The Animagus: From Hunter to Monster-Chapter 82: Lone wolf
The cavern fed in chaos.
Dust, and debris diffused in the air, with the attacks launched by the monster. Golden veins of mana pulsing along the wall illuminated the dungeon. Some hunters scattered, barely managing to stay on their feet, a result of the devastating breath attack launched by the Wyrm. The ground was littered with cracks, embellished by molten streaks still glowing from the heat.
But amidst this chaos, stood one figure.
Buji.
In his right hand, firmly gripped the Phantom Fang Blade. He has decided to use this weapon against the monster.
He stood firm, almost confident, if not. He seemed not to be moving, unlike the others who still reeled from the shockwaves. His expression remained relaxed, despite the overwhelming aura of destruction radiating from the monster before him.
"Well, that was something," he said as he rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck lazily.
He turned to find the other hunters watching him with shock. They possibly wondered the kind of resolve he had gotten to make him want to face the monster alone. His eyes caught Lily.
’Such shape you’ve got there,’ he thought, but got disconnected from the thought by the kind of look Lily bored into him. A look that clearly said, "Are you joking?! You want to face that alone?!"
He, however, returned his gaze to the monster, clenched his left fist while using his right hand to tighten his grip on the hilt of the Fang blade.
’I don’t want you to participate, I can do this. I’ve done worst than fighting this single trash.’
He stepped forward, locking his eyes onto Wyrm’s. He wasn’t planning to use much skill for this fight, he won’t be casting all his abilities yet.
He thought, which of his skills will be better to make use of pertaining the situation.
He called upon his stats, and analysed his skills one after the other.
"Let’s go with Phantom Step," he said.
[Skill: Phantom Step Activated.]
His eyes gleamed.
"The core," he suddenly remembered. That was going to be the monster’s main source of failure. If he’s able to destroy the core, the monster will meet its ancestors.
Cores of monsters of beasts served as their unit of life. It serves the sole purpose that is same as that of the human heart. Deactivate it, and you’re gone.
That’s exactly what Buji was planning now.
’The Wyrm’s core!’
If only he could blot out the core, or anyhow, make it lifeless. He remembered one more thing, the core (heart) of humans were found in their chest, while that of beasts can be located anywhere. Even the slightest place you can fail to imagine.
And he didn’t know where to find that of Wyrm.
He almost forgot to get something clear. For beasts, core served as their unit of life. But for a monster, especially the high-ranked, the core was more than. It was the crystallization of centuries of mana absorption—worth a fortune, priceless to the right people. But more importantly, it was the only way to ensure the creature’s death.
If he can get that core? He will—
"Fighting this thing normally is pointless," Raven roared from the distance. "It absorbs magic."
Buji looked in his direction, shot him a look but didn’t lay any reply.
"I am Buji," he smirked. "And me? I don’t fight fair."
He brushed his mouth against his mouth with the left hand, and used his elbow of the left hand to do same. Then he said, [Phantom Step!]
[Skill: Phantom Step (Already Activated.)]
With that, Buji dashed out with his hands flying behind his back.
The Wyrm’s crimson eyes glowed, its body tensing. It had recognized the shift in atmosphere and the incoming movement.
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And so—
The Wyrm acted first.
Its massive body lunged forward, a combined blur of black scales and deadly intent. Its tail whipped through the air, carving through stone like it was paper. The sheer force sent settles outward, shattering anything in its path.
But Buji was already gone.
He vanished—his Phantom Step was a wonderful skill to own.
In the blink of an eye, he has reappeared on the Wyrm’s back, balancing effortlessly atop its shifting, armored hide.
"Oh?" Buji muttered, glancing down. "So smooth. Almost like polished obsidian."
He knocked his knuckles on its scales. "Solid too. Hehe, shame I’m going to break through it."
The Wyrm twisted with violence, trying to throw him off its body. Its entire body convulsed, but Buji stuck like glue, effortlessly adjusting his footing with precise nano movements.
"Nice try, big guy," he chuckled. "But I ride better creatures than you."
As if understanding what Buji said, and taking it as insult, the Wyrm suddenly launched itself into the air—smashing its back into the cavern ceiling.
"Well done."
That proved Buji’s guess that the monster was really intelligent. Its move was eventually a calculated move.
But before the impact from the move, Buji had already jumped out.
He twisted mid-air, using his Phantom Step to redirect himself downward—slamming toward the Wyrm’s head like a meteor, falling out of control.
His weapon materialized mid-descent.
The Phantom Fang Blade—sleek, silverish, and deadly with runes carved in its steel.
He landed directly on the Wyrm’s snout, stabbing downward. "Crack!"
CRACK!
A hairline fracture formed in the monster’s protective scales.
The Wyrm screeched in fury, shaking its head violently. But Buji had already bounced away, landing smoothly on a nearby rock formation.
He brushed his robe off anything debris that might have clinged onto it from his impact, and twirled his blade afterward.
"I have good news and bad new. Which should I start with?"
He looked as if he was thinking, before he said. "I guess it’s always good to start with good things. So, I will be starting with the goodnews."
Wyrm roared, carelessly striking Buji’s direction with its limb which landed on the ground to arouse shattering rocks in the air.
Buji in his infinite speed sidestepped easily, and continued. "I will still talk."
"So, the goodnews is that your hide isn’t invincible." His grin widened.
"But the bad news," he lowered his head. "Is that I’m going to keep expending my strength, stabbing you until that you’re done for good."
On the monster’s own side, it learned.
Every attack Buji landed made it adapt faster. It adjusted its movements, predicting his Phantom Steps with disturbing accuracy, to Buji’s disadvantage.
But Buji?
He wasn’t playing checkers. That did be a numb game if he tried to do so.
He was playing 4D chess.
"And how does things work when a strength of your player is detected by your opponent?" Buji asked. "Oh, I don’t expect you to know the answer anyway."
He decided to try a new method, but this time, he was going to be tactical.
He baited the monster, forcing it into patterns unknown to it.
’But it was still smart to figure it out,’ he thought. "For this ability, I will buy you little time before your death, but not against my own time though."
Just then, the screen materialized before his eyes.
[Time remaining: 00:20:00!]
"Change of plans, buddy."
He intentionally let it think it had figured his steps—then switched his rhythm, becoming unpredictable
One moment he was in front of its eyes.
The next, he was behind its neck.
Then, somehow, he was on its tail.
He did all these with amazing speed. Moving like the speed of light, switching within nanoseconds.
The hunters watched in stunned silence.
Buji wasn’t just fighting the Wyrm.
He was toying with it.
"He’s making it look… easy," Lily murmured in disbelief, blushing as well.
"Idiot’s got a death wish," Raven muttered. But his clenched fists betrayed the admiration in his eyes.
Even Mr. Zin, was speechless. In his mind, Buji has finally awakened that power of an enigmatic monster. Not naturally meaning that any Hunter couldn’t perform like him, but at an early age—
Buji already caused some effects on Wyrm. He broke it’s hide each second, making the monster to screech at each pain caused by it.
He slid playfully before coming to a halt. He shoved his hand over his disheveled hair and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Alright, big guy. I think I’ve figured you out."
He was still yet to settle when the screen materialized before his eyes.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
[>>>Your stats have increased by 5 SP]
[You have leveled up!]
[>>>Your stats have increased by 5 SP]
[You have leveled up!]
[>>>Your stats have increased by 5 SP]
[You have leveled up!]
"..."
"..."
"..."
[You have unlocked a new title: Lone wolf!]
Description: —
Before it could lease out the description of the title, Buji scraped the screen away.
"Is it not obvious what Lone Wolf means?"
Before the notification, he had found out what will end the game between him and the monster.
The core.
It wasn’t in the chest. Too obvious. Too easy to defend.
It wasn’t in the head either. That was a distraction.
He had wasted his time all these while.
No, the real Achilles’ heel was somewhere unexpected.
Buji’s eyes locked onto the Wyrm’s underbelly.
Right beneath the second rib.
A faint glow shimmered.
There.
