Kang-hoo twisted his body, drawing a semicircle with the dagger lodged in the Swarm Queenâs side.
There was no need to distance himself from the Swarm Queen; he just had to turn with his back pressed against hers.
Soon after.
Thud!
Using the dagger in his left hand, he delivered a brutal slash to the opposite side of the Swarm Queenâs waist.
He felt the strain from her health dropping by almost half in an instant.
The massive slash consumed 25% of both his health and mana simultaneously, demanding a high toll.@@novelbin@@
Once again, the dagger struck deep, making it difficult to withdraw.
It was a display of unbelievable strength, likely driven by his fierce determination to capture the Swarm Queen at all costs.
Although he had used his primary dagger, Corrupted Conviction, and his auxiliary dagger, Blood Tears, Kang-hoo still had Boundary of Massacre and Joy of the Sky.
Both were backup daggers at 4th and 5th grade, respectively.
As his main weapon grade increased, he no longer needed to use them as primary daggers, but he always kept them on hand as spares.
With Boundary of Massacre in his main hand and Joy of the Sky as his secondary, Kang-hoo immediately prepared for the next attack.
The previous dagger would be retrieved once he killed the Swarm Queen. He paid it no mind.
âItâs not over yet!â
Kang-hoo, having stabbed both of her sides, rotated his body again, coming face-to-face with the Swarm Queen.
He accelerated forward, mustering all his strength to drive the third brutal slash into her chest.
Thud!
ââ¦!â
The Swarm Queen, possibly missing the timing to groan, could only glare at Kang-hoo with wide eyes.
With the force of three successive strikes, her body stiffened, and it seemed like she was gasping for breath.
Still.
The effects of the Enhanced Sensory Pill lingered.
Even after receiving three fatal strikes, the Swarm Queen swung her arm, aiming to decapitate Kang-hoo.
It was threatening as it crossed in a scissor-like motion right in front of him, but he dodged it with the Enhanced Sensory Pillâs quick calculations.
It was close, but he managed to avoid it unscathed.
âUgh.â
ãMad Regenerationã
Kang-hoo, feeling the strain from his sharply depleted health, took a step back to start recovering.
With nearly 70% of his health and mana drained in an instant, his body was under intense pressure.
This was a heavy burden that went beyond the effects of Mad Solarkium and the Enhanced Sensory Pill.
Kang-hooâs skills naturally pushed his body to the extreme, in an overpowered state.
Both the Mad Solarkium and the Enhanced Sensory Pill added further strain on his overheated body.
Itâs true he grew stronger as a Hunter, but his lifespan as a human? Well⦠it was questionable.
Repeating this kind of abuse, he was sure he wouldnât live a full life.
As the Swarm Queen staggered, Kang-hoo took a moment to regain his breath and partially restore his health.
Despite the three brutal slashes, the Swarm Queen was still alive.
Tat-tat-tat!
With his final dagger, Joy of the Sky, he dashed toward the Swarm Queen.
Her arms began to rise again, but they moved sluggishly, much slower than at the start.
In the meantime, Kang-hoo leaped up, using her bent knee as a foothold to propel himself high into the air.
Then, clutching Joy of the Sky with both hands, he plunged the dagger into the center of her crown.
ãBrutal Slashã
The fourth brutal slash.
Although his maximum starting health had now plummeted to a fatigued 10%, he wasnât concerned.
âKkughâ¦â
The Swarm Queen let out a death rattle.
With daggers embedded in her sides, chest, and the top of her head, it was a grotesque sight.
Even more shocking was that, despite all this, the Swarm Queen still clung to life.
ãBlood Flowerã
Kang-hoo activated Blood Flower without hesitation.
Scarlet blooms erupted all around as the embedded daggers were caught in an explosive force and flung out.
ãSoul Imprint - Retrieveã
He utilized a skill to retrieve his daggers.
The four daggers in Kang-hooâs hands were now stained dark red, entirely covered in blood.
Cough.
As the effects of the Enhanced Sensory Pill faded, the world changed.
The once-bright sky returned to its original dimness, and time, which had seemed slowed, resumed its normal pace.
The wings that had made his body feel light disappeared, but since his senses returned to normal, it didnât feel strange.
It was a little disappointing.
Now he understood why Hunters turned to stimulant drugs.
Once you experience surpassing your limits, your original self feels trivial and insignificant.
âKrghâ¦â
The Swarm Queen staggered.
Kang-hoo felt anew the persistent life force that kept her alive even as blood poured from her entire body.
He realized that as he climbed higher in difficulty, the level of bosses he would face would likely be similar.
Furthermore, high-ranking, top-tier Hunters challenging the limits of humanity would possess similar strength.
With his stamina drained, he didnât want to charge at the Swarm Queen again. There was a risk of unexpected developments.
So.
ãThorn Hellã
He cast Thorn Hell on the immobile Swarm Queen, whose life clung to a thread.
The ground, mixed with large and small stones, provided a favorable environment to cast Thorn Hell.
He positioned himself slightly to her side and activated Thorn Hell.
Crack! Crack!
Two thorns emerged, precisely spaced, delivering two hits to the Swarm Queenâs body.
And with that, it was over.
The Swarm Queen, who had been hanging on like a ragged paper doll, let out her final breath with Thorn Hell.
His level soared to 234 with her death.
The experience was rewarding, but he had no desire to solo-hunt her again.
To hunt with ease, it was essential to have a buffer like Park Dong-jae, an absolute necessity.
âHah. Hah.â
Finally, Kang-hoo allowed himself to breathe heavily, catching his breath.
His body felt unbearably heavy, but he had a purpose to fulfill. Extracting the heart. The final task remained.
âWhat?â
-The Swarm Queenâs corpse might have some use. If we leave it as it is, itâll start decaying. Can you handle it?
âSo, you captured the Swarm Queen, and itâs near Yuri Land?â
-Yes, itâs nearby. You should be there in about 15 minutes.
K, who had just received the message from Kang-hoo, was relaxing with a cup of tea but sprang up in surprise.
He was shocked first by the location near Yuri Land, and then by the fact that the Swarm Queen had been âcaptured.â
âIâll get ready right away. Actually, Iâll send Yuri ahead. But how did you catch it?â
-Doesnât the result matter most?
âThatâs true⦠but, you know, even Hyeong-seo and Bo-hye struggled against the Swarm Queen.â
K clicked his tongue.
The Swarm Queenâs combat level was high, and usually, hybrid species moved with her, making her a challenging target.
With all the complications and difficulties involved, people generally avoided provoking the Swarm Queen.
But he had captured her.
However, the location was odd.
The Swarm Queen didnât usually reside near Yuri Land. The lack of hybrid species made that clear.
-Iâll be waiting.
âYes, yes. Just wait there.â
K hurriedly began to put on his clothes. He regretted barely sipping his tea, but the corpse, far more valuable than the cost of tea, was waiting.
Jung Yuri, who had arrived on-site first on Kâs orders, looked in astonishment at the Swarm Queenâs corpse.
There was no doubtâit was the Swarm Queen. The deep dagger marks on her body were clearly visible.
âMy brother killed this?â
âYeah.â
âBut hasnât he been away from the villa for a while? Has he been around here all this time?â
âItâs a long story.â
Kang-hoo held back his words.
He didnât particularly want to explain his teleportation ability.
It wasnât that he didnât trust her; he just didnât feel like broadcasting it.
In any case, from the context of the situation, it wouldnât be hard to guess what happened.
The fact that both Kang-hoo and the Swarm Queen were not where they were supposed to be only led to one explanation: âthey moved.â
âWow⦠I really canât believe it. Brother, even Hyeong-seo and Bo-hye couldnât capture the Swarm Queen.â
âIâve already heard.â
âOh, from Grandfather? I donât mean to downplay you, but the Swarm Queen is a really tough monster.â
âLetâs just look at the results.â
Kang-hoo chuckled awkwardly.
To be honest, she wasnât wrong.
Isnât the result what matters? Dead or alive, itâs just one or the other.
Even if you fought well, if the enemy survived, you failed. Even if you fought poorly, if the enemy died, you succeeded.
âLet me freeze it for now.â
Jung Yuri started to infuse a chill into the Swarm Queenâs corpse sprawled on the ground.
The left chest seemed particularly wounded, but she didnât pay much attention to it. There must have been a reason for it.
Kang-hoo noticed that Jung Yuri had gained a new skill related to freezing and nodded.
Growth wasnât exclusive to him. Jung Yuri seemed to be unlocking her potential as well.
After that.
Kang-hoo and Jung Yuri passed the time, chatting while waiting for K.
Jung Yuri was curious about Kang-hooâs experiences in Japan, and Kang-hoo was curious about what sheâd been up to.
As they exchanged stories, time passed quickly. But then.
âNo backlash?â
As the effect of Mad Solarkium wore off, Kang-hoo prepared to rest and tilted his head in puzzlement.
This battle with the Swarm Queen, where he consumed both Mad Solarkium and Enhanced Sensory Pill, had been a chaotic and intense fight.
Given the circumstances, it wouldnât have been strange for him to be in a state of exhaustion once the effects ended, considering how hard heâd pushed himself. RÌà Ｎð¬ÎÐS
However, even as the duration ended, his body felt light. He didnât feel the expected fatigue.
Only a bit of physical weariness lingeredâjust the natural fatigue from the combat itself.
âCould it be?â
Could using both Mad Solarkium and the Enhanced Sensory Pill allow him to control the aftereffects?
When he first took the Enhanced Sensory Pill, heâd noticed the unexpected synergy with Mad Solarkium.
The reaction of his brain and senses had been heightened beyond the usual case.
However, he hadnât anticipated that even the aftereffects would be mitigated.
He would need to test it again, but for now, it seemed that taking them together caused no repercussions.
Of course, the Enhanced Sensory Pill was a rare item, so it couldnât be used frequently. But heâd discovered an unexpected combination.
With nine Enhanced Sensory Pills left, he could likely control the aftereffects at least nine more times.
Eventually, K arrived.
As the Swarm Queenâs corpse was loaded into a vehicle for preservation, Kang-hooâs mission in North Korea concluded.
Although he had 14 remaining Mad Solarkium, heâd achieved his goal by securing the heart.
Once he returned, he planned to finalize the details of selling the Swarm Queenâs corpse with K.
And immediately afterward, he would unseal the Random Skill Book.
The 100% chance, unscratched lottery awaited him, making his heart race.
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