Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Mantis Forest Boss Battle
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How much time had passed?
The groans from Lee Cheon-woo's gang grew faint.
Their bodies, writhing in agony and rolling across the ground, finally went still.
'It's over.'
Shin Yu-hyun gazed down at the dead members of Lee Cheon-woo's gang with a cold expression, his own face etched with pain.
He had watched their dying moments from start to finish.
In his previous life, he had never crossed paths with Lee Cheon-woo. By the time he turned twenty, he had failed a clan-assigned urgent request and been disowned.
That was why Nam Yeon-ah, who had joined the unidentified dungeon gate investigation team, ended up dead.
And Shin Yu-hyun, scraping by as a low-rank hunter, never even had the chance to encounter Lee Cheon-woo.
Even after the Getia invasion began in earnest, he had heard no news about him.
Lee Cheon-woo must have met a screaming end in some dungeon or at the hands of Getia, without Shin Yu-hyun ever knowing.
Since he had no ties to Getia, Shin Yu-hyun had briefly considered reforming and using him.
But.
'These bastards crossed the line too far.'
They were too irredeemable for that. Sure, a little mischief might have been tolerable, but they treated torture as routine and had no qualms about murder.
And they had even tried to lay hands on Dia when they thought she was just a child.
'Trash no different from Getia. Can't use them after reforming.'
After regressing, Shin Yu-hyun had vowed to give back as much pain as he had received.
"Filthy scum."
Confirming they were dead, he turned away without a shred of regret.
This was the first time he had killed humans unconnected to Getia, but it stirred no emotion in him.
Lee Cheon-woo's gang were the type who tortured and enjoyed it, just like Getia.
To Shin Yu-hyun, Getia followers, worshippers, and magic beasts were all targets to be exterminated without mercy.
So killing Lee Cheon-woo's gang, who were no different, didn't bother him in the slightest.
"Master, all done-nya?"
"Yeah."
Leaving the gang behind, Shin Yu-hyun arrived where Dia and Ka-mang-i waited.
He had sent them a distance away because he wanted to handle Lee Cheon-woo's gang alone.
He didn't want Dia seeing it.
She hadn't fully awakened her power yet, so she was still essentially a child.
For her safety, he had assigned twenty Skeleton Soldiers as guards.
'All that's left is conquering the dungeon.'
A 3-star dungeon like Mantis Forest would vanish once cleared.
It was a standard dungeon, after all.
So their bodies would disappear with it.
"Shall we keep going, then?"
"Nya!"
Kyuu!
Shin Yu-hyun led Dia and Ka-mang-i deeper into the dungeon.
Shieeeek!
On the way to the dungeon boss's lair, various 3-star magic beasts—mantises—blocked Shin Yu-hyun's path.
But he remained calm.
Kirrik! Kiririk!
After dealing with Lee Cheon-woo's gang, he was conquering the dungeon with his Skeleton Soldiers out front.
"They're fighting well."
Shin Yu-hyun smiled in satisfaction.
He had assigned five Skeleton Soldiers per mantis.
That gave them the edge, letting them hunt the mantises at leisure.
Shieeeeek!
Kakakak!
The mantis swung its hammer-like foreleg wildly, smashing one or two Skeleton Soldiers aside.
But it couldn't block the three bone swords thrusting from behind.
Kieeeek!
As the Skeleton Soldiers finished off the mantis, his unique skill, Dark Soul Eater, activated, granting Soul Points.
'This is convenient.'
Ever since he started properly utilizing the Skeleton Soldiers, combat had become effortless, allowing him to clear the dungeon swiftly.
Before he knew it, they had reached the boss's area.
'Gotta finish the clear today.'
In his previous life, a D-rank hunter party of six 3-star superhuman hunters had conquered Mantis Forest.
They would come in about a day.
He planned to clear it before then.
'According to the Hunter Association report, they took heavy casualties.'
In his previous life, Shin Yu-hyun had learned about Mantis Forest from the Hunter Association.
The D-rank party that tackled it suffered major losses in the boss fight. No deaths, fortunately, but serious injuries.
But the boss's abilities weren't detailed in the records.
'Well, fighting it will reveal everything.'
Shin Yu-hyun looked up ahead.
The boss's lair was a vast clearing at the heart of Mantis Forest, spanning a 250-meter radius.
In its center crouched a massive magic beast.
[3-star Boss Magic Beast, Desicata Mantis]
It was the largest mantis he had encountered yet.
Its body length was at least 4 meters.
The regular corrupted mantises he had faced were 1.5 to 2 meters long.
Twice the size.
And it resembled a leaf mantis in appearance.
Shiiik.
As Shin Yu-hyun, Dia, and the twenty Skeleton Soldiers entered the clearing, the Desicata Mantis began to rise.
Kihyaaaaak!
"It's huge."
He had already noted its size even while crouched.
But under the red moonlight, fully unfurled and roaring, its oppressive presence exceeded imagination.
Shiik! Shieek!
That wasn't all.
Beyond the boss Desicata Mantis's back, red eyes gleamed in the darkness as more figures stirred.
[3-star Magic Beast, Royal Mantis]
The boss's escorts. About five of them.
Kiik! Kieek!
At the Desicata Mantis's eerie cry, the Royal Mantises advanced.
They were just over 2 meters long, with black bodies.
Their chests and abdomens were covered in tough, armor-like plating, and their forelegs looked razor-sharp.
"Dia."
"Nya."
At Shin Yu-hyun's call, Dia began cutely dancing beside him.
Dia's Cat Dance applied a buff to the Skeleton Soldiers.
Moreover, Shin Yu-hyun had put her in charge of commanding them.
He planned to have them handle the Royal Mantises under her lead.
"Alright, then."
Shin Yu-hyun glared at the 3-star boss magic beast, Desicata Mantis.
Like the Royals, its torso was clad in sturdy armor, and its forelegs bristled with sharp, saw-like protrusions, making it look incredibly menacing.
Thud!
He plunged his demon sword Ignis into the ground before it.
And murmured in a low voice.
"Summon. Hecaton Beetle, Chiron."
Instantly, black flames erupted from the embedded Ignis, forming a massive 10-meter-diameter blue magic circle on the ground.
From the circle ahead of the sword, the undead Deathwatch, Hecaton Beetle Chiron, slowly rose into view.
"Go, Chiron."
At Shin Yu-hyun's command, Chiron charged at the Desicata Mantis, its spear-like horn leading the way.
"Boneheads, attack!"
At the same moment, Dia issued orders to the Skeleton Soldiers.
Kwaang!
Chiron and the Desicata Mantis collided, unleashing a thunderous boom and shockwave.
'Impressive.'
The clash of the two colossal beasts shook the earth like an earthquake.
The Desicata Mantis twisted slightly just before impact, deflecting Chiron's horn to the side.
They locked into a test of strength.
The massive boss-tier beasts pushed and pulled, neither yielding.
Kwak! Kakakakak!
The Desicata Mantis slashed its chainsaw-like forelegs at Chiron's back, but they only left faint scratches on the tough carapace—no real damage.
Chiron, with its immense power, was gradually shoving the Desicata Mantis back.
Kieek!
Straining not to be overpowered, the Desicata Mantis raised its forelegs again.
In that instant.
Kiiiiing!
The tiny serrations on its forelegs began vibrating.
"Ultrasonic vibration?"
Shin Yu-hyun's eyes widened in surprise.
He hadn't expected the Desicata Mantis to wield ultrasonic saw blades.
'That's why the D-rank party took heavy damage.'
Those ultrasonic serrations were incredibly dangerous.
Even a graze would be lethal.
The Desicata Mantis brought its vibrating foreleg down on Chiron's back.
Kwajijik!
This time, unlike before, the serrations sank effortlessly into Chiron's back.
The tough carapace was pierced.
Yet Chiron stubbornly kept pushing with raw force.
Kugugugung! Kwaang!
Kieeeek!
Though it damaged Chiron's back carapace with the ultrasonic serrations, the Desicata Mantis was overpowered and slammed into a rock behind it.
Kiiik!
Its sturdy torso armor spared it major harm, but it was pinned between Chiron and the boulder.
Struggling to break free, it thrashed about.
The backlash pushed Chiron back slightly.
Puk!
But Chiron seized the opening, swinging its massive horn sideways at the Desicata Mantis.
Kieeeek!
Caught off-guard, the Desicata Mantis screeched and toppled sideways.
"That's it!"
Shin Yu-hyun clenched his fist. The fallen Desicata Mantis was wide open.
Chiron quickly retreated a step to reposition, then thrust its spear-sharp horn at the mantis.
Puk! Puk!
Kieeeeeek!
Chiron's horn stabbed into the Desicata Mantis's chest area.
The beast screeched, blocking or batting away the horn with its forelegs as it retreated.
Green fluids sprayed, indicating serious damage.
But the Desicata Mantis swiftly backed away and stood.
It flared its wings and body aggressively, signaling attack.
Kiiiiing!
And more.
As it reared up, the serrations on its forelegs began vibrating and spinning.
Like a chainsaw.
"It can do that?"
Shin Yu-hyun gaped in astonishment.
Ultrasonic chainsaw!
Even Chiron would suffer massively if hit squarely.
But.
Kiiiiing!
Chiron seemed intent on facing it head-on.
Its spear-like horn started spinning like a drill.
Moments later, Chiron's drill-spinning horn clashed with the Desicata Mantis's ultrasonic chainsaw foreleg.