Chapter 31: Calamity: Unknown

“I-It’s absurd to face that m-monster, w-w need to r-run.”

“Shut up!”

The spellcaster hunter didn’t have any courage left facing the vengeance spirit. His left arm was injured, which came from a blast of simple exchange between the combat hunter and Etherzalle.

Just that alone was enough to inflict the horror of death in the spellcaster hunter’s mind.

On the other hand, the combat hunter rejected the idea of running away. He knew it was useless to escape against such a creature that didn’t even get any scratch in that risky encounter. That monster was only playing around by not killing them quickly.

Surely, Etherzalle could kill them faster. But, why do an unnecessary thing to end her pleasure? If she could keep continuing to play with the hunters.

Fufufu–

“Human. The road to hell is not easy. You need to suffer first.”

Etherzalle’s wicked smile showed up after scaring them with her words.

The spellcaster hunter’s legs felt limp hearing the speeches. It made him collapse to the ground, shivering with fear.

The combat hunters shouted on the side that was not far from the spellcaster. “Don’t surrender!”

Tep–

Etherzalle instantly appeared in front of the combat hunter, attacking him with her left hand.

Degh–

Fortunately, Etherzalle’s claws were successfully get blocked with the hunter Battle Axe.

“Not bad. To be able to stop my hand.”

Fufufu–

Etherzalle swiftly maneuvered the Crescent Moon weapon to stab the combat hunter’s neck.

The combat hunter gasped as the weapon was coming at the blind spot on his left. He couldn’t pull the Battle Axe out of Etherzalle’s grip to block the Crescent Moon weapon that was reaching him.

Then…,

“Magic of Ice, Frozen Cage!”

Ziing–

Neither Etherzalle nor the combat hunter expected the appearance of a pillar of ice, which simultaneously froze the hand and the crescent moon weapon, thus stopping the charge.

Etherzalle shifted her face to the left side and squinted her eyes. She looked toward the shaking spellcaster hunter that had just cast the magic spell on her.

The combat hunter saw the opportunity to break off from the shackle. He immediately took action.

“Battle Counter!”

The ability could propel those that close to the owner through the Battle Axe’s rotating slash motion. Usually, it got used to knocking back the horde.

Woohng–

Etherzalle was surprised that her grasp got forcefully released.

However, even that counter-attack managed to release the pressure on the hunter. It still wasn’t enough to injure Etherzalle at all.

Since Etherzalle disappeared, the moment the Battle Axe almost smashed her.

The hunters were taken by surprise, seeing Etherzalle gone from their sight.

“Where is it!”

Both of the hunters looked around them to find Etherzalle whereabouts.

“Behind.”

The combat hunter was terrified after hearing Etherzalle’s voice. He instinctively swung his Battle Axe to the back.

Zhruuk–

Before the combat hunter could turn his body, Etherzalle’s left hand had already thrust his heart from behind.

Uhagh–

The combat hunter coughed while bleeding from his mouth. Finally, he did not have any more strength to hold his artifact weapon, the Battle Axe, and let it fall to the ground.

Dang!

On the other side, the spellcaster hunter put down his resistance and left his fate to Etherzalle. He sat resignedly watching the other hunter die.

There was nothing the spellcaster hunter could do right there. He only hoped that the Hunters’ reinforcements were on standby in the city. Ready to fight these creatures from the dungeon later.

Etherzalle wanted to pull her left hand out from the combat hunter’s body. Instead, it was stuck and couldn’t get out.

The combat hunter held Etherzalle’s left hand with both of his hands. He was not letting her go.

“Still have the tenacity to fight me? What a waste.”

Etherzalle slightly shook her right arm to break the ice pillar, which was freezing the hand.

Treek–

Swoosh, Zret–

Etherzalle slashed the head of the combat hunter with Crescent Moon’s weapon. Then, taking off her left hand.

“You.”

Etherzalle then stared at the spellcaster hunter after throwing away the headless corpse.

“You spoil my fun. Then, let’s kill you too.”

Etherzalle walked casually to the spellcaster hunter that didn’t move at all. He just sat there with his head down, hopelessly.

“It’s time to massacre the humans in that earlier place. Since all the obstacles here are gone now.”

When Etherzalle approached the spellcaster hunter, it seemed like there was a commotion going on behind her.

There was a Hellhound that was running fast as if being chased by the god of death.

Even the spellcaster hunter lifted his head and tried to take a look.

“What’s this ruckus?”

Etherzalle couldn’t help and shift her gaze too.

Both the spellcaster hunter and Etherzalle were dumbfounded at what was happening before their eyes.

Iing, Ieingg–

Tep, Teep–

They saw the Hellhounds dashed in all directions frantically in a terrified state. It was unimaginable the hundreds of Hellhounds retreating in that kind of manner.

Etherzalle wrinkled her forehead.

“Come… Back…!”

She spoke in a low voice, but it filled with exasperation. She was also confused by the reason. What could terrify the Hellhounds like that?

The spellcaster hunter puzzled too and had thought whether other hunters had reached the city and came to the Red Gate.

What made those Hellhounds run in horror?

On the other hand, amidst the chaotic scene, which caught the attention of the spellcaster hunter and Etherzalle. A human silhouette emerged from there, seemingly dragging the helpless Hellhound with its hand. As if answering their confusion over the cause of the Hellhounds’ fear.

“Tsk, they run away now.”

That human was Kim Ji-woo. He clicked his tongue, lamenting the reality was not what he expected it to be. He appeared in a white shirt that had turned red, drenched in the bloodshed from the Hellhounds.

It might be like someone who slaughtered hundreds of Hellhounds based on the blood. But in truth, Ji-woo had only killed a bunch of Hellhounds on his way.

It was the way Ji-woo killed the Hellhounds that made blood splatter all over his clothes. His cruel act of tearing apart the Hellhound with only his bare hands might be the reason that terrified the beasts.

The spellcaster hunter didn’t understand why a mere human could be there nonchalantly. On top of that, he held the Hellhound in his hand.

‘Who is he? Is that blood all over his body?’

In fact, the spellcaster hunter couldn’t sense any Mana from Ji-woo, as well as the ordinary attire. It made him doubt that Ji-woo was a hunter from the beginning.

Ji-woo, after looking left and right at the surroundings. Instantly destroyed the Hellhound head with his hand.

Creekk, Busshh–

Actually, Ji-woo wanted to kill all of the Hellhounds on the spot. However, the plan became useless as the Hellhounds scattered in all directions.

No matter how fast Ji-woo was, he couldn’t catch all of them at once. If he chased the beasts one by one, it would take a long time.

So, Ji-woo abandoned the idea of exterminating the Hellhounds and instead focused on the creature that could be the key to closing the Red Gate.

“How dare you, human!”

Etherzalle was enraged seeing the Hellhounds got killed.

Ji-woo heard those words and turned his attention toward the origin of the voice.

Etherzalle let out her Mana Presence to show Ji-woo the difference between their powers.

Ji-woo was unfazed by something like that. No matter how much Mana Presence the others had, it would be useless in front of him.

“Killing you is as easy as squeezing the ants, human.”

Etherzalle walked toward Ji-woo, closing the distance. Even though she wanted to kill him, she didn’t want to rush it.

Every step Etherzalle took had enough strength to leave a trail on the ground. If ordinary humans were anywhere near that power, they would get knocked down.

Ji-woo, who saw it all, just looked at Etherzalle with his icy cold gaze, natural placid expression.

Tek–

Out of nowhere, Etherzalle halted her step abruptly. Her eyes now show a glimpse of fear. After a moment, she glared at Ji-woo fiercely.

‘He doesn’t have any Mana on him and is full of openings too. Yet my instinct, blaring a danger signal at me!’

“WHAT ARE YOU?”

Ji-woo tilted his head at the weird question. But also find it amusing. So far, he never thought of his existence as something else other than a human.

And someone asked him, what was he?

Ji-woo smiled subtly. “Well… Just a human?” He answered while shrugging.

“You…!”

Etherzalle couldn’t believe it. How could she, the vengeance spirit, get frightened to death by a human.

She stopped her Mana Presence and used Mana to channel her full strength.

Black smoke covered Etherzalle’s entire body.

Haaa!

Etherzalle roared and made the area around her shake. She then slammed her left-hand fist onto the ground.

Dagoom–

“Dark Space!”

Shadows surfaced and spread from Etherzalle’s feet. It extends far, reaching Ji-woo in front and the spellcaster hunter in her back.

A cold shiver went down the spellcaster hunter spines that were inside the shadows range. The Dark Space made him lose all of his five senses. He felt miserable and despaired. In the end, he passed out not long after.

Etherzalle smirked. It was her trump card. An area that could make her enemy blind completely. Becoming an easy target to be killed by her.

“I shall bring an end to your magic.”

“Impossible!”

Ji-woo’s voice and his fine condition startled Etherzalle.