Chapter 308
Chapter 308
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 308
Chapter Title: Blue Eyes' Legend
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Winter had arrived.
Snow began to fall from the sky. It wasn't a gradual change overnight—it happened in an instant, as if the seasons had flipped in a single moment.
Phyllis couldn't believe what was happening, even as he saw it with his own eyes and felt it on his skin.
'This is... Blue Eyes.'
He had been one of those who thought the legend of the Blue Eyes was ancient history. Legends were old, outdated relics of the past.
But the scene unfolding before him shattered all of Phyllis's long-held notions in one fell swoop.
If the tale of the Blue Eyes was a legend, then that legend was still very much alive—and playing out right in front of him.
"The Hydra... taken out in one hit..."
Si-woo shook his head as Phyllis trembled in awe.
"That's a misconception."
"Pardon?"
"How could something like that go down in one hit?"
Crack—.
A fracture appeared in the ice encasing the Hydra's surface.
Come to think of it, the Hydra's eyes showed no sign of death. The beast was still alive and well inside that ice.
"Then we need to do something quick..."
Before he could finish.
Kiriririr—.
Countless ice spears materialized in midair. Each one was over eight feet long and more than a foot thick.
Hundreds of them.
Si-woo had conjured the spears, but Ye-ryeong launched them.
The spears rose into the sky. Ye-ryeong's precise, razor-sharp mana guided them toward the Hydra's nine heads, tips pointed like arrows.
Was this what the Tang Clan's secret technique, Myriad Flowers Falling from the Sky, looked like?
The orderly, swift spears embedded themselves into the Hydra's body.
Thud, thud, thuuud—!
The frozen Hydra staggered. The spears failed to pierce its tough scales, but they still delivered a solid impact.
Just from this exchange, it was clear how perfectly in sync the two were.
Crackle—.
That was when the ice encasing the Hydra began to shatter.
The Hydra's rage swelled after taking hundreds of hits from the spears. Its tail lashed out first, followed by one of its heads poking out from the ice.
But Si-woo wasn't about to let the Hydra move again.
The ground beneath Si-woo's feet, planted firmly, froze over white. That chill gathered in his hand, forming a single spear.
Just as Su-hun had taught Su-hyuk the art of javelin throwing, Si-woo had learned it from Su-hun as well.
Si-woo hurled the spear at the Hydra. It flew with blinding speed, and with such a massive target, missing was out of the question.
Of course, Si-woo's spear didn't pierce the Hydra's body.
Instead.
Pakakang—!
An ice flower bloomed on the Hydra's body.
The small flower, the size of a palm, spread rapidly from that single point.
Kyaaaaah—!
The Hydra's head, which had just broken free of the ice, froze solid once more.
Buried in the ice flower, the Hydra looked like a beautiful snow sculpture.
"Huuu—."
Si-woo exhaled deeply, white breath misting from his mouth.
"Much better than before."
Phyllis and the terrified rankers watching him stood frozen, mouths agape.
The two were overwhelming the disaster-like Hydra. Unlike Ye-ryeong, who had struggled against its massive bulk, Si-woo's powers were highly effective against the giant beast.
Hope glimmered.
Even if the Hydra's eyes still gleamed ferociously from within the ice, the situation was worlds apart from the start.
"Maybe..."
"We can take it."
"Let's do this!"
With hope ignited, morale soared.
And that was exactly the reaction Si-woo had wanted.
'Firepower should be covered now.'
No matter how much stronger they were than 20 years ago, their opponent was a pristine Hydra.
From Su-hyuk and all of Blue Eyes to Murim Alliance and Blue Zone—everyone together had barely managed to hunt this Guardian.
And the Hydra's true terror wasn't its size and speed-born power, nor the venom potent enough to kill even Hercules.
It was its ridiculous regenerative ability.
Kiririk—.
The ice began to crack again.
Hot venom breath melted it like mist from its maw. The massive body shook like an earthquake as it tried to break free once more.
That was when Phyllis shouted.
"Attack!"
His cry was the signal.
"Don't miss this opening!"
"Damn it, let's try!"
"We've got Blue Eyes on our side! Don't chicken out!"
With Si-woo and Ye-ryeong joining the fray.
The rankers, emboldened, unleashed attacks on the Hydra.
Skills poured from afar. Melee-capable rankers seized the moment while it was frozen, climbing onto its body.
This was the true start of the Hydra hunt.
Si-woo gathered chill in his hand once more, watching.
"Another drawn-out slog, huh."
This fight would be a marathon. They had to endure its brute assaults and block its regeneration.
Then.
"Isn't dragging things out our specialty?"
A familiar voice cut between the two.
Ye-ryeong and Si-woo's heads whipped around. Their faces lit up instantly.
"Endless endurance."
"Hye-min!"
It was Hye-min, who had gone ahead for the 8th floor trial.
Ye-ryeong bounded over and grabbed her hand.
"How'd you get here? The trial? Did you pass?"
"You guys sent the message. About the Hydra maybe reviving."
"You came running the second you saw it? Then..."
"Passed, obviously."
Hye-min flashed a V-sign.
Was it because some time had passed since awakening? Or from clearing the trial and gaining confidence?
Even with the Hydra right there, Hye-min seemed brighter than before.
"Where's Su-hyuk?"
"He's in the middle of his trial. Can't come."
"It's over already."
"Over?"
Ye-ryeong jolted in surprise and pulled up her kit. Su-hyuk's stream showed the trial had indeed ended.
Pzzt, pzzzt—.
The screen showed something blurring past at high speed.
Where was he? The view whipped by too fast to pinpoint, but one thing was certain.
"He's on his way."
Si-woo and Ye-ryeong's expressions brightened. With Hye-min here and Su-hyuk joining, real hope dawned.
Of course, no one knew how long until Su-hyuk arrived. But just knowing he was coming bolstered their spirits.
As Si-woo and Ye-ryeong watched the stream.
"Dodge!"
Phyllis's shout rang out as the Hydra's venom stinger flew at the three.
Fwoooosh—!
Black venom engulfed them. Phyllis screamed, watching.
"Noooo!"
He writhed as if struck himself. Si-woo and Ye-ryeong were their hope, and now they'd fallen.
But.
Sizzle—.
The three didn't melt.
A transparent barrier, like Phyllis's veil, protected them. Hye-min had deployed it.
She reached for Ye-ryeong's dagger while maintaining the barrier. In that instant, the dagger glowed crimson.
Whiiiine—.
A familiar message popped up for Ye-ryeong.
Hye-min's abilities were support-oriented. She honed buffs and shields, elevating allies' power.
A power that shone brightest in a team.
Feeling the strength envelop her, Ye-ryeong charged at the Hydra breaking free of the ice.
Slash—.
The Hydra's tough scales peeled away under her blade, which normally barely scratched them.
Ye-ryeong's eyes sparkled at the sensation. Yes, this was it.
Her lips curled as she declared counterattack.
"Now it begins, you damn bastard."
Pzzt, pak—.
Each footfall propelled his body forward.
How long had it been since he'd run this fast for so long? Su-hyuk sprinted relentlessly.
"Hahk, heuk—."
Lightning already drained his stamina, and now full-tilt running left him gasping sooner.
When his speed began to flag, he gritted his teeth harder. This wasn't mere running—Su-hyuk saw it as ongoing battle.
'Can't be late.'
Si-woo and Ye-ryeong had already clashed with the Hydra.
No one knew how that fight would unfold, or how much time remained. From the moment venom poisoned someone, death's timer ticked.
"Hahk, heuk—."
As he ran and ran.
Su-hyuk realized the scenery had shifted to a cityscape.
He hadn't noticed right away because the city looked nothing like usual.
The city was utter ruins.
Buildings collapsed beyond recognition. Ground melted away. Bloodstains and flesh chunks smeared across the floor from being crushed.
A scene from hell. The unleashed Guardian wrought disaster like this.
Something that should never have been freed was loose. Seeing the carnage fueled by rage, Su-hyuk sensed the Hydra was searching for something.
And that something was probably him.
"Ha—."
Hot breath escaped Su-hyuk's lips as he paused amid the horror.
His chest burned like he'd swallowed glowing coals. The thought flashed: maybe in the next city, among those blood clumps, were Si-woo and Ye-ryeong.
Out of breath, he had no time to stop.
Su-hyuk tensed his soles to run again. Just as he was about to leap toward the next city.
Fwaaaah—.
"...!"
Scorching heat washed over his face.
Su-hyuk looked up. Beyond the venom-choked black sky, something hazy appeared.
Grrrrrr—.
A familiar roar.
It emerged from the clouds below.
Enormous wings and horns. Crimson scales like flames.
A massive dragon descended, spewing flames from its maw. The red dragon infamous to all spewed fire.
Red Dragon Vulcanus.
And atop it, as always, rode Hailz, clutching a staff larger than herself.
She pointed her staff at Su-hyuk.
"Hey, you there!"
Su-hyuk stopped as she pointed at him. Sure enough, she was here for the same reason.
"Heading to take down the Hydra?"
Sweat dripped from his brow to the ground. Catching his breath, Su-hyuk nodded.
As if she'd known, Hailz gestured to the seat behind her.
"You're late. Hop on."