Episode 480: Ant Cave (1)
Park Ki-tae took the lead.
He crossed the devastated city with careful steps and spoke to the two men following him.
“I don’t know how you knew, but it was an act of God that you chose Park Ki-tae as your guide on the bottom of Incheon. What if it was a different guide? “He must have already faced a monster and lost his strength before it even started.”
Confident attitude.
It was no coincidence that Park Ki-tae took on this mission.
Generally, hunters secure promotion qualifications by defeating monsters of the corresponding grade, but non-combatants such as Park Ki-tae were an exception.
They evaluated it solely based on actual performance.
If you perform 10 F-rank missions, you will receive E rank, and if you perform E-rank missions 100 times, you will receive D rank.
Because he was promoted by gradually accumulating performance, even Park Ki-tae, who was only D-rank, was a veteran hunter who had experienced numerous battles.
furthermore.
He was on the verge of being promoted to C grade.
Although he was not a member of Cheongsan, there was a good reason why Goo Cheol-ho visited Park Ki-tae whenever it was really important.
“Now we are taking a shortcut. I can assure you that I am probably the only person in Incheon who knows this road. If you keep moving like this, you can reach the ant cave without encountering a single monster.”
“Oh, is that so?”
The response that came back was boring.
In an instant, a sigh came out from within.
Usually, when he made a comment like this, the people who hired him would respond by giving a thumbs up and saying it was great.
However, the black-haired foreigner and E-class hunter reacted calmly. Park Ki-tae was annoyed by the appearance as if it didn’t matter what happened.
‘You only see what you know. If you don’t know how great this is, you’re bound to have that kind of reaction.’
I looked inside my arms.
Teleport scroll.
It seemed like the time to use it would come quickly.
If the situation seems even slightly awry, Park Ki-tae will tear up the teleport scroll without hesitation.
From then on, communication was cut off.
Park Ki-tae silently opened the path, and as if to prove that he was a skilled guide, he did not encounter any monsters while traveling for a long time.
This was the reason for hiring a guide. Hiring a guide who is knowledgeable about a specific hunting ground makes it easier to move around, and above all, it lowers the chance of getting lost in the hunting ground.
Ant cave.
It was a hunting ground where a guide was absolutely necessary.
If it weren’t for that reason, Kang Min-ho wouldn’t have advised that he should hire a guide.
How far did it travel?
Finally.
“We have arrived at the entrance of the ant cave.”
The destination appeared before my eyes.
* * *
Ant caves are hunting grounds that go underground.
From the outside, it was unrecognizable that it was an ant cave, so there was a small hole inside the dirt pile that led underground.
Park Ki-tae said.
“Ant caves are quite dangerous hunting grounds. Because it is made solid, the ant tunnel does not collapse, but once you step into it, it is not easy to escape. And the biggest problem is that, unlike a typical ant cave, there are as many as two queen ants living there. “If two queen ants have been producing ants continuously for over a month, we cannot be sure how many ants will be in there.”
Just one chance.
We had to increase our chances of winning.
Although he had left the escape route open, he had no intention of just driving these people to their deaths.
Doing my best as a guide.
This was the reason why Park Ki-tae was considered middle-of-the-road at the bottom of the mercenary ranks.
“I want to know your future strategy. “How on earth are two people going to attack this ant cave that even the Incheon government gave up on?”
I was genuinely curious.
Only two people.
No matter how much I thought about it, there was no chance of winning.
If they were not trying to commit suicide, it was clear that they were thinking of a plan of their own.
It was then.
Roman Dmitry said.
“Our strategy is simple. “Kang Min-ho will take the lead, and if Kang Min-ho is overwhelmed, I plan to step up.”
It was unexpected.
Roman Dmitry spoke his plan in fairly fluent Korean, even though he did not specifically use interpretation magic.
The problem was the direction of the plan.
Park Ki-tae felt dizzy when he heard that it was not about how to solve an unfavorable situation with an ingenious idea, but simply about pushing forward.
‘They were crazy people.’
It was certain.
Ant cave.
Aside from the fact that it is home to B-grade queen ants, the hunting ground itself boasts extreme difficulty. If you attack a hunting ground like this, the result will be obvious.
As I was about to check the teleport scroll again out of anxiety, I heard Roman Dmitry’s voice.
“If you think it’s dangerous, you can run away at any time. “I will not hold you responsible for that.”
“… … yes?”
It stung.
Park Ki-tae’s face froze at the thought that his thoughts had been read.
Park Ki-tae’s reaction.
It didn’t matter.
The reason I hired him from the beginning was because I needed a guide to get to this ant cave without getting lost.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
Of course, it would be nice to be guided to the end like Kang Min-ho wanted, but based on Park Ki-tae’s reaction, it was difficult to expect that.
“We know how reckless this mission is for you. I won’t force you. “We will send you the advance payment as scheduled, and the rest is entirely up to us.”
Park Ki-tae bit his lip.
I felt like I was naked inside.
In all my years as a guide, I have never been so embarrassed.
but.
I couldn’t say I would remain loyal.
That was tantamount to suicide, so now that his true intentions were revealed, Park Ki-tae openly revealed his true feelings.
“All right. I will stick to my mission only to the extent that my safety is guaranteed. So keep that in mind. “The anthill is not an easy hunting ground, and I am not responsible for anything that happens from now on.”
* * *
The inside was larger than expected.
It was enough for several adults to move at the same time, and Park Ki-tae used light magic to light the way.
Park Ki-tae said.
“The inside of the ant cave is like a maze. “If you move even slightly wrong, you will get lost, so just follow me as quietly as possible.”
Navigation magic.
It was his ability.
It was the first skill he acquired as a hunter, and Park Ki-tae used navigation magic to slowly find the right path.
I knew that I had no choice but to encounter ants at some point.
However, we planned to stick to our mission until it was deemed truly dangerous, and thanks to this, the party quickly entered the interior.
How far did it travel?
In a space filled with darkness, Park Ki-tae raised his hand.
“Get ready.”
Beyond the darkness.
The movement of a living creature was captured.
They were ants.
If it weren’t for the search magic, I wouldn’t have noticed the ants until they appeared in front of me in the pitch-black darkness.
Wow!
Wow!
It was as expected.
At the sight of the ants appearing through the darkness, Park Ki-tae instantly showed a pale complexion. There was more to her than she thought.
Dozens of worker ants and three soldier ants. Seeing them rushing in like waves, Park Ki-tae hurriedly retreated back.
It was then.
Papat.
Kang Min-ho ran forward.
The sight of him facing the ants head-on made Park Ki-tae feel reckless.
‘What on earth are you going to do with a topic that’s rated E!’
The opponents are soldier ants.
It is grade D.
If it was just one, it would still be worth it, but I didn’t think Kang Min-ho, an E-level hunter, would be able to handle one vs. many.
The Hunter Database is a clear indicator that proves reality.
The record of moving through the E ranks over the years showed that Kang Min-ho’s skills could not overcome this situation.
however.
Flash.
Wow!
The very first.
The front feet of the soldier ant that rushed first were cut off.
Kang Min-ho dug into the space where blood was pouring out, plunged his sword into the soldier ant’s abdomen, and cut it straight.
The soldier ant screamed and struggled.
Fierce teeth threatened to kill Kang Min-ho from all directions, but Kang Min-ho calmly blocked the ants’ attacks one after another.
Kaang!
Kakakakang!
It was stable swordsmanship.
The most surprising thing was that, with only an E-level power, it was not inferior to the power of the soldier ants.
Park Ki-tae froze on the spot.
In fact, I had quickly prepared the teleport scroll, but when Kang Min-ho showed unexpected force, I felt like my thoughts stopped.
Kang Min-ho remained unwavering amidst the complex and tangled scenes.
Roman Dmitry, watching from behind, also showed no sign of trying to help Kang Min-ho.
It was then.
Wow!
Soldier ants rushed in.
Seeing Park Ki-tae’s frozen body, the soldier ant exposed its ferocious teeth and tried to bite him.
A fleeting moment.
Flash.
Kwasik!
The soldier ant’s head was smashed.
Kang Min-ho, who was fighting while surrounded by dozens of ants, appeared in Park Ki-tae’s field of vision in the blink of an eye and swung his sword at the soldier ant’s head.
A head that gets smashed in one go. Even D-rank hunters cannot handle soldier ants in one go because their outer shell is so hard, but such standards did not apply to Kang Min-ho’s sword.
Patter.
Blood splattered.
Pieces of the body fell.
In a shocking scene, Kang Min-ho spoke to Park Ki-tae.
“Stay back. “I will take care of it from now on.”
* * *
A series of situations.
Kang Min-ho felt his blood boiling.
With the adrenaline secreting like crazy, I rushed towards the swarming ants first.
Flash.
Wow.
I blew off the ant’s head.
Kang Min-ho can kill worker ants in one blow, and cuts off the bodies of the ants he encounters.
‘Are you sure. I look different than I did a month ago.’
A month ago.
I met Roman Dmitry.
Even at that time, I had to risk my life against a single soldier ant, but through the teachings of Roman Dmitri, I entered a new world.
Sura sword method and Sura mind method. It was not simply an area to learn high-level skills.
It explained the principles of power that manipulates mana, and thanks to this, Kang Min-ho’s skills developed overall.
‘dash.’
Papa papa phat.
I dug into the space.
The faster and more destructive movement blew off the opponent’s arms and legs before the ant could react.
and.
‘Strike.’
Quang!
Crumbling.
I hit my head.
Mana exploded by using Sura’s mind technique, and the strong attack, which was only a low-level skill, showed destructive power beyond common sense.
Kang Min-ho was so excited that he felt like he was going crazy. For the past month, he has been constantly training in Sura sword techniques and Sura mind techniques.
Roman Dmitry didn’t teach him anything in particular other than the first day, but Kang Min-ho was confident that he would become stronger with just the image training he did on his own.
It was as expected.
Look at the situation in front of you.
In a situation where even D-rank hunters are cornered, doesn’t he, who is only E-rank, show overwhelming strength?
Crack.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
The ants were driven away.
If you cut down one, another one will rush at you from the other side, and after you finish off that one, two more birds barge their ferocious teeth from above your head.
My eyes were tight. It was a dangerous scene that made Park Ki-tae feel restless, but Roman Dmitry calmly watched Kang Min-ho fight.
Minho Kang.
He wasn’t the talented type.
Like Chris and Kevin, who first met in a past life.
Kang Min-ho wasn’t talented enough to rise to their level, but he had a different type of venom than Kevin.
The reason why you must become strong.
Because he awakened at a late age, he was evaluated as having an uncertain future as a hunter, but he went on a hunt in the near future and secured an E-level qualification on his own.
There was a desire.
The despair I experienced at the bottom melted into my entire body, and as it gained strength, it erupted as if it were gaining momentum.
There is still a long way to go.
Still, it was pretty good.
In the near future, Kang Min-ho will rise to a position where he will not be ignored by the standards of this world.
Crack.
I broke the ant’s head.
When he met Roman Dmitry, he changed his weapon, wielding the sword freely with his left or right hand, and dispatched the ants one after another.
His entire body was already drenched in blood.
Even though he was breathing so harshly that a sweet smell came out of his mouth, he did not ask for help, and he managed to kill every last one.
“Whoop, whoop.”
finished.
Joy filled my face.
The moment he witnessed the strength he had thought of abstractly, he felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment that could not be described in words.
At that time, Park Ki-tae caught my eye.
“Are you okay?”
He didn’t know.
Park Ki-tae’s face is stained with astonishment.
That was similar to myself the day I first met Roman Dmitry.
fantasy,
