Level Up Machine 088: Forgotten Ones' Tomb (6)
Clang! Thud!
A heavy roar echoed through the dungeon. The guardian's massive body split in two. From the gap, another guardian's sword thrust forward.
Clang!
"Urk!"
Yeong-sik raised his Blade to block the sword, his body flying backward. An enormous shock traveled up the arm that had parried the guardian's blade.
Its strength is ridiculously high.
Yeong-sik executed a perfect roll upon landing, grabbing his faintly trembling left hand as his eyes gleamed sharply. The three guardians touched down on the floor and charged toward him.
"Yeong-sik!"
Tiriya appeared before him as if to shield him, extending her right hand where pure white light shimmered. The angelic wings sprouting from her back fluttered.
"Temis's Judgment!"
Dozens of light beams split out from her right hand, sweeping over the guardians approaching Yeong-sik.
?Boom!
A massive explosion shattered the three guardians into pieces. The sheer power sent chills down his spine.
"...There are too many."
Yeong-sik grimaced at the guardians still pouring into the passage in droves. He had been wrong about two things regarding the guardians.
One was that they weren't that strong. No, the guardians themselves were powerful enough that ordinary summoners couldn't hope to face them—but Yeong-sik and Tiriya's own power was even greater, making them no real challenge.
Their movements were simple, and they didn't unleash high-output magic barrages.
The problem is the other thing...
The second misconception was their numbers. Even if other guardians rushed over at the noise, he'd thought there'd be barely over ten at most. But more than twenty were visible before his eyes right now.
"What are they, orcs or something?"
Yeong-sik glared at the guardians swarming the passage, his face twisting fiercely. Their numbers were overwhelming, like orcs with their unmatched breeding rate.
"Haa, haa. Are you okay, Yeong-sik?"
Tiriya turned to him, her face pale with exhaustion. They'd been locked in this intense battle for over an hour now. Even with her immense power, it was natural for her to tire.
"I'm fine. You should rest back there a bit, Tiriya."
"B-but..."
"If you keep fighting here, you'll hit mana exhaustion."
"I-I'm okay! If I use a bit more angelic power, monsters like these..."
Yeong-sik cut her off with a firm voice.
"Didn't you say using power beyond what you can handle burdens your body?"
"Still..."
"You hate sacrifices too, don't you, Tiriya?"
She flinched at his words laced with faint anger, lowering her head and stepping back behind him. Tiriya pulled a stamina recovery potion from her inventory and chugged it down.
"I'll rejoin once the potion kicks in."
"Got it."
Yeong-sik nodded, eyeing the horde of guardians closing in. Hesitation flickered across his face.
Should I use the suit?
There was a way out of this. Deploying his off-spec weapon, the Raketeon 2nd Model, would let him sweep the packed guardians in the narrow passage with overwhelming firepower.
The issue is that it might collapse the passage itself...
The Raketeon 2nd Model's firepower was too intense. Just like the cavern he'd been in had crumbled, the entire dungeon could come down.
Of course, even in the Raketeon 2nd Model, he could use weapons like the Blade that didn't affect the surroundings and take them out one by one. But his control time was limited to just five minutes.
Plus, using it now meant no access for the next three days. With unknown threats beyond the guardians, he couldn't waste it lightly.
Hold off for now.
With that thought, Yeong-sik glared at the charging horde. He raised his right hand to his left chest, then scratched across to his right chest in a peculiar motion.
"Incarnation of Fire."
Whoosh!
Along with his low murmur, intense flames enveloped his body, radiating fierce heat.
It wasn't as potent as Rekras's, since he didn't have actual dragon blood or a soul link to Kargas. But it was clearly far beyond a standard skill's power—an S-rank boss monster's ability, after all.
?Thud!
Yeong-sik stomped forward explosively. Like Yuna's Blaze Step, blazing flames erupted with each step.
"Draw Blade."
Click!
The flame-infused Blade sliced through a guardian. The fire pierced its sturdy armor, detonating from within.
Boom!
The guardian exploded violently. Whoosh! Another guardian swung its axe at Yeong-sik. He ducked low to evade, then sprang up.
Click.
His right arm bent, revealing two spheres.
"Detonate."
?Boom!
Three shotgun blasts fired simultaneously. Enhanced by Incarnation of Fire, each flaming pellet shredded the guardian's upper body entirely.
Thud! Boom!
The endless battle against the surging guardians raged on. Yeong-sik unilaterally decimated them with Incarnation of Fire's might. Gatling Gun rounds swept through, fully charged Energy Blasts pierced their bodies.
Yet the guardians kept coming, seemingly without end.
"Huff, huff, huff!"
Yeong-sik panted roughly. Even he, who didn't tire like a normal person, was utterly drained after hours of nonstop combat.
Ammo's out.
Worse than stamina depletion: the shotgun and Gatling Gun were empty. Boost reserves and Energy Blast were nearly gone too.
At this rate, he'd be down to just the Blade.
Where the hell are they all coming from?
Despite destroying dozens, more kept appearing from somewhere. Their numbers had visibly thinned, but guardians still approached through the passage. It felt like every monster in the dungeon was converging here.
"Shotgun!"
Click.
Shotgun ammunition depleted. Usage impossible. 10 minutes required for reload.
"Damn it!"
A curse escaped Yeong-sik's lips. Whoosh! A guardian's spear thrust toward him.
"Heavenly Shield!"
Clang!
Tiriya, back in the fray, deflected the spear. But exhaustion was clear on her face too.
Have to use the suit.
With no other options, Yeong-sik reached for the suit in his inventory. That's when—
"Charge!"
Park Sia's voice echoed through the passage. At her command, Leviathan Guild rushed the guardians.
Crunch! Boom!
"Hah! Still just scrap heaps with stupid numbers!"
Kang Ha-rin led, swinging her two-meter longsword wildly with a shout. Park Sang-jun and Cheon Tae-hwang followed, charging the guardians.
"Guild Master! Yeong-sik!"
Bae Han-seong's voice rang out. He turned back, yelling urgently.
"Take out the guardians first!"
"Leave it to us!"
"Got it."
Park Cheol-tae, Jeong So-rim, and Yuna surged forward. Hwang-hyeon's arrows and Seo A-ra's magic provided cover fire.
"Curse Shield!"
Han Tae-young's spell activated on the three vanguards. Crimson barriers formed over them—a Fallen Priest's unique skill that applied curses to attackers alongside protection.
Boom! Bang!
Explosions rocked the passage. With Leviathan and Salvatore Guilds joining, the swarming guardians were rapidly cleared.
"Haa?"
"Ahh?..."
Yeong-sik sighed in relief at his guildmates' perfect timing. Glancing at Tiriya, she looked on the verge of tears.
"We're good now."
"Y-yes?"
Tiriya nodded with a relieved smile despite her fatigue. The reinforcements had eased her worries.
The battle ended soon after. Yeong-sik and Tiriya had already taken out a hefty number, and the joined forces were overwhelmingly strong.
"...Good work."
Park Sia glanced at the guardians' corpses the pair had felled alone, her face blank with disbelief. She knew they were strong, but not this strong—dozens soloed by two people.
"Thanks for coming."
"No, sorry we didn't arrive sooner."
Park Sia's expression showed her own exhaustion—they'd force-marched to the bottom too.
"Tiriya unnie?!"
"Waaah! Are you hurt anywhere?!"
Yuna and Lee Chae-rin rushed to Tiriya. She hugged them, smiling brightly.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Nothing happened."
"Sob sob... Did Yeong-sik oppa do anything weird?! Like groping unnie in secret when you were alone?"
"Y-Yeong-sik wouldn't do that!"
Tiriya flushed at Chae-rin's sudden words, shouting. Chae-rin pouted, disappointed.
"Eh? Really nothing? A healthy guy and girl alone for three days?"
Seo A-ra, overhearing, narrowed her eyes at Yeong-sik. She strode up, whispering lowly.
"You didn't do anything weird to the Guild Master, right?"
"I'm innocent."
Yeong-sik raised his hands playfully, smirking. Chae-rin stomped, glaring.
"Oppa, didn't peg you for such a herbivore. How do you spend three days alone with her and do nothing?"
"Well, it wasn't nothing."
All eyes locked on him. They stared as if sparks might fly. A-ra glared with a different intensity.
"Y-Yeong-sik?! What do you mean..."
"Haha. Nothing big. Just saw an unexpected side of the Guild Master."
Yeong-sik chuckled, recalling Tiriya losing control and pouncing(?).
"Yeong-sik."
Tiriya, catching on, called him with a stiff face.
"Open your mouth more, and I won't let it slide."
She smiled sweetly, but intense power gathered in her hand—fierce even after battle.
"Tell us, Yeong-sik. What happened?"
Unlike Tiriya, A-ra demanded coldly. Caught between them, Yeong-sik swallowed hard, regretting his words.
"Kyaa! Yeong-sik oppa! Something did happen! Spill it!"
"What'd you do to unnie?!"
"Yeong-sik. Speak, and prepare yourself."
"Tell us already!"
Regret was too late.
Time to change the subject...
Yeong-sik turned to the massive wall blocking the bottom floor's entrance. The short phrase caught his eye:
"Only those who inherit the blood of angels may pass through here."