Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 94

Chapter 94 Chapter 23.1 - Time Guardian

"I am ready now." freewebnøvel.com

Looking at the small peak I had spent my whole month on, I mumbled.

I had already finished preparing for the raid of the boss and removing the camp.

"Time Guardian, huh? Certainly a tricky opponent."

A monster of a low rank-3 strength, physically. But, strange enough, its real strength didn't lie on his body but its time-related affinity. After all, even though most of the time, boss monsters' strength was determined by their mana wavelength and body, there were some special ones that were ranked higher thanks to their unique characteristics.

Time Guardian was one of them. If ranked according to the orthodox methods, it would be a low rank-three monster, but because of its uniqueness, it was ranked as low rank-4.

'Then, again. If you are prepared enough, nothing can stand in your way.'

Looking at the small pebbles that I had gathered while walking around and the arrowheads I made from those pebbles, I started checking everything one last time.

I double-checked my gear, making sure everything was set. The artifacts, potions, and supplies were all vital for what lay ahead. I thought about how far I'd come since I first arrived here. It felt like a different time.

My body was also all rested, and I had even taken a shower to feel refreshed. Everything was set in stone, and the only thing was left to confront the boss.

Stepping out into the grove, I blended in shadows, activating [Shadowborne].

Today was a cloudy and rainy day, even though just yesterday it was scorching hot. And according to my observations, it would stay like that for one more day.

With cautious steps, I moved deeper into the grove, alert to everything around me. The tension was high, knowing the final trial was approaching.

'There shouldn't be many monsters left.'

While training for the whole last month, my only object was not only to improve myself but also to trim the monsters in this place one by one.

I dragged the exploration, and since I am very good at stealth and range attacks, it was not that hard for me to trim their numbers, even when I was alone.

Therefore, I was sure that no monsters would stand in my way while I would be confronting the Time Guardian.

RUSTLE

As I ventured deeper, the shadows seemed to cling to me, providing a sense of concealment that was comforting.

And, just as I expected, eventually, I arrived at the heart of the Groove, where the boss monster awaited without encountering any other monsters inside the place.

FLINCH

The eerie presence of the boss sent shivers down my spine. Its flickering form made it hard to pin down a target, emphasizing its nature of time manipulation.

"Let's get this done."

TAP TAP TAP TAP

The rain continued to fall, setting a somber mood, fitting for the showdown ahead.

I carefully stepped forward, ready to confront the Time Guardian.

My senses heightened, every muscle prepared for the inevitable battle that would decide my fate within the Chrono Grove.

'The first stage should be relatively easy.'

I thought to myself, readying my bow as I looked at the boss monster before me.

The Time Guardian stood before me, a creature that defied conventional expectations.

Its form flickered and shifted, the spiritually-looking visage showcasing its affinity with the manipulation of time.

The boss resembled an ancient and mystical entity, its outlines blurred and the edges seeming to dissipate into the surrounding air. It was hard to pin down a specific shape as if it was in a perpetual state of transition.

In fact, it was later revealed that the Time Guardian was the ancestor of the [Eon Specters] and [Temporal Shifters]; both of them are the monsters habiting this place.

And because of that fact, the Time Guardian had the characteristics of both of them.

The creature's colors were a spectrum of blues of Eon Specters and silvers of Temporal Shifters, mirroring the shifting nature of time itself.

The hues swirled and mixed, resembling a whirlpool that drew the eye into its depths.

The Time Guardian emanated a subtle glow as the small sunlight passed through the clouds and refracted through a crystal, setting the atmosphere.

"Certainly, an incredible scene."

I muttered to myself, admiring its form while preparing for the impending clash. However, everything would meet its end in one way or another.

'Keen Eye.'

Activating my skill, I felt the mana moving into my eyes as my vision tunneled into the boss before me.

Even though the skill was supposed to show the weakness of the boss, since it was a low-rank skill, it wasn't doing its job properly. Even then, my eyes wandered around the boss, my trait [Perceptive Insight] doing its work.

I observed the monster and combined the information from the game with my observations.

I was still in the shadows, hiding from the boss, and the boss monster didn't make any move.

"Hooo…."

With a deep breath, I pulled an arrow from my quiver and nocked it onto my bowstring, eyes never leaving the flickering form of the Time Guardian.

'The pattern is like this.'

My heartbeat calmed down as the moment of confrontation approached. I was a hunter, not a warrior, and a hunter would never lose his cool.

I aimed carefully, judging the distorted figure of the boss, and released the arrow.

SWISH

It soared through the air, finding its mark as it collided with the Time Guardian's form.

However, instead of a satisfying thud, the arrow seemed to slow down, the boss's manipulation of time altering its trajectory.

The arrow lost speed, allowing the Time Guardian to shift its form just enough to let the arrow harmlessly pass through.

"This won't be easy,"

I muttered to myself, quickly moving to my next arrow, preparing to fire again.

'The time manipulation itself is changing the acceleration and its vectorial position.'

I adjusted my aim, predicting the time manipulation aspect of the boss's abilities. I needed to anticipate where it would be, not where it was.

The boss monster had yet to even awaken from its slumber; even its natural form was hard to attack.

Applying my green-colored mana to the arrow, I supplied the arrow with the mana. Since Green colored mana was the most stable one, it was my best bet.