Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Snufen's Demise
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●Status Window
Name: Kim Cheonjae
Job: Necromancer
Level: 12
HP: 260/260
Mana: 13/50
Stamina: 19 Attack: 21
Defense: 18 Speed: 19
▶Revive (Mana Cost: 3)
-Revives a number of the dead equal to the caster's level as undead.
▶Skeleton Summon (Mana Cost: 2)
-Summons skeleton warriors using bones as a medium, equal to the caster's level.
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My current level was 12.
In this game, where level 30 and up were considered mid-tier, level 12 put me at beginner among beginners.
After all, you weren't called someone who knew the basics until level 20 and beyond.
“Whew.”
Generally, a beginner's level meant you could never win a head-on fight against a mid-sized monster or larger.
But the enemy in front of us was super-sized among the larges.
Even the top rankers who ruled the city streets in the late stages of Land of Ruin had avoided direct confrontations with Snufen.
And there was only one reason for that.
Its strength was so immense that no human power could stand against it.
The problem was its destructive power, powerful enough to compensate for its sloth-like slowness.
“Sora-ssi, prepare the syringe.”
“What color?”
“Blue. Please.”
I borrowed a soldier's saber and lightly nicked my fingertip.
Just enough for a drop or two of blood.
Plop.
The congealed drop of blood from my fingertip fell into the Han River. This was something you should never do unless it was an emergency.
Zombies would swarm at the smell of blood.
Especially since the Z Virus infectees living in the Han River weren't just the one Snufen...
A few seconds after the blood drop fell.
Blorp blorp blorp—
Bubbles boiled up beneath the boat, signaling the arrival of something.
Splash!
A black object the size of a puppy burst through the surface.
It was hard to make out visually in the darkness, but I knew exactly what they were.
The true masters of the Han River—zombie corpses discarded into the river, infected by the virus after feasting on other bodies.
The black shape that had leaped briefly fell back into the river under gravity.
Splash!
‘It’s here.’
“Sora-ssi. Please.”
“Y-Yes!”
Yoo Sora gazed into the air and whispered.
“Come forth, needle holding the blood of the blue one.”
A sapphire glow swirled in Yoo Sora's hand, forming a holographic blue syringe.
She took a deep breath and carefully gripped my forearm, sliding the needle in.
Sizzle.
The blue liquid slowly flowed into my veins.
My whole body felt refreshingly cool, like when you pop a mint candy and your mouth tingles.
It was as if a channel in my head that had been clogged suddenly cleared, making me feel great, my eyes snapping wide open.
My heartbeat gradually slowed, and the tension melted away.
With my eyes closed as the liquid entered my body, I could focus my now-crystal-clear mind.
[Received blue blood transfusion from player ‘Yoo Sora.’]
[The power of the Samjang Law Master, who has mastered the Sutra Pitaka, Vinaya Pitaka, and Abhidharma Pitaka, activates.]
[Activation time: 30 minutes]
A blue mana gauge rapidly filled above my head. It was thanks to the regeneration booster shot Yoo Sora had given me.
The tip of my finger, nicked just moments ago, healed as if glued back together.
“Sora-ssi, fall back.”
“Okay.”
I dipped my hand into the Han River water and chanted the spell.
“Revive.”
[System Message]
▶Revive (Mana Cost: 3)
-Revives a number of the dead equal to the caster's level as undead.
A selection menu appeared in black text.
##
[Entity Selection]
-Carp / 162
-Crucian Carp / 45
-Eel / 1
-Soft-shelled Turtle / 7
-Bass / 81
-Catfish / 10
##
“...”
I selected seven soft-shelled turtles and five bass.
Eleven fluorescent lifeforms appeared in the dark water. It was a special light only I, their summoner, could see.
[Summon List]
-Park Gyuhwan (Soldier) 1/1: Idle
-Soft-shelled Turtle (Normal) 6/12: Idle
-Bass (Normal) 5/12: Idle
Both the bass and turtles were all adults over 30 centimeters.
After confirming Snufen's position, I issued orders to them.
“Target: Snufen. Move out.”
Blorp blorp blorp—!
Bubbles rose beneath the boat. The fluorescent lights visible only to me swam swiftly toward Snufen.
Major Kim Juncheol asked me.
“What are you doing?”
“...You’ll find out if you wait.”
The turtles and bass began attacking Snufen, swimming in rapid circles as if they were doctor fish nibbling away at dead skin on human feet.
The difference was that my summons weren’t just eating dead skin.
They were devouring every bit of the enemy’s flesh, reducing it to nothingness.
The red bar above Snufen’s head began to dwindle.
Splash!
Water erupted massively near the shore.
-Kieeeek!
Unable to endure the assault, Snufen surfaced.
It shook its webbed flippers, trying to dislodge my summons. Just a graze, and the bass lost all their HP.
“...Skeleton Summon.”
Skeleton soldiers rose from the fallen bass bones. They latched onto Snufen’s legs.
-Kieeeek!
The skeleton soldiers crawled up its body, diverting its attention.
The turtles spun in circles, gnawing at Snufen’s legs.
“Major Kim Juncheol!”
I merely called his name, and he nodded.
Beep.
“All units, engage the monster ahead with fire!”
-Alpha, received.
-Romeo, received.
-Bravo, received.
-Delta, received.
The Goblin Unit soldiers on the boat raised their rifles and took aim at Snufen.
Bang! Bang bang bang!
Muzzles flashed.
Then, machine gun fire echoed from the apartments across the river.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Boom! A shell the size of a soccer ball sliced through the air.
Whiiiiiish—
Kaboom!
It struck dead in the eye.
-Kieeeek!
Snufen writhed in agony, flailing its flippers.
Whoom—whoom—
One of them slammed into the water’s surface.
Splash—boom!
Water sprayed everywhere.
The shockwave caused all the fish in the river to float stunned to the surface.
[System Message]
[Warning! 7 Soft-shelled Turtles killed]
[Remaining Soft-shelled Turtles: 0/12]
[System Message]
[Warning! 5 Bass killed]
[Remaining Bass: 0/12]
___
[Summon List]
-Park Gyuhwan (Soldier) 1/1: In combat
-Skeleton (Low-grade) 5/5: In combat
A single blow had wiped out all the turtles.
The artificial wave it created rocked the boat.
I dipped my hand in the water again and recreated my summons.
As long as Sora’s ability kept my regeneration boosted, I had effectively infinite mana to keep using Revive.
“Skeleton Summon.”
The turtle bones turned into skeletons. They climbed Snufen’s body and attacked.
“Revive.”
All sorts of fish rose at my chant—from carp to crucian carp and eels.
I revived them, and Snufen killed them.
It was an endless battle.
Tens, hundreds, thousands.
My endlessly spawning soldiers slowly chipped away at Snufen’s HP.
Its arms and legs were already being severed by my clinging skeletons.
Its legs had been turned to mincemeat by the fish.
I shouted to Kim Juncheol.
“Everyone, target only the left leg!”
Kim Juncheol relayed my words over the radio.
-All units, target only the left leg!
The barrage of bullets and shells in the ongoing battle brought it crashing to its knees.
Thud.
-Kiiiiiiiieeeeeek!!!!
Before long, the red HP bar above its head hit zero.
NPCs who couldn’t see enemy HP wouldn’t know, but this round was about to end soon.
All according to my plan.
Click. Click.
The soldiers, having expended all their ammo, crouched low and drew their swords.
Major Kim Juncheol, also out of bullets, looked at me with a troubled expression.
“Kim Cheonjae-ssi. No more shooting is possible.”
“...You’ve done well. Do you have any grenades?”
“Yes. Two per soldier.”
“Just one, please.”
He paused as if pondering, then opened his vest and handed me a grenade.
“...Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
The odds of a soldier NPC handing a grenade to a civilian were extremely low.
The only reason Major Kim Juncheol gave me one was a single factor.
‘Trust.’
Though not shown numerically in this game, NPC dialogue changed based on trust level.
In other words, my trust with him was high enough to receive ammo.
“Come here.”
An eel poked its head out of the water.
I shoved the grenade into its mouth and gave another command.
“Go to the position I pictured.”
The eel clamped its mouth shut and swiftly dove underwater.
I followed its path with my eyes.
Moments later, two eels that had received my orders burrowed into its knee.
Piercing the rotten skin of the zombified Snufen wasn’t hard.
It just rubbed its head forward, piercing as easily as poking tofu with a finger.
-Kieeeek!
The two eels tunneled through its flesh, swimming upward.
They arrived right in front of Snufen’s windpipe.
Pop! Pop!
The eels peeked their faces out.
One opened its mouth, revealing the grenade I’d given it.
“Remove safety clip.”
The trailing eel bit down and yanked the safety clip free with its mouth.
Tick.
“Remove safety pin.”
It pulled the pin from beside the grenade handle.
Click.
“Remove handle.”
Pop.
The handle sprang off.
“Go!”
The eel burrowed back into Snufen’s flesh.
I counted down in my mind.
3.
2.
1.
“...Adios.”
Kaboom!
The grenade detonated in Snufen’s neck with a deafening roar. Flesh exploded outward, tilting its fish-like face backward.
Whoom—
Crack.
The neck snapped, and the fish head plummeted into the river.
Splash!
Everyone held their breath, watching it.
Snufen’s HP gauge, as it crawled on the riverbed, turned gray.
Major Kim Juncheol swallowed hard.
Yoo Sora bit her nails, glancing between me and Snufen.
I curled up the corner of my mouth.
[Second Round Clear]
[Great job, everyone.]
-Additional EXP awarded for fastest mission completion in game history.
Golden light swirled five times above my head.
Major Kim Juncheol gaped at Snufen’s headless body.
The torso toppled slowly, like a tree sawn off at the base.
Slooooosh.
Followed by a burst of water.
Splash!
It vanished into the river.
[System Message]
[Event Complete]
[Reward: 5,000 Jenny]
[The third eye watching over ‘Land of Ruin’ marvels at Kim Cheonjae’s play.]
I let out a sigh of relief and looked up at the sky.
[Acquired title ‘One Who Toppled the Unsurpassable Wall!’]
[Summon level +1!]
[Summon level ‘5’ achieved]
[Minions’ attack power, defense, and HP slightly increased.]
Had I been that tense? Sweat trickling from my forehead had pooled at my chin.
Yoo Sora pulled down her long sleeve and wiped my sweat.
“You did great.”
“...Nah.”
With the realization that it was over, my tension released, and my head throbbed. As I gently closed my eyes, cheers erupted from the north bank of the river.
Waaaaaaaaah!!!!
I awkwardly raised a hand and waved to them.
-Did... did he really get it?
-Hooray! Hooray!! Hooray!!!
-Hey! Did you see? Did ya? The river’s master is finally gone!
-Oh God... finally this day... sob...
Major Kim Juncheol placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Cheonjae-ssi. You did great.”
A bright smile lit up his previously stone-like face.
“Nah.”
“It was an impossible op without you.”
I let out a hearty laugh and patted his back.
“...Got a smoke?”
Major Kim Juncheol pulled a pack from his pocket and handed it all to me.
“Take them all.”
“Thanks.”
I put a cigarette in my mouth, and Major Kim Juncheol lit it for me.
Sizzle. Sizzle.
Inhale—
Exhale—.
White smoke veiled my face.
I turned on the radio at my waist.
Beep.
“Jeongwoo-ya.”
Beep.
“Speak.”
“...Let’s go. To Utopia.”