Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Spendthrift Necromancer (61)

Inescapable Net (5)

He jumped off the horse with Seo Yerim and ran. The progress kept climbing.97. 98.[Progress: 99%]Even after it reached 99, the old monsters were still nowhere in sight.

Sprinting at full speed while completely doped up had been the right decision.99.199.399.599.799.899.9Just as they were truly almost there.

“Hahaha! Where are you rushing off to?”

An enormous barrage of sword energy poured in from every direction. Faced with that terrifying force, Minwoo summoned Dolsoe and the Skeleton horde without hesitation.[‘Dolsoe’ uses Defensive Stance!]

Dolsoe planted himself firmly in front with his shield raised.

The Skeleton horde did the same.

Boom-boom-boom!

Explosions erupted.[Skeleton 706 is unsummoned…….][Skeleton 1,032 is unsummoned…….]..

The Skeletons were unsummoned en masse in exchange for throwing their bodies in the way. Death Lord's passive had already been used long ago, so there was no chance of revival.

Dolsoe had also suffered massive damage, with cracks and breaks running all over his body.

Martial Alliance Leader Yang Jeonghak.

Heavenly Demon Gu Yangcheon.

Unorthodox Alliance Leader Baek Hakseong.

The three old monsters stood blocking the road ahead.

They must have rushed here desperately, because all three were pale-faced.

Gu Yangcheon cracked his knuckles.

“You slippery bastard. We almost lost you. How can one brat be so infuriatingly good at running?”

Yang Jeonghak leveled his sword.

“Hoho, it's been a long time since I've run this hard.”

Baek Hakseong's eyes turned cold.

“……

You are no longer my blood.”

A chilling pressure swallowed the surroundings.

Seo Yerim's face stiffened. She remembered what Kim Minwoo had told her before.

He'd said she probably wouldn't last even ten minutes.

She'd scoffed inwardly at the time.

Now she almost felt grateful he'd been that generous.‘……

Five minutes might be impossible.’Her body was exhausted, but the three were also simply that strong.

The destination was right in front of them, yet she doubted whether they could break through the path those three blocked.

Then.

Kim Minwoo stared at her and spoke.

“I'll take the Alliance Leader and Martial Alliance Leader.”

“……

Will you be okay?”

“I have to be. If we want to live. We need to break through before more pursuers arrive.”

“……

Fine.”

The two raised their swords.

“Hoho. That Baek Socheon brat is quite brave. He says he'll take both me and the Alliance Leader?”

“I thought he'd piss himself, but kids these days have no fear. Hahaha! Then I'll take the wench!”

All five charged simultaneously.

Explosive sword energy erupted from Seo Yerim's blade. Gu Yangcheon snorted and threw a punch.

The Unorthodox Alliance Leader and Martial Alliance Leader rushed forward.

Cedric and Dolsoe charged from Minwoo's side.

“I'll sweep away the trash! You deal with your worthless, unfilial son yourself!”

“I will.”

Booom!

Baek Hakseong's sword collided with Minwoo's.

The first exchange was evenly matched.‘I can fight him.’The two most important stats when swinging a sword were Strength and Agility.

Stamina and Magic were merely secondary factors. Back when Baek Hakseong had tested him by firing sword energy.

The difference between his stats then and now was like heaven and earth.

At least in raw stats, he was now capable of competing with Baek Hakseong.

Dozens of exchanges collided in an instant.

Baek Hakseong's eyes narrowed when Minwoo refused to be pushed back as easily as expected. Then Mana gathered densely around his blade.

An ominous aura bloomed.

In an instant, sword energy split into dozens of streams and engulfed Minwoo's entire body. He summoned several Skeletons to block the front.

Several sword energies grazed his body, sending fountains of blood spraying.

Fwish!

Baek Hakseong's blade had already slipped toward an opening.

Minwoo twisted the Ghost Sword to receive it.

Clang!

Sparks flew as the two blades scraped past each other.

He swung as if chopping downward.

Baek Hakseong's figure blurred.‘Knew it.’Classic movement-art bastard behavior.

Move fast and aim for the back.

Minwoo had been expecting it.

He immediately spun around and thrust his sword.

Stab!

Baek Hakseong's blade pierced clean through Minwoo's shoulder.

In exchange, half of Baek Hakseong's arm was sliced through.

“Huh?”

Gu Yangcheon's surprised voice rang out. Yang Jeonghak, who had been fiercely attacking Cedric and Dolsoe, also froze for a moment.

Looking only at the result, both men now had one arm hanging in tatters.

Meaning the brat had fought the Alliance Leader to a draw.

Warning bells screamed through both men's minds.

The Unorthodox Alliance Leader was not inferior to them in the slightest.

Which meant.

That bastard Baek Socheon was genuinely dangerous. Gu Yangcheon became completely serious and launched a furious assault on Seo Yerim.

She was forced onto the defensive in an instant.

Baek Hakseong also unleashed one ultimate technique after another. Dolsoe and Cedric couldn't hold out long before being unsummoned.

Minwoo's side had descended into a vicious dogfight as well.‘Shame I don't have any sword skills.’He deliberately avoided using the curse.

It would probably fail dozens of times before finally landing, and even then, the reduction would be less than 5%.‘Need to conserve Mana.’Baek Hakseong was an expert.

He wouldn't give Minwoo time to drink a potion.

Even if he somehow did, getting addicted in the middle of battle would be disastrous.

As much as possible, Minwoo needed to save his Mana for summoning Cedric and Dolsoe.

Then.[Cedric is unsummoned.][Dolsoe is unsummoned.]

Every summon disappeared.

Martial Alliance Leader Yang Jeonghak immediately joined the fight. Minwoo hurriedly summoned them again, but the two men had already closed to point-blank range.

Things became far more chaotic.‘This is brutal.’Seo Yerim's body was also rapidly turning into a wreck.

The situation was obvious at a glance.

Thirty seconds at best.

After that, she might die under the Heavenly Demon's attacks. Kim Minwoo ran through dozens of calculations in an instant.

There were roughly two choices.

First, abandon Seo Yerim.

She wouldn't last much longer.

The Heavenly Demon would soon join the others.

Then Minwoo probably wouldn't survive either.

But if he abandoned her…….‘I could live.’He thought he could create some kind of opening and escape.

Second, save her.

Baek Hakseong and Yang Jeonghak weren't pushovers. He'd probably have to sacrifice something big to break away and rescue her.‘I might somehow keep her alive.’The problem was that Minwoo's own chance of dying would rise tremendously.

Then.

He saw Seo Yerim cough up a mouthful of blood while blocking the Heavenly Demon's fist art.‘Hah…….’Kim Minwoo tightened his grip on his sword.

There was one reason he'd made it this far so smoothly.

Her.

She'd shot down every carrier pigeon and scout with her bow.

And that wasn't all.

She had fought beside him against countless search parties. Without her, he would've spent far more time forcing open a path.‘And this isn't a game.’This was reality.

Even knowing that, Minwoo didn't hesitate much when someone deserved to die.

Conversely, that also meant someone who deserved to live should be saved whenever possible.

Otherwise, it would weigh heavily on him afterward.

A brief hesitation.

The decision came quickly.‘Save her.’And survive himself.

The odds might be low, but they weren't zero.

In other words, a clear was still possible.‘Then I have to try.’When had he ever cleared anything by taking only the easy road?

“Cedric!”

Cedric instantly blasted Breath straight ahead. The enormous flames forced Baek Hakseong several steps backward.

Minwoo immediately charged through the opening.

The two masters reflexively fired their swords.[Dolsoe uses Taunt(A)

on Yang Jeonghak!][The opponent's level is far too high!][Taunt affects the enemy for a very brief moment!]

Yang Jeonghak froze for a fraction of a second.

Minwoo narrowly deflected Baek Hakseong's sword.

The trajectories of the two blades aimed at his heart and throat shifted.

He raised the arm whose shoulder was already mangled and blocked one.

The blade stabbing from behind, he simply took. Yang Jeonghak's sword burst through his lower abdomen.

Blood erupted from Minwoo's mouth.

He kept running with one arm now reduced to a complete rag.

A split second.

What he pulled from his inventory wasn't a potion.

It was the Clue to Ascension.

“Cough! Here's what you bastards wanted!”

“……!”

All three gazes locked onto the Clue.

A tiny opening.

Minwoo rushed toward the staggering Seo Yerim. Gu Yangcheon snapped back to his senses and punched.

Fist shadows poured down like a shower of stars.

Chest, face, forearm.

Three searing blows stamped into him.

In exchange, he reached Seo Yerim.

He immediately grabbed her by the waist.

“Go!”

Twisting his body, he threw her with all his strength.

Even while she flew toward the clear zone, nobody tried to chase her.

The Clue had drawn every shred of their greed.

Minwoo turned around and raised his sword.

All three masters were already kicking off the ground toward him.‘Can I survive this?’The old monsters' obsession was greater than he'd imagined.

He'd taken more hits than expected.

His body was shaking.

Badly.

Then.

Fwish!

A tiny sound came from behind him.

For Kim Minwoo, it was unmistakably familiar.

Precision Snipe.

The sound he'd heard beside her when she used the skill.

A single arrow.

Judging by its sound, its target was…….‘Baek Hakseong.’The Unorthodox Alliance Leader.

It would reach the man charging toward him now.

An arrow carrying Precision Snipe.

The calculation was complete.

Of the three charging simultaneously, Minwoo thrust his sword at Baek Hakseong alone.

The arrow flying hidden behind Minwoo's back suddenly bent its trajectory and skimmed past his face.

Baek Hakseong flinched at the arrow suddenly bursting out directly in front of him and raised his sword to block.

Reacting in that tiny instant alone proved he was a genuine supreme master.

But.

Could he block the sword Minwoo had already thrust in anticipation of that reaction?

Stab!

“……!”

His body froze in midair as he blocked the arrow. A sword pierced straight through the center of his heart.

A clean instant kill.[Unorthodox Alliance Leader Baek Hakseong has died!][Level increases by 6!][You have succeeded in a nearly impossible hunt!][You have acquired the title, ‘Beginning of a Legend’!][Title, ‘Strong One Slayer’ changes to ‘Law of Victory’!][The Clue to Ascension blooms after drinking the blood of a powerful foe!][You have reached Level 151 and fulfilled the conditions for Death Lord's second Trial!][You may now answer the Call whenever you wish!]

One down.

In exchange.

Stab!

His own heart was pierced as well.

Bam-bam-bam-bam!

The Heavenly Demon's fists hammered his entire body and sent him flying.

Even in that final moment, Minwoo never released the Clue from his hand.[Warning!][You have suffered a fatal injury!][‘Indomitable Soul’ effect activates!][Your soul is enduring the death of your body!][Soul Value begins decreasing!][Soul Value (56/60)]

When had his Soul Value increased from 50 to 60?

No idea.

That wasn't important right now.

He couldn't move so much as a finger, but it didn't matter.

Inventory.

That miracle worked even for someone in a vegetative state.[Soul Value (52/60)]

While suspended in the air.

He placed the Clue inside his inventory.[Soul Value (48/60)]

His body went flying.

The Heavenly Demon and Martial Alliance Leader immediately chased through the air after him, eyes blazing. His body was already shattered, his heart pierced, his entire frame beaten senseless.

Anyone would call it instant death.

They probably assumed he was dead already and were watching each other while thinking about who would take the Clue.[Soul Value (44/60)]

But Minwoo wasn't dead yet.

And thanks to Baek Hakseong dying, the other two attacks had landed far harder than expected. The Heavenly Demon's palm strike in particular, delivered in shock while smashing him away, had been exquisite.

Minwoo was flying very fast.

And from behind.

Fwish!

Another arrow flew in and blocked Yang Jeonghak, who had pulled slightly ahead.

Yang Jeonghak tilted his head aside to evade.

That slowed him, even if only slightly.

And thanks to that, Minwoo reached the clear zone first by the narrowest margin.

At that moment.[Soul Value (40/60)]

Everything froze as though time inside the Gate had stopped.‘Burp. Thanks for the meal.’[You have fulfilled the clear objective.][You have cleared through a special route!][Gate clear rewards will be granted!][As a clear reward, title ‘Beginning of a Legend’ changes to ‘Beginning of a Legend

– Part One’!][As a clear reward, ‘Clue to Ascension’ grows into ‘Ring of Ascension’!][Would you like to leave?]

“W-What do I do?!”

Seo Yerim came rushing over through the frozen time.

Apparently because they shared the same clear state, she could still move inside the stopped time.

Strictly speaking.‘It's not completely stopped.’For a brief period after a clear, time merely slowed dramatically.

One second felt like dozens.

Seo Yerim had probably experienced this state first.

And instead of leaving immediately, she'd stayed and waited.

Since they were in a party and she had cleared first, she must have shared this second time-slow state too.

She hurriedly lifted Minwoo's body and kept talking to him.

“A-Are you okay? You're not dead, right? You're alive, right? You won't die the instant we go outside, right?”

She stared at him with trembling eyes.

He wasn't dead yet…….

Minwoo focused.

His eyelids trembled ever so slightly.

Seo Yerim's eyes widened.

“Y-You're alive! There'll be Priests outside. You only need to hold on a little longer, so don't worry!”

He'd already guessed that.

High-rank Gate raids normally kept Priests and other healing classes waiting near the entrance.

Because challengers often came out completely wrecked.

And this already famous Gate had changed to A-rank midway through.

The entire country must have gone insane over it, and there would be plenty of healing classes waiting outside.

If Sword Phoenix came out, someone had to treat her.‘Might as well benefit too.’High-level Priests could save people already halfway into the grave.

If they poured healing into him, he'd recover.

Indomitable Soul lasted surprisingly long.

He was losing roughly 4 Soul Value per second, so even outside he'd survive another nine seconds.

That was enough time for them to cast healing skills.

And so they left the Gate.

“Q-Quickly, heal Kim Minwoo! Right now!”

At Seo Yerim's shout, every healing-class Awakened waiting near the entrance swarmed over.

“My god…… his body's completely destroyed!”

“Heal him, quickly!”

An overwhelming flood of healing poured in.

It was practically a bath of healing magic, and every wound across his body began closing.

Only then did the tension finally leave him.

Sleep crashed over him almost instantly.