No. 181

Thats it the Garam continued to mutter to itself in wonder. However

Cheek-!

It doesnt matter! Yoo-seong yelled.

In the meantime, the Lightning Bow had appeared in his hands. He immediately nocked an arrow on the bow and let it loose in an instant.

Lightning flew toward the Garam. The beast turned its body to dodge, as expected. However, it wasnt him that Auto-Hunt was aiming for.

Huwook-!

The arrow pierced through the rock that rose behind the Garam. Then

Taaang-!

Yoo-seong quickly ran through the air as the Garam rushed his way.

Spinnenschrift, not Explosive Acceleration.

The thunderbolt that hed sent flying had a thread connected to its tail, and Yoo-seong began to use the thread as a tightrope.

Touch it if you can, Yoo-seong thought as he loaded another arrow onto his bow.

It was different from the previous Spider Webs hed used. The thread connected to the lightning arrows was similar to high-voltage live wires, powered by the Psy of Lightning. Merely touching it would send out an electric shock equivalent to tens of thousands of CE.

Even though it wouldnt be fatal damage to an entity like the Garam, the shock could at least secure a few moments of delayed movement that Yoo-seong could take advantage of.

Hu-wook-!

Hu-wook-!

Two more lightning arrows flew in different directions. Auto-Hunt had determined that limiting the Garams movements through the lightning threads was the best option at the moment.

Then Yoo-seong aimed the Lightning Bow at the Garam once more.

Paaang-!

The Garam twisted slightly and easily avoided the flying thunderbolt. However, it had a calm expression on its face, as if it were studying Yoo-seong.

Then, as Yoo-seong climbed another lightning thread

Hook-!

The Garam grabbed the thread he was stepping on and began shaking it violently, making Yoo-seong lose his balance. As he stumbled, Yoo-seong looked closely at the Garams palm, which was touching the thread.

It was covered with the Psy of Flame, protecting the creatures skin.

This guy does it have the Psy of Flame, too?

Yoo-seong quickly leaped off the thread that the Garam was holding. However

Go-oh-oh-oh-!

The instant he was in mid-air, Aura shot out of the Garams other arm and struck him.

?!

Yoo-seong felt a strange yet familiar Psy strike his body.

Surprisingly, the Garam had used two different Psy simultaneously.

One was the Flame Psy it had used to grab the lightning thread. The other was something Yoo-seong had only heard about in legends.

The amount of CE in itself shouldnt have affected Yoo-seongs defenses, considering the reinforced Queens Hug he was wearing.

However

It had pierced through his armor as if it were nothing. Blood had burst from Yoo-seongs mouth as his body felt the shock.

Thud-!

Yoo-seong crashed to the hard ground, feeling helpless.

The Garam calmly spoke as it observed him.

One is the energy of a reptile that lives in the west; one that eats lava. Perhaps you got the energy from it.

H-huh Yoo-seong groaned in pain.

The other is the energy from a tree with a size comparable to a mountain; one I made extinct long ago. Its energy was suitable to erase the energy of the Earth that strengthens your armor.

Yoo-seong was familiar with the theory of the five elements. Hed learned it to some extent through his experience in China. The Psy of Flame had neutralized his Aura in Lightning form. And, through the Psy of Wood, the reinforced Queens Hug from the rock dragons scales had been rendered useless.

However, there was something more shocking to Yoo-seong than the reappearance of what had previously been thought of as an extinct Psy. It was how his opponent had various Psy at his command.

The ability to reap energy was not yours from the beginning, the Garam began. To put it in words you can understand, I was the first hunter in all of history. I destroyed and reaped countless creatures before I made your kind, and even after I was exiled to this place

As it continued, the Garam stretched out its hand. It was the same action Yoo-seong made to call out lightning.

The Garams fingertips shone briefly, and then

Tuduk-!

Yoo-seong almost lost consciousness from the shock that struck him. As his blurred vision slowly recovered, Yoo-seong noticed several items on the ground around him.

The Sky Needle and the Sky Scissors.

Items that had been in his Slot. And it wasnt only that

Aura in the form of vapor was being pulled out of his body. The vapor settled on the floor as if it had weight, and soon, it began to take certain shapes.

One resembled a pair of handcuffs with chains several times longer than usual.

The other looked like a densely packed leather duffel bag, as large as a human body.

Letters similar to faded hieroglyphics were etched on its surface.

As soon as the items appeared on the ground, two features disappeared from the Auto-Hunt screen in Yoo-seongs vision.

The Slot and the Combination buttons were gone.

These things they are not yours, the Garams deep voice rang out.

At the same time

Tsutsutsutsu-!

The handcuffs and the duffel bag, along with the Scissors and Needle, slowly began to vaporize.

Did the Garam absorb them?

Yoo-seong didnt have much time to consider as Auto-Hunt launched another offensive

Booung-!

A thunderbolt thrown like a javelin.

After that, with Explosive Acceleration, Yoo-seong stepped on it.

The Garam did not avoid it. Rather, it swung its arms around, creating a ball of flame to stop the incoming thunderbolt.

As enormous pressure rose from the impact, Auto-Hunt swung a wrist blade filled with the Flame Psy. However, the Garam seemed to have been waiting for it.

Googuk-!

With its hands stained pale blue, the Garam caught the flaming wrist blade.

The Aura on the Garams hands was the same as the Aura from the Habaek and from Lee Jae-hak: the Water Psy.

A tremendous amount of steam rose where the heat and the cold met. Intense pressure erupted at two points. Despite being in a situation where the slightest change could lead to defeat, the Garam calmly opened its mouth.

Didnt I say that I knew you?

The things you have are masterpieces from the peak of the Garams civilization. Everything you have was mine.

Yoo-seong did not respond.

Instead, he pulled out the wrist blade and threw a right kick. However, the Garam easily blocked his sneak attack.

It was a fierce battle between the best offense and the best defense.

But at the end of that humiliating war a servant I had made with my own hands, whom I once thought to be the best achievement of my life, stole them from me.

Meanwhile, the four objects that had completely turned into vapor seeped into the Garams skin.

Your movements resemble his the Garam said in a heavy voice.

Then

Kugugugu-!

Yoo-seongs legs dug into the ground with the immense pressure he was feeling from the Garam.

The situation had turned for the worse for Yoo-seong as the Garam had taken the initiative from him.

Around them, the ground was shaking, and cracks were beginning to appear, spreading beyond their battlefield.

Are you his reincarnation or did his power find a way to wander around the world looking for a suitable vessel? I dont know how, but you seem to have inherited the abilities I gave him

Craaack-!

The sound of breaking came from the Queens Hug. Yoo-seong clenched his teeth as the pressure he felt continued to increase.

That slave nothing more than an experiment to see if your kind could exist with talents similar to mine

No matter. how much you talk about it Yoo-seongs words escaped his gritted teeth. The past it doesnt change! he yelled.

.

There was no expression on the Garams face, except that it looked somehow regretful.

Just then

Huwook-!

The Garams hand grabbed Yoo-seongs right arm. The armor that covered the top of Yoo-seongs arm split as easily as brittle bamboo. Some of it pierced Yoo-seongs flesh.

Aaargh! Yoo-seong screamed.

The bones and muscles on his arm were twisted. The Garam pulled back, releasing Yoo-seongs arm. Then, filled with Aura, it came back, striking Yoo-seong square in the chest.

Kuuung-!

The impact was so powerful that it seemed the whole world shook.

This time, Yoo-seong was not thrown back. Rather, he collapsed helplessly at the Garams feet.

Now, in his defenseless state, the Garam could hit him as much as possible, and the creature took advantage of it.

Kuwoong-!

Kuwoong-!!

Kuwoong-!!!

After several earth-shattering blows, there was a deep pit under the Garams feet, with Yoo-seong beaten to a pulp.

The Garam turned around to look at the battlefield where the goblins had been slaughtered.

.

It felt the furious heartbeat in its chest.

Even before it faced Yoo-seong, its heart had already been beating fiercely. The Garam had thought it had forgotten the hatred it felt, but it seemed that it had survived.

Now if I could decorate my end with your misfortune, that would be a proper ending, too.

Go-oh-oh-!

A blue Aura appeared on the Garams hands.

It was the ability of the Sky Scissors that it had absorbed earlier. With a swing of its arms, it would now be able to cross over to the human world and bring hell.

The Garam would bring its slaves back to their rightful place.

Just then

The Garam turned its body halfway and looked back. Yoo-seong had climbed out of the pit and stood limply behind him.

Youre strong, Yoo-seong mumbled.

The Queens Hug had been smashed off by the Garams fists.

But lets try again. Yoo-seong raised his hands. He was standing by pure will, not with Auto Huntings help. However, he couldnt even raise his left hand properly.

Damn

Yoo-seong grabbed his left wrist as if fiddling with its broken bones.

But far from reviving it

Eh, uh, uh!

Crack-!

It sounded as if he had broken it some more. Yoo-seongs left hand drooped like a withered branch.

Pathetic, the Garam remarked. I know you are now without the slaves protection.

Instead of answering, Yoo-seong gathered blood sputum from his throat and spat at the Garam as hard as he could.

Come on, fuck you! he yelled desperately.

As he did, Yoo-seong considered his situation.

Without my left hand

Without Auto-Hunt

I have to defeat that monster.

Can I do it?

No

I must do it.

If he turned Auto-Hunt on right now, it would no doubt allow him to escape the danger.

If so

I just have to do my best.

Taaang-!

With Explosive Acceleration, Yoo-seong flew forward with his right arm pulled back, aiming at the center of the Garams chest.

As expected, the Garam easily blocked it, but Yoo-seongs right knee was already flying in.

The Garam turned to the side to avoid it.

This time, Yoo-seong pulled out his wrist blade once more and swung it. At the same time, he threw Spider Webs over the tip of his toes toward the Garam.

Even though he knew the Garam could cut off the Spider Webs, he was hoping to at least distract it.

The result wasnt really that bad.

Yoo-seongs attacks missed the Garam, but at the same time, the Garam didnt have a chance to counter-attack.

Without the assistance of Auto Hunt, Yoo-seong continued his offensive. His movements were the result of his endless concentration, analysis, and training.

His attacks were not far behind Auto-Hunts movements.

No, considering that he was fighting without his left arm, perhaps his performance was already at an equal level with Auto Hunt.

The Garam couldnt hide its surprise. It was as if that slave had successfully passed over his movements to Yoo-seong.

Ah ah ah ah ah!

Once again, Yoo-seongs right arm, infused with Explosive Acceleration, almost caught the Garams chest.

Unfortunately, it was the only way he could inflict fatal damage at this point.

His attacks were bound to be monotonous. At the same time, Psy continued to punish Yoo-seong.

Scorching, freezing, electric shocks.

Soon, Yoo-seongs body had reached such a point of destruction that no one would be able to recognize him anymore.

The Garams moment of victory had come. As Yoo-seongs right arm drew another hook, the Garam easily leaned to dodge it.

Now, Yoo-seongs left side was exposed. However, something shone on Yoo-seongs left wrist.

Aura.

I was waiting, Yoo-seong said as the Garam exposed itself to his left wrist.

However, the Garam smirked at him.

You wasted too much time waiting.

Yoo-seong swung his broken left arm.

It was too obvious and slow an attack to be considered a surprise.

The Garam easily struck his limp left wrist to stop the weak attack, severing the wrist and sending it flying off.

That was the end.

Hoo-wook-!

.

.

Both monsters froze as if time had stopped. Everything went silent.

Fuck it, Yoo-seong said.

.

The Garams wide-open eyes looked down on Yoo-seong, then toward its own body. Its own abdomen.

As it struck off Yoo-seongs wrist, it had exposed the bone on Yoo-seongs left arm.

The sharp bone that was now embedded in the Garams unguarded abdomen.

Through the absorption tattoo, the entitys CE was being sucked out in real-time.

Inside the creatures core, the bones of Yoo-seongs arm had a sharp tip as if they had been cut at an angle.

Right after crawling out of the pit, just before he rushed toward the Garam

As hed fiddled with his broken arm, Yoo-seong had created a bone blade.

The limp wrist attached to his arm had acted as nothing more than a lid.

And when the Garam had struck the lid off

The blade had reached its destination.

.

The Garam couldnt turn its head or even speak.

It was the end of it. All its power, its experience, and achievements

They were being sucked out of him and into Yoo-seongs core.

Its over. You damn child, Yoo-seong whispered.

The pain in his arm was excruciating. However, he had a satisfied smile on his bloody face.

This wasnt just about absorbing the Garam and all the tools and Psy it had accumulated.

The reason behind Yoo-seongs smile was that last attack hed made.

It was a blow that had transcended Auto Hunt.