Chapter 350: The One Who is Remembered
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 350: The One Who is Remembered
To be honest, I had never imagined I would be fighting alongside the Queen of the North. To the Kim Taesung of the past, Han So-Hye was a figure I’d only heard of in stories, an idol I could never hope to reach. I had even pushed myself to the brink just to get near her during the Tutorial, so it was no surprise that my heart was pounding now.
I was fighting alongside that Han So-Hye.
Just standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her like this felt like a tremendous honor.
The enemy in my sight was an undead wielding a greatsword. I couldn’t guess what kind of attacks it would use, but I knew it was a true powerhouse. I, too, slowly raised my sword. As if it knew we both intended to face it, the creature stared at both me and Han So-Hye simultaneously. Its face was devoid of any emotion.
“Let’s go.”
I nodded at Han So-Hye’s words.
I had already completed my integration with Ridil. I couldn’t say I was in peak condition, but I was fully prepared. In the blink of an eye, Han So-Hye raised her spear, kicked off the ground, and charged.
‘Huh.’
Her movements were incredibly fast, even faster than when she had clashed with the Sword Saint.
CRACK—
It wasn't a thrust but a swing. Han So-Hye, who had vanished from my sight in an instant, reappeared above the undead’s head. As it blocked her spear with its greatsword, the ground beneath its feet erupted with a grotesque cracking sound. The Queen of the North, suspended in mid-air, and the undead that had blocked her attack—it was a truly spectacular scene.
Even though it had deflected the blow, the impact still slammed down into the ground. But the damage wasn't dealt to the creature, only to the earth it stood on.
‘He’s not an agile opponent.’
I kicked off the ground as well. The creature, which had seemed so far away, was before me in an instant. I swung Levatain. Flames burst forth and washed over it, but it didn’t even blink. As it raised one arm to block Levatain, I whipped my tail around and struck it squarely in the chest.
I poured every ounce of my magic into my dragonoid tail.
CRUNCH—
It seemed unable to disperse the shock, as it was sent flying to the opposite side, but it had taken no damage. It crashed to the ground with a deafening roar, but it had merely been pushed back. My eyes could see it clearly.
Han So-Hye charged toward it once again.
SCREEECH—
She didn’t flinch as pillars of ice suddenly shot up from the ground. As if performing a dance, she swung her spear and spun, shattering each rising ice spike as she advanced. But in an instant, her feet were frozen solid, trapping her. Before she could blast the ice away with her magic, the creature closed in and swung its greatsword at her.
I was the one who blocked that attack. Just before the force of the blow sent me crashing into the ground, a voice pierced my ears.
“You whelps are strong.”
BOOOOOM—
The impact shuddered through me, but it wasn't a fatal wound. As I staggered, off-balance, the creature thrust its greatsword toward me. I managed to block it with Gram, but my body was driven completely into the ground. I felt like a nail that had just been hammered down. The blow was even heavier than I’d expected.
Chunks of rock pelted my body, but I had no time to care. What came crashing down next was a massive greatsword made of ice.
“Levatain!”
[Weapon Integration]
[Target - Levatain]
The moment the massive shield of fire collided with the falling ice sword, the undead greatswordsman was once again slammed to the opposite side.
‘Han So-Hye.’
She must have shattered the ice binding her and swung her spear.
—You! Do you have any idea! How worried! I was last time!?
‘Sorry, no time for that now.’
[Weapon Integration]
[Target - Ridil - Dagger That Plucked the Evil Dragon’s Heart]
—Brother! Are you okay? The sisters are going crazy.
‘Don’t worry...’
“Hoo...”
Han So-Hye raised her spear, taking a moment to catch her breath. She had realized that brute force wasn't going to damage this opponent. The same went for me. I quietly pushed myself up from the ground and slowly surveyed the frost-covered space around us.
“Tricky. He’s not fast, but…”
“We’re the ones slowing down.”
Han So-Hye nodded at my reply. A fitting ability for an undead. The cold and ice were restricting our movements, gradually slowing us down. It wasn't fast, but its tough body felt like hitting a wall. Even that last exchange had dealt no damage. No, I was beginning to doubt if this was the kind of undead that could even take damage in the first place.
‘A long fight is a disadvantage.’
An undead’s stamina is limitless. It was planning to slowly wear us down. As I raised my sword, the creature once again appeared within the white, frosted space.
“You whelps are strong.”
“Thanks for that.”
“You will become stronger.”
“I appreciate that, too. We’ll keep getting stronger.”
“You will live under me with infinite life.”
“You son of a bitch.”
That last part wasn’t so welcome. The earlier compliments were apparently just a setup for that final line. I glanced at Han So-Hye, and she nodded.
CRACK.
My feet kicked off the ground. Everything around me came into focus. Its movements, its eyes, its sword—I stored it all in my mind. I visualized a path to inflict damage.
Even as my body flew through the air, I supplied oxygen to my brain. I constantly thought about what kind of attack would come next.
As if to stop my advance, a crude wave of ice and frost washed over me, but…
‘I can dodge this.’
With a slight tilt of my head, I evaded an ice sword aimed at my neck. Those I couldn’t dodge, I shattered with my tail and feet as I pushed forward. My speed didn’t decrease.
Its expression remained unchanged, but its actions shifted. It raised its sword and charged toward me. I leaped over it. Its gaze was still tracking me.
I was still within its range. The moment its greatsword came down on me, I opened my mouth wide.
“Aegis!”
The shield that unconditionally blocks an attack. A large fragment of the shield materialized in front of me, and the creature poured the full force of its blow into it.
‘An opening.’
CRUUUNCH—
The sound of feet stomping the ground.
SWOOOOOOOSH—
The sound of a spear tearing through the air.
It felt as if all the surrounding mana was being sucked toward Han So-Hye. This was the one shot she had been aiming for. A strike that looked powerful enough to cleave a mountain rained down on the expressionless undead.
“Hmm…”
The blow landed on its chest. But contrary to my expectation that its entire body would shatter in an instant, a massive shield of ice materialized and blocked Han So-Hye’s attack.
‘Fucking bastard.’
I was startled, but I didn’t let it show. While it was focused on Han So-Hye, I conjured flames from Levatain and gave them form. The moment the sword of fire descended upon the undead, I switched to Mystletainn and thrust it at its head.
Thump.
My face twisted as the creature effortlessly caught Mystletainn with one hand. The important thing was that Mystletainn was now rapidly freezing over, starting from the spearhead.
[Weapon Integration]
[Target - Mystletainn]
—I-it… it… it hurts…
‘Sorry.’
Mystletainn whimpered, the freezing having apparently caused it some damage. I could restore its lost health, but the strain on my body was the problem. It would be impossible to generate the kind of buff I’d seen last time. The hazy frost continued to bind my body.
“This is so fucking annoying!”
—Ah! I’m… I’m… I’m sorry…
‘Not you!’
I shouted and unleashed another blast of fire. Han So-Hye did the same, thrusting her spear. The creature had caught my spear with a simple grab, but it didn’t try to catch the Queen of the North’s. I felt a slight twist of irritation. In response—though it wasn’t much of a response—the creature gripped its greatsword with both hands and slammed it into the ground.
‘Shit… an area-of-effect attack.’
[Weapon Integration]
[Target - Ridil - Dagger That Plucked the Evil Dragon’s Heart]
This was an unavoidable attack. I grabbed the hand of Han So-Hye, who was staring blankly at the undead, and leaped as far out of range as I could. The moment the greatsword struck the earth, everything in the vicinity began to freeze over in an instant. The moment my feet kicked off the ground, my body shot out like a bullet. And yet, it was catching up.
No, that wasn’t the problem. The range was expanding. The shockwave from our fight was spreading toward our allies. Jung Hayeon and Baek Ahyeon would be preparing for it, but with that much magic, I couldn’t guarantee they could block it.
“Fucking Levatain!”
[Weapon Integration]
[Target - Levatain]
—‘Fucking’? Can’t you call me a little more gently? And! Right now! Darling!!
Ignoring its nagging, I summoned the Flames of Ruin. The fire, swallowing the frost that spread in all directions, was definitely melting the ice as it approached the creature. A tremendous amount of my magic drained away in an instant.
If I passed out like last time, I would die.
I looked around. Goff, Black Spear, Choi Seulgi, Silver Fang—all of them were clashing with Named monsters. Han So-Hye and I had to deal with the one in front of us somehow. The battle between our main forces didn’t seem to be losing ground. If anything, we were pushing them back.
But the longer this fight dragged on, the worse it would be. The battles of the powerful—Goff and Black Spear against the giant undead; the red-masked lich held down by Choi Seulgi and Silver Fang; the three black knights being fought by the North Knight, Park Han Cheol, and the Big Ogre—would have a huge impact on this war.
The problem was right here. It was infuriating, but the creature in front of me was truly strong.
As the black flames continued to melt the ice and pour down on it, the creature began to back away. The inferno swallowed it, but soon, white frost began to push back the black flames.
‘My limit.’
—G-good… good thinking… Phew.
Levatain started to seem cute as I heard it panting in relief, as if it had been worried. I immediately released my integration with it. My body felt heavy. I had been repeatedly using Weapon Integration. There was no way I wouldn't feel the aftereffects.
“Are you alright?”
Han So-Hye asked, her voice tinged with concern, but I didn’t have the energy to answer. I gripped Mystletainn tightly and began to slowly recover my health and magic. It was then.
“Die.”
A tidal wave of ice and frost filled my vision. It started small, but it rose as if to swallow our entire army, advancing toward us at high speed.
I looked at Han So-Hye and saw her biting her lip.
Surely, she could block it.
But what then?
‘Does it have an unlimited supply of magic?’
The attack I had just blocked was also absurdly powerful. To be able to immediately pour this much magic into another attack was no exaggeration to call it infinite. I began to wonder if this ‘Fallen Prince’ creature had not only limitless stamina but limitless magic as well.
‘Fuck.’
Just as Han So-Hye slowly gripped her spear and began to draw upon her magic…
“This is not like you, my mate.”
A familiar voice. A massive slash cut through space itself, cleaving the tidal wave of ice in two.
“Jang Ye Ri? Why are you…”
Behind me stood Jang Ye Ri, holding the Reaper’s Scythe. My jaw dropped at the sight of the reinforcements from the East, who had arrived far sooner than I had expected.