788
[Chapter 200]
[A Matter of Moments(8)]
The pass is weakly connected.
The egg reads the master's emotions through the thin pass.
What kind of person do you want to become?
To become the existence the master desires.
The egg constantly listens to the master's emotions.
Faster, faster, faster...!!
Urgency, anxiety.
The voice heard from the master's emotions.
The egg hears the voice and asks.
Do you want to become faster?
Do you want to become faster than anyone else?
Want to get faster?
Then I'll make you faster.
The egg added.
There was no answer heard.
Nevertheless, the egg kept trying to grasp the master's emotions.
─Somehow faster than that thing!
To protect the others, I need to move faster than that thing!
If I could somehow catch that thing...!
The voice of emotions strongly declaring.
At this, the egg nodded to the master's voice.
I understand.
Then I'll become what you desire.
So wait.
What does it want to become.
The egg that hadn't decided what to be born as began preparing to hatch.
☆
<One-Man Fortress> Chu Young-hoon died.
The players' morale dropped.
Because Chu Young-hoon's screams from inside the solid fortress lingered.
""""...."""
Already, who knows how many have died.
Yet it hadn't received a single wound.
On the other hand, players were in a situation where they had to risk their lives even to graze it with their fingertips.
Still, we have to do it.
At this rate, it's total annihilation.
It was an incredible pressure.
As if the world's air existed just for it.
They couldn't even breathe freely.
Their breath was caught.
Eun-ha tried to gather his thoughts while enduring Maegu's pressure.
He took a deep breath.
─Winter Blooming Coldly
Winter Blooming Coldly shines.
Red petals scatter.
The petals fluttering in the wind somewhat add to its pressure.
Oh ho.
You, you're a bit strong?
At this, Maegu's eyes narrowed.
It found Eun-ha and cackled.
That was the signal.
─Ox Walk
Its body elongates.
No, the too-fast speed confused the vision.
Eun-ha reflexively deployed Ox Walk.
As soon as he sensed that it had targeted him, he decided to avoid its attack.
"...!!"
But Maegu followed even that.
It, which landed where Eun-ha had hidden his form, quickly turned its body.
And it immediately ran to where Eun-ha had moved.
The Lord said,
No one can touch my people, He said.
If Iriya hadn't spread a barrier.
Surely Eun-ha would have been hit directly by its attack.
Crack!
The very short time the barrier created.
Eun-ha used Ox Walk once more to move behind it.
Violent Flame
It wasn't the time to spare strength.
They had to defeat it somehow.
Eun-ha sprinkled poison on it.
Black flames stuck to its body, trying to penetrate inside.
─Such attacks.
Do you think they'll work on me?
If only the poison would work a little, to grab its feet.
The poison didn't work at all.
It sneered.
──!!
At that moment, its tail moved.
A tail curled like a long spear aimed at Eun-ha.
It was impossible to avoid.
He had shown a big movement as a result of using Violent Flame.
He had to at least block it, or avoid it even considering Ox Walk's side effects.
Hanmae Style Diamond
For a moment, a blue form passed by.
<Snow Spear> Ryu Yeon-hwa.
She, who stepped forward in a stance to protect Eun-ha, activated protection magic.
A sphere surrounded by ice enveloped them.
"Ugh...!"
With just one strike.
Cracks appeared in the barrier with hardness like diamond.
Its attack didn't stop there and pierced through the barrier.
You, you're strong?
Beyond the ice barrier.
It looked up at Ryu Yeon-hwa.
After grinning once, it tried to make a hole in the ice barrier with another tail.
Hanmae Style Ultimate
Reverse Scale
As soon as she noticed that.
Ryu Yeon-hwa immediately broke the barrier.
The ice that constituted the barrier became finely divided snow crystals.
Maegu's tail that tried to pierce the barrier passed through the area dense with snow crystals and─.
─Oh ho?
Froze its tail just like that.
Ryu Yeon-hwa raised her spear shaft and blocked the tail trapped in ice.
Maegu's eyes shone as it broke the ice attached to its tail by hitting the spear shaft.
It seemed curious about her response.
──!!
At this, it engaged in close combat as if to test her.
Its sharp claws too easily knocked away Ryu Yeon-hwa's spear shaft.
And the claws didn't stop and aimed for her chest.
Finally, its claws pierced her chest.
─Winter Fog
But that was just an illusion.
Her body turned into snow crystals and avoided its attack.
Eun-ha took advantage of the time she bought and released compressed magic.
─Blast Cross
Four times.
It was magic compressed to the maximum considering the given time.
Eun-ha shot sword strikes at it, which was distracted by Ryu Yeon-hwa.
Sword strikes imbued with flames flew, and a huge explosion occurred.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom!!
The fire doesn't go out.
The heat melts the asphalt road.
The high-temperature, high-heat magic tried to erase its existence from this world.
Ah, it's warm.
This could have been a bit dangerous.
But expectations were betrayed.
The form swaying in the flames soon regained a stable appearance.
It walked out of the pillar of flames that wouldn't go out.
Its white fur was only slightly singed.
There was no other damage.
It shook off the embers trying to devour it as if dusting itself off.
Alright, I'll acknowledge it.
You're a bit stronger than I thought?
Whether the players were dumbfounded or not.
It waved its nine tails.
But I'm stronger.
With those final words.
The pillar of fire shook violently.
Without even showing signs of using magic.
The pillar of fire split into several branches and attacked the people in the area.
Supporters hurriedly spread protection magic to try to block the flames.
The surroundings instantly became a sea of fire.
And the flames rushed at Eun-ha too, fiercely blazing.
"...!!"
Control doesn't work.
He can't control the flames.
Eun-ha, startled, tried to block the rushing flames with a cloak of flames.
At that moment, Maegu's front paw sprang out from the flames.
──!!
It had rushed into the flames.
Its claws flashed brightly.
It activated magic.
It can't be blocked.
Too fast.
Hamper Wave
All too easily.
The jamming magic was broken through.
Eun-ha immediately infused his internal mana into the necklace.
Conversion Necklace
A close timing.
Its claws lose their light.
The magic is converted to mana.
...What?
It made a dumbfounded sound.
It was flustered.
Eun-ha immediately swung his sword.
Whoosh!
Using the flames as fuel.
And using Maegu's mana as fuel.
Winter Crawling on Snow greedily devours mana.
Pure white light leaks from the sword blade, and that light robs Maegu of its sight.
Dunning Blade
Skipping the gathering stage.
Eun-ha immediately swung his sword upwards.
The sword blade touches Maegu's front paw that lost mana resistance.
Squelch!
And finally.
Eun-ha made it bleed.
...I'll correct myself.
You are somewhat strong.
While recovering the wound split by the blade.
Maegu's voice became chilly.
☆
[─It's a message from Ha-yang! It seems Ha-yang, <First Sword>, <Thunder Emperor>, <Wind Technician>, and other players who were at the Arts Center are currently moving nearby to subjugate the Demon Face Manta Ray! So it'll be tough, but she wants you to draw Maegu's attention!]
How long had the battle continued?
Eun-ha felt like he had spent a long time facing Maegu.
But the actual time hadn't even passed 10 minutes.
"Ugh...!!"
One strike, then another strike.
It's a succession of deaths.
He wondered if there had been a time since the regression when he was so deeply immersed in the river of death.
Even when caught up in Yegyeong's schemes, it wasn't this bad.
You, you're not fun.
Looking again, you're weak.
There wasn't a part of his body that was intact.
Though supporters were trying to recover him somehow with healing magic.
The speed of healing magic couldn't keep up with Maegu's attacks.
Can't even see it.
How are we supposed to keep up with that speed?
Even though <Holy Mother> Park Hye-rim put a debuff on Maegu to slow its speed.
Even that was like this.
Han Chang-jin, Kang Si-hyeong, and others tried to bind it and draw its aggro.
They failed every time.
Even traps set by rangers through high-level calculations were broken through.
"Ugh...!!"
Meanwhile, people died.
Just now, it, which had glimpsed Eun-ha's skill, quickly lost interest and turned away.
Then it faced other people and killed those who couldn't capture its interest.
Its slaughter was happening even now.
Backflow
Sword Spirit Return
Flash Sword
Pandora Clan was no exception.
One clan member died.
The anger of the clan member who had been living together all this time was indescribable.
At the death of the clan member whose head flew off from Maegu's back kick.
Choi Eun-hyuk, overwhelmed by passionate anger, poured attacks on Maegu.
Too slow
But the attacks didn't work.
Maegu even yawned.
It, which avoided the blade that fell before its eyes, quickly rotated its body and tried to pierce his abdomen with its tail.
Choi Eun-hyuk quickly switched positions with a sword spirit flying in the air.
"Guherk...!!"
Even that was useless.
One of the nine tails pierced his thigh.
As it shook its tail just like that, he who had been suspended in mid-air was slammed around randomly.
"Aaaaargh!!"
As a result, his leg was torn off.
Eun-hyuk, who fell to the ground, grabbed his severed leg and wailed.
Noisy.
Maegu expressed its annoyance.
It tried to take the life of Choi Eun-hyuk who had barely survived.
Tyrant Paddock
Vertical Spark
Just then, Mok Min-ho and Yu Nam-hoon were in the place where it fell.
The two hurriedly blocked the attack.
But it was impossible to block perfectly.
One or two of you.
It hid its form.
And appeared in front of the two.
Before the two could react, it engaged in close combat just like that.
The two who spread a barrier with Lee Yu-jung's handkerchief couldn't block all the attacks and were slammed into the outer wall of a building.
Meanwhile, Cha Eun-woo picked up Choi Eun-hyuk's leg and ran to him.
Healing Bandage
Gift <Cell Activation>
Choi Eun-hyuk's treatment was urgent.
Even Yeou-bi clung on.
The two began an impromptu surgery to reattach his leg.
──!!
Maegu didn't leave them alone.
It attacked them.
Eun-ha quickly threw his body to block its attack.
"...!!"
Instead, he had to be attacked on the side.
Flesh fell in droves.
For a moment, it felt like a strong current flowed through his head.
Pain assaulted him.
Gift <Heroic >
He was about to lose consciousness from the pain.
Fortunately, the gift activated.
He, who barely maintained consciousness, drew its attention to separate Maegu from Choi Eun-hyuk.
Gift <Ice Flower>
Ryu Yeon-hwa temporarily stopped the bleeding from his torn side.
Not-cold ice that sprouted from the wound area blocked the bleeding.
At the same time, supporters began healing Eun-ha from afar.
There was also Iriya's buff.
The Lord said,
Gods are insignificant beings, all matters depend on my sword, He said.
His heart pounded heavily.
There wasn't even time to drink a potion.
He was consuming internal mana while relying on the supporters' magic.
Even that was almost depleted.
The effect of <Amplification > is disappearing now too.
Anxiety crept in.
There was no way to defeat it.
No, there was one.
They said a separate detachment moved to subjugate the Demon Face Manta Ray.
We need to buy time until then.
The telepathy Jin Seo-na relayed just now.
Then she relayed that the separate detachment including Jung Ha-yang had moved to defeat the Demon Face Manta Ray.
Judging from the lack of <Silent >'s support recently, it seemed she had also left to defeat the Demon Face Manta Ray with <Thunder Emperor>.
Blast Counter
So without letting it notice.
Even if they sacrificed however much, they had to buy time for the separate detachment to subjugate the Demon Face Manta Ray.
If it noticed, it might try to interfere with them.
But how much longer do we have to endure...!!
Eun-ha gritted his teeth.
Not just himself.
All players were pushed to their limits.
Crimson Knight and Cobalt Knight.
It was amazing that they who had fought two corps commanders in succession still had the stamina to fight.
They were really fighting with all their might.
Grrrr
In such a situation, monsters were rampaging too.
Moreover, the night hadn't ended.
How much longer was left.
There might still be a long way to go.
They didn't know when the sun would rise.
The players were moving so breathlessly they didn't even know that much.
Death─.
"─...Ugh..."
Was really close.
Substituting for Yu Nam-hoon.
Oh Sung-hwan, who took on the role of switch while Eun-ha prepared the next attack, was hit by its attack.
"Damn it!"
"C-Clan Lord..."
Bong Gu-rae and Son Ga-yeon snipe.
Maegu retreats.
Eun-ha approached Oh Sung-hwan who had fallen to the ground.
"Ah... aah..."
It was amazing he was alive.
A large hole was pierced in his chest.
Blood was flowing profusely.
No matter where or how he was injured, it was clear he had suffered a severe wound.
"C-Clan..."
In such a situation.
Oh Sung-hwan called for Eun-ha while his body trembled.
Eun-ha, who had been cauterizing Oh Sung-hwan's wound with flames, soon had to give up.
Instead, he listened to his words.
Surely, sensing his own death, he was trying to convey his last words.
Eun-ha held his hand.
"Ah, ah..."
He tries to say something.
Eun-ha looked into his eyes.
Their eyes met.
Oh Sung-hwan smiled palely.
"..."
That was the end.
Death came unexpectedly.
The dead had no words.
Oh Sung-hwan died.
Eun-ha removed the identification tag hanging around his neck.
He put it in his pocket.
Damn it.
Though he had vowed to create a clan that no one would dare touch.
Despite the vow, he lost clan members because of a monster.
Eun-ha, who had been proud of the 0% mortality rate of clan members so far, was swept up in intense emotions.
"..."
Damn it, damn it, damn it.
Squeezing out the remaining mana.
Eun-ha lamented his powerlessness.
No matter how strong he became, there was no end.
There were many stronger than him.
Thump thump thump
Just how strong does he need to become?
How strong does he need to be to obtain the future he desperately desires?
Just how much does he have to lose?
He hated losing.
He didn't want to go back to 'that time'.
Gi─
Anger swept through his body.
An uncontrollable impulse began to steadily encroach on his body.
─F─
What is needed now?
Overwhelming power.
Power to face that thing.
For that, power is needed to counter it, to read its attack patterns.
─T─
How is that possible?
No, there was one way.
If he became a <Berserker >─.
─<Ber─< p>
It was when Eun-ha thought that.
For a moment, the world flashed.
─Boom boom boom boom boom!!
As if tearing the world apart.
Blue lightning fell.
Eun-ha turned his head at the lightning that fell behind him.
The Demon Face Manta Ray was there.
Bubbbbbbbb...
It was tilting.
It falls, making a sorrowful sound.
The attack just now had dealt a critical hit to the Demon Face Manta Ray.
Boom!!
And as if it wasn't over yet.
A trajectory that sprang from the ground pierced its body.
People could witness a pure white beam of light penetrating it and flying high into the sky.
Whoosh!!
A fierce wind blew.
The wind interfered with its course as it tried to escape somewhere.
Finally─.
─Magic Beanstalk
High up in the sky.
Tree trunks grew rapidly.
Eventually, the tree trunks entwined the body of the Demon Face Manta Ray that had lowered its altitude.
Thorn Tree Country
That beanstalk mutated.
Giant thorns sprout.
Waterwheel's Curse
Poison forms on the thorn tips.
The thorns dig into its body.
Poison that relaxes muscles seeps weakly into its body.
────!!!
Immediately after, bullets rained down from the ground.
The players below poured firepower on it.
This was the only chance.
It was dying.
Jung Ha-yang's strategy─.
─Succeeded.
Eun-ha came to his senses.
The faces of the players around brightened.
Just a little more time.
The Demon Face Manta Ray will vanish.
The dying light of hope gradually began to regain its light.
Tch.
Without even facing those guys.
Meanwhile, Maegu also grasped the situation.
It immediately turned its body.
It's going to eliminate the people facing the Demon Face Manta Ray.
It couldn't be allowed to do that.
"Block it! Don't let it go no matter what!"
"We'll bind that thing here! Don't fear death!!"
The players shouted at the top of their lungs.
They gritted their teeth and attacked.
Even injured people tried to return to the front line to take on the task of facing it.
Guardians even tried to block its path by sacrificing their own bodies.
Get out of the way.
But it was quick.
It swiftly avoided the players' bombardment and instantly broke through the front line.
No one could follow it.
It was that fast.
─Ox Walk
Phantasmal Beast Transformation
Phoenix Wings
Eun-ha also followed behind it.
Buldak let out a scream.
Even Buldak was at its limit.
It couldn't gain speed easily.
Nevertheless, Buldak was trying to fly towards Maegu with all its might.
Faster, faster.
Eun-ha gritted his teeth.
He had to catch up somehow.
Using Ox Walk while flying.
Eun-ha tried to close the distance.
──!!
But it was even faster than that.
As if it had been warming up until now, it advanced further before Eun-ha's sword could reach.
Bubbbbbb...
Unfortunately, the Demon Face Manta Ray was also moving towards Maegu.
Naturally, the people facing it were also heading towards where Maegu was.
And soon─.
─I should eliminate you first.
You're the head, right?
The players came into view.
Maegu found Jung Ha-yang, who was directing players with her finger, and cackled.
It's proper to cut down the commander first.
Without stopping its speed.
Maegu accelerated even more from there.
At this, players on the opposite side tried to intercept it.
It avoided the flying magic all too easily.
Heart Queen's Declaration
Jung Ha-yang hurriedly spread protection magic to try to block Maegu's attack.
However, her and the supporters' barrier shattered all too easily.
Faster, faster, faster, faster...!!
Players protect Jung Ha-yang.
Commotion arose on the other side.
Eun-ha put strength into his hand holding the sword, trying to fly by squeezing out all his remaining mana.
Annoying things.
Do you think I can't do it anyway?
Jung Ha-yang is attacked.
Such a thing must not happen.
He didn't want her death.
He had never even thought of a future without her.
─Gift <Heroic >
I will definitely.
Grasp the future.
Change it.
Eun-ha strongly wished.
At that moment, the gift activated.
Thump thump thump
His heart pounds.
A world branches off.
In that world, there was himself protecting Jung Ha-yang in front of Maegu.
To obtain that future.
Eun-ha exerted all his strength.
Whoosh....
Buldak's pass was cut off.
Buldak could no longer withstand the force and separated from Eun-ha.
Eun-ha didn't even look back.
As soon as he landed on the ground, he tried to cover the remaining distance using Ox Walk.
Still, it was too far.
By the time he arrived, Jung Ha-yang would be attacked by it.
Absolutely─.
Absolutely, it can't be allowed.
At that moment, a new pass connected in his mind.
───!!
Faster than even Maegu.
At that moment, something flew from the Arts Center right in front of Eun-ha.
─Crack!!
The phantasmal beast egg.
The egg floating in the air emitted a dazzling light and cracked open.
Eun-ha moved instinctively.
Phantasmal Beast Transformation
Liger Chain