novelraw Chapter 78 : O-World (4)
Chapter 78 : O-World (4)
Chapter 78: O-World (4)
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Gluttony rampaged across O-World, continuing its hunt.
“Hungryhungryhungryhungryhungryhungryhungry!!!!”
Crunch. Crack. Gulp.
Countless Hunters, Looters, and even priests of the Requiem Cult were devoured.
In just five minutes of its hunger effect, more than a hundred victims had already fallen.
Tap.
Johan looked down at Gluttony from the roof of the souvenir building.
He felt it again.
This world truly had an absurd number of terrifying monsters.
“Hoo…”
Reina steadied her breath.
“Why so nervous, top-class spy who’s infiltrated every deathtrap imaginable?”
“Come on. You said I’m the bait! I might have to do freestyle inside that monster’s stomach—how could I not be scared?”
Hmm. Fair point.
Reina indeed had the highest death rate in this plan.
But what could they do?
“Should I, the magician, do it? Or maybe Seo Changhee, who’s preparing a one-hit kill?”
Given her numerous escape tools and spider-based skills, this was the most rational choice.
Above all, with her agility and solid defense, she wouldn’t die so easily.
…Probably.
“Enough. Just start. Once five minutes pass and it regains its reason, we’re really screwed.”
It had absorbed the mana of over a hundred people—if it gained control of that power…
Then there would be no chance of victory.
“Tch. I know already.”
Reina unwrapped a new piece of bubble gum and started to move swiftly.
Tap. Tatatat. Tap!
She vaulted over the structures lightly and shouted toward Gluttony.
“Hey! You ugly, filthy freak who looks like you’d eat dung off the street! How about you try eating me? Or is that sluggish body of yours too slow? Maybe I should put you on a diet, potbelly?”
She hopped up and down right in front of it, taunting.
“……Kieeeeeeee!!!”
Naturally, the provocation worked instantly.
In fact, even showing herself without saying a word would have been enough.
“Hurry… hurry… hurry!”
Reina jumped on her spider and bolted away at full speed.
‘I’d better move too.’
Johan looked up at the sky.
Above, a Viking warship spun fiercely, building up momentum.
True to their reputation as warriors unafraid of death, they were about to do something insane.
“Khahaha! Let’s see you stop this!”
“Lord Thor is with us!”
With a thunderous roar, the Viking ship launched a suicidal charge.
With its enormous weight and added speed, the ship itself became a bomb.
KWAANG!
A massive shockwave rippled through the area.
Gluttony, obsessed with chasing Reina, failed to notice the aerial assault.
As a result, it had to take the full impact head-on.
＊＊＊
The aftermath looked as though a meteor had fallen.
However, the warriors aboard the Viking ship were mostly unscathed, protected by the divine barrier of the vessel.
Besides, apart from Lodbrok, they were already departed spirits.
Splat! Crack!
“Damn, how many limbs does this thing have?!”
“Cut them all off and we’ll find the main body eventually!”
The spirits of Valhalla swung their axes and swords with all their might, slashing Gluttony’s flesh.
But only for a brief moment.
Rustle.
Gluttony rose from the rubble, glaring at the insects clinging to its body in fury.
“Kill. All. Kill them all. Not a single one left. Every last one!”
A green light flared in its blazing eyes.
And then—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Horrific flames swept across the surroundings.
“Graaagh!”
“This… this life ends here, huh.”
“I look forward to meeting you again, young warrior!”
The spirits’ bodies were consumed by fire.
The Viking ship and its warriors vanished together, but their sacrifice wasn’t in vain.
When taking major damage, Gluttony triggered a flame attack within a 7-meter radius.
‘Impressive firepower, sure… but it exposes a fatal blind spot.’
Exactly 11.5 cm below its right scapula—
The Apostate’s Finger halted in midair.
Johan dropped a drop of Pure Blood onto the Blood Spear he held.
Drip. Drip. Drip….
The refined essence from the Blood Vessel seeped into his body.
He needed a technique that could combine pinpoint precision with overwhelming power.
He calmed his breathing.
Merged body and spear into one.
The arm wrapped in wind magic felt incredibly light.
‘Cold Thunder Falling Flower Spear (寒雷落花槍).’
Remember it.
The beloved weapon once swung thousands—no, tens of thousands—of times.
Third Form.
Now, manifest it—
A thrust of the shortest path.
And the fastest speed.
‘Frozen Flower Explosion (氷花爆戕).’
Crackle.
A frozen line extended outward.
A clear, transparent flash of light pierced straight through Gluttony’s heart.
Pwak!
A perfectly clean hole.
From within the carnage, a gem emitting a beautiful light burst out.
It was one of Gluttony’s [Traits].
Not yet. Not yet.
Johan poured every last drop of his remaining mana into the wounded spot.
[Skill ‘Black Devourer’ is activated!]
If he had just launched it normally, it wouldn’t have done much damage…
But an explosion from inside would be unbearable.
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA!
Countless fangs tore through its insides mercilessly.
Chunks of flesh and blood splattered in every direction.
“Kieeeeeee!!!”
A terrible scream erupted from Gluttony’s mouth.
It was as if a part of its soul had been torn away.
More than just pain—it couldn’t believe that mere insects had managed to wound it this deeply.
And thus,
all of that fury turned toward a new target.
Crackle.
Its shriveled arms raised its body, preparing for an attack.
All of its powers activated at once, aimed at ripping Johan apart.
That was when—
“…Now!”
“Leave it to me!”
KWAANG!
Seo Changhee, who had been hiding among the piles of pumpkins, charged forward.
[Seo Changhee activates the unique ability ‘Equivalent Exchange with the World’!]
“Even if the world ends tomorrow, I shall still plant an apple tree…!”
Spark—
The sword, filled with starlight, radiated brilliantly.
“I’ll plant the hope for the future!”
A blue trail drew the shape of a crescent moon.
KAGAK!
Gluttony’s arms were severed, exposing the white bones within.
The wind turned into a whirlwind—then into a gale that surged outward.
The scattering Fragments of the Star blew away the cursed shadows.
Slash!
At last, all the arms around its head vanished.
Tap!
Seo Changhee leapt onto Gluttony’s shoulder and raised his sword high with both hands.
The energy of spirituality roared through the blade.
Fwoosh!
The singing flames birthed fragments of stars.
But at that very moment—
Crack… crackle!
Ugly fissures began spreading across the blade.
It couldn’t withstand the overwhelming power coursing through it.
“Damn… it.”
Seo Changhee bit his lip and swung his sword.
Before it was too late—
before the blade completely broke—he had to end it.
Kakakak!
Of course, a cracked sword couldn’t possibly sever Gluttony’s life.
The fragments shattered to dust.
“That last one… was a bit dangerous. Impressive… for a human.”
Gluttony, now freed from its hunger state, alternated its gaze between Johan and Seo Changhee.
Even though it had lost its reason, it had been a long time since it had been driven this far.
And by humans, not even those with higher divinity.
Gurgle.
Its arms rapidly regenerated.
The wounds healed in an instant.
“Haa… haa… just one more step. If I’d taken just one more step….”
Reina, who had stopped fleeing, muttered in despair.
Indeed, if they had just managed one more strike, they might have won.
“No. This is enough.”
Johan steadied his breath and added calmly.
No matter how much starlight or spirituality they used—
it still wouldn’t be enough.
There would always exist a gap they could not cross.
But that was fine.
Because the one meant to fill that missing step—
was none other than the Saintess mentioned in the prophecy.
Woooong!
That was when divine power began to overflow.
[Holy Spear ‘Dawn’s Radiance’ is activated!]
The clouds parted—
and the Holy Sword they had long prepared revealed itself.
It was easily five times larger than the one seen at Chungnam National University Hospital.
A testament to the difference in the time and mana invested this time.
“W…what…?”
Gluttony hastily gathered its mana.
[Gluttony summons ‘Black Bone Wall’!]
Charred skulls intertwined, forming a massive barrier.
At the same time—
Rumble!
The golden Holy Sword descended to the ground.
Flash!
A white light flooded their vision.
A rending shock struck their bodies, as if their flesh were being torn apart.
“Everyone… get behind me!”
Using [Sacred Flame], Johan shielded his allies.
It was a stopgap measure, exploiting the trait that divine power dealt less damage to similar energy.
‘Can’t hold on much longer.’
5 seconds. 10 seconds… 30 seconds.
The longer the annihilation persisted, the faster Johan’s mana drained.
Blood streamed from his nose, and his lips cracked dry.
His limbs trembled like aspen leaves—but still, he endured.
If he retreated now, everyone would die.
“B-because of us…”
“We owe… you a debt.”
“Khahaha! To think I’d see a true warrior!”
Everyone looked at Johan with deeply moved expressions.
Future pawns who would become his precious assets.
He couldn’t afford to lose even one after gathering them with such effort.
“Uaaaaaah!”
Johan roared, squeezing out every last bit of his remaining strength.
Patzutz!
At that moment, the light that had been radiating from the Holy Sword faded away.
At last—Gluttony collapsed.
＊＊＊
Smoke rose in gentle wisps.
At the center where the Holy Sword was embedded stood Gluttony.
“Is it dead?”
Seo Changhee nudged the charred remains of Gluttony with his foot.
“It’s not completely dead. Look—its heartbeat is still there.”
Indeed, while the Holy Sword was an absurdly powerful skill, the Saintess’s divine rank was still too low.
In fact, it was a miracle they managed to inflict this much damage on a being with a higher divine rank.
‘If it hadn’t been for the Fragment of the Star, it wouldn’t have been possible at all.’
Either way, this meant they had successfully cleared the episode.
Once Gluttony fully entered a comatose state, an Administrator would appear and announce the end.
That would mark the conclusion of the second episode.
“What? So if we didn’t actually kill it, that means it didn’t drop any items?”
“So we can’t get any loot?”
Reina and Lodbrok muttered in disappointment.
“Just be glad you survived. Nothing’s more important than your life. Oh, and—keep watch around the area. There might still be some Requiem Cult members alive.”
“What about you?”
“I burned through all my strength trying to block the Holy Sword’s storm. I’ll rest here a bit before catching up.”
“Well, you’ve certainly worked hard. I’ll be sure to repay this debt, so look forward to it.”
“The same goes for me!”
Yes, yes. Just go already.
Once everyone had left, Johan slowly examined the area around Gluttony.
They likely didn’t know—but with higher species, you didn’t always have to kill them outright to get rewards.
A triumph earned after tremendous struggle.
Now then… what kind of reward awaited him?
“My word…”
Johan couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.
If there had been a ceiling to his expectations, this had surpassed it by at least three levels—and then exceeded that by two more.
‘These kinds of drops… from this?’
Dopamine surged wildly.
All the pain and exhaustion he’d felt since coming to Daejeon evaporated in an instant.
[You have obtained 1 ‘Intermediate Skill Book.’]
[You have obtained 20 Skill Stones.]
[You have obtained 4 ‘Low-tier Skill Books.’]
[You have obtained an ‘Unidentified Scroll.’]
[You have obtained an ‘Advanced Mana Potion.’]
[You have obtained an ‘Unidentified Rune.’]
[You have obtained the ‘Crystal of the Green Flame!’]
A flood of system windows poured out.
Each one was unbelievably rewarding, enough to make his eyes widen.
Especially that last one—the Crystal of the Green Flame.
It was an item that invoked endless hunger and starvation in its target, while temporarily drawing out their potential to its absolute limit.
Johan’s gaze shifted to the left.
Good.
Everyone was diligently standing guard.
Then to the right.
The spiritual one was healing the wounded.
As expected—just like a protagonist.
In that case—
‘I’ll make good use of this.’
If he had tried to distribute it among them, there would have been endless talk about contribution rates and fairness.
Resentment might have formed, jealousy might have brewed.
But if the source of the problem simply vanished?
Then everyone would just celebrate their survival and cherish the memory of the moment.
‘Haah. Guess I saved the team again.’
Working from the shadows was a job in itself.
As he diligently stored the items into Subspace—
Ding!
A sudden system window appeared.
“This is…”
Johan’s eyes trembled violently.
[‘Vivian Astraia’s’ mana is rapidly depleting.]
Vivian was dying.
Deep beneath them—inside the sewers.