Chapter 366 |
The enemy charged powerfully across the water-soaked field. Their momentum as they rushed forward all at once was like a surging flood bursting from a broken dam.
There were about 15,000 of them. Perhaps because such a massive number of soldiers was storming the earth in unison, I felt my body tremble each time their feet struck the ground. The fierce war cries echoing across the plain were enough to numb my hearing.
At the head of this enemy force was Kushan Thor, the king of the giants. He strode forward, a massive club clutched in his right hand. Standing ten meters tall, every step he took closed the distance between us in huge chunks. As a result, the gap between him and the rest of his army was widening significantly. It seemed his plan was to send his summoned giant ahead to throw the Eastern forces into chaos before they could compose themselves.
As we faced each other, simultaneously closing the gap, the distance between Kushan Thor and me shrank to a stone's throw.
It happened in an instant.
The giant finally seemed to notice me. It let out a tremendous roar and immediately raised its club high into the air.
Kiyaaaaaaah!
I raised Caligo Abraxas, gripping it with both hands so tightly it felt like it would shatter. Then, with all my strength, I kicked off the ground and charged straight toward the giant.
The moment we entered each other's range.
For a brief second, the giant's movement seemed to halt, its planted right foot digging deep into the muddy earth. At that same moment, a wind so fierce it whipped my hair across my face washed over me. An intense pressure bore down on my head, and when I quickly looked up, I saw the massive club smashing down as if to split the earth.
It's coming.
There was no time for complex thoughts. I simply met the descending club by swinging my sword upward with all my might. A dark afterimage, radiating a dense, pulsing energy, drew a thin arc as it rose. Falling with incredible momentum, was just about to strike my head.
Flash!
With a burst of light that seemed to explode, Caligo Abraxas and the giant's club collided.
CRASH!
A tremendous explosion, loud enough to feel like a slap to the ears. For a fleeting moment, my vision turned completely white. Thankfully, my sight returned quickly, but the nauseating jolt that followed made me let out a faint groan.
In that instant, a quiet stillness fell over the field. The ground-shaking footsteps and the bloodthirsty war cries that had filled the air just moments before vanished as if they had been a lie.
When the jarring vibration in my wrist finally subsided, I could see the result.
The sword and the club were still locked together. But a large hole had been gouged into the upper part of the club at the point of impact. Through this newly formed circular hole, I could see Caligo Abraxas, having cut halfway through it.
Grrrggh...
Suddenly, I heard a gurgling sound right in front of me. The club dropped limply. A quick glance forward revealed the giant, its mouth agape, stumbling one, two steps backward.
Thud!
Then, a faint tremor ran through the ground as it fell to its left knee.
Strength. Magic. And Caligo Abraxas. I had combined these three forces and returned the force of the blow that had been dealt to me. Of course, I hadn't returned all of it (or more accurately, I couldn't). But the impact I had received had already been significantly dampened, making it just about bearable.
Unable to withstand the reflected shock, the giant seemed to have momentarily lost its senses.
This is my chance!
The moment I saw the giant's eyes rolling back, I charged without hesitation. But it had no intention of going down so easily. It quickly righted its club and swept it horizontally in a wide arc.
But wearing the Orthros Long Boots, my agility and jumping power were second to none. I stomped my foot hard and launched myself high into the air with every ounce of strength I had. I felt a blade-like gust of wind brush past beneath my feet.
Come to think of it, the Third Eye had referred Kushan Thor as the former king. I didn't know the story behind that, but I was now certain that the giant before me was not a Demigod. There wasn't the slightest trace of a Demigod's unique authorities, Divine Power and Complete Magic Resistance.
If I was right, Kushan Thor was nothing more than a simple, brutish monster. That would place him far below the likes of Mabolo de Ailigh.
With the thought that this was the end, my airborne body was about to pass its abdomen. Just then, the giant's golden body began to glow, and a discharge of magical energy erupted. It formed four crackling tendrils that lashed out at me. The streams of magic produced a considerable thunderclap, but unfortunately for him, they weren't powerful enough to pierce my magic resistance.
Crackle! Sizzle!
Kushan Thor must have thought it was a decisive blow, as he stared blankly at his fizzling magic. The moment his gaze turned to me, I swung Caligo Abraxas down from mid-air.
Shunk!
I felt the unmistakable, satisfying sensation of slicing through thick hide. Not stopping there, I channeled another explosive burst of magic through the embedded sword.
Thump! Thump!
Guooooooh!
As his broad stomach rippled and convulsed, the giant let out a scream of agony. It staggered wildly, swinging its club three or four times. But the sharp precision from its first strike was nowhere to be seen; these were just wild, desperate attacks. I used Phase Shift to slip out of its trajectory and instantly took its blind spot. I was about to kick off the air for a follow-up attack.
Shhhk! Shhh-shhhk!
Suddenly, the sound of something tearing through the air pierced my ears. I quickly turned my head to see dozens of arrows flying toward me. I had moved to its side to deliver a decisive blow, but in doing so, I had exposed myself to the enemy's line of sight.
"Tch!"
I quickly somersaulted through an empty space, narrowly avoiding the volley of arrows. But I had to give up on my attack, and I landed back on the ground. The moment I touched down, I quickly created distance. The arrow volley was a clear sign that the enemy, who had briefly halted, had started moving again.
There wasn't much time. I calmly raised my head and saw a deep blue membrane forming over the giant's body. The blue film was concentrated on its wound, seeping into it like water and emitting a shimmering light. The giant's wound began to close. When it looked down at me again, the ferocious energy had returned to its eyes.
For a moment, I considered using EternalFire, but I quickly shook my head. If another uncontrollable awakening phenomenon occurred like last time, the aftermath was terrifying to even imagine. I would use it if I had no other choice, but Kushan Thor was an opponent I could handle without borrowing EternalFire's power.
Still, it was a terrible waste to let go of an opportunity to finish it. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind in that split second, but I decided to push myself and seize this chance. Just as I steeled myself and was about to charge—
Rumble! A sound like rolling thunder stopped my foot just as I was about to kick off the ground.
What is this...?
But before the thought could finish.
Crackle! Cra-crack!
Ten streaks of lightning descended from the sky, striking the giant square in the chest.
It happened in an instant. The lightning struck the exact spot where I had wounded it, and as a result, the chest that had been healing was torn wide open again.
That wasn't all. The moment the lightning hit, the water that had been healing him turned into a catalyst, amplifying the electric shock. Though I couldn't see it, its insides must have been completely ravaged. A dark brown fluid gushed from the torn flesh, and unidentifiable dregs mixed with the blood pooling on the ground.
I didn't have to think. Rather than trying to figure out the source of the lightning, my body shot forward on pure reflex. The opportunity that would have required me to push my limits just moments ago had now returned as a surefire chance right before my eyes.
Guooooooh!
Even in that state, Kushan Thor saw me charging and managed to swing its club. Blood was pouring from its wounds, its body was tilting forward, yet it refused to let go of its weapon. Even in his death throes, he was still a king.
A dark shadow fell over the ground. Seeing it bring its body down with the club, it seemed to be attempting one last desperate struggle, but Kushan Thor was now nothing more than a wounded beast.
I followed the trajectory of the falling club, intentionally moving into its path. Once in position, I gripped my sword with both hands and poured magic into it with all my might. Caligo Abraxas responded to my magic, crying out even louder. Then, like a batter hitting a home run, I swung with all my strength at the descending club.
BOOM!
A massive impact sound, and a heavy sensation shot through my hands. But I let my body follow the flow of the upward swing, spun once more, and swung my sword again.
Slice.
I clearly felt something being severed. Half of the club, shattered to pieces, and the other half, cleanly cut, flew through the air. Kushan Thor was now completely defenseless.
I glanced up at the sky. Perhaps because it had lost its club, the giant's body, which had been collapsing forward, was now tilting slightly to the right. Through the gap, I could see the blue sky.
I quickly calculated the distance. The range of Phase Shift wasn't as long as one might think. I waited for it to get closer, and when it was about two meters away, I kicked off the ground and activated the ability at the same time.
The surrounding scenery changed in a flash, as if I had teleported. Glancing down at the ground-shaking noise, I saw the giant, having slammed its body into the earth. What could it be thinking right now?
It's over.
Landing on its head as if I were simply falling, I plunged my sword deep into the back of its skull. Aided by the force of my descent, it slid in without resistance. Without delay, I triggered a magical explosion. A massive boom erupted, and I felt the giant's body convulse violently beneath my feet.
The moment the golden light surrounding Kushan Thor's body faded, I immediately threw myself backward with all my strength. Even though our exchange had been surprisingly brief, it was now time for the enemy forces to start swarming in. Moreover, with the giant defeated, I was completely exposed to their view.
I continued to leap backward. I was about to make a light turn in the air to get my bearings when I landed on the ground.
"Soohyun."
Suddenly,
"Soohyun!"
Along with my brother's voice, I felt a warm hand grip each of my shoulders.
To be honest, I wasn't that surprised. In fact, ever since I saw the lightning strike the giant's chest, I had expected that Hyeon was on his way here.
I calmly turned my head and saw him, soaked from the rain. His wet hair was plastered to his face, but the eyes visible through the gaps held a deep concern.
As if he had something to say, Hyeon opened his mouth, his voice low.
"Soohyun... what in the world are you...?"
Bubble... bubble!
But in that instant, an unusual energy began to emanate from our surroundings. Hyeon immediately fell silent, his sharp gaze sweeping the area.
The source of the strange energy was the water. I felt a chill brush against my skin. I instinctively looked down and witnessed an unexpected sight. The water clinging to my body was being drawn away at an incredible speed, as if being sucked up by a vacuum. It wasn't just me; the same was happening to Hyeon, and to all the water that had pooled on the plain.
The water didn't go far. No, to be precise, it was gathering here. And the water that had already gathered was merging from all directions, growing in volume.
Whoooosh!
Soon, on the once-empty field, dozens...
No.
Perhaps hundreds of blue, liquid forms rose up and began to ripple and surge. The sight, like a single great wave undulating, was so grand and beautiful it could only be called breathtaking.
La la la la la la....
La la la la la la....
La la la la la la....
"This is... No, never mind. We can talk later. We need to get out of here, now."
The moment the brilliant song of The Legion of Purification reached my ears, Hyeon urgently grabbed my arm and pulled.
Of course, I completely agreed with him. But the spirits, having reached the final stage of their summoning, had already surrounded us on all sides. At the same time, the war cries of the charging enemy were growing closer by the second.
I bit my lip.
Not yet...
It was then.
Just as I thought I had to do something.
Swwoooosh..
I felt a dense, unpleasant movement in the air, slowly approaching from the distance as if to swallow everything. And then, a familiar cry faintly pierced my ears.
It was a dim, malevolent sound, a stark contrast to the brilliant, beautiful voices of the spirits.
Yes. This sound was just like...
Kiaaaaaah...
Kiaaaaaaah...
Kiaaaaaaah....
From a pit deep within the earth.
Kieeeeeeeeeh!
It sounded like the dark screams of the Abyssal Fiends, crying out in despair.