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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The conclusion of the meeting was exceedingly simple: advance. They would proceed directly with the strategy, wasting no time on unnecessary detours.
As expected, Kim Hye-young, who was somewhat cautious, and Lee Dong-ju, who was injured, objected, but it didn’t matter much. Their opinions weren’t important from the beginning.
Lee Seong-joon simply hated bothersome things. As a rookie of one of the five major guilds, if he died during a gate raid, troublesome things were sure to happen.
That’s why the purpose of the meeting was to raise everyone’s awareness to prevent another accident like the previous one.
Naturally, the effect was considerable.
With everyone highly alert, even though Dark Elves ambushed them from multiple locations during the raid, no one, aside from the initially injured Lee Dong-ju, suffered any significant injuries.
‘It didn’t make sense in the first place.’
Although some had specific conditions, this was a party composed of rookies capable of displaying S-rank combat abilities when using their full power.
No matter how powerful Dark Elves were considered among the elite B+ monsters, hunting them shouldn’t have posed a significant challenge.
As expected, the raid progressed smoothly, and thanks to that, just 30 minutes after restarting the gate raid, the group encountered a door engraved with a curved, silver crescent moon pattern.
“This is…”
The hunters, already on high alert, gulped nervously.
“It seems to be inside here.”
“No doubt about it.”
It wasn’t just the four in front who felt the tension. Lee Seong-joon’s eyes narrowed.
‘Boss monster.’
The energy emanating from inside was truly overwhelming. It felt like a being so powerful that the monsters they had encountered so far seemed like a joke.
It seemed he would be able to experience a considerable thrill in this gate raid, which he had thought would be utterly boring.
‘This will be fun.’
Just as a smile spread across Lee Seong-joon’s face,
-Rumble!
With the sound of mechanical gears turning, the tightly closed door swung open. At the same time, the torches lining the walls ignited, illuminating the interior.
While no words were directly spoken, the meaning was clear enough.
“It seems we’re invited in.”
“What should we do?”
Kim Hye-young posed the question, but she already knew the answer herself. They had to raid the gate anyway. Moreover, they had sufficient power. There wasn’t a single reason to retreat.
Therefore, Lee Seong-joon stepped forward without hesitation. The other hunters followed. Knowing that the monsters they faced were Dark Elves known for their stealthy movements, they were full of vigilance.
They walked carefully, scanning their surroundings.
“This is…?”
“It’s like a royal palace.”
It was undeniable. Giant pillars lined up on both sides, and at the end of their line of sight, a silver chair, presumed to be a throne, sat high upon a dais.
As they were taking in the surroundings,
-Thud!
The open door slammed shut with a loud noise. Despite the sudden event, they didn’t panic or raise their voices. They had learned that unnecessary commotion created vulnerabilities.
Just as the hunters nodded and were about to move again,
-Thud, thud.
A figure slowly emerged from behind a pillar about 10 meters away, blocking their path.
A smile spread across Lee Seong-joon’s face. Judging by the aura he felt, he knew this was the gate’s boss monster.
‘Even better than expected.’
Though clad in black armor from head to toe, it didn’t look sluggish at all. On the contrary, it seemed quite agile. Moreover, instead of the usual sword and shield wielded by knights, it held dagger-like weapons in both hands.
While the attire was somewhat unusual, something else caught Lee Seong-joon’s attention.
Eliorus, Knight Captain
A name hovered above the monster’s head. Kim Hye-young bit her lower lip.
“A named monster… This is the worst.”
Named monsters were those with their own individual names. Naturally, she wasn’t calling it “the worst” just because it had a name. There was no precedent for a monster below A+ rank having a name.
This meant that Eliorus, before their eyes, was at least an A+ rank boss monster.
Considering the characteristics of Green Gates, where monsters below S-rank appeared, it meant that the most powerful boss monster possible had appeared.
Naturally, Jung Yoon-ho’s expression hardened.
“This won’t be easy.”
Eliorus alone was troublesome enough. But it wasn’t just Eliorus who appeared.
Thud-
From behind the pillars where Eliorus had been standing, nearly 20 Dark Elves emerged. Not only were their numbers troublesome, but their weapons were also diverse.
It was impossible to know where and what kind of attack would come flying, making them incredibly difficult to deal with.
“Damn it…”
As Lee Dong-ju cursed with a frown, Eliorus stretched out a hand. At that moment,
-Whoosh!
The Dark Elves moved simultaneously, and attacks from bows, daggers, swords, and other weapons flew from all directions.
“I’ll cover, prepare to cast!”
At Jung Yoon-ho’s urgent words, Kim Hye-young snapped back to attention and slammed her staff into the ground, focusing her mind.
Since they had been on high alert, there was no panic. They immediately responded.
However, the situation wasn’t good. As Kim Hye-young had said, it was, in fact, the worst.
“….”
The enemies before them weren’t just ordinary Dark Elves. Eliorus, whose cold pupils gleamed within the black helmet, stepped forward.
-Whoosh!
With a gust of wind, Eliorus shot forward. The target was clear. The most threatening presence to the Dark Elves at the moment: the mage, Kim Hye-young, preparing her spell.
“…!”
Lee Seong-joon and Song Seung-jun immediately moved to block Eliorus’s path. But at that moment, Eliorus abruptly changed direction. He abandoned his attack on Kim Hye-young due to the sturdy defense.
However, that didn’t mean the party remained unscathed.
-Thud!
In an instant, Lee Dong-ju’s heart was pierced, and a stream of crimson blood erupted from his mouth.
“He…help…”
Thump!
Standing over Lee Dong-ju’s collapsed form, Eliorus gave a sinister smile and made a throat-slitting gesture towards the hunters.
“….”
Since their relationship hadn’t been good, they weren’t saddened by Lee Dong-ju’s death. However, the fact that there was a casualty was unpleasant. It meant that a bothersome issue had been created.
Just as Lee Seong-joon’s expression hardened,
“Everyone, get back!”
Kim Hye-young finished her casting. A massive red flame descended upon the group of Dark Elves.
-BOOOOOM!
It was the power of the S+ rank Wave of Fire, one of Kim Hye-young’s signature skills.
Eliorus, who had dodged immediately, was mostly unharmed, but more than half of the Dark Elves were severely injured. Thanks to this, the path to Eliorus was opened.
At that moment, Lee Seong-joon and Song Seung-jun, eyes gleaming, rushed towards Eliorus as if they had been waiting for this opportunity.
-Dash!
Jung Yoon-ho, with an urgent look, tried to move forward but couldn’t.
-Whoosh!
The uninjured Dark Elves had regrouped and blocked his path.
“Damn it!”
He couldn’t participate in the fight against the boss monster, Eliorus, where the greatest contribution could be made.
‘I even managed to obtain the dagger coated with Arachne’s venom!’
He couldn’t even use it properly. Frustration surged, distorting Jung Yoon-ho’s face. But if he ignored the Dark Elves blocking his path, dozens of arrows and weapons would pierce his back.
He couldn’t ignore the Dark Elves in front of him and head towards Eliorus, the boss monster.
‘…First, I’ll deal with the Dark Elves.’
Steeling his resolve, Jung Yoon-ho prepared to fight the Dark Elves.
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-Crack!
Lee Seong-joon’s fist slammed into Eliorus’s shoulder, denting the black armor.
Eliorus, with cold eyes, tried to thrust the dagger in his other hand. But he couldn’t. Song Seung-jun’s sword had intercepted the dagger’s trajectory.
-Clang!
Sensing the danger, Eliorus hurriedly tried to retreat, but even that wasn’t easy. As he tried to create distance, Lee Seong-joon blocked his escape route as if he had anticipated it.
“….”
The moment Eliorus frantically glanced around to find another escape route, Lee Seong-joon’s fist struck the armor once again.
-Bang!
The situation repeated itself. Due to the continuous attacks, the black armor, which had boasted such an imposing appearance, was now reduced to something resembling rags.
At first glance, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the tide of the battle had turned.
Indeed, a relaxed smile played on Song Seung-jun’s lips as he continued the fight.
But Lee Seong-joon’s eyes remained narrowed.
‘This is strange.’
In a fight with no chance of winning, even monsters would feel fear or terror. But Eliorus’s eyes were radiating a colder aura than ever.
‘…This isn’t the end.’
The aura he had felt from Eliorus outside wasn’t just this much.
‘There’s definitely a hidden power.’
Just as Lee Seong-joon frowned,
-Rumble!
A black aura erupted from Eliorus’s body like an explosion.
“…!”
Just as Lee Seong-joon hurriedly circulated his blood energy to create a protective shield,
BOOOOOM!
A massive explosion erupted, creating a small crater in the area. At the same time, Song Seung-jun, who had been swinging his sword relentlessly, was pushed back and crashed into a nearby pillar.
“Ugh!”
A groan escaped Song Seung-jun’s lips for the first time from the dizzying shock that shook his insides.
‘To make such an unbelievable mistake…!’
Due to Lee Seong-joon’s surprisingly excellent skills, the raid had progressed too smoothly. Normally, he would have considered it fortunate.
However, the raid gate they were currently tackling was a competition among the five major guilds. Lee Seong-joon, who was fighting alongside him, wasn’t just a comrade but also a competitor.
Therefore, he had been preoccupied with finding a way to cut down Eliorus in one swift strike to earn greater contribution points. And such greed inevitably created openings.
‘…If I had been as vigilant as usual, I could have easily defended against that attack.’
Indeed, Lee Seong-joon, who had been hit by the same attack at a similar distance, remained standing firmly in his place. Although his pride was hurt, this wasn’t the time to be swayed by personal feelings.
‘The boss monster is still alive.’
The attack wasn’t over. Considering the previous explosion, the following attack would also be extremely dangerous.
‘Where is it?’
Song Seung-jun frantically scanned his surroundings.
But as if the previous explosion of power had been a lie, nothing happened. No, to be precise, he couldn’t see anything.
The boss monster, Eliorus, had disappeared.
‘What the…?’
Just as confusion filled Song Seung-jun’s mind,
-Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew and clashing sounds echoed each time Lee Seong-joon’s hands and feet, enveloped in red energy, moved.
“This is?”
But Eliorus was still nowhere to be seen. Then there was only one remaining hypothesis.
‘Stealth!’
It wasn’t simply the ability to turn one’s body invisible. Not only the appearance but also the sound and smell, everything that could be considered a presence, was instantly erased.
It was one of the most notoriously tricky special abilities that boss monsters could possess.
And that ability was being used by Eliorus, a named boss monster among the already agile Dark Elves.
Song Seung-jun frowned.
‘…This truly is the worst.’
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