Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 189
Chapter Title: 57. Zakum (4)
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10.
“Puko?”
“Yes.”
Leka, one of Heinz’s disciples, was the most shocked the moment Lema uttered the monster’s name.
The eyes of the old man, who had never lost his composure in any situation until now, shook more than ever.
Everyone gathered there noticed it.
“What kind of monster is it?”
That was why Viola immediately asked the question.
It wasn’t something ordinary.
“A monster that appears deep in the abandoned mines. I’ve never seen one myself. I only learned about it from a book in Ellinia’s Magic Library.”
Upon hearing Leka’s explanation, everyone immediately pictured one being in their minds.
‘No way?’
A being shocking enough to make them gasp.
That was why.
Those who pictured it weren’t surprised.
‘It can’t be.’
It was simply too enormous a being; they couldn’t even imagine it appearing here.
“What book was it?”
“It was a book about people worshiping a statue in a place deeper than the Elnas Mountains.”
Even as they listened to the continued explanation, it was the same.
Everyone denied it.
But she couldn’t deny it.
“No way... Zakum?”
Viola mentioned the name, and at that, Leka silently nodded.
Only then did the faces of the Abandoned Mine Expedition members turn pale or ashen.
Of course, most still denied it.
Even Leka did the same right away.
“Puko is one of the monsters summoned by that Zakum. Wherever Zakum was, there was always a Puko. Of course, it’s not certain. I’ve never confirmed it with my own eyes. It’s just what was written in the book I read.”
Even he didn’t speak with full conviction.
Not because he lacked certainty, but because he hoped it wasn’t true.
“I’ve never heard of Zakum appearing in a Mystic Gate. Not in Green grade, or any grade!”
That was why some adventurers vehemently denied it.
However, the gathered adventurers, knights, hunters, and Resistance members knew.
They were veterans.
“But we have to consider the possibility that it is Zakum, don’t we?”
That denying it changed nothing.
“Leka, can you tell us more about Zakum?”
That they had to think about the possibilities.
“Zakum originally refers to the Devil’s Tree. The statue we know is just a being possessed by that Zakum. In other words, Zakum itself has no form and possesses something somewhere.”
“Then?”
“Even if it possesses the Mystic Gate, it wouldn’t be particularly strange or unusual.”
And that possibility was quite high.
“Moreover, this is the deepest part of the abandoned mine, the place closest to Zakum, isn’t it? It wouldn’t be odd if it’s under Zakum’s influence. Above all, we know nothing about the Mystic Gate.”
Here, Leka added one more thing.
“This is just my personal opinion, but the Mystic Gate isn’t merely a convenient monster hunting ground. It’s a device created by someone with intent. I don’t know what that intent is, but one thing I do know.”
“What is it?”
“That things which never existed in the Maple World emerge through the Mystic Gate.”
It was at that moment.
Just as Leka’s story was about to lengthen.
“Our Resistance.”
Red Panther Liga spoke.
“Will fully cooperate with the Cygnus Knights.”
It was the moment the Abandoned Mine Expedition became one in the face of the unprecedented disaster called Zakum.
And not just any unity.
11.
“Wow, they’re really fighting well.”
Watching the Abandoned Mine Expedition’s battle from a distance, Dibo let out a gasp of admiration.
It wasn’t lip service; it was sincere.
“How is that even possible? Anyone would think they’ve been partying together for ten years.”
The party play shown by the united Abandoned Mine Expedition was astonishingly superb.
Honestly, it was something Dibo and El Pam’s companions hadn’t expected.
They understood the two groups, who had been grinding their teeth in front of the enemy called Zakum, joining hands.
“Impressive. To think they could pull that off.”
“Those the ones who were glaring at each other just moments ago? Why do they mesh so well?”
“Remarkable. It’s like the Cygnus Knights bribed the Resistance with money.”
But they hadn’t anticipated that their hastily formed party play would have such a high level of completion.
Except for El Pam.
“That’s only natural.”
He had expected it.
“It’s a matter of life and death. And their lives aren’t their own. Especially the Resistance—their lives are prepared for Edelstein’s liberation. They’ll do anything for that.”
The fear of death they faced and the value they placed on their lives were on a completely different level from what adventurers thought.
‘It was the same back then.’
Of course, the biggest reason El Pam could predict this was his direct experience.
‘In front of that monster legion, the Cygnus Knights and Resistance showed teamwork better than ever.’
How well those two groups meshed.
‘If the Cygnus Knights hadn’t betrayed them right before that liberation war, Edelstein might have been liberated.’
That history could have changed if those two groups had properly joined hands.
That was as far as it went.
El Pam didn’t attach any more meaning to it.
It was just a story of the past, after all.
Something that couldn’t be changed unless El Pam returned to that time.
That was why El Pam only looked at the current situation.
“At this rate, they’ll reach the fourth floor without issue.”
“Seems like it. Their coordination is perfect. Not a single death since they started syncing properly.”
“They changed their strategy too. Now that they know the boss is Zakum, they have to conserve as much strength as possible.”
“Boss, at this rate, won’t they take down Zakum?”
“Everyone comes up with plausible plans.”
El Pam also knew.
“Until they see Zakum.”
What kind of despair they would face.
That prediction soon became reality.
12.
Zakum!
The moment the Abandoned Mine Expedition learned that this place’s boss monster was that absurd monster, they were more shocked than ever.
But at the same time, they felt it.
‘We have to stake our lives.’
To survive here, they could no longer concern themselves with each other’s reputations or items from now on.
That they all had to become one in the truest sense.
With that resolve, when the battle began, the Abandoned Mine Expedition members thought.
‘This?’
‘Aren’t we syncing too well?’
That their forces were beyond their imaginations.
In fact, there were several reasons for that.
First, the Abandoned Mine Expedition gathered here had rarely ever exerted 100% of their abilities.
They were already among the top talents among 5th Circle adventurers.
No matter where they went, there was no stage for them to fully demonstrate their power.
They were also people who valued their lives highly.
For example, Leka, Heinz’s disciple, had essentially never gone on a proper adventure.
The same went for Ri, the Wild Hunter of the Resistance. She didn’t mind risking her life, but she couldn’t die easily. That meant she wasn’t deployed in reckless operations.
In other words, it had been a really long time since they fought a battle where they truly staked their lives.
Another thing: they were people with exceptional talent.
And they had never once neglected self-training with that talent.
Even without life-or-death adventures, they steadily researched, trained, and accumulated experience.
‘It’s the day.’
This place, with Zakum, had become the stage where everything they had built up would fully bloom.
In fact, some felt it.
‘The day I might reach 6th Circle.’
Their circle wriggling.
That the day they had longed for might come—they began to get excited at that fact, and quite a few Abandoned Mine Expedition members started buzzing.
Naturally, they had expectations.
‘If it’s Zakum.’
The moment they faced that unprecedented monster, the moment they truly confronted death, they might break through the wall.
Eventually, the Abandoned Mine Expedition reached it.
“The fourth floor.”
The door leading to where Zakum was.
There was no hesitation in front of that door.
“We’ll rest and then move.”
Nor was there any recklessness.
As veterans, they made full preparations, and only once ready did they cross over.
‘We can do it.’
‘The moment we take down Zakum, we become legends.’
Anticipating an indescribable glory.
And as they crossed, they soon saw it.
“Huh?”
A colossal statue carrying eight arms on its back while holding stone slabs in both hands.
Zakum!
“H-How?”
Like the tales of the Six Heroes, the monster they had only heard about in stories was right before their eyes.
Literally.
The distance between the Abandoned Mine Expedition, who had just entered the fourth floor, and Zakum was less than 500 meters.
From Zakum’s perspective, that was practically right next to it.
Moreover, the fourth floor stage was a lava zone.
There were no obstacles between Zakum and the Abandoned Mine Expedition.
It was only natural that Zakum had noticed the Abandoned Mine Expedition.
From the Abandoned Mine Expedition’s standpoint, it was the absolute worst situation!
‘Damn it!’
Of course, there was no time to complain.
Since Zakum had noticed them, escaping from this moment on was impossible.
To be precise, they could if they wanted.
If dozens sacrificed themselves.
But was fighting after escaping with the deaths of dozens as collateral the right answer?
Or was fighting now, when their forces were at their peak, the right answer?
“Battle!”
The answer was obvious.
“Begin!”
Viola chose that obvious answer.
The others did the same.
They had known that answer would come, and the moment the word was spoken, they ignited their battle spirit.
‘Better than wasting energy needlessly.’
‘We were prepared to fight anyway.’
They tried to view the situation positively.
It certainly was.
Rumble!
“Ugh!”
But the moment Zakum slammed the ground with its eight palms, the moment the earth shook, the adventurers staggered without exception, and many fell to the ground—that moment, everyone realized.
That all the plans they had prepared against Zakum, all those plausible plans, were meaningless.
It was only natural.
Just slamming the ground with its palms caused an earthquake?
Then what would happen if hit by those palms?
Would anyone survive it?
The fact that it caused earthquakes was a problem too.
Ranged dealers like mages and archers needed stable footing to attack.
But if there were earthquakes? Proper attacks would be impossible.
“When all eight of its palms hit the ground, it causes an earthquake!”
Here, one answer emerged.
“Block the palms!”
That they had to stop Zakum’s eight hands from hitting the ground.
And for that, the Abandoned Mine Expedition had only one method.
“Everyone, take one hand each!”
They had to lure its palms so they couldn’t hit the ground simultaneously.
It was madness.
As mentioned earlier, the moment hit by those palms, no adventurer could escape death.
One mistake, one failure, led straight to death.
Yet the Abandoned Mine Expedition showed no hesitation.
As if by prior agreement, warriors and thieves rushed toward Zakum one after another.
And at the forefront was Viola.
She stood before Zakum faster than anyone, at lightning speed.
Whoosh!
Naturally, Zakum swung one arm at her.
Zakum’s arm moved very quickly too.
Above all, Zakum’s arms were enormous. A single palm was big enough to grab an elephant!
It seemed impossible to dodge!
That was the moment.
“Thunder God!”
Viola used the Striker skill Thunder God, and her body began to glow with blue light.
Crackle!
At the same time, she started moving at lightning speed.
Boom!
In front of her movements, Zakum’s palm struck only the empty ground.
Boom!
Boom!
And so she began showing astonishing feats against Zakum.
‘My God!’
‘That’s Tiger Eye’s skill!’
To the point where all the watching Abandoned Mine Expedition members were stunned.
But the admiration didn’t last long.
Everyone gathered was an outstanding veteran, and they knew this wasn’t the time to admire.
“Everyone, attack!”
They had to use this time that Viola had created, the time others had created, to attack.
“Target the arms!”
“Destroy the arms!”
They also knew that, in this moment, nothing was more important than Zakum’s arms.
And the moment that judgment was made, mages’ spells, archers’ arrows, and pirates’ bullets poured toward Zakum’s arms.
It was a fearsome barrage.
However, what was more fearsome was that even amid that barrage, Zakum’s arms didn’t shake in the slightest.
‘Insane!’
‘Are they made of steel, not stone?’
From the Abandoned Mine Expedition’s perspective, pouring attacks, it was dizzying.
But even so, no one gave up.
‘Even steel can be broken!’
‘We didn’t come here to die!’
Because their resolve was sufficient.
That was why they soon saw it.
Boom!
“One arm broke!”
The sight of one of Zakum’s eight arms shattering into pieces and falling to the ground.
“Woooo!”
At that fact, the Abandoned Mine Expedition’s morale heated up hotter than the lava zone’s blaze.
Boom!
Then, the moment the second arm broke, the Abandoned Mine Expedition saw.
‘It’s possible!’
‘We can take Zakum!’
Themselves emerging from the Mystic Gate, harboring glory brighter than anything.
Boom!
And the moment the third arm broke, the moment everyone no longer doubted the hunt’s success.
That was the moment.
Boom!
A deafening roar exploded.
And exploded.
“Gahhh!”
The screams of allies hit by friendly magic.