Return Of The SSS-Class Hunter

The wind blew softly across the forest canopy, rustling leaves as if the world itself were holding its breath.

Derek's fingers tightened around the hilts of his daggers.

His heartbeat slowed, breathing steadied.

He stepped forward.

And then....

He dashed forward.

The horde lunged simultaneously — dire wolves and other mutated creatures with elongated claws and extra joints, their small frames brimming with strength.

Derek's daggers moved.

One, two, three slashes — fluid arcs of steel that carved through flesh like soft fruit.

His footwork shifted from one stance to another without conscious thought. He dodged a leap on the right, slid beneath a claw swipe on the left, and twisted his torso just enough to avoid the bite of a rat lunging for his throat.

Each movement flowed into the next.

Each strike landed exactly where it needed to.

And beneath it all, a strange certainty took root inside him.

His dagger technique… was improving.

Not gradually.

Not slowly.

But rapidly — almost unnaturally.

With every beast he fought, every slash he executed, every dodge he made, his motions became smoother. Sharper. More refined. It wasn't just that he was getting used to the technique he learned from the rune stone — it was as if the technique itself was coming alive through him. As though each beast he cut down gave him another piece of a puzzle he didn't know he was solving.

A thrill crept up his spine.

He felt the technique threading itself into his muscles, reshaping his instincts. At some point, he stopped thinking entirely. His body simply knew what to do.

He pivoted.

His right dagger sliced through a dire Wolf's skull.

His left dagger stabbed upward, killing a beast mid-air.

He spun once, the motion turning into a sweeping slash that severed three necks at once.

The last beast tried to flee.

He flicked his wrist.

A dagger sliced through the air and pierced its spine with a soft thwip.

Silence settled over the battlefield.

The corpses slowly dissolved into thin air.

Derek exhaled long and slow.

'Yes… there's no mistake. I'm improving.'

His attacks felt sharper. His movements felt lighter. His intuition felt deeper.

And most importantly… he was using less effort with each improvement.

Every slash cost a little less energy.

Every step took less force.

It was becoming less like fighting…

And more like an art.

He couldn't help the smile that stretched across his face.

"With this, the test should be… manageable."

He didn't waste time.

He headed deeper into the forest.

And the deeper he went, the stronger the beasts became.

More magical beasts emerged — wolves, mutated snakes, glowing-eyed boars — all within the E-class realm.

But compared to Derek?

They were nothing.

One beast tried to pounce on him.

He didn't even look at it — his dagger moved on instinct, and the beast fell.

Two wolves tried to flank him.

His daggers traced two clean arcs, and their bodies dissolved into motes of light.

A massive boar attempted a head-on charge.

He sidestepped and slit its neck in one smooth motion.

The beasts came in waves.

Ten at a time.

Twenty at a time.

Sometimes more.

It didn't matter.

Whether one or a hundred, they melted before him like tofu under a hot knife.

His heart pounded with excitement.

"This is… addictive."

He laughed softly, eyes gleaming.

He had forgotten the exhaustion of cultivation, the monotony of practicing Lightning Pace, and the stress of preparing for the test.

Here, in the heat of combat, surrounded by beasts, drenched in blood and sweat…

He felt alive.

And so, without realizing it...

He ventured deeper and deeper.

Until he crossed a threshold.

There was an unmistakable shift in the air.

The D-Class Territory....

A wave of heavy pressure swept over him.

He stopped walking.

The ground was cracked in places, as if struck by an immense force. Deep claw marks scarred the earth.

A low growl rippled through the air.

Derek turned slightly.

A white tiger stepped out of the shadows — massive, muscular, its fur shimmering faintly, and two heads moving in perfect synchronization.

A double-headed white tiger.

A D-class magical beast.

It stared at Derek with cold, predatory focus.

He smiled.

"Show me what you have got."

The tiger leaped.

Derek burst forward.

His daggers clashed against its claws, sparks flying as if metal struck metal. He pushed off its massive frame, flipped in the air, and brought his dagger down toward its back.

The tiger twisted unnaturally fast.

His blade only grazed one neck.

But even that was enough.

The beast staggered.

Derek didn't let the opening slip — he dashed forward and pierced both throats in one rapid cross-slash.

The beast dissolved.

But Derek didn't relax.

Because a deeper growl followed.

A lion stepped out — claws sharp like steel, its fur so tough that every slash Derek made sent a numb vibration through his hands.

His attacks drew sparks instead of blood.

A challenge, but not a threat.

With patience and skill, he dismantled the lion, finding its weak points and carving precise slashes into vital spots.

It fell without landing a serious hit.

More beasts followed.

Rhinos with glowing horns.

Shadow-striped tigers.

Mutated cheetahs with elongated legs.

Linos — strange cat-like creatures with razor-edged tails.

Each one strong enough to overpower a human in the same cultivation realm.

But Derek was no ordinary E-class.

Not after his recent breakthrough. After his dantian underwent a miraculous transformation, his internal energy had increased significantly.

He fought, slashed, dodged, and countered — and one by one, the D-class beasts fell.

Not with ease. But without injuring him.

His breathing grew heavier. His muscles began to warm. Sweat began to drip from his forehead.

But he was still fine.

Still standing.

Still sharp.

Still improving.

'This is insane… I feel like I could keep going forever.'

He took a deep breath.

And kept moving.

Engrossed in his improvement. Consumed by his growing mastery. Addicted to the thrill of battle.

Until...

The atmosphere shifted again.

Like stepping from shallow waters into a raging sea.

Derek's eyes narrowed.

'Something strong… is here.'

He took three steps forward...

And stopped.

A massive shadow moved between the trees.

Then another.

Then the ground shook.

A giant ape stepped out.

At least three meters tall. Muscles bulging like massive boulders. Thick fur layered with spiritual energy. Eyes burning with fury.

A C-class magical beast.

The strongest creature in the academy forest — one that final-year students were meant to fight in teams.

Yet Derek now stood before it alone…

With only his daggers, sweat-soaked clothes, and the blood of countless beasts dripping from his blades.

The ape looked down at him and roared, shaking the nearby trees.

Derek's heart thumped.

But he didn't step back.

Instead...

He stepped forward.

"Let's see if you are really a challenge or not."

The ape lunged.

Derek sprinted.

And the two collided in an explosive clash.

The ape swung its massive arm downward, with enough force to pulverize a boulder.

Derek rolled aside at the last second, feeling the wind pressure scrape against his skin.

He slashed at its arm.

His dagger barely left a mark.

"Tch…" He clicked his tongue. "Tough bastard."

The ape swung again, faster than its size suggested. Derek ducked beneath its arm, stabbed at its ribs, then dashed backward to avoid the backhand strike.

Derek's daggers blurred through the air, carving streaks of silver as they collided against the ape's massive fists. Each impact sent shockwaves rippling through the clearing. The ground beneath them cracked apart from the force of their movements, chunks of dirt exploding outward. Trees trembled violently, their trunks splintering as the giant ape's wild swings tore through anything within reach.

They were evenly matched.

Minutes passed.

Then thirty minutes.

Then an hour.

Then two.

Both of them breathing hard. Both of them bleeding. But both refusing to yield.

Derek's muscles screamed.

His lungs burned.

His vision blurred at the edges.

But his eyes — his eyes were unwavering.

No hesitation.

No doubt.

No retreat.

He had fought things far stronger than him in his past life.

The ape roared and charged again.

Derek tightened his grip, but didn't act immediately.

And just when the ape swung its arm in a wide arc — exposing a small gap under its chin —

'Now.' Derek dashed in.

He thrust his right dagger upward in a perfect uppercut motion.

Steel tore through flesh.

Warm blood sprayed across his face.

The ape staggered, eyes wide.

Derek twisted the blade and pushed deeper.

The beast froze...

Then collapsed backward.

Its massive body dissolved into particles of light.

Silence returned. Finally, Derek couldn't hold on any longer and dropped on his back.

His chest heaved violently, sweat dripping off his chin. His limbs trembled.

His internal energy was almost completely gone.

His body felt heavy.

Yet...

A laugh escaped him.

Quiet at first.

Then louder.

He collapsed onto the ground, staring at the sky through gaps in the canopy.

"I… did it."

His dagger technique… had grown by leaps and bounds.

Far more than he expected.

Far more than made sense.

He raised his trembling hand and looked at his blood-stained dagger.

"It's… incredible…"

He allowed himself a moment — a brief, well-earned moment — to savor the growth, the victory, the overwhelming improvement.

But...

Suddenly...

His smile froze. His body stiffened.

He sensed something. A presence.