Chapter 164
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Recalux (7)
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Numerous thorns made of black masses surged from Recalux's form.
But Luska swung her sword several times in an instant, ripping them apart.
Not figuratively—literally torn to shreds.
'What the hell is that thing?'
It was utterly absurd to watch.
I had no idea what she was doing, but every time her sword moved, silver threads trailed behind it, blocking every attack.
'...Not sure if it's just my imagination, but it feels similar to the golden energy Seo Yu-ju uses.'
The real problem was its regeneration. The shreds regenerated in an instant, reforming its shape in a blatantly unnatural spectacle.
"No matter how much you slash or stab, it's useless. This body merges infinitely and regenerates endlessly. Isn't this the pinnacle all life yearns to reach?"
Its form writhed wildly, eyes and mouths grinning like a human's laugh.
'It's hideous, and a real pain in the ass.'
I'd never seen anything with regeneration like that before. Luska and Ha Yu-ri were probably just as stunned.
It would've been great if I could help, but unfortunately, Mutant Devourer couldn't be used for 24 hours after reverting to seed form.
'It's powerful, but it has its drawbacks in situations like this.'
It was undeniably tricky for prolonged fights or repeated battles.
"Give me back my sister! Give her back!"
Boom!
Massive chunks of ice slammed into Recalux's body, but it regenerated almost immediately.
"After this battle ends, I'll personally remodel your sister myself. Mixing her with a few monsters doesn't sound bad at all."
The bastard was deliberately provoking Ha Yu-ri.
"You dare...!"
Rooooar—
Ha Yu-ri thrust out her hand, unleashing an ice storm that swallowed Recalux whole.
Shrrrrrip—
I couldn't tell what was happening inside the storm, but its body was splitting apart in real time, black liquid splattering everywhere.
The problem came next: the scattered black liquid formed tiny jaws that lunged at us.
"Master, stay by my side."
She moved like she was dancing with blades. Every flourish of Luska's sword dance wove silver threads through the air in dazzling patterns.
But the beauty hid lethal cutting power that severed everything.
The jaws approaching us and Luska were sliced to pieces.
'Whoa...'
Ha Yu-ri suddenly spoke up as if struck by an idea.
"Ah, wait... I just thought of something."
"What?"
"Freeze!"
Ha Yu-ri shouted and froze the chunks—shattered by Luska—before they could regenerate.
'Ah...'
The frozen parts no longer regenerated.
'Freezing stops the regeneration?'
Ha Yu-ri had seemed half-doubtful her idea would work, but her face lit up when the frozen masses didn't reform.
"Great! If we keep this up with the storm—!"
Crunch.
"Wha...?"
"Ha Yu-ri!"
A writhing tendril burst from the ground, piercing straight through Ha Yu-ri's abdomen.
"Cough...!"
Her mana dispersed immediately, and the ice storm began to fade.
"Ha Yu-ri! Freeze the wounded area right now! Hurry!"
This was urgent.
'If she stays like this, Ha Yu-ri's dead.'
Ha Yu-ri stifled a groan and quickly used her mana to freeze her pierced gut.
"Cough... I froze it like you said, but why did you tell me to...?"
Her face was deathly pale, like someone on the verge of dying.
It was backlash from overusing mana focusing on defense against her sister. And now this injury on top.
While Luska kept the monster busy, I hurriedly explained to Ha Yu-ri.
"If you don't freeze it, you die. Never release your mana. Keep it frozen."
"Die...?"
We couldn't treat its attacks as ordinary.
This thing didn't attack with weapons like swords—it used its own body.
The body of a chimera that could split and morph into other monsters at any moment.
"The moment it pierced you, any normal person would've been dead. What if the part embedded in you mutates into tiny monsters right now?"
"Ah..."
"The only reason you're alive is because you listened and froze it the instant you were hit. A second later, and you'd be gone."
Not just dead—no, it would've gnawed her from inside, exploded her body, or killed her in some other horrific way.
Ha Yu-ri spoke to me in a feeble voice.
"...I lost the light again. Thanks to you, I survived. Thank you."
"Save the thanks. Stay back and hold position. No matter how hard it is, don't release the mana. The second you do, you die. Got it?"
Ha Yu-ri nodded.
"...Luska, can you handle it alone?"
Ha Yu-ri was effectively out. Honestly, I hadn't expected this thing to give us so much trouble with our group.
"Master, you don't need to ask. Just order me to kill it. I won't betray your expectations."
She closed her eyes, gripping her sword with both hands.
"Let me prove how reliable I am to you."
Her aura shifted entirely.
Even I, with my pitiful strength, could feel it—Recalux must have sensed it crystal clear.
"...What? What are you...?"
Luska ignored Recalux. She needed to focus.
'Embedding intent deeply is tough, as expected.'
Infusing attacks with intent was a realm beyond mere sword swings.
And though she'd boasted boldly to her master, this old monster was one of the strongest foes she'd ever faced.
'Not even human anymore, really.'
A monster that had abandoned humanity.
'But no matter how hard or easy, I have to do it.'
Her master wanted this thing dead. That was reason enough.
Luska charged, and attacks poured in.
But not a single one landed on her.
No attack touched her.
One wrong dodge or a moment's delay, and it'd be fatal.
Amid assaults that seemed impossible to evade, Luska found paths through.
"You slippery little...!"
If no path existed, she'd carve one with her sword.
"Think I'll just take this lying down?!"
Suddenly, the black masses bubbled up, forming a Medusa.
"This is..."
She couldn't avert her eyes in time—her body petrified.
'Damn...'
Countless snakes formed and lunged, but silver threads coiled around her, grinding them to dust.
She didn't even move—pure will adjusted her intent for defense.
Recalux felt fear at Luska's power.
"How... Among everyone I've met, no one's reached your level. How...?"
"Because our lives have been different."
"What?"
"No need to understand. You're driven by self-interest—I'm not."
"....."
"Monster who abandoned humanity, that's not how you surpass racial limits."
"Denying me? You dare...?"
"'Dare' isn't a word you get to use right now. You still haven't noticed? Something's changed?"
"What?"
Recalux realized at Luska's words.
Its body, torn by her, wasn't regenerating.
"Eternal immortality? Nothing like that exists. Your regeneration isn't omnipotent."
"What...?"
"My current intent is to kill you. So you die. No regeneration, nothing."
Recalux couldn't comprehend her words.
'My regeneration fails because of her intent?'
It knew the realm of manifesting intent but hadn't reached it.
Luska twitched her fingers. Medusa's petrification was powerful, but only against the weak or average.
Against someone like her, it lasted mere moments.
Confirming the effect lifted, she advanced on Recalux.
"Damn it! Stay back! I said stay back!"
Without regeneration against her attacks, every strike was lethal.
To block her, it spawned every monster imaginable from its body—but nothing stopped her approach.
"Damn! Block for me!"
At Recalux's command, Ha Yul—who'd been facing Sharis—leapt in front to take the hit instead.
"Wha—Huh?"
Sharis was caught off guard and missed her.
Everyone pictured Ha Yul dying in Recalux's place—
"...Sorry, sis."
Crackkk—
Ha Yul's feet froze to the ground as she ran.
Ha Yu-ri had squeezed out her last mana to bind her sister's feet.
Recalux could only wail at the future seconds away.
"No! This can't—!"
Squelch—
Luska's sword pierced Recalux's body.
Grinddd—
"Gaaaaaah!"
Silver threads whipped through, shredding Recalux.
Monstrous forms, human shapes, unrecognizable things.
Its body split, countless forms writhing and screaming in agony.
"No! I—we can't die like this...!"
"No, die here. This isn't your place."
Luska finished and detonated mana in her blade, exploding it.
Boom!
Recalux's remains splattered everywhere.
As chunks flew toward me, silver threads vaporized them.
'...Incredible.'
One realization from that fight:
Even among rankers, tiers existed.
For example, compared to Ha Yu-ri and Sharis, Luska was clearly a step above.
The divide: mastery of intent.
Ha Yu-ri and Sharis couldn't infuse attacks with intent—proven by their failure to suppress Recalux's regeneration.
Seo Yu-ju was a question mark.
'Stats differ, but their realms seem similar.'
That golden energy she used. Maybe not, but I suspected it was intent too.
'Not all rankers are equal. The gap between those who manifest intent and those who don't is clear.'
Yun Yeon and Yanagiya Riki... I'd check later.
But they at least knew it or had taken steps toward it.
"Luska, good work."
"No, Master. Just a moment..."
"Hm?"
She approached and hugged me suddenly.
I couldn't help but panic at the abrupt skinship.
"Wh-what? What's this?"
Luska replied in an exhausted voice.
"I'm melting away. Let me rest in your arms for a bit."
'Well... it'd be weirder if she wasn't tired.'
"Since I fulfilled your will, shouldn't you reward me?"
"Reward...?"
"Hold me tight. My weary body will recover in no time."
'Ah...'
...Honestly, after all that, a tight hug was the least I could do.
As I moved to do just that, Ha Yu-ri's voice rang out.
"Yu-Yul!"
...Right. The biggest issue remained.