Vol 2 Chapter 18

Kalaps were insect-type monsters that looked like a cross between crickets and spiders, but gigantic in size. They were a nuisance to traveling users due to their habit of attacking in groups. After the number of Kalaps they had killed since coming here surpassed four digits, Kapros had become sick of even seeing the tips of their antennae, but Kran and Yu-wan were still as energetic as ever.

"They'll be approaching soon, so get ready."

Yu-wan warned Kapros without looking back, raising his sword to aim ahead. It was a pattern that had become familiar after countless repetitions, so Kapros looked ahead indifferently. As Yu-wan had said, the group of Kalaps charging fiercely soon began to come clearly into view. Kapros could see Kran's sword-wielding arm tensing firmly. He too began to time inwardly as he watched the approaching monsters.

'5, 4, 3, 2... 1!'

Now!

When the Kalaps, almost as large as humans, seemed to have entered far enough to spot them, Kapros raised both hands high and shouted.

"Screw Fireball!"

With a whoosh, dozens of fireballs appeared and flew towards the Kalaps, spinning fiercely following Kapros's hand gestures.

Boom boom boom boom!

"Keeeeek!"

As dozens of fireballs suddenly flew in and exploded, the monsters rolled around, screeching. Kapros was satisfied with the perfect result as he watched the once-orderly formation instantly fall into disarray. He had become so skilled at handling many fireballs that he didn't even get a headache anymore. Not missing that moment, Kran and Yu-wan leaped into the middle of the Kalap group.

Kran to the right, Yu-wan to the left.

They had done this so many times that the two had reached a level where they could time their movements without words.

As soon as he rushed in, Kran swung his sword in a large circle, taking out two or three at once, then began to cut down the Kalaps without hesitation as he moved. Although there were many large and bold movements that seemed to show openings at first glance, he rarely got injured, perhaps because he appropriately used the weight of his strength to deal with them.

On Yu-wan's side, he easily dispatched enemies with quick and simple movements, utilizing his well-honed basic motions and speed that had been impressive since they first met. The occasional spinning kicks or punches he added when he seemed about to be surrounded were also factors that made his combat look easy. The fact that he made such difficult actions look so easy was a testament to his outstanding skills.

Therefore, if one were to briefly compare the two's styles, Kran had a strong knightly feel with his disciplined movements, while Yu-wan gave the impression of a practical fighter using both sword and physical attacks. However, the two never encroached on each other's domains.

After fighting like that for a while, the battle ended with Yu-wan blowing off the head of the last Kalap.

"Whew. Refreshing."

Kran sheathed his sword as he passed by the disappearing corpses of the Kalaps.

"Hunting is really best with a drive. Look at all these nice items, hehehe..."

Kran approached, looking pleased as if he had recently taken a liking to collecting miscellaneous items. Yu-wan also came closer with a faint smile.

Kapros went to sit under a large tree nearby. Unlike him, who had nothing to do after the initial blast, Yu-wan and Kran needed occasional rest to replenish their stamina after moving so vigorously. The two of them rested while Kapros trained in magic during that time - it couldn't have been more perfect.

In fact, the fastest way to reach Zagreb, the central metropolis of the continent which was their goal, was to use the inter-city portal in Tolang. The reason they were deliberately taking the hard way of hunting while walking like this was because of the newly updated 3rd episode video.

After the video featuring Kion-hyung was released, Yu-wan and Kran seemed to have been more stimulated than expected by the fact that the protagonist in the video was a user. Kapros still vividly remembered how they had approached him with serious faces as soon as he logged in, asking if he would go through the Parm Great Plains to improve their skills.

Yu-wan, who couldn't relax even while saying it was fine if Kapros didn't want to go, and Kran next to him, angry and accusing Yu-wan of pretending to be the only nice one.

And Kapros's answer to that was very concise.

'I was going to suggest it myself, so I'm glad you saved me the trouble.'

Kran had instantly shut his mouth. The sight of Yu-wan's tense expression slowly relaxing and finally turning into a smile was a spectacle Kapros hadn't seen in a long time, not since they had properly introduced themselves for the first time.

'I see.'

'What, so we were all thinking the same thing in the end. The hardest path is the fastest path! Right? Hahaha!'

Kran's bright, sparkling smile like a puppy's, which Kapros had initially found burdensome, had long since become a part of daily life. They all laughed out loud in the middle of Tolang's streets, attracting people's attention.

Ah, these amusing guys. With these two, it seemed they could make even the difficult journey through the center of the continent as a trio.

And so, they had embarked on their journey towards the Parm Great Plains, leading to today.

"Just a few more days until Zagreb!"

Kran shouted refreshingly as he lay under the tree, stretching out his arms and legs. Kapros, sitting with Superior's magic book open, chuckled.

After becoming a 5th Circle Master, Kapros was able to access Superior's swordsmanship skill book and magic book as he had wanted. However, lacking the capacity to progress with both simultaneously, he was currently attempting magic first. Although it was a bit disappointing that Superior's voice, which had greatly angered him before he gained the qualification, didn't come when he opened the book after becoming a 5th Circle Master.

Anyway, Superior's magic book contained three spells. It was structured so that one had to completely learn the first spell before moving on to the next. The first spell he was currently working on was 5th circle Blink, a magic that allowed instant movement within one's field of vision. Moreover, surprisingly, it had no incantation from the start.

The biggest challenge was simply adapting to the sudden changes in vision that often led to falling and rolling when trying to move through Blink, but it seemed there would be no problem once he got used to that. Above all, the best thing was that he wouldn't have to experience lagging far behind Yu-wan and Kran when fleeing or running anymore.