17. Volcano Zone
"What do you mean by that?"
"Just what I said."
"That massive lump of illusion mist is what I need? That's ridiculous."
Lump of illusion mist. Ever since entering the stage, it had hit us with a powerful hallucination debuff right from the start, so I could see why she'd think that. It was just like Angelica to put it that way.
"You'll see when you look."
I brushed off Angelica's nitpicking like that. Soon, as we reached the entrance to the mountain path, I raised the Sealed Sword high.
Tssing! The sharply gleaming blade. The edge, hidden inside the monster's body, soon emerged from the other side.
Shaaak!
It was a worthy opponent. Up to this point, even just the Heaven, Earth, and Man forms were more than enough to handle them. These were sword techniques honed over a solid twenty years, after all.
The soft slash as it sliced through flesh and skin. That sensation traveled from the tip, along the hilt, straight into my hand.
"Hoo."
I let out a light breath. Before regression, even a single lizardman like this had been a life-or-death struggle for me. Fighting in real combat really drove home how much stronger I'd gotten.
Piiiik!
Still, those flying flame birds were a bit annoying.
"Hmm, it seems I need to develop forms for handling swarms of small monsters."
Gwak Do-cheol suddenly remarked.
"No argument there."
His Black Moon Tyrant Sword had its limitations against flame bird-type monsters too. It had been the same with those baby spiders before.
"No excuses. It's regrettable that I've shown the shortcomings of the Black Moon Tyrant Sword."
"Martial arts are perfected by patching up their weaknesses!"
I swung my sword wide.
Black Moon Tyrant Sword.
Half Moon Slash.
Fwoosh!
Piii...
The four flame birds in my sword path flailed their wings and crashed to the ground. I hadn't killed them in one hit. But that didn't mean the Black Moon Tyrant Sword was weak. It was just a bit inefficient against these kinds of monsters.
Testing it firsthand, I could really feel the sentiment behind what Gwak Do-cheol had said. Of course, it wasn't a problem. No need to use a cattle butcher's knife on chickens, after all.
I kept adapting the three basic Heaven-Earth-Man forms bit by bit to handle the monster packs. By the time we reached the mountainside, I was using the three forms of the Black Moon Tyrant Sword. And when the peak came into plain sight, the linked five forms.
Tssing!
Kyaah!
The armed lizardman's spear tip grazed my left shoulder blade.
Swish.
"Ugh."
Blood trickled from the sliced wound.
"Damn it."
Was the linked five forms still too much for real combat? More training needed—training!
But I didn't abandon the five forms. Real battles were training too.
"Watch your left!"
I turned at Gwak Do-cheol's shout. An armed lizardman thrusting its spear point-blank from the front. And from the left, a flame bird gliding in beak-first—a pincer attack!
Black Moon Tyrant Sword.
Linked Five Forms.
Flying Moon Slash.
I stepped forward. Like the moon soaring through the sky, I danced across the ground from front to left, slashing the air with inky sword energy.
Slaaash!
"That's it! Well done, Kim So-hyeop!"
Even I thought it was a flawless execution, beyond reproach. At this rate, I might catch up to Gwak Do-cheol sooner than I thought.
"I just had a great idea watching you, Kim So-hyeop. Now I have a reason we must survive this place."
Gwak Do-cheol's eyes held awe as he said that. I smirked and replied.
"Tell me all about it then."
"Of course."
Looking around, the situation seemed mostly cleared up. It had been a bit reckless, but hardly any employees had died yet. This life was going well, but honestly, I hadn't expected zero casualties. Unavoidable. Still, compared to the time I'd piled up employee corpses into a mountain, this was a huge achievement.
Madric Blood, gazing up at the peak, spoke.
"I'm looking forward to whatever's up there."
A sudden curiosity struck me.
"What if there's only one reward? What then?"
"It's mine."
No hesitation, not even a second. She continued in a tone as if stating the obvious.
"The glory of first place belongs to our Safety Planning Department, after all."
With that, she bolted straight for the summit.
"Not the director for nothing."
Incredible stamina. I was dying from climbing and fighting, my whole body aching like it was screaming for a break. But I couldn't lag behind here. Seeing the employees who'd endured the heat without hallucination resistance measures, pushing all the way up—no way I could.
I gritted my teeth and chased after Madric Blood. The good news was that the recent fights had cleared most monsters. This stage's enemies had infiltrated the company HQ, leaving us to raid their empty home. Naturally, we wouldn't run into any on the way to the peak.
Now it was purely a battle of endurance. Ironically, no more employees needed carrying due to the heat after that fight. The ones who couldn't endure the environment were dead.
It stung a bit each time someone died, but honestly, it wasn't that sad. I'd been in this company too long for that. That's why I hadn't built deep bonds with anyone in my past life either. Never really had the chance.
Lost in those thoughts, the pain in my legs eased a little. And then we reached the summit.
Madric Blood, in the lead, raised her hand.
"Halt."
She eyed the military factory ahead, then moved forward and glanced down. Specifically, into the volcano crater.
We gathered beside her and peered into the crater together.
Bubbling.
A magma lake that looked like it'd melt you just staring at it. It felt ready to erupt any second.
Seon Ga-hee turned to me.
"Hey, radio. This volcano won't blow, right?"
She was active and fine now, but wondering if it'd erupt someday. I knew that wasn't what she meant.
"Something's gonna come out, I think. Even if it's not lava."
The stage's boss monster was sleeping in that magma. Seon Ga-hee seemed to sense it too.
"Then we split the team here."
Sound judgment. Seon Ga-hee wasn't director for nothing. She'd had plenty of combat experience even before joining Hunter Stock Company. In her original world, she'd been something like a hunter, slaying yokai while walking the immortal path.
"You staying behind, Director Seon Ga-hee?"
Madric Blood agreed with splitting up and asked her.
Seon Ga-hee nodded readily.
"Doesn't matter to me. As long as I can fight."
Quite the battle-loving personality.
"Then it's decided."
I'd been wondering if I should go with Seon Ga-hee to the factory, but this worked out. With the decision made, action was swift. Our Safety Planning Department skirted the crater toward the factory.
There was a gatekeeper at the main entrance, but...
"Out of the way, pest."
Keeek!
No match for Madric Blood.
"Entering."
"Yes, ma'am."
The Safety Planning Department employees replied heavily. Tense, figuring there might be monsters inside—but actually, there weren't.
Clank.
Just, the moment the gate opened, the boss monster appeared.
Rumble rumble.
"...!"
"E-earthquake?!"
The ground began shaking violently. Soon, the sound of boiling liquid grew louder. From the crater.
And sure enough...
Kaboom!
An explosion rang out as lava surged from the crater. It floated into the air, forming a single sphere.
"...The sun?"
A massive red orb. Just like someone said, it truly resembled the sun.
"What the hell is that...?"
Wondering what phenomenon it was made sense. We'd know soon enough.
The red sun's glow intensified, a small shape forming at its center.
"A bird?"
"Like those monsters from earlier?"
The employees murmured. Just like the flame birds we'd encountered climbing up.
Of course, only superficially similar. Its form would change soon.
Volcano Zone's boss monster 'Zhuque' appears!
The Sealed Sword trembled once.
Uuugh... It's here. It's here! What now? I don't wanna die here!
Angelica freaked out. I got it. She'd been a boss monster once, but this thing was on another level. Maybe being a former boss made it hit harder.
And rightly so—'Zhuque' was a divine beast. Born with divinity. Not holiness, but star-god divinity.
Still, as an early-floor boss against relatively weak employees, it was heavily degraded. I'd never even seen its true form.
But... was it originally that big? In my memory, it was about the size of my hand, but now it was a bit larger than two fists combined. Twenty years later and seeing it fresh, I couldn't be sure.
"What are you lot doing? Things like that, you handle like this."
Crackle!
Seon Ga-hee hurled a lightning spear at the sun. But the lightning vanished futilely upon contact.
"...Tch."
Madric Blood joined with a hand strike, but same result.
"Hmm."
Everyone now knew that orb was untouchable.
"Looks like we wait for it to wake."
"Whatever it is."
Then it happened. The little bird inside the sun raised its head and cried out.
Piii!
Zhuque realizes its own potential. Divinity begins to infuse its soul and body.
Zhuque awakens its First Star, the Seat of Well.
Gulp. Tension made my throat bob involuntarily.
"Wha-what?"
"This doesn't feel good."
With awakening, Zhuque's body swelled in size. But it was too early to be shocked.
Zhuque realizes another potential. The power of divinity engraves upon its soul and body.
Zhuque awakens its Second Star, the Seat of Ghost.
Crack.
The messages appeared before my eyes as countless fissures spiderwebbed across the sun. It was waking. Everyone entered combat stance. I gripped the Sealed Sword's hilt tighter.
Boom!
The sun exploded, and Zhuque awoke.
Piiii!!
With a thunderous cry, red shockwaves rippled out from it in all directions.
Fwoosh!
Flames blanketed the area.
"Knew it'd come at us like that!"
Shwaa!
The pre-prepared water and ice hunters sprayed ice and water. No casualties thanks to them.
Madric Blood glanced at me briefly.
"Section Chief Kim. Got a special strategy this time too?"
"No. Straight fight. But dragging it out feels ominous."
"Certain?"
"Yes."
The thing grew stronger over time. Even without that, just being here was torture for the employees.
Flash!
Madric Blood shot forward. That was the signal. Employees charged Zhuque en masse.
But then—
For a split second, Zhuque's eyes flashed red. That eerie gaze locked onto me.
"...!"
Four Divine Beasts Zhuque First Star – Seat of Well
"Damn it."
Of all things, it targeted me first. I'd hoped to avoid that at least. No confidence I could fully block or dodge it.
Piiii!!
It rocketed toward me like an arrow. Next life, I gotta ask Gwak Do-cheol to teach me footwork.
That thought crossed my mind when—
Ultimate Magic - Class Four
Super Save
"This is..."
Zing.
An itchy hum rang in my ears. Dozens of white pentagons linked like a honeycomb formed a shield over my entire body.
Fwoosh!
Zhuque streaked through the air in a straight line of fire, piercing my chest.
"..."
The right shoulder of my suit burned away, exposing skin. Touching it stung. First-degree burns, luckily. Without the shield, my right arm would've been severed—shock or blood loss would've killed me.
I checked who'd cast the shield on me.
"Robert?"
The guy I'd saved from Underground Floor 10, the Jade Legged Blood Hand dungeon. I knew this shield too. It covered all employees within range, reducing damage taken by a whopping 80%. An ultimate defense spell.
Who knew he had something like that. Robert was quite the powerhouse, on par with Gwak Do-cheol.
I thanked him silently with a nod and quickly stood.
The third gem embedded in the Sealed Sword was blinking, after all.
"Zhuque. You're mine."