Chapter 110: Star, The Winter Palace (10)

Chapter 110: Star, The Winter Palace (10)

“Shit! Shit...!” Jeong Yoo-Jin cursed.

Wondering how long she had been stuck in this boring battle, Yoo-Jin felt frustrated. She initially planned to quickly kill this meretricious monster and find Chang-Sun, but she soon realized she had greatly misjudged the situation.

Boom, boom, boom―!

Using [Hellfire Song], she created brilliant fireballs and threw them at the Hongsal King, but the Hongsal King immediately cut them down with a single strike and gained on Yoo-Jin. He had not a single trace of soot or a sign of him sustaining any damage. Yoo-Jin used [Dream Hallucination], the phantom magic spell, to distance herself from the Hongsal King again.

Whoomp!

Knowing she was at a disadvantage if she fought the Hongsal King at close range, she used various phantom magic spells to gain some space. She even made mirages to confuse the Hongsal King and disturbed his sense of distance.

If there was one silver lining in this situation, it would be that she was quite skilled at hand-to-hand combat even though she was a marksman-type wizard since Gwak Do-Woon taught her. Even if the Hongsal King nullified her phantom magic spells and approached Yoo-Jin, she could predict the Hongsal King’s next move to some level. If he was too close, Yoo-Jin forcefully increased the distance between them using [Jade Smashing Fist].

Do-Woon was the one who had taught Yoo-Jin every hand-to-hand combat move she was currently using. At the time, she had grumbled and complained about not needing to learn all these, but for the first time, Do-Woon seriously advised her to learn the moves. Although she had been compelled to learn them, they were helping her prolong her life right now. Even if she wanted to return to that time, she couldn’t, but the part that made her regret the most was that she hadn’t even known those times would become one of her dear memories.

Still, she was facing two problems in this battle. One was that using [Hellfire Song] consumed her vital force. It was an inevitable side effect of forcing herself to use the authority despite not having fire attribute mana.

‘I don’t have much vital force left,’ Yoo-Jin thought bitterly.

While it could look like she was currently fighting on equal grounds against the Hongsal King, she would eventually self-destruct if she continued to use [Hellfire Song]. She couldn’t let that happen, considering she hadn’t even found Chang-Sun yet. Unfortunately, the Hongsal King didn’t budge at all.

[The Celestial ‘Weeping Mōryō’ pressures you and asks why you can’t end the fight quickly despite already having his power.]

[The Celestial ‘Weeping Mōryō’ isn’t certain you are actually his dead apostle’s blood kin.]

The ‘Weeping Mōryō’ had warmly offered to get revenge for Do-Woon together with her, but he was pressuring Yoo-Jin now, showing he was also very frustrated.

However, she currently had a much bigger second problem. The Hongsal King was a monster who could ‘learn.’ He was so intelligent that he gradually learned Yoo-Jin’s attack patterns and attempted to counterattack accordingly. He had also quickly figured out how to break free from [Dream Hallucination] faster, nullify the [Hellfire Song] fireballs without suffering any damage, mess up Yoo-Jin’s prediction about his next move, and slowly close the distance between them.

‘He’s like Players studying a boss monster’s attack pattern as they raid it!’ Yoo-Jin thought, but she couldn’t think any longer.

Rumble, rumble―!

“This is the first time in so long that I’ve had fun during combat. As a reward, I’ll kill you myself and make you my new subordinate,” the Hongsal King spoke as he suddenly showed up before Yoo-Jin.

Although he was wearing half-destroyed armor and was sustaining damage, Yoo-Jin noticed the Hongsal King’s eyes were shining brighter than ever through the gaps in his helmet. That evidenced how much fun he was having in this fight, just as he had said. At first, the Hongsal King focused on getting rid of the female wizard who had appeared after Chang-Sun disappeared, but his plan had completely changed now.

The humans who died in the Changgwi Cave were born again as Changgwis and became subordinates of the Changgwis who killed them. Hence, the Hongsal King decided to kill both Yoo-Jin and Chang-Sun to turn them into ‘general-class’ Changgwis. Unlike those idiotic generals, the two would aid the Hongsal King greatly as he conquered the third floor, maybe even the fourth floor.

Swish―!

Using his sharply-edged sword, the Hongsal King went for Yoo-Jin’s neck.

Boom!

Yoo-Jin conjured as much fire as she could and gathered it in her palm. She then directed its explosion forward using [Jade Smashing Fist], creating a violent wall of fire that deflected the Hongsal King’s sword attack. However, the Hongsal King immediately changed his sword’s trajectory and went for Yoo-Jin’s lower body as if he already knew she was going to do that.

Flash!

Yoo-Jin slammed the staff on the ground using her right hand to cast the phantom magic spell that would confuse the Hongsal King about her location.

Paah―!

The Hongsal King stomped his left foot and destroyed the magic circle being drawn on the ground. “I told you that doesn’t work.”

‘H-he completely nullified the phantom magic spell?’ Yoo-Jin thought in shock as the Hongsal King was about to strike her in her waist with his great sword.

Boom!

[The Celestial ‘Weeping Mōryō’ anxiously bites his nails.]

“Ahhhh!” Yoo-Jin was sent violently bouncing backward like a balloon that had been popped.

She managed to block the Hongsal King’s attack using the wall of fire, but she couldn’t stop the shockwaves of his attack. With no intention to stop, the Hongsal King kicked off the ground and closed in on her. In response, Yoo-Jin turned in the air and shot out multiple fireballs.

Boom! Boom! Boom―!

The Hongsal King quickly dodged all the fireballs and instantly approached Yoo-Jin. She hurriedly held out her hand forward and drew up demonic energy to slow him down somehow. Being this close to him was dangerous. She had to create some distance.

Pzzzz―!

The fire that had instantly blazed up suddenly died out. Like a candle wick that had just been extinguished, only black smoke came out from her hand. Having nearly exhausted all of her vital force, she no longer had enough amount to activate the authority.

[The Celestial ‘Weeping Mōryō’ jumps up from his seat and shrieks!]

‘N-no...!’?Yoo-Jin turned pale.

In her flickering view, she witnessed the Hongsal King quickly approaching and swinging his greatsword to cut her head off.

“You’re trying to do something.” The Hongsal King’s smile became more crooked when he realized the attributes of Chang-Sun’s mana waves changed again. He thought the fight would become even more fun.

Paah―!

Chang-Sun activated [Tiger Prowl] at its maximum output. He disappeared soon after, and a gigantic tiger suddenly showed up before the Hongsal King, its jaws wide open.

Roar―!

~

[The Skill ‘Black Mountain King’s First Claw’ has been activated, raging over the opponent!]

~

Emitting white holy light, [Yuchang Sword] struck the Hongsal King’s left shoulder like a real tiger viciously biting its prey.

Boom―!

Crack!

Although the Hongsal King held up his greatsword, which held a great amount of Hohwan Mama, the [Yuchang Sword]’s sharp edge neatly cut it in half and proceed to diagonally slice through the Hongsal King’s upper body. The fragments from his shattered armor were flung into the air, revealing his hideous wound. It was as if a beast had really bitten him.

Chang-Sun still wasn’t done, however. Unleashing that powerful attack emptied his Integrated Magic Circuit, allowing him to draw up his mana again and, this time, activate [Unrelenting Offensive]. [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth], seemingly not done yet as well, revealed its second fang and cut the Hongsal King from the bottom right to the top left.

[The Skill ‘Black Mountain King’s Second Claw’ has been activated!]

Chang-Sun couldn’t use the [Black Mountain King’s Second Claw] due to his physical limit, but he finally succeeded in revealing it. As per the explanation on the skill window, the damage of the skill ‘Black Mountain King’ increases exponentially the more claws he revealed. As a result, the shockwave from [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth] had become strong enough to blow up the Hongsal King.

Boom!

The [Black Mountain King’s Second Claw] blew away and scattered half of the Hongsal King’s body in the air.

Woosh, woosh, woosh...!

Behind the Hongsal King was a battlefield that had practically been reduced to ruins. Clouds of dust feebly rose up.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ gapes after witnessing the attack you had just unleashed.]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ tilts his head because it looks like there is something wrong with the skill.]

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ opens his eyes wide.]

“W-what is this...?” The Hongsal King stuttered.

The shockwave left only one-third of the Hongsal King’s face intact, but he could still luckily speak since he still had a part of his right eye and mouth. His helmet had been completely shattered, allowing his long hair to drape down like a waterfall.

For a very short moment, Chang-Sun wondered if he should answer the Hongsal King, but he soon believed the Hongsal King needed to know.

“Tiger’s claw,” he concisely answered.

“A claw, huh.” The Hongsal King laughed louder than ever.

For some reason, he looked more pleasant and refreshed than when he was about to conquer the third floor or exchange attacks with Chang-Sun.

“It suits you very well.” After the Hongsal King said his last words, he broke down and dissipated into the air.

Crack!

“M-my king!”

“U-unbelievable!”

Paying no attention to the startled Changgwis, Chang-Sun raised his head.

Ding!

Ding!

[Biwi factor acquired!]

[Biwi factor acquired!]

...

[Successfully acquired all the Biwi factors.]

[All the factors have been combined into one and completed a Biwi. You can now designate a subject as a Biwi. The subject will become your subordinate.]

[Would you select a subordinate?]