Rodeo
If a weaponless human had to fight a wild beast with bare hands, what should they do?
Whenever this topic is discussed, one technique is always mentioned.
The rear naked choke.
You cling to your opponent's back like you're piggybacking them, wrap your arm around their neck, and squeeze to compress the carotid artery. In Portugal, this submission is even called "lion killing."
Even a clawed beast cannot attack an enemy on its back. If you cling to a lion's back and choke off its breath, victory should follow.
In that sense… Woojin climbing onto the manticore's back was based on a similar idea.
'I should try a joint lock.'
From a superior position, he began to dominate the enemy.
Moving toward the manticore's flank, he grabbed the base of the wing growing from its side with both hands.
He poured strength into his wrists.
Crack!!
The wing joint dislocated. One of the manticore's wings drooped limply.
"KYAAAAA—!"
The pain must have been tremendous. The manticore shrieked wildly and immediately launched a counterattack.
A lion's claws couldn't reach an enemy on its back—but the manticore had another weapon.
The scorpion tail.
Whoosh—!
A sharp slicing sound approached. The stinger at the tail's tip shot toward him, swift and relentless like a fencer's blade.
Woojin moved left and right like a boxer weaving, continuously dodging or deflecting the incoming strikes.
'Not planning to fire the venom beam?'
That was only natural. If it misfired, it might end up piercing its own head.
Woojin was currently standing on the lion beast's back. If it fired the venom beam at him, the manticore beneath him might get hit as well.
'Not particularly threatening.'
Attacks like this wouldn't catch Woojin.
The manticore seemed to realize that too.
It had to shake him off.
Coming to that conclusion, the lion violently shook its body and began sprinting forward—like a rain-soaked dog trying to shake water from its fur.
Of course, Woojin had anticipated that.
He shifted his center of gravity skillfully like a surfer riding waves, holding his position.
A movement that utilized his weight amplification ability.
'…I'm getting used to this.'
It didn't seem like he would fall off easily.
After estimating that, Woojin continued his work.
He stepped lightly to the opposite side and grabbed the base of the manticore's remaining wing with both hands, pouring strength into it.
Did it sense something ominous?
The manticore growled warningly, then suddenly threw its body down and rolled across the dirt repeatedly—like it was trying to shake off a tick.
Because of that, Woojin was crushed under its massive body several times.
'Ugh… damn it.'
It had been a while since he'd tasted dirt like this.
The lion beast resisted violently.
Its thrashing was quite troublesome, but Woojin ignored it and continued.
Gripping the wing joint tightly, he twisted it backward with all his strength.
CRACK!!
"GRAAAAAH—!"
Another scream burst from the lion.
Both of the manticore's wings were now ruined.
Only then did Woojin nod in satisfaction.
'Flight ability sealed.'
Unlike when he fought the dragon relic before, he wouldn't have to struggle with aerial combat.
Now that the most annoying factor was gone, it was time for the next step.
Woojin moved closer to the manticore's neck.
Grabbing the lion's mane with one hand like pulling someone by the hair, he began hammering the back of its head with his other fist.
Thud! THWACK!!
Sharp knocking sounds rang out repeatedly.
The pain must have been considerable, because after a few blows the manticore growled warningly.
'Stop that.'
It sounded like it was saying.
But Woojin had no intention of stopping.
Instead, he punched even harder.
"GRAAH! GRAAAA—!"
Consumed by fury, the lion roared wildly.
The manticore suddenly sprinted somewhere.
Woojin paid it no mind and kept punching.
After beating it for quite a while—
A sudden chilling sensation crept in.
Woojin raised his head and looked forward.
A cliff.
"…Hey. Wait."
Woojin muttered uneasily.
As if responding, the manticore accelerated and charged straight toward the cliff.
THUMP!
The lion kicked off the ground with all its strength.
Then came a strange feeling of weightlessness.
Fierce wind slashed across Woojin's face.
They were falling.
Twist—!
In midair, the manticore twisted its body.
A typical feline landing technique.
But the direction of that landing was the exact opposite of what you'd expect.
Instead of preparing to land on its feet, the manticore turned so that its back faced the ground.
If this continued, Woojin would be crushed.
After all, he was still clinging to the beast's back.
'No choice.'
Woojin let go of the lion and kicked away, creating distance between them.
The ground rushed closer.
KRAAAASH!!
The manticore hit the dirt first, producing a thunderous impact.
A moment later, Woojin landed in a much more graceful way.
Both of his palms glowed deep blue.
He released mana downward like firing a palm strike.
PAANG!
Dark blue flames burst from his palms.
The recoil sharply slowed his fall.
Woojin landed smoothly on the ground.
A landing technique derived from Mana Arts—a trick he had invented because he lacked the ability to fly.
'What happened to it?'
He looked toward where the manticore had fallen.
The gigantic lion kicked angrily at the air several times, then stood up and shook its head left and right, as if trying to shake off the shock of the fall.
Soon, it turned its head toward him.
The enraged manticore bared its fangs.
'Looks like it has no intention of running.'
The lion beast's fighting spirit hadn't broken.
Apparently, it still hadn't been beaten enough.
Round two.
The manticore pointed its scorpion tail's stinger toward him—almost like pointing a finger.
The stinger swelled as power condensed within it.
BOOOOM!!
A green venom beam shot out.
Woojin quickly ducked, slipping out of its path.
The beam struck a nearby boulder instead.
Like urine melting snow, a hole opened in the rock as it dissolved.
'As expected… that ability is troublesome.'
An acidic venom that melted flesh, fired like a high-pressure water cutter to slice enemies apart.
A rare and powerful ability.
How should he deal with it?
Only then did Woojin draw the machete hanging at his waist.
Holding it in his hand, he slowly began walking forward.
He had to close the distance again.
As if refusing to allow that, the manticore growled fiercely and aimed its tail.
Boom! BOOM!!
Venom beams poured out like artillery fire.
Woojin sprinted quickly, dodging their trajectories—but avoiding every single one was difficult.
'Guess I'll have to take a couple hits.'
Woojin raised the machete so that the flat side of the blade faced forward.
Using it like a shield, he intercepted the incoming venom beam.
CLANG!!
The compressed poison slammed hard against the machete.
Using his weight amplification ability, Woojin held his ground.
But even blocking the attack created another problem.
SPLASH—!
The venom beam that struck the blade split into multiple streams—like placing a spoon into running water.
As a result, even while blocking, he ended up drenched in poison.
Woojin was struck by the acidic venom.
Seeing that foolish sight, the manticore let out a mocking growl—
"…What?"
Woojin tilted his head.
He clenched and unclenched his hand as if testing something, then suddenly stopped where he stood, thinking.
Seeing this, the manticore aimed its stinger to finish him off.
BOOM!!
Another green venom beam shot forward.
Woojin stared at its trajectory for a moment… then suddenly extended his hand.
His palm met the beam.
SHHHHNG!
For a brief moment, his palm and the venom beam pushed against each other like two forces locked in a contest.
But before long, the venom lost its power and dissipated.
Woojin endured it without much difficulty.
'That attack just now… weaker than it looks.'
Visually, it looked flashy—but it lacked substance.
Compared to the dragon abomination, its toxicity was far weaker.
Of course, compared to an ancient being, its level would inevitably fall short…
Still, it was a lower-tier monster than the descriptions written in the Demon Realm Travelogue had implied.
'Not a leader-class monster of the deep regions.'
Perhaps his expectations had been too high.
In truth, this was only natural.
The fact that this manticore had descended into the mid-region meant it had likely lost a territorial struggle in its original domain.
And as proof—
When Woojin blocked the attack with one hand, the manticore blinked in confusion…
Then immediately turned around and fled with its tail tucked.
'It's always like this.'
Pride or not—any creature becomes pathetic when it faces a fight it can't win.
Woojin immediately began pursuit.
Tap-tap-tap—!
He pushed off the ground repeatedly as he sprinted.
The distance between them rapidly shrank.
Seeing this, the manticore grew increasingly anxious.
It had to buy time.
As if reaching that conclusion, the manticore turned around and opened its mouth wide.
FWOOSH—!
Crimson flames burst from the manticore's mouth.
The fire surged forward in a violent spiral, painting the surrounding forest red.
After setting the fire, the manticore turned and ran again.
The corner of Woojin's mouth lifted into a grin.
'It really does have a lot of useful abilities.'
He wanted it.
Without hesitation, Woojin charged straight into the burning forest.
The heat singed his hair black, but he didn't even care.
The manticore had stopped to rest, sitting down and breathing heavily—
But when it noticed Woojin charging through the flames like a demon, it panicked.
The manticore hurriedly stood up.
"KYAAOOO!"
With a loud roar, the lion swung its forepaw.
Woojin ducked under the claws and advanced beneath its armpit.
Woojin aimed for the lion's flank.
Following his movement, the manticore quickly turned its head.
It opened its jaws to bite him—
But Woojin's fist struck first.
Thud! THWACK!
He hammered the lion's side as if tenderizing meat.
The manticore, beaten relentlessly, whimpered and curled up.
But Woojin didn't stop.
His fists kept striking the same spot persistently.
From the manticore's perspective, it was maddening.
"KYAAAGH—?!"
The manticore screamed.
It almost sounded like it was pleading.
Why won't you finish it already?
If Woojin had simply drawn his machete and swung it, the fight would have ended long ago.
But instead, he kept punching the lion like he was playing with it.
The blows were neither too strong nor too weak.
Being hit repeatedly like that was driving the manticore insane.
The reason Woojin was going through such trouble was—
'Let's try using the knowledge of the Dark Side priests.'
The monster-taming methods he had learned in the city of the Dark Side priests long ago.
He intended to try taming the manticore.
The first step of that knowledge stated:
'You must make the monster submit from the depths of its heart.'
It wasn't an easy task.
Monsters were savage, ferocious, and cunning creatures.
If one tried to tame them carelessly, the trainer would end up torn apart by their own hunting dog.
How could he make this creature submit?
Only one method came to mind.
'Beat it into shape.'
If he hit it too hard, it might leave lasting damage.
So like a "spoon murderer", he kept beating it with moderate force.
Perhaps its temper finally snapped from the beating—
The manticore lashed out with its forepaw.
KRAAASH!!
The paw struck Woojin square across the cheek.
His head snapped to the side.
A moment later, Woojin slowly turned his head back toward the manticore.
He ran his tongue along the inside of his mouth and spat on the ground.
His inner cheek had been slightly torn—salty blood mixed with the saliva.
Woojin muttered quietly.
"Wow… still pretty strong."
Bad move.
From the depths of its heart, the manticore felt regret.
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