Chapter 183
Chapter 183
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 183
>Chapter Title: My Turn
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[Kyahahahaha! You're dodging like a rat! Let's see how far you can run!]
'Of course, what was I thinking with that honey nonsense!'
The thought of it being pure bliss vanished almost as soon as the battle began.
As expected of a raid—no slouch in difficulty.
Ruidra was utterly unpredictable from start to finish.
The Ruler of Nightmares and Witch of Dreams.
One might think from the title that she wielded dream-related magic, but her specialty was none other than close-quarters combat.
Whoosh—shwaaak!
Every swing of her massive scythe, over 2 meters long, tore through the air with a deadly ripping sound.
A true one-strike kill.
Taking even a single direct hit would undoubtedly cleave him in half.
Whoosh! Hwoong!
Shwaaak—shwak!
Such blows rained down endlessly.
From impossible angles for a human body, at absurd speeds.
The sight of the madwoman swinging her scythe while bursting into chilling laughter sent shivers down the spine.
Ruidra used dream-related magic strictly as support.
So, was it just supplementary magic skills?
Half right, half wrong.
[Hidden Raid Boss, Ruidra, uses 'Lucid Dream.']
[Ruidra's senses become extremely sharp.]
[Hidden Raid Boss, Ruidra, uses 'Fairy's Dream.']
[Ruidra's body lightens, and all speeds increase.]
….
[Hidden Raid Boss, Ruidra, uses 'Dream Within a Dream.']
[Synergy between Ruidra and her weapon greatly increases. They reach the state of unity between man and weapon.]
All dream-related skills were buffs that enhanced close-quarters combat prowess.
And that wasn't all.
[Due to the unique effect of the Nightmare Swamp, all of Ruidra's stats rise while here.]
Simply being in this place granted her stat buffs.
A raid boss who was already strong, now layered with every buff imaginable—it was a veritable demolition tank.
Crackle—
'Even Thunder Dragon Descent isn't making this easy.'
Her destructiveness was such that even using Thunder Dragon Descent, he was being pushed in speed and power.
He was only holding even through parries and control; purely on specs, he should've been crushed long ago.
'At this point, isn't she the Witch of Scythes, not Dreams?'
He seriously questioned if her epithet was wrong.
Tsk. Do-hyun clicked his tongue and shoved back the sword that was locked against hers with all his might.
Using that force, he leaped backward to create distance. The golem whose body he'd collided with earlier looked down at him with a "Graaah?"
Slash—!
-My liege, are you alright!
Charlie, who sliced through that golem, checked on him while swinging his sword again.
Graaah—slash!
-They revive endlessly, you worthless vermin. I won't allow you near my liege!
-Liza-liza!
-My liege, leave this to us! Hup!
Kwaaang! Kwang!
The clash of metal against metal boomed heavily.
The sounds weren't coming from one spot alone.
-Ugh! Save me! Everyone, surround me!
Tap…… tap-tap.
-Did you just shake your head? Wanna do the duck walk one more time?
Tap? Tap-tap.
-Oh? This guy's denying…… Aagh! Come to me first!
Jihad, fleeing from dozens of golems.
Pain and the undead had him surrounded and protected.
Kwang! Kwak—boom!
Graaah—graaah!
Among them, Pain shone especially bright.
As if driving Do-hyun to the brink of death back then wasn't luck, he twisted, broke, and touched charging golems in flashy close combat.
Tap-tap!
Tap-tap!
Pain mowing down hordes like a one-man army, and the lawless undead perfectly guarding his blind spots.
The golems cowering under the ghost soldiers' momentum were swarmed by other undead, slammed down, and viciously impaled with weapons.
A tenacious grip on prey, never letting go.
-Nice shot!
On the opposite side, where Jihad cheered on the undead, silver spider threads shot out.
Pew-pew—slash!
-Liza-liza!
-Good! Well done. Let's sync up again this time.
-Liza!
Eliza spat threads to slow movement, allowing Charlie to easily slice through golems.
While Jihad's undead legion held the line overall against the golems, the two darted like midfielders, coordinating to take them down.
Thanks to that, no interference reached the small circle they'd carved inside.
Swoosh.
That was the stage where Ruidra and Do-hyun now clashed.
In the black-and-white battlefield ringing with combat on all sides, the bewitching woman with her scythe, Ruidra, and Do-hyun battled fervently—that was the current battlefield layout.
[The Death Golems slumbering in the Nightmare Swamp awaken.]
He'd only drawn one enemy into the room, yet she summoned her entire legion. Even bursting with conscience couldn't justify this.
-Ugh, starting again. Pain, you got this? Duck walk 500 laps if not?
……Tap-tap.
-Good! Let's rally again. Trust only us, my liege!
-Liza-liza!
No, as a raid boss, leading a legion was fair game.
But an immortal legion that revived endlessly no matter how many times killed? That was too much.
Amid the nonstop cycle of battles, Do-hyun sighed.
'This place is a mess too.'
He hadn't expected easy, but the flow suggested it wouldn't be smooth this time either.
Far from easy—it was disadvantageous for Do-hyun's side.
Unlike their infinitely resurrecting foes, his side had mana limits.
[Ruidra's health is below 20%.]
[Phase 2 activates.]
His own health had already dipped below 50%, while hers was still at 20%.
Numerically higher, but accounting for damage dealt, Do-hyun had taken far more.
Half his health gone, while hers was barely at 10% worn.
Mana was similar.
[Remaining mana below 50%.]
[Usable 'Thunder Warp' count: 1.]
All skills guzzled mana, so he'd been holding back for the right moment—and half was already gone.
With no info on this solo raid, he'd observed patterns briefly……
'This should be enough.'
But now it was over.
He knew: excluding her unique space authority and legion, she was all-in on close combat.
All patterns confirmed.
No need to hold back further.
"Now it's my turn."
Do-hyun muttered, lips curling. Ruidra paused, frowning.
[…Smiling? Have you lost your mind, Apostle of Prophecy?]
"Feels good to finally go all out. Wouldn't you smile?"
[…Pratel's fate is truly pitiful. Their sole hope, the Apostle of Prophecy, is so weak they didn't even notice you playing around.]
Her mocking pity only made Do-hyun activate his held-back skills in response.
[Sword Aura activated.]
[Striking activated.]
[Mana consumed per second.]
Sword Aura boosting all sword attack power and cutting force. Striking enhancing physical attack power.
[Sword Aura influenced by Dark Shroud, gains darkness property.]
[Darkness property effects additionally applied.]
[Icy Airflow activated.]
[Mana consumed per second; lowers temperature in a set range.]
Plus Dark Shroud for armor shred and stealth, and Icy Airflow.
Crackle—
[Thunder Dragon Descent duration: 40 seconds remaining.]
With Thunder Dragon Descent active, this was Do-hyun's full power.
White hair whipping, sparks flying around him, chill air stabbing skin, pitch-black sword aura roiling with menace.
[Such wondrous tricks. Beyond what a single apostle should wield.]
"You too."
Mana draining fast with all buffs maxed, Do-hyun charged.
No time for chit-chat.
Jihad and Charlie, battling golems bloodily, were already below 50% mana.
[Thunder Warp activated.]
Crackle—
Do-hyun turned to lightning and vanished.
[…!]
Sensing current behind her, Ruidra instinctively spun, swinging her scythe.
Kwaang! Hwik—
Sparks flew as sword met scythe.
Even with buffs, his sword bounced off from raw power.
But Do-hyun spun like a top off that force, launching a back kick.
Unorthodox strike.
Yet Ruidra, despite the ambush, easily blocked with her scythe handle.
Hwirik—clack!
Then smashed down destructively.
[Icy Airflow effect: Ruidra's movements slow.]
[Target's rank resists Icy Airflow.]
[Slightly slows movement.]
Do-hyun didn't resist the force, flowing it to the ground and diving in.
Not full effect, but the slight slowdown from Icy Airflow made entry easier.
Black threads coiled around Do-hyun's hand.
By the time he rolled past Ruidra's chest to the other side, her scythe and legs were bound.
[Fuse – Thread attached.]
[Fuse – Burst activated.]
—!!!
A silent black explosion followed.
The Fuse he'd saved for this moment.
[Urk……!? What is this!?]
'As expected, the first Fuse always lands.'
He'd felt it against Pain: high-intel bosses panic on first sight of this thread.
Even with vast named experience, as a hidden raid boss, how often had she faced Dobungi?
Never imagined a sword-based Do-hyun pulling Fuse.
Wobble—
Ruidra staggered from the unforeseen blow.
Do-hyun grinned, raising his sword high.
[Fierce Strike Slash activated.]
[Fierce Strike energy imbued in sword.]
The slashes poured down.
First strike, second, third, fourth……
Ruidra tumbled across the floor like a dog beaten on a hot day.
[Krgh……!]
Each sword cut pushed her back with that weird energy, hard to recover stance.
Whoosh—!
Having eaten four hits in a blink, Ruidra finally came to, swinging her scythe……
Swoosh.
Do-hyun halted mid-approach, stopping precisely as the scythe whistled past his nose—like measured with a ruler.
Do-hyun's specialty: stop-moving.
-How do you hit so guaranteed without getting hit?
A question from his Delrock days, in an interview.
Do-hyun had answered: Any foe whiffing an attack is defenseless.
Dodge, then strike then.
Slash—!
Kaaah!
'Like now.'
Bait the attack, dodge, counter.
That was Do-hyun's way against stronger foes.
[Prolonged Icy Airflow exposure: Ruidra enters frostbite state.]
[Target's rank resists frostbite.]
[Minor frostbite applied.]
Already her specialty, now with stiffened limbs from Icy Airflow—attack speed no contest.
He could've landed more, but no need.
High-intel humanoids fell for it once or twice at best.
'Once is plenty.'
And one chance overflowed.
With all patterns known, enough to unleash full power.
"Told you. My turn now."
[Ah……. ]
The man raising his sword high, lips curled.
The raid boss kneeling awkwardly before him.
[…Ah?]
By the time she sensed positions reversed, the weird light on Do-hyun's sword had deepened to a more menacing hue.
[Five Strikes stacked.]
[Fierce Strike power intensifies: stun duration and knockback strength increased.]
[Damage amplified.]
''Been a while since a good clubbing.''
Do-hyun inhaled deeply and slammed his sword down.