The ash-gray insects crawling across the ground disappeared into the cracks between the rocks all at once.
Chae-ho stopped the step he was about to take and sharpened his awareness of the airflow.
Over the dungeon's usual damp cave smell, a disgusting stench like a mixture of blood and exhaust fumes began spreading.
The data provided by the Association contained no information about a monster that produced such a smell.
He immediately lowered his stance and hid behind a massive pile of rocks.
Holding the sword handle while calming his breathing, he turned his gaze.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the other side of the dark cave.
THUD.
THUD.
The quality of the vibration shaking the ground was different from the footsteps of an ordinary beast.
After a moment, its figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
Chae-ho narrowed his eyes.
A massive creature walking on two legs.
Its long arms and hunched back resembled the typical form of a troll.
But that was where the similarity ended.
Its body was far larger than a normal Grade D Troll, and most importantly, its entire skin had swollen grotesquely and hardened like black stone.
A mutated individual.
The heavy threat it emitted was on an entirely different level from the Ratmen he had faced earlier.
Just from its size and muscle mass alone, it was already approaching the level of a low-grade Grade C monster.
He had no idea why something like this was hiding inside a stable Grade D dungeon, but he had no time to worry about that now.
'Let's go back.'
Chae-ho did not draw his sword recklessly, swept up by pride.
He quickly organized the current situation in his mind.
He had only come here to test his fundamentals and practical application of the skill.
There was no reason to risk his life fighting a monster outside the expected standard.
Retreating whenever things became dangerous was his rule.
He retraced the path he had taken.
The shortest route directly to the entrance, passing by the collapsed stalactite pillar at the third intersection.
If he quietly withdrew now, he could leave the dungeon without being noticed.
He carefully stepped backward.
But then the Mutated Troll changed direction and began moving slowly.
When Chae-ho confirmed where it was heading, his steps stopped again.
It was not moving deeper into the cave.
It was walking toward the outside where the exit was located.
If he left it alone, the monster would soon reach the entrance of the dungeon.
This was a stable Grade D gate that allowed entry for one to four people.
Beginner Hunters like him who entered for personal training, or low-level Hunters who had just formed parties to gain experience, could enter at any time.
Chae-ho recalled the appearance of his old party.
Support personnel like himself, who handled porter duties and rear positions, had no way to defend themselves if the frontline collapsed.
If a monster at the level of this C Grade creature started rampaging in a narrow passage, they would not even have the chance to escape.
They would become nothing more than a pool of blood.
His gaze lowered to his sword.
First, he checked his stamina.
Although he had dealt with the Ratman group, he was neither out of breath nor exhausted.
Next, he estimated his remaining skill time.
Against a creature with such a large body, if he only analyzed its trajectory and weaknesses, the remaining time was enough to handle it by using the skill only during brief moments.
'I can do this.'
This was not a reckless gamble.
It was a calculated decision based on clear evidence.
With his fundamentals and perfectly controlled combat sense, breaking through the weakness of that massive body was entirely possible.
Chae-ho quietly stepped out from behind the rock where he had been hiding.
Even the faint sound of gravel underfoot made the Mutated Troll stop.
The creature twisted its thick neck and turned toward him.
Savage killing intent flashed from its bloodshot eyes.
"Where are you going?"
Chae-ho stood in front of it with his sword hanging loosely.
***
Kwoooaaah!
The Mutated Troll released a roar so loud it seemed to tear his ears apart.
Sharp fragments of stone rained down from the cave ceiling.
Drool hanging from its mouth, the creature raised a fist as large as a house and charged straight toward him.
Every time its massive feet crushed the ground, a powerful vibration traveled up through Chae-ho's feet.
Despite its enormous size, the speed of its charge was incredibly fast.
It had the force of a tank crashing forward.
But Chae-ho did not retreat.
He waited for the moment the creature's shoulder muscles expanded to their limit.
'Time Deceleration.'
The switch inside his mind flipped.
Every movement in the world slowed as if submerged in thick water.
Kuuuuuu—
The Mutated Troll's enraged roar stretched into a strange sound like a suffering beast.
Within the calm field of vision, Chae-ho examined every part of its body.
Its right shoulder pulled far backward.
Its waist twisting.
Its thick calf muscles swelling as if they would burst.
The attack was a wide swing from right to left.
With that trajectory, when the full force reached the fist, its center of gravity would lean excessively forward.
The creature's skin hardened like stone seemed nearly impossible to damage with ordinary blades.
But no armor had no weakness.
The inside of the knee joint and the area below the collarbone where the neck connected were less hardened.
Thin sections of exposed reddish flesh remained there.
After confirming the weak points, Chae-ho immediately canceled the skill.
Tap.
The world returned to normal speed.
At the same time, a fist carrying a terrifying explosive sound flew toward his head.
Meeting it head-on with strength would be foolish.
Chae-ho slightly lowered his upper body and shifted half a step to the left.
Whoosh!
The fist passed by, creating a gust of wind that violently disturbed his hair.
The enormous force that struck empty air caused the Troll's heavy body to lean forward.
The exact instant when it pushed strength into its thick legs to regain balance.
Chae-ho's foot kicked off the ground.
His body slipped beside the creature's enormous leg.
At the same time, his sword rose from below and precisely cut through the thin skin behind its knee.
Squelch!
A disgusting sensation followed as black blood sprayed out like a fountain.
"Kwoooaah!"
He had not forced his way through its hardened bones or stone-like skin.
It was a precise strike that severed the weakest connection between its tendons and muscles.
The Troll lost balance from the pain.
It began wildly swinging its arms and smashing the surrounding stone walls.
CRASH!
BOOM!
Rocks scattered in every direction, and dust rose violently.
But Chae-ho's gaze did not waver even slightly.
***
He did not force himself closer.
Instead, he circled through the blind spots where the creature's fists could not reach.
The more it lost reason and swung wildly, the more obvious its trajectories became and the larger its openings grew.
Even without activating the skill, Chae-ho could clearly predict its next movement.
He lightly knocked away flying rock fragments with the flat of his sword and closed the distance.
The moment the creature crossed its arms again and slammed both fists into the ground, Chae-ho did not retreat.
Instead, he rushed directly into its range.
CRASH!
As both fists struck the ground and created a massive crater, Chae-ho cut down the other knee joint without hesitation.
Slish!
"Kuaaagh!"
With the tendons in both legs severed, the Mutated Troll could no longer support its enormous body.
With cracking sounds, its legs bent at unnatural angles.
Like a massive tree collapsing, it dropped to its knees.
The ground shook heavily.
The creature's head dropped as it released rough breaths.
Chae-ho did not miss that brief opening.
He stepped onto the kneeling creature's thigh and lightly jumped.
His sword, suspended in the air, shot toward the softer area beneath the Troll's neck where the collarbone connected.
Squelch!
The blade sank deep until only the handle remained visible.
It was a strike that avoided the hard bone and pierced the vital point precisely.
Dark red blood poured from the Troll's mouth.
Chae-ho twisted the handle firmly, completely cutting off its breath, then kicked against the creature's chest and landed lightly from the recoil.
THUD.
The moment his feet touched the ground, the enormous body collapsed and stopped moving.
The unpleasant sense of danger filling the dungeon disappeared instantly.
Chae-ho quietly looked down at the blood pooling on the ground.
A heavy impact still remained in his hand.
But his heartbeat remained calmly steady.
He was not even breathing heavily.
He had defeated a monster practically reaching the level of a low-grade Grade C creature alone.
And he had not done it through brute force or overwhelming firepower.
He had achieved it purely through reaction speed and precise exploitation of weaknesses.
The amount of skill time he had used to defeat the massive monster was only the brief instant spent analyzing its initial charge.
Chae-ho strongly shook the thick blood from his sword blade.
"Good."
With a short mutter, he slid his sword back into the sheath.
Click.
The crisp sound echoed through the now silent cave.