Chapter 458: The Pain That Could Not Kill Me (3)

Kim Jicheol stared straight ahead with a stiff expression.

'No.......'

The Sandworm lunged toward Choi Kanghyuk.

He knew it in his head.

That he had to go help him immediately.

But his body had frozen and would not obey.

The fear embedded in his flesh rejected the orders of his brain.

He had thought he had overcome it.

While clearing this A-rank gate, he had thought his body was gradually loosening up.

He had hunted White Scorpions and other monsters.

Once his body loosened up, fighting was not difficult.

Rather, his body had become even better than it had been in his prime.

Because the fighting was easy, he had thought his mind had also gained some composure.

But at the most important moment. His body would not obey him.

His flesh was still seized by fear.

Overcoming PTSD through willpower alone was difficult.

While the world flowed slowly.

Park Gyuchul’s drawn-out scream burst out from right beside him.

“Nooooo~~!!”

Immediately afterward, the Sandworm’s enormous maw collided with Choi Kanghyuk’s body.

Boom!!!!

And Park Gyuchul spat out a curse.

“Crazy.......”

The Sandworm had failed to swallow Choi Kanghyuk.

Choi Kanghyuk had spread both arms wide and was holding open the absurdly enormous Sandworm’s maw.

So that it could not close any farther.

One hunter watching the scene muttered without realizing it.

“E-even if he is sturdy, he is not dodging that and is just stupidly taking it with his body?”

It was a grave misunderstanding.

Choi Kanghyuk had not blocked it from the front merely to show off his strength.

Even at this very moment, the muscles throughout Choi Kanghyuk’s body were swelling as though they might burst.

His veins were also bulging as though they would tear through his skin.

He could barely endure only by raising his muscular strength and internal energy with everything he had.

He could tell instinctively.

The moment his strength gave out, he would be chewed apart.

No matter how thoroughly his skin had been tempered by the Jade Vajra Art, it could not withstand the Sandworm’s teeth.

Even so, Choi Kanghyuk continued the contest of strength.

If he dodged, the hunters behind him would be in danger.

Making it easier for the other hunters to attack was the role of a tank.

“Attack now!!”

Therefore, holding the Sandworm in place through sheer strength was the best solution.

Just as Choi Kanghyuk had always insisted, strategy was only necessary because the body was weak.

With a good body, one could choose the easiest and simplest solution.

Just like now.

The hunters belatedly came to their senses at Choi Kanghyuk’s shout and began attacking.

“Die, you monster worm!”

With a shout, the hunter in the ranged damage dealer position extended his hand forward.

Then the sand scattered across the ground condensed together and formed the shape of an enormous awl.

His ability was telekinesis.

It boasted enough firepower to blow apart a C-rank or B-rank monster.

However, it was not powerful enough to work even against a gigantic monster like that.

Therefore, instead of attacking directly with telekinesis, he was using the surrounding terrain.

The condensed sand awl struck the Sandworm’s body.

Then a metallic sound burst out as though a hammer had struck an anvil.

Clang!!

Perhaps it had suffered some impact, as the Sandworm’s body shook slightly.

Unfortunately, however, the Sandworm did not suffer any serious wound.

Just as an anvil would not break apart at once merely because it had been struck with a hammer.

At that moment. Park Gyuchul, who had merely been aiming his bow, suddenly released the string.

The arrow curved sideways through the air like some kind of soccer ball, then sank into the Sandworm’s flank with a thud.

Certain-Hit Arrow.

It was a special technique unique to Park Gyuchul, a detection-type ability user.

He could accurately fire an arrow toward the place he aimed at.

However, its power was not particularly strong.

Furthermore, compared to the Sandworm’s enormous size, the arrow was not even the size of a toothpick.

At most, it had barely pierced the outer hide and lodged itself in the skin.

But that was enough.

“There!!! That is its vital point!!”

To begin with, Certain-Hit Arrow was an ability focused entirely on accuracy rather than power in order to precisely target an enemy’s vital point.

“If we can just pierce through its hide and muscles, we can kill it in one blow!!”

It was not particularly welcome information.

The absurdly enormous Sandworm. Naturally, its hide and muscles were also absurdly hard and thick.

The difficulty was no different from piercing through a steel plate dozens of centimeters thick.

It was not even a motionless steel plate, but the body of a monster thrashing around in every direction.

From now on, the other hunters had to accomplish that difficult task.

Realizing this, the ranged damage dealer clenched his fist once again.

Following his gesture, the desert sand was once again compressed to the limit.

The needle of condensed sand flew toward the Sandworm’s vital point.

Thud!

Because he had reduced its size and sharpened it, it pierced the hide a little, but it still failed to reach the vital point in one blow.

“Damn it.”

Had it realized that they were aiming for its vital point? The Sandworm’s convulsions grew more violent.

Krrrrrrrr!!!

The veins on Choi Kanghyuk’s forehead bulged as though they might burst while he held the Sandworm’s maw open.

He looked as though his blood vessels might rupture and cause him to collapse from excessive bleeding.

At that, the healer hunter hurriedly used his ability.

“Please endure just a little longer!!”

Then the pain surging through the muscles of his entire body rapidly subsided.

And the moment the recovery ended, his muscles once again began screaming.

Overexertion and recovery alternated in an instant.

Choi Kanghyuk grinned.

'This is going to be one proper workout.'

Choi Kanghyuk was enduring with the healer’s assistance, but the situation did not look particularly good.

At that moment. Park Gyuchul sensed someone moving beside him.

“Brother Jicheol?”

Kim Jicheol was stepping toward the Sandworm.

Was it because he was a detection-type awakened person?

Park Gyuchul could see it.

The fingertips of Kim Jicheol’s hand gripping the spear were trembling faintly.

The foot he stepped forward with was also trembling faintly.

He was still afraid.

But Kim Jicheol moved forward.

'Only if I pierce it can the others survive.'

Kim Jicheol steeled himself and charged toward the Sandworm.

Patatatat.

Sand scattered as his body advanced rapidly.

As though supporting him, Park Gyuchul fired his bow again, while the ranged damage dealer created another sand awl.

While the attacks of the two distracted the Sandworm, Kim Jicheol rapidly approached it.

Kim Jicheol planted his foot hard.

He stamped down on the unstable desert sand.

At the same time, Kim Jicheol twisted his entire body.

Vortex, the ability that raised rotational force to the limit.

Beginning from the sole of his foot, through his knee, waist, shoulder, and wrist.

The continuously amplified force reached the tip of his spear.

Grrrrrrind!!

Along with a noise like metal being ground away, Kim Jicheol’s spearhead pierced through the Sandworm’s hide and advanced.

And at a certain moment. The spearhead that had seemed as though it would continue endlessly came to a stop.

He had failed to pierce the vital point in a single blow.

The bad memory surfaced once again.

It had been like this back then as well.

He had pierced through the hide and muscles to some extent, but he had failed to finish it in one blow.

And then.

Swoooooooooosh.

The Sandworm’s enormous body flew toward Kim Jicheol, who had aimed for its vital point.

The distance was too close for him to dodge.

He had been sent flying as though he had been struck by a large truck.

The fact that he had survived had been a miracle.

At the time, the other hunters had dug into the hole he had created, allowing them to barely clear the gate.

'Right....... I made a hole, so the others should be able to survive.'

Kim Jicheol emptied his mind and waited for the end.

But unexpectedly.

He had clearly heard the noise, yet he was not crushed.

Nor was he sent flying.

“Hmm?”

Puzzled, Kim Jicheol opened the eyes he had closed.

A shocking sight unfolded before him.

A shadow had formed above his head.

The Sandworm’s body, which had been sweeping toward him, was raised slightly into the air.

At the same time, a thunderous shout came from off to the side.

“Hryaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

As though bewitched, Kim Jicheol turned his head.

Choi Kanghyuk was attempting to throw the Sandworm over his shoulder.

“I!!!!! Am a man who has even thrown a flood dragon over his shoulder!!!”

In truth, Choi Kanghyuk was not particularly pleased with the current situation.

He only had to solve it with his body.

Yet right now, he was unable to solve it with his body.

Was it not already impressive enough that he was wrestling barehanded against a Sandworm?

By Choi Kanghyuk’s standards, it fell far short.

'In the old days, I would have smashed its head apart with the Formless Divine Fist!!'

No matter how strong this Sandworm was, it was still a level below the Beast Palace Lord’s flood dragon.

Yet he could not handle it alone, so how could that not be frustrating?

With his pride wounded as much as it could be, Choi Kanghyuk threw the Sandworm over his shoulder with all his strength.

Boom!!!!

The overturned Sandworm sprawled out on the opposite side.

After displaying a miracle that shattered common sense, Choi Kanghyuk clutched his waist and shoulder.

“Uuuurgh. They say getting old is hard.”

Even though he had properly completed his warm-up exercises, his muscles had ultimately been startled, leaving him with a spasm.

“Ah. Is it only this bad because I warmed up?”

Had he not loosened up his body, perhaps it would not have ended with a mere spasm, and all the joints in his waist and shoulders would have been shattered.

“You saw that! This is why you have to warm up!”

While Park Gyuchul and the two hunters stood dazed by the insane sight and words.

Patatatat!!

Kim Jicheol charged with all his strength toward the fallen Sandworm’s vital point.

Kim Jicheol closed the distance in an instant and once again planted his foot on the ground.

At the same time, he raised all the energy flowing through his body with everything he had.

'Director Choi demonstrated it for my sake!'

Without realizing it, he had been applying brakes to his own ability.

Because if he applied rotation beyond his limit, all his muscles and joints would be ruined.

But what did that matter?

If he injured his muscles a little, he could simply receive rehabilitation treatment from Choi Kanghyuk.

No, to begin with, he had prepared every day for this very moment.

- If your muscular strength increases, you will be able to endure more of your ability’s power. Member.

While receiving personal training from Choi Kanghyuk.

- Your muscles are screaming? They are screaming because they like it.

- Have you never heard this saying? The pain that cannot kill me makes me stronger. That is exactly what it means for muscles.

- Muscles grow stronger the more you torment them.

One by one, the memories of squeezing his muscles dry together with Choi Kanghyuk’s mental coaching resurfaced.

'After going through all that suffering, they should be able to endure a little more!!!'

Beginning from the sole of his foot, rotation and amplification repeated through his knee and waist.

As energy far greater than usual surged upward, the muscles and joints throughout his body screamed.

Kim Jicheol gritted his teeth.

'As long as I do not die, I can become stronger!'

Believing in Choi Kanghyuk’s personal training and advice, Kim Jicheol stepped beyond the limit he had placed upon himself.

Rotation taken to the extreme.

Whiiiiiiiiiiir!!

The spearhead advanced while producing a terrifying sound as it tore through the air.

Piercing through the Sandworm’s hide and muscles.

Cruuuuuuuunch!!

“Hryaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

It was both a shout and a scream.

As he pierced through the Sandworm’s muscles, his own muscles were tearing apart fiber by fiber.

And at a certain moment. An unfamiliar yet familiar sensation traveled through his fingertips.

Not the sensation of piercing through something, but of smashing something apart.

The Sandworm, which had been raising its body to convulse, collapsed onto the sand once again with a death cry.

Kieeeeeeeeeek.

Thud.

A heavy vibration traveled through the ground.

The sensation from moments ago was still vivid at his fingertips.

At the same time, Kim Jicheol’s fingertips began trembling.

No. His entire body was once again vibrating faintly.

Just as it had trembled when he first encountered the Sandworm.

But it was completely different from then.

'I killed it.'

The monster that had pushed him to the threshold of death.

'I did. With these hands.'

Together with the monster inside his head called fear.

It was not merely the pleasure of revenge.

He had shattered his limit.

The certainty that he could go farther wrapped around his entire body.

Without realizing it, Kim Jicheol sharply turned his head.

Then his eyes met Choi Kanghyuk’s.

Choi Kanghyuk grinned and clapped his hands.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

“You see, Member! Did I not tell you that building muscle solves everything!”