Chapter 52. Manticore (2)
“Hiiiek!”
Only now, having the manticore right in front of his eyes, did Philip stagger back in shock at the sight of its face, larger than his entire body.
Kroooar!!
The manticore let out a monstrous roar and leaped straight toward Jeonghyeon in a single bound.
“You crazy bastard!”
Even though he'd thrown a mana stone and bolted immediately, the manticore closed the distance to right in front of Jeonghyeon with one leap.
Krrruk...!
Then, as if toying with its prey after a successful hunt, it lowered its stance, emitting a low, vibrating growl while staring fixedly at Jeonghyeon.
“What, you want me to make a move or something?”
The classic pose of a predator playing with its victim. Jeonghyeon's lips twisted into a sneer.
“I've never been treated like this anywhere else.”
Jeonghyeon's Demon King's Eye glowed red.
Just like the showmanship he'd put on for Nus, Jeonghyeon gathered his Demon King's mana and infused it into his harvesting knife.
A new technique he'd never used on enemies before—only prepared during solo training sessions.
—Ho? You can infuse mana into your weapon?
-Ho? You can infuse mana into your weapon?
Uldran spoke up, sounding impressed.
“Shut it. You're breaking my focus.”
With all his mana gathered, the blade of Jeonghyeon's harvesting knife, the Blood Dissector, gleamed black.
Just one hit...!
The moment the enemy fully let its guard down—that was the opening to pierce its vital spot in a single strike.
Anything less, and there was no chance of victory.
Jeonghyeon sharpened his mana like honing a blade to razor sharpness, then charged straight at the manticore.
“Die!!”
Shouting as he ran, Jeonghyeon leaped toward the manticore.
Ssshhik—!
He swung his long blade, slashing at the manticore's eye.
Kruk!
But in that split second, the manticore spread its wings and retreated backward, the mana-infused sword energy missing its eye by a hair's breadth.
Kroooar!
Seizing the opportunity, the manticore gaped its massive jaws wide, baring the teeth that had devoured countless demons and humans.
“Jeonghyeon-nim!!!”
The manticore snapped its jaws ferociously, as if to rip off Jeonghyeon's upper body.
“Now!”
Jeonghyeon thrust his sword upward toward the approaching teeth, seizing the momentum.
The eyes are protected by mana anyway...!
Aiming for the eyes or tail was pointless unless you were a mage class.
The true weakness Jeonghyeon targeted was the roof of its mouth.
True to its chimera nature, stitched together from various monsters, it had weak connection points throughout its body. The roof of the mouth—where the brain, eyes, and face had been haphazardly transplanted and recombined—was one such vulnerable spot.
If he stabbed true, he could pierce straight through the skull and kill it instantly.
Before its jaws could fully close, Jeonghyeon jammed his sword into the roof of its mouth.
Kwaduk—!
The sound of its tough palate bone—far harder than most monsters' hides or bones—cracking echoed out.
Puk—!
Jeonghyeon's mana-wrapped harvesting knife plunged deep into the manticore's palate, the sensation transmitting through his hand.
“Success...!”
Kieeeek!!
“Ugh?!”
Suddenly, Jeonghyeon's body was lifted high. The manticore, jaws still agape, had reared up its massive frame. Its height surged several meters in an instant.
“Kuhuk!”
Before Jeonghyeon could react, the manticore jerked its body back like a sneeze, flinging him off.
“Kuhuk! Khek!”
Launched from an insane height, Jeonghyeon tumbled across the ground, groaning from the shock rippling through his body.
“Krooowar!”
In Jeonghyeon's blurred vision as he lay fallen, he saw the manticore clutching its mouth with its front paws in agony, rearing up on its hind legs and thrashing about.
“Damn it...!”
That thing was pissed now. The one surefire plan to end it quickly had failed.
This is a seriously bad spot.
Kroooaaargh!!
Blood streamed from its mouth, and the furious manticore bellowed at Jeonghyeon.
It wouldn't give him another careless opening like before.
That was when it happened.
“How dare you!!”
Philip, having cranked his cylinder to the max during the opening Jeonghyeon created, slammed his armored tail strike down twice on the manticore's tail.
The full-force gravity-assisted swing connected squarely with half the scorpion tail.
Kung! Koong!!
The double strike landed perfectly, delivering two hits in one blow.
Kuwaaak!!
The manticore's tail was crushed midway, and it writhed in pain on the ground.
Kuwoooargh!!
“What...? This doesn't match my expectations.”
Jeonghyeon felt an ominous premonition.
He'd expected a juvenile to be tough, but one double strike from Philip had mangled its tail, sending it rolling in agony? Was he hallucinating from the earlier fall?
Kuwong... Kiiing...!
Now it was trembling in fear, curling its tail and backing away.
“Have I never fought a juvenile before...?”
If anything, this was a good turn. Intentions didn't matter—as long as they could kill it fast.
“Attribute Domination...!”
Jeonghyeon poured more mana into Philip.
“Philip! I'll draw its attention as much as I can—smash its skull the moment it slips!”
“Yes, sir!!”
Philip cranked his cylinder again, increasing the load on his shoulders.
Jeonghyeon charged straight at the manticore.
“Kueong...! Kuaak!!!”
Even a cornered rat bares its teeth—would a manticore be any different?
The massive cat, fleeing in terror, puffed up its body. As Jeonghyeon closed in relentlessly, it counterattacked first.
For a creature whose instincts shone brightest in battle, this weakness was unnatural. Even for a juvenile, was the gap this wide?
Ominous feelings aside, he could analyze later—end the fight first. Jeonghyeon dove under its enraged legs, elegantly severing the Achilles tendons on all four ankles as he passed.
Using acceleration and centrifugal force like a sword dance, he spun gracefully several times. The manticore collapsed, legs giving out.
“Now!”
Before its tail regenerated to strike or its wings could shove them away—they had to finish it quick.
“Ready!”
Philip, who'd waited for the perfect moment with his arm raised vertically, leaped sky-high.
Gripping his mace with both hands, he plummeted straight down, smashing toward the fallen manticore's skull.
Thudoom—!!!
A massive vibration rang out as the manticore's skull cracked, spewing blood.
Thudokaboom—!!
Judging the enemy finished, Philip's double strike activated, driving the manticore's head deep into the ground like it was drilling through the earth.
“Hoo... Way too easy, huh?”
Philip muttered, eyeing the manticore's mangled corpse.
Ends too easily?
That was when he sensed something wrong.
Kung—
Kung—
Kung—
An ominous sound echoed from afar—heavy, rhythmic footsteps. Lifting his head, he easily spotted the source.
“Whoa?”
Only then did Jeonghyeon realize why it had been so easy.
A shape emerging from the distant plains, approaching. Even from far away, its body was twice the size of the juvenile they'd just fought.
If it stretched its legs fully, it could match the upper reaches of a Mountain-class behemoth in sheer size—overwhelming.
Its every breath wilted the surrounding plants with scorching heat.
Ah, right! Didn't Ras Ghoul succeed in breeding manticore bloodlines? So manticores can give birth to offspring now. Of course, only the mother exists—the father gets eaten. Juveniles before sub-adult stage are basically newborns. And their maternal instinct is strong... Don't kill the baby first, whatever you do!
Kung—
Kung—
As if to prove the message, rage filled the approaching mother manticore's face.
Kroooaaaaargh!!!!
A roar that shook the earth itself boomed out—on the level of the sound Philip made during Value Proof, vast and majestic.
“Kuh!!!”
“Kreeuk!!”
Even with mana protecting their eardrums, it was enough to burst any average hunter's.
“Kuhuk!!”
Pssht—. Bee—!
Jeonghyeon's eardrums actually ruptured; sounds faded into the distance, and intense vibrations blurred his vision.
-Hmph. Can't let you die like this.
Arms bend inward, after all. Uldran intervened directly.
Projecting his mana instantly, he formed a translucent barrier, shielding Jeonghyeon and Philip.
“Ugh...!”
The pain didn't vanish entirely.
“Kuhuk! Khek!”
Boosted by Jeonghyeon's Strength stat infusion, Philip was in far better shape and actually supported Jeonghyeon.
“A-Are you alright... sir?!”
“Feels like dying. Damn it. Why didn't I predict this?”
There was a manticore in his memories from the previous life—why hadn't he thought of it?
Its pathetic weakness had lulled him into overconfidence, thinking he'd grown.
Maybe he'd kept superimposing his prime self onto his current one. Jeonghyeon reflected bitterly.
Damn it, in this state, I'd lose even if I died and came back.
No strategy against the enraged mother came to mind.
Hey, Uldran, got any ideas?!
Uldran pondered Jeonghyeon's desperate call before responding.
-My power is Flame. I can grant resistance to that beast's heat.
Anything else?
-Your body couldn't handle it.
Damn. Dragon power was like that.
And since he wasn't Uldran's fully chosen awakener, fully receiving it might overload and burst his body in this state.
-I'll grant the resistance first. But I have no power left to use right now. Even my voice will fade soon...
As the dragon said, even the helpful voice vanished.
A translucent film coated his body, granting heat resistance, but it was nowhere near enough.
Goddamn it...! If only I could use that power from back then, just once...!
Of all things, a body that couldn't grow on its own power.
Should he have powered up Philip more? Or dragged Han Serin along no matter what?
Or avoided the tower noticing him by picking appropriate difficulties from the start?
A whirlwind of regrets swirled in Jeonghyeon's mind.
“You idiot.”
It was Nus's voice that snapped him out of it.
Nus had slipped out from the inventory entrance, stealthily clinging to Jeonghyeon's body.
“Ha. Gonna possess me at this timing?”
“Don't make me laugh. You have to take me to the Demon King, remember? You moronic bastard.”
Soon, Nus began infiltrating Jeonghyeon's skin—precisely, his mana veins.
“Wh-What are you...!”
“You said just once, right?”
“...?”
“Did you think all the mana stones I've gobbled up were just to sate my hunger? Wrong! This body is...”
“Stop, I get it—what?”
“I'll transfer all the mana I've stockpiled to you.”
With Nus's words, hyper-concentrated mana flooded Jeonghyeon's mana veins, threatening to tear them apart.
“Kuhk!”
Overwhelmed by another wave of excruciating pain, Jeonghyeon dropped to one knee.
“Not that I care to help you... but I can't stand those damn kittens stealing the Demon King's favor over me.”
After the brief agony passed.
Jeonghyeon felt mana at his prime from his previous life surging through him.
His vision widened, senses sharpened several times over, time itself seeming to slow.
“...”
“So, finish it before my mana runs dry and I shrivel up.”
Mana Fusion comprehended.
You can utilize Nus's stockpiled mana for a limited time.
Memories from your previous life manifest.
Manticore comprehension temporarily reaches supreme level.
Swordsmanship comprehension temporarily reaches Swordmaster level.
Dissection swordsmanship temporarily reaches pinnacle.
Just once.
The moment Jeonghyeon reclaimed his prime power.