Chapter 376
Chapter 376
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 376
Chapter Title: God's Atlantis
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"There were no signs of mana usage... How did you take down the banshee?"
"Have you forgotten what us dwarves are best at?"
"......What does drinking beer have to do with anything? Was the banshee's weakness beer, by any chance?"
"......"
A brief silence fell between me and Damon.
Damon soon opened his mouth and let out a hearty laugh.
"Haha. That's a funny joke. Us dwarves do love our beer. But that's not the answer. The real answer is the gear I have. If you can't catch a banshee, just make a weapon that can, right?"
"I see. Is it because of that chainmail that curses don't work on you?"
"Exactly. A banshee's curse isn't that strong, so just wearing this lets you endure it."
"There was some powder left where the banshee vanished. What is that powder?"
"Just as it looks—banshee powder. You can use it to sharpen blades or make a cloak that blocks the cold you want."
Damon shook a vial containing the powder. It was a fine blue dust.
"What happens if you eat it?"
"No idea."
"Hmm."
I decided to test the banshee powder on thieves or prisoners later. It might turn out to be a drug stronger than heroin or meth.
The deeper we ventured into the ironwood forest, the more monsters ambushed us. Dealing with flying banshees was easier than those monster rats that crawled faster than cockroaches. The banshees weren't as nimble as you'd expect if you let your guard down.
"It's a relief having a warrior of your skill with me."
"You're no slouch yourself, Damon."
"I know it's empty flattery, but it sounds good."
We kept our distance from ironwoods possessed by banshees. The moment we spotted ironwood ears, we veered away.
"You just leave the ironwood ears alone?"
"Banshees will eventually unpossess on their own after some time. To take down an ironwood ear, you'd need to chop through steel-like wood in one go, and who has time for that?"
"Why not just set it on fire?"
"You think iron catches fire?"
"......"
We found the white ironwood we were after.
It was over three times larger than regular ironwoods and pure white.
"What now?"
At my question, Damon gripped the iron axe at his waist.
"Obviously, hack at it until the sap flows. Then jam in a steel straw. I'll chop the white ironwood, so cover me. Monsters always interrupt when you're chopping trees..."
The moment Damon stepped forward.
Kikikikikil.
A chilling laugh echoed, and sharp branches from the white ironwood whipped out like lashes. Damon dodged in surprise and leaped toward me.
"Gasp! Damn it all!"
"A banshee?"
"Normal banshees can't possess white ironwoods. It's a banshee queen."
Damon glared fiercely at the white ironwood. His face was full of irritation, but he didn't charge recklessly.
"We're retreating for today. Back to the village."
"No other white ironwoods?"
"There are, but they're too far from here. It's getting late, so better head back today and go to another one tomorrow."
I didn't like returning empty-handed because of one monster.
"Damon, we've come this far. It doesn't feel right to just back off. Let's draw out the banshee queen and kill it."
"Didn't you see those branches attacking earlier? The deeper you go in, the faster and stronger they'll get. And white ironwood is way tougher than regular ironwood. Unless the banshee queen comes out, you'd have to hack the tree... Sigh."
It did look tough even for me. Hacking that white ironwood with an axe would take... not minutes, but hours of pounding. All while dodging ironwood ear attacks.
"Damon, iron doesn't burn with fire... but electricity flows through it."
I generated lightning in my palm. Damon's eyes widened, and he nodded.
"True... But you can't burn a white ironwood with that."
"This isn't just any lightning. I think it'll work on the banshee queen possessing the white ironwood too."
Killing the possessed creature kills the possessing banshee. That was a trait of banshees in this world.
I hurled lightning at the white ironwood. A blue bolt struck the trunk, and current spread through the entire tree.
Kiyaaaaaaa!
The lightning and the banshee queen's scream overlapped.
"Oh! It's working!"
"Haha. My lightning is rank S! You think a banshee queen can withstand it?!"
Each bolt brought more screams from the banshee queen. I excitedly unleashed a barrage of lightning.
The enraged banshee queen manipulated the white ironwood's branches. They stretched toward me but halted at 1 meter away. Damon and I were outside the range of the ironwood ear's attacks.
"Hahaha! One-sided beatdown—right up my alley!"
"Banshee queen! That pesky monster that's been bothering us! Keep it up! More!"
As Damon cheered, the assault continued.
Eventually, the banshee queen couldn't hold on and released the possession, surging out of the white ironwood.
It was 1.5 times larger than a normal banshee, with a cracked crown on its head.
Kiyaaaaaaa!
The banshee screamed and charged at us.
"Damon!"
"Don't worry!"
Damon stepped forward and swung his hammer. It hit true, but there was no sound. The banshee queen veered sideways, then corrected course and dove at me.
I generated lightning in my hand. Still, the banshee queen didn't retreat.
Kiyaaaaaaa!
Screaming in agony, it clung to my body and burrowed inside. Mana protected me, but perhaps because it was a banshee queen, I couldn't block the possession.
Normally, possession causes instant loss of consciousness and full body control to the banshee.
But right now, my mind was clear. The problem was I couldn't control my body as I wished. And neither could the banshee queen.
"My god! Possession?!"
Damon recoiled in shock. Smart move.
"D-Da-Da-Damon...!"
"Gasp?! You banshee queen bastard! What trick are you pulling?!"
"No! Damon! It's me! Sung Yu-jin! The banshee queen couldn't dominate my mind!"
"......Is that even possible?"
"You're seeing it! The banshee queen and I are fighting over body control!"
My body shook like an epileptic seizure patient in convulsions. Limbs jerked unnaturally. When the possessing banshee queen tried to step forward, I pulled back. When I tried to gather mana, she interfered.
"...This is insane. What should I do?"
"I don't..."
Know either. This was my first time being possessed, and I hadn't studied it in detail.
The King of Demonic Heaven sponsors 1,000 AP.
“Want help? Condition: Kill one person per day for the next 100 days.”
The King of Demonic Heaven's offer pissed me off.
"Shut up!!"
"Why the sudden outburst? Is my voice that loud?"
"N-No, not you, Damon! The banshee queen is overstepping, trying to tempt me!"
"That wicked thing! Don't fall for the banshee queen's temptation!"
The Lord of the Skies sponsors 10,000 AP.
“How long are you going to keep up this farce? You're not actually losing to a mere banshee queen, are you?”
"......"
I racked my brain. The Lord of the Skies' nonchalant reaction suggested I already had a way to escape the possession.
"Sung Yu-jin! I'll break your arms and legs and drag you back to the village! We'll find a way to lift the possession there slowly!"
"Gasp! What are you saying?!"
This crazy dwarf's lost it!
"No other choice!"
"No! Wait! Calm down! Lightning!"
Current flowed through my body. Physical movements and mana were still interfered with, but lightning was a skill, so it activated. The current coursed through me, but the banshee queen took no damage. My body itself was immune to lightning.
'Use Deception (SS) to change status to Heavenly Demon? No, it doesn't change the body, so probably won't work...'
Heavenly Demon Divine Art? The Heavenly Demon Body might resist possession.
'...The Lord of the Skies' reaction means there's a way! ......Ah!'
I got it.
"Lightning Flash!"
I activated the most recent skill I'd acquired in the 'God's Atlantis' world.
My body underwent lightning embodiment. As flesh turned to lightning, my form temporarily vanished.
Kieeek?!
The possession broke. The banshee queen hovered before me in confusion.
"Thunderclap!"
Lightning tore the banshee queen apart.
Powder and a bracelet lay where the banshee queen vanished.
"Incredible! To think you'd kill the banshee queen like that!"
Lightning Flash ended after 3 seconds, returning me to normal. I picked up the bracelet and powder from the ground.
I wasn't sure about the banshee queen's powder yet, but the bracelet was pretty good. Flight ability depending on usage, and mana stat boost. Though only women could use it.
'This... gotta gift it to someone. Who?'
Damon approached. I quickly hid the bracelet behind my back.
"Don't worry. I won't covet your loot. You okay?"
"Yeah, body feels fine."
"......Could you give me the banshee queen's powder? Not asking for free. I'll pay well..."
"I'll think about it. Let's harvest the white ironwood sap first."
The banshee queen's powder clearly wasn't just for blacksmiths. I could sell it for more in the city.
As Damon extracted the sap, he asked,
"You won't sell the banshee queen's powder? I'll pay generously."
"Have a beer here."
"Kyah! Beer after battle hits different!"
???
I frequented the ironwood forest.
Practicing Heavenly Demon Divine Art in the cool air was more productive than killing time pointlessly in the village.
That day, as I diligently trained by slaying monster rats and banshees,
I sensed an unusual presence.
'......What is that?'
Clearer and darker than monster rats or banshees. I moved toward it.
Black smoke lingered in the air, slowly dissipating. I hurried forward. The black smoke thickened the closer I got.
And finally, I found it.
A black horse shrouded in smoke on eight legs.
I flinched, freezing in place.
World Wolf. True name: Sleipnir.
A divine beast appearing in various regions. Tameable, but only after victory in battle. Even if tamed, it vanishes if it deems you unworthy.
In the original, Kang Myung-jin killed Sleipnir on sight. He had a dragon, so no attachment to Sleipnir.
'...Can I kill it with my current strength?'
The Lord of the Skies sponsors 100,000 AP.
“Dog food mount. Kill it.”
100,000 AP.
The Lord of the Skies was more serious than ever.
'Screw it!'
I couldn't pick a fight with the Lord of the Skies here. I fired Thunderclap.
"Puhhing."
Sleipnir casually twisted away, mocking me, then bolted into the sky. Too late to chase—it was gone.