Chapter 851

Chapter 851

“Oh~ my? What is this?”

A strange voice echoed, but they had no choice but to focus on Rubini’s map first.

The map was drawing their attention more than the unbalanced groups before their eyes.

They couldn’t capture everything accurately from a distance.

However, they couldn’t possibly miss it up close.

Just as it had been with Toon and Ghibrid, there was a large red dot on Rubini’s map that seemed to have grown enormously.

“Then, that must be...”

“Pyrot-Cocri.”

Finally, they tore their eyes away from the map and looked at their target.

The girl-like entity in the middle, that must be Pyrot-Cocri.

And the number of male entities surrounding her in a protective manner was six in total.

Hyein was the first to notice.

“Six—”

“Formation! Moving out now, 〈Dinosaurization〉!”

Kijung was the first to act.

Having experienced the importance of preemptive strikes numerous times, he no longer hesitated.

At that moment, even at the far northern end of the Rope continent, the sun had set.

* * *

“Why are there six—”

“I won’t set up the field! 〈Holy Blessing〉, 〈Divine Sword〉!”

Before Hyein could say anything, Raphaela immediately supported Kijung.

In typical raids, it was common to set up a ‘continuous area healing field’, or ‘field’, and conduct battles within it. However, this raid was a small-scale one-party raid, and she decided to prioritize mana efficiency.

Kijung, being the tank, received an immediate defense buff, and Pei Wu, as the dealer, received an attack buff.

“〈Extreme Cold〉.”

Ram Hwajung also began casting magic immediately.

And Pyrot-Cocri didn’t just stand by idly.

“Annoying holy dogs, are they? Hey~, they want to play over there~? Keke!”

With her gesture, the five knights of the Yellow Dragon immediately assumed a defensive stance and charged towards Kijung and Pei Wu.

“Snap out of it! 〈Flying Dragon Kick〉!”

Of course, Pei Wu’s shout did not affect those who had already died and turned into undead.

However, what bothered him was having to face monsters that looked and moved exactly like his guild members.

Crack!

Even so, his strength lay in being able to deliver an upward kick that shattered a jaw.

With the sound of bones breaking, the monster’s body flew backwards, but that was it.

“Undead... It has to be completely destroyed.”

Despite its jaw being completely shattered and blood pouring out, it lunged back at Pei Wu.

This was the reason why players did not favor hunting undead.

Once something turned undead, it meant it was already dead.

In other words, it was difficult to completely destroy it with simple physical or magical attacks.

One needed weapons containing holy power or skills related to holy power, and if a vigilant healer was present, it was a manageable task.

“Then I’ll cast a holy power buff! 〈Striking Bless〉!”

Raphaela, noticing what was necessary from the single round of combat by Pei Wu, cast the appropriate buff.

“Thank you! Come on, rookies!”

Pei Wu dashed forward again, knocking down and luring his guild members.

“〈Dragon’s Eight Forms〉!”

“〈Hwangryong Kick〉!”

“〈Bai Su Arhat〉!”

“〈Vajra Palm〉!”

『“Kuh! Hyein hyung! Over here―”』

“Ah, got it! Then this time, 〈Triple Gravity〉!”

“〈Ice Spike〉.”

Hyein and Ram Hwajung cast their spells simultaneously, but Lee Jiwon’s judgment was faster.

“〈Blink〉, 〈Giga Spark〉, 〈Blink〉.”

In an instant, he evaded, using an electric-type skill on the ‘Ice Spike’ that was aimed at him, redirecting it precisely towards Ram Hwajung, before blinking again to charge towards Kijung.

Kaaaaang―!

At the same time, he swung his sword.

『Kuh!』

Despite three people being deployed to stop Lee Jiwon, who wielded his sword imbued with black electric energy, they struggled even to contain him.

Even after clashing swords and quickly parrying three times, Lee Jiwon managed to use a minor electric-type spell, leaving Kijung genuinely impressed.

‘I’ve never seen him fight seriously before― As expected― is he really ranked 2nd?’

Even with sufficient health and defense, Lee Jiwon’s attacks, combined with magic, penetrated Kijung’s tanking stance. He displayed agility that allowed him to dodge Kijung’s counterattacks, even while Kijung was using his dinosaur transformation.

Once, at the Demon’s base, when monsters overflowed, Lee Jiwon single-handedly stormed through the base, herding and confronting thousands of creatures. The only ones who could stand against him were the combination of Alexander and Bailephus. The gap between the 1st and 2nd rank was so significant that Lee Jiwon, in all his modesty, conveniently acknowledged Alexander because of it.

He saw Alexander and Bailephus as the only worthy matches to test his full strength.

Excluding the Alexander-Bailephus duo, he had almost never fought any user seriously.

Because they all died before even making him use his full power.

“〈Soul Link〉!”

The undead Lee Jiwon, slowed by triple gravity, looked at Hyein and shouted.

“Keuuh!? Soul Lin―”

With a flash of red, a gigantic frog appeared from the area Lee Jiwon indicated.

A grotesque creature without a face or front legs, it only had two massive teeth and thighs that looked ready to burst!

“Kyaa! Hyein! 〈Holy Strike〉!”

Raphaela hastily used an attack spell, but Lee Jiwon’s Soul Mate, ‘Hotchkiss’, had already pierced through Hyein’s thigh with its massive teeth.

“Aaaargh! Unable to use skills!? Mana tangled up – what kind of status effect is this―”

“Kihihit! What is this, what is this! This guy’s more fun as a toy than I expected!? Using Hotchkiss this way!”

Pyrot-Cocri clapped, seemingly seeing Lee Jiwon for the first time.

Had Lee Jiwon not used Soul Link when he fought with her?

However, Lee Jiwon’s Soul Mate, who possessed the ability to entangle mana, was a monster even Ancient Gold Dragon Bailephus had a hard time with.

Hyein, now rendered useless due to skill unavailability, barely managed to detach Hotchkiss with her staff, but that was it.

“Hye, hye, Hyein?”

Hotchkiss wouldn’t return instantly.

Facing it for the entire 30-minute duration of Soul Link while unable to use mana?

“Now― you better brace yourself.”

“I’ll handle it.”

Ram Hwajung stepped forward, raising her wand towards Hotchkiss, shielding Hyein and Raphaela.

“Pyrot-Cocri hasn’t even moved properly yet. Ram Hwajung, you should go with Kay―”

“Yeah. That’s why I’ll handle this.”

“―Huh?”

Hyein wanted to pull Ram Hwajung back, considering the worst-case scenario, but Ram Hwajung had something she could rely on.

“They’re here.”

As she spoke, the sky flashed.

───────────────!

When the silver light, brushing away the night’s darkness, burst forth, a gigantic Silver Dragon hovered in the sky.

『Pyrot-Cocri!』

“Let’s go. Arzenmacht. 〈Ice of Abyss〉.”

『I’ll freeze it!』

Phuuaaa────────ᄀ!