Chapter 33: The Hunting Dog’s Last Stand

[You have been hit with a critical lethal strike!]

[Due to critical hit judgment, the damage received has increased by 200%.]

Bogus, who had been hesitating to speak, certainly hadn’t prepared any defense.

In the end, he allowed consecutive attacks.

Two critical hits in a row.

If they had similar stat values, the victor would have been decided without question.

‘What is this?’

Bogus was utterly stunned.

But that was actually a good sign.

Because there was still more than 70% of his HP left than he had expected.

Only then did his frozen mind begin to clear.

‘Wait a minute, this guy’s level is way lower than mine.’

His current level was 37.

Compared to that, the user who had just graduated from Shinaga was around level 20, maybe early 20s at most.

Just based on stats alone, considering the number of skills possessed and the quality of equipment worn, a level difference of 15 was not something to be taken lightly.

As the fog lifted from his mind, his vision sharpened as well.

‘Even compared to when he first started running, his movements are noticeably slower.’

Whether it was from fatigue or a buff wearing off, one thing was clear—his movements no longer had the agility they did when he first tried to escape.

He didn’t even need to KO anymore.

Considering the party members and the hunting dogs who would follow behind,

‘There was a chance.’

Bogus regained his composure and hurriedly increased the distance.

Then, drawing the dagger at his waist, he faced Dahav.

“Come to think of it, that sharp tongue of yours really is a gift. You tricked me twice already.”

“Well, allowing two lethal strikes is still better than your ego, don’t you think? Still acting like I’m bluffing?”

Dahav smirked, drawing a line across his lips, exuding confidence.

But inside, he was far more flustered than he had anticipated.

‘This guy is no ordinary hunting dog.’

Judging by his movements alone, it was clear he was a talented player.

‘That’s why I tried to finish this quickly.’

It was because of the difference in stat values from high-level gear and level that even if he wanted to, he couldn’t do so.

To make matters worse, this wasn’t just a purely physical player.

He had regained calm quickly and was pressing the enemy with a strategic mind and intellect.

‘From now on, I need to focus.’

Before entering full combat, Dahav sent a heartbeat beyond his ears and slowly regulated his breathing to achieve peak condition.

Bogus, witnessing Dahav’s actions, brimmed with confidence and spoke proudly.

“Haha! So your true colors are showing. Seeing you regulate your breathing, you must be feeling pretty proud!”

Dahav’s silence only strengthened Bogus’s confidence.

“Anyone who’s caught bluffing has to pay the price in blood. You agree, right? Whatever excuse you make, you’re already a dead man walking!”

Bogus twirled his dagger.

It traced a path through the air like a deadly needle, but Dahav didn’t move, only staring at Bogus with steady eyes.

‘Focus’

The silence was not carelessness.

It was pure focus, concentration doubled, to sense every move, every subtle breath Bogus made.

‘Too late is no good, but too fast is no good either.’

At the slight opening created by the dagger’s wide swing, just as the small gap spread across his whole body—

‘Now.’

Dahav’s body moved.

His bare hand caught the wrist holding the sword and yanked it away.

The flying needle’s trajectory changed and it ultimately plunged into the ground.

“……?”

Bogus’s eyes widened like moons as he couldn’t hide his shock.

But even as this happened, Dahav’s time was flowing.

Lowering his body to shorten the distance, he thrust forward his right arm holding the dragon-scale crescent blade.

Pew!

A message popped up, saying he had taken a critical hit again, and blood dripped down his chest so realistically it was hard to believe it wasn’t real.

The vividness of the red blood spread a chill throughout his body.

Bogus hurriedly stepped back, widening the distance and looking at Dahav with disbelief.

“How on earth…”

Dahav smiled faintly in reply.

“Do you really think a hunting dog like you could imitate me just because I told you?”

His chilling smile and the narrowed eyes of Dahav met Bogus’s like a predator staring at its prey, almost crushing his will—but Bogus didn’t lose his last hope.

‘Certainly, an incredibly terrifying talent. But in the end, the one who smiles last will be me.’

Considering that Bogus had chased Dahav for about five minutes,

‘The party members will arrive within five minutes at the latest.’

Due to his initial mistake and the two previous errors in judgment, he had allowed three critical hits, which cut his HP down to about 60%.

But if he calmly deployed defenses from now on, he believed he could hold out until the party arrived.

“Fine. I admit it. You really are someone worthy of being called a divine existence. But in the end, one hand cannot stop ten.”

Bogus spoke as if holding onto a last sliver of belief, and Dahav replied quietly.

Instead, he burst into laughter and scolded him.

“Haha! You already feel the gap in skill, but you still think you’ll last until the party arrives?”

“You get so excited when I let you win. I’m a user who’s honed my talents playing this game. Fine, I’ll show respect to my worthy opponent. My job is ‘Assassin of Myungkyung’. It’s Unique grade. And among my job skills…”

A massive magic circle was drawn on the floor.

Mirrors erupted from the ground, and Bogus immediately leapt into one of them.

Normally, Bogus would have been thrown off when attacked from behind, but he vanished inside the mirror.

“Mirror Step”

Mirror Step.

One of Bogus’s skills that increased movement speed by 150%.

Because of the outstanding buff effect, the drawback was that it could only be used inside the barrier, and only when moving between mirrors within the barrier.

It was unsuitable for hunting field monsters and therefore rarely used.

But when standing still and moving only from this spot, especially in this situation, it was the perfect skill.

“No one will be able to catch my speed from now on.”

Bogus knew the difference in levels.

But if he could stall for time in this state, he could at least hope for help from his comrades.

Even if he fled beyond the boundary to escape support, it wouldn’t be a total loss.

‘At least he could protect his life.’

Bogus darted through the mirrors like a striking mantis, but Dahav was not fazed.

Far from panic, he was inwardly rejoicing.

‘With such a confined space…’

Dahav spread his palms and summoned ghouls, sending them out to the east, west, south, and north.

Bogus, watching this, sneered.

“Hahaha! Yeah, that’s your limit. Using summoned monsters to block the mirrors and prevent movement might be your best shot, but there are over fifty mirrors! How can you block them all just by sealing a few?”

Bogus spoke grandly, but this was just a misconception.

Dahav had no intention of chasing Bogus’s true form or tail.

‘Good. This is the perfect stage to test out my power.’

It was time to test the power of the “Dead by Explosion” skill he had learned after defeating Elwin.

An ominous glow began to seep from the bodies of the summoned ghouls, and Bogus instinctively sensed this was the calm before the storm.

“….?”

Bogus hastily canceled his skill and tried to escape, but Dahav’s judgement had already been set in motion.

“Explode.”

Ka-boom!

Cracks raced through the glowing bodies of the ghouls and they burst like bombs.

Countless pieces of flesh sprayed outward, shattering the mirrors.

[You have dealt 100 damage to Bogus with Dead by Explosion!]

[Dead by… Explosion…]

“Ugh…”

Unable to avoid the sudden barrage of attacks, Bogus lost 110 HP rapidly alongside the message window.

Seeing this, he let out a painful groan, but the explosion was only beginning.

The flesh was merciful compared to the sharp knives of bones and tendons that followed.

And it didn’t end there.

No, the main attack was just starting.

Flames erupted inside the bodies of the ghouls, turning into a wildfire that engulfed the boundary.

Not only damage but also area-of-effect to the degree of a terrifying curse.

For a level 20 user, this was an unreasonably powerful skill.

[You dealt 300% increased damage by striking a critical lethal spot!]

[You dealt 300 damage to Bogus with Dead by Explosion!]

[Critical lethal strike…]

Looking at the message window, Dahav’s hands trembled in place.

It wasn’t because he was proud of defeating Bogus.

“This is insanely powerful…”

Goosebumps rose up his arm.

Even though he sacrificed four ghouls, the explosive power far exceeded expectations.

“If there had been ten ghouls, or if I used this on a battlefield littered with corpses…”

Even with the precondition that the maximum damage would increase, it was too much to even imagine.

Just having acquired this skill with such overwhelming power felt like a reward.

But that wasn’t all the good news.

On the floor lay Bogus’s gift: a Victory Pouch.

Judging by his movements and decision-making, he was definitely no ordinary hunting dog.

“At this rate, I’ll probably pick up some Rare grade equipment too.”

The thought of obtaining such an item made Dahav grin uncontrollably.

Of course, since he was already equipped with Unique-grade gear, he probably wouldn’t wear Rare-grade equipment, but at least it could cover Potion costs.

A very small gain, but there was no reason to begrudge the happiness from such little winnings.

Humming a tune, Dahav picked up the pouch from the ground.

Ping!

[Transcendence of the Five Senses – Luck Overflow has been maximized!]

[You have acquired the highest-grade item from player Bogus’s inventory.]

The sudden message window left him momentarily stunned.

“Activated not from monster drops, but from PK?”

Now that he thought about it, there was no reason it shouldn’t activate.

Fortune was broad in scope, and many things could be influenced by luck.

If it had been bad luck, he would have been frustrated, but he had no reason to reject the good fortune coming his way.

Smiling smugly, he confirmed the messages that continued to appear.