65 Chapter 64 (1/2)

[Shadow Extraction was a success.]

'There you go!'

Jin-Woo clenched his fist tightly. The final piece of this puzzle called the boss raid had fallen into its place.

The black knight that emerged from Kim Cheol's shadow was far bigger and sturdier than the original version. And it even carried a huge war hammer in one hand as well.

The other hand held a shield as tall as a grown man, and the overall impression this guy gave off was truly oppressive and threatening.

'Kim Cheol was a muscular man, but this shadow is just too over-the-top….'

Even though it was an urgent situation, Jin-Woo couldn't help but leak out a gasp of admiration.

[Please set the soldier's name.]

'Ah, right. The name.'

Jin-Woo sneaked a glance to his side.

Perhaps finding the battle quite tough, Igrit was having a hard time right now, being pushed around by the boss. Currently, he was barely buying enough time by relying on his cheat-like regenerative ability.

Slice!

Igrit's arm was sliced off, then.

'I don't have much time to waste here.'

A name, was it?

Should he go with whatever? Maybe, Kim Cheol?

Jin-Woo immediately shook his head.

To call an undead with a name it used while it was still alive… That just didn't sit well with him.

'Right, his name was Kim Cheol. Cheol, so Iron, it is!' (TL: 'cheol' is a Korean word for 'iron')

The name had been decided.

As soon as Jin-Woo thought of that name, it was bestowed on the newly-birthed shadow knight.

[Iron Lv. 1]

Knight grade.

A knight grade!

It was the same grade as Igrit, but again, there was no time to celebrate.

'I can't waste any more time than this!'

Jin-Woo pointed to the boss.

”Iron!!”

Iron's large frame lumbered forward quite heavily like a mountain.

Thud, thud, thud!!

Jin-Woo really liked the new guy's huge frame, but he couldn't help but worry whether that lumbering speed could even catch up to the agile boss or not. Fortunately, such a worry was put to bed really fast.

Iron leaned back and roared out loudly.

WUOOOAAARRR!!

'What was that?!'

Just as Jin-Woo was getting flustered, several messages popped up in his view.

Tti-ring.

[Iron has used 'Skill: Shout of Provocation'.]

[The owner of the dungeon has fallen into an 'aggro'ed' state.]

”An aggro skill!”

Kim Cheol was actually a rank A Tanker.

So, quite obviously, he possessed a high-level aggro skill, and the shadow knight extracted from his shadow, Iron, had retained that skill in full and was able to use it no problem.

The head of the boss swivelled towards Iron.

Although it could've chosen to finish Igrit off right in front of its eyes, the boss simply pounced on Iron as if it had been hypnotised by a ghost or some such.

Iron used the skill 'Reinforcement' and endured the sharp dagger attacks of the boss digging into his body.

'Nice!'

Jin-Woo nodded his head in approval.

In the meantime, Igrit's sliced arm regenerated to full.

Shurururu…

The black smoke began oozing out from the stump and coagulated to form a new arm.

Meanwhile, the boss was still preoccupied with Iron.

And seizing this chance, Jin-Woo and Igrit's combined assault began on the boss.

'....'

Park Hui-Jin became utterly speechless as the unbelievable spectacle unfolded right before her eyes.

What she was seeing right now proved to be too unrealistic, too outlandish. She didn't even want to ask for clarification. Not anymore.

From her side, Hahn Song-Yi asked her with a timid voice.

”Unni….”

Park Hui-Jin responded belatedly to her.

”Uh, ng?”

”Do all fights of Hunters look like that?”

She must've been frightened silly, because Hahn Song-Yi's voice was trembling noticeably. Park Hui-Jin replied to her, sounding helpless as well.

”….If that were the case, then I'd never have earned my licence, you know.”

Goh Myung-Hwan asked next, looking utterly dazed out of his mind.

”Could it be…. that we are dreaming right now?”

If this was indeed a dream, then it must've been a nightmare, instead.

Park Hui-Jin looked back at the battlefield where the monsters and the black 'somethings' were having a chaotic throwdown, and spat out a long sigh.

At the same time, a new worry formed in her head.

'When we get out of here, without a doubt….'

There was no doubt that, as a survivor, she'd be asked several uncomfortable questions. How should she go about explaining what she was seeing here, then?

Park Hui-Jin couldn't even begin to fathom just where she'd start her explanations on what happened inside the Red Gate, and in particular, the man named Seong Jin-Woo.

After she raised that point to everyone….

”But, still….”

Yun Ki-Joong, sitting on the ground and shaking like a leaf, spoke with some difficulty.

”Isn't it an incredible thing that we can actually worry about what'll happen to us once we get out of here?”

The Hunters all nodded their heads in unison.

This was an upper-rank dungeon. Not only that, a Red Gate, too.

Even though they found themselves in such a dangerous area, they were now worrying about the matters that would take place outside.

This was all due to the power of one man.

Park Hui-Jin's gaze was directed to Jin-Woo.

'Mister Seong Jin-Woo, you're…'

Her feelings had moved way past shock and gratefulness, and she was beginning to feel a sense of awe towards him now.

Stab!

The 'Poison Fang of Kasaka' stabbed into the boss's shoulder.

['Effect: Paralysis' has been activated.]

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

['Effect: Bleeding' has been activated.]

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

With the increased levels of the enemies he'd been facing lately, the additional effects of the 'Poison Fang of Kasaka' failed to activate properly more often than not.

Still, inflicting injuries was a good thing in a fight.

'Nice!'

The boss's agile movements were being hampered gradually due to the increasing number of wounds being inflicted on its body.

”Keuahahahk!!”

The smile had disappeared from the boss's face a long time ago.

The boss had been dodging the combined attacks of Jin-Woo, Igrit and Iron rather freely until then, but now, it was quite obviously running out of breath.

'Just a little bit more!'

Iron suddenly bear-hugged the boss.

”Now!!”

When Jin-Woo gave the signal, Igrit rapidly retreated. Jin-Woo too quickly stepped back. The boss's eyes widened in confusion.

”What are you tryin…..?”

Before he could finish, the magic soldiers completed the explosion spells and they rained down on Iron's position.

KWABOOOM!!

BOOM!!

”Keo-heok!!”

For the first time ever, the boss spat out a sharp cry of pain. The b*stard twisted its body around, and Iron's arms fell off.

Grit!

The boss's enraged, murderous eyes were now firmly fixed on Jin-Woo.

”Keuahahahahk-!!”

Seeing this, Jin-Woo could only feel admiration towards the boss once more.

'Even with such a heavy wound, it can still exhibit that much strength!'

As expected of a high-level dungeon's boss. Unfortunately for it, the scale had tilted away from it some time ago.

'Dagger Throw!'

Just like what he did to that arrogant White Phantom, Jin-Woo threw the 'Knight Killer' at the boss, and added even more momentum by using the Ruler's Reach.

Shukk-!!

The dagger flew to its target in the blink of an eye.

'Keuk!'

The boss realised that it was difficult to dodge the throw, so it used its own dagger to deflect Jin-Woo's blade.

Crack!

The 'Knight Killer' flew at such a frightening speed that the boss's dagger actually cracked from the impact force.

And at the same time….

Jin-Woo used 'Stealth' and 'Dash' skills to close the distance to the boss, and stabbed the 'Poison Fang of Kasaka' deeply into the b*stard's waist.

Stab!!

The boss's eyes widened considerably.

”Keo-heok!!”

However, the boss still managed to grab Jin-Woo's wrist even in the midst of all this. It was not that hard to see the boss's desire to not go down without a fight from its crazed eyes.