My Skillbook, My Way — Chapter 24
Chapter 24
"They’re coming out!"
The man gripped his axe in both hands. The other guild members also drew their weapons, readying themselves for battle.
The way the field monsters appeared was bizarre.
Purple portals opened in empty space, and the monsters dropped down from above.
With heavy thuds, the monsters that landed on the ground glared at us.
Honestly, the sight of beetles, stag beetles, grasshoppers, and various other insects larger than humans standing on two legs was repulsive.
Then, the Vice Guild Master’s voice came through the wireless earpiece I was wearing.
"Everyone! Our guild is in charge of the portals appearing within a 100-meter radius of your location! Please move according to my instructions!"
The Vice Guild Master divided the guild members into three teams.
The command team, consisting of the Vice Guild Master, who was a tank, a melee dealer, and a healer.
The offense-focused team, consisting of a melee dealer, a tank, and two ranged dealers.
And the balanced team, consisting of me, the man, and Ms. Hyeri.
"Ms. Hwajin’s team, please handle the portals near the square! If you are in a situation where you cannot provide healing, make sure to come to my location and ask the healer for recovery."
"Understood."
I answered the Vice Guild Master and then led the man and Ms. Hyeri, running toward the square.
Monsters were continuously falling from the portal open in the air above the square.
*Flame Spear!*
I grasped both staff and spear and used the skill. And without using invisibility, I began fighting the monsters.
A raid was a war of attrition. I had to conserve my mana as much as possible.
"Hah!"
Perhaps thinking the same as me, the man fought the monsters without using his main skill, [Bisection Slash].
The insect monsters buzzed—their wingbeats evoked the noise of a helicopter due to their size—or leaped with thick legs, or attacked with barbed horns and mouths full of sharp fangs.
However, I leisurely evaded the insects’ attacks. My Strength had increased from 3 to 13, so my agility and reflexes had improved tremendously.
The problem was that my attack power had also increased significantly along with my strength.
The insects’ exoskeletons were sliced away with every swing of my Flame Spear. It felt like cutting through butter left at room temperature.
If I put my mind to it, I felt like I could eliminate all the monsters falling from the portal by myself.
But I couldn’t do that.
If I had been alone, I would have excitedly cut down the monsters, but right now, the man and Ms. Hyeri were watching.
If they saw me suddenly become this strong, they would undoubtedly be suspicious. So I held back a bit while hunting the monsters.
"Oh? Hwajin, you seem to be in really good shape today!"
Struggling to keep my hands and feet in check, I could only give a bitter smile at the man’s words.
About half of the fallen field monsters disappeared, leaving behind items like materials and magic stones.
*[Drop Enhancement] skill. Even without using it, the drop rate is like this. No wonder hunters want to participate in raids.*
When the man and I had caught around thirty field monsters coming from the portal, it seemed no more monsters were appearing—and then the portal disappeared entirely.
I adjusted my earpiece.
"Vice Guild Master. This is Hwajin’s team. The portal has closed."
"That was fast. Good work. Then please collect the items and come to our team."
Finishing the communication, I helped Ms. Hyeri collect the items on the ground.
*This is…!*
The magic stones dropped by the bugs had effects that increased mana. I suppressed the urge to pocket them and handed them to Ms. Hyeri.
*Later, I’ll ask the Vice Guild Master not to pay me money but to give me just a few of these instead…*
Having collected the materials and magic stones, we went to where the Vice Guild Master was, following his instructions.
"Ah, you’ve arrived."
Seeing the Vice Guild Master speaking in a calm voice, me, the man, and Ms. Hyeri were left speechless. Four monsters surrounded him.
The monsters incessantly attacked the Vice Guild Master. They struck his head with their legs, rammed their horns into his body, and tried to bite his neck.
"Rest for a moment and recover your mana."
But the Vice Guild Master only smiled, not taking a single scratch.
"No way, even if he’s wearing armor below the neck, how is he fine after getting hit in the head without even wearing a helmet?"
The man whispered into my ear.
"He’s probably using some kind of skill."
I replied in a low voice.
The close-range dealer and healer belonging to the command team were sitting down and resting.
"Vice Guild Master. Shall we help?"
The close-range dealer asked in a tone that seemed like he was only asking out of courtesy.
"No. I am sufficient alone."
The Vice Guild Master picked up the shield he had merely been holding without using and bashed each monster’s head with the edge of the shield.
The monsters struck by the shield’s edge had their heads caved in or crushed.
"Phew."
The Vice Guild Master wiped his sweat and smiled refreshingly. It was a sight completely devoid of any tension whatsoever.
Shortly after, the special assault team—consisting of one tank and three dealers—returned as well.
"The other two guilds say they’ve almost finished off the field monsters. The field boss will appear soon, so make sure everyone thoroughly recovers their HP and MP."
The Vice Guild Master seemed to be contacting someone before saying that.
"Unlike the field monsters, the field boss is extremely strong. If you charge in thinking this will be like the previous fight, you’ll not only suffer serious injuries but may also lose your lives."
The Vice Guild Master’s face was serious.
"Ah."
A guild member pointed at the sky.
I looked up, and my mouth fell open on its own.
An enormous portal had appeared in the sky near the station, beyond comparison to the one that had appeared above the square.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves."
The Vice Guild Master spoke, raising his shield. I too stood up, spear in hand.
As we approached the portal, people from other guilds came into view. Since ten people had come from each guild, there were a total of thirty hunters on site.
"It’s here!"
Along with someone’s voice, a gigantic monster fell from the portal.
*Kuuung!*
"Ugh…"
The tremendous impact made me lose my balance for a moment.
What had descended, to draw a comparison, was an enormous armadillo—or perhaps a bean weevil.
Its body seemed to be about 30 meters long, and its height from belly to back looked to be nearly 5 meters.
Except for its long, barbed tail, the field boss was encased in metal plates from head to tail.
*Kwajik!*
The overpass pillar snapped like a toothpick from the tail swipe of the field boss.
*If I’m hit by that tail, it’ll mean instant death at the very least.*
A chill ran down my spine.
"This is going to be a war of attrition…"
The Vice Guild Master muttered. He was frowning. It was an expression I’d never seen before.
"That field boss’s name is Mad Armadillo. In terms of defense, it ranks within the top five among field bosses."
After finishing his explanation to us, the Vice Guild Master fiddled with his earpiece, seemingly communicating with the other guild masters, and muttered something.
"Mr. Jinho, come with me to the boss’s front. Dealers, go to the boss’s flanks and follow the leader there. Ms. Hwajin, follow the dealers, and the remaining two of you join the support-class hunters from the other guilds."
The Vice Guild Master left with a tank named Jinho, and the man and I ran toward Mad Armadillo’s flanks with the other dealers.
"The closer we get, the less I want to go,"
the man muttered with a disgusted expression.
"I agree."
I said, looking at the armadillo’s body growing larger and larger.
As the dealers from the three guilds gathered before Mad Armadillo’s side, one person began shouting.
"I am Jeon Jeongha, an S-Rank Hunter of the Pacheon Guild! From now on, all dealers gathered here will move according to my commands!"
The one shouting was a bald man holding a long staff.
"Melee dealers to the left! Ranged dealers to the right!"
The man and I went to the left. I had long-range attack skills as well, but with my current stats, being a melee dealer suited me better.
"Ranged dealers attack first! Then when the tanks draw aggro, melee dealers approach and engage at the points the ranged dealers attacked! During that time, ranged dealers recover mana and resume attack on my command! Repeat! Keep an eye on Mad Armadillo’s tail and rolling attacks, and if you see any sign of them, report it immediately regardless of who you are! That is all! Ranged dealers, prepare to attack!"
The ranged dealers gathered on the right prepared to attack. I saw them drawing throwing weapons or raising their staves.
"Ranged dealers, commence attack!"
The sight of countless throwing weapons and dazzling, shining skills flying toward the armadillo’s flank was truly spectacular.
*Kwa-gwa-gwang!*
Roaring explosions shook the surroundings.
"Ranged dealers, retreat! Melee dealers, prepare to attack!"
I used Flame Spear and waited for the next command.
Just as the armadillo was slowly turning its massive body toward us—
*Kwang!*
*[Waaah!]*
A loud sound came from the armadillo’s head.
It was the tanks drawing aggro.
The half-turned armadillo faced the tanks.
"Now! Melee dealers, commence attack!"
I stuck close to the man and dashed toward the armadillo.
Looking at the armadillo’s shell, I felt something was off.
The shell was clean, as if nothing had happened despite the ranged dealers’ barrage.
"Bisection Slash!"
The man, having closed in on the armadillo, swung his axe.
*Kkaaang!*
"Ugh!?"
The man who struck with his axe screamed.
"What the hell is this hardness??"
The man’s skill failed to leave a single scratch on Mad Armadillo’s shell.
It wasn’t just the man who was bewildered. The other melee dealers were also aghast at the armadillo’s shell deflecting their skills.
"Don’t stop attacking! Mad Armadillo’s defense is high, but the shell’s durability has its limits! Keep attacking!"
The leader of the dealers, the S-Rank Hunter of the Pacheon Guild, shouted.
I gripped my spear wreathed in flames and thrust at the armadillo’s shell with all my might.
*Thuk!*
The spear tip penetrated the shell to some degree, but the sensation transmitted to my hand was ominous.
I was worried the spear might break.
I wondered if it was truly possible to pierce through this gigantic monster’s shell and attack its core.
"Uoooo!"
The man standing beside me shouted a battle cry and swung his axe repeatedly.
"Tail! The tail is moving!"
Someone shouted.
"Melee dealers! Retreat immediately!"
At the Pacheon Guild Hunter’s command, I put everything I had into distancing myself from the armadillo with the man.
*Buuung.*
The massive, barbed tail split the spot where we had been standing.
"Tanks! The aggro is insufficient!"
Jeon Jeongha shouted while adjusting his earpiece. Another commotion erupted from the armadillo’s head.
From then on, it was a repetition of what Jeon Jeongha had described.
The sequence of the ranged dealers’ concentrated fire, the tanks’ aggro, and the additional attacks of the melee dealers including me continued in succession.
In the middle of this, the armadillo curled its body and rolled, forcing everyone to retreat and keep their distance. In the process, several melee dealers and tanks were knocked unconscious and received healing from the support team.
After the ranged dealers’ bombardment, it was the melee dealers’ turn again, and I wielded Flame Spear to slash at the armadillo’s shell with all my might.
*Kwajik!*
A sound different from before rang out, and a long crack formed in the shell.
"Good! The shell has finally reached its limit! Everyone, focus your attacks on the crack!"
The melee dealers shouted.
"Hwajin! Well done! Bisection Slash!"
The man used his skill targeting the crack. The shell that had deflected his skill earlier shattered like candy.
*Finally, the end is in sight!*
Just as I too tried to aim for the crack like the man—
*Burreureu.*
The armadillo trembled.
"Cease attack! Cease attack!"
Jeon Jeongha, who was in the rear, shouted.
"Something’s off! Everyone, fall back!"
"Something’s off? The tail is still and it hasn’t curled up?"
One of the dealers muttered in puzzlement. I too wondered why Jeon Jeongha was doing this.
But our questions were soon answered.
Countless holes suddenly appeared in the armadillo’s shell. And the next moment, purple smoke spewed from the holes.
The smoke spread to the surroundings in an instant, engulfing even the ranged dealers in the rear.
"Keoheok!"
I felt dizzy, and then my stomach turned.
[A fatal poison gnaws at your life!]
[You have acquired a new Word:
[You have gained 25 EXP.]
*Poison…!*
I quickly summoned my book.
"Keulkeok!"
Blood surged up from within, and my consciousness gradually faded.
*No…*
With nothing but the will to survive, I forcibly moved my trembling hands and wrote down the Word.