ROAR!
The beast roared at Minho, its claws stretched out, reaching for his face.
Minho ducked with hands still in his pockets.
The Brazilian S-ranks and two other American hunters stared at Minho, awestruck. The speed at which it was moving, they wouldn't have lasted a minute without sustaining injuries.
But one of Korea's National Level Hunters, THE Lee Minho, was here messing with the same monster, with hands in his pocket.
"Did he even bring a weapon?" One asked.
"I heard he's a mage who specializes in fire magic and summoning, although I don't know what he summons."
"You're talking about weapons? Look at his dressing. No battle gear at all."
Minho could hear them but he didn't care about anything they were saying. His eyes were fixated on the monster's, as if trying to find something behind them.
The monster got fed up and started roaring and swiping its claws in fury.
"What are they planning?" Minho spoke to the monster.
It's eyes went wide as it realized it could understand Minho's words.
It paused for a moment before charging in at him. "Are you the new dragon?"
Minho's brow twitched. "Who the hell keeps telling all of you this shit?"
"So it is you?" the beast said, swiping at his torso.
Minho did a backflip and finally removed his hands from his pockets. "I'll ask again. What are they planning? I don't really care what your answer is. You're still going to die."
The monster sneered, raising its hands to smash Minho. "You think you can underestimate me, just because you beat a few—"
"I beat the shit out of your king or whatever you call that fool. You should be grateful dying by my blade."
Minho's dagger appeared in the air close to his hand. He hit the hilt, making it spin as he turned his body away from the monster's range.
Grabbing the dagger with his free hand, he cleaved a clean arc towards the monster's neck, and it took just a second for its head to fall off.
The S-ranks looked in awe. One strike. Just one, was all Minho needed to effortlessly decapitate the monster that almost killed them.
"I think it's weapons he summons," one said as they walked to him.
Without a word, Minho walked past them, walking towards the exit. He pointed at the mana crystals and said in English, "Take crystals out."
Then he stepped out.
He went past the dungeon where Reed was fighting with a monster and went to the other.
There he found a three horned beast with hair that blanketed its entire mighty frame and the rest of the American hunters.
It was about to bash the head of one of the hunters when a force drew it back, smashing it into a wall.
The hunters turned to see Minho, holding the hair on its back. His presence alone was enough to draw breaths of relief from them.
Christopher Reed had initially told them he fell into a pit full of monsters and couldn't come out, so they pretty much believed he was dead.
Minho saw their faces and noticed it mirrored that of the others when they first saw him. 'That bastard must have said I was dead, didn't he?' he thought.
The beast roared, trying turn, but Minho's grip and strength were on an entirely different league from its own.
Minho smashed it into the wall severally before flinging it upwards, which he still followed. Soaring above its approaching body, Minho stomped its face, sending it crashing back down.
In air, Minho felt a mana spike from Reed's cave and his expression hardened a little. "You've got to be kidding me."
He landed and realized it was still trying to get up. "I guess, I should be a little more serious with you," he muttered, his hands engulfing in flames as he charged at it, delivering a sickening blow to its chest.
The beast was sent flying. It burst into the wall and landed on the other side where Reed was.
Minho followed the new entrance and behind the dust cloud he could see flames scattered and a glowing figure in front of him.
He walked out of the dust to see a glowing one-eyed monster with flaming long orange hair.
The beast in front of the one-eyed monster was about to get up, but a beam of fire from one-eye turned it to ash.
One-eye then stepped forward, walking towards Minho. "You've done enough."
"My my, a mere vessel like you using spiritual body manifestation? How cute. That look on your face… you want to fight me, one-eye?" Minho's eyes became slits as he smiled.
From the back, the hunters whispered,
"Is that Hunter Reed?"
"I think so."
"Yes, it is."
Minho looked around at the fires that seemed like they wouldn't die anytime soon, and with a snap of his finger, they all fizzled out. "Don't burn the crystals, mm?"
Without warning, Reed attacked Minho as he was looking away, but there was no difference. Whatever direction he chose to come from, even from behind, Minho would have seen it.
Minho dodged and let Reed fly harmlessly past him. His brows did go up in surprise. Not because of the attack, but the flames. They were actually hotter than expected.
Understandable for a Ruler's vessel.
Minho still had no intentions of fighting with Reed for both personal and public reasons. All that was in his mind right now was killing those bastard Monarchs.
Right now, he had all rights to fight him, since the hunters already saw that he was being attacked, but he didn't want to. Not until—
One of the hunters who had worked with Christopher Reed for a long time spoke up. "Hunter Reed, what are you doing? That's Hunter Lee—"
Before he could complete it, he was burnt to ash by Reed himself. "Shut up," he said.
The Brazilian S-ranks and the two Americans from the other dungeon also caught this act as they just walked in.
Minho frowned. On second thoughts, he would enjoy whatever gifts that came with beating a Ruler's vessel.
Reed's eye turned just in time to see Minho charging at him, but immediately he turned, Minho was gone.
Now behind him, Minho grabbed Reed's hair and flung him far away from the hunters.
Reed skidded to a halt, gritting his teeth. He went after Minho and was met halfway.
His speed came as a surprise to Minho as a punch snapped his head to the side. However, this earned him a smile. "My my, this is fun." Minho laughed.
The laughter mid-fight scared the hunters more than Reed with his new form.
Minho punched Reed on the face, causing him to skid back a few feet.
Minho's hands engulfed in flames and so did Reed's. Both hunters started to exchange blows, sending a number of immensely hot shockwaves through the entire dungeon.
When the finally came apart, the hunters could see minor bruises on Minho's face and his clothes were burnt.
However, Reed's form had numerous cracks that emitted steam, his breathing ragged.
Minho's smile was still intact and he shouted at Reed. "Come on you one-eyed bastard. Are you tired already?!"
Enraged by Minho's yell, even if he couldn't understand it, Reed roared. His body exploded in flames, flaring up as the mana density in the dungeon increased. So did the heat.
The heat was starting to scorch the skin of the other hunters and they had to run out, but it didn't matter how far they got. The heat kept on increasing.
Minho's smile disappeared as he realized how serious this was getting.
Reed was still roaring when his eye widened as a hand covered his mouth, gripping onto his face with a force that made his jaw crack.
Minho walked into the flame with glowing crimson eyes. "Yo, that's enough."
Reed felt his body get off the floor, and with a sickening thud, he got smashed into the ground.
When he opened his eyes, he could see Minho's silhouetted form towering over him with what seemed to be a dagger and two crimson dots in place for eyes.
He tried moving but he couldn't. His eyes went down to his hands. They were a normal humans, but badly burnt.
He had exhausted his stamina and ran out of mana completely to even maintain his monster form. He thought he could win, but that was a delusion the man in front of him forced his mind to make.
In reality, he never did stand a chance. He scoffed and closed his eyes as Minho raised his hand and leaned in.
With a swift motion, Minho slit his throat.
[Achievement! Defeated a Ruler's vessel!
- Rewards:
• Level up x2 (Level 95)]
Minho didn't waste time in doing the one thing he wanted to try. Absorbing Reed's core.
As the mana from Reed's core entered Minho's body, he felt a scorching heat in his chest, but it was bearable.
The system screen flashed immediately.
[Are you sure you want to add a Ruler's power to your core?]
Minho hesitated for a second, but then he shrugged. "Yes," he said.
[Achievement! Absorbed a Ruler's power!
- Rewards:
• Level up x2 (Level 97)
• All Stats boosted
• New Skill: Undying Flames
• Skill Merge: Destructive Flames X Undying Flames
• New Skill: Flames of Unending Destruction]
Minho read through the messages, but the last piqued his interest.
[• New Skill: Ruler's Authority]