Sephiro gritted his teeth as Yan charged at him. There was already a sword lodged in his chest, so if Yan got in close and started wailing on him, then it'd be all over.

'Get a grip!' Sephiro opened his eyes.

Swish!

A quick, powerful straight came flying at him.

Sephiro tilted his head to the side, avoiding the punch, and then swung the Lasselpino Bow like a stick.

Whack!

The bow smacked Yan's body.

Right after, Yan's fist hit Sephiro's stomach.

"Ugh!" For a second there, Sephiro lost control of his character.

Yan fiercely pulled out his serrated sword, and shards of light exploded from the wound. But that wasn't the issue here.

He immediately swung downwards.

'Dodge! I have to dodge it!' Sephiro tried to move. However, he moved slower than normal; perhaps it was due to his chest wound.

It seemed like Sephiro was destined to be ripped apart by the teeth that lined Yan's sword.

Whoosh!

Bam!

If a golden tiger didn't come flying at him, that is.

Kang Oh had saved him from certain death.

"Thanks." Sephiro backed off and shot another arrow.

Unfortunately, Kang Oh was punished for diverting his attention and saving Sephiro.

Bam!

Menar's club struck Kang Oh. As it was surrounded by the Killing Wasps' stingers, the club pierced through his body and dealt additional damage.

Unwilling to lose this golden opportunity, Menar quickly withdrew his club and forcefully swung it like a bat.

However, it was all for nothing.

Moon's Protection!

A full moon surrounded Kang Oh's body.

"Tch." Menar, sporting a disappointed expression, bashed on the barrier.

Bam, bam, bam!

However, Moon's Protection would persist for 3 seconds, regardless of what attacks came its way!

Once the barrier disappeared, Kang Oh reappeared as the Red Demon.

He'd used Devil Trigger from within the barrier. Since he was holding Blood and Akanhoff, he'd assumed that form.

Festival of Blood!

Fresh Blood Wave!

Blood red energy flew straight at Menar.

"Kuhaahp!" Menar screamed, and crazily swung his club.

Explosive Power!

Menar's muscles bulged, and his club unleashed a shockwave. The shockwave was powerful enough to match Kang Oh's Fresh Blood Wave, even though he was using Festival of Blood on top of it.

Bam!

The two energies exploded.

Kang Oh's hair and the hem of his leather armor fluttered in the wind. He was pushed back, his feet leaving behind two vertical lines in the ground.

However, Menar pushed through and rushed at Kang Oh. His club came for Kang Oh from above.

'In every crisis lies an opportunity!'

His concentration was at its peak. It felt like Menar's attack was coming at him slowly, as if he'd used Transcendent Blade.

'Right... now!'

Sword Parry!

Kang Oh parried Menar's club with Blood.

However, Menar didn't lose his balance. He tightened his bulging muscles, forcing him to stay standing.

Nevertheless, Kang Oh's Hyper Intuition pointed out Menar's weak points.

Swish!

Demon Sword Akanhoff sliced Menar's slightly shaking right thigh. Huge red shards of light exploded like firecrackers.

A Tuslam's skin was tough, yet light. Most attacks wouldn't be able to cut through.

But Demon Sword Akanhoff wasn't like most attacks. It was capable of cleaving through any defense!

Absolute Destruction!

Damage Amplification!

Dangerous Gamble!

These three abilities worked in tandem, dealing tremendous damage to Menar. His strength was sapped from his body and he subconsciously fell to one knee.

Crackle!

Akanhoff unleashed a mighty blast of lightning.

Lightning Breath!

The lightning blast followed his horizontal swing, lashing out at Menar like a whip.

Crackle!

Menar clenched his teeth, and his body tingled. However, he immediately regained control of his body.

After all, the Tuslam Tribe possessed tremendous elemental resistance.

"You bastard!" Menar stood up and barraged Kang Oh with attacks.

"Die!" Kang Oh swung both of his demon swords simultaneously.

Mad Wind's Sword!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The swords and club repeatedly clashed, emitting a noisy 'clang'.

In terms of raw power, Menar was superior. However, Kang Oh made up for that with the number of his attacks.

It was a fierce exchange of attacks!

At some point, a powerful wave erupted from his demon swords.

Darkness Strike!

A bat-shaped wave as red as blood pushed Menar back, and then a purple wave shaped like a bird in flight struck Menar's body dead on.

Bam!

Menar rolled on the floor.

Kang Oh then threw Demon Sword Akanhoff.

Swish, bam!

Menar, who tried standing up, was struck by Akanhoff, and was forced back onto the floor.

"Tasha! Fly me high into the air and drop me right on top of him!" Kang Oh yelled, tightly gripping Blood.

"Alright." Tasha's voice echoed through his head.

Flap! Flap! Flap!

His wings forcefully flapped, and he soared high up into the air.

Kang Oh spun in midair, folded his wings, and then descended like a falling star.

Whoosh!

As he descended, he heard the wind scream. That's how fast he was flying!

Kang Oh extended Blood. He was like a bee preparing its stinger!

"Kuhahp!" Menar pulled Akanhoff out of his body, raised his head, and saw Kang Oh flying at him at blistering speed.

Menar's face stiffened. 'That's dangerous!'

He tightened his legs and bit his lip. Then, when Kang Oh closed in, he swung his club as hard as he could.

A short while later...

A red falling star descended on Menar.

Boom!

The club was pointless.

Menar reeled from the impact. Even a Tuslam wouldn't be able to endure this attack.

Thud.

Menar's face turned gray, and he fell over backwards.

[You have defeated Tuslam's Descendent, Menar.]

[You have defeated a powerful opponent.]

[A portion of your side stats have increased.]

[Fame has increased.]

[You have leveled up.]

"Hoo." Kang Oh sighed.

In order to defeat Menar, Kang Oh had tried out a few stupid ideas, so he wasn't in great shape.

However, he didn't have time to rest.

'Sephiro!'

He'd saved him once before, but he already wasn't in good shape; he was like a child that was left next to the river.

Waryong was groaning off to the side.

Kang Oh picked up Akanhoff and rushed towards Yan.

* * *

The Tuslam were undoubtedly powerful. Yan, despite fighting both Kang Oh and Sephiro simultaneously, put up a good fight.

Kang Oh had even been pushed back, and Sephiro had almost died.

'They specialize in combat, it seems.'

The Tuslam possessed tough skin, which made armor unnecessary. Plus, they were flexible, but their muscles also gave them explosive power. Their arms and legs were long, and they moved skillfully.

They understood how to use their weapons properly, and knew how to adapt to situations. Not only that, but they possessed a secret weapon, their boomerangs, and were adept at combat.

If Kang Oh were to fight 2 of them or more at once, then he wasn't sure he could win. It would be a different story if he used Gluttony though.

He understood why Sephiro had died to them before. It wasn't just Sephiro; even most high rankers would find it difficult to win against the Tuslam.

In any case, Kang Oh engaged Yan in an intense melee battle. He eventually crushed Yan's serrated sword with Akanhoff, and then grasped victory.

[You have defeated Tuslam's Descendent, Yan.]

[You have defeated a powerful opponent.]

[A portion of your side stats have increased.]

[Fame has increased.]

"Hoo. We somehow managed to beat them," Sephiro said, and examined Waryong.

Yan's boomerang had ripped through Waryong's wing and its body was riddled with wounds. The pet healing items he had on hand wouldn't be enough.

"Is Waryong alright?" Kang Oh asked.

"No. I think I'll have to go back," Sephiro said.

"Go ahead."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to stay. I've finally found suitable opponents."

The Tuslam!

There was no one better to help him refine his skills.

"Will you be ok by yourself?" Sephiro said, sporting a concerned expression.

"I'll be alright."

High risk, high return. Sephiro's absence would make hunting more difficult, but he'd potentially gain so much more in the process.

"If possible, please get me a Tuslam's Token. I'll be sure to pay you for it," Sephiro said.

That was why he needed to hunt the Tuslam. With the Tuslam's Token, he'd be able to upgrade the Lasselpino Bow.

"Understood." Kang Oh nodded his head.

"Be careful."

"Yes."

Sephiro hugged Waryong and ripped a return scroll.

The shimmering silver powder flew through the air, and he and Waryong turned more and more transparent until they eventually disappeared.

"Now then." Kang Oh drank a health potion and then went up the stairs in front of him.

* * *

For three days, Kang Oh tested his mettle against the Tuslam.

It would take him a long time to get back here, so he didn't return to Altein and stayed here the entire time. Fortunately, he didn't encounter any Tuslam that were overwhelmingly more powerful than Yan or Menar.

He continuously fought Tuslam that were slightly stronger or just as strong as them one-on-one.

They all used different weapons. Some used swords, while others used axes, clubs, spears, scythes, halberds, whips, etc.

Their fighting style noticeably differed depending on what weapon they wielded. There was also a slight difference in the skills that they used too.

Of course, they all used boomerangs exceedingly well. If he got the chance, he would do whatever it took to learn how to use boomerangs as well as them.

Anyhow, it felt like his desire to fight strong opponents had been somewhat sated.

Whenever he fought a Tuslam, he felt extremely tense, like he was standing at the edge of a cliff. That tension increased his concentration, and drew out his true abilities.

Because of that, his proficiency in Demonic Swordsmanship rose extremely quickly. At this rate, he would be able to master Demonic Swordsmanship much faster than he'd expected.

Kurahaaahk!

All of a sudden, he heard a powerful goosebump inducing cry.

Rumble!

The Great Forest's birds simultaneously retreated into the air, and both the trees and their branches shook violently. So many birds had flown into the air that they blackened the sky.

Kang Oh hid himself in the tower-shaped ruins, and gulped.

'Where is that sound coming from?'

A similar cry periodically echoed throughout the Great Forest's mysterious ruins, Talastrum.

However, he had no idea where it was coming from.

Kang Oh had only been here for three days. There were plenty of places he hadn't gone to before, and whatever made this noise would probably be waiting for him there.

Just in case, Kang Oh sent Sephiro a message, asking him if he knew about it.

Sephiro had heard the cry too, but he replied by saying that he didn't know who or what made the noise.

'This kind of cry could only come from a raid boss level monster...'

Was it the Tuslam Chieftain? It wasn't likely. The Tuslam he'd fought thus far tended to be neutral.

However, the cry gave off a feeling of ferociousness and wickedness.

'There must be a monster here besides the Tuslam.'

He was curious. However, he couldn't afford to just roam around the ruins as he pleased. Kang Oh decided to be patient, and carefully moved through the ruins.

Sometime later...

Kang Oh's eyes gleamed.

He discovered a Tuslam that gave off a completely different vibe from the others he'd faced.

The biggest difference was that he wielded two weapons, rather than one. He held a Dokkaebi's club in his hand, with a giant javelin hanging from his back.

Plus, there weren't any boomerangs around his waist. He didn't even have the belt.

Another unusual trait was that there were metal rings on every single one of his fingers and toes.

[You have discovered Tuslam's Descendent, Warrior Kargagon.]

'A warrior!'

As expected, he was no ordinary Tuslam. It was clear that he was stronger than any of the Tuslam he'd faced thus far.

'I wonder how strong he is...'

Kang Oh took a quick look around. There wasn't anyone here besides Warrior Kargagon.

'Should I take him on?'

Kang Oh repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist. His body twitched too.

However...!

All of a sudden, Kargagon drew his javelin and forcefully threw it!

Whoosh!

The javelin came flying at Kang Oh, spinning like a blender's blades!

'Damn it. He found me.' Kang Oh threw himself out of the way.

Boom!

The javelin destroyed a 2-story building. It was like a grenade had gone off. Kang Oh ran away, dodging all of the sharpnel.

"Heok! Heok! Heok! Ha! Ha. Mm!"

When he came to, Kargagon was right in front of him.