to push him more aggressively.

Therefore,

Kang-hoo chose the Petrification skill.

Cudududuk.

In the blink of an eye, Falks’ fist hit the front part of Kang-hoo, which had turned into solid stone.

Thunk!

A dull sound was heard, and Kang-hoo’s body was only slightly pushed back, ending the defense.

Although cracks appeared on the stone form created by the Petrification, Kang-hoo’s body was unharmed.

Taking this chance to counterattack, Kang-hoo pulled out another dagger from his sleeve and threw a Rapid Blade Technique at Falks.

Falks managed to block the attack quite stylishly by crossing his arms.

Taaang!

“Keuk!”

But the next part was the problem.

Exposed to the pushing effect, Falks’ body was pushed back, and his center of gravity collapsed completely.

It was a gap caused by his broken knee from before.

At that moment, Falks saw it. Kang-hoo was already diving towards his lower body.

At the same time, burning pain spread from his knee, popliteal fossa, inner thigh, and groin indiscriminately.

Before he could react, he had lost all his lower body’s key parts.

By the time Falks realized the situation, it was already ‘over’. Naturally, thinking that the attack had ended here was Falks’ complete misconception.

There was still one more trick left. It was the Blood Flower.

Puh-puh-puh-pung!

A burst of blood erupted.

Unlike the usual form of the Blood Flower, where accumulated wounds on the upper body become the reference point and blood is scattered like fireworks,

Falks, who had deep wounds on his lower body, spewed out a lot of blood downward instead of upward.

It was a bizarre and eerie sight, almost like seeing someone suffering from severe lower body bleeding.

Taking advantage of the moment when Falks was dazed by shock and pain, Kang-hoo added one more option.

Thunder Strike.

For Falks, whose wounds were deepened by the Blood Flower and whose raw flesh was exposed, it was the worst choice.

It was like torturing his blood-soaked lower body with electricity. Hell was right before his eyes.

Crackle-crackle!

“Kaaaargh!”

That was the end.

Falks, unable to withstand the unbearable shock of the electric current transmitted throughout his lower body, foamed at the mouth and collapsed.

Although it wasn’t enough to kill him, it was more than enough to knock him out with shock.

It was impossible to calculate how much time and effort would be needed to defeat him in a standard battle.

But Kang-hoo did not miss the variable created by his active counterattack until the end.

And the result was stark. Between life and death, loss and reward.

Finally, a skill that could be plundered from Falks was activated.

There were a few other options, but only one choice required no hesitation for Kang-hoo.

【Hyper Sensory – Weapon】

【Comprehensive knowledge of basic usage and application of all types of weapons is instilled.】

【The basis of knowledge is the basic common sense of the weapons handled by the contractors who have signed with the constellations of the Great War. Passive skill.】

‘Shall I try using a scythe this time?’

The corners of Kang-hoo’s mouth curled up as he glanced at Falks’ scythe, fallen without its owner.