Chapter 191
Chapter 191
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 191
Chapter Title: 57. Zakum (6)
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15.
The Six Heroes who sealed the Black Mage.
To everyone—from the adventurers of Maple World onward—they were the most radiant existences.
After all, it was they, these Six Heroes, who had reclaimed Maple World from the Black Mage's grasp.
“The Six Heroes vanished from the world the moment they sealed the Black Mage. Without a trace.”
Moreover, even in their final moments, the Six Heroes shone brilliantly.
That made them shine even brighter, and so every adventurer in Maple World harbored admiration and envy for them.
‘Aran, of all people.’
Dibo was no different.
‘I wanted to cross blades with her once.’
Of course, the emotion Dibo felt was less admiration and more a desire to test his skills against hers.
There was nothing strange about it.
No one in Maple World would mock you for losing to one of the Six Heroes.
Even a crushing defeat would be a worthwhile experience.
‘Worth a shot.’
In other words, Dibo had that much confidence in his own abilities.
There was nothing strange about that, either.
Dibo had shown growth speed among the fastest in Maple World history.
And now he was even using Aran's items.
‘The Six Heroes are monsters, sure, but so are bosses. No reason to be scared.’
Decisively, Dibo had watched and experienced El Pam—the monster on par with the Six Heroes—from the closest vantage point.
Lacking confidence would have been the odd thing.
Nor was it just Dibo.
‘Let’s go wild for once.’
‘Give it everything today.’
‘A polearm hero? If I just hang back and pull triggers here, my master won’t let that slide.’
‘The polearm hero? Then I’ll pay back every bit I owe. Can’t wait to see how much it’ll cost!’
Everyone was ready to go berserk.
Shiiieee!
But those thoughts evaporated before El Pam’s incoming spells.
Kwang!
‘Huh?’
What flew in was none other than Fire Arrow—the spell El Pam used most often and wielded best.
‘This is Fire Arrow?’
But its destructive power was on another level entirely from anything they’d seen before.
‘Was that a cannon?’
It far exceeded the realm of arrows.
“Element Amplification.”
The reason was the passive skill he’d just activated: Element Amplification.
Its effect: a 50 percent increase in mana consumption, in exchange for a 50 percent boost to all attack magic damage.
A Unique-grade skill, notoriously hard to obtain.
And even if obtained, not one easily wielded.
Increased mana consumption wasn’t just about depleting reserves faster.
In running terms, it was like sprinting at twice your normal top speed. Naturally, the strain and damage to the body doubled—or worse.
The bigger issue was the 50 percent power boost to spells.
The difference between hurling a heavy rock and a light one was vast; the stronger the spell, the far harder it was to cast.
Suddenly 50 percent stronger?
That was tantamount to rampage.
In truth, El Pam had rarely used Element Amplification until now.
‘Hard to control with telekinesis.’
Spells gone berserk like this were practically impossible for even him to handle properly.
But now was different.
‘Against a giant like that, no need for fine control.’
Zakum was so massive he’d hit even with eyes closed.
And it had no weak points.
The only way was relentless pounding.
Of course, normal hunts didn’t end just by landing hits.
Monsters invariably targeted the most lethal threat first.
Unleash overwhelmingly powerful attacks, and El Pam becomes the target.
‘No need to worry about it coming for me.’
But with a great hero right there, El Pam had no reason for such concerns.
“Fire Arrow.”
So for him, it was just nonstop spell barrages.
Kwawang!
16.
Kwawang!
Viola and the others knew it the instant they heard the sound.
That it came from none other than Zakum’s location.
At the same time, they thought:
“Someone’s sacrificing themselves.”
Someone had thrown themselves at Zakum to buy time for the others to escape.
That’s why the sound rang out.
“Pull back faster.”
So Viola and all who heard it moved quicker, to make that sacrifice meaningful.
No time to shed tears for fallen comrades or debate helping them.
It wasn’t mere rhetoric.
“We don’t know when Zakum might catch up.”
The time those blockers bought was barely a few breaths.
Zakum was that monstrous.
Thus, Viola and her comrades fled with all their might.
Kwaang!
Battle sounds kept reaching their ears.
Kwaang!
Even well after they’d fled.
Even after distancing themselves so far Zakum was no longer visible.
Kwaang!
At that point, everyone turned, looked back toward Zakum, and felt doubt.
‘Who the hell is it?’
Who could hold out against Zakum for so long?
“Lady Viola.”
Naturally, some spoke up.
“Shouldn’t we help?”
If someone was holding out that well, wasn’t it worth turning back for another shot at Zakum?
Reasonable enough.
The mining expedition had regrouped some strength while fleeing.
Of course, Viola and the Cygnus Knights had a mission.
To leave a testament here.
In other words, once done, they had no intention of surviving.
Kwaang!
So this—someone blocking Zakum—was a perfect moment to stake their lives.
Viola had considered it fully.
“It could be a trap.”
But she also weighed other possibilities.
“A commotion to lure the rest of us back.”
All nodded at her words.
The betrayers here had used methods beyond all common sense.
Nothing strange if they pulled that stunt.
Of course, the prior possibility wasn’t off the table.
“So let’s check it o—”
The instant Viola moved to do so.
Kworrurung!
A thunderous roar like colossal boulders colliding, shaking the air itself.
And they saw it.
Puhot!
“Dodge!”
A massive beam lancing out in all directions.
The cause: Zakum, naturally.
The moment it clapped with its remaining two hands, a gigantic laser beam erupted from its core.
Endlessly long.
And it spread.
Hwaruru!
Flames engulfed Zakum’s surroundings.
A sea of fire visible even from afar.
Seeing it, Viola and the others harbored no more doubts.
‘This is…’
17.
‘This is impossible.’
Zakum showed this new pattern the instant its sixth arm shattered.
It clapped with its two remaining hands, and with a thunderclap, beams shot out like lightning.
Hwaruru!
Flames then surged from the ground.
A staggering sight.
‘Dangerous.’
The kind that instantly filled everyone’s minds: impossible to catch.
‘If the boss hadn’t warned us, we’d really be in trouble.’
Yet El Pam’s party escaped unscathed thanks to El Pam’s advice—no one else’s.
The instant only two hands remained, Zakum would clap; drop everything and hit the deck.
Dodge the beam, then watch for rising flames from the ground.
He’d said to resume the hunt after evading well.
Insane advice, of course.
Hunt Zakum amid a sea of fire?
But El Pam’s party thought differently.
‘The flames are weaker than they look.’
The ground was a fire sea, but not entirely.
Nor were the flames that intense.
Decisively, they all knew:
‘Only two hands left.’
That fearsome Zakum now had just two arms left—no reason for fear.
“Charge!”
So El Pam’s party rushed Zakum without hesitation.
She was no different.
Aran!
She leaped into the air, effortlessly evading Zakum’s attacks, then bounded across its body, relentlessly smashing its arms with her polearm.
Kwaang!
With every swing of her polearm, chunks of Zakum’s body scattered.
The remaining arms weren’t unscathed.
“Slash Blaster!”
While Dibo handled one, Kiri and Miner poured attacks without pause.
‘Just destroy the arms, and it’s over.’
With the mindset that this was the end.
Naturally so.
Zakum’s terror stemmed from nothing but its eight arms!
No reason to fear an armless Zakum.
‘Once the arms are gone.’
But El Pam was different.
‘Hell begins.’
Zakum’s true horror came after the arms vanished.
Catching such a Zakum was impossible.
Even before El Pam returned to the past.
Back when they knew nothing of it, they’d thought destroying all arms ended it.
‘Zakum vanishes.’
But the instant the arms shattered completely, Zakum revealed itself.
‘That massive body leaps.’
Crushing foes with its entire form in a wondrous display.
Catching that Zakum? Impossible.
One chance to attack: the split second after landing, before leaping again. Rush in then?
Clinging to its body was suicide.
Indeed, they’d failed back then.
‘Fled and fled until Zakum shattered itself.’
This Zakum, weaker than the real one deep in the abandoned mine, had cracked from repeated impacts.
By luck, five survived to spread the tale of Zakum in Maple World.
‘Now it’s different.’
Of course, El Pam had no plans to survive the same way.
No, that wasn’t surviving.
Pure luck—and repeating it now meant leaving fate to the heavens.
‘The betrayers won’t allow that luck.’
Worse, those bent on ruining that luck lurked here, holding their breath.
In this dire situation, El Pam wouldn’t gamble his life on chance.
Naturally, he had a way.
To end everything the instant the worst arrived.
And that worst moment El Pam awaited came swiftly—truly swiftly.
Kung!
Zakum’s seventh arm shattered.
Destroyer: the polearm hero, Aran!
She didn’t stop, lunging straight for the next—the last remaining arm.
That final arm was already half-ruined from El Pam’s party’s fierce assaults. Practically collapsed.
Kwaang!
The instant Aran’s polearm slammed down, the last arm crumbled like a mirage.
Zakum!
All its arms destroyed—and in that moment, Dibo and the others shouted:
“It’s over!”
A victory cheer.
A fitting one.
“We got Zakum!”
In Maple World history, those who earned the title of Zakum’s Destroyer could be counted on one hand.
That’s why El Pam’s party cheered.
In truth, it was a mistake.
El Pam had always taught his comrades:
It’s not over till it’s over. Cheers come after exiting the Mystic Gate alive—and with a feast in sight.
But before the overwhelming title of Zakum’s Destroyer, even El Pam’s party forgot the lesson for a moment.
That was why.
Kung!
“Huh?”
El Pam’s party belatedly noticed the change in Zakum’s body.
“Zakum!”
Dibo was fastest.
He yelled to his comrades:
“It’s sinking into the ground!”
Kwakwakwa!
No sooner said than armless Zakum emitted a massive roar and plunged underground.
In an instant, Zakum vanished—and faces, Dibo’s included, hardened.
‘It’s not over.’
Far from it—perhaps a tougher trial than all before.
In that tense moment, a massive shadow loomed over El Pam’s party’s heads. They looked up.
And saw it.
Zakum, now in the sky.
The colossal statue’s presence.
‘Ah.’
Seeing it, El Pam’s party froze solid.
No thought of fleeing.
Before this scene shattering all common sense, rational thought was impossible.
Meanwhile, airborne Zakum prepared to drop.
To unleash an unavoidable cataclysm.
Dibo recovered first, about to shout:
“Ru—”
Run.
But no one heard.
Kworrururung!
A sky-shaking thunderclap roared.
And with it, a massive lightning spear plunged into Zakum’s body.