Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: Living Armor (5)
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*T-ring!*
[You have successfully absorbed the ‘Stigma of the Toad Constellation’!]
Dismissing the blue message window that appeared before me, I drew upon the power of the constellation that had newly settled in my heart.
My skin turned rough and warty like a toad’s.
The muscles in my legs swelled to a grotesque size, bulging so tautly they threatened to rip through my pants.
*I’ll need to alter this transformation a bit.*
Oh-jin’s hideously distorted skin returned to its original state, and the tautly swollen leg muscles contracted.
Using the Toad Constellation, he could feel a formidable power surging through his already superhuman body.
*Nice.*
It was a simple effect—physical enhancement.
But for that very reason, he figured it could be used versatilely in various situations.
Stigmas like Noctua or Hippocampus were tricky to use freely in front of others.
“Shhhhiiiik.”
An eerie sound whispered in his ear.
Oh-jin looked down at the magical beast clad in jet-black armor.
*No, in this case, the expression ‘clad in armor’ isn’t quite right.*
That black armor was the magical beast’s body itself.
Inside, there was likely nothing but a dark blue flame burning like a will-o’-wisp.
*Those Toad bastards were wiped out far more easily than I expected.*
Still, compared to the beginning, the intensity of the flames leaking from the armor’s joints had diminished considerably.
Oh-jin sent a signal to Isabella and Lee Woo-hyeok by channeling his mana into the communication orb.
He took a short breath and gripped his spear.
He had succeeded in wearing down the prey’s stamina.
In that case.
“Alright, time for round two.”
*Craaash!*
Using the leg strength of the Toad Constellation, he leaped high into the air.
He reached out toward the Living Armor and activated the Stigma of Noctua.
*Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh-swoosh!!*
A rain of lightning feathers poured down.
“Shhhhiiiik.”
The Living Armor casually swung its spear at the downpour of lightning feathers.
The dark blue flames incinerated the raining feathers of lightning.
“Give… it… back.”
Dark blue eyes glinted with murderous intent.
An eerie voice flowed from between the Living Armor’s helmet.
“The heart… give… it… to me.”
“This belongs to my sister, so I’m afraid I can’t. How about this instead?”
Oh-jin raised his middle finger at the Living Armor.
There was no way the Living Armor would understand its meaning.
“Shhhhiiiik.”
But the message that he had no intention of easily handing over the heart must have gotten through.
The Living Armor let out a bizarre sound and gripped its spear.
The once-faint dark blue flames blazed fiercely once more.
*Thoom!*
The Living Armor kicked off the ground violently and soared high.
Instantly jumping dozens of meters into the air, the Living Armor thrust its spear.
“Hup!”
*Twang!*
Oh-jin used Lightning Step to change direction in mid-air and fired his wires.
Six strands of wire shot out from the wire shooter, tightly binding the Living Armor’s armor.
“Explosive Lightning.”
*Crackle-crackle!*
A torrent of blue lightning flowed through the wires, striking the Living Armor.
“Shhhhiiiik.”
A deafening roar echoed and the Living Armor’s armor dented slightly, but that was all.
As if it hadn’t been attacked at all, it let out a bizarre sound and grabbed the wires wrapped around its body.
*Whoosh!*
The Living Armor pulled on the wires with terrifying strength.
Before he could be dragged along by its power, Oh-jin channeled mana into the shooter and severed the wires.
“Shhhhiiiik!”
The Living Armor broke the wires and violently swung its raised spear down at the fleeing Oh-jin.
*Ruuuumble!*
With a sound like rolling thunder, dozens of containers stacked neatly on the cargo ship were sent flying in all directions like pebbles.
“Whoa, holy shit.”
This was its weakened state?
“I knew something felt off about how easily that Toad bastard went down.”
To be frank, Juan’s skills weren’t that great.
At best, he was comparable to the King of Noctua.
But even so, considering a Heukseonghoe Executor had died as pathetically as a street thug getting mowed down by the hero in a Hollywood movie, the Living Armor’s power was nothing short of astonishing.
*This situation has gotten a bit complicated.*
He hadn’t hoped for them to take each other out, but he had at least hoped it wouldn’t have this much energy left to rampage.
*No, maybe not.*
Oh-jin calmly observed the Living Armor’s movements.
“Shhhik, shhhik, shhhik.”
After using one major attack, the Living Armor was breathing heavily and couldn’t properly follow up with another attack.
This was it.
This was the golden opportunity to kill that monster.
“Hup!”
*Ruuuumble!*
Oh-jin flew through the air, dodging the relentless attacks poured out by the Living Armor.
As he was buying time, trying to drain as much of the Living Armor’s stamina as possible.
“Mr. Oh-jin!”
“We’re here to help!”
Isabella and Lee Woo-hyeok arrived at the cargo ship.
They looked at the Living Armor, which was rampaging with enough force to split the massive vessel in two, and drew their weapons.
“What happened to the Heukseonghoe?”
“That thing killed them all.”
“…That monster, by itself?”
Lee Woo-hyeok’s eyes widened in surprise.
Oh-jin nodded and stood next to him.
“It’ll be harder to take down if it recovers its stamina.”
“We need to push it as hard as we can right now.”
Lee Woo-hyeok nodded and raised his sword.
The Stigma of the Leo Constellation shone, and a sharp wind, like the claws of a beast, enveloped his body.
“Constellation of Aries, Aris, grant your lamb the light of healing.”
A golden radiance flowed from the tip of Isabella’s staff and seeped into the bodies of Oh-jin and Lee Woo-hyeok.
“I’ll take the vanguard!”
Lee Woo-hyeok charged forward first, swinging his sword.
“Wind!”
*Whoooosh!!*
A sharp gale swirled around his sword.
From bottom to top.
He stomped his foot hard and swung his sword in an upward slash.
“Rage on!”
The light of the Stigma enveloped his sword, and nine symbols appeared.
The ninth wind, the great gale.
A wind that raged from all directions, like a tidal wave, poured down on the Living Armor.
“Shhhhiiiik!”
*Clang! Clang! Clang-clang-clang!*
The Living Armor took a step back and swung its spear.
With a loud noise like a hammer striking a solid steel plate, a long crack appeared on its armor.
*Damn, Lee Woo-hyeok… is he really an 8-Star?*
Oh-jin let out a short gasp of admiration as he watched Lee Woo-hyeok push back the Living Armor.
Of course, this situation was only possible because most of the Living Armor’s stamina had been depleted from fighting the Toad faction.
But even taking that into account, Lee Woo-hyeok’s skill had already surpassed the realm of an 8-Star.
*He’ll hit 9-Star soon.*
Good news.
The stronger the hound, the more surely it could sink its teeth into the Heukseonghoe’s neck.
“Charge.”
Oh-jin also supported Lee Woo-hyeok, launching attacks at the Living Armor.
Noticeably weaker than when it had wiped out the Toad faction, the Living Armor stumbled backward under the combined assault of Lee Woo-hyeok and Oh-jin.
*Crash! Crunch! Crack!*
The black armor crumpled with each successive attack.
The fiercely burning dark blue flames began to gradually lose their power.
“Hah! Hah!”
“Just a little more!”
Lee Woo-hyeok and Oh-jin, though panting heavily, continued to press the Living Armor.
But.
“Kugh.”
A short groan escaped Oh-jin’s lips.
An intense pain, starting from his left chest, spread like poison.
*Dammit.*
The internal injuries from the battle with Deneb’s apostles had not yet fully healed.
That was what was holding Oh-jin back.
He had been managing to move thanks to Isabella’s buffs, but as time passed, the effects of his internal injuries grew more pronounced.
“Haa, haa.”
He was out of breath.
He felt his mana circuits twist, and the mana flowing through his body broke free from his control, running rampant.
He could endure the pain, but there was nothing he could do about the mana that had started to rage uncontrollably.
*Should I use the elixir?*
The moment his hand moved to take the elixir from his pocket.
“Look out!”
*Whoosh!*
The dark blue spear swung, aiming for Oh-jin.
Lee Woo-hyeok urgently stepped in front of Oh-jin and blocked the spear.
“Keuk!”
*Thud!*
Blocking the spear, Lee Woo-hyeok’s body was thrown back, tumbling across the floor.
A mouthful of dark red blood poured from his lips.
After sending Lee Woo-hyeok flying, the Living Armor reached out for Oh-jin.
“Get away from Mr. Oh-jin!”
Isabella thrust her staff toward the Living Armor.
A golden radiance formed at the tip of the staff and poured toward the monster.
“Shhhhiiiik!”
The Living Armor let out a pained groan from the light imbued with the power of exorcism.
But it only paused it for a moment.
The Living Armor closed in on Oh-jin and swung its spear wide over its shoulder.
Oh-jin urgently raised his own spear to block the dark blue one.
“Keuk!”
*Creeaak!*
Oh-jin’s spear bent like a piece of taffy, and a dizzying shockwave washed over him.
Sent flying like a pebble, Oh-jin rolled violently across the ground.
“Cough! Cough!”
Dark red blood poured from his mouth, soaking his chest.
“M-Mr. Oh-jin!”
Isabella, with a horrified expression, rushed to the fallen Oh-jin.
She knelt and embraced him as he gasped for breath and groaned on the floor.
“……”
The dark red blood trickled down Oh-jin’s chin, staining his chest.
Isabella’s eyes grew cold as she looked down at his pale face.
The light in her eyes, once shining like sapphires, vanished as if night had fallen.
“How dare that piece of trash scrap metal…”
Her lightless pupils turned toward the Living Armor.
The cloying scent of blood began to emanate from her.
Isabella gently wiped the blood from Oh-jin’s lips with her finger, then stuck out her tongue slightly to lick her blood-stained hand.
Just as a dark red aura was about to rise from her body like a haze.
*Vroooooooooom!!!*
A heavy exhaust note roared from the direction of the docks.
Oh-jin, gasping for breath in Isabella’s arms, turned his gaze toward the sound.
A large motorcycle was speeding through the gaps between the containers.
*What the?*
Oh-jin frowned, watching the rapidly approaching bike.
*Screeeeeeech!!*
The bike came to a halt, leaving a long scratch on the ground.
A woman with a slender, model-like figure threw off her helmet.
Her long, auburn hair swayed like fire.
“Leaving your sister behind to run around like this, you little shit?”
Song Ha-eun clicked her tongue, looking at Oh-jin cradled in Isabella’s arms.