NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30
Yu Ah-hyun felt death creeping in this time for sure. What was I saying? Sure, they raised me to be C-class in this rural area, but in top clans, C-class was what littered the ground.
As each nameless warrior and my former clanmate Jihun fell, my heart ached deeply.
Was it worth it for me—?
“Ugh.”
A laugh slipped out, almost as if lamenting this miserable situation. Was it self-deprecation? A bitter chuckle? My magic power had run dry long ago. Sticking it out out of sheer will had brought me to this point.
“Damn it.”
It was just my luck, wasn’t it?
Fate’s irony? Such nonsense. Misfortune is just misfortune and never a stroke of good luck. After winter comes only the frozen earth—and now it was my turn. Araña’s blood-red eyes spun like a rotary dial on a phone from a museum. A middle-aged man struggled to shield me, but the shield broke. That guy had lost his weapon to fight back. Araña glanced between the two of us.
She was definitely picking who to kill.
“…Damn.”
What a miserable way to go out.
Not being able to kill her was a frustration. Fine, let’s die first. Gritting my teeth, I stepped forward. If someone saved me again just to live a few more seconds before someone else went down, it would be too pathetic.
“This time, I…”
In the final moments, the female hunter shut her eyes. The sharp scythe was about to cleave her in two—but Araña ultimately didn’t take her life.
“…?”
Why, why isn’t she killing me? Did someone else save me? That guy? Saved again? Pathetically, Yu Ah-hyun chewed on her lips and opened her eyelids. Imagined scenes she had never seen before flashed into her mind, and tears coated her bloodshot eyes. However, the sight before her reflected a different reality than her imagination.
“Ah.”
What stood there was not someone else but simply—an even more grotesque monster.
***
Evolution ended in an instant.
There were initially two paths. I jumped over the fence blocking the way to a new path.
I intuitively understood the indescribable something I had seen each time I evolved, that fragment.
“Karma.”
But it couldn’t be just that. I had only glimpsed a fraction of that indescribable something and still didn’t know what it was. What I knew at present was far too complex and beyond my understanding.
[Path of Marang: Evolving into High Worg]
The system said that choosing the path of Marang would lead to becoming a higher species of Worg. And I subconsciously thought, perhaps if I picked Marang’s path, I would evolve into a monstrous wolf—that is, a High Worg—since I did not know of any other higher species of Worg.
So, this was outside my expectations.
[Mountain Tyrant (Skull Wolf) Lv.1]
Just as the name suggests, a white skull with black fur. It crushed the earth. Unlike before, it had a real body that was no longer amorphous but a blood-running figure. I had tactile senses before, but the real sense of my legs felt strangely unfamiliar.
“Am I stronger now?”
Having discarded all the traits of amorphousness, I had jumped into a new species, but I was still puzzled.
Had I truly become stronger? Could I really face Araña?
“Go! Go fight!”
I could hear the ghostly echoes of dead hunters. Yeah. I had to fight—no time to think.
Each muscle in my body tensed. Still, she paid me no mind. Was it arrogance? Or conceit? Either way, it didn’t matter. I only thought of chewing into her flesh.
The middle-aged hunter’s shield shattered and then he collapsed under the force. Following that, Araña swiftly sliced at the female hunter’s neck.
Crack!
As my taut muscles released, each cell surged with energy. My racing feet crushed the ground and reached her. In an instant, just before her scythe could sever Yu Ah-hyun’s windpipe, I bit between the joints of her front leg. She was in shock, having been bitten in her weakest spot. Added to my magic power, biting down felt tough—but it was enough.
[Your level in Evil Bite (D) has reached its maximum. Evil Bite (D) Lv.4 -> Evil Bite (D) Lv.5]
Over the past two days, my skill level in Evil Bite was raised as I devoured monsters. Now leveled up to 5, Evil Bite showed its vicious prowess.
“Sssst!”
Araña writhed in pain. Her sharply tapered front leg, once so pristine, now hung by threads, oozing bodily fluid.
“Where’s the regeneration skill?”
I don’t have it. There were no signs of her leg regenerating.
“Grrr?!
I was surprised at my own low growl. Everything felt completely different from before evolution. My vocal cords—a sensation so palpable. More than that, it was a taste I had been unaware of until I formed my physical body from being amorphous. —Though I still had just a skull for a head.
“Damn.”
I could taste the bitterness from the leg I had in my mouth. It was the kind of taste that made me want to throw up, and I spat it out. As I watched Araña look at her severed leg with her eight eyes, she searched for me.
“Skull Wolf? Why is that here…”
“Isn’t that a C-class monster?”
“Was it not a Worg but a Skull Wolf?”
Whispers of hunters filled the air. The middle-aged hunter could not help but be astonished. His seasoned eyes, honed over years of being a hunter, definitely recognized what stood before him: a Skull Wolf. But that was odd.
“A Skull Wolf?”
Had it evolved right here? Or had it hidden its strength all along? I could understand that much, even giving the benefit of the doubt. But was that really a Skull Wolf? Was that monster truly a Skull Wolf?
…
Its size was small. Initially, I thought it was an underdeveloped nestling, but based on what that monster had just done, that seemed impossible. Could an immature Skull Wolf bite Araña’s front leg?
Impossible. Yet, given what had just happened, I couldn’t deny it. Most importantly, what was this overwhelming intimidation dominating the area? The total power was surely with Araña, but this Skull Wolf radiating a chilling aura had something beyond just strength. I didn’t know what that was… but…
…It was a good omen!
At least for now, we were joined in a common front. The question of how much to trust a monster remained, but having the enemy’s enemy strong was a good thing. Perhaps we might survive, and unbeknownst to the middle-aged hunter, a flicker of joy illuminated his face as the female hunter babbled obscenities.
Only four arrows remained. But it was already the third time I’d been saved. Could I really just abandon it like before? It felt like a cruel joke of fate. Yu Ah-hyun swallowed the metallic taste of blood lingering in her mouth. It was a small chance, but the female hunter had to cling onto that. With trembling hands, she gripped her bow. Starting with just the two of us, the flames of counterattack began to ignite within the hunters.
With them behind me, I bared my fangs at Araña.
…
The spider did not understand.
The wolf, which had almost slipped from its notice, seemed obscure. Such beings were fascinating yet annoying as they had disturbed the thread it had spun. But that was it. The spider’s assessment of the wolf categorized it as ‘foolish and weak’ and merely a beast ‘waiting for an opportunity.’ Naturally, beasts do not challenge stronger creatures. The spider believed that even if the weak wolf hadn’t died, it wouldn’t dare attack.
So it took its gaze away and ceased its interest.
—That was a grave error.
The price of its premature judgment would be steep.
“Grrr!”
The weak wolf donned a new skin and bit at the pride of its forelegs. The spider couldn’t comprehend the wolf’s thoughts. Why? Why is it attacking? Why isn’t it retreating? Why does it not stop? And most importantly—why can’t I kill the wolf?
As annoying arrows flew, the spider defended itself with its remaining webs. Meanwhile, the wolf pressed in, not letting up. Unlike before, the scene was completely different. The wolf blocked several attempts to strike, and when ignored, it ferociously charged in. Just that.
“Kieeee!”
The presumptuous female human rolled on the ground. Just above her, the spider’s thread barely grazed past. Araña, unable to hide her vexation, was struck by an arrow. A minuscule amount of magic power lingered. The injured spider didn’t conceal its fury.
—I’ll kill them all.
The spider felt it needed to take some undue risks to end this fight.
***
No matter how high I rated my speed, it was still barely half of Araña’s.
The actual stats likely didn’t even reach half. But thanks to skill adjustments and the support of the hunters, facing Araña became feasible.
“Spread out! Load!”
The warriors gathered the scattered arrows of archers. If they hadn’t done that, there wouldn’t have been any arrows left long ago. Potion bottles rolled on the ground, shattering and scattering shards of glass that sparkled.
“Kieee!”
I sensed the web moving in on me and dropped my stance. My agility, at 438, was what I had, not the spider’s speed. Araña raised her front leg in anger. The last scythe reflected the light. Unusually sharp, it appeared.
….If there’s only one!
No matter how high the agility rated 438, being just one, I could dodge it with instinct and foresight. I boldly plunged under it, directly beneath her torso. Araña thrashed to try and shake me off, not caring about biting down.
Slam!
I tore into her flesh deeply. She lifted her back leg to balance herself.
“Shaaar!”
With a threatening sound, she intended to stab me with the sharp second set of legs. But conversely, that meant she had become a target for the hunters.
“Now! Shoot!”
The arrows of the archers lit aflame. Since the whole area was webbed over, there had been risk in using fire, but now, wasn’t the unmistakable target presented? With agility rated 438, even with that body structure of a spider, it couldn’t evade while lifting its back legs. A fire arrow blasted into the exposed abdomen.
“Kieeeek!”
The spider let out its highest-pitched scream yet. As the ripped wound burned—and blood and fluids began to flow—they caught flame before it could start. The creature’s flesh cooked, sending a stench into the air.
“Load!”
The barrage didn’t stop. To fend off the continuing firepower, the spider wrapped more of its webs around itself. —Its fourth leg. It bit down on the leg that controlled the threads. The web, which had surrounded it like a natural curtain, slowly fell. I could retreat, but suddenly, webs intertwined with my leg.
A trap from the start. Even under concentrated fire, it had intended to kill me. With agility at 438 and strength over 300, I was easily lifted. I faced those eight eyes, but immediately raised my magic power and shattered the web barrier. Brief as it was, it was enough for the hunters to continue attacking, yet the spider endured it all.
Even then, being stuck merely loosened the bonds of its body. In this moment, I exerted Evil Bite again, but it didn’t stop. Like being stabbed by daggers, fangs sharper than blades penetrated my skin.
“Kieeek!”
I slipped through the gaps as it loosened. However—
[Weak Poison Resistance (F)…]
The proficiency of my Weak Poison Resistance surged wildly. How many times had I seen that leveling up message? This was a far more potent poison than anything from a Rat Man’s concoction. Until now, I had only killed them all before the poison ever hit me, but perhaps its true value was not the web or speed, but the poison itself.
The poisoned leg swelled.
“Damn.”
There was no choice left. I bit off my leg.
Chew—slurp! Snap!
[You have acquired Pain Nullification (D)]
[This skill cannot grow further]
[Remaining skill points: 1]
There was no pain, but cutting off my own leg was no easy task. Blood poured out, dyeing the ground. Weak Regeneration crawled back to keep my leg intact, but healing it wasn’t easy.
[Proficiency for Weak Regeneration (E) Lv.9 has reached its maximum. Weak Regeneration (E) Lv.9 -> Weak Regeneration (E) Lv.10]
[Weak Regeneration (E) Lv.10 has reached maximum level. Weak Regeneration (E) Lv.10 -> Regeneration (D) Lv.1]
Flesh sprouted forth like a seed, regenerating my leg. The transformation to D-class regeneration radiantly demonstrated its power. Meanwhile, I checked my skills.
[Half-legged (E) Lv.5 has merged into Gale (D) Lv.1]
[The proficiency for Gale (D) Lv.1 has reached its maximum level. Gale (D) Lv.1 -> Gale (D) Lv.3]
I had received two skills as special bonuses from evolution—I closed my eyes quietly. In that fleeting moment, my leg shaped itself. While I had withdrawn, the situation worsened. With the front leg and its fourth leg severed and its belly burnt, Araña no longer moved as nimbly as it did when its agility at 438 was intact, and still, the hunters could only buy time by enveloping themselves in light.
“Grrr—”
Let’s advance. Don’t stop, let’s devour the spider that once brought forth despair.
Winds wrapped around my feet, becoming like a gale, as I propelled forward, crashing down atop Araña—!
***
“Ah.”
A sound slipped out. Everyone looked up at the wolf in stunned silence.
C-. The assigned grade felt utterly ridiculous now. The strange and swift movements rendered Araña’s attacks moot. Reading attacks and pushing forward as if reading their minds. Combining finesse and madness—at that moment, everyone felt fear not towards Araña but towards the Skull Wolf.
“What are you doing?! Are you just going to stand there like an idiot?!”
As if snapped back to reality, the hunters suddenly sprang into action. The female hunter, with only one arrow left, carefully aimed at the spider. Her callouses burst, and dizzying fatigue set in. Moreover, there was the question if she could even hit such a fast target in this dark place.
No, she had to hit. This was her last chance. With one eye closed, she aligned the aim and tip of the arrow—
“Shit… I can’t see!”
A bit more. I needed more light.
Yu Ah-hyun dug through her waist, but the Short-distance Teleportation Scroll had long been used. Desperately rifling through her pouch turned up nothing. She ripped apart the pouch in frustration. Lighting the tip of the arrow wouldn’t help. What I needed was light here, not far away. I had to ignite the spider. But only one arrow remained. Furthermore, my remaining magic power was running on fumes—no, I was just barely holding on after chugging a potion.
“Damn.”
At that moment, the arrow tore through the air.
The spider briefly glanced at the light but quickly averted its gaze. The arrow struck something else and only burned down some surrounding webs. Ultimately, the arrow did not strike true.
“Leave the back to me…”
With that, the archer fainted. The female hunter laughed hollowly, twisting her mouth.
“You fool!”
That was sufficient. The flame he ignited became the beacon. Though my vision blurred, I was more certain than ever of hitting that mark.
“Drink up.”
“How many bottles did you bring?”
“I’m stuffed myself.”
The remaining potion of the middle-aged hunter. I drank what he offered. Just a bit, but a trace of magic power flared back to life.
And at last, the female hunter released her last arrow.
***
Even with the gale surrounding me, I could barely keep pace with the now limping creature, stripped of two legs.
“438.”
Thinking back, that was still an absurd stat. After coming this far, I was just barely on par. But—
That meant I could still fight. Preparing for one decisive blow to break this tenuous balance, both the creature and I were weighing that moment.
“If only I had the magic eye.”
Continuously, my magic power drained. As it was, the effect of the magic eye was severely diminished, yet the slightest pause could bring about death. Two monsters danced upon their wire, ricocheting under the tension. And finally, the balance shattered.
“Kieee!”
The arrow hit its mark. The sight of the female hunter unceremoniously crumpling to the ground without releasing her bow drew a grin from me. With the balance broken, all that remained was ravaging.
The wind surrounding me transformed into a fairytale as it devoured the flames. The flickering flames began to change into a tremendous blaze.
[You have acquired the Ashen Flame (D) skill.]
—The Ashen Flame. Another skill bestowed by evolution.
Black flames that seemed not to let any light through blazed fiercely with the gale around me. Roaring against the earth, I leaped from within the choking smoke, which burned the web as it engulfed the area.
“Kieeeek!”
While riding atop Araña, I set fire to her. In an instant, I climbed up her back and opened my jaws wide.
“Grrr—”
The bare skull, devoid of skin, bit into her, clenching tightly as I tore through her flesh. Blood and bodily fluids mixed chaotically. Not pausing, I pressed down harder. Each moment, the flames consumed Araña as she thrashed about, and Evil Bite gluttonously devoured her. As a last-ditch effort, she began to weave her thread—the only escape left for her clinged to the ceiling. In a desperate attempt to shake me off, she clambered along, and I made my move.
“Kieee! Kieeee!”
Araña, clinging to the ceiling, fought back. But—I had experienced this before.
“I’m tired of that pattern already.”
Not with her, but way back on Jirisan. She thrashed beneath me, unwilling to let me go. Recalling how I took down the eel and the black wolf, I landed gracefully. As I fell, she smashed into the wall. The lapping flames swept up towards Araña, incinerating the thread she had woven along the wall. The smoke began to settle. In the midst of it, the severed spider fell to the ground.
[The level of Resilience (E) Lv.9 has reached its maximum. Resilience (E) Lv.9 -> Resilience (E) Lv.10]
[Resilience (E) Lv.10 has reached its maximum level. Resilience (E) Lv.10 -> Outstanding Resilience (D) Lv.1]
Lowering my stance, I coiled like a spring, legs taut. This would be my second leap—not running, but jumping higher.
The falling creature and I crossed paths mid-air, and despite the smoke that obscured our vision, our eyes met. Araña’s eight eyes reflected nothing but fear and dread.
[Intimidation (F) Lv.6 has reached its maximum proficiency…]
“Grrr.”
I laughed in a tense moment.
And finally—the wolf severed the breath of the plummeting spider.