A Public Servant Hunter Who Exploits Skill Combinations – Chapter 25
Translated by: Hanzo
Chapter 25: The Giant Ice Beast (2)
Pheeeooong—!
Chwaaaarrllrk!
Along with the sound of the ice monster's magic spreading, the surroundings began to freeze over.
Fortunately, there weren’t many people around, but a few individuals had already been frozen solid, their forms stark against the frosty environment.
I quietly called out to her.
"Noona."
"···"
"Yoo Chae-ah!"
"Huh?"
"Go over there and help those people. I'll distract that thing."
As I said this, someone could be seen charging toward the monster.
From the glowing light emanating from their hands, it was clear they were a Hunter.
If they recklessly approach like that, they'll be in danger...
"This doesn’t look like a monster we can handle. Shouldn’t we report this to the Association…?"
She seemed frightened, staring at the massive monster before her, clearly a type she was encountering for the first time in her life.
"No need to call them."
"What?"
Looking at her, I spoke confidently.
"We can take it down."
"What? How can we...?"
"I’ve got a plan."
"A plan? What plan?"
"First, focus on saving the people. If you thaw those who are frozen right now, they’ll survive. Evacuate the nearby civilians too. I'll work with that Hunter over there to draw the monster away."
"You—what if something happens to you…?"
I didn’t even wait to hear her response before I dashed forward.
I stood still in front of the Giant Ice Beast.
The first time I faced this thing directly, my knees buckled in fear...
Well, just from its aura, it felt like a boss-level creature—its overwhelming power was apparent at a glance.
In the past, when it first appeared, no one knew how to deal with it, so it was classified as S-rank.
However, in reality, it’s an A-rank monster.
Back then, I had fought it a few times with my team.
Of course, my role back then was no better than that of a pack mule.
But now, things are different.
Most importantly, I now possessed an elemental skill obtained through skill combinations.
That being said, could someone like me, with an attack level that’s barely at A-rank, defeat this creature?
Obviously, if I fought head-on, it would be impossible.
Even if the creature isn’t an S-rank, there’s still a vast difference in strength between us.
However, I knew how to defeat it.
‘That changes the situation, doesn’t it?’
I decided to give it a shot.
‘I mean, how could I resist that Ice Field skill card…?’
The Ice Field skill was the signature ability of this giant, frigid ice monster.
One of the defining characteristics of giant monsters is the massive range of their skill effects, proportional to their enormous size.
Not to mention, the destruction it causes is beyond description.
Not only does it freeze people, but also objects, buildings, and even the ground itself.
The surrounding landscape transforms into something resembling an icy realm, where it feels as though the entire world is blanketed in frost.
Only Hunters of a certain level or higher can even attempt to approach it.
Just like that Hunter frozen solid nearby.
"This is bad..."
If I try to save that Hunter now, I might end up dead myself.
Dodging the monster’s attacks, I activated Wind Sprint to evade swiftly.
That said, it’s not like the creature can keep using its Ice Field skill indefinitely.
There’s a distinct pattern to its usage.
And I happened to know that pattern.
So the solution was simple.
Just avoid the attacks at the right moment and avoid getting frozen.
Is that too obvious?
‘If possible, I’d like to finish it off before Yoo Chae-ah gets back...’
One of the reasons there weren’t many casualties in the past was that it had appeared late in the evening, when there weren’t many people around.
Moreover, the fact that it was near a coastal island region meant the population density was low.
And when a gate appears, civilians usually flee immediately.
As I accelerated the flow of mana in my body, heat began to rise, and thin tendrils of steam swirled around me.
‘This should do it. Time to go on the offensive.’
Drawing my sword, I gripped it tightly and rushed toward the monster.
"Krrroooarrr!?"
Perhaps noticing me, the monster let out a roar and swung its massive fist in my direction.
‘Oh boy. Looks like it wants to turn me into minced meat.’
I bent my body backward to avoid the swing, but the air left in its wake froze over, forming frost patterns that reflected in my pupils.
Fsssskk!
Frost began to creep across my clothes and skin.
‘What the hell! Was it always this brutal?’
I wasn’t even hit directly—just brushed by the air—and this is the result…
Facing it directly, I realized it was no joke.
‘So, my current mana refinement level isn’t enough...’
I had hoped to save this for later, but now was the time to use a skill combination.
The Mana Amplification skill similar to the one given on the day of the mana measurement.
The defensive skill that strengthened the body for a while, which I got for eliminating the ant yokai
And to this, I’ll add Fireball...
At that moment, I sensed something flying toward me from above.
I rolled to the side just in time to avoid it.
Kwagwagwang! Kwajijik!!
Thud!
‘It’s not giving me any breathing room, huh.’
A car had fallen right where I had been standing moments ago.
The monster seemed to be picking up whatever it could get its hands on and hurling it around.
‘Wait a minute. That car… it looks familiar…’
But that wasn’t the issue right now.
I didn’t have time to waste.
Opening my inventory, I selected the skills to be combined.
The order had to be precise.
By combining them this way, I could acquire the Flame Aura skill, which would envelop my entire body in a fiery aura.
This skill creates an intense burning heat throughout the body. Though it doesn’t appear outwardly, the internal heat it generates is immense.
‘Combine!’
This skill is often used to burn away bacteria when infected by certain monsters, but it's also highly effective against ice-type monsters like this one.
Normally, it was a skill found in B-rank dungeons, which would take a long time and effort to acquire.
But if you don’t have it, you make it—like I just did.
[Skill card combination successful!]
‘Yes!’
I stepped out from behind the wall and revealed myself to the monster once again.
The creature, which had been rampaging and destroying everything in sight, turned its gaze toward me. Its eyes glowed a deeper, more intense red.
Its anger gauge was filling up.
Soon, it would release a blast of freezing energy.
This was the monster’s pattern—at this moment, it would momentarily stop moving.
For those capable of withstanding the cold, this was the perfect opportunity to attack.
And I was in optimal condition for it right now.
Because of its large size, its movements were entirely predictable.
Of course, even a single hit would be devastating.
I increased the rotation speed of my mana, drawing heat throughout my entire body, and charged toward the ice monster at lightning speed.
To draw its attention, I used Lightning Slash, gripping my sword in a reverse grip and stabbing it into the monster’s foot.
I carefully lured it toward the beach, ensuring no one else would get hurt in the process.
Kagakak!
‘It didn’t go in? This thing is tougher than I thought.’
At that moment, Yoo Chae-ah, who had been evacuating people, approached me.
“Tae-sung! Are you okay?”
“Yeah, for now.”
“What even is that monster? An Ice Golem?”
“Be careful. Surround your body with heat.”
“Already done.”
By now, white steam was rising from her body as well.
Well, after living as a Hunter for years, she’d naturally be skilled enough to handle this kind of technique.
“But are you really saying we can take that thing down ourselves? Even if nearby Hunters rush over, it’ll still take at least ten minutes for them to get here…”
Seeing her bite her lower lip, it was clear she was worried.
“Do you see its eyes?”
“Yeah, its body is icy blue, but its eyes are red.”
“When those red eyes get even darker, that’s when it’ll unleash its cold aura. Just watch out during that moment. Of course, it’s already emitting insane amounts of cold air normally.”
“Really? But how did you figure all of this out so quickly?”
“I watched it while hiding. I planned for us to fight it together once you arrived.”
Truthfully, I had wanted to finish this on my own before she got here, but I couldn’t admit that it was beyond my abilities.
“And how do you already have a fire skill card? Your body temperature feels pretty high…”
I just made it a moment ago.
“Uh… oh, this? I got it for having good test scores.”
“Wait, what? I don’t remember them giving those out when I was in school…”
“Well, times have changed, haven’t they? Stop sounding like an old-timer with your ‘back in my day’ talk…”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, you brat.”
As we continued to lure the monster away to a more deserted area, she suddenly screamed.
“Kyaah! What the hell is that?!”
“What’s wrong?”
While running, she pointed toward the beach where a flipped-over car was lying.
“Wait… is that my car?”
“Sharp eyes.”
“Damn it! You goddamn icy bastard!”
She drew her sword, enveloping it with a blue mana aura.
“N-noona!”
As she moved closer to the monster, enormous clouds of steam began to rise from her body.
The monster, which had been chasing us, suddenly changed its direction, turning to face Yoo Chae-ah as it raised its foot.
Boom!
The creature’s foot slammed into the frozen ground, shaking it, and Yoo Chae-ah stood beside it, her head tilted back as she glared up.
“The golem’s weak spots are the head or the heart, right?”
Normally, yes. But not this one…
In the past, Hunters struggled with this monster for an entire day because they couldn’t figure out its weak point.
The weak point of a golem is typically its “core” located within its body, and the monster can only be killed by destroying it.
But unlike other golems, this Giant Ice Beast had its core in a very unusual location.
While ice golems had appeared in the past, this massive ice monster was the first golem of its kind.
Because of this, it was particularly challenging to deal with.
The golem’s strengths included its unique regeneration ability and its tireless stamina. In the early stages of battle, Hunters with weak fire skills froze to death.
Even those who could generate heat often died after being struck while attempting to attack.
Others succumbed as their bodies gradually froze, slowing their reaction times until they were killed.
No matter how many times the head was smashed or the heart pierced, the creature wouldn’t die—it had a tenacious vitality.
Even when its arms were severed, they regrew instantly. If its legs were cut off, they’d regenerate just as quickly.
Even sensory-type Hunters who bombarded it with magic couldn’t make it flinch.
And the weak point of this monster?
It was right there.
In the middle of its body.
Between its legs.
Whoever designed this monster’s core placement had to be out of their mind.
Since Yoo Chae-ah was drawing its attention, it was now much easier for me to attack.
All I had to do was target that spot!
But… with my current attack power, could I even destroy its core?
Right now, my attack level is barely A-rank.
While the monster’s defense isn’t S-rank, it’s close enough.
I’d need either S-rank attack power or a way to lower its defense to A-rank.
One of the two would have to happen.
“Noona! Buy me some more time!”
“What?! I thought we were fighting this thing together!”
“We are, but hold on a sec…”
‘Explosion… I need an explosion. A skill that can deal near-S-rank damage in a single burst…’
Dozens of combinations of skills ran through my mind, but unfortunately, none of the skill cards I had would work.
‘Maybe I should focus on lowering its defense…’
At that moment, I noticed a small hole in the frozen sea, created by the ice monster’s ability.
‘…Wait, isn’t that where that worm went earlier…?’
As the ice melted, the hole rapidly grew larger.
The sea began to bubble and boil.
‘The sea… is boiling? What kind of nonsense is this?’
Suddenly, the words of the worm popped into my head.
<With the heat my body generates, everything around me will melt away.>
It seemed the worm was shedding its skin.
And its heat wasn’t a joke—it was intense.
Not only had it melted the frozen sea, but now the water was boiling.
Uh… wait a second.
If it has that much heat…
“Noona! Over here! Lure the ice monster this way!!”
“What?!”
“Just bring it over here!”
Yoo Chae-ah, who was clinging to the ice monster’s shoulder while wildly slashing at it, leaped down and ran toward me.
Though the golem remained unscathed, it seemed enraged by the attacks and immediately charged in our direction.
Thud, thud, thud!!
Despite its massive size, it was moving at an incredible speed.
It had taken only a few steps, yet it was already closing the distance.
Yoo Chae-ah and I stepped onto the frozen sea.
“Why are we heading toward the sea? And what’s with this hole? Is the sea… boiling?”
“Exactly. We’re going to lure it here.”
Looking at the monster’s eyes, I could tell it was about to unleash its cold aura.
“Now…! Push your heat to the max! And get as far away as you can!”
The moment I spoke, the ice monster released its cold aura.
Pheeooong—!
The freezing energy spread outward from the monster’s core.
The part of the ice that had melted due to the worm’s heat began to refreeze rapidly.
Fssszzzk!
Even though steam was rising from my body due to the heat, frost was beginning to form on me again.
I rotated my mana as fast as I could, accelerating the heat.
My entire body became burning hot, melting the frost as quickly as it formed.
“Are you okay?”
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Yoo Chae-ah covered in frost.
“Yoo Chae-ah…?”
She had frozen.
....
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