Chapter 148 - To The End of the Core (3)

At the same time, on the 4th floor of the Core…

While Hyun swung the «Sword of Darkness», the crystal that emitted a red light was cut in half.

'Yes!'

Whir. Whir. The magic circles that were in the wall, floor, and ceiling started to disappear with the sound of dying power.

That was the signal that the 5th floor's path was open.

"Is it over?"

"Not yet…"

Hyun answered TarrTarr's question and looked around at their surroundings.

The battle on the 4th floor was fiercer than the one on the 5th.

The main reason was that the number of enemies was, on the whole, another dimension.

Salon's combo count had surpassed six thousand. At that point, his damage output was higher than Ain or Louise's, but even he wasn't able to deal with such an amount of enemies.

Salon used «Rhythm Control» while maintaining «Trance» and «Invisible».

If it weren't for these three skills, he and TarrTarr would've been killed a while ago.

'If things go on like this, we'll lose the 4th floor.'

Hyun bit his lip.

The original plan was to try to destroy the magic circles on the 4th floor and then rejoin the 5th one.

But since it took him more time than expected, too many lizardmen had appeared.

There were so many that they were even struggling to move.

If time went on and high-level devils joined the battle, they would surely die.

'I can save one… but does that make sense?'

His cooldown timers would soon be over. If Hyun used «Invisible» and «Biorhythm Acceleration», he could save either Salon or TarrTarr.

But the fact that they wouldn't be able to rejoin the 5th floor wouldn't change.

They would have to spend the time hidden until the quest was over.

"I'm okay," Salon said as if he'd read Hyun's thoughts.

"Maybe my best moment has finally come."

Dozens of different cameras should’ve been recording him at that moment.

He thought that dying like that could also look good.

No, maybe it would be better to die like that.

After all, you don't always get to have an epic death in front of the cameras.

"Rather than the two of us dying, isn't it better if only one does? It's not like it will make a difference in clearing the quest."

"Ah, then I'll leave it to you…!"

TarrTarr was about to shout something, but Hyun moved faster.

Paf-! Once the cooldown timer reset, Hyun used «Invisible» and «Biorhythm Acceleration». Once he did that, TarrTarr disappeared.

Salon smiled after being left alone with a group of devils. He began saying something loudly as if he wanted to be heard.

There was no way that those low-level devils would be able to understand what he was saying, but what he said wasn’t for them to hear.

"Come. I’ll give you how frightening someone who’s prepared to die can be!

Fwoosh-! Salon's dual swords, which had cut the limbs of countless lizards, started emitting a white heat.

At that moment…

TarrTarr, under «Invisible» and «Acceleration»'s effects, ran hundreds of meters in just two seconds. He was able to find a place without devils.

While hidden on top of the ceiling beams, he heard Ain's voice.

「The gate on the 5th floor is open!」

「Don't enter; just wait! I'll soon be there.」

「What about the others?」

「It seems like… they won't be able to make it.」

Hyun looked around while clicking his tongue.

Although Salon was doing his best to fight against monsters, he probably wouldn't be able to resist for more than 30 seconds.

He also couldn't make TarrTarr join them.

Since the magic circle on the 4th floor had been destroyed, they could destroy the ceiling, but if they did that, there was a chance that others would realize their position.

After thinking for a while, Hyun forced TarrTarr to make a certain decision.

「Hmm… It would be better if you keep hidden here.」

「For how long?」

「Probably until the quest is over? It's going to end in five minutes, so wait.」

At that moment…

Paf-! TarrTarr felt that Hyun had «Disassimilated».

TarrTarr was once again left alone.

He remembered something from the past that made him uncomfortable.

* * *

"Hyun, you came!"

Louise shouted after feeling that Hyun had «Assimilated» into her.

"So only the three of us are left?"

「Yes. Let's get going.」

The door that led toward the castle's restricting magic circle had melted down. There were traces of Ain's «Efreet's Claws».

'I guess he won't be able to survive for very long.'

The higher the level of a devil was, the more sensitive it was toward human breath.

If they weren't able to complete the last mission, TarrTarr would eventually be found out.

'No… I don’t have time to worry about another person.'

Even if TarrTarr died, the fact that everyone cleared the quest wouldn't change, but if they died, all their efforts would be in vain.

'We must end things as quickly as possible.'

Whir- Whir- Hundreds of magic circles made a loud noise.

While red lights shone all around them, Hyun and Ain increased their speed.

They didn't meet many devils.

That place, where the flow of magical power was so intense, wasn't a place where a lifeform could live.

「It's here.」

Hyun and Ain found a giant hole at the top of the building.

There, they saw a central passage with a diameter of 20 meters. It was where all the energy from the Core was funneled out.

If their destination was beneath, then why did they go to the 5th floor?

It was because falling through there was the fastest way to reach the restricting magic circle.

"Hmm. It's so dark here that I can’t see anything."

Ain almost used «Efreet's Claw» to illuminate their surroundings, but Hyun stopped her.

「This is going to be better.」

«Torch.>>

As Hyun extended his hands and activated the skill, the entire passageway became bright.

The particles of light wandered around Louise as if they were guiding them.

"When did you learn this?"

「Do you want to learn it? I have five skill books in my inventory.」

"Hmm… Then give me one."

After a short while, they neared the surface.

[Fall! You've received 532 damage!]

Ain didn't use a technique to land properly on purpose because Hyun's «Shadow Shield» was on her before they reached the floor.

「Let's find it quickly. Our position has probably leaked out by now!」

As soon as they reached their destination, Hyun quickly reviewed the interloop information to search for Kaidan Castle's restricting magic circle.

Finding a single magic circle in a place with hundreds, thousands, of different magic circles was easier than he initially thought!

Hyun quickly found one that had a unique appearance.

There was a pillar that rose from the ground nearly two meters into the air.

The moment he placed his hand on the middle of the pattern, a countdown began.

[Synchronizing control of the Citadel's System!]

[Scanning the wavelength of mana!]

[Scanning almost complete!]

Light started to appear on the magic circle.

The moment it was completely illuminated, they would get control of the entire magic circle.

After they obtained access to it and gained the ability to use the castle's energy with a few commands, they would be able to use the defensive magic circles.

They'd be able to clear up all the devils on the outer wall, and they would also be able to banish all of the high-level ones.

Hyun was concentrating on synchronizing when something went flying in his direction.

"Damn…!"

He instinctively activated «Shadow Shield». Something sharp stopped for a moment at Louise's side and then bounced away.

[You've received an attack. Scanning has been canceled!]

[I'm sorry, Hyun. I'm really sorry!]

Ain blamed herself for missing an opponent.

But even if she had seen them, it wouldn’t have changed anything.

He needed more time before the synchronization was done.

"That was close."

A figure wearing a black uniform walked toward Ain and Louise.

Clang-!

His dual swords clashed against each other and made a chilling sound.

"You guys should have died a while ago."

The being emitting strong killing intent wasn't a 'devil', but a human.

He wasn't sure what level he was, but it was clear that he was stronger than users or monsters of the same level.

「Hyun, do you know him?!」

At Ain's question, Hyun quickly began going through his memories.

There weren't many NPCs among the Abyss's Forces that used dual swords… he couldn't easily tell who it was.

「I'm not sure, but we have to catch him quickly! We don't have much time!」

「If it's a humanoid, I'll catch him!」

A fire wolf jumped onto a human.

She swung «Efreet's Claws» as if she were about to tear him apart.

But the moment the sword and the claws clashed against each other…

"What…?!"

Ain let out an exclamation in surprise because only she was pushed back.

Even if her strength status wasn't that high, was something like that possible?

It would only be possible if the opponent was ten times stronger…!

«Steps of the Incarnate»!

Ain became full of determination.

She changed her direction while bouncing back from the recoil.

As the trails of flames swept through the man, something surprising happened.

[The skill has temporarily been disabled!]

[You can't use «Efreet's Claws» (Right) for 10 seconds!]

Ain clenched her teeth after the flames on one of her hands died.

If she hadn't moved both arms because she felt something strange, she wouldn't have been able to use either arm anymore.

「What level is he…?!」

「Wait for me!」

Ain returned to her senses after she heard Hyun's voice.

Ain turned pitch black.

Fwoosh-!

She used the «Steps of the Incarnate» again.

No, it wasn't that skill. Hyun's «Illusion Run» had just imitated its effect.

The shadow swept forward.

「Now, left hand!」

While distracting him with an illusion, Hyun used the flames to smash him.

Surprisingly, although he had fallen for the feint, it reacted incredibly quickly and changed his movement.

[You've dealt 202731 damage!]

[You cannot use «Efreet's Claws» (Left) for 10 minutes!]

"Ugh…"

Their movements intersected.

Although they'd managed to deal damage, they became unable to use either hand as the price.

As Ain activated the «Angel's Sword Art», the person they were fighting frowned.

But Hyun's attack wasn't over yet.

«Sword of Darkness»!

At that moment, Ain's body became completely black.

That was an effect that happened once your Demonic Energy reached the maximum amount.

Soon, a sword bigger than any normal human could hold appeared in Ain's hands.

The sword had no weight, so even someone who was weak could hold it.

Seeing a greatsword over 10 meters in length clashing with a shortsword that had a length of 30 centimeters was fun.

Clang!

He'd swung the greatsword from the bottom to upwards, so his body slightly went up.

It was then that Hyun changed the target of «Assimilation».

«Shadow Run», «Invisible», «Biorhythm Acceleration»!

After «Assimilating» with Louise, he used all of his skills.

There was a chain of wind and darkness attacks. His darkness attacks were invisible, and, with the wind, they created a tornado of Demonic Energy!

Thanks to «Biorhythm Acceleration», Louise became faster than anyone else.

And thanks to the effect of «Invisible», even the 10-meter greatsword was hidden.

Hyun was thinking of dealing critical hit damage with that one attack.

"So it's here!"

The man wearing a uniform moved both hands, and the rotation of Demonic Energy suddenly stopped.

Clang!

[Someone receiving the protection of a transcendent doesn't die easily!]

[The physical defect 'Heart Pierced' has been negated!]

[You will be invincible for the next three seconds!]

'What…?'

It took Hyun a little bit of time to understand what had happened.

The dual swords that were in the man's hands…

With one sword, he blocked the rotating greatsword, and with the other hand, he precisely pierced Louise's chest.

The moment he realized that, Hyun shouted.

「Use the scroll!」

"Ah…!"

Louise paused a bit due to the shock of receiving such damage, but she quickly returned to her senses.

Paf-!

Before the duration of «Invisible» ended, Louise completely disappeared.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Hyun's heart began beating faster.

He knew that Louise had returned safely to the private room… but still, he was having a hard time calming down.

That's how dangerous the situation had been.

"Too weak compared to the amount of Demonic Energy controlled."

It seemed like the man thought that Louise had died. After all, the traces of one person had completely disappeared.

"How could these people reach here? Unless something unexpected happened…"

Then he proceeded to question how they were able to reach the Core.

That's how big the difference between them was.

Hyun had «Assimilated» back to Ain. Hyun's jaw trembled at the unreasonably strong opponent.

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