Salt Island Annihilation
Shraaaak!!! The bodies frozen in an instant tried desperately to move, but it was all in vain.
“Kuhk……!”
A red line sliced precisely from the assassin's crown straight down to his groin. In that moment, his body split in two and crumbled into black ash.
“Is it because he's a mid-tier assassin? His underlings seem even worse than the ones before.”
Kwa-zik……! Kang!!
As the duration of Nute's frost ring expired and the ice spikes vanished, the assassins leaped toward me all at once.
Divine Art - Fire Command
But with their movement speed still slowed, their attacks looked like nothing more than slow motion to my eyes, now ignited with Fire Command.
Bwoong-! Boong……! Bwoooong--!!
The assassins' swords sliced futilely through empty air.
Swaaang! Thud! Thud! Thud!
In that gap, arrows from Jin-su on the ship pierced their chests with pinpoint accuracy.
“Kraaak!”
“Kuhuk……!”
“Huk-!!”
In an instant, three assassins turned to smoke.
Grom and the others faltered, torn between attacking me or hiding from Jin-su's precise sniping of their vitals from afar.
“Daydreaming in the middle of a fight……”
Seizing the opening, my Plunder Sword plunged into an assassin's throat.
“Looks like fighting me is a walk in the park for you guys?”
“Guk……. Kuhk……”
Just before the assassin vanished, I yanked the sword from his throat and smashed down on the weapon he clutched.
Weapon Destruction Success!
Plunder's Wail can now be used.
Limited Uses: 3/3
“Lucky break.”
The Wail triggered instantly, and a shrill scream emanated from the sword.
“D-Damn it!!”
“Looks like the memories are flooding back nice and fresh.”
Grom Kyler stumbled backward, his sword trembling as he bellowed.
“Kill him!!!”
Waaaaaah---!!
“If you were proper soldiers, I'd commend the guts……”
The remaining twenty-odd assassins screamed to overcome their fear and charged at me.
“Assassins yelling as they rush in? What a sight.”
Swaaak……!!
Only the flames of Fire Command left afterimages in the air as I sheathed the wailing Plunder Sword and drew my Blood Oath Dagger in a reverse grip, stabbing it into the throat of the lead underling.
Vital Point Struck.
Your precise strike applies Critical Damage.
Deals 2x Damage.
Divine power absorbed in Blood Oath Dagger directly affects the target's body.
Deals an additional 2x Damage.
“Puk……!!”
As I pulled out the dagger, his carotid artery ruptured, blood spraying like a fountain.
The assassin clutched his throat, but it wasn't just a neck wound—the divine power had already tangled through his insides.
“Kuhuk!!”
Before his collapsing body hit the ground, I kicked off again, slamming my instep into another underling's face.
Peok!!
His body floated up with a whoosh before crashing into the stone floor.
“D-Do……”
He wasn't someone they could handle with numbers alone.
As I wove through them like they were nothing, dodging their attacks effortlessly, the assassins' lips quivered.
“Run!!!”
One finally couldn't hold it in and shouted.
But on Salt Island, surrounded by ocean on all sides, there was nowhere to flee.
“Heek……!!”
They were trapped in their own snare, caught between advance and retreat.
Kuung-
At that moment, the ship reached Salt Island.
“S-Spare me……”
A few panicked assassins bolted toward the incoming vessel.
As the anchor dropped and a gangplank extended, they scrambled aboard desperately.
Peok-
The first to arrive had his neck snapped.
“Well, well? Have these guys lost it……? They come to us thinking Kim Do-hyun's scarier than me?”
Plung-!!
The neck-broken assassin's body splashed into the sea, black ash rising to the surface before a glow flowed into Baek Yi-heon's body.
“M-Mad Dog!!”
Seeing Baek Yi-heon's face snapped them awake, and they backpedaled.
⊳ Gemini Bow siblings cannot see each other's backs.
⊳ Perfect Concealment Lv1 used!
⊳ All party members within 3m radius of Star Cloud are concealed.
“Do-hyun, you're not the only one who can stealth.”
Seok-!!
A sharp blade pierced from back to chest through a retreating assassin.
“Guk……!!”
Distracted by Baek Yi-heon, they hadn't checked their rear—Isabel Silver, Ryu Chan-ho, and Do Jin-su had appeared behind them.
“Planning to wipe out all the underlings like this?”
I smirked at their arrival and addressed Grom Kyler.
“Ughak……!”
“Guk……!”
Kwaaaang--! Kwagang-!
Even as I spoke, explosions and assassins' screams echoed from all around.
“I didn't think you'd come without a plan, but whatever ace you have up your sleeve, better not use it. Sending you here was just to use you up in the first place.”
“……Nonsense!!”
Grom ground his teeth and yelled back.
“Think about it—even a little thought would've shown how off it is. Salt Island has ki stones, sure, but it's tiny. Not many places to hide.”
“Kuhk!”
As I laid the flat of Plunder Sword across his shoulder, Grom shuddered, fearing amputation, and sank to his knees.
“For assassins who rely on stealth and ambushes, few hiding spots is the worst. And even if you hide, one area attack like before wipes you out.”
I leaned in close, whispering lowly.
“In other words, you're bait.”
“……As expected.”
In that instant, Grom's face changed.
“Mutsa-nim will avenge me!!”
Tsssiiiik!!!
He yanked something from his belt, and white smoke billowed across Salt Island in seconds.
“Kuhk, kuhk!!”
“Uwaaak……!”
“S-Spare me!!”
The assassins clawed at their throats in agony upon contact.
Master!
Yeomhwa-ryeong spun around me rapidly, forming a flaming barrier to block the toxic smoke.
I covered my face with my cloak.
“……Die!!”
From the fog, Grom's shout rang out, his eyes turning blood-red. Red veins bulged from the whites of his eyes, racing down his neck to his limbs, turning his whole body crimson.
Yulmun Family's Fierce Poison Art.
The smoke from his belt and the swelling veins in his limbs signaled Mado Piece Life, one of Galrung's secret techniques. The lethally toxic smoke infused blood that exploded on contact—a final mutual destruction spell.
A mid-tier assassin couldn't learn Galrung's secret art. Did Mutsa teach it himself?
“Grom…… What you're doing isn't loyalty—it's just a discarded dog's tantrum. What master teaches a suicide spell to a valued subordinate? You were used.”
“Wub……! Wub!!!”
But he was beyond hearing me. His body swelled as if about to burst.
Kwaaaaaang---!! Kwang-! Kwang-! Kwagang……!!!!
The explosion from Grom Kyler ignited the smoke in a chain reaction, devastating the area.
Tsueueueu…….
In seconds, a fifth of Salt Island lay in ruins.
The fallen assassins around were mangled—limbs torn off everywhere.
“……”
Shadow Cloak Exclusive: Veil Protection Deactivated
First attack upon being hit is unconditionally nullified.
I slowly lowered the cloak from my face and peered into the smoke.
“Foolish, but a loyal hound you followed to a bitter end.”
Step- Step- Step-
Footsteps echoed from within. I raised my head slowly toward the sound.
“A death fitting for a loyal dog. But producing no results? Par for the course.”
“Is that 'par' praising my greatness or your subordinate's incompetence?”
“Both. Mostly the latter?”
The woman emerging from the smoke wore pristine white robes that clashed with the ruins. Her belt alternated black and white stripes—a mark only Galrung's direct subordinates received.
“Long time no see, Kim Do-hyun.”
“What, thought it was Mutsa, but it's just another pet?”
I'd half-expected they wouldn't send only Grom Kyler after me.
Ran Jia, one of the Six Elites. The sole female player among them, not someone to underestimate.
Besides Mutsa, Galrung has another direct subordinate among the Six. Makes her the top candidate now.
“Three of the Six Elites fell to you. The Six Harmonies' reputation is in tatters…… This has put us in a tough spot with Galrung.”
“A lot of Six Harmonies died too. Scared of NPC backlash?”
“We're all in similar boats, no? Even the great Rerto Karen's under the Kartinin family.”
“That's why you can't climb above the perennial top eight clans—you just get crushed.”
Ran Jia's shoulder twitched.
“Indeed…… Let's see if you say that after this.”
Woooong---
Then it happened. As the smoke cleared, Yulmun family ships crept from behind the small island opposite Salt Island, heading our way.
“……!!”
“How many is that?”
Jin-su and Chan-ho stared grimly at the majestic wooden ships with sails fully unfurled.
“What're they?”
“……Huh?”
Unlike them, I replied calmly.
“A pitch-black ship.”
Geiiiing---!!
At that moment, the cannons on our docked ship swiveled toward the Yulmun vessels.
“When we were in Mu-hal, Norpa asked why I was borrowing a ship.”
Baek Yi-heon, now at the cannon controls, grinned.
“Told him we were heading to the Yulmun family. Guess what he said?”
Woooong…….
He yanked the lever hard; engine hums rose from within as the gauge beside the barrel filled.
“Magic Annihilation Cannon……!?”
“E-Evade!”
“Damn……!!”
The intense beam from the cannon engulfed the Yulmun ship; assassins aboard paled and leaped into the churning sea.
Kwagagagang!!!!
Like a laser slicing air, the light beam pierced the wooden vessel straight through.
Kikigik……! Kugrrrrg……!!
Water flooded the massive hole; the ship lost balance and tilted sideways.
“N-No!!!”
Realizing the shadow looming over them was their own sinking ship, the assassins flailed in panic.
“Whether poison arts or formations, block it and I smash through. Done.”
Kwaang-!!!
Before they could escape, the collapsing ship crushed them.
“And now you're all fish food.”