Chapter 119
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Extinction Sword
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After that, it was an unstoppable advance.
Leviathan's Wrath activates.
Vital Strike activates.
As Leviathan's Wrath triggered, Jeong Hoon's sword pierced straight through the core of Illion's Dark Golem in one thrust.
Vital Strike's level has increased.
Sword Mastery's level has increased.
Continuous Slash's level has increased.
Strike's level has increased.
Hunting Illion's Dark Golems, which were higher level than him repeatedly, caused his swordsmanship skills to level up rapidly, all surpassing level 7.
Martial Artist exclusive skill, 'Unyielding Will' activates.
'Unyielding Will' fuses 'Continuous Slash', 'Strike', and 'Vital Strike'.
You have acquired 'Extinction Sword (Epic)'.
'Got it.'
He had acquired Extinction Sword, one of the sword techniques he wielded before his regression.
Extinction Sword
-Type: Active
-Level: 1
-Grade: Epic
-Unleashes a sword strike that annihilates all.
-Form 1: Entrance Stance
-Form 2: Erosion
-Form 3: Annihilation
The result of Unyielding Will reacting and fusing Continuous Slash, Strike, and Vital Strike once they all surpassed level 7.
Extinction Sword was none other than a sword technique Jeong Hoon had originally created.
To be precise, it was a sword art he devised by picking up techniques from others who wielded swords, learning over their shoulders.
'It reached Unique at least, so the completion is solid.'
If he had pushed it to Legendary, could he have resisted the traitors a bit longer?
Jeong Hoon shook his head.
Pointless thought.
"Uwooooh!"
Illion's Dark Golems swiftly surrounded Jeong Hoon.
Form 1: Entrance Stance
-Type: Active
-The first sword of Extinction Sword, which annihilates all.
-Strikes 7 times per second for 90 damage and imprints Form 1's mark.
-The mark lasts 60 seconds; it cannot be reapplied for 180 seconds after it fades.
The first was Entrance Stance.
It could be seen as an evolved form of Continuous Slash.
Form 1: Entrance Stance activates.
Jeong Hoon's Leviathan fiercely slashed through the golems.
Leviathan's Wrath activates
Ignores defense for 10 seconds.
Striking 7 times per second caused Leviathan's Wrath to trigger repeatedly in quick succession.
Jeong Hoon executed his movement technique to dodge the golem's fists while preparing the next form.
Form 2: Erosion
-Type: Active
-The second sword of Extinction Sword, which annihilates all.
-Unleashes two sword strikes for 90 damage each and imprints Form 2's mark.
-Applies 200 damage to targets marked with Form 1.
-The mark lasts 60 seconds; it cannot be reapplied for 180 seconds after it fades.
Combining Erosion right after Entrance Stance created a combo with no delay.
Form 2: Erosion activates.
Jeong Hoon targeted the abdomen of Illion's Dark Golem once more.
"Uwooooh...."
With the mark applied for 200 damage plus defense ignore, Illion's Dark Golem collapsed helplessly.
Your level has increased.
All stats 1.
Bonus stat 1 granted.
Theme dungeon monsters gave roughly three times the experience of normal dungeons, and with the level difference on top, Jeong Hoon's level shot up steadily.
But now wasn't the time to celebrate a level up.
No matter how many golems he destroyed, more kept swarming endlessly.
Form 3: Annihilation
-Type: Active
-The final sword of Extinction Sword, which annihilates all.
-Thrusts rapidly for 150 damage. (Agility 30 when casting Annihilation.)
-If marked with Forms 1 and 2, applies 350 damage and can hit multiple targets.
The final one, Annihilation.
Form 3: Annihilation activates.
As Jeong Hoon unleashed Annihilation, his body vanished, instantly piercing through the golems before him one by one.
Kwachik. Kwachik. Kwachik.
Chaining Entrance Stance, Erosion, and Annihilation cleared the horde in front of him in one go, then shattered the cores of the remaining golems.
You have defeated all of Illion's Dark Golems!
Access restriction to the outskirts of Illion's ramparts has been lifted.
The alarm rang out when he felled the last of Illion's Dark Golems.
Oh... what is this? Why are you so good with a sword?
'Amazing....'
Mukho and Anima exclaimed in admiration.
"Ah, I used a sword a lot back in the day."
Even though he was called All Master, if asked to pick his most confident weapon, he'd choose the sword without hesitation.
If not for Myeongwang Fist Technique, Jeong Hoon would have stuck with the sword from the start.
'B-but... isn't the bow still the best...?'
Anima's voice asking that lacked a bit of confidence.
"You can tell from how I'm mainly using the bow now, right?"
Jeong Hoon chuckled and headed toward the outskirts of Illion's ramparts.
Outskirts of Illion's ramparts.
Three grown men were staggering away from the area.
"Just hang in there a little longer!"
"Keuk!"
Their condition was poor.
Their faces and skin had a purple hue, and blood trickled from between their lips.
"If it weren't for the poison...."
What tormented them was none other than poison.
"Who would've thought they'd released Poison Shellworms Kreed at the entrance...."
Lv. 230 Poison Shellworm Kreed.
It had far more potent poison than the Lv. 140 variety and was much smaller, making it extremely hard to hit.
Having been struck by such a monster's vicious poison, they were in mortal danger without immediate detoxification.
There might be an antidote back in the village, but could they make it that far?
'Damn... how did it come to this....?'
Kain, the great warrior leading the Irun tribe warriors, bit his lip.
The Irun tribe lived peacefully in a small village-like settlement.
Surrounded by forest, their warriors hunted monsters and strictly barred outsiders to protect the village.
Then, overnight, a gray castle rose up beside the village.
'What the hell is that castle....?'
No need for scouting.
The gray castle was perfectly visible from the village.
Kain took a few warriors and set out to investigate it.
But the castle outskirts crawled with monsters that hadn't been there before.
'Captain! These monsters are weird!'
'No damage is going through!'
'Damn! We have to retreat!'
It was a first.
They couldn't even enter the castle because of mere monsters and had to fall back.
'Let's go again!'
'We can't back down like this!'
'We were caught off guard by new foes, but not next time!'
The warriors gritted their teeth and vowed to return, but there was no next time.
That dawn.
Someone named Illion suddenly attacked.
'Leave the useless old folks and kids, drag everyone else away.'
At his command, his subordinate monsters rounded up the entire Irun tribe.
Resistance was futile.
The monsters he commanded forced all the warriors to their knees.
Dragged to the castle, the warriors were thrown into prison and subjected to all sorts of torture.
'Only after beating them like this do they make good sacrifices.'
Illion said that as he dragged out one warrior, tore him limb from limb, and placed him on the altar.
Seeing that madness, Kain glared at Illion with tears of blood, but that was the best he could do.
'Kain, please... go outside and ask for help.'
'If we stay like this, we're all dead....'
'Damn, that's the eighth one already. That crazy bastard!'
The warriors did their utmost to let Kain and two others escape.
Beyond the forest lay the Celerion territory.
Asking for help there might let them take down Illion.
It was ironic begging aid from outsiders the Irun tribe had shunned, but now wasn't the time for pride.
Yet before they could even seek help, death loomed.
The path ahead was undoubtedly filled with Illion's Dark Golems that he had unleashed.
Escape was impossible.
"...It's over."
Kain muttered softly.
Then.
Kang! Kang! Kang!
The sound of metal clashing rang out from somewhere.
Kain instantly recognized it as sword strikes and ran toward it.
'Impossible... you can't beat Illion's Dark Golems with a sword.'
No way they could fell them with that.
Kwachik.
But...
Kain's eyes widened.
Right before him, Illion's Dark Golem lost its form and crumbled.
'No, how...?'
Dark Golems of Illion appeared even on the castle outskirts.
Form 3: Annihilation activates.
Jeong Hoon felled the golems one by one with Annihilation, clearing a path.
Master! There are humans turning purple over there!
As Mukho said, three Irun tribesmen came into view.
Poisoned purple and dying.
'Poison Shellworm Kreed, huh.'
Jeong Hoon quickly deduced it from their symptoms.
Skin turning grape-purple with blood pouring from nose and mouththat was the telltale sign of Poison Shellworm Kreed poisoning.
'Dangerous. I can't detox that.'
Basic Healing couldn't neutralize Poison Shellworm Kreed poison.
Wiiing
Then, his keen senses picked up the movement of Poison Shellworm Kreed.
Jeong Hoon assumed a stance.
'Poison Shellworm Kreed has high attack and agility. Defense isn't its strong suit.'
Now!
Using his waist as a pivot, Jeong Hoon slashed diagonally with his sword.
Seokeok.
"Kieek!"
A small shriek followed, and fragments of the Poison Shellworm Kreed's corpse scattered on the ground.
Form 1: Entrance Stance activates.
From there, he activated Form 1: Entrance Stance and finished off the remaining two Poison Shellworm Kreeds.
Jeong Hoon rushed to the Irun tribesmen and checked their condition.
"Th-thank you...."
A man with disheveled hair expressed his gratitude.
NPC Information
-Nickname: Kain
-Level: 202
-Job: Irun Tribe Great Warrior
He was the great warrior leading the tribe's warriors.
"Yes. Do you have an antidote by any chance?"
"...In the village."
"Okay. Let's head straight to the village then."
Jeong Hoon urgently summoned Michael.
"Yes, Master."
"Michael, help me carry them."
"...Have I been demoted to porter now?"
"And?"
"Actually, that's even better!"
The Irun Tribe's overall trust has greatly increased.
"Thank you so much!"
Back in the village, after administering the antidote to neutralize the Poison Shellworm Kreed poison, Kain immediately knelt before Jeong Hoon in gratitude.
"It was just the right thing to do."
"The right thing...."
Kain's face went blank.
The outsider before him was clearly lower level than himself.
Yet he had risked his life to save them.
And called it merely the right thing.
'A true warrior... that's what a real warrior is.'
Seeing the spirit of a true warrior made him ashamed to hold the same sword.
Meanwhile, Jeong Hoon was focused on the exclamation mark above Kain's head.
'An exclamation mark?'
A question mark blinked above his head.
General Quest: Rescue the Irun Tribe
-Restriction: Rescue NPC Kain
-Reward: ??
-Description: Defeat Illion and rescue the Irun Tribe.
The path-clearing quest ended at the ramparts outskirts.
The reason was simple.
"...Here's the key to the castle gate."
Because Kain had the key to open the gate.
'Good, finishing this lets me claim the rune Jung Chang-ho took.'
Imagining Jung Chang-ho's despair already brought a smile.
"Yes. Does this key connect to the prison where the tribe members are held?"
"Yes. Please lend us your strength. We still want to save our tribesmen trapped inside."
"Understood. No way I can refuse after coming this far."
With his goal in mind, there was no reason to decline the quest.
"Thank you so much...."
As Jeong Hoon accepted the quest without a second's hesitation, Kain clenched his molars in.
'I was pathetic, blindly rejecting all outsiders.'
What kind of warrior is this?
I was just a frog in a well.
His past arrogance felt utterly shameful, making him feel small before the outsider.
"Alright, let's head out."
Led by Jeong Hoon, Kain and the two warriors set off for Illion's castle.