I avoided the angry Gnolls’ claws and teeth.
I thrust my fist.
I was only repeating that simple motion.
But I could feel it.
There was not a scrap of excess in my actions.
What would happen if I couldn’t dodge?
If an attack missed, would I just get bitten?
Would I die from excessive bleeding?
It was the kind of thought anyone would naturally harbor.
And yet Granfel’s mind and body completely ignored that worry.
‘His pride was unbearably heavy and unshakable, even if that weight dragged him down and drowned him.’
That “setting” was manifesting the pathetic Demon Hunter’s stats a hundredfold—no, even more. At that point I was surprised at myself.
‘I really was a severe case of chūnibyō.’
I had been a dangerous fool who put style above his life.
Even if it was the influence of that setting—
In the end, my bare-handed fighting skill was pathetic.
‘I never learned any melee combat skills.’
Wham—
That punch had been thrown with all my strength.
“Grr, grr!”
It had done no meaningful damage to the Gnolls.
…Wouldn’t a war of attrition be bad for me?
‘I hate wasting durability, but I have no choice but to use it.’
My head made a perfectly rational judgment, yet my actions did not change.
Pathetic.
I felt like a swan on a lake.
From an outsider’s perspective my behavior probably looked exactly like disciplining the Gnolls.
But I was serious.
Like a swan paddling furiously beneath the water to stay afloat,
I was also trying my hardest to dodge and strike.
Out of nowhere I muttered, almost unconcerned.
“Is the discipline still insufficient?”
Then Seo Jeong-yeon’s shout came.
“Casting’s done! Dodge!”
Flames burst from her staff.
Clack—
I walked again with all the dignity I could muster.
The incoming magic was a Fire Arrow.
I didn’t know much about mages.
But I knew that was a low-rank spell.
More importantly, the projectile speed was slow.
At that speed it might miss.
I guessed that and thought about my next move…
For some reason, the Gnolls didn’t move.
“Whine, whine!”
Tails drooped.
No more growls came.
I saw that and said,
“Clearly, disciplining wild dogs is inefficient.”
…There was shamelessness, and then there was this!
Even as I said it, I found it absurd.
But ultimately wasn’t I just spitting on my own face?
Hold yourself together, Lee Ho-yeol.
It was all past karma.
“Nice, hit it!”
Seo Jeong-yeon clenched her fist.
If I kept staring, who knew what stupid thing would pop out of my mouth next.
I shifted my gaze to the Gnolls.
Flare—!
Where the Gnolls had burned away, only items remained.
『Crude Arrow』
[Rank: Normal]
[Restriction: None]
[Effect: None]
[Description: A crude arrow.]
『Crude Self-Defense Shortsword』
[Rank: Normal]
[Restriction: Lv.30]
[Effect: When attacking, low chance to inflict status ‘Rabies’]
[Description: The blade is dull, lowering attack power.]
When parties formed, experience was shared by default.
Items were acquired according to contribution priority.
Of course, that system applied only to rare-grade items and up.
So these were free for the taking without anyone worrying.
‘Thirty-two arrows, huh.’
That should be enough for now, I thought.
Arrows could be obtained by hunting other Gnoll archers later.
I pulled a bow from my inventory.
It felt like it fit my hand.
[Shooting Mastery (21%): Increased accuracy of shooting.]
The proficiency was only 21 percent.
‘I had been too busy completing quests rather than hunting.’
It was a pathetic number compared to archer-type classes.
But the mere existence of a skill put me in a different league than fighting with my fists.
Seo Jeong-yeon spoke to me.
“Wow, you can handle a bow too?”
Of course.
A bow was practically my only weapon.
Other party members chimed in.
“Huh? Weren’t you supposed to be a martial artist? What you just did with your fists looked exactly like martial arts. What was it—Tai Chi? You were dodging and countering exactly like that!”
That wasn’t Tai Chi; that was flailing.
“Well, anyway, that’s a relief. You were the only ranged dealer, I was worried.”
Yeah, I felt relieved now too.
I wanted to answer that, but I didn’t open my mouth.
What had I wanted to say?
That they had nothing to worry about as long as I was here?
‘Get a grip on your posturing. Who are you to talk?’
I feared another stupid remark might slip out.
Fortunately the topic shifted immediately.
Choi Jeong-hoon, the man holding a greatsword, muttered.
“By the way, what’s up with that guy? Hey! Cheol-min!!”
He was calling Nam Cheol-min.
Cheol-min had already passed beyond the checkpoint sometime before.
He gestured.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and come?”
Seo Jeong-yeon tilted her head.
“Is he always like that? I haven’t had much party hunting experience… but I’ve rarely seen a tank just run ahead alone like that…”
A warrior armed with a shield and mace.
Han Seong-uk nodded too.
“If we start like this, it’ll be a problem.”
“Ha, really sorry. I’ll apologize. Cheol-min isn’t usually like that. Why is he acting like this today? I’ll talk to him later.”
The atmosphere turned icy.
Rightfully so.
This was problematic behavior even in the game—
and here it was inside a rift where lives were at stake.
“Still, Cheol-min chose a good path. Meeting another party would’ve wasted time.”
“…But didn’t he go too far ahead by himself?”
“Yeah. I’ll call him. Hey! Cheol-min—?!”
Whoosh—
It was an ambush.
The Gnolls that had been lying in wait made themselves known.
One, two…
There were ten of them in total.
The arrows just grazed by, but we were outnumbered.
Even if Cheol-min joined, it would have been a two-to-one difference.
“Cheol-min! No, hyung!!”
But Cheol-min didn’t seem intent on joining.
Choi Jeong-hoon’s face reddened and twisted.
“What the hell. Why are you like this!! Hey, Nam Cheol-min!!”
On the stairs leading to the platform,
Cheol-min simply watched us, surrounded by Gnolls.
I looked into his eyes.
Black pupils blurred out of focus.
For some reason, those eyes felt oddly familiar.
‘…What’s this? I don’t even know him.’
Wasn’t this the time to resent him, not feel glad?
Despite those questions, I acted.
Swish—
A textbook stance, not an inch out of place.
Like an archer drawing a bowstring.
I aimed at the Gnolls without the slightest tremor.
Whoosh—
Until the moment I released the bowstring,
my breathing had not wavered.
“Whine!”
Headshot.
The arrow struck his head exactly.
One Gnoll warrior fell to a single shot.
Yet I felt no joy.
‘The first thing Granfel learned as the next head of the family was not to be swayed by trivial emotions.
The headship of the Claudi family would not permit the slightest wavering.’
To feel joy at felling a mere Gnoll?
That could not be something Granfel felt.
I was in the same position.
Whoosh—
Another headshot.
‘Eight left.’
I nocked another arrow.
The Gnolls did not merely watch.
“Grrr!!”
The Gnoll warriors charged.
Choi Jeong-hoon and Han Seong-uk stopped the Gnoll warriors.
Each held off two Gnoll warriors.
But they could not overcome the numerical inferiority.
“Damn it…! Watch out!”
Two Gnoll warriors charged at us here.
Two Gnoll archers had nocked their bows.
Seo Jeong-yeon, who had been casting, whimpered.
“Um, what should I do…?”
The Gnoll warriors were heading for me and Seo Jeong-yeon.
The archers were targeting Choi Jeong-hoon and Han Seong-uk.
No matter which choice we made, damage would follow.
Seo Jeong-yeon couldn’t make an easy decision.
Ironically, I answered indifferently.
“I’ll handle the Gnoll archers.”
At the same time, an arrow left my fingertip.
Hit.
A Gnoll warrior rushing at Seo Jeong-yeon went down.
Thanks to that, Seo Jeong-yeon successfully finished her casting.
“Please… hit!!”
Flare—!
The Fire Arrow shot toward the Gnoll archers.
Choi Jeong-hoon and Han Seong-uk were tangled among their kin.
The Gnolls that had been concentrating on hitting those two did not notice the Fire Arrow coming.
By the time they felt the heat, it was already too late.
Now the only ones left were the Gnoll warriors charging at me.
“Grrr!!”
I didn’t have the ‘Rapid Fire’ skill.
There was not enough time to reload an arrow.
Still, I had picked up a self-defense shortsword from a Gnoll.
If I could swing it and block, I could buy time.
However—
“Regrettably.”
I lifted not the sword but my right leg.
A lofty, graceful kick struck the Gnoll warrior in the head.
Wham—!
Just like in the first battle.
The option of being counterattacked did not exist in my mind.
Therefore my body manifested extreme reaction speed.
“Whine, whine!!”
To the Gnoll warrior knocked down by my boot,
“I would not allow you to splatter my blood.”
Fsssh—!
I drew my bow with an expressionless face.
…
Everyone else breathed heavily.
“Haah. I really thought I was going to die.”
“I didn’t expect them to be lying in wait.”
“…Then why didn’t you tell us?”
No one was first to accuse.
All eyes turned to Nam Cheol-min, who still watched us from the stairs.
Choi Jeong-hoon was probably the angriest.
“Damn. Do you even care about us, hyung?”
He stomped toward Cheol-min, puffing.
His voice grew louder.
“Damn. This was obviously you setting us up! Fine, suppose it was a mistake. Suppose you didn’t know they were hiding. But why are you just standing there staring? Huh?! Say something! If you’ve got a mouth, use it!”
The two closed in on each other.
If they stayed like that, it was obvious a fight would break out.
Seo Jeong-yeon and Han Seong-uk held Choi Jeong-hoon back from both sides.
“I understand, but calm down a bit.”
“Yeah. Fighting here won’t help.”
“No, stay still. This is between me and him. Hyung! Hey, Nam Cheol-min! You, calling me hyung and following me around—did you think that made you something? Damn, you’re nothing if you’re not my brother…”
I stepped back and watched the scene.
“Ha ha ha! K hahahaha!”
In that moment, Nam Cheol-min burst out laughing.
At the same time,
zzzt—
The dim light bulb flickered.
“Has he gone mad? Why’s he laughing like that all of a sudden?”
“Hahaha! Haah… this is fun after all.”
“What’s fun? Damn, are you serious?!”
I watched Cheol-min in the flickering light.
I could not comprehend that behavior.
The surrounding mood teetered on the brink.
Those black, unfocused pupils.
The odd sense of familiarity I had felt when looking into them.
And crucially,
the words that had appeared in my visio
n at that moment.
『Skill: ‘Natural Enemy Relation’ has been activated.』
[Natural Enemy Relation: Combat power increases dramatically when fighting demon-kind.]
Clack—
I looked at Nam Cheol-min and said,
“So you really were a demon.”
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