Chapter 114
Chapter 114. Bullfrog Monster (3)
Yoo Ji-han’s party had continued their hunting by revisiting the ecological park for several days.
The hunting method was the same as the first day.
Using a large larva fed with magic stones as bait to lure the bullfrog monster from underwater.
“Got a big one!”
While other parties were either diving into the water or moving busily, Yoo Ji-han had placed his fishing rod on the holder and was waiting calmly.
It felt more like a picnic than hunting.
“What are those people doing?”
“They say they’re fishing for bullfrogs?”
People around them were whispering as they watched them fish.
They couldn’t believe that one could catch a monster with fishing.
However, parties who had observed them closely realized how effective that peculiar method was.
“How do you do that?”
“Please teach us!”
Eventually, other heroes asked for help from Yoo Ji-han’s party.
They wanted to use the same method themselves.
“You need to bring the larvae of insect-type monsters…”
“You’re saying you’re catching monsters with monsters?”
“Yes. You also need permission from the Hero Department.”
Yoo Ji-han accepted the countless requests without refusal.
It wasn’t anything particularly special, nor was it something so great that it needed to be hidden.
“This doesn’t seem to be working…”
“This is harder than I thought.”
As time went by, more people became curious about the new hunting method.
So, Yoo Ji-han even gathered those people together to patiently explain the technique.
“You need to wiggle the magic stone attached to the fishing hook more lively than this, enough to make the bullfrog hungry.”
Yoo Ji-han generously shared his know-how.
Other heroes expressed their gratitude at his openness.
“Is it really okay to share this for free?”
“Thank you for teaching us!”
“Can we post this online?”
“Yes. No problem.”
This new hunting method was even posted in a certain hero community.
Some people were doubtful if it was really possible.
However, those present in the ecological park confirmed that it had been effective.
[asdasd : Who taught you this?]
[fire123 : It’s Yoo Ji-han from the Sweet Fun Guild.]
Thanks to that, Yoo Ji-han’s party’s name began to be mentioned in the community.
Unbeknownst to them, their name was slowly spreading.
And on the day they returned to the ecological park.
Kim Si-hu looked at the heroes gathered near the reservoir and said, “Now everyone has fishing rods.”
In a situation where they had discovered a more comfortable way to hunt.
If you looked around, everyone was holding fishing rods.
Among them, those who recognized Yoo Ji-han’s party even nodded in greeting.
“I heard the post summarizing the hunting method made by Ji-han has become a popular post?”
“Really?”
At Min Yu-ri’s words, Yoo Ji-han felt a bit pleased.
It was a sight that made it seem like many had become fishermen.
It felt like coloring a blank canvas with the colors one desired.
Some criticized that a dangerous place like an MA had become a fishing ground for heroes.
But he didn’t care.
“What if, in the end, our share gets reduced?”
“Don’t worry. From what I saw yesterday, less than half of the parties were catching anything properly.”
Controlling the magic stone through the fishing line was more complicated than expected.
Without a hero adept at magic control like Kim Si-hu, coaxing the bullfrog with bait required substantial training.
As a result, parties without mages still had to stick to traditional methods.
“We’re having a hard time hunting by going into the water!”
“Because of the bait you threw, the bullfrogs keep escaping!”
Just like the men yelling at the people fishing.
“Who’s this strange guy coming in…”
The leader of a party consisting only of warriors glared at Yoo Ji-han.
His gaze was filled with discontent.
This was due to rumors spreading that he had attempted to fish for the first time in this MA.
‘So what?’
Yoo Ji-han easily ignored the gaze.
If they were unhappy, they should follow suit.
*
Splash!
As Yoo Ji-han swung his fishing rod, the completed bait fell right in the middle of the reservoir.
Min Yu-ri launched a preemptive strike at the bullfrog that had taken the bait, while Yoo Ji-han and Chilla assisted her in battle.
After repeating this process for days, they could catch the bullfrog without taking any minor damage.
“Do you want some gum?”
“Sure.”
“Oh, me too.”
While Kim Si-hu was holding the fishing rod, Yoo Ji-han chewed the gum Min Yu-ri offered and waited for the bullfrog.
And about six minutes passed.
“Here it comes.”
The fishing line tightened, and the tip of the rod bent slightly downward.
The bullfrog had taken the bait.
Whoosh!
Kim Si-hu reeled in the line while tugging on the fishing rod with both hands.
Through several days of experience, he had learned the techniques of fishing.
“Whoa…! This is a big one.”
Kim Si-hu had a slightly surprised face.
Yesterday, the last bullfrog he caught was quite large, but the one that bit the current bait was even stronger.
“Need help?”
“Yes!”
Yoo Ji-han received the fishing rod from Kim Si-hu.
Screech…
As he pulled on the rod, it bent more and more.
By the end, the rod was almost bent in a C-shape.
‘Look at this guy?’
The one caught on the bait was resisting fiercely until the end.
The sensation in his hand was quite heavy.
It seemed that he had indeed hooked a proper catch.
“Huff!”
Finally, Yoo Ji-han pulled the fishing rod as hard as he could.
He felt the bullfrog being pulled closer.
And when it reached just below the water’s surface.
“Huh?”
“…?”
Everyone squinted at the bullfrog reflected on the surface.
Its size was oddly large.
Splash—!
Finally, with a splash, the bullfrog emerged from the reservoir.
However, its appearance was different from the gold bullfrog they had hunted yesterday.
It was larger than Chilla and far murkier in color than the gold bullfrog.
Moreover, its entire skin was covered in black patterns.
‘What is this?’
‘It looks like a bullfrog, but…’
As Min Yu-ri and Kim Si-hu remained wary of it, Yoo Ji-han recognized its identity as it surfaced.
“Why is that here?”
“What is that?”
“It’s a Bullfrog Monster.”
“What?!”
Min Yu-ri’s eyes widened.
The Bullfrog Monster, categorized as an invasive species among bullfrogs.
In terms of ranks, it was a Rank 3 monster, not a Rank 4.
“Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit!”
Every time the Bullfrog Monster puffed its cheeks, a truly bull-like sound echoed.
It was even more threatening than a bull, given its size.
The hook it had in its mouth was now spat out.
‘Did it break?’
Upon closer inspection, the fishing line had indeed snapped.
It seemed to have broken when it came out of the water.
Yoo Ji-han pointed his sword forward and said, “Everyone, be cautious.”
The Bullfrog Monster’s appetite surpasses that of ordinary bullfrogs.
It’s strong enough to eat trees that have grown on the ground and can even digest hard stones.
With its propensity to try eating anything, a walking human is nothing but trivial prey.
The strength he had felt through the fishing line moments ago was also unusual.
“Ribbit!”
The moment Yoo Ji-han took a step forward.
The Bullfrog Monster, watching him, opened its mouth.
Whoosh—!
A tongue shot out rapidly from its mouth.
A tongue thick as a human head!
To ensure it doesn’t lose its prey once captured, its red tongue, covered in protrusions, aimed straight for Yoo Ji-han.
The assault felt significantly faster than the gold bullfrog’s tongue.
‘I see you.’
Yet, reacting to it, Yoo Ji-han swung his sword at the oncoming tongue.
Slash!
The sword aimed to cut through the Bullfrog Monster’s tongue.
However, as it flew through the air, the tongue slightly curved, resulting in only a minor cut.
The Bullfrog Monster was a Rank 3 monster endowed with magic.
Unlike the bullfrog that simply spat out its tongue, it controlled its tongue with magic that encircled it.
“Ribbit!”
The Bullfrog Monster, having retracted its spat tongue back into its mouth, wailed.
The noise reverberated in his eardrums, causing Yoo Ji-han to frown slightly.
At that moment, Kim Si-hu, who was ready, stretched out his staff towards it.
[Fire Dome]
Woosh!
A fire dome trapping the Bullfrog Monster was created on the ground.
An advanced version of a spell that was more complex than Fire Wall.
It blocked any escape routes.
“Ribbit?! Ribbit!”
The hot flames enveloping the Bullfrog Monster scorched its body.
Because it needed to remain moist, its skin rapidly dried out.
For a creature that breathes through its skin, it was akin to horrific agony.
“Ribbit…!”
The searing heat attempted to invade not only its skin but also its insides.
In the end, it leaped up, risking direct contact with the flames.
“Fire!”
At that moment, Min Yu-ri, who was crouched down aiming her magic arrow, released the arrow she had been holding.
The arrow flew rapidly toward the creature suspended in mid-air!
Wham! Wham! Wham!
Just as Yoo Ji-han advised, the magic tip’s small hook was attached, preventing it from slipping on the bullfrog’s slimy surface.
Fortunately, the three well-prepared arrows did not miss.
“Ribbit, ribbit!”
The magic that had formed the arrows soon dispersed into the surroundings.
What remained on the creature’s body were three bleeding holes.
Its skin was scorched, and its body was riddled with holes.
Attempting to leap up once more, it soon collapsed feebly.
‘It’s dead.’
Yoo Ji-han approached to confirm its death.
Kim Si-hu gazed at the carcass and said, “It’s not much, huh?”
“As long as you handle the tongue well, there won’t be much difficulty.”
Most heroes who had fallen to the Bullfrog Monster were those who couldn’t stop its freely flailing tongue.
From the moment Yoo Ji-han managed to block its first attack, the outcome had already been decided.
On the contrary, if he hadn’t been able to block it, it could have been a disastrous result.
“By the way, a Rank 3 monster appeared…”
In this ecological park designated as a Rank 4 MA, a Rank 3 monster had emerged.
The emergence of monsters surpassing their ranks.
It felt like a situation similar to what they had experienced before.
‘So the Bullfrog Monster was discovered now.’
The Bullfrog Monster was known for its tremendous gluttony.
Having thrown bait for several days, it should have responded much earlier.
Wondering why it only appeared today, Yoo Ji-han had his doubts.
Moreover, bullfrogs such as the gold bullfrog and the Bullfrog Monster shouldn’t coexist.
Because the greedy Bullfrog Monster would even eat its kind, the gold bullfrog.
“Oh? Sister, what is that?”
At that moment, Kim Si-hu pointed towards the reservoir.
Min Yu-ri narrowed her eyes and looked in the direction he was pointing.
The entire surface of the reservoir seemed to darken slightly.
“…?”
As she remembered, a darkening surface was something you could see at a specific moment.
Just before the bullfrog caught on the fishing hook emerged from the surface.
But for the entire surface to darken like that…
‘Could it be…’
A foreboding feeling enveloped her entire body.
With a stiffened expression, Min Yu-ri generated multiple magic arrows in her hand in preparation to shoot immediately.
Sensing the atmosphere, the other party members also drew their weapons, keeping an eye on the water’s edge.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
Soon, with a huge splash, something shot up high into the sky all at once.
And shortly after.
“Ribbit!”
“Ribbit!”
“Ribbit!”
“Ribbit ribbit—!!”
It rained Bullfrog Monsters from the sky.
