Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Disaster of Verdure (2)
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"The Disaster of Verdure..."
Jun Bo-ra swallowed dryly.
While the Disaster of Verdure was overwhelmingly captivating, something else drew her gaze just as strongly.
The gate's transformation.
The gate no longer looked like a mere shimmering space; it had turned into a mirror.
A mirror framed with woven flowers.
Reflected within was a slightly different version of the very same Disaster of Verdure.
From now on, they had to take on 'two' Disasters of Verdure simultaneously.
'Did it sense what was happening and gather them all here before they could disappear?'
Tsking, I clicked my tongue and observed the puddle of water around the disaster.
As long as there was water, the Disaster of Verdure's regenerative abilities were outstanding. That's why I'd negotiated with the water spirit to seal it.
However, there were no other puddles, and the spot where the disaster had taken root wasn't particularly waterlogged.
I might be able to do something about that much.
"When you're ready, let me know, and I'll give the signal. Immediately after, attack the jade-colored crystal embedded in the Disaster of Verdure's chest. Any questions?"
No one spoke.
We had already decided that Hwang Chan-jin and Han Hyeok-jun would be the two to enter the 'other side'.
It was time for the real fight.
"Alright, the disaster hunt begins."
I drew my sword and charged forward first.
As if in response, a black vine whipped through the air.
As thick as a human torso and as hard as steel, its very presence was a threat.
*Clang!*
I flexibly parried the attack, minimizing my stamina loss as I evaded it.
'It's definitely weaker.'
My gaze shifted to the disaster's head, where a flower should have been.
A flower that should have been beautiful enough to mesmerize anyone who saw it.
It was nowhere to be found; only a small, new sprout grew in its place.
It's already preparing to bloom a new flower?
The 'lure' that's supposed to be impossible to regrow once cut?
This is crucial.
Just like with the goblins, this disaster is also 'strengthened'.
The good thing is that it can't have any effect in its current state.
If we'd taken our time and come tomorrow, we would've had to face that flower again.
For now, it's as if we've neutralized one of the disaster's patterns and weakened the main body at the same time.
'Still, I can't let my guard down.'
If I make even one mistake and take a direct hit, I'll end up with several broken ribs and a critical injury.
Slowly. There's no need to push myself.
After all, I have to wait until Hwang Chan-jin and Han Hyeok-jun, who crossed through the gate, are ready to land the final blow.
*Fwoosh!*
From behind, Jo Min-ah and Jun Bo-ra provided adequate support.
Even if it was as hard as steel, a plant was still a plant.
Its vulnerability to fire remained, so it would flinch and change its trajectory when touched by flames. Jun Bo-ra would then teleport those flames inside the vine to destroy it.
Meanwhile, as I kept up my relentless assault, all of its aggro was inevitably focused on me.
While I drew its attention, Hwang Chan-jin and Han Hyeok-jun succeeded in entering the other side.
The moment I confirmed that, I immediately switched to the offensive.
"Kyaa!"
"Watch out!"
*CRACK! RUMBLE!*
The ground had long since been torn apart by vines bursting up from below.
The floor was twisted and shattered everywhere.
The moment I lost my balance, I'd be hit by the ensuing attack and left on the verge of death.
*Swish!*
Drawing out a bit more power, I sliced through a few vines and charged in to attack the giant flower enveloping the main body.
The brilliantly bloomed flower instantly contracted into a bud, blocking the attack.
Even without imbuing my sword with darkness, my stats only managed to crack it slightly.
And even that healed in an instant with a flash of green light.
"Still the same monstrous regeneration."
I clicked my tongue and retreated while dodging an attack.
It absorbs water from the pond its body is submerged in, instantly repairing any damaged parts.
In the official lore, it's described as having regeneration even more insane than trolls, who are notorious for it in fantasy.
On the other side of the gate, there's nothing, so they can fight without worrying about regeneration. But over here, there's a ton to consider.
'The vines regenerate slowly.'
While not as effective as flame-type abilities, my power can also suppress its regeneration to some extent.
The flower on the main body, directly connected to it, recovered instantly, but the vines further away couldn't regenerate quickly due to my Encroachment.
...So, how can I turn this into an opportunity?
"Oppa! Monsters are swarming in from outside!"
Jo Min-ah, positioned at the very back, shouted urgently.
Through Extreme Eye, I could see monsters, their entire bodies infected with spores, flocking toward us.
About twenty or thirty of them.
Even after we took care of all the Fragments of Verdure and weakened the flower considerably, there are still that many?
It wasn't just monsters.
Human corpses, infected by the spores, were also moving like zombies.
Seeing this, Jo Min-ah gasped and trembled, but she quickly composed herself and created a fireball.
She's grown a lot.
I let out a small laugh and shouted loudly.
"You two handle the monsters! I'll take the disaster alone!"
"Alone?!"
"I can do it."
Was it because my answer was so firm?
Jun Bo-ra hesitated for a moment, then nodded and turned around completely.
At that same moment, the monsters surrounded the hut.
"Seeing them covered in flowers with my own eyes... it's seriously disgusting...!"
"Those things release a ton of spores when you kill them up close, so push them back and kill them from a distance! If you can't, retreat quickly before the spores erupt!"
*Swoosh.*
Darkness spread out widely behind my heels, and from within it, the Army of Darkness emerged.
Jo Min-ah, seeing the black haze form into soldiers for the first time, was startled.
Their numbers were still too meager to be called an army, but considering the combat power of each individual, they were plenty strong.
And since they get exponentially stronger as my stats increase, their potential is top-tier.
"Go. Clear a path."
*Shwwwiing!*
At my simple command, the soldiers surged forward and began indiscriminately slashing through the vines.
The Disaster of Verdure mobilized all its vines to stop my soldiers, but the soldiers summoned by the Army of Darkness were beings that would endlessly resurrect as long as my mana held out, even if they took a direct hit and lost more than half their bodies.
The vines were no match for my soldiers.
<... ...!>
The Disaster of Verdure flinched and gathered energy in the sprout on its head.
It can use that pattern with just a sprout?
It was unexpected, but it actually made me smile.
Because if it used that pattern, I'd be the one who should be thankful.
Following my command, the soldiers sped up to block the disaster's attack.
In that moment.
*KWWAAAAAA!*
A powerful beam of energy shot out from the sprout, annihilating the soldiers without a trace.
Jun Bo-ra and Jo Min-ah, sensing the unusual energy, had already evacuated to the sides and were unharmed. In fact, the monsters outside were the ones caught in the blast.
And I, instead of resummoning my soldiers, kicked off the ground with all my might.
While using that pattern, it can't use its basic vine attacks, and there's a significant delay afterward.
It's a threatening attack, but successfully dodging it grants a brief window to deal damage.
That short opening will become a fatal one for it.
*Ssssk.*
I wreathed my Sa-in-cham-sa-geom in so much darkness it trembled, then unleashed my mana in a diagonal slash.
The petals enveloping the main body were shredded like paper, revealing the form within.
The form of a girl, mimicked to make humans let their guard down.
Knowing it was a fake, I thrust my sword forward without a hint of hesitation.
*KWAANG!*
However, my sword was blocked by something, stopping just millimeters away from its target.
Right. There was this, too.
A barrier created from the natural energy absorbed from the surrounding earth.
It must have gathered a lot over time, but my strike shattered it, so it won't be able to use it again.
'I've definitely gotten stronger.'
Normally, it would have taken forever just to break that barrier.
But with my stat restrictions gone, my all-out attack shattered it in a single blow.
Jun Bo-ra seemed too busy with the monsters to notice, but if she had seen that, her eyes would have popped out of her head in shock.
The girl's eyebrows arched sharply, and the color of her body began to change.
A sign that the main body was about to enter phase two and use its full power.
Sharp, blade-like vines rushed at me from all directions, so I cleanly gave up on my next attack and retreated.
The Disaster of Verdure won't die unless all its cores are destroyed simultaneously anyway.
Besides, that wasn't what I was aiming for from the start.
<... ...!?>
The disaster suddenly became flustered and agitated.
Got it.
I smirked at the system message that appeared before my eyes.
[You have successfully inflicted the 'Encroachment' status on the target.]
[Targets under the 'Encroachment' status will have all their recovery-type traits, skills, and item effects nullified.]
[Their health will continuously decrease until the 'Encroachment' status is removed.]
One of the trickiest things about the Disaster of Verdure is its superior regeneration.
There were two ways to block or counter it.
One was to get help from the water spirit.
This was the blocking method.
Normally, all the water should have disappeared, but it was unexpected that a little remained even after using that method.
However, that actually worked to my advantage.
"You shouldn't try to heal when your enemy is watching you so closely."
The second method was Encroachment.
One of the many powers of the 'Lord of Darkness' trait is the ability to inflict various debuffs on an opponent.
If it lands, it provides an overwhelming advantage, but it also comes with many restrictions.
What caught my eye at that moment was the small pond where it had taken root.
If it had been any larger, it would have been impossible, but thankfully, the pond was small enough for me to influence.
"While I was attacking, I infused the pond with darkness. You absorbed it all, which means you willingly swallowed a poison that can't be purified."
[Kyaaaaaaaaa!!!]
Along with a high-pitched scream that felt like it would shatter my eardrums, an icosahedron-shaped jewel appeared in the center of the girl's form.
That's the core of the Disaster of Verdure.
By destroying that core here and on the other side simultaneously, the Disaster of Verdure will be annihilated.
'But.'
I glanced back.
That core can only be attacked by 'flame'-type powers.
And S-rank powers, at that.
There's no problem on the other side since Han Hyeok-jun is there, but we aren't ready over here.
I have an item in my pocket that can solve this problem, but the conditions haven't been met yet.
'To meet those conditions...'
While I was pondering, I sensed a subtle change in the Disaster of Verdure.
Flowers suddenly began to bloom on the sprawling vines.
Is the main body going to spread spores directly?
Without the flower on its head, the spores' effectiveness should be greatly weakened.
The spores themselves aren't a problem, as they'll disintegrate before they even reach me if I surround myself with a barrier of darkness.
However.
'I have to let it hit me on purpose.'
As if I hadn't noticed at all, I remained in my stance, facing the disaster with my sword raised.
"Kim Se-hyeon! Above! The flowers up there are about to release spores too!"
At Jun Bo-ra's shout, I feigned surprise and hastily looked up.
The flowers blooming on the vines that formed the hut had already contracted, just like the one on the Disaster of Verdure's main body.
*Pffft!*
And then, golden spores instantly filled the inside of the hut.