Chapter: 759
Ahhhhhhhh—!!!
The screams of terror spread throughout the area.
The sound was so powerful that the ground shook every time it howled.
“Ugh!”
“Ugh…!!!”
“Ugh…!!”
The bets made with the cries were even causing harm to the other martial artists. They covered their ears and cowered. Some were even coughing up blood.
Those with low skill couldn’t withstand the backlash, causing their energy to get tangled.
What the hell.
Seeing that, I immediately steeled myself.
Kuuung–!!!
Heat radiated from my body, scattering my aura.
This was to suppress the rampaging vibrations.
As if declaring my territory, I filled the area with energy, and people barely began to regain their composure.
It was dangerous.
If I’d let it go like that, it would have been a disaster.
If they were less than first-rate martial artists, they would surely have gone berserk with their energy and become possessed by evil.
What that means is…
First-raters can’t even get close.
First-rate.
I too am now at a stage where I can kill with a single strike, but that doesn’t mean I’m at a low level by any means.
A level that some would regard as a master and hold in high esteem.
If you become first-rate, you could join a prestigious faction or clan, living a life without worries about money.
And those people die like bugs.
And that too with just a single cry.
Seriously, this guy’s insane.
I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
With this much ripple effect, of course it’s going to be considered a disaster.
I cast a glance over at those gagging and shouted, “Those who just had their energy backfire, please get out of the way! Staying here is just a guaranteed death!”
I bet they finally realized this wasn’t the time for bravado.
The expressions of those who nearly got possessed were a sight to behold.
It was dangerous.
They nearly died just from a scream. It truly would have been a senseless death.
“If you’re thinking of dying uselessly here, why don’t you head to a shelter and manage the people? That would be a lot more meaningful, wouldn’t it?”
“Ugh…”
Those who were pointed out hesitated but eventually moved as if they were filled with self-reproach.
Well, if they hadn’t wanted to leave this time, I would have kicked them out anyway, so now’s as good a time as any.
You gotta pick a decent place to lie down before you actually lie down.
If you’re going to throw away your life like that, it’s better spent somewhere else.
With the first-rate and several elite fighters leaving, nearly half of them had vacated their spots.
I couldn’t care less.
Anyways, if we went into battle, they’d be dead weight.
They were of little consequence; their absence didn’t bother me in the slightest.
The real deal starts now.
Ahhhhh—-!!!!
The guy kept screaming.
I focused my gaze on him, narrowing my eyes.
A goat’s head. A human’s body. Beastly hands and tail.
And butterfly wings.
This appeared to be a first in terms of shape and size among all the monsters I had seen to this point.
Excluding the wings, its body size is roughly nine feet.
It’s large for a human but incredibly small for a powerful monster.
Is that really a hundred-level monster?
I thought about it for a moment, but it was only natural.
If that isn’t hundred-level, then what the hell is?
The degree of shaking and backlash is astonishing.
If that wasn’t a hundred-level monster, then what even is?
Ahhhh… Ahhhh….
After screaming for what felt like an eternity, the monster started to quiet down.
As the sound lessened, my tension heightened.
Ahh.
It stopped.
And then, its gaze locked onto me.
Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!!!
Kuuung-!!
“Shit-!”
I cursed and turned my head away.
Shhhh…!!!
A sharp claw brushed against my nose.
The speed of its attack was rapid.
If I had been even a moment too late, my neck would have been gone.
Crack-!!
“…!”
The impact from its strike caused buildings to splinter.
It felt like five sword strokes had just passed through.
I checked. This is something to be wary of.
Clenching my fist and swinging it immediately.
Kuuung-!
Kiiick-!!
The monster screamed as I hit its face. But—
That felt shallow.
The impact was paltrily weak compared to the force I had used.
The reason was apparent right away.
This is surprising.
Just as I thought.
Just like last time.
You have to combine your energy to land a hit, and you can only deliver a real blow right after it shatters.
The same went for this guy too.
With the Heart Technique applied hastily, the effectiveness was weak. All I could do was slightly breach its barrier, with no hope of inflicting more significant damage.
At that moment—
Keeek-!!
Damn it.
The little recoil allowed the creature to move almost instantaneously.
It lunged at me from a short distance, making it a bit hard to dodge.
Should I expose my upper body?
That won’t do.
If I acted recklessly, trusting my regeneration, I could instantly be killed.
After a moment of short deliberation, I lifted my left arm.
I might have to sacrifice this one arm.
That thought led me to act.
Snap-!
Shreeeek-! Bang-!
Keeek?
Remarkably, it missed its attack.
At that moment, a flash of white and a bolt of thunder erupted from the front.
It was Namgung Bi-ah. She flew forward and intercepted the attack.
And that wasn’t all.
Srrrung-!
A golden sword followed closely behind and pierced through.
Another powerful strike sliced through the air.
The blade imbued with light struck Namgung Bi-ah’s sword with force.
Bang-!
Keeeek-!!
The injured sword leapt high into the air, and the monster’s hand was forcibly knocked aside.
The upper body was left wide open.
“Your Highness—!”
A voice rang from behind.
Hearing the voice made my body react automatically.
Heart Fist.
The fist that consumed the waves crashed into the monster’s upper body.
Kwadddeuk–!!
Kiaaaaak-!
The barrier shattered, causing its upper body to buckle slightly.
The blow landed.
Not bad. I thought at that moment.
Swish-!
The shattered barrier began to mend, and soon after, it was almost fully restored.
Shh—!!
Something zipped past my face and forced its way into the monster’s chest cavity.
Thwomp-!
It was a dagger.
The dagger had embedded itself in the creature’s upper body.
Someone approached swiftly from behind.
A glimpse of green hair appeared.
Tang So-yeol, who had appeared unnoticed, twisted her waist towards the dagger embedded in the monster’s chest.
Her foot traced a circle as she lunged straight for the dagger’s handle.
Kuuuk-!!
Kiaaaah!!!
With the consecutive impacts, the monster howled as it was sent careening into the ruins.
Kuwung–!!!
In its chaotic flight, it smashed through the pillars and caused the building to collapse.
Kaboom-!!
The sight of things breaking apart, scattering dust and debris.
For a moment, my gaze was captivated by that chaotic spectacle.
But my attention couldn’t linger for long.
Whoosh—!!
I gathered flames in my hands.
A flame jewel materialized instantly.
Compress it and compress it again.
I poured a significant amount of energy into maximizing its destructive power.
I needed to unleash it fiercely before the barrier could heal.
This was the flame jewel prepared for that reason.
“Master! I’m using this!?”
“… What? Sleep!”
An innocent voice rang out.
Shh—!!
Crash-!!
Suddenly, Bong-soon appeared, swinging her staff and smashing the flame jewel, sending it flying.
“Hey, you crazy girl—!!”
I was about to vent my frustrations regarding the ridiculous situation.
Kwahraaaa—!!!!
“…”
I had to shut my mouth for a moment as I observed the explosion.
The damage was much greater than I’d anticipated.
The flame jewel that I had tried to compress.
The external force hit it so hard that the explosive power seemed to amplify.
“Huh? Why?”
Bong-soon asked me, puzzled by my outburst.
“… No, that was good.”
Seeing her silly demeanor, I smiled awkwardly.
I never expected such a reckless method to actually succeed.
… I’ll definitely have to experiment with that next time.
Anyway.
Huff.
I took a moment to catch my breath and surveyed the surroundings.
It was a sudden connection, but remarkably smooth.
… When did they even practice?
How did they coordinate like this so seamlessly? I couldn’t help but look at the three of them with surprise.
I was genuinely astonished, yet the three women showed no sign of worry at all.
They stared only at the spot where the monster had fallen.
Am I the only one unable to concentrate?
Or perhaps—
Did I inadvertently offend their pride by saying they should retreat if they’d be of no help?
Apparently, the three of them were looking with more intensity than usual.
Looks like my words might’ve backfired.
Ugh.
I swallowed my unease and turned my eyes back to the monster.
Yeah, it was high time I focused on the damn thing too.
Fssshhh…
The ruins were completely ablaze, with bits of debris flying about.
A space saturated with azure flames due to the explosion of the flame jewel.
[Kiiiii…]
There, a weary monster was trying to rise.
But—
Something’s off?
I tilted my head at the sight.
The creature struggled to even lift its body.
Its form appeared peculiar.
… What is this?
Its body was riddled with cracks.
It seemed like it could shatter at any moment. I couldn’t help but feel perplexed at the sight.
The attack I just delivered wasn’t exactly weak, but…
No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t fathom it.
How did the monster we fought last time in the North Sea hold up?
The three of us, including Pajon and myself, barely managed to peel away its defenses.
We only nicked it, and that was it.
Is this all it takes for it to end up like this?
It was absurd.
Is it possible for durability to vary so greatly?
[Kieee…]
It seemed like it would collapse if hit lightly.
Strength and speed definitely suggest it’s a hundred-level monster…
Is it just that its durability is weak?
Or was that bastard exceptionally strong back then?
I’ve got to ask, when have I met so many hundred-level monsters?
While I was in a daze observing this unexpected interaction.
… Or maybe.
A thought flashed through my mind.
Could it be because of the holy spear I unleashed earlier?
Before it transformed.
When it was just a white mass, it had taken several consecutive hits, and I witnessed it being struck.
However, I initially thought it wouldn’t be meaningful since it seemed to recover quickly.
… That might have been a crucial factor.
If that caused a problem with its durability, it could certainly be a significant advantage.
Oh boy.
Inside I felt an unshakeable determination surge.
Should I alter my plans?
Originally, I intended to just hold back and leave the finishing touches to somebody else.
Yet if it’s in this sorry state, the game changes altogether.
… Can I actually take it down myself?
That was the previous approach because I doubted my ability to handle it.
If I could actually manage, then the stakes were different.
Given how things went just now…
I might stand a chance at succeeding in taking it down!
And with plenty of others still on the sidelines, our group had a fair shot at the hunt.
You know what?
Let’s give it a go.
With that thought, I shouted to those around.
“Starting now—!”
Actually, I meant to shout that, but—
Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeee—!!
Before I could, the monster screamed first.
In that moment.
Huh?
A familiar vibration echoed.
Gugugugu-!!
A series of tremors.
It looked the same as before, but there was something different.
Thump-! Thump-!
What was it? Magic was responding. This feeling was definitely…
“Uh…!”
“This, this is…!”
Suddenly, reactions erupted from all sides.
Everyone started taking things out of their pockets and checking them.
Martial artists. More precisely, it was an item that all members of the sword faction living in the current Central Plains should have.
… The Talisman of Demonic Revelation.
It was a talisman developed by shamans to herald the appearance of the Demon Gate, which tears through dimensions.
All around, the people pulled them out one by one.
Then this means the source of the vibrations my aura is reacting to right now is—
No way.
In the moment I realized the situation and turned to the monster.
Kkaaaaaaah—!!
Crackle-!!
As if my nauseating premonitions were confirmed.
From behind the monster, the gates of the Demonic Realm began to open.
And not just one.
It was easily in the dozens.
Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!
Countless demonic gates filled the air, so many it was grotesque.
Hah.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at that sight.
The colors of those dozens of gates were all—
“What the hell is this?!”
All red.
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