After lying sprawled on the ground for roughly ten minutes, the injuries that had mangled his entire body and fractured his bones had completely healed. As he tried to rise to his feet, he felt a throbbing pain. It seemed that the healing of his wounds and the accumulation of pain, leaving his body sore, were separate matters.
Stretching his neck, which cracked with every turn, he felt overwhelmed by the sight of the towering cliff that could only be seen by tilting his head back nearly 90 degrees. The cliff face was so high that its end was not visible, prompting an involuntary hollow laugh.
“Now, how am I supposed to climb back up?”
While descending was easy, ascending would be difficult. As he was contemplating whether it was even necessary to climb up, a suspicious sound emanated from somewhere.
It was a sound that defied precise description, resembling something scraping against the ground, while also evoking the image of a sleek creature slicing through water.
Geon-joo, who had stood up using a rock for support, drew his sword. Regardless of what it was, given that this was an S-grade gate, he could hardly expect a situation favorable to him, a mere B-grade hunter.
Drip, drop.
Water trickled down from his head, falling onto the rocks below and moistening them. There was something that obscured the faint sound of the water droplets.
―Rustle.
The distinct sound that reached his ears once more sent a chill down his spine.
The color drained from his fingertips as he gripped the sword, and his eyes darted towards the gorge. The water was relatively clean, but its depth was significant, making it difficult to see the interior clearly.
Geon-joo instinctively sensed that the source of the sound was lurking in the depths he couldn’t perceive. Every nerve and muscle in his body tensed, preparing for the impending battle.
His gaze meticulously scanned every corner of the gorge that entered his field of vision. It was at that very moment.
Splash!
Along with the sound of water being split apart, a colossal pillar of water surged upward.
No, it wasn’t a pillar of water.
It was the spray of water caused by something enormous ascending from the depths of the gorge. Geon-joo quickly retreated, associating the phenomenon with the image of a water spout. In an instant, he took three steps back, and a large volume of water poured down on the spot where he had just been standing.
The water splashed onto his face as it hit the ground, causing him to turn his head slightly.
A shadow loomed over his head.
The immense and elongated shadow not only engulfed Geon-joo’s head but also stretched far beyond, reaching the bushes behind him.
“……”
The shadow’s length, which seemed to be several times his own body size, momentarily drained the strength from his legs. As he raised his gaze to the point where his neck ached, he saw “its” face.
Glistening with moisture, the dark blue scales shimmered. Following the lustrous skin that appeared slippery, he encountered the face of a reptile with three or four strands of white whiskers.
The vertically slit pupils delivered a chilling sensation. The moment their eyes met, Geon-joo felt as if his entire being was being crushed by its overwhelming presence, causing his eyelids to tremor slightly.
“…A serpent dragon?”
He cautiously assessed the identity of the creature that appeared immensely large and intimidating, resembling a dragon. At that moment, the monster flicked its tongue out. Even that simple action instilled fear in Geon-joo due to its massive size.
―Slither.
The familiar sound emanated from the creature as its tongue wriggled. Geon-joo braced his legs.
That wasn’t a dragon.
It was a snake.
In other words, it was an Imoogi, a creature significantly larger than an ordinary snake.
As soon as Geon-joo reached that conclusion, the Imoogi moved its body, as if the probing phase had ended.
Crash!
The rocks that couldn’t withstand the creature’s charging weight shattered with a thunderous noise. Amidst the water spraying in all directions, the rampaging Imoogi could be seen. Startled by the bulldozer-like attack, Geon-joo rolled diagonally to evade the creature’s head.
Boom!
Thanks to Geon-joo’s swift triple somersault, the Imoogis attack struck the empty space. Coughing from the inhaled dust, Geon-joo waved his hand to clear his vision, which had become hazy due to the rising dust cloud.
It felt like he had done a lifetime’s worth of rolling here.
It wasn’t as if he was practicing acrobatics from a martial arts novel, yet he found himself rolling this way and that. It was utter chaos.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have even considered the undignified act of rolling on the ground.
As Geon-joo pondered inwardly, he witnessed the Imoogi charging at him head-on, wasting no time after its failed attack. Lacking combat experience, he couldn’t afford the luxury of getting distracted by idle thoughts.
His leg wobbled slightly as he regained his balance.
―Hiss!
The Imoogi opened its maw, revealing its menacing venomous fangs. A single graze would spell the end.
Even without specialized knowledge, Geon-joo could easily imagine how lethal the venom of an Imoogi inhabiting an S-grade gate would be to him, a mere B-grade hunter.
At the very least, it was certain that he would be paralyzed to the point of being unable to properly consume a potion. Even if that moment lasted less than a second, such a fleeting gap could determine victory or defeat in battle.
Engraving a sense of vigilance in his mind, he inhaled deeply as he watched the rapidly approaching Imoogi. He knew better than to evade in the same manner thrice.
His narrowed eyes discerned the Imoogis charging trajectory. The creature’s effective range encompassed the entire area Geon-joo could move within before it reached him.
It was the worst-case scenario.
As his mind raced, the option Geon-joo chose was to charge straight towards the creature that was approaching with the ferocity to tear his limbs apart.
Rumble!
He gulped down the tension as the vicious creature closed in on him.
5 meters, 3 meters, 2 meters. The distance rapidly diminished.
50 centimeters, 30 centimeters, 20 centimeters.
Now!
Geon-joo, who had been gauging the distance, leaped to the side at a precarious timing.
Half a step.
He moved precisely half a step to the side at the exact timing, neither more nor less, evading the creature’s effective range. While he had escaped the danger of instant death, the situation was not yet safe.
As the Imoogi swiftly brushed past his body, Geon-joo, who had staggered from the gust of wind it generated, managed to strike the creature’s scales with the sword he held.
Slash!
Perhaps because it was the sword given to him by Sa-yoon, it effectively dealt damage to the S-grade gate monsters. Although the wound was merely the size of a finger’s width, Geon-joo gritted his teeth and plunged the sword deeper before dashing forward.
Whoosh!
With a pain that felt as if his shoulder would be dislocated, a long gash was carved into the Imoogis side. He had no intention of reaching its tail, but he had hoped to inflict damage to at least one-third of its body. The realization that it was a greedy desire came when he was flung backward before he could even cover a distance of 10 meters.
Struck by the thrashing tail of the Imoogi, Geon-joo let out a gasp as he was sent flying. It was a humiliating experience, and his face flushed slightly with embarrassment. If Sa-yoon had been present, he would have undoubtedly been subjected to a barrage of curses and a year’s worth of ridicule.
―Hiss!
As if provoked by the previous attack, the Imoogi violently thrashed its body from side to side. It seemed thoroughly enraged.
Each time the creature flailed, rocks crumbled, and the gorge undulated. Abruptly, the Imoogi ceased its movements and glared down at Geon-joo.
A stillness ensued.
…It seems like I’m in a bit of trouble.
The decisive strike had failed. What remained was the task of enduring the wrath of the colossal Imoogi before his eyes, be it A-grade or S-grade. Geon-joo, who had muttered those words, rapidly darted his eyes around to secure an escape route amidst the predicament.
Drip, drip.
A dark liquid dripped from the Imoogis venomous fangs, falling onto the rocks. Witnessing the corrosion of the rocks caused by a mere two drops, Geon-joo tapped the ground thrice to express his desire to surrender.
However, the Imoogi showed no inclination to accept his surrender.
Roar!
It charged towards Geon-joo, destroying rocks and trees in its path.
A spray of water accompanied its approach, and its maw lunged right before Geon-joo’s face. His pupils trembled at the deliberate speed of the attack.
―Hiss!
What kind of damned place was this, where an Imoogi resided in a gorge?
As the situation took an unfavorable turn, a sense of unwarranted resentment surged within him.
He had already narrowly escaped death at the hands of Sa-yoon, and now, without even a moment’s respite, he found himself facing an Imoogi. The injustice of it all fueled his indignation.
Geon-joo, who had inwardly screamed, focused all his senses on his eyes and kicked the ground just before the Imoogis teeth could graze his body.
“Hup!”
Leaping from his position, Geon-joo struck the creature’s face with a downward slash. Then, utilizing the recoil, he rotated his body forward.
Landing on his feet first, he somersaulted once, using his smooth forehead to support himself as he stood up. The Imoogi, its prey having performed acrobatics above its head, grew increasingly agitated and violently shook its head from side to side.
Geon-joo supported his body by plunging his sword into the creature’s scales, feeling as if he would fall at any moment.
Chomp! Chomp!
The creature twisted its head in various directions, opening its maw and exerting effort to capture at least one of Geon-joo’s legs. As it contorted its body and even rotated a full circle, Geon-joo felt on the verge of vomiting from the dizziness.
Mustering every ounce of his strength, including the last drop of his mother’s milk, Geon-joo steeled his resolve and focused his energy on his arms.
His forearms felt as if they would burst.
Exerting immense effort, he grasped the sword tightly with both hands, then bent his arms as if performing a chin-up, mounting the Imoogis body. Finding his balance and standing upright, Geon-joo seized the opportunity and dashed towards the creature’s tail.
From the beginning, he had no intention of single-handedly defeating an Imoogi of this size. His priority was to escape towards the tail and secure his survival. As he sprinted with all his might, the Imoogi, its body springing upward, turned its head and relentlessly pursued Geon-joo with crazed eyes.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
From that point on, it was a disgraceful chase.
Each time the Imoogis body bounced, Geon-joo experienced the humiliation of rolling helplessly on its scaly skin. Desperately clinging to life, he would barely manage to stand on the slippery surface and resume his sprint. Whenever an unavoidable attack came, he would parry with his sword and kick the sharp venomous fangs while pushing away the grotesquely hideous face. Had he not occasionally drawn a disposable dagger to strike the Imoogis eyes, the battle would have been hopeless.
If he were to be flung and land incorrectly, it would result in a fatal fall, and if he were to slip backward, he would meet his demise as snake fodder.
Deeming the situation too perilous, Geon-joo attempted to leap to a different location at that very moment.
As Geon-joo’s body soared into the air.
Chomp!
“……”
The colossal Imoogi finally managed to seize the hem of Geon-joo’s clothing with its mouth.
“Wai- wait…”
Whoosh!
“I said wait a moment!”
Aware that his words would fall on deaf ears, Geon-joo still shouted at the top of his lungs as he flailed his arms and legs at the snake that had tossed him upward. The Imoogi, its maw agape, awaited its prey to fall from the sky.
Damn it, I’m seriously being wronged here.
To be honest, he felt that he hadn’t fought poorly. However, as the fundamental difference in abilities was insurmountable, Geon-joo closed his eyes tightly with a grim heart and gripped his sword firmly.
Since things had come to this, he had to struggle with all his might when he was about to be swallowed.
As he steeled his resolve and tensed his body, that very moment arrived.
Just before Geon-joo’s body disappeared into the Imoogis mouth, an arrow that had flown with a whoosh pierced through Geon-joo’s collar.
What followed was an extraordinary phenomenon.
The tip of the arrow split apart, and it transformed into a vine-like structure that descended along Geon-joo’s clothing, grasping his body.
Perhaps due to that, instead of the arrow merely piercing through the clothing and vanishing, Geon-joo’s body was dragged backward along with the arrow.
Thud!
Chomp!
The flying arrow embedded itself into a tree, and the Imoogis mouth snapped shut by a hair’s breadth. Finding himself in the predicament of being skewered like a kebab, Geon-joo blinked, unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events.
As he was trying to make sense of the situation, a familiar voice rang out.
“I told you to climb up the cliff, but what are you doing, pretty boy?”
The man holding the arrow looked at Geon-joo with a pathetic expression, unsure whether to feel relieved or ignore him.