𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖𝟎
Kwaaaang!!-
“Ugh!”
One player, attacked by the Highest-ranking Demon, was flung backward. That wouldn’t have been a problem, but when the flung player collided with another, an explosion erupted, engulfing the surroundings. Then, as the demon slammed its fist into the ground, explosions erupted in all directions, sweeping away the players who were charging in.
‘What kind of attack is that?’
It was as if everything it touched was transforming into an explosion.
“Damn it, why are these b*stards so strong?!”
“Block it! They’re just demons!”
“Just demons? Can’t you see the word ‘Boss’ written above their heads?!”
Moreover, the Allied Guilds hadn’t expected to be pushed back this hard.
If it was a mistake, it was a mistake. The Allied Guilds had never fought a Highest-ranking Demon before, so they didn’t know how strong they were. If they had known, they would have approached this differently, but it was already too late.
“Uhahaha! There were more here!”
Just then, I saw a Highest-ranking Demon appear near me and charge in this direction. Of course, I wasn’t worried at all since I was confident enough to handle one.
‘Come to think of it, Earth’s Dynamics didn’t work on Garikas, right?’
I wondered if it would work on this one charging at me.
Thinking it wouldn’t hurt to check, I immediately used Earth’s Dynamics the moment it came within range.
“Dynamics.”
Bang!-
[Skill Damage……]
Oh, it works.
As expected, Garikas must have been the exception. I could see the Highest-ranking Demon in front of me frozen by Dynamics. And, as a matter of course, the moment Earth’s Dynamics took effect, it was no longer a match for me.
“Thunder Strike!”
Let’s finish this!
Bang!- Kwaang!-
After unleashing three attacks with Thunder Strike, I bound it again with Earth’s Dynamics. The Highest-ranking Demon, feeling its body freeze just as it was about to move, glared at me with murderous intent, but I wasn’t particularly scared.
Why would I be afraid of something that can’t even move?
Kwaang!-
“Ugh, Ugh……”
[Combat Experience……]
“Phew.”
Even so, the Highest-ranking Demon was indeed formidable. It managed to endure for a whole 10 seconds before collapsing. If I hadn’t had a shield, I would have been exhausted mid-fight due to its high HP.
[For defeating a Highest-ranking Demon, you have earned a total of 8,000 Contribution Points.]
‘Now there are three left.’
Looking around, I saw that one of the three was being handled by Aizen and the Emperor Guild. They might not be dealing with it as comfortably as I did, but with Ust supporting them from behind, they should be able to hold on somehow.
Then, the remaining two were the ones decimating the Allied Guilds……
[Demon King Agreenes summons demons using corpses.]
“……”
Before I could even do anything, demons started being summoned from all over. There were only 20 to 30 of them, but the situation itself wasn’t good. With the Allied Guilds already losing dozens of members to the Highest-ranking Demons and the tentacles, the aftermath of adding lower and intermediate-ranking demons to the mix was obvious.
‘Damn it, what should I do?’
Should I help the Allied Guilds? I couldn’t just ignore them as they were crumbling under the assault of the Highest-ranking Demons and tentacles. Having reached that conclusion, I used Phantom Shift without hesitation.
“Elsyke’s Phantom Shift.”
Pat!-
First, I used Phantom Shift to get closer to the Allied Guilds and then struck a Highest-ranking Demon with Thunder Strike. Since it was focused on attacking the Allied Guilds, the attack landed easily, and I also managed to grab its attention.
“You b*stard……”
“Dynamics.”
Bang!-
The most urgent thing here was to eliminate this Highest-ranking Demon. If it were gone, the Allied Guilds could handle the remaining lower and intermediate-ranking demons on their own.
However, before I could finish it off after binding it with Earth’s Dynamics, interference came from multiple directions.
Crack- Crack-
“Khahaha! There’s an interesting one here!”
‘Am I too late?’
Several tentacles erupted near me, and another Highest-ranking Demon charged in. I wanted to eliminate the one I had already attacked, but it seemed impossible now.
“Dynamics!”
Instead, I used Earth’s Dynamics to block the incoming tentacles as a priority. It stopped all the tentacles within range, but those outside the range continued to attack me, forcing me to escape with Phantom Shift.
‘This is not easy.’
More importantly, getting pierced by a tentacle reduced Agility by 90%. With such a drastic drop in Agility, there was no way to defend against the Highest-ranking Demons or the tentacles, making it an attack I had to be most wary of.
“You insolent fool, how dare you……”
Moreover, the Highest-ranking Demon I had bound and relentlessly attacked began to glare at me with a sharp glint in its eyes. It was probably filled with the thought of killing me right now.
“Vice Guild Master!”
“……?”
Did something happen?
Since they called me Vice Guild Master, there was a high probability they were a member of the Emperor Guild. So, I turned my gaze and found a guild member shouting something while looking at me.
“We need to attack the Demon King! They said his HP is down to 39%!”
“39%?”
That was more damage than I expected. Before I started attacking, his HP was at 78%, so they had managed to shave off roughly half. So, if we launched another attack, we might be able to finish him off, but looking at the two Highest-ranking Demons charging towards me, I felt it would be difficult.
‘Should I leave a phantom behind and run towards the Demon King?’
“Die!”
Suddenly, the Highest-ranking Demon I had hit slammed the ground, causing an explosion.
‘What?’
Since the explosion was triggered at a distance, I could avoid it by simply stepping back. However, while I was pondering the intention behind the explosion, I immediately threw myself to the side as soon as my vision was obscured by the smoke.
Whoosh-
‘……A needle?’
It was an attack I wouldn’t have even noticed if I hadn’t been paying attention. Or perhaps, my high Agility allowed me to see it.
‘But a needle? Could this be his Divine Power?’
“You’re more perceptive than you look.”
The other one had been causing explosions non-stop, so this needle attack must have been the Divine Power of the one next to him. No one in their right mind would throw a needle at me while I was wearing full body armor. However, if it was an attack using Divine Power, it was a different story.
‘A Divine Power that’s hard to see……’
I didn’t know what effect it would have if it hit, but it was definitely not going to be anything good.
‘Here it comes.’
The Highest-ranking Demons, having failed their first attack, charged at me simultaneously. Seeing them shamelessly gang up on me like that made me curse under my breath, but when I thought about it, I wasn’t fighting alone.
“Now’s our chance! Wipe them out!”
“We need to kill the demons while Rudin holds them off!”
The Allied Guilds were firing all sorts of magic from afar.
Well, seeing them charge at me despite the Allied Guilds’ attacks meant they weren’t causing much damage, but it was better than just standing by and watching.
‘Besides, considering my weapon’s durability, I should avoid clashes as much as possible, right?’
With that thought, I lowered my stance and dodged the claws aimed at my face. It was the Highest-ranking Demon that had shot the needle earlier. Its weapon seemed to be 50cm long claws.
“Dynamics.”
Bang!-
After blocking the incoming claws with Earth’s Dynamics, I was forced to use Phantom Shift again to escape the erupting tentacles. The phantom I left behind was quickly destroyed by the combined assault of the two Highest-ranking Demons.
“You’re good at escaping.”
But were the Highest-ranking Demons developing some kind of ability?
‘They’re all detecting stealth.’
Just as I was about to engage them head-on, thinking that simply dodging wouldn’t get me anywhere, I suddenly heard someone calling out to me.
“Rudin! I’ll take over from here, fall back!”
“……?”
Was that Heuksin’s voice?
At the same time, dozens of Skeleton Warriors rushed past me from behind, charging towards the Highest-ranking Demons. I turned my head to confirm and saw Heuksin with a blue mark above his head.
It seemed they had formed an alliance.
‘Did Aizen arrange this?’
Looking at Aizen resting nearby, it seemed likely. I didn’t know why they had formed an alliance, but with Heuksin and the Yonggammusang Guild members joining the fight, it seemed like I could leave them to it for a while.
And in the meantime, I could attack the Demon King……
‘Ah, could this be why they formed the alliance?’
If they had formed an alliance to give me a chance to attack the Demon King, it made sense. Of course, it was just speculation, so I couldn’t be sure, but the situation seemed to be unfolding that way.
‘Such a pointless thing to do.’
Dash-
I didn’t know how long Heuksin and the Yonggammusang Guild, who had just joined the battle, would last, but I didn’t think it would be long. So, with the intention of eliminating the Demon King before they fell, I ran with all my might.
While running, the thought of the Demon King’s tentacles and other skills flashed through my mind, but I ignored them as much as possible, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to do anything if I dwelled on them.
Crack- Crack-
[Demon King Agreenes uses Death Thorns that steal life.]
‘Death Thorns?’
Before I could even reach the Demon King, dozens of tentacles rose around him, and he even used the skill that had just wiped out the Allied Guilds within its range. Seeing the message, I judged that it was too late to dodge and decided to endure it somehow.
“Armor of Protection.”
Clang-
Jayer’s Guardian Shield and Armor of Protection.
These two increased my HP by about 20,000. Adding that to my original HP, I believed I could withstand this attack, and soon, thousands of thorns erupted from the ground.
Kwakwakwang!!-
[Armor of Protection takes the impact in your stead……]
The Armor of Protection shattered from the rising thorns, but it had blocked the attack. And when the thorns that had shot up into the sky rained back down, I had no choice but to rely on the HP boosted by Jayer’s Guardian Shield. Fortunately, I was able to withstand this attack as well.
Kwakwakwakwak!!-
[You have taken damage! 5,870.]
[You have taken damage……]
‘Phew, that was close.’
Just one skill, and I had lost more than half of my HP. If the Armor of Protection hadn’t blocked the first attack, I might have been in danger, but I had endured it, so I thought it was fine. I took out the Unending Healing Potion from my Item Storage and drank it, then looked at the tentacles surrounding the Demon King.
‘But with so many tentacles, it’s hard to get close.’
Even if I used Earth’s Dynamics, the tentacles outside the range could still attack me. And even if I got rid of them, the Demon King could just summon them again. So, as I was thinking about a possible solution, I suddenly remembered the one-time use skill that Celestina had given me.
Summon Paladin Order.
It was a shame to use it, but if not now, then when?
After a brief moment of contemplation, I decided it was right to use it, as it was a skill given to me specifically for fighting the Demon King. So, I immediately shouted the skill name.
“Skill Use. Summon Paladin Order.”
Pababat!-
As soon as I used the one-time use skill Summon Paladin Order, pillars of pure white light appeared around me. Dozens, no, perhaps over a hundred pillars of light shot up, and beyond that light, paladins armed with white swords and armor emerged.
“Imbue your swords with light!”
“Yes!”
“Divine Empowerment!”
Bright light emanated from the paladins’ swords, and they charged towards the Demon King without hesitation. Perhaps because it wasn’t a proper skill, the paladins were acting on their own, but since they were moving as I had intended, I decided to leave them be.
‘Was summoning the paladins the right answer after all?’
Despite their erratic behavior, the paladins were fighting better than I had expected. The bright light emanating from their swords seemed to be having some effect, as the tentacles were being cut down faster than I thought, and they seemed to be dealing a decent amount of damage to the Demon King as well.
I even started to think that they might be able to defeat him without me having to intervene.
But just in case, I jumped through the gap created by the paladins and, upon reaching the Demon King relatively safely, immediately attempted an attack with Thunder Strike without hesitation.
Kwaaang!!-
[Skill Damage……]
The combined attack of myself and over 100 paladins. Even disregarding the paladins’ attacks, my attacks were definitely dealing damage. However, not knowing how much HP he had left, I was thinking I should use Intuition again when the message I had been hoping for appeared.
[Ding!~ You can now use the Orb of Prayer.]
As expected, it notified me with a message.
“Item Storage!”
Confirming the message as I had anticipated, I immediately shouted the words “Item Storage.” I opened my Item Window, took out the Orb of Prayer, and saw it emitting a light I had never seen before.
‘But how do I use this?’
The problem was that I didn’t even have time to think. In the midst of the paladins’ fierce assault, there was no time to ponder over how to use it. So, in a hurry, I held it against the Demon King’s body.
Pabat!-
Suddenly, the same bright, pure white light that the Orb of Prayer emitted appeared from the Demon King’s body. Looking around, I saw the tentacles and even the demons disappearing, and as time passed, the Demon King’s body, transformed into light, began to shrink, losing its form.
‘Seems like it was the right answer.’
The light emanating from the Orb of Prayer gradually faded. And in the spot where the light had completely disappeared, Nayra, whom I had seen a few days ago, stood.
“Ah…… Rudin-nim.”
Nayra lay on the ground, her gaze fixed on me. Seeing her struggle to even utter my name, I let out a sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry I was late.”
At my reply, Nayra smiled faintly as if to say it was alright, and at the same time, dozens of messages popped up in the message window.
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