F-Class Destiny Hunter

Chapter 97

Kang Dohyeon was somewhat shaken by Seo Gangrim's words.

'He believes in my abilities?'

Since their encounter, he had been undermining Seo Gangrim continuously. In such a situation, it was surprising that Seo Gangrim had no complaints and instead expressed trust in him.

'It's probably just empty words anyway.'

Seo Gangrim's an outstanding trainee who's been given a great deal of credit and was being sought after by the team leaders of the Protection Bureau. How does he see himself in this light?

He figured that Seo Gangrim's current praise was not sincere.

"...Installation is complete. Let's try to lure him effectively."

Kang Dohyeon replied, feigning indifference. Seo Gangrim didn't bother saying more and walked out of the room with Annaby.

"Seo Gangrim-ssi, now all we have to do is lure him."

"Yes, be careful."

They walked quietly into the corridor. The corridor was long, seemingly endless, and it felt like they would be wandering here forever.

"Ah, aah..."

Faintly, they heard a man's crying. It sounded like a sob and resembled the sound that came from a broken instrument. Annaby must have heard it too, as she whispered softly, "It seems to be coming from there."

Inside the corridor, it looked as if the darkness was undulating and trembling. In the darkness, the man's white hair appeared oddly bright. The man, as if he had sensed their scent, sniffed the air and approached them. When he realized there was no escape, he charged straight toward Seo Gangrim.

"Ah-!"

"Step back, Seo Gangrim-ssi!"

Annaby struck the man with her staff once, then quickly retreated. Seo Gangrim also swiftly moved to the designated location. However, even after being hit, the man did not give up and continued to charge toward them.

-Clang, whoosh!

The man's movements were faster than any demon Seo Gangrim had encountered so far. The man ran along the wall, and blocked their path. Seo Gangrim then swung his sword with the intent to kill.

-Swish!

The sword shallowly pierced the man's arm. Annaby followed up with another strike from behind, causing the man to recoil.

"Ugh, ugh...!"

The man's voice was filled with frustration. It seemed he was terribly hungry. While dodging the man's attacks and running, they began to see the designated location.

"Seo Gangrim, Annaby!"

Kang Dohyeon shouted, and both of them urgently jumped into the corridor. The man followed them, and Seo Gangrim pulled out the talisman.

[A powerful Yang Qi is emanating from 'Chiljido!']

"Aaargh...!"

Seo Gangrim seized the opportunity when the man flinched at Chiljido and swiftly placed it at the entrance and withdrew. The man couldn't follow because Chiljido was blocking the way. Just as Kang Dohyeon was about to desperately activate the talisman:

"Ah-!"

['■∞? of #?' ability has been activated!]

As the man let out a long scream, a firestorm began to form around him. Flames leaped in all directions like crazy, and along with them, the talisman started to burn.

'A fire-based ability.'

Seo Gangrim had taken a look, but the Destiny Window were twisted, making it impossible to read properly. Kang Dohyeon clicked his tongue as the talisman began to burn.

"This is getting annoying. Let's try it again...!"

Kang Dohyeon was about to activate another talisman desperately. But then, Seo Gangrim shouted sharply, "Everyone, dodge!"

-Woong!

As Seo Gangrim finished his sentence, a giant sword cleaved through the place where they had just been. A pillar from behind them was instantly cut off, and it collapsed noisily. Beyond the rising dust, a colossal figure appeared.

Annaby bit her lip upon seeing it. "So... this was the boss of the fifth floor."

That man was just a stranger trapped here. The real boss was something else entirely. In front of them, a massive statue had materialized. If it weren't for the current circumstances, it might have been considered a fine piece of art. It resembled an ancient goddess, blindfolded and wielding a giant sword.

[Name] Guardian Statue

[Rank] Spirit First-class

[Description] A statue that protects a specific area. It eliminates intruders, and until this demon is defeated, no one can leave the designated area. The statue's abilities increase with the number of intruders eliminated.

This statue seemed to be the demon they needed to defeat. It was classified as Spirit First-class, which was relatively high but not insurmountable for the three of them. However, there was a problem.

"Aaargh!"

The man screamed and charged at them. The Chiljido Seo Gangrim had left at the entrance had been knocked out and was rolling on the floor. It hadn't broken or been damaged, but it wasn't time to take comfort in that fact.

"Agent Annaby, be careful!"

At the same time Kang Dohyeon kicked the man, the statue aimed its sword at his head. They had to deal with both of them simultaneously, and they shouldn't kill the man. The difficulty level had skyrocketed with the requirement to capture the man alive.

'If I rush, I might end up killing the man, but I want to try capturing him if possible,' Seo Gangrim thought.

He glanced at the man and the statue. 'The statue doesn't seem to consider the man as an intruder anymore,' he observed.

The way they worked together to attack was nothing short of fiendish.

While Seo Gangrim dodged attacks and looked for an opportunity, Annaby shouted, "Both of you, please step back for now! I will block them!"

Annaby made a hand gesture, and Tous rushed out of thin air, forming a small unit that blocked the enemy's path.

"Ooh!"

"Oooh!"

The Tous fiercely charged and clung to the man's eyes, and the hands and legs of the statue. While the Tous distracted the two, Seo Gangrim and Annaby retreated. However, the statue was blocking their way back to the fourth floor.

Time was running out, and using the Sealing Talisman now would be problematic. There was a high chance it would burn up. Furthermore, the flames enhanced the statue's power.

[Flame Earth Harmony is enhancing the statue!]

Fire strengthened earth. Like throwing a clay pot into the fire made it harder instead of breaking, this was a similar principle.

"Oooh!"

"Ooh!"

The Tous were being attacked mercilessly and flying away. They had been meant for stalling, which seemed working.

Seo Gangrim surveyed the situation and opened his mouth. "Do you still have talismans?"

"I do, but do you think using them now is a good idea in this situation?"

"Talismans are the most effective for capturing him alive. We just need to change the way we use them."

He quickly conveyed his plan to the two of them. Annaby's eyes sparkled upon hearing it. "It sounds like a good plan."

"..."

Kang Dohyeon didn't respond. His lack of objections implied agreement.

Now that the Tous were gone, Seo Gangrim acted quickly. "Then, I'll ask for what I mentioned earlier."

Annaby gestured, and the Tous returned. With the Tous no longer in the way, both of them turned their heads towards the humans. Seo Gangrim shouted to Linnie, "Linnie, use [Water Manipulation]!"

"Woong!"

[Water Manipulation is activated!]

Linnie pulled moisture from the air and created water droplets. There wasn't much moisture in the air due to the fire and there was also no water nearby, which limited the amount she could generate. Nevertheless, it was enough to extinguish the immediate flames.

-Shoaaah!

The water splashed, and the flames were momentarily subdued, but it was only temporary. In the meantime, the statue approached the three of them.

-Ka-kang!

Seo Gangrim blocked the sword strike. While he was able to block the attack, he could feel its strength even more clearly.

'It's definitely strong, but it's not unbeatable.'

Seo Gangrim's role was to buy time. While Kang Dohyeon and Annaby captured the man alive, he needed to divert the statue's attention. Although he couldn't defeat it, he could still hinder it.

-Kaang, kaawng!

The sounds of Seo Gangrim and the statue clashing rang out furiously. Amidst it all, Annaby and Kang Dohyeon stood before the man.

"Is it okay to leave it all to Seo Gangrim-ssi?"

"We have to capture him alive and join Seo Gangrim as quickly as possible. Let's hurry."

"Yes."

Kang Dohyeon once again took out a talisman from his pocket and sent it flying. However, before it could attach to its target, the man's fireball soared toward it, burning the talisman to ashes.

"This is why I don't like fire abilities."

To use the sealing talisman he had in mind, the talismans needed to be placed in four corners. The problem was that the man was systematically destroying the talismans one by one. Frustrated, Kang Dohyeon wielded his weapon and went on the offensive.

"In that case, I'm counting on you, Agent Annaby!"

"Yes!"

Before the sentence was even finished, Kang Dohyeon charged at the man with terrifying speed. The intensity of his attack seemed to catch the man off guard. However, Kang Dohyeon's attacks only targeted the man's legs, avoiding his vital areas like the heart or head. The man noticed this and smirked, then let out a roar.

"Aaargh!"

[Ability ‘■※’ activated!]

[Ability ‘#■?’ activated!]

As the man's abilities activated, Kang Dohyeon's body began to float. Controlling his own body became difficult, and it seemed like the man's body was unaffected by gravity as well.

"Damn, it seems to be gravity manipulation."

Kang Dohyeon moved slower, as if he were submerged in water. Additionally, the other abilities the man used enhanced his physical capabilities, making him even faster.

-Kwaang, kwaaah!

The man moved around as if he were a fish in water, attacking relentlessly. Kang Dohyeon found it challenging to defend himself against the onslaught.

"Kyyuh..."

Before he knew it, Kang Dohyeon's body was covered in numerous wounds, and blood was flowing profusely. The man, who had smelled the blood, licked his lips with his long tongue.

When Kang Dohyeon and the man locked eyes, the man grinned maliciously. Then, he lunged towards Kang Dohyeon.

"Annaby!"

Kang Dohyeon shouted her name, and from behind, Annaby, who had been waiting, sprang into action.

[Ability ‘Tow Manipulator’ activated!]

Simultaneously, something leaped down from above the column. It was an abundance of Tous.

"Ooot!"

Suddenly confronted by the Tous, the man appeared momentarily surprised. However, he quickly unleashed his attacks on the Tous. Some burned in the fire, some were sliced in half, and some floated in the air like Kang Dohyeon. None of the Tous' attacks reached the man. The man sneered triumphantly, until something caught his eye.

"Oooh!"

The Tous, who had been curled up, suddenly stretched out their bodies. Attached to their chests were talismans.

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