Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Aranballon Kingdom's National Treasure (4)
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Screeeeech! Pabababak!
As soon as I came to my senses, a barrage of bolts was already pouring down.
The sound ripping through the air.
And the sound slamming hard into the Bone Guard Legion led by Bone Guard.
Their eyes glowed red, and one by one they approached, beginning precise shots.
The situation had already unfolded.
All that remained was to respond.
“Everyone, fall back behind me for now!”
Shwoop!
I transformed my weapon into a shield as well, joining the Bone Guard Legion.
“Bone Guard Legion, form a single horizontal line! Position yourselves on both my sides!”
Creak!
Rumble rumble rumble!
As if to say they understood, they slammed their shields into the ground hard.
“And!”
I shouted toward the rear.
“Anyone who wants to run, do it now!”
“Huh? What?”
“You said we can run?”
“Hun?”
“What do you mean?”
The team members tilted their heads.
But my expression didn’t change.
“Yes, I’m fine! Anyone who wants to go, go!”
In this world, to survive as a hunter.
It’s better to always be prepared for a backstab.
If you think that way from the start, there’s no need to feel wronged.
‘Besides.’
I had never cleared a difficult dungeon ‘with’ someone else.
Not during the old man’s test, not when clearing the medium dungeon, not even solving Theme 1.
I was always alone.
So honestly.
Being alone wasn’t so bad either.
Dangers like this had become somewhat familiar now.
“Hmm, better to betray now than cause chaos by bailing later? As expected of the team leader?”
Vladimir nodded.
Then he shook his head.
“But I won’t run. I’ll hold out as long as I can. I don’t want to become a coward ranker abandoning the team.”
He swung his staff.
Woooong!
A circular magic circle appeared in the air, deflecting the incoming bolts in other directions.
Space manipulation ability!
As expected, clever.
“I’m not going either. Being separated from Hun once during Theme 1 was enough.”
Ollena reinforcing Bone Guard with Water Shield.
“Hehe, if anyone gets hurt, tell me right away! I’ll heal you!”
Mewi Hana, with light emanating from her hands.
Surprisingly.
Not a single one moved.
Me, Judgment Spear, Ollena, Kapu, Mewi Hana.
Middle-aged man, Vladimir.
These seven hunters in total wanted to overcome the crisis with me.
They wanted to fight.
I nodded.
“Good.”
Shwooo!
At that moment.
A blind bolt from afar grazed past a shield and approached.
I instinctively shook my head, but it lightly sliced my cheek.
Drip!
Blood flowed.
‘As expected, not easy.’
The power of each bolt exceeded imagination.
If I let my guard down even a little, a hole would punch straight through my neck or heart.
“Are you okay?!”
Mewi Hana’s hand soon reached me.
But I raised a hand in a gesture that I was fine.
This scratch wasn’t even a wound.
“First! While I’m holding them off, everyone get out of the pattern!”
“Out of the pattern?”
“They don’t attack hunters outside the pattern anyway, right?”
I sent out all the bones except the Bone Guard Legion protecting me.
“Ooh, right! So while you hold out alone, we go out and take them down? That’s the mechanic?”
“But can you hold out alone?”
The team members asked.
I shouted.
“Can’t you see I’m already holding out alone?!”
Kwaang! Kwaaaang!
For starters, my shield was God-Slaying grade.
It would never break.
However, each bolt’s impact felt like a massive boulder colliding.
My internal organs shook.
“Urk!”
But I gritted my teeth and endured.
I might look like this, but I had S-rank Pain Resistance.
This was nothing.
Compared to the extreme massage the old man unleashed, it was nothing.
“Everyone, go!”
“Got it!”
Judgment Spear immediately charged out.
Sun Spear and Bone One flanked him.
The rest of the hunters took their positions and began sprinting.
Kik!
That was when the kingdom soldiers’ eyes flashed.
Shring! Sring!
As the hunters closed in, they set down their crossbows and drew swords from their waists.
Their target was Judgment Spear.
He blocked the thrusting spear with the flat of his blade, then twisted his waist to push back.
Using that recoil, he aimed at the lower abdomen.
Speed beyond imagination!
“Hup?”
Startled, Judgment Spear retreated.
“Watch out!”
Vladimir shouted from behind.
“They attack regardless of the pattern if you get close!”
“Damn, not easy.”
“But they won’t shoot crossbows here! Better to fight out there!”
Even if the Aranballon Kingdom soldiers drew swords.
It was still better than taking bolt hits inside the pattern.
That was the team’s judgment.
Judgment Spear readjusted his stance and bit his lip.
“We’ll gang up. Everyone, take positions.”
“Yes!”
With distance from the team leader, the sub-leader controlled the fight here.
The team members naturally followed Judgment Spear’s orders.
“Target one at a time.”
“Roger!”
Whoosh!
The soldier at the front charged at Judgment Spear.
Judgment Spear narrowed his eyes and read the trajectory perfectly.
He deflected the sword with his spear, then thrust at the heart.
Kaaang!
A harsh metallic clang.
The spear vibrated.
Pain like it would tear his grip distorted his face.
“Keep pouring it on!”
Beside him.
Flash!
Sun Spear’s spear strikes poured down.
Eldrin’s arrows and Ollena’s magic followed.
A gap formed in the sturdy soldier’s body.
Eldrin didn’t miss it.
[‘Eldrin’ uses skill, Advanced Rapid Fire (Lv.3).]
Papatagak!
Arrows stabbed precisely into the gap in連撃.
Kiiiiiik!
As if overloaded, the creature’s body began to slow.
Puk!
Judgment Spear coldly thrust his spear into the gap.
The thrashing creature.
Soon lost strength and collapsed.
Dead.
“One down!”
“Wooo! Nice!”
“We can take these?!”
The team members cheered.
But the cheers were short-lived.
“Hey, quiet down.”
Vladimir doused them with cold water.
“Look around before celebrating. One kill and you’re happy? If you have time to cheer, kill one more!”
He was right.
Too many soldiers to celebrate one kill.
Gulp!
The team members stopped cheering and reset their stances.
Still, the mood had clearly shifted.
Because they confirmed an impossible foe could die.
The team moved in unison.
Courage acted as lubricant, loosening tense muscles.
Allowing even more organic hunting.
“The space mage is right! Don’t get complacent, focus! Keep luring and killing one by one! Move!”
Judgment Spear, Jang Wei-do.
“The ones not targeted keep moving back, so don’t worry!”
Space mage, Vladimir Rodigin.
“You’re all awesome! Our teamwork’s clicking!”
Ollena swinging her staff.
Everyone moved without gaps.
Faithful to their roles, they took down soldiers one by one.
The problem was.
“Hah, hah!”
How long could I endure the pouring bolts.
Even if the team was handling the soldiers.
Their main target was me.
And not just that?
More kept pouring in from afar.
Precisely, their numbers increased faster than the team could kill.
‘At this rate.’
No solution in sight.
‘Should I use it?’
Suddenly, I recalled the item bought from the shop.
[Item: Wish-Granting Scroll]
[Grade: S]
[Type: Scroll]
[Description: Use in a moment of crisis. Something you need most will appear.]
[Effect 1: In a moment of crisis. Ancient Magic aids you.]
Two such scrolls in possession.
To be used in a crisis.
Wasn’t now a crisis?
‘No.’
Save it.
Still manageable.
Weapon kept stamina full, Bone Guard’s shields tougher than expected.
Shushushuung!
Bolts kept flying and embedding.
Pupu-puk!
This time, one of Bone Guard’s subordinates fell as a bolt sponge.
Bones riddled with bolts crumbling to sand.
When all subordinates die?
[Uses skill, ‘Skeleton Knight Summon’ (A-rank).]
[Uses 10 stamina.]
[‘Bone4’ appears.]
Creak!
Resummon Bone Guard.
Miraculously, resummon refills his stamina!
Ten subordinates reappear.
[Hunter: Ju Dong-hun]
[Epithet: Skeleton King]
[Stamina: 1,020/1,220]
Effect of the God-Slaying grade weapon obtained this time.
Absurd stamina pumping.
Bone Guard could be resummoned over 100 more times.
[Item: Sealed Spirit of the Seven Essences (1/7)]
[Grade: God-Slaying (神殺)]
[Type: Weapon]
[Description: Fragment of the seven essences even primordial gods (神) feared. Seal releases when all attribute essences collected. Currently holds Fire (火) essence.]
[Effect 1: Transforms to user’s desired form.]
[Effect 2: Absolutely indestructible.]
[Effect 3: Uses power of collected essences.]
[Effect 4: +1,000 stamina.]
Without this.
I couldn’t have held out.
While desperately deflecting bolts.
“Master.”
Eldrin, in the midst of hunting, approached.
“What, what’s up!”
Kwaang!
I shouted while blocking an incoming bolt.
What was Eldrin’s sudden business?
“May I venture a guess?”
“A guess?”
“Um, this dungeon. It feels familiar.”
“Familiar?”
“Not certain. Just not unfamiliar?”
Eldrin murmured.
“Of course, in a bad way.”
“Can you explain more?”
“There’s a dragon here.”
“Hm?”
“Dragon. Same species as the Giant Dragon (巨大魔龍) that conquered our world…….”
I furrowed my brow.
What was this sudden talk?
Theme 2, and dragons?
“You know? Dragons love hoarding rare treasures in their own spaces.”
“Treasures……?”
Sparkle sparkle!
Shining things everywhere now.
“Plus, like how the Giant Dragon impersonated dwarf engineers or high elves in the past, they can use polymorph anytime to change form.”
“So, the Aranballon Kingdom’s Giant Castle is actually a Dragon’s Lair?”
“Yes, and one more thing.”
“More?”
Kwaang!
I endured another slamming bolt.
“Those kingdom soldiers. They feel like Dragon Fang Soldiers. My senses say so. Not human bones, dragon teeth. What I and Demir faced for decades…… I know from bitter experience.”
“Ha, for real?”
I was dumbfounded.
No wonder they were ridiculously strong.
It was a dragon’s lair.
And those Dragon Fang Soldiers guarding the lair’s treasures were the soldiers?
“Master, why would a palace where humans live be this absurdly huge? And it was just called a palace, no description saying it’s for humans or similar races.”
“Huh, true.”
I blinked.
“Yeah, it is.”
Regardless.
A palace this massive couldn’t function properly as a palace.
Even for an ancient kingdom.
“But…… what do we do?”
Whether the dungeon boss was a dragon or a king.
First, clear these damn soldiers.
“There!”
Then.
Kapu, who had only muttered without acting, shouted from outside the pattern.
“Hun! I have something to show you!”
Kapu?
What now?
His voice so loud.
Even the other hunting members turned to him.
“Actually, when James ran earlier, I attached a video tracker to him! Guide Studies 5th Principle! When someone flees, use them for scouting!”
He shook his arm and shouted.
“And I saw a shocking scene there!”
Shocking scene?
Woooong!
Simultaneously, a holographic video appeared in the air.