786
[Chapter 200]
[A Matter of Moments(6)]
At that time, the players facing the Demon Face Manta Ray were growing anxious.
There's another monster besides that one.
It's reducing the power of all our attacks right now.
They already knew it had resistance to lightning.
But as time passed, the Demon Face Manta Ray seemed to have resistance to almost all attacks.
Fire, wind, water, ice.
Magic imbued with various attributes couldn't inflict much damage on it.
Flash
Lee Do-jin lowered his stance.
After covering his entire body with electricity.
He kicked off the ground with his toes.
Leaping high into the sky, he accelerated to its altitude in one breath.
Moving at a speed like lightning, he took a stance to strike down with his mistletoe.
Blue lightning flashed.
Lightning Chariot Single Point
Electric current gathering at the sword tip.
No matter how much resistance to lightning it had, it shouldn't be able to block this attack accompanied by a physical strike.
Even if lightning scatters, people below will block it with lightning rods.
So he just had to do his best to kill it.
Crackle!
Lee Do-jin plummeted straight down.
He put strength into both hands to thrust his sword into its back.
It was then.
──!!
Something flew in.
He reflexively stopped his attack and quickly spread a barrier.
"...Ugh...!"
But the barrier was torn like paper, ridiculously easily.
Lee Do-jin's eyes widened as he saw the monster's front paw that had torn through the barrier.
Sharp claws were approaching.
Flash
For a moment, he felt the crisis of death.
Lee Do-jin, forgetting even to breathe, hurriedly deployed footwork.
What on earth is that thing....
Because he deployed footwork so urgently.
It put a strain on his mana circuits.
Landing with one knee on the ground, he panted heavily.
At that moment, it also landed on the ground following Lee Do-jin.
"...A fox?"
Thanks to the players fighting the knight-type corps commanders turning on lights.
Lee Do-jin could confirm its identity.
No way....
Snow-white fur, nine tails.
And the red dungeon he was stepping on.
There was only one identity that came to mind from these three pieces of information.
"Maegu...."
Oh ho, so that's the name you've given me.
"...!"
2nd rank monster Maegu.
Lee Do-jin said its name and then flinched at hearing its thought.
On the other hand, Maegu split its long mouth.
It smiled.
I did well to come out after all.
I didn't expect there to be a human who could react to my speed.
You, are you strong?
Maegu revealed its aura.
For a moment, his breath caught.
If he hadn't raised his mana resistance, he would have frozen in place.
Lee Do-jin hurriedly composed himself while hearing Maegu's thoughts.
You said you defeated Cobalt Knight?
Even so, it's already quite overwhelming, and now for Maegu to appear....
The 2nd rank monster that the 2nd Uijeongbu Recapture Team had planned to subjugate after accumulating some strength.
Lee Do-jin made a dismayed face at encountering it alone.
He had to devise some countermeasure somehow.
Right at that moment─.
─Did you think you'd have time to think with me in front of you?
The moment he heard the mocking thought.
Maegu pounced.
It was an incredibly fast movement.
Only a snow-white trajectory was visible.
Lee Do-jin, who could at least see the trajectory, blocked its attack.
Even so, he couldn't withstand the recoil and had to step back.
And it pounced again.
─Lightning
There's no time to use Divine Punishment.
Lee Do-jin hurriedly activated a lower-grade magic.
Boom boom boom boom!!
Lightning fell from the sky.
However, Maegu simply avoided the lightning by hopping to the side.
Lee Do-jin's shock grew even greater.
Right then, there was support.
─Boom!!
Not caring that Lee Do-jin was there.
Yu Su-jin sniped from somewhere.
A bullet full of mana fell and caused an explosion in the area.
"Ugh...!!"
Lee Do-jin spread a barrier to try to block the impact from the explosion.
At the same time, he tried to find Maegu, which would surely be alive and not dead at the center of the explosion.
As he expected, it was alive.
──!!
The wind created by the explosion splits.
Maegu, springing up from the ground, instantly headed towards the direction the bullet came from.
It was going to attack Yu Su-jin.
Lee Do-jin hurriedly dropped lightning, trying to divert its attention.
But Maegu freely changed direction in mid-air to avoid the lightning.
And so─.
─It was you?
You did that?
It leapt down right in front of Yu Su-jin, who was trying to move away immediately after her sniping failed.
"...!!"
Yu Su-jin hurriedly chanted magic.
At the same time, she took out the rifle hidden in her arms to try to make it keep its distance.
Tang!
But it defied her expectations and rather rushed at her.
Opening its huge maw, it swallowed the bullet whole.
Furthermore, it tore off Yu Su-jin's hand holding the rifle.
"Ugh...!!"
Crunch.
It chewed the hand in its mouth.
Yu Su-jin, who had retreated by giving up her hand, suppressed her groan.
It wasn't the time to scream.
Surviving it was the priority.
She tried to face Maegu with her one remaining hand.
─It's useless!
She lost her usual right hand.
She couldn't even aim with her left hand.
Yu Su-jin gritted her teeth seeing Maegu charging towards her.
Its maw opens again.
She tightly closed her eyes.
─Film Disposal
World lines separated.
As world lines separated in front of Maegu, it crashed into an invisible wall.
"It seems I arrived a bit late."
<Time Witch> Priscis Memory.
She, who appeared behind Yu Su-jin, had activated the magic.
Soon she stood in front of Yu Su-jin and deployed new magic.
─Recovery Rewind
As she spread her magic, Yu Su-jin's right hand was perfectly restored.
Yu Su-jin blinked repeatedly seeing a hand regrow on her severed wrist.
"Still, it's fortunate you only lost a hand. If there had been a problem with your soul, it would have been difficult to revert."
"Is, is it healed?"
"It's only healed for a very brief moment. To heal completely, you either need to drink an elixir or defeat that thing."
"..."
"If we can just eliminate the cause that made you like this, the result would be as good as non-existent."
"Then we need to kill that thing before the magic's effect wears off."
Hearing Priscis Memory's words.
Yu Su-jin showed her fighting spirit.
Maegu cackled.
What, you were alive?
Then I just have to kill you again.
☆
Hanmae Style Ultimate
North Wind Cold Snow
The world of winter arrived.
Snow flurries violently.
The snow falling on the red earth quickly melts, unable to withstand the heat of the ground.
Whoosh
But the snow keeps falling.
Finally lowering the ground's temperature.
It declares its domain by piling white snow on the red earth.
I am, this land....
The red knight resisted.
It activated magic emitting heat to try to melt the snow piling up on the ground.
But its resistance was nothing more than passive.
Snow was falling over the entire area.
No matter how much it raised flames, it couldn't do anything, just as one can't stop winter from coming.
Moreover─.
"─Urp. That was good. Nice to recover mana?"
Kang Hyeon-cheol sucked in a big gulp of air the moment it emitted flames.
Then along with the air, the flames were pushed into his stomach.
Heaven's Net
Meanwhile, Han Chang-jin, Kwak Woo-hyuk, and Chong Eun-ju were blocking its movements.
A net made of mana restricted its movements so it couldn't move much.
And snakes and dragons springing from the ground bit its limbs.
The Lord said,
Gods are insignificant beings, all matters depend on my sword.
Buffs from supporters like Iriya, Roh Eun-ah, Cha Eun-woo, Yeou-bi, Park Hye-rim, and others were also rampant.
It was weakened by debuffs.
The abilities of players who received buffs were greatly enhanced.
Moreover, in Ryu Yeon-hwa's case─.
─Gift Bestowing Artifact
<Amplification >
She even borrowed the power of the ring she was wearing like a necklace.
Wrapped in golden light, she trudged towards Crimson Knight.
Hanmae Style Special
Infinite Shower
The magic that had inflicted near-fatal damage to Crimson Knight just now.
As she lightly drew her spear in the air, space distorted behind her.
Soon, giant ice awls appeared in the space causing ripples.
"First, one."
As Ryu Yeon-hwa's signal fell.
The ice awls that had half-revealed their forms in the ripples flew in droves.
The first awl couldn't pierce its armor.
But once, twice....
As the number continued, cracks appeared in its armor.
Finally─.
─Crash!
With a sound like glass breaking.
Its foot straddling the red dungeon shattered like a window.
Then it transformed.
It, which had been strengthened by receiving the dungeon's power, was returning to its original form.
Bubbbbbbbb....
At that moment, the Demon Face Manta Ray moved.
The dungeon expanded.
Now with its entire body in the dungeon, it transformed again.
As its fallen leg was restored, it received the red dungeon's buff.
And it tore apart the magic binding it with force, and immediately launched swords at Ryu Yeon-hwa.
──!!
Suddenly the giant swords exploded.
Fragments divided into particles, too small to be seen with the eye, flew at her.
There were no blind spots.
The fragments flying from all directions pierced right through her.
At that moment, her spear emitted light.
─Winter Fog
Borrowing the artifact's power.
She disappears becoming snow crystals.
Soon the snow crystals completely froze the fragments under its control.
When the players could see the particles, they attacked targeting the particles turned into ice granules.
Meanwhile, the winter fog moved and caught the corps commander from behind.
Hiss
The scattered snow crystals gather.
The winter fog regains its form.
Ryu Yeon-hwa, having regained substance, immediately thrust her spear.
Hanmae Style Special
End of Winter
Her original charge technique.
The gift's providence is added to the spear that pierced its armor.
The spear is covered in ice.
The ice freezes even its interior.
And the endlessly growing ice bursts its body.
It couldn't block.
Thud!
Crack!
Everything that constituted it.
Those things freeze due to <Ice Flower> and fall onto the snowy field.
""""...."""
At the end of winter.
Only she holding the spear remained.
☆
Crimson Knight and Cobalt Knight.
They subjugated the two corps commanders.
Only then did the players show exhausted faces.
Still, fortunately we defeated them well.
Ha-yang's strategy was effective.
The damage was great.
Casualties were occurring everywhere.
Many people died in the process of blocking the corps commanders.
""""...."""
Especially the damage to the 3rd and 4th Attack Platoons was unspeakable.
What remained after defeating the corps commanders was being able to grasp how many of their comrades had died.
Their faces were heavy.
There are injured in our clan too, but fortunately no fatalities, which is good.
Pandora Clan also suffered damage.
Many clan members were attacked by flying monsters.
Moreover, many clan members had faced the corps commanders and fought.
As a result, supporters within the clan were busily going around treating clan members.
"Pandora Clan Lord."
"Ah, Zenith Clan Lord. Are you alright now?"
"To receive such an injury, how embarrassing. Anyway, thank you for defeating the corps commanders."
"It was possible because Zenith Clan Lord's troops drained their health."
"Still, really thank you."
At that moment, <First Sword> Ji Yong-hyeon approached.
He had been injured by Crimson Knight in the process of evacuating his platoon.
As a result, he couldn't play a big role in this battle and had to take on a supporting role.
But Ji Yong-hyeon had functioned sufficiently.
He gave time for the people at the Arts Center to face the corps commanders, and even provided information to analyze the corps commanders.
Therefore, Eun-ha found Ji Yong-hyeon's self-blame strange.
The 3rd Attack Platoon is somewhat better. At least the commander is alive, so there's room for revival in the recapture war....
The 4th Attack Platoon is in bigger trouble.
Meanwhile, Eun-ha looked at the people of the 4th Attack Platoon helping treat the injured.
Having lost KK Clan Lord Hwang San-gun and many sub-lords.
And having lost several squad leaders.
The 4th Attack Platoon's command structure had completely collapsed.
The 4th Attack Platoon would probably be scattered to other platoons.
That meant other platoons would have to take on the 4th Attack Platoon's role.
It meant work would increase.
But it can't be helped.
We're short on people, so we can't send them back to Seoul either.
Soon Eun-ha turned his head.
On one side, players were searching the area where the snow had melted.
Eun-ha asked Ji Yong-hyeon.
"Did anything come from the corps commanders?"
"Mana stones came out... It seems skill stones didn't come from either. Instead, the helmets and swords they were holding came out."
"Helmets and swords?"
Eun-ha could hear from Ji Yong-hyeon about the items left behind when the corps commanders vanished.
It seemed a sword came from Crimson Knight.
And a helmet came from Cobalt Knight.
Since the two corps commanders' abilities were quite special, they could expect quite good performance.
Both are tempting.
We can't absorb the providence, but we can make good artifacts instead.
We suffered this much damage.
Just one mana stone coming out doesn't balance the books.
Eun-ha greatly welcomed it.
But now wasn't the time to discuss how to distribute the items that came from them.
It was too early to relax.
One more corps commander remained.
─Bubbbbbb....
The Demon Face Manta Ray in the sky.
Finally, it approached over the players' heads.
They stepped onto the red dungeon.
It seemed like attacks on the Demon Face Manta Ray had been decreasing for a while....
What on earth are they doing?
Looking up at the night sky.
Eun-ha harbored doubts.
While they were facing the corps commanders, the Special Formation Platoon should have had many chances to kill the Demon Face Manta Ray.
Yet it was still alive.
Eun-ha couldn't understand the situation.
Thanks to this, now the players who had subjugated the corps commanders had to fight the Demon Face Manta Ray without even resting properly.
Right at that moment─.
[─Broadcasting from the Special Formation Platoon. This is Silla Clan Lord Kim Yu-jin. Currently a monster that has taken advantage of the Demon Face Manta Ray's ability is sweeping through the troops... Kyaaaah!!]
[...Monster...confirmed... It is...it is...]
[No. This can't be. This can't be happening, damn iiiit!!]
""""...."""
Telepathy from several people was heard.
Telepathy close to screams.
It seemed the rear of the Special Formation Platoon was under attack.
The faces of the players who heard the telepathy turned pale.
[Broadcasting a message from Special Bureau Director Min Ji-a of the Mana Management Organization. The currently estimated monster is...]
Urgent telepathy.
The players listened intently to Special Bureau Director Min Ji-a's telepathy.
─Thud
At that moment, suddenly.
Something fell among the players who were searching the place where Crimson Knight had vanished.
""""...."""
A huge, white fox.
And nine tails.
The moment the players faced it, they felt a pressure as if their souls were being crushed.
"Uh, uhh..."
And among them.
Kwak Woo-hyuk, who was closest to the fox, made a confused sound.
It was the last sound he made.
─Crunch!
Kwak Woo-hyuk's head flew off.
One of the tails had severed his neck.
The other tails also killed the other people in an instant.
[...Broadcasting...once more.... The currently estimated monster is...2nd rank...Maegu.... All play...ers should...quickly...evacuate...]
Intermittent telepathy.
But even without hearing the telepathy.
The players could realize the identity of the being that appeared before their eyes.
There are a lot of people here?
Are there any strong ones?
2nd rank monster Maegu.
It giggled.
The players stood frozen in terror as they realized the true nature of the threat before them. Maegu, a monster of unimaginable power, had suddenly appeared in their midst. The devastating loss of Kwak Woo-hyuk and others in mere seconds demonstrated the vast gulf in strength between them and this new foe.
Eun-ha's mind raced as he assessed the dire situation. They had just exhausted themselves defeating two powerful corps commanders, and now faced an even greater threat. He knew they were in no condition to fight such a formidable enemy.
"Everyone, fall back!" Eun-ha shouted, trying to organize a retreat. "Protect the wounded and get to defensive positions!"
But even as he gave orders, Eun-ha wondered if any defense could truly stand against this monster. Its speed and power seemed to far exceed anything they had faced before.
Maegu's tails lashed out again, effortlessly cutting down more players who were too slow to react. Its movements were almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.
"Such fragile things," Maegu's thoughts echoed mockingly. "Is this really the best humanity has to offer?"
Eun-ha gritted his teeth, knowing they needed a miracle to survive this encounter. But he refused to give up hope. Somehow, they had to find a way to overcome this seemingly invincible foe, or all their efforts to reclaim Uijeongbu would be in vain.