CLAAANG—!!!
Joon Seok and Velkarn's swords collided.
The impact was so heavy that the air itself seemed to split.
Shockwaves rippled in all directions.
Ice shards around them were flung into the air.
Trees were uprooted and thrown aside.
Joon Seok's feet slowly sank into the ground.
His eyes flickered slightly… breathing heavy.
Sweat started running down his body despite the cold air.
"…How… strong can he be…?"
CLANG—! CLANG—! CLANG—!
Their swords kept clashing again and again.
Each impact sent a new shockwave.
The ground cracked… the air vibrated… ice shattered and flew everywhere.
Scene shift—
Ryu Jinwoo and his party, standing at a distance, could only watch.
Cha Soo-min whispered softly,
"…Is… this what a real hunter's fight looks like…?"
Ryu Jinwoo squinted,
"If real hunters fought like this… no one would survive to become a hunter."
Park Tae-min and the others—
frozen in place.
Eyes wide open.
Feet unmoving.
Sweat soaked their bodies… fear locked into their bones.
They couldn't see clearly.
Only—
Blurs.
The speed was insane.
Park Tae-min muttered shakily,
"…What… what are these guys… moving this fast… all I see are blurs…"
Scene back—
Velkarn was clearly taking the upper hand.
With every clash… Joon Seok was slowly being pushed back.
This… was not a normal monster.
Joon Seok's hands trembled slightly.
This fight wouldn't be won with brute force… he'd need strategy.
A sharp, savage smirk appeared on Velkarn's face.
"What's wrong, outsider?"
"Is that all the strength you have inside?"
Joon Seok remained silent.
His eyes were calculating.
Then—
—BLINK—
Velkarn vanished.
Next second—
He was behind Joon Seok.
His sword aimed straight for Joon Seok's neck—
CLAAANG—!
Joon Seok blocked at the last second.
But the impact—
BOOOOM—!
Sent him flying through the air.
His body tore through the wind as he was thrown backward—
THAAD—!
He crashed directly into a massive tree.
The tree split in half.
Wood splinters and shards of ice scattered through the air.
Joon Seok hit the ground on his knees.
—KHH…
He spat blood from his mouth.
Breathing heavy.
"…This monster… isn't like Blood Fang…"
His grip on the sword tightened.
"…He's… insanely strong."
Then—
He placed his hand over his wound.
FWOOM—
A soft light erupted.
Perfect Healing.
Next second—
His body stabilized.
The wound vanished.
Breathing returned to normal.
Joon Seok slowly stood.
His eyes locked on Velkarn again.
This time—
Even more serious.
Joon Seok took a slow breath.
"…I can't use Perfect Healing for too long…"
His grip tightened on his sword.
"…It has a drawback. It drains a lot of stamina."
He hadn't even finished his sentence when—
—WHOOSH—
Velkarn appeared right in front of him.
A wide smile spread across his face.
Next second—
THAAAD—!
A brutal kick.
Joon Seok's body was sent flying through the air… completely out of control.
Further… and further…
BOOOOM—!
He crashed straight into a mountain.
The entire rock face cracked.
Joon Seok was partially embedded in the stone.
His body shook, his eyes closing.
…Will I… survive this…?
Or is this the end…?
His vision began to blur.
And then—
Flash.
His mother's face.
Seo Yeon's face.
Clear. Alive.
"…No…"
His eyes snapped open.
"…I will not die now."
FWOOM—
Perfect Healing activated.
Light engulfed his body.
Cracks… wounds… all vanished.
Far away—
Seo Eun-ji asked softly,
"Mr. Ryu… do you think… Mr. Kang will win?"
Ryu Jinwoo stayed silent for a few seconds, his eyes fixed on the fight.
"…I don't know," he said.
"Whether he wins or not…"
He clenched his fists.
"…but we have to trust him. Our lives… are now in his hands."
Silence.
"…And we can do nothing. Only… pray."
Back—
CRACK—!
Joon Seok slammed a falling chunk of rock off himself with force.
Dust scattered into the air.
He slowly stood… brushing his clothes off.
Velkarn stood at a distance… just watching.
Excited.
As if enjoying the show.
Joon Seok's eyes narrowed.
Grip tightened.
I will not die today. No matter what.
—BLINK—
He vanished.
Next second—
He was in front of Velkarn.
Velkarn's eyes widened with excitement.
"Now this will be fun, outsider…"
"Now you've shown your true colors."
Joon Seok said nothing.
He simply swung his sword—
CLAAANG—!
Velkarn blocked effortlessly.
Shockwave erupted.
But in that instant—
Joon Seok vanished.
Behind Velkarn.
Sword aimed straight past his back—
CLANG—!
Velkarn blocked without even looking, dual swords crossed.
And he grinned.
"What's the matter, Kang Joon Seok…"
"Show me… your power."
Joon Seok exhaled slightly.
"…If that's what you want…"
He immediately stepped back, creating distance.
Velkarn raised an eyebrow,
"What are you doing?"
Joon Seok remained silent.
He slowly raised his sword.
Vertical stance.
Silence.
Then—
The air shifted.
Slowly… a black aura began to gather around him.
Dense. Heavy.
Like darkness taking shape.
The wind picked up… then grew even heavier.
The pressure was so intense… standing became difficult.
Velkarn's feet slipped slightly.
"…Looks like… something powerful is coming,"
This time, a hint of tension was in his voice.
A bead of sweat ran down his face.
The space around Joon Seok distorted.
The black aura clung to his sword—
As if it were burning.
Black flames.
Silent… but deadly.
Joon Seok raised his hand higher.
Eyes dead calm.
Voice low and steady—
"…Void Strike."
He brought the sword down—
Releasing the attack.
SHHHHHHH—!!!
A black slash tore through the ground, racing toward Velkarn.
The earth cracked beneath its path.
But in that instant… Joon Seok's black sword shattered under the overwhelming pressure.
A shock of surprise ran through him.
This was expected—the sword was low-grade level.
At the same time, a grin spread across Velkarn's face.
"Very good… Kang Joon Seok."
He crossed his dual ice swords—
CLAAAAAANG—!!!
The impact—
BOOOOOOOM—!!!
A massive shockwave erupted.
The wind turned violent.
Ice… trees… rocks… all were flung away.
Far away, Ryu Jinwoo's party—
THAAD—!
They were thrown backward.
Even standing became nearly impossible at that distance.
Their feet scraped against the ground.
Breathing became heavy.
At the center—
Velkarn gritted his teeth.
GRRNN—!
He put his full strength into it.
And—
BOOOOM—!!!
He deflected the Void Strike to the side.
The shockwave was so violent that even Joon Seok slid backward.
Everything around them—ice, rocks, trees—was ripped into the air and thrown far away.
Far off—
Yoon Hye-ri's eyes widened.
"…Did… Mr. Kang just defeat that monster boss?"
Im Seo-jun slowly shook his head.
"Doesn't look like it… that boss isn't weak either."
Back at the scene—
Joon Seok was panting.
Breathing heavy. Body aching.
Void Strike had taken an enormous toll on his stamina…
If he didn't finish this soon, he'd be in trouble.
The smoke began to clear.
And then—
Velkarn stood before him.
Stable. Direct.
But…
His right hand was gone.
From shoulder down, nothing remained.
Blood dripped from his body onto the snow.
He was panting… yet smiling.
"This… was fun," he spat blood and said,
"…I didn't expect much from you, outsider…"
His eyes glinted.
"…For the first time… I felt pain."
Joon Seok froze.
Eyes wide.
Sweat ran down his body, even in the freezing wind.
…He's still alive?
Does that mean… I lost?
Next second—
Velkarn swung his remaining left sword with force.
WHOOM—
A circular wave radiated outward.
"Blizzard Domain."
Instantly—
The entire area transformed.
Gale-force winds.
Cutting cold.
A heavy snowstorm.
Visibility—zero.
Not even two meters ahead could be seen.
Joon Seok narrowed his eyes.
…This is dangerous.
Frost began to form on his lips.
His fingers slowed.
Breathing became difficult.
Velkarn… vanished.
Only his voice remained—
"Now tell me… outsider…"
"Will you survive?"
SWISH—!
An ice slash from the left.
Joon Seok blocked at the last second—
CLANG—!
The force pushed him back.
Velkarn's laughter echoed through the storm.
Cold. Distorted.
Joon Seok tried to focus—
Then—
…something approached.
He felt it.
Before he could react—
Velkarn appeared right in front of him.
Clear as day.
As if he could see everything, while Joon Seok was blind.
THUK—!
A sword pierced through Joon Seok's body.
It exited from his chest.
And Velkarn… vanished again.
Joon Seok collapsed to his knees.
"—KHH—!"
Blood poured from his mouth.
The ground was red.
He immediately raised his hand—
Perfect Healing—
But…
Nothing happened.
The light weakened.
Stamina… nearly gone.
Healing failed.
Joon Seok's breathing became rapid.
Cold seeped into his bones.
His lips turned blue.
Hands trembling.
The blizzard worsened.
And he… stood alone in the center.
Then—
TING—!
A system pop-up flashed.
[Warning: HP has fallen below 30%]
[Blood Rage Resonance Activated]
Skill Details:
When HP drops below 30% — Strength and Speed boost up to 40%.
Duration: 60 seconds, Cooldown: 5 minutes
Next second—
A surge of heat coursed through Joon Seok's body.
As if his blood was boiling.
Muscles tensed.
Veins bulged.
A faint red glow appeared in his eyes.
A red aura began spreading slowly around him.
The cold still lingered—
But something else was burning inside him.
Joon Seok took a deep breath.
Eyes closed.
Focus…
The next second—
In front of his right hand, the space distorted slightly.
…CRACK—
A massive weapon materialized.
Bloodfang War Axe.
Dark red blade.
As if forged from pure blood.
Red veins pulsed along its surface.
A faint red mist swirled around it.
Weight… insane.
Joon Seok's hand bent slightly for a moment—
But he gripped it tight.
Now, he had the strength.
The axe was steady in his hands.
Item: Bloodfang War Axe (Rare Grade)
Large, heavy axe with a dark red blade.
Special Effect: Inflicts 5-second bleeding damage per hit.
Bonus: Deals 20% extra damage to large monsters
Joon Seok grasped the axe with both hands.
The red aura intensified.
Black and red mixed, swirling around him.
Amid the blizzard—
He slowly opened his eyes.
Directly at Velkarn.
This time…
No fear.
Only one thing—
Kill intent.
"…Let's go," he said in a low voice,
"Let's see… who survives… and who doesn't."
And the fight… reached the next level.
To be continued…