Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: ACT.26 Corrupted Flame (3)
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While bickering with Hwang Chan-jin, I attacked Ignis, which was unable to dodge.
Ignis tried its best to resist, summoning pillars of fire and dropping fireballs like hail, but none of it made much of a difference.
So what if it was an S-rank monster?
Both my and Hwang Chan-jin's abilities perfectly countered its power.
*I'll take down the enemy before I fall.*
Without that kind of power, there was no way it could win while unable to dodge or defend.
[Krrroooaar…!]
*‘The problem is, it does have that kind of power.’*
*Fwoosh.*
Ignis's eyes blazed like the sun.
Its fur, once like red flames, turned a pale yellow and began to glow.
It was its final technique, used when most of its HP was depleted.
A self-destruct-like pattern where it unleashed all its power to annihilate everything.
Contrary to its appearance, the casting time was incredibly short—less than a few seconds—requiring an instant decision on how to react.
"Damn it!"
The moment he saw the pattern, Hwang Chan-jin wrenched his Firebird's Cloak forward.
A vermilion shield formed around Hwang Chan-jin.
An option attached to the Firebird's Cloak. Phoenix Shield.
An effect that greatly reduced fire-attribute damage once a day.
Hwang Chan-jin shouted as if in a fit of rage.
"Look, Kim Se-hyeon! It's at full power, and you don't even have a Firebird's Cloak! What are you going to do now?"
"What do you mean?"
I knew this pattern was coming, so of course, I had already figured out what to do.
"I'll just move to where I won't get hit."
I kicked off the ground and charged toward Ignis.
My target was the inside of its mouth, exposed by its broken teeth.
I hadn't broken its teeth by chance while blocking its attacks.
Knowing about its Flame Fang attack pattern, I had planned to bait that attack and break its teeth in advance.
*Kwwaaaaaaah!!*
The moment I entered Ignis's mouth through the gap in its broken teeth, an intense light, like a supernova explosion, spread in all directions.
"Kugh!?"
I heard Hwang Chan-jin's short scream.
Even with the Firebird's Cloak, it only greatly reduced the damage; it didn't grant invincibility.
He would still take a considerable amount of damage.
If caught defenseless in such an attack, one's entire body would instantly turn to ash.
Normal evasion was also impossible, as the range was a 150-meter radius.
The only option was to defend as much as possible.
*‘It's darkest under the lamppost.’*
Above all, the greatest advantage of this evasion method was...
...that I could easily finish off the exhausted Ignis after it had used its final pattern.
*Shwwiik!*
Using the broken teeth as a foothold, I leaped and swung my black-flame-wreathed sword at the roof of Ignis's mouth.
Then, I pierced through its body and came out the other side.
Flames scattered like blood before being swallowed by the black flames and disappearing.
Ignis's main body was no different.
Its mane of fire burned black.
Twisting and turning its body to extinguish the fire was useless.
"Just die already."
*Crack!*
Finally, as I fell, I plunged my sword down into Ignis's head.
Ignis stopped moving.
Its pupils seemed to dilate, and then its entire body slowly turned into particles of light and vanished.
Ignis was completely defeated.
[You have achieved the accomplishment, 'One Who Overcame the Flames'.]
[Contribution Ranking]
1st: Kim Se-hyeon (13574 points)
2nd: Hwang Chan-jin (6426 points)
The contribution status was revealed.
A difference of almost double the points.
The rewards for subjugating Ignis were varied, but what you could obtain depended on your contribution rank.
What I was aiming for was a reward that could only be obtained by achieving first place in contribution.
[The 1st place reward for the Ignis subjugation contribution is being distributed.]
[You have achieved an unbelievable feat, and the special reward has been enhanced.]
[You have acquired the item, 'Elixir'.]
[You have acquired the item, 'Remnants of the Corrupted Flame'.]
[Chapters up to Ch14 will be skipped.]
[Rewards from Ch11 to Ch14 will be distributed collectively.]
[Rewards from Ch12 to Ch14 will be treated as standard rewards.]
[17,000 Coins have been distributed.]
*‘I got it.’*
The Elixir.
It was known as the legendary potion, a panacea capable of curing any illness.
Its healing power was guaranteed to the point that it was said to be able to revive even the dead.
The Remnants of the Corrupted Flame... was originally something I didn't need, but the situation had changed a bit.
Black Flame.
It was normally a material used to enhance the Black Flame trait.
But I had Black Flame as a subordinate effect of the 'Lord of Darkness' trait.
I wondered if it could be enhanced this way.
"Kim Se-hyeon...!!"
As I was contentedly checking my rewards, a completely enraged Hwang Chan-jin charged at me.
As our swords clashed, a stinging chill pierced my skin.
He was exhausted from using up all his mana just a moment ago, so where did this power come from?
"I need that Elixir. No matter what...!"
*‘So there is something going on.’*
I got a feeling right away.
There were usually two reasons someone would need an Elixir.
Either they wanted to keep one as a spare, or someone's life was in danger.
*‘But...’*
If it were the former, it wouldn't explain why Hwang Chan-jin looked so desperate.
And it wasn't as if there was something wrong with Hwang Chan-jin's own body.
*‘In other words.’*
Someone precious to Hwang Chan-jin was on the verge of death.
And if that someone was the reason he'd bought 50 tokens from me before, then everything fit together perfectly.
My mind raced.
*‘If I can make Hwang Chan-jin indebted to me here and get him on my side, he'd be a useful card to have.’*
I was friends with Han Hyeok-jun and collaborated with Jun Bo-ra.
If I could make my only rival, Hwang Chan-jin, an ally, even conditionally...
...then in the future, against Paradise, China's Bonghwang Guild, America's Pentagon Eagle, the unofficial guilds, and the Order...
...and against the 'Annihilator' and its many Disaster-class subordinates...
...he would be a great help in fighting those many enemies.
"Calm down. If you act so recklessly, how am I supposed to know what your situation is? Let's talk first."
Lowering my sword, I took a few steps back.
Seeing that I had no intention of fighting, Hwang Chan-jin seemed to calm down a bit, his ragged breathing gradually subsiding.
But his tightly shut lips showed no sign of opening easily.
*Should I really tell him?*
He seemed to be endlessly pondering that question.
I, too, swallowed hard.
If Hwang Chan-jin refused to talk, we would inevitably end up fighting.
I didn't think I would lose, but if our relationship became completely hostile, like that of sworn enemies, it would be a headache in its own right.
*‘But killing him would be a waste.’*
I shook my head inwardly.
Hwang Chan-jin was currently a major pillar of 'humanity's' fighting strength.
At the very least, we shared the common goal of preventing the world's destruction.
With enemies aiming to destroy the Earth still running rampant everywhere, I couldn't afford to cut off my own limbs just yet.
"...Follow me."
Fortunately, Hwang Chan-jin chose to confide in me.
In the pleasant weather that followed the Red Zone's disappearance, I silently followed Hwang Chan-jin.
We moved at a pace that was neither fast nor slow.
After about two hours of moving without any conversation...
*‘This place is...’*
It was a familiar place.
The place where I had previously encountered Hwang Chan-jin by chance.
Somewhere between the residential area and Dongmyo Station. A ruined city.
It wasn't an environment where people could live.
*‘Don't tell me, in a place like this?’*
*Kwaang!*
Suddenly, an explosion rang out.
This was an area of abandoned buildings where no one lived.
In other words, monsters could appear anywhere, anytime.
"Are monsters fighting each other?"
"That direction is..."
Hwang Chan-jin's face hardened. He spun around and instantly disappeared between the buildings.
*‘What's going on?’*
I'd never seen Hwang Chan-jin make such an expression before.
It was the reaction of someone who had been discovered with something they shouldn't have, by the one person who should never have found out.
"You could at least tell me what's happening, geez."
I grumbled but followed in the direction Hwang Chan-jin had gone.
Perhaps I could make Hwang Chan-jin owe me a big favor.
***
The five major guilds of Korea.
An unusually heavy silence had fallen over the table where their guild masters were gathered.
Their gazes were all focused on one spot.
A picture and data of Ignis displayed on the screen.
Kim Ji-hyeon, wearing glasses for once, pointed to several places with a pointer as she continued her explanation.
"...And so, based on the various pieces of information, we believe that the Corrupted Ignis which was just defeated was an S-rank monster."
S-rank.
That name was by no means a light one.
Every S-rank monster that had appeared so far had inflicted tremendous damage and displayed immense power.
The Flame Giant alone had turned the entire area into a fiery hell the moment it appeared, and the Storm Dragon had blown away hundreds of players with a single flap of its wings.
The name 'S-rank' had the power to make even seasoned players flinch.
Kim Hyo-jong frowned.
"What kind of monster was Ignis originally?"
"A high-tier A-rank. It was a step down from the Flame Giant, but its intense heat made it difficult to even approach. Nothing could stay near it for more than a minute without being incinerated."
"Fucking hell. Just when we thought we'd barely managed to make it flee, it comes back corrupted?"
Kim Hyo-jong let out a dry chuckle.
Ignis was a monster that had appeared once before.
Fire-based powers had no effect on it, so Lee Min-hwa could only defend, and even with everyone else working together, it was a difficult monster to subjugate.
It was a monster that, while officially A-rank, no one would have argued if it were called a quasi-S-rank.
"And he took down a monster like that alone... no, with just one other person? How are we supposed to take that? And there was that incident with the King of Disease, too. His actions were perfectly timed, as if he knew exactly what attacks were coming."
Kim Hyo-jong's lips suddenly stretched into a sneer as he stared at Kim Ji-hyeon with cold, sunken eyes.
One might have been intimidated by the killing intent emanating from an S-rank player, but Kim Ji-hyeon simply adjusted her glasses without any change in expression.
"You said that guy didn't have a regression trait. Are you sure?"
"Kim Ji-hyeon-nim would not lie to me. Please trust her."
"No, it just doesn't make sense. It doesn't. Seong Woo-hyeon. Don't just protect him because he's on your side, think about it. Does it make any sense for someone without regression to grow that abnormally and possess such strength?"
Kim Hyo-jong slammed his hand on the table several times.
Kim Ji-hyeon frowned for a moment but quickly returned to her neutral expression.
When with the other guild masters, Kim Ji-hyeon rarely spoke.
She didn't want to use honorifics, but speaking informally was also awkward.
Lee Min-hwa, who had been quiet, offered her opinion.
"By that logic, Hwang Chan-jin doesn't make much sense either."
"But his case can at least be explained away as talent. It's not on the level of that guy, who defies all common sense."
Kim Hyo-jong retorted irritably.
It seemed he had a point, as even Lee Min-hwa, who had brought it up, didn't argue back.
Seong Woo-hyeon let out a long sigh.
"...It is true that Kim Se-hyeon-nim is playing a significant role and has been a great help to us."
"I agree with that. He doesn't seem to have any ill intentions. In fact, isn't he solving these incidents more passionately than anyone else?"
Choi Dae-han nodded in agreement with Seong Woo-hyeon.
Seong Woo-hyeon also nodded at Choi Dae-han.
"As long as he doesn't show his fangs, I have no intention of making the first move."
"Hah."
Kim Hyo-jong scoffed.
"You'll get stabbed in the back again, just like last time, Seong Woo-hyeon. I've had enough of that experience. You haven't forgotten, have you? That bastard. At first, he helped us out, but at a crucial moment, he claimed to be a regressor or whatever, took all the important stuff for himself, and disappeared without a trace."
"..."
Lee Min-hwa's hands clenched unconsciously.
How could she forget?
They had suffered such a huge blow because of that incident.
"I feel the same way."
"What a surprise, we actually agree on something. How unpleasant."
Kim Hyo-jong irritably opened the door and left, with Seon Woo-jin following behind him.
Choi Dae-han sat silently stroking his beard, and Lee Min-hwa remained silent.
"Kim Ji-hyeon-nim. You said you confirmed it with the Crystal of Truth before, right? That Kim Se-hyeon-nim does not have a regression trait."
"Yes. It stated definitively, 'He does not possess a regression trait.'"
"Then that's settled."
Seong Woo-hyeon let out a long sigh, rose from his chair, and slowly walked over to the large window.
The view of the residential area, where electricity was somehow being supplied by mana.
The area where the Red Zone had invaded and burned everything remained pitch black.
*‘As long as he's helpful.’*
Seong Woo-hyeon reached a hand toward the window.
Kim Se-hyeon's face appeared faintly over the cityscape.
*‘I'll have to keep watching him.’*