Acting in time, Jang-book commanded the ground in front of Dok-su to rise, creating a barrier that shielded him from the blast.
He did the same for Sae-wee and Min-ho right before the projectiles made contact.
And when it did, the feathers had torn into the stone barrier, digging so deep they would have burst through and gotten the person on the other side had the stone walls been any thinner.
Summoning his hammer, Jang-book launched himself into the air with the help of his Affinity. He drew his hammer all the way back. When he fell within range, he let his muscles explode forth like coiled springs let loose.
CRASH!
His hammer broke the Spector's head, tearing through to its mouth in sprays of blood and chunks of meat.
The blood and chunks of flesh splattered forward, staining the walls the trio had been behind.
Bending his head to the side, Min-ho peered at Jang-book, astonished.
[Your Subject Has Slain A Tier Three E-Ranked Spector 'Warm Hound']
[You Have Received A 20% Coin Bonus As Monarch]
[You Have Acquired 100 Coins]
"You guys okay?" Jang-book said to them as they emerged from behind their protective walls.
While Sae-wee was still in shock from the Spector's hidden ability, Min-ho was still baffled by just how strong Jang-book was compared to them.
Dok-su, on the other hand, was disappointed by the fact that he didn't get the kill. And all because the stupid Spector was hiding things from them.
"I'm sure we are," Min-ho answered, stepping closer to the Spector and standing in the midst of Dok-su and Sae-wee.
"Stupid thing," Dok-su kicked it, anger taking him.
"Why are you so mad? It's dead, isn't it?" Jang-book said, dismissing his hammer. As he did so, the blood staining it fell to the ground, as though it had been clinging to nothing.
Dok-su scoffed, then began to tear the Spector open.
"He's just mad because we thought we almost had it," Min-ho said in Dok-su's place.
"You guys did great!" Im-hee's voice had cut through the silence. Her cheery and joyful tone put everyone at ease.
It didn't take long for her and Ji-su to reach the others.
"Yes, you all performed splendidly," Ji-su complimented.
"Not if Jang-book wasn't here. We'd be dead otherwise," Dok-su said, pulling the Spector apart, searching for the juiciest chunks.
Though his words were true, they were an annoying thorn in the side of celebrating the fact that their first coordinated attack worked out well. With no one harmed.
"That's true. Which is a good reminder not to rush in without being careful," Min-ho said, aiming his remark at Dok-su's reckless attempt at one-upping everyone else.
He frowned.
"Did you get it?" Ji-su asked Min-ho, who contemplated for a second before answering.
"You mean the percentage?" he asked. Ji-su nodded.
"Yes, I got a twenty percent bonus from his kill," Min-ho responded.
"So a hundred Coins then?" Ji-su inquired, and Min-ho nodded.
"We'll hand them over to Dok-su by nightfall," Min-ho said.
"That's a good idea," Ji-su replied, his gaze now on the carcass of the Spector.
While they talked, Dok-su had already managed to carve out three large chunks of meat from the Spector.
"I'll be the one to carry them," Im-hee said, bending low and placing the tip of her finger on the bloodied chunk of meat.
In the second that followed, it turned to smoke and vanished.
"When do we cook them up?" Jang-book asked, finally stepping off the carcass, his mouth practically drooling.
Min-ho looked in the direction they needed to go, then he peered back at the spot they came from.
"We haven't really gone far enough." He turned to Jang-book. "Let's keep going until we get tired, then we'll rest up and have something to eat." He turned to everyone. "If that's alright by you guys."
"That's fine by me," Im-hee said.
"Me too," Ji-su said.
"It's okay," Sae-wee said. She had now joined in on tearing the Spector apart. But not because she wanted more meat, but because she wanted to find out if the Spector had a weak spot.
"Whatever," Dok-su said, leaving out only Jang-book.
Instinctively, all eyes that weren't busy at the moment turned to him.
He felt cornered, which made him fold his arms and turn in a different direction with a frown.
"Why would I have any problems with it?" Jang-book asked.
GROWL!
His eyes widened when his stomach made a noise.
Min-ho opened his mouth, but Jang-book raised his index finger.
"Don't even," he said, then walked away.
Ji-su and Im-hee smiled, each of them suppressing a chuckle.
Min-ho also smiled, before turning to Dok-su and Sae-wee. Both of whom were still vehemently tearing the Spector into an unrecognizable version of itself.
He turned to Ji-su.
"Do you see any danger within the next hundred meters?"
Ji-su remained silent for a moment, then he shook his head.
"That's good," Min-ho said, then began to climb the nearest pile of rubble.
It didn't take him long to get to the top, where he saw more stretches of dried, torn-up roads and shattered buildings.
The landscape was different for at least fifty kilometers.
But beyond that, he couldn't really see, as the earth had sloped upward, making seeing beyond an impossible task.
He mapped out the best route to take before coming down.
Now, Ji-su and Im-hee had joined hands ripping the Spector apart. It would seem they wanted to fill up their entire inventory slots with meat. Which was not a bad idea, since nothing could spoil inside the Inventory—it only made sense to gather as much as possible.
Yet he wished they didn't take so long.
With a sigh, he summoned his dagger from smoke into his hands, then he bent low, ready to tear it open. Just then, the automated voice ran in his head, and he saw a notification.
[You Have Been Gifted An 'Inspirational Tablet' Worth 500 Coins]