Do-Yoon slowly stepped backward.
His eyes never left the gigantic monster standing before him.
Bloodluv.
A Zentornt-ranked monster.
A creature far beyond his level.
The giant beast stood between broken trees while breathing heavily through its massive jaws. Hot air escaped its mouth like smoke while its glowing crimson eyes remained locked onto Do-Yoon's body.
Watching.
Hunting.
Waiting.
Its claws slowly dragged across the ground, leaving deep marks in the dirt.
SCRRRRRK…
Even standing still, the monster radiated terrifying pressure.
The air itself felt heavier around it.
Do-Yoon swallowed quietly.
"…Yeah."
"I'm absolutely cooked."
Normally—
He would already be running away.
Actually—
Any sane human being would run instantly.
But there was one tiny problem.
There was nowhere to run.
His teammates disappeared mysteriously.
The forest stretched endlessly in every direction.
And Bloodluv had already chosen him as prey.
Do-Yoon slowly exhaled.
His tired eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Guess dying peacefully isn't an option anymore."
A strange calmness slowly settled inside him.
Fear still existed.
Of course it did.
Only idiots felt no fear in front of something like this.
But strangely—
He wasn't panicking anymore.
Maybe because he had already experienced too much recently.
Maybe because his life kept throwing insanity at him nonstop.
Or maybe—
Somewhere deep inside—
He had started changing.
Do-Yoon slowly raised both hands.
Then—
Bright crimson energy spread across his arms.
Blood energy twisted and moved violently like living liquid.
The red energy slowly hardened, shaping itself into two sharp daggers.
The blades looked strangely beautiful beneath the dark forest shadows.
Smooth.
Deadly.
Elegant.
The red glow reflected in Do-Yoon's tired eyes.
He tightened his grip slowly.
"…Alright."
"If I'm dying…"
"At least let me look cool before it happens."
Bloodluv suddenly moved.
ROOOOOOAR!!
A terrifying roar exploded through the entire forest.
The sound shook the air itself.
Nearby trees trembled violently.
Birds instantly fled into the sky in panic.
Even the ground vibrated slightly.
Do-Yoon flinched instinctively.
"…My ears are gone."
Then—
Bloodluv rushed toward him.
BOOM!
The ground cracked beneath the monster's massive feet.
Despite its enormous body—
It moved unbelievably fast.
Do-Yoon's eyes widened in shock.
"FAST!"
He instantly activated Disk Dash.
Energy exploded beneath his feet.
WHOOSH!
His body shot sideways barely in time.
Bloodluv's gigantic claw tore through the air where his head had been one second earlier.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The claw smashed directly into the ground.
Earth exploded upward violently.
Broken rocks and dirt flew everywhere.
The impact alone nearly knocked Do-Yoon off balance.
Wind pressure slammed against his body.
"…That would've killed me instantly."
Bloodluv slowly turned toward him again.
Its glowing eyes burned with murderous intent now.
The shallow cut on its stomach from earlier barely even mattered.
To the monster—
Do-Yoon wasn't dangerous yet.
He was annoying.
And Bloodluv hated annoying things.
Do-Yoon gritted his teeth.
"If I keep defending forever, I'm dead."
So instead of retreating—
He rushed forward.
The ground blurred beneath his feet.
Blood energy flickered around his daggers while he lowered his body and aimed directly toward Bloodluv's stomach.
"HAAAAH!"
He slashed upward with all his strength.
CLANG!!
The sound shocked him completely.
It sounded like metal hitting steel.
The monster's skin was unbelievably tough.
His blades barely cut through the surface.
Only a shallow wound appeared.
Dark red blood slowly dripped downward.
Bloodluv slowly looked down at the tiny injury.
Silence filled the forest for a moment.
Then—
Its eyes became even more violent.
"…Uh oh."
Before Do-Yoon could react—
Bloodluv's gigantic hand grabbed him instantly.
CRUNCH!
Do-Yoon's eyes widened.
"WAIT WAIT WAIT—"
The pressure around his body became unbearable immediately.
His ribs screamed in pain.
Then—
Bloodluv threw him away casually like garbage.
CRAAAAASH!!
Do-Yoon smashed directly into a massive tree.
The trunk shattered instantly from the impact.
Wood exploded everywhere.
His body rolled violently across the ground afterward before finally stopping against another tree.
Pain exploded through his entire body.
"COUGH!"
Blood escaped from the corner of his mouth slightly.
His vision blurred for a second.
His back hurt terribly.
His arms trembled violently.
"…That…"
He coughed again.
"…Actually hurt a lot."
Bloodluv roared once more before charging again.
Its footsteps sounded like explosions.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
Do-Yoon forced himself upward.
Pain screamed through his body immediately.
But he still moved.
Disk Dash activated again.
WHOOSH!
He barely escaped another claw strike.
BOOM!!
The tree behind him exploded apart.
Do-Yoon quickly moved again.
Then again.
Then again.
Bloodluv attacked nonstop.
Every claw swing carried enough force to crush him instantly.
The monster destroyed everything around it wildly.
Trees snapped apart.
The ground shattered repeatedly.
Massive shockwaves spread everywhere.
The forest itself was turning into a battlefield.
Do-Yoon's breathing became rough.
Sweat rolled down his face.
His legs slowly became heavier.
He was fast.
Very fast.
But not fast enough forever.
One mistake—
One tiny mistake—
And he would die instantly.
Bloodluv suddenly raised both fists high into the air.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!!
It smashed the ground violently.
The impact created a huge shockwave.
The earth cracked apart beneath Do-Yoon's feet.
He lost balance for one second.
Only one.
But against a monster like Bloodluv—
One second was enough.
The giant tail slammed directly into his body.
CRACK!!
Do-Yoon got launched through the forest like a broken doll.
He smashed through branches violently before rolling across the ground.
Pain exploded across his ribs.
He coughed hard again.
"…I think…"
"…Something definitely broke."
The world spun around him slightly.
His entire body screamed in pain.
For a moment—
He almost stayed down.
Almost.
Bloodluv slowly approached him.
STEP.
STEP.
STEP.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the destroyed forest.
Each step felt like death approaching slowly.
Do-Yoon forced himself upward again.
His legs trembled badly now.
Blood dripped from his lip.
His breathing sounded rough and uneven.
But strangely—
He smiled.
Not because he enjoyed pain.
Not because he was crazy.
But because he finally realized something.
"…I'm not weak anymore."
A few months ago—
He would've died instantly.
No resistance.
No fighting back.
Nothing.
But now?
He was still standing.
Still breathing.
Still fighting against a Zentornt-ranked monster.
Still surviving.
Bloodluv roared again before charging toward him.
Do-Yoon slowly raised both daggers.
His eyes became sharper than before.
Then—
Dark energy suddenly spread outward from his body.
The atmosphere instantly changed.
The forest became colder.
Heavier.
Oppressive.
Do-Yoon spoke quietly.
"Demon's Domain."
BOOOOOOM!!
Dark crimson aura exploded outward violently.
Energy spread across the battlefield like a wave.
Bloodluv suddenly slowed down.
The giant monster stumbled slightly.
Its movements became heavier.
Slower.
Its strength weakened.
The monster looked confused immediately.
As if something invisible was crushing its body.
Do-Yoon could feel it clearly.
The skill worked.
A slow smile appeared on his face.
"…Now we're equal."
Bloodluv roared angrily before charging again.
But this time—
It was slower.
Much slower.
And for someone like Do-Yoon—
That difference changed everything.
WHOOSH!
Disk Dash activated repeatedly.
His body became a blur.
Left.
Right.
Behind.
Above.
Bloodluv's glowing eyes moved wildly trying to follow him.
Too slow.
SLASH!
A deep cut appeared across its arm.
Dark blood splashed outward.
ROOOOAR!!
SLASH!
Another wound opened across its shoulder.
SLASH!
Another cut across its leg.
Do-Yoon moved continuously like red lightning.
His blood daggers flashed through the darkness repeatedly.
Bloodluv became more enraged with every second.
The giant monster smashed everything around it wildly trying to hit him.
But now—
Do-Yoon controlled the battle.
Not Bloodluv.
The forest became filled with crimson flashes and violent roars.
Sweat poured down Do-Yoon's face.
His body hurt terribly.
His mana continued decreasing rapidly.
But he ignored all of it.
Because for the first time—
He could actually see victory.
Then suddenly—
Bloodluv made a mistake.
The monster raised its arm too high while attacking wildly.
Its chest became exposed.
Do-Yoon's eyes sharpened instantly.
"This is it."
Time itself almost felt slower.
His instincts screamed.
His body moved automatically.
Manipulator's Hand activated instantly.
Invisible force wrapped around him completely.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!!
The force launched him forward violently.
Disk Dash and Manipulator's Hand combined together.
The result was terrifying speed.
Do-Yoon became a crimson blur.
Bloodluv realized too late.
Its glowing eyes widened slightly.
Do-Yoon crossed both blood daggers together.
Then—
STAB!!
He pierced directly into the monster's chest.
"AAAAAAAH!"
Manipulator's Hand increased the force massively.
The daggers drove deeper and deeper.
Straight through flesh.
Straight toward the heart.
Bloodluv froze completely.
Its roar stopped instantly.
Silence filled the battlefield.
The giant monster stared downward slowly.
Its glowing eyes dimmed little by little.
Then—
Its massive body collapsed.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The ground shook violently.
Dust exploded into the air everywhere.
Silence followed afterward.
Heavy.
Absolute.
Silence.
Do-Yoon remained standing while breathing heavily.
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
Sweat covered his entire face.
His arms trembled from exhaustion.
Pain spread through every part of his body.
But still—
A smile slowly appeared.
"…I won."
A Zentornt-ranked monster.
Dead.
Killed by a Player-ranked hunter.
Do-Yoon stared at Bloodluv's corpse proudly.
"I'm actually cool now."
Then suddenly—
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
The sound echoed quietly through the destroyed forest.
Do-Yoon froze instantly.
Slowly—
Very slowly—
He turned around.
His teammates stood between the trees.
Kan-Tae.
Vark.
Zeldort.
Tarnop.
Tenzai.
Clark.
All six of them slowly walked forward while clapping calmly.
But something felt wrong immediately.
Very wrong.
Their expressions.
Their eyes.
Their smiles.
Every single one of them wore strange creepy smiles now.
Not friendly.
Not relieved.
Predatory.
The atmosphere became cold instantly.
Do-Yoon slowly stepped backward.
"…Where were you guys?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Kan-Tae continued clapping slowly while walking closer.
"You did well."
His voice sounded completely different now.
Colder.
Darker.
Emotionless.
Do-Yoon's instincts screamed danger immediately.
Kan-Tae stopped several meters away.
Then smiled wider.
"That monster was troublesome."
"So thank you for killing it for us."
Silence filled the forest again.
Then—
Everything suddenly clicked inside Do-Yoon's head.
The fake kindness.
The sudden teamwork.
The smiles.
The disappearance during battle.
They used him.
From the beginning.
Clark laughed quietly while staring at Bloodluv's corpse.
"I honestly didn't think he would survive."
Vark grinned widely.
"He's stronger than he looks."
Zeldort adjusted his glasses calmly.
"Interesting abilities too."
Do-Yoon slowly tightened his fists.
His body was exhausted already.
His mana was nearly empty.
His ribs hurt terribly.
And now—
Another battle waited for him.
Kan-Tae slowly pointed toward Bloodluv's corpse.
"You saved us a lot of effort."
Then his smile widened further.
"But…"
His eyes locked directly onto Do-Yoon's.
"Your usefulness ends here."
The forest became silent again.
Cold wind moved through the destroyed battlefield quietly.
Do-Yoon slowly looked at all six of them one by one.
Every single one radiated danger now.
And the worst part—
He was exhausted already.
Do-Yoon sighed deeply.
"…Seriously?"
"I can never rest."
Kan-Tae tilted his head slightly.
"You're surprisingly calm."
"What's the point of panicking?"
Do-Yoon slowly raised both hands again.
Blood energy spread outward once more.
His crimson daggers reformed slowly.
The glowing blades illuminated the dark forest again.
His arms trembled slightly from exhaustion.
But he still smiled tiredly.
"…Fine."
"My battle isn't over yet."