The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream-Chapter 136
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Chapter: 136
"……?"
Hanbit couldn't believe his eyes as Kudran casually strode forward.
The viewers were just as stunned.
— Huh?
— Shouldn’t he be dead?
— That’s a walking corpse right there.
— ??? Someone call 911, you maniacs!
— How did he survive this?!
"What the...?"
"How is he completely fine?"
The two adventurers were only now beginning to grasp the situation.
But nothing had been resolved yet.
“Grkk—!”
The Yeti, furious that its attack hadn't killed its target, let out a deep, guttural growl.
Its glowing red eyes fixated solely on Kudran.
Whoosh—!
Suddenly, the Yeti thrust an arm into the air.
Crack—!
A massive spike of ice formed in its grip, stretching out like a spear.
One of its signature abilities.
Tap—!
Hanbit immediately kicked off the ground, closing the distance.
With a powerful swing, he slashed his blade, now infused with biting frost.
Crackle—!
The chilling energy spread outward, instantly engulfing the Yeti's arm.
From its hand all the way up to its shoulder, ice encased half of its body.
The enchantment on Hanbit’s weapon was clearly doing its job.
Grkk—!
The Yeti snapped its gaze toward Hanbit, eyes burning with rage.
Then, raising its other fist, it slammed down on its frozen body.
Boom—!
CRACK—!
With just a few mighty blows, the ice shattered.
It was expected—after all, a creature of the frozen mountains would naturally have high cold resistance.
Tap—!
In that brief moment, Hanbit maneuvered behind the Yeti, closing in.
Ducking low, he swung his sword at its ankle.
Shing—!
The razor-sharp blade cut deep, piercing even the Yeti’s thick hide.
Slash—!
“ROOOOARR—!”
The sudden pain made the Yeti howl in agony.
But the wound wasn't enough to slow it down.
WHOOSH—!
Enraged, the Yeti swung wildly, raking the ground with its massive arms.
Hanbit backed off quickly, eyes darting toward Kudran.
Despite taking that devastating hit earlier, the dwarf was still charging forward, completely unscathed.
"Is it because of that armor…?"
Kudran's silver-plated armor was unfamiliar to Hanbit.
He knew that dwarven armors were naturally durable, but not to the extent of surviving a full-force blow from the Yeti.
That armor had to be high-grade equipment.
"Black Dragon! Fall back!"
Jinuk’s voice rang out from the side.
Right behind him, Kevin was closing in as well.
His polearm, clutched in both hands, was glowing red-hot—
A sign he had activated a weapon enhancement skill.
Whoosh—!
Kevin leapt high, pouring all his strength into a downward strike.
The Yeti, sensing the attack, swung its right arm to intercept.
CLANG—!
Metal clashed against flesh, sending a shockwave rippling through the air.
"Ugh!"
Kevin’s attack barely made the Yeti budge.
But in contrast, the recoil from the impact sent tremors up Kevin’s arms, twisting his face in pain.
Tap—!
Taking advantage of the moment, Jinuk rushed in as well.
Having watched Hanbit’s movements earlier, he targeted the Yeti’s legs and ankles.
Whoosh—!
Slash—!
But unlike Hanbit, Jinuk’s strikes didn’t cut deep enough.
If anything, they only fueled the Yeti’s rage.
"Hah! This thing really is a beast!"
Kudran, who had arrived at some point, wiped the sweat from his forehead and grinned.
Hanbit looked at him and asked, "How did you get here? Weren't you fighting alongside the other dwarves?"
"His Highness ordered me! He said things were under control there, so I should come assist you, Black Dragon! He even gave me these shoes to help me run faster!"
Kudran spoke cheerfully, pointing at his feet.
Judging by his movement earlier, the shoes were likely a magic artifact designed to boost speed.
— Oh.
— The support is insane!
— Honestly, if Kudran wasn't here, we’d be dead already.
— The Yeti's fists are an absolute nightmare.
This was Gorik’s support—something that had never happened in the past.
Since the circumstances and sequence of events were different this time, it was hard to pinpoint exactly why.
"Can you block that thing’s attacks?"
"Of course!"
Kudran pulled the shield off his back.
Even so, he had blocked the Yeti’s punches with just his bare body earlier.
That spoke volumes about how desperate he had been to protect Hanbit.
Boom—!
Crash—!
The fight between the Yeti and the two A-rank adventurers was dangerously close.
Sticking to the original plan was the best course of action.
"Kudran, just focus on defense as much as possible."
"Understood!"
Kudran nodded firmly and gripped his shield tightly.
Seeing this, Hanbit popped a mana potion into his mouth and stretched out his hand.
"Fire Lance!"
Whoosh—!
A fiery spear shot out, its power amplified by elemental magic.
Boom—!
The spell flew straight at the Yeti’s eyes, exploding on impact.
"GRAAARGH—!"
The Yeti roared in even greater agony than before, thrashing violently.
Hanbit, having swallowed the mana potion, shifted direction and shouted, "Head for the cliff!"
Whoosh—!
Flames and gusts of wind flared from Hanbit’s sword as he dashed forward.
The others followed immediately behind him.
Boom—!
The Yeti, still writhing from the pain, charged after them, swinging its arms wildly.
The spell that had hit its eye was still affecting it, but it wouldn’t last much longer.
Crack—!
As it ran, the Yeti conjured another massive ice spear in its hand—
And hurled it straight at Hanbit.
Whoosh—!
The ice spear, thrown with immense force, cut through the air like a howling windstorm.
Standing in its path was Kudran.
Tap—!
Shield raised, he kicked off the ground, placing himself in the trajectory of the attack.
At the same moment—
BOOM—!
The ice spear slammed into him.
Kudran was sent skidding backward, tearing up the ground as he struggled to stay upright.
But this time, unlike before—
CRUNCH—!
His sturdy legs and shield managed to withstand the attack completely.
As his momentum naturally slowed, Kudran quickly repositioned himself behind Hanbit once more.
— Oh, damn, lol.
— Dude's a tank!
— Now THAT'S how you tank properly.
— Still, he's not as good as Mars.
— They're clearly trying to bring in the main advanced player, lol.
— Yeah, but remember when he got wrecked by that Snow Drake?
Regardless of comparisons to the vanguard, Kudran’s abilities were undeniable.
He was more than capable of holding the defensive line.
Tap, tap—!
As they continued moving, the flames and gales swirling around Hanbit’s sword grew stronger.
"So, what’s the plan? We’re not actually killing that thing, are we?" Kevin, running alongside him, glanced back at the rampaging Yeti and asked.
Once the pain in its eye wore off, its speed would increase dramatically.
"We’re killing it. Otherwise, it’ll never stop chasing us."
A Yeti wasn’t the type of monster to let its prey escape.
Even if they crossed an entire city, it would hunt them down until they were dead.
Jinuk, keeping an eye forward, shouted, "The cliff is just ahead!"
The dense forest suddenly gave way to a sheer drop-off—
At the same moment, the Yeti’s movements returned to normal.
Boom—!
The Yeti leaped high into the air and suddenly slammed both hands into the ground.
The moment its muscular arms swelled dramatically—
Rumble—!
A massive ice wall surged up at the edge of the forest, sealing off their escape route.
"What the…!"
"It can use a technique like this too?"
With their retreat cut off, the expressions of the two adventurers grew tense.
Hanbit stopped in his tracks and turned around.
"You two attack its legs and keep it distracted."
"Not sure how much that'll do, but let's give it a shot."
"Got it."
Kevin and Jinuk nodded, gripping their weapons tightly.
The dwarf beside them had the same role as before.
"Kudran, just focus on blocking the big attacks."
"Understood!"
Kudran’s loud, confident response rang out.
Hanbit, having activated elemental amplification, downed another mana potion.
Whoosh—!
Flames and howling winds surged from Hanbit’s sword, reaching their peak.
It was time to face the enemy head-on.
Boom—!
The Yeti pulled its hands from the ground and stomped forward, shaking the earth beneath it.
Now that it had cut off their escape, its expression carried the confidence of a predator that had secured its prey.
"We begin."
Tap—!
Hanbit kicked off the ground, charging in.
The Yeti, seeing him approach, immediately grabbed a massive boulder lodged in the earth with one hand.
Then, putting its full strength into the throw—
Whoosh—!
The boulder came hurtling toward Hanbit, a massive force crashing through the air.
But there was no need for Hanbit to dodge.
Tap—!
Kudran had already leaped ahead, shield raised.
The impact came the next instant.
Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.
Boom—!
The boulder shattered into countless fragments, scattering debris everywhere.
Kudran, sent skidding backward by the force, dug his feet into the ground to hold his stance.
Tap, tap—!
Meanwhile, Hanbit had never slowed down.
He closed in on the Yeti—aiming for its solar plexus.
It was a weak point, where the Yeti's uneven muscle structure was most vulnerable.
Whoosh—!
Sensing the incoming attack, the Yeti swung its fist at him.
At the same time—
Two adventurers emerged at its legs.
Boom—!
Slash—!
A polearm, glowing as it struck downward, and a blade, slicing through with a golden arc.
Small, but definite damage was inflicted.
The moment they landed their attacks, the two retreated behind trees and boulders.
"Grrrk—!"
The Yeti let out a guttural growl, furious at the irritating strikes.
But the assault wasn’t stopping.
Whoosh—!
Boom—!
Like hit-and-run tactics, the two adventurers kept up their relentless strikes.
The Yeti should have chased them down immediately—
But instead, it had already made its decision.
Its first target was the strongest enemy here.
“Sssss—!”
Locking its gaze onto Hanbit, the Yeti suddenly took a deep breath.
Its chest swelled massively—
It was preparing to unleash a breath attack.
Tap—!
Kevin and Jinuk lunged forward again, ready to attack its legs.
But at that moment—
“FWOOOOOSH—!”
A storm of freezing air blasted from the Yeti’s mouth.
"Tch…!"
Jinuk and Kevin were forced to retreat instantly as the ground froze solid beneath them.
Crack—!
A wide area was engulfed in ice, locking down the battlefield.
Satisfied, the Yeti lifted its gaze.
But then—
"Grrk…?"
Its intended target was nowhere to be seen.
Swish—
The Yeti snapped its head around, scanning for Hanbit.
If he had moved, his presence should have been obvious.
Yet—
Even with its sharp senses, the Yeti couldn't immediately pinpoint him.
Swish—
A faint sound came from the trees above.
The Yeti, having just ripped apart a frozen boulder, hurled it in that direction.
At that moment—
Tap—!
The sound of footsteps echoed from a completely different direction.
"Grrk—!"
Acting purely on instinct, the Yeti swung a massive fist backward.
But the sensation that met its skin was not what it expected.
Clang—!
Its fist collided with solid steel, sending a small figure flying from the impact.
Almost simultaneously, something wreathed in flames came soaring toward it.
Whoosh—!
Hanbit, riding the scorching whirlwind, closed the distance and struck the Yeti’s chest.
A mere impact wouldn’t be enough.
This attack had to pierce beneath the skin.
With that decision, Hanbit channeled every ounce of strength into his grip.
Crunch—!
His blade drove deep, searing white fur and flesh as it burrowed inside.
The Yeti instinctively raised its fist to slam down on him.
But the movement never connected.
Boom—!
The firestorm unleashed within its body erupted, tearing through its insides.
The Yeti’s thick fur and tough skin meant nothing anymore.
"KWOAAAAA—!"
Overcome by blinding pain, the Yeti let out a howl of agony and stumbled forward.
Crack—!
Boom—!
Trees and boulders shattered in its chaotic movements.
Its staggering steps carried it dangerously close to the ice wall it had created at the forest’s edge.
Boom—!
Its wildly swinging fist struck the ice wall, shattering it instantly.
Snap—!
Hanbit, still clinging to the Yeti’s blackened chest, twisted the blade deeper.
"KWOARGH—!"
The Yeti thrashed, trying desperately to rip him away, but its movements had lost all precision.
A shadow of death loomed over its fading vision.
Hanbit gripped his sword tightly with both hands, activating Elemental Manifestation and Elemental Amplification at once.
Rumble—!
Burning through mana, he unleashed a tremendous blast of frost.
The Yeti’s already ravaged insides froze solid in an instant.
"Guhhh…"
Its massive body went completely limp.
Hanbit yanked out his blade and kicked off the Yeti’s chest, launching himself into the air.
Swoosh—
The unconscious beast plunged off the cliff’s edge, vanishing from sight.
Standing on solid ground, Hanbit heard a familiar chime in his ears.
Ding—!
[Main Quest #12 completed.]
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
