The Land of the Vampire, Beltane (7)
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Generally, an S-grade Holder can hunt an S-grade monster alone.
In all aspects such as ability stats, rune utilization, and items, the S-grade Holder is superior.
Unless it’s a job class like holy or special types where solo play is almost impossible, hunting S-grade monsters is surprisingly on the easier side.
It’s not for nothing that S-grade Holders are considered transnational talents.
‘The same goes for me.’
And I’m an S-grade Holder who recently completed certification.
Among them, I’m a Holder particularly specialized in solo play.
That’s why I’ve been able to easily handle Termen’s high-ranking warriors, estimated to be S-grade monster level, until now.This is an achievement I’ve accomplished without using my contractors or ultimate skills.
‘It’s a bit different starting from the highest rank…’
But the rank of Feltaned, the Termen warrior in front of me, is the highest rank.
It’s a rank I’m encountering for the first time.
Judging by the aura being emitted, it seems to possess a power more formidable than any monster I’ve faced so far… But it doesn’t exude an aura as powerful as the <Transcendent> Dragons or <Owner of the Demon Sword> Hwang Seong-yeon.
In other words, it means it’s an intermediate strong being between ordinary strong beings and absolute strong beings.
‘This is why a rank readjustment is needed.’
This is a point strongly argued in academic circles recently.
Many monsters surpassing the ability of S-grade monsters have already appeared, and their power measurements have mostly been completed.
Then, shouldn’t new designations like SS-grade monster or SSS-grade monster emerge – this is the current trend.
Especially with claims that the rank distinctions between Holders and monsters don’t match, causing confusion, the readjustment of Holder and monster ranks was virtually inevitable. ŕά₦𝖔ＢÈṦ
The problem was that the International Holder Association was so conservative that it showed a lukewarm attitude to these changes.
“Focus on the battle, challenger!”
In the moment I was distracted, Feltaned swung its main weapon, the mace.
That’s right.
It’s a ‘mace’.
Feltaned was a unique warrior who used a mace as the main weapon.
This was clearly different from all the Termen warriors I’ve encountered so far who all used swords.
Perhaps from the highest rank, they start using their own special weapons.
‘Moreover, it’s fast.’
Feltaned was pushing me hard with quick successive attacks.
Despite using such a long-reaching and heavy weapon, there’s no sense of falling behind in speed at all.
As I parried with my holy sword, I sensed that this was an opponent I should never underestimate.
‘Plus, that condensing magical power…’
With each attack, magical power constantly condensed on Feltaned’s mace, flying as additional hits.
Like mage-class Holders condensing magical power, magical power gathers on the surface of the mace, but unlike magic, the speed is very fast and the process is simple.
Especially, the amount of condensation is more than expected, giving a feeling of seeing my [Wave Sword Technique] ability before it evolved.
I couldn’t be certain, but this ability was likely to be Feltaned’s ‘will’.
‘Feltaned’s will is directly related to combat.’
Actually, the [Warrior who Manifested Will] rune I acquired this time.
Most of the wills registered as its sub-runes are related to ‘willpower’ effects.
Despair, pride, fear, curiosity, sloth….
As can be seen from the names of the wills, they were mostly abilities that inflict abstract attacks on the opponent’s mind or buff one’s own mental state.
In other words, abilities not related to direct combat.
Only [Will of Greed] and [Will of Obsession] were combat-related runes.
Among them, [Will of Greed] is the power to absorb the opponent’s magical power little by little, as confirmed before.
[Will of Obsession] is the power to inflict additional hits up to 10 stacks when continuously attacking the same part of the same target.
Just as direct combat-related wills are not this common, the will of Feltaned, the highest-ranking warrior, also seemed to be a quite rare ability.
‘Okay. Analysis complete.’
Having roughly analyzed the opponent’s ability, I immediately switched to an aggressive combat stance.
‘Madness, Dragonization.’
I use all the ability stat buffs I had saved for the final strategy.
Instantly, vitality overflows in my body.
I immediately use [Warriors’ Enhancement Technique] to assist abilities needed for direct combat.
Body movements become lighter, concentration becomes colder, and recovery becomes faster.
I moved my holy sword, fully imbuing the boiling power into combat assistance.
Kaang-!!
Kagrrrr-.
Feltaned’s large mace and my holy sword clash.
‘Condensed magical power’ was generated on its mace like before, but the utilization of magical power in weapons is not Feltaned’s exclusive domain.
My holy sword too was covered with magical power and holy power, strongly offsetting this.
Moreover, [Will of Greed].
The tiny absorption of magical power gets on its nerves.
“Damn it. Edred’s will again…!!”
Feltaned burst out in anger at its dead comrade being toyed with, but there was no time to entertain such whining.
As soon as the sword and mace collided, I immediately pulled out one of my finishing moves.
“Rush in.”
Ultimate skill [Distortion’s Shadow].
A skill that approaches an opponent within a certain distance and launches an attack that ignores defense.
However, if that distance is right in front, it doesn’t simply ‘move’.
As it completely destroys the magical power arrangement in front and crosses space itself, when used up close, the sword I’m holding passes through the opponent’s body.
In other words, the moment I use the skill, my sword is embedded in Feltaned’s body.
Actually, this was a usage method I first experimented with in the final battle against Hwang Seong-yeon, and since it had a dramatically great effect, I could use it as a main utilization method like this right away.
Sut- sasak-
Paat-!!
“Kuaaak…!!”
My holy sword instantly penetrates Feltaned’s collarbone and back.
From that intense hit, a scream of pain is heard.
There are various skills I can utilize here.
I could use the single strike form of [True Wave Sword], or I could use [Merciful Demon-Slaying Sword] filled with holy power.
‘Primordial Attack.’
But my choice here was [Primordial Attack] from [Warriors’ Enhancement Technique].
The reason is simple.
Because it’s a physical attack, there’s no magical power input, and it requires the least preparation time.
Since [Distortion’s Shadow] is a pure physical attack skill, there’s no magical power in the sword after the attack ends.
In other words, to make a magical attack within this, I need to pour in new magical power.
Naturally, the amount of magical power for an ultimate skill is large in terms of quantity and time consumed.
In a battle with someone of Feltaned’s caliber, 0.1 seconds can separate a critical hit from death, so I had to choose the more certain direction.
Ku- Kwaa-!
“Kueuak…!!”
In an instant, I switch to knuckles with weapon exchange technique and deliver a fatal blow to its shoulder where a hole was made.
The effect was certain.
Feltaned, whose left shoulder area was already crushed, screamed consecutively at the flawless incoming fist attacks.
“Die…!!”
However, the highest-ranking warrior is indeed different.
If it were an ordinary monster, the match would have ended already with [Distortion’s Shadow], but Feltaned held onto consciousness and continued to counterattack.
The huge mace swung from his right hand.
If hit by an attack coming from such a close distance, it would deal a big blow.
‘Art of Weapon Exchange.’
I immediately pulled out [Pure Paladin’s Shield].
Normally, I would have dodged the attack directly, but in a state where I’ve used my finishing techniques so closely like now, defense is more effective.
‘Iron Wall Defense.’
Pu, Kaang-
Kwagaga-!!
I block Feltaned’s mace with the shield filled with magical power and holy power.
Although it’s a decisive blow that came from close range, I blocked it lightly to the point of being futile.
“What is this…?”
Feltaned’s expression watching this was close to the worst.
All my attacks hit, and all the opponent’s attacks are blocked…
Is there an opponent who could endure seeing such a selfish damage exchange?
Feltaned finally couldn’t hold back and shouted.
“D-Damn it…!! Strike down!!”
Finally, the verbal command came out.
It means that the ultimate skill he had been saving until the end is about to manifest.
But I was certain that attack would never be effective.
‘You’ve come too far.’
Feltaned had already taken too much damage from my successive attacks.
The [Distortion’s Shadow] and [Chain Lightning] combo had almost shattered his left shoulder, and the ‘mental attack’ skills and skills like [Poison Attack] that grated on his nerves, used whenever time allowed, had distracted his attention.
Slowly, little by little, but precisely.
His combat ability was already being eroded.
An ultimate skill used in such a state can never fully exert its power.
The tide of battle had already sharply tilted in my favor.
“Flow like rapids.”
After slightly increasing the distance and gathering momentum, I perfectly block his ultimate skill with [True Flowing Sword].
Pat- Paat-!
Kukwa- Kwaa-
Kwaa-!!
Feltaned’s ultimate skill was one where mace-shaped attacks formed of magical power rained down randomly within range, but due to the nature of the skill taking the form of projectiles, it was too easy to block with [True Flowing Sword].
2 seconds.
2 seconds was enough time to block Feltaned’s attack.
“……”
Shocked by the result, Feltaned blankly stared at me.
I nodded and picked up the knuckles again with Art of Weapon Exchange.
I had used the strongest skill that could attack with knuckles once, but unfortunately for Feltaned, I had an overpowered skill that could reset the cooldown of a skill once.
‘Merciful Grace Period.’
[Merciful Grace Period], a derivative skill of the [Apprentice Agent of Sednilen] rune.
As I said before, it’s an overpowered skill that resets the cooldown of derivative skills.
And [Primordial Attack] is not a skill that falls under the exception.
Of course, cooldown reset is possible.
Sut- Seuseuu-
Paat-!
The derivative skill contained in the mythical-grade rune shines and melts into my fist.
The cooldown of [Primordial Attack] that I used earlier returns, and it immediately becomes available for use.
And.
I look at Feltaned with a grin.
“Let’s take one more hit.”
“Ku, kuaak…!!”
Originally, hitting the same place again hurts the most.
Whether the one being hit is a monster or a warrior.
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