"No, you don't," I said. As soon as I saw my body, it instinctively moved to catch my head, and I carefully placed it back where it belonged.
"Now it's good," I said, checking my neck by moving it left and right. This all happened in the span of a few seconds.
[Your "Iron Skin" skill has evolved to C-rank "Steel Skin"]
"At least all this struggle brought me some benefit," I thought, noticing the evolved version of my skill.
I kept the monster at bay using my [Telekinetic Control], observing it closely. It was a massive creature, a grotesque mix of a werewolf and a polar bear, with long, sharp claws.
I devised a plan and released the monster, intending to adapt to its attacks.I activated all my defensive skills as the monster lunged at me with pure bloodlust.
He moved with such speed that he appeared as a blur. In the next moment, blood dripped from all the cuts that had appeared on me.
[Your "Steel Skin" skill has evolved to the B-rank "Platinum Skin"]
"A broad smile broke out on my face as I received the notification I'd been anticipating. In an instant, the cuts on my healed, but my clothes weren't so fortunate, having been left in tatters."
The monster relentlessly continued its assault, the sound of its claws striking my body echoed like metal on metal— clang! clang! With each strike, its claws shattered upon contact, failing to pierce my skin.
"RAOOOO!!" he cried out in pain.
The monster then moved swiftly, unleashing its skill [Freezing Breath], encasing me in a massive block of After a few seconds
[Congratulations! You acquired immunity to Cold]
"My goal has been achieved,"I thought as I crushed the ice encasing me with [Telekinetic Control], shattering it into fragments as I freed myself. "Allocate 45 stat points to Agility," I commanded, feeling the surge of speed and reflexes course through me.
Although my speed wasn't quite enough to catch him, I was only a fraction slower. I managed to keep up by slowing him down with [Telekinetic Control]. His immense force was evident, as I received a notification about my increasing "Focus," signaling that he was stronger than my [Telekinetic Control].
I casted 20 [Missilix] and shot them toward him. "If I hadn't raised my Agility, my [Missilix] would have completely missed him." It seems that increasing my Agility not only boosted my speed and dexterity but also allowed me to perceive my opponent's movements in slow motion. Before, he was just a blur to me, but now it looks like he's running at a normal pace, though still a bit faster.
As the [Missilix] struck him, 20 small holes appeared across his body, each oozing blood. He let out a pained growl before collapsing to the ground with a thud!.
[Your level has risen by 1]
My appearance was again covered in blood, with numerous cuts marring my clothes.
The loot dropped by the monster included a B-rank magic stone and a B-rank skill book.
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Skill Book: Frost Blast
Description:This skill releases a moderate burst of freezing energy in a specified area, covering it with a thin layer of frost.
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I packed my backpack and exited the dungeon. The dungeon gate was now glowing blue, indicating that it had returned to its normal state.The guard didn't recognize me, as I was covered in blood.They were surprised and mistook me for a high-ranking hunter.
"Thank God! Finally, the Association dispatched a hunter to clear this damn dungeon," exclaimed one of the guards.
"Thank you very much, sir," both guards said, looking visibly relieved.
First, I took a taxi to my apartment to change clothes, as I needed to visit the Hunter Association to sell the mana stones. I opened the drawer where my clothes were kept and selected a fresh tracksuit to wear.
I then took a taxi to the Hunter Association. Upon arrival, a crowd of reporters surrounded the entrance, but I managed to slip past them and enter the building. Inside, a group had gathered around a teenage boy who had just exited the rank evaluation room.
As I was heading up to the 3rd floor to sell the mana stones, our eyes met briefly. I chose to ignore him, and he shot me a look of slight irritation.
In the next moment, the crowd surrounding the boy blocked our line of sight.
I reached the third floor and entered the room where the receptionist had guided me previously. I rang the bell, and the same man who had handled my mana stone sale last time appeared.
"Good afternoon, sir. How are you?" he greeted me politely.
"Please drop the 'sir' and just call me Zephyr,"I said.
"Now, Mr. Zephyr, how many mana stones have you brought this time?" he asked politely.
His eyes widened slightly as he noticed the bag brimming with E-rank mana stones, and among them, a single B-rank mana stone stood out.
He hurriedly rushed out and reached out to his superior. "What is it this time?" his superior asked, looking slightly annoyed by the interruption.
"Please come, sir, we have a special guest," he said deliberately, trying to convey the urgency of the situation without causing a scene.
Soon, both of them entered the room. As the superior's gaze fell upon the bag, his tone shifted immediately, becoming more respectful and cautious.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner that we have a special guest?" he scolded, shooting a sharp glance at his subordinate.
"Sir, I did inform you, but you didn't listen," the man said to his superior.
"Good afternoon, sir. I apologize for this display; he must have been rude to you," he greeted me, trying to smooth over the situation.
"Name's Zephyr. The pleasure is all mine," I greeted him in return.
"My name is Ethan Grey, Mr. Zephyr. Nice to meet you," Ethan said, extending his hand for a handshake.
"Mr. Zephyr, from now on, I'll be your guide for selling mana stones," Ethan said in his business-like tone.
"Thank you, Mr. Ethan. I'll be in your care then," I said as I handed him my backpack.
He took my backpack."Please wait here, Mr. Zephyr. I'll be back in a minute," he said as he left with his subordinate.
After a few minutes, he returned holding a black card with "VIP" inscribed in bold, golden letters.
"The amount has been transferred to your account, Mr. Zephyr," he said, handing me the card. "Here, take this. It's our VIP card from the association, given to high-rankers who bring in mana stones in bulk. This card will be useful in any branch of the Hunter Association, regardless of the city you're in."
"Thank you, Mr. Ethan," I said, expressing my gratitude for his hospitality.
"No problem, Mr. Zephyr. You are now one of our VIPs," he replied.
I then left the association."Which dungeon should I raid next?" I pondered, noting that the highest-ranked dungeon in this city was A-rank. "I should head to another C-rank dungeon."
"But before that, I should buy some skill books," I thought, glancing at the notification I received on my phone.
Bank Balance: $1,130,000
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