Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Nine Hearts
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"Nineheart. It's an ability whose name means 'nine hearts.'"
"...Nine hearts? The name alone sounds awfully grand."
"It's not just the name. The ability itself is nothing to scoff at."
"What kind of power is it?"
"Exactly what the name implies."
"Huh?"
Everyone looked puzzled.
Exactly what it implies?
Did that mean it literally had nine hearts?
The operations team staff couldn't grasp Jeongmu's words at face value.
That was when it happened.
Park Kwangho, the team leader who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up.
"No need to overthink it. It means exactly what it says: nine actual hearts."
"Ah, nine of them?!"
"Yeah."
"But if it has nine lives, isn't that insanely overpowered? It's already a level 154 named NPC in terms of level design."
"No pain, no gain."
"Pardon?"
"You don't get something for nothing."
It was always the same.
Agas's design philosophy: for every advantage, there was an equal drawback.
Nineheart was no exception.
"Besides, Nineheart wasn't designed as a skill in the first place. Technically, it's a step above that—an Authority."
"Au-Authority?!"
"That's right. Specifically, the Authority of the black cat obtained from a demon by sacrificing tens of thousands of souls by Prime Minister Del Mark in the past."
Authority.
It referred to the powers wielded by gods or transcendent beings on their level.
Typically, one borrowed such power through direct contracts with them.
But Prime Minister Del Mark had taken a completely different approach.
A demon from hell.
He'd made a deal with one and brought its Authority into the mortal realm outright.
However, Del Mark was ultimately executed for treason, and the Authority he possessed was passed to one of his subordinates.
To the ancestor of Drauder.
"A terrifying Authority like that without heavy penalties? No way. Even Drauder himself can't control it easily."
"Meaning?"
"It means he could lose control and go berserk. If that happens, he's as good as dead. He'd turn into a monster with no way back to humanity. Sure, eventually he'd master it and rise to Hero grade, but that's two years from now. Right now, it's different. If it activates, he might escape the mountain fortress, but he'd be consumed by darkness en route and become a monster for good."
Gulp!
The atmosphere turned chilling.
As if they'd just imagined it.
Every staff member's face was frozen stiff.
But only for a moment.
Kwangho chuckled, lightening the heavy mood.
"What're you all so scared for? Didn't you hear Jeongmu earlier? There's absolutely no way the return fails. This is just what happens if it did. Hypothetically speaking. It won't actually happen."
"...Ahahaha, right."
"Yeah, you lot. Considering the Viscount's army level range, it'll never come to that. No worries."
Exactly.
It was merely a hypothetical.
Not something that had actually occurred.
Which was why Jeongmu set down his report after glancing at it.
Nineheart.
There was more info on the Authority, but no need to mention it.
'Yeah. Drauder dying is a long way off.'
Named monsters.
Bosses.
Raid monsters all had fixed patterns.
Of course, exceptions existed, but most were designed to be conquerable.
However, that didn't mean they stuck to a single pattern from start to finish.
Phase-based patterns.
Their patterns shifted with each phase.
Drauder was a perfect example right now.
The round hearts protruding from its palms.
Finally, its weakness exposed, ushering in a new phase.
'Hearts!'
'The hearts!'
'Nine hearts total!'
Luke.
Roxie.
Baek Eun all thought the same.
Those hearts were the key to this phase.
They needed to target them relentlessly.
And so, raid leader Baek Eun immediately pointed at the hearts and shouted.
"Backline! Hearts! Focus fire on those protruding from the palms first!"
Drauder's massive frame, twice a normal person's size.
Its mutated arms positioned high up.
Too high for melee to reach easily.
"Start with the rightmost heart!"
Baek Eun swiftly directed the backline firepower to one palm first.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Fwoosh!
Crack!
Arrows.
Spells.
Thrown items.
A barrage zeroed in on Drauder's heart.
Drauder still clutched its head in agony.
But per the message, it'd soon regain its senses and attack even more viciously.
'Before that, burst as many hearts as possible...'
That thought was interrupted.
Boom!
One heart couldn't withstand the barrage and exploded.
Nine hearts.
They'd successfully destroyed the first.
Baek Eun inwardly cheered and targeted the next.
But at that instant.
Slurp!
The protruding hearts retracted back inside.
"Damn it!"
"Nooo, come back, my heart!"
"Tch, figures. Too easy to be true."
Groans erupted here and there.
They'd barely burst one, and now Drauder had snapped out of it, glaring at them again.
With even fiercer eyes.
Danger.
Baek Eun sensed it and urgently pulled the frontline back.
-Roooaaar!
As expected.
Its speed had increased.
And the movement patterns had changed too.
They'd have to relearn them from scratch at this new speed.
Baek Eun knew this best, but it felt impossible.
Why?
Eight hearts still remained.
Especially since Drauder had recovered instantly after the first burst.
This situation would likely repeat.
'...This is too much, Rover Company.'
Shadows darkened Baek Eun's face.
The raid continued afterward.
-Gr... Groooar.
Deal chances spawning with sustained damage.
Each time, players followed Baek Eun's orders and burst the protruding palm hearts one by one.
The intervals shortening progressively.
But each destruction diversified and intensified its patterns.
And eventually, the feared scenario unfolded.
"Waaah!"
"Oof, I'm out first."
"Uncle squad, if we clear the raid, grab my loot for me!"
Patterns growing ever more complex.
Casualties mounting one by one.
And they'd only burst the fourth heart.
Massive losses.
Firepower dropped with fewer numbers, burdens heavier on survivors.
Filling the gaps wasn't easy.
"Ngh!"
"Roxie!"
Attempts to cover only injured Roxie further.
"Raid leader! Potion line down here too!"
"Ours too!"
To make matters worse.
Consumables were running dry across the raid.
Even raid leader Baek Eun was no exception.
The holy knight propping up the allies.
But even that had limits.
Holy power for buffs, heals, shields nearly depleted.
Confirming it, Baek Eun scowled and turned.
Thud!
Iron Mask Man had returned to his side to recover stamina.
Baek Eun scratched his head and apologized outright.
"Sorry. You entrusted me with raid lead, and I blew it completely. Ahahaha..."
"......"
"Iron Mask?"
"This is enough."
"Huh?"
"You've bought plenty of time."
Iron Mask Man's head turned.
His gaze fixed on the backline.
No, further back—the Viscount's army.
Clank!
Thud thud!
Shing!
Those who'd lost the will to fight, sunk in despair.
Soldiers and knights now advanced with renewed resolve.
The adventurers hired by the Viscount.
Stimulated by the players' desperate struggle.
"...We've shown you an unsightly sight. Sorry, and thank you for holding out this long. From here, we'll take the frontline. We'll stake our lives on it!"
Hawk Knights' Captain.
Alcareto drew his sword with a resolute face.
Baek Eun snapped to attention and nodded.
Viscount's army.
If they took frontline, it'd buy more time.
However.
'Still unfavorable overall. He must know that too.'
It was just stalling.
The situation unchanged.
Baek Eun eyed Iron Mask Man in confusion.
Then.
-Gr... Groooar!
Drauder halted its assault on the knights and soldiers again.
Hearts protruding from its palms simultaneously.
Baek Eun's eyes widened.
'Shorter interval than before?!'
Not just a second or two.
And with reduced numbers, DPS was lackluster.
Yet the deal chance arrived even sooner.
"...What the."
As he panicked.
Iron Mask Man, swigging a potion beside him, spoke up.
"Baek Eun, cover me with the raid."
"No way. Even with reduced firepower, a lone melee bursting hearts is too risky!"
"Don't worry."
"Huh?"
"It won't move anymore."
"What do you... Wait, no way?!"
Baek Eun whipped his head around.
Intervals shrinking rapidly.
Deal phase approaching fast.
But the cause still unclear.
Then, he noticed the kukri in Iron Mask Man's hand.
Red blade.
He'd seen it before: Tier 3 thief weapon, Crimson Kukri.
The moment it clicked.
Iron Mask Man—no, Luke—kicked off the ground toward it.
Tat tat tat!
He lightly stepped on its head and climbed atop.
"E-Everyone, cover Iron Mask...!"
Baek Eun's urgent voice followed soon after.
True to top ranker form, he'd grasped it and issued orders.
'Lucky we have him.'
Without experienced raid leader Baek Eun, rank 3 rookie, they wouldn't have lasted.
Luke smirked at the thought and looked down.
Pshh!
Pshh!
Pshh!
Pshh!
Drauder.
Wounds riddling its body.
White powder spraying real-time from them.
The kukri's bleed effect, invisible without party sync.
Crimson Kukri's high bleed proc rate.
Double strikes via Grudge of Shadows.
Speed boost from Wind Bracelet.
Plus physical stats far exceeding his level.
Bleeds stacked since its humanoid phase had piled up massively.
Total 254x multiplier.
That much bleed damage ticking constantly.
In other words.
The sustained damage triggering deal chances nonstop.
The intervals between deal phases virtually gone.
Thanks to the real-time 254x bleed damage.
"Now..."
Amid swirling powder.
Luke grinned wide.
"Climax time."