novelraw Chapter 317 317: Episode 317
Chapter 317 317: Episode 317
The third stage of Necro-Engraving granted complete invincibility for thirty minutes. Inside the Blood Battle Arena, which blocked external intrusions as well as skills and items, they could drain his invincibility timer without sacrificing the rest of the army. The only catch was that the Main Force designated as the Absolute's opponent had to survive until the effect wore off.
[Great Chieftain of the Myoin Tribe Hasla]
[Pilseus]
Since Pilseus was immune to movement-restricting effects, this was their only option. More than five of Balak's Main Forces had already perished. Sacrificing the SS-rank Great Chieftain was a massive loss, but Hasla had gladly accepted the burden, his resolve steeled from the very beginning.
"O Guide. Please lead the non-human races well. Especially Pinyas. She is like a daughter to me, so I would appreciate it if you took extra care of her. Heh heh."
"...I can't make any promises. Even I don't know how many more will have to die."
"That is fine. As long as you keep her in your thoughts, that is enough. Now, as the Great Chieftain, I will fulfill my final mission."
Three non-human leaders assisted the Guide: the Great Chieftain of the Rough Rock Tribe, Tuperus; the Great Elder of the Silent Forest, Hamolton; and Hasla, the Great Chieftain of the Myoin Tribe, who was now throwing his life away for Balak, or rather, for the Guide. They had all tirelessly devoted themselves to the territory. Even in sacrifice, they would be remembered by the remaining non-human races until the very end.
'Riel, Inhye, Kadum, Bigdream, Grizzle, Granzle, Kuma Kuma, Maurat, Gotman, Mandra, the soldiers of the Pargal Tribe. And now, Hasla. You've all fought so hard.'
He was driving his Main Forces, who had suffered all this time just so he could return to modern Earth, straight into the jaws of death. He was prepared to bear all their resentment and hatred. Once the Blood Battle Arena disappeared, even more of them would likely fall. Even if it meant Hyena dying, he had to push forward. Returning home was the goal he had aimed for since the moment he was summoned.
'Why else did I come all this way? I buried my guilt and my sins to raise Balak. I can't lose it all now just because of you.'
He had climbed to this height by stepping over the bodies of those he had killed, used, and sacrificed.
"Aaaah! No! Great Chieftain!"
"Lord Hasla!"
"Great Chieftain! Great Chieftain!"
With the end in sight, Taehyun could not afford to die here. He bit his lip as he watched the beastmen desperately calling out for Hasla. From Pinyas, who had escaped the Flamirouge effect, to Hinyas, who had been summoned by Seonghwi, and all the beastmen who had migrated from the Sabaton Jungle, every single one of them prayed for Hasla to return alive.
Taehyun did not turn away from their sorrowful cries. Facing them head-on, he began preparing his next countermeasures.
'Thirty minutes. Just hold out for thirty minutes. I'm begging you, Hasla.'
---
[Invincible State: 29 minutes]
[The Evil Dragon's Energy is threatening you.]
The Blood Battle Arena wasn't cramped. Rather, it was a vast martial arts arena littered with all sorts of obstacles. He had to survive for thirty minutes in a place like this. Hasla fully understood his mission.
"Heh. The young man is quite aggressive."
Pilseus remained silent.
"Seeing how tightly you're keeping your mouth shut, you don't seem to have much of a way with words."
An immense amount of Necrotic Energy spewed from the gaps in Pilseus's green-lit armor. With only the red glow of his eyes visible beneath the helmet, it was impossible to gauge what he was thinking. When his provocation went unanswered, Hasla immediately shifted into a combat stance.
'He's coming.'
A bead of cold sweat rolled down his neck. The figure of the Absolute, who had been standing right in front of him, vanished.
[SSS-rank Attacker Pilseus has cast Tracking Sword.]
[Moves behind the designated target and aims for the heart.]
[Tracking Sword Use Limit: 1/1]
The blade rushed in from behind. Hasla drew out his golden mana and struck the base of the weapon upward. Sparks flew, and their gazes met. The Tracking Sword didn't just teleport the user behind their target; the blade shifted its trajectory, undulating like a rippling wave.
[Stream of Consciousness has been cast.]
[The enemy's movements temporarily appear slower.]
Hasla's eyes darted rapidly. Pilseus's movements slowed to a crawl, as if space itself had decelerated. The sword's trajectory was aimed perfectly at his heart. Factoring in the Myoin Tribe's characteristically short stature, the blade angled sharply downward.
'I can't dodge it. I'll have to sacrifice my flesh to cut his bone.'
He pulled the Ancient Chains from his robes. Through the iron links, he could see the Absolute. Hasla threaded the blade through the narrow opening of the chain links, stifling its momentum. Even so, the tip dug into his flesh, embedding itself deeper by the second. His fingertips trembled as his clothes were dyed red.
A sharp 'snap' echoed through the air.
Just how high was Pilseus's strength? The chains, which had absorbed the Demonic Orb's energy for hundreds of years, were at their breaking point.
When the connecting link finally shattered, the forceful momentum behind the blade vanished. Hasla's eyes flashed as he twisted to the right. The blade narrowly grazed his shoulder. A normal Tracking Sword strike would have pierced his heart, but the Ancient Chains had completely negated its momentum.
"Hah!"
Pilseus was taken aback.
Hasla threw a punch that erupted with the concussive force of a cannon blast. Struck directly in the side, the Absolute slammed into the arena wall, buried beneath the rubble.
"Pant... pant... That was merely the first exchange. How can he be this threatening? Still, a broken chain is a cheap price to pay for my life."
He had forced Pilseus to waste the Tracking Sword, a limited-use skill. The remaining time was now twenty-seven minutes. Although his favored Ancient Chains were destroyed, he had at least avoided instant death. Pilseus would undoubtedly save Absolute Slash for when he entered Balak. For now, Hasla just had to hold out until the Necro-Engraving Stage 3 effect wore off.
Watching the Absolute rise from the debris, Hasla took up a defensive stance once again.
---
[Invincible State: 24 minutes]
A fierce battle unfolded. No, to be precise, Hasla was being unilaterally pushed onto the defensive. All he could do was endure, mitigating the power of Pilseus's attacks as much as possible.
"Ugh!"
His entire body was already dyed red with blood. The reason he kept getting back up despite being battered and bruised was simple.
'If I fall now, all the other soldiers will die. He might even enter the dungeon while still invincible.'
It was a heavy burden to bear. However, to successfully halt this final attack, his sacrifice was absolutely necessary. The third stage of Necro-Engraving was impossible to dispel unless someone sacrificed themselves to stall it out. Right now, Hasla was simply fulfilling his mission.
[Great Chieftain of the Myoin Tribe Hasla has reached the Moderate Injury stage.]
A moment later, his left arm, laden with golden mana, was severed and sent flying. Intense pain wracked his entire body, but Hasla didn't let out a single groan as he moved to counterattack.
[Invincible State: 20 minutes]
The movements of the two slowed down as if in slow motion. One moved frantically to kill his opponent, while the other fought desperately just to buy time.
"Pant... pant..."
On the boundary between life and death, for Balak and for the Guide, the beastman pushed himself up once more.
"I-Is that all you've got? You couldn't even cut a D-rank soldier with a swing like that. Heh."
Pilseus remained silent.
"Come on. Come at me again. Cough. I said hurry up! What are you doing? Don't tell me you're scared?"
Golden mana suppressed his bleeding. Losing an arm had ruined his center of gravity, but his posture never wavered. Hasla wiped the blood from his mouth, feigning composure. At that moment, Pilseus vanished, and a chilling sensation prickled at Hasla's neck.
[Great Chieftain of the Myoin Tribe Hasla has cast Crisis Escape.]
[Perfectly evades an enemy's attack a single time.]
[Crisis Escape Use Limit: 1/1]
Their positions swapped. Having dodged another fatal blow, Hasla had no more hidden trump cards left to play. The Absolute tilted his head and let out a bizarre cry.
"Guhhhhh."
"Heh. Judging by your actions, you're no different from a beast, but your voice sounds quite human."
"Guaaaah!"
Necrotic Energy quickly dominated the space. Pilseus let out a roar of rage and stormed forward mercilessly.
[SSS-rank Attacker Pilseus has cast Dark Knight's Terror.]
[Triggers a dark explosion on designated targets.]
[Dark Knight's Terror Use Limit: 2/3]
He had cast the very skill that had previously killed two Minotaurs in succession. The explosion detonated right in front of Hasla's eyes. He took the full brunt of the blast, enduring it with his entire body.
"Gah!"
"Guh!"
"N-No!"
As the scorching heat spread in all directions, a mana-laden hand caught Pilseus's blade.
"T-That's absolutely out of the question. Yep."
"Guhhhh!"
"Heh. Are you complaining now because things aren't going your way?"
The Myoin, his body covered in severe burn marks, sneered. The embers of his life were nearly extinguished, but his eyes burned fiercely with unwavering will.
"Guaaaah!"
When the blade refused to budge, the Absolute immediately resorted to kicking. Blood splattered, his head snapped back, and his internal injuries only deepened, but Hasla didn't take a single step back.
A heavy 'thwack' and a brutal 'smash' echoed through the arena.
[Invincible State: 15 minutes]
The sickening sound of bones crunching filled the air.
[Invincible State: 11 minutes]
A sharp 'crackle' of energy sparked.
[Invincible State: 5 minutes]
The energy of the Necro-Engraving had noticeably diminished. If he could just hold on for five more minutes, the invincible state would end. However, in exchange, Hasla had suffered fatal injuries.
Hasla fell silent.
Both of his ears were torn off, his face was severely caved in, and blood continuously flowed from his swollen, closed eyes. Traces of a merciless beating that no ordinary person could ever withstand covered his entire body.
"...It hasn't been long since I came to Balak, but I know this much."
[Invincible State: 4 minutes]
"The vast territory and dungeons. The soldiers and Main Forces defending Balak from the Attackers."
[Invincible State: 3 minutes]
"Even the dungeon residents who were once continentals worked tirelessly to protect Balak. Although he is called a"