F-Class Destiny Hunter

Chapter 63

At the instant 'Fighting Instinct' was activated, Seo Gangrim felt like his blood was boiling, and his vision whitened. Along with his vision, his emotions also went haywire: the joy of victory, the worry about not hurting Jang Taehun. What was the point of such feelings? There was a stronger opponent right in front of him.

Bang!

Just moments ago, Seo Gangrim had been in a hurry to dodge, but now he charged at Jang Taehun with a sword in hand. Jang Taehun blocked Seo Gangrim's attack with his gauntlet; his face was filled with surprise.

'Why did he suddenly get faster?'

Not only had Seo Gangrim's attack style become more aggressive, but his speed and sharpness had also changed, making him seem different from before. The hesitation he had felt just a moment ago had long since disappeared. Seo Gangrim was solely focused on rushing towards his opponent.

Bang, bang!

Jang Taehun, who had been relentlessly attacking, was now scrambling to defend. It was because Seo Gangrim was only targeting Jang Taehun's weak points. The difference in skill was significant, but the difference in mindset was even greater. Jang Taehun just wanted to defeat Seo Gangrim enough to show that he was stronger. On the other hand, Seo Gangrim had only one goal - to kill Jang Taehun, who was stronger than himself.

'This guy is crazier than I thought.'

Jang Taehun couldn't help but be overwhelmed by this aura. The sensation of this made his skin crawl, something he had only felt from demon beasts before.

At that moment, Seo Gangrim left an opening in his side as he rushed around.

Bbak!

Not missing that opening, Jang Taehun thrust his fist into Seo Gangrim's side. He felt vividly his sharp gauntlet crushing the ribcage. Seo Gangrim's posture crumbled in agony, but fortunately, the 'Fighting Instinct' was not deactivated. Through the haze of pain, a faint survival instinct rose in his mind. Seo Gangrim sensed an animalistic danger.

When the 'Fighting Instinct' was activated, only the instinct remained, but the difference in skills allowed a vague sense of reason to return to Seo Gangrim. He wanted to kill. He wanted to win. Unfortunately, the opponent was much stronger than him, so he might not be able to win. As his heart burned with heat, his mind began to cool down, searching for a way to victory. He wanted to win by any means necessary. However, the opponent's physical abilities were stronger. Simply rushing in was futile. Then...!

[Ability 'Fighting Instinct' evolves into Spirit Second-class!]

As the ability evolved, the temperature that had been burning his body began to change. His heart was still burning, but his mind was cooling rapidly. An icy rationality and fiery determination began to dominate Seo Gangrim's body.

In the meantime, Jang Taehun was feeling proud as he delivered an effective blow. He casually bumped his fists together and said, "You're tough, huh? I thought you'd pass out. But one more hit, and you'll probably go down!"

Approaching Seo Gangrim at lightning speed, he was met with a body that had suddenly turned into a blazing inferno. Seo Gangrim had enveloped himself in the 'Flame Radiance.' Jang Taehun stopped in his tracks, his face showing astonishment.

"What? You had an ability like this? This is cheating!"

Seo Gangrim didn't care about his complaints. Cheating or not, it didn't matter as long as he could secure victory. If he had to burn his own body to win, so be it.

Kwak, kwak!

As Seo Gangrim, now on fire, began to unleash his attacks, Jang Taehun could do nothing but try to dodge. He couldn't counterattack. Unless he had a weapon like a sword or a spear, throwing a punch at a burning man would only result in him getting damaged.

"Ugh, darn it...!"

Seo Gangrim's sword drew countless lines as he pressed forward against Jang Taehun. Jang Taehun finally fell to the ground, and Seo Gangrim's sword was thrust right next to Jang Taehun's neck.

"Due to insufficient mana, the ability 'Fighting Instinct' is deactivated."

[Due to insufficient mana, the ability 'Flame Radiance' is deactivated.]

Because 'Flame Radiance' and 'Fighting Instinct' were activated together, 'Fighting Instinct' ended faster than expected.

When he regained his senses, Seo gangrim finally felt the pain. He had to endure it, even though he wanted to collapse immediately because of the broken ribs.

"I don't think we need to fight more."

Blood was flowing from Jang Taehun's nose and mouth. But rather than pain, his expression seemed to be more of disbelief.

"Aren't your ribs broken? Don't you feel any pain?"

"If you plan to continue, I'll have to kill you."

Of course, Seo Gangrim had no intention of killing Jang Taehun, and he had no means to do so. In response to Seo Gangrim's threat, Jang Taehun bit his lip, then spoke with a swollen face, "...I understand. I've lost."

"You're wise."

As Seo Gangrim withdrew his sword, Jang Taehun staggered to his feet. Knowing Jang Taehun's personality, Seo Gangrim nonchalantly turned his back, confident that Jang Taehun wouldn't strike him from behind. Jang Taehun, overwhelmed by this gesture, shouted out.

"I'll be back tomorrow!"

"No, don't come back."

"I'll be back the day after tomorrow!"

"I told you not to come..."

Even though Seo Gangrim replied like that, Jang Taehun ignored him and disappeared, muttering. Once Jang Taehun was no longer in sight, Seo Gangrim sat down and took out a healing potion, and drank it. The pain gradually began to subside.

'When Fighting Instinct evolved, I was able to come back to my senses'

When Seo Gangrim first used 'Fighting Instinct,' he couldn't think at all. He didn't even consider using any other abilities. He just rushed headlong with the impulse to defeat his opponent.

'Had 'Fighting Instinct' evolved suddenly because of his fight with Jang Taehun?'

Perhaps Fighting Instinct sensed that it's no longer enough to defeat opponents solely with physical abilities alone. In search of other ways besides charging in recklessly, Fighting Instinct chose to evolve.

'While I may not be willing to fight with Jang Taehun, through the fight, I might be able to gain control over Fighting Instinct myself.'

What if he could control himself even with Fighting Instinct through the fight with Jang Taehun?

If that were the case, he had to accept each fight with determination. However, there was a problem.

【Are you going to fight again tomorrow? Exciting!】

【A real showdown. If Seo Gangrim loses, Imugi will die too.】

【What about Jang Taehun? He might target someone else, not Seo Gangrim.】

【Oh, come on, he wouldn't do that, would he?"

Seo Gangrim could tell. Given Jang Taehun's personality, he wouldn't target anyone else. It was clear that he would only attack Seo Gangrim throughout the week, and due to that only one of them would pass this mission. Seo Gangrim had no intention of failing himself. But that didn't mean Jang Taehun had to fail. So, he needed to find a new way. He pondered for a moment before suddenly getting up and returning to the training facility. He then knocked on someone's door. After a moment, the door opened quietly, and someone appeared from inside.

"Annaby-nim, I have something to discuss."

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Imugi lifted its head above the water's surface and was looking at Seo Gangrim. Of course, it hadn't forgotten to keep an eye on its surroundings. Ever since it almost died at the hands of Jang Taehun, it had been cautious in its own way. Seo Gangrim had told it to stay underwater, but the Imugi had once again risen above the water's surface. It was because it was curious about the human named Seo Gangrim.

Wearing the 'Token of Friendship' had diminished its strong hostility, but that didn't mean it entirely liked him now. However, when Jang Taehun had tried to kill it, Seo Gangrim had protected it with his body. Imugi couldn't understand Seo Gangrim's true intentions, so it began observing him.

It had been four days since it started observing Seo Gangrim. His days were almost the same each day. He hunted demon beasts or defeated humans who came after him. As time passed, the number of people attacking Seo Gangrim significantly decreased, but one person continued to come after him every day.

"Damn, I lost!"

Jang Taehun sat on the ground, panting heavily. His entire body was covered in burns and cuts. He glared at Seo Gangrim, saying, "This is insane. Turning your entire body into fire?"

"It's my ability. There's no reason not to use it. Besides, it doesn't seem to matter much now."

As messed up as Jang Taehun looked, Seo Gangrim was in no better shape. His left arm was broken from various blows, and blood flowed from his mouth. Seo Gangrim took a healing potion and said, "You, attacking a human in fire, aren't exactly sane either."

The Imugi thought they were both crazy. Despite broken limbs or being engulfed in flames, Seo Gangrim charging forward and Jang Taehun not giving up on attacking. But the winner was Seo Gangrim. Jang Taehun struggled to his feet in his battered state.

"Then I'll be back tomorrow. Be ready!"

With this challenge left hanging, Jang Taehun left the scene, and finally, silence settled around them. After Jang Taehun disappeared, Seo Gangrim looked around and said, "I told you to hide underwater."

The words startled the Imugi and it ducked under the water. After a moment, only its eyes peeked above the surface, and Seo Gangrim approached.

"Are you hurt? Come here."

In the morning, the Imugi fought a demon beast and won, but the beast's thorns had pierced it neck, and it couldn't remove them itself. Seo Gangrim reached out his hand as if inviting it to come forward, and the Imugi reluctantly surfaced.

Seo Gangrim carefully examined the Imugi's condition. Fortunately, it was only a minor injury. He then removed the thorns and started applying medicine.

"It's healed, and... You need to recover quickly, so eat this."

Seo Gangrim then handed it something from his pocket. It was ginseng extract. The Imugi was wary of him, but it still took a bite and scurried away. With the 'Token of Friendship' equipped, the Imugi had become less wary of him, but Seo Gangrim was still a subject of caution. It wasn't until he was a long way away that the Imugi swallowed the wild ginseng extract. Then, the Imugi heard a voice which was now somewhat familiar.

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline your offer."

The Imugi glanced up slightly and saw Jang Taehun sitting near the bridge. Next to him, Zone Three trainees had gathered.

They hesitantly spoke up, "If you help us, we can quickly take down Zone Two. Even if those guys are strong, they won't be able to withstand us in terms of numbers, right?"

"So, you're suggesting that we attack them together and kill their snakes."

Currently, Zone Two had an advantage over Zone Three. This was because there were many powerful individuals in Zone Two, and their unity was strong. Zone Three, which had initially assumed they could easily complete their mission, began to grow anxious as time passed. They explored various tactics, but since the likelihood of winning through brute force was low, they came to Jang Taehun, who was acting alone. Unfortunately for them, Jang Taehun was unimpressed.

"Forget it. I have someone I need to take down right now."

"Then, let's take down that guy first. If we all ambush him together, we can win."

The people grinned one by one, and one of them said, "We'll help you take that Seo Gangrim guy down."

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