Chapter 170
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Prime Venom Assassin (3)
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If the poison from [Intent] doesn't work, then just use real poison.
'I'll soak you in venom until you're crawling on the floor.'
He was cautious, but in the end, he was still a member of the Cheoncheon Church.
Once killing intent took root, there was no thought of letting his opponent live.
Pfshaaa!
In an instant, poisonous mist filled the space.
Jun sprang into action.
[Volcanic Tornado]
Kwaaaa!
A raging storm of flames sucked up all the poisonous mist heading toward his comrades and incinerated it.
"...!"
The Prime Venom Assassin hadn't expected such a swift counter. He felt a momentary shock, but it didn't matter.
'Wasting the mage's mana is a win for me.'
He pulled out another poison orb and hurled it to the ground, then cast [Illusion Clone] before the flame storm could devour the mist completely.
Slipping in among the ten clones that appeared in an instant, the Prime Venom Assassin charged at Aiden alongside them.
'As long as it's not that blond kid's wind-infused technique!'
Unlike the mist that took time to poison, direct contact with the venom coating his blade would make them vomit blood and collapse before they could even react.
Suppressing his killing intent amid the illusions, he circled to the side—
Pfbit!
"What?!"
A dagger flew straight toward the Prime Venom Assassin's real body.
Unfortunately for him, his tricks wouldn't work here.
No matter how many clones he summoned, it was impossible to fool the eyes of Maya and Eleanor, who were sensitive to souls.
Maya clenched her fist, certain of her hit.
'Got...?!'
But the Prime Venom Assassin was no pushover.
In a flash, he swapped places with a clone on the opposite side and thrust his [Intent]-infused blade toward Aiden's throat.
[Life Shield of Light]
In that split second, a golden barrier materialized, blocking the Prime Venom Assassin's sword.
"Tch!"
He'd held back some power for a potential escape, but now he was stuck in a bad spot.
'Gotta go for a short battle.'
For some reason, his opponents had completely figured out his fighting style.
Better to throw down a decisive move now than hold back and get pushed.
Boom!
The same pattern repeated.
He tossed another poison orb to create mist, then summoned multiple [Illusion Clones] and scattered them everywhere.
"Watch out! He can swap places with his clones!"
They had some idea already, but now even the uncertain comrades paid attention to the clones' positions.
But it didn't matter.
They couldn't ignore the main body just to deal with every single clone.
Jun clicked his tongue.
'Level 6 user's movements are faster than expected.'
It wasn't for nothing that mages' counters were assassins. With that agility, landing spells was tough.
The Prime Venom Assassin hated combat, but he was still a Level 6.
Even casting [Detecting Target] might not lock on.
He wanted to create an opening somehow, but the clones' 'teleport' ability made it impossible.
"Damn, why are these clones so fast?!"
Eleanor, summoning her holy golden spear to intercept clones, vented her frustration.
The Prime Venom Assassin kept casting [Illusion Clone], creating over twenty already.
No telling when he'd swap and strike.
'Monghwan.'
Jun tossed control of [Volcanic Tornado] to Monghwan and shouted to Aiden and Maya.
"Hold for 10 seconds!"
At Jun's call, Maya deployed [Shadow Web], reducing the clones around her and Eleanor.
[Shadow Web]
Aiden unleashed blazing aura, shredding every clone in reach.
And then.
[Multi-Chant]
[Flame Rage]
[Detecting Target] linked
[Detecting Target]
He targeted the summoned clones, linking [Detecting Target]'s mana pattern to [Flame Rage].
Immediately, fiery orbs spewed crimson flames toward the clones.
The ferocious blasts of fire shattered over a dozen clones.
The Prime Venom Assassin's eyes shook at the sight.
'How are these second-year rookies this good...!'
Unbelievable reaction speed.
He'd underestimated Level 5s a bit, but his innate caution had kept him on edge from the start.
Yet they were still pushing him this hard.
'Still, I win...!!'
While the twenty-plus clones distracted the mercenaries,
the Prime Venom Assassin hadn't just sat idle.
He was the type to tap even a stone bridge multiple times.
So he'd hidden a contingency.
'Got it...!'
Right now, excluding the mage, the most annoying was the black-eyed high priestess.
It had taken time due to distance, but he'd successfully summoned a clone into the rock crevice behind her.
He teleported instantly, thrusting his sword toward the unprepared priestess's heart—
[Flare]
"...Gahk?!"
A brilliant crimson flame pierced his abdomen instantly.
'He knows as much about me as I know about him.'
Obviously, this wasn't the first or second time Jun had ruined the Cheoncheon Church's grand plans.
They likely had a full profile on Jun and the White Whale Mercenary Corps.
And throughout this fight, watching the Prime Venom Assassin's moves confirmed Jun's suspicions.
'This bastard hasn't targeted me once?'
Except for the initial entrance block, he'd never gone after Jun.
That was odd.
In battles like this, mages were priority one.
Jun had blocked the exit and was countering the poison mist—his main weapon.
Yet lately, his eyes were on Eleanor.
'He knows my defenses.'
He didn't know their exact intel source, but they knew about Jun's 'Predator'.
'That time, huh.'
The Twin-Head Troll causing erosion on Layer 4.
He'd used 'Predator' right at the end of that fight.
'That's why he ignores me and keeps targeting Eleanor, the ranged support.'
Stupid fool.
Didn't that waste his clone distraction?
As Jun predicted, he summoned a clone behind Eleanor and went for the kill, expecting massive mana drain.
Jun had prepped [Flare] and nailed him in the gut.
"...What?!"
Eleanor finally noticed him behind her, recoiling in shock. Maya lunged like an arrow, stabbing for his heart—but
Shhh...
"...?!"
The Prime Venom Assassin, clutching his gut as he fell, dissolved into smoke and vanished.
"A clone?!"
The Prime Venom Assassin.
He was far more meticulous and desperate to live than Jun had thought.
"Keurgh...!!!"
In the pitch-black mine tunnel, no light penetrating,
the Prime Venom Assassin dropped to his knees and vomited blood.
Pain like his body was melting.
If he hadn't swallowed a fire-neutralizing poison immediately, he'd have died on the spot.
'If I hadn't prepared midway...!'
The mage's steel walls.
Slipping clones past that swirling mana barrier was tricky and time-consuming.
If he hadn't secretly summoned clones beyond it bit by bit with [Intent] as a precaution,
'I'd be dead.'
No room for carelessness against them.
He'd been giving his all from the start.
"Damn... it..."
He invoked [Intent] to suppress the flames barely, then doused his pierced gut with a full recovery potion.
"Huuuugh!!!"
Pain threatening to knock him out hit hard, but he bit his lip and stayed conscious.
"Gotta... escape..."
Even without the magic hit, forcing [Illusion Clone] summons and long-range teleports in that mana-heavy space had backlash.
'The mine's vast. It'll take them ages to find me. Hide, recover, then escape via the outside clone I prepped.'
He'd brought anti-detection artifacts too.
Relief at surviving mixed with anxiety—he wasn't safe yet.
'Snap out of it! Can't die like this.'
He hadn't gotten the ancient spirit stone, but he had the Molten Ecstasy.
Handle this mess, deal with the Third Prince, and done.
'I can climb higher...!'
Steeling himself, he gripped his blurry vision and moved for a while.
"No... pursuit?"
He dragged his wrecked body to survive.
Thrashed desperately to live.
"Hoo, hoo...!"
Healing was slow.
He'd contained the mage's firepower, but the mana was so potent, aftereffects lingered.
'Minimal treatment, then right away...'
In a brief lull, plotting escape routes, his eyes widened hugely.
"H-How...!"
"Well, well. Looks like you found us."
Sword Phantom Aden.
He'd approached silently and looked at the glass orb in his hand.
"Said it was rushed, but it works pretty well. Tough break for you, though."
"...!!"
A faint mana scent.
Definitely a tracking artifact.
Not wide-range—this had zeroed in on him precisely.
'In that short time...?! Ah!'
He finally looked at his gut.
The wound nearly healed, but faint traces of the mage's mana remained.
'That's why my artifacts failed!'
His mind went blank.
Sword Phantom Aden.
Before retirement, famed as the Emperor's Blade—against him, the Prime Venom Assassin was just a frog before a snake.
A voice echoed in the tunnel then.
"Who are you?"
Ignoring Sword Phantom's question, it spoke to the Prime Venom Assassin.
"B-But!"
"Hah, you think I'll just watch?"
Something was up.
Before the Prime Venom Assassin could act on the unknown voice's words, Sword Phantom drew his sword and slashed at his neck with lightning speed—
Something absorbed his blade.
Aden twisted, looking back.
His strike had pierced a warped space behind him.
'Space magic?'
No, not magic.
Magic couldn't have blocked his attack.
"...Understood."
The resolved Prime Venom Assassin nodded.
Better to risk side effects and fulfill his master's goal—maybe grasp some slim chance—than get his head chopped off.
"You bastard!"
As the toneless voice unleashed formless power, an intangible force tried to engulf Sword Phantom.
He invoked his own 'Intent' to resist,
but an even greater force swallowed Sword Phantom's Intent and his body whole.