Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Assault on the Overlord
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- The sixth day is in progress. 03:34:20
The sixth day hadn't even passed halfway yet. What terrifying difficulty.
"Captain!"
I heard a voice calling for the Knight Captain from far away, but I didn't look back.
I knew full well that charging out alone like this was reckless.
I'd even considered holing up in the castle and focusing on defense for the next two days.
But this was a game we couldn't win without taking down the Boss Monster anyway.
With the Boss Monster set as SS-Grade, it was obvious it'd show up in the final defense battle.
Better to clash now in full condition than waste mental energy on pointless skirmishes over two days and lose pathetically.
If luck was on my side and I could land even a scratch on that Boss Monster... maybe someone could finish it off.
The moment I activated Nymph's Wind and leaped into the air, a new system message appeared.
- A Dungeon Clear Condition has been added.
- Clear judgment upon Boss Monster defeat.
Ha... I let out a hollow laugh.
"Thanks a lot, you bastard!"
Sometimes the System pops up messages tailored to my situation, and I can't tell if it's telling me to die or urging me to cling to life desperately.
Not that I was grateful, of course.
An SS-Grade Boss Monster? What good was a Clear Condition like that?
Throwing me a bone? If I could clear this solo, why the hell would I be here? I'd have gone back to Tartarus ages ago!
Even as curses filled my mind, my body—trained through all that hardship—moved steadily.
I leaped high into the air, stepping on the heads of the enemy soldiers below.
One step, and a scream rang out. Another step.
A gruesome sensation hit me. Before taking the next, I swung my sword arm wide.
"It's above! Coming from above!"
"Block it! Hurry!"
The sword aura dangling from my blade scattered like glass shards in all directions.
Each swing sent sword auras exploding beneath my feet, now dripping blood instead of light, claiming countless lives. Far more soldiers than before crumpled to the ground.
- Boss Monster minion, "Kin of the Lord Corroded by Truth," defeated.
- The Lord Corroded by Truth's mana recovery speed has slowed.
As expected.
I'd thought so, but it seemed the enemy soldiers counted as the Boss Monster's kin.
The message only popped up now, so maybe my last attack had finally taken out a meaningful number.
But this wasn't exactly welcome news either.
I glanced down at my feet.
The higher I rose, the smaller the humans looked like black dots on the earth.
Physically, this was an impossible fight.
Swords had limits. Without any AoE skills, I couldn't handle their numbers.
Still, I'd push as far as I could.
Scattering sword auras, I trampled their heads.
Step by step toward the lord, soldiers pointed and yelled at me.
"It's there!"
"Shoot arrows!"
Knights frantically urged archers to fire, but I was right in the heart of their ranks, above their heads.
In the brilliant afternoon sun, someone shielded their eyes from the light reflecting off my Holy Sword—and never opened them again.
Unhindered, I raced across the sky like an arrow.
The Boss Monster on the platform grew closer.
It really resembled the "kings" I'd seen often in Tartarus.
I'd joked about treason, but was the Knight Captain I'd possessed actually the leader of rebels?
Who knew.
I couldn't grasp the full picture of this history.
One thing was clear: lord or king, I had to kill the Boss Monster.
As I took a big step toward the throne and swung my sword again—
"How dare you!"
A thunderous voice crashed down.
The moment it echoed, the air around my airborne body grew heavy.
"Urk!"
I lost balance midair, staggering wildly. Angelus's Blessing's defense message flashed, but the impact was unavoidable.
What insane mana!
I plummeted helplessly but snapped to my senses, firing sword aura at the ground for recoil and soaring back up.
"Damn it!"
"Come down, you coward!"
Soldiers on the ground I'd nearly fallen toward jeered.
That was close. Hitting the dirt now would've meant their blades skewering me like a kebab.
But what was that power?
Hovering in the air, I eyed the Boss Monster on the distant platform.
As befitting a Boss Monster, soldiers swarmed it like ants, but even they knelt, clutching their ears—victims of the magic.
Subduing allies too.
"Crazy Dungeon Boss."
Its effect was real. My next step felt impossibly heavy.
At this rate, whether the Boss Monster's mana recovery slowed or not, I'd drop before reaching it.
The sensation was worlds apart up close. Even now, my Holy Sword couldn't touch it.
Breathing felt laborious.
My legs wouldn't move.
Shoulders hunched.
Yeah, SS-Grade Monsters naturally exuded overwhelming pressure that even normals couldn't face.
So the Knight Captain surrendered. Who wouldn't think flipping the tide was impossible?
"How dare you."
But I was here.
Mana gathered in my sword again. Same amount as before, but now I could wield it fully.
Mana was the soul's power, but an untrained body couldn't unleash it.
I was a well-forged blade now.
"That pisses me off!"
Boom!
Sword met air with an explosion. Dozens of enemy soldiers collapsed where I struck, cratering the ground.
- Apex Holy Sword exerts absolute effect against evil-aligned monsters!
- Boss Monster's magic, "Overwhelming Lord's Proclamation," nullified!
- Dealt damage to Boss Monster! Bonus to achievement points on settlement.
- Achieved remarkable feat against numerous foes! Bonus to achievement points on settlement.
A flurry of success messages.
But no joy. Because...
'Still so far!'
My teeth ground together.
My Cloak Honoring the Hero had about 7 minutes left.
The lord on the distant platform raised its scepter high. A massive black magic circle bloomed in the sky.
Crackle.
Sparks flew. Mana backlash scorched my skin.
Chills ran through me.
I'd nullified two spells—bought some time? Too soft against an SS-Grade.
Something utterly new was coming.
"The gods judge humanity's folly through this body."
"No cooldown?!"
The moment the incantation left the Boss Monster's lips, I screamed midair.
Insane.
SS-Grade or not, after nullifying two spells, no cooldown for another incantation?
Damn it, sending only 20 into a Dungeon with a Boss like this? Two hundred wouldn't be enough!
No choice—disrupt this new incantation before it finished, or brace to endure. Or die.
I glanced at the System.
- Cloak Honoring the Hero activation time: 00:06:45
Could I reach its neck in 6 minutes?
No. Impossible.
My judgment hit just as the next incantation poured out.
The swelling magic circle devoured the vast battlefield in seconds.
"The final lord enacts the gods' will."
My vision went black.
In the darkness, crushing gravity pinned my body.
Nymph's Wind crumbled helplessly.
I slammed into the ground. Jaw hit first—ominous crack from my bones.
Finale-like darkness ruled my sight. Only my breathing echoed. Even my sword's presence faded in this... light-devouring darkness.
Got it. A spell forcing humans to kneel.
"Guh!"
Propped on arms, I tried rising, but the gravity held firm.
Pinned to the dirt, I spat pooled saliva.
Blood tasted metallic.
This was why I hated incantations.
Unlike structured spells easy to counter, a mage's soul-imprinted words embodied will alone. No knowing what miracle they'd unleash.
...No way to counter this.
Cheat.
I smiled bitterly.
Soon, my fingers slipped from the Apex Holy Sword.
How long was I buried? Breathing still choked, but vision cleared slowly.
"A mere foolish human defies the divine rite?"
The Boss Monster approached. Pressure intensified.
Surrounding cheers or sobs—agonized screams that shouldn't reach me.
Then, someone lifted my chin.
The scepter's tip halted at my throat. The helmeted lord gazed down arrogantly.
"A relic of the fallen brother lingers."
No incantation—just a human voice drilling into my ears.
Mature, resonant baritone.
Gloved hands, flawless, adorned with ornate rings.
Through the helm: eyes like the youth's from before, yet different—deep blue.
They narrowed.
He stomped my wrist.
Brutal force.
"Urk!"
Fingers crushed one by one—snapping sounds. No need to look; grotesquely bent.
"Brave struggle."
Tartarus nobility tone—familiar.
Dogshit caste society. The kind who collared "unique" things like property.
"I'd spare you if you swore loyalty... but I despise ignorant mutts."
He raised the scepter. Fading mana surged anew.
As it gathered, I sank deeper into the earth. The tip pricked my throat's skin.
No more groans escaped.
I sensed the end.
Skin piercing—distant, like not my body.
"Die."
'Thus, I died once.'
- The System recognizes the death of Player: Wandering Pilgrim.
- Cloak Honoring the Hero activation time ends.
Strength drained instantly.
And then—
- 'Return from Death' skill activation conditions met!
I grabbed the scepter piercing my throat. Horrific pain flooded my neck again.
But I welcomed it. Pain proved I lived.
Blood veiled my sight, but mind sharpened.
"Wh-what...!"
The lord recoiled in panic, but my grip held.
Unable to overpower, he was yanked toward me. Losing balance, tumbling—I kicked his gut hard with my legs.
"Guh!"
Crunch.
Armor crumpled.
The neck wound slowly sealed. Only then did I speak.
"Yeah, now you're close."
Eye level matched. Broken finger bones cracked back into place.
I seized the helm's visor with one hand, yanking his kneeling head up.
"You insolent—!"
He thrashed, trying the scepter, but mana wouldn't budge.
Of course. SS-Grade or not, using a third incantation back-to-back?
That's what I'd baited.
To solo an SS-Grade normally impossible? Die once.
Strength returned to my sword hand. Enough for a king's execution.
I grinned.
"Now it's your turn to die."
My blade sank deep into the lord's neck.