Chapter 57: Test Of The Constetions (4)
The second Constetion Trial followed immediately.
Thinking it better to do it sooner rather thanter, Kang-hoo didnt hesitate to proceed.
With the immediate continuation to the second trial, the number of observing Constetions increased by 50%.
The stakes have really gone up.
The more Constetions 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 Constetion Trial was too simplepared to the first.
What kind of creature was Dinato that the message was so brief?
At that moment, Kang-hoo saw a colorful, shimmering silhouette materialize out of thin air.
It wasnt humanoid like the zgelum he had faced before.
The monster was massive, easily surpassing the size of a 15-story apartment building.
Kang-hoos lips curled slightly.
He had expected the Dimension Plunderer to assign a challenging mission, but this was an unexpected twist.
Facing a giant monster was a whole different ball game from his previous battles.
Especially for assassins who rely on closebat, confronting such arge creature was daunting.
One wrong move and he could be crushed to death.
Considering the uing Hell of Judgment raid, this might be necessary practice.
He tried to see the positive side.
There was a major event led by the Jeonghwa Guilding up soon.
The Hell of Judgment raid.
A massive 1,000-person raid, the only one to hire mercenaries from outside.
Designed as a gigantic dungeon, it featured numerous mid-level bosses and many secret terrains.
Creatures like Dinato weremon 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 Constetion Trial.
[Your fourth privilege from me as your contractor will be linked uponpletion of this trial.]
Are you trying to provoke me?
[Haha. It''s not meant to cause rm. 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 method tobat 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 mere 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 Srkium.
Only three were left.
He had already used half of the six he obtained from Ground Zero.
They were difficult to acquire, yet quickly consumed.
But given the effects of Mad Srkium were significantly stronger than regr Srkium,
Kang-hoo decided to use this advantage strategically.
It was precisely for moments like this that he had acquired the Mad Srkium.
Roar!
Dinato, having spotted Kang-hoo, began to move its house-sized foot.
The sky seemed almost covered by the vast and heavy foot, leaving Kang-hoo no time 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 nted his dagger into Dinatos calf.
Now, he climbed like ascending a rock wall, methodically 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 Constetion ''Strategist of the Wilderness'' nodded in approval of your cautious evasion.]
[Some Constetions assessed your rapid and excellent strategic decision-making consecutively.]
The response from the Constetions was positive, even though it wasnt a grand performance.
Theres no rush.
This sudden thought led Kang-hoo to change his approach to the Constetion Trial.
If he was confident he could kill Dinato without facing significant danger, why not mix in a bit of drama whilebating the monster?
Opportunities to disy ones capabilities in front of numerous Constetions are rare.
In fact, its a special situation only provided during Constetion Trials.
Otherwise, most Constetions only focus on their areas of interest.
With so many Hunters in the world, not all Constetions could focus on Kang-hoo.
Thus, he thought it best to add more dramatic elements to this moment.
Despite the life-threatening nature of a Constetion 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 Srkium, feeling too calm, perhaps even fearlessly foolish.
Since the path upward was clear, as long as he could avoid Dinatos checks, it seemed 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.<hr>
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 closebat.
Thus, Kang-hoo quickly neutralized the uncertainties.
He deliberately crafted and evaded crises, rapidly increasing the interest and tension among the observing Constetions.
Most Constetions granted only a modest amount of ster energy as sponsorship, insignificant to them but meaningful for Kang-hoo.
This spare change sponsorship cumted into a substantial buff.
The experience bonus from the second trial alone amounted to 55%.
Experience bonuses might seem trivial at the moment, but over time, they umte 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 bes immense.
Keep the sponsorshipsing. 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 seemed close, Kang-hoo had ample leeway within.
[The Constetion ''Strategist of the Wilderness'' expends arge amount of ster energy to grant you a substantial buff.]
[Experience Increase +15%]
Good.
Kang-hoo felt immense satisfaction seeing the experience buffs continuously umte.
The Strategist of the Wilderness, like others who began substantial sponsorships, granted significant buffs.
The total experience bonus Kang-hoo had umted reached +150%.
Where another Hunter would gain 10 experience points from the same monster, Kang-hoo would gain 25.
For Kang-hoo, specialized in monopolizing, a 150% bonus was more than just a number.
In the meantime,
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 ateral 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 movements or reactions improved by even 20%, it would be significantly more challenging.
All this was possible thanks to Kang-hoos eleration skill, which allowed him to push his body to the limit for maximum speed.
Without eleration, Kang-hoo was sure he would have been disarmed 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 aplete nightmare.
A filthy space, yet a critical vulnerability.
Kang-hoo mercilessly 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 ything for the Constetions entertainment, breathed itsst.
Contrary to the Dimension Plunderers expectation of a struggle,
Kang-hoo, using abination of his numerous skills, easily overcame the monster.
[Not bad at all.]
The Dimension Plunderers brief but intense message was conveyed.
Although it seemed like a minorment, 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 ce.
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 seeded.]
Hearing this from the Dimension Plunderer, Kang-hoo was momentarily puzzled.
?
A test calcted to be nearly fatal, given to him?
He had always thought her mischievous, but this was extreme.
Her words didnt seem like a joke.
The Dimension Plunderer.
Could she have been nning to kill him?