Chapter 144
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: Boss Hunt
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Yeah, no need to hold back anymore.
"Graaak!"
"W-What?! What the hell is going... Kugh!"
I'd already checked what items the enemies were carrying.
I'd grasped their numbers and taken out the ones who might interfere.
"W-What the fuck is this guy?! What kind of speed is that?!"
"Did he hide his power all this time?!"
Unlike in the palace, I could now use my abilities freely.
In short, there were no variables left. I'd confirmed everything about the enemy during our earlier conversation. There had almost been one hitch, but...
Whish!
Even that was gone now.
'...Barkus is dead.'
Arknon too.
And his companions.
The guys from Black Anchor Trading Company who had approached me smiling.
"Kwaaaak!"
All the people I'd exchanged a few words with in this shithole of a place were dead.
There was no reason left to hold back.
"M-Monster."
...So, maybe there was no reason to hold back anymore?
Tszzzip babat!
I darted through the battlefield like a bolt, swinging my sword at full speed. With every swing, blood sprayed and heads soared high into the sky.
"Hiiik!"
While they panicked, nearly ninety enemies were already rolling on the ground.
There were still plenty left alive, but they hesitated, not even thinking to charge.
Agility 149.
For mere soldiers whose average agility didn't even exceed 100, it wasn't a sword they could track with their eyes in the darkness.
The overwhelming stat gap left them unable to respond, simply offering their necks or stumbling back.
Like chickens facing a weasel rampaging in their coop.
Bam!
That was when someone leaped in front of me, blocking my path.
"Hmph, impressive. No wonder you managed to evade us all this time."
Telamon smirked, our weapons clashing. As I faced him, a fierce assault from the side forced me to shove him back hard and retreat.
"Kuhahaha! You bastard! You've been hiding your power until now, haven't you?!"
Like an enraged bull, Brontes charged at me, swinging his sword with brutal speed.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Our blades collided, producing not the screech of metal but explosive blasts.
He was completely hyped up.
I got it.
Telamon and Brontes both had 150 Agility. Mine was 149. Since we were evenly matched, they could track my movements clearly, fueling their competitive fire.
After all, there were only four in Haran with agility like theirs now.
"Uahaha! Come on, strike back! Don't just defend!"
Bam! Bam! Bam bam bam!
As Brontes unleashed a barrage, Telamon rallied the soldiers.
"Get a grip, all of you! Who are you? Aren't you Haran's soldiers?!"
The soldiers, who had been edging back to flee the battlefield, turned to him.
"The elite of the elite! The royal guards who swept the port rats with only fourteen injuries! Isn't that you?!"
"!!"
"He's just one guy! A beast who's scurried like a rat until now! Let's end him here like the port vermin—cut off his breath!"
The terrified soldiers roared in unison, tossing spears and drawing swords. Those blades flew straight at me.
"Die!"
"Dieee!"
Clang clang clang clang!
I spun 360 degrees, deflecting eight incoming swords from all directions, then scanned the battlefield.
Their frenzied eyes showed morale that wouldn't break with a little intimidation.
Shwick—
I swiftly swung, slicing the throats of those whose stances had crumbled.
"Guh."
"Kraaak."
But even as comrades bled out and died, the enemies' morale didn't waver.
'No wonder they say victory is intoxicating.'
On the battlefield, victory was like a drug, its sweetness driving people mad. It made them forget they could die.
That's why morale matters.
Especially the pride of being 'royal soldiers'—it kept them smiling until the end.
"Where are you looking?!"
Bam!
I coolly swept my gaze over the field.
Around me, 170 soldiers lost in madness.
Right in front, one rampaging raid boss in excitement.
And a bit farther, another boss observing my patterns intently.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
A raid combo that would take over two thousand players to fell was surrounding and pressing me relentlessly.
Whish!
I sensed killing intent hurtling from afar and urgently raised my sword to deflect it.
Boom!
The axe clashed with my sword and flew high into the sky.
'...[Slaughterer's Oath]?'
Thanks to its cheat-like effect—100% strength added on throw—my body was flung back in an instant.
Closer range this time meant far greater power.
My arm throbbed.
Without [Dusk Veil]'s 30% physical resistance, it probably would have snapped.
But I had no time to wait for the pain to subside.
"Die!"
Four swords raining down on me.
Brontes leaping to stomp the fallen me.
Too late to stand and counter. I quickly infused mana into my new boots.
Thud boom!
Explosive power surged from the mana-soaked boots.
[Sylphie's Magical Engineering Boots - Gale: ... Infusing mana enables instantaneous leaps and propulsion.]
Propulsion activated, scraping me across the ground and out from the center. I toppled twenty soldiers' legs and shot outward.
"Kwaaak!"
"M-My leg!"
Those hit by my shoulder clutched broken legs and tumbled. I felt the impacts but took almost no damage thanks to [Dusk Veil] and high stamina.
The propulsion was insane. No wonder Telamon had leaped that distance in one bound last time.
'...Even early field bosses are bosses, huh? Tough without [Unique Abilities] or [Item Abilities].'
No sooner had I risen than soldiers and Brontes swarmed from all sides. And a hand axe whirling back at me.
Boom!
My body flew back again. Muscles screamed. Pain twisted my body. Enemies stabbed into the gap.
'Good thing I sent the party away.'
With this level of combat power, someone would have gotten seriously hurt.
'They still lack experience to handle raid bosses.'
Like newbies in a game—they needed more padding until they grew into true S-Ranks.
Of course, I wasn't about to risk myself for it.
I let my sword droop low.
"Kuhaha, giving up?!"
Soldiers and Brontes reacted as if it were natural.
"Then die!"
I eyed the incoming axe. Thinking it was over, the soldiers backed off to watch Telamon finish me.
Excited eyes, as if witnessing my end.
'This should be enough.'
I reached out and caught the flying axe.
"...Huh?"
"W-What?"
Stunned soldiers.
And Telamon.
Item
Name: Shape Memory Ring → Oath of Mnemosyne
Grade: Mythic
Description: Strength +10. Absorbs incoming abilities for the wearer. Store and release at will. Can absorb abilities up to Mythic grade, once per day.
It was originally a legendary ring. The goddess upgraded it to handle Mythic abilities too.
In short, I'd absorbed the axe's '100% added damage' and casually snatched it.
"Eek!"
Telamon thrashed to retrieve it, but...
"What?! Why won't it come back?!"
Sorry, but I'd temporarily absorbed its return function too. Right now, it was just a sturdy normal axe.
Though different when I used it.
I gripped the axe tight and hurled it at Telamon, releasing the absorbed power.
Whiiiirrrrk!
"?!"
Telamon panicked and drew his sword. Boom! He tumbled back with the blast.
I had physical resistance from [Dusk Veil] and experience deflecting it, but for him, catching his own axe was a first.
"Kraaak!"
"C-Captain..."
"He flew..."
Telamon's massive frame floated then crashed. Soldiers gaped. But no time for that.
Shhhhwick—
"Guh."
"Kuh... W-What?"
"Watch out! Something's moving fast through us!"
Suddenly, blood sprayed in the enemy ranks, gasps echoing. They clutched throats, staggering and collapsing. All had vital spots severed.
"Kuhuk. T-This is...?"
Blade shards—from weapons broken by Shin Seo-yeon's earlier fireballs. I'd gripped them with telekinesis and sliced only arteries.
In broad daylight, they wouldn't fall so easily, but night enabled such dirty tricks.
"Cheap shot!"
Brontes casually deflected one at his throat. As expected, projectiles meant nothing to a raid boss.
Result the same no matter how many times.
'[Item Ability] limits end here.'
Just enough for raid boss minions.
Could yield results with clever use, but no need to test now.
I'd gathered the data I wanted.
So, I played my long-delayed final card: [Unique Ability].
Copied Unique Ability from bound target.
Can use <Stealth> for 10 minutes.
The ability I'd set on Isera before sending her off enveloped me.
"Huh? W-What?"
Brontes, charging to attack, blinked at my sudden vanishing act, eyes widening.
He checked sky, sides—but couldn't find me.
I was right in front of him.
'Isera's [Stealth] fools even the Destruction Dragon. Undetectable without detection skills.'
No detection items among the enemies.
Impossible to spot me.
Flick.
My arm moved. A red line appeared on Brontes's dumbly blinking neck, his head sliding off and rolling away.
"......"
Silence fell.
One strike: Brontes dead. Battlefield shock.
[Coastal Guard Captain Brontes] defeated.
'That's the weakness of human raid bosses.'
Unlike others with insane defense and HP, human types were fragile like this. Off with the head, done.
A penalty for being able to use items like players.
"B-Brontes is dead...?"
"Huaaaak!"
"R-Run! Kugh!"
Only about thirty soldiers left—easy to finish.
I dropped stealth and eyed the last raid boss.
"W-What the hell are you?"
"?"
Telamon seemed terrified. One arm trembled—he'd failed to block my thrown axe.
"Why! Why hide that power and run until now?!"
Ah... I murmured wistfully, chasing old memories.
"What I wanted... wasn't Haran's chaos."
"What...?"
"Hearing that hit home. Made me forget this was a Trial for a moment, lost in a dream. Obvious this fucked-up world wouldn't allow it."
"What are you babbling about?!"
"Just venting. Saved a gift for you, but the recipients all vanished."
Bitter, but what can you do? Past is past—move forward.
"Shall we end this?"
As I approached, he bam! kicked off and fled. But he bellowed.
"Who says! Think you'll die easy?! I'll catch your comrades! See if you strut once they're hostages! Hahaha!"
He dove into the ancient sewer.
'...Trouble from start to finish.'
That's why I sent the party away—no raid participation. Human bosses pulled cowardly shit.
I snorted, pulling an item from my pocket. The instructed envelope awoke, vanishing into the air.
Then returned, spitting contents.
"Huh? Why am I here...?"
Telamon looked around, clueless.
"What do you think?"
Not expecting an answer. My voice wouldn't reach anyway. Still stealthed, I silently beheaded him.
[City Guard Captain Telamon Krzak] defeated.
Why not use another envelope while at it?
[Royal Knight Commander Astreon North] defeated.
Three bosses down in one go. I dusted my hands and looked down at the port.
"Alright, time to go see our Inope."
She's not worth an envelope.
I'll drop by and hear what nonsense she spouts.