Chapter 185: Still More

The mountain narrowed considerably near the top, leaving only a relatively small stretch of level ground surrounded by steep cliffs. From up there, the settlement below looked tiny. I could see the four houses and the tavern clearly, along with the winding path we’d taken to get here. The summit itself wasn’t much larger than the grounds of Northwood Academy, and most of it was covered in patches of grass, loose rocks, and shrubs clinging to the mountain’s surface.

Ahead of us was what appeared to be a cave entrance.

A massive boulder had broken away from the mountainside, leaving a wide opening beneath it. The rock formed a natural arch over the entrance, with jagged edges running along the ceiling. The inside was almost completely dark, but I could make out a rocky slope descending into the mountain. It wasn’t a simple shallow cave; the ground dropped steadily downward, disappearing into darkness several metres ahead.

"You think the scientist went down there?" Ken asked.

"Hey, look at that."

I pointed toward the opposite side of the cave entrance.

There was a patch of blood on the ground.

I walked over and crouched beside it, pressing two fingers against the dark stain. The blood had dried completely. Judging by how hard it had become, it had been there for at least a day, possibly longer.

There was a lot of it. Far too much for a minor injury.

Whatever had happened here had been violent. Someone had been seriously wounded, if not killed, and judging by the lack of a body, someone had carried the remains away afterward.

I hoped it had been an animal, but even that didn’t make much sense. Why would an animal come all the way up here when there was plenty of food and water lower down the mountain? More importantly, why would a person come all the way to this isolated summit unless they had a reason?

A deep thump echoed from inside the cave.

Ken stiffened beside me.

"Ace..."

I turned toward the entrance.

Something was moving inside the darkness.

A massive hand slowly emerged from beneath the rocky arch. Its fingers dug into the ground as it pulled itself forward, each claw scraping against the stone. The skin was almost black, covered in patches of coarse, dark-gray fur. The hand alone was nearly as large as my chest.

Then the rest of the creature emerged.

It was enormous.

The monster had to be well over three metres tall even while hunched over, with a broad, muscular body covered in thick gray-black fur. Its shoulders were so wide that they nearly filled the cave entrance, and its long arms hung almost to its knees. Thick claws extended from each finger, curved and sharp enough to tear through flesh without much effort.

Its head was shaped almost like that of a bear, but far more distorted. Two small, pale eyes glowed beneath a heavy brow, while a wide mouth opened beneath a flattened snout, revealing rows of uneven teeth. A pair of short, backward-curving horns protruded from the sides of its skull, partially hidden beneath its tangled fur.

It dragged itself fully out of the cave and rose to its full height, forcing me to tilt my head back just to see its face. Its chest expanded as it drew in a deep breath, and the sound that came from its throat was the same low rumble we’d heard throughout the climb.

Then it roared.

The sound shook through the summit and sent a flock of birds fleeing from the nearby cliffs.

The creature lowered its body, spreading its legs and bringing its arms forward. Its claws dug into the ground as it shifted its weight, clearly preparing to charge.

I immediately willed my dagger from the system inventory, the weapon materializing in my hand with a faint golden glow.

Ken pulled his bow from his back and quickly nocked an arrow.

"Gods, protect us," he muttered.

"Yeah," I replied, keeping my eyes on the monster. "Protect us like you protected his virginity his whole life."

Ken glanced at me, then couldn’t help but chuckle despite the situation. "I didn’t know you had a sense of humor."

"I sometimes have it."

╔═══════════════════════╗

• DISTURBED KUNNOHARA

────────────────────────

• HP: ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤

╚═══════════════════════╝

The monster lunged at us, and we moved in opposite directions. Ken threw himself to the right while I sidestepped, tightening my grip around my dagger. I could use the finisher I’d unlocked, but I didn’t want to burn through most of my mana this early in the fight and leave myself with nothing afterward. That would have to be my last resort.

Ken loosed two arrows toward its head. One struck the side of its skull and bounced away, while the other missed completely and clattered against the stone. I took the opening and rushed forward.

"Tail, Ace! Careful!"

The monster had a tail, and a long one at that. It twisted its body and whipped the thick appendage toward me. I jumped over it, landed on the other side, and immediately drove my dagger into its leg.

The blade sank into the fur and flesh, but the monster barely reacted. I pulled it free and backed away as the creature turned toward me.

A system notification appeared in front of my eyes.

╔═══════════════════════╗

• DISTURBED KUNNOHARA

────────────────────────

• HP: ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤◒

╚═══════════════════════╝

"Not even a single HP bar." I muttered. "Crap. This is not good."

That was barely any damage. Ken’s arrow and my attack together had only shaved off a tiny portion of its health. This thing was strong, and suddenly I was very glad I’d bothered to buy a better dagger.

"It’s a Kunnohara!" Ken shouted as he moved toward the cave entrance. "Its weakness is fire! You know, fur and all that!"

"Alright, got it!"

I combined my Warrior and Mage classes, switching into Spellblade before immediately preparing a fire spell.

╔═══════════════╗

> Blazing Cleave: -45MP

────────────────

Duration: 5 seconds

Cooldown: 10 seconds

╚═══════════════╝

A ball of fire formed at the tip of my dagger and shot forward, stopping several metres ahead of me. I raised my weapon, and the flames followed its movement, rising higher into the air. I then swung the dagger downward, sending the fire crashing onto the crown of Kunnohara’s head.

The monster screamed and staggered, its massive body twisting around as it desperately tried to find the source of the attack. It swung one of its clawed hands behind itself, and one of the claws caught Ken across the body.

"Oh, fuck!"

Ken was thrown backward and slammed into the cave entrance before rolling down the rocky slope and disappearing from sight.

"Now, now," I muttered, taking a few steps backward. "Calm down, boy."

Kunnohara answered with another furious roar and charged toward me. Apparently, calming down wasn’t an option.

Another notification appeared.

╔═══════════════════════╗

• DISTURBED KUNNOHARA

────────────────────────

• HP: ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤◯◯◯

╚═══════════════════════╝

That was better. At least the fire was doing something.

The spell’s duration eventually ended, and the flames disappeared from around my dagger. Its weakness really was fire. Luckily, I had several ways of taking advantage of that, and I was glad I hadn’t wasted my finisher immediately. If I could keep exploiting its weakness, I might be able to finish this without burning through all my mana.

"Duck, Ace!" Ken’s voice bellowed from the cave entrance.

I immediately dropped my head.

Ken emerged from the entrance with his bow already drawn. Two arrows were nocked against the string, both of them engulfed in flames. He pulled the string back as far as he could and released both arrows at once.

They struck the back of Kunnohara’s head almost simultaneously.

The monster staggered and dropped onto one knee, roaring as it reached behind its head and desperately tried to pull the burning arrows free.

"Now, Ace!"

"On it!"

I rushed toward it, switched back to Rogue, and cast Shadow Leap toward its head. My body dissolved into smoke and shot through the air before reforming on top of the monster’s skull.

The moment my feet touched its fur, I switched to Warrior and cast Bloodiron Oath.

The spell marked the enemy, and after five consecutive attacks, the sixth would automatically become a critical strike and knock the target down. With the Kunnohara distracted by the burning arrows, I had the perfect opportunity.

I drove my dagger into the crown of its head.

I ripped it free and struck again.

Then again.

And again.

I kept my balance on its massive head while stabbing repeatedly, counting every hit beneath my breath. The monster thrashed beneath me, but the burning arrows had left it disoriented enough that it couldn’t reach me.

On the sixth strike, I tightened every muscle in my body and drove the dagger down with everything I had.

The impact cracked the stone beneath the monster’s feet. Kunnohara’s enormous body lurched forward, but there wasn’t enough room behind it for the knockback to send it flying.

The system updated its health... but, it seemed like it wasn’t enough.

╔═══════════════════════╗

• DISTURBED KUNNOHARA

────────────────────────

• HP: ⬤◯◯◯◯◯◯◯◯◯

╚═══════════════════════╝

"Ah, come on. Still one more?"