novelraw Chapter 212 : Night Goblin (7)
Chapter 212 : Night Goblin (7)
In all previous scenarios regarding the elimination of [Night Goblin], there was always a hidden boss.
'That's this guy, Kang Seong-gyu.'
While Sim Jae-gyeong was undoubtedly a powerful figure with various annoying magical techniques.
The more troublesome aspect was that when facing extreme crisis, just like now, he would summon his adoptive brother Kang Seong-gyu, who would cause overwhelming chaos.
Kang Seong-gyu's characteristic was 'Drug Awakening.'
It was a cheat-like ability that could manifest surreal hallucinations as reality after consuming something with hallucinogenic components, not necessarily drugs.
'For abilities of this type, there's no answer until you catch the main body.'
Once that guy's ability activated, it was impossible even for someone as strong as Ahn Byeong-jun to escape that fantasy world on their own.
'If that happens, they'll just be worn down by the enemies rushing in until the end.'
In other words.
'If I hadn't been here, a major accident could have occurred.'
It was a typical pattern where you'd get caught if you didn't know about it.
'Though if I hadn't been here, could Sim Jae-gyeong have escaped in the first place?'
I dispelled these brief idle thoughts with a sigh and drew the Moonless Sword.
"Let's move first."
I ran toward the plains made up of strange and gigantic trees reminiscent of the Cretaceous period.
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"Damn it!"
Kim Taesung, who had retreated to avoid the enemy's attack, spat out a curse.
'Does this even make sense? A Tyrannosaurus?'
The most famous dinosaur in the world.
The king of the Cretaceous period, Tyrannosaurus, was looking down at him with eyes full of killing intent.
'It doesn't seem like a were-lycaon either. It's too textbook-perfect for a demonic beast, like it walked straight out of a textbook.'
So is this really a dinosaur that actually existed in the Cretaceous period?
"Hoo."
Whatever the truth was.
'The weight class is too different.'
There was such a weight difference that he doubted whether his claws could even cut through that skin.
'The most threatening parts are that tail and the jaw.'
However, the ridiculously short front limbs relative to its size seemed to be a clear weakness.
'There must be a way to exploit those front limbs.'
The tail and teeth.
The power might be formidable, but isn't the pattern simple when you look at it?
'If I can just close the distance, then it's my turn from there.'
Kwaaaang!
Kim Taesung jumped up to avoid the swinging tail and fled toward the forest behind him.
"Try to follow me."
"Kreureuru."
The enraged Tyrannosaurus struck the trees with its tail.
Wujiggeun! Kugugugugugu!
Dozens of trees were instantly shattered.
'Completely insane.'
That much damage from a simple tail swipe?
This was definitely not a dinosaur but a high-level demonic beast wearing the guise of a dinosaur.
'This strange plain too. It seems like something that kid did.'
Kim Taesung's expression darkened.
'Is this possible with the ability of just one human?'
"...No. Now is not the time for weak thoughts."
Wajiggeun! Jjeojeojeojjeok!
Kim Taesung strengthened his resolve as he glared at the Tyrannosaurus that kept coming, breaking and biting trees.
'There must be a clue. First, I need to defeat the enemy in front of me.'
Kim Taesung, transformed into a were-black panther, raised his claws.
"No matter how strong you are, your eyes and brain must be soft."
Chae-chae-chae-chaeng!
A large knight wielding a massive bastard sword like a bamboo stick pressed Jo Sujin.
"This bastard, what kind of technique is this?"
Jo Sujin muttered as she retreated backward, parrying the knight's sword strikes.
It was a strange swordsmanship she had never seen or heard of before, but it was difficult to easily parry due to its excellent speed and power.
'It's creepier because it has no head. What kind of thing is this?'
The Headless Knight Dullahan.
With pale eyes and a severed head worn like a crossbody bag, it presented a grotesque appearance.
'What disgusting taste.'
Jo Sujin thought.
'So after that kid was injected, this fantasy dimension was created? At first, I thought it was some kind of dungeon, but that doesn't seem right. The Dullahan I know doesn't fight like this.'
Above all.
'It doesn't feel like a living being. More like a game boss with HP points?'
Chaeng!
Jo Sujin, who had deflected Dullahan's downward strike and lightly cut its side, nodded as she confirmed the strange sense of dissonance again.
"A body that shows no discomfort or dysfunction even when cut, is that it?"
Jo Sujin smiled.
If this was some kind of fantasy dimension created by that kid.
"I wonder how many times I have to cut you before your HP runs out?"
"Kyaooo!"
A giant sea serpent flying through the sky bared its fangs and rushed at Captain Ahn Byeong-jun.
"Hmph!"
Ahn Byeong-jun, who had waited until the last possible moment before rolling sideways to avoid the attack, spun once and brought his war hammer down on the sea serpent's head.
Kwaaaang!
Despite the intense impact that would have shattered the bones of any living creature, the sea serpent instead writhed and tried to wrap its body around Ahn Byeong-jun to crush him.
Saak!
Ahn Byeong-jun, who had nimbly escaped while cutting the body with his arming sword, cut about a third of the sea serpent's tree-trunk-thick body with a sword that radiated light like a sacred flame.
"Kyaooooo!"
Ahn Byeong-jun parried the raging attack with his war hammer.
Kwaaaang!
Ahn Byeong-jun, who had repelled by force the attack of a sea serpent hundreds of times larger than himself, smiled.
"Hey, beating this bastard is kind of fun."
But.
'When will it die, anyway?'
If it were a living being, it should have died several times already, but it was still rampaging, causing him to sigh.
'There's no answer here.'
Expanding his spiritual sense widely, he could see that most others were similarly caught up fighting strange enemies.
'Fuck, how are we supposed to catch this thing?'
Ahn Byeong-jun, irritated, once again brought his war hammer down on the sea serpent's body.
"Kyaooooo!"
"I'll have to catch you first and then think about it."
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Bwak!
"Good grief."
I sighed after striking the head of a charging demonic beast and making it vanish.
'This is truly the typical mental world of a young boy.'
Strong-looking dinosaurs and monsters were everywhere, and while this area was a plain, far away was a desert, making for a strange map.
To escape this world, the only option was to defeat Kang Seong-gyu, the main body.
'For that, I first need to find Sim Jae-gyeong.'
In Kang Seong-gyu's mind, the most powerful and reliable being was none other than his adoptive brother, Sim Jae-gyeong.
'His pattern has always been to set up an idealized version of Sim Jae-gyeong from his imagination as his bodyguard.'
Of course, the real Sim Jae-gyeong would be hiding somewhere, putting his adoptive brother at the forefront.
'Cunning bastard.'
Anyway, if I could find and defeat that fake Sim Jae-gyeong, some kind of rift would occur in this fantasy world.
The key to counterattack was there.
'First, I should go up to the sky.'
Just as I was about to create a Mana Shield to rise into the air.
"Su-hyeon!"
Yu-jin, who had spotted me from a distance, came running.
'That's good.'
With Yu-jin's joint attack, we could definitely defeat the fake Sim Jae-gyeong, who was weaker than the original.
"Yu-jin."
"Yes?"
"Help me."
'Eye Power activated.'
Kiiing!
Rising high into the air, I used Eye Power to locate Sim Jae-gyeong.
'Kim Taesung is... with a Tyrannosaurus?'
Well.
A black panther fighting a dinosaur.
What a strange picture.
'Jo Sujin is fighting a Dullahan.'
The skill difference between the two was clear, but it seemed the Dullahan was enduring with an inflated HP that wouldn't die even if killed.
'Ahn Byeong-jun is... with a sea serpent?'
Watching him pound the head of a flying sea serpent with his war hammer made me wonder if the battle between Thor and Jormungandr looked like this.
'No need to worry about them right now.'
Well, it was far too early for me to be concerned about the Captain.
"...Found him."
I smiled as I spotted Sim Jae-gyeong standing still in the distance, as if guarding something.
"Yu-jin! Come up here!"
I created a Mana Shield for Yu-jin to step on.
"O-okay!"
Yu-jin, who had hesitated as if scared, quickly adapted and jumped up to where I was.
"Let's go. If we catch that guy, we might find some clues."
"......"
Sreung.
Yu-jin silently, but with eyes burning with killing intent, drew her sword.
'She looks like she could destroy an arm or leg.'
Well, that applied to me too.
"Let's go."
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"Go left!"
"Okay!"
As Su-hyeon and Yu-jin ran through the sky and launched a joint attack on Sim Jae-gyeong from both sides, Sim Jae-gyeong, who had noticed their presence, shot out will-o'-the-wisps.
But.
Bwoong!
Their flying strikes easily cut through the will-o'-the-wisps.
'It's become more precise.'
Su-hyeon was inwardly pleased watching Yu-jin's flying strike.
"I'll go first!"
Kaang!
Su-hyeon exchanged one blow with Sim Jae-gyeong and then retreated.
Kaang!
Sim Jae-gyeong's body momentarily froze after parrying Yu-jin's sword strike, who had followed right after.
'The stun effect still applies.'
Bwook!
Su-hyeon deeply cut Sim Jae-gyeong's waist.
"Kreuk!"
Though his waist was cut, Sim Jae-gyeong counterattacked as if nothing had happened.
Kagagak.
Su-hyeon used his wrist flexibly to deflect Sim Jae-gyeong's force, making him strike the ground.
Bwakak!
He then fed him a left straight with a hardened shield to his wide-open face.
"Kraak!"
Then, without hesitation, he quickly retreated, and Yu-jin's flying strike, which had been aimed at Sim Jae-gyeong's back, flew in and properly scraped his back.
"Su-hyeon, that man...!"
"Yes. He doesn't seem to be the real Sim Jae-gyeong."
Su-hyeon answered, inwardly praising Yu-jin's keen eye.
"Yes. If he were real, he would have been loudly talking about wives and such, but he hasn't said a word."
"......"
The point was a bit different, but.
'That's also correct.'
"How is it? Does he seem weaker than the original?"
"Yes. Definitely."
"That's good."
'Liberation.'
Dugeun!
Su-hyeon, who had maximized his output, rushed towards Sim Jae-gyeong.
Seogok!
He cut Sim Jae-gyeong's wrist instead of his club, closing the distance.
Bwaaak!
He then attacked Sim Jae-gyeong with another left uppercut to his chin.
"Kreureuru!"
Even in that situation, Sim Jae-gyeong attempted to grab Su-hyeon's collar to apply a ssireum technique.
"!?"
But Su-hyeon, who had put down the Moonless Sword and grabbed Sim Jae-gyeong's collar in the same way, grinned.
With 'Liberation' activated, the current Su-hyeon was not at all inferior in strength.
"!"
In the moment Sim Jae-gyeong's body rose up by Su-hyeon's force.
Kwaaaang!
Su-hyeon tripped him and swung Sim Jae-gyeong in the air, successfully executing a deadly throw that dropped him head-first.
"...!"
Even if it was a game character-like state where damage was measured by HP, Sim Jae-gyeong's body became stiff with a momentary stun.
"Low proficiency."
Hwharek!
As soon as Su-hyeon said that, dozens of will-o'-the-wisps from all directions descended upon him.
'Chukji.'
Su-hyeon simply avoided those attacks, which seemed impossible to dodge, by folding and walking the earth.
'So that's the technique he used to catch the Spear Devil!'
Yu-jin, who was watching, was amazed.
'It's like teleport or blink.'
And then he delivered a flying strike, inflicting definite damage.
'Amazing. There are no openings.'
Yu-jin couldn't help but feel sincere admiration for Su-hyeon's fighting style, which continued to increase in completeness.
'Now he's sufficiently pressuring Sim Jae-gyeong even without joint attacks with me.'
Yu-jin had become a spectator to the fight.
However, she shot a flying strike imbued with penetrating scene at Sim Jae-gyeong, who was flying into the sky after enduring Su-hyeon's offensive, making him become rigid once more.
"Nice, Yu-jin!"
Without missing that momentary gap, Su-hyeon used Chukji, appeared behind Sim Jae-gyeong, and stabbed the Moonless Sword into his heart.
Puhook!
"Keureureuk."
Sim Jae-gyeong's body, having received the decisive blow, began to disappear while becoming semi-transparent.
"Did we get him?"
Yu-jin shouted.
'No, that's a bit ominous.'
Just as Su-hyeon was inwardly objecting.
Kugugugugu.
The previously intact ground began to shake, causing tectonic movements.
'Finally revealing the main body.'
Su-hyeon thought, watching the slowly opening stone gate that was emitting light.
At last, the end of the long battle was in sight.