abcnovels
Chapter 59
Chapter 59: Dungeon Practice (3)
Dungeon Practice (3)
"Rrrrw…"
The ogre's head turned slowly, its gaze fixed on me. In response, my heart quickened. It was the precursor to the Battle Sense. Even the sensation of battle had become familiar.
This ogre before me lived by its instincts. Instinctively, it destroyed, plundered, devoured whatever it captured, and crushed whatever moved. This ignorant monster knew nothing, yet its pointless curiosity was boundless. So, whenever it encountered something new, it observed first. It only struck back when attacked, with the confidence that counterattacking wouldn't be too late.
And that's why now, while the ogre was still observing me, I had to act. Gradually, I condensed mana within my body, trying not to alert the ogre. The moment mana moved externally, the ogre would charge. So, I needed to cast a spell instantly, before the ogre registered it, to inflict damage. That was my specialty, and I was confident.
Three seconds ahead. The ogre was still gazing at me, even casting a glance at Baek Ahyeong behind me.
"This is it!" Instantly, I completed the spell circles and unleashed magic. Aiming at the ogre's eye, I launched a fireball with one hand. Wind blades flew toward the ogre's belly, slicing through its skin.
Thud! Thud! Whoosh!
Smoke from the fireball enveloped the ogre, and a moment later, its arms covered its face.
"Man, this guy's insane." Surprisingly, the arms that had shielded its face were without a scratch. Among the numerous blades that slashed at its belly, there was just a single small cut.
Roar! The ogre growled irritably, its eyes bloodshot. Rolling on the ground, it vented its anger. Now, it fully recognized me as an enemy. Its bloodshot eyes fixed on me as it rushed forward, swinging its fist.
I didn't want to get too close to the filthy, drooling mess. I glanced behind me. Baek Ahyeong trembled, her gaze fixed on us. I swiftly channeled mana through the mana circuit, utilizing Acceleration as I dashed forward. For Baek Ahyeong's safety, confronting the enemy head-on was the better choice.
Thud! Thud! I evaded the ogre's fist while moving away from Baek Ahyeong, creating distance from the battlefield.
Roar!
Thud!
As the ogre's punch whizzed by, my hair fluttered from the gust. If it had landed squarely, my skull would have been shattered. I turned back slightly. Baek Ahyeong was trembling, watching from a distance. I swiftly gathered mana once more as I guided the ogre away from her.
What to do? Its skin is so tough that my magic can't damage it easily. Preparing advanced magic isn't feasible, given the time and my mana limitations. So, I need high destructive power with minimal mana.
My heartbeat accelerated rapidly.
Roar! As I dodged the attack, feeling the ogre's hot breath, my mind remained cool, thinking of strategies. To deliver high destructive power with minimal mana, I had to attack up close. That way, the wasteful force generated during flight would be eliminated. On top of that, I needed to enhance efficiency by using Acceleration to increase the speed of my attacks.
I had a plan. There were two things I could do. I could enhance my fists with mana and thrust them into the ogre's belly. Alternatively, I could create a new type of magic that could inflict wounds on the ogre and embed it in its belly. Fortunately, unlike the fireball that left the ogre unscathed, the wind blades had left some marks, even if they were minor. The breakthrough was possible.
As the ogre's fist came flying towards my head, I lowered it to dodge. Simultaneously, I concentrated mana in my hand.
Drawing mana in a spiral, much like when creating the Cotton Guard, I created a spiral form that pursued robust defense. This spiral form, which pursued sturdy defense, could conversely become the most robust offensive tool. It imbued the toughness of solid mana with a keen edge. While the mana had been sharpened, it wasn't much different from the wind blades. I condensed the spiraled mana, rotating it into a spherical form while maintaining its incredible speed. Although gradually, the rotating spiral would gnaw at the ogre's skin.
Woong! The ogre's arm swung down towards my side again.
"I'll break through with the next attack." I deliberately kept a close distance and induced a large movement. The foolish ogre fell for my intention, slamming both hands onto the ground.
Thud!
"Acceleration." I drove the rotating spherical form into the ogre's side, where it was trying to lift its arm off the ground.
"Kwaaah!" With a gruesome sound, the tough exterior was gradually chipped away. The ogre's side turned into a mess of exposed flesh, more delicate than its exterior. And in that moment, a massive crack appeared on the its belly. That exterior was punctured even slightly, but that was enough. My magic delved deep inside and began to rotate, slicing through its flesh. Blood and fragments flew around the dungeon floor.
"It's over." The ogre fell to the ground with a large hole in its belly.
[Spiral]
▶ Unique Skill
▶ Condense mana into a triple helix shape, then compress it into a rotating spherical form.
Requires highly advanced mana control. More effective in close combat than throwing, as it holds greater destructive power when embedded.
"Spiral?"
Why only close combat skills that keep popping up?! Damn it. This isn't what I had in mind.
"Hoyeon! What were you thinking, fighting the ogre?!" Baek Ahyeong approached, her face showing concern, and scolded me.
"I can't just abandon you, can I? I'd rather die together."
"You…!" Though it seemed like she was annoyed, she didn't seem upset. It would be great to deepen our relationship here, but my current state wasn't up for it. My head was spinning, and mana exhaustion might set in. I needed to replenish mana in my body quickly.
"I'll meditate for a moment. Can you watch over me?"
"Sure, if anyone comes, I'll let you know right away."
Using Baek Ahyeong as my human alarm, I meditated to replenish mana. Since it was so lacking, I had practically used it all up earlier. Nevertheless, since I had a high efficiency in meditation, it wouldn't take long.
"Phew…." Closing my eyes, I began to absorb the mana in the surroundings slowly.
***
"Student Council President, please wait a moment. I understand everything, but just take a moment to calm down!"
"Step aside. I need to see him immediately."
"Hey there! Oh my!"josei
Moon Soorin brushed past the secretary guarding the chairman's office and entered.
"Soorin, what's the matter?" Seated on the sofa in the executive suite was a man with white hair, reclining comfortably. He looked at Moon Soorin and greeted her with a warm smile.
"Are you leisurely sipping coffee right now? Don't you realize that students are trapped in the dungeon?" However, Moon Soorin seemed unfazed by the man's gaze as she expressed her frustration. This wasn't a time for relaxation, considering that people were trapped due to the dungeon rampage.
"Soorin… I hope you're not saying all this without realizing that I've just finished assembling the rescue team, allocating resources, and assigning mages for support. And I haven't even had any coffee."
"I understand all that. But do you have time to rest? People are trapped!"
"I've done everything in my power. Don't you know that?"
"No. You should go out there yourself, even if it's physically demanding!"
"Soorin!"
Discussing his health was a sensitive topic, but Moon Soorin didn't hold back.
Lee Hoyeon. As soon as she heard that he was trapped in the dungeon, her heart sank. It was only then that she admitted her feelings for Lee Hoyeon. Realizing her emotions, she abandoned everything and rushed to the executive suite.
Seeing Moon Soorin's eyes regain their focus, the chairman understood that he needed to calm her down. "Experts have been summoned, and hunters will be extensively deployed for the search. Don't worry, just wait."
"No. If you're not going, then I will!"
"Why on earth are you like this? Is there a boy in the freshman class you like?"
"N-No, it's not that! But these newcomers are all members of our Victoria Academy!"
"…" The chairman's expression hardened noticeably. It was a reaction like tilting her head towards an empty spot and then quickly glancing, before looking away again. He had seen this reaction often from her. It was the way she changed the subject of conversation.
"Anyway! I'll go myself if necessary! And I'll go on strike until this incident is resolved!"
"S-Soorin! The academy can't function without you!"
"I don't know about that. Right now, the urgent matter is the dungeon rampage. We need to expand the search scale, recruit more hunters, and increase our manpower."
"B-But isn't all that funded by the academy's budget?"
"I'm sure it's a lot more than that." Moon Soorin looked at the chairman with a cold expression, delivered her words, and left the executive suite.
The chairman felt exasperated. "Just who is that man that he can drive my granddaughter to this extent?"
From his long life experience, he knew that such persons don't die easily. He thought that once they escaped from the dungeon, he needed to at least catch a glimpse of the man's face.
***
"I feel alive now. Thank you."
"Yeah, well, it's not just me. Thanks to you, I'm doing well too."
We ventured into the dungeon with a harmonious atmosphere. After overcoming the ogre, my self-confidence had soared. From what I've heard, even seasoned hunters find it challenging to take down an ogre solo. So, defeating such a monster on my own is quite an accomplishment to boast about, right?
"But still, I don't think there will be monsters stronger than the ogre. An ogre was already beyond reason in the first place…."
It was ridiculous that an ogre was emerging from a dungeon where creatures like kobolds used to appear. It must have been a result of the widespread demonic pandemic, but I was frustrated because I didn't remember encountering such a thing in the original story.
"Right? A bit of luck in misfortune…."
Thud. Thud.
"Oh, fuck…" Without even realizing it, I cursed in front of Baek Ahyeong. Fortunately, it seemed she didn't hear.
Thud. Thud.
Baek Ahyeong didn't seem to have the presence of mind to hear my muttered words over this ominous sound. Moreover, this sound wasn't coming from just one creature.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Two creatures. Two ogres were approaching. My heart raced. The Battle Sense surged within me again, but that was okay. Having experienced capturing one before, I honestly wasn't scared. The method to eliminate these foolish ogres wouldn't be much different even with two of them. Acceleration to evade their straightforward attacks and embed a Spiral into their belly when it's exposed. Although there were some discrepancies from the explanation, that was the basic idea.
The sound of the ogre grew closer. This time, I wanted to tackle one from the beginning. Given Baek Ahyeong's critical stamina, I needed to finish quickly and find a place to rest.
"Spiral." I conjured a spiral form in my hand. "Acceleration." And I accelerated the mana around my body. Gathering mana at my feet, I waited until the distance between us closed. Just before the ogre and I came into each other's sight, my Vision Enhancement caught the ogre one step ahead.
Swoosh! With the force strong enough to make the ground beneath my feet crack, I leaped towards the ogre.
"Grrr?" Only then did the ogre notice me, but it wasn't a high-level organism capable of countering my accelerated attacks.
Bam!
"Die, you bastard!" A hole was torn into the belly of one ogre, and it collapsed while spewing blood.
"Kwuaaah?!" The remaining ogre witnessed the fate of its companion, instantly recognized me, and swung its club toward me. My heart raced. My battle instincts were trying to convey something. I had grown accustomed to these straightforward attacks, deftly evading the club while preparing to unleash the Spiral. All I needed was to embed it into its belly or face.
"Rrwwoar!" The ogre shook its club and then, unable to contain its fury, swung its fist. In the accelerated space, as the its fist hurtled toward me, just before I deftly dodged and embedded the Spiral into its face, I thought, "This is my final opportunity."
The ogre was mid-swing, aiming its fist at me. However, I was significantly faster. In terms of speed, I could shatter its head with the Spiral, bringing its life to an end. But that wasn't my goal. I didn't venture into this dungeon merely to vanquish monsters. My objective was Baek Ahyeong. If I didn't accomplish it now, there would be no second chance.
Unlike before, the mana density in the dungeon had now stabilized almost completely. With this level of density, monsters stronger than two ogres wouldn't appear. An ogre was already beyond reason, so it was unlikely that anything stronger would emerge. Ultimately, this was my final chance—a moment when two ogres stood before me. With Baek Ahyeong here, I wouldn't die.
It's worth it. No, I must do it.
In the end, to target Baek Ahyeong, this situation had to unfold. Observing the ogre's fist approaching, I slightly slowed down the speed of my hand holding the Spiral. Even if I took a hit from the ogre, my focus was on ensuring that my hand with the Spiral would already be in a position capable of ending the ogre's life.
Crunch! Whoooosh! First, I absorbed the impact of the ogre's fist, and right after that, the ogre's head was torn into shreds. Its blood scattered through the air, drenching me in fragments.
"Guh…! Kuh…" Blood began to flow from my mouth as well. It hurt terribly. It wasn't just my bones; it felt like my organs had been torn apart.
"Ho, Hoyeon…! No!" Nonetheless, witnessing Baek Ahyeong rushing over, I knew the plan had succeeded.
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