3 Ad mortem,bestiarii

''Thank you for your assistance, I will take care of it from here on.''

Beowulf who arrived at Esther's side kept his words as brief as possible, he couldn't afford to lose focus on his opponent right now.

''uh uhhh o-o-of course , it was intentional hahaha''

Esther who showed an awkward laugh as she struggled to understand the situation at first, quickly grabbed her gear and started backing off, however she was interrupted.

'That guy... assist him'

'Huh???'

It was the voice of one of the strongest souls she had, it rarely spoke or answered her call but she always thought he would become her trump card one day. She didn't know exactly who he was or what he did in his life, she only knew he was an insanely skilled warrior while alive.

'Why would I do that?? At any rate, I would only get in the way since all the other souls are exhausted and unable to resonate with me!'

The voice remained silent and Esther who was getting further with light steps thought of it as an agreement on the part of the soul.

'Then...'

But she stopped as he spoke again, it was the first time she had heard him insist that much.

'I will assist you.'

'What...?'

Esther couldn't understand the reason behind the sudden interest that the soul showed in the guy who appeared. Although it's true that he saved her life, this was a hunting region for people who were still in the 100s in terms of level. Compared to even normal rankers, they were only small fry.

'Just do as I say or I will never assist you.'

It was then that an unexpected window popped up in front of her eyes.

[A new quest has been created!]

[Request of the mysterious warrior]

[Class quest

The soul of the mysterious warrior in your possession has shown interest in a stranger for the first time.

Complete the request of the mysterious warrior to awaken more power and grow your 'Soul ruler' class.

Quest Clear Conditions: Assist the man fighting the werewolf and survive.

Quest Clear Rewards +10 affinity with the mysterious warrior's soul. the skill 'Soul resonance' will be upgraded.

Quest failure Penalties: -20 affinity with the mysterious warrior's soul.]

'This... skill upgrade! Class quest! Finally!!'

A grin covered Esther's face as she looked at the window in front of her, this was a unique opportunity to clear an easy quest(with the help of the mysterious warrior) and collect tons of freebies, at least that's what it looked like to her.

[Soul resonance lvl.2]

[Rank: Rare(growth)

A part of the ego belonging to the souls you own will possess your body.

Once resonance is complete, your class, stats, and skills will be temporarily changed to that of the target soul.

*The degree of power that is reproduced (resonance rate) depends on your affinity with the soul, the level and rank of the skill, the difference in total stats between the user and the target soul, and the user's 'Command' stat.

*If the affinity with the target soul is at 0 or less, the skill is unusable.

*This skill doesn't share cooldown among the souls. The cooldown is linked to the soul and not the skill, as such the skill can be used repeatedly as long as there are souls available.

Skill use conditions: Consent of the 'Soul ruler' and the target soul.

Skill duration: (240- level difference/5) seconds up to a minimum of 15 seconds

Skill Cooldown: (Level difference*10) minutes]

''Alright, let's do this!''

[Affinity with the mysterious warrior has risen by 1]

[Conditions met]

[The soul resonance skill can be used on the 'mysterious warrior']

''Soul resonance!''

_________________________________________________

As Beowulf confirmed that Esther retreated, he increased his concentration to the maximum. In a world where only he and Lagrik existed, he relentlessly linked attacks while attempting to dodge the werewolf's attacks, a single attack was enough for him to fall dead with his pathetic HP. However, it was much harder than Beowulf anticipated, once Lagrik entered his ''berserk mode'', his highest stat(Agility) would be increased by a huge 30% and his health regeneration would be doubled at the cost of lower defense and a massive loss of intelligence. The unpredictability of the werewolf's movements coupled with the speed increase meant that he had become a counter to Beowulf's fighting style, which required him to analyze the opponent's attack pattern thoroughly and counter using the gaps created by their recklessness.

'The gap...It never narrowed...'

As his weapons durability started dropping sharply, Beowulf understood that what he did was a result of an adrenaline rush, not a decision born from planning and analysis. His stamina also started dropping sharply while the damage he inflicted on the werewolf was barely keeping up with its regeneration. Moreover, his low mana made it hard for him to use significant skills, so he couldn't compensate for the lacking damage caused by the level difference with the werewolf.

'But I can't give up now... not after all this...'

Images flashed through Beowulf's mind, they were the images of his loved ones who had long left him. His desire to be rewarded for the efforts he put, that was the reason he kept playing and fought the odds. One who lived a hideous life, where luck and opportunities were never found, where his efforts were but gambles against fate. Satisfy, a world where all efforts are rewarded, he believed that he too would grow greatly if he broke through this disadvantageous battle.

'Then I need to fight until one of us falls.'

He abandoned all other thoughts and focused on one thing, hunting his enemy.

[The effect of 'Experienced hunter' activates]

[The enemy's weak points will appear and the effect of 'critical hit' will cause a loss of balance]

The effect of the title, which only activated when he focused on hunting prey, appeared before him. Beowulf carefully read the attack patterns and trajectories of the werewolf who also seemed to be getting tired, it was then. A gap appeared in the werewolf's movements, and Beowulf's sword cut through the werewolf's chest, hitting multiple weak points and causing a 'critical hit'. His silver sword seemed to cause more pain to Lagrik once it came in contact with the werewolf's blood and flesh. As if expecting it, the dagger in Beowulf's left hand flew to the werewolf who had lost his balance, striking its left eye and causing it to let out a scream of pain. It was thanks to the effect of 'Enhanced weapons mastery' which was maximized thanks to the linkage of weapons and increased accuracy rate.

Beowulf hastily took a few steps back to leave a distance with the werewolf as a bow and few arrows filled both of his hands. His stamina had dropped to very low levels, thus long-range combat was the optimal solution. The arrows that were coated with troll blood poison, reducing the enemy's regeneration and causing their wounds to continuously bleed, were aimed at the giant wound created by the silver sword. Although the werewolf dodged most of them, two arrows managed to strike the wounded area, thus reducing Lagrik's health regeneration and keeping the bleeding in effect.

'Tsk, it's not enough.'

However, having fought multiple monsters, Beowulf knew better. His enemy may have been injured and suffering from status conditions, but they were still in a state where they could fight. Meanwhile, Beowulf's stamina had nearly dropped to rock bottom and he realized there was no path to victory, at least not alone. Despite everything, Beowulf's concentration wasn't dispersed, it was the attitude of a true hunter, his preparations couldn't be taken lightly. Few potions fell into Beowulf's hand, their green color reflected their use, they were the only potions that filled Beowulf's inventory. Yes, that's right, Beowulf hadn't bought any health or mana potions, he only brought stamina potions with him, it was because he was confident, that he couldn't survive a single strike and that mana potions wouldn't be enough to compensate for the mana consumption from skills. Stamina potions, on the other hand, were quite useful, regardless of the situation they would allow the user to persist longer, it was just as Beowulf expected, a battle of stamina is more critical than a battle of firepower.

Beowulf gulped the green potions as fast as he could. Feeling energy fill his body, he used the skill attached to his highest ranking weapon, the knuckles. He swiftly approached the stunned werewolf and dodging his sharp claws, he hit the werewolf's neck with his knuckles.

[The active skill 'Double impact' has been activated]

[For 3 minutes, all attacks to weak points will stun the target and increase attack for a duration that depends on the frequency of the attacks that hit weak points]

It was a strategy often used in video games, stun lock. Although simple in theory, it was a very effective strategy that guaranteed the safety of the attacker. Beowulf, whose title allowed him to see the weak points of the target, was one of the few people who were able to use this skill efficiently.

[You have succeeded in hitting the enemy's weak points 5 times in a row, the duration of the stun and attack power increase slightly]

'Next!'

[You have succeeded in hitting the enemy's weak points 10 times in a row, the duration of the stun and attack power increase significantly]

.

.

.

As Beowulf linked his attacks together, the werewolf who was unable to resist the aggressive onslaught without healing, suffered great damage and his health had dropped to about 30%. Furthermore, Beowulf's attack kept getting stronger as a side effect of the 'Double impact' skill. Nevertheless, that flow didn't continue endlessly, once the werewolf's health reached 20%, it was finally able to break out of the stun lock, releasing a thunderous roar.

[You have been affected by the 'Wolf king's roar']

[All buffs are removed and you will be stunned for 3 seconds]

It was a monstrous skill that only werewolves with special status could use. Lagrik was a young werewolf, a young werewolf who was also one of the sons of the Wolf King and spent his time in the forest to train and prepare for the contest among the sons of the Wolf King to determine the next King and the heir to the ''Throne''.

'Damn it... Why now...'

Beowulf felt despair as he was faced with the overwhelming difference once again, he realized that he still was the same insignificant bug in this vast world... Until a golden blade flashed in front of his eyes, swiftly cutting the werewolf's arm. It happened when a blue window appeared in front of Beowulf.

[An unknown person is encouraging you]

[Conditions satisfied]

[The conditional skill 'Last stand' has been temporarily activated for 5 seconds]

[You can use a skill once while ignoring its cooldown and resource consumption]

'Now, my chance is here!'

He couldn't bother to think about it, he only knew he had to defeat his enemy. There was no hesitation in Beowulf's eyes as multiple weapons appeared in the air, he knew what skill to use, a skill born from his path as a beginner who aimed for the peak. First, arrows flew, piercing the werewolf's skin, 3 daggers flew towards the werewolf, tearing the wounds more; A sword was drawn and cut through his throat, a spear shone bright and impaled his heart. Then silence reigned for a moment, before Beowulf's twisted body, with a Battle axe in his hands, spun with extraordinary momentum, splitting the werewolf in 2. It was a demonstration of a skill he could never use before...

''Slaughter festival, 5 steps''

An incomplete skill that symbolizes the existence of a weapon master, a true hunter.