I Will Not Fight You
While Shanette confronted the Frost Demon, Kang Yoon-soo headed to the other side to hunt the Mana Golem.
She felt uneasy, but it was a necessary choice if they were to defeat two powerful monsters at the same time.
I’ll finish the hunt quickly and join Shanette.
“I’m moving.”
Even with more than six hundred undead pinning it down, the Mana Golem writhed as though it might rise at any moment.
Kang Yoon-soo thrust out his right arm.
Corpse Explosion
Kwa-ga-ga-gang—!
A massive Ahinkul burst apart. The explosion was far more violent than when he used ordinary undead. The creature’s body had been packed with volatile oil.
“I’m in pain.”
Fragments flew from the Mana Golem as it was caught in the blast. Mana-stone shards were rare materials, useful for alchemy or enchantments.
Kang Yoon-soo clenched a shard in his fist. It crumbled easily, and blue energy seeped into his body.
Mana stones replenish mana quickly.
His Corpse Explosion skill was now level 3. Each cast consumed 120 mana. His total mana pool was 1,170. Under normal conditions he could have used the skill fewer than ten times. Yet the emergency mana bracelet, the Life Suppression Ring, and the mana stone itself let him recover mana at a terrifying rate.
Kang Yoon-soo cast the skill without hesitation.
“Corpse Explosion. Corpse Explosion. Corpse Explosion. Corpse Explosion…”
Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-gang—!
Explosions powerful enough to shake the ruins swallowed the Mana Golem. Part of its torso shattered, leaving a gaping hole in its chest. A large, glowing blue organ was exposed—the golem’s mana heart, the vital core that let it move of its own will.
“My body feels light.”
The Mana Golem’s movements suddenly accelerated. By shedding the cumbersome mana-stone fragments and exposing its weakness, it had gained greater agility.
Kang Yoon-soo stopped the explosions and issued a new order.
“Everyone aim for the Mana Golem’s heart.”
The undead Ahinkuls swarmed up its limbs and began tearing at the core.
“Damn it! Let’s see you kill me!”
Henrik summoned his archer and thief dolls, unleashing a storm of arrows and daggers.
The Mana Golem thrashed in fury.
“I’m angry.”
Kwa-gang! Kwang! Kwa-ga-gang!
Its savage fists pounded the floor. Each swing felled dozens of undead, draining their life force.
At that moment Kang Yoon-soo stepped behind Iris and wrapped his arms around her.
Iris turned with curious eyes.
“I was told such behavior is reserved for lovers. Kang Yoon-soo, do you love me?”
“No.”
With an indifferent expression he lifted her high. At his call White raced over and let him mount.
The werewolf charged the rampaging Mana Golem at breakneck speed. Still holding Iris, Kang Yoon-soo whispered.
“I hope it makes a good meal.”
“What do you mean?”
The instant Iris asked with an innocent face, the golem’s fist slammed into the spot they had just vacated.
Kwa-gang—!
Ice shards exploded outward with a deafening roar.
Kang Yoon-soo rose on White’s back and hurled Iris with perfect force. As she flew through the air toward the Mana Golem, she thought seriously.
Flying through the sky feels quite pleasant.
Kwa-dang—!
She landed precisely inside the crater in the golem’s chest.
Iris gazed at the glowing blue heart.
“May I eat your heart?”
“Absolutely not!”
The Mana Golem roared and pounded its own chest with massive fists. Iris simply ducked, evading every blow.
She spoke in a troubled voice.
“Kang Yoon-soo, this child does not wish for its heart to be eaten.”
“Don’t listen to bad children.”
“I see.”
Like an obedient daughter, Iris sank her teeth deep into the mana heart.
The golem rampaged, but its huge arms could not reach the small figure inside its chest. The doppelganger’s predation ability devoured the core in moments.
“I have fulfilled my duty!”
Kwa-ang—!
The Mana Golem whose heart had vanished exploded on the spot.
You have defeated Mana Golem (Boss, Level 224).
Level increased by 7.
The enormous body scattered into rubble. Iris was thrown clear and fell dangerously. Henrik barely managed to catch her.
“Ugh! Do you eat so many weird things that you’re this heavy?”
“For some reason that remark feels very unpleasant. Henrik, may I eat your heart?”
“You want to die?”
While the two bickered, Kang Yoon-soo hurried toward the Frost Demon. His steps were faster than usual.
It took longer than expected.
The Frost Demon was not a monster they could afford to fight for long. Even if the rest of the clan joined in, there was no guarantee Shanette could hold out.
The Frost Demon drew a deep breath and roared loud enough to shake the walls.
“Absolute Zero!”
Blue energy surged outward. An ultra-low-temperature explosion froze the air itself. The elemental flames wrapped around everyone’s weapons flickered and died.
Sally, who had been controlling fire from the rear, turned deathly pale and began to shiver violently.
“It’s… it’s too cold…! My body hurts…! Papa…! Mama…!”
Her form blurred, then vanished. The extreme cold had forcibly returned the fire spirit to her summoning realm.
“My body!”
“The floor’s frozen!”
The clan members found their feet and legs encased in ice, unable to move. The flames that had protected Shanette had long since been extinguished.
“Kyaaak!”
A horrific scene filled Kang Yoon-soo’s eyes. The Frost Demon had seized Shanette by the hair. She struggled with a pale face, but her strength could not overcome the demon.
“Become my blood and flesh.”
The moment the demon’s claws moved to rip open her stomach, a powerful bolt of lightning struck the back of its head.
Crackle—!
The strong current only stung the demon’s skull; it dealt no serious damage. The Frost Demon twisted its face in rage, hurled Shanette aside, and spun around.
When it saw the mana-stone fragments on Kang Yoon-soo’s hand, its eyes widened.
“That’s… the remains of the Mana Golem!”
“I killed it.”
Kang Yoon-soo walked slowly toward the fallen Shanette. He examined the blood-soaked wound on her abdomen. Fortunately it was not deep. He lifted her clothes and applied his own healing potion.
“K-Kang Yoon-soo…?”
“It’s all right.”
He turned toward the Frost Demon and drew his sword. His voice was cold.
“You will die by my hand.”
“How laughable!”
The Frost Demon sneered and charged wildly. Kang Yoon-soo lowered his stance, dodged, and drove his blade into its chest.
Abyssal Swordsmanship
Strikes aimed precisely at its weak points rained down. At the same time he swept the Lightning Storm Staff across the floor.
Lightning Discharge
Crackle—!
Fierce current swept the area, shattering the ice that trapped the clan members. Durman rubbed his tingling hands and grumbled.
“Aigo, that stings!”
“Everyone focus on the Frost Demon!”
The clan’s fierce assault began. They reapplied holy water to their weapons, reformed ranks, and pressed the demon. Henrik, Iris, and the undead joined the raid as well.
“Thread Bind!”
Henrik’s threads wrapped the Frost Demon tightly.
“Insignificant!”
But when the demon flexed its power, Henrik was the one dragged forward. As his face filled with panic, Iris grabbed his shoulder and pulled back with equal force.
“W-whoa!”
Even against the demon’s monstrous strength, Iris refused to yield. She even smiled at Kang Yoon-soo.
“The golem’s heart tasted quite good.”
She had absorbed some of the golem’s immense power through her predation ability.
“Ugh! You damn thing! You’re going to rip my arm off!”
Henrik, caught in the middle, screamed with a face full of despair.
Kang Yoon-soo charged the restrained demon and thrust out his staff.
Lightning Discharge
The powerful lightning struck the demon’s chest. It grimaced in pain and thrashed wildly.
“If only you weren’t here!”
The demon’s fangs darted toward Kang Yoon-soo’s left arm. He pulled back quickly, but the end of the Lightning Storm Staff was caught in its mouth.
An unexpected crisis. Yet Kang Yoon-soo remained calm and activated the skill again.
Lightning Discharge
The lightning surged straight into the demon’s mouth, delivering a heavy shock. But the staff that had unleashed the final skill was crushed to splinters between its fangs.
Crunch—!
“Die!”
Fangs infused with cold bit into the back of Kang Yoon-soo’s hand. Flesh tore and blood flowed. Ignoring the pain, he swiftly drew the Blood Massacre Sword from his bag.
Wielding both blades, he charged the Frost Demon head-on. The crossed swords tore through the demon’s chest where the earlier thrust had pierced it.
“Kwaaaak—!”
The Frost Demon’s chest ripped wide open and it collapsed, dead. Everyone cheered.
“We finally won!”
“We must be the first to succeed in hunting a demon!”
The moment they relaxed, the frozen demon’s corpse began to twitch. A pitch-black, corrupted soul flowed from the body’s edge. A voice full of arrogant laughter rang out.
An aura of cold far stronger than before radiated from the soul. Everyone tensed. Even after its body died, the wicked demon’s soul still hungered for life. Despair filled their faces.
Ghost-type monsters could not be killed with ordinary weapons. Without holy power or dark magic—and with their holy water depleted—the clan had no means to fight the Frost Demon’s soul.
The demon’s soul roared as if announcing the true beginning of an epic battle.
That was when Kang Yoon-soo stepped forward. He spoke in a low voice.
“I will not fight you anymore.”
“Ha! Have you finally decided to offer your body to me obediently?”
Kang Yoon-soo shook his head.
“No.”
He calmly extended his right hand, the one wearing the Life Suppression Ring.
Soul Capture
“Kwaaaaaaaaak—!”
The demon’s soul was sucked into the ring in an instant.
You have defeated Frost Demon (Boss, Level 261).
Level increased by 27.
Every clan member stared at him in disbelief. The man who had ended the battle in the most bizarre way met their gazes with an expressionless face.
“What are you looking at?”