Chapter 66
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Deoterr, Guardian of the Earth
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Rumble rumble rumble!
The gate floor shook so violently that no one could keep their footing.
Thud!
Rumble rumble rumble!
Suddenly, massive pillars erupted from the ground all around.
"Don't break formation!"
Han Seung-woo shouted once more at the top of his lungs.
The pillars varied in size.
Everyone milled about in confusion, waiting for his orders.
Flash!
The lighting inside the gate changed in an instant.
Lee Ru-ri quickly extended the hand holding her dagger to check the monster's position and info.
[SS ― Deoterr: Guardian of the Earth]
[Target cannot have favor increased.]
Lee Ru-ri shouted without hesitation.
"Up there!"
The hunters all looked up at the spot she pointed to.
Atop the tallest pillar, a monster named Deoterr glared down at them.
Hurt quickly stepped forward in front of Lee Ru-ri and Han Seung-woo, raising one hand toward the monster.
A grotesque voice that tore at their eardrums echoed out.
"Insignificant vermin, become dust and vanish."
Everyone clutched their ears in agony, yet marveled at the same time.
"Ugh, the monster's talking!"
"It's about to attack. Stay focused!"
Taking Han Seung-woo's orders, they all tensed up and assumed attack positions.
But Deoterr didn't attack right away.
Something's off.
Lee Ru-ri slowly scanned her surroundings.
The hunters held formation, motionless, awaiting the team leaders' commands.
Silence. Stillness. The gate interior was filled with quiet.
"Seung-woo, this feels wrong."
"Agreed. Why isn't it attacking?"
"I think... it's waiting for us to attack first."
Deoterr certainly wore an expression of anticipation.
"Then let's test it."
Hurt grinned, extending the short staff in his hand before firing an electrified magic orb at Deoterr.
Boom! Zap zap.
Hurt's magic orb didn't reach Deoterr, colliding midway up the pillar where it perched.
Electricity from Hurt's attack spread across the pillar, crackling.
Even then, Deoterr made no counterattack.
"Attacks aren't reaching. Too far. What if we get closer?"
"Get too close, and dodging Deoterr's attacks might be tough."
"But we didn't come here just to say hi, right?"
Hurt had a point.
"Let's advance on the monster a bit more!"
At Han Seung-woo's words, the hunters slowly clustered tighter, inching closer without breaking formation.
Lee Ru-ri examined the pillars.
Shapes aren't uniform, but the sizes and positions... something's up.
Han Seung-woo was also wary of potential attacks from the scattered pillars.
Zan-yeong, to the back.
Lee Ru-ri called out to Zan-yeong, hidden behind her glass mask.
Zan-yeong appeared instantly, pressing close behind her, awaiting orders.
Sensing Zan-yeong's presence, Deoterr furrowed its brow for a split second.
It noticed Zan-yeong but didn't attack. Maybe safe to watch longer?
"Pillars... the pillars. It's about to attack."
From the pillars?
Lee Ru-ri looked at them again.
Big ones, small ones.
Han Seung-woo halted abruptly and shouted to the hunters.
"Attack from here!"
Lee Ru-ri followed his lead, readying her attack stance.
That was when it happened.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The ground shook fiercely, and transparent barriers formed between the pillars.
Hurt shrugged.
"Feels like we're rats in a trap, huh?"
Without taking her eyes off Deoterr, Lee Ru-ri replied.
"That's what it was aiming for."
"But we had no choice if we want to take it down. Alright, Team 4! Forward!"
At Han Seung-woo's command, Kwon Dong-nyeon led his team to the front, assuming defensive stances.
"Kwon, we're counting on you."
"Trust me!"
Kwon Dong-nyeon grinned broadly, raising his shield high to buff the hunters with protection.
Feeling their bodies lighten, everyone awaited the next order.
"Little master, it's coming soon."
Got it.
Lee Ru-ri pondered how to tackle Deoterr based on Zan-yeong's warning.
Buffs on everyone, no question. My heals only work properly on contractors. But the cube heals include black mana, so focus on support for now?
Lee Ru-ri slowly cast Superhuman Strength and Radiance on the hunters.
"What's this?"
Han Seung-woo sounded flustered.
"Buffs I've been saving up."
"Whoa, Ru-ri! I feel insanely strong!"
"Wow, whose is this? I can really feel the stats going up."
The hunters buzzed from Lee Ru-ri's buffs.
Sizzle.
"It's starting."
Sizzle.
"Watch out!"
Sizzle!
"Aaaagh!"
"What? Where?"
Zzzzzing, sizzle sizzle sizzle!
"Ugh, aaaagh!"
Electricity poured chaotically from the transparent barriers between pillars.
Random bursts with no pattern electrocuted the hunters, sending them crumpling to the ground helplessly.
Team 4, in charge of defense and protection, scattered to erect massive shields.
Lee Ru-ri fired attack skills at the pillars while endlessly refilling the HP of fallen hunters with cubes.
Crackle!
A crack rang out from one pillar under her attack.
Deoterr, who had maintained composure, furrowed its brow and gestured toward Lee Ru-ri.
A massive transparent arrow hurtled toward her.
Han Seung-woo swiftly blocked it with his knuckle, but the force sent both crashing hard into a pillar and tumbling down.
"You okay?!"
Kwon Dong-nyeon yelled at them.
"We're fine!"
"Seung-woo, really okay? Not because of me..."
"No. Keres shielded us, right?"
"Oh? You knew?"
Just before hitting the pillar, Zan-yeong had slowed their momentum enough to prevent serious injury.
"Insane power. Attack speed's murderous."
"Yeah. Feels like it's going easy on us... starting to piss me off."
"Shall we turn up the pressure?"
"Yes. Seung-woo, it's the pillars. Smash them all."
"Got it."
Lee Ru-ri and Han Seung-woo charged the cracked pillar with gritted teeth.
At the same time, Han Seung-woo ordered the hunters.
"Destroy the pillars!"
Following his command, each team leader directed their members to attack the nearest pillars, and the hunters struck in unison.
Deoterr glared down, brow deeply furrowed.
Definitely something in the pillars.
"It's coming again."
"Watch out!"
The moment Lee Ru-ri shouted to the hunters.
Deoterr unleashed hundreds of those transparent arrows at them.
Ham Dae-hee quickly whipped up wind to weaken them, while Kim Tae-woong nimbly led his team to shatter the arrows.
Attribute users fired skills wildly to shield pillar-smashing hunters from the arrows.
Cracks began appearing on the pillars one by one.
Then, the first pillar Lee Ru-ri and Han Seung-woo had hit crumbled with a crunch.
Deoterr, who had only scowled from its perch on the highest pillar, shot to its feet in rage.
"How dare you defile my earth. Vermin, the fun ends here."
No sooner had Deoterr spoken than the transparent barriers, which had been dumping electricity, began glowing with various colors.
They then reflected the skills the hunters had used on the pillars right back at them.
"No way!"
Deoterr's pillar had first used lightning because it absorbed Hurt's attack.
The pillars that absorbed hunter attacks rose and fell repeatedly, now seriously pressuring them.
"Hah, hah. We got played."
Han Seung-woo panted.
"Good no one's badly hurt yet, but pure defense will wear us out fast."
"Yeah. Need a solution quick."
Perhaps because the skills used were just for smashing pillars, they didn't deal lethal damage.
Deoterr watched the hunters like it was enjoying a show.
Getting annoying.
Lee Ru-ri immediately hurled her Spear of Lament at Deoterr.
A massive spear embedded in its chest.
Deoterr, who had been squinting at the floundering hunters, eyes flew wide.
Not just Deoterr—hunters from various nations and first-time guild raiders jolted in shock at Lee Ru-ri's skill.
"Spare, lurking among them, eh?!"
Deoterr summoned a massive sandstorm toward Lee Ru-ri.
Just before it engulfed her, Zan-yeong gripped her hand tightly to keep her from being swept away.
This guy's calling me 'spare' like Keres did.
Lee Ru-ri pondered, clutching Zan-yeong's hand.
Deoterr expanded the sandstorm, shattering pillars into fragments and mixing them in.
"Focus!"
Han Seung-woo shouted to the hunters.
To avoid the sandstorm, they spread out in a circle, disrupting formation in the process.
Seizing the chaos, pillar shards within the storm assaulted them at breakneck speed.
With storm winds and hunter attacks combined, simple defense couldn't evade the flying debris.
"Spare, perish quietly."
To finish Lee Ru-ri, Deoterr mercilessly rained massive arrows infused with attributes absorbed from hunters.
Cornered, the hunters began tiring, and critical injuries mounted here and there.
"Seung-woo! Dodge! Can't hold much longer!"
Lee Ru-ri yelled, barely evading Deoterr's attacks.
With Deoterr focusing on her, Han Seung-woo couldn't approach.
Even now, her concern for others' sacrifices made his chest ache.
He made the call.
"Everyone, fall back! Team 6 withdraws first!"
Team 6, at the rear providing support, cycled heals and buffs as they headed to the gate entrance.
Formation disrupted but teams intact, they withdrew sequentially without issue.
Now, final Team 1.
"Hurt, take care of the team."
"What about you? Ru-ri?!"
"You know."
Hurt nodded in understanding, herding the rest toward the entrance.
Confirming she and Han Seung-woo were alone, Lee Ru-ri shouted to him eyeing an opening toward her.
"Seung-woo, pressure it a bit more before you go!"
"Got it."
"Zan-yeong, forward."
Zan-yeong's form sharpened from behind the glass mask, guarding her.
"Can you land a critical hit?"
"I'll try."
"I'll support from behind."
At her command, Zan-yeong surged toward Deoterr.
Han Seung-woo followed Zan-yeong's lead, charging as well.
Lee Ru-ri kept spamming Bubble Bubble and Spear of Lament, ensuring nonstop heals on them.
"Pathetic worms."
As Deoterr eyed the trio, six grotesque eyeballs popped above its head, blinking.
"Is that its true form?"