Chapter 565: Monster Slaying

Barb Utsa

When I saw the monsters, I froze, panic surging in my chest like during my first battle. But unlike before, I crushed the fear instantly, stamping it out before it could take hold.

The forest teemed with all manner of monsters, each more nightmarish than the last.

A massive panther prowled with predatory grace, its eyes glowing like embers. Packs of wolves and hyenas slunk through the shadows, their snarls sending chills down my spine.

“Roar!”

The monsters roared, a deafening cacophony that rattled my nerves, before launching into an attack. Their movements were shockingly swift—far faster than when they had been chasing the fleeing people before.

The monsters are not as dumb as one would think.

These monsters have intentionally chased them. Instead of killing them, which they would have with numbers and strength.

They hadn’t been satisfied with just a few helpless prey—they hungered for more. And now, with us before them, they had exactly what they wanted.

Roar!

The monsters roared as they came at us, with killing intent in their eyes.

That chilled my heart and made my panic rise again before I crushed it.

I still remember the first time I faced battle—how I froze, paralyzed by fear. Back then, someone came to my aid, pulling me back from the brink. But now, there would be no such rescue. Everyone was locked in their desperate struggle, too occupied to save anyone but themselves.

A blue wolf emerged before me, its sheer size matching my own. Its thick, shimmering coat of fur rippled with every movement, and its glowing eyes locked onto mine with a predatory intensity.

It will have no problem tearing me apart with those long claws and eating me with those teeth sharper than the enchanted blade.

It is good that it had presented itself to me on a silver platter by leaping at me.

Whoosh!

The liquor appeared in my mouth through Stored Gulps.

I waited momentarily and activated the Powerful Breath and Long Breath before breathing out the liquor.

The liquor shot out in a spray and blazed as the Flint lighted it up.

As it did, I activated the Wide Plume.

The fire spread and reached the surprised wolf monster. Covering it entirely within a moment.

The liquor I am using, I had never used before.

I have liquors for the undead and people. I had also chosen different liquor for the monsters.

This liquor didn’t produce the most vigorous fire.

Instead, it produces thick, sticky fire, which, according to the people I asked, will harm the monsters the most.

Roar!

The monster roared through the fire and continued with its leap.

Seeing that, I adjusted my stance with Stance and brought my shield forward.

The shield is another change I made against the monster.

I usually rely on a buckler, but this time, I wielded a round shield—a bit larger than I was used to. Its surface gleamed faintly, enhanced by a powerful force absorption enchantment, ready to withstand the onslaught.

It is the best enchantment to counter the strength and impact of the monsters for someone of my level and abilities.

The monster reached me, and I activated my final skill. The Shield Brace.

It is my newest skill in Warrior Class, a defensive skill. I got it when the class reached level ten.

Bang!

A deafening sound rang out as the monsters’ claws struck against my shield.

Despite my shield, preparation, and skills, the power shook me and pushed me back, with a cracking sound coming out of my hand.

It broke my bones and sent a shock throughout my body.

Whoosh!

The impact forced me to release the liquor I had readied in my mouth.

Thankfully, I quickly controlled things and took the steps back rapidly while releasing the liquor in my mouth at the same time.

Turning it into a blaze and covering the monster with another layer of fire.

Roar!

The monster boomed, with deep anger in its eyes.

‘The monster is still standing!’ I thought in horror. A person of a similar level would have been screaming, but the monster just roared.

I looked at it and saw fire covering it, but its hair wasn’t burning.

I wasn’t smelling that overwhelming stench of hair and flesh burning when I noticed it.

It’s there but is faint.

The monster resists the fire, and the degree to which it resists is surprising. I was shocked to see how rapidly the fire was weakening.

It made me panic, but I crushed it before activating the Liquid Calm.

It made my nerves settle down.

Roar!

It roared again and came at me simultaneously; I released another breath of fire at it.

It tried to dodge, but it was not fast enough. This time, learning from my mistakes, I didn’t immediately bring liquor into my mouth.

The force earlier had nearly knocked out the liquor from my mouth.

I salvaged it by breathing it out, but I don’t want that to happen again.

I have a limited reserve of liquor within me, and I want to choose when to use it, rather than being compelled to do so.

Bang!

Its claws clashed against my shield, and I stepped back while bringing liquid into my mouth and breathing it out.

The monster tried to avoid it again but failed.

It is fast, without a doubt, but my fire is more rapid with the two breathing skills.

It’s tough to avoid, even for a monster as fast as this one.

Bang!

Once again, I defended myself, feeling the sharp pain in my wrist. It had cracked my bones, and despite getting better at defending after experiencing the attack.

The pain and injury are getting worse. So is the liquor inside me.

The monster is attacking me too fast. I want to take out the bottle and drink it, but conserving is the option.

I need to keep it burning and damaging it as much as possible. I can’t let it recover. The monsters have high vitality.

Bang!

Once more, I defended and felt the sharp pain before breathing the fire at the monster while taking steps back with Graceful Walk.

The monster, changing its attack, appeared to my left and came at me.

I turned and defended against its attack. At the same time, covering it with fire once more.

That’s when I noticed something. The burning smell became heavier, and I saw the fur on its body shrink, curl, and darken as it burned.

The process is much slower than with humans, but it’s happening.

It isn’t just the hair, but its skin is also burning. I could smell the smell of burning flesh. It is lighter than the fur, but it’s there.

Bang Bang Bang!

It kept attacking while I kept defending until only a single gulp had remained.

All the wolf’s fur had burned away, leaving it looking like a nightmare’s abomination. But to my surprise, it hadn’t suffered as much damage as I hoped. Its power seemed barely weakened.

“I thought the monsters were strong, but you’re just so-so,” I taunted.

I wish I had the Taunt Skill, but I did not.

Roar!

Still, it worked, and the burned monster lurched at me and attacked.

Bang!

I blocked the claws and teeth, feeling a sharp pain in my arm that brought tears to my eyes, but I bore it and attacked with my sword, activating the Heavy Strike.

Rip!

It struck the monster. Giving a significant slash across the monster’s leg.

Its speed saved it, but my sword would have taken its leg off if it had not leaped back in time.

Roar!

It bellowed in anger and came at me. I noticed that the wound had affected its gait, which made the monster even more angry.

Bang!

I defended and attacked with my sword, but it barely touched the monster this time.

It had avoided it.

I followed it with Graceful Steps and attacked, but the monster was faster.

It dodged my attack and attacked me back. The shield defended its attack, and I attacked it again.

It dodged and attacked back.

‘It’s not enough. I need to do something else!’ I thought. Seeing nothing working with a last bit of fire covering it, it had entirely died down.

That I wanted to use the last gulp of liquor immediately, but I didn’t. It won’t affect things much. I would need to do something else.

Something came into my mind, but I pushed it away immediately. I would have taken the risk if it had been undead or a person.

If I do that with the monster. It will bite my head off.

Bang!

I defended once more and kept thinking of more ideas, but nothing seemed to work, and my mind kept going back to the suicide idea.

Hun!

I was nearly ready for a suicide idea. I saw no other option when something sparked in my mind.

‘It could work,’ I thought.

There is one skill that might work despite it not being a fighting skill.

It is originally from my Drunkard Class but upgraded when Drunkard and Fire Breather merged and became Blaze Imbiber.

Intoxicating Fragrance.

It’s a skill that intoxicates. It is a mental skill powered by charm, but the intoxication effect depends on one’s intoxication and will.

I used it in battle against people, but it was nearly useless. It is unwise to go into battle drunk. However, it might be useful against monsters.

They don’t have robust mental defenses and will, as people do.

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I acted without hesitation and took the last gulp I had saved for emergencies.

It is thick and burned in my stomach.

It’s a potent liquor, and I was already a little drunk. Since Blaze Imbiber descended from Drunkard, my skills work better when I am drunk.

Within seconds, I began to feel even drunker, but I had a calm mind because of Liquid Calm.

Though the skill won’t last long, only a little bit of alcohol remains in me; that’s what powers the Liquid Calm.

A minute passed, and I became enough drunk that I focused the power of the Intoxicating Perfume on the monster.

It is hard. Seeing I am drunk.

Although the skill covers a wide area, its full power is focused on a single target. It’s not easy, but I am good at controlling skills.

It is one of the things I used to teach in the circle.

Bang Bang Bang

The monster’s attacks continued, but as the seconds passed. I begin to notice the effects of the skill on the monster.

Its movements aren’t as smooth as before, and its eyes become slightly unfocused.

It took less than a minute. I was surprised, though I shouldn’t have been.

I was a whore, with charm being my highest attribute, and it is the highest among all of my stats right now, despite me not using any attribute points on it since I changed profession.

Half of the power of the skill comes from the charm.

Rip!

Finally, I was able to land the attack on the monster. My blow landed on its back. I was going for its neck, but the wolf moved, and I needed to settle for its back.

Roar!

It roared, and it felt drunk. It’s not as sharp as before.

It attacked me while I once again defended. I didn’t attack immediately. Instead, I kept defending while focusing every bit of Intoxicating Fragrance on the monster.

I only have one chance, and I want to make it count because once the power of Liquid Calm disappears.

Intoxicating fog will also cover my mind, which would be dangerous. I have another skill that will remove the effects, but it will also remove the effects on the monster.

Half of the power of the skill depends on how intoxicated I am.

I am already having problems with fighting.

Liquid Calm keeps me calm, not focused. I am still drunk, and the only reason I am fighting as I am is because I am used to it.

Also, my class descended from Drunkard, which provided me with certain benefits.

Rooaar!

‘Now!’ I said as I saw the perfect opportunity. The wolf leaped at me with a slurry roar.

As I always do, I moved my shield forward to defend, but I kept my sword right behind it this time.

The monster came closer and closer till it was barely a hands distance away when I moved my sword toward it.

For a second, the monster didn’t realize what was happening. When it realized, it moved its flexible neck and opened its mouth.

Puch!

My blade pierced through the eye of the monster. Going all the way inside using its own momentum.

Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face.

Bang!

It lasted for a fraction of a second as the next moment, the monster crashed into the shield, and I needed to take a couple of steps back.

‘It’s dead!’ I said, looking at the monster.

I find it hard to believe it is dead, but the proof is right before me.

I looked at it momentarily before turning to the rest of the battle.

The monsters are still alive, and they have already killed one person.

Seeing that, I rejoined the battle after drinking the potion and gulping down alcohol until I refilled my reserve.

Warrior Lv. 13

Blaze Imbiber Lv. 19

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