Chapter 515: Encounter (1) |
I was a bit flustered, but I couldn’t show it. I wondered if Dialugia’s acting skill was the same as Kim Ye-Ri, but I could see that she was a bit worse because she was wearing her heart on her sleeve.
She was aware of what she said, but she started roaring without realizing it. She didn’t say anything because what she did was as embarrassing as calling one’s teacher mom.
Normally, I would have teased her, but I needed her, so I kept my remark to myself.
In addition, it was more important to quietly support her right now.
‘...’
- So, this is…
‘I won’t say anything else, so please prepare yourself.’
- What?
‘It’s coming, so get ready.’
‘Get rid of the things around us.’
- Ah, okay.
Actions over words. Dialugia somewhat knew what I was thinking, so she unleashed her Plague Breath in the surroundings. The tall buildings collapsed so easily that it felt like the sturdy-looking Lindel I had been seeing up until now was all a lie.
Craaaaaaack!
Booooooooooooom!
‘Awww, that restaurant serves really good food…’
The buildings and places where I made great memories were collapsing.
‘I remember that cafe and bar being nice as well. Man, how unfortunate…’
The same thing happened to the symbol of Lindel.
‘I didn’t really like that statue.’
The old buildings started collapsing as well.
‘That’s… going to take some time to restore.’
If I were to exaggerate a bit, a sixth of Lindel collapsed in the blink of an eye. Many people stared at us as we devastated a portion of Lindel in a matter of seconds. Some of them looked as if they had lost everything.
From the city square to the Guild House, everything was destroyed, and I was sure that it was a surreal sight, especially to the denizens of Lindel.
Who could remain calm after seeing their hometown being devastated right in front of their eyes?
They were obviously angry and bitter. A few emotional people joined the battle while biting their lips. I felt kind of bad, but I—no, we needed this to happen for our project.
However, we were doing this not just to leave the biggest scar on Lindel, but we also wanted to prevent Kim Hyun-Sung from using the terrain to his advantage. If that squirrel-like swordsman had places to hide, I wouldn’t be able to fight him properly.
It didn’t matter even if I had Mind’s Eye because he would be too fast for me to track.
‘Nice. Great…!’
I could definitely secure my own escape route with a catalyst, and fortunately, I got a bunch of catalysts from the demons. Still, I couldn’t help but feel nervous because I knew why mankind was still holding onto the sliver of hope despite their situation.
I was also nervous that perhaps Ji-Hye noona was conspiring with Dialugia.
The troops outside were busy blocking the wave of demons. The reserve forces were busy as well, so no one could stop me here. In addition, it wouldn’t make sense for the supply team or the remaining troops to fight Dialugia and Doom Ki-Young.
However, it also didn’t make sense that they simply allowed Dialugia to use her special Plague Breath to destroy the city. The fact that they allowed us to enter so easily meant that the Continental Union had a trick up its sleeve.
Unfortunately, I had already deduced their trick.
‘Get ready.’
- Where?
‘The wall. The southeast side, to be exact. Just breathe in, but don’t release it.’
- Are you telling me to shoot my breath to those humans?
‘The people there are the ones we can kill. Since when did you start liking humans so much? And did you not hear me? I didn’t tell you to shoot it; I just told you to breathe in.’
- So what… do you mean by that exactly…
‘Below on your six. Shoot it out in a cone!’
- Shit. You should have told me sooner!
‘From now on, don’t say anything, don’t think about anything. Just listen to my orders, and I want you to only make decisions whenever I tell you to do so.’
Grrr!
Dialugia had to have agreed because she turned her head quietly. However, she still looked slightly anxious as she inhaled and prepared her Plague Breath.
She couldn’t see it, but I was sure she knew what I was trying to say. Dialugia was a dragon, but she was bound to have blind spots, especially against something tiny but extremely fast. If it hadn’t been for me, she wouldn’t have noticed him.
As expected, I saw him walking through the debris and smoke.
‘Damn it, it’s nice to see you, Hyun-Sung!’
Kim Hyun-Sung was biting his lips, but his face was determined.
Unfortunately, the exhaustion Kim Hyun-Sung I had seen earlier was no longer there. It seemed like he was being driven by the determination to save me, and his determination actually made me feel bad.
However, the feeling was only temporary.
I started to become nervous when he started running toward me with barely any injuries. I started thinking about the things that were about to happen and my current situation while tapping my thigh with my finger.
Dialugia’s Plague Breath wasn’t that great at penetrating tough defenses, so it couldn’t remove Kim Hyun-Sung’s magic armor. However, I was sure that we would be able to deplete his stamina, but…
‘It’s meaningless.’
- What should I…
‘Don’t ask me any questions because I don’t have time to answer. Fly. While flying to the tallest building, draw a line based on the coordinates I have given you.’
- Okay.
‘It’s definitely worth a try.’
I could write a Regressor Instruction Manual, so there was no need for me to write a Dialugia Instruction Manual. Dialugia flew swiftly like a squirrel. Obviously, she didn’t look as cute as a flying squirrel because she was too heavy.
She leaped into the air, and the clock tower crumbled. The wind that her wings were generating was also strong enough to destroy the buildings that were still standing somehow.
In addition, she was also releasing her Plague Breath to restrict Kim Hyun-Sung’s movements.
- Rooooooooar!!
I could see where Kim Hyun-Sung was going to move. I snapped my fingers after scattering catalysts in the path I had plotted earlier. To be exact, the catalysts were synthesized items made out of dragon bones and demon bones.
I used them to interrupt Kim Hyun-Sung’s movements, but I was also trying to keep him in one place.
Craaaaaaack!
‘Nice visuals.’
When I was still the Alchemist of Light, I couldn’t use my catalysts after a certain range, but the range changed after I became the Dark Plaguelord.
The bones filling up the ruins of Lindel were a sight to see as a large arm made out of bones emerged to grab Kim Hyun-Sung. I also hurled a few undead skeletons, so I could definitely say that I managed to create a dungeon.
Craaaaaack!
Craaaaaaaaaaaack!!
Booooooom!!
The bony palm either pounded the ground or swung itself.
The skeletons crumbled upon being struck by the palm.
‘Damn… it…’
It was an impressive sight to see a human being surrounded by skeletons while facing a bony arm the size of a building. It was even more impressive considering that hundreds of those arms surrounded him. Kim Hyun-Sung made his way through the wave of bones—which was as overwhelming as a disaster—as if he was surfing on tidal waves. My jaw dropped at the sight.
He blocked whatever he couldn’t dodge, and he destroyed whatever he couldn’t block.
I knew that Kim Hyun-Sung was strong enough to destroy the bones, but I didn’t expect them to be annihilated so easily. The trump card I thought would buy me some time was being destroyed as if they were pieces of paper, so I couldn’t help but frown at the sight.
I wasn’t used to using the skills of the Dark Plaguelord, but I still channeled a spell. A faint smoke swirled around my hand, and the plague that took the form of a ghost slowly floated away from my hand.
It couldn’t move that fast, but it was tiny and stealthy.
‘I can’t let it go on like this. This is useless now…’
My plan was to infect Kim Hyun-Sung with this plague and let him suffer from it because that was the surest way I could inflict some damage on him.
Unfortunately, he broke through the first obstacle as if he were taking candy from a baby, ruining my plans.
‘This is bad…’
“I don’t care even if you have to use Breath on him or whatever, just make sure that he’s at least a hundred meters away from us. Don’t attack him with your claws, and don’t even think about headbutting him. Use only ranged attacks, and in the worst-case scenario, swing your tail,” I said.
- I understand. But… is it even possible to challenge him? I could feel that you have become stronger, but that human…
“I’m busy thinking right now since our first plan cannot be executed anymore. No matter how much I think about it, he’s the problem. If we can stop him for a bit…” I said.
‘I can create a more beautiful and gruesome scene.’
The people wouldn’t appreciate it because it would be impossible to film a touching scene if the camera couldn’t even capture that scene. At this rate, the people would only see Kim Hyun-Sung jumping out of nowhere and hitting me in the head.
If that were to happen, my work so far would be in vain.
I grabbed my head momentarily, feeling worried…
“Mr. Ki-Young!” Kim Hyun-Sung suddenly yelled at me.
‘Ah… this is…!’
I had always been the best at adapting, so I immediately created a guideline on what I should do right now.
“Aaaarghh!”
Dialugia seemed like she was questioning if I had gone crazy when I grabbed my head as if I were in excruciating pain, but Kim Hyun-Sung’s reaction was different.
“I-It’s me, Hyun-Sung! My voice! Can you hear my voice?!” he yelled.
‘Oh my, you sound so desperate. Your voice…’
“Mr. Ki-Young! Mr. Ki-Young! Are you still in there? Mr. Ki-Young! Open your eyes! Please…! Please!” he continued.
‘Oh, man.’
His voice was one of the saddest voices I had ever heard. It was clear that he really wanted me to hear his voice because he was yelling at me while channeling mana directly in front of his mouth to amplify his voice.
“I’ll… I’ll come and rescue you right now!” he added.
His eyes were fixated on me as well.
‘This guy… he still hasn’t come to his senses. That’s how you get backstabbed, man.’
“Wait there for a bit. I’ll… be there soon,” he said.
However, it seemed like he hadn’t let his guard down at all.
“AAAARGHHH!” I screamed even louder because I had to make him lower his guard.
Fortunately, my scream made him feel even more anxious, which created more tension.
He was exhausted and desperate, so he wasn’t looking around at all. Unfortunately, accidents could happen in the blink of an eye.
He was currently breaking through the wave of skeletons using his combat sense alone, but it seemed that he didn’t notice the ghost I sent over to him earlier.
Soon, I saw Kim Hyun-Sung limping on his way over to me.
The ghost successfully pierced his magic armor.
‘I think I’m really strong… Seriously, how did I get so strong?’
I was once a novice who couldn’t even defeat a single monster from the tutorial dungeon, but I had already become strong enough to injure the leg of the awakened regressor.
My heart broke at the sight, but I felt proud of myself as well.