Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Arachne's Crystal Secret
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Pfshoo!
With a burst of shockwave, the black flames erupted outward in a radial pattern, engulfing the Arachne that had been trying to force its way through the steel door.
Kieeeek!
The Arachne let out a horrific screech and hastily retreated.
"Follow me!"
Seizing the opening, Shin Yu-hyun leaped through the gap in the steel door that the Arachne had pried open and shouted.
"Got it!"
"Yes!"
"Y-Yes!"
Choi Jung-hoon, Lee Dae-young, and Kim Hyun-seok responded in turn and followed right behind Shin Yu-hyun.
The rest of the Black Tortoise Sword Division members were either keeping an eye on Sasaki Shiro or tending to the youngest member, Choi Seung-hyun, whose wounds were severe.
"Ugh."
The moment Shin Yu-hyun slipped through the gap in the steel door, he immediately furrowed his brow.
A foul, rotting corpse stench assaulted him.
"Urk! What the hell is that smell?"
"I think I'm gonna puke."
Lee Dae-young and Kim Hyun-seok, who followed behind, grimaced and pinched their noses.
"Looks like the Ironclad Unit got completely wiped out."
Choi Jung-hoon also winced at the nauseating odor and muttered.
As Choi Jung-hoon said, right before their eyes lay the villains from the Ironclad Unit who had come to take down the Arachne, sprawled in gruesome heaps on the floor.
Their limbs torn apart, torsos severed from lower bodies, blood splattered everywhere—the Ironclad Unit's villains lay dead.
And that wasn't all.
Kik. Kiiik.
Eerie cries echoed from all directions.
"Stay sharp."
Speaking in a low voice, Shin Yu-hyun scanned their surroundings.
Beneath the faint light filtering from the decorative fixtures on the boss room ceiling, sinister red eyes gleamed.
Various spider-type magic beasts from the 3-Star Dungeon, Arachne's Nest.
At least twenty of them, ranging from one to two meters in size.
"Why are there so many magic beasts...?"
Kim Hyun-seok looked stunned.
Normally, only the boss resided in the boss room.
Of course, there were rare cases with a few guard beasts protecting the boss—two or three at most.
Yet here, in Arachne's boss room, there were twenty.
"At least it's not a dungeon stampede."
Choi Jung-hoon breathed a sigh of relief. If it were a stampede, ten times that number would have poured out of the dungeon.
It was an unexpected situation, but not the worst yet.
Kieeeek!
At that moment, the Arachne at the center of the spider horde unleashed a screech.
The countless spiders charged toward Shin Yu-hyun's group.
In response, Shin Yu-hyun and the Black Tortoise Hall superhumans rushed forward to meet the spider swarm.
Clang!
In the dim darkness, sparks flew with a sharp metallic clash.
The group swung their swords relentlessly at the spider magic beasts lunging from all sides.
Each swing produced metallic rings and sparks, accompanied by the spiders' grotesque cries echoing throughout.
'Evenly matched?'
Shin Yu-hyun wielded his sword busily, activating the Split Thought skill he'd gained from defeating Izar, coolly assessing the battlefield.
They should have been overwhelmed by the spider magic beasts.
After all, ten 3-Star villain superhumans from the Ironclad Unit had been horrifically slaughtered in this boss room.
Not just the spiders—the Arachne itself moved its massive bulk at unbelievable speeds, attacking relentlessly.
Kieek!
Despite its over-five-meter frame, the Arachne darted nimbly, targeting the gap between Lee Dae-young and Kim Hyun-seok.
At this rate, Lee Dae-young and Kim Hyun-seok could be isolated.
Once scattered, they'd be picked off one by one.
But they were too busy fending off the swarming spiders to defend against the Arachne's charge.
Right then.
Black Tortoise Heavy Sword
Third Form: Heavy Cleave
The master of Black Tortoise Heavy Swordsmanship—and a 5-Star powerhouse—Black Tortoise Hall's Vice Hall Leader, Choi Jung-hoon, slammed his greatsword down on the Arachne's foreleg.
Kaaaang!
A heavy metallic clang rang out, followed by a shockwave.
Choi Jung-hoon's greatsword bounced back, but the Arachne recoiled too, its massive body staggering several meters.
Thanks to Choi Jung-hoon holding off the 3-Star boss Arachne, they could fight on even terms.
Whoosh!
In the meantime, Shin Yu-hyun weaved through the spider horde, swinging his black-flame-wreathed magic sword Ignis freely.
Kieeeek!
Wherever Shin Yu-hyun passed, spider legs spewed green fluids and flew into the air without fail.
'Good. At this rate, we can win.'
As expected, messages of defeated spider magic beasts appeared before Shin Yu-hyun's eyes.
Pfshoo!
With Dark Soul Eater triggering, mana-formed feather wings unfurled from Shin Yu-hyun's back, tentacles shooting out to impale the spiders.
'Ugh. This tastes bitter. Like black coffee.'
Absorbing the spiders' Soul Points via Dark Soul Eater—imperceptible to other superhumans—Shin Yu-hyun grimaced.
He preferred sweet flavors; bitter black coffee couldn't compare to a sugary Java chip frappe.
Thus, the spiders dwindled to less than half.
They weren't a match for Shin Yu-hyun, Lee Dae-young, and Kim Hyun-seok—upper 3-Star and top-tier.
It took time due to their numbers, but they were steadily falling.
However.
Kiaaaak!
Suddenly, the Arachne screeched and charged at Choi Jung-hoon with tremendous speed.
Kwaaang!
"Ngh!"
Choi Jung-hoon flattened his greatsword sideways and took the charge head-on.
Kwagagak!
But he couldn't fully block it, skidding back over ten meters, plowing the ground.
'What?'
Watching this, Shin Yu-hyun finally sensed something off.
Choi Jung-hoon's power was 5-Star, even if entry-level.
Though a gap existed from desk work as Vice Hall Leader, he shouldn't yield to a mere 3-Star boss.
He should have repelled the previous attack outright.
Yet here he was, overpowered.
"Vice Hall Leader!"
Shin Yu-hyun rushed toward Choi Jung-hoon and the Arachne.
He could leave the remaining spiders to Lee Dae-young and Kim Hyun-seok.
All that was left was taking down the Arachne.
'That...'
As he closed in on the Arachne, Shin Yu-hyun spotted something strange.
A bizarre mechanical device encased a red crystal embedded in the Arachne's head.
'No way?'
Seeing the crystal device, Shin Yu-hyun's face filled with shock.
This alien technology differed from Earth's magitech.
The crystal device was Getia tech.
'Why is Getia technology here?'
Staring at the crystal-embedded head, Shin Yu-hyun looked incredulous.
'So the Getia bastards have been around since this era.'
Otherwise, Getia worshippers like Lee Ji-soo's group and this crystal tech wouldn't be here.
The advance guard Getia might have crossed over long ago.
'Sasaki Shiro might know something.'
Shin Yu-hyun glared at the Arachne before him.
He realized it the moment he saw the crystal device.
The crystal in the Arachne's head was a control mechanism.
Later, the Getia would command hordes of magic beasts to sweep over humanity.
This was likely a prototype for controlling magic beasts.
And it surely tied to why Sasaki Shiro was here.
Gripping his magic sword Ignis anew, Shin Yu-hyun charged the Arachne.
Kieeeek!
At that instant, the Arachne screeched and barreled toward Shin Yu-hyun at unbelievable speed.
Kwaaaang!
An enormous shockwave exploded between Shin Yu-hyun and the Arachne.
Kwaaaang!
Magic sword Ignis clashed against the Arachne's foreleg, unleashing a shockwave and thunderous roar.
'Tch!'
Shin Yu-hyun grimaced, flipping backward through the air like a spring.
Power hard to believe from a 3-Star boss.
Likely due to that crystal device in its head.
Kieek!
The Arachne screeched again and lunged at Shin Yu-hyun.
'Hoo.'
Shin Yu-hyun exhaled deeply, raising Ignis high.
His mind cooled, thoughts sharpening with the long breath.
Seeing Shin Yu-hyun's stance, Choi Jung-hoon looked stunned.
'No way—that stance...?'
Not Heaven-Splitting Swordsmanship.
Astonishingly, it was the basic stance of Wushang Swordsmanship, the first technique taught in the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan.
Moments later, the Arachne's foreleg smashed down with overwhelming force.
That instant.
Wushang Swordsmanship
Third Form: Backflow
Shin Yu-hyun twisted his body slightly right, deflecting the foreleg sideways with Ignis.
Kang! Kwaang!
The foreleg—strong enough to repel a 5-Star superhuman like Choi Jung-hoon—grazed past Shin Yu-hyun and cratered the ground.
'Deflected the Arachne's attack with Wushang Swordsmanship?'
Choi Jung-hoon watched in shock.
Wushang Swordsmanship was one of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan's basic techniques.
It lacked the power to deflect the Arachne's strike.
But Shin Yu-hyun, drawing on past-life combat experience and coldly observing with measured breath, had done it.
Kik?
The Arachne tilted its head, confused its attack missed.
Seizing the gap, Ignis flashed with red sword light.
Heaven-Splitting Swordsmanship
Second Form: Fragmentation
Shukagagak!
Ignis sliced across the Arachne's foreleg.
'Tough.'
The chitin-armored foreleg was incredibly sturdy, leaving only a shallow gash.
Kiiik!
Enraged, the Arachne's red eyes flashed as it raised both forelegs.
Swaaaak!
Its forelegs rained down.
Each blow carried enough force to generate shockwaves.
But.
Kang! Kkang!
Shin Yu-hyun evaded with Wushang Swordsmanship's third form, Backflow, and Heaven-Splitting Divine Steps' Thunderbolt Step.
'With Dia's help, this would be easy...'
Too many eyes watching now.
Dia and Ka-mang-i were his trump cards.
Couldn't reveal them carelessly.
Nor was the situation desperate enough to summon Dia. Shin Yu-hyun wasn't facing the Arachne alone.
Black Tortoise Heavy Sword
First Form: Super Heavy Draw Sword
Shuwaaaak!
With a sharp whoosh, a single strike laden with immense pressure targeted the Arachne's side legs.
Kwajik!
Kieeeek!
Caught off-guard, the Arachne wailed. Its left third leg had been severed.
Shin Yu-hyun pressed the attack without missing a beat.