Giant Monsters Make Perfect Targets
What would happen if you encountered a giant monster?
Its sheer size alone would instill overwhelming intimidation. You might feel terror and flee, or freeze in place.
But for those resolved to fight, it becomes an enormous, easy target.
A perfect mark you could hit no matter where or how you aimed.
The current situation was exactly that.
Bang! Bbang!
He unleashed his bowstring wildly for the first time in ages.
Nock an arrow, release the string.
Pang!
Nock another arrow, release again.
Even with wild, haphazard shots, nearly every arrow embedded itself somewhere on the Giant Centipede's body.
Damage was the same regardless of where it hit, so there was no need for precision.
Shhh.
But its massive size meant equally massive HP.
It wouldn't go down easily.
After using its bulk to block the path, it slowly closed the distance.
Then it kicked skeletons aside with its countless legs or opened its maw, gnashing and devouring them.
The problem was that being chewed shattered bones, rendering them combat-ineffective despite remaining HP.
Already, three Bone Swords were out of commission.
Summon cancel: Bone Sword 7, 10, 12.
Advance: Enhanced Bone 1, 2.
Fortunately, Enhanced Bones had no such issue.
Partly thanks to their armor, but mainly because the bones themselves were incredibly durable—even if chewed, they took minimal damage.
Kiririk!
Using the pair to hold it at bay, he rained attacks from the Bone Archers and Mages.
Kwaang, kwakwang!
The spirits were performing admirably too.
"Hraaap!"
Sung Min-woo darted everywhere, lunging at openings to strike.
Powerful Arrow Shot
Blessing of the Dead
It was at that moment.
Shhh.
The creature suddenly twisted its body.
Then it rapidly worked its legs and began fleeing. At tremendous speed, it vanished in an instant.
It was so abrupt that they could only stare.
Sung Min-woo and Mu-hyuk couldn't hide their bewilderment, staring long at where it had disappeared.
"……."
A hollow silence fell.
Sung Min-woo snapped out of it late and shouted.
"That, that crazy monster bastard!"
It was a roar full of rage.
*
After exchanging a few ideas, they pressed on.
Shhh.
Right on cue, it appeared.
"Now!"
"Got it."
A brilliant light leaked from Mu-hyuk's body.
Wind Step
A slightly altered world.
He traversed it.
Mu-hyuk closed the gap in a flash, then sidestepped to slash at its legs.
The immense speed translated to slashing power, severing legs cleanly.
As he moved sideways, legs caught on his blade rained down.
At that instant, killing intent loomed overhead. Mu-hyuk quickly veered aside.
Immediately after, the creature's face slammed where he'd been. Sand and pebbles fell from its raised head's teeth.
Splat.
Mu-hyuk was already on the opposite side.
Sasasak.
More legs sliced off by his sword.
Kieeeek!
The centipede writhed in agony, but Mu-hyuk's superior base stats, amplified by Wind Step, made its sluggish movements futile. He severed dozens of legs in moments before joining Sung Min-woo.
"Damn, you cut off a ton."
"Has to be this much."
Or it would flee again.
"That was so ridiculous earlier."
Sung Min-woo laughed, cracking his knuckles and twisting his fingers and wrists.
Crack.
He advanced.
"Wind. Earth."
Kicking the ground summoned wind that enveloped him.
Accelerating instantly, he leaped toward the centipede's face.
Kukuung.
The ground beneath its face erupted upward.
Perfect timing.
Just before the startled centipede could twist its rising face—
Thud.
Sung Min-woo's heel smashed dead center.
Then a soaring fireball tore into its tough facial hide.
Kwajik.
Flames erupted from the slightly torn skin.
"Going!"
"Okay!"
Sung Min-woo landed and flung himself aside as dual-element spells fired.
A blazing spear struck first, impact amplified by Sung Min-woo's prior assault with Earth and Fire.
Then razor-sharp wind ripped the wound wider.
Kieeeeek!
As the centipede thrashed, ice shards drenched its body.
Not much damage on their own.
Flash.
But lightning followed, electrifying the water for amplified destruction.
Bone Archers, rapid fire.
Bone arrows embedded in its shuddering hide.
Finally regaining its wits, it whipped left and right violently. Then it abruptly turned and fled.
"Catch it!"
With so many legs severed, its movement was sluggish.
Pababat.
They could keep up.
"Nice!"
"Wind! Earth!"
Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo pursued, pressing attacks relentlessly.
Thud.
Finally, the Giant Centipede collapsed.
Your experience has increased.
It had been one tenacious bastard.
*
No more monsters appeared, so they quickly reached the path's end. There stood a pillar like the one Sung Min-woo had shattered.
A gem floated inside the transparent pillar too, but with one difference: the two gems emitted different colors.
If the previous path-blocking gem was a seductive red temptress overflowing with vibrant allure, this pillar's gem was a pure white maiden radiating modest, pristine charm.
"It's insanely bright."
"Should we smash this one too?"
No visible mechanisms, as expected.
Meant to be broken, then.
"Let's do it."
Sung Min-woo and Mu-hyuk struck simultaneously.
Kuung.
After a few blows, the pillar shattered, and pure white light enveloped them.
‘Pascal's Soul’ has found peace.
All stats slightly increase inside Pascal's Tomb.
The pillar blocking the fork has vanished.
As Mu-hyuk had predicted.
The blocking pillar was gone. But the first two messages puzzled him slightly.
The soul found peace?
Destroying the fork's pillar had said it wailed in torment.
He checked the quest again.
Find Pascal's Soul
📍 Find Pascal's soul slumbering deep in the tomb.
🎁 Reward: ?
It simply said "soul."
Did destroying different pillars summon different souls?
Wailing or peaceful.
Rewards likely varied by choice.
Hmm, then...
Which was better?
Peaceful didn't guarantee superior rewards.
It might offer balanced ones precisely because it was stable.
A wailing soul, however, was probably berserk, having lost reason.
Guide it right, and maybe squeeze out excessive rewards.
Though total failure was more likely.
"Saw the message?"
"Yeah."
"First was wailing, now it's peaceful. Feels like we're choosing the soul's state."
"Ah...!"
Sung Min-woo got it.
"Rewards differ by choice, huh."
"Exactly."
"Whoa, that's huge!"
"Huge?"
"Duh! Rewards change by choice? Awesome, classic Illusion!"
Mu-hyuk chuckled.
"You called it cursed earlier."
"That was then."
"Fine, impressive. So, which?"
"Hmm, red feels ominous, but dismissing it as simple rubs me wrong."
"Same. Logically, white pillar means fair reward. Red's a wildcard."
"White's safe bet. Red's gamble."
"Pretty much."
"Cool. No need to overthink!"
"Hm?"
"I vote red pillar!"
"How'd you land there?"
"Life's about the big score."
"……."
"Right? Low odds but jackpot's more fun than steady gains."
"Fun?"
"Yeah, fun."
That word stuck.
His easy growth via foreknowledge had dulled the thrill, no doubt.
Selling info made money effortless too. He'd forgotten that raw hunger to play Illusion.
Fun...
His chest tingled oddly.
"Not great?"
He snapped back at Sung Min-woo's question.
"No, I like it."
"Yeah?"
"Very much."
He went with Sung Min-woo's pick.
Yeah, it'd be fun.
*
Another fork.
One path open, one pillar-blocked.
"Smash?"
"Yeah."
They attacked together.
Puk puk!
Cracks formed after blows; soon it shattered.
As red gem turned to light enveloping them—
‘Pascal's Soul’ wails in torment.
All stats slightly decrease inside Pascal's Tomb.
"This'd be easy if it stays like this."
Just smash blocking pillars onward.
Time would shrink; maybe awaken the soul today.
Of course, that notion shattered at the next fork.
"Whoa, seriously."
"White pillar blocking... as expected."
Mu-hyuk was right.
This blocker had a white gem, not red.
So, take the open path. Red pillar at its end.
"Knew it was too easy."
Another Giant Centipede hunt.
That grotesque form.
That tenacious vitality.
"No choice."
Visibly reluctant, they advanced anyway.
Shhh.
Soon, they met another.
Wind Step
You used Wind Step.
MP (50) consumed.
20 MP drained per second.
Thus, Mu-hyuk swiftly closed in and severed legs.
Ignoring the eerie tactile feedback, he swept around it.
About 50 seconds—1,050 MP—to lop off most legs on its left side.
Shhh, shshhh.
Its movement skewed one way now.
"Nice, this'll be easy."
"Kill it quick. Gross."
"Yeah, summon!"
"Skeleton Summon."
Skeletons and spirits attacked.
Kwakwang!
Balance lost, it posed minimal threat— just took time.
They slew it and reached the end. Smashing the visible pillar brought a message.
Slightly different from the first.