Chapter 12: Hunting Effectively And Easily
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Daniela trembled in fear, her eyes darting in every direction as the creatures of the dark caves charged toward them. Her Aura constantly released countless shifting colors, the full power of Clowny Charm on display. It was an interesting Skill, one that most Hunters considered completely useless. That very reputation had caused great discrimination against all Classes under the Court Jester Authority.
However, Riven saw value where others did not. Clowny Charm was an amazing Skill that made hunting tremendously easier. A strong and experienced team understood just how valuable Pierrots, Jugglers, or Mimes truly were. They used Clowny Charm to draw every nearby monster in the vicinity, then relied on their passive Luck Stat to raise drop chances through the roof.
Of course, the problem was that Riven was only one person.
Even after seeing what he was capable of, Daniela still did not know whether it was possible for him to protect her while keeping every monster that came their way away from her at the same time.
But at this moment, as the beasts drew closer, he showed her that there was nothing for her to worry about.
"As my Mana increases, so does my Magic Power," Riven thought while pressing his palms firmly into the floor. "And so the power of Frost Emperor’s Touch increases, along with everything I can do with it."
RUMBLE!
The ground trembled in a single instant. Giant icicles surged upward from the stone as the entire floor surrounding Riven froze solid. All the beasts—Dark Crawlers, Blind Werewolves, Crystal Mantises, Poison Bats, and even the elusive Cavern Lions—ended up slipping across the icy surface, completely shocked.
"Eh?!"
Daniela’s mouth hung open as she watched dozens of monsters sliding helplessly across the ice, still rushing toward her.
"R-Riven!!!"
She deactivated Clowny Charm and tried to escape, but then—
"Don’t worry."
FLUOSH!
A large wall of ice rose in front of her, followed by another, and then a third. The walls surrounded Daniela completely and protected her from every side.
At the same time, Riven continued to manipulate the ice as if it were a natural extension of his own body.
"This is the limit of what I can do right now. Not bad."
The cries of countless monsters echoed through the cavern as sharp icicles grew from the walls and floors, impaling dozens of creatures that continued sliding toward them.
Riven had deliberately chosen this elevated area because it was perfect for making the monsters fall into their own demise. The terrain made hunting far easier while allowing him to preserve his energy.
Blood mixed with the icy air that filled the surroundings. Daniela watched in shock as dozens of monsters died one after another, while a few others remained only half-dead.
"Daniela, use your Skills to kill the rest. I will take down the sneaky ones."
"Okay! Wait, sneaky ones— Ahhh!"
Daniela screamed while a shadow appeared behind her out of nowhere. A pair of golden-yellow eyes locked onto her as a giant claw rushed toward her face.
CRASH!
An icicle surged up behind her and blocked the attack just in time. Riven rushed forward, grabbed the creature with both arms, and pushed it away from Daniela.
"GRYARR!"
Daniela could barely make out what the creature was at first because the cave was so dark and the monster itself was completely pitch black.
Then she finally realized what this deadly, shadowy predator was.
"Cave Panther?!"
Cave Panthers were deadly D+ Rank Monsters that roamed the first floor of this Dungeon. They were few in number but incredibly fast and lethal. They could blend into the shadows of their prey, appear behind them without warning, and strike them down with a single blow.
They were also known as Assassin Panthers, though their stronger form that appeared on the second floor already claimed that title.
"GRAOR!"
The Cave Panther did not take kindly to Riven’s bear hug. It hissed angrily, bit down on his neck, and slashed at his back. Its claws were immensely sharp. Even though they could not pierce through his dense muscles, they still managed to scratch his skin, drawing blood from both his back and neck.
However, after his Titan Bloodline Awakening, the density of his muscles had increased so dramatically that calling Riven a "normal human" would be a serious understatement.
"?!"
The Cave Panther, an experienced hunter that had already hunted and devoured many humans before, was left completely perplexed as its teeth began to ache horribly the harder it tried to bite through Riven’s neck.
"It won’t work."
CRASH!
Riven slammed the beast into the ground with a powerful suplex. The monstrous creature screamed as its spine broke completely and its head struck the hard floor. The Cave Panther died from that single blow.
Riven had smartly used his own weight and immense muscle power to kill it in one clean attack—an unrealistic technique for most Awakened of his rank, but not for him.
His wounds were already recovering rapidly. Steam rose from the places where blood had once flowed, a shocking sight.
"Enhanced regeneration too. With this... I can go all out."
He clenched his fists tightly and charged forward. Another Cave Panther lurked nearby, and he caught it instantly.
Abyssal Fists activated in combination with Veil of Invisibility. Riven appeared behind the panther and pounded it into the ground with dozens of rapid punches. The force was so overwhelming that its bones shattered and its head exploded like a watermelon.
"Hah, come."
Before he realized it, six more monsters had surrounded him. A Giant Crystal Mantis charged forward, its enormous crystalline blades cutting deep grooves into the floor. Riven avoided the attacks with ease. The creature was both massive and slow, its movements easy to predict.
He quickly sidestepped behind it, used Abyssal Fist to boost his punching strength, and smashed straight through the monster’s thorax. Its innards ruptured, and the creature collapsed while bleeding out. Its glowing core remained firmly in Riven’s hands.
"GRYAR!"
A pack of Blind Werewolves leaped onto him, biting and slashing at his body. Riven covered himself in several layers of hard ice for protection. He carefully controlled his breathing to ensure faster and more efficient circulation of Mana through his veins, and then—
He channeled both Abyssal Fist and Frost Emperor’s Touch at once. Using the ice-coated gauntlets that formed around his hands, he smashed through the monsters. Three of them were instantly knocked out and sent flying, crashing into the floor with their hard heads.
The remaining wolves panicked and suddenly began running away.
"Sorry, but I cannot let this opportunity slip away."
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