Chapter 272: Scharfrichter (2)
The chaotic atmosphere settled once again as the discussion shifted back to tactical planning.
When the topic of the “Plummeting Eagle,” which Ayane had to mark exclusively, came up, the mood changed.
“If it rams straight in with its steel beak, there’s no way to stop it. Even if you can’t catch it, you have to at least divert its path.”
“Got it, leave it to me.”
“As long as the Plummeting Eagle doesn’t cause too much trouble, I can handle the extraction of the essence. Keeping the maximum bleeding stack up won’t be an issue, and I can counter most attacks.”
“Are you really sure? The Scharfrichter itself has multiple attack options.”
“I’m sure. I have multiple defense options too.”
Kang-hoo smiled faintly.
Ayane was right—Scharfrichter had many means of responding to intruders.
But Kang-hoo had also prepared various ways to counter it.Particularly, since being attacked from behind was frequent, he had factored that into his calculations.
“You’re going to use Clone Technique to take the Execution Sentence attack, right?”
“Yeah. Since it always prioritizes the closest target, make sure no one stands in front of me.”
“As if you’d even give them the chance to.”
“That’s true.”
Execution Sentence.
It was one of Scharfrichter’s attack skills and the reason it was given that name.
An attack using its roots—if stabbed, it was instant death. No exceptions, no reasons, just death. It had to be avoided at all costs.
The interval between each attack was 30 seconds.
That meant he had to carefully track the timing and place a clone in the front to take the hit instead.
If Kang-hoo lost track of time in the heat of battle or failed to activate his Clone Technique…
That would be the end of his life. This wasn’t a novel or a game—there were no do-overs.
Crack.
Kang-hoo immediately bit down on a Mad Solarkium.
Normally, he would wait to assess the situation before taking action, but there was no time for that now—Scharfrichter’s sharp-edged vines were already flicking dangerously.
“Kang-hoo.”
“Hm?”
“In Japan, there are a few places in Okinawa where you can find Mad Solarkium. Should I get some for you?”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. I know a few suppliers. I’ve been watching them for a while, and their stock doesn’t seem very plentiful.”
“That’d be great.”
“Alright then. Once I return to Japan, I’ll stop by Okinawa and pick some up.”
“Thanks.”
“You actually say ‘thank you’?”
“I’m not much of a talker, but I’m not a piece of trash either. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
Kang-hoo lightly tapped her with the blunt end of his dagger’s hilt before dashing forward.
Despite being quite tall himself, standing before Scharfrichter made him feel rather small.
It was called a plant, but honestly, it was more like a giant tree.
Its roots and vines were spread so widely that it was hard to tell where Scharfrichter began and where it ended.
Swish! Slash!
As Kang-hoo closed the distance, he relentlessly slashed at the vines and roots.
Sap spilled out from various parts, and Scharfrichter’s bleeding stacks started accumulating.
No matter what attack skill he used, the bleeding effect stacked, causing the bleeding stat to rise rapidly.
And then—
Kreeeehh!
The Plummeting Eagles, waiting high up in the surrounding trees, took off into the air.
There were five of them.
Their signature attack pattern was to fly in an arc, reach a peak, and then dive straight down.
That meant Ayane had to take them out before they reached their peak altitude.
“Hoo.”
A short breath, then focus.
Bang!
Ayane’s rifle roared, and a Plummeting Eagle, hit between its steel beak and eyes, dropped dead.
Its entire body was shielded by a protective barrier, but there was a weak spot near its beak.
A tiny gap, nearly impossible to target—but Ayane took it down with a single sniper shot.
Meanwhile, despite the sound of gunfire, Kang-hoo didn’t look up.
He trusted Ayane.
If he ever took his eyes off the fight to check on her, it would only delay the battle against Scharfrichter.
Gunshots continued to ring out behind him, but Kang-hoo didn’t glance back once.
Thanks to that, he quickly stacked Scharfrichter’s bleeding effect to the maximum, and soon, essence began to seep out.
【Third Eye】
He repositioned his Third Eye to the rear.
Originally, he had placed it at the dungeon entrance, but there hadn’t been any intruders. Even if someone did enter now, they were too far away to be a concern.
So, Kang-hoo adjusted its location to ensure he could detect any attacks from behind.
That way, he wouldn’t need to turn around—the shared vision from the Third Eye would allow him to respond immediately.
Clank!
Just as Kang-hoo was collecting the essence into the extraction container, an attack came.
Swoosh!
Several long vines, previously stretched out to the sides, suddenly stiffened, and from within, thorns were fired.
These were known as Paralysis Thorns—once embedded, they injected a paralysis toxin, making resistance impossible.
【Leap】
“Hup!”
Kang-hoo leaped high into the air using Leap. With precise control over his movements, he reached a considerable height.
Pssht! Pshhhh!
Thanks to his swift reaction, the Paralysis Thorns that had targeted him on the ground collided with each other or simply fell harmlessly into the air.
Meanwhile, Kang-hoo had already set his sights on Scharfrichter’s protrusion, now aligned with his eye level.
This section, extending outward like an antenna, controlled the vines that had just fired the Paralysis Thorns.
It was essentially a control tower—if he cut it off, he could prevent a repeat of the same attack pattern.
【Black Moon Slash】
Kang-hoo charged briefly mid-air before unleashing the Black Moon Slash at the protrusion.
A fleeting moment of darkness—yet it was enough.
Slash!
A clean cutting sound echoed. At the same time, several vines lost their vitality, darkened, and withered away.
Thud.
Upon landing, Kang-hoo picked up the extraction container he had set down before jumping and resumed collecting the essence.
Right then—
Gurgle! Gurgle!
Suddenly, Scharfrichter’s entire body convulsed, spewing out essence in large quantities.
At the same time, trembling red petals gently fluttered down from beneath the quivering flower.
At first glance, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to extract as much essence as possible.
The cascading petals filled the air, creating a mesmerizingly beautiful scene.
However—
“I have no interest in false hope.”
Without hesitation, Kang-hoo abandoned the container and leaped backward to retreat.
At the same time—
【Clone Technique】
He precisely timed the creation of a clone in front of him, ensuring it took his place.
Swish!
And then, Execution Sentence was unleashed.
Shhh! Shh! Shhh!
Scharfrichter’s vines struck with fury, but unfortunately for it, they only tore through Kang-hoo’s clone.
The petals continued to fall.
Slaughter Petals.
The true cause of the sky-high mortality rate among mercenary hunters attempting to harvest Scharfrichter.
Even a slight touch from these petals would oxidize the entire body, leading to an unavoidable death.
There was no way to neutralize them. The moment they made contact, the oxidation spread through the bloodstream, dissolving everything.
This was why no bodies were ever found. Those who perished to Slaughter Petals simply melted away.
Sizzle.
Sure enough, gray smoke rose where the petals landed, corroding everything in their vicinity.
The only thing left unscathed was Scharfrichter itself.
Even so, the vines that Kang-hoo had cut earlier weren’t immune—they melted away almost instantly.
“Hmm.”
At that moment, something caught Kang-hoo’s attention.
One of the Plummeting Eagles was flying low, as if it had planned this from the start.
Normally, Plummeting Eagles executed their lethal dive attack from a high peak.
But “normal” didn’t mean 100% absolute, and Kang-hoo always considered potential variables.
This particular Plummeting Eagle was taking an unusual trajectory, circling widely before heading toward Ayane.
If he had to name its flight pattern, it would be something like “Ultra-Low-Altitude Eagle.”
Bang! Bang!
Ayane was too preoccupied suppressing the other Plummeting Eagles reaching their peak to notice.
It wasn’t her fault.
This was an unexpected variable that hadn’t come up during their tactical discussions. But now, it was a confirmed variable.
【Shadow Step】
Without hesitation, Kang-hoo activated Shadow Step, instantly moving closer to Ayane.
There was still time before Scharfrichter launched its next Execution Sentence attack.
So—
【Abduction】
Instead of approaching directly, he used Abduction, a skill that allowed him to pull his target toward him.
The low-flying eagle, too fixated on Ayane, didn’t even register Kang-hoo’s presence.
“Keeeek!”
The captured Plummeting Eagle flapped frantically in midair as it was yanked toward Kang-hoo.
The bird ended up cradled in his arms.
A rather romantic image—except its fate would be anything but.
Slash!
He sliced its throat without hesitation.
Even though the cut was deep, Kang-hoo didn’t stop there. He made absolutely sure.
Crack!
Placing his knee against the eagle’s nape, he snapped its neck backward.
Its head and crest met at an unnatural angle, its tongue lolled out, and the Plummeting Eagle was dead.
Perhaps it had already perished from the throat wound.
Either way, it was definitely dead now.
“Ah…?”
That was when Ayane finally noticed the eagle that had been targeting her.
“I owe you one.”
“…Damn it!”
Ayane had never wanted to be indebted to Kang-hoo. But just as he said, she now owed him her life.
If Kang-hoo hadn’t taken it down, that steel beak would have impaled her side.
Focused entirely on aerial sniping, she likely wouldn’t have been able to avoid instant death.
Swoosh!
Kang-hoo dashed forward once more.
If he wasted too much time, Scharfrichter would have an opportunity to launch its next attack cycle.
Rumble.
As Kang-hoo approached rapidly, Scharfrichter intentionally reduced its movements.
It wasn’t that it had lost the will to attack—it was baiting him, waiting for an opening.
Fsst!
Kang-hoo passed through an area where several thin roots jutted out.
At first glance, they looked like fragile threads, bending randomly, seeming harmless.
But in truth, they were poison roots—one of Scharfrichter’s favorite attack options.
If infused with mana, they would harden instantly, transforming into deadly spikes capable of piercing straight through the body.
The moment Kang-hoo turned his back to them, Scharfrichter must have been celebrating internally.
Because it had just found its opportunity to end him in a single strike.