CHAPTER 185
“Finally, I can breathe a little.”
I sat there, sucking in water ether while groaning. I had no spare moment to rest due to Dyrus’ relentless offensive.
But now, I was okay. I had recovered from the fatal wounds with water ether, and he had no means to recover his internal injuries.
‘If I can just drain his power…!’
In the end, time was on my side. Gradually wearing him down would ensure victory.
… There was a time when I also had such optimistic thoughts.
Fwewh! Immediately after, something flew toward Dyrus from the direction of a nearby house.
“Hmm?”
Something flew toward Dyrus’ shoulder and pierced it. I widened my eyes in alarm and focused on the object that had flown in.
It was… a syringe filled with a bright blue substance.
“What’s this…?”
I naturally turned my head toward the direction the syringe had come from.
I found a hulking man standing on the rooftop of an apartment building.
“Dy… I’m here… heard… loud noises… from the factory…”
He was a half-human, half-insect Black Blood Disease patient with his transformation halfway complete.
He had a few insect-like arms sprouting from behind his left shoulder, and the parts of his body not covered by insect exoskeletons were clad in crude armored plating. On his head, he wore an odd tin bucket as a helmet.
Strapped to his back was a backpack as enormous as his stature, and on his right hand was a mechanical gauntlet with a gun-like attachment.
“You’re strong… I’ll give you powerful medicine… you mustn’t die.”
And then, with a flash.
Where his left eye should’ve been, there was a camera lens. It was emitting a bright red laser sight that felt like a gaze, and it had been focused on my forehead since an unknown time.
‘Could it be…’
Just in case, I swept him with the Eye of Mimir.
[Monster Information]
[Name: Moskden of Solitude]
[Vitality: 3310/3310 Magic: 1250/1250]
[Strength: 435 Agility: 459 Intelligence: 326]
[Details: An unnamed human who survived for three years by killing all the monstrous insects in District 10, which was quarantined due to an epidemic. Deals a fatal blow to the hero who defies the will of the lesser deities.]
And, alas, my bad premonition was never wrong.
Yet another runaway hero. This was Moskden of Solitude, who hadn’t shown his face until now.
“Dy… My friend… you mustn’t die…”
The man rambled like someone mentally unstable.
It was unclear what exactly he was saying, but one thing was certain: the substance he injected into Dyrus would undoubtedly trigger something soon.
“… Gk…!”
And as if to prove my suspicion, a blue energy began to swirl around Dyrus’ body starting from the arm where the syringe had pierced.
Swissh. His wounds began to gradually heal. It was an energy remarkably similar to water ether.
I sighed, feeling powerless.
“What the hell, you wimp! You brought a healer?!?”
I complained, entirely forgetting my past smugness while chugging potions.
I soon realized I was wrong again.
“Kruuugh!”
The blue energy surrounding Dyrus didn’t stop at healing the wounds but began twisting his entire skeleton.
Crrack, crrack. Bone-chilling sounds accompanied his growing frame. His bulging muscles, the ominous red eyes appearing—his body seemed to be turning demonic.
And with a sickening sound, another scarlet arm burst through his back.
“Huff…”
Dyrus, now bulkier than ever, having completed the transformation, took a deep breath and adjusted his falchion. The third arm that sprouted from his back also gripped the weapon.
“Huh. Shit.”
I underestimated the situation. He’s both a healer and a buffer.
You tricky bastard.
“Huff… huff…”
Dyrus slowly turned to me. The wavering red eyes drew closer through the thick fog.
With the despair of wanting to cry, I prepared for Round Two.
In 1-on-1 combat with Dyrus, my upper hand was due to the effects of various items.
But as time passed and Moskden joined, and Dyrus entered Phase 2, the situation was definitely turning against me.
“Huff!”
Dyrus, who could easily overpower 1,500 of anything, made a dash toward me.
The moment I heard his harsh breathing, his figure was already upon me. His speed was incredible.
“Gk…!”
I barely managed to block it. But the difference in weight was overwhelming.
Kwaang, Kwaang! Every strike felt like a greatsword descending.
Blood flowed from my sword-holding hand. My palms were already turning into rags from the continual exchange of blade strikes.
With inhuman roars, he relentlessly drove me back.
“Die! Monster! Die! Die! Die!”
And the same was true for Dyrus, who was being bombarded with devastating sword techniques.
While I was deflecting his attacks efficiently with sword mastery, he was blocking all my assaults directly. Thus, it was natural that the physical strain would be more intense for him.
It should definitely be…
“Dy… you can’t… die without me…”
Whenever Dyrus seemed injured or pressured, Moskden inevitably appeared somewhere on the building.
He loaded syringes into the glove’s firing mechanism and kept launching them toward Dyrus.
Pssh! With those impacts, blue vapor arose, and soon all wounds healed as if they never were.
“Gk…!”
And with every hit, Dyrus grew stronger.
There wasn’t a shred of sanity left in his red eyes. A thick, sticky liquid of blood and saliva dripped from beneath the Crow mask’s beak.
“GOOOOO!”
There wasn’t even a remnant of humanity left in him.
He roared like a beast and continuously slashed with his three massive arms, wielding falchions. It was like an enraged animal swinging its claws indiscriminately. Roars and strikes rained down in torrents.
The problem was not just that.
“Urk!”
Pwew! During the relentless exchange of blows, I suddenly felt a stinging sensation in my thigh.
I glanced down quickly. Several syringes had pierced through my leather pants. I glared at Moskden with murderous intent.
Moskden’s red laser sight and the gun on his gauntlet were aimed at me.
“Damn you, bastard!”
I hastily distanced myself from Dyrus and pulled out the syringes.
Suddenly, vertigo struck, and I began coughing violently.
“Khaak!”
Bloody chunks spilled from my mouth.
Damn it. Again. I gritted my teeth and immediately retrieved the ether vial.
[Status Affliction – Deadly Poison]
[Continuously drains a large amount of vitality. If prolonged, it causes paralysis.]
As expected. A syringe filled with deadly poison.
Upon seeing the panel, I immediately drank the Water Ether. This was the same substance that got me once before, and I learned firsthand that deadly poison was not to be taken lightly.
I clicked my tongue in bitterness as I stared at the empty Water Ether vial that contained my last remaining dose.
‘Damn it…!’
Kang, Kangkang! The attacks from Dyrus continued in the meantime.
I was gradually pushed back by the overwhelming assault. The feeling in my arms began to fade.
‘…This is my last resort!’
I clenched my teeth and extended my left hand toward him.
Zazazap! A bluish electric current gathered on the palm terminal of the left hand’s steel gauntlet, the Stun Shocker.
“Discharge!”
Kwazazazap! Thick lightning bolts surged in all directions.
The lightning illuminated everything in a white flash. Naturally, the bolts also reached Dyrus, who was facing off against me.
“Uuuuugh…!”
Dyrus’ body momentarily froze.
His entire body convulsed as if in a seizure, having just received blow after blow without pause. The sudden 2.5-second breather felt exceptionally long.
I realized it.
This was the last chance to kill this foe!
“AAAAAAAAA!!”
I let out a roar and surged forward into his embrace. With my sword mastery, I infused all my magic power into the suspended Sword of Oblivion.
Kuuguuguuguu. The greatsword hummed low as dark black magic power spilled forth.
“Flames of Oblivion!!”
Phwoosh! A vivid flame erupted around the greatsword.
The sword, carving through the air in a straight line, left a fiery trail of flames behind it and flew toward Dyrus.
Just as the greatsword was about to meet Dyrus, the 2.5 seconds were up, and the stun effect wore off.
As Dyrus began to move again, I felt time slow down.
“Die!”
“UUUUUUGHHHH!”
“Dyra…s! DY!”
Simultaneously, the three of us raised our voices. Each acted in their own way.
I threw the Vestark and Espada I had in my hand straight at Dyrus’ face.
Dyrus violently writhed his body and swung the falchions towards the incoming greatsword.
And Moskden fired another syringe in my direction.
“!!!!”
Pwepwepwep!
With a wet, fleshy thud, time flowed again.
And in an instant, the results of the three people’s actions unfolded before my eyes.
“Huh… hek…”
Dyrus had three swords piercing his chest, and his upper body was already engulfed in flames.
Moskden, upon seeing the burning Dyrus, collapsed to his knees in shock.
And I was heavily panting as I pulled out a syringe from my side.
“Kh… urrgh…!”
[Status Affliction – Petrification]
[A magical effect causing the body to stiffen like stone. Death occurs if not neutralized within a given time.]
The panel that appeared informed me. This time, it was a different poison than before.
Upon regaining my senses, I realized it became increasingly difficult to move my fingers. Looking down at my fingertips, sure enough, they were slowly hardening into stone.
Though I couldn’t feel it well due to my shoes, it appeared my feet were the same.
“Shit! Damn…!”
Cruuush.
The petrification, starting from my fingers, quickly spread over the back of my hand, my wrist, and up to my elbow. The petrification beginning at my foot spread to my ankle, knees, and thighs within moments.
Before even 30 seconds had passed, I was completely immobilized.
“Sa, save… me! Please, save meee!”
Though I knew full well there was no one to save me, I still called out instinctively.
The slow and certain approach of death overwhelmed me with fear.
I experienced firsthand the horrifying process of turning into an inanimate object. It was a sight far more dreadful than I had imagined. I even started wishing I would die quickly.
‘… Ah.’
Yes. My Water Ether had already been exhausted.
My companion Markeuteuriseu, I left intentionally in the Markland. There was no way out.
Then, was there really a need to keep dragging this miserable life on?
― Master, kill yourself quickly!
As if reading my mind, Older Brother Sooho shouted from afar.
It seemed he couldn’t bear to watch.
‘With sword mastery!’
I smirked as I tried to hover the Vestark in the air, but immediately realized my mistake. I had spent all my magic power on the Sword of Oblivion to increase penetration earlier. There was none left.
“Huh.”
I smirked, letting out a bitter sigh of resignation.
I closed my eyes and prepared to meet my end.
“Next… t-ti…me… I’ll go… a different… w, way… Gkhh…”
My muttering was cut off mid-sentence. My internal organs were starting to petrify.
Nausea, sweating, chills, dizziness, fear, and an unbearable sense of foreignness dominated my whole body.
“Ck… khuh…!”
Finally, I felt my heart turn to stone. The lack of blood circulation made its presence felt.
My lungs began petrifying. Breathing became difficult.
My neck stopped moving. Death was right in front of me.
“…!…!!…!!!”
I tried to let out my final scream but could no longer produce any sound.
My hearing disappeared. My sense of smell was gone.
And with a whoosh, everything went black before my eyes.
[The Reset Point for Immortality has been updated.]
[Date – Continental Year 1108, July 13th, 23:15]
[Location – Unterland. District 10, Downstream of the Valley of the Dead]
It had been quite some time since the warning sign of mortal danger had appeared.
“… Whoa. If it didn’t show up, it’d be unsettling.”
I muttered, reading the panel with a half-assured mind.
Somewhere within the tripath, the runaway heroes lie dormant. There was no other reason for the reset point to update at this precise moment.
“Let’s prepare then.”
While veering off the side road to the right, I prepared to jot down notes and place them in the Box of the Dead—an almost automatic routine by now.
“Huh?”
But as I pulled out the Box of the Dead, a startled exclamation escaped me.
The Box of the Dead was already glowing. It indicated the presence of an item placed by my previous life.
In other words, I had already died once—or possibly more times.
[First Attempt. Right Old District.]
Such a phrase clearly lay inside.
A short mental freeze. Buffering. About three seconds later, I understood the situation and nodded my head.
Park Jeong-yong’s adaptability: this is how far it’s come!
