Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: The Giant Elder Centipede's Last Stand
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Whoosh!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Chiron and the Iron Golem charged in from both sides of the Giant Elder Centipede.
Boom!
The Iron Golem slammed a tackle straight into the middle of the Giant Elder Centipede's flank with all its momentum.
Rooooar!
The Centipede's 15-meter-long body bent sharply.
Chiron followed up, spinning horns first, stabbing past the side of the Giant Elder Centipede's head.
Clang!
As Chiron rocketed by at high speed, the Centipede's head whipped violently to the side.
With the Iron Golem and Chiron's strikes landing, the tentacles binding Deathstalker's pincers loosened and slackened.
Deathstalker yanked its pincers free and pulled back slightly.
But it wasn't retreating—it was coiling up for a launch.
Boom!
Deathstalker surged forward again, ramming hard into the underside of the Giant Elder Centipede's jaw.
The massive head snapped upward.
Shooo!
But the Giant Elder Centipede didn't take it lying down.
It hurled tentacles at Deathstalker like ropes once more.
Still, after the boss summons' onslaught, their power had weakened.
Thwack! Thwack!
Deathstalker wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.
It caught the incoming tentacles with its pincers spread wide.
If anything, the tentacles looked pinned in the scorpion's razor-sharp claws.
Slash! Slash!
Deathstalker yanked back, severing the tentacles.
Rooooooar!
The Giant Elder Centipede thrashed in agony, letting out a guttural screech.
But the assault was just getting started.
Thud!
The Iron Golem, having tackled into the Centipede, stomped the ground hard and leaped skyward.
It dropped down onto the underside of the Centipede's head section.
Booooom!
The Iron Golem's falling foot crashed into the third body segment below the Centipede's head.
A colossal shockwave erupted, flinging the head high while burying that segment deep into the ground.
Grrrrr!
The devastating blow made the Giant Elder Centipede spew green blood from its maw, its entire body shuddering violently.
"The moment those 4-star elite bosses went down, it was over."
Shin Yu-hyun smirked as he watched.
Just moments ago, Chiron and the Iron Golem had taken out the 4-star boss elite Deathworm and Centipede.
Only the 5-star boss Giant Elder Centipede remained.
No matter how massive and powerful it was, it couldn't handle the Iron Golem, Deathstalker, and Chiron together.
"Finish it."
Shin Yu-hyun issued the final command to his boss-grade summons.
Grip!
The Iron Golem clamped down on the junction between the Centipede's head and body from atop it, hoisting it up.
Kieeeek!
The Giant Elder Centipede struggled against the Golem, but it was futile.
Weakened from the prior attacks, it couldn't match the Golem's insane strength.
But then—
"What? Phase 2?"
Shin Yu-hyun's eyes widened in surprise.
Phase 2 in this situation?
Not all boss magic beasts could activate Phase 2 mode.
Some bosses had it, some didn't.
Even those that could required specific conditions.
For the Giant Elder Centipede, it triggered when its 4-star boss escorts were wiped out and its HP dropped below 25%.
And each boss's Phase 2 was wildly different.
Rooooooar!
The Giant Elder Centipede bellowed, jaws gaping wide.
Vreeee!
A swirling mass of dark crimson chaotic energy gathered before its maw.
It was practically all the life force and mana it had left.
The ultimate final strike.
"Block it—now!"
Shin Yu-hyun yelled urgently at his summons. The gathering chaos looked far from ordinary.
And its target? None other than the Skeleton Soldier legion.
If Final Destruction Breaker swept through, it could wipe them out near-totally.
Vreeee!
At his command, Chiron and Deathstalker sprang into action.
They positioned themselves in front, readying attacks.
Blue mana concentrated at Chiron's horn tip.
Deathstalker's tail tip glowed with gathering blue mana too.
The next instant—
Thoom! Shwaaaaa!
Final Destruction Breaker rocketed toward Chiron and Deathstalker.
A thick beam of ominous dark crimson chaotic mana.
Just as it closed in—
Thoom!
Chiron and Deathstalker, prepared for the Centipede's desperate final gambit, unleashed their unique skills.
Ultra-vibrational waves and a mana-focused blast fired straight at Final Destruction Breaker.
Boom boom boom boom!
The ultra-vibration wave cannon and mana focused shot collided with the dark crimson beam, unleashing a maelstrom of mana that exploded outward like a shockwave.
A brief tug-of-war ensued.
'We're losing ground.'
Shin Yu-hyun clenched his fist, watching intently.
Bit by bit, Chiron and Deathstalker's side was being pushed back.
Final Destruction Breaker's power was immense.
But—
Hummmm!
The ultra-vibration wave cannon and mana focused shot from Chiron and Deathstalker began spiraling together into one.
Their combined power doubled.
Boom boom boom boom!
The unified ultra-vibration mana focused shot started shoving back Final Destruction Breaker.
Kree? Kreееk!
The Giant Elder Centipede poured on more power in a frenzy.
But it had hit its limit.
It couldn't withstand the joint attack from Chiron and Deathstalker.
Soon, they pushed past halfway, then surged relentlessly toward the Centipede.
Boom!
As the tide turned, the Iron Golem released its grip on the head-body junction and leaped off the back.
Right then, the ultra-vibration mana focused shot engulfed the Giant Elder Centipede.
Kiiiiieeeeek!
The beast shrieked grotesquely as it was swallowed whole.
Moments later—
'Nice.'
Shin Yu-hyun smiled satisfactorily at the floating message.
The rewards were solid.
'Another essence.'
Essences were a kind of elixir.
There were many types—boosting mana, physical abilities, and more.
Stat-boosting rewards were normally rare.
Yet Shin Yu-hyun had snagged quite a few: growth potions, essences, books of agility, and such.
'Only from first dungeon clears or new boss magic beasts.'
First-time boss kills on initial clears had high odds for stat items.
Rare otherwise.
And against the mystery Xenomorphs that razed Nam Yeon-ah's lab, essences were near-guaranteed.
Same for the Gangneung takeover.
The three bosses just now dropped essences too.
Future bosses would likely yield them too.
'Reaping big time.'
Shin Yu-hyun grinned, surveying the area.
Magic beast corpses littered the ground everywhere.
In this era of dungeons and superhumans, magic beasts fueled modern society.
Mana stones alone formed the backbone of the energy industry.
And here, countless 4-star and 5-star stones gleamed amid the fallen beasts.
These alone were a fortune.
'The corpses have value too.'
Processing the Deathworms' and Centipedes' hides and shells could yield top-tier barrier coats—self-defensive materials par excellence.
"Dia."
"Yes!"
Dia scampered over at his call.
"Collect the rewards."
"You got it!"
Shin Yu-hyun tasked Dia with gathering the boss loot.
She had sub-space storage skills.
"Where's Ka-mang-i, though?"
"Dunno."
Dia shook her head at his question.
"Right."
Shin Yu-hyun scanned around for Ka-mang-i, even sensing for its aura.
Soon, he spotted it weaving among the fallen magic beasts.
Munch munch.
"......"
Ka-mang-i was gobbling up dropped mana stones.
'Feels like déjà vu.'
Shin Yu-hyun shook his head at the nagging familiarity.
Anyway, a stronger Ka-mang-i meant convenience all around.
Storing and transporting the Immortal King's undead legions? Check.
Endless summon resupplies via it? Massive merit.
'Ka-mang-i's got a busy future ahead.'
Gangneung's reclamation was just the beginning for Shin Yu-hyun.
The rewards from it would make him far stronger.
Soul Points alone already hit four figures.
Plus stat-boosting essences.
'Once this wraps, time to crush those Getia Worshippers again.'
He'd kicked off Gangneung's retake because a field stampede loomed soon.
A triple win: block the stampede, reclaim Gangneung, score preemptive investment from Namdu Group's Chairman Nam Hyun-cheol, farm rewards and Soul Points to grow stronger.
Gangneung helped in every way.
'So it has to succeed.'
But only if he succeeded.
Failure meant backlash.
Prodding Gangneung risked magic beasts spilling into Seoul and Gyeonggi, endangering everything.
'I'll make it happen.'
Shin Yu-hyun reaffirmed his resolve.
His ultimate goal: protect his loved ones and repay Getia for humanity's suffering in kind.
Soon after regrouping, Shin Yu-hyun led his summons toward the Hive's location.