15- Blue Route (5)

Chapter 14- Blue Route (5)

Written By Ss_FirstMaster

[Number of monsters hunted: 543]

The dungeon shook so violently that dust fell from the ceiling. Startled by the sudden quaking, monsters broke out of their hiding places. Sung-Hoo rushed into the tunnel to take advantage of their confusion, holding his dagger in a reverse grip. The scorching heat and flames made it dangerous to pass through the tunnel, but Yeon-woo held his breath and focused all of his senses on the ant tunnel.

[Breathing]

[Combat Will]

[Sense Strengthening]

Whoosh! As soon as he activated his skills, time seemed to stretch out. As his senses reached their maximum level, the information about his surroundings rushed into his brain, helped along by his heightened concentration. A terrible headache usually followed this state, but thanks to all the practicing he did, he could endure it. 'I can only last five minutes in this state!'

Swish! Sung-Hoo rushed towards the struggling ants and put them out of their misery. Even the screeching ants running towards him were seriously burned, and it wasn't hard to get rid of them. 'It's a shame I can't eat all the hearts here.' Still, he got to kill plenty of monsters in one go, so it wasn't too much of a loss. Besides, there were enough ants who had died of suffocation or were even still alive. He could harvest their intact hearts later.

Although the explosion had swept through the tunnel, nearly half of the ants survived the calamity. Most of the dead were larvae or eggs that had yet to hatch. Therefore, many worker ants were still alive.

Krik! An ant that was at least five times bigger than an average Blue Army Ant ran towards Sung-Hoo. 'The Ant Queen!' The Ant Queen was furious at the criminal who had destroyed her nest.

[A boss monster, the Blue Army Ant Queen has emerged.]

If she were in optimal condition, Sung-Hoo would have had no chance of winning. However, two of her legs had been blown away, and her wings were torn into bits. Her exoskeleton smoked from the burns she'd sustained, and her remaining eye blazed in anger.

Clomp! Clomp! The ground shook with every step she took. Sung-Hoo felt a pressure that was even more intense than the one he'd experienced with the Red O-Gong. 'Four minutes.'

Sung-Hoo searched for escape, but it wasn't easy to find since the tunnel was too wide. The Ant Queen swung a leg towards him, and Sung-Hoo swiftly rolled on the ground, narrowly dodging the attack.

In the meantime, he continued searching for the gate. 'Three minutes.' Time was ticking, but Sung-Hoo's senses finally noticed something: a small gate hidden just beyond the charred ant eggs. 'There!' However, knowing the gate's location didn't mean that the Ant Queen was about to let him pass.

'Two minutes.' The use of Thought Acceleration through Combat Will and Sense Strengthening gave him the ability to make quick decisions, but the headache and dizziness that came afterwards were too debilitating even if he use Breathing to maintain. If they appeared while he was still grappling with the ants in the cave, he'd be in serious trouble. Sung-Hoo drew three daggers from his waist and threw them at the Ant Queen. Clang!

Krik! The Ant Queen smoothly deflected the daggers and screeched derisively. However, she didn't expect a fourth dagger to arrive behind the others. Swish! Thunk! It penetrated deeply into the Ant Queen's remaining eyeball. Kriiik! The Ant Queen went into a frenzy.

'One minute left, gotta move now!' Sung-Hoo skidded underneath the belly of the Ant Queen all the way to the other side, severing two of her legs as he slipped past.

Thud! The Ant Queen tilted forward, and her head slammed onto the ground. The other ants started to assemble to protect their queen, making the cave shake under their feet. However, he'd already reached the gate just as a massive headache and dizziness descended on him. The Thought Acceleration had finally worn off. While holding in his vomit, Sung-Hoo quickly entered the gate and closed it behind him. Clang! The gate shut just before the ants could reach him, cutting them off completely.

[You have entered the Throne of the Fire Demon and Giant, Suruhtra.]

"Eh? It was a hidden piece?." As soon as he saw the message, Sung-Hoo leaned against the wall, taking a second to catch his breath. Clang! Clang! Clang! The ants banged at the gate, and he could also hear the Ant Queen's occasional screeches. He didn't know whether the temple and the ant tunnel were in separate dimensions or if there were some kind of aura keeping them from entering the temple. They pounded on the gate without even trying to break through.

Sung-Hoo looked around once his headache subsided. He was inside a small room that was around seventy square meters of space. It had high ceilings, and a beam of light streamed down from above, illuminating an altar which glowed with a crimson light. Five steps led up to the throne, and ominous green fire blazed in bronze braziers on each side. The throne in the middle of the room had a bright orange color that as if it will burn anything it will touch

Sung-Hoo looked at the throne and soon turned his gaze towards the flame that shine as if it's the sun.

[Suruhtra's Flame Of Ruins]

[Number 352]

[Classification: Fire]

[Rank: Unique]

[Description: Suruhtra Flame is an ominous and malevolent fire demon of colossal stature, possessing the combined attributes of both a demon and a half-giant. Towering over ordinary beings, Suruhtra exudes an aura of darkness and destruction. Its fiery essence burns with an intensity that surpasses the flames of ordinary infernos, radiating an eerie glow that strikes fear into the hearts of those who witness it.]

Sung-Hoo clenched his fist. He'd finally found something and maybe that will help him, the hidden piece that would narrow the gap between him and the frontrunners. 'And that's not all.' Sung-Hoo began to climb the stairs as the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. He felt as if the fire had a eye that were watching him carefully. Sung-Hoo gave it a respectful nod and put his hand on Suruhtra's flame.

"Huh?" Sung-Hoo felt something hot, sticky, and alien pierce his palm and squeeze into his body.The veins of the hand touching the flame bulged all the way up his arm as though they would burst any moment as his arm turned a dark red. He could see a black thing crawling inside his veins. Sung-Hoo gritted his teeth from the enormous pain.

In order to properly wield the flame, he had to constantly be on guard against the threat that it posed to him. However, players who had just entered the Tutorial weren't always capable enough to suppress the threat, which was why many players who had found the sword suddenly evaporated into thin air.

If the flame is meant to be found by beginners, what can they do to handle it? Suddenly the skill Monkey Eyes that were dormant suddenly act as if it had a life on its own.

[You have fulfilled the condition for the hidden piece]

[Monkey Eyes proficiency has been maxed]

[Monkey Eyes will evolve]

[You have obtain Cinder Eyes]

Only

The Great God's power had now descended into Sung-Hoo's eyes. Everything look new with his flaming eyes. His body sense felt fired up in a forge's roaring furnace, and he fealt as if he was constantly in the heat of the battle. "What the fuck? my skill evolved."

[Cinder Eyes]

[Number 69 ]

[Proficiency: 0.0%]

[Description: Monkey Eyes that synchronized with the demon fire. It is able to tell apart good and evil as well truth and lies. Has a strong resistance to fire. ]

[*Sensory Amplification

This skill allows individuals to intensify their senses, such as sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell, enabling them to perceive stimuli with greater clarity, sensitivity, and detail. Sensory amplification can be honed and controlled, allowing individuals to selectively focus on specific sensory inputs or broaden their awareness of the environment as a whole.]

[*Battle Prediction

a unique skill that allows an individual to accurately anticipate and foresee the outcome of combat situations. It involves a combination of strategic thinking, tactical analysis, and instinctive understanding of the dynamics of a battle.]

Number 69! Even high rankers would have to work their fingers to the bone to obtain a numbered skill, but Sung-Hoo had already managed to acquire a unique skill at this point in time.