Scarecrow's Illusory Triumph (3)
A blinding flash of white frost shot straight toward Galakro Hedrix, as if it would pierce him through. But in that very moment, the scarecrow twisted his body, offering one arm in defense. His arm was already encased in ice, and Do-hyun struck it precisely with a thunderbolt that struck dead center.
LT__strong>KWAHHH———!
Suddenly.
LT__strong>KRAAAAA——
Shatter, shatter, shatter——!
CLANG!
The frozen arm of Galakro Hedrix shattered into a thousand pieces right where it stood, tumbling across the floor like broken glass.
Watching this, Galakro raised his other hand again despite having lost an arm, only to be met by Ji Yu-chan's lightning-fast charge. As Ji Yu-chan launched himself like a golden arrow toward the broken side of Galakro, he swung the Platinum Sword in a single, dazzling stroke that turned the air golden. Galakro tried to block with his scythe, but the awkward swing from a one-armed body was so clumsy that Ji Yu-chan felt the full impact and was pushed back sharply.
LT__strong>CHWAHAAAA——!
Even though his legs were planted firmly, he was driven back helplessly. Do-hyun charged forward and slashed with his sword, but Galakro once again swung his scythe to block the attack.
LT__strong>KAAAAANG——!
Yet with only one arm left to balance himself, the force was clearly insufficient. Do-hyun, just like Ji Yu-chan, was pushed back. Ji Yu-chan sprang up again and dashed forward, but the instant Galakro tried to swing his scythe once more, a thunderbolt flashed and slammed straight into his solar plexus.
LT__strong>KWAZIZIZIZI———!
The thunderbolt that glowed in the air transformed into a spear and rocketed forward. Galakro, irritated, threw down his scythe and frantically rummaged inside his own body, pulling something out. As he did, several other items fell to the floor, but he paid them no mind at all.
What he pulled out was the head of a lion that had been soaked in blood and now looked utterly pathetic.
Galakro opened his straw-like mouth wide and bit into the lion's head with a loud crunch.
At that exact moment, the delayed thunderbolt was about to pierce his chest again when suddenly a dark veil spread across the air, trapping the thunderbolt inside.
LT__strong>KWAHAAAANG!
A massive shockwave shook the dark veil, but when Do-hyun, Ji Yu-chan, and Hana Rin saw the flawless, unbroken barrier, they all frowned.
They tried to attack again, but the creature muttered under his breath.
“......Ah... it's hard to... use water... ya... ges... ku... na.”
With that, Do-hyun saw countless heads sprouting from Galakro's body and his expression twisted in disgust. He couldn't even begin to understand how many heads were rising from that creature, and he didn't want to know.
Twenty heads were taken into the dark veil, keeping the presence alive, while the remaining twenty heads were sacrificed to regrow the shattered arm.
The wounds that had taken all their power to inflict healed instantly, and a wave of emptiness passed over the faces of Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan.
But Do-hyun realized that this wasn't the end, and his expression turned troubled.
He watched the heads sprouting from Galakro's body disintegrate into dust and be absorbed back into the body. It was clear what the creature was doing right now.
“This is driving me crazy.”
LT__div style="text-align:centerborder:3px solid #00219bpadding:25pxbox-shadow:0 0 20px #00219b,inset 0 0 20px rgba(0,33,155,0.2)background:linear-gradient(135deg,#000 0%,#0a0a1a 50%,#000 100%)border-radius:8pxmargin-bottom:20pxposition:relative">
Galakro Hedrix used the dark magic 『Aesthetics of Sacrifice [A]』 to temporarily raise the grade of the skill 『Body Modification [B]』.
Galakro Hedrix's physical stats have skyrocketed.
Galakro Hedrix's body has changed.
He was under the burden of 『Body Degradation』 and 『Skill Restriction』. The stats had jumped ten points each, but even with the debuffs, the power was clearly beyond C-class.
Do-hyun felt the ominous energy and sweat broke out on his skin as he sensed the surging waves of power spreading around them.
And it wasn't just Do-hyun.
“......This isn't a joke.”
“......What the...?”
Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan felt the same chill and shuddered.
Do-hyun's mind went blank while feeling that dread. He wondered if they could even win at this rate, when hope suddenly appeared before his eyes.
Additional debuffs increased. The more Galakro's stats skyrocketed, the heavier the burden on Do-hyun's party. Do-hyun noticed and his eyes flashed.
Looking at Galakro still recovering his body inside the dark veil, Do-hyun whispered to Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan so only they could hear.
“That guy will soon be hit by a new debuff.”
They didn't need to ask how he knew. The moment they heard it, they understood it was their chance.
Do-hyun looked at the power waves bursting from Galakro and spoke again.
“Attack the moment I give the signal.”
Both nodded quietly. At the same time, Galakro, having finished swallowing the lion's head, began to sprout reddish-yellow lion fur on his straw body.
Pssssh.
At the same moment, a lush mane sprouted from the scarecrow's head, and the Do-hyun party saw Galakro transform into a Leonic species Solak that looked exactly the same.
And he unleashed one of Solak's ancient skills: Fear.
LT__strong>KRHEEEEEEREEEENG——!!!
The wave of fear spread out and swept through Do-hyun, Hana Rin, and Ji Yu-chan's bodies. But Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan, who had trained repeatedly against Do-hyun's intimidation and various fear resistances, were released instantly.
And Do-hyun.
LT__div style="text-align:centerborder:3px solid #00ff88padding:25pxbox-shadow:0 0 20px rgba(0,255,136,0.6),inset 0 0 20px rgba(0,255,136,0.1)background:linear-gradient(135deg,#001a0a 0%,#000 50%,#001a0a 100%)border-radius:8pxmargin-bottom:20px">
Analysis succeeded and resolved it.
The moment the fear roared out, the dark veil vanished completely. Galakro laughed maniacally with his mouth torn open.
“KHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! This is the sensation of having a body!!!”
Even as he laughed, hisses of fear still erupted and the walls around them began to crack from the reactions. Do-hyun frowned at it.
And when he saw the body the creature had switched to.
LT__div style="text-align:centerborder:3px solid #00ff88padding:25pxbox-shadow:0 0 20px rgba(0,255,136,0.6),inset 0 0 20px rgba(0,255,136,0.1)background:linear-gradient(135deg,#001a0a 0%,#000 50%,#001a0a 100%)border-radius:8pxmargin-bottom:20px">
Analysis of Galakro Hedrix's transformed body succeeded.
Galakro Hedrix's body has evolved into the Leonic race.
All previously used skills have been sealed.
Skills used by Leonic race individuals can now be used.
Analysis of Galakro Hedrix's current skills completed.
Do-hyun let out an incredulous laugh at everything he saw.
“What the?”
Galakro, unfazed, ignored the laugh and charged straight at Do-hyun, shouting.
“I'll tear you apart first!!!”
Do-hyun, eyes wide, used the spatial movement he had been saving for just this moment.
Galakro slashed with the giant paw of a Solak, sweeping the empty space where Do-hyun had stood, carving five deep gashes across the dungeon floor that would normally be indestructible.
LT__strong>KWAKAKAKAKAKAKA———!!!
Do-hyun was already gone. At the same time, he infused his sword with the sharpness of the Gold Sword and various magic arts, then dropped from the air onto Galakro's back, waiting for the perfect moment. A message appeared before his eyes.
LT__div style="text-align:centerborder:3px solid #00219bpadding:25pxbox-shadow:0 0 20px #00219b,inset 0 0 20px rgba(0,33,155,0.2)background:linear-gradient(135deg,#000 0%,#0a0a1a 50%,#000 100%)border-radius:8pxmargin-bottom:20pxposition:relative">
Additional debuff: 『Absence of Spatial Sense』 has been applied.
The worst debuff for any warrior in the party has just been inflicted on them.
Do-hyun shouted.
“NOW!!!”
With that shout, he drove the sword infused with maximum mana straight into Galakro's back.
LT__strong>FUUUUK———!
He left the sword buried deep and stepped back. Galakro screamed in pain.
“KHEENGHEENGHEENG!”
The pain that should never have been felt in straw exploded through his entire body. He couldn't think straight. This was exactly the weakness Do-hyun had analyzed. So he laughed incredulously. At that moment, Ji Yu-chan also charged forward after over-infusion with golden light on his sword.
Ji Yu-chan drove his sword in too, but the scarecrow, now much larger, felt the debuff and couldn't sense where Do-hyun had gone.
“W-what the...!!! KRHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!”
Writhing in agony, the more he moved the worse his body was damaged and the more his spatial sense vanished. Just then, Do-hyun and Hana Rin drew magic circles. They prepared two thunderbolts—the one attack that had never been allowed against Galakro—pointing one at the sword Do-hyun had stabbed and the other at the sword Ji Yu-chan had driven in.
The creature tried to undo the body modification to return to his original form, but it was already too late. The thunderbolts flew faster. The moment both lightning strikes hit the sword handles.
LT__strong>WUUUNWUUUNWUUUNWUUUNWUUUN———!!!
The power infused to its absolute limit was absorbed by the thunderbolts, and the swords couldn't contain it anymore. They erupted, shattering the tough body and bursting out from Galakro's form.
The moment the body exploded, Galakro's eyes widened in despair. At that instant, the swords scattered, his body swelled, then burst into light.
LT__strong>KWAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG————!!!
The dungeon shook from the massive explosion. The Do-hyun party, closest to the blast, had prepared and blocked it with their magic shields.
LT__strong>CHAEAAANG————
But the shield cracked from the shock. When they regenerated it, it shattered again.
LT__strong>CHAEAAAEANG—————
The blast wave hit Do-hyun and Hana Rin. Do-hyun stepped in front of her, raising both arms to shield her. Intense heat and shock swept over them.
LT__strong>KWAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA———
The aftershock of the explosion swept them away. But Do-hyun, watching his body slowly regenerating, thought that without the Guardian's Body they would have been in serious trouble. Using the Muscle Recovery spell to heal himself, the delayed explosion's shock finally brought Hana Rin's mind back. She looked at Do-hyun and asked urgently.
“A-are you okay!?”
“Yeah... I almost died.”
Do-hyun, who never spoke weakly, said that with a slight smile. Hana Rin breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that as long as the wounds were healing, it was fine.
And there he saw it. Galakro Hedrix, reduced to dust and disappearing from the explosion's center.
“......Save... me... j...?”
Unable to finish his sentence, he vanished. Do-hyun smiled as he confirmed he had gained points.
And there, he muttered while losing consciousness.
“I'll take the reward.”
LT__strong>THUD.
Watching Do-hyun collapse exactly as he had, the utterly exhausted Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan laughed in disbelief.
“Puhaha.”
“Haha, that's just like that guy.”