Ch 76

Chapter 76: An oddball(2)

The moment the Darkness Devouring Snake used its skill, I immediately rushed out.

Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk were unable to move due to the sight reduction and binding skills.

I was the only one who could move without any problem in this place.

「 Due to skill, ‘Veil of Darkness’, your vision starts to narrow down. 」

「 In proportion to the amount of mana used, the field of view also continually gets smaller. 」

The skill used by the Darkness Devouring Snake?

It wasn’t even worth caring about.

My field of vision was temporarily reduced by the skill that the more mana is used, the smaller my vision becomes, but…

「Activating the skill ‘Forceful Breakthrough’.」

「Activating the skill ‘Mana Resistance’.」

Reducing the field of vision was meaningless to me, who had gotten insanely stronger with Necromancy.

I smirked as I watched the light come back into my vision which was about to turn into darkness in an instant.

「 Skill ‘Forceful Breakthrough (D-)’s proficiency reached 100%. 」

「 Skill ‘Forceful Breakthrough (D-) ranked up. 」

「 Skill ‘Mana Circuit (D-)’s proficiency reached 100%. 」

「 Skill ‘Mana Circuit (D-) ranked up. 」

「 Skill ‘Mana Resistance (D-)’s proficiency reached 100%. 」

「 Skill ‘Mana Resistance (D-) ranked up. 」

Three of my skills ranked up at once just by breaking through the skill that was used by Darkness Devouring Snake just now.

I could feel the overheated magic circle widening the meridians and delivering the mana more quickly and concisely.

It wasn’t just that.

With the growth of Forceful Breakthrough and Mana Resistance, it became easier to resist the skills used by the Darkness Devouring Snake.

Now, binding-type skills didn’t affect me anymore.

As soon as I realized that fact, the pleasure of growth spread all over my body.

And at the same time, other emotions began to rise up like a small spark in the corner of my chest.

Competitive spirit.

I let out a bitter smile at the fundamental desire to become stronger.

To think I was feeling a sense of competitive spirit even in front of a notorious monster, even in an A-rank dungeon?

At this point, I had no choice but to admit it.

I wasn’t forcing myself to throw myself at the borderline between life and death to survive like in the past.

But now, not because someone told me, but with my own will, I was jumping into the pit of fire to become stronger.

Not only the soul to be obtained by defeating the Darkness Devouring Snake, but also additional rewards to be acquired through the contribution system…

I was taking pleasure in this act of moving solely to be stronger.

After feeling this, I thought I couldn’t think rationally as I was becoming addicted to fighting.

But I wasn’t.

It was perfectly normal to jump on the borderline between life and death to become stronger.

Avoiding challenges and hoping for a safe victory was just a shortcut to falling behind.

As long as I didn’t risk my life, the only reward I could get was just the level of not risking my life.

Rather than taking the easy path and gradually losing the will to challenge, It was better to take the difficult path and grow myself to the limit.

Kieeeeeeegh—!

Meanwhile, the Darkness Devouring Snake cried. Perhaps it was annoyed by the fact that I was rushing in after lifting up the veil by myself.

Of course, that cry wasn’t just for threatening.

「 Due to skill ‘Gaze of Darkness’, all stats are decreased by -3. 」

「 Due to skill ‘Mana Resistance, the effect of the -3 decrease in all stats is canceled. 」

「 Due to skill ‘Touch of the Swamp’, movement speed is decreased by -30%. 」

「 Due to skill ‘Forceful Breakthrough’, the effect of the -30% decrease in movement speed is forcibly canceled.」

If it hadn’t been for the Forceful Breakthrough and Mana Resistance, I’d have become a cold corpse by now.

As expected from a notorious boss monster that appears in A-rank dungeons, it had insane binding skills.

Moreover, the skills activated at a distance to test the waters were at this level.

Which meant?

It meant that the Darkness Devouring Snake’s skills at close range would be more threatening.

‘There’s no need to let it run wild like that.’

「 Activating the skill ‘Wind’s Blessing.’ 」

「 All speeds increased by 10%. 」

「 Number of stacks – 1/7 」

The Wind’s Blessing was activated instantly, and I became like a gust of wind.

Whiiiiiiiish!

Passing through the gap between Earth Snakes, I reached right in front of the Darkness Devouring Snake.

Then, I jumped up off the ground without hesitation and swung the sword as hard as possible towards its jaws.

「 Activating the power ‘ Lighting Sword Ki.’ 」

Baaaaaaang…!!

The Sword Ki formed on the blade was shot forward in a slash with lightning, resounding a huge impact sound.

Would it receive damage to some extent because I used the Sword Ki?

It was noticeable that its jaws made out of black mud had a few cracks.

Even if it was an A-rank monster, it was no different in that it was helpless against Sword Ki.

***

Reaper Scans

[Translator – Ramen ]

[Proofreader – DVN-L ]

***

However, the Darkness Devouring Snake didn’t just stand still and take it, as though it felt the danger of death.

Whoosh!

The Darkness Devouring Snake immediately swung its tail at me to take the initiative, but…

If I was that weak to be affected by such an obvious attack, I wouldn’t have been able to stand here.

Baaaaaaam!

“Kugh…”

I felt a thrill after immediately raising my leg and blocking the tail with one foot.

To think that I blocked the attack of an A-rank monster with just one foot!

Even if it wasn’t a skill, but just a normal attack, it wasn’t normal.

‘I guess I can no longer be treated like a regular human being anymore.’

It seemed like I had already surpassed an ordinary hunter’s standards long ago.

It was then—

Kieeeeeee…!

Strange waves rang out from the Darkness Devouring Snake’s tail, and my head began to throb.

“…?”

Pow!

With that strange phenomenon, I immediately kicked its tail away and stepped back for a moment…

「 Due to power ‘Resonance of Darkness’, you’re slowly being corrupted by the status effect: madness. 」

At the same time, I opened my eyes widely when I saw the message that the Darkness Devouring Snake used its power.

A power?

‘I’ve never heard of monsters being able to use a power.’

Skills could be used by monsters as well as by players.

That’s why I’d been able to absorb skills from monsters so far.

However, power was the ability that challengers who belonged to the top ranks in the Tower of Trials acquired by contracting with the administrators.

In fact, I’d never heard of a monster using power in real life, and I’d never seen it even after climbing the tower and having several fights.

However…

The Darkness Devouring Snake used its power to shatter such common sense.

Of course, I could understand immediately why it used its power.

Should I say, as expected from Tower of Trials?

‘You’re annoying me in so many ways.’

They strengthened the monster to bring out a monster suitable for the hard difficulty level.

I knew it from the moment I met the challenger from another world, but there were so many factors that it wouldn’t be strange if I died suddenly like a mola-mola.

Of course…

「Due to power ‘Serenity’, The status effect: madness is lifted.」

I, who had prepared in advance for that factor that could’ve resulted in my death, wasn’t normal as well.

Status effect?

‘I don’t know if it was poison, but I wouldn’t get affected by this kind of thing.’

Even though it was a variable I had never heard of or seen, I wasn’t an ordinary challenger.

I was a ranker who even signed a contract with an administrator with the right of a pioneer.

I was able to overcome the factors that I had never experienced before adjusting to the situation.

After immediately lifting the status effect through the power of Serenity, I quickly closed the distance I had increased for a moment and ran toward the Darkness Devouring Snake.

Perhaps it was quite a prudent attack by the Darkness Devouring Snake, it was visibly bewildered, but that was only for a short while.

Maybe the Darkness Devouring Snake realized that I was a great threat to its life?

It started attacking immediately without even trying to poke around with debuff-type skills.

You could see that it was trying its best, unlike a while ago, as it had a completely different force.

And that prediction turned into reality in the next moment when the Darkness Devouring Snake made a full-fledged attack.

Bwaaaaaaaaaaa!

It opened its gigantic mouth and then shot a dark beam of light as if it were vomiting.

Of course…

「 Activating the skill ‘Counter Shield’. 」

“Well, this is even better for me.”

Even after seeing that destructive beam, I immediately activated the skill without panicking.

I could’ve shot one more slash to stop it from shooting the beam at all, but…

I didn’t do that because I had a deep thought that I could use its skill in reverse.

Bababababababang!

The dark beam struck the Counter shield and made a great impact, but it wasn’t unbearable.

Of course, 80% of my mana was consumed to withstand the impact, but…

「 Using the soul of the Earth Snake to replenish mana. 」

Even that returned to its original state after replenishing the mana by absorbing a soul that I had.

Whiirrr…

A message popped up at that moment when the power of the dark beam was diminishing.

「 Charging complete. 」

「 The skill ‘Counter Shield’ is in a state where you can reflect the accumulated damage. 」

It was a message that I could now start striking back.

With the Counter Shield placed on the palm of my left hand, I immediately went to the back of the Darkness Devouring Snake.

Of course, all the monsters nearby swarmed on me as though they weren’t planning to just let it happen, but…

「 The skill ‘Counter Shield’ releases the accumulated damage at once. 」

Baaaaaaaaaaang!

All the monsters that were swarming me were eliminated by the dark beam emitted from the shield on my left hand.

Despite that, the Darkness Devouring Snake wasn’t showing any movement.

Did it get a rebound from using a skill that’s quite powerful?

Even until I wiped out all the Earth Snakes, it didn’t show any proper movements.

Seizing that opportunity, I stepped on its shadow, immediately activated the Lightning Sword Ki, and thrust my sword.

「 Activating the skill ‘Clandestine Shadow’s Step.’ 」

「You’re stepping on the shadow of a living creature.」

「Your strength temporarily increases by +3.」

First, my strength increased by +3 as I stepped on a shadow.

「 Activating the skill ‘Gust Blade’. 」

「 Skill ‘Gust Blade’ imbues wind element to the blade. 」

Even the wind was mixed with the blade by activating Gust Blade.

And when I thrust the sword as it was, a streak of wind lightning was fired.

Boooom!

When the slash shot through the thrust touched the back of the Darkness Devouring Snake, the center of its upper body was completely penetrated.

「 You have slain a Darkness Devouring Snake. 」

「 Calculating the contribution points… 」

「 You hunted the Darkness Devouring Snake alone without anyone’s help. 」

「 Challenger Han Sungyeun has a 100% stake in hunting the boss monster. 」

「 Calculation complete. 」

「 You gain 278 contribution points. 」

A clean finish.

「 Special task, ‘contribution’ will now end. 」

「 Challenger Han sungyeun took 1st place in the contribution ranking. 」

「 Challenger Han sungyeun will receive an additional reward after the trial is over. 」

And it was a clean turnaround.

——