Chapter 114
The Bloody Clown’s expression freezes when he hears my answer.
“Da, what did you just say…….”
“Do you want to hear it again? I mean literally, Instructor Ji-hyun called you fucking weak when she evaluated you?”
She did say that, didn’t she?
‘What, Bloody Clown? He’s a jobber who can spit explosive gasses and use a little magic. He’d be nothing if it weren’t for his disguise powers…… and he’s so fucking weak I feel like I’m going to die.’
But that’s just Ji-hyun’s standard.
In general, Bloody Clown is not a weak villain at all.
He’s not a named character for nothing, he’s a rare case of multiple abilities, and there’s no doubt that he’s been through a lot of terrorist attacks and combat.
If she can call him weak, it’s probably because she’s Ji-hyun.
‘Well, that’s not the point.’
The most important thing right now is that my taunt went right through to him.
His face, which was white until now, was visibly turning red.
“How dare she, how dare she, that bitch, that bitch, that bitch -did she say that about me?”
“I see you’re angry, so I guess it’s true?”
I didn’t realize it worked so well…….
You’re going to make this easy for me.
[Bloody Clown’s anger has reached its limit and a hidden quest occurs!]
【Hidden Quest】
[Festival of Blood and Explosions]
[Obstruct and subdue the plans of the Bloody Clown, a vicious villain and terrorist who has escaped Niflheim!]
[Objective: Death or incapacitation of the Bloody Clown]
[Reward: 「Skill: Clown’s Makeup」]
The quest window finally appeared in front of me.
Things were beginning to unfold as I had intended.
“Where is that comb-beating bitch, the one I need to blow up and kill right now!?”
“I don’t know why you’re looking for her here after coming all the way to Area C. After all, there’s a place you’re supposed to go back to.”
“Where am I supposed to go? Hahahaha! That’s funny, Niflheim! You mean back to that hellhole?”
No, not there.
Above all.
” Niflheim is hell? You’re a clown, so you can tell a good joke.”
I think he’s mistaken…….
“Since you crossed Corleone I decide which hell you can go to.”
That’s the price of crossing Corleone.
“You! How dare you say that! This is so ridiculous. How dare a brat like you!?”
“──The heir and executor of the Corleone family, Eugene Han Corleone.”
So much for stalling for time.
I round up the Aura that has been scattering into thin air and slam it into Midas’ gloves.
Thanks to the bracelet I received from Mr. Kwak Chun-sik, the aura infusion was quick.
With the ‘Hidden Quest’ clearly on the horizon, stalling for time would only make it harder on Alessia, who was suffering behind me.
──I’ll finish it quickly.
[Bloodline Ability: “Corleone” takes control of “Midas’ Gloves”]
The black gloves covering my hands begin to change, turning red.
The blood-colored knuckles are terrifying just by looking at them.
“You, Eugene Han Corleone, you can’t be-─”
I shrug off the man’s surprised reaction and lunge at him, punching him in the face.
“Ma, mime!”
He spreads out his palm to create an invisible shield to block the attack but this time, I’m much different than before.
The aura rises from the tip of my fist, and as soon as it hits the wall, it creates a large air wave that spreads around it like a heavy pile bunker.
“You should have felt it with that attack earlier, you’ll never be able to break through my mime!”
“Surely, my strength was a bit lacking, right?”
But thanks to the power stacking, he somehow managed to hold on so I prepared one more.
[Epic Imprint activates!]
[Inscription – Wolf (Night Hunter): You are a wolf who hunts your enemies by the light of the moon. You are a hunter who leads a large pack, undaunted by enemies larger than you.]
A searing pain radiated from my right shoulder, but instinctively realizing that I could move it, I quickly transferred the energy to the tip of my fist, bringing it to my knuckles.
[「Imprint Skill: Howling」 is created]
[「Inscribed Skill: Red Rage」 is created]
At the same time, a loud sound that seemed to engulf the surroundings began to reverberate from my knuckles.
The sound seemed to force the air around me to tremble, as if it would tear my eardrums at any moment.
At the same time, the red aura spread out from the sound and began to invade the surroundings.
Chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp!
Sensing what was about to happen, I immediately lowered my head and the aura that rapidly hyper-vibrating.
-Kwaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Exploded as the blast from my fist blew everything away, including me.
I strained my lower body to keep myself from being blown away, but the aftermath of the explosion was beyond my imagination.
I’m sent flying backwards and crash to the ground.
“Ha, hahaha, hahahaha!”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
The spot where I’d been just a moment ago was now dented as if it had been bombed.
“Master!”
Alessia, who must have seen me fly, rushes over to check on me.
“Master, are you okay?”
“Uh……fortunately?”
I don’t know if it’s because of the armor I’m wearing, the DisPater, or my original technique, but I wasn’t hurt in any way by the explosion.
Just a throbbing fist?
In fact, my fists were red from the heat.
Well, that didn’t seem to bother me, though, thanks to my Natural Healing (C).
The sky was redder than usual as I lay on my back.
Apparently, the auras that had been forcibly suppressed due to the attack earlier had spread to the surroundings.
As a result, the pure white moon was tinted red, and the surrounding landscape was bathed in a reddish glow that was both eerie and beautiful.
“…….”
As much as I wanted to rest, I knew I wasn’t done yet.
Rest would have to wait until after everything was over.
“Master. There.”
As I struggle to my feet, I see Alessia looking into the pit and pulling a dagger from its holder.
“Kee, keehick! That was beautiful! That was beautiful! That was beautiful……! That was an explosion! Keehick! Kihhhhh!”
Reminiscent of a classic zombie movie, a phlegmatic voice and bloodied hands emerge from the depths of the pit.
Slowly, inch by inch, something red crawled toward the top of the pit.
It was in terrible shape, scorched in places, but it crawled out of the pit and stood on its own two feet, looking up, as if it didn’t matter.
“……Is he blast resistant?”
I didn’t see a completion message for the Hidden Quest, so I assumed the damage was halved due to the explosion resistance he had from the start.
Still, from the looks of it, it wasn’t completely offset.
“I never thought you’d show me such an awesome explosion……I should return the favor, shouldn’t I?”
With that, he sticks his hand into his sooty bag and throws something at us in a scattered manner.
“I hope you’ll enjoy my explosion!”
Balloons in the shape of animals protruded from the bag and began to fly toward us.
Dozens, if not hundreds, of balloons.
They were coming at us from all directions, blocking all angles, and there was no escaping them.
Alessia stood in front of me with a determined look on her face.
She looks at me reassuringly and smiles.
“Don’t worry. I will protect you.”
“Alessia.”
Even if she were Alessia, she wouldn’t be able to take a bombing like that from the front.
“This, this, this, what beautiful loyalty! Please, imprint on my eyes the extent of your loyalty!”
I’m tired of hearing him shouting in a theatrical tone, as if he thinks we’re already done.
I let out a short breath and stepped forward.
“Alessia, step back.”
“I won’t. I don’t want you to-”
Pulling Alessia behind me, I stare at the balloons hurtling toward us.
“Explosions must be met with explosions.”
Bam!
[Activate [Imprint Skill: Red Rage]]
With a snap of my fingers, something begins to rise from the floor, bathed in red light.
-Aoooooo────!
A red wolf rose up in an instant.
There is already enough Aura scattered in the air from the battle so far.
Furthermore.
[「Bloodline Ability: Corleone」 is activated]
[[Item: Ancient Berserker’s Ring] absorbs the maximum amount of blood from the user.]
I’ve already activated the Bloodline Ability through a long battle, and the Ancient Berserker’s Ring, which grows stronger as I bleed, is also activated.
In other words, for now, regardless of my injuries, I am overflowing with power.
“?!”
The number of wolves had already completely engulfed the surroundings.
“Deal with it.”
I stretched out my index finger and pointed at the balloons, and the wolves became a single red wave and charged at them.
Each time they bit into a balloon, a small explosion would go off, blowing away the wolves around them, but it didn’t matter.
The wolves were still spawning in the moonlight.
“Uh, what the…….”
Before I knew it, there wasn’t a single balloon left and Bloody Clown stared at the scene in disbelief.
His expression had long since hardened from the tearing grin he’d worn just moments ago at the sight of me dying.
“Bite.”
The remaining wolves lunge at him and he quickly stretches out his arms and tries to use Mime but,
-Grrrr!
The other wolves have gotten in front of him and bite down on his arms, preventing him from lifting them.
I’m not going to let him do that when I know full well that Mime trigger is a stance.
“Now, wait, don’t you need information about Plague?! If you’ll just put these away-”
“Hey.”
“Hmph, hmph?!”
I stumble over to where he is and look at his expression.
He’s looking at me with a look of horror that I’ve never seen before.
But
“Please, please, I’ll tell you everything!”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
“……?”
“Because if you know, then I know everything.”
“Hmph, hmph!”
I kicked him in the body, pushing him back toward the pit he crawled out of.
“There’s a bomber I know, and unlike you, he always says ‘Explosions are an art form.’
A saying that could not be more fitting for today.
“Explosions are an art form.”
Something I could personally agree with today.
“Please, please──!”
“You’re blast resistant, right? Don’t die. You have a greater hell to experience.”
[Activate 「Imprint Skill: HOWLING」]
At the same time, a series of short explosions begin to echo from the pit.
Explosions of some magnitude, though not as large as the first one I caused with my fist.
The pit continues to grow wider and deeper with the continuous sound of destruction.
And then.
[Hidden Quest Complete!
[Festival of Blood and Explosions]
[Thwart and subdue the plans of the Bloody Clown, a vicious villain and terrorist who has escaped Niflheim!]
[Objective: Death or incapacitation of the Bloody Clown]
[Reward: 「Skill: Clown Makeup」]
[Amazing Achievement!]
[You have succeeded in subduing the Bloody Clown’s raison d’être with an explosion! You will receive an additional reward!]
[Reward Details]
-New Skill: Clown Makeup.
[[Skill: Clown Makeup]: Clowns are skilled at wearing makeup to hide their emotions and identity. You can use Aura to change your facial appearance]
[-Additional rewards will be awarded for Amazing achievements!]
-New Trait: [Gunpowder and Explosion]
[1. Gunpowder and Explosions: You are a specialist in gunpowder and explosions. You gain additional damage modifiers from firearms and explosives]
“As expected.”
Just like in the game, there was a reward for taking down this guy with an explosion.
Since I use firearms as a secondary weapon, I knew I’d have to get it at some point, but having him appear in front of me made it easier to get it early on.
“Master…….”
I turn to the voice behind me.
There was Alessia, barely on her feet, looking up at me with half-closed eyes.
“Alessia, are you hurt?”
I checked her out with concern, and then, something was placed on top of my head.
“Looks like …… I’ve been worrying for nothing.”
“Alessia?”
–her hand moves from the top of my head.
“You’re strong enough that you don’t need me to protect you anymore, thank goodness──”
-Pop.
Her body leans forward and collapses into me.
“……Alessia?”
Wheeze──wheeze──
I hear her ragged breathing, not normal, in my arms and at the same time, a green flare rises in the sky above us.
“……Take a break, I’ll be right back.”
The flare glowed green as if to announce that this was the final destination.
