Chapter 119
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Soul's Promotion Battle
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-Shuuuk!
The dryad charged forward.
It was an explosive burst of leg strength that made it hard to believe she was a plant-based monster. With her nails leading the way, she barreled straight toward us.
Was her target the mage, Roel? Or the utterly worthless Custard?
Either way, those two were definite one-shots.
I stepped forward in front of the party.
The enemy was coming. Afraid? Scared shitless. But I had my trusted armor, powerful muscles honed through murder, intensive training from the swordmaster Karin, and—needless to say—certified 3rd dan Taekwondo prowess.
You can't go into a fight thinking about losing.
You have to fight to win. To kill the enemy.
It's easy against opponents cowering in fear. But foes who stake their very lives are a different story. I took another step forward. I poured strength into the hand gripping my sword.
-Paat!
And then, I ran.
"Kyeeeeeeeeee!!!!"
Letting out a beastly roar, I charged with my blade thrust out front. If I fell behind in speed, I'd lose momentum. I sprinted at full power toward the dryad as well.
-Shaaah!!
The monster roared back. Her exposed fangs were just like a leopard's.
Carnivorous plant. No... man-eating plant!
The dryad spread her palms wide, as if her nails were her primary weapon. In that case, my reach had the advantage. Her nails were long—maybe a few years' growth—but still shorter than my sword. I had to use that.
"Die, you fucking flower bitch!!!"
-Clash.
My thrust sparked as it wedged between her nails. I'd slice her hand off too... but it didn't go as planned. She twisted her wrist immediately, deflecting my blade's trajectory.
Her nails had impressive durability. But I didn't yield.
My body weight was heavier.
I absorbed the impact with the solid muscles of my lower body. She might have the edge in raw power as a monster, but I dominated in weight class and reach. I had to leverage those two advantages.
-Shaaah!!
Our exchange continued at point-blank range.
I twisted the sword hilt and drove the blade toward her collarbone.
Her long nails slashed.
If I could just split those nails...
-Swaak!
The dryad raked my shoulder with her other hand.
I immediately twisted my blade to block the follow-up. Damage assessment: my pauldron-protected shoulder was fine, but the leather pauldron I'd bought with my own money was clearly scratched... What the hell?!?!
"You!!!! Fucking!!! Cunt!!! Bitch!!!!!!!!"
This crazy bitch had completely lost it and shredded my precious pauldron that I'd paid good money for!!!!! Overwhelmed by massive, mind-shattering rage, I was foaming at the mouth. I slammed a fury-driven knee into her abdomen.
-Kak!
The impact made the dryad stagger.
"No more mercy for pretty girls!"
I'd never shown any to begin with, but anyway—in this ultra-close-quarters brawl, I finally noticed the dryad's face was surprisingly beautiful.
Lime-green skin, green hair. Vines and leaves barely covering her nude body. She was the epitome of a sexy forest fairy, dressed so boldly it could make your face flush thinking about what kind of perverted lingerie that was. But from now on, the only thing turning red would be the corpse I carved up.
Behold my secret technique: Beauty Killer.
Kim Katt was a true honorable warrior who showed no mercy in a deathmatch, whether against women, elders, children, or even a grandma disguised as a young girl (no exceptions).
A pleasant fragrance wafted from her—undoubtedly the scent of beautiful flowers.
But compared to the aroma of my freshly torn pauldron leather, it was utterly revolting.
I felt an urge to cleave the world in two.
Fuck this, you goddamn crazy bitch!
"Roel!!!! Fire Bolt!!! Signal when you fire!!!!"
"O-Okay!"
Screaming Roel's name, I unleashed three quick slashes. If I blinded her eyes and Roel slammed a Fire Bolt home, it'd be a solid hit.
"Avenger of my pauldron!"
-Shaat!
Whish, whoosh! She dodged the two slashes and sprang up like a spring, trying to create distance. Backstep in the middle of combat? I countered with a horizontal sergeant jump—not vertical—pursuing her and thrusting for the finishing blow.
-Chaeng!
As expected, she blocked my attack with her nails. And then...
"Firing!"
-Fwoosh!
The Fire Bolt launched from behind. I kept my frog-like thrusting stance and rolled across the ground. I'd pinned her down enough; one hit from the fireball should end it.
-Sha, shaat!
But regrettably, the Fire Bolt pierced empty air and vanished.
A miss!
"You fucking retard bitch!!!!!"
I shrieked in a frenzy and leaped up, thrusting my sword. I hadn't imagined this useless idiot missing at this timing—I was caught off guard. But if the attack failed, I'd have to finish the job myself.
-Sha, shaat!
Yet the dryad staggered.
"This bitch fears fire!"
Remnants of the heat? Having seen the flames, she scanned her surroundings warily. Her gaze seemed fixed on Roel behind me... No way!
-Paat!
"You fucking cunt!"
Evasive maneuver. The dryad vanished from my sight, darting diagonally toward Roel. This fucking asshole! Faster than me?! I chased after her.
"Kyaa, kyaaaaaaa!!!"
"Uwaaaaa!!!"
Roel and Custard screamed. Custard assumed a menacing pose with his mace, but he just looked like total dogshit bait. The dryad probably saw it the same way.
Holy shit.
Roel aimed her staff. Chant underway. Charging dryad. Could she finish the spell and strike?! I barely caught up behind the dryad, sword raised for a slash, when...
-Shushushushuuk!!!
"What the fuck is this?!"
Vines erupted from the ground... Exactly like what happened to Serka!
I frantically swung my sword to sever the vines. Stalling tactic!
"Zubrryaaaaa!!! "
Beyond the sliced vines, I saw Custard spraying blood as he was flung away.
A mythic scream erupted from him, like a great hero betrayed by comrades and meeting a tragic end. One rake and he was out. Fucked. Truly fucked. I trampled the vines and dashed desperately.
"Cu-Custard!"
Roel's chant broke.
"You fucking moron bitch!!!!"
My head felt like it would explode from rage. No, logically—if you see Custard get hit, shouldn't you finish the chant, fire the spell, and get revenge?! Why the fuck are you yelling his name?!?!?!?!?!
"Uwaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!"
I grabbed my fleeing sanity.
I couldn't let Roel get hit.
Roel rolled on the ground, screaming. By some miracle, she dodged the dryad's attack. Buying me time, I caught up behind the dryad.
"Miss! Look at me!"
-Shaat?
I swung my sword in greeting, and she turned. My blade whistled through the air toward her nape.
-Chaeng!
No easy win. Attack blocked by nails. But I reclaimed the aggro she'd stolen for Roel. I chained combos to drive her far away. My rage-filled blade offered no mercy.
"Thread Swordsmanship!!!"
Whip around, thrust, pull back, coil up, slash again. The pinnacle sword art from four successful spars with Karin—Thread Swordsmanship! The dryad retreated step by step into the brush. Then, horizontal slash!
-Whiiik!
-Serak!
斩.
Bushes and flowers scattered. The dryad dropped flat to dodge my horizontal cut. Only the foliage and flowers were sliced.
-Sha, shaaaah!!
Suddenly, she unleashed a furious roar. What? Phase two from anger? I backed off, and she grabbed the flying petals, looking heartbroken.
"Hah!"
This plant monster was grieving her severed "friends"!
Weakling Contempt
Activated.
"Uhahahahaha!!!"
Perfect. It'd been ages since I'd tangled with an equal like this. Great—a foe worth risking life over.
But you'd shown your weakness. Namely—
Plant!
"These your buddies?!"
I charged the brush and swung wildly, mowing weeds. My army-honed weeding was master level.
Each blade flash sent flowers and foliage flying. 100% bonus damage vs. plants—Weeding Master title! As a human, it was my duty to destroy nature!
I'll build human civilization on that land!
-Shaa! Shaaaah!!
The fully enraged dryad charged me.
She might not have had much reason to begin with, but now her eyes spun with madness. Those sharp nails targeted me.
"Too slow! Even your charge!"
I deliberately snapped a pretty flower with my hand and met her. Shuk, shuk! Shuk! Continuous thrusting nails! I retreated gradually, parrying with my sword. -Pakit! Suddenly, a deep Mountain Soul Iron Claw grazed my arm.
"Juaaaah!!"
I screamed preemptively, scared shitless it'd fucked me.
But no pain. Right—arm hit. Gauntlet-protected forearm! Her nail attack was fierce. But...
"Not enough to tear plate armor!"
No damage to the gauntlet.
No matter how hard you slash with nails, you can't rip steel plate! Gear! Gear supremacy!
Confidence boosted, I thrust bolder. Except head, my mind was armored. She couldn't land a crit! So I'd—
"You fucking bitch!"
I ignored the rake and reached out.
Shashak! Arm raked, but gauntlet just scratched, Quilted Armor slightly torn. I seized her throat.
-Kak!
Her scream burst out.
"Got you, bitch!"
Now ram the blade down her neck!
Beauty meets early doom!
-Shuuk!
"Kuhk?!"
A new vine whipped my gut. Impact made me release her throat. Quilted Armor protected, no wound, but shock transmitted fully.
-Shaa...
"You dare hit a person, cunt?"
Gut pain. This bitch...
Won't die clean.
"I'll help!"
Serka jumped in.
"Now you show?! Fucking bitch!"
"..."
Thankfully, no kick to my head. I'd braced for it amid the dryad fight. Good her brain worked.
"Go, Serka! I seasoned her! Show your true power! Pride of the martial artist! Fist master! Pour everything—out!"
"Haaaaap!"
Serka charged like the Fist God.
-Kwaang!
Martial artist vs. monster collided! Fierce exchange? No—one-sided barrage!
"Kuhwaaaaak!!!"
Serka's dobok tore, blood sprayed. She screamed. Unlike my armor, just dobok and knucks. Couldn't deflect nails—one-shot after one-shot, screaming skyward. Fist God my ass—three hits KO.
Serka total fail!
"What retard comedian shit!!"
Fuck, now it's just funny.
What others doing? Looked around: burning weeds by confeito tree, downed Custard, Roel clutching him.
Truly useless, these fucking bitches...
Fire.
Fire?
"Fire?"
Seeing burning weeds, weird impulse hit.
Fire.
Yes.
Fire (火).
Fire beats plants. Fire attribute overwhelms wood. Flames incinerate foliage to ash. Serka crawled, calling her mom... Impulse became conviction.
I yanked an oil flask from my pouch and doused my sword.
"From now on, I direct this game."
Flames roared.