‘······ This isn’t even worth thinking about.’
So, stat enhancement is one thing, but that stat called “luck” that I’ve never heard of certainly piqued my curiosity. However, a slight increase felt too underwhelming. Even if it increases drastically, it would still be a dilemma. Hmm…
In the end, I chose option 3. Unleashing a latent skill.
I was curious about what latent skills were, and I reasoned that choosing option 1 to create variables would be tough.
[Please select one of the latent skills.]
1. Skeleton Bomb
2. Rock Barrier
3. Flame Explosion
4. Assassin’s Prayer
‘Another choice… I get Rock Barrier and Flame Explosion, but what the heck is Assassin’s Prayer?’
Assassin’s Prayer
– If you stay in stealth for more than 10 seconds, the chance of dealing a critical hit increases proportionally to the time.
‘Ooh… Did I have that skill latent within me!’
But I chose option 3 without hesitation.
[You can temporarily use the skill [Flame Explosion].]
As soon as I made my selection, the werewolf disappeared from my sight.
The gold-furred werewolf that had been sitting with me, chatting just moments ago, now radiated a chilling murderous intent.
It felt like turning on a fluorescent light at the flip of a switch.
‘Is this my main job?’
If my opponent is serious, I have to give it my all—that’s just natural.
I closed my eyes and focused my senses, sharpening them around me. By doing this, I could instinctively react to attacks even if they surpassed my awareness.
Like how your body instinctively reacts when you touch a hot handle, I hoped my body would respond as soon as I sensed something.
Of course, it would be useless against an opponent far beyond my ability to dodge.
A ripple—
An unfamiliar presence intruded upon the waves I had concentrated around my body.
My body reacted sooner than I expected. To my surprise, I bent my waist back flexibly and dodged the werewolf’s attack.
Creak—
Shwoosh—!
‘Dang it!’
I thought I had dodged, but I might have overlooked its sharp claws. Those long claws, about 15 cm long, glided deeply across my torso, which I hadn’t seen when we were sitting together.
But it was my Bone Armor that took the hit, leaving my main body unscathed.
The armor with a defense of 120 started doing its job.
“Growl—”
‘Kid, you’ve got your eyes back, huh?’
While it succeeded in its attack, my intact stance seemed to infuriate it even more. Its bloodshot eyes, with veins nearly bursting, glared at me like it wanted to rip me apart.
Whoosh—
Holding a fireball in my left hand and a dagger in my right, I crouched low, facing the menacing werewolf.
‘Come on, you wooden box. I’ll set you ablaze!’
No sooner had the words left my mouth than the werewolf pounced from its spot. It leaped at least 15 meters into the air.
‘Umm… this is a bit much.’
Despite my bravado, I hesitated not one bit and threw myself to the side.
Boom—!!
[Skeleton Bomb]
Kaboom—!
‘Whew— Just getting hit once would blow me away.’
The punch it made upon landing on the spot where I was standing created a crater several meters wide.
If that attack landed, my Bone Armor wouldn’t stand a chance, shattering like a snack crumb.
As I dodged, my Fireball was cancelled, but I could instinctively trigger one bomb.
The creature seemed slightly shaken by the explosion and shook its head.
‘Is that all it takes for a counter?’
Dodging the prepared bomb and triggering it.
I didn’t even think of swinging the dagger in my other hand. It was that fast and powerful.
Clearly, its movements surpassed that of the previous toothy monster in every aspect. It moved in a completely different trajectory.
In a space dozens of times wider than the gorge where I battled orcs, [Corrupted Breath] seemed less effective.
So, I finally used my most specialized skill, [Stealth]. But its big nose flared up, and it smoothly turned its head in the direction I was moving.
With a sense of smell that seemed unrivaled among any known monster, simple stealth wouldn’t be enough to evade its radar.
But using the skill wasn’t entirely pointless. Unlike the orc warrior, the werewolf showed slight changes in its movements.
It crouched low as if ready to pounce, showing a moment of hesitation.
It definitely needed some time to pinpoint my location. So I would take advantage of that brief gap to hit and run.
Pat-pat—
[Fireball]
For once, the Fireball flew in the direction I aimed, but it lightly dodged the fireball and swiftly closed the distance toward me.
The werewolf must have realized that an explosion would occur if it approached me. However, perhaps thinking it could endure the heat, it didn’t seem scared at all.
After taking a few Fireballs and bomb strikes at an acceptable level, it leaped high into the air again.
Boom—!
Once.
Bam!!
Again.
Every time it leaped and struck the ground, the force behind it grew stronger.
‘Ugh… Does it have infinite stamina?’
Now, I could even feel the pressure it generated with each movement as I dodged.
I had about two-thirds of my bombs left.
But this wasn’t the time to save them. I had to create a fleeting moment with Stealth and bombs to unleash [Flame Cut] with my dagger.
– Owwooooo!!
The creature leaped again, now predictably landing where I’d move.
‘Yeah, I don’t just want to be on the defense!’
Boom!
When several bombs exploded all at once, the werewolf flinched, and through the haze of smoke, I dashed forward with my dagger.
[Flame Cut]
Slash—
The tip of my dagger barely left a tiny mark underneath its jaw—so tiny it might be invisible. But that was enough.
– Leaving a Flame Mark on the Enemy!
With the message, a small, transparent flame the size of my pinky appeared above the werewolf’s shoulder.
It might not be visible to it, the mark I left.
“Fwoo—”
The werewolf shook its head violently, drool dripping from its mouth.
I wondered for a moment. Was Tanya watching herself objectively right now? Or was she completely fused with the werewolf, lost in excitement?
– Grrr…
As it took damage from the bombs, the werewolf’s movements only grew faster, but so did its openings.
– Leaving a Flame Mark on the Enemy!
– Leaving a Flame Mark on the Enemy!
– Leaving a Flame Mark on the Enemy!
‘Somehow managing to dodge, but I’ll be caught soon. I’m screwed.’
My Bone Armor was already frayed from the hits I had taken while dodging. The loss of that armor meant a drop in my health.
Health: 43/133
“Groar—!”
‘-!’
Suddenly, the giant head of the creature loomed right in front of me. We had been at a considerable distance just moments ago! Had it been holding back some secret move?
‘Damn it!’
In this very moment, I almost forgot that this creature was the mysterious mimic transformed!
Creak—!
It caught one of my arms, twisting it behind my back without any resistance, then ripped it right off.
It carelessly tossed my arm onto the ground and stomped on it, crushing it.
‘You didn’t have to turn it into powder… That’s just hurtful.’
“Owwooooooo—!!”
The werewolf, now sitting down, let out a roar.
Clearly, we had fought fiercely together, yet it showed no signs of exhaustion. The only thing that worked positively in my favor was that it had completely lost its rationality and its movements had become wilder.
Without the boost from my Bone Armor and the Rune of Swiftness, I would have turned into a pile of bone crumbs on that floor long ago.
‘Phew… One last shot.’
But now it was at my limits. The creature was quickly adapting to my fighting style. It was time to decide the outcome.
The marks I had accumulated on it totaled four. If I could just add one more—
Hoo-whoosh—
It jumped up into the sky once again.
‘Does that damned leap have no limits?’
As it had only been dodging until now, the creature’s leap skill suddenly propelled it towards me.
Fwoosh—
Boom-boom-boom—!
The last remaining Skeleton Bomb and Fireball both exploded around the leaping werewolf at its highest point, and my mimic and I met in a cloud of gray smoke.
‘Hey, just give me one chance!’
Crackle—
‘Shit…’
Although I thought I had attacked first, it was me who got hit. Its arms were naturally 1.5 times longer than mine. If I had a great sword, the outcome might have been different.
Crack—!
Its thick arm pierced through my Bone Armor and my torso.
In that moment, its calm expression from earlier turned into a grin as it looked down at me, baring its predator’s fangs.
‘Not like this!’
Flame-!
“Growl!!”
My health plunged significantly, and the [Gray Fungal Poison] gushed out naturally, filling the air around its maw with smoke.
But the werewolf didn’t care about that and hoisted my impaled arm high into the sky. It intended to slam me down hard and pummel me with its terrifying fists.
‘Hehehe… Hahaha!!’
But the real one laughing should be me. No moment in my life has made me regret not being able to laugh freely like this.
‘If I can’t hit from this distance, I should just quit being a hunter!’
[Dagger Toss]
Thwack—!
– Leaving a Flame Mark on the Enemy!
– The mark for [Flame Explosion] has been completed!
‘You bastard! Die!’
Grrk—?!!
As I used the skill, I felt five flame marks interconnected with my core in my mind.
[Flame Explosion]…
– ‘Ever Falling Bird, Iris Cass’ has recognized you.’
The moment I used Flame Explosion, a strange message popped into my head but disappeared soon after.
GRAAAAAAH――――
With the use of the skill came a terrifying fear I had never felt before, sending chills across my entire body.
And soon, my whole being began to shatter.
‘It’s the enemy getting hit, so why is my body?!’
No one was there to answer my fleeting question, and the bizarre, sharp howl filled the air as the flame marks absorbed into the werewolf’s heart.
This process felt like it happened in an instant, as if time had stopped altogether.
Suddenly, radiant light like nothing I had ever seen before erupted from inside the werewolf as if it had gathered all the world’s heat.
Flames of five colors spewed forth from the werewolf, bursting in all directions.
KABOOM―――!!
The flames shot up high into the sky as if reaching for the unreachable ceiling.
‘What the hell…?!’
With the explosive force, the werewolf’s form was obliterated without a trace.
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