ALL NOVEL C10
“Ku, kuck!”
The participant who was struck on the neck by the spear screamed in pain.
– Participant 333…
The one who was struck by me was flung out of the exam area along with a flash of light.
– Participant 511, Jeon Min-Cheol
– Points held: 172p
‘This is the twentieth.’
I had already surpassed 50 points when I defeated the three “Middle School Syndrome” brothers.
What I wanted was not just simple passing.
‘Just passing normally doesn’t satisfy me.’
Even though I appear like this, I was once a former demon king.
I have pride. Simply passing has no meaning for me.
It’s overwhelming victory that I’m after.
That’s my goal.
I circled around the boss zone, hunting down participants.
I never faced a real crisis.
‘The ones I met first weren’t bad at all.’
They claimed to be the Black Triad.
The three “Middle School Syndrome” brothers were quite a challenge.
Other participants were nowhere near as strong as even one of the three brothers.
In terms of abilities and real combat experience, they didn’t even compare.
‘But those two might be different.’
Shin Yu-Mi.
Yu Seung-Woo.
The half-elf who uses spirit magic, and a promising talent of the Hwarang Guild.
If I succeed in hunting the boss now, no participant will be able to catch up with my points.
There’s no need to fight them, but I had a feeling I would run into them eventually.
‘If I defeat them, there will be no more variables.’
I had no way of knowing where the two strong candidates were, so I kept an eye on the surroundings.
I thought they might be targeting the boss, but neither Shin Yu-Mi nor Yu Seung-Woo showed up.
I glanced at my Hunter Watch.
[Time Remaining for Exam]
[00:57:35] [00:57:34] ‘It’s almost time.’
The time was gradually ticking down.
I looked to the north.
A rocky mountain.
The place where the boss monster resides.
‘If I defeat the boss, first place is assured.’
It could no longer be delayed.
I started walking toward the rocky mountain.
米 * 米
A red dot pointed to the location.
There was only one narrow path that could lead into the inside of the rocky mountain.
A passage barely wide enough for one or two people to pass through.
I wasn’t sure how long I had walked in the dark passage, where no sunlight reached.
Ting! Ting!
Suddenly, light poured down from above.
I raised my awareness and quickly retreated.
‘A light?’
The light came from a lamp hanging from the ceiling.
It was a joint chamber, roughly 100 meters wide, inside the rocky mountain.
I relied on the light from the lamp to look inside the chamber.
Flat ground.
There were no obstacles that could provide cover.
And.
In the center of the empty chamber, a massive monster stood motionless.
‘A golem.’
It was five meters tall.
A primitive model made from stones and moss.
I quickly activated my Truth Eye to check the golem’s stats.
“Hmm.”
I frowned.
The boss monster was called the Blue Watcher.
It was a golem made from solid rock.
As expected, its strength was incredibly high.
One direct hit would be enough to drain all my shield points.
However, its agility was only 20, which made it significantly slow compared to its strength.
‘But that’s not the problem.’
[Durability – 80] Characteristic
Unyielding Warrior (r): Reduces incoming damage to zero depending on the user’s defense.
Self-Healing [C]: Entering a non-combat state, the golem will gather mana to recover injuries.
The examiners really designed this to be beatable?
High durability.
And the Unyielding Warrior characteristic.
The golem’s stats and characteristics were a perfect match.
‘Minor attacks are pointless.’
If I allow a direct attack even once, it’s game over.
On the other hand, I need to consistently accumulate damage.
If I give the Blue Watcher even a little time, it will heal its injuries through self-regeneration.
It’s a clearly disadvantageous fight.
That’s why.
‘This is about right.’
A smile spread across my face.
Since the “Middle School Syndrome” brothers, I had been the one dealing out one-sided violence.
It was no longer fun.
The essence of my soul is that of a warrior.
I find meaning in life through endless combat.
For the first time in this exam, I found an opponent worth fighting.
[Activating Seongcheon Gyeogong.]
[Chaos Energy surrounds the body. All stats, except for Chaos Power, increase by 40%.]
[Chaos Energy drains 2 per second.]
Power surged through my body.
I slowly moved toward the Blue Watcher.
“Enemy. Detected.”
Once I entered a certain range, the Blue Watcher began to move.
Its massive, lid-like hand swung down toward me.
‘Let’s save the technique for later.’
I charged forward, avoiding the Blue Watcher’s hand and diving into its inner range.
Agility: 20 -> 28
With my agility amplified by Seongcheon Gyeogong, I outpaced the Blue Watcher’s mobility even without using techniques.
“Attack. Failed. Retry.”
This time, I swung my left arm to swat at it like shooing away a fly.
I leapt off the ground to dodge, swinging both arms to target the exposed elbow of the golem.
‘It’s better not to attack half-heartedly.’
Currently, I had seven martial techniques at my disposal.
The most powerful of which was the “Panga’s Five Tiger Sword.”
But.
‘That’s a bit too much for my current physical body.’
The Martial Technique.
To unleash an advanced martial technique, one needs a trained body, internal energy, and enlightenment.
In my case, thanks to my past life experience, I had awakened the five stars of the Ohho Danmun Do (Five Tiger Sword), but my body and internal energy weren’t up to the task.
The imbalance between my physical body and mind.
That’s why the Ohho Danmun Do was my trump card, not a technique I could use as my main fighting style.
‘Then this will do.’
[Dark Star – Great Sweep]
The large axe in my hand.
I used Chaos Energy to perform the martial technique.
[Taesanbu-Byeop]
Grade: B+
Restriction: Must be someone who handles mana/chaos energy.
The legendary Oman-deuk, the Green Forest King, was notorious for this technique.
It maximizes the axe’s destructive nature of “cutting and smashing,” showcasing its overwhelming power to subdue the opponent with simple moves.
Skill Level: 1 Star (0%)
Deals one attack that ignores 130% strength, -10% agility, and 20% defense. (Consumes 15 Chaos Energy)
[Using Taesanbu-Byeop.]
[15 Chaos Energy will be consumed.]
I struck the joint connecting the shoulder and arm with the thick blade of the axe.
Ka-ga-gak, the rock-like body of the golem was shaved away.
A small crack appeared between the joints.
‘It’s working.’
I mentally praised myself.
The Blue Watcher’s characteristic.
I had inflicted more damage than what the Unyielding Warrior could shrug off.
The size of the crack didn’t matter.
‘If one strike doesn’t work, I’ll keep hitting until it falls.’
The boss raid.
I can do this.
‘■Effective strike. Counterattack incoming.’*
The Blue Watcher swung its arm again.
I used its body as a stepping stone, leaping off to avoid, then dropped down and swung my axe at the exposed lower body.
Bang! Bang!
The axe split the stone repeatedly.
Pieces of rock flew in all directions.
“Enemy. Repositioning.”
The Blue Watcher clasped its hands together.
Had I dug in too deep?
This time, there was no way to avoid it.
[Using Yunryu-bo (Vortex Step).]
I made my body slide backward, just like friction was removed from the ground.
The golem’s attack range became distant.
[Dark Star – Spear]
[Akkachangpo (Spear Style) – Crushing Strike.]
[Consumes 8 Chaos Energy.]
The spear thrust at what would be considered an elbow in human anatomy.
I quickly stabbed the joint.
‘Shallow.’
The feel of it was different from the axe.
It lacked the necessary power to land an effective hit.
“Damage: None. Combat continues.”
“How considerate.”
It seemed like it was meant to frustrate me.
But honestly, I was grateful.
‘The axe strike definitely works.’
The Ohho Danmun Do.
Or Taebu (Great Sweep).
None of my other techniques would land a hit on the Blue Watcher.
So there was no need to worry about alternatives.
“Let’s see who falls first.”
I grinned.
***
Bang! Bang!
The Blue Watcher’s arm kept slamming the ground.
The earth shook. I barely avoided the attack and struck the joints with my axe, over and over again.
Dozens of times.
No, more than a hundred.
How many times had I swung the axe at the Blue Watcher’s body?
The taste of blood filled my mouth, and my arm muscles screamed in agony.
‘Not much longer.’
I gritted my teeth.
The Blue Watcher raid.
It was a battle of endurance.
To defeat the Blue Watcher, two conditions had to be met.
First, an attack power greater than the Unyielding Warrior’s defense.
Second, continuous damage to prevent Self-Healing from activating.
‘If it starts healing even once, there’s no chance.’
Thirty minutes after combat began.
I had not once rested, embedding my axe into the Blue Watcher’s body.
I changed positions constantly while breaking the solid stone.
It was easier said than done, though.
[00:24:15] [00:24:14] ‘I still have plenty of time.’
Only 10 minutes left.
In 10 minutes, I could defeat it.
Cracks marked every joint of the Blue Watcher’s arms and legs.
The result of countless axe strikes.
I was confident that I could complete the boss raid when suddenly…
‘Wait. What’s that sound…?’
Behind me.
A strange presence emanated from the passage.
A human presence. The faint sound of footsteps, but my enhanced hearing from Seongcheon Gyeogong picked up even the smallest noise.
“Enemy. Weakness.”
Damn.
I need a break!
I quickly activated Yunryu-bo.
Boom—
The Blue Watcher’s fist struck the ground.
The shockwave sent flying rock shards, and one narrowly grazed my cheek. A red line appeared, and blood beaded on it.
[Shield Energy – 99%]
The alarm on my Hunter Watch rang in my ears, but my attention was fixed on the unexpected guest who appeared beyond the passage.
“Oh, I didn’t realize there was already a guest.”
A clear, melodic voice.
Damn it.
I furrowed my brows.
A mysterious woman.
Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall down to her waist.
Her large eyes glowed with a sapphire-like hue, and her skin was flawless and milk-white.
She was unforgettable, a stunning beauty.
The likely top candidate for first place, Shin Yu-Mi.
‘Why did she have to appear now…?’
I immediately used my Truth Eye to assess Shin Yu-Mi’s stats.
‘Her stats are higher than the Middle School Syndrome brothers.’
My eyebrows twitched.
It wasn’t just her stats. Shin Yu-Mi’s characteristics were more of a problem.
Characteristics
Spirit Magic [A]
I can communicate with spirits. The spirits I converse with form a contract and become my source of power.
The strength of the spirit is proportional to the user’s mana.
In my past life, I had even fought against spirit users.
‘More troublesome than mages.’
Spirit users, who can control elemental powers depending on the spirit they’ve contracted.
At my current level, they are a tough opponent.
Shin Yu-Mi and the Blue Watcher.
It would be impossible to fight both at the same time.
‘One of them has to be sacrificed.’
But if I strike at Shin Yu-Mi…
The Blue Watcher will immediately heal any damaged parts through its self-healing ability.
Even if I defeat Shin Yu-Mi as quickly as possible, hunting down the Blue Watcher, which will have already healed some, would be difficult within the time limit.
With Shin Yu-Mi’s interruption, the boss raid is essentially over.
‘I struggled so much just to damage that thing.’
I felt a surge of frustration rise.
“Excuse me, Exam Candidate.”
Why is she calling me now?
I responded curtly.
“What?”
“Would you like some help with the boss raid?”
What did she just say?
I asked again, dumbfounded.
“Help me?”
“Yes. You get points for contribution in defeating a boss monster.”
Was there that kind of rule?
I hadn’t noticed that detail while hastily scanning the Hunter Watch.
So what she’s implying is…
“Are you just planning to join and take all the credit?”
“Spoon? You can’t defeat the Blue Watcher by yourself anyway, can you?”
Shin Yu-Mi said with a confident smile.
‘Oh, so that’s what you think?’
That’s how she thinks, huh?
‘If I play this right, I might be able to use her.’
An idea popped into my head.
If it works…
I could turn this messed-up situation into what I want!
I glared at Shin Yu-Mi.
“How about we make a bet?”