ocean-life Chapter 72: Knowing it's a trap means it's no longer a trap (2)
Chapter 72: Knowing it's a trap means it's no longer a trap (2)
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
Chapter 72: Knowing it's a trap means it's no longer a trap (2)
The day of the raid.
The Phoenix Guild sent a van for the group.
"Get in."
Jang Miseon opened the car door.
The Little Runts team members excitedly boarded the van one by one.
"Aren't vans only for celebrities?"
"Look here, Oppa. They even have cocktails prepared!"
"You shouldn't drink alcohol before something important."
Yoojin sighed briefly and muttered.
"Those are non-alcoholic."
"There's nothing Hyung-nim doesn't know."
"I'd rather not have known about the situation just now."
Next time, he'd have to tell the Phoenix Guild to take care of things appropriately.
Did the embarrassment always have to be his responsibility?
Jang Miseon, who was sitting in the front, chuckled.
"Don't we have any information about the gate at all?"
"The advance team has collected some rough information."
Jang Miseon quickly shared the briefing information she had prepared.
Daegu - Starving Cave & Old Mansion
[Type: Fixed Type]
[Entry Requirement: 2-3 Star]
[Gate Area: Small]
[Entry Limit: 10 people]
"The monsters that appear are werewolves and vampires."
"Those sworn enemies are working together well."
"The gate has two cores. When you enter, the path splits into two, and they're said to be at the end of each passage."
"Are there any other unique features?"
"There are many variants, and the boss monsters have to be attacked simultaneously."
Yoojin stroked his chin.
"The fact that they figured that out means the advance team succeeded in attacking the bosses?"
"Arhan called us because they were struggling. It's highly likely."
Jang Miseon brushed off Yoojin's point.
Indeed.
So this is how they set things up.
'If I excluded the Romanov family, I wouldn't have even known it was a trap.'
-Double Dungeon.
-Hunting two bosses at the right timing.
To satisfy these two conditions, the raid team also had to split their forces.
Since only 10 people could enter.
It was a perfect excuse to ask for cooperation from the Phoenix Guild, saying that Arhan's elite hunters alone were not enough.
"Werewolves and vampires. Aren't they both powerful races?"
"Proper ones are called vampires and lycanthropes. Those are sub-species."
"Ugh. It's not like jingoism, saying Korean names are weak and English names are strong."
[TL/N: Jingoism — Extreme patriotism, often expressed through aggressive foreign policy.]
Kang Minyeong clicked her tongue.
Tell the gate, which preferred squiggly letters, to do something about it.
"Well, we have enough information, so let's do our best! Fighting!"
Following Jang Miseon's lead, the Little Runts team also shouted—
"Fighting!"
The van had already reached near Myeongdeok Station, the center of Daegu.
"We're almost at our destination. Please prepare."
There were many high schools and cram schools near the station, so it was usually a busy area with a large floating population.
But because a variant double dungeon had appeared, it was deserted.
"There aren't any cars."
"Ah. They say the roads are closed with the city's cooperation."
The empty roads were swarming with people dispatched for the gate raid, including medical staff and weapons inspection teams.
"Haha. We meet again."
"Indeed. Arhan's rising star."
"Song Myeongseok."
"Of course, I know your name."
Song Myeongseok retorted sharply at the mocking tone.
Yoojin chuckled and brushed it off.
"You look a lot gloomier than the last time I saw you?"
"Thanks to you."
"I heard you learned a good lesson from the next Sword Saint."
"..."
Song Myeongseok kept his mouth firmly shut.
A sinister light flickered across his sunken eyes.
He was openly displaying his killing intent now.
"Isn't that summon with you?"
"Fafnir has some business and couldn't come."
"That's a shame. He was a great help during the joint raid. What a pity."
If he pities it twice more, he might as well commit murder.
Now that they couldn't back out of the raid due to the Phoenix Guild's reputation, he didn't even bother to hide his true feelings.
"Even without him, closing a gate is nothing."
"Hahaha. Seeing your confidence makes me feel very reassured."
"You should also do your best."
After leaving those meaningful words, Yoojin turned away.
Song Myeongseok's gaze remained fixed on his exposed back for a long time.
"Arhan Guild, preparations for entry are complete."
The Arhan Guild raid team lined up in front of the blue rift.
They were all acquaintances of Yoojin.
"Weren't you all 2 Stars?"
"We've all risen to 3 Stars. Don't worry, we won't be a hindrance."
Song Myeongseok stared intently at Yoojin's group.
"That's good. I'm also a 3 Star."
"How in such a short time...?"
Wasn't that a cheap shot for a psychological warfare tactic?
However, Yoojin decided not to reveal his full power.
Having absorbed the relics' blood, he had become significantly stronger.
There was no need to reveal all his cards in such an obvious probing attack.
"Let's start with buffs."
He raised the [Oak Staff Imbued with Lightning] high and switched his stats to Daybreak.
He consecutively deployed divine spells.
[Using Giant's Strength.]
[Using Punishing Spike.]
"Are you really a 3 Star? How is your spellcasting speed so fast?"
"Can't you tell by the fact that we entered the gate without any problems?"
Yoojin lightly retorted.
A probing attack, huh?
Even better.
This was his first time coordinating with Jang Miseon.
He had been unilaterally beaten up, no, sparred with her countless times, but fighting as a team was different.
If the enemies had come at them with full force, they wouldn't have had this leeway.
"Jang Miseon and Kang Minho will be the vanguard, the other two the rearguard."
"Yes, sir!"
"Vanguard, advance 10 steps. Rearguard, restrain the vampires. Just prevent them from approaching."
The two moved forward.
Kang Minyeong used [Synchronization] and [Telekinesis] to lift three crossbows.
Lee Seongmin also rearranged his mana.
"Kaaaw! Kaaaw!"
"Kang Minho, advance 5 steps and then use Moveable Fortress. After 1 second, Jang Miseon, charge in with Comet Dash."
Commands were issued in second-by-second increments.
Kang Minho walked as instructed and then focused his mana on his shield.
[Acceleration]
[Wild Run]
The speed of the werewolves charging straight at them more than doubled.
In the blink of an eye, they lunged at Kang Minho.
[Moveable Fortress]
[Forceful Strike]
An attack that perfectly synchronized the release of mana and strength.
Blue flashes erupted from the wide shield, engulfing the werewolves.
"Kekekegek!"
The six werewolves that had charged at the front tumbled across the floor.
It wasn't significant damage.
If they were enemies of the same star rank, the impact would have been enough to break an arm or a leg.
However, the werewolves were 3 Stars.
One star rank higher than Kang Minho.
[Shooting Star Sword]
[Comet Dash]
Flash—
A sword wrapped in a whirlwind left a long trail in the air.
Red lines appeared on the necks of the werewolves who had been knocked down by the shockwave.
Puaaaak—!
Their heads were severed, spraying blood.
"Krrr! Kaaaw!"
The werewolves that followed also accelerated.
Just as they bared their sharp teeth towards Jang Miseon, who was left defenseless after swinging her sword,
[Using Unholy Shock Shield.]
A gray barrier blocked the path of a werewolf with its jaws wide open.
Before it could pull back, the werewolf clamped its jaws on the barrier with all its might—
Kwazik—!
The barrier shuddered—
Partially reflecting the force of the bite back at the creature.
The werewolves staggered back from the shock that rattled their jaws.
"Human. You're quite something."
"I wonder what that blood tastes like?"
The vampires, who had been passively responding to the rearguard's restraint, began to move seriously.
Their flighting speed was increasing.
The vanguard, whose feet were tied down by the werewolves, couldn't stop the vampires.
"Lee Seongmin, deploy shields. Kang Minyeong, use Synchronization and Telekinesis."
"Yes!"
[Space - Release]
Thump— Thump— Thump—
Several silver-coated shields fell to the ground.
Kang Minyeong used telekinesis to manipulate the shields she had just summoned and layered them.
[Using Bone Spear.]
Spiritual power wrapped around cursed fangs.
The magic spear, enhanced by the Fragment of Void, pierced through one of the vampires.
"Keok, keo-eok!"
"Huh? It's faltering."
The vampire was also a 3 Star monster.
Yoojin's mana (divine power) stat was much higher than that of an average magic/divine-type hunter.
Not only that.
The magic was further enhanced by the [Oak Staff Imbued with Lightning].
Since he even used an excellent medium called [Cursed Fangs], he could kill a nameless vampire with a single blow.
"Kaaak! Kill!"
"I'll suck all of your blood!"
What greeted the enraged vampires were the shields controlled by [Synchronization] and [Telekinesis].
Yoojin matched the timing and even deployed [Unholy Shock Shield].
Bang— Puff-puff-bang—
The vampires were repelled by the shields, which weren't even held by a tank but merely supported by telekinesis.
Swish—!
The cursed fangs cut off their breaths one by one.
The werewolves, too, were unable to advance further, hindered by the efforts of the two at the vanguard, Yoojin's orders, and the timely deployed spells.
'This person. Why is he so good at commanding?!'
Jang Miseon was internally astonished.
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]