NOVEL WEB Chapter 17
Just as the net tackled the wolf, I thought it was a done deal, but the worg was one step ahead. It wasn’t dumb enough to fall for the same trick twice. Euna chewed her lip and invoked her magic power.
“Distort!”
Space distorted. Even under its influence, the worg kept moving.
“……!”
It had become even stronger. Last time, the distortion hadn’t taken it down, but I could at least stall it…!
A chilling power surged, threatening to tear my hand apart at any moment. Euna couldn’t hold on any longer and let go, unable to withstand the backlash.
“Awk!”
With that, the worg moved quicker, as if it had found freedom. Its jaw suddenly opened right in front of her, and Euna instinctively held her breath.
“……!”
Yet, it couldn’t get any closer. A web blocked its path. Though I had failed to stop it with distortion, the warped space had successfully drawn in the web, trapping the worg.
As she took a step back, Euna let out a sigh of relief. The dizziness that followed was unsettling, but she was okay. It was over now… At least, that’s what she thought until…
“―――!”
The beast was thrashing around angrily. The webs were snapping off with ease, a stark contrast to before.
“……!”
In that moment, the worg had grown even stronger. A special breed—its growth rate was simply bizarre. Euna stumbled back, her eyes wide in fear, and the worg burst out of the web, devouring her in one go.
‘……!’
Only the magic armor she wore remained intact. The worg licked its lips with an elongated, red tongue that sent chills down her spine, as if it craved her flesh.
‘What now…?’
That thought flashed through her mind, but the next moment, the massive jaw of the worg eclipsed her view again. For someone with an ordinary physical ability like her, keeping up with the worg’s movements was impossible.
‘This is bad…!’
***
Euna with her hands raised, and the monstrous wolf with its jaw wide open—had finally caught up.
[恐怖の獣(High Worg) Lv.7] [EXP 6132 / 8932]
[Length 89cm] [Height 48.5cm] [Weight 13.2kg]
[Strength 91] [Agility 99] [Stamina 167] [Magic Power 30]
I checked my stats and, in return, used a scouting skill on it.
[Mountain Tyrant (High Worg)]
[Length 4.56m] [Height 1.96m] [Weight 872kg]
[Strength 231] [Agility 313] [Stamina 233] [Magic Power 56]
No other creature came to mind that could compare. Its height and long figure exceeded that of typical carnivores. It was more akin to a bull or a rhinoceros.
And not just any worg, but a High Worg. Superior breed, unlike my lesser kind. Its stats were overwhelming, even its magic power surpassed mine.
It was much more monstrous than I had imagined. How had Euna defeated it before? Gritting my teeth, I immediately acquired a skill I had been eyeing.
[Hardening(D) Lv.1 acquired]
[Weak Hardening(E) Lv.5 integrated into Hardening(D) Lv.1]
[Hardening(D) Lv.1 has reached maximum proficiency. Hardening(D) Lv.1 → Hardening(D) Lv.3]
On top of that.
[Magic Damage Reduction(E) Lv.1 acquired]
[Physical Damage Reduction(E) Lv.5 and Magic Damage Reduction(E) Lv.1 exist simultaneously]
[Physical Damage Reduction(E) Lv.5 and Magic Damage Reduction(E) Lv.1 have merged into All Damage Reduction(D) Lv.1]
[All Damage Reduction(D) Lv.1 has reached maximum proficiency. All Damage Reduction(D) Lv.1 → All Damage Reduction(D) Lv.3]
Success. I acquired a D-tier skill right away, boosting my E-tier skill.
[Remaining Skill Points 5]
The success of my uncertain gamble—I managed to conserve my skill points.
[Enhanced Instinct(D) Lv.1 acquired]
[Remaining Skill Points 1]
With a connection of intuition and insight, I momentarily gained this instinct—a skill one tier above what I had. My lackluster stats meant I absolutely needed this skill to confront the beast head-on. If my speed was lacking, I had to move ahead of time.
But it was too late. As soon as I acquired the skill, the monstrous wolf swallowed Euna from her head down to her pelvis in one gulp.
‘……!’
Crimson blood splattered everywhere, innards spilled out. Its teeth finally severed her spine, resulting in her upper and lower body being pulled apart without even a final scream as she died, a grim future ahead.
“Kruk?!”
This is the future my instinct foresaw. Hardening. Increment. Surprise, all combined. I had to stop that future. I didn’t evade like a black wolf. I hit it head-on. Yet despite that, it was only a minor setback as it shook itself off.
I was convinced I couldn’t kill it. I was outmatched.
With three D-tier skills, I thought I could fight. How ridiculous! I underestimated the foe. I could inflict damage, but my attacks would never keep up with its regeneration rate.
“Ah?”
Euna, stammering in shock. There was no time to look back. The moment I took my eyes off it, I’d be done for. Where I lacked in attack, she excelled. Where she lacked in resistance, I stood strong. That meant we had to cooperate. In that moment, Euna murmured.
“Seven minutes…”
Seven minutes. What did that mean? There was no point in pondering. It meant if we could hold out for seven minutes, help would arrive. I briefly thought it might be better to endure just a bit longer, but I quickly shook my head. It had to end. Seven minutes of endurance? Sure, we could manage that together. But if we did, we wouldn’t be able to feast on it.
Plus, we’d end up getting caught by the hunters.
The best scenario I could think of was to take down the worg with Euna before they arrived, causing her to fall into exhaustion.
I chuckled at that insane condition.
To defeat an enemy that I wasn’t even sure I could in time while exhausting my ally? What a truly absurd condition. More like a game challenge than anything else. The absurdity of confronting that in reality rendered me speechless.
“―――!”
The monstrous wolf emitted a growl, clearly agitated, having killed its kin, and a creature disguised as one. Although slimes have no scent or features, I had an unfounded confidence that it would recognize me. It seemed unwilling to waste time, charging right at me.
I could see its movements. The synergy of my instinct and insight surpassed my imagination. As I dodged, it tried to rip me apart with its front paws. I anticipated it and avoided the strike. But predictions are just that—predictions. If I move first, the worg would simply adjust its movements accordingly.
No matter how far ahead I foresaw, if it modified its actions in response, it was worthless. I kept dodging, dodging, dodging, but eventually, it caught up. The difference in our stats made it impossible for me to keep evading indefinitely. I needed Euna. What was she doing…?
Not helping? I peeked back at her; her mouth covered and eyes wide open. My heart sank as I saw the torn flesh turn to goo.
“…Don’t tell me?”
Her gaze changed. I nodded. The worst-case scenario would be if she ditched me, but that didn’t seem likely.
For some reason, Euna seemed to have decided to fight alongside me. She managed to grab the leaping beast with her tentacles, but her strength was still lacking. Though she was raised up, it bought time. Euna yelled with all her might.
“Distort!”
A warped space. The worg staggered under its effects. I didn’t miss that moment and clung tightly, making dodging its attacks a piece of cake since its movements had slowed.
“Ah?”
She must have prepared a spell to latch onto it in conjunction with the distortion, but I had already taken that role. The worg’s feet were trapped. Soon enough, Euna cast another spell.
“Thorns!”
Thorns erupted from beneath the ground, crunching upwards. Euna’s face grew pale as exhaustion drew near.
The worg’s feet got pierced by the risen thorns. It was the same for me too. I didn’t dodge in time while bound. Given its reflexes, the worg would have easily evaded these thorns even in a distorted state. It was an unavoidable loss, but it stung.
Half of my body’s area was lost to the thorns. It could’ve been dangerous if I hadn’t reached D-tier hardening.
“Embiggen!”
The moment I heard the next incantation, insight and instinct read the future. No need to hold on now. The creature was already pierced, so I abandoned its body and, using elasticity, leaped up the moment Euna collapsed.
***
“―――!”
Something flew in and hit me on the back of the head. With her eyes wide open, Euna tried to withstand it, but the overwhelming exhaustion paired with that hit was just too much.
‘…How?’
Surely, the monstrous wolf had been immobile. Its feet were pierced and it couldn’t move, with a baby bear, or rather a slime, holding it at bay. So there was only one possible explanation.
‘Magic power.’
The ground steadily approached. It wasn’t magic or something conjured, simply raw magic lifting rocks. Under her normal self, with her magic armor still intact, she could have easily managed this. But that magic armor was already devoured by the worg. The worg mocked the foolish Euna, the corners of its mouth twisting up.
‘Did she plan this…?’
Puking blood didn’t ease my breathing. My chest tightened, and what Euna last saw was that same green mass confronting the worg directly.
‘Ah…’
Indeed, that wasn’t a dream… Euna’s consciousness began to drift away.
***
As Euna collapsed, having been struck by a massive rock, I ground my teeth.
This was my fault. I shouldn’t have let go. I should’ve clung desperately.
The magic that the beast possessed. It attacked Euna while I should have been hindering it by jumping up instead of leaping to dodge. My failure to stick to it till the end.
“……”
There were only two remaining choices. To fight or to flee. This time was different. I could definitely escape.
With the monster impaled on the enormous thorns, it couldn’t move for long. It would recover soon, but I had enough time to flee with Euna. However, in that scenario, consuming it would be impossible.
[Whether to move forward or hold back]
The system voice I had heard before. Isn’t it quite clear what I had to do? It wasn’t a line I couldn’t cross. It was within reach. So…
‘Forward.’
[Transformation(F) Lv.1 acquired]
[Transformation(F) Lv.1 integrated into Transformation(F) Lv.9]
[Transformation(F) Lv.1 has reached maximum proficiency. Transformation(F) Lv.9 → Transformation(F) Lv.10]
[Transformation(F) Lv.10 has reached maximum level. Transformation(F) Lv.10 → Change(E) Lv.1]
[Remaining Skill Points 0]
***
“――♬”
A high humming echoed through the mountain. Sweeter than the chirping of birds, the melody rang out. The girl sensed an approaching presence and stopped humming, peering down from the stairs.
“I’m late.”
Seeing the girl, who seemed mismatched for the setting, the Team Leader, Gu Jin-ha, stiffened.
“…What are you doing here?”
“Where’s Tae-joon? Oh, I see. He’s not here.”
“Please step aside.”
“Impossible.”
That stubborn reply. They each spoke on a different frequency, but what baffled Woo Taek was that the one using respectful language was the Team Leader, not the girl.
“Team Leader?”
“Woo Taek, I’ll hold them off. You get in there first.”
“What are you talking about right now?”
“Listen to me! Ten seconds. I can’t hold them longer than that. Do you understand?”
Woo Taek nodded. It was hard to keep pace with the situation, but he decided to follow the Team Leader’s orders. Regardless of who that girl was, while the Team Leader held them off, he could rush in and save Euna.
‘Get inside and kill the worg.’
No matter how long it took, it wouldn’t take ten seconds. At that moment, the Team Leader’s coat flapped, and before long, a long sword appeared in his hand. A thin sword that looked like a rapier, one that came from nowhere. A chilling wave of power flowed through the thin blade. As that ominous aura exuded, Woo Taek gulped.
‘Still impressive.’
This was the first time he had drawn his sword in a long while. The admiration he felt from witnessing his skill made him ponder how long it would take him to reach that level. Ten years? Twenty? Perhaps he might never catch up to him.
‘Whoever that girl is…’
As long as he drew his sword, nothing would go awry.
“Ten seconds?”
The girl chuckled in response. At the signal from the Team Leader, Woo Taek took off in a flash. It felt as though he had instantly leaped into the compound.
“……?!”
He hadn’t moved at all; no, his frozen body refused to heed his commands.
Instead of running, he found himself flat on the ground. Pressed against the earth, he couldn’t move a finger. When? Since when? Gritting his teeth in vain, he turned around to see the Team Leader kneeling, sweating profusely.
“Why on earth are you…!”
The words were strained as the girl remained unmoving on the stone staircase. It wasn’t a skill or spell; she merely exerted overwhelming magic power from above, pinning them down.
‘What the hell?’
Under that pressure, Woo Taek clenched his fists. He felt miserable lying flat with no choice but to obey. The overwhelming difference in power. His own helplessness. All of this struck him as he gazed up at the girl casually sitting on the stone staircase.
“……”
The girl began humming again, unfazed by her surroundings.
“――♪”
That off-key humming deepened the discord in the compound amidst the two fallen figures.