# Chapter 72. Han River Battle (3)
"That's insane!"
"He actually modified Durandal."
"It's a replica, sure, but still..."
"I thought he was giving it to Lee Jukheon."
"He really found a way to use it himself."
"No, it's actually a decent idea!"
"Kang Yujin doesn't know swordsmanship."
"It's probably better for him to just stab and throw with it."
"Think about Kang Yujin charging with that thing."
"With his strength, even without special technique, the destructive power would be ridiculous."
"He wouldn't need that much power against humans..."
"But against a gigantic monster like that?"
"It'll be incredibly useful!"
***
"Haaa!"
Kang Yujin leaped high into the air.
Then...
He threw the spear-shaped Durandal Replica like a harpoon.
The Durandal Replica tore through the fog...
And buried itself between the Jiaolong's scales.
The creature twisted in pain.
"GRRRAAAAA!"
Kang Yujin didn't know exactly what kind of creature a Jiaolong was.
But at least this one...
Radiated extremely evil energy.
If so...
The holy power of the Durandal Replica should work against it.
And...
Kang Yujin turned his head.
A man surrounded in lightning was flying through the air nearby.
BOOOOM!
The lightning Lee Hyeonje released swept over the Jiaolong's entire body.
Forbidden Thunder, was it?
Is that a Skill too?
A lightning attack covering the entire body of a twenty-meter monster.
Even the mage-type Contractors Kang Yujin had met until now...
Had never shown an attack like that.
Come to think of it...
Jegal Geum said SS-rank Contractors possess power that transcends ordinary humans.
Lee Hyeonje was a physical-type Contractor.
Yet he could unleash lightning attacks surpassing most mage-type Contractors.
Was this one of the qualifications for reaching SS-rank?
"Haap!"
Even while thinking about it...
Kang Yujin jumped without hesitation.
He timed it for the moment Lee Hyeonje's lightning disappeared...
And landed on the Jiaolong's body.
"Ugh...!"
But the creature's body was covered in strange mucus.
It was incredibly slippery.
One mistake...
And Kang Yujin could fall into the Han River and become food for the monsters below.
He urgently reached out...
And grabbed the shaft of the Durandal Replica embedded in the creature.
"Haaaa!"
He drew out all his strength.
The Durandal Replica's blade ripped violently through the Jiaolong's surface.
"GRRRAAAAAAA!"
Blood sprayed out.
Kang Yujin jumped away from the struggling monster...
Holding the spear in one hand.
He landed safely on a nearby Han River bridge.
But Lizardmen had already climbed onto the bridge.
They rushed toward him.
"Move."
Kang Yujin swung the spear in a wide arc.
That alone...
Was enough to burst the heads of the Lizardmen and spill their intestines.
[A-rank Constellation "Monk with Flower Tattoos" applauds the impressive martial prowess.]
[B-rank Constellation "Young Master Who Rules Goblins" says he never expected them to perform so well against the Jiaolong with only two people.]
[S-rank Constellation "Hero King of Monstrous Strength" says today's situation has become very entertaining.]
[S-rank Constellation "Hero Who Escaped the Labyrinth" sponsors you with 2,000,000 Coins.]
Favorable messages from Constellations had been appearing nonstop.
There was one difference from before.
Many of the Constellations speaking today...
Were names Kang Yujin had never seen before.
Constellations who only watch Seoul?
Thinking that...
Kang Yujin raised his head.
The Jiaolong was bleeding in several places...
But it still looked strong.
Its surface is too slippery.
I can't use [Shatter Everything].
The Jiaolong's scales were covered in slick mucus.
Stabbing with a spear worked.
But if Kang Yujin punched it...
His fist might slide off.
That meant [Shatter Everything] couldn't be used.
The Skill only activated properly when the strike landed with complete precision.
And Lee Hyeonje too...
Lee Hyeonje's attacks had also failed to deal a fatal wound.
The one positive point...
Was that he was completely suppressing the Jiaolong's movement.
There had been almost no damage to the surrounding area.
"Lee Hyeonje."
Kang Yujin called to him when Lee Hyeonje briefly landed on the bridge.
"Are you planning to drag this out?"
"That's the best option right now."
Lee Hyeonje frowned.
"I didn't bring my personal weapon today."
"My firepower isn't enough."
"It's difficult to deal a fatal wound to something that large."
"So we're just going to stall in the river until reinforcements arrive?"
"We could lure it onto land."
"But then there would be civilian damage."
Apparently...
Lee Hyeonje's priority was keeping the Jiaolong trapped.
"The Jiaolong seems to be commanding the other aquatic monsters."
"They're all coming after us too."
"If we keep them here until reinforcements arrive..."
"That should be enough."
"..."
"The problem is stamina."
Lee Hyeonje bit his lip.
"Fighting all of them together will drain us quickly."
"..."
"Manage your stamina carefully."
"If you get too exhausted and your concentration slips even for a moment..."
"You could die."
Even as he spoke...
Lee Hyeonje was slaughtering every monster that approached with lightning.
He had seemed to be using lightning at full strength for quite a while.
Kang Yujin wondered if his stamina was really okay.
No...
Maybe that isn't full power.
Lee Hyeonje fighting the Jiaolong and all the smaller monsters at once...
Was like a one-man army.
If he was actually conserving strength...
Then just how powerful was he at full strength?
And he hadn't even brought his personal weapon.
"Lee Hyeonje."
"What?"
"You're amazing."
Lee Hyeonje looked briefly confused.
"I've met plenty of Contractors."
"But this is the first time I've felt such a clear difference."
"Kang Yujin..."
"You're already at that level."
"So I can understand why you think someone like me would only get in the way."
"Let me make something clear."
Lee Hyeonje stopped him.
"I said that earlier because I wanted you to leave the battlefield."
"I didn't genuinely think you were useless."
"So there's no need to feel discouraged..."
He stopped talking.
"...You don't look discouraged at all."
"Why would I be?"
Even after witnessing one of the strongest Contractors in the Capital Region...
Kang Yujin wasn't intimidated.
"I can finally see how high I should aim."
