Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Skill Abundance (3)

Curious about the situation on the other side, Kang-hoo climbed the cliff with Park Dong-jae using a leap.

It was the same method they had used before when they ascended from the lower floors to the rooftop to rescue An Yeong-ho.

Though the original leap power was halved with an extra person, it was still sufficient to scale the cliff.

Luckily, there were plenty of spaces to step on and rest along the way.

“You can do all sorts of things, hyung.”

“Now it’s an inside joke.”

“No, I knew it before, but I didn’t realize you could use it for rock climbing.”

Park Dong-jae clicked his tongue as he looked down the cliff route he had climbed with Kang-hoo.

He knew about the leap skill, but he hadn’t expected it to be used for vertical ascension.

Even with an extra person, the propulsion was strong enough to cover a significant distance.

Reaching the top of the cliff, he peeked over to see the situation on the other side at a glance.

As they crossed the sound barrier, the sounds from the scene became vividly audible.

The sound barrier only blocked sound, allowing them to cross freely without any issues.

“Hmm…”

Kang-hoo surveyed the battlefield.

Three hunters were fighting what appeared to be the main boss monster.

“A swordsman, a magician, and an archer. It’s a good combination. But why do they all look so bad?”

“The swordsman looks the worst. It seems like he’s injured.”

“Indeed. It looks like he has a muscle tear in his side. His sword movements are awkward.”

“You can see that?”

“Can’t you?”

“Uh… I can’t see it.”

“Work on your discernment.”

Kang-hoo smiled as he chided him. Of course, he wasn’t trying to upset Park Dong-jae.

Finding clues by observing the situation is one of the most important virtues for a hunter.

If the information is there and you can’t interpret it, you’re the one at a disadvantage. It removes any advantages you might have.

“Should we intervene?”

“No. They’re the team that came before us, so there’s no need. Just letting them know we’re here should be enough.”

“What should we do?”

“Let’s move a bit closer and show our faces. Make sure to show that we mean no harm.”

Kang-hoo and Park Dong-jae took a few more steps forward.

Their figures became visible at the edge of the cliff, making them clearly noticeable to the others.

If they had malicious intentions, they could easily attack the hunters from behind right now.

They could use the boss monster’s attack patterns as if they were their own, creating an advantageous situation.

But Kang-hoo always thought of himself as someone in the gray area.

He didn’t want to stoop to dirty tricks, the kind that human trash would use.

It’s more that he could but chose not to. It might be the last bit of conscience left in him.

“…”

Kang-hoo held his breath and observed the main boss monster’s movements.

Its name was Turbo. It was a humanoid monster with a slender build but considerable destructive power.

On closer inspection, Turbo had attack patterns similar to “Sammy’s Annihilation Rotation” that Kang-hoo had faced before.

The reason the three-man team was struggling was that they couldn’t properly respond to this pattern.

Turbo’s orbs were far more numerous than Sammy’s Annihilation Rotation.

These orbs had a powerful force that pushed targets backward whether they blocked or got hit.

The closer they were when blocking or getting hit, the exponentially greater the damage.

There was another tricky aspect.

After pushing the hunters back, Turbo would whip them with its main weapon.

The long whip could strike from a considerable distance, making it a nightmare for those facing it.

Crack!

“Argh!”

Eventually, one of the swordsmen was struck by the whip, coughing up blood and falling back.

Park Dong-jae flinched and was about to get up, but Kang-hoo held him back.

“Wait.”

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Helping before being asked is meddling and an insult to them.”

“Ah…”

“You might think it’s a good deed, but they might see it as taking away their chance to prove themselves.”

“Taking away their chance to prove themselves…”

“They’re holding on because they think they can. If they can’t, they’ll kneel and beg even without you stepping in.”

“Got it, hyung.”

“Don’t assume they’ll see your good intentions as good. It’s an arrogant thought.”

Kang-hoo’s words enlightened Park Dong-jae, who nodded repeatedly. He was absolutely right.

By then, the three hunters had noticed Kang-hoo and Park Dong-jae’s presence.

They wanted to ask for help, but as Kang-hoo said, these hunters were determined individuals.

They knew that giving up or asking for help in such a crisis would hinder their growth.

So they fought with all their might, but the situation kept worsening.

Quite some time passed.

Kang-hoo quietly observed all of Turbo’s movements, memorizing each one vividly in his mind.

Park Dong-jae also studied Turbo’s patterns at Kang-hoo’s suggestion.

As a buffer, he had to learn, knowing that ignorance meant death. He didn’t take Kang-hoo’s words lightly.

“It looks like the next strike will be the end. Their balance is completely broken.”

Kang-hoo, who had been quietly observing, muttered as he watched the swordsman.

Park Dong-jae thought the swordsman was holding up quite well, but his prediction was immediately proven wrong.

“Argh!”

Soon, the swordsman was struck near the neck by the whip, rolling his eyes and flying through the air.

He probably lost consciousness the moment he felt the pain in his neck, not even realizing he had screamed.

With the main tank down, the magician and archer grew desperate.

The swordsman had been suppressing Turbo’s movements to some extent, so this was a major crisis.

“Please help us!”

The magician shouted.

But Kang-hoo did not move at those words.

He wasn’t here to be benevolent. He was waiting to provide help in exchange for a definite price when necessary, like a mercenary.

As Kang-hoo remained still, the archer beside him shouted.

“Do you need collateral?”

Nod.

Kang-hoo reacted.

Then the magician seemed to realize they had missed something important and pulled something from their pocket.

It was an orange magic stone.

The magician took out two, and the archer took out one.

The magician gathered them and used a telekinesis skill to send them to Kang-hoo in one go.

Collateral worth 30 billion won.

This was enough compensation to intervene.

In their haste, they even showed their desperation, knowing Kang-hoo could take the stones and run.

“Let’s split it after we finish. I’ll hold onto it for now.”

“Hyung, are you sure?”

“I’ve got it figured out. You?”

“Honestly, I’m a bit worried. Its pattern is too complicated. It’s chaotic.”

“Just make sure you don’t let the buffs get interrupted. Stay farther back than the magician and archer. That way, you won’t be the first target.”

“Got it.”

Kang-hoo didn’t forget practical advice. Although indirectly, he was telling him to use the magician and archer as shields if necessary.

Kang-hoo used the leap skill with Park Dong-jae, landing on the ground.

If he had made Park Dong-jae jump without thinking, his legs wouldn’t have survived.

Thanks to Kang-hoo’s “Cuteness!” skill creating a sort of safety cushion before landing, Park Dong-jae landed safely.

Of course, the safety mechanism was only applied to Park Dong-jae. Kang-hoo landed lightly on his own.

Dispersing the weight on the body through movement was a basic skill essential for an assassin.

“Keep them at maximum range. I can’t protect you while I’m focused on Turbo.”

Kang-hoo gave a warning and a request to the magician and archer.

He spoke in English, and they seemed to understand immediately. It reaffirmed that English is indeed a global language.

“Thank you.”

“Please take care of it.”

He created a sturdy protective barrier reinforced with multiple layers right in front of them.

It was a very robust frontal defensive barrier, twice as thick as before.

“Wow…”

“Such a defense skill here?”

The magician expressed astonishment as they watched Kang-hoo head towards Turbo.

They hadn’t expected an assassin to display a defensive skill with higher durability and thickness than their own.

For a magician, the mana shield was a basic yet highly skilled defense option. But it was no match for Kang-hoo’s protective barrier.

It made them feel quite dejected for a moment.

Their prized skill seemed inferior to an assassin’s skill.

At that moment.

Roar!

Turbo used the “Tornado” skill, creating multiple orbs once again.

The swiftly flying orbs struck the protective barrier, but it held strong against the attacks.

The magician, archer, and Park Dong-jae were amazed not only by the barrier’s durability.

In the meantime, Kang-hoo was weaving through the orbs, rapidly approaching Turbo.

The swordsman had tried to dodge Turbo’s attacks before, but ultimately failed and was pushed back, blocking with his sword.

But Kang-hoo, anticipating the projectile paths, hadn’t been hit by a single orb.

‘Mixing up the rhythm makes it seem irregular, stimulating the hunters’ fear and making it hard to see the pattern objectively.’

Kang-hoo had made his judgment.

There was a definite route the orbs passed through. That was the regular route. He always avoided this route.

And when projectiles flew at irregular intervals, it was a pattern disguised as irregularity. There were five possible routes.

After going through five different patterns, it returned to the first pattern.

Combining these two major scenarios, a temporarily safe route emerged.

Kang-hoo aimed for that route.

“Wow…”

“What am I seeing? It’s too fast to dodge by sight.”

“He’s not dodging by sight. He’s dodging by knowledge.”

The magician and archer’s mouths were agape, full of admiration for Kang-hoo’s skills.

Kang-hoo was already within a step or two of reaching Turbo.

Turbo was as startled as the teammates watching from behind.

Despite trying to avoid it, Turbo couldn’t believe its attack had been dodged so effortlessly.

Kang-hoo’s clothes didn’t even have a scratch, and he was now right in front of it.

It was a severe blow to its pride. Turbo’s calm face turned red with anger.

Kang-hoo approached and leapt up, raising his dagger.

Without overthinking, he decided to plunge the dagger first.

At that moment.

“Ugh.”

Turbo, making eye contact with Kang-hoo, smirked and vanished from sight.