Chapter 26: The Hunt

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Hunt

From the mast, Gu Yihan had the clearest view. Her face paled in terror, and she let out a piercing scream.

"Hurry, dodge!"

But the Demon Shark was too fast.

Far too fast for an ordinary person to react.

In the blink of an eye, its massive maw—large enough to swallow a cow whole—was about to bite Lin Ji in half.

At that critical moment.

A white figure suddenly charged from the side!

It was Su Qingyue!

She was closest to Lin Ji.

Watching the monstrous creature pounce toward him, her mind went blank.

In that instant, it wasn’t because she had fallen for this man.

Nor was it some grand, selfless act.

It was simply an instinctive thought—

If Lin Ji died, none of them would survive!

It was an instinct for survival, a fear of losing their only lifeline!

"He can’t die!"

Gritting her teeth, Su Qingyue spread her arms wide and threw herself directly in front of Lin Ji!

She remembered...

The Frostglove had a passive skill: [Ice Shield].

It could block one fatal blow!

That was her only reason for daring to charge forward.

Boom!

The Demon Shark’s enormous head slammed violently into Su Qingyue.

In that moment, she felt as if she had been struck head-on by a high-speed truck.

Crack!

A crisp shattering sound rang out.

The [Frostglove] on her right hand suddenly erupted with a blinding blue light.

The delicate hexagonal ice crystal on the back of the glove instantly shattered!

A translucent shield of ice materialized out of thin air, stubbornly blocking the Demon Shark’s terrifying fangs and the force of its impact.

Bang!

The Ice Shield lasted less than a second before shattering into a shower of icy fragments.

But that one second was enough!

The tremendous recoil sent Su Qingyue flying backward, landing heavily in Lin Ji’s arms.

"Ugh..."

Su Qingyue groaned, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of her mouth.

Although the Ice Shield had blocked the fatal damage, the impact still left her internal organs churning.

"Qingyue!"

Shen Manyun, behind them, cried out in alarm and rushed forward to check on her.

Lin Ji caught Su Qingyue, his gaze falling on the now-dimmed spot on her glove where the ice crystal had been.

That was the mark of the shattered [Ice Shield].

To save him, she had used this Divine Artifact’s life-saving trump card.

"Foolish woman..."

Lin Ji muttered a low curse, yet a flicker of complex emotion passed deep within his eyes.

Even if Su Qingyue hadn’t rushed to his aid, with his [D-grade Lightfoot], he could have dodged the attack.

But her courage to charge forward in such a critical moment still moved him deeply.

He pushed Su Qingyue toward the approaching Shen Manyun.

"Get her back!"

At that moment.

The Demon Shark, its charge blocked, crashed heavily onto the deck.

The sturdy oak planks splintered, leaving a gaping hole.

The entire sailing ship rocked violently.

"Lin Ji! Its eye!"

Gu Yihan shouted a warning from the mast.

Although the Demon Shark was dazed from the fall, the eye on its forehead—the one that had been shot out earlier—was now writhing and healing in a grotesque manner.

A crimson light was gathering!

Sizzle...

The terrifying high temperature distorted the surrounding air.

"It’s about to use a skill!"

Lin Ji’s expression changed.

"Gu Yihan!"

He snapped his head up, roaring toward the woman on the mast.

"Give me the bow!!"

Gu Yihan was taken aback.

But seeing the urgency and determination in Lin Ji’s eyes, she didn’t hesitate for a moment.

"Catch!"

She released her grip, and the Red Quality [Storm Hunter Bow] along with the cloth bag holding the Ice Arrows plummeted from above.

Lin Ji pushed off with his feet, leaping high into the air.

Mid-air, he firmly caught the longbow and the Ice Arrows.

The moment they touched his hands, an overwhelmingly familiar sensation surged through his entire body.

[Exclusive Weapon detected!]

[Host possesses talent "Light Body (D-grade)"!]

[Perfect compatibility!]

At that moment, Lin Ji felt as if the bow in his hand had become an extension of his own body, while his body itself felt unprecedentedly light.

This was the benefit of synchronizing with Gu Yihan’s talent!

Whatever Gu Yihan could use, he could use.

And with his greater strength and reaction speed, he could use it even better!

Landing.

D-grade [Light Body] activated!

Lin Ji’s figure left an afterimage on the deck as he instantly slid three meters to the left.

Sizzle—!

Almost as soon as he dodged, a crimson death ray shot from the Demon Shark’s single eye, scorching the spot where he had just stood into charcoal.

"That was close!"

Lin Ji’s gaze turned icy, but his movements were swift as lightning.

Draw the bow, nock the arrow.

Twang!

The first arrow was loosed!

The Ice Arrow, wrapped in a howling wind, struck fiercely into the Demon Shark’s eye socket.

It was only because he wasn’t fully accustomed yet that the first arrow was slightly off-target.

"Roar!"

The Demon Shark roared in pain, its massive tail sweeping across.

Lin Ji tapped his toes, his entire body soaring into the air like a great bird, easily evading the tail swipe. While still airborne, he drew the bow again!

Twang! Twang!

Two arrows in rapid succession!

Thud! Thud!

Two Ice Arrows sank deep into the Demon Shark’s eye, the cold energy erupting and freezing a portion of its flesh.

But this Level 3 monster’s vitality was terrifyingly tenacious.

Even with several arrows lodged in its eye, even with half its body frozen by Su Qingyue’s chill.

It still struggled frantically, continuously spewing corrosive green venom from its mouth.

"Still not dead?"

Lin Ji’s own ferocity was stirred.

He moved continuously across the deck, using the high mobility granted by [Light Body] to repeatedly evade the Demon Shark’s lethal attacks.

The Storm Hunter Bow in his hand never ceased.

Twang! Twang! Twang!

One Ice Arrow after another poured down upon the Demon Shark like a storm.

Each arrow struck the same eye that had just begun to heal a little!

"Roar..."

The Demon Shark’s roars grew weaker, its movements slower.

Its massive body now began to convulse violently.

Red and green blood and venom flowed across the deck.

Finally.

As Lin Ji retrieved another Ice Arrow from the quiver and drew the bowstring taut.

His arm was so sore it was nearly numb, but the light in his eyes grew ever more intense.

"The eighth arrow..."

"Die... now!!"

Twang!

This arrow gathered his last ounce of strength.

The Ice Arrow transformed into a streak of light, accurately piercing deep into the Demon Shark’s already mangled eye socket, directly penetrating its brain!

Thud!

The Demon Shark’s massive body stiffened abruptly.

Then, the red light in its single eye extinguished completely.

It convulsed twice, emitting a final, unwilling whimper.

Crash!

Its enormous head slammed heavily onto the deck, motionless.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations on defeating LV3 Mutated Creature: Parasitic Demon Shark!]

[Evolution Points obtained: 500 points!]

[Items obtained: Demon Shark Tooth (Material), Corrosive Slime (Material), Fresh Demon Shark Meat (Supplies) x50 units.]

[First Kill Achievement (Regional Level) triggered! Regional First Kill Reward obtained.]