34 Chapter 33 (1/2)

Kahng Tae-Sik had been paying attention only to the daggers, so he got really stunned by the pain shooting up from his foot, causing him to hurriedly step back.

Jin-Woo didn't miss this opportunity.

'Dash!'

['Skill: Dash' has been activated.]

[Your movement speed has increased by 30%. One Mana will be spent every minute during its activation.]

Jin-Woo rapidly got closer to his target.

Kahng Tae-Sik's eyes grew wider still.

'He got faster?!'

Jin-Woo had been displaying an already high level of agile movements, but now that he had gotten even faster, Kahng Tae-Sik found it quite disorientating.

Jin-Woo closed the distance in the blink of an eye and sank his Poison Fang of Kasaka down on Kahng Tae-Sik's thigh.

”Kuwahhhk!!”

He aimed there precisely because Kahng Tae-Sik was focused on defending his upper body only.

['Effect: Paralysis' has been activated.]

[The effect has been cancelled due to the high resistance of the target.]

['Effect: Bleeding' has been activated.]

[The target's stamina will decrease by 1% per second.]

'Nice!'

The added effects of the Kasaka dagger kicked in as well. It was a bit regretful that the 'Paralysis' didn't work, but still, this fight had become just a tad easier now.

However, Kahng Tae-Sik was a high-ranked Hunter himself! So, his resistance was nothing to scoff about. His dagger aimed at Jin-Woo's vitals and continued to fly in.

Swish, swish!

Jin-Woo evaded the blade with only a hair's breadth and also attacked Kahng Tae-Sik's vital spots.

Even though his thigh was badly damaged, Kahng Tae-Sik calmly defended against Jin-Woo's attacks, as befitting an experienced Hunter.

Clang! Cling!

Cold sweat drops formed on the foreheads of both men.

'Our speeds are about the same!'

'We're moving at the same speed!'

Two men were inwardly admiring each other's agile movements and continued to clash in a dazzling display of super-close proximity knife fighting.

Several powerful attacks, each one capable of ending this fight if hit, were exchanged without rest.

Swish, swish, swiiish, swish, swish, swish!!

It was a truly scary and gripping battle that caused the onlooker's blood to go cold.

'I gotta break this stalemate somehow.'

Jin-Woo gathered strength in his eyes.

['Skill: Intimidation' has been activated.]

The moment his eyes met Jin-Woo's, Kahng Tae-Sik flinched slightly for some reason.

'What was that?'

['Effect: Fear' has been activated.]

[The target's (All) Stats will decrease by 50% for one minute.]

'It worked!'

Jin-Woo knew that he had won now.

On the other hand, a small earthquake erupted in Kahng Tae-Sik's eyes.

'How come my body is.....?'

After he had met Jin-Woo's gaze, his body felt as heavy as if he was floundering in deep water or some such. His trusty speed began decreasing as well.

Swish! Swiiish!!

Wounds on Kahng Tae-Sik's body increased quickly one by one.

'This, this isn't possible!'

Kahng Tae-Sik's thoughts became confused and messy.

This was, without a doubt, a debuffing effect. But, he had never, ever heard of a case where an assassin class was able to use a debuff magic.

'Assassination was not his speciality, then?'

If that was the case, then what was up with his crazy speed?

However, Kahng Tae-Sik had stopped his train of thoughts there. His confusion had rapidly morphed into panic, instead. Because... he had spotted Jin-Woo abruptly rushing in closer.

Kahng Tae-Sik hurriedly took aim at Jin-Woo's eyes.

Swish!!

Jin-Woo quickly tilted his head out of the way, but the dagger still managed to graze his cheek.

Of course, he knew he'd get hurt, at least by this much, or even worse. In order to get that decisive strike in, he decided to take the risk.

Kahng Tae-Sik's expression crumpled.

'F*ck.'

Jin-Woo succeeded in getting close to Kahng Tae-Sik's chest and stabbed down on the latter with the Poison Fang of Kasaka.

Stab.

”Keo-heok!!”

Kahng Tae-Sik's eyes shot open wider.

Both men knew right away at that moment. The victor had been truly decided with that one move.

Crimson-red blood pooled in Kahng Tae-Sik's mouth. It was gushing up from his chest. As blood leaked out from the side of his lips, Kahng Tae-Sik formed a smirk.

To actually run into a Re-Awakened Hunter inside a lowly rank D dungeon....

'Me and my seriously rotten.....'

The dagger in Kahng Tae-Sik's hand fell to the floor.

He continued to pant heavily as he leaned his head closer and whispered something in Jin-Woo's ear.

”.....”

Jin-Woo silently listened to those last words, before pulling the dagger out from Kahng Tae-Sik's chest.

Just like a dress slipping off a clothes hanger, Kahng Tae-Sik crumpled to the floor, lifeless.

Plop.

Tti-ring!

[You have completed 'Emergency Quest: Kill all the enemies'.]

The expected messages did pop up, but Jin-Woo's expression wasn't so good. Just like the last time, the aftertaste of killing someone remained bitter and nothing to feel too happy about. Even though the other guy attacked first and initiated this fight....

[Completion rewards are now available.]

[Would you like to confirm the rewards?] (Y/N)

If there were no rewards, then this would be one hell of a loss-loss situation, that.

Jin-Woo consoled himself with that line of thought and confirmed the rewards.

Tti-ring!

[The following rewards are available.]

Reward 1. Five additional Stat points

'Huh?'

Jin-Woo formed a confused expression.

The reward on offer was far, far less than when compared to fighting Hwang Dong-Seok and his goons.

'But, it was a far harder opponent this time, though?'

Did this mean the number of enemies was more important than the skills of the opponent? Or, was there something else he hadn't figured out yet?

Jin-Woo tilted his head slightly.

It was here that Jin-Woo lowered his gaze and ended up spotting something rather odd. There was a spot of flickering light about as big as a coin gleaming on the corpse of Kahng Tae-Sik.