Chapter 110

“Aquila, keep analyzing the information.”

• Yes, User.

Giving instructions to Aquila, who floated beside him in hologram form, Taewoon continuously searched for presences in the surroundings using Thousand-League Perception.

‘The creature definitely passed through here. If I’m lucky, I can find a clue and track it.’

While Taewoon was superior in the ability to search the surroundings, Aquila’s ability to analyze the data obtained was far more outstanding.

Taewoon focused solely on expanding the range of Thousand-League Perception, leaving everything else to Aquila.

It was, in a sense, a division of labor.

• I have discovered traces of a living organism’s movement. I will output the hologram screen.

Before he knew it, faint, glowing traces of Magical Power were being projected throughout Taewoon’s field of vision.

However, they were so different and complex compared to ordinary traces that it was difficult for Taewoon to understand them intuitively.

“Aquila, can you express the colors of the space where the traces remain more clearly? And please provide a sufficient explanation.”

• Yes. I have changed the method of expression. Simultaneously, it appears that the organism in question is employing a higher-dimensional method of movement rather than general physical manipulation. Based on the data learned so far, similarities can be identified with the entity designated as Ⅲ-103—Ancient Pixie.

‘Ancient Pixie?’

Seeing how vaguely it remained in his memory, it seemed to be a quite rare Monster.

Searching for information on the internet in haste, he found that it was a magic-type boss Monster that used short-distance teleportation, had a small body, and handled numerous extremely powerful spells.

‘…Right, if it escaped through the portal on this side, it would likely have a body size similar to a dog or a cat. Virtually all the characteristics match.’

Having asked Taewoon for various information regarding Hunters every day, Aquila’s analytical power had certainly reached an astonishing level.

Having confirmed the enemy’s identity, Taewoon began to track the creature’s traces while referring to Aquila’s explanations, and in the process, he was able to accurately determine its current location.

‘Inreung Mountain? That’s not that far from the city center!’

Fortunately, no hikers were visible nearby, but that might change if the creature entered a proper hiking trail.

Feeling the need to hurry, Taewoon continued to draw upon the power of The Red Man, accepting the consumption, and began searching the surrounding areas at high speed.

‘Incredible. It’s definitely different from before.’

Even if it was an Ancient Pixie, with this level of speed, he didn’t feel the slightest doubt that he would fail to catch up to it.

Taewoon searched through all the sporadically scattered traces, looking for sections where the traces were thicker, and he could feel himself getting closer to the creature every moment.

‘In this direction… it’ll pass the road soon!’

There was no feeling of commotion in the vicinity yet, but the situation could be described as being on the verge of explosion.

Taewoon chased after the creature with a speed he had never exhibited in his life, and soon reached the entrance of a botanical garden attached to a nearby university.

[Kyaaaaah—!]

[What? What’s happening?]

[T-the plants are moving on their own!!]

A hint of commotion was captured by Taewoon’s ears using Thousand-League Perception.

It was close, but he wasn’t too late. Taewoon hurriedly kicked off the ground and moved toward the center of the commotion, where he soon saw giant plants that had burst through the botanical garden’s ceiling and people who had been chased out by them.

‘Barata!’

As Taewoon threw his spear and embedded it into the ground, stems of the Subterranean Tree began to erupt endlessly from that point, clashing with the plants that were trying to attack the people.

“W-what is this?”

“It’s a Hunter! A Hunter is here!”

“We’re saved now…”

From inside the botanical garden, he could feel one massive Magical Power and the presences of visitors who had not yet escaped.

As soon as he landed, Taewoon pulled Barata out of the ground and entered the botanical garden using the power of The Red Man.

The monstrous plants, discovering Taewoon emerging from the shadows, lunged at him with bared teeth, but they were pierced by Taewoon’s spear, which ignited with the flames of Fenrir, and were turned into a handful of ash.

Following that, from inside a twisted tree located in the center of the botanical garden, he felt the Magical Power of the Ancient Pixie, which seemed to have detected Taewoon’s presence and was emitting intense hostility.

‘Is it planning to hold out here, using the botanical garden as a base?’

That didn’t really matter, but he had to rescue the people remaining inside first.

Using Thousand-League Perception to grasp the surrounding situation, he detected the presences of citizens huddled together and not moving. At first, he thought they were bound by the Pixie’s hand, but he soon realized that wasn’t the case.

‘A Hunter? Were they holding out until rescue arrived?’

A sphere of densely condensed magical mud was blocking the approach of the mutated plants, and inside, the citizens were waiting for rescue with bated breath.

However, seeing the vines that completely wrapped around the sphere slowly applying pressure, it seemed the limit was not far off.

‘In that case…’

The flames of Fenrir could burn only the targets the user desired.

Blue flames erupted from Barata in Taewoon’s hand, and intensifying them further, Taewoon thrust his spear rapidly, incorporating the principles of the Gang-hwan (heavenly sphere).

In an instant, the vines and surrounding plants were burned away, and Taewoon, using the Flying Ring Step, appeared in front of the mud sphere and spoke.

“I am a Hunter. I will now move the entire sphere to a safe location.”

[Gasp, I-I understand!]

The middle-aged man who seemed to have created the sphere was extremely exhausted, but fortunately, it wasn’t at a life-threatening level.

Pulling the stems of the Subterranean Tree from the ground once more, Taewoon wrapped them around the sphere and moved it outside the botanical garden. Simultaneously, a powerful Magical Power that felt heavy enough to crush one’s body began to spread throughout the entire botanical garden.

“Are you angry because I stole your prey?”

In an instant, several overgrown sunflowers, filled with crimson Magical Power, turned their heads toward Taewoon all at once.

And then.

A beam of Magical Power containing immense heat turned the spot where Taewoon had been standing into a sea of fire, and simultaneously, various plants that had finished transforming began to launch repeated attacks.

Morning glories that fired magical bullets shaped like wedges, Lily of the Valley that launched cursed Seeds that exploded like bombs, and even Fuzzy Tooth, which constantly tried to bite Taewoon’s feet from underground.

Faced with a barrage of attacks that felt like they would blow his mind, Taewoon responded with the power of The Red Man and the mobility of the Flying Ring Step, firing several daggers through the narrowest of gaps.

He had guessed as much, but the power was insufficient. This wasn’t enough to pierce the bark of the giant tree where the creature was burrowed.

‘This much firepower from a single entity… it certainly deserves to be called a boss of a Level 4-rank Dungeon.’

In the first place, an ordinary Level 4-rank Hunter could not face a boss of the same rank alone.

However, how many of the formidable foes Taewoon had encountered were stronger than this creature?

Finally, the entire botanical garden began to collapse, caused by the creature that had overgrown all the plants inside. Taewoon, who had quickly escaped outside, steadied his posture and circulated the Magical Power within his body.

“Now that I’ve come this far, there’s nothing left to hesitate about.”

If possible, he wanted to end this while keeping the botanical garden intact, but it seemed that was too much to ask.

The majority of the plants burst through the ceiling, wriggling their grotesque bodies and beginning to target Taewoon and the surrounding humans.

Looking at the scene that resembled a living hell, Taewoon sprinted toward the center of the largest tree, riding the stems of Barata that rose from the ground.

‘…Without any lingering issues, I’ll finish this in one strike.’

The stems of the Subterranean Tree were creating a path in the air at an incredibly fast speed, and Taewoon’s movement was even faster than that.

Soon, the creature poured out firepower concentrated at a single point, piercing and cutting through various parts of Barata’s stems, but Taewoon was already no longer there.

【Condition Fulfilled】

【Cinema Skill: The Red Man】

Because he had hidden his body within the shadows created by the stems of the Subterranean Tree and moved behind the giant tree at the exact timing.

The Pixie, realizing that the path in the air had been a decoy from the start, quickly transformed the giant tree to try and swallow Taewoon, but the moment it allowed this level of approach, the outcome of the battle had already been decided.

【Condition 1: Must be facing a Formidable Foe】

【Condition 2: Must possess and be using a weapon of a certain length or longer】

【Condition 3: Must have mastered all Techniques of the Soul-Chasing Eight Ghost Spear】

【Condition Fulfilled】

【Cinema Skill: Soul Chasing Path Destruction】

Eight lines of Spear Shadow extending from the tip of the spear struck the twisted tree at a speed beyond perception, piercing through its bark entirely and dragging the Pixie inside out.

The creature had already been pierced several times by the spear and was bleeding translucent blood, but as if it still had strength left, it used teleportation to get behind Taewoon and began to detonate spheres of Magical Power.

However.

▶【Damaged Remegethon】

• Blank Pages (20/20)

The power was significantly reduced by the Remegethon, which had absorbed Magical Power equivalent to 20 pages, and the explosion failed to penetrate Taewoon’s defense, which wrapped around his entire body like a Body Protection Aura.

‘Soul-Severing Whirlwind.’

With the subsequent high-speed Spear Strike, the Ancient Pixie couldn’t even find the timing to evade and died instantly, falling to the ground.

It was a pathetic end for a Level 4-rank Dungeon boss that could have potentially caused massive casualties.

Loud sirens wailed, and personnel tasked with handling the situation began to run busily across the scene, fulfilling their duties.

At the same time, among the crowd of Hunters who had rushed to the scene after receiving the report, Taewoon encountered a familiar face he had momentarily forgotten.

“…Mr. Taewoon?”

Seoyoon, who had shared meals with him as a senior and junior at Hongsim Hall in the past.

Looking exactly as she had before, she looked at Taewoon with somewhat surprised eyes.