Chapter 147: All-Out War (5)
Sssssk!
A path opened in a straight line.
The ground where the snow had evaporated glowed red with heat.
Having reached Lv7, ‘Daylight’ had its activation time drastically reduced, leaving Mihael with no choice but to take two full-blown hits from the skill.
“I’ve taken him down… no, wait, that’s not right. I’ve fulfilled all the conditions for duplication.”
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue briefly.
He had been so preoccupied with flagging events that the habit had stuck.
This is why habits can be so dangerous.
But then, at that very moment.
Whoosh!
A black talon shot out from the steam.
“I’ll kill you!”
Mihael was livid, his fury reaching its peak.
Slightly scorched, yet he was otherwise unharmed.
What is this, it’s not like he’s got an invincible skill equipped. How can he take a hit like that and still be fine?
But now wasn’t the time to be amazed by his incredible defensive power.
A talon was already flying towards him, aiming to rip his head right off.
[Lv10 ‘Glacial Sculpture’ activates!]
Boom, boom, boom!
An icy wall that had materialized in front of Jinhyuk blocked the talon.
But it was only for a brief moment.
The ice shattered instantly.
Even though more ice walls appeared in succession, restraining the attack was far from easy.
Pieces of ice crumbled like glass.
“Don’t think something like this can stop me!”
Mihael closed in faster, spreading an aura of red fury.
So, then.
Fwoosh!
Patsats…
Over Jinhyuk’s shoulder, five orbs of fire and twelve ice arrows materialized.
He could afford to use multiple spells simultaneously without much stress as the essence’s effects were still in play.
However.
The fire orbs and ice that struck Mihael did not seem to inflict any damage at all upon him.
It was like trying to crack a rock with an egg, only to end up smearing fried egg on it.
“Damn it. Is he a monster?”
I knew he was strong in offense, but his magic resistance is outrageous.
Unlike the stone giant from the 10th floor, a sneak attack using ‘Star’s Blessing’ would not work against this guy.
Jinhyuk infused his grinding teeth with mana.
A faint glow began to emit from his longbow.
Then, ‘Crimson Bullet’ was rapidly fired.
Pfft! Pfft, pfft, pfft!
Red flashes intermittently struck Mihael’s body.
[Mana is at 0.6…]
[Energy is at 0.5…]
[Mana…]
[Energy…]
‘This won’t be enough to deal a critical blow to him.’
No one knew that better than Jinhyuk himself.
Even though he was gradually absorbing mana and energy through ‘Soul Drain’, at this rate, it would take a millennium to deplete his foe’s mana.
Therefore, while firing continuously, he steadily shifted his center of gravity towards where the fangs lay.
Just one more step.
A single step forward would bring him into reach of the fangs.
Jinhyuk lightly twisted the bowstring.
The mana-infused string rotated in a counter-clockwise direction.
An attack added with the maximum rotational force.
It was an adaptation of the skewering technique Elise had just demonstrated.
Whooooosh!
A ‘Crimson Bullet’ that left the bowstring flew low, almost touching the ground.
Just as the shot veered towards Mihael’s leg.
It abruptly changed direction in a way that was borderline impossible, catching Mihael off guard.
Kaboom!
“Argh!”
Mihael’s head snapped to the side.
A trickle of blood ran down his otherwise resilient skin.
Now…!
Jinhyuk launched himself forward and grabbed the fang.
“How dare you, to scar my face.”
“Don’t make a fuss over a little scratch. More importantly, what do you have to eat to get as tough as you? Ogre milk wouldn’t even be a guess. Should I go begging for milk from a dragon?”
He wasn’t even joking.
If it were possible to possess such durability, it might be worth visiting the dragon lair again.
Yes, that level of risk was entirely manageable.
After all.
‘It’s like sleeping through the ‘Thousand Calamity Sword’ attack, isn’t it?’
Imagining the stern, robot-like Sword Saint’s face rotting away, he already felt a perverse pleasure.
Of course, there were also various scenarios that could turn the tide and fluster the opponent.
While Jinhyuk grinned at the air, Mihael’s eyes filled with intense killing intent.
“…Do you find this situation amusing?”
“Uh?”
“It’s clear how this fight will end. I just need to land one attack, while you can’t afford a single mistake.”
“Well, seems like it. So?”
“Then… for god’s sake, show some damn tension! Please!”
Kaboom!
A colossal black flame erupted from Mihael’s hand.
[Lv?? ‘Infernal Hellfire’ manifests!]
A skill equivalent to the dragons’ ‘Hell Fire’ was unleashed.
Mihael was not an Ancient-grade dragon, so its power must be inferior.
But even so, a player under level 100 wouldn’t stand a chance.
Even a mere graze by it would leave nothing behind, not even bones.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
The black flames swelled with increasing size.
It was now almost 2 meters in diameter.
“Let’s see if you can still laugh when you’re hit with this.”
Mihael’s muscles swelled grotesquely.
And at the peak of that expansion.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
Finally, Mihael’s most potent skill was cast.
‘As expected, he took the bait after provocation.’
Enticing someone into a trap shouldn’t be this hard.
But it won’t be long now.
‘Just a little more until ‘that situation’ unfolds.’
Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.
‘No chance to dodge, huh.’
This skill wasn’t just a simple toss; it could freely change directions, following its target to the ends of hell until it hit.
Therefore…
Jinhyuk retrieved the second divine relic from his subspace inventory.
Armor he had gained from the Samurai Guild in the Grey Temple.
It was ‘Perseus’s Shield’.
Wooooong!
As Jinhyuk concentrated mana into the shield, an indescribable light flickered from it.
[The divine relic ‘Perseus’s Shield’ responds to its master’s call!]
[Physical defense and magical defense increase by 300%!]
[Special ability ‘Athena’s Blessing’ activates!]
[Athena’s Blessing]
Effect: For one use only, you can reduce the opponent’s offensive power by 50%, and temporarily increase the wielder’s own divine attribute stats by +100.
If the black flame is the ultimate spear, then a divine relic imbued with Athena’s Blessing is the ultimate shield.
Jinhyuk completely wrapped himself with the round shield.
Kaboooom!
It was then that the ground shook with a massive impact.
Jinhyuk clenched his jaws tightly.
The sheer intensity of the heat almost made him lose consciousness, but he managed to hang onto his awareness by a thread.
[Lv5 ‘True Clarity Flowering Knight’s Mind Method’ supports the flow of your mana.]
[Lv4 ‘Mental Barrier’ alleviates the user’s pain.]
[Unique ability ‘Star’s Blessing’ protects the player’s body.]
All the unique abilities and skills he had saved up activated at once.
A kaleidoscope of lights overlapped.
‘Almost there…’
Jinhyuk’s eyes gleamed amidst the flames of hell.
The unbearable heat that initially felt like it would fry every nerve in his body was subsiding bit by bit.
Whether it was becoming familiar or the power was waning, he was unsure.
But one thing was certain: his opponent’s time was almost up.
And in that moment.
The black flames slowly died down.
As the smoky haze cleared, Mihael’s face loomed into view, utterly perplexed.
“How, how is this possible! Even among the Upper Floors’ predators, those who can’t survive this… how could a mere human endure it?”
His most powerful skill had failed.
It wasn’t due to carelessness.
Nor had he conserved any power.
It was an all-out attack.
And yet, it didn’t take down that detestable human.
＊＊＊
“He’s…that strong?”
Elise, who had witnessed the entire fight, opened her mouth wide in shock.
She had no other choice.
A single human, not falling behind in a battle with the lord’s personal guards.
Even though Elise had been with Jinhyuk all this time, she hadn’t realized his true capability up to this level.
Only one explanation made sense.
‘He just hasn’t shown his full strength until now.’
That must be the truth.
As he ascended the tower, faced countless named monsters, rankers from major guilds, and boss monsters, he had never once given his all.
That was the reality.
Then, at that moment.
Mihael’s hand erupted in the considerably wicked black flames.
Elise knew those flames well.
‘Infernal Hellfire.’
Among the blood clans, it’s one of the most powerful pyrokinetic abilities known.
It can’t be stopped. Nor can it be evaded.
“Dangerous…”
She felt the urge to warn him.
To run away.
Or perhaps take the flames herself instead.
Elise struggled to her feet, her body wobbling with exhausted mana.
However.
The moment the black flames engulfed Jinhyuk.
Suddenly, something changed.
Wooooong!
With a brilliant radiance, Jinhyuk began to activate his defense mechanism against the black flames.
It was hard to believe, yet it was true.
Jinhyuk was withstanding Mihael’s full-force attack head on.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
As her heart pounded rapidly, Elise’s whole body shivered with anticipation and excitement.
Maybe…
Just maybe it was possible.
A player, a frail being seen as little more than prey, could surpass the tower’s laws and rules.
To ascend to the top of the food chain.
Then, when the hellfire had diminished, that moment came.
“Now!”
Elise yelled, almost without realizing it.
＊＊＊
“Now it’s my turn.”
Tossing aside his shield, Jinhyuk gathered cryogenic mana.
The recent attack had dealt significant damage, but the same was true for his opponent.
Neither had much mana left.
And when conditions are dire for both sides…
The one who scrambles up with tenacity is always the last one standing.
[Glacial Sculpture ‘Sword of Heaven’ activates!]
Ice shoots descended from the heavens.
[Glacial Sculpture ‘Sword of Earth’ activates!]
Ice shoots erupted from the ground, meeting to become one.
Patsatsatsatsat!
“Aaaaagh!”
Mihael, encapsulated within the pillar of ice, screamed.
It was like a silent cry of despair.
But this wouldn’t hold Mihael for long.
At most, a few dozen seconds.
After that, this monster would start rampaging again.
‘I can’t just leave it at that.’
It’s not a 50/50 chance. It’s vital to secure a complete victory now.
Crunch.
Jinhyuk stepped right up to the pillar of ice.
Close enough to strike, within each other’s lethal reach.
A dangerously unguarded stance.
Therefore, Mihael had no choice but to seize the opportunity.
“You’re an idiot! To walk straight into my range!”
With melting ice cascading around him,
Mihael’s voice resonated mightily.
“Your mistake of stepping into my range will be the reason you die today!”
An enormous explosion centered on Mihael erupted.
