The Returned Hunter Has Awakened to a Hidden Class - Chapter 40
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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40
Chapter 40
Dark Souls (2)
‘Stay quiet.’
‘Got it.’
Being able to read thoughts has many advantages.
This ability has shone in countless situations so far.
When hiding in tall grass to pick off enemies one by one, when throwing sleep bombs while the opponent’s attention was diverted.
And even at this very moment.
[Boss : Raugar the Lion King ]
[Grade : B]
[Level : 55]
[Health: 100,000,000 / 100,000,000]
Fortunately, the Lion King hadn’t yet noticed the intruder’s presence.
He was leisurely walking around the royal palace on patrol.
Now then, how to chip away at over 100 million health points.
‘Can’t we just kill it?’
‘Would that work?’
Though it’s somewhat embarrassing, hit-and-run tactics are best in this situation.
Repeating the method of hitting once and quickly running away would allow for safe conquest.
Of course, it won’t keep working forever.
Kim Jun rummaged through his subspace pocket.
‘Still have one sleep bomb left.’
‘You’re using that again?’
‘Have to.’
One of the core systems of the Dark Souls hierarchy was ‘critical strikes.’
When an enemy becomes incapacitated.
When they’re fallen, asleep, or completely defenseless, targeting specific areas can deal several times more damage than usual.
‘I’ll go first.’
‘Got it.’
Kim Jun took a deep breath.
Creep-
He moved carefully along the shadows.
The marble columns erected throughout the arena served as perfect cover.
He observed the Lion King’s movements and analyzed the pattern.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
Five steps left, then five steps right.
A pattern so mechanical it was identical. Like it was programmed, repeating the exact same route.
‘Fortunately this is the same as before my regression.’
‘Did you regress?’
‘Uh, yeah. Don’t read my thoughts without permission.’
‘I’m fine with it.’
‘…;’
He put strength into his toes to minimize noise as he approached.
Thud-
The Lion King’s massive back grew closer and closer.
Shing-
Kim Jun carefully drew the 「Dragon Eater」. A faint red aura flowed from the blade.
Stab-!
“Urk! Wh, who’s there!”
The sharp sword tip penetrated precisely through the gap.
Hot blood flowed down the blade.
Clang-!
The Lion King swung his massive axe, but Kim Jun had already retreated to a safe distance.
[Health : 93,281,050 / 100,000,000]
Nearly 7 million damage from a single surprise attack.
‘Now!’
‘Got it!’
Whoosh-!
Andras got up and threw the sleep bomb.
The bomb flew in an arc toward the Lion King’s feet.
Crash!
The bottle shattered on the floor and purple smoke billowed up.
Hiss-
A sweet yet eerie fragrance filled the Boss Room.
“Who’s there! Come out!”
The Lion King shouted in an enraged voice.
Bam bam bam bam!
Majestic boss music began to resound. It was the signal that full-scale combat had begun.
However.
“Ugh…why am I…sleepy…”
The Lion King’s voice gradually slowed.
His massive body began to stagger.
The purple smoke entered through his nose and mouth, eroding his consciousness.
“How dare…”
Thump.
Finally, the massive body collapsed to the floor.
[Status Effect : Sleep Applied]
[Duration : 10 seconds]
The effect lasted only 10 seconds.
“Andras.”
“Got it!”
Kim Jun stabbed the 「Dragon Eater」 into the center of Lion King Raugar’s back from behind.
Sizzle-
Andras slashed the creature’s body limb from limb with 「Crimson Blood Sea」.
Hiss-!
Hiss-!
Consecutive attacks precisely targeting vital points.
Hot blood gushed like a fountain through gaps in the black iron armor.
[Critical Hit! 12,847,320 damage!]
[Critical Hit! 11,592,184 damage!]
[Health : 69,560,546 / 100,000,000]
Over 20 million damage in just 10 seconds.
‘He should be waking up now…’
Kim Jun thought as he retreated to a safe distance.
According to his memories from before regression, the Lion King would enter a rage state upon waking from sleep and charge recklessly.
The standard strategy was to use that pattern to make him crash his head into a wall, then target his vital points again.
“Uuuugh…”
The Lion King’s massive body began to stir.
3 seconds until sleep state cancellation.
Kim Jun was already preparing his next move.
As soon as the Lion King awakened, he would dodge the charging pattern it would show and position himself to induce a wall collision.
“Grrrrrr…”
But something was different.
A growl different from before his regression. Lower, more threatening, and somehow… intelligent movement.
[Sleep state cancelled!]
“How dare… you… ambush me?”
The Lion King slowly raised its body.
There was no expected furious charge.
Instead, two eyes filled with cold reason alternately stared at Kim Jun and Andras.
‘Something’s… strange.’
The Lion King before his regression was a beast itself. A predator faithful to instinct.
But the Lion King he faced now clearly had intelligence dwelling in its eyes.
“This time… I won’t let you escape.”
The Lion King alternately spun the massive axes gripped in both hands.
Those movements, that posture—he had never seen them before his regression.
From the first engagement, Kim Jun was certain.
‘It’s completely different.’
The Lion King before his regression was a predictable beast.
It was a series of simple patterns: charge when angry, counterattack when attacked.
But the current Lion King was different.
It was cautious like a feinting fighter, cunning like one setting traps.
It waited until Kim Jun dodged, then blocked his escape route in advance, and even began learning Andras’s attack patterns.
In the second engagement, it became even more apparent.
When Kim Jun tried to circle to the side, the Lion King turned its body first to prepare, and it predicted the angle of Andras’s 「Blood Sea of Death」 in advance, taking it with the thick part of its armor.
‘It’s learning.’
Through the third and fourth engagements, the situation worsened further.
The unnecessary movements disappeared from the Lion King’s actions.
Redundant motions were eliminated, and it began using only lethal attacks selectively.
As if it had studied Kim Jun’s combat style and created countermeasures specialized against it.
And now.
Kwagagagagak-!
The Lion King’s arm swept like lightning. Claws and elbow, followed by a whipping tail. All that was visible was a single red line.
Whoosh-!
Kim Jun hastily rolled backward.
The floor split vertically as cracks spread.
It had already been an hour since fighting this creature.
They had barely managed to shave off about half its health gauge, but Kim Jun and Andras’s mana was beginning to hit rock bottom.
“Master. Be careful. That thing is extraordinary.”
“Right.”
What was more serious was that the Lion King continued to evolve.
Sasasak-!
Not a single strike. A five-hit combo.
Speed modulation on the fourth hit, the tail’s trajectory twisted off-beat on the fifth hit.
It was a new pattern he hadn’t seen even in the previous engagement.
「Detection」 flickered hazily, emitting danger signals.
Three lines carved in the air.
Sasasak-
“Kuk…!”
The wind from claws that grazed past his side slightly scraped Kim Jun’s flesh.
Andras stepped forward half a pace. The red surface of 「Blood Sea of Death」 unfolded, drawing a thin arc.
The blood-colored line sliced through the air, striking the gaps in the armor.
Kkagagak-!
The gauntlet’s grain merely rippled slightly; even the scratches weren’t deep.
“Master! This bastard is tougher than expected!”
No, it wasn’t tough. It had become clever.
The Lion King was calculating Andras’s attack angles and taking them with the thick parts of its armor.
‘This won’t work.’
Just dodging like fleeing would be endless.
Its health was in the hundreds of millions. It could never be defeated with evasion alone.
Moreover, as time passed, the Lion King grew stronger while Kim Jun and Andras grew tired.
He needed to block with parrying and target openings.
But the opponent’s learning speed was too fast for that.
“I didn’t want to use this so soon.”
The Dark Souls World was the 18th and 19th Floors.
Originally a means he intended to use against the 19th Floor boss.
But for unknown reasons, the Lion King’s grade had increased, and its patterns were evolving in real-time.
The pre-regression playbook had become completely useless, and learning new patterns would take several more hours.
There was no time to spare.
In that case.
“「Deus Ex Machina」.”
The name Kim Jun called was.
“Valderion.”
Sword Saint Valderion.
[「Sword Saint’s Domain」 will be deployed for 30 seconds.]
[All enemies within the domain will have their evasion and defense sealed.]
[Valderion’s swordsmanship will dwell within the user for 1 hour!]
Wuuuuung-!
Space folded by one layer. His intake of breath deepened, and his heartbeat synchronized with external vibrations.
The sword tip gained resonance. The feeling of time’s seams becoming solid.
“Here I go.”
He twisted and planted his heel, aligning his waist and shoulders in a single line.
In an instant. The sword went first and his body followed.
Kaang-!
First parry.
The claw was deflected.
Vibration traveled up the handle, but the blade didn’t waver.
───!
Second flash cut.
A crack was drawn on the black iron shoulder guard.
‘It’s working.’
Shiiik-!
Pagagagak-!
Kaang-!
Third, fourth, fifth slashes.
Cracks were drawn on every seam of the black iron armor, and blood and metal fragments scattered.
“Kuooooooo!”
The Lion King roared and counterattacked.
Claws, fangs, and even a massive body slam.
All the weapons of the giant beast came crashing down simultaneously.
However, now Kim Jun could see everything.
The angle of the claws, the trajectory of the fangs, the center of gravity of the body.
As if it were a battle he had already experienced, every pattern was clearly revealed.
‘I can see it.’
Clang-!
Clang-!
Clang-!
Claws broke, and fangs were deflected.
The massive body lost its balance and tilted to the side.
“Master. There’s a big opening!”
“I know.”
Kim Jun and Andras moved simultaneously.
Kim Jun’s 「Dragon Eater」 pierced toward the nape, while Andras’s 「Sea of Blood and Corpses」 dug into the side.
Hissssss-!
A stream of blood shot up like a fountain.
The Lion King let out a howl and thrashed its body.
It took a defensive stance, but.
With 「Sword Saint’s Domain」 active now, that struggle was futile.
Kim Jun readjusted his stance.
Waist, shoulders, wrists. Every movement connected in a single flowing line.
“「Dragon Slash」.”
The greatsword cut through the air and struck down.
Kwaang-!
A massive sword strike was carved above the lion’s head.
The black iron helmet shattered to pieces. Red eyes burst out, and the giant monster’s body slowly collapsed.
Thud-!
An impact sound that shook the entire arena.
The Lion King crashed to the ground.
[You have defeated the boss ‘Lion King Raugar’!]
[Items obtained: 「Black Iron Armor」, 「Lion King’s Claw」]
“Phew…”
Kim Jun let out a long breath, but the brief moment of victory soon faded.
When he checked the dropped items, his brow furrowed involuntarily.
‘Useless.’
The 「Black Iron Armor」 was far inferior compared to 「Dragon Skin」, and the claw weapon couldn’t even be compared to 「Dragon Eater」.
He didn’t like the form from the start. A bulk that was embarrassing to even call a blade.
At best, it might be usable for someone like Choi Do-heon who was a martial artist.
“Annoying rules.”
He muttered quietly while checking his mana gauge.
Empty bars.
Skills that he could normally use multiple times were limited to just once in this place.
Recovery speed was less than half, and potion effects were also cut in half.
The harder he swung, the more frustrated he became. It felt like fighting with his hands and feet tied.
“To think I have to do this again.”
Kim Jun slung the greatsword over his shoulder.
Rather than feeling accomplished about defeating the Lion King, he sighed first thinking about the battles to come.
But he couldn’t stop.
This was the Dark Souls segment.
A testing ground where you had to endure with pure skill alone, not relying on stats, and a moment’s carelessness led to death.
“I can’t waste time like this on the 19th Floor either.”
“Is there a way?”
“Of course.”
Kim Jun looked around the royal palace and gazed at the wall behind the throne.
A space he had discovered by chance before his regression.
The sign faintly carved on that floor was.
[Ahead, attacks are effective.]
Kim Jun walked behind the throne and lightly tapped the wall.
Thunk-
A hollow sound as if hitting empty air.
‘As expected.’
Once more, this time a bit harder.
Shimmer-
Suddenly the wall scattered like a mirage and disappeared.
A fake wall hidden by magic.
A narrow passage leading into darkness revealed itself.
“There’s a weapon in there that will make clearing the 19th Floor easy.”
“Another trick, Master.”
“…;”
Kim Jun and Andras stepped into the narrow passage.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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