Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: The Reason Ji Su-jeong Panicked
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The reason Ji Su-jeong panicked.
It was because of the change she spotted in the Basilisk's shadow.
Just moments ago, she thought the Basilisk was still at a distance from her, but in an instant, its shadow underwent a transformation.
On top of that, what surprised her was the 'distance' to the Basilisk.
She had figured the Basilisk still had some ways to go before closing in.
But then its shadow suddenly flipped upside down, stretching out what was unmistakably a long tail aimed right at her.
Ji Su-jeong thought.
‘Should I dodge this? Or just smash the Cockatrice's head first and deal with it?’
Ji Su-jeong hesitated.
She had no choice.
If she went for the Cockatrice now, she had a bad feeling she'd get done in by the Basilisk.
After wrestling with the decision, Ji Su-jeong came to a conclusion.
‘Yeah, better to create a 1:1 situation first than try to hold a 2:1!’
Even if it meant taking a hit from the Basilisk, she believed downing the Cockatrice right now would make the fight easier.
It made perfect sense.
If she pulled back the fist that could have taken out the Cockatrice just to dodge the Basilisk's attack, she'd be stuck in a 2-on-1 slugfest.
Better to eat one hit from the Basilisk and secure the Cockatrice for sure.
Having made up her mind, Ji Su-jeong thrust her fist toward the Cockatrice without pulling back, Basilisk attack be damned.
Thwack!
Boom-!
The Cockatrice's head exploded.
That was when it happened.
Whoosh-!
The Basilisk's tail, the one she'd turned from earlier, whipped around and coiled around Ji Su-jeong's ankle—the same ankle that had just pulverized the Cockatrice's skull.
Seeing it, Ji Su-jeong swiftly smashed her right fist down on the Basilisk's tail gripping her ankle.
To free herself from it.
Boom!
The explosive crack of Ji Su-jeong's right straight.
But her fist failed to shatter the Basilisk's tail.
“...!”
It dented a bit, sure, but the Basilisk's tail quickly snapped back to its original shape.
Unlike the Cockatrice, the Basilisk lacked a powerful beak but wore armor of tough scales.
The scales covering its body were like full plate.
Thanks to that, Ji Su-jeong's right straight—which had one-shot monsters up till now—didn't inflict as much damage on the Basilisk as she'd hoped.
Instead, her failed strike only enraged the enemy.
The Basilisk, struck on its tail, let out a furious screech.
“Kieeeek!”
Roaring in fury, the Basilisk tried to fling Ji Su-jeong away with its tail.
Fling-!
“Damn it!”
Ji Su-jeong feigned panic.
But there was nothing she could do.
She went flying through the air just as the Basilisk hurled her.
And from there, Ji Su-jeong saw it.
Flash-!
The Basilisk's single eye glowed.
It fired its petrification beam.
But right now, midair, she was completely defenseless.
As the Basilisk tried to petrify her, Ji Su-jeong desperately covered her eyes with both arms.
“No you don't!”
Luckily, with her quick reflexes, Ji Su-jeong dodged the Basilisk's petrification.
But the Basilisk wasn't aiming solely for petrification.
It would have been nice if it stuck, but the Basilisk had seen Ji Su-jeong react to the Cockatrice's petrification already.
So it knew she'd react fast to its own beam too.
What it did know—what it counted on—was that she'd cover her eyes when it fired.
And so, the Basilisk charged straight at Ji Su-jeong hurtling through the air.
But Ji Su-jeong didn't fight relying on sight alone.
Pop!
She heard it.
The sound of the Basilisk moving in fast.
Hearing that, Ji Su-jeong thought.
‘Is it gonna ram me head-on?’
The Basilisk was no small fry.
Plus, it was clad in those unbreakable scales that even her fists couldn't smash.
If that massive, armored bulk slammed into her?
The impact wouldn't be pretty.
Ji Su-jeong wondered what to do.
Dodging seemed tough.
She was still airborne, after all.
Of course, that'd be true for a normal person.
Up till now, Ji Su-jeong had fought purely on physical prowess.
Sure, awakening as a Player and getting a class came with passive skills that boosted her body and fists.
But the point was, she'd never once used an active skill.
Truth be told, that was because she could handle fights with raw physicality alone...
‘But no reason to hold back on skills now.’
With that thought, Ji Su-jeong activated a skill.
She clenched her fist tight.
Then swung it toward the unreachable ground.
‘Howling Fist!’
[Skill! ‘Howling Fist’ has been used.]
Howling Fist.
Literally, "resonating fist."
A skill that unleashed a powerful fist wind by striking with maximum force.
As Ji Su-jeong unleashed Howling Fist, a mighty gust erupted from her fist.
Whooosh!
Boom-!
She blasted the ground with ferocious force.
The backlash propelled her body higher upward.
Then Ji Su-jeong saw it.
The Basilisk bulldozing through the spot she'd just occupied, its massive bulk barreling past.
It was so huge that, floating in midair, if she reached out, she could grab its head.
Seeing that, Ji Su-jeong slapped her hand onto the Basilisk's head without mercy.
She gripped its head with both hands and spun her body in a full circle.
She locked her legs around its neck, clasped her fists together, and yelled.
“Die!”
Boom boom boom boom!
Ji Su-jeong hammered its head relentlessly with her clasped fists.
A single punch hadn't done much, but these were the fists of Ji Su-jeong, packing serious destructive power regardless.
“Ki... kieeek!”
The Basilisk screamed.
Soon, its body went limp and collapsed forward.
Sensing she'd finished it off, Ji Su-jeong leaped into the air.
She flipped midair and landed gracefully.
Behind her, the massive Basilisk crashed down.
Thud-.
Once the hulking beast hit the floor, it dissolved into motes of light.
With those lights at her back, Ji Su-jeong flashed Hae-jin a V-sign with her fingers.
“Hehe, how was that?”
“You did well.”
“So you'll stop doubting my skills now?”
“Well, you're decent enough.”
“Decent enough?”
For a split second, Ji Su-jeong stared at Hae-jin in disbelief.
She honestly thought her performance up till now had been pretty solid.
From her expression, Hae-jin could tell exactly what she was thinking.
So he gave her something she'd buy.
“Hmm, just watch the others fight in the next sections, and you'll get it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I'll spectate.”
“Sure.”
Ji Su-jeong said she'd watch Hae-jin and the rest of the party fight.
She knew Hae-jin's level was untouchable, of course.
But even the party members he managed—excluding the 'Massacre' himself—how much better could they be than her?
They moved on to the next section of the dungeon.
Two Cockatrices, two Basilisks, and one Cyclops appeared.
Hae-jin had Lee Sang, their heaviest hitter, go first.
“Lee Sang, you're up.”
When Hae-jin told him to lead, Lee Sang pointed at his own face with his index finger.
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
“Looking at the pattern, we'll probably face a big wave soon. Shouldn't I save myself for that?”
“No, someone else will handle that. You take these.”
“Hmm, got it.”
There must be a reason if Hae-jin said so.
Lee Sang promptly cast a spell at his assigned monsters.
“Flame Storm.”
An evolved form of the fiery storm Fire Storm: the blazing inferno Flame Storm.
As Lee Sang cast it, a ferocious blaze erupted.
Roooar-!
The intense flame storm swallowed the monsters in sight whole.
Moments later, as the storm died down, the monsters lay charred black, crumbling into motes of light.
Ji Su-jeong fell silent watching it.
“...”
The Cockatrice-Basilisk duo that had given her such trouble.
But twice that number, plus a Cyclops, wiped out with one spell? She was speechless.
Hae-jin smirked at Ji Su-jeong's reaction.
“Alright, on to the next section.”
His party proceeded and encountered double the monsters again.
There, Hae-jin called up Park Bo-young, who cleared it with one Flame Storm just like Lee Sang.
The next section had yet another doubling.
For that, Hae-jin summoned Manager Kim.
“Manager Kim.”
“Yes, Leader.”
“Handle this section solo.”
“Hmm, understood.”
Manager Kim darted toward the monster horde with swift movements, drawing daggers in both hands. He wove through them like a streak of lightning, stabbing or slashing vital points.
Stab stab stab!
Slash slice!
Fwoosh-!
As Manager Kim danced like lightning, blood sprayed like fireworks.
He annihilated the doubled horde from the previous section without a scratch.
Once Manager Kim cleared it, Hae-jin said.
“Alright, next section.”
“...”
Ji Su-jeong could only follow wordlessly wherever Hae-jin led.
Along the way, she eyed the next section's monster lineup.
‘Fifteen Cockatrices, fifteen Basilisks, and five Cyclops?’
As she noted that, Ji Su-jeong checked the remaining party members.
Lee Sang first, then Manager Kim second.
That left only Kwon Na-ye, their archer-type Player.
‘Can someone who just shoots arrows handle that many alone?’
She figured ranged dealers struggled against hordes closing in.
If Hae-jin made Kwon Na-ye solo this too, that's the matchup she'd face.
Ji Su-jeong couldn't imagine it working.
But Hae-jin said.
“Na-ye, you got this, right?”
Asking Kwon Na-ye if she could solo that many.
Kwon Na-ye replied with a confident grin.
“Of course.”