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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 67: Who is the Island's ruler now?
The five Rerik brothers, who had been leisurely waiting for reinforcements, applied moderate pressure on Yoojin.
“Just watch out for that black-cloaked guy.”
“If we keep sending Reriks, he’ll reach his limit eventually.”
"Karak, we'll attack when the ship arrives."
They were gleefully anticipating the arrival of the next ship when...
Yoojin, who had been maintaining a defensive position around the black spire within the fog, suddenly emerged.
His destination: the center of the island, where the Rerik brothers resided.
"Karak, has the guy lost his mind?”
"Kararak. Youngest. Go and find out. If necessary, chase him away yourself."
"Understood."
A mutated Rerik strode southward.
A short while later...
Splash— Splash—
The sound of wet footsteps reached the Rerik brothers.
"Karak. You chased the human away quite quickly—"
"Yeah, I came back a bit early, didn't I?"
Thud.
The severed head of the youngest Rerik rolled across the floor, pale and bloodless.
Blood splattered everywhere, dripping from torn muscles, as if ripped off by sheer brute force.
“Five mutated ones, huh? Or is it four now? That's a lot."
“Kararararak! You killed our brother!”
“Brotherly love? From creatures born as half-baked rejects from the Gate?”
"Youuuuu!!!"
Two of the remaining four Reriks roared with fury and leaped forward.
“See? Provocation works.”
【Master. Even so, isn't it a bit much to desecrate the dead?】
“Calling them ‘the dead’ is too generous for monsters.”
Yoojin replied nonchalantly.
〔I agree with the warrior's statement.〕
'Why are you getting involved, constellation? I thought you liked my heroic actions?'
〔There is no need to stoop to unnecessary insult.〕
'I have my reasons.'
Yoojin glanced at Fafnir.
【I'll proceed as originally planned.】
“If anything unexpected happens, I’ll adjust. Just go wild without worry.”
【As you wish.】
Fafnir advanced, gesturing to the Blood Golem standing behind him.
“You too, go.”
「Carrying out the order.」
Thump— Thump—
The Blood Golem, now bulkier and heavier, stomped forward.
Strengthened by absorbing Relic blood, it had reached the brink of 4 Star.
Its size, which had grown to about 5 meters, was no less imposing than the mutated Rerik.
Woooong—
A blue energy flickered around the claws of the two Rerik brothers.
It was Aura, the power of will granted only to those who have transcended their limits.
"Karararak! Die!"
The mutated Reriks were confident of victory.
Even though the distance had closed considerably, there was no sign of Aura being emitted from Fafnir or the Blood Golem.
Even 5 Star Rerik needed a high level of concentration to deploy Aura.
They were certain that Fafnir and the Blood Golem had no way to counter it.
[Using Unholy Shock Shield.]
A gray barrier was generated just before the collision.
Although they could have held back, the mutated Rerik did not stop.
‘It's energy isn't strong either. I'll tear it apart!'
The blue energy intensified.
If a defensive spell was used, they just had to break through with even greater force!
CRAAAAAASH!—
"Karak?!"
... or so the mutated Rerik thought, before it’s eyes widened in bewilderment.
Mana rebound.
The Aura condensed on its claws wavered violently.
"The aura!"
"Why? What's wrong?"
Yoojin smirked.
Aura is a power granted to those who transcend their limits, but the materialized mana wavelengths aren't uniform.
It's a power that reflects the user's fighting style, personality, and various other factors.
Naturally.
The proficiency and destructive power of aura vary widely depending on one's strong will and mana control.
'Would these 3 Star monsters ever have had a reason to unleash their aura at full power?'
He had ripped off the mutated Rerik's head and thrown it to them for a reason.
To make them unleash their aura at maximum output?
These monsters likely wouldn't understand the profundity of aura, simply wielding it with all their might.
'If I use the Unholy Shock Shield to counter their aura, they won't be able to respond properly.'
〔Did you plan this far ahead?〕
'I told you, I have my reasons.'
The more they amplify their aura...
...the harder it will be for them to control the backflow of mana caused by the [Unholy Shock Shield].
The mutated Rerik stumbled backward.
The blue aura flickering around their claws trembled, and drops of blood dripped from the tips, proving his point.
'You've bestowed upon me an incredible divine spell.'
〔K, Khahahaha! Praise me more.〕
Despite his boisterous cries, Kronos couldn't shake off his astonishment.
The divine spell he had meticulously crafted was [Memento].
He had gradually modified the pocket watch with the intention of using it alongside the spell.
'But to think he'd utilize a spell I made as a bonus so effectively.'
The way this small human didn't waste a single skill...
Kronos desperately suppressed his shocked thoughts, trying not to reveal them to Yoojin.
【Moving on to stage two.】
Thud!
Fafnir dashed past the mutated Rerik, who were faltering as they tried to stabilize their mana, and charged towards the two behind them.
"Karak. Are you targeting us?"
"Ridiculous. Just because we're in the back doesn't mean we're weak in close combat!"
[Earth Break]
[Shockwave]
The ground split left and right, creating a wide fissure.
A shockwave, using the air as a medium, attempted to restrict Fafnir's movements and push him into the fissure.
【Your coordination isn't bad.】
A black aura enveloped his arms.
Fafnir neutralized the shockwave with his dark fighting spirit and advanced, crushing the rocks protruding from the fissure.
【But that's about it. Not that great.】
Closing the distance, Fafnir's hands moved with dazzling speed.
His body, reinforced with triple buffs and dragon scales.
The mutated Reriks, whose physical abilities were on par with a 5 Star Hunter but lacked combat experience, frantically flailed their arms.
"Karak, you guys attack him too!"
"This guy is a summon. It's over if we just kill the human."
Both were 5 Star monsters.
They were more accustomed to magic than aura, but their physical abilities weren't far behind.
They judged that if they held Fafnir back...
...they could seize victory by attacking Yoojin.
-Groooan.
-Grooooar.
...That is, until they saw the Revenants, clad in Rerik scales, charging towards them.
＊ ＊ ＊
Before their transformation, the Revenants were 'Returnee', a type of undead specialized in tanking.
Returnee are undead optimized for maintaining the front line by holding back enemies with their tough bodies and strength, despite their speed being considered slow for a 3 Star.
As they were upgraded based on those undead, their resilience was truly remarkable.
[Dark Fighting Spirit]
[Due to the penalty of an Inexperienced Guardian, the power of Dark Fighting Spirit is reduced by 30%]
"Karararak, is that aura?"
"It's Dark Fighting Spirit. The manifestation method is the same, so you can call it aura."
"Kararak. It's weaker than my aura. Something like this...?"
He knew the Revenant's Dark Fighting Spirit output was low.
He had predicted the mutated Rerik to be 5 Star.
Wouldn't he have considered that while hunting them down?
-Grooooar.
-Grooo. A living being.
Revenants emerged from behind the bushes in a line.
A total of 12 Revenants grappled with the mutated Rerik, who were trying to control their rebounded mana.
"Kararak!!"
"They say you can't stop ten hands with one."
The Blood Golem used [Blood Flow Conversion] to transform its arms into a net-like structure.
It entangled the mutated Rerik.
Even with a 30% reduction in output, the attacks of the Revenants, clad in aura (Dark Fighting Spirit), gradually inflicted damage.
"Karararak!"
With a furious roar, the mutated Rerik unleashed their aura to its maximum.
[Using Unholy Shock Shield.]
Crack—
"Karak!"
"This is why monsters are hopeless. They have no learning ability."
The mutated Reriks unleashing their aura at full power?
Even better.
He deployed the Unholy Shock Shield at the perfect moment, turning the enemy's power against them.
If his opponent had been a Hunter skilled in aura manipulation...
Or a monster with extensive combat experience, things would have been different.
'Like One-Eyed from the Border Region.'
That guy was a true monster.
A mutated who had survived the Monster Wave and now reigned as the king of the Border Region.
The mutated Rerik were pathetic in comparison.
'Fafnir... just needs a little help.'
He didn't lose the initiative even while facing two magic-specialized mutated Rerik.
A different scene from when he struggled against the spider.
Even though his opponents were two 5 Stars, they lacked the combat experience of Choi Hyungtae, the Red Spider executive.
He rearranged his mana while avoiding direct confrontation as much as possible.
With their high physical abilities, all they did was evade, so the flow of the fight shifted to Fafnir's onslaught.
'This is the moment!'
[Releasing Punishing Spike.]
Bang—!
A shockwave erupted from Fafnir, violently shaking the mutated Reriks.
The buff effect increased in proportion to the impact accumulated during the battle.
And releasing that energy temporarily generated a shockwave: [Punishing Spike].
[Multi-casting]
[Fireball x 2]
[Quick Reload]
[Fireball x 2]
.......
Jo Seungchul, in sync with Yoojin's signal, hurled fireballs at the mutated Rerik who had lost their footing.
Despite the difference in rank, the amplified magic melted their scales.
"Karalak!"
【Now they're showing an opening.】
[Kenex Combat Arts]
[Fourth Stance]
[Thrusting Fist]
Dark Fighting Spirit surged and spiraled around Fafnir's forearm, shattering the melted scales.
With brutal force, he tore through the exposed muscle and flesh, finally reaching the mutated Rerik's heart and bursting it with a sickening bang.
[Acquired a massive amount of experience points.]
[Level up!]
[Current level is 2.]
As expected of a mutated, it gave a tremendous amount of experience points.
"Brother!"
"Don't worry. You'll follow soon."
"Damn it! Human!"
Whoosh—
Fafnir didn't miss the opportunity presented by their cursing and attacked even more fiercely.
"Say something! Please!"
【If you had time to chatter like that, Master would have already killed 53 more Reriks.】
‘Look at him provoking.’
Before the regression, Park Haneul was taciturn and boring.
Fafnir's provocation skills were so superb that it made Yoojin wonder if they were the same person.
〔Don't you know where the starting point of change lies?〕
'Is it because I made the contract earlier?'
〔Khahahaha. What a wonderful wrong answer. Very creative indeed.〕
'…….'
Something...
...felt very strange.
Pushing Kronos' laughter aside, Yoojin focused on the battle.
His role in this fight was support.
There were no corpses to explode.
And with his Bone Control alone, he couldn't inflict a single wound on a 5 Star monster.
Maybe with a Bone Spear infused with Spirit Power...
'But it's better to faithfully fulfill my role as a priest.'
Divine spells that were clearly distinct from those of other constellations.
Yoojin took full advantage of their unique characteristics, showcasing a level of performance that surpassed priests of the same rank.
"I-I'm being... overwhelmed by mere undead...?"
The mutated Rerik, buried under a swarm of Revenants, collapsed.
Not long after, the remaining two followed their brethren.
【I didn't expect to achieve such an overwhelming victory against four 5 Stars.】
Fafnir muttered with a bewildered expression.
Yoojin chuckled.
"Idiot. I told you I don't fight battles I can't win."
【It's strange for Master, who just became a 3 Star, to even gauge the odds of winning.】
Of course.
The number of hellscapes he had gone through to reach the 9th rank were countless.
A mutated who had haphazardly awakened to intellect...
...was no match for him.
【Huh. If there had been a Hunter like Master in the past, Korea would be even more stable now.】
Fafnir even mentioned the past, which he rarely brought up.
It was proof of how shocked he was by the previous battle.
To be this surprised...
There were many more surprising things to come, so it would be good for him to take some calming pills.
Vrrrrrrr—!
The pocket watch swayed from side to side.
Kronos shouted in a hurried tone.
〔Where is the opportunity that Memento revealed?〕
'Beneath the cathedral.'
〔Khahahaha. Perhaps... no, I was just worried that you might miss my arrangements, so I asked.〕
For the King of the Titans, he was quite timid.
Yoojin laughed briefly and then stared at the mutated Rerik with their heads buried in the ground.
Although he coveted the object hidden beneath the cathedral...
For a Necromancer, wasn't the corpse of a powerful being the real treasure?
"Lesser Drakes have many uses."
Slurp—
Yoojin licked his lips.
【Master. There's something I'd like to ask.】
"Go ahead."
【Well...】
When Fafnir hesitated, Yoojin shouted.
"Why do you stop mid-sentence, it doesn't suit you?"
【Those corpses... can you give them to me?】
Blink— Blink—
For the first time in a while, Yoojin was speechless, his eyes blinking in surprise.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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