CH 309

‘I thought it was a monster that combined each monster’s characteristics like a griffin or a harpy, but what is this-’

That wasn’t it. Rather than creating a new monster by using the characteristics of different monsters, it was more like lumping different monsters together. One had three heads, one had twelve arms, and one looked like five trolls had been mushed together to become one…. Middle Earth’s chimera looked disgusting.

“Soul Link!”

Phwaaaaa ——!

Leeha could not delay any longer. Sniper rifles didn’t have much use against monsters that had neither clear weaknesses nor instakill points. In a sense, chimeras had to be regarded as the most difficult monsters to deal with for Leeha.

[Soul Link skill has been activated]

[Soul Link has become advanced ranked.]

[Your soulmate will be summoned for 30 minutes.]

[The current level of soul mate is level 66.]

[100% of the user’s level will be added]

[The current level of the enhanced soulmate is 229.]

“Hmm?”

The notification window that appeared in front of Leeha with a burst of red light was a ray of hope hanging over the swamp of misfortune. The level of the Soul Link skill had risen! [Intermediate Soul Link] became [Advanced Soul Link] with additional options. When the soul link was intermediate rank, the bonus level was only 75%, but after it reached advanced rank, it became 100%. The 25% point difference can cause a huge disparity, especially in Middle Earth where a single level and stat is important, especially from level 200 or higher. There was no way Leeha didn’t know that.

Baaaang—-!

“It doesn’t make a bear talk, but-”

Baaaaaaang一!

Leeha fired a single shot along with Koma’s roar. As soon as Kuma appeared, it started to burn his whole body and immediately attacked together with Leeha.

“-Damn it, Koma!”

“Grrrrr-”

“Kuooong!”

The chimera, which had flowing skin with whatever material it was made of, swung its arms on Koma. It was because of the dripping poison, rather than the attack itself that was threatening, but it was not a problem for a field boss, the Brown Bear, whose entire body was on fire.

Hwarururuk, the flames in its body made the chimera’s poison evaporate.

“Kuooooooh!”

Poooook, and with a single strike the chimera’s neck twisted around.

Aside from that neck, the chimera still had another neck, so it still moved, but Leeha quickly embedded a bullet in it.

“Kururut-……”

One chimera turned gray and collapsed. Leeha shouted at Koma while changing magazines.

“Koma, find their weakness and scratch them! Can you do it?”

Kung, Kuooong!

The bear nodded and ran.

Leeha remembered when Jin Gonggong once turned into a bear. It could be said that he was able to identify traps and find the monster’s weaknesses by just sniffing.

There was no way Kuma, who was higher-leveled than Jin Gonggong couldn’t do it.

“Kuoooong!”

“Okay!”

Koma scratched the spot on the chimera next to him, then immediately turned and slapped the other chimera on the shoulder. After only 0.4 seconds, the point Koma scratched and marked was smashed, and Koma’s ability to identify weak points and Leeha’s quick and accurate aim went well together. It was an impossible combination to play with a human or another soul mate! There were very few creatures who could survive when a chimera’s body burst and spewed out poison instead of blood. It was also a great help to Leeha that fire countered poison.

“Hmm……” The ability to create a soul mate……. It’s not even from the spirit realm, so how were you able to do that?”

And after Leeha and Koma’s struggle ended, Cushy who was stepping on the branch of a tree looked down. He had a tinge of admiring tone, but it was also close to being alert.

****

“Kuooong-!”

Koma scratched another chimera again, however, he made three scratches.

“Haa, haa, damn it!”

Baaaaang—!

Leeha quickly fired the Black Bass and succeeded in hitting one of the three marks, but the chimera’s movement did not stop.

‘It’s just a bunch of monsters, so it has several weaknesses.. Its weakness doesn’t mean much!’

Compared to a normal monster with only one instakill point, a chimera was a monster who ignored even that. At least, even the Bone Drake from Kaztor’s Lab had one instant death point… Leeha gritted his teeth and replaced his magazine once again.

“Grrrrrrr”

“Grr, grrrrrr!”!”

In the meantime, the chimeras crept toward Kuma. Watching the movements of the monsters from the front, back, and sides, swish, swish, swish! Koma quickly moved his feet and stepped back.

“Kuoong, Kuooong!!”

Although he was able to endure by burning the poison, the chimera’s physical ability itself was formidable. When three or four chimeras seemed to surround Koma, even a field boss had to back off.

“Koma, duck!”

Chuu, chuu-……. Leeha threw bombs toward the chimeras trying to surround Koma. The last bomb exploded in front of the chimera.

“Grr- Graaaaa-!”

It roared, and then the chimera’s flesh scattered all over the place.

As soon as the flesh touched a tree or a rock, it emitted unpleasant steam and corroded the object.

‘It’s already time. 30 minutes is almost up.’

After 30 minutes of fighting with Koma, they were only able to catch 20 chimeras. It was unbelievably insignificant if one compared it to Leeha’s accomplishments during the national war while riding Koma, and slaughtering Minis users. Of course, no one would think so as almost half of the 50 chimeras were obliterated by one person.

Leeha had to decide. Will he see it to the end, or will he turn around? Chimeras’ skins already started falling off everywhere. The poison on the skins disappeared after a certain amount of time, so he could pick up more than three harmless skins and run away.

‘As soon as I catch them all, another quest or situation will definitely follow, but it’s impossible with my current abilities. Damn it!!’

If I run away, would I be able to come back? Even if they came back, will the chimeras remain hiding in this place? It wasn’t a situation he could predict. If he turned around this time, it would be difficult to find evidence of the chimera again. The reason he was able to come here now was because he had helpers.

‘And come to think of it, Cushy-’

He couldn’t keep himself from using his nerves as he was concentrating on the battle with the chimera. As Leeha looked around, he heard a voice from above the tree.

“Do you need help?”

“That, have you been there all this time?”

“Yes.”

Stepping on a tree branch, leaning against the tree, with his arms close, and relaxed expression. Leeha never asked for help, but seeing him decide not to help him in dealing with the chimera and treated him like that, Leeha felt a little bit sad.

“W-wait, can you help me for a second? Can you take the aggro while I pick up the items!”

Of course, that was that, and now he needed help. When Leeha shouted, Cushy nodded and jumped down the tree.

“Got it.”

[Soul Link has been released.]

[The soul of your soul mate returns.]

“Ah! Now that the bear is gone, be -” 

Leeha couldn’t finish his words. The spot where Kuma had disappeared like smoke exploded as soon as Cushy touched the ground.

“-care…… ful……”

The sound of the air being but was heard. The movement of the curved swords reflected light. However, the blade didn’t shine, only the polarized light around Cushy could be seen. A chimera’s body turned into pieces every time the polarized light shone. It turned into minced meat! Even Leeha, who had the [Hit] attribute, could not see the curved swords’ movement properly.

“What……?”

His movements, as he wielded two curved swords like crescent moons, were faster than any other user he had ever seen. Was he faster than Pei Wu, and was his attack stronger than Agromni Igor’s?

It was not possible to compare the two people directly because Leeha did not see them fight a chimera, but he could guess because he saw Pei Wu and Igor fight at a close distance several times.

“Didn’t you say you needed the items?”

“Oh, Ah.”

Leeha, who was observing Cushy’s movements as if possessed, quickly moved around and looted the chimera’s skin fragments.

He didn’t know which piece belonged to which chimera, so he picked up about ten of the larger ones without poison. In the meantime, Cushy dealt with about 30 chimera left.

[You have obtained Ghibrid’s Fragmented Creature Sample – Ant’s Shoulder]

[You have obtained Ghibrid’s Suture Chimera – third troll’s face.]

[You have obtained Ghibrid’s Chimera – the brain of a vampire who lost intelligence.]