The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 80

Kkyagagagak--!!!

A sound like iron scraping against iron, a sound filled with a bottomless, deep anger like the screams of the dead.

That sound was coming from the mouth of the Jewel Spider, the boss and mother of the steel spiders.

Kkyagagagak--!!!!!

The Jewel Spider was feeling the pain in its chest and a burning anger towards the enemy who had done this to it, as if its head and heart were on fire.

The mental spiderwebs that connected it to its children were mostly broken or were in a precarious state, as if they would break at any moment.

The long stick stuck in its chest continued to poke the wound, and the blood flowing out was too hot.

The presence of the pile of earth that was pressing down on it with great force was too suffocating.

Kkyararararak-!!!

There was nothing it liked.

To relieve the passion it felt in its chest, it continued to scream.

Hoping that if it did, the anger in its chest would disappear.

But no matter how much it screamed, the wave of emotion did not disappear.

Rather, it raged more fiercely.

Both its body and mind were unbearably stuffy.

To think that there was no way to relieve the raging emotions.

As it was screaming like that, its reason and instinct found a solution that could eliminate this passion.

The human it had seen beyond the crack in the cocoon.

The moment it recalled the red-haired human, its heart began to burn like oil on fire.

At that moment, it did not feel stuffy.

Therefore, there was no need to scream painfully.

At the same time, it realized the identity of the flame that had bloomed in its chest.

Revenge.

Revenge for killing its children.

Revenge for wounding its body.

Revenge for ruining its home.

A target of revenge on which it could pour out all the emotions it had.

The moment its thoughts reached that point, it moved its eight legs as if led by instinct, tore the cocoon, and jumped out into the sea of rocks.

It was a pressure that made it difficult to breathe properly, but it swam through the rocks as if swimming in the sea, overcame the weight of the earth, and slowly climbed up to the ground.

It felt its body, which was climbing through the rocks, creaking little by little.

As its stamina was gradually depleted, its whole body began to be scratched by the rocks.

Its breathing became ragged, and it became more and more difficult to breathe.

It was painfully close to death, but the flame of revenge engraved in its chest burned brightly and moved it.

Thanks to that, it did not stop moving its legs.

Swoosh-

Finally, it was able to escape to the surface.

Kkyarararak--

The moment it came out, it moved to find the red-haired human, the target of its revenge.

But there was no need for that.

Hwaljjak-

"You're finally here? I was worried you wouldn't come up."

Just as it wanted to tear that red-haired human to pieces right away.

-Flame Lightning Divine Spear

-Lightning

-Seventy Branches.

Because the red-haired human also wanted to have a life-or-death battle with it right away.

***

Dudududu-

'Is it a little now?'

As the square of the cave they were in collapsed, the ground above it sank, creating a huge crater in the mountain.

Lee Shin, who was circulating his ki there, felt the vibration that was gradually getting stronger from below and stood up.

Baek Hyun-woo, like Lee Shin, felt the vibration coming up from below, closed the comic book he was reading, and stood up.

For reference, the reason Baek Hyun-woo was reading a comic book was because the aura was an energy that was greatly affected by the mind, so if he recovered his mind, his aura would also recover naturally.

"The place where the vibration is felt the strongest is... here."

Lee Shin, who had spread his ki sense and found the place where the vibration was the strongest, took a stance to attack the moment the Jewel Spider came out.

Lee Shin, using the rocks as a foothold, grabbed one of the steel pipes he had recovered from the ceiling and, taking a javelin-throwing stance, opened his mouth.

"If you interfere in my fight, I'll attack you first."

"Haa, yes. I won't interfere even if you die, hyung, so don't worry."

Although Baek Hyun-woo's words were meant to be sarcastic, Lee Shin smiled as if he were relieved.

"That's enough."

"...Haa."

At Lee Shin's words, which felt sincere, Baek Hyun-woo let out a light sigh and went to a place far from him and sat down.

Lee Shin, who had confirmed that, moved the [Lightning] and covered the steel pipe he was holding in his hand.

Ten.

30.

50.

Even without Irhegue's help, Lee Shin created as many spears as he had made a moment ago.

He had learned by tracing the sensation of the moment Irhegue had helped him and had made it his own.

Kyuuuuu--

And it wasn't just Lee Shin who had grown.

Irhegue roared softly and resonated with the Flame Lightning Tree.

60.

70.

The steel pipe held in Lee Shin's hand trembled, emitting a brilliant radiance.

While the Jewel Spider, the boss of the steel spiders, was struggling to climb up from underground to this place, the two who had arrived a step earlier had each taken a rest and had stored up their strength.

Pajujujujujeuk--

Lee Shin looked at only one place with calm eyes and suppressed the power that was about to run wild at any moment.

Pusss-

And the moment something broke through a small pile of dirt and stuck its head out like a mole.

Lee Shin, at the appearance of the long-awaited guest.

Grin-

He smiled brightly and gave a fierce welcome.

-Flame Lightning Divine Spear

-Lightning

-70 Branches.

The Jewel Spider, before it could even properly grasp the situation, was faced with Lee Shin's attack right in front of it.

"Please don't die."

Lee Shin muttered and, without hesitation, stabbed the Jewel Spider's head with the steel pipe he was holding.

The pain of half of its head being disintegrated by lightning.

But before the Jewel Spider could even scream, Lee Shin followed up with another attack.

The end of the steel pipe that was deep in its head.

Lee Shin smiled brightly and, just as he had done in the square of the cave, kicked the steel pipe.

Kkirigigigik--!!!!

The steel pipe pierced through her head and dug into her body, which was still underground.

At the terrible pain that spread throughout her body through her head, she flailed and clenched her teeth.

Puhahahak-!!!

At that moment, eight pillars shot up from around her and attacked Lee Shin.

At that, Lee Shin unfolded the Thunder Wood Line Step and instantly escaped from that place, and only then could the Jewel Spider, with its wounded body, come up to the surface.

"Hoo, I couldn't see it properly in the cave, but it looked like that."

Lee Shin took a step back and looked at the Jewel Spider with an amused face.

A red-eyed spider covered in a jewel-like carapace that had a clear blue tint even though it was shining under the red sun that was slowly starting to set.

Although it looked like a jewel, those were like natural armor that surpassed the hardness of steel, and the eight legs that were also shining blue were each like a sharp spear.

The LV.3 boss monster, the Jewel Spider, which gave off a sense of pressure just by existing.

Kkiragagagagak--!!!!!

It flashed its four remaining eyes and looked at Lee Shin.

"Wow, to be honest, I was half in doubt while attacking, but you're still full of energy."

And Lee Shin, while meeting the eyes of the Jewel Spider, smiled a smile that was brighter and more beautiful than ever before.

"Then shall we fight fair and square now?"

Lee Shin said, and held the [Steel Spear] in his hand.

Kkirigigigik--!!!!

The moment Lee Shin raised his spear, the Jewel Spider, like a bull that had seen a red cloth, became furiously enraged and rushed at him.

***

Baek Hyun-woo stood still, watching the Jewel Spider go on a rampage.

The spider, the size of a mid-sized car, gave off a vicious momentum that would make an ordinary person faint just by standing there.

'No, is it natural to be that angry?'

When it was trapped in the cocoon, he threw a pipe, and it was buried alive in a huge pile of rocks, and as soon as it dug through the pile of dirt, he planted a finishing move in its head.

It would be more abnormal not to be so enraged.

'Well, in conclusion, each of those things created the best result, and that's why we're fighting now.'

The four eyes on the Jewel Spider's left face were completely burst, and the left side itself had become a blind spot.

Blue blood was continuously flowing from the head where the spear had pierced through, and the back and chest where the spear was stuck.

Kugugugung-!

But even considering that, the Jewel Spider was still superior in pure power.

The realm of LV.3 was such a realm.

The realm of a first-rate martial artist who was slowly learning new things about ki.

The realm of a 3rd circle mage who could handle various elements like their own limbs.

The realm of forming a single shape inside oneself.

And the realm where the power of one monster surpassed the power of a thousand people.

Because that was LV.3.

So... one thing was clear.

Pajijijijijik-

A human who thought of catching a LV.3 monster while being LV.2 must have something wrong with their head.

***

Kkirigigik--!!!!

Lee Shin, seeing the Jewel Spider roaring and rushing at him, unfolded the Thunder Wood Line Step.

'Has it lost its reason?'

Its fangs were flashing and drool was dripping from its mouth, which was open to the limit as if to test how far it could open, and in the place where its left eye should have been, there was the wind hole that Lee Shin had made.

It looked as if it would collapse at any moment if he attacked a little more, but Lee Shin, instead of recklessly approaching, observed the situation.

'Hmm...'

Chiiik-

The place where the drool had touched, the place where the blood had soaked, and even the place where the bluish leg had stabbed, all turned black.

Seeing that, Lee Shin recalled a single word.

Poison.

And it seemed to be a very dangerous, deadly poison.

'Hmm~ But I can't just stay like this.'

Lee Shin thought for a moment and then smiled.

"Well, it shouldn't matter as long as it doesn't touch me."

Kyuuu-

At Lee Shin's murmur, Irhegue nodded his head.

Lee Shin's pupils moved and met the eyes of the Jewel Spider in front of him.

Tu- Tu- Tu-

At that moment, the Jewel Spider, aiming for Lee Shin, spat out something.

-Flame Lightning Divine Spear

-Lightning

-Five Branches.

Seeing that, Lee Shin quickly moved his spear and deflected the things that were coming at him.

"Spiderwebs?"

Lee Shin looked at the spiderwebs that had been cut by his spear and had fallen to the ground with interested eyes.

'Can it spit out thread from its mouth too. And...'

Chiiik-

"It seems the spiderwebs are also coated in poison."

Kkirigigik-!!

The Jewel Spider, as if answering Lee Shin's words, shouted loudly and spat out a number of spiderweb bullets that could not be compared to before.

The blue spiderwebs, like a net bullet, turned into a net in the air and flew to wrap around Lee Shin.

-Flame Lightning Divine Spear

-Lightning

-Twenty-five Branches.

Lee Shin, seeing the blue lines flying towards him, swung his spear.

The golden line created from the tip of his spear erased the numerous blue lines that were flying in the air.

It was a natural thing.

Although it was more viscous than the steel spider's web, its basic properties had not changed.

In other words, if he wrapped more lightning around it, he could easily cut the spiderwebs.

'Hmm, the changes that came with the level up are body strengthening, poison addition, and mouth spiderwebs? This is a little below my expectations, so should I just finish it...'

Swooooong-

The moment Lee Shin was evaluating the Jewel Spider in his mind and about to swing his spear, a strange sound was heard from somewhere.

A sound of the air being split in half by something very sharp.

'A sound of something long like a whip being swung and cutting the air? No, it's much sharper than a whip.'

He couldn't know the exact answer.

But one thing was certain.

'If I get any closer, I'll die.'

Pajijijijik-!!!

The moment he reached that conclusion, he forcibly twisted his body, which was about to swing the spear, and recovered the internal energy he had sent to his blood vessels.

Naturally, the flowing internal energy rebelled and gave a considerable shock to his body.

On top of that, as his movement was twisted, the spiderweb bullet that he would have been able to dodge normally wrapped around his arm and burned his skin.

In an instant, the balance of power tilted.

Because his muscles were torn, his ki and blood were slightly twisted, and a faint poison had entered through his arm.

But what Lee Shin had chosen was definitely the right answer.

Skakakak-

If he hadn't, what would have been split in half would have been his body, not the rock in front of him.

Jijijik-

Lee Shin tore off the clothes that were wrapping his left arm, which was wrapped in spiderwebs, and threw them on the ground.

At the same time, he flowed his internal energy into his eyes and ears, and he could find it for sure.

Shyurururuk-

From the spinneret part of the Jewel Spider where the spiderwebs were being shot out, a sharp spiderweb shining blue was swaying like a cat's tail.

Kkyageugeuk-

The Jewel Spider was staring at Lee Shin with eyes that seemed to be disappointed.

A single memory came to Lee Shin's mind.

The wire thread.

When he first saw it, he thought it was an ability that the steel spider had.

But it wasn't. The wire was just a derivative created by using its ability.

"The ability to control spiderwebs... The steel spider could only use it to the level of making the spiderwebs sharp, but you can swing it like a tail."

Lee Shin muttered and looked at the Jewel Spider.

The Jewel Spider was threatening him by shaking its tail.

Its intention was clear.

It wanted him to be scared and afraid.

The moment Lee Shin had narrowly dodged the wire thread a moment ago, the Jewel Spider had felt a sense of relief along with disappointment.

Although it had rushed in, having lost its reason in extreme pain, the Jewel Spider did not want him to die easily.

That was too merciful.

Kkirigigigi-

She wanted him to die miserably in pain and despair greater than what she had felt, and now, as part of that, she was threatening him.

In fact, the ability the Jewel Spider was showing was threatening.

At first, there were five, but now, what was caught in his senses easily exceeded thirty.

"But it's strange..."

But what was seen in Lee Shin's eyes, looking at the Jewel Spider, was not fear, but a question.

"It's definitely an incredibly strong enemy..."

At the same time, his head tilted slightly to the side.

As if he himself didn't know the reason.

"Why do you look so weak?"

Kyuuu-

At his words, Irhegue also cried softly, as if he didn't know the reason.

(End of Chapter)