89. Ignirn's Lackeys
“There’s a shit ton of them. Fucking flies, the lot of ya.”
Nus spat out his usual gravelly curses, a stark contrast to his ethereal form.
The minions of Ignirn descending the cliffside were indeed quite numerous.
Jeonghyeon couldn’t help but inwardly agree with Nus.
Yeah, there’s a lot.
Even by rough estimate, around twenty of them.
When he activated his Demon King’s Eye and peered into the mana leaking from the enemies, they were all human.
Twenty hunters who had crossed over from Afraksas.
That meant they were more seasoned and powerful than most bosses he’d faced so far.
Whew. Each one’s probably ranker-level at my current stage.
At his level now, they’d qualify as rankers.
“I don’t get why the Rock Dwarves are so pissed off, or why Uldran’s protecting them…!”
Jeonghyeon gathered mana into his drawn Blood Dissector.
In that moment, unlike usual, the mana boiled over with such intensity that it almost lifted his spirits.
“Let’s see this through to the end!!”
Even as he swung his blade at Ignirn’s minions, Jeonghyeon remained oblivious.
To the fact that his mana support to Philip and Jeonghu had been cut off.
***
The minions who’d scaled the cliff clutched what looked like matchlock guns in their hands.
Bang-!
True to the name Flame Dragon Ignirn, they wielded firearms nonexistent in Afraksas.
“Fuck. Guns? That’s cheap as hell?!”
It made sense now why Uldran’s awakeners had been taken out so easily.
Fire was both a weapon and fuel in itself.
The minions didn’t speak a word, signaling each other with hand gestures as they encircled Jeonghyeon and Nus, then unleashed a volley in unison.
“Tch!”
Of course, it wasn’t as instantaneous as modern bullets, but this was Ignirn’s fire.
Once ignited, it wouldn’t go out easily—the unquenchable blaze of the eternal flame.
They fired mana bullets far more threatening than fireballs of the same size, perfectly coordinated to avoid hitting each other.
Not a single word or shout escaped them.
Bang-! Bang!
Only the firing sounds from their guns.
“Tch!”
He couldn’t just keep taking hits like this.
The moment Jeonghyeon leaped toward the nearest one—
Whirr-!
Devices attached to the minions’ legs activated with a hiss of steam, spewing fierce flames that propelled their bodies backward in a rapid retreat.
“Fuck… they’ve got engines too?!”
That fire was Ignirn’s as well.
Used to enhance their bodies or for propulsion, yet still their strongest weapon.
Jeonghyeon couldn’t fathom why Ignirn antagonized Uldran.
Though Uldran probably doesn’t even register as a rival…
Whatever petty dragon squabble had dragged him into this.
All it did was graze his armor, scorching and flaking off chunks.
Then, from not far away, Nus’s voice rang out.
“How long you gonna just stand there taking it?!”
Nus, pissed off and darting around frantically, buzzed with irritation.
“What, can’t absorb their mana?”
Jeonghyeon deflected a burst of flame and asked.
He’d figured Nus could handle them.
“I could if I tried! But you think the Flame Dragon’s fire is a joke?! It’s fucking scorching!”
Even for Nus, the eternal flames caused agonizing pain with the slightest brush.
“Heh, turns out you’re not all that special either. Ethereal slime feeling pain and all.”
“Sorry, kid! So come up with a goddamn plan!”
That’s what I was about to do, you prick.
While dodging the minions’ attacks, Jeonghyeon kept them under close watch.
And noticed a few things.
They’re not reloading ammo.
Meaning they weren’t loading mana into bullets—they were pure mana projectiles.
As if to prove it, the mana bullet he’d batted away oxidized in midair, sparking into flames.
Hold out long enough, and their mana would deplete.
Push them until they can’t regenerate mana bullets anymore?
No, too reckless.
If he had a mana source like Nus, maybe he could tank hits all day—but he’d just die exhausted.
Take out one first.
Just one.
Things would fall apart after that, right?
No point dying on the defensive anyway.
Dragon quests weren’t meant to be easy.
That’s why they gave them.
Just do it.
Worst case, I die. What’s new?
“You just thought something real stupid, didn’t you?”
The instant Jeonghyeon finished thinking, Nus asked warily.
“Nah? What makes you say that?”
“Then why’re you gathering mana? For what?”
“Guys forming up all sloppy like that have a weakness. Nail one—just one—and they’ll crumble easier than you think.”
“…You handle it solo.”
“Aw, come on.”
“Why the hell should I burn myself up in that fire!?”
Right, eternal flames react stronger to mana.
Like fire meeting oxygen, Ignirn’s flames roared fiercer with mana.
That’s why Ignirn’s awakeners held perfect advantage over mana beings.
Nus would turn to ash if he couldn’t absorb it—no wonder he was bitching.
“Fine, then…!”
Jeonghyeon channeled mana through his entire body instead of the Blood Dissector.
Mana control learned from Jeonghu and the Jo family.
Not sword aura or attacks—turning his own body into the weapon.
“Hup…!”
With a deep breath, he lowered his stance and poured massive mana into his legs against the ground.
Then—
Boom-!
A deep gouge in the earth as he rocketed straight toward the farthest enemy like a pile driver.
Whoosh-!
The farther away, the slacker they got from false security.
“?!”
As expected, the minion froze in shock instead of dodging reflexively.
“What’re you staring at?”
Jeonghyeon slashed with the Blood Dissector, mana sharpening its edge, at the goat-masked face.
“Tch!”
The minion uttered his first vocal sound, twisting away just in time to evade.
“Huh…?”
But then his vision caught his own lower half, untouched by escape.
Slash-!
Before he could process it, his body was severed, spurting crimson blood as it tumbled.
Durability’s nothing special.
If one hit killed, then just don’t get hit. Fitting for Ignirn’s aggressive minions.
Jeonghyeon leaped at the next foe.
By the time his silhouette vanished and reappeared, he was on another Ignirn awakener opposite.
Once you spot the opening, they’re not shit.
As Jeonghyeon swung again—
“No!!”
Arak’s bellow echoed from afar.
True to Uldran’s first minions, the shout rumbled like thunder through Jeonghyeon’s mana veins.
A sensation he hadn’t felt in ages.
“?!”
For a split second, Jeonghyeon’s body stiffened—and so did Ignirn’s minion.
“Tch!”
But the minion recovered faster.
Accustomed to hunting Rock Dwarves, he retreated as the shout faded and yelled,
“Retreat! Fall back! Wait for the next chance!”
At his command, the minions whirled to flee.
“Nus!”
Jeonghyeon reached out to Nus.
Sensing his intent without words, the familiar sent a chunk of his stockpiled mana.
Infusing the high-quality mana through his body, Jeonghyeon kicked off the ground just like before.
No need for more. Just one.
Capture the one who seemed to know the most.
Crossing the cliff in a flash, he easily overtook those burning mana on escape.
“Fire! Don’t let him catch you!”
The goat-masked minions scattered in panic, unaccustomed to being pushed this hard.
Fucking cowards, picking on weaklings only.
Made sense.
What a dragon awakener meant in Afraksas, and how strong those who’d cleared the 50th floor were at this point.
Most natives wouldn’t stand a chance.
But Jeonghyeon was different.
He’d met Ignirn’s minions, fought beside them, backed them up on battlefields.
Their powers were plain as day.
“Hand over one and scram!”
Ignoring flanks, he charged straight at the nearest in a beeline.
Boom-!
Leaving skid-mark footprints, he seized one from behind in an instant.
In the dire moment, the target drew a pistol-like firearm and tried infusing mana—but
“When’re you gonna shoot?”
As he turned to fire at the voice—
Only empty air.
Instead, chilling killing intent bloomed from behind.
“!?”
Thud!
Jeonghyeon gripped the fleeing minion’s nape, flipping his body overhead using momentum.
Arcing high through the air, the minion’s torso slammed into the ground.
“Gahk!”
Not dead, but—
Crunch! Snap!
The brutal sounds of impact screamed he’d never run again.
“Let’s see if your buddies come save you.”
Standing on the minion’s chest, Jeonghyeon scanned around—no rescuers in sight.
Just sand whipped by wind, like a wasteland after a buffalo herd.
“Tch. No loyalty for comrades.”
Clicking his tongue, Jeonghyeon yanked off the groaning minion’s mask.
“Ah… no!”
“Too late.”
Too weak to resist, the minion flailed pathetically—and an utterly unexpected face emerged.