She couldn’t let it get to her.
Seo Ji-hye quickly launched a preemptive attack and pulled Kwak Seo-jin away from the scene.
After getting Kwak Seo-jin to a safe location, Seo Ji-hye slapped her cheeks and headed back to the battlefield.
Honestly, she was a little scared, but if she ran away now, it would tarnish the name of the Cheongdam 2nd Defense Corps.
Fortunately, there was room to maneuver.
Judging from the previous attack, the yokai’s main attack route was a straight line of fire from its mouth. With her speed, she might be able to find a way.
Whoosh.
Thud.
Clank.
Seo Ji-hye attached the prepared talisman to her legs and chanted an incantation as she approached the fire demon’s square.
“Concealment Aura.”
It was a concealment spell that she often used. With this, she should be able to get close without being detected.
Hwaruk.
Hwaruruk.
Amidst the scorching flames, Seo Ji-hye made her way closer to the fire demon, sweat dripping from her brow.
Then, she took out a radiant orb from her bosom and started running.
Taak!
The fire demon noticed Seo Ji-hye’s presence and turned its body.
“Burn.”
Poof!
Hwaruruk─!
A fierce torrent of flames erupted from the fire demon’s mouth.
However, Seo Ji-hye, who had coated herself with various spells for mobility, quickly dodged it and circled behind the fire demon.
Then, she infused her spiritual power into the blue jade, her ultimate weapon, and activated an attack spell.
“Rending Wave!”
However, at that moment.
The fire demon’s hand, which had never moved until then, stretched out behind it.
Its palm was aimed directly at Seo Ji-hye’s upper body.
“. . .Burn.”
「𝘼𝙝.」
In that brief moment, Seo Ji-hye felt death.
A fierce vortex of flames appeared before her eyes, and it was approaching rapidly.
There was no such thing as a final moment, as people often said.
「. . .𝙎𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙝é.」
Seo Ji-hye closed her eyes, giving up everything as she faintly cursed the person who had once told her that.
And then.
“Azure Sky Wall!”
Poof!
Zzzap!
Seo Ji-hye survived. Thanks to the sudden appearance of someone’s powerful defensive spell.
“Are you okay?”
The person responsible was two people who shouldn’t have been there at the moment. None other than Han Kang-yoon and Cheong Juhwa.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
̇ȧ̇𝘸𝚎𝚋ṡ̇ṫ̇ᴏ𝕣𝘪𝙚𝔰.𝙘𝕠𝕞
“You, you guys. Where do you think you are. . . . . . .”
“In a situation like this, who cares about who’s here? It’s not like anything’s gonna change if we just stand around.”
Seo Ji-hye was speechless at Cheong Juhwa’s blunt words.
But she wasn’t wrong.
In fact, the entire area was in chaos, with a second evacuation order in place.
No matter what, they needed every able hand they could get.
“. . . . . . . . .”
The fire demon stared at us with its dull eyes. It looked exactly like the one depicted in the original work, except that it was surrounded by an even more eerie flame.
「𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.」
Ding.
【Fire Horned Ogre】
▶Level 42
▶Ability Scores
【Stamina: B】
【Strength: B+】
【Spellcraft: A-】
【Mental Strength: C】
▶Traits (4/10)
【Ghostfire (A+)】
【Blazing Embers (A-)】
【Frenzy (B)】
【Ogre Power (C+)】
These were impressive stats. The ability score ranks were solid, and the purity of the traits was also excellent.
Above all, the stacked fire-type traits spoke volumes about the enemy’s strength.
“. . .Burn?”
With those nonsensical words, the fire demon started spewing flames once again.
Seo Ji-hye and I quickly retreated from the flames, but we could tell how strong the enemy was just by the heat we felt.
“Run away now! Can’t you see? She’s not someone you can handle!”
“Isn’t that the same for you?”
“Ugh.”
As I calmly retorted, I asked Cheong Juhwa, who was pulling out a bunch of talismans.
“How is it?”
“. . .I can’t block much. From the looks of it, she hasn’t even gone all out yet.”
“That’s good enough.”
It was time to put what we had been preparing into action.
“Elder Water Ghost, Foxfire.”
Poof!
Poof!
『Keying.』
『Keeeeeek!』
As always, the Elder Water Ghost grimaced even more than usual as soon as it sensed the enemy.
I knew exactly why.
「. . .𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.」
The fire demon before us was a yokai born from the fire that devoured hundreds of thousands of people in a single country.
The source of its power was their pain and resentment.
That’s why I could clearly see it with my high karma value.
The countless vengeful spirits wailing within those flames.
“So, do you have a plan?”
“Yes. Somewhat.”
I quickly hid behind Cheong Juhwa as I finished speaking.
The flames were more intense than I had thought. With such a simple attack pattern, it was impossible to use Breaking, and with my current spiritual power, it was difficult to block the fire demon’s attacks.
“Stall for time with defense for now.”
Cheong Juhwa gave me a strange look at the sight that felt like déjà vu. Then, she reluctantly opened her mouth.
“. . .Fine, whatever. Since we’re a team.”
A smile that didn’t match the urgent situation spread across her lips.
Poof!
Hwaruruk!
“Azure Sky Wall.”
Pereng!
Sizzle.
“Do you really have a plan?”
Seo Ji-hye, who had caught her breath behind Cheong Juhwa’s defensive spell, shouted.
“Yes, I do.”
Hwaruk!
Puereng!
“Um, I don’t know if this is right. What do you want me to do?”
Seo Ji-hye wasn’t originally part of the plan. But if she was here, she might as well help. I took out a white stake from my bosom and answered Seo Ji-hye.
“When I give the signal, cast the strongest spell you can. It doesn’t matter if it’s a binding spell or an attack spell.”
I had to focus now. I stopped talking and gathered all the spiritual power I had in my body.
𝙖𝐰𝕖𝙗𝙨𝔱𝘰ṙ̇i̇̇𝕖𝕤.𝐜𝘰𝘮
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