Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Buffed Archdemons
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"You're pretty late. I even dragged out the conversation just to kill time."
"Hmph, you think it's easy for me to come and go whenever I want like you guys? Anyway, let's see. The situation..."
[Puhak!]
A five-versus-six battle.
Yoo Seongwon took on two, while the rest of the knights each handled one Archdemon Beast, kicking off the fight.
Yoo Seongwon was facing both Lemlem and Przhevalsky at once, but thanks to his prior experience, he was overwhelming them in reverse, pushing hard despite the numbers.
[Meeek! You damn bastard...! Ugh!]
"I've already seen your trump card, the Counter Lemshield. So I just need to grab you with plain hits!"
Kwaaaang!
Thanks to the battle data from Olympus Guild's Diomedes getting wrecked, Yoo Seongwon knew Lemlem's secret move and stuck strictly to using only the Titan's Stake for attacks.
The difference between knowing and not knowing an opponent's ace was huge, and Lemlem—who was already in rough shape—was getting pummeled without a chance to respond.
[Heeheeheehing! You bastard! You've gotten way stronger.]
"Yeah, thanks for the compliment."
Kuuuung!
Przhevalsky blocked a swing of the Titan's Stake, and the ground rumbled as it exploded around him, caving in.
It wasn't just raw strength that had grown; Przhevalsky was honestly shocked by the combat prowess backed by genuine martial skill.
Even with Lemlem joining for a pincer attack, Yoo Seongwon didn't retreat a single step. He maintained his offense with one-handed swings of the Titan's Stake and even threw them barehanded.
Pushed back despite their teamwork, the two Archdemon Beasts sensed something was off and fell back for a moment.
[Meee... Przhevalsky, this won't do. Cough!]
[Prurruk! I know! That human's ridiculous. Getting this strong so fast...]
"You guys are from the same batch as that Leghorn jerk, right? So you must have some Phoenix Ascension transformation like that chicken-head did. Sorry, but I'm not the type who gets thrilled fighting strong opponents, so I'll just kill you before you can pull that off."
Not even a shred of carelessness or arrogance toward his foes.
Lemlem and Przhevalsky locked eyes with Yoo Seongwon's killing intent, hoping for backup from the other Archdemon Beasts, but they were evenly matched with their knights and couldn't spare help.
[Meeek!]
"So die nicely, already!"
"Not happening!"
Kwaaaang!
Yoo Seongwon focused fire on Lemlem first, who had taken more damage and was weaker.
He needed to take one down to make things easier, unleashing everything he had, but Przhevalsky kept ghosting in to block or exploit gaps, making it tough to finish Lemlem off.
'I'm in control, but... S-grade is S-grade, huh? Tricky! Well, last time was basically luck anyway...!'
[Puhihing...!]
'Maybe I should be grateful just to have the edge!'
Against Leghorn, the enemy had underestimated him, but these two knew his strength and came at him seriously—that made the difference.
Considering that, even holding the advantage was impressive.
'No point dragging this out, but these guys feel off.'
These Archdemon Beasts weren't the type to throw their lives away recklessly. They were ruthless enough to devour defeated allies' minions, unbound by pride or honor.
Yet their stubborn defense screamed they were prepping something, or so Yoo Seongwon felt.
'And they've always raided casually before—dipping out if things went south or got boring. Why so committed now? Hmm?'
[Got it! Prurruk!]
Kwaak!
Mid-assault, Przhevalsky's eyes gleamed, and his movements suddenly sped up dramatically.
He grabbed the swinging Titan's Stake and kicked with his hooved leg.
'What the?'
Yoo Seongwon dodged in surprise.
But he was inwardly stunned by the strength holding his weapon— a contest of power he'd already won earlier. No visible changes, yet suddenly strong enough to grip his weapon.
"What did you do?"
"What do you think? Puhihing!"
Kwaang!
A high-speed kick followed, smashing into his face.
He barely evaded spotting the hoof, but the noticeable surge in speed and power left Yoo Seongwon rattled.
'What? These guys just powered up... Like they released some limiter?'
[It's buffs. All Archdemon Beasts in combat have five buffs active simultaneously.]
"Somi noona? Buffs right now? Wait, I didn't think they were close enough to share buffs and synergies like that..."
Meeee! Puhihing! Woof woof! Buhiik!
Thanks to the linked comms, Shin Somi—backline support—cleared it up fast.
But knowing didn't help much. Yoo Seongwon's crew stared in dismay at the Archdemon Beasts roaring as power overflowed.
And as he said, they weren't buff-sharing buddies, so this unexpected twist naturally drew eyes to 'Pastor Lee' and his gang watching from afar.
"Ah, so that's it?"
[Hmm, that was close.]
[Adding new party members and buffing ain't easy, you idiots. Especially with these...]
[Heh heh heh, is that so?]
They spotted the hooded man next to Pastor Lee, face hidden, deep in concentration.
A human buffing monsters? Absurd, but as apostles of the constellation Slaughter King, unity made it plausible.
"Wow~ Even mighty Archdemon Beasts gotta rely on human buffs 'cause you're scared of me?"
[Prurrruk! That Pastor Lee's stunt. But to escape this pinch, no choice. I'll chew your flesh.]
Przhevalsky glanced back at the human who'd buffed him, shooting a displeased look.
Humiliated by mortal aid to survive, but it flipped their dire situation, securing a reversal foothold—no further protest.
[Current buffs: five total. 'Lord's Charisma', 'Gale Storm', 'Stirring Speech of Valor', 'Majestic Presence', 'Desperate Cry'. Searched the skills—stat boosts alone are 1.8x base across the board, plus speed up, status resistance, pain reduction, and more stacking effects.]
'Whoa... no joke. Fall back and call the kids?'
Archdemon Beasts were S-grade monsters already; 1.8x stats plus layered buffs made it worse.
Plus, like Leghorn's Phoenix Ascension, they all had one more transformation—risk skyrocketed.
Yoo Seongwon signaled the knights and stepped back; they read him perfectly, swiftly regrouping at his side.
"Damn, you guys are pros? I was just about to call, and you come running?"
[This much is basic. Heh hahat. So, Contractor, what's up?]
"Obvious, right? Their status changed. Stats at 1.8x, all sorts boosted. One more transform left too. Wondering if pushing the fight's smart. Not retreating, obviously. Just... anyone got dispel or debuff for those buffs?"
[...No.]
[No such function built-in.]
"Sorry, Captain."
[Heh hahat, me neither.]
"Figured. Haha. But hey~ enemies charging—what now?"
Yoo Seongwon grinned awkwardly, gauging the situation before quizzing his knights.
Their eyes burned with fighting spirit—no backing down, he sensed instantly.
"...Fine. No retreat? Cool. Got a plan at least?"
[...Fight... till... we win!]
"We haven't gone all-out yet, Captain!"
Pure grit and guts—Yoo Seongwon was dumbfounded, but no time to reply.
Archdemon Beasts charged roaring madly; he decided to fight and think, weapon raised, lunging at the incoming Przhevalsky.
"Fine, you won't back down? Let's do this!"
[Contractor, one word before you go.]
"What?"
[When our knights forge legends in honorable combat, remember—it's never just shame or brute force that brings victory.]
Kwaaaaaang!
By the time Gaulph finished, Yoo Seongwon was deep in the fray.
Clueless on the point, but the four knights nodded in sync, weapons ready, following him.
***
Seoul, Association HQ.
Seoul's interior normalized fast.
Tamed Scavenger-turncoat hunters sorted supply chaos; barrier repairs progressed smoothly.
But no relief yet—the easy-win Archdemon Beast fight hit phase two, ratcheting tension among Association and government folks.
"Thought we caught a break..."
"Who the hell's buffing them...?"
"Isn't figuring that out your job?"
From dominance to pullback and counter—Shin Somi's report on the buffs prompted demands to ID the source.
Few Awakeners spammed such high-multiplier, effect-packed buffs freely; some were signature skills, easy to pinpoint.
"'Lord's Charisma' signature skill? That's... The Lord class, right?"
"How'd Pastor Lee snag a The Lord? No Scavengers fit. Korea's got maybe Oh Kyung-hoon level."
"Not Oh himself, surely?"
"No way. He's blocking S-grade Bo-haku in New Gangnam full-tilt. Plus, grudge against Golden Dragon Knight or not, he wouldn't side with Scavengers?"
"True... too much to lose."
To keep New Gangnam's edge and function, the capital region—hell, whole Korea—needed safety.
Nobody imagined the buffer as Oh Kyung-hoon; they pegged another The Lord quick.
"Probably from China. Pastor Lee's connections could touch them."
"Anyway, real issue's that fight, no? Send support now? Hate to say it, but buffed Archdemon Beasts winning screws us."
Suspicion faded; focus shifted to the escalating clash.
Namely, Yoo Seongwon's crew versus six top-shelf-buffed Archdemon Beasts.
His 500 billion advance was outrageous, but he secured the barrier and bailed them out—consensus: keep him alive.
"For survival's sake, contact other guilds for strike teams... They're winning?"
"Huh? They are?"
Mid-support debate over 'crisis', frontline reports flipped: Yoo Seongwon's side surged back ahead.
Shocked officials and guild reps zoomed in on the field, baffled at the inexplicable magic—Yoo Seongwon's forces reclaiming momentum.