Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: How the Rank 1 Hero Protects the World
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My swung sword severed the bloodlines connecting the people to the Lich.
Dripping blood droplets and swirling golden life force dazzled my vision.
The people linked by those bloodlines collapsed to the floor like marionettes with cut strings.
Thud, thud.
They had all fainted.
In the subway station silent as a tomb, the hollow gaze of the skeleton flared red.
- Apex Light Sword evolves into a Holy Sword with Hero class correction!
- Recognizing the target boss monster as 'evil,' Angelus's Blessing is enhanced.
- You have achieved a special feat! Bonus applied to achievement points for dismantling the fallen wraith's magic with a Holy Sword.
The reliable messages I'd always seen in Tartarus, popping up every time I slew a monster, had never felt so welcome.
What I wore was the Cloak Honoring the Hero.
This cloak, something Luca would love, had been given to me a week ago by the System as the Rank 1 reward.
At first, I didn't even want to look at it, Rank 1 reward or not.
But when I checked the item's effects, I changed my mind.
The effect implemented my soul's memory of peak stats.
It was the only way to transform Kang Ye-na's body, bedridden for five years Korean time, into Lena, honed over ten years in Tartarus.
It was like the System had tailored it perfectly to my situation.
Of course, the System had also reset my stats, so it was like giving poison and then the antidote.
The only drawback to using this item was its time limit.
The cloak's duration was a mere ten minutes. Naturally, it couldn't be used consecutively. Cooldown: one week.
That's why I hadn't used it during the first wave. It wasn't useful for enduring monster waves lasting over twenty or thirty minutes.
But with a clear target like this, it was different.
Plus, the opponent was a magic-attribute monster. To me, a Hero class wielder of the Apex Light Sword, it was perfect prey.
How rude...!
Of course, the Lich King didn't just sit idle after losing its prey.
The Lich raised its bony white hand. Mana gathered at its fingertips. A massive magic circle rose beneath the Lich's feet.
"Watch out!"
Lee Woo-yeon shouted. As if I needed him to tell me.
I'd researched Liches countless times to conquer 'Optatio.'
Liches first absorbed life force with 'Energy Drain' to bolster their power.
Then...
I shouted back at Lee Woo-yeon behind me.
"Remember what I told you earlier?"
I'd already briefed him somewhat, anticipating a Lich boss monster. I didn't turn, but I sensed his grin.
"Yeah, not a single detail missed."
Good enough. Alone, I could slay the Lich but not protect the people. With Lee Woo-yeon, we'd manage.
- Warning! Boss monster attack begins.
Along with the useless System message, countless arrows materialized behind the Lich in an instant.
Similar to the mana arrows I'd conjured earlier, but their power was incomparable.
As expected, right on sequence.
The air around the black arrows blackened on contact. Tainted by the undead's poison.
I could dodge, but the fallen people or those still bound to the Lich couldn't.
Only one counter available. As the arrows flew, I yelled.
"Lee Woo-yeon!"
"Got it!"
Before the black arrows reached the people, a massive blue Shield unfolded widely.
Most black mana arrows blocked by Lee Woo-yeon's Shield fizzled into blue sparks. The few that slipped through were slashed apart by his swinging sword before hitting anyone.
While Lee Woo-yeon guarded the people, I swung again, severing dozens more bloodlines.
Unfortunately, the Shield didn't reach me, so black arrows grazed my cheek and arm.
- Angelus's Blessing purifies undead poisoning!
But as long as no poison set in, a few grazed arrows were nothing.
Each bloodline pierced a neck, but dozens converged at one point before linking back to the Lich.
And those gathered bloodlines were shielded by the Lich's mana.
Every downward slash met a powerful Shield spell.
"Urk...!"
The Lich's mana sparked like tiny flames across my skin.
But that didn't matter either.
Slash down, slice again, slash down.
Keep at it until it worked.
How many strikes later?
- 'King Possessed by Specters' energy supply source over 60% destroyed.
Done!
First step in tackling a Lich: destroy the supply source to block Energy Drain.
Useless to attack if it kept recovering life force via Energy Drain.
Confirming most supply sources gone, the Lich tried extending new bloodlines, but Lee Woo-yeon was already darting between people, casting Shields.
Now, the issue was time.
- Cloak Honoring the Hero activation time remaining: 00:06:20
Just over six minutes left. Had to finish the Lich fast.
No breather—next attack phase began.
Pitiful wraiths who faded in vain...
A Necromancer Lich, undead mage manipulating souls of the dead.
The Lich's mana swirled everywhere.
Slowly, horrific scraping sounds like metal on metal echoed around us.
This phase: animating nearby corpses with mana...
Wait, what corpses in a subway station?
That thought hit with a dreadful premonition. No way.
Ssssh.
Wings fluttered horrifically just from the sound. Black masses gathered around the Lich.
Those black clumps? Fist-sized cockroaches!
"You little...!"
I almost cursed but held back. Reason: scared a bug might fly into my open mouth.
I didn't fear bugs, but masses of dead ones—poisoned, half-burst—made my stomach churn just looking.
Even the Apex Light Sword was useless against bugs. Too small, too many to slash.
"Hey, Lee Woo-yeon! Hurry!"
I swung wildly while yelling.
"Wanna drop you?!"
Lee Woo-yeon freaked out behind me.
That bastard hadn't panicked that hard even during the third monster wave!
"Drop who?!"
Leaving me alone here would make him a real jerk!
Luckily, he wasn't. He freaked but did his job.
"Hellfire!"
His incantation voice was unusually loud, but I'd overlook it.
The cockroach swarm heading my way engulfed in blue flames instantly.
A acrid, foul stench hit my nose.
Magic didn't faze the Lich, but its corpse puppets feared fire.
Mana-revived corpses burn easy.
That's why for phase two, we'd planned his strongest fire spell.
The cockroaches were visually gross but low threat.
His blue flames torched them effortlessly.
Truly a relief. In Tartarus, this phase wrecked me. Lucky no goblin hordes or dead orcs here!
Corpses vanishing faster than expected, the Lich visibly panicked.
Nothing shielded the Lich now. The crowned skull raised its bony hand.
Insolent one who disturbs my rest...
As if I'd let you cast!
"Now!"
Using Nymph's Wind, I leaped high forward. The Lich's hand reached for me, mana swirling at its fingers.
Just three meters away!
"Danger!"
Lee Woo-yeon yelled, thinking my sword wouldn't reach before the spell. But I laughed at his cry.
"Nope."
A normal sword couldn't bridge that gap, but...
The Holy Sword's blade cleaved the Lich's neck.
Until its head fell, the skeleton's hollow gaze stared incredulously at the white blade severing it.
"Wow, cheat item..."
Lee Woo-yeon muttered.
Yeah, it was broken.
The true value of the Apex Holy Sword, radiating holy light, wasn't just lightness or sharpness.
Infuse mana, and the blade extends.
Its reach: wherever my will touched.
I sheathed the reverted Apex Sword.
Thanks for holding out.
- Cloak Honoring the Hero activation time ends.
- 168 hours cooldown until next use.
The cloak adorning my back vanished just in time. Then, a hot gaze from behind.
I turned to face Lee Woo-yeon, the only one with open eyes in the station.
Expected suspicion, but surprisingly, he smiled.
He said, still grinning.
"Thanks to you, we cleared it."
"...Yeah."
"So clear message soon."
"...Right?"
Wingless, his smile angelic... but that roundabout tone grated.
"Wondering who got max achievement this wave? You too, right?"
Sly fox... I clicked my tongue.
As he said, System messages appeared.
- Boss monster 'King Possessed by Specters' defeated.
- Area restriction lifted.
- Max Achiever: Wandering Pilgrim
"Huh."
Lee Woo-yeon tilted his head at the message, turning to me. Cold sweat down my spine at his gaze.
What would he say?
Monami, that foul-tempered fox—would he suddenly slice me? Claiming Rank 1 succession...?
But his words were unexpected.
"Thought you'd changed your player name by now. Still the same?"
"Sh-shut up!"
As I drew the Apex Light Sword to slash him, and he opened his mouth to tease...
Sudden ground vibrations hit.
Our eyes met. Something wrong was happening.