Feeling the wall of fire draw closer, I slowly made my way toward the center of the forest.
Even before the first event began, I had covered myself in blood while searching for the bear cub.
To conserve as much stamina as possible, I chose a method that made the [Mark of the Prey] itself meaningless.
During the second event, I used that same bastard I always relied on to deal with the hunters more easily.
And during the preparation time before the third event began, I moved to the outskirts, circling the perimeter for the entire duration to minimize encounters with other monsters and beasts.
I had conserved as much stamina as I could.
Thanks to dying and reviving, I was not fatigued either. My body was perfectly fine, without a single injury.
Step.
"Seeing you again after ten hours."
"Kuhu..."
And yet, even though I should have been in peak condition, why did my body feel so heavy?
I rubbed my strangely stiff-feeling eyes and spoke to Behemoth standing before me.
"These ten hours felt especially long."
As always, we began one hundred meters apart.
Three minutes until the wall of fire completely engulfed the forest.
"To you right now, I probably look like a total fucking pushover, huh?"
"..."
I smiled at the bastard silently blocking the front of the cave.
To it, I was probably something it had never seen before.
It might have been a little different if it was an anomaly, but from what I had felt after trying over and over, it did not seem to recognize me.
"Laugh while you can. It'll be your last chance."
A tiny living thing barely a quarter its size.
It was sneering at me as though I were a toy no better than an insect.
Thirty seconds elapsed.
Step.
I moved until we were exactly fifty meters apart.
Right up to the limit where it would not make the first move.
"Nice weather, right?"
I thrust my middle finger high at the bastard that was still grinning.
Its eyes wavered briefly, perhaps offended, but it still did not move first.
Because it was the absolute ruler.
Because it was the master of this forest.
"Squeee!"
"Yip! Yip...!"
Crunch!
Just as it dealt with those animals that came charging at it, unable to withstand the heat, it was merely waiting for the moment to deal with me.
For me to enter its range first.
One minute elapsed.
"From what I saw before, it seems like you're a little scared of fire?"
On my previous attempt, I saw its eyes widen like crazy when the wall of fire swallowed it.
I did not know whether the [Flame of the Apocalypse] event was treated differently from magic, or whether it simply had no resistance to fire.
I did consider learning fire magic, but...
I had already spent all my TP buying Magic Stones.
I also figured it would not be effective even if I learned it.
Crack.
"Whew. You ready?"
After stretching, I gripped my sword and smiled.
One minute and thirty seconds elapsed.
Monster hunting started now.
Dash—!!!
"Kuwaaaaaaar!!"
The instant I kicked off the ground, it roared and took a step forward.
The sky boomed, and the ground shook.
I clenched my teeth hard as a brilliant red parry timing filled my vision.
"Hup...!"
I could not dodge the first attack.
Maybe I could have, but I did not try.
To eliminate every variable, to make it act exactly as it had on the previous attempts.
I repeated the same route, only reducing the damage as much as possible and making sure the pain did not register.
Sizzle...!!
Thud...!!
"Whew..."
At first, I had been sent flying and slammed into a tree. Now I was merely pushed back before crashing into one.
It hurt, but I had reached the point where I could move my body right away.
Whoosh!!
I threw myself aside to dodge the boulder flying at me next.
There was no need to even look at Behemoth.
I remembered perfectly when and where each attack would come flying.
One minute and fifty-one seconds elapsed.
Dash—!!
After throwing the rock, it swung its fist again.
I rolled away from the punch, which carried less power than the first one.
"Hup!!"
The bastard that had swung at empty air spun around, and at the same time, the light signaling a parry flashed from its tail.
Thud—!!
A successful parry, repeated countless times.
I was pushed back slightly by the impact, but it staggered just a little too, so it did not matter.
Two minutes and seven seconds elapsed.
"Kuwaaaaaaar!!"
A black circle formed around my body.
More accurately, the shadow cast by it completely covered me.
Its enormous hands, enough to block out the moon, came together and plummeted toward me at high speed.
Kwoooong—!!!
Because the previous parry had been perfect, I smoothly threw myself aside and dodged the attack.
Amid the shock that shook the ground, I rose to my feet and immediately swung my sword, slashing across the back of its hand.
Slaaash—!!
"...!!"
"What, does it hurt?"
I smirked at its now-familiar look of surprise.
Two minutes and twenty-six seconds elapsed.
Boom!! Kwoong—!!
It pulled back its hand, then stomped the ground as if enraged.
It placed its left arm near its right shoulder, preparing to swing the arm like a whip.
Dash—!!
I had already seen this countless times, so I pulled out Magic Stones and charged inward at full speed.
Retreating was impossible.
I had only just closed the distance. Flames were burning behind me.
That was why, since running beneath its left arm gave me the most time at that angle, I sprinted with all my might.
Whoooosh!!
[Water Ball]!!
As its arm swept out like it was scraping the ground, I threw two Magic Stones straight at its eyes.
It had magic resistance anyway.
Even if I drove lightning bolts into its eyes, it was completely unaffected.
Splash!
"Kuhu!!!"
But that was fine.
I was not trying to attack it with the Magic Stones in the first place.
If a creature saw the world through its eyes, it would blink the moment a foreign object entered them.
If water bursting right in front of its eyes drenched the area around them, it would instinctively close them.
It did not matter whether that lasted one second or one-tenth of a second.
As long as I had time to get inside its reach, as long as I could buy an opening to raise my sword, that was enough.
"Hup...!!"
I moved in front of its huge foot and gripped my steel sword in a reverse grip.
With both hands, swallowing my breath as I poured in all my strength, I drove it hard into the top of its foot.
Two minutes and thirty-seven seconds elapsed.
Crunch—!!!
"Kuwaaaaaaar!!!!"
Half the sword pierced through the top of its foot.
The moment it screamed and lifted its foot, I pulled out the sword and sprinted to the other side.
Kwoooong!!!
Bang! Bang—!!
It wildly stomped around with its bleeding foot.
Its fists, flailing in agony, were bringing down the cliff beside us.
Please, please, please...!!
At this moment, it came down to luck.
Because its fists were swinging wildly, the chunks of rock falling from the cliff did not land in the same places every time.
I could dodge them if I looked to the side and above, but I did not have time for that.
Leaving everything to luck, I stood behind its right ankle and gripped my sword tightly.
Boom! Boom!
Rumble...!
Without even sparing a glance for the rocks whizzing past beside me, I swung my sword with all my strength toward its Achilles tendon.
With every ounce of strength I had... No, I had never nursed, had I?
Anyway, I used every bit of strength I had to unleash [Royal Palace Knights Basic Swordsmanship Form 2].
Two minutes and forty-four seconds elapsed.
Slaaash—!!!
"Kuheoooooar!!!"
Feeling droplets of its blood splash across my body, I immediately pulled back the sword and drove it down into its calf again.
Thunk!
Now it did not even scream.
As it stomped the ground and swung its arms, desperately trying to catch me, I let go of the sword and sprinted toward the wall of fire.
When it found me after wildly thrashing around, I hurled two Mid-Grade Magic Stones at it with all my might.
"...!"
Normally, it would not have dodged, but after the unceasing pain, it instinctively evaded.
The Magic Stones flew over its head and struck the wall of fire—
[Water Rain]!!
Sizzle—!!!
Scalding steam burst from the rainfall that struck the wall.
Watching thick fog fill the area, I moved again.
A dark night, crimson flames all around.
In the narrowed space, its massive body blocked the moonlight, while the thick fog blocked its vision.
Boom!!
I slipped past the hand it was blindly swiping as it failed to find my position, stopping in front of the left foot I had stabbed first.
Hurts, doesn't it? I'll make it even more electrifying...!!
Holding five Low-Grade Magic Stones in my hand, I shoved the Magic Stones into the wound on the top of its foot.
Its bulging muscles, its tough hide, and its apparent magic resistance had all ignored my electricity, but—
Try enduring electricity exploding inside your body.
I had just confirmed that this worked.
Two minutes and fifty-four seconds elapsed.
Krazzzzzzzt!!!
"Kuwaaaack! Kuwaaaaaa!!!"
The crackling electricity, loud enough to hurt my ears, scorched its blood.
I gritted my teeth and ran as it screamed in agony.
"Kuhaaaak—!!"
As if it could not hold back any longer, Behemoth prepared to slam its entire body down on the ground.
The reason I had failed on my thirteenth attempt.
There had been nowhere to evade its gigantic body in this place, where there was practically no space remaining.
Except for one tiny gap just large enough to fit a person like me.
"Hup...!!"
Clenching my teeth hard, I hurled myself toward the only space I had seen on my previous attempt.
Thud—!!
Kwoooong—!!
Everywhere except the tiny gap where I was standing, its enormous body crushed the ground.
"...!!"
Its red eyes went wide when it realized I was still alive.
As it immediately reached out again, I gave it a broad grin.
Whoosh.
"Three minutes are up, you animal bastard."
"Kuwaaaaaaaa—!!!"
Enjoy the sensation of burning to your very bones, and go on—wail as desperately as you can.
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