Chapter 57
Chapter 57
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Constellation Gallery EP.56
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A chilling foreign sensation settled on the nape of my neck.
This wasn't just a simple hunch.
'It's coming.'
An absurdly sticky, thickly seeping fear.
The space grew so oppressively humid it made even breathing uncomfortable.
"Juhan!"
Kang Harin's voice sliced through the darkness once more.
I sprang to my feet reflexively.
She seemed to have sensed it before me, her face tense and rigid.
"You felt it too."
"Yes... This... No matter how I think about it, it's not normal..."
Her voice trailed off, trembling.
I immediately locked the glass window tight and checked the Constellation Gallery.
'Fuck...'
From the reactions, it looks like we're really screwed this time.
But that's not the problem.
The bastard was already at the door.
The moment I sensed it.
Boom-!!
The sturdy iron door flew in like a piece of paper.
Kang Harin swallowed a scream, and I yelled reflexively toward Tulip and the goblin.
"Fall back as far as you can! We won't go down like last time!"
They were already awakened by the noise and scrambled away.
I quickly grabbed the Grave of Ten Thousand Demons.
The warhammer in my other hand as well.
'Blood Ink mid-grade...'
They said it only targets me, but I don't know if that's true.
Those guys only speak facts, after all.
No time to hesitate.
No room to wait and gauge it.
Right now, preemptive strike is the answer.
"Quickstep."
The moment the word ended, my vision shook.
My foot tore into the ground, bursting through space as I launched forward.
Bang!
The sensation of kicking off the ground, slicing through the air.
All my senses sharpened to a razor's edge.
Straight charge at its neck.
"Judgment Strike."
Regardless of my will, the sword moved on its own.
A technique aiming for a fatal wound.
Precisely, swiftly slashing the neck.
But.
Clang-
"...?"
With a startlingly clean sound.
The sword... was blocked.
"What...?!"
It wasn't just the sword not penetrating.
It raised its arm to block the attack.
Perfectly calculating the trajectory of my thrust, blocking my neck strike.
Like a human.
No, far more precisely than a human.
"Fuck... It's got intelligence..."
The words had barely left my mouth.
Splat!
"Guhk!"
Its fist slammed into my gut with enough force to pierce through.
The armor shattered in an instant, breath catching in my throat.
'Fuck... Didn't even see it...'
'And even with Vitality up 3 and extra defense, this is the damage...?'
On top of that, the protective barrier had just vanished.
In that moment, it slightly curled the corner of its mouth.
"......"
At this rate, I'm dead.
Really dead.
"Elder! Ice Bolt!"
The Elder Goblin reacted immediately.
Pew pew pew pew pew!
Several ice bolts flew toward the Blood Ink.
Direct hits.
The struck areas froze solid in an instant.
'Good... If I can bind it even for a moment......'
Before the thought finished, the Blood Ink twitched slightly.
Crack-
Just that was enough for the frozen parts to shatter into ice fragments, scattering like smoke.
And it charged right in.
'That speed is dangerous...'
"Gravity double!"
Its speed slowed heavily.
Now slow enough to track with my eyes.
But still unavoidable.
'What the hell, even after eating gravity it's still this fast......'
Kwa-bam!
I tried to dodge somehow, but it was too late.
Its shoulder rammed me dead-on like an American football player.
My body launched into the air.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
My body bouncing off the floor like a rubber ball.
The delayed shock, the delayed pain, stole my breath.
"Guhk...!"
Fresh blood surged up my throat.
Hot, thick, metallic liquid climbed up and soaked my lips.
The moment blood flowed down my clothes, staining my whole body red.
"...Ha."
Ridiculously, that message felt comforting.
Not a situation to laugh, happy about bleeding.
'Still, this is my only counterattack method.'
Slash its forearm with the sword, slash again, slash more.
Good.
Now we start over.
"Quickstep."
The air exploded.
Time constricted.
'Move before Blood Ink reacts.'
The sword tip tore through the wind.
Aimed precisely at Blood Ink's neck.
Slash!
Blood burst out.
This time... it went in.
Not deep. But it penetrated.
"It worked...!"
But the torn flesh of the Blood Ink writhed and swelled.
Blood vessels reconnected, flesh regrew, black skin like leather refilled the spot.
"Fuck... Why no unrecoverable damage now of all times."
Still, I saw hope.
I touched its neck before it could react.
'Then just use another method.'
"Tulip! When I make a gap in its wound, inject deadly poison! Absolutely! Whatever you can do when you see the gap—forgetfulness toxin or anything!"
"Got it!"
The moment Tulip replied.
"Uwaaaaaaaaah—!"
The world before my eyes sharpened in an instant.
My mind and vision remained unshaken.
But the problem wasn't me.
'This is bad...'
Thinking that Tulip's poison wouldn't even get a chance to be used, I whipped my head around reflexively.
But... wait a sec.
'Everyone except Elder Goblin is fine?'
"How are you guys?!"
"We got hit with it last time!"
"No, how...!"
I shook my head.
"Never mind! We'll talk later! Fight now! Remember what I said?"
"Yes! Inject anything when there's a gap!"
"Right. Make it count. Trusting you, going back in."
My feet launched off.
Slicing air, cutting the battlefield, carving through despair's gap, prying open space for light to seep in.
'Quickstep.'
'Judgment Strike.'
My sword tip burrowed toward its lifeline, Tulip's arrow following.
Its grotesque flesh collapsed, and Tulip's arrow plunged straight into the gap.
"Yes! It's definitely in!"
But no letting guard down.
Kept swinging the blade.
Kept jamming in Judgment Strikes.
Tulip relentlessly loosed arrows in sync.
Arrows lodged into the gaping wound, lodging again.
Hope was in sight.
But.
"Mister..."
She continued in an uneasy voice.
"It's not working..."
"What?"
"Resistance is high... It's all being nullified..."
'...Fuck.'
Breath caught in my throat.
Even that wound was already healing.
Breath choked off again.
Really no answer?
No. Not yet.
Until now, I'd been holding out with double gravity on the Blood Ink.
Had to slow its movements somehow.
But it wasn't enough.
'Can't cast it on myself?'
Gravity zero.
I targeted myself and used the skill.
But no change.
'As expected, no...?'
No, maybe the max 2x means adjustable only from 1x to 2x?
If it can extend and reduce by double?
"Gravity 0.5x."
My body lightened in an instant.
'It works...! With this...!'
I kicked off the ground.
Thud!
Absurd air time.
Body floating as if buoyant, time seeming to slow.
Grinding my teeth while looking down at Blood Ink's head.
"Gravity 2x."
My body plummeted vertically.
No, not falling.
Piercing down toward its crown.
Smashing down.
I was a spear formed by the fall itself.
Sword tip forward, laden with my will, toward the ground.
"Judgment Strike."
Kwaaaaaam!!
The blade sank deep, far deeper than before.
Despair was mine no longer.
Death. Despair.
Come to me again and again.
I'll make you kneel.