Chapter 187: Cord of Conviction (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 187: Cord of Conviction (1)
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Along with the sound of urgent footsteps, two boss monsters that had been hidden until now appeared from the flanks.
The medium-sized monster, about three meters tall and covered in red scales, was the 'Lizard King' who led the Lizardmen.
Beside him was 'Black Fang', a wolf with a black mane and three eyes.
Both were beast-type magical beasts. While the Lizard King was a boss specialized in close-quarters combat utilizing his massive size, Black Fang was a boss that prioritized speed and excelled in group battles.
This meant they were formidable opponents, each possessing distinct advantages.
'So the other bosses were hiding for this moment.'
The tighter the battle, the greater the impact of every single variable.
And a variable this massive could completely overturn the tide of battle.
"My Lord!"
Wolyeong hurriedly approached Jinhyuk.
He, too, must have sensed the danger.
The two bosses each led about thirty of their own kind. Though few in number, the strength of each individual was clearly extraordinary at a glance.
They were all named-grade.
On top of that, they were the elite of the elite, composed entirely of monsters strengthened by the 'Crest of the Red Oath'.
Jinhyuk bit his lower lip slightly as he looked at the weapons held by the Lizard King and Black Fang.
He recognized both relics.
'Bone of the Burned Colossus.'
'Branch Stained with Pure Blood.'
Now he understood why they had been biding their time.
They had been waiting for those relics to be completed.
[Attacking the same spot 10 times with the 'Bone of the Burned Colossus' will destroy the target's weapon.]
[Wounds inflicted by the 'Branch Stained with Pure Blood' cannot be healed and cause permanent physical damage. (Secondary effects include scarring, numbness, and functional impairment.)]
[However, these two relics can only be used once.]
Though single-use, both relics possessed incredibly troublesome abilities.
Since the individual combat capabilities of the monsters were already outstanding, having such annoying relics would multiply the difficulty several times over.
'So they were the ones stalling for time.'
As expected...
They were definitely different from monsters that merely moved on instinct.
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
Even now, he could see the monsters rapidly closing in.
They were coming.
And extremely fast at that.
The two species leaped toward Jinhyuk simultaneously.
"Protect my Lord!"
Wolyeong led the Black Wind Society, deploying a wide defensive square formation around Jinhyuk.
About thirty members of the Black Wind Society moved with mathematical precision.
Clang! Clang!
Clash!
Swords clashed in a dizzying blur.
A speed so blinding it was hard to follow with the naked eye.
All that could be seen were thousands of sparks blooming in the air.
However, even as they fought with all their might to maintain the formation, they could not overcome the sheer disadvantage in numbers and strength.
It was only natural.
They were facing a fresh enemy in peak condition while their own internal energy was already depleted from the ongoing battle.
On top of that...
[Black Fang activates Lv14 'Hunter's Night'!]
Like a wolf pouncing on its prey.
There was no warning in its weightless stride.
Swish!
The movement, which seemed to skim the ground, was at a speed unimaginable for a beast boasting a massive three-meter frame.
It was fast—so fast that there was no time to even think of reacting.
Slash! Slash!
Blood splattered.
A member of the Black Wind Society, wounded in the neck, fell to his knees.
"Ugh!"
Even in that split second, the fact that he avoided a fatal blow was thanks to the fruits of his extreme training.
Of course, that didn't mean they could win against a monster they couldn't even react to.
At least, none of the ordinary Black Wind Society members could face the boss alone.
Except for one.
"I will handle that beast."
Wolyeong, who led them.
Crackle!
A blinding light erupted from the tip of his sword.
The ultimate technique, considered the pinnacle of all melee attacks.
It was 'Sword Force', praised for possessing the ultimate cutting power.
"Yip!"
"Whine!"
Wolyeong sliced through two black-maned wolves in a single breath.
Their thick hides and fur offered no protection this time.
The mist of blood dyed his vision red.
"Come."
The tip of his sword pointed at Black Fang, as if warning that its opponent was him alone.
"How dare you touch my children!"
Enraged, Black Fang roared savagely.
Vanishing with Flash Step, Black Fang instantly took a position behind Wolyeong's back.
It was the very technique that had choked the life out of countless competitors while ruling the 9th floor.
However...
Snap!
The sound of tearing flesh and crushing bones did not follow.
Instead, the sound of teeth snapping shut echoed exceptionally loud.
It had failed.
Failed to bite the opponent's neck in a single strike.
"...You!"
Black Fang's eyes widened in shock.
It thought its timing had been perfect, yet the human had escaped without a single scratch.
Right then.
A chilling voice echoed from right beneath Black Fang's jaw.
"You aren't the only one confident in your speed."
[Wolyeong unleashes his unique ability, 'Shadow Extreme Kill'!]
A movement technique utilizing shadows.
If Black Fang's Flash Step was a connection between lines, Wolyeong's unique ability, 'Shadow Extreme Kill', skipped from point to point.
Slash!
A laceration appeared on Black Fang's face along with a spray of blood.
With a fluid ripple, Wolyeong's figure melted into the shadows once more.
Simultaneously, Black Fang lunged.
Clash! Clash!
Boom!
Black afterimages darted around in a dizzying frenzy as they bared their fangs, each trying to pierce the other's heart.
* * *
'On Black Fang's side... he's about evenly matched with Wolyeong.'
The problem was...
that relying solely on the Spirit Tree and Goguma would be too much to handle Atasha and the Lizard King.
Jinhyuk's hand twitched. If he stepped forward now, he would give them the perfect opportunity to use the two relics.
That was undoubtedly what they were aiming for.
'If I lose my patience and charge out, they'll immediately use their subordinates as shields to launch a surprise attack.'
Since he knew exactly what their plan was, he had no intention of playing into their hands.
But he had even less intention of letting things fall apart like this.
[Subspace Inventory is activated.]
Jinhyuk pulled out the items he had purchased from the Coin Exchange.
'Token of Conviction'.
'Laurel Leaf of December'.
'Three Red Jewels of Akrandma'.
He had spent every single coin he owned to buy them, but he had no regrets.
Because from this moment on, they would prove to be worth far more than that.
[Combining the three items.]
[Time remaining until completion: 00h:02m:59s]
He needed three minutes.
In that case...
"Melena!"
Jinhyuk called out to Melena, who was frantically wielding her whip nearby.
"Haa... haa... haa..."
Was she exhausted from struggling so desperately to survive?
Instead of answering, Melena panted heavily.
Seeing her face pale as a sheet, it seemed she had used up every last drop of oxygen in her blood.
"I know you're having a hard time, but hang in there for just three more minutes. I need to play with that chicken over there, so handle the Lizard King in the meantime. That's exactly how much time I need until the item is completed."
Wolyeong could only handle Black Fang at most.
Even so, leaving the Lizard King to the Spirit Tree alone was a terrible matchup.
In other words, they needed additional support.
And there was only one person here who could play that role.
"Three minutes... That's too long."
Melena groaned.
She was on the verge of collapsing right now, yet he was telling her to hold out for three more minutes. It was no different from asking her to risk her life.
Of course, Jinhyuk had already anticipated this reaction.
Jinhyuk scratched his chin slyly.
"We have an employee who's a Sword Saint, and he held out for about that long. Surely, the Demonic Human Association, which is gathered with big shots of the underworld who have been through all sorts of hardships, isn't inferior to him, right?"
No way. Surely not.
After all, would the 'real deals' who had been chased by black markets, the CIA, and Interpol really lose to a mere medical student who was just called a bit stubborn?
He added the most refreshing smile in the world as a bonus.
Melena's face contorted fiercely.
It was probably because he had poked her right in her most sensitive spot. It was indeed laughable for a mafia member to be weaker than an ordinary person.
"I'll show you why they call me the 'Black Cobra' of Vladivostok."
In the end, Melena gripped her whip and squeezed out every last drop of her remaining mana.
Whoosh!
Flames erupted along the whip, and the moisture around Melena began to rapidly dry up.
A black cobra in a freezing polar region...
Jinhyuk wondered what kind of crazy bastard had come up with such a codename, but he didn't bother pointing it out.
Because supporting an enthusiastic employee was also the duty of a boss.
As long as she delivered results, he was willing to highly acknowledge her even if she called herself a rainbow cobra.
Yes, of course.
"Then, I'll leave it to you. Let's go."
"Mogi!"
Goguma vigorously spread its wings.
[Goguma activates Lv2 'Flight'!]
Even though Goguma usually waddled around, once its wings were fully spread, there was plenty of space for a person to climb aboard.
While it wasn't quite a Dragon Knight level, this would at least allow for decent air-to-ground attacks.
Adjusting his mask, Jinhyuk climbed onto Goguma's back. He then held onto the base of its wings and secured his posture.
For a moment, his body jolted up and down.
Whoosh!
Goguma soared into the air.
'Unbelievable...'
Jinhyuk swallowed hard.
He prided himself on having ridden countless mounts, but such a smooth and graceful flight was definitely a first.
'And it's not even fully grown yet.'
The feeling of looking down on everything from high above was incomparable to anything else.
Yes. This was exactly why he had chosen a flying-type ancient species.
"Get as close to the Thunderbird's head as possible."
"Mogi!"
Goguma blinked its amber eyes as if telling him not to worry.
As they plunged deep into enemy lines, opponents appeared as if they had been waiting.
"Kieee!"
"Shreeek!"
They were medium-sized winged beasts, twice the size of Goguma.
Their sharp teeth and long beaks were reminiscent of Cretaceous dinosaurs.
'Five of them...'
Just five.
Heh.
A hollow chuckle escaped Jinhyuk's lips.
"You guys still don't know your place."
Jinhyuk infused mana into the 'Molar' he pulled from his Subspace Inventory.
Instead of an arrow, a red beam of light filled the bowstring.
Hummmm!
Mana compressed to its absolute limit.
A dazzling brilliance overlaid the red arrow, which was twisted like a corkscrew.
With this, it could pass off as looking similar to Goguma's breath.
He didn't need to worry about the gazes of Friedman or Wolyeong, who were sharing his vision from below.
He could freely...
use the best long-range skill in his arsenal.
"Let's see you take this."
Just like its name, the Thunderbird...
...he was going to turn it into roasted chicken.
And in an instant that was almost simultaneous...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The compressed mana was unleashed all at once.