Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: More Treasure!
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Hand it over!
"Ugh..."
Rolling.
One roll to the left.
Rolling.
One roll to the right.
"Uuuugh..."
She'd finally rolled back to where she started, but no matter how many times she repeated it, the boredom wouldn't fade. Raphael lifted her head while still lying on her side, scanning the room.
A half-read comic, a philosophy book abandoned after one page, a single-player game she'd just been playing, a TV blaring with laughter.
So many things to enjoy. And yet Raphael's lips were still puffed out.
Just like a child sulking, 'I'm mad at you.'
The reason was simple. Even Raphael could sum it up in one word...!!
"Lee Seong-hoon."
Raphael muttered with narrowed eyes. Bored. So freaking bored. He'd left her alone in this massive room and just up and left.
─Sorry. They said you can't come.
─No, they won't even open the door! Reaper robe this, reaper that?!
─How'd you know we're eating?! I'll give you money, so order something! Let go!! Don't grab my pant leg!!
"..." Raphael's lips puffed out even more as she recalled the morning scuffle. Sure, she was bored, but anyone could see Lee Seong-hoon was off to eat something delicious. "I'm not letting this slide." Infuriating. Absolutely infuriating. Boredom aside, he knew how much she loved mortal realm food and still ditched her...!! She couldn't forgive that. She'd have to pick out a few hellish games for when he got back. As she stewed in those thoughts, a sudden emptiness hit her. She glanced around. The once-lively room echoed only with the TV's drone. He'd taken everyone with him. Everyone except her. Listening to the hollow TV noise, Raphael muttered, "Trip over your own feet or something." And make it spectacular. That was the only prayer the abandoned Raphael could offer.
"What."
What nonsense is this? Lee Seong-hoon ignored the weird-talking black cat while he was swamped.
「Ooooooh!!!」
Hearing the echoing roars, the black-haired man, Lee Seong-hoon, furrowed his brow. So damn loud.
'These guys are broadcasting their arrival like it's neighborhood gossip.'
And loudly, too. He didn't know why, but Lee Seong-hoon wasn't the type to wait patiently for his opponent.
That was for knights or whatever. He was the grumpy type.
He quickly opened his [Inventory] to gear up. Out came the [Reaper's Robe], [Death Reaper], and [Levatein].
The black robe draped over his shoulders like it belonged there. The pristine white scythe clung to his hand. The blonde who appeared in midair was caught to his chest before she could fall, cradled in his arms.
Levatein's bewildered expression lit up into a beaming smile upon spotting him. Burying her face in his chest and nuzzling was a bonus.
Lee Seong-hoon quickly assessed the situation. The horde of armored monsters around them was probably Lee Si-woo's welcoming gift.
He wouldn't kill him. If he wanted to, he'd have done it already. So that meant—
'He wants to see me beg to be spared?'
Creepy as hell. He refused to let that guy have his way, even in death. He gripped the scythe tight. The roaring cut off instantly.
'Let's see what you've got.'
Worst case, he'd call Isia. With that resolve, Lee Seong-hoon eyed the approaching, clanking armor.
A blue flow was visible. A regular pattern radiating from the heart-core, spinning steadily.
'Constructed monsters.'
This wasn't a dungeon. If they had real will, they'd have attacked already. No will meant they were guardians conjured by Lee Si-woo.
'Magic at the core.'
Task set. They looked numerous, but magic-spawned monsters? He could handle that.
"Levatein."
"Mimic."
No reply even. No time to nod—Levatein was sucked into the scythe.
Flames of the End (EX)
[Stats increased.]
He swatted the blue window aside. The deafening clang of metal on metal assaulted his ears. The rusty stench of armor and blades stung his nose.
And more. He felt the flows every time they moved. His eyes missed nothing.
'This is [Super Sense].'
All his senses sharpened to a razor's edge. No wonder it only activated in combat. Living like this daily? He'd off himself first.
"That's a lot!"
He ignored the cat suggesting surrender would be humane nya—gripped the scythe tighter.
"Lachesis."
"Hit one, if it sucks, we bail immediately. Got it?"
Ignoring her expected sigh, he kicked off the ground. First strike was the privilege of solo fighters.
'Feels different.'
Not like the ogre fight. No [Cherub's Blessing (EX)], but that wasn't it.
No rampage. No body rejecting the buffs. It moved exactly where he wanted.
'Super Sense.'
Heightened senses registered the changes, adapting in real-time. Lee Seong-hoon got it instantly.
「Ooooooh!!!」
And realizing it applied to more than his body didn't take long.
Incoming slashes missed. Precisely. Yet his scythe blade pierced armor.
Stab the mana, and it crumpled without a death rattle, collapsing into scrap.
"Manageable."
Pierce the mana, instant death. Like fighting tough holograms—scratch that.
Cancel. Dodging a slash from behind like it was personal revenge, he felt it.
"This is straight-up chicken!"
"First to get hit loses!!"
One touch from those blades, and his fragile body breaks somewhere. Levatein and Lachesis were insurance, but 'never say never.'
Tension sharpened his nerves further. Leaping to avoid encirclement, he spun the scythe.
Pointless flourish. Barely a threat.
'Slower than expected.'
Armor. Stiff joints, heavy bulk—clumsy.
'But one hit is insta-kill level.'
Two insurances, but third hit? Game over. That devastating.
One option.
'Hit and run.'
Pick them off safely, one by one. That was his style. Raphael's chaos forced risks, but no gambler here. He didn't fight losing battles.
Sure, safe wins only.
Decision made. Scythe settled in hand, he hurled it at the armor closing in—no distance given.
Ignored the blue windows blocking his view—they vanished soon.
Hearing Lachesis's count, he didn't catch the returning scythe. It embedded in the armor raising its sword for a backstab.
Quick retrieve, into the robe. Exit: rear of the encircling ring.
Swing at the mana flow.
Lee Seong-hoon couldn't fight in this world for three reasons.
One: no mana. Its presence drastically affected combat. Body reinforcement via mana was gun vs. bare hands.
But solved. He'd risked his life for it.
Two and three intertwined: physical stats and lack of combat experience.
Obvious. Thrust someone from a peaceful life into fantasy battles? No chance.
But solved. Experience via [Scythe Mastery (A+)].
Stats via Raphael's buffs, Levatein's skills.
Why he still couldn't fight until now—why he could now? Simple.
Too sudden power spikes. Ordinary body, no adaptation time, constant buff flux.
Not anymore. [Super Sense] forced adaptation to the ever-shifting body. Made it obey.
Thus [Scythe Mastery (A+)] shone. Not mere proficiency.
Compressed combat experience injected forcibly. Not brain-stuffed—body-learned. Body kept up now.
Embodied all understanding. User's will irrelevant.
"Ah."
Stuck. Swung too hard—scythe lodged in armor. No time to wrench free. Flankers incoming weapons high.
Body moved instinctively. Optimal scythe-extraction method.
Jump. Legs rise above shaft, grip firm.
Full spin atop shaft. Gravity-accelerated momentum smashed down.
Crunch—grind—!!
No time for the mangled armor's wail. Retrieve scythe, into robe.
Exit: behind one of the slicers.
Shattered armor as shield blocks front assault. No recovery time. Force bent the arcing scythe into torso.
Ambush from rear hit. Couldn't dodge retrieving precise swing. But fire barrier erupts.
No robe time. Barrier fades, blade comes.
Swing scythe. Toward neck—but no decap. Hook blade on neck, centrifugal force to its back.
Not even half down yet?! Clicking his tongue, he swung at the cockroach-rushing armor.
"Damn it—"
I barely held back the curse. No energy for it anyway, and lately, swearing in front of Levatein felt off.
Like during that board game—kid absorbs too fast. Gotta self-censor.
"Don't say that. Bad word."
Arms wide, bounding toward me. No choice—scooped her up into a hug.
"Is it?"
I glanced around. Nothing to see. Just look down.
A mountain of armor. Brutal. Nearly quit a dozen times.
But got 'em all.
"Pissed enough for three treasures."
Stroking Levatein's head, calling her good girl—then it hit me.
That guy's probably watching, right?
"Lachesis. That Lee Si-woo bas—that guy's watching, yeah."
"Bastard like a bird. Super bad."
Yeah, yeah. Arguing's pointless—nodded. Levatein beamed too.
Rough location from Lachesis, grinned that way. I won.
Opened my mouth.
"Hand over more treasure."
Nice. Petting good-girl Levatein—door opened. Something entered.
Something? That dog—friend's dad entered.
His face?
Worth watching. Totally.