Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 96 Chapter 23.3 - Time Guardian

Onslaught of the Crimson Moon.

As I recited the movements of that figure, I remembered the sensations of that time while I was training against PhantomGlide Dummy.

ROAR!

The beast released another painful roar as my bullets had just pierced its eyes, the organ that it was using and was mostly reliant on.

Its body was filled with poison, and wounds were now taking a toll on it. The pain it was feeling seemed to be unbearable, and I was going to use that fact to my own advantage.

My mana surged forward as I felt like the patterns of attack I needed to do replayed before my eyes.

Where I needed to attack, where I needed to move, where I needed to slash.

The boss became a simple object for me to perform surgery on, and I was the surgeon now.

SWOOSH!

With a primal and unrelenting fury, I assaulted the Time Guardian, my crimson mana-infused daggers slashing through the air with relentless precision.

The taste of bloodlust coursed through me, fueling each strike; my sanity slipped in with each attack.

My attacks were ferocious and murderous, targeting the boss monster's every vulnerable point.

SLASH!

My daggers danced in a blur of motion, creating a lethal storm of strikes.

SLASH!

The monster attempted to defend itself, but the frenzied onslaught of mine left little room for its time manipulation tricks to be effective.

SLASH!

A feeling that I got while sparring against the PhantomGlide Dummy drove me forward, carving through the monster's form with unstoppable feelings—Anger and Bloodlust.

Slash after slash, the monster weakened.

Its once mountain-like build started to crumble under my onslaught.

SPURT!

Blood splattered and mixed with the rain, painting a gruesome tableau of battle.

ROAR!

The roars of the Time Guardian filled the air, even though no word left my mouth. The monster was now my target, and I felt like I couldn't stop until it was dead.

'This is the end.'

As I could feel my mana tendrils and the mana prints I had left while slashing around the boss were complete, I could finally finish this fight.

There were several wounds I got while ignoring its attacks, but even then, I wasn't feeling any pain at all.

There was only one thought in my head, and that was to kill the beast before me.

SWISH!

With a smooth move, I rushed backward, increasing the distance.

CLENCH!

And clenched my hand.

Cage of the Crimson Moon.

With my gesture, the tendrils of crimson mana imprints I had on the monster slowly closed down.

-ROAR!

Like a beast inside the cage, the monster roared, feeling one of the most primal feelings any living being feels.

The fear of death.

For it, death was approaching, and the monster could feel it.

SPURT!

As the threads closed down, they started piercing the monster from all around its body. I clenched my hand harder as I supplied more and more mana into tendrils.

CLENCH!

And with one last clench of my hand, I pushed the last remaining mana I had into the tendrils.

TAP TAP

The boss monster shuddered, its form destabilizing. The rain seemed to weep for it, mixing with its final cries.

"ROAAAAAAAR!"

SPURT! SPLASH!

The monster let out a desperate roar, a last defiant breath, and then it shattered into fragments of flesh as the threads finally closed down.

The battle was won, as the keeper of this place had reached its demise.

DRIP

In the aftermath of the battle, I stood amidst the rain-soaked battlefield, my daggers still dripping with the monster's ichor.

PAT! PAT! PAT!

The rain continued its relentless fall, washing away the remnants of the fight.

The silence that followed was deafening, a stark contrast to the ferocious battle cries that had echoed moments before.

"Haaaaaah... Haaah…."

As the adrenaline slowly eased, I could feel my sanity slowly returning, with the clear aftereffects of the fight.

The red haze that had clouded my mind during the battle began to dissipate, leaving me feeling a mix of exhaustion and a strange sense of clarity. My body, which was once again pushed to its limits by simply being forced to eat all those potions, was now returned to its normal state.

"Grit….."

The pain from the wounds I got while fighting the time guardian slowly crept up as I gritted my teeth.

And then, suddenly, a gentle light washed over me, emanating from the shattered remains of the Time Guardian.

It was a soothing glow, warm and comforting. The light seemed to seep into my very being, infusing me with a sense of accomplishment and triumph.

I felt a surge of energy, and a new sensation blossomed within me—a skill awakening in response to my victory.

'It is finally here.'

It was the main reason why I went to this extent, entering this place and fighting with monsters way stronger than me.

[Timegaze]

A rush of emotions and memories surged through my mind as the knowledge of this newfound skill unfolded before me; just like the times of the past, the way to use this skill was imprinted on my mind.

The contents of the skill seemed like they were the same as it was in the game.

However, as the memory of the skill came into my head one by one, I could feel its contents changing from the game, as there were some things that were different.

It was a skill that allowed the player to perceive and interact with the time-altering energies, practically making the time flow slower. It would enable players to simply dodge the attacks better while giving them a little more time to make decisions.

However, it was now different. From my memory alone, I could now gaze into the flow of time, granting me insights and advantages in combat and exploration.

And the reason for that was simple.

"The skill [Timegaze] must have been merged with [Keen Eye]."

In the game, there was a mechanic that enabled players to merge similar types of skills to create a stronger and higher-ranked skill. It was mostly because it would be hard to assign special keys to each skill and use them unless such a thing existed.

As the realization of what I had achieved in this grueling trial began to sink in, the name also came to my mind.

[Eyes of Hourglass]

The name of the skill was as such. Though this skill was not in the game, the name was evident.

'Status.'

I called the status in my head, and immediately I could see the panel before me.

There, the skill [Eyes of Hourglass] was registered in the section of <Skills>, replacing the [Keen Eye].

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Skill:? Eyes of Hourglass

Rarity: Rare

Description: A rare-grade skill that provides the user with an extraordinary perception of time and their environment. By infusing mana, the user can manipulate their time perception, making events appear to unfold at a slower pace relative to their actions and thoughts.

Output: Depending on the mana supplied for the skill

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As the tab appeared before me, I could see the effects of the skill, and just as I had expected, the rarity had increased.

The rarity of the skill meant its grade. Just like materials, the higher the grade a skill was and the stronger it was, the rarer it would get.

This logic applied to the skills as well.

"It was worth all the effort."

To explain the skills briefly, the [Eyes of Hourglass] skill is a rare-grade ability that offers the user an unparalleled perception of time and their surroundings, as well as an increased range of sight.

When mana is channeled into this skill, it enables the individual to effectively control their perception of time, making it seem as if events are happening at a significantly slower pace compared to their own actions and thoughts while also, according to their wishes, the user can also increase the range of their sights.

This temporal manipulation becomes more pronounced with increased mana input. This part comes from the skill [Timegaze].

On the other hand, in essence, the user also gains the ability to stretch fleeting moments, giving them a heightened awareness of their environment and the events taking place within it while also increasing the range of the environment they could observe. This comes from the skill [Keen Eye].

This enhanced perception of time facilitates precise decision-making and allows the user to react swiftly and with great accuracy.

'A tailor-tailed skill for a ranger like me.'

People who played the shooter games would know the term 'Bullet Time.' From the start of the Wild West stories, the idea of bullet time was something every player had at least dreamed of once.

'Now, I have such a skill in my arsenal.'

Now that I have such a skill, this increased my overall combat capability quite a lot. No matter how fast a person could think, the process of sending the signals to your body and getting recognition from it would still be delayed, thanks to the small stamps of time.

But, with this skill, I could now fire a lot of bullets rapidly.

With that, as the exhilaration of victory settled within me, I realized my body bore the marks of battle.

The adrenaline finally ceased to exist, giving way to aching muscles and fatigue. It was time to tend to my wounds and recover.

I reached for my spatial bracelet, where I held a collection of healing potions.

GULP!

Swiftly, I uncorked a few vials and downed the contents, feeling the soothing effects spread through my body. The potions worked their magic, mending my wounds and rejuvenating my energy.

With a sigh of relief, I began to make my way out of the battlefield, intending to find a safe spot to rest and recuperate. But just as I took a few steps, I felt a strange sensation, as if the ground beneath me was shifting.

WOOSH! WROOM!

Before I could react, the ground seemed to give way, and I was pulled into a swirling vortex. It was a sensation akin to being sucked into a whirlpool, disorienting and unsettling.

Everything around me blurred and twisted, the rain and the grove fading away. In the midst of this disorienting whirl, I could only brace myself for what was to come.

The sensation of movement was surreal, like being caught in a maelstrom. My surroundings shifted and twisted, colors blending into a kaleidoscope of nausea. Even then, it was a feeling I was familiar with.

And following that, just as abruptly as it began, the movement ceased.

THUD

I stumbled forward, disoriented and slightly off balance, trying to regain my balance.

I found myself standing in an unfamiliar place, the Chrono Grove and the Time Guardian seemingly left far behind. The surroundings were alien, a stark contrast to the eerie familiarity of the dungeon.

Before me lay an open plain, bathed in the soft light of a setting sun. It was a tranquil and serene landscape, a far cry from the trials I had just faced.

The realization hit me— I had been transported out of the dungeon, out of the Chrono Grove, no, out of the [Rain Forest].

"For me, it had been 30 days, but right here, just a day must have passed."

I mumbled as I looked at the landscape before me.

Though before I could speak any further, suddenly, I heard a voice.

"Someone just got out….."

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