Chapter 224
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 224
Chapter Title: Decisive Battle
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[We have located the target 'Uriel.']
[They are currently 601m away.]
Ryu Min, who had been gliding through the sky with his black wings flapping, checked the remaining distance.
'Getting close now.'
With the Tracking skill, finding the angel wasn't difficult.
Yet he hadn't expected them to still be in the beast forest even after nearly an hour.
'Did they spend some time calling for reinforcements?'
He was curious.
How many reinforcements had they gathered while he was away?
'Please let it be more than 99.'
With a pounding heart, he activated his Area Scan skill.
Red dots blanketed the entire beast forest.
'This... is more than I expected?'
Counting them, it was easily over 100.
Nearly 200 in total.
No illusion.
It became even clearer once he entered within 100m.
[There are 202 hostile entities within a 100m radius.]
[All stats increased by 100% due to the One Against Hundred rune effect.]
'Confirmed. They called in 200, excluding the two archangels.'
They had mustered maximum reinforcements to take him down, but that worked perfectly in his favor.
'With this many, I can use Demon's Blessing and still stack it once more?'
Suppressing the laughter bubbling up, Ryu Min slowly descended to the ground.
In the razed forest, Raguel and Uriel glared at him silently.
'As expected, they knew I was coming. That's why they prepared this little surprise.'
They had hidden behind trees for a sneak attack, but with his Presence Detection, Ryu Min couldn't miss them.
'Way too obvious. Don't even need mind reading for this.'
While the archangels drew his attention, they planned to ambush him with their 200 troops.
Completely unaware that their plan was exposed.
'They don't even know I have Presence Detection?'
All the better.
They had gathered more sacrifices than anticipated.
'They want a surprise? Might as well play along and act shocked.'
Pretending to ignore the surrounding gazes, Ryu Min approached the archangels.
"You two. Still hanging around here?"
[Some damn bug ripped off my wings.]
"No wings, so you can't even walk? Pathetic."
Raguel's face crumpled in fury.
Seeing him rattled by such a minor taunt brought a smirk to Ryu Min's lips.
'Oh? Holding back the anger? For the plan, huh?'
Raguel sighed and spoke up to hold his attention.
[And why did you run away? You bolted without looking back earlier. Scared of us?]
"Just the two of you. Hardly scary."
[Not because you couldn't use that black transformation anymore?]
"Oh, this?"
Ryu Min immediately activated Reaper Transformation.
[……!]
Not expecting it so soon, Uriel and Raguel's eyes widened in shock.
"What? Surprised? Cooldown's already back up."
[…….]
"Why would I, the one who ran, come back? Because I'm confident."
As he stepped forward like he was ready to fight right then, Uriel shouted urgently.
[Attack!]
At the signal, the 200 troops hidden in the forest burst into view all at once.
[Uwaaaaaah!]
Fifth-rank combat angels charged toward the black target, weapons in hand.
The archangels didn't just watch either.
[We waited for you to transform like that! Hehehe, I'll kill you!]
Raguel revealed his vicious intent and rushed in with his subordinates.
True to his mage role, Uriel prepared a spell from the rear to subdue Ryu Min.
Even as every angel bore down to kill him, Ryu Min remained utterly composed.
'Time to show a bit of my power?'
The moment he decided, Ryu Min vanished like a ghost.
[Eh?]
The angels lost their target, their faces blanking out in an instant.
Uriel's prepared scroll of light whipped through empty air and dissipated.
[Wh-where did this human go?]
Both Raguel and Uriel panicked, looking around wildly.
Even the archangels' eyes couldn't track Ryu Min.
'Archangels can't see through invisibility either. Or is it the Stealth rune erasing my presence?'
With valuable intel gained, Ryu Min moved like the wind.
Crack-! Snap-!
Sounds of breaking bones and collapsing bodies followed one after another.
At the source, angels lay dead with necks twisted backward.
[Ar-Archangel, sir! Look here, guk!]
Ryu Min snapped another angel's head after turning it in a flash.
Crunch! Thud-
[Angels killed: 21/100]
He had already slain over 20 and was rapidly filling the count.
[O-Over here! The human's here!]
A soldier shouted, but Ryu Min already knew.
Uriel and Raguel watched their falling subordinates with faces of horror.
'Wh-what the hell? What kind of speed is that?'
'Can't even follow with my eyes?'
Ryu Min's movements were lightning-fast.
By the time they spotted him, he had already snapped a neck and vanished.
Leaving only afterimages.
No respite for the observers' eyes.
[K-Kill him! Kill that bastard!]
But at Raguel's command, the combat angels froze, unable to move.
How do you kill an enemy you can't track with your eyes?
Their swings only cut afterimages.
Impossible to match Ryu Min's speed.
Thud- Thud- Thud-!
[Damn it...!]
As casualties mounted, Raguel and Uriel grew frantic.
The forest was soon littered with soldiers' broken-necked corpses.
[Block him! Block, I said! Everyone charge!]
Frustrated by the one-sided slaughter, even the usually calm Uriel snapped irritably, but no response came.
'Damn it. At this rate, even my spells...'
No matter how many tricks he had, no spell could bind that speed.
He'd dodge most anyway.
'No choice. Burn the whole area.'
Must stop the damage before it worsens.
With that thought, Uriel raised his dagger high and began chanting.
Dazzling light gathered at the dagger's tip.
[U-Uriel?]
Raguel paled further upon recognizing the spell.
[You're really using that spell? If it goes wrong, our soldiers...]
[No other way! Can you stop that monster? Huh?]
Raguel clamped his mouth shut, speechless.
Even to him, the Black Scythe was a monster.
Tracking the black form strained his eyes.
He displayed transcendent speed utterly unlike the human from an hour ago.
Him, stop that?
Raguel shook his head silently.
'Impossible.'
If even his superior Uriel was at a loss, he stood no chance.
[Soldiers are dying even now. This is our only option.]
[But...]
[No more talk. You're delaying the chant. Tsk.]
[My apologies.]
Uriel clicked his tongue and resumed chanting.
'Can't delay further in this crisis, or he'll notice.'
But Uriel didn't know.
Even amid his frenzy, Ryu Min's gaze never left the archangels.
Thus, he had already identified the spell.
'Planning to obliterate the entire 100m radius, allies included.'
Spotting the massive AoE setup, Ryu Min checked his messages.
[Angels killed: 100/100]
[Demon's Blessing activation conditions met.]
[You may activate 'Demon's Blessing' at any time by reciting the activation word.]
Perfect timing, hitting 100.
[There are 102 hostile entities within a 100m radius.]
[All stats increased by 100% due to the One Against Hundred rune effect.]
And the One Against Hundred rune too.
'It's time.'
Confirming his peak state with all buffs maxed, Ryu Min cast on himself.
[Demon's Blessing applied.]
[Effects applied based on total stats (363,417):]
[Kill angels to gain gold equal to 1x base (363,417). Up to 1,000x (363,417,000) based on angel rank.]
[Kill angels to gain stat points equal to 0.01% of base (36). Up to 10% (36,341) based on angel rank.]
[Kill angels to slightly increase Demon faction reputation.]
[Buff persists until end of round.]
Total stats around 360k.
Average 90k per stat.
Insane numbers, but no time to marvel.
Must stop Uriel, or valuable angels would vanish.
'Too far. Then...'
Boom-
Night of Death plunged the area into pitch black.
The 100 fifth-rank angels and two archangels panicked briefly.
[Hmph, trying to cancel my spell with artificial darkness? Useless. No darkness can extinguish heavenly light.]
As Raguel explained, the light on the dagger still shone.
Soon, the chant complete, a faint smile curved Uriel's lips.
[Preparations done, Raguel. Brace for the storm.]
Just as Uriel lowered the dagger to unleash the storm of light and fire, [Heavenly Wrath]—
A flash erupted from the darkness.
Paired with crimson eyes.
Kuuuuwang-!
Ryu Min's Moonlight Slash obliterated 30 fifth-rank angels.
And one of Uriel's arms besides.
[Urgh...]
Losing the arm naturally canceled the hard-chanted spell.
Uriel glared into the dark whence the flash came.
'That bug had such a powerful skill...'
Mistake not to research the Reaper's skills, assuming an easy foe.
And so?
Uriel and Raguel panicked realizing Ryu Min's assault wasn't over.
Kuuuuwang-!
[Angels killed: 67/100]
Kuuuuwang!
[Angels killed: 100/100]
[Demon's Blessing activation conditions met.]
[You may activate 'Demon's Blessing' at any time by reciting the activation word.]
In just over 6 seconds, 100 angels vanished without trace.
Brushed by the mighty lunar waves, bodies crumbled and burned.
[I-Impossible.]
Stunned that three Moonlight Slashes wiped out his subordinates?
Raguel scanned the razed forest in disbelief.
[Wh-where are you? Show yourself, soldiers! Don't hide!]
But Raguel had no time to search.
Two Moonlight Slashes remained.
One deliberately grazed, slicing off Raguel's leg.
[Kuaaaak!]
He crashed down screaming, but it wasn't over.
Kuuuuwang-!
The follow-up Moonlight Slash scorched one cheek perfectly.
[Kyahaaak! My-my face! My face!]
Ryu Min approached the wailing Raguel.
"Disgusting. Worse than a bug."
Raguel, face exposed to bone, glared venomously and lunged.
[You bug bas— Guk!]
The scythe pierced and withdrew from Raguel's heart like lightning.
Thud-
Ignoring the fallen archangel, Ryu Min walked toward Uriel.
Panicking, Uriel chanted with his remaining arm.
Boom-!
A prison of light from the sky bound the advancing Ryu Min.
[Got you!]
Shatter-!
One swing shattered it to pieces.
Uriel, grim-faced, calmly unleashed the next spell.
Whirr-!
A scroll of light from the void constricted Ryu Min.
Before Uriel's triumphant smile—
Rip-
Torn apart by force.
Storms of light or explosive daggers—nothing scratched Ryu Min.
No spell slowed the Reaper's approach.
Step-
Halting just an arm's reach away.
[Y-You... I see now. You were hiding your power.]
"Needed the soldiers."
[What? So you lured me into calling them?]
"Pretty much. Didn't expect this many, though."
Thanks to them, he stacked another 100 for the next Blessing.
"Thanks for that."
Sensing his death from those words?
Instead of begging, Uriel ground his teeth.
[...Kill me, and you'll regret it. Those above me won't let you be.]
"Wouldn't they come after me anyway?"
[…….]
"If you want to live, beg properly."
[You have no intention of sparing me.]
"You know it."
Stab-!
A swift heart thrust, and Uriel's body tilted.
A futile death, unseen in motion.