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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 48: Spider Hunt (5)
While Fafnir held Choi Hyungtae, Yoojin steadily chipped away at Lee Seungyeon's mana, a potion clutched between his teeth.
"Damn it!"
A sharp cry pierced through the acrid smoke. Leaning heavily on her staff, Lee Seungyeon recovered her mana.
-Groan.
-Groan.
Corpses surrounded them. The plague zombies, with their blank white eyes, relentlessly advanced.
[Wind Blade]
Slash!
The densely compressed blades of wind tore through the undead.
Aside from a few stray bloodstains from the fiery explosion, Lee Seungyeon remained untouched.
"Gasp... pant..."
She breathed raggedly. Although she hadn't suffered any direct hits, Yoojin was steadily pushing her to the brink.
'How is this possible?! He's either summoning these unheard-of undead or creating them himself.'
Human Hunters continuously sending monsters? The smoke and fog had severely limited visibility, but she wasn't foolish enough to miss that.
Corpses were hidden throughout the undergrowth, including the bodies of Red Spider Hunters.
'The one that tried to ram me earlier... it died in the explosion.'
Lee Seungyeon was certain that the unknown enemy lurking in the fog was a necromancer. She recalled reading about similar phenomena in old magic books. The problem was, she'd realized it far too late.
'If I had known, I would have used my magic more carefully!'
She had deployed the inefficient Mana Barrier twice.
In the initial engagement, she had unleashed excessive firepower to quickly subdue what she thought was a Human Hunter.
And that wasn't all. Since the plague zombies appeared, she'd been forced to rely on wind magic.
'He prepared those exploding zombies on purpose!'
Lee Seungyeon bit back a scream. Most wind magic specialized in single-target attacks. She couldn't waste it on wiping out groups of 1 Star zombies.
'Damn it. My remaining mana...'
Even a 5 Star Mage didn't have an unlimited supply of mana.
Every time she recovered her mana, it drained both her mental strength and mana. She was so exhausted that if she didn't lean on her staff, her legs would give out.
The moment she stumbled, her strength failing her.
[Corpse Explosion activated.]
The infernal roar echoed in her ears. Lee Seungyeon immediately deployed a defensive spell, blocking the scattering flesh and bone.
'Something's different.'
Her senses were sharply honed. In this extreme situation, her heightened concentration allowed her to discern the difference from the previous explosions.
'The mana wave right before the explosion... it's gone.'
This wasn't a remote detonation like the others.
The pinnacle of a 5 Star Hunter.
Having survived countless near-death experiences, Lee Seungyeon realized her opponent was close.
"I know you're there, you piece of shit! Come out now!"
Her shout echoed emptily. There was no answer.
"You don't want to come out, huh. You coward."
Thwack!
Lee Seungyeon slammed her staff on the ground and muttered under her breath.
A sudden gust of wind whipped her robe. The movement of a vast amount of mana was affecting the very air around her.
A magic circle formed above the crystal on her staff.
"Keep hiding. I'll blast you to oblivion."
Approaching plague zombies reached for her, but were blocked by a translucent barrier.
A temporary magical defense deployed when using large-scale magic. Part of the mana she was gathering protected her.
The fierce wind ceased.
Lee Seungyeon finally uttered the incantation.
"Explosion!"
[TL/N: Megumin ahh spell]
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The explosion erupted simultaneously with the incantation, momentarily deafening her. A crimson radiance erupted from her, engulfing a 50-meter radius.
Bushes and trees instantly turned to ash as they were consumed by the powerful explosive energy. The corpses buried in the ground, the weapons and bodies of the Red Spider Hunters... all vanished without a trace.
"Ugh."
Lee Seungyeon collapsed with a gasp.
Explosion was her trump card, held back until the very end.
Among 5 Star offensive magic, it was one of the top five most destructive fire spells. A massive crater, as if a meteorite had struck, formed in the ground.
'How much I went through to obtain this spell...'
Even Kim Jaewoo, the boss of the Red Spiders, didn't know about her trump card.
She had spared no expense, investing all the money she had earned at Ground Zero. The magic book had been purchased through secret channels.
'All that trouble was worth it.'
The powerful mana wave even pushed back the fog.
The acrid smoke that had stung her eyes, the stubborn weeds underfoot, even the lingering frustration that had clung to her—all were consumed in the blinding explosion, leaving nothing but a scorched emptiness.
"That's so satisfying!"
"Indeed. You blew them away spectacularly."
“...!”
A voice came from behind her.
Lee Seungyeon's expression hardened at the unfamiliar man's tone.
She turned her head with difficulty, and her eyes fell on a person shielded by a monster made of blood.
"You, you!"
"Thank you for moving as expected."
Black mask, weeping tears of blood. Yoojin, his face hidden by the [Shadow Mask], chuckled.
"I was running low on corpses. I took a gamble, and it looks like I caught a big fish."
"H-how did you know about Explosion...?"
"Madam told me."
"That damn bitch! How did she find out about something I hid so well?!"
"There are no secrets in this world."
It would be unwise to underestimate Madam's information network.
She was in direct opposition to the Red Spiders, so she had thoroughly investigated their executives.
"I knew you'd use that spell if I got close."
A 5 Star Hunter, the only Red Spider executive whose strength he couldn't fully gauge. From the moment he confirmed Lee Seungyeon with Ghost Eye, he was confident of victory.
"Well, if it wasn't for this guy, I might have been toast."
Yoojin smiled contentedly at the Blood Golem.
The range of Explosion widened with mana consumption. He had lured Lee Seungyeon into using her trump card and kept his distance, but just in case, he had transformed the Blood Golem.
"You had more mana than I thought. Even with him protecting me, it was quite hot."
"D-don't come near me!"
"Don't worry. I'll put both your body and soul to good use."
[TL/N: 🌚]
"If you come closer, I'll kill you!"
"You're completely out of mana now."
Besides, there were plenty of ways to kill without getting close.
[Bone Spear activated.]
The magic armament 'Cursed Fang' pierced Lee Seungyeon's neck and heart.
"Keugh, ack..."
"It won't hurt much."
Muttering "Probably," Yoojin approached the fallen body.
'Did you see that?'
〔So this is how a necromancer fights.〕
'What are your impressions?'
〔Ruthlessness that uses any means necessary. Cruelty that breaks the enemy's spirit. And cunning that anticipates every variable and turns the situation to its advantage.〕
'That's praise, right?'
〔Khahahaha! You have impressed me, so consider it praise. Accept it gratefully.〕
Kronos laughed heartily. It was better than when he was lecturing him about becoming a hero, but Yoojin still didn't understand why he was laughing.
'Whatever, let's just do what we need to do.'
He subdued her soul with [Dark Calling] and stored her empty shell of a body in the Ring of Darkness.
〔Isn't this woman better than that little human made of bones?〕
'It's not the right time to turn her into an undead.'
The corpse of a 5 Star Hunter. He was already looking forward to how he could use it.
'It's a good thing I finished this before it got too late.'
〔Didn't you say a long battle would be advantageous for you?〕
'I'm fine, but the other side is the problem.'
Having secured what he needed, Yoojin diligently moved in the direction where he sensed Fafnir's spirit.
＊ ＊ ＊
A dark wave of energy erupted from Fafnir, unleashing dozens of times the holy power he had used during their training, flinging Choi Hyungtae backwards.
【Master!】
"You've arrived at the perfect time."
Yoojin placed his hand on Fafnir's tattered back.
[Life Drain activated.]
Like rewinding time, Fafnir's body was restored to its original state. Kronos's holy magic was incredibly effective, even on the undead.
【Have you taken care of the others?】
"Probably. One or two might have survived, but not enough to worry about."
The Red Spiders had already suffered devastating losses. Some of the 4 Star Hunters had escaped with minor injuries.
But none had the courage to push through the blinding fog and confront the source of their destruction.
"When did Choi Hyungtae use his Blessing?"
【Just now.】
"He's lucky. If he had used it from the start, all my plans would have been for nothing."
【Is it that difficult to withstand?】
"Yes. Even with your abilities, you could have lasted maybe a minute."
【Tsk. That's a harsh assessment.】
"It's not just about his holy power, his equipment is also superior."
【Yet, despite saying that, Master, you defeated an enemy three stars higher than you.】
Yoojin chuckled and continued.
"Vidar's Blessing increases strength and agility by 200%. It also increases physical and magical resistance."
【Those are terrifying numbers. Then why didn't he use it?】
"As you can see, he's practically lost his mind."
Choi Hyungtae, who had been flung back nearly a hundred meters, stood up unsteadily. His eyes were still unfocused. He hadn't forgotten that he was in the middle of a fight with Fafnir, as he started walking straight in that direction.
【You said I couldn't last even a minute against him at full power?】
"That's right."
【Instead of coming here, you should have run away then.】
"We can win if we work together."
Fafnir's eyes gleamed. The pocket watch in Yoojin's pocket trembled, and Kronos expressed his displeasure.
〔He's quite confident. Wasn't it you who said there was no chance of winning against a martial arts type?〕
'With Vidar's Blessing in play, even impossible odds become possible.'
〔Because of the Blessing?〕
'Vidar is a popular constellation, both now and in the future.'
A constellation under the Asgard Cluster. Known for his compassionate nature, the conditions for a 'Rear Support' contract with him were not demanding, and his buff-type Blessings were highly effective, making him a favorite among martial arts Hunters.
〔And how does that relate to victory?〕
'Popularity is synonymous with being well-known.'
The advantages of Vidar's Blessing... and its weaknesses, too.
[Using Unholy Blessing.]
A gray aura poured over Choi Hyungtae's head.
〔Contractor, what are you doing?〕
'I'm applying a debuff.'
〔Effects of spells with the same nature do not stack.〕
Kronos' words were valid.
For example, [Unholy Blessing] increases all stats by 20%, and [Giant's Strength] increases strength by 70%.
When the 'strength' stat overlaps in buffs, the effect of [Unholy Blessing] is halved, limited to strength, because the basis of the divine spells is the same.
〔Wouldn't the same apply to debuff effects?〕
'Well, under normal circumstances.'
A powerful buff that increases strength, agility, physical defense, and even magical resistance.
It's only weakness was the power of 'another god,' that is, holy power.
〔Kuh, Kuah?〕
Choi Hyungtae's movements, enveloped in the gray aura, became sluggish.
Kronos' holy power was eroding Vidar's Blessing.
Yoojin weakened the power of the Blessing by clashing the holy power itself rather than the debuff effect.
"What's wrong? Are you staggering?"
"Kuah."
"You're still a long way from regaining your senses."
He continuously cast [Unholy Blessing] on Choi Hyungtae.
Every time he used a divine spell, his movements became noticeably slower.
[Unholy Blessing interferes with the ‘Guardian of Jaturi’s’ blessing - Avenger (Lv1).]
[Unholy Blessing...]
[...]
The moment he cast the 10th divine spell, the red glow vanished from Choi Hyung-tae's eyes.
"Uuugh."
Choi Hyungtae, letting out a weak groan, collapsed to the ground and writhed.
〔Why is the little human wriggling like a worm?〕
'A minor penalty of Vidar's Blessing.'
When [Avenger] is deactivated, tremendous muscle pain sets in, making it impossible to move for 1 minute.
The backlash from boosting strength and agility by 200%.
'Considering the effect, it's minor. As long as you're not in the middle of a battlefield.'
He must have been quite anxious about being held back by Fafnir.
1 minute.
No, even 10 seconds earlier, he might have been able to defeat the battered Fafnir.
'He's lucky.'
〔Khahaha! Have you finally learned some humility?〕
"What humility?"
〔You haven't mastered luck yet. Haven't you acknowledged that not everything can be solved with your own strength?〕
'There's no fight without variables.'
Yoojin dismissed it curtly and stood in front of Choi Hyungtae.
"Don't worry. You won't be the only one suffering like this."
"..."
"The more comrades, the better, right?"
"...?"
"Ah. I have a knack for handling corpses as subordinates."
Your colleague noticed.
At Yoojin's last words, Choi Hyungtae's eyes widened in shock.
"Fafnir."
I will send you off without pain.
His tightly clenched fist plunged vertically, and Choi Hyungtae's body convulsed violently once before ceasing all movement.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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