Chapter 26: A Reliable Friend (3)
The giant Hellmorph seemed flustered as it suddenly saw the colosseum surrounding it.
Although it was an illusion created by mana, it was not a mere phantom visible only to the eyes, as it was imbued with the power of an ancient artifact.
‘If my memory is correct, with half the mana put in, the duration is about 30 minutes.’
Artier drew his sword and walked forward slowly.
[Lv.12 Hell Commander(High-Grade)]
“Who… are… you.”
Surprisingly, as Artier approached, the monster opened its mouth and spoke in human language.
The pronunciation was slurred, but it was clearly understandable.
“Do not… interfere….”
There was no need to listen.
Artier immediately placed a hand on his chest.
“Wild Protection.”
[Wild Protection is applied.]
Turtle’s Blessing: Defense increases by 20%.
“…”
A defense-increasing buff in a field where defense is 0.
As expected, random effects were not reliable at all.
He used the skill once more, and this time, a useful buff popped out.
[Wild Protection is applied.]
Wolf’s Blessing: Attack power increases by 10%.
Readjusting his grip on the sword, Artier immediately started running.
The moment he kicked off the ground, his body had already reached right in front of the creature.
Shwaak!
“Kuaaaack!”
An attack with a whopping 100% damage, plus another 10%.
The feeling of the sword sinking in was different. As if he had swung a greatsword, a large wound split open on the creature’s body, and blood poured out.
“Insolent… human!”
Woooong…
‘Magic?’
Small magic circles formed above the creature's head.
The magic circles, engraved with ominous patterns, were something Artier had never seen before.
And the same pattern appeared on Artier's body.
‘Homing magic circles!’
Kwagwagwagwa!
Red Mana Bullets poured out like a shower.
They all showed different trajectories, flying precisely toward Artier.
[Perfect Counter is activated!]
The sword spun rapidly.
His hand moved with astonishing speed, shattering all the incoming Mana Bullets.
‘They’re just Mana Bullets, but my hand is tingling. Its attack power has definitely increased too.’
Moreover, as long as the homing magic circles were used, dodging the Mana Bullets was impossible.
‘This is not good…’
Artier shook his wrist and charged at the creature again.
[Avatar of Counterattack is active!]
Current 8 stacks: All stats increased by 24%
Shugagak!
The sword drew a path as if dancing.
Artier swung his sword, moving his body busily. Each time, a sentence of death was carved onto the creature’s body.
“How…?”
The Commander stared at Artier as if it couldn’t understand.
Its gaze was so chilling that his body inadvertently froze.
[Paralysis resistance successful]
‘Paralysis?’
Thud!
Artier immediately rolled his body just before the creature's spider leg could strike him down.
If he had been even a little late, his body would have been pierced through.
‘So looking into its eyes causes paralysis?’
The Commander in the game had a pattern of inflicting paralysis with a certain probability upon landing a physical attack.
He had never heard anything about its gaze.
‘The patterns might be different from the monsters in the game.’
If so, the plan could go awry.
Artier suppressed his ominous feeling with effort and struck the protruding leg with his sword.
“Kuaaaack!”
“Bow, now!”
Piiing!
He was in such a hurry he couldn’t even connect the communication, but Bow didn't particularly need a signal.
Pububuck!
Four arrows lodged themselves in the Commander’s abdomen, chest, between its eyes, and in the spider’s underbelly.
It was clearly an arrow shot by one person, yet all four came from completely different directions.
‘Good!’
This was exactly what Artier wanted.
To land a critical hit on the stationary Commander right after its attack and make it falter for a moment.
Artier immediately escaped that spot and moved behind the Commander’s back.
And he began to slice at its waist, the joint where the human and spider bodies were divided.
“Uwaaaak!”
He didn’t know which part was the main body, but Artier knew.
The moment the spider and human bodies were separated, the creature would become enraged and enter its second phase.
‘But it can’t enter the second phase yet. So just enough, to a point where it could enter at any moment.’
Artier sliced about halfway through the Commander’s waist and then retreated.
Before long, the creature regained its senses and looked back at Artier.
Once again, Mana Bullets poured out like a shower, and Artier smiled as he thrusted his sword forward.
[Avatar of Counterattack is active!]
Current 16 stacks: All stats increased by 48%
Attacks that couldn't kill him only made him stronger.
‘As expected of an early-game boss, it’s easy.’
The Commander was such a common boss that its strategy was already fully available on the game's community forums.
The creature didn’t know it, but Artier was predicting in his head what pattern would come next and how he should act.
“You… know… my movements?”
When Artier deflected the Mana Bullets once more, the Commander asked him with a look of incomprehension.
“How…?”
“What do I know? You’re the one who’s simple.”
For a boss monster that had only been repeating the same lines to speak to him.
Artier was dumbfounded but answered vaguely. He couldn’t just shout, ‘I know all your damn patterns!’, could he? Not with Bow behind him.
But it seemed the Commander had been aiming for that very answer.
[Paralysis resistance failed]
[Your body is paralyzed for 7 seconds.]
“Ugh?”
His legs stiffened and wouldn't move. Artier’s nimble body, which had been moving swiftly, stopped for the first time.
“Caught… you.”
With those words, the Commander created numerous sharp ice spears.
Its expression was as if it was smiling, overcome with joy.
‘Answering also triggers paralysis?’
He wanted to open his mouth, but he couldn’t. Artier could only roll his eyes and watch the incoming ice spears.
What are you doing!
With Bow’s shout, five arrows flew in.
The arrows shattered the ice spears, but two spears still remained.
“Insolent… meddler.”
The Commander looked precisely where Bow was standing and sent one of the two spears flying at Bow.
Thud!
Its speed was so incredibly fast that even though Bow rolled away first, one of his legs was frozen solid.
‘Bow…!’
Artier tensed his whole body and drew upon his mana.
The moment feeling returned to his shoulder and leg, Artier twisted his body with all his might.
Pook!
“Aaaack!”
But he couldn’t dodge it completely.
The ice spear pierced through Artier’s right shoulder, freezing it solid blue.
‘It hurts!’
It felt like his entire body was being stabbed with needles.
A pain he had never experienced in his life was felt throughout his whole body.
Clang!
Dropping his sword, Artier staggered and barely managed to get up.
As he pulled out the ice spear with his trembling left arm, another scream escaped.
‘Is this the kind of pain Jeina is enduring?’
He had to immediately take out a potion and down it.
And before the creature did anything, he had to pick up his weapon again.
But that wasn’t easy.
Since coming to this world, Artier had never allowed a proper attack to land.
Although he had engaged in fierce battles until now, he had no external wounds.
Naturally, it was because Artier had been parrying every single attack.
‘My whole body feels like it’s being torn apart.’
Therefore, Artier, experiencing such immense pain for the first time in his life, couldn't calm down.
“Foolish… being.”
The Commander smiled and slowly approached Artier.
With a wave of its hand, Artier was grabbed by an invisible hand and began to float into the air.
“Destiny cannot… be changed.”
One must never drop their weapon in front of the Commander.
Because it can control an unarmed human with the Basic Magic, Telekinesis.
Artier knew all of this, but he was too late.
Thud!
“Keuk!”
As if handling a toy, Artier was thrown into a corner.
He felt the metallic taste of blood in his mouth.
‘Am I, going to die?’
Artier barely held onto his fading consciousness.
The situation was desperate. Perhaps due to the severe shock, he couldn't feel his senses properly.
“Heok…”
Artier used all his strength to pour a potion into his mouth.
As the pain-relieving effect spread, the pain lessened, but the extreme fatigue did not disappear.
‘If I fall asleep here, I’ll die, right?’
Catching his breath, Artier barely raised his body.
Even during this, the creature was slowly approaching.
“Behold, the end.”
Kwadeuk
Mana Bullets were generated all around the Commander.
This time, there were a whopping twenty.
Bow… are you okay?
Is this the time to worry about others?
Bow's low voice could be heard.
He tried to answer calmly, but he couldn't hide a groan of pain.
Covering fire is impossible. So get out of there, quick!
….
Hey!
Artier took a small breath.
You already know.
His body, which had taken a direct hit because his defense was zero, was already in tatters.
Moreover, his sword had been sent flying far away.
In this state…
I can’t run. That was the plan from the start.
….
Perhaps this could be the end.
It wasn't strange.
Originally, <Cross Destiny> was a cruel game where a single mistake could make you lose everything.
Bow, you should leave first. Now that your position is exposed, you could be counterattacked.
What are you planning to do?
…I’ll catch that thing, somehow.
Heard that bullshit loud and clear.
But he didn't want to give up.
Artier remembered all the endings of <Cross Destiny>
He recalled the days he spent recording the bonds and journeys he made in the game.
[Using Telekinesis.]
Thwip!
The sword that had been rolling on the ground flew into his hand.
‘I’ve only just begun, I can’t let it end so meaninglessly!’
At the same time, the Mana Bullets were fired, aiming for his entire body.
“Haap!”
[Perfect Counter is activated!]
Artier swung his sword with all his might.
He deflected the Mana Bullets in front of him, deflected, and continued to deflect.
[Avatar of Counterattack is active!]
Current 42 stacks: All stats increased by 126%
The stacks increased, and wind began to rise from the sword.
The flames blooming from the sword drew lines in the air as if painting a picture.
Peok!
“Ugh!”
But the limit was reached.
Each time a missed Mana Bullet grazed his body, Artier’s entire body swayed precariously.
Teong!
‘No!’
Eventually, Artier’s arm was knocked away.
Seeing his wide-open chest, the Commander smiled.
‘What should I do!’
A skill? Equipment? Control?
What on earth could block that?
Get a grip!
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed in his head.
But there was no time to even reply to the communication.
The Mana Bullet was right in front of him.
You are not someone who dies in a place like this!
In that instant, the fatigue Artier felt shattered into pieces.
[Confusion is lifted.]
The world returned to normal, and the dark sky regained its light.
Forcibly holding his knocked-away arm, Artier twisted his body with all his might and swung his sword.
“Uwaaa!”
Kwaaa!
Flames belatedly bloomed from the circularly swung sword.
[The will to cut down the being before you and the image of a skill your comrade possessed have been combined.]
[You have learned Flame Cleave(Lv.1).]
The small flames, at some point, became a great wave of fire, exploding all the Mana Bullets before him.
The flames, not satisfied with that, rushed straight towards the Commander and engulfed its entire body.
“Kuaaaaak!”
Instantly engulfed in flames, the Commander screamed and began to shake its body.
Artier looked back and forth between his sword and the Commander.
“…Huh?”