Chapter 55
A massive shadow burst through the swirling dust, instantly blocking out Chaeho's entire view.
Something that enormous should have been slow. Yet the Blackstone Beast King was closing the distance at an unnaturally terrifying speed. Every time its feet struck the ground, several meters seemed to disappear in an instant.
"What the hell is wrong with that thing?!"
Jo Mingyu shouted urgently as he drew his bow.
Tw.a.n.g!
An arrow shot forward, but the Beast King avoided it with a slight twist of its head. The arrow cut through empty air and buried itself uselessly in the cliff wall behind it.
The monster was moving so fast that properly aiming at it was almost impossible.
Chaeho lowered his body and slipped beneath the front paw lunging toward him. At his signal, Park Junhyeok stepped forward and raised his shield, blocking the creature's path.
They had successfully transferred its attention as planned, but the monster's charge was far more powerful than expected.
"Don't retreat! If we break formation, we're finished!"
Park Junhyeok shouted from the front line, slamming his shield into the ground.
He lowered his center of gravity and put his entire body weight behind the shield, determined to hold the charging beast's attention.
But the Beast King didn't charge straight into him.
Just before they collided, the muscles in its hind legs expanded unnaturally, and it abruptly changed direction.
For a brief instant, the monster vanished from Park Junhyeok's field of vision.
"Where did it...?"
Before he could finish speaking, a massive black front paw came sweeping in from the side.
BANG!
An explosive sound, like a boulder shattering, echoed through the gorge.
"Urgh!"
A muffled scream escaped Park Junhyeok's mouth.
Even with his enormous shield protecting him, the impact was powerful enough to shake every bone in his body.
Unable to withstand the force, he was thrown backward.
He rolled twice across the rough ground before finally coming to a stop. Both hands gripping his shield were trembling.
"Hunter Park!"
Seo Eunbyeol, who had been waiting in the rear, turned pale and hurriedly prepared her healing magic.
But the Beast King gave her no time.
Ignoring Park Junhyeok, whom it had just sent flying, the monster immediately turned toward the rear formation.
Its bloodstained mouth opened wide, revealing its vicious fangs.
"Stay away!"
Lee Soyeon frantically swung her staff and unleashed a burst of flames.
But the Beast King easily leaped over the rising fire.
Its enormous body hung in the air, casting a massive shadow over the party members.
Their formation was on the verge of collapsing.
Nobody could aim properly, and even their main tank was struggling to withstand a single attack.
The creature's movements combined unpredictable trajectories with abnormal agility.
Watching the situation unfold, Chaeho's eyes grew cold.
Normally, he would have activated his skill in short bursts of about 0.2 seconds, searching for an opening.
But if he tried to keep up with that speed and those unpredictable movements using his usual timing, one of his party members would lose their head before he found an opportunity.
First, I need to understand its attack pattern.
Without hesitation, Chaeho activated his skill for a longer period.
[Time Slow].
The flow of time began to stretch.
The dust rising into the air appeared to freeze in place.
The flames pouring from Lee Soyeon's magic became as still as a photograph, while Jo Mingyu's terrified expression was frozen in an almost comical manner.
Everything moved at an extreme crawl.
And at the center of it all was the Blackstone Beast King.
Chaeho's sharp gaze swept over the monster's entire body as it hung in the air.
Its speed is abnormally high, but there's too much unnecessary recoil in its muscle movements.
He began by examining the direction of its gaze.
Where were its bloodshot eyes looking?
How was its jaw twisting?
At what angle were its claws preparing to dig into the ground?
He observed every detail as carefully as though he were studying an anatomical diagram.
Then, as the monster prepared to land, Chaeho noticed something important.
The Beast King was about to make another sharp turn and prepare for its next leap.
But as though trying to avoid putting pressure on its injured left hind leg, it shifted almost all its weight to one side.
The right hind foot.
Whenever the Beast King needed to produce an explosive burst of speed or make a sudden change in direction, it forced nearly its entire body weight onto its right hind foot.
Chaeho could clearly see the muscles around that joint stretching taut under the tremendous strain.
There.
That's its limit.
It was the price the creature had to pay for moving at such an absurd speed.
If Chaeho could disrupt the movement of its right hind foot at the exact moment its full weight settled on it, the monster would be unable to withstand its own speed and weight.
It would inevitably collapse.
Chaeho quickly mapped out the creature's next movements and the blind spot he needed to exploit.
He could do it.
The moment he deactivated his skill, the world violently returned to its original speed.
"Its right hind foot!"
Chaeho's sharp voice cut through the narrow gorge.
Every party member immediately turned toward him.
Lowering his stance, Chaeho scraped the soles of his boots against the ground and launched himself forward.
