Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Overdrive
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# 14
An Jae-min and Kim Nam-yeong's bodies dissolved into blue light. It was a paradoxically beautiful sight, like stardust scattering.
But the blood that stained the walls and floor was real.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Park Han-yeong screamed at the death unfolding before her. It was as if all the emotions she had suppressed until now had burst forth at once.
They were dead. People were dying.
Park Han-yeong stumbled backward. She eventually collapsed, landing hard on her bottom.
But no one looked back at her. The being before them—Aden, the black-furred king of the gnolls—did not permit them to look away.
Kang-seok bit his lower lip in tension.
Kim Kang-san let out a roar and gripped his sword.
Seong Yu-jin, breathing heavily, raised Almace.
All three of them knew.
Kill or be killed.
If they couldn't defeat Aden, the king of the gnolls, they would be slaughtered just like An Jae-min and Kim Nam-yeong.
Several thoughts raced through Kang-seok's mind at once.
Aden, the king of the gnolls, was fast.
Moreover, he possessed immense strength.
They couldn't afford to take a single hit. One solid blow would mean death or incapacitation.
Extreme conditions.
In fighting games, power-type characters were usually slow. But Aden, the king of the gnolls, was fast too. It was an absurdly, fiendishly difficult fight.
So, what could they do?
Move faster.
Defeat him without taking a single hit. Accumulate damage with repeated attacks.
Besides, this wasn't a one-on-one fighting game. He had Seong Yu-jin, Kim Kang-san, and Park Han-yeong by his side.
Time, which had seemed to compress, returned to its normal flow. Kang-seok erased all the scattered thoughts and moved.
Crash!
The axe Aden swung slammed into the ground where Kang-seok had been standing. Having dodged the attack by throwing himself sideways, Kang-seok pushed off the ground repeatedly. He began moving at high speed to get behind Aden.
Aden, the king of the gnolls, was large. And as just demonstrated, he launched reckless assaults. That meant they had to stay on the move. If they tried to fight defensively, they would end up like Kim Nam-yeong.
Fortunately, Kim Kang-san and Seong Yu-jin weren't frozen in fear. Both were moving their feet quickly. The trembling Park Han-yeong must have used her stealth skill, as she was nowhere to be seen.
Kang-seok sped past Aden's side. Aden's yellow eyes tracked him. Unconcerned, Kang-seok leaped and kicked off the wall behind Aden. In an instant, he was behind the gnoll king, swinging Durandal at the back of his head.
It cut him. But it was shallow. Aden, who had twisted his body to avoid the full force of the blow, swung his short-gripped axe behind him.
The axe blade sliced through the air. Kang-seok managed to dodge it by throwing his body aside almost the instant he landed.
After rolling once on the floor to regain his footing, Kang-seok quickly looked up. He saw Aden glaring at him, raising the axe.
“Bash!”
Kim Kang-san struck Aden's left thigh with his sword. It was still more of a blunt impact than a slash. And that, surprisingly, was effective. For a moment, Aden's balance faltered.
“Kuhung!”
Since the attack came from his axe-free left side, Aden swung his left hand instead. Kim Kang-san, still in the recovery animation after using Bash, was sent flying backward.
It was a heavy blow. In fact, Kim Kang-san couldn't even breathe properly, as if he were on the verge of death.
But he wasn't dead. Thanks to the full plate mail he was wearing.
Kang-seok didn't look at Kim Kang-san. The moment Kim Kang-san was sent flying, he lunged again. He exploited the opening on Aden's left side, completely exposed after taking the hit and retaliating.
Hit and run.
This was a life-or-death game of hit-and-run, so he abandoned any thought of landing a decisive blow. He unleashed Flying Swallow Strike on the same left thigh Kim Kang-san had bashed, then immediately retreated as if fleeing.
This cut was also shallow. But the accumulated damage made Aden groan and briefly stumble to a knee. Seong Yu-jin didn't just stand by and watch. She threw one of the firebombs the gnolls had been carrying at Aden.
It was a crude weapon, so she didn't expect it to do much damage. The goal was to buy time for Kim Kang-san to get up and for Kang-seok to prepare another attack.
The flames from the firebomb engulfed Aden's face, but as if protected by some special power, not even his fur was singed.
Swatting his hand wildly, Aden literally brushed the flames away and turned back toward the party.
Blood trickled from Kim Kang-san's lips, suggesting internal injuries, but he managed to stand and hold his sword. Kang-seok, too, readjusted his grip on Durandal and thought.
‘We can do this.’
It felt like walking a tightrope, but it was a winnable fight. The beast wasn't invincible.
If they could cripple his left leg with a few more attacks, they had a real chance of winning.
Just a little more. A few more hits.
The moment he thought that.
Aden threw his axe.
The unexpected attack—throwing his only weapon—slowed Kang-seok's and Kim Kang-san's reactions, if only slightly.
The narrowness of the corridor, which had forced Aden to use a short grip, combined with the length of the axe handle, created an unavoidable attack.
Kim Kang-san was struck by the handle and knocked down again. Kang-seok used a back-dash to avoid the axe itself, but he couldn't evade the follow-up attack.
The king of the gnolls was right in front of him. Having lunged forward right after throwing the axe, Aden's fist slammed into Kang-seok's abdomen.
“Keoheok!”
An unimaginable shock rocked his entire body. It felt as if his torso had been pierced through by the fist.
Kang-seok's body flew through the air and tumbled across the floor. He had been sent flying nearly ten meters.
“Keuh…”
It was hard to breathe. He could barely stay conscious, let alone get up.
His head was spinning. He heard Seong Yu-jin's shout. Kang-seok gritted his teeth and tried to move his body.
The king of the gnolls was swinging his arms. He grabbed Park Han-yeong, who had clung to the back of his head to attack his eyes, and threw her against the wall. Park Han-yeong hit the wall hard and fell unconscious. She hadn't died yet, as her body hadn't turned to light.
Kim Kang-san was also out of commission. Only Seong Yu-jin was left.
The king of the gnolls growled. He lifted the axe that was pinning Kim Kang-san's body and kicked the unconscious man aside carelessly.
He took a step toward Kang-seok, who was writhing like an insect, struggling to get up.
‘Run, Yu-jin.’
He thought, his mind hazy.
But for some reason, he saw Seong Yu-jin's back.
He saw her back as she stood firm between him and the slowly approaching Aden.
He had to get up. He had to fight alongside Seong Yu-jin, no matter what.
Aden drew a little closer. Seong Yu-jin cast a series of tanking skills and held her ground. But her legs were trembling, and her breathing was ragged.
Kang-seok forced himself to catch his breath. When he lifted his head to glare at Aden, his vision turned red.
[Rage Mode]
One of the basic systems of *Battle God Online*. A system for turning the tables, where attack power increases by 1.5 times and movement speed by 1.2 times when health drops below 5%.
But it wasn't enough. This alone wouldn't do it. To defeat Aden, he needed something faster, something stronger.
“Kruaaaaaaargh!”
Aden roared. He kicked off the ground and charged, and Seong Yu-jin raised her shield, taking a defensive stance.
It was reckless. There was no way she could withstand it. She should have just dodged to the side.
The reason she didn't.
Kang-seok knew. And so he yearned.
For something faster.
For something stronger.
Something to transcend his current state!
The king of the gnolls charged at Kang-seok, swinging his left arm wildly. Seong Yu-jin raised her shield to block the attack, but the overwhelming difference in weight was too much. With a short scream, she was thrown against the wall.
Now, he was just a breath away.
The distance between the king of the gnolls and Kang-seok.
In that fleeting moment, something appeared.
[Would you like to consume a large amount of Remaining Survivable Time to achieve your first Transcendence?]
Luminous text appeared. Facts that couldn't be explained by a single sentence flooded his mind.
Numerous combat experiences.
Sufficient Remaining Survivable Time.
A powerful yearning.
All the conditions for the first Transcendence in *Battle God Online* were met.
The absolute flow of time.
But in this moment, it felt so slow.
Kang-seok did not hesitate.
[First Movement: Overdrive]
The first Transcendence chosen by the Dark Destiny Lord.
[Remaining Survivable Time: 60 seconds]
His Remaining Survivable Time, which had been hundreds of hours, plummeted in an instant. Red text appeared in his mind.
60 seconds.
One minute.
HS+S+K+P
Transcendence Skill: Overdrive
A pure white aura erupted like flames, engulfing Kang-seok's entire body.
A white light flickered in his two eyes, which had each glowed with a different color. Kang-seok let out a beast-like roar.
Next to the display for his Remaining Survivable Time, new luminous text appeared.
10 seconds.
The time allotted for Overdrive.
BOOM!
A deafening roar erupted. It wasn't the sound of Aden's fist striking Kang-seok. It was the sound of something incredibly fast pushing off the ground.
10 seconds.
Kang-seok vanished. At least, that's how it felt to the king of the gnolls. Moving at an incredible speed, Kang-seok drew not only Durandal but also Laevateinn and appeared behind Aden.
9 seconds.
Durandal and Laevateinn simultaneously drew brilliant arcs. He hacked at Aden's back with tremendous speed.
8 seconds.
Aden let out a pained groan and twisted his body. He swung his arms wildly, but Kang-seok wasn't hit. Instead, he closed in, increasing the speed of his attacks.
7 seconds. 6 seconds.
A spray of blood filled the air. The king of the gnolls was covered in it. But Aden did not fall. He let out a shriek and threw a punch at Kang-seok.
5 seconds.
Kang-seok shook his head and tilted his upper body. He dodged Aden's fist by a hair's breadth and stomped his foot once more. He closed in, getting inside Aden's guard.
4 seconds.
Slashing Aden's chest as he shot upward, Kang-seok met Aden's eyes. And he knew. The Overdrive had turned him into a blood-crazed beast, but he instinctively understood.
He needed something stronger.
To finish Aden, ordinary attacks weren't enough.
3 seconds.
It came to his mind.
←↖↑↓→←↑↓+HS
Supreme King's Roaring Sword
But that wasn't it. The true power of the black sword, Durandal. A true technique he could glimpse because he had achieved Transcendence.
→↗↑↖← + HS
Knight of Knights
2 seconds.
The king of the gnolls opened his mouth wide. Suppressing the pain, he twisted his body, intending to bite Kang-seok.
Kang-seok pulled back Durandal.
He stared straight at the king of the gnolls. He didn't miss the trajectory of light forming before his eyes.
And at that very moment.
[Taunt Lv1]
A white light drew Aden's attention for an instant. It was a low-level Taunt skill that would never have worked under normal circumstances, but under the onslaught, driven into a corner mentally, he fell for it.
The king of the gnolls turned to look not at Kang-seok, but at Seong Yu-jin, who was half-collapsed on the floor, her shield raised.
1 second.
Aden's eyes snapped back to Kang-seok. But it was already too late.
Kang-seok thrust the black sword Durandal forward. The pure white flames, magnified by Rage Mode and Overdrive, blazed even brighter.
Durandal plunged into Aden's chest. And as if on cue, a giant sword of light formed above Aden and Kang-seok. The pure white blade pierced Aden vertically, and soon, a massive crest of light unfolded in the air.
The crest of the absolute knight, formed in the image of countless swords plunged into a battlefield.
With a thunderous roar, the crest of light struck the king of the gnolls. It shattered into a million pieces.
Aden's body collapsed. Kang-seok sprawled on top of him.
Overdrive wore off. As the miraculous ten seconds ended, excruciating pain assaulted Kang-seok's body.
[Remaining Survivable Time: 48 seconds.]
It was hard to breathe. His head spun, and his vision blurred.
He had to check his Kron. He needed to buy more Remaining Survivable Time as quickly as possible.
[Dungeon Labyrinthus - Named Monster 'Aden, King of the Gnolls' Defeated]
[Achievement: King Slayer]
[* You can now use the 'King Slayer' title.]
[MVP: Choi Kang-seok (Male)]
[You have been promoted from Novice to Fighter.]
Luminous texts proving his victory appeared sporadically. But for Kang-seok right now, they were more of a hindrance.
[Remaining Survivable Time: 41 seconds]
Time was passing too quickly. He needed to dismiss the text in front of him and check his Kron, but his thoughts wouldn't connect. He couldn't even summon the fear of death.
“Kang-seok!”
He heard Seong Yu-jin's voice. He saw her face. Her tears, streaming down her cheeks, fell onto his face.
[Remaining Survivable Time: 35 seconds]
Party members could see each other's Remaining Survivable Time. The color drained from Seong Yu-jin's face.
[Remaining Survivable Time: 21 seconds]
The last luminous text he saw.
Seong Yu-jin, her face desperate, stared into the air and moved her fingers.
Kang-seok's eyes closed.
He could no longer hold onto consciousness.
Darkness swallowed his mind.