Chapter 50
Chapter 50
50.Arachne's Labyrinth (4)
Seo Min-jae chanted a spell. He used the 'Swiftness' Skill he had cleverly obtained a little while ago.
The spell, completed faster than usual, flew towards the Apostle.
At the same time, Han Hye ran towards the Apostle, towards the place where the explosion would soon occur. On the surface, it seemed reckless.
But it wasn't a reckless act.
'Because I trained for it.'
To what extent Seo Min-jae's Magic would affect, and whether Han Hye could break through it at close range.
The reason she could experiment to the limit was because Han Hye had A-grade Fire Resistance.
A slightly larger Fireball than usual. The Apostle thought little of it and lightly reached out her hand.
Pure white Divinity created a transparent barrier.
"……!"
However, as the Fireball got closer, the Apostle realized that the amount of Mana contained within was different.
She belatedly pushed in Divinity, but she was a beat too late.
Kwa-ang!
The barrier made of Divinity shattered. The Apostle's body was pushed back by the shockwave. In that instant, Han Hye charged in.
The Apostle was greatly flustered.
'How?'
The answer lay in the Subspace.
Han Hye possessed A-grade Fire Resistance. What was problematic for Han Hye from Seo Min-jae's Fireball wasn't the fire.
It was the shockwave from the explosion. If he blocked that, the fire felt only warm to Han Hye.
That's why, in Guild training, they practiced blocking or Leaping into Subspace in time with the Fireball's explosion.
This time, he blocked with Subspace. Although his speed was slightly slowed, it was enough to catch the Apostle, who was greatly pushed back by the fierce flames and shockwave.
Just before being hit, the Apostle twisted her body.
Scratch-!
Han Hye's sword slashed the Apostle's thigh. The silver armor looked sturdy, but it wasn't full-body armor.
It was armor tailored to the Apostle, who mainly used a bow.
The Apostle stepped on the ground and retreated greatly, firing an arrow, but because of her unbalanced posture, it missed.
The Apostle landed and put her hand on her thigh.
"Goddess……."
A bright light spread, and soon the wound on her thigh began to heal. Han Hye scratched the back of his head.
'Chunbae, if he has Divinity, does he keep healing? Should I cut off her head?'
-Divinity is not infinite. And the healing isn't complete either. The damage accumulates.
'So you're saying I just have to keep hitting her.'
-Of course, killing her in one blow is the best option.
Han Hye twisted his body. The Apostle had fired an arrow at Han Hye. Han Hye was startled. It was different from before.
Because it was blessed with Divinity, it was almost comparable to a bullet in speed.
It was fortunate that the Apostle was within 30m; if he hadn't seen the initial trajectory, it would have been difficult to avoid.
'I need to be careful,' Han Hye thought, readjusting her Elegant Sword.
"……."
Perhaps her pride was hurt by being wounded by a being she felt was inferior, the Apostle drew her bow with a hardened face.
Phew-! Arachne wasn't idle either. She spat out silk from a distance to interfere.
The Apostle dodged the silk and released the bowstring.
The sound of the air being torn was fierce, but Han Hye, having read the trajectory, narrowly avoided it again.
'Manageable?'
It was the moment Han Hye thought that.
"Goddess, allow me to pursue my prey to the end."
The Apostle prayed, and light began to gather on the arrow. It was unusual at a glance.
The moment the bowstring was released, Han Hye used Leap.
Pat-!
Han Hye, who appeared behind the Apostle, stabbed his sword towards her shoulder. It wasn't deep.
It was because the Apostle, sensing something, twisted her body.
His response was also quick. Instead of her left hand holding the bow, she grabbed the dagger on her thigh with her right hand and swung it up at Han Hye.
Clang-!
At the same time as the swords collided, Han Hye recognized the arrow flying from the front with her Spatial Sense.
'How?'
He desperately twisted his body. However, because it was an unexpected attack, the arrow grazed Han Hye's forearm.
'A tracking arrow?'
Han Hye quickly used Leap to create distance. And Han Hye's guess was correct.
The arrow that had flown turned its direction and aimed at Han Hye.
'This is like Yondu or something.'
At that moment, Han Hye felt comfort on his shoulder; Lee Shin-hee had chanted a healing spell.
There was no time to say hello. Because the arrow was flying again. The solution was simple.
Wooong-.
Han Hye opened a Subspace in front of him and closed the door as soon as the arrow entered.
"……?"
"Keep shooting arrows."
"What is this……?"
Whether it was an arrow imbued with Divinity or not, it had no way to move in the Subspace where time didn't flow.
* * *
"You villain!"
The Apostle in silver armor roared in anger. So loud. I frowned and picked at my ear.
The arrow went into Subspace earlier, but this time, did Divinity go in, so what?
I don't know whether to call her stupid or smart, but the Apostle immediately put the bow in.
The expression is a bit strange, but the bow just disappeared with the light.
Was that also made with Divinity? Instead, she held the daggers on both thighs in both hands.
It was fortunate for us.
'It would have been a bit of a headache if she had aimed that arrow at someone else.'
Judging by the fact that she keeps targeting only me, I must have really scratched her the wrong way. Was it because I provoked her by saying she was rude at first?
Hmm. I don't know. It also seemed like she got angrier after being injured. Anyway, it's a good thing.
"I'll kill yo……."
The angry Apostle's words couldn't continue, because Min-jae, having confirmed that I had moved away, poured out Magic.
"Chain Lightning!"
Perhaps he had been preparing for quite a long time, larger and more massive lightning bolts than when he cast it at the Ogre struck the Apostle like a chain of bursts.
Unlike before, a barrier pouring out Divinity was deployed, but it couldn't block all the lightning.
"Keuk……."
Arachne shot another ball of silk at the staggering Apostle. The Apostle rolled on the ground to avoid it.
Hmm. I tilted my head involuntarily.
'Was I too nervous?'
-What are you saying?
'They said she wasn't at the level of 21~25, and with Divinity, and even doing something similar to awakening, I thought she was a really tough enemy.'
-What kind of bull…… She is a strong enemy. It's just that Han Hye and his companions are stronger than their levels.
I could feel the absurdity in Chunbae's voice.
'You weren't about to say "what kind of bullshit" just now, were you?'
-Denial. Absolutely not.
It seemed like he was going to say that. Hmm, it seems my words became a flex to Chunbae, who is an experienced Magic AI.
In fact, the opponent is strong. She was the strongest of the guys I've fought inside the Gate so far.
However, my standards have become a bit strange after being chased by four Grendels outside the Gate and sparring with Shin Chang.
Our Guild's skills are also very far from ordinary.
"Goddess……!"
The girl brought her hand to her body. She was waiting for this moment to heal. But because her one hand would be slow to react.
I used Leap right away.
"……!"
Perhaps because it was a strategy used once before, the guy's reaction was fast. She twisted her body the moment I Leaped.
However, this time I attacked from a diagonal. Pat-! I was able to slightly cut off the guy's forearm.
The guy charged in and swung her dagger. I read the trajectory with Spatial Sense and blocked it.
What I clearly felt from the exchange just now was that the girl's swordsmanship was better than mine.
'Is that obvious?'
I'm still only E-grade swordsmanship. It may have been adjusted to the level of the Gate, but she's an Apostle of God.
Still, the training with Shin Chang was quite helpful at this moment.
"You villain!"
There was no reason to be facing the guy with swords, so I created distance again. When I used Leap, Min-jae's Magic struck again.
Kwaang-!
The situation was quite satisfactory. Because the process from earlier was the strategy established in Guild training.
'If there's one enemy, I attack in the lead, alternating with Min-jae, and Uncle provides rear guard.'
If there are multiple enemies, it's the opposite. Because Uncle's area-of-effect skills are good.
"Goddess, let the prey follow your will!"
At that moment, the Apostle shouted with the loudest voice so far. Unlike before, Divinity began to spread in all directions from the Apostle's body.
'What is it?' The moment I thought that, I knew right away. Because the spiders that had retreated turned their bodies towards us.
"Kids, no!"
This time, they were running towards our Guild members, not me. Arachne shouted, but it didn't change.
Is it because they possess the same Divinity? It seems to be affecting Arachne's children as well.
-Kwagwagwang!
However, that didn't become a problem. Because Uncle's Flying Dragon Pierce swept away the charging spiders.
In the first place, these spiders are from the 21~25 level Gate. Meaning they're not our match.
Well, I can understand what the Apostle is thinking.
Uncle is standing still, and Arachne is injured. She wants to fight me, but Min-jae is annoying.
'She was trying to prevent interference and deal with me.'
However, Uncle, who was resting quietly, is a Dragon Knight.
I could feel the guy looking at me with a dumbfounded face. I smiled and ran forward.
And.
I used Leap in front of the guy's eyes.
'Bingo.'
And the situation flowed as I thought it would. The Apostle hurriedly twisted her body.
However, I hadn't forgotten Shin Chang's advice.
In other words, it means I Leaped to the front of the girl.
Although it has now become the rear.
Scratch-.
A chilling cutting sound was heard. I felt a heavy weight at my fingertips. The Apostle's head flew into the air.
Was it because I caught her off guard? Considering the previous exchanges, the battle ended too easily.
[Your level has increased.]
Thud-. The moment the Apostle's head fell to the ground, everything about the Apostle began to disappear into light.
'Huh?'
I was going to grab the dagger to pick something up, but it also disappeared like dust. The disappointment was great.
Because I thought I could take that armor or sword, which looked pretty good.
'Huh?'
However, the surprise wasn't over, because that light was seeping into my side.
No. To be exact, it's not me. The light was being absorbed by the bracelet, that is, Chunbae.
'What, what is it?'
-Absorbing Divinity. Details later, first look at the Spider Woman.
That's right. I didn't know how Arachne's attitude would change. I quickly turned my body and guarded, but fortunately, she didn't seem to have any intention of doing so.
"Th, thank you! Really……."
"You know it's not our fault that we killed the spiders, right?"
I asked in case she had any malice, and Arachne nodded with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Sniff, of course."
.
.
.
"Understand. I have to be wary."
"Of course."
That's not to say I was talking to Arachne at close range. Lee Shin-hee healed Arachne, but I was still being cautious.
Then, I was able to hear about this situation from her…….
It was the Greek and Roman mythology I knew.
Really.
Arachne, who won a bet with a god, gained Divinity, however weak, but was cursed by the gods and turned into a spider.
After that, she hid here in preparation for this kind of situation, and that Apostle came to find her.
"You've been through a lot."
I was a little embarrassed. I never thought the mythology I knew would come out in the Gate. Because it was a story I knew, it didn't seem like a lie.
Has there ever been anything like this before?
I don't know. The information might be being concealed. It seemed like it would be faster to ask Chunbae about this.
"I don't have much I can do for you…… but I'll make clothes for the benefactors."
"Clothes?"
"I have skills that even gods can't beat in that area."
Then Arachne made something with silk, but what was completed seemed more like innerwear than outerwear.
A bit like the innerwear you wear when playing sports? Hunters also use it a lot.
"Huh?"
"Crazy."
But when I received it, it was on a different level than what we usually used.
[Arachne's Underwear (B-grade)]
-Underwear made by Arachne, who beat a god in weaving, for her benefactors.
-Soft and flexible, but quite sturdy, and helps maintain body temperature by blocking cold and heat.
-Stamina, Mana, Agility +1
B-grade, with 3 Stats going up, and even with excellent detailed effects, it was an unbelievable spec of innerwear.
"……."
"……."
I didn't say it in front of Arachne, but everyone in the group seemed to think that killing the Apostle instead of Arachne was the right choice.
That's how the Gate ended.
[You have conquered the Mutated Gate 'Spider Enthusiast'.]
[You have acquired experience.]
[Your level has increased.]
There was no separate reward, but since what we received inside was so good, it wasn't a shame.
The association employees outside the Gate were also surprised.
"Huh? Already?"
"It hasn't even been two hours since you went in?"
It was because they cleared the Labyrinth Gate so quickly. There was no need to have a long conversation with the employees.
It wasn't like we mined Magic stones either. Rather, it was now time to ask Chunbae about Divinity.
"But Han Hye, what was that light you absorbed earlier?"
I need something to explain to the Guild members too.
I was also personally curious.
-Chunbae, what exactly did you do earlier?