Chapter 57: Test Of The Constellations (4)
The second Constellation Trial followed imdiately.
Thinking it better to do it sooner rather than later, Kang-hoo didnt hesitate to proceed.
With the imdiate continuation to the second trial, the number of observing Constellations increased by 50%.
The stakes have really gone up.
The more Constellations watching, the better.
Even if he could appeal to just one or two, it would be a gain.
[Eliminate the monster 'Dinato'.]
Hmm?
The instruction for the second Constellation Trial was too simple compared to the first.
What kind of creature was Dinato that the ssage was so brief?
At that mont, Kang-hoo saw a colorful, shimring silhouette materialize out of thin air.
It wasnt humanoid like the Plazgelum he had faced before.
The monster was massive, easily surpassing the size of a 15-story apartnt building.
Kang-hoos lips curled slightly.
He had expected the Dinsion Plunderer to assign a challenging mission, but this was an unexpected twist.
Facing a giant monster was a whole different ball ga from his previous battles.
Especially for assassins who rely on close combat, confronting such a large creature was daunting.
One wrong move and he could be crushed to death.
Considering the upcoming Hell of Judgnt raid, this might be necessary practice.
He tried to see the positive side.
There was a major event led by the Jeonghwa Guild coming up soon.
The Hell of Judgnt raid.
A massive 1,000-person raid, the only one to hire rcenaries from outside.
Designed as a gigantic dungeon, it featured nurous mid-level bosses and many secret terrains.
Creatures like Dinato were common there. It wouldnt hurt to have this experience in advance.
Of course, the only issue was that this wasnt just practice but a life-risking Constellation Trial.
[Your fourth privilege from
as your contractor will be linked upon completion of this trial.]
Are you trying to provoke ?
[Haha. It's not ant to cause alarm. It's just that I can't grant the privilege beforehand.]
You really are mischievous.
Kang-hoo gripped his Blood Dew dagger in reverse. The thod to combat such a monster was surprisingly straightforward:
Avoid unnecessary scouting and aim directly for the head by climbing the creatures body.
Stabbing the thick ankle, thigh, or torso with a dagger would be futile.
A fatal blow to a humanoid could be a re scratch to a monster.
Hence, aiming for the head, the main control tower, was essential.
Even monsters with steel-like skin didnt have equally tough brains.
Crunch!
He chewed on a Mad Solarkium.
Only three were left.
He had already used half of the six he obtained from Ground Zero.
They were difficult to acquire, yet quickly consud.
But given the effects of Mad Solarkium were significantly stronger than regular Solarkium,
Kang-hoo decided to use this advantage strategically.
It was precisely for monts like this that he had acquired the Mad Solarkium.
Roar!
Dinato, having spotted Kang-hoo, began to move its house-sized foot.
The sky seed almost covered by the vast and heavy foot, leaving Kang-hoo no ti to think otherwise.
A counterattack? An absurd choice.
He had to avoid it at all costs.
Who would think to stop or counter a falling car from the sky?
Dinatos foot was just like that.
Swoosh!
Leaping backward to create distance and then propelling forward, Kang-hoo secured his first position.
He planted his dagger into Dinatos calf.
Now, he climbed like ascending a rock wall, thodically making his way up Dinatos body.
The problem was that Dinato was no fool.
Noticing Kang-hoo in an annoying spot, Dinato began to move its other foot, trying to brush him off like scratching an itch.
Damn.
Kang-hoo withdrew his dagger from Dinatos calf and slid diagonally, opting for a strategic retreat over a reckless advance.
[The Constellation 'Strategist of the Wilderness' nodded in approval of your cautious evasion.]
[So Constellations assessed your rapid and excellent strategic decision-making consecutively.]
The response from the Constellations was positive, even though it wasnt a grand performance.
Theres no rush.
This sudden thought led Kang-hoo to change his approach to the Constellation Trial.
If he was confident he could kill Dinato without facing significant danger, why not mix in a bit of drama while combating the monster?
Opportunities to display ones capabilities in front of nurous Constellations are rare.
In fact, its a special situation only provided during Constellation Trials.
Otherwise, most Constellations only focus on their areas of interest.
With so many Hunters in the world, not all Constellations could focus on Kang-hoo.
Thus, he thought it best to add more dramatic elents to this mont.
Despite the life-threatening nature of a Constellation Trial, this thought made him even bolder.
Yeah, definitely crazy.
A smirk escaped him.
He wondered if this was a side effect of the Mad Solarkium, feeling too calm, perhaps even fearlessly foolish.
Since the path upward was clear, as long as he could avoid Dinatos checks, it seed feasible.
The first check using the opposite foot was slower than Kang-hoo had anticipated.
Swoosh!
He plunged the Blood Dew back into Dinatos body.
Sighing deeply, he began to climb again.
Two steps forward, one step back.
A lesson in the art of patience, essential to reach the monsters head.
Throughout the climb, Kang-hoo skillfully handled unexpected challenges while ascending Dinato.
For instance, when passing near Dinatos groin, a parasitic creature suddenly appeared.
It was a giant centipede, the size of a human, living off the monsters body.
Thanks to his long-range strike skill, like Lightning Speed, dealing with it wasnt an issue.
A typical assassin would have found a ranged response impossible.
But for Kang-hoo, it was a feasible strategy, eliminating the need for dangerous close combat.
Thus, Kang-hoo quickly neutralized the uncertainties.
He deliberately crafted and evaded crises, rapidly increasing the interest and tension among the observing Constellations.
Most Constellations granted only a modest amount of stellar energy as sponsorship, insignificant to them but aningful for Kang-hoo.
This spare change sponsorship cumulated into a substantial buff.
The experience bonus from the second trial alone amounted to 55%.
Experience bonuses might seem trivial at the mont, but over ti, they accumulate to significant growth.
The growth rate of a Hunter with a 100% bonus is drastically different from that of one without any bonuses.
While the difference might seem small over a day or two, over a year or two, it becos imnse.
Keep the sponsorships coming. Why save your spare change?
Confident, Kang-hoo continued his ascent, performing various stunts on Dinatos body.
He feigned falling into danger, narrowly avoiding Dinatos attacks.
While every situation seed close, Kang-hoo had ample leeway within.
[The Constellation 'Strategist of the Wilderness' expends a large amount of stellar energy to grant you a substantial buff.]
[Experience Increase
15%]
Good.
Kang-hoo felt imnse satisfaction seeing the experience buffs continuously accumulate.
The Strategist of the Wilderness, like others who began substantial sponsorships, granted significant buffs.
The total experience bonus Kang-hoo had accumulated reached
150%.
Where another Hunter would gain 10 experience points from the sa monster, Kang-hoo would gain 25.
For Kang-hoo, specialized in monopolizing, a 150% bonus was more than just a number.
In the anti,
Kuhuh. Kuhuh. Kuhuh.
Kang-hoo had reached the area near Dinatos Adams apple.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
As two hands targeted him, Kang-hoo easily evaded with a lateral move.
I can handle a monster of this caliber.
He had set his own estimate.
If the monster wasnt agile, Kang-hoo could handle it with his abilities.
However, if the monsters movents or reactions improved by even 20%, it would beco significantly more challenging.
All this was possible thanks to Kang-hoos acceleration skill, which allowed him to push his body to the limit for maximum speed.
Without acceleration, Kang-hoo was sure he would have been disard by now.
Then,
Swoosh!
Kang-hoo leaped powerfully from near the Adams apple, vanishing into Dinatos nostrils without hesitation.
For Dinato, this was the beginning of a complete nightmare.
A filthy space, yet a critical vulnerability.
Kang-hoo rcilessly sliced through the nostrils, tore out the eyes, severed the nerves, and dug into the soft brain.
No matter how gigantic, a monster couldnt withstand having its brain thoroughly mangled.
Groooar
Thus, Dinato, reduced to Kang-hoos plaything for the Constellations entertainnt, breathed its last.
Contrary to the Dinsion Plunderers expectation of a struggle,
Kang-hoo, using a combination of his nurous skills, easily overca the monster.
[Not bad at all.]
The Dinsion Plunderers brief but intense ssage was conveyed.
Although it seed like a minor comnt, Kang-hoo knew it was significant praise and recognition from her.
This is nothing,
he shrugged.
Had he expected to fail, he wouldnt have taken the challenge in the first place.
He was always confident, just short of 100% sure. After all, 99.9% isnt considered perfect.
[When we ran a preliminary test, the survival rate for this trial was 15%. Yet you succeeded.]
Hearing this from the Dinsion Plunderer, Kang-hoo was montarily puzzled.
?
A test calculated to be nearly fatal, given to him?
He had always thought her mischievous, but this was extre.
Her words didnt seem like a joke.
The Dinsion Plunderer.
Could she have been planning to kill him?
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