Chapter 399: Explosion Of Scorching Heat (2) |
‘This isn’t even a game…….’
By the time Kang-hoo was weaving around the Dark Mana Archers’ attacks and leaping straight into the middle of their pack,
Ayane felt a sense of wrongness that went far beyond the bounds of reality.
Countless arrows flew at Kang-hoo, but not a single one hit.
It didn’t look like he was dodging by luck, and more than that, he wasn’t blocking them with defensive skills either.
He was simply adjusting his movement path and letting every single shot slip past.
It felt like he already knew which direction the arrows were coming from, and exactly where they would land.
Until he reached the pack, the relentless arrow pressure should have made the situation unfavorable.
But once he stepped into the center of them, everything flipped.
White Sun Slash.
With the hidden skill’s activation, every Dark Mana Archer nearby was sliced cleanly in half at the waist.
They all looked like copy-pasted clones, so the strike point was the same on every one of them.
White Sun Slash, aimed precisely at the waistline, cut through flesh and spine as if it were nothing.
Thud-thud. Plop. Plop.
Bodies split neatly into upper and lower halves dropped in different places.
Some of them were cut so cleanly they died standing up, as if nothing had happened.
But when a single strong gust of wind blew through, a red line appeared along their waists—and they separated.
“So easy it’s ridiculous.”
Ayane let out a hollow laugh.
The Dark Mana Archers’ harassment had been so persistent that she’d judged Kang-hoo wouldn’t be able to close in easily.
He did have several defensive skills like an impenetrable wall, but blocking would slow his movement.
In that time, the archers could reposition and widen the gap.
But Kang-hoo gave them no such opening—he approached by dodging perfectly instead of blocking.
Out of all the scenarios she’d pictured, this was the one she’d considered least likely to succeed.
And yet it did.
That was this man’s charm.
No matter what you imagined, he produced something beyond it—turning an outcome anyone would call unlikely into reality.
So even in the worst situations, even when the path ahead looked hopeless, she felt not worry but the will to overcome it.
Because she was sure that if she gave it her all, the man beside her would create an even better result.
Ayane had matched rhythms with countless hunters in her mercenary work.
But meeting a hunter like Kang-hoo—one she liked in every way—was rare enough to count on one hand.
And even when it happened, it was usually with famous “named” hunters.
A close example was Suzuki Fumiya, the vice guild master of the Rikou Guild.
A named hunter known both inside and outside Japan. Only someone at that level met Ayane’s exacting standards.
Yet despite having far less level and experience than them, Kang-hoo showed flawless teamwork.
And if she narrowed it specifically to assassins, there wasn’t a single one she’d ever liked besides him.
Right then—
Kieeeek…!
A monster burst out between the low-hanging storm clouds near the ground, screeching as it emerged.
It was a monster with an intuitive name: Phoenix. It was huge—big enough to make her think of a full-grown elephant.
Something dangled from its feet, and when she looked closer, it was shaped like a human made of raging flame.
Ssshhh… Thud!
A Superhero Landing—like some cliché straight out of a superhero movie. At the same time, the name of the flame-human displayed.
【Explosion of Scorching Heat】
【Explosion of Scorching Heat is an aggressive warrior formed entirely of blazing fire. It primarily uses fist techniques.】
“First—”
Ayane raised her muzzle toward the descending Explosion of Scorching Heat, then aimed at the Phoenix’s back as it pulled away.
The Phoenix was in the middle of wingbeats that meant it was entering its re-ascension phase—making its rear the best target.
Bang!
Kyaak!
A crimson burst—whether sparks or feathers, she couldn’t tell—exploded in midair, and the Phoenix crashed down.
It had stylishly “dropped” Explosion of Scorching Heat into the field, but its own retreat wasn’t stylish at all.
Meanwhile, Kang-hoo stood still, keeping a measured distance from Explosion of Scorching Heat.
Usually, when Kang-hoo didn’t act, it meant he was assessing or judging.
To make that easier for him, Ayane immediately lined up a shot on Explosion of Scorching Heat’s torso.
Despite its intimidating appearance, it might die to a single mana-shot snipe.
【Full-Load Single Strike】
A high-output, current-condensing mana round.
The recoil hit her whole body like a hammer, but the firepower was guaranteed—her finisher.
She used Kang-hoo, positioned to the side, as human cover, and executed a razor-sharp snipe on Explosion of Scorching Heat.
Bang!
She pulled the trigger with all her strength.
“Ugh!”
A groan escaped her.
Hssssss!
Her body got shoved backward.
Even her legs dragged, kicking up dust in every direction. That was how much force Full-Load Single Strike carried.
But—
Fwoooosh!
Sssrrrt.
“…?”
Something happened that made Ayane freeze.
Explosion of Scorching Heat raised a wall of flame toward the incoming shot—and the mana round melted instantly.
Even the residue vaporized in the flames.
Her decisive strike vanished as if it had never existed. It ended in utter futility.
She already knew from Lars’s briefing that this dungeon’s level was high.
But it was a problem if a regular monster—one that wasn’t even a middle boss—had abilities at this level.
If it could nullify Full-Load Single Strike, which consumed a massive amount of mana, she had no next option.
Then—
“Ah…!”
Ayane, who rarely panicked, gasped as she saw Kang-hoo charge straight at Explosion of Scorching Heat.
Against a monster with that level of fire ability, a melee damage dealer like Kang-hoo should burn alive the moment he closed in.
Even if he didn’t die, it was obvious he’d be severely burned anywhere the flames touched.
But Kang-hoo was running into its arms as if he’d lost his mind, almost daring her to watch.
She bit her lip hard.
At this rate, she was about to see a person burn to death while still alive. Why would he do something so insane?
There was only one possibility.
Explosion of Scorching Heat had subdued his mind. That was why he was rushing into the fire like a moth.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
Ayane sprinted at full speed.
It wasn’t time to look away from the future—she had to save Kang-hoo somehow. She couldn’t lose him.
And just as her sprint reached its peak—
“Huh…?”
Ayane’s head tilted sideways at the unexpected sight before her.
Kang-hoo’s body, charging into Explosion of Scorching Heat’s chest, was perfectly fine. Even his clothes were unaffected.
It was as if he possessed absolute fire resistance at 100%, with no change whatsoever.
At absolute resistance 100%, a protective buff activates against that attribute.
In that case, even your clothes and equipped items are protected within the buff’s domain…
And Kang-hoo looked exactly like that—something that could only happen if you had perfect absolute resistance to fire.
Thunk! Thunk!
“Kkh—! Gah!”
Kang-hoo, now climbing onto Explosion of Scorching Heat, flicked his dagger with crisp precision and punched shallow holes into both of its eyes.
Before it could even understand what was happening, it lost the most critical sense in the blink of an eye.
And this was only the beginning.
Taat!
Thuuunk!
Kang-hoo immediately leaped into the air and drove his dagger straight into the center of Explosion of Scorching Heat’s crown with Great Decapitation.
Flames wrapped around Kang-hoo, but couldn’t deliver even the faintest warmth. That was how terrifying the resistance was.
And then, without stopping—
Scrrk!
Kang-hoo shoved his fingers into the wound on Explosion of Scorching Heat’s crown.
It wasn’t a large gap—only big enough for about two finger joints to slip in.
But it was more than enough space to trigger the skill he wanted. A guaranteed blow that would deal a critical hit.
【Thorn Hell】
A detonation of ashen Thorn Hell!
Dark Energy thorns formed inside the Explosion of Scorching Heat’s head and gouged through its brain in an instant.
Explosion of Scorching Heat’s eyes rolled back.
Ayane was left speechless at the sight of Kang-hoo, fighting like an incarnation in the heart of the flames.
In the meantime, Kang-hoo drove Great Decapitation into the back of its neck twice more in rapid succession—
Paht!
Then he sprang lightly into the air and snapped his fingers hard mid-flight. It was Blood Flower.
Puh-puh-puh-puh-BOOM!
“G-gegagag—! Gagat!”
Explosion of Scorching Heat convulsed violently as if electrocuted, then toppled forward.
The flames immediately died out—an unmistakably complete death. There was no need to confirm it.
“Hoo.”
Kang-hoo exhaled briefly.
Despite his indifferent expression as he brushed dust from his clothes like it was nothing—
“……”
Ayane felt like she’d just lived through a vivid dream, and she still couldn’t shake the aftertaste.
Fire was the attribute most hunters feared.
It was hard to raise resistance, and when exposed, the physical damage was the most severe.
That was why even tankers who stacked resistance as high as possible in a single attribute struggled most with fire.
Related items were hard to obtain on the market or in dungeons, and unless your resistance was truly high, being exposed to flames with incomplete resistance was just a question of whether the fire was strong or weak.
But if you didn’t get affected by fire at all, like Kang-hoo just now, the story changed. There was nothing to fear.
What was still shocking, though, was this—
An assassin, not a tanker who deliberately stacked resistance, and not a magic-type with natural advantage, had perfect absolute fire resistance.
Assassins were the fastest of all classes, but defensively they had many weaknesses.
Their toughness and anti-magic were lacking, and expecting them to invest into resistance was unthinkable.
Yet Kang-hoo had already achieved fire resistance 100%, something even named tankers found difficult to build.
If she could accept that calmly, that would be the crazy thing.
“What are you doing standing there? You can come now. It’s dead.”
Kang-hoo’s voice reached her at last.
As if bewitched, Ayane ran toward him with unfocused eyes.
She felt an unexplainable fear.
A gap so vast it stirred primal terror—Ayane couldn’t say a word.
It was fear several steps beyond mere awe.
Meanwhile, Kang-hoo was examining the spoils that appeared on his palm the moment Explosion of Scorching Heat died.
【Explosive Bloom】
【A beautiful flower of fire is sealed inside a bead. If you collect 10 Explosive Blooms, your fire resistance will be strengthened.】
‘My fire resistance can’t go any higher—it’s already maxed?’
Before he could tilt his head for long, the next explanation followed neatly, resolving the question.
【If your resistance or absolute resistance has already reached 100%, you may exchange 10 Explosive Blooms for a ticket to obtain a fire skill of your choice.】
“Now that changes things.”
Gaining a skill was always a win.
But his satisfaction didn’t end there. The next system message seized his attention.
Because all contribution in defeating Explosion of Scorching Heat was being acknowledged, a “dump” distribution of Explosive Blooms was being applied to Kang-hoo.