Fall of the One-Eyed Giant
Yura's pupils shook violently.
Ah, ah...
It wasn't just because of the lingering warmth of his touch.
She was entranced by the overwhelming skill that dismantled the boss monster like it was nothing, moving too fast for the eye to follow.
The shock was even greater because no one had managed to inflict any real damage on it until now.
How...?
The question came first.
But following it, though later, was a stimulus even stronger than doubt.
The burning desire to win.
The hope that it was possible.
I have to help.
It wasn't just Yura's thought.
The other users, who had fallen back, snapped out of it late and stepped forward to lend whatever aid they could.
Among them, one in particular caught her eye. Unlike the others, he was gesturing in the air.
At that moment, Mu-hyuk's words flashed in her mind.
He'd help if they weren't recording.
Why did he say that?
She didn't know the reason, but the urge to stop him was overwhelming.
"Oppa!"
"Uh, yeah?"
The man, who had been about to start recording, lowered his hologram at Yura's appearance.
"You okay?"
"Huh?"
"You looked pretty banged up earlier..."
"Oh, I'm fine."
"Good! Then why aren't you helping?"
"Gonna record first."
"Record?"
"Yeah. That user's insane. Gotta capture this."
Yura's brow furrowed slightly.
What do I do?
It was then.
"Ah...!"
The man's regretful groan reached her ears.
Yura whipped her head around.
There was the Cyclops Giant and the spirits. And over ten skeleton warriors.
But Mu-hyuk was nowhere in sight. He was already far off, staff in hand, commanding his summons.
As if everything until now had been an illusion.
*
Wind Step consumes 50 MP on activation.
Maintenance costs 20 MP per second.
Even 30 seconds would burn through a staggering 650 MP, so Wind Step's duration was inevitably short.
Of course, he'd capitalized on the heightened cutting power to sever all the Cyclops Giant's left fingers, two on the right hand, three toes, and inflict deep gashes across its thighs, flanks, and body everywhere.
The effects were more than sufficient.
From here, with Sung Min-woo's spirits, Mu-hyuk's skeletons, and the remaining users' help, they could finish it off.
"Everyone, lend a hand, yeah?"
At Mu-hyuk's words, the users snapped to attention.
But how?
Step forward?
Or attack?
As they hesitated, Mu-hyuk spoke again.
"The spirits and my skeletons will handle defense. Ranged attackers, hit it. Melee users, hold position. After a shockwave, if the skeletons' or spirits' HP drops, I'll pull them back. That's when you step in and keep it from closing distance."
Two Enhanced Bone skeletons and four spirits.
Plus twelve Bone Swords.
They surrounded the Cyclops Giant, focusing entirely on defense.
Pang! Pabang!
Arrows rained down on them.
Magic attacks.
Spells of all four elements flew.
Krwaaaaaah!
The Cyclops Giant bellowed in agony, flailing its arms and legs wildly.
It struggled to break free of the skeletons' and spirits' encirclement.
"Hah!"
Just then, the users' attacks began in earnest.
Kwagwang!
Their skills were enough to pin it down.
Good.
That said, the Enhanced Bones and Bone Swords weren't unscathed. Mu-hyuk had to pull damaged Bone Swords back periodically.
And slot in fresh ones with full HP.
All the while, he ordered the Bone Bows to rapid fire, timed the mages' cooldowns and Blessing of the Dead, using them judiciously.
He held back on Powerful Arrow Shot.
Right now, he needed to hide his full capabilities.
Wind Step had been overkill too.
He had no idea why he'd done it then, but at least he'd come to his senses now. Good thing.
No recording meant he could just deny it if they asked.
They wouldn't believe him, but tough luck.
Explaining this now would be impossible anyway.
That was when it happened.
The monster lifted a leg.
Defense mode!
The shockwave swept through the Bone Swords and spirits.
Retreat!
Mu-hyuk urgently pulled his summons back.
"Pulling summons back! Users, block it!"
The waiting melee users surged forward.
Winds howled from all directions.
Splat.
One turned to shadow, appearing behind it in an instant; another dashed, hurling daggers that split into multiples, lunging at the beast.
Someone else unleashed a prepped Earthquake, spraying sand like bullets.
In the meantime, Yura approached Mu-hyuk's side, gripping her shield and sword tightly.
Her hesitant expression hardened as she forced the words out.
"After the fight..."
"Hm?"
As he turned, their eyes met.
"Let's talk."
With that, she kicked off the ground.
Pabat.
Weaving through a barrage of skills, her gaze locked on the Cyclops Giant.
It lumbered forward despite the onslaught.
Tilt.
Then suddenly lost balance, staggering.
Because of the missing toes.
Everyone thought the same.
This is our chance.
Attacks and skills hammered its body once more.
Kwagwagwang!
The aftermath blasted through.
When the obscuring dust cleared...
Krr, krr.
The beast stood, its entire body bathed in silver.
The wounds Mu-hyuk had carved deep were torn even wider by this assault.
At this rate...
Mu-hyuk figured he could end it with another Wind Step.
But someone must have started recording by now.
Shame.
Something felt off, though.
Swipe.
The monster raised its head—its eye was closed.
Someone's attack had struck the Cyclops Giant's eye.
One of the hyped-up users must have forgotten Mu-hyuk's warning.
Damn...!
Mu-hyuk's mistake.
He should've reminded them not to target the eye again.
Block it...
No time for Mu-hyuk to act.
Krwaaaaaah!
The berserk Cyclops Giant began sweeping the area.
In an instant.
With utterly overwhelming power.
*
Its attack power had at least doubled.
Movement speed too.
Too fast to track with the naked eye.
"Dodge, dodge!"
A few users already logged out from mere swings.
The encirclement broken, it stomped, unleashing a shockwave.
More users lost their lives in that one blow.
Damn it!
Mu-hyuk checked his current MP.
280.
Enough for about 10 seconds.
Not enough.
He unsummoned all his minions and pulled an MP potion from inventory.
◈ Restores MP(200).
◈ 10 uses remaining.
◈ 5-minute cooldown.
Downing the potion bumped his MP to 480.
Still only about 20 seconds.
Cooldown was 5 minutes.
Mu-hyuk's instinct told him the fight wouldn't last that long.
Either the beast dies.
Or everyone here does.
Swipe.
Sung Min-woo sidled up.
"Whew, berserk again. What now?"
"We fight."
It was heavily wounded.
HP probably critically low.
Maybe even rock bottom.
Still, to be safe, he maxed his MP.
Hold on just a bit longer.
He hoped the users would buy time.
No choice if they wanted to win.
Mu-hyuk moving now offered no chance.
He needed every extra second of Wind Step time.
Just a little more.
MP was recovering faster than expected.
Swipe.
He scanned the surroundings.
Three users left.
Yura, one warrior, one archer.
Kwajik.
The berserk beast's attack flattened the archer.
Gruesome, but it vanished instantly—no time for revulsion.
Two remaining.
Yura and the warrior.
"..."
Mu-hyuk checked MP again.
596.
In that brief moment, the warrior logged out.
"Ah...!"
Yura, alone now, let out a groan.
Krr.
Targeted by the Cyclops Giant, she bit her lip, bracing.
Not to flee, but to fight.
It charged; she met it head-on.
Peok.
Yura flew back, slamming into the wall, body shuddering from impact.
Deobuk.
That was when Mu-hyuk stepped forward.
Something's wrong. Really.
Why react to her getting hit? Sighing at his own impulse, he didn't stop.
Wind Step.
He became the wind, racing to her.
En route, he slashed the berserk giant's rear thigh—where it was already wounded—tearing off a huge chunk of flesh.
Kwaaaak!
It shrieked, twisting its waist in pain.
Whoosh.
Fist rocketed toward him.
Too fast...!
A blue line appeared. He followed it without hesitation; the fist grazed past his nose.
The scenery warped, then snapped back as Mu-hyuk halted.
Before him: the beast's broad back.
He swung his sword.
Seok.
Pushed off the ground again.
Hueup!
MP used: 200 already.
Time's short.
400 left.
End it in 20 seconds!
Mu-hyuk's eyes turned ice-cold.
Splat.
Following the visible lines, he circled the Cyclops Giant.
His sword began carving up its entire body.
*
Two shockwaves had drained his HP to zero. While moving with Wind Step, he grabbed a potion from inventory and swallowed it.
A warm surge restores vitality.
Effect:HP(100) recovered.
No time...!
Couldn't stop here.
Had to keep moving.
Whose HP or MP hits zero first?
Or does the beast fall?
Only those two outcomes.
Hold on. Please.
The Cyclops Giant was a wreck.
One foot mostly useless, staggering constantly, toppling routinely.
Yet as a monster, it knew no shame.
Crawling on hands, somehow even more terrifying.
Krwaaaaaah!
Still, Mu-hyuk's gaze didn't waver.
He knew.
That's just its death throes.
As he closed in for the kill...
"...!"
His movement froze.
The slowed world returned to normal speed.
MP depleted.
Wind Step has ended.
The Cyclops Giant, once distant, was now right upon him.
Hwaaak.
No chance to dodge.
"Haaaaap!"
A shout and shadow intervened.
Kuung.
Yura took the hit for him.
"Fire, wind!"
Sung Min-woo's spirits followed, striking the beast.
He'd forgotten.
They were here together.
"What're you doing? Get back!"
"Hurry, fall back!"
He'd tried to shoulder it alone.
Stupidly.
Retreating, Mu-hyuk eyed the Cyclops Giant with deepened resolve.
The intent to kill burned fiercer.
Swipe.
Sword and shield away; staff out.
Blessing of the Dead.
Direct hit, massive damage.
-760 HP
Bow out next, arrow nocked.
Powerful Arrow Shot.
Aimed for the shut eye.
Peok.
Dead on.
-582 HP
Sung Min-woo's spirits piled on.
Yura closed in, slashing downward fiercely.
Wind blades from the strike tore into the Cyclops Giant.
Then the sound.
Kuung.
Shockwave? No.
"Ah..."
The Cyclops Giant collapsing.
Red Tower cleared.
🎁 Clear Reward: Acquired.