Arte's Aspiration (4)
Wrathful Slash.
As he gazed at Arte, the sage's pain transmitted itself to Hyun-soo.
Grout had imprisoned and tormented him for life, solely because a mere human possessed knowledge far superior to his own.
The power now dwelling in Hyun-soo's sword was Arte's wrath.
A trifling physical pain compared to the mental anguish.
Yet this force would inflict upon Grout suffering beyond imagination.
Ghost Step. Carrying Arte's wail.
Shweeeee—!
-16,933 HP
7x Pain Multiplier Applied
"Kr, krhaaaack!!!"
Grout's eyes rolled back as his arm was sliced.
Just a simple cut passing by—yet from it emanated pain that defied all common sense.
The power of Wrathful Slash drew even greater strength from the unexpected.
Hyun-soo had thought Grout's inhuman reflexes might counter Ghost Step.
But the overwhelming agony, as described, shattered his reason, numbing all senses and rationality.
And he still had more suffering to endure.
The essence of swordsmanship.
Ghost Step was originally a continuous assault incapable of critical hits.
A limitation, given it allowed over five strikes in an instant.
But the passive skill etched into Supreme Blade enabled criticals, and Wrathful Slash amplified them.
Each strike dealt 180% bonus damage.
And they detonated.
-21,067 HP
Three times.
-22,413 HP
Grout's total HP surpassed any foe Hyun-soo had ever faced.
Even after taking the world's mightiest single shot, half remained.
Four times.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Shwick—
Kwajik—
Peoruk—
Kuung—
-15,313 HP
-14,130 HP
CRITICAL! -13,612 HP
Eleven times.
No matter its monstrous HP or absurd defenses.
This Ghost Step lasted three seconds—unlike the usual.
Fourteen times.
Fifteen.
Sixteen.
-16,313 HP
"Kuaaaaaah!"
Grout writhed in agony. His eyes rolled back, foam bubbling at his mouth.
But this was a fraction of a percent of Arte's torment—a thousandth.
Nineteen times.
Twenty.
Kwakakakakak—!
A demon who toyed with humans for sport. Nobility among demons, deemed superior to all races.
From the Blood Demon Grout's lips burst words unimaginable.
"Th-that... stooop!!!"
The power born of reason's collapse.
But Hyun-soo didn't stop.
Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three.
Arte's raw fury, fully felt, plunged Hyun-soo into ultimate focus.
Twenty-four, twenty-five, then twenty-six, twenty-seven.
He etched the creature's desperate thrashing into his eyes.
Killing it would yield rewards to make him stronger still.
And clear the Cage quest without doubt.
Twenty-eight.
Twenty-nine.
Peoruk—
Finally, he kicked off the air like solid ground, propelling from his rear leg to plunge his sword into Grout's chest.
Puhwuuk—
-17,301 HP
Grout, the demon, scattered into mist at last, freed from pain.
The demon fixed his eerie gaze on Hyun-soo.
"...Arrogant fool, strutting after shattering a mere fragment."
"Can Arte truly escape this place? Huh? From these Beres Mountains?"
Hyun-soo yanked his sword free without hesitation.
Grout's voice echoed as he fully dispersed.
"...To force me to take such risks."
Grout will return.
Hyun-soo's eyes wavered.
He'd suspected Grout might revert to his true form.
Hyun-soo could slay him only because he was a fragment.
He feigned calm, but the full-powered Grout was beyond imagining.
Yet there was fortune.
He could grow stronger right here, one step further.
You have vanquished the fragment of the Blood Demon Grout.
Linked Quest: Blood Demon Grout Fragment — Complete!
EXP and artifact drop rates x2 applied.
Acquired 1,260,041 EXP.
Hyun-soo was stunned. His first time exceeding a million EXP.
Seven levels at once.
In the hellish 300s, where EXP requirements were insane—this defied reason.
Plus.
Acquired 223,031 gold.
Story Progress: +25%
(Reflects various factors: level gap with Grout, clear time, etc.)
Miraculous Feat — Story Progress: +7%
Where this story progress ended—who knew.
Then.
You have vanquished the fragment of the Blood Demon Grout.
An utterly miraculous feat.
'Again...?'
From Grout's dispersing remnants, blood suddenly erupted.
It hurled toward Arte, flinging him from the Sage's Tower.
"Kuhak!?"
Tormenting him to the very end.
Another story begins.
First surprise, second curiosity, third—panic.
Swarming Monsters
Rank: SS
Restriction: Story Pursuer
Reward: Story Progress ??%
Failure Penalty: Arte's Death
Grout's curse: Arte draws attacks from all Beres Mountains monsters upon leaving the tower. Grout's influence is range-limited. Escort Arte to safety beyond the mountains.
Kugrrrrr—
A massive tremor shook the earth.
From below, above—from the entire Beres Mountains, monsters converged.
8,643 monsters inhabit Beres Mountains.
(Avg. Lv. 330~350; 100+ bosses)
Hyun-soo eyed the black tide of numbers.
His body trembled briefly.
Then steadied.
He scanned the Beres Mountains slowly.
And devised the only path.
'No other way.'
He moved toward Arte.
***
Meanwhile.
"Up to rank 4 now."
Another story—difficulty spiked again.
Lee Se-jin, visiting the Special User Management Team, stroked his chin.
New story ranks went to 7. Rank 4 was bizarrely brutal.
The prior Grout fragment quest was rank 5.
Even that might've been impossible without Arte.
Lee Se-jin pondered.
Thousands of swarming monsters versus one blacksmith.
No solution came to his logical mind.
"What do you think, Team Leader Kim?"
"...No idea."
No one would know.
One certainty: the new sudden quest's reward was Story Progress ??%.
"Wonder how much he'll bank if he clears it."
Varies by circumstance, system judgment.
At least 20% baseline.
The team focused on the monitors.
Monsters neared Arte.
***
Kuung—
Sage's Tower.
All doors sealing the tower where Arte lived 300 years slammed shut.
Forcibly ejected, Arte looked down.
Monsters swarmed upward.
He turned to flee up—more poured from above.
"......"
Krrrarrr!
Kraaaaa—!
Fifty Snowy Mountain Wolves charged.
Snowy Mountain Wolves' edge: blinding speed.
Arriving first, they lunged at Arte.
Then.
Peoruk—
Hyun-soo appeared.
Kiiing
Coat flapping, Hyun-soo swung his sword upward.
Kiiiiing—
Sword Cry.
Sword King's essence shredded all wolves in a 30m radius.
"Kkae, kkaegang!"
"Kkaeaeng!"
Plop plop—
Arte clutched Hyun-soo's collar, staring at the instant corpses.
"Leave, enough's been done—go now! Please, go!"
Arte screamed.
A brief bond.
Yet gratitude swelled for this man fighting for him.
This sufficed.
Monsters blocked every direction.
The sage, knower of all—could devise no solution.
Even if outworlders respawned endlessly, the agony was horrific.
Truthfully, Arte didn't grasp it.
Why did Sword King and Heavenly Spear cherish Hyun-soo so?
Why teach him their ultimate arts?
"I'm fine. Hurting Grout suffices. Return!!"
He babbled excuses. Monsters closed in.
Front, rear—over 3,000 visible alone.
Soon Hyun-soo spoke.
"......"
Hearing it, Arte finally understood.
Why Sword King treasured him, Heavenly Spear called him friend.
Peoruk—
Thousand Catty Bow.
Gripping it, Hyun-soo stepped forward, declaring:
"I was never taught how to retreat."
The words struck Arte's heart.
He knew—the man sought quest rewards.
Yet behind them stood a blacksmith ignorant of surrender.
Words shaming Arte's shame, easing his guilt.
Hyun-soo nocked an arrow.
Arte noticed something at the tip.
All too familiar.
When Hyun-soo fired his strongest shot at Grout, they'd talked.
'Take that too.'
'What's this?'
'My micro-bomb. Wipes out 100 monsters easy.'
A bomb scarcely larger than a fingertip.
Arte's genius invention.
Hyun-soo aimed at the ascending horde.
Distance: 30m.
25m.
20m.
Instinctively, Arte shouted:
"Killing a mere 100 won't suffice—you know that...!"
Hyun-soo whirled.
Peoruk—
String released.
The arrow seemed to fly toward the monsters.
But struck the peak.
Kwaaaaaang—
"A miss...?"
Arte's eyes shook.
"No, not a miss."
Not a miss?
Then—a colossal roar.
Kugrrrrrrr—
Century blizzard—Beres buried deeper than usual.
That snow now avalanched from the impact.
An 8m tsunami of white death.
System acknowledges you.
Story Progress: +21%
Indeed.
The arrow hadn't missed.
The massive snow wave swept the monsters from above.