Chapter 27

EP.27 Lizard Den (4)

Seoul Holder Academy.

Inside Professor Tak Wonho's office, a visitor had unexpectedly arrived, someone who had been too busy with lectures and administration to visit for a while.

"Almost a month, right?"

Tak Wonho asked, pouring coffee into a cup that he had freshly brewed.

Kim Myunghyun, sitting on one side, smiled.

"It's been about two months since the warrior faculty meeting at the beginning of the semester."

"That formality is still there. When do you plan to drop it with me?"

"Sorry, I'm just used to being formal."

He never drops the formality with anyone except his daughter.

Though known as a gentle and flexible professor, Kim Myunghyun adhered to the rules more strictly than Tak Wonho in this aspect.

Tak Wonho clicked his tongue and placed the coffee on the table.

"Drink it. I tried hard this time."

"You're really treating me well. I'll enjoy it."

The steam rising from the freshly brewed coffee and its deep color.

An espresso that showed the effort put into it.

It felt completely opposite to Tak Wonho's rough and rigid personality.

Kim Myunghyun carefully took a sip and immediately frowned.

"Professor Tak's coffee is still bitter."

"It's a characteristic of the Liberica variety. It has a weak aroma but a strong bitterness. Haven't you gotten used to it yet?"

"It still feels foreign to me."

Tak Wonho slowly sipped his coffee.

"When I drink coffee, I don't chase the aroma; I try to feel the coffee itself. If you only roast for a good aroma, you'll limit the types of coffee beans you can accept."

Tak Wonho finished the bitter coffee in one gulp and opened his eyes.

"Swordsmanship is the same. If you only chase the aroma of the sword technique, you'll end up losing the true form of the sword you were seeking, like Holder Hwang Seongyeon, who was consumed by his own sword."

"Indeed. I learned something today."

"Learned? You must have your own philosophy of swordsmanship."

Tak Wonho smiled and continued.

"How is Do Jae-hyun these days?"

Do Jae-hyun.

The new Holder in the Assassin category...

Recently, he has been the main focus of the two warrior professors.

Among the students he has taught recently, he shows the most talent in swordsmanship and the most passion for achieving it.

He can deduce five things from one lesson and can immediately apply what he has learned in training.

Despite being a multi-Holder with the [Sword] rune, he is more sincere about swordsmanship than any new warrior student.

If there is anyone with similar talent, it would be the top student in the warrior category, Lee Tae-jun, and the intermediate student, Park Jin-woo.

However, Lee Tae-jun lacks Do Jae-hyun's passion, and Park Jin-woo seems more interested in the swords he creates himself.

Kim Myunghyun smiled slightly and replied.

"He's perfect. I feel very fortunate to be teaching such a student as my exclusive disciple."

"I never thought you would take an exclusive disciple."

"You're also taking one for the first time in a long time, aren't you?"

"I trusted your judgment. And it proved to be correct."

Do Jae-hyun was a perfect fit as an exclusive disciple for both professors.

He quickly grasped the complex techniques of [Wave Sword Technique] and [Flowing Water Sword Technique] and made them his own. He also showed attempts to integrate the two techniques using the registered runes.

Naturally, the two professors who taught him were thrilled.

"Have you taught him the ultimate skill? I heard he has made significant progress in [Flowing Water Sword Technique]."

Ultimate skill.

The most powerful skill that can be derived from a rune.

Due to its overwhelming power...

It is also called the 'finishing move' of Holders.

Generally, it is known that you need to master the rune level to obtain this skill, but in special cases and situations, it can be learned in advance.

Kim Myunghyun's eyes widened at the sudden mention of the word.

"Ultimate skill? Ha ha. Professor Tak, you really know how to joke. Do Jae-hyun is talented, but he's not ready to learn the ultimate skill yet."

"Is that so? Hmm..."

Tak Wonho looked out the window of his office for a moment.

His disciple, who was probably tackling the dungeon at this moment.

Do Jae-hyun's face came to mind clearly.

Then he smiled meaningfully.

"For some reason, I have a feeling that your judgment might be wrong this time."

* * *

[You have entered the Boss Room.]

[The destructive aura of the Grizzly Drake is lingering. The Holder's speed and strength are reduced.]

"Grizzly Drake...?"

As soon as he entered the Boss Room, his body felt incredibly heavy.

His physical reaction indicated a significant decrease in strength and speed.

And the information window of an unfamiliar monster.

Grizzly Drake.

A massive drake covered in gray scales...

was lying comfortably in the center of the Boss Room.

"Is a drake... an A-class monster?"

Kim Chae-eun asked in a trembling voice.

A-class monster.

A monster that typically requires a party of five B-class Holders to hunt.

Even then, it's only for a standard A-class monster; the number can vary depending on the monster's nature and the surrounding environment.

Grizzly Drake.

The boss of this dungeon, a special monster with the adjective 'Grizzly' before its name.

It's impossible to gauge how much stronger it is compared to a regular monster.

Frankly, even ten B-class Holders might not be able to defeat it.

'But our party...'

We are a low-level party.

One B-class Holder and one C-class Holder.

And three Holders who are close to C-class.

In the academy, we could be considered a top-tier party, but in the world of Holders, we are just a common, ordinary party.

A match between such a party and an A-class monster.

The outcome is obvious even without seeing it.

"Hey... Hey."

Park Jin-woo called out to me in a trembling voice.

His tense face made my voice tremble as well.

"Why... Why."

"Are we really going to fight? We'll all die if we engage that thing."

The Grizzly Drake, still lying quietly.

If it were to open its eyes...

It would crush us immediately.

I slowly glared at the creature and then...

smiled and looked around at the party members.

"Right? It seems too much for us to handle. Let's quickly wrap things up and leave before we try to defeat it..."

-Grurrr...

And just like that.

As soon as we decided to give up and return...

The Grizzly Drake opened its eyes.

Damn, really...

"Ha... Park Jin-woo. Let's go into the spread formation."

"Damn. What a terrible day."

Park Jin-woo, cursing roughly, started to distance himself from me.

Spread formation.

Unlike the straight line formation we used to hunt the toxic iguana, this formation involves Park Jin-woo and I, as tanks, spreading out to handle different monsters.

It's the formation we used when hunting Lizardmen and Sizzling Salamanders.

'Now we need to draw its attention.'

A single monster.

Since it's the first time we're seeing it, we can't check its stats, but considering it's an A-class drake and a boss...

Park Jin-woo and I probably can't withstand it.

We need to draw its attention and disperse its attacks as much as possible while spread out.

-Grurrr!!

While preparing for battle.

Was it because we moved too noisily?

The Grizzly Drake, which had only opened its eyes quietly, roared.

And with that explosive roar...

The movements of all party members stopped.

"......!"

I knew this state well.

'Crazy. It has a fear effect too?'

A fear effect that momentarily paralyzes the body.

The Grizzly Drake seemed to have a related rune that links its roar with fear.

"What's going on? Why are you all standing still? Not fighting?"

Of course, there were party members who had completely escaped the fear effect.

Park Jin-woo.

His other epic rune, [Clear Mind], ignored this type of status effect and kept him calm.

...Really, a god-like rune.

That's why I wanted it.

-Grurrr!! Grur!!

The Grizzly Drake started moving at a fierce speed.

The first target was fortunately Park Jin-woo, who wasn't affected by the fear.

He barely blocked the creature's charge with his sword.

"Crazy...!! What kind of strength..."

At the same time, the fear effect was lifted.

I quickly raised my sword and charged at the creature that was attacking Park Jin-woo.

If this continued for a few more seconds, Park Jin-woo might die.

"Haap...!!"

With the accelerated speed from [Agile Movement] and [Charge].

I used the skill [Consecutive Strikes], which incorporates the techniques of [Wave Sword Technique].

Originally, [Consecutive Strikes] is a skill specialized in cutting, influenced by [Flowing Water Sword Technique].

But this time, the [Consecutive Strikes] I used involved three simultaneous cuts followed by a final thrust.

-Grurrr!!

However, as expected.

Not even a scratch.

Was the creature's durability too high?

Or was the [Lizard Scales] rune level too high?

My all-out attack...

did not affect the Grizzly Drake at all.

'It's okay.'

As planned.

This was just to draw its attention.

It would have been better to deal some damage, but it's not a big deal if not.

The Grizzly Drake changed its target from Park Jin-woo to me.

-Grurrr!!

"Ha...!!"

For about 3 seconds?

I poured everything I had into blocking the creature's attack.

From blocking with my sword...

to deflecting the attack with [Flowing Water Sword Technique].

Finally, using [Strengthen] to withstand the attack.

I did everything I could as a temporary tank.

This is my limit.

Park Jin-woo probably can't help me either.

"Do Jae-hyun, fall back!!"

And as usual.

The signal flare from Mun Ga-eun, who would save us, went off.

I poured all my remaining strength...

and ran as far away from the Grizzly Drake as possible.

Clang, clang-!!

The bombers' attacks rained down.

Kim Chae-eun's freezing magic, Kang Joo-yeon's fire magic, and Mun Ga-eun's support fire.

Powerful attacks, each capable of being considered B-class Holder skills, were concentrated on a single target.

A spectacular sight.

Park Jin-woo, who had been watching in a daze, quietly said:

"...Did we kill it?"

Ah.

He finally said it.

But it did feel like we had killed it.

The smoke was thick from all the magic and gunfire, and there was no sign of the Grizzly Drake.

It might have disappeared without a trace.

To confirm this.

Mun Ga-eun, who was in the back, focused and looked into the smoke.

Then, with widened eyes, she said to me:

"Do Jae-hyun, inside...!!"

"......!!"

Inside the smoke, the Grizzly Drake was there.

Just like when it blocked my all-out attack.

Its scales were still unblemished.

It looked as if it hadn't taken any damage...

proudly standing in the center of the Boss Room.

"Is this even possible?"

The party members were enveloped in silence.

An A-class monster we had never encountered before.

And a boss monster at that.

We never thought it would be such an overwhelming wall.

We poured all the attacks we could.

And yet, we couldn't deal any damage...

And as if mocking us.

The information window that appeared when we entered the dungeon...

and when we entered the Boss Room, appeared again.

[The dungeon's chilling aura has gathered around the Grizzly Drake, protecting it with an unknown aura and overwhelming durability.]

[The Grizzly Drake is in an immune state.]

Don't lie...