HACKED 96

“What is this, are you trying to team-kill in this situation? Have you lost your mind?”

The S-Class Hunter glared at <Chakho Gapsa> with eyes full of murderous intent. The polite speech he had been using—at least formally—when dealing with the other unit members had vanished without a trace at some point.

“No, no. It is a misunderstanding! I clearly saw the tiger…”

“Tiger my foot. If you’re going to make an excuse, make one that isn’t so shitty.”

The flustered <Chakho Gapsa> blinked his eyes. There was no one in his field of vision except for the S-Class Hunter. San Gun’s figure had vanished as if by magic.

“You’re just a launchpad organized here to give me buffs. If you can’t be helpful, you should at least not be a hindrance. Get lost. Before I harvest your dentures for good.”

Crunch.

“Ugh!”

The S-Class Hunter gritted his teeth and pulled out the arrow lodged in his chest. It wasn’t a fatal blow, but because it was a strike delivered with all of <Chakho Gapsa>’s might, the damage was considerable.

<Chakho Gapsa> watched the scene blankly. Then what on earth was that tiger that was talking to him just a moment ago? He felt as if he had been bewitched by a Dokkaebi.

‘…Dokkaebi?’

He hurriedly scanned the surroundings. Then, a bluish flame flickered in the empty air behind him and slid away. It was as if it were mocking him.

Only then did <Chakho Gapsa> realize what had happened and let out a hollow laugh.

“Damn it. A Dokkaebi has played a trick on me.”

The immunity to mental-type debuffs provided by his passive skill ‘Chakho Gapsa’ is strictly limited to ‘Tigers.’ Perhaps it was a mistake to rely on it so blindly.

Having flung the arrow away, the S-Class Hunter moved toward another location in a temper. Left alone, <Chakho Gapsa> steadied his equipment once more.

“Then where did that tiger go?”

<Chakho Gapsa> looked around, searching for the enemy he had missed.

In front of him, a stranger appeared. In complete contrast to San Gun, who was pitch-black as if draped in the night, this being was entirely pure white.

No, to be precise… it was a ‘being that should have been pure white but was no longer so.’ The sight of him covered in blood from head to toe was truly like a scene out of a nightmare.

“Don’t only look for the tiger; please look at this fox too.”

On his sharp nails, which protruded over a span long, blood and flesh were stuck messily. The opponent licked them with pleasure. An ecstatic smile hung on his blood-stained mouth.

Status Ailment: ‘A Thousand Livers’

: Feels an indiscriminate impulse to kill at random timings. This impulse cannot be resisted and does not disappear until 1,000 enemies have been killed. (Current kill count: 827)

At the library entrance a moment ago, and now in front of the Library Director’s office. The Gumiho moved with elusive speed.

What had he been doing until now? He had killed and killed again the hunting dogs that filled that vast library. He enjoyed the slaughter to his heart’s content, to the point of forgetting who he was or where he was and what he was doing.

The end of the atrocious massacre was chasing down and killing the white stag that was fleeing at the head of the hunting dogs.

However, even so.

Active Skill: ‘Fox, Oh Fox’

: What are you doing?

Designates the caster as the ‘Tagger’ and one enemy as the ‘Playmate.’ The moment the Tagger and Playmate are decided, both sides are unable to attempt evasion against each other’s attacks, and regardless of the current battlefield, they receive effects similar to mountainous terrain. The game cannot end until the Tagger declares the end of the play or one side withdraws from the battle.

“Would you like to play with me?”

It was still not enough.

˙✧˖°🎮 ⋆｡˚

Boom!

A roaring sound that shook the earth echoed. It was far too loud for a sound made by swords clashing.

Flames flared up from the S-Class Hunter’s magic sword that was in contact with San Gun’s blade. San Gun withdrew his sword before the flames could spread to him.

Clang!

And he swung his sword once more, even faster. Aiming for the opponent’s opening, more carefully.

He thought the attack had landed properly this time.

“Ugh!”

The Silver Grass Flower, who was dealing with the twins nearby, suddenly let out a groan. His side was sliced diagonally, and blood burst out.

Passive Skill: ‘Hiding Power in Plain Sight Meta’

: Hiding power to survive in a dying game.

Enemies do not easily perceive the caster, and the probability of evading enemy attacks increases. Attacks or debuffs from enemies directed at the caster are forcibly transferred to the nearest ally with a low probability.

Beating the low odds, the S-Class Hunter’s skill, ‘Hiding Power in Plain Sight Meta,’ had activated. The damage from the attack that had finally hit its mark was transferred to the Silver Grass Flower.

The S-Class Hunter glanced at the Silver Grass Flower. Even after seeing his comrade suffering from taking an attack intended for him, his sentiment was very simple.

‘Oh, thank god. I would’ve been screwed if I’d been hit.’

And he focused back on the enemy in front of him.

He was a 5-star, and this guy was also highly likely a 5-star. The stats as they felt were almost similar. It was a fight of who would make a mistake first, whose concentration would break first. He couldn’t be off guard for even a single moment.

“Where is the Compiler?”

The S-Class Hunter asked while clashing swords. San Gun didn’t even blink an eye and sneered.

“Would I say that with my own mouth? You airhead?”

“I have my ways of knowing even if you don’t tell me. He seems to be on this floor, right near here to be exact.”

“……”

“He must be quite incompetent. Having two precious 5-stars and yet just rolling them around like this. Is that why the number of Incarnations in this big Pantheon is only this many?”

“Shut up. Don’t run your mouth carelessly about my Master.”

“We’ll see if he’s truly incompetent or not when I actually see him later. That Compiler, I’m going to catch and kill him.”

At that moment, the expression vanished from San Gun’s face, which had been full of composure even while covered in injuries.

Screeeech!

The interlocking blades ground together, making a hair-raising sound. San Gun spoke slowly while half-gritting his teeth.

“Fuck. Just, shut up.”

So this is it, your weakness. The S-Class Hunter felt a base joy.

[<The Silver Grass Flower of the Warring States Period> has died and returned to a fragment of the narrative.]

However, that joy was short-lived as the number of unit members decreased by one more. It seemed the Silver Grass Flower, who had been struggling to block the twins’ attacks swarming from both sides, could no longer hold out.

Simultaneously with the Silver Grass Flower’s death, the S-Class Hunter’s body grew heavy. It was because the formation bonus that had been lending him strength had weakened.

Formation Bonus: ‘Hunter’s Pride’

: The fastest step will fall into the trap first, and the loudest roar will be silenced first.

Activates when all unit members possess the ‘Hunter’ trait. When facing enemies with Demon/Yokai/Ghost/Monster/Beast traits, all stats receive a weight, and an additional weight is granted when launching a preemptive strike by ambushing the enemy. The effect of the formation bonus increases as the number of unit members increases. (Current unit members: 2 people)

This formation bonus becomes more powerful as the number of unit members increases. Compared to the beginning when there were six members and the bonus was at its maximum, there were now only two. It was at a level where it might as well not exist.

‘That old man should have been the one to deal with this tiger.’

<Chakho Gapsa> is a specialist for hunting beasts, specifically tiger hunting. If he exerts 90% of his ability against other enemies, he exerts 300% against tigers. Since the enemy unit happened to have a prey called <Mountain Hero> that was a perfect matchup for him, not being able to put the two together was more than just a waste; it was a loss.

Of course, the enemy unit knows that fact too. That is why they are using all sorts of methods to keep the two apart.

If <Chakho Gapsa> gets even a little close to San Gun’s side, the Dokkaebi uses sorcery to delude his senses. If he gives up close combat and looks for an opportunity to attack from a distance, the sniper hiding in the darkness fires warning shots. On top of that, even the twins, who are now free after defeating the Silver Grass Flower, have joined in.

‘If only I had just one or two more unit members, I wouldn’t have been driven into a corner like this.’

Both health and stamina are gradually hitting bottom. The S-Class Hunter grew anxious.

He thought of a few options in his head, but none of them were suitable. Except for just one.

‘Should I use my ultimate?’

If he used his ultimate, he could certainly win. His ultimate is an invincible skill with no way to counter it. It is impossible to lose.

But what about after? After using his ultimate, he would be in a completely defenseless state. Would the lone <Chakho Gapsa> be able to properly clean up the aftermath?

However, it wasn’t as if there was any other sharp solution besides the ultimate. If <Chakho Gapsa> ran out of health and died like this… then truly everything would be in vain. Because there would be no comrade left to protect him while he was in a groggy state after using the ultimate.

‘In the end, this is the only way.’

The S-Class Hunter made up his mind.

Ultimate Skill: ‘Infinite Regression’

: The final weapon of an n-th time trash villain who sees the future is too strong.

An aura like flames flared up powerfully from his sword. The surroundings distorted like a heat haze.