The Petrifying Roar
The one who reveled in slaughter and the one who lurked in the shadows—both fell silent beneath that single roar. Hundreds of hunters froze like statues, their bodies locked in grotesque poses while only their eyes darted wildly. Blood vessels burst in their pupils, turning them a vivid crimson, and blood began to seep from every orifice.
"Hahaha... Is today the day I die? What do you think, Ilwol?"
Kang Yeonsu had sprinted over with the initially struck Park Yong-hwan and S-rank healer Gu Sang-min in tow. Even she, who had executed such a lightning-fast rescue with that monster right beside her, was visibly rattled.
Her entire body trembled violently.
Yeonsu... your mana recovery doesn't look good.
Her mana kept spiking and plummeting, a clear sign her body wasn't functioning normally. Perhaps that small creature that had first appeared in human form possessed some special ability that hindered mana regeneration.
Yeonsu might seem unbreakable, but that didn't mean her mind was forged from steel. Especially not when faced with such utter helplessness.
I gripped her shaking hand tightly and shook my head with absolute conviction.
You are not going to die.
"Ah..."
Yeonsu stared at our joined hands and the flames burning in my eyes. Gradually, the light returned to her gaze. The simple contact seemed to have grounded her; once her mind cleared, she immediately checked on Park Yong-hwan.
"How is he?"
A deep, resonant hum flowed from Gu Sang-min's hands. A sacred, pristine energy poured out, gently wrapping around Park Yong-hwan's abdomen. The shredded internal organs were already knitting themselves back together at terrifying speed.
No matter how many times I see it, I still can't get used to that.
"Mr. Yong-hwan should... be all right now..."
"Whew—thank you, Sang-min."
A hole the size of an infant's head had been punched clean through his gut, yet here he was, alive thanks to Gu Sang-min's rapid intervention. Without an S-rank healer, such a miracle would have been impossible.
That old man really is lucky.
We remained safe inside the spherical barrier Yeonsu had created, shielded from the worst of the roar. She exhaled after confirming Park Yong-hwan's condition, but blood continued streaming from her nose—aftereffects of blocking the Great Calamity's attack.
"Sister... here, at least drink this."
Yeonhee offered her Irmana's Water. Yeonsu downed it without hesitation, her eyes flashing with surprise.
"What is this? Where did you get a potion like this?"
She instinctively recognized its special nature, her eyes widening. The tangled currents of her mana slowly began to normalize.
"Never mind that—he's finally making his move. That bastard."
Still stunned by the water's miraculous effect, Yeonsu's attention was instantly stolen by the man walking toward the monster. At the end of her gaze stood Jo Giman.
With both Transcendents down, he was now unquestionably the strongest presence here.
Hm?! His arm—!
As Jo Giman advanced on the Great Calamity, one arm swelled dramatically before transforming into something distinctly reptilian. The eyes of every top-tier hunter present sparkled with interest.
Anyone could see it was a dragon-type metamorphosis. Given that Yeonsu could transform into something demonic, it shouldn't have been shocking, yet dragons held a very special meaning in this world. A very bad one, of course.
The longer the transformation continued, the more Jo Giman's aura surged beyond control. Even the Great Calamity opened its central maw wide and began clapping its tentacles together in apparent delight.
Clap, clap, clap—
The creature's frivolous gestures made Jo Giman's eyes twitch.
......Is that the power of the Seven-Headed Dragon? This is insane.
At first glance, Jo Giman's energy didn't seem all that different from the Great Calamity's.
Sigh...
I couldn't begin to measure his limits, so a deep sigh escaped me. For a moment, my confidence in protecting Yeonhee from such a monster completely evaporated.
The two drew closer, then vanished simultaneously. Flashes of light soon erupted dozens of meters in the air. It seemed Jo Giman wasn't entirely brainless after all—he had deliberately lured the beast skyward to minimize collateral damage to the hunters.
As expected, I can't even sense the details properly.
Unfortunately, aside from the lightning energy that defined Jo Giman's primary attribute, it was nearly impossible to tell what the two were doing up there. Beside me, Yeonsu nodded intently, watching the battle in a state of total concentration. It was a high-level clash only someone of her caliber could follow.
Kwaaaaaang—!
True to form for a battle between supreme beings, the conclusion came quickly. At least by my standards. For Jo Giman, the passage of time must have felt far longer.
...What the hell is that bastard doing?
Shockingly, it was Jo Giman who was being pushed back. He had been slammed into the ground and was now eating a relentless barrage of punches from a tentacle that had morphed into a fist.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwaaang—!!
Dozens of tentacle-fists hammered him at speeds too fast for the eye to follow. Soon, dark crimson blood erupted from Jo Giman's mouth.
I could tell he was holding back his full power, but I couldn't fathom why. Still, watching him get thoroughly beaten filled me with a strange mix of fear at the monster's strength and a spark of vicious satisfaction.
......Yes! Since it's come to this, just kill each other already!
I had been waiting for the perfect moment to unleash Flame Explosion if the Great Calamity so much as glanced at the other hunters. But right now, with it gleefully pummeling Jo Giman, there was no need.
The sight of my enemy being beaten to a pulp sent excitement surging through me. I almost wanted to use Mimicry just so I could cheer the Great Calamity on out loud.
—Grrrrrrrrrr—!
After enduring what must have been hundreds of punches, Jo Giman finally collapsed in a heap. His face was pulp, brains leaking out. His limbs were crushed so badly they looked beyond repair.
Serves you right for not fighting with everything you had against a Great Calamity.
Many hunters who had sensed his ruined state through their perception now wore faces twisted with terror, desperately praying they wouldn't be next. Even the once-arrogant high-rankers trembled like leaves when death stared them in the face.
With a wet crack, Jo Giman struggled to raise an arm that had burst open until only bone remained.
But then, the exploded flesh and shattered bones slowly began to regenerate.
Regeneration linked to Gu Sang-min's mysterious ability
[Gyaaaaah?!]
The Great Calamity didn't even bother interrupting his recovery, displaying leisurely confidence.
At the same time, one of Gu Sang-min's arms began to wither like dry kindling.
Ha... Brother Sang-min... you're still living as a sucker.
Jo Giman had restored his body once again through Gu Sang-min's incomprehensible power. I'd only heard stories about it, but seeing it firsthand made me doubt that such a precious skill had been tethered to someone like him.
Tsk— Is there any way to redirect that skill to Yeonhee instead?
As always, my mind immediately began calculating angles.
"Kuhuhuhuhuhu— It's been a while."
He burst into laughter, clearly delighted, and a single wing soon sprouted from his back and flapped powerfully.
......If he keeps transforming like this, will he eventually become a real dragon?
I had never seen this form of metamorphosis before. Which meant that in my previous life, I had never once witnessed Jo Giman fighting with genuine seriousness.
Hmm...
[Gyahahak!!]
The Great Calamity rejoiced as though its broken toy had been returned, and the two resumed their savage dance.
Their battle was merciless. The resulting shockwaves were so intense it was a miracle the barrier hadn't collapsed.
The Great Calamity is a classic close-combat type. Did it collect data from Yeonsu during their first encounter? There are quite a few similarities.
Crackle—
The barrier Yeonsu had erected was rapidly shoved backward by the aftershocks. We retreated in tandem, slowly distancing ourselves from the combat zone.
Kwarururung—!!
[Gyaaaaah!!]
That monster... looks like it's having the time of its life. Almost as if it was born just to fight Jo Giman. They're both enjoying this way too much.
For a second I even wondered if the Great Calamity had fallen in love with him. The creature refused to leave his side for even an instant.
With the pace accelerating further, the second round ended in the blink of an eye.
"Tsk—!"
Once again, Jo Giman was the one being pushed back.
Something's off... I know he doesn't want to reveal his full strength, but who exactly is he performing for?
Jo Giman was clearly holding back. Even after sprouting wings and growing significantly stronger, he still hadn't pushed himself to his limit.
......Is it because of that bastard?
High above the battlefield, an S-rank barrier master named Geum Jae-hyeon had subtly revealed himself. Of course, he had wrapped himself in a powerful barrier, so no one else could see him—but my senses caught him clearly.
So Geum Jae-hyeon really is a Blue Eye operative. That explains why Jo Giman is being so cautious.
I nodded, rubbing my throbbing temples.
I'd like to keep watching, but... Yeonhee and the other hunters are starting to look bad.
On top of that, Geum Jae-hyeon was waving his hands, preparing something. The crumbling barrier was being repaired and infused with additional power.
The potential of an S-rank barrier master was beyond even my ability to calculate. I wasn't particularly familiar with that field to begin with. In the worst case, we could be trapped in this space forever.
"Hm?!"
Yeonsu seemed to have noticed something too, though she couldn't pinpoint the source of her unease. Thanks to her protection, I had been able to observe more of Jo Giman's power, but this was as far as we could go.
Good thing I planted that mark earlier. Looks like preparation really does pay off...
By the time I prepared to unleash the explosion, their battle had already entered the third round. Jo Giman dragonified his remaining leg, layered his unique skill Thunder Strike onto his blows, and began pressing the Great Calamity with careful, heavy strikes.
Now even the monster had stopped smiling and fought with deadly seriousness. No—at this point, Jo Giman was clearly the one dictating the flow.
Kwajijijijijik—!!
[Gyaaaaah!]
I burned the final moments of their clash into my memory. The instant Jo Giman drew closest to the Great Calamity, I began detonating Flame Explosion in rapid succession.
Flame Explosion — Five stacked Flame Marks detonated in succession
I held no intention of sparing Jo Giman. At the same time, I didn't imbue the blasts with killing intent. That would have revealed the skill's caster.
Booooom—!
"Ugh?!"
The timing had been perfect. Jo Giman took indirect damage from the first and second Flame Explosions. Because the skill ignored all defenses, even he was visibly shaken.
He belatedly activated his unique skill, Invincibility, and looked around in rare confusion. Yet he still couldn't identify who had triggered the attack.