Chapter 230
Chapter 230
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 230
Chapter Title: Sangbulsa's Immortal Frogs
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I ran my fingers over the pitch-black mask covering my face for a moment as I surveyed their ranks.
The mask I wore today was a new style, deviating from my usual taste.
"Ss- ha-"
A figure with vividly red skin reminiscent of a poison dart frog burst forth from the swarm of cultists, shouting.
"Tear that bastard's limbs apart and offer them as a sacrifice for the founding of the new temple!"
"Hah!"
At the commander's order, the fake monks let out a unified shout.
The fake monks of Sangbulsa charged, wielding khilas—ritual daggers etched with elephant-head ornaments and intricate shamanistic patterns.
The fake monks of Sangbulsa wore robes derived from Buddhism, performed rituals mimicking it, and loved using Buddhist terminology, but it was all superficial imitation.
They were no Buddhists.
"You little shits, impersonating monks to commit your evil deeds—"
I sped up my skateboard, putting distance between myself and the fake monks charging ferociously, then activated my magic.
"Lightning, strike!"
[Ten Thousand Thunders]
Crackle! Zap! Bzzzzt! Rumble rumble crack!
Lightning surged from the center of the enemies' formation, branching out in all directions to create a horrific vortex of electricity.
"Gyaaaah!"
At a glance, their silhouettes resembled humans, but these weren't human.
Crunch- grind- snap-
"Grrr..."
They weren't outright monsters like the deep-sea folk, but they didn't feel like proper humans either—their appearances were somehow off.
Glossy, unnaturally shiny skin. Bald faces without a single hair.
And innate cruelty combined with physiques far more adapted to Earth's environment than humans.
They were a mixed-race with the blood of amphibian-based lifeforms created by the [Predator of the Mountains].
"That's why I used lightning, but it looks like they're getting quite a few buffs, huh?"
Amphibians—
In other words, creatures that breathed through their skin.
They should be vulnerable to electricity and fire by nature, but some supernatural interference was granting them powerful magic resistance.
"Forcing the ritual to start, are they?"
Well, a typical pattern anyway.
An evil ritual to summon the power of the [Elephant-Headed Buddha]. The location where the ritual was underway...
"Obviously over there, right?"
I gazed at the building site behind the swarming monks, barely starting to take on the shape of a temple.
"They sure picked a spot to build a temple like this."
This was the wide gorge between Biak Mountain and Jaaung Mountain.
Before the Great Collapse, it had been more like a valley than a gorge, with a large golf course right nearby.
"Block him! We absolutely cannot let him reach the temple!"
"Hah!"
The monks echoed in unison with shouts. The number visible now was exactly 108.
Obviously themed around Buddhism, so 108 of them? But there was no need to deal with that many small fry.
[Acceleration]
Vreeeeem—
Normally, I'd use [Leap], but right now, for my mental health, I couldn't. Of course, Leap was different from my current phobia, so jumping around wouldn't immediately trigger it...
'Still, I end up avoiding it.'
My skateboard rocketed forward at tremendous speed toward a sheer cliff—practically 90 degrees straight up.
"We've cornered him!"
The arrowhead frog guy cheered in triumph, clueless about what I was about to do.
I accelerated without slowing, and as I reached the cliff blocking my path—
[Leap]
[Gravity Control]
[Invisible Hand]
Scraaaape—
I lightly hopped up and began running along the cliff face. Following this gorge would lead me to the temple they were guarding.
"Alright, then I'm off."
Correcting my posture with magic, I soared over the heads of the fake monks blocking the gorge.
"No way! Grab him! Jump! Catch him! Protect the temple!"
"Hah!"
The motley-skinned hybrids climbed the gorge walls in perfect unison.
I'd barely managed it by layering double and triple spells into my skateboard, and here they were doing it with just waist and leg muscles—impressive. I cast magic toward the gorge wall.
[Oil Slick]
A spell that reduced the surface friction coefficient to near zero. The ones crawling up after me—
"Uwaaaah!"
"Aaah—"
They flailed comically for a moment before starting to plummet to the bottom. Those pursuing me tangled with those already falling, instantly forming a tower of—
"G-Get out of the way!"
"Uwaaak!"
"N-Nooo!!"
Not humans—hybrids. Perfect. Take this.
[Earthquake Strike]
[Great Upheaval]
Rumble rumble crash! Craaaack!
Intense vibrations launched at the gorge wall, cracks spiderwebbing out.
Boom! Roooar!
"No, impossible!"
"How from that position!?"
"Such massive magic without incantation!?"
"Uwaaaah! Dodge! Dodge!"
"Get away! Run!"
The gorge turned into pandemonium in seconds. Ignoring them, I sent my will to Jang Hyun-deok waiting nearby.
"Hyun-deok, you in position?"
- Ack!
"What? Something wrong?"
- No, I was lost in thought and got startled by your voice, Mage.
"...Don't zone out in a situation like this—focus!"
- O-Okay! And preparations are done.
"Good. Hang tight a bit. Can't see well from here."
- U-uh, Mage, you're kinda scaring me...
"Just bear with it a little. Ah, I see Hwan. Move the third disc three squares left."
- Three squares left...
Clunk clunk clunk—
"I meant from your perspective! Your left-hand side!"
- Sheesh, who're you calling dumb? Hmm, then left...
Clunk clunk—clunk clunk clunk—
Six clunks this time. This guy had turned it right again.
I wanted to nag more, but no time.
"Namusa!"
A half-naked amphibian humanoid lunged suddenly.
Ugh—damn it!
[Leap]
Boom!
I saw the wall where I'd been shatter under his kick. I dodged easily, but—
"Ah—fuck."
Dodging that—had to jump— that far—through the air—and it pissed me off.
Muscles in the back of my neck spasmed. Breathing quickened. Adrenaline blurred my vision black.
Calm—calm down.
Calm— it was just a jump—
"Huuuuh—"
I steadied my breathing with effort and glared at the ones blocking me. Baggy monk pants with military boots—an odd getup. Faces filled with fighting spirit and rage.
Their bare upper bodies were striped vividly in yellow and black.
'That one's a poison dart frog too.'
This was one of Sangbulsa's warrior monks, not one of the 108 small fry from before. An elite cultist, then.
Like the poison dart frog, its skin secreted deadly venom.
And moreover—
"Hiya—"
It spread both arms wide, even lifting its left leg—yellow stripes.
"Haaa—"
A blue-skinned warrior monk of similar build approached, assuming the same pose.
Hmm... not messing around, so is that a kung fu stance?
"Yeah, Buddhist theme eventually leads to Shaolin."
No joke.
The number of colorful poison dart frog beastmen blocking me had grown to eighteen.
They formed a formation inspired by the Eighteen Arhats Array, spinning in circles.
"Abyssal hunter scum! Your reckless rampage ends here!"
"We'll turn this place into your grave!"
"Well, you all seem to get along so well—kinda jealous."
Sangbulsa in Jaaung Gorge.
Originally a massive event with four phases.
Break through the 108 small-fry cultists' One Hundred Eight Arhats Formation (sort of), then pierce the Eighteen Arhats Formation (sort of) of eighteen elite cultists.
Break the warrior monks' wall, and you'd face the spellcasting dharma monks.
Beat them, and depending on clear time, either the [Elephant-Headed Buddha] descends, or you fight Sangbulsa's abbot—the Screaming Demon Frog or whatever, a judge-rank cultist.
'But right now... no abbot.'
Normally, you'd only reach here after the fake temple was complete.
I'd skipped several scripted quests and events by pooling all my info and knowledge.
Thus, the final boss was skipped.
"Well, this close, it should be fine."
The warrior monks dazzled with fancy footwork to hold my gaze, but I looked past them to the temple.
"Where do you think you're looking!"
Fists, feet, shoulders, elbows, knees assaulted in chains. Even grazing them injected deadly venom.
[Suppression Field]
I released a force field weakening their strength and swung the Fourfold Truth-Piercing Sword.
[SSS-grade Weapon Fourfold Truth-Piercing Sword (Lukjon)'s unique function, 'Heavenly Fire Sign,' activates.
// Heavenly Fire Sign: All fire-type magic effects increased by 100%.]
[Heaven-Scorching Thunderflame]
Roooar! Whoosh—
Crimson flames and lightning spread from my body.
They moved first, but eighteen warrior monks hit the ground.
"Urgh... How is a mere mage this fast..."
"Such... absurd... power..."
"Huff—pant—but with the Elephant-Headed Buddha's blessing, we..."
"Huh? Still hanging on?"
They'd taken direct hits of lightning and fire strong enough to shatter gorge rocks, yet the warrior monks could still move.
"Grab him!"
Cheers from cultists far back—survivors of the 108 crushed under rocks earlier?
"Guess I need to cut the buffs first."
[Discern]
Swoosh—
My detection expanded extremely, pinpointing the dharma monks hiding behind the warrior monks.
Clutching ornate khilas, they fervently prayed to their god.
"Great Sangbul, grant us diamond-hard flesh—grant us lightning speed—grant us mountain strength—sever our myriad delusions—scorch our foes with bloodflame—make these insolents kneel and heed your sermon—"
"With your boundless mercy, embrace and protect us—purify us with your great will—banish all calamity, bestow blood-heaven's blessings—and cast out this fierce, hideous, evil one—"
And the abyssal waves their prayers generated.
"Everyone, shut your mouths!"
[Stink Cloud]
Fwoooosh!
Yellow clouds billowed everywhere.
From nearby warrior monks to the small fry pushing from behind.
"Cough—!"
"Urk—gack!"
"Not for nothing did I wear the gas mask."
This gas contained potent tear agents.
I just needed respiratory protection, but for skin-breathers, it was hell.
The yellow cloud spread rapidly without stopping—and seeped into the unfinished temple interior.
"Ghak! Kyaaak!"
Exposed dharma monks choked and coughed, and their magic resistance buffs vanished.
And probably right about now, as I thought?
[System: Exclusive trait 'Feast's Offering' activates. 'Abyssal Being: Elephant-Headed Buddha' rages at you.]
[Elephant-Headed Buddha]—the 'Buddha with Elephant Head.'
In other words, [Sangbul].
Rumble gruuumble—
The Sangbulsa building under construction collapsed. A massive bronze statue rose, shattering the unstable roof.
Its body was Buddha-shaped, but instead of a compassionate Buddha head, it bore an enraged elephant head.
"Oops—did I make you mad?"
A grotesque, repulsive form stitched from the horrific, evil parts of elephants, humans, octopuses, bats, and all amphibians on Earth.
'As expected, descending via the statue.'
Sangbulsa's sole spirit medium, the Table-Headed Guardian King, wasn't here. No medium, so using this desperate measure like the [Quietly Waiting One].
"Gr—grrr—grrr—grrrr—"
The elephant-head statue slowly opened its mouth, completing the wondrous descent.
"But not today."
I sent my will to Jang Hyun-deok, well-hidden nearby.
"Hyun-deok, move the second disc five squares right."
- Five squares right!
Clunk clunk clunk clunk—
"And the first one, one square right."
Clunk—
Preparations complete.
Flaaaash!!
A barrier of specific frequencies emitted from high up the gorge.
['Abyssal Being: Elephant-Headed Buddha''s power weakens.]
"Good."
I scattered mana stones into the air as mediums and channeled mana. Nngh—
Mana sucked out at tremendous force.
Without 5th circle level, I'd have shriveled into a mummy from the drain.
But!
Bzzzzzt!
A massive magic circle enveloped sky, earth, and everywhere visible.
Nailed it, right?
I manipulated the blooming magic circles to complete the spell.
[Forced Exile: Elephant-Headed Buddha]