Chapter 115

Chapter 115: Yeoncheon County Dungeon - (4)

Sanghyun honestly prepared to activate Demon Bash in his original form.

It was an honest choice that overturned the Annihilator's belief that illusion would become reality.

The possibility of not activating mediation! The Annihilator had never considered that. A fatal mistake.

Thwack!

"Grrrk!"

The moment Demon Bash landed.

The Annihilator was completely immobilized. Knowing from the start that failure was not an option, there was no need for concern.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

In the meantime, Kim Miso’s arrows rained down violently on the Annihilator’s body.

But as befitted a boss monster, its outer carapace was as tough as steel.

'It's going to take forever to strip this off.'

A monster with its own unique defense shield, often seen in MMORPGs.

The Annihilator was exactly that.

While its true body hidden inside was exceedingly weak, the external defensive structure was tightly woven.

'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.'

If one doesn’t take the first step just because the road looks long, reaching the destination becomes impossible.

Strip one layer, then another.

Repeating this process would eventually expose the Annihilator’s bare flesh.

Swish! Swoosh!

Sanghyun immediately entered an awakened state and efficiently used the 3.3 seconds to slash at the Annihilator.

"Heh."

The Annihilator looked down on Sanghyun with a sneering expression as he relentlessly hacked away at it.

Not a single drop of blood was shed.

Only flashes of light flickered as the thick protective barrier surrounding the Annihilator was gradually stripped away.

The expression it wore was as if it were watching a child throw weak punches—utterly unimpressed.

Both players and monsters could perceive the duration of status effects.

So as the 3.3 seconds neared their end…

The Annihilator had already concluded how to strike Sanghyun down in one blow. A delightful thought.

Just then.

"What, did you think it was over?"

With a smirk full of ridicule, Sanghyun triggered another immobilization on the Annihilator. The first extension.

"……?"

The Annihilator’s expression twisted.

The initial 3.3 seconds were expected, but it had never considered that the effect could be extended.

Normally, players lacked the ability to extend status effects. Once inflicted, that was the end.

Repeating the same skill did not extend its duration. That was simply not how the mechanics worked.

However, Sanghyun possessed a delay-inducing ability linked to stiffness, allowing him to prolong the effect indefinitely.

"Is this thing a laughing sandbag? Just grinning while getting pounded?"

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Kim Miso’s mana-infused arrows struck the Annihilator’s temple in rapid succession.

The heavy thudding sound resembled a hammer blow, and the sensation of impact was thoroughly unpleasant.

Kim Miso’s attack was deliberately provocative. Of course, its destructive power was beyond question.

"We need to keep chipping away. There are a lot of layers to peel off."

"Isn’t that kind of a dirty-sounding comment?"

"Look at its face. Does anything about it seem dirty in that way?"

"Ugh."

Facing the Annihilator head-on, Kim Miso gagged.

Indeed, its small knot-like eyes, torn lips, and bluntly pressed nose were enough to evoke repulsion.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Sanghyun gleefully continued slashing the Annihilator.

His attack speed increased steadily.

Peeling off the outer barrier was a process without tricks or shortcuts.

The only way was to keep increasing the number of attacks and accumulating damage.

The Annihilator endured.

The extension of stiffness was surprising, but it believed such an event wouldn’t repeat again.

However, the nightmare was far from over.

Thwack!

A third extension was triggered.

With a 90% success rate, the extension was almost guaranteed, stretching the Annihilator’s nightmare to 9.9 seconds.

Then, with a 70% success rate, a fourth extension followed.

The Annihilator, eyes wide open, was forced to endure an uninterrupted assault for a total of 13.2 seconds. It was sheer humiliation!

As the fourth extension was about to end…

Rather than risk a fifth extension at a 50% success rate, Sanghyun chose a strategic shift.

He activated Full Charging.

Swoosh! Crackle!

Having precisely calculated the timing, Sanghyun’s Full Charging struck, freezing the Annihilator for one second.

The stiffness effect was removed. Thus, the short-term immunity period of 15 seconds against stiffness began.

The Annihilator was convinced.

Even though this human player had a bizarre ability to extend stiffness, this was the limit.

Now that it had gained short-term immunity, it no longer needed to fear Sanghyun’s Demon Bash.

A mere one-second freeze was nothing!

The Annihilator waited leisurely for the freeze to end. Its shield was still intact, and it remained unscathed.

Just then.

A silence effect embedded in a basic attack triggered.

The duration was so short that it wasn’t even worth worrying about.

“……?”

But the unexpected sudden blindness was surprising.

Since they had been staring directly at each other, the one-second blindness was fully applied.

A situation where nothing could be seen!

Whoooosh!

The Rising AIrflowt that flew in from behind lifted the Annihilator high into the sky.

With Sanghyun’s strength exceeding 1,000, the pure airborne effect of the updraft lasted up to six seconds.

Of course, if it were a monster with resistance, the effect would be adjusted accordingly, reducing the duration proportionally.

However, since the Annihilator, affected by the dullness effect, could not resist any status conditions, it was applied 100%.

Graaah! Graaaah!

The Annihilator flailed its arms and legs in the air, letting out an annoyed voice.

This was not part of its expectations.

As if there was a precise recipe to stall for 15 seconds, the status conditions were seamlessly linked!

Thus, the Annihilator remained airborne for six seconds, unable to even twitch properly, becoming a complete pincushion.

From the moment the battle began, Kim Miso’s relentless barrage never ceased for even a second, steadily chipping away at the Annihilator’s barrier.

In addition, Sanghyun’s greatsword attacks, persistently forced in, gradually created cracks in the barrier.

After enduring the full six seconds,

Sanghyun prepared the next recipe for the Annihilator, who was now falling from the air.

Baaang!

Before the Annihilator's feet could even touch the ground, it was struck by Knockback Burst, sending it flying in an arc.

At this rate, it was nothing more than a soccer ball being kicked back and forth. And on top of that, the follow-up was Crushing Airflow!

KWA-GA-GA-GA!

Under the vertical pressure of the Crushing Airflow, which acted as a gravity enhancement, the Annihilator tried to lift its head but was slammed face-first into the ground.

Thus, ten full seconds were dragged out.

Beyond the airborne duration, the time spent rising and falling was fully reflected in the total time spent mid-air.

Thanks to maintaining an unscathed state, the steadily accumulated Fighting Spirit stat activated a solid barrier.

Sanghyun grinned mischievously.

He taunted the Annihilator.

“Hey, you sluggish old man. Think you can draw blood from me within five seconds?”

Now, the one racing against time was not Sanghyun but the Annihilator.

If it failed to inflict a significant wound on Sanghyun within five seconds,

Then it would be trapped in a continuous cycle of status effects, starting again from the Demon Bash it had just experienced.

Some time later.

‘I feel like a machine just firing arrows. But this is really too comfortable. So convenient. Where else could I find such a perfect team play?’

Kim Miso, who had been relentlessly shooting magical arrows, smiled as she looked at the utterly ruined Annihilator.

With Sanghyun there, the entire Annihilator raid was tackled from start to finish without a single moment of tension.

A strategy that combined and linked various status effects while adding just the right amount of durability to stretch the battle for 15 seconds!

This was only possible because of Sanghyun.

Even a skilled player like Cho Jinho would struggle to last a full 15 seconds against the Annihilator without any disruptions. That was a fact.

However, Sanghyun made the impossible possible.

From start to finish, all the Annihilator experienced was getting completely outplayed by Sanghyun! That was all.

As time passed,

With each new phase, the Annihilator's movements grew faster, but it was still not enough to wound Sanghyun.

In the end—

Kwoooooo!

The Annihilator raised its hands toward the sky as if cursing the heavens, then let out a despairing wail and lowered its head.

The raid against the Annihilator had begun with intense tension.

But just like when he had effortlessly defeated the Cerberus boss using the "Hour of Dog and Wolf" title,

This battle ended up being far too simple.

A title was immediately granted.

Perhaps because he had utterly dominated a difficult boss monster that could instantly kill him with a single mistake?

The title that appeared was of an even higher grade than Sanghyun had expected.

Since S-Rank titles contained special options different from those below A-Rank, there was a lot to look forward to.

‘This is unexpected?’

Sanghyun had obtained many titles that strengthened him.

But this was the first time he had a title that influenced Celestials or Divine Thrones.

‘Of course, strengthening Celestials and Divine Thrones ultimately makes me stronger as well. But still, this is fascinating.’

Sanghyun's eyes widened in surprise.

Meanwhile, he had reached level 150.

As for the loot, as per their prior agreement, Sanghyun claimed the two artifacts dropped by the Annihilator,

while Kim Miso took all the magic stones. Since everything was already settled, there was no need for discussion.

‘Wow, they're loving this.’

With Celestials repeatedly showing their approval, Sanghyun couldn't help but feel proud.

He was in an excellent mood.

After all, Celestials were watching over countless players.

For them to take special notice of him meant he was truly standing out among the crowd.

‘Alright, let’s enhance. Will this add a fifth effect to the Goddess of Fortune?’

With trembling fingers, Sanghyun reached for the Divine Power Enhancement button.

It felt like playing a gacha game with a single pull.

A single choice could lead to either great success or bitter failure, making him more nervous than ever.

‘Goddess, you trust me, right?’

Sanghyun sent a message filled with prayer and devotion toward the Goddess of Fortune.

Was it a foolish question?

Perhaps.

While a mere human like himself might agonize over the results of a pull, surely a Divine Throne of the dimensions would not?

‘Wait… is this real?’

The Goddess of Fortune had actually passed out.