Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Twin Skyscrapers (9)
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"How much time do you think you can buy? We'll find out when we try!"
"……."
To be honest, I was a little taken aback.
How many people in the world could stand before Selverion herself—now fully realized in reality, with no limits—and still hurl a taunt like that?
If making me flustered was the final goal of that girl from Graveyard Guild, they'd more than achieved it already.
"Hmm…."
On top of that, the way she flipped open her grimoire and assumed a battle stance was dead serious.
"I'll go first! Grasp of the Departed!"
The Graveyard Guild girl boldly launched the first strike. All I could do was watch her and let out a sigh.
"Haa…."
A chill laced my breath as it scattered into the air around me. At the same time, thick clouds began gathering above her head, ready to unleash Ashen Snowstorm.
"Gotta make this quick."
She'd clearly shown up in front of me to buy time. Which meant something was happening right now inside Jamsil Tower.
>
Whether it was their guild master making a run for it or some other scheme, I had no time to waste chatting with this psycho girl any longer.
"Frost Wave."
"Come on, let's see what you— Kyaaah!!"
I froze her solid mid-rant with Frost Wave, then shattered her to pieces. The first flakes of Ashen Snowstorm hadn't even fallen from the clouds hovering over her head yet.
"Hmph."
I snorted derisively, leaving the chunks of ice behind as I resumed walking.
"'We'll find out when we try,' my ass…."
You only know long from short by comparing them? That's just plain stupid. No basic judgment at all. All I could do was sigh.
Still, if there was one thing I was grateful to the girl for, it was letting slip that a bunch of Graveyard Guild members were still in this tower, buying time for whatever scheme they had going.
"Gotta check the other floors quick…."
After sweeping the last five floors, I'd need to check out Tower B with the observation deck and hotel. Still a long way to go.
"First, regroup with… Huh…?"
Nothing special on the fourth floor except spotting some people, so I'd been thinking of linking up with Kim Ah-rin and Lee Min-jun first.
—Dieee!!
—Ugh…!!
"Oh…."
The heavy clash of metal rang out, followed by the fierce shouts that only came during battle, piercing my ears.
They sounded very close—probably from the same floor.
Looked like Kim Ah-rin and Lee Min-jun, who'd gone the other way, had run into uninvited guests too.
"Better hurry."
My red eyes gleamed as I quickened my pace.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 02.
"Cover me!"
"Got it!"
Kim Ah-rin shouted at Lee Min-jun as she charged toward Graveyard's vice guild master, 'Evangel'. He tapped his tablet a few times at her signal, granting her a protective barrier.
"I'll handle the small fry! Focus on Evangel!"
"Got it!"
Lee Min-jun promised to take the minions so she could duel Evangel one-on-one without worry. Kim Ah-rin nodded vigorously and accelerated even more.
'Faster, faster….'
With Lee Min-jun's barrier boosting her, there was no hesitation in Kim Ah-rin's steps. Probably because her Pirate class shone brightest at the start of any fight.
The Pirate passive Master of Ambush boosted all their stats by 30% at the battle's outset. It made them specialists in ambushes and duels, but they were more vulnerable in prolonged fights than any other class.
Evangel's Necromancer, on the other hand, was the class in Season Off Fantasy most optimized for long battles.
Among Necromancer passives, Bond of Contract grew stronger the longer the fight dragged on, reinforcing their summoned undead.
With Graveyard outnumbering them right now, if they didn't end this quickly, victory would surely tilt toward Evangel and her crew.
"Here I cooome!!"
No way was she losing to these corpse-loving freaks. Kim Ah-rin poured everything into a overhead slash with her pirate cutlass aimed at Evangel.
"Wave Crusher!!"
She couldn't summon her ship for the ultimate in an indoor space, but she had plenty of powerful skills. A razor-sharp wave of water erupted from the tip of her descending blade.
Kwaaa—
The wave pulverized the marble floors of the dining area, hurtling toward Evangel at terrifying speed.
"Ebb Tide Slash!"
Firing one attack and waiting for a counter was amateur hour. Kim Ah-rin swung again, unleashing a blue cross-shaped sword beam from her blade tip this time.
A tsunami-like blade wave surged forward, chased by the cross of azure sword energy.
"Kim Ah-rin…."
With her Pirate stats boosted 30% across the board, both skills bore down simultaneously. Even Evangel lost her composure at the sight.
"…Bone Shield."
A Necromancer's frail physique couldn't dodge attacks that fast and fierce. Evangel hurriedly opened her grimoire and activated a skill.
—Kyaaaah!!
A black magic circle spread at her feet, and skeletal warriors burst out like they were clawing from graves.
They wove their bodies together like wire, forming a sturdy bone shield.
Thud!!
Kim Ah-rin's combo skills slammed into the bone shield in succession. It cracked under Wave Crusher, then shattered completely against Ebb Tide Slash.
Thick clouds of dust billowed up.
'Now…!'
Kim Ah-rin used the dust as cover to close in right up to Evangel. Necromancers had zero close-range prowess, so once she bridged the gap, victory was hers.
"Die!"
She burst through the dust in a rush, thrusting her sword at where Evangel had stood. A heavy sensation followed, like piercing straight through a heart.
'Got her…!'
Kim Ah-rin was certain of victory. Her lips curled up at how easily she'd taken out the enemy leader.
"Huh…?"
But as the dust cleared and she saw where her sword was lodged, her expression darkened again.
"A corpse…?"
Her pirate cutlass was stuck limply in some nameless, half-rotted body reeking of decay.
'What the….'
The spot where Evangel had stood was now occupied by this anonymous corpse.
Skill or trickery, somehow the Graveyard vice guild master had dodged her attack in that split second. Kim Ah-rin scowled.
"Urk…?!"
Then she felt the air shift behind her. She ducked just in time as a black shadow blade whistled past her head.
Plop.
Her pirate hat, worn till now, split in two and fell to the floor. Lee Min-jun, locked in combat with the Graveyard remnants, startled at the sight and yelled.
"Ah-rin! You okay?!"
"……."
Kim Ah-rin didn't answer. She just glared at Evangel, now putting distance between them, her face twisted in rage.
'She anticipated the attack, summoned a corpse for defense in that instant, then counterattacked right away….'
Freaky psycho or not, Evangel was a max-level 2500 player just like her.
"Now I'm getting serious. Get ready."
No room for carelessness. Kim Ah-rin gripped her cutlass tighter, resolve burning fiercer than before.
"Pfft."
Evangel, meanwhile, swept her gaze over the now tense Kim Ah-rin and sneered. She taunted her in a mocking tone.
"'Getting serious'? Give me a break."
She bared her sharp fangs in a smirk.
"What, surprised I'm stronger than you thought?"
"……."
"Merc life and all the ass-kissing made you think you're hot shit? Like, 'Graveyard's no match for just the two of us!'"
"Tch…."
It hit too close to home; Kim Ah-rin clicked her tongue. But she knew this was just Evangel's psych-out to drag things out.
The longer it went, the more Master of Ambush's effect faded, putting her at a disadvantage.
Even if Scientist countered Necromancer well, how long could Lee Min-jun hold off five or six foes alone?
Evangel knew it too, slipping in trash talk between clashes to waste time.
No need to fall for the bait or get mad.
…Just push harder.
'No….'
Actually, she could just hold out.
Selverion would notice the commotion any second and come running. Once the God of Ruin arrived, these cannibal scum would turn to ice crystals in a blink.
"Hm?"
Evangel caught Kim Ah-rin lost in thought and tilted her head exaggeratedly. She scratched her head and asked in a nonchalant drawl.
"You don't seriously think Selverion's coming to help, do you…?"
"……!!"
Was she a mind reader? Kim Ah-rin's body jolted as Evangel nailed her thoughts. Evangel smirked pityingly at her reaction.
"Sorry to disappoint."
"……."
"Selverion ain't coming. At least not till you're dead."
"What…?"
Kim Ah-rin's face twisted at the bombshell.
"She's probably been taken out by now by one of our guild members in civilian disguise."
All that came back as a reply was Evangel's wicked smile.
"So give up and die quietly."
……No reinforcements were coming. No matter what.