Chapter 100
Chapter 100
Civil Servant Hunter’s S-class Resignation Log – Chapter 100
Excluding Yoon Se-ra at the center, the rest of the group had split into four teams to deal with the phantoms.
Ruenwei and Kang Se-jun were handling theirs alone, while the other two teams were covered by the Korean and Japanese hunters.
Ruenwei's gaze shifted to the Japanese sideto the raid party's one and only healer.
First, kill that bastard.
The moment she, having cleared out the area around her, prepared to activate her stealth skill
Gasp!
Kwaaaaang! A massive roar shook the ground. Ruenwei swiftly dispatched the charging phantoms and gripped her spear.
The epicenter was the center: the Red Cube.
With a blast and tremor of this magnitude, that cocky Headbang who bragged she could hold it off alone must have finally crumbled.
Did I misjudge her? Her specialty is playing tough while wearing that mitre hat, but maybe her actual combat prowess falls way short.
While she stared at the Red Cube in confusion, Kang Se-jun's loud shout rang out from across the way as he cut down phantoms.
Yoon Se-ra! Respond! Yoon Se-ra! If you need help, answer!
The omniscient mage turned pale.
So that's it! Yoon Se-ra's real combat power is low! Then this is my chance. I absolutely can't miss this golden opportunity to take out at least one L-rank!
Stealth!
Seizing the moment when everyone's attention was fixed on the center, Ruenwei cloaked herself in shadows.
This shadow-based stealth skill had been personally taught to her by the world's top assassin, Wei Hu. No way even three S-ranks could detect it.
Ruenwei vanished. Her footsteps, unseen by anyone, headed straight for the party's sole healer.
* * *
The entire Cube shook, and the impact must have reached outside because she could hear someone shouting something. Not entirely convinced it was over yet, Se-ra didn't release the Cube.
Whew, smoke. Whew. Cough, cough! Gotta avoid doing this with others inside.
Still, having confirmed the Panzerfaust's power firsthand left her quite satisfied.
But to think it dropped 20% after just one shot. Had she gotten too excited? She should have controlled her mana better.
It was better than her S-rank days when a single shot would shatter the Cube outright, but she couldn't keep going like this. She'd have to use it more sparingly.
Gripping an assault rifle capable of burst fire, she cautiously approached the Phantom Lord amid the flames, focusing her senses to track its scattered traces.
Huh.
In that instant, something clamped tightly around her ankle. Iron chains? She hadn't heard any metallic clank...
No, wait. This thing's a spectral type to begin with. Even the chains are ethereal. Wouldn't it be weirder if they did make noise?
So it had been deliberately making sounds up until now?
Se-ra fired at the chains to shake them off and leaped back. But the attack came first. A skeletal hand of black shadow seized her throat from behind.
Gasp!
Se-ra's eyes widened.
Having endured an attack that dropped the Cube's Field Domination by 20%, the Phantom Lord's body was in tatters.
A red glow emanated from its hollow face, seething with furious rage.
The Phantom's unique ability to trap victims in endless nightmares.
Humans ensnared in nightmares couldn't wake themselves and would wander dreams until they became fodder for the phantoms.
As the Phantom Lord's corruption attempt took hold, white sparks crackled from the hand gripping her throatzzzt, zzzt!
Se-ra gasped, swallowing hard. The phantoms' repulsive mana began fully infiltrating her mind...
Infiltrating...
It didn't.
Night? It's bright as daywhat night?
Se-ra turned her head. Even with her throat gripped, she was smiling. As she unleashed her fully concealed aura, the phantom recoiled in shock.
Sorry, forgot to mentionwe're a bad matchup. For you, that is.
She unloaded her rifle into the arm holding her. The phantom screamed and retreated, its withered arm dropping limply to the floor.
Se-ra flashed a grin at the phantom, who clutched its shoulder and couldn't hide its panic.
Mental corruption doesn't work on me. I've got a barrier way better than any mental shield.
From now on, she'd call it Administrator Defense.
Plus, with a weapon like this, handling a physical weakling like you solo is a piece of cake.
She lightly shook Heat, the weapon the phantom hadn't been able to destroy. She was playing it cool, but inwardly, she was relieved.
Facing it head-on made it clear why even Kang Se-jun had failed multiple raids in that vanished timeline, why so many had died.
The Phantom Lord's mental corruption was potent enough to chill even her to the bone in that instant. Without Administrator Defense, she'd have collapsed into the nightmare right then.
Lucky for you it's me handling you.
The Red Cube shrank in an instant, fully enveloping the half-destroyed Phantom Lord.
Bye.
She fired into the Cube, unleashing a massive explosion inside. Amid the crimson flames, its shadowy form visibly disintegrated.
When the flames fully died down, Se-ra released the Cube. The lingering remnants scattered on the wind.
It was an anticlimactic end unworthy of a 1st-grade dungeon boss. Matchups really were everything.
Now I need to support the others...
It was too dangerous for S-ranks, so Se-ra turned toward Jung Ho-young and Do Jun-young's position. She had to check on them first.
Director Do, Guild Master Jung...
A message from the Administrator popped up as she hopped over the debris.
Not over? Whatthis situation? Or the Phantom Lord's life...?
Ah.
Come to think of it, even though the boss had turned to dust, no death message had appeared.
Such a rookie mistake!
She hurriedly extended her senses, but felt nothing. As a 1st-grade spectral Magical Beast, it was hard to detect its presence.
The moment she turned at the guiding voice, Se-ra's eyes went wide.
A black shadow was quietly pooling at the feet of Jung Ho-young and Do Jun-young, who were struggling against monsters.
Director Do! Guild Master Jung!
She tried to activate the Cube, but they were already inside the Phantom Lord's domain. She was too far to shoot, and they were already in its grasp.
No fixed form meant it could split its body without notice.
When? Probably when she'd fired the Panzerfaust.
It was her blunder. She should have realized. She'd thought she wasn't getting cocky, but maybe that was the cockiness.
Its ability activated before her bullets could pierce it. The separated fragment was weaker than the main body and staggered from the shot that tore through its flesh, but its eerie laughter filled the air.
White sparks erupted around Do Jun-young and Jung Ho-young. Their eyes glazed over white as their minds began to erode.
But in the next moment, it was the Phantom Lord that screamed and retreated.
Jung Ho-young's shortsword, freed from the skill, sliced its throat. Already half-broken, it scattered into the air without regenerating.
No need to hear the beast's dying words. Se-ra unleashed a barrage of bullets, and the Magical Beast finally perished.
This time, she confirmed the message clearly before rushing to the two. Though unaffected by the skill, Jung Ho-young shook her head with effort, some influence lingering.
Are you okay, Guild Master?
I'm fine. I've got a counter skill against specters. Works on Magical Beasts too.
Right, she'd forgotten in the panic. Jung Ho-young's true form was the Grim Reaper, blessed to guide the dead to the afterlife, rendering spectral attacks nearly useless.
But not Director Do.
The two gravely regarded Do Jun-young, collapsed on the ground.
As the wielder of a holy sword, he was the natural counter to evil spirits. He'd handled the phantoms well, but the problem was the Phantom Lord.
It was stronger than him. He couldn't break free of the nightmare on his own.
I'll save him.
Se-ra aimed her gun at Do Jun-young's head. Jung Ho-young panicked and grabbed her arm.
Don't kill him! Let's get him to a healer first.
No, Guild Masterwhat do you take me for...? Why would I kill Director Do...?
......Ahem.
Jung Ho-young sheepishly withdrew her hand.