Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: The Necromancer's Summons
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Shwaaaaak!
Thousand Dark Blades poured down like rain, slicing through the air with razor-sharp whistles.
In response, the Red General Ant erupted in crimson flames across its entire body.
Ultra-high-temperature flame armor: Inferno Armor.
Tremendous heat radiated from the Red General Ant.
Not only that, but the fiery red wings on its back began flapping with ferocious momentum.
Bwoooong!
The Red General Ant soared toward the raining Thousand Dark Blades.
Bang!
Astonishingly, it broke the sound barrier.
A sonic boom exploded, unleashing a massive wave of heat and shockwaves centered on the Red General Ant that engulfed the incoming Thousand Dark Blades.
The blades couldn't even get close in that onslaught.
Instead, they were simply flung away by the sonic boom's shockwave.
Kwa-kwa-kwang!
The repelled Thousand Dark Blades detonated and vanished.
However, the majority soared past the Red General Ant and crashed into the ground.
Kwang! Kwa-kwa-kwang!
Kieeeek!
The blades that struck the earth exploded on impact.
Soldier Ants waiting in the rear were caught in the blasts, sent tumbling like marionettes with cut strings.
"This is insane..."
"What kind of power..."
The Black Tortoise Sword Division members watching this were stunned speechless.
They were at a loss for words before such overwhelming firepower.
And Shin Yu-hyun wore a surprised expression too.
'My front yard...'
He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.
The neatly planted forest before the north gate had been carpet-bombed into oblivion.
'Gonna have to say something about this later.'
The flashy explosive magic had caused quite a bit of collateral damage to the terrain.
Meanwhile, the Red General Ant, which had rocketed into the sky, was now clad in its ultra-high-temperature flame armor, darting around at high speed in a fierce clash with Shuv.
But Shuv matched it blow for blow, moving at speeds that showed no sign of yielding.
'Anyway, I can leave that one to Shuv.'
Shin Yu-hyun had no worries about Shuv.
Her rank was higher to begin with.
Shuv was 6-star.
The Red General Ant was only 5-star.
Shin Yu-hyun lowered his gaze to the front.
While Shuv and the Red General Ant battled in the sky, on the ground Chiron and the Heavy Armor Ant were locked in a monstrous brawl.
The sight of two massive insects, one three meters and the other five, clashing was truly spectacular.
Chiron, with his hard shell and horns, held a slight edge, but the Heavy Armor Ant fought back fiercely without backing down.
Especially its mana-concentrating cannon on its back and the thick chitin biological armor protecting its body—its defenses surpassed Chiron's.
'Take out the Heavy Armor Ant first.'
Shin Yu-hyun lowered his magic sword Ignis and crouched into position.
The next instant.
Kwaang!
He kicked off the ground hard and charged straight at the Heavy Armor Ant, who was in the midst of battling Chiron.
Dark Soul Blaze rising from Ignis cut through the darkness like a single streak of light, slicing space in a straight line.
In the blink of an eye, Shin Yu-hyun reached the Heavy Armor Ant and swung Ignis with all his charging momentum.
Heaven-Splitting Swordsmanship.
Second Form: Shatter.
Shukagagagak!
Shatter, which destroyed enemy armor, began crumbling the Heavy Armor Ant's biological plating.
"Phew. We finally got it."
In a clearing deep in the forest far from the north gate, Lee Yeon-hwa, the Black Tortoise Hall's personnel manager, let out a sigh of relief.
"Something this small sure is a pain to catch."
Kim Jae-hyun, who handled the hall's finances, shook his head as he looked down at the fallen 5-star boss, the Thunder Rat Pandamouse.
They had waged a brutal fight against the Pandamouse.
It was a tricky boss. Despite being only a meter tall, it wielded lightning attributes.
Its body was constantly wrapped in electricity, making it hard to even approach.
And when it summoned thunderbolts to strike, a chill ran down the spine.
Just one hit could be fatal.
"At least we took it down. That's what matters."
Choi Jung-hoon, the Black Tortoise Hall's deputy leader and a peak 5-star swordsman, wore the same relieved expression.
Truth be told, taking down a 5-star boss with just the three of them was a stretch.
Normally, it took three superhumans of the same rank to fell a boss.
And among them, only Choi Jung-hoon was an early 5-star.
Lee Yeon-hwa was upper 4-star, and Kim Jae-hyun mid 4-star.
Yet they had slain a 5-star boss.
It proved their skills far exceeded their ranks.
"Deputy Leader, let's head back."
"I'm worried about how the north gate's holding up, even if we got the boss."
Lee Yeon-hwa and Kim Jae-hyun said, looking to Choi Jung-hoon.
"Got it. Let's move."
Choi Jung-hoon agreed.
They'd felled a 5-star boss, but the magic beasts assaulting the clan were surely still around.
And during their fight with the Pandamouse, they'd heard massive explosions from the north gate.
It was only natural to worry.
After collecting the loot from the fallen 5-star boss Thunder Rat Pandamouse, Choi Jung-hoon's group headed for the north gate.
They wanted to let the Black Tortoise Sword Division members know they'd taken down a boss as soon as possible.
It would boost morale.
Moments later, Choi Jung-hoon's group arrived at the north gate leading into the clan.
"......"
They stared silently at the scene before them.
Countless ant-like magic beasts littered the ground.
And a massive five-meter ant boss encased in thick biological armor lay collapsed on the earth.
Atop it, a giant stag beetle-like magic beast and Shin Yu-hyun stood, roaring in victory as they crushed the Heavy Armor Ant.
And that wasn't all.
Shwaaaaaak!
Just then, right before their eyes, a colossal greatsword made of black magic power descended from the clouds above.
It was five meters wide and thirty meters long—an enormous blade.
Grand Dark Saber.
Shuv's 6-circle attack spell.
It slammed a massive sword of black magic power into the enemy.
Choi Jung-hoon's group arrived just as she unleashed it toward the Red General Ant.
Ku-ku-ku-ku-ku-kwa-kwang!
With a deafening roar, the Grand Dark Saber impaled the Red General Ant into the ground.
A shockwave that shook the air erupted, sending dust plumes soaring dozens of meters high.
Before the sheer power of that battle, Choi Jung-hoon's group stood dumbfounded, speechless.
They glanced at the 5-star boss Thunder Rat Pandamouse they'd felled.
Even early 5-star superhumans would struggle against it.
But before them lay hundreds of 4-star magic beasts and a five-meter 4-star boss Heavy Armor Ant.
And now that massive magic power sword had fallen.
Compared to that, their one-meter 5-star boss Thunder Rat Pandamouse seemed pathetic and cute—a mere rat pup.
It had been threatening with lightning when alive, but dead, it was just a slightly larger rodent.
The Pandamouse looked downright pitiful.
"Deputy Leader, you've arrived?"
That's when Shin Yu-hyun spotted them and smiled warmly.
As Shin Yu-hyun spoke, Choi Jung-hoon subtly shifted to hide the Pandamouse behind his back.
"Yes, Hall Leader. You're here too."
"I came up from the underground training hall and heard magic beasts were attacking, so I rushed over."
"Good thing Secretary Ishia relayed the message in time."
"Yes."
Shin Yu-hyun nodded.
Choi Jung-hoon must have sent Ishia to him.
And Ishia had joined the battle late and was now resting.
Shin Yu-hyun had summoned Chiron first and flown ahead.
Ishia had been stunned when the five-meter Chiron suddenly appeared.
So he'd left the shocked Ishia behind and come to the north gate first.
"Impressive, though."
Choi Jung-hoon looked ahead.
The area before the north gate was utterly devastated.
It had once been a lush green forest, but now it was barren like Finance Manager Kim Jae-hyun's receding hairline.
And not just that.
"Did that woman help us? A necromancer with incredible power, I take it."
Choi Jung-hoon gazed up at Shuv slowly descending from the sky.
Too far to see details, but her golden hair gleaming in the light marked her as a beauty.
And on the ground stood around two hundred Skeleton Soldiers and the massive stag beetle-like Chiron.
Choi Jung-hoon seemed to think the descending Shuv was the necromancer who'd helped them.
To him, Shin Yu-hyun said simply,
"No. The necromancer is me."
"Pardon?"
Not just Choi Jung-hoon—even Lee Yeon-hwa and Kim Jae-hyun stared at Shin Yu-hyun in shock.
"What kind of joke..."
Choi Jung-hoon broke into a cold sweat without realizing it. A direct descendant of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan and Black Tortoise Hall Leader—a necromancer?
And he realized the necromancer who'd repelled the magic beasts here was no ordinary one.
The Skeleton Soldiers and Chiron alone were extraordinary.
Not to mention summoning that massive sword to fell a 5-star boss—it was jaw-dropping.
"They're all my summons."
Shin Yu-hyun smiled at the stunned group and raised his arm.
Rattle-rattle.
Behind him, countless Skeleton Soldiers lined up in perfect formation.
Bwoong.
Chiron flew over and landed beside Shin Yu-hyun.
"Master! I'm here!"
Kyuu!
Dia, with Ka-mang-i perched on her head, scampered over and clung to Shin Yu-hyun's side.
"Th-this child is a summon too?"
"Yes."
Shin Yu-hyun nodded to the astonished Choi Jung-hoon.
Dia, with her cat ears and tail, didn't look human.
And then.
"Master, I've annihilated the enemy."
Finally, Shuv descended from the sky, having slammed the Red General Ant into the ground with her massive sword.
"Hah..."
Seeing Shuv up close, Choi Jung-hoon recoiled in surprise. Her beauty was inhuman.
No, she wasn't human at all.
Shuv landed gracefully beside Shin Yu-hyun, linking arms with him. Goat-like horns protruded from her head, and black feathered wings spread from her waist.
And that appearance was...
"A-ah..."
"She's my summon too."
Shin Yu-hyun cut off Kim Jae-hyun, who was about to exclaim in shock.
Shuv responded with a soft smile, pulling Shin Yu-hyun's arm closer.
"I-is that so? Hahaha."
Kim Jae-hyun gave an awkward laugh, wiping sweat from his brow.
But he wasn't alone.
All the Black Tortoise Hall superhumans present, the late-joining Ishia, and even Shin Cheol-ho shared the same doubt.
Were there necromancer summons like Dia or Shuv...?
To them, Shuv spoke up.