A strange feeling washed over me. In the first life, before defeating Horrence, the melee fighters suffered tremendous losses. They had to hold the front line while the ranged players dealt damage, no matter the cost. It was so grueling that when the second expedition was formed, the survivors from the first refused to take melee roles, even issuing threats. That's how dire it was—they had to recruit players from other allied cities.
Horrence, notorious enough to be called a nightmare, had such a fearsome reputation. Yet here I was, standing at the forefront, facing it head-on. Not only was I drawing its aggression, but I was also steadily dealing damage. I was fulfilling the dual role of tank and dealer—a dream for any swordsman. I held Horrence firmly in place, refusing to let it go, while the other players unleashed their attacks with gusto.
Whoosh.
A sharp gust of wind accompanied the dark blade swinging down, aiming to split my head. I effortlessly parried it with my longsword, infused with a surge of mana. The black sword bounced back with a heavy clang, and seizing the moment, I thrust forward swiftly. Horrence, unfazed, calmly retreated to counter, but unfortunately for it, this wasn't a one-on-one fight.
As the surrounding darkness gathered to push back my sword's trajectory, a flash of light sparked from above. Blinking once, I saw a barrage of chained spells raining down on Horrence like a storm. Looking closely, eight icy spears were deeply embedded in its body.
"Broken!"
With Ha-Yeong's clear voice, the ice spears shattered into fragments, tearing through the darkness. The guttural wail echoed through the air again, and Hyun and Yun-Jung darted toward Horrence's flanks. For the first time, they were reading the flow of battle and acting on their own judgment, moving with cunning precision.
The battle's rhythm was straightforward. I forced Horrence to retreat, triggering a powerful barrage from the ranged players. As it was incapacitated by the magical onslaught, we rushed in to deal damage. (Yun-Jung, in particular, was viciously targeting the same spots repeatedly.) After striking, we quickly pulled back, and I seized the opportunity to land the finishing blows. It wasn't a textbook boss raid, but with Vivienne and me, it was an efficient strategy that worked.
One wielded a spear, the other daggers, relentlessly stabbing until Horrence's body twitched slightly. They promptly withdrew their weapons and retreated. I gripped my longsword like a baseball bat again and swung hard, launching another home run. Since Horrence was a mix of physical and ethereal, I judged that broad impacts with the flat of the blade would sap its regeneration more effectively than slashes or stabs.
Horrence sailed through the air in a parabolic arc. As it floated, dark brambles sprouted from the shadowed floor, sprouting sharp thorns. A few missed, but with so many thorns rising, Horrence was quickly skewered like meat on a spit.
"...."
The thorns soon receded, and a tattered piece of darkness fell from the air. The fragments began to gather, writhing and slowly reforming. But then, a swarm of shadows lunged at it, tearing into the darkness and disrupting its recovery. It was almost pitiful at this point.
The reformation continued doggedly, but it was noticeably slower. What had once been a rapid process was now sluggish, signaling that the end was near.
Watching the reformation up close, Hyun and Yun-Jung shook their heads with exasperated expressions.
"How many times is this now?"
"Dunno. I stopped counting after ten."
As their voices echoed, Horrence, having painstakingly reformed, rose again. It shook off the clinging shadows with a violent shudder. Unlike its reckless charges at the start, it now hesitated, its red eyes fixed on me. I could sense the seething rage in its gaze, as if it wanted to tear me apart.
Horrence wasn't weak. Far from it. But being cornered like this would enrage anyone. Its fury was directed entirely at me. To deal with the other players harassing it, it had to get past me first, but not only was it failing to do so, it was being pushed back. Ignoring me wasn't an option either—I wouldn't let it go. The moment it turned its back, I'd knock it down again. In this battle, which felt like taunting a child, Horrence was likely feeling utterly trapped.
"Groooar…"
Horrence tilted its head skyward and let out a long, resounding roar. The darkness cloaking its body began to writhe chaotically. Hmm. It's starting, isn't it? I calmly stepped back a pace or two, observing it closely. The kids, sensing something ominous, huddled closer to me.
My prediction soon came to pass. The glowing red eyes flickered out in an instant. No, they hadn't gone out—they had turned black, yet I could still feel its gaze. The darkness enveloping its body grew heavier, and the murderous aura intensified, prickling my skin.
If its earlier cries were mere wails, this was a ferocious roar that shook the entire room. At that moment, a shadow rose from the darkness at my feet, and a figure with ashen hair emerged, shimmering. She tapped my shoulder and spoke. It was none other than the player Go Yeon-Joo.
"Player Kim Su-Hyeon."
"Yes."
"It looks like magical support through chained spells will be difficult for a while."
"Hmm."
I let out a soft hum, gazing ahead. The darkness before us was rippling like waves. It was responding to Horrence's rage. Noticing the shift, Go Yeon-Joo also furrowed her brow slightly, her expression troubled. She likely knew that some monsters grow abnormally stronger when facing death.
Turning my head, I saw Ha-Yeong barely standing, propped up by Vivienne. The other players seemed to have some energy left, but Ha-Yeong appeared to have pushed herself too far. Opting for chained spells when regular magic couldn't damage Horrence was a smart choice. However, chaining spells places a heavy burden on the player responsible for the final execution, so it's standard to rotate roles.
But Ha-Yeong had handled not just the finishing spells but also coordination and targeting. Enduring over ten rounds was commendable. When I looked at her, she tried to stand upright but staggered again. I raised a hand, signaling her to rest, then shifted my gaze back.
I felt the stares of Go Yeon-Joo and the kids, but I said nothing. Since I'd granted them freedom, I intended to observe for now. Besides, Ha-Yeong, with her contributions second only to Vivienne and me, had long since surpassed the passing mark.
Having completed its internal transformation, Horrence began slowly closing the distance between us. I matched its pace, stepping forward deliberately. I sensed Go Yeon-Joo and the kids scattering in different directions but paid it no mind. With Ha-Yeong out, magical support was unlikely to be reliable. If they were thinking strategically, Shin Sang-Yong or Sol would likely support the other two.
"Aura! Imprison! O Steel Enforcer, Ruler of the 49th Legion!"
At that moment, Vivienne's clear voice rang out, and a flurry of chains surged toward Horrence. The timing wasn't ideal, and I suspected Vivienne had sensed its transformation and was testing its reaction. And then—
Clank! Clank! Clank!
With a mighty roar, dozens of dark tendrils erupted from the darkness swirling around Horrence. The chains meant to bind it intertwined with the tendrils, only to vanish simultaneously. A low groan came from someone—I didn't know who—but I tilted my stance, angling my sword diagonally in my right hand. Now that Horrence had finally unleashed its true, hidden power, I was ready to face it with full seriousness.
At that moment, the temptation to use the power of the Hwajung surged strongly. With it, I could have defeated Horrence long ago, without needing to bring it down over ten times. But I quickly shook my head, dismissing the thought. I'd resolved not to overuse it, so I needed to restrain myself for now.
Giving my all meant doing my best within the abilities I could currently control, not relying on a power I couldn't handle to take the easy way out. Using it briefly against something like a Lich, whose body is fully ethereal, was one thing, but burning a boss monster like Horrence would require dozens of times more power.
Casting aside lingering regrets and focusing my mind, a sense of calm silence enveloped me. As the distance between us narrowed, I suddenly shot forward using the technique of Bow Body, Bullet Shadow.
As my body surged forward like a taut spring, Horrence raised its sword and moved to meet me. Just before our blades clashed, I shifted my diagonally angled sword to meet the flat of its dark blade. The moment our swords connected, a heavy force pressed into me, and I subtly twisted my blade.
I deflected. The dark blade grazed past my earlobe. But as its deflected momentum arced back toward me, I twisted my sword again, this time with force. The result was not just its blade but Horrence's entire right arm being flung upward.
Back in the first life, when my strength paled compared to top-tier players, I constantly pondered: how could I defeat them if we fought? Through life-risking trial and error and extensive study, I discovered one method—using the opponent's strength against them.
I possess an ability to generate mana to absorb and regulate the impact invading my body. Inspired by the principle of Saryangbalcheongeun (using four ounces to move a thousand pounds), I developed this into a unique ability. Initially, I honed it to mitigate overwhelming impacts, but I later integrated it with the philosophy of Taegeuk, applying it to my swordsmanship.
As the dark blade shot upward, Horrence's left chest was left exposed. Without hesitation, I thrust my sword into it. With a squish, my blade sank deep, and without pause, I drove my right foot into its torso with force.
Boom!
A resounding impact echoed as Horrence's waist buckled, and it slid backward. But even as it skidded, it quickly jammed its dark blade into the ground to halt its retreat and charged at me again.
Now, it wasn't just the dark blade. Like when it countered Vivienne's chains, the darkness swirling around Horrence surged ferociously, aiming for my life. I meticulously tracked the possible trajectories of its sword, moving my feet swiftly. Deflecting its blade once more, I spun my body in a full circle, advancing. The oncoming darkness narrowly grazed my abdomen, but it couldn't land a hit.
But then, a sharp killing intent prickled at the back of my neck. The darkness that had passed me didn't dissipate—it had curved into a U-shape, targeting me again. As I debated whether to press forward or dive in, a whispering voice brushed past my ear.
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