Reinforcement (9)
Hyun-soo had no choice but to shine a light on Hyun's Forge.
The gathered members of Gwangmyeong were already drawing the world's attention, and people would follow their every move.
Because of that, Hyun-soo made his choice.
Hyun's Forge is still lacking.
But this was a broadcast watched by 1.8 million viewers.
Through this broadcast, Hyun's Forge will fill that gap.
The Twin Dragon Swords, greatswords, boasted 200 higher attack power than the Supreme Blade.
Moreover, the force of swinging a longsword two or three times could be unleashed in a single stroke with a greatsword.
What a longsword couldn't cleave, a greatsword sliced through effortlessly.
On top of that, percentage-based damage from such high base attack power transcended common sense.
Temporarily equal to the Sword King.
Sword Cry
Slice enemies 100% faster.
Indiscriminately slash all recognized foes for 380% additional damage.
Slashes within a 40m radius even without direct contact; ignores all defenses.
The giant ants, crushed by the intense pressure for 3 seconds, couldn't move.
Viewers captured the sight of him rearing back the greatsword from the sky.
Finally, he struck down.
The world's finest swordsmanship.
Plus, every time Hyun's Forge—or its talents and knights—struck the giant ants, the damage output was around this level.
-11,037 HP
But not for Hyun-soo.
Shwaaaa—!
The first blade shattered a giant ant.
-58,313 HP
Then, dozens of blades within the 40m radius moved 50% faster than usual.
Shkigagagagagagak—!
Viewers couldn't believe it.
Damage numbers were popping up over the ants' heads at blinding speed.
-54,813 HP
-56,999 HP
The screen filled with damage markers.
And the swarm of over 70 ants scattered like mist.
What shocked the world most was this.
Whoooosh—
All the ants turned to handfuls of ash and scattered, with Helinya at the center, being indiscriminately slashed and torn apart.
“Kyaaaaaaaak!”
Helinya's HP has fallen below 90%.
Helinya's HP has fallen below 85%.
Helinya's HP has fallen below 80%.
And the world loved it.
Boss monsters they couldn't hunt yet.
Named monsters they'd never encounter in a lifetime, being hunted.
Ultimately, viewers watched broadcasts for vicarious thrills.
And if the star was a level 330 user reachable by ordinary players, the excitement doubled.
This was proven by one metric.
Too many mission alerts.
Too many donation alerts.
Chat temporarily disabled.
Overwhelming donations and mission proposals for hunting Helinya.
Yes, today's humble Hyun's Forge would transform by tomorrow.
But Hyun-soo knew one clear fact.
Helinya now wielded the power of eight monsters.
Helinya's HP has fallen below 50%.
The world's most powerful single strike.
The essence of Sword Cry, ignoring all defenses.
That power had pushed her this far—it was true.
But.
Zzt zzt—
Hyun-soo felt it in his skin.
The gap in class between him and Helinya.
No matter how good his sword or how high his stats for his level.
The level gap between me and Helinya is over 130.
Unlike with Grout.
Back then, there were variables like Barad and Ben.
As the essence of Sword Cry ended, Helinya—her body shredded—looked up at him with fury.
“We're not equals.”
The chilling ant eyes appraised Hyun-soo.
Hyun-soo was certain.
I can't take Helinya alone.
But Hyun-soo had the Twin Dragon Swords.
The moment Hyun-soo gripped them tight, new letters engraved on the massive blades.
Imperial Warship
Even the gods still have...
Still Twelve Remain
Twelve ships remain.
...activates.
No power surged immediately.
And as Hyun-soo poured strength into the swords, he panicked.
What...?
In that split second.
Helinya vanished from Hyun-soo's sight.
“Insolent fool.”
Chills ran up Hyun-soo's back.
Wasn't she a summoner?
Helinya was known as a summoner who mainly called bugs.
That was mistaken common knowledge.
The reason Helinya mainly summoned bugs was to hide her true form as the queen ant.
Originally level 430s, she'd devoured Rogal to reach the 460s.
Devouring Rogal had recreated her stats and more.
Whoooong—!
Hyun-soo spun quickly, aiming the Twin Dragon Swords at Helinya's neck.
But.
Thud—
Hyun-soo's eyes shook.
Helinya casually caught the blade with one hand.
Hyun-soo was shocked by two things.
What strength...
And second.
It didn't cut?
You couldn't catch a swinging sword just because you wanted to.
Especially not a thick, sturdy greatsword like the Twin Dragon Swords.
The only way was one.
When possessing overwhelming strength.
Shkigagak—
Clash unfolded.
Hyun-soo with the Twin Dragon Swords versus Helinya's spear, its tip a venomous stinger.
Speed, power, skill. She overwhelms me in everything.
Hyun-soo realized.
Right now, I'm...
Fighting the Sword King was no different.
“Die.”
Ant Claws
Nearly eight ant claws materialized around Hyun-soo and slammed down.
Kwajak—
HP has fallen below 93%.
Damage beyond common sense.
“Kuhk!”
Follow-up damage poured in.
Kwakwakwakwa—!
HP has fallen below 50%.
Vision blurs; hard to stay balanced.
But Hyun-soo didn't just take it.
Kuhoooo—
Power surged wildly into his falling sword.
Raging Sword
40% chance: Sword's base attack power rises 231%.
Duration: 15 seconds.
Helinya, falling in reverse, thrust her spear to impale Hyun-soo.
Hyun-soo activated Calamity Leap first, gaining freedom in midair.
Their eyes met as they fell.
Helinya's eyes wavered.
All humans suffer status ailments from strong impacts.
Hard to balance, secure vision.
Yet Hyun-soo slashed her from midair.
Shwaak—
9-hit combo damage.
Kukukukukukuku—!
-21,311 HP
Helinya's HP dropped.
But her defense defied common sense.
Damage inversely proportional to defense.
Opposite of the 50k damage to giant ants.
Especially under Raging Sword—this was insane.
“Now you get it? My strength lies in my thick carapace.”
“......”
Hyun-soo's face darkened.
Even slashing from midair left no major gashes on Helinya.
Nine slashes dropped her HP by a mere 2%.
“Fear me.”
Falling Helinya sneered at Hyun-soo.
She knew no one here could kill her.
Queen Ant
Defense tripled.
Shedding human form for ant made her a transcendent being.
At that moment, Hyun-soo gritted his teeth.
“Many have said the same as you.”
Bloody hair and unyielding eyes in despair unsettled Helinya.
She knew this man had slain calamities.
She couldn't understand.
How could such a guy?
Now she grasped it more.
“And every time, I slashed.”
He exploited it.
Freedom in midair belonged to Hyun-soo.
The essence of Calamity Leap.
Between unbalanced Helinya and Hyun-soo.
Her neck once.
“Keehyak!”
Twice.
“Keehyaak!”
Thrice.
“Nooom!”
Four slashes.
Kuuung—
Both crashed down together.
Helinya sighed in relief at her protected neck.
Without transcendent defense, it would've been severed.
This guy's dangerous.
Now she knew why calamities died.
Kwaaaang—
Helinya pressed madly.
Hyun-soo, vision blurred, struggled to respond.
You possess Asnium.
HP has fallen below 10%.
HP recovers to 15%.
Helinya saw the end.
Suuuung—
Spear aimed at his throat, thrust with full force.
That instant, Hyun-soo grabbed the shaft with both hands.
Tremendous force stretched toward his throat.
Then, the sound of Helinya's grip slackening.
“......Use the return scroll!”
Barad's voice. Beyond the barrier, urgent as he watched.
Helinya couldn't help but laugh.
“Kyahahahaha!”
Difference in power.
Class gap.
Level gap.
Everything favored her overwhelmingly.
Barad's desperate words meant abandon the 600 nobles inside and retreat.
A battle looking like certain defeat.
He didn't want Hyun-soo's death.
Of course, Hyun-soo was immortal—respawn on death.
But Hyun-soo said,
“I win.”
Helinya's laughter stopped.
What nonsense?
Has he lost it?
Then.
Ossak—
Helinya felt an untouchable power behind her.
And Hyun-soo, looking beyond the barrier at Barad, said,
“Even the gods still have one ship left.”
Turning her head, Helinya panicked.
One archer stood there.
Fwooooosh—
Flames from the bow he held soared to the sky.
The soaring flames turned white-hot, settling back into his bow.
***
Queen's Roar
Paralyzes reason.
Hyun's Forge members, afflicted by status ailments, struggled to move.
All they could do was protect the nobles.
Among them, Ian bled from eyes, ears, nose.
Ian's HP below 20%, seething.
I want to fight like Hyun-soo-nim.
Of course, Ian was far stronger than before.
But not against Helinya.
Viewers' mocking words stirred trauma.
Unable to do anything, Ian clenched his fists.
Then.
Imperial Warship Still Twelve Remain
Twin Dragon Swords' power descends upon you.
You are the twelve undefeated ships.
The undefeated heroes of legend were recorded most gloriously.
But people saw only one: Chungmugong.
The twelve ships he led.
Without them, there'd be no later Chungmugong.
Ian was stunned.
Whoooosh—
Minerals and branches leaped above his head.
Guild Master Hyun-soo's power descends upon you.
Reversal's power applies.
Ian saw them forming in the sky.
Minerals and wooden stems.
Hyun-soo was clever, understood Ares.
Why he sold Jumong's Composite Bow to Ian.
Ian's draw was 2, 3, 4 times stronger than Hyun-soo's.
No matter how many bows Hyun-soo made to raise mastery, it couldn't match Ian's Supreme Composite Bow Mastery +9 arrows.
It enveloped the ultimate archer.
Power Gauntlet.
Clank—
Grasped the Oliharukon Baby Arrow Hyun-soo had been crafting.
Twang—
The pinnacle arrow within maximized power.
Stepping forward, drawing the bowstring.
Hyun-soo lacked it, but Ian had it.
Once rank 1.
Now an untouchable archer.
Perhaps the world's top archer, with his skill.
Greatness
Your single arrow temporarily surpasses normal damage.
Infinitely greater than Hyun-soo's Trinity.
Kurururur—
Soaring flames turned white, infusing the arrow.
Viewers mocking Ian moments ago panicked.
Hyun-soo's usual Trinity arrows stemmed from blacksmithing.
But this.
Was the rank 1 archer's single shot.
Kuhooooo—
Far surpasses the strongest single shot.
Chungmugong had twelve ships.
They cleaved seas, protected him and the nation.
Today, Ian became the turtle ship.
Taat—
The real shot fired.
Damage cannot be measured.
With an astonishing alert.
The world was aghast.