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2288 Words
[Chapter 092] [Evil for Evil (11)]
Blood splattered.
The boy swung his sword without hesitation at the Slayer approaching him.
The man who didn't think he would be attacked fell down.
Though he was stabbed missing a vital point.
The man who fell facing the sky trembled in his limbs while continuously coughing up blood.
"We went easy on you because you're young...!"
"Hey! Why are you... kuk...!"
Slayers who were acquainted with the man rushed at the boy.
But this time the boy didn't do anything.
The Slayers just got splattered with blood the fallen man was coughing up and screamed in pain.
...No way.
Three people died in an instant.
The blood the Slayers coughed up brought death to nearby Slayers again.
Kwon Ji-na and the other Slayers soon realized what had happened before their eyes.
"Don't move! It's deadly poison!"
It wasn't just simple deadly poison.
Deadly poison that leads to instant death the moment infected.
It was poison unknown if it could be blocked through mana resistance.
Moreover, it was even contagious enough to cause infection just by skin contact.
She shouted loudly to inform Slayers who hadn't grasped the situation yet.
Thanks to that, there were no more Slayers foolishly stepping forward.
"Is this the end?"
Meanwhile, the boy casually spoke.
As if not feeling the gravity of being surrounded at all.
Rather, he seemed to be arrogantly looking down on the people surrounding him.
"We shouldn't underestimate him because he's an academy student. We need to treat him as a Player like us." "...I hate to agree with you Ji-na, but it seems we have to."
No, perhaps.
Perhaps the boy hadn't been surrounded, but rather had lured them in.
She suddenly had that thought.
She couldn't easily deny it even while thinking it was nonsense.
The Slayers who directly witnessed his skills were having similar thoughts.
We need to kill him here.
We might end up getting caught if we let our guard down and waste time.
She who exchanged glances with the Slayers gripped two daggers drawn from her waist in reverse and kicked off the ground.
At the same time, Hunter Slayers quickly leapt out.
Still, recalling the magic the boy showed earlier, they didn't think the number of people deployed was excessive.
Trap Activation
Just as Dealers who had been hiding their presence appeared behind the boy.
She activated the trap set up in advance.
Sure enough, the boy easily avoided the Dealers' attacks as if he had been expecting them.
But he didn't seem to expect the ground to explode from various places in the direction he jumped.
For a moment his face stiffened.
He looked like he was hurriedly deploying a barrier to protect his body from the explosion, but that was also something she had in mind.
"s**t! Die!"
"Kahaha! You didn't expect this?"
Hunters who ran out through the path Guardians opened pulled their triggers.
The boy could only block in the explosion.
They who had already pinpointed the boy's location through Navigators and Telepaths could grasp beyond the smoke covering him.
It was truly like a high tier monster raid.
It was a moment when Slayers who had only aimed for solo play until now worked together for the first time in a long time.
And their coordination didn't end there.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1... 0.
Shoot!
Fire!
Snipers positioned in trees and Rangers waiting for an opportunity also pulled their triggers all at once.
Meanwhile, Casters who finished chanting also participated in the bombardment.
It was excessive treatment for a person who wasn't even a monster.
Nevertheless, they didn't show any mercy.
That's how deadly the poison the boy displayed was.
But just as they showed no mercy, the boy also showed no mercy.
─Arrogant Counterattack
Invisible Tracker
"...Kuhuk...!"
"W-Why...!"
"Kyaaak─!!"
"M-My leg...! Aaaak─!!"
The situation reversed.
The magic pouring into the dusty area suddenly changed direction and flew at the casters.
Those who couldn't defend against the magic in time received fatal wounds from just one hit, and even those who weren't suffered injuries.
The same went for Kwon Ji-na.
"...Kuk...! Quickly regroup!"
She shouted at the top of her lungs while pressing her burning side with her hand.
But Slayers whose ears were deafened by the bombardment that struck without warning revealed their true nature when cornered.
As if they had never coordinated, they started using someone as a shield or turning their backs to flee.
Invisible Tracker
Revolver Shot
Invisible Tracker
Thousand Steps
Wild Dance
Virulent Venom
Just then, the boy who revealed himself wrapped in dust that hadn't disappeared.
The boy threw huge thorns at those fleeing without looking with his eyes.
And the boy who accelerated instantaneously landed in front of a Hunter with movement that seemed to violate physical laws while flying through the sky.
Irregular sword slashing starting from there.
Nearby Slayers were cut by the sword without even properly counterattacking.
Some Slayers were hit by the deadly poison and splattered their blood on those around them.
The chain of death came again.
Nevertheless, the boy was devoting himself to moving to create new deaths, leaving death behind.
"─You're the leader?"
"...Kuk...!"
Then Kwon Ji-na's eyes met the boy's.
The boy muttered in a chilling voice, and closed the remaining distance in one breath right after.
She who reflexively crossed the two swords held in her hands gritted her teeth blocking the sword strike falling from above.
What kind of brat...!
The boy who used high-level control techniques to disrupt mana simultaneously with his attack as if he had been on the battlefield for a long time.
It was skill belonging to at least A-rank by Mana Management Organization standards.
She couldn't believe a mere 1st year middle school academy student had such power.
Virulent─
That attack again.
She gasped when she saw the mana gathered on the boy's descending sword turn black.
It would be over the moment she was hit.
She who felt her life in danger quickly activated the artifact worn on her ear.
─Butterfly's Protection
At that moment, the boy who had been looking at her like a bug changed his gaze.
She felt an inexplicable fear at the strange light dwelling in the boy's eyes.
☆
Artifact, Butterfly's Protection.
Eun-ha widened his eyes seeing the artifact the Hunter Slayer activated.
Mana particles moving like living butterflies were rushing in reacting to his attack.
While also interfering with his mana control ability at the same time.
It was certain.
The earring the Hunter Slayer activated was the artifact Butterfly's Protection that checks opponents existing near the caster and disrupts mana control.
To think I'd see this here.
What a windfall.
Eun-ha unknowingly put strength into the corners of his mouth trying to rise and released the manifested mana from his hand.
He gave up on Virulent Venom.
Thousand Steps
Butterfly's Protection's duration and effect were determined by the amount of mana consumed.
Eun-ha grasped that not many butterflies had flown to the Hunter Slayer and stepped back.
It was a power that didn't suit her.
At best it was used in urgent moments.
Eun-ha brushed off the butterfly droppings stuck to his body and took a stance.
So Yoon I-byeol obtained Butterfly's Protection here.
The Navigator who was On Tae-yang's third wife and had the alias .
Butterfly's Protection was the representative artifact for her.
In his previous life, Yoon I-byeol used Butterfly's Protection for self-defense.
Butterfly's Protection was a good artifact for Casters, Supporters or Navigators with a lot of internal mana to use for self-protection.
Not the Hunter in front of him.
It was the artifact the twin kids had sung about wanting so badly...
Yoon I-byeol probably obtained the artifact in the process of eradicating Slayers hiding on Seoraksan.
Eun-ha who recalled the twins whose names he couldn't even remember swung his sword at Slayers attacking from both sides.
He no longer had any interest in them.
He would just let them go even if they fled.
That's how eye-catching Butterfly's Protection was.
Invisible Tracker
Thousand Steps
Mana Crasher
She leapt in front of him and swung her sword with all her might.
The sound of metal clashing.
Her balance was disrupted as she was pushed back by strength.
He tried to use Spirit Summoning to knock her down to the ground just like that.
At that moment, butterflies covered his vision.
Mana disruption occurred again.
This kind of...!
Then I'll just disrupt mana from this side too.
He manifested the incomplete magic that came to mind after hearing Han Seo-hyun's advice.
He made the flow violent.
The butterflies exposed to his mana flapped madly trying to control their uneven bodies.
That much was enough for the butterflies she summoned.
The incomplete magic created time for him to use Spirit Summoning.
"...Kuk...!"
In the end she was slammed into the ground.
He tried to accurately aim for a point to strike down while imbuing mana into his sword, but not enough to break Butterfly's Protection.
...Annoying guys.
Just then, Rangers who came to their senses opened fire.
He had to turn his body to avoid the bullets pouring towards him.
Arrogant Counterattack can't be used anymore...
The incessantly flying bullets from those guys were annoying.
It was somewhat difficult to avoid while deploying a barrier.
In that situation, Dealers and Hunters were rushing in.
No, I can do it.
Because the sensation remains clearly.
Eun-ha decided to counter the guys' attacks.
He had countered Kang Hyeon-cheol's flames while fighting him before.
He recalled that time.
Along with the sensation when he activated Arrogant Counterattack just earlier.
Counter, Counter
He deployed chanting to be able to intuitively recall the image the moment he uttered the name.
Nevertheless, the second incomplete magic didn't exert effects as he wished.
It only made the trajectories of incoming magic deviate, and returned extremely small damage to opponents very close by.
Still, it reversed the situation.
Eun-ha gripped Black Thorn with both hands and leaned his upper body forward.
The blade tore through the wind, and a path of wind was created.
The wind brushing past him soon overlapped with his internal mana and transformed into a huge drill.
Invisible Tracker
Thousand Steps
Single Point Breakthrough
The target was ground away from the bombardment.
The moment he entrusted his body to the sword advancing while leaving the ground, Invisible Tracker led him to the position he desired.
Soon he who landed in the rear scattered the mana gathered on his blade around.
Invisible Tracker
Madness
Thorns made of mana targeted Rangers and Snipers in the trees.
Those who fell from the trees at the sudden attack lost their lives just like that.
I need to take down those capable of ranged attacks first.
He threatened with Virulent Venom, and momentarily intimidated Dealers with Stygian Eye.
Eun-ha who somewhat cleared the rear captured the attention of the Hunter Slayer looking for an escape route.
"Where are you trying to go?"
"...!"
She whose thigh was pierced by Revolver Shot could no longer flee.
He who even cut off one of her legs at this opportunity ignored her screams while killing Dealers persistently targeting him.
"These guys... are making things difficult..."
As he was frantically slashing away, the Slayers attacking him gradually decreased, and some ran away.
Eun-ha gasped for breath.
Eun-ha who drank a potion from the backpack he put down midway flipped over the Hunter Slayer who had fallen with her back turned.
"...You're tough."
Eun-ha frowned.
Though she had one leg cut off, she wasn't injured enough to die.
But the fallen Slayer had judged there was no way for her to live and took her own life.
She was truly a tough person.
Rather than dying painfully, she would die directly herself.
Eun-ha looked down at the Slayer who died with her eyes open while moving his hand.
"...Jackpot."
Butterfly's Protection that came into his hand.
Eun-ha immediately imbued mana into the earring.
A few butterflies with mana colors appeared around him.
As expected, it doesn't suit me.
The butterfly-shaped earring consumed considerable mana to activate.
But using a small amount of mana reduced its effectiveness.
It might help in close combat, but it seemed better to use Spirit Summoning instead.
I should hold onto this too.
Eun-ha recovered the mana granted to the artifact.
He decided to give it to someone who would join the party he would make someday.
Or it might be good to hand it over to Yoon I-byeol since he was thinking of recruiting her as a party member.
Other than that, Jung Ha-yang, Bae Su-bin, and Cha Eun-woo were three people suited for Butterfly's Protection.
He decided to include Jin Seo-na who had a decent amount of internal mana in the range too.
"...Wait."
No, there was one more person.
He smiled brightly recalling her.
I can give it to our noona.
How can I send her out without even one self-defense tool when the world is so harsh?
Eun-a graduates in 2 years.
He was just anxious thinking of her entering the Player industry before long.
Though he knew her skills very well, he couldn't help feeling anxious.
In that sense, Butterfly's Protection would surely become an excellent self-defense artifact for her.
"I can just give Yoon I-byeol something else later."
Eun-a was most important.
He couldn't stop smiling thinking of her being happy to receive the earring.
...I should leave soon.
Players would arrive soon after.
Eun-ha who gathered what he needed to gather decided to leave his position now.
The Players would take care of the fleeing Slayers.
With this, the final night of the comprehensive ability evaluation came to an end.
- Writer
