Chapter 370: Gray Forest (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 370: Gray Forest (3)
"V-Veteran Corporation? Pink? Yellow? What on earth is that?"
Crayveratis tilted his head in confusion.
But there was no need to answer every single question.
Especially not to a bastard who was about to die.
"It exists. Something like that."
The others would handle the minor bugs.
Now, it was time to beat down the most important bastard and rescue Teresa and the players.
[Lv. 3 'Hellfire' has been activated!]
A blazing fire erupted in his left hand.
The flames of hell, capable of vaporizing even solid stone.
And.
[Unique Ability 'Black Tears' has been activated!]
Black liquid began to drip from Barnard, held in his right hand.
"You probably wanted to crush us with sheer numbers, but that actually turned out to be a bad move."
The bottom of that seemingly bottomless mana pool was finally starting to show.
It was the inevitable consequence of activating 'Army Ant'.
Jinhyuk moved first.
Whoosh!
The Hellfire gathered in his left hand tore through the air.
"…Kieeeek!"
Sensing instinctively that he must not get hit, Crayveratis quickly twisted his body to the side.
However, with his massive bulk, dodging the rapidly flying Hellfire was next to impossible.
Boom!
"Argh!"
Along with scattering dark-red volcanic embers, the insect's massive body was blown backward.
The impact was so powerful that the thickets behind Crayveratis were instantly engulfed in flames.
Whoosh!
"Kieee!"
"Kueeeek!"
The flames spread uncontrollably.
The bugs caught in the vicinity were burned alive.
"As expected, bugs are best when roasted."
Jinhyuk took a leaping stance toward the writhing Crayveratis.
Thick mana infused the Black Tears dripping from Barnard.
"Kieee! Kieeeek!"
He could see the monster desperately trying to escape the flames.
As its movements grew larger, the location of its heart was clearly exposed.
Tap!
Jinhyuk launched his attack without hesitation.
Now that the opponent's defense had crumbled under the Hellfire, it was the perfect time to deliver the finishing blow.
Slash!
The dagger sliced through the outer shell and cut into the flesh beneath.
Green fluid sprayed out as a long gash opened along its waist.
Sizzle!
[Due to the effect of 'Black Tears', 'Decay' is progressing!]
[+100 damage stacks per second!]
The wound rapidly discolored.
While Black Tears was a powerful ability on its own, it also possessed a special effect that aggravated wounds.
Witnessing his own flesh rot away, Crayveratis bared his claws.
Not to attack.
But to survive.
To escape this horrific pain.
The sight of him tearing off his own flesh with his claws was quite grotesque.
"Grrr…! To suffer such humiliation at the hands of a mere human! I will never forgive you!"
His voice was filled with desperate rage.
In that instant, the density of the surrounding mana shifted.
At the same time, the Hellfire clinging to his black outer shell died down.
[The Lord of the Gray Forest is initiating 'Form Transformation'!]
Commonly known as Phase 2.
It was a trait possessed only by a very rare few among boss monsters.
Not only did their form change, but the quality of their mana also elevated.
Because of this, a boss monster with a Phase 2 had to be evaluated as being at least several tiers higher than the standard bosses of that floor.
Crack… Crunch!
As his skeletal structure shifted, Crayveratis's body began to shrink.
By downsizing, he compressed his mana and eliminated wasted energy.
This was the true form of the boss who ruled the Gray Forest.
"Damn it. I was saving this to wipe out the Black Hill Tribe. But assuming this form after so long does feel refreshing."
He now possessed a human-like build, characterized by five tails.
"You've shriveled up so much that you're way less intimidating than before. Are you sure you actually got stronger?"
"Hehe. Keep running your mouth. From now on, you won't even be able to catch a glimpse of me…"
Crayveratis chuckled leisurely, scanning his surroundings.
Then, as if he had made a decision, the corners of his mouth curled upward.
"Very well. First, I shall kill what you hold dear."
Boom!
Crayveratis vanished from the spot.
…He's fast!
Jinhyuk's gaze darted to the right.
But.
"…!?"
His hand, reaching out into the empty air, caught nothing.
Having already escaped his range, Crayveratis was sprinting forward like a madman.
* * *
"Hehehe! Kuhahaha!"
Crayveratis burst into wild laughter.
Scenery flashing past in an instant.
A lighter body.
And overflowing power!
Everything was absolutely perfect.
If there was one regret, it was that he couldn't fully utilize this power in the upcoming faction war.
'I should have fought in this form to strike down those bastards from the Cult of Specters and the Black Hill Tribe…'
Losing one of his trump cards was certainly painful.
Especially now, when the Cult's main base was poorly guarded because they were busy searching for something.
If he struck now, it would be the perfect opportunity to expand his territory.
But if he could tear these abominable humans to shreds right now…
that wasn't a bad alternative.
Swish!
Crayveratis darted through the players in the blink of an eye.
Frey, who was frantically swinging her short spear nearby, reacted a beat too late.
"Tch!"
She missed.
The short spear, slicing uselessly through the air, pierced a tree on the opposite side and embedded itself in a boulder.
"Damn it! What kind of speed is this…!"
Cheon Yu-seong also lost track of the shadow.
The 3rd Form of his Soul-Chasing Sword swept across the ground two beats too late.
"Kuhahaha! Do you see now? You might have run rampant a little, but that was only on the lower floors of the Tower! You cannot possibly compare to us, who risk our lives in battle every single day!"
Overwhelming speed.
His high-speed movement, which rivaled teleportation, was impossible to track with the naked eye.
Crunch!
A sharp arm grabbed a female player by the head.
She was a mage-class player standing in front of Teresa.
"Huh?… Ahhh!"
"Only now do you realize you've been caught. Truly sluggish, you humans…"
Spurt!
Blood erupted like a fountain from her severed neck.
"That's one."
"Aaaaargh! You monster!"
Witnessing his comrade's death, a massive man raised his siege hammer high.
Whoosh!
With a terrifying roar of parting air, the hammer slammed down toward the ground.
Crash!
But there was no way a body that had dodged even Frey and Cheon Yu-seong's attacks would be hit by such a sluggish strike.
"And that's two."
Another fountain of blood sprayed from the clean cut in the armor.
Even armor layered with defensive magic could not withstand a blow from his Phase 2 state.
Next…
Crayveratis immediately locked his eyes on Teresa.
The third prey was that human woman.
'I wonder how he'll react when I kill the thing he wants to protect the most.'
He could see Jinhyuk trying to rush over from afar, but by the time he arrived, the woman's head would already be ripped off.
"I won't go down easily!"
Teresa gathered her mana with all her might.
She intended to spread her divine power wide to react to the surrounding mana.
"A futile struggle… that should be entertaining."
Swish.
Swish.
He dodged the sword slicing through the air with a slight tilt of his head.
He avoided the attacks aimed at his vitals simply by shifting his steps.
And, timing it perfectly with the blade aiming for his neck—
Clack!
he caught the blade with his bare fingers.
"Is that all?"
"Y-You monster…"
Teresa's face stiffened.
"Now, die."
But just as his hand was about to reach her neck, he felt a surge of mana rapidly approaching from behind.
"Caught up already? You must be somewhat confident in your speed as well—cough?!"
Bam!
Crayveratis gasped as he found Jinhyuk right in front of his face.
It was a good thing he had managed to swing his tails in time, or a massive hole would have been blown through his back.
"Oh. You really did get faster in Phase 2. I was planning to finish you off with that last attack."
"You… bastard!"
"Ah, don't get so worked up. You went through all the trouble of shedding your skin. It'd be a shame if you died a meaningless death just because you lost your temper, wouldn't it?"
"Are you saying I will lose? To a mere human like you?"
Boom!
One of his tails shot forward like a bullet.
A sonic boom erupted as the sharp tip pierced Jinhyuk's head.
Or rather, he thought it had.
Jinhyuk, who had dodged the tail with a slight tilt of his head, smirked.
"Your speed is fast, but your movements are too simple. There's no thrill in predicting your path. It makes it way too easy to dodge."
"Aaargh!"
Furious, Crayveratis lashed out with all five of his tails.
This time, he didn't care where he hit—head, arms, legs, torso—as long as he could inflict even a scratch.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Dazzling sparks flew in a chaotic flurry.
The tails moved at a speed barely visible to the eye, but Jinhyuk deflected them with his dagger and moved his body even faster.
"How about this!"
Thud!
Embedding his tails into a tree, Crayveratis launched himself into the air.
A tail strike plunging down from about three meters above.
Because the angle had changed, the speed and trajectory were unfamiliar.
Yet, once again, Jinhyuk deflected the tail by a hair's breadth.
'That is a bit annoying.'
Jinhyuk caught his breath, shifting a few meters to the side.
Since the monster moved by anchoring its tails to the trees, Jinhyuk was forced to yield the high ground.
Above all, the fact that it could freely change directions mid-air was the biggest headache.
In that case…
Blue mana condensed behind Jinhyuk's back.
He summoned it.
['Memory of the World' is unlocked.]
This was… the kind of battle only an all-rounder could wage.
The power to force an advantageous matchup against any opponent reigned supreme over any existing unique ability.
[Unique Ability 'Monstrous Strength and Chaotic Spirits' has been activated!]
Six golden, translucent arms materialized behind Jinhyuk's back.
Monstrous Strength and Chaotic Spirits.
It was a close-combat unique ability used by the Yaksha.
"W-What…?"
There were actually more arms than the tails Crayveratis possessed.
Furthermore,
"Watch out. This isn't just fast."
Jinhyuk thrust his fists forward.
Three sonic booms erupted along the path of his punches.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A single strike.
Trees were uprooted, and the ground was completely overturned.
"Aaargh!"
It was absurdly fast, and its power was beyond imagination.
It was a wide-range strike that rendered even Crayveratis's pride, his speed, completely useless.
But this was not the end.
True martial arts could not be achieved by simply swinging fists.
Hummmmm!
The mana circulating through his veins began to flow even more violently.
Slowly, a dark energy surged from his entire body.
'Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art'.
'With the mana I possess…'
12th Form.
'Through the arms of the Yaksha…'
Ultimate Convergence.
'I will replicate my master's martial art.'
A massive storm raged.
The ultimate fist, unleashed from the six arms, pierced through the atmosphere.
Rumble!
The tails were caught in the vortex and torn to shreds.
It could not be dodged.
Nor could it be blocked.
Even if he hadn't used 'Army Ant' in the first place, he wouldn't have been able to withstand it.
When the storm finally passed, nothing was left standing.
"Ugh… Argh…"
Thud! Thud!
Beaten to a bloody pulp, Crayveratis collapsed onto the ground.
At that moment,
Tring!
[You have occupied the 'Gray Forest', one of the major factions on the 20th floor!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[You have acquired a 'Random Skill Box (?)'!]
[The hostility and wariness of all factions toward the Veteran Corporation have risen to the maximum!]
A succession of status windows followed.