Clang!
The sound of Karis's feathers striking metal echoed as they slid off the protective barrier.
One, two, three.
Haehyuk effortlessly dodged, allowing the creature's attack three times, yet the semi-transparent barrier withstood every blow without a single crack.
"If it's hit three more times, it'll break!"
Kang Sihyun warned, fearing that Haehyuk might become complacent. The barrier was designed to break upon the sixth impact of the feathers. He had even sacrificed his own hand to craft it, not wanting his efforts to be in vain.
Haehyuk showed understanding. The others regained their focus and joined the attack.
Hamin and Ban Haru intensified their assault while Haewoon strengthened the buffs. The fact that the barrier could sustain six hits meant they could afford to take that many.
Their movements, previously cautious to avoid every feather, now became bold.
Haehyuk and Karis were the first to clash.
Haehyuk, undeterred by the incoming feathers, struck forward, his sword swinging.
Whoom!
An unbridled strike unleashed a murky blade aura. Haehyuk, penetrating Karis's wing joints, flashed his eyes.
Clang!
Just as the last feather embedded itself, the barrier reached its limit and shattered. Simultaneously, Ban Haru and Hamin struck at Karis's sides, distracted by Haehyuk.
From behind, Wonjeong attacked, and from below, Haeyeon joined in.
As the saying goes, there's no dealing with a mob.
Five swords simultaneously impaled the creature. A single barrier had enabled this close combat victory.
Drip, drip, the swords, slick with sticky black blood, flowed down.
-Kyaaaaaaak!
Karis, now skewered, screamed. With a flap, the creature retreated into the sky.
-Sssaaek!
Summoning lightning, the group moved in unison. Avoiding the lightning from above proved difficult, and they descended to the ground.
Crackling!
Catastrophe-class rage-filled lightning flashed relentlessly. The world seemed to weep, the visibility flickering. Haehyuk, taking care of Kang Sihyun and the sky, leaped back.
"Sky, prepare the debuff. Kang Sihyun, support with auto-healing."
Prioritizing non-combatants, he requested new healing, and Kang Sihyun nodded in agreement.
Auto-Healing.
A skill lasting 10 minutes, automatically restoring health up to 80% if it falls below half, without the healer's direct intervention. Though it consumed a significant portion of mana, now wasn't the time to hesitate.
Kang Sihyun immediately applied the skill to the five battling Awakened. To Haehyuk, engaged in the forefront, he added a protective barrier akin to armor.
Noticing this with his keen senses, the man looked down. Kang Sihyun simply stated,
"I made it strong. It can withstand a direct hit from Karis at least once. So, let's move to phase 2 before the healing skill's duration ends. We can't afford to drag this out, or we'll run out of mana even with potions."
He spoke plainly, more a request than an order. The man, with a soft chuckle, positioned Kang Sihyun and the sky away from the battlefront.
"Given all that's been said, we must try. Sky, the debuff."
"Ah, yes!"
Upon the command, Sky swung his staff. From the ground, black hands surged, grasping Karis's ankles, seemingly unreachable in the sky.
-Kiiik?
Caught unexpectedly, Karis floundered. Attempting to free itself, it unleashed merciless attacks on the grasping hands.
Boom, bang, bang!
Loud noises followed. As Karis focused on the binding debuff, ceasing its lightning attacks, the combat-ready Awakeners seized the opportunity to ascend.
Finally, Karis broke free from the debuff.
Merely 30 seconds.
Considering the basic binding time of 10 minutes, it felt trivial, yet in combat, even such brief moments were precious.
As if soaring towards the sun, each drew their swords.
Boom!
The clash of energies erupted.
All unleashed their swords.
In midair, red, blue, and white sword auras flickered, their movements too swift for the eye. Among them, Haehyuk stood out.
Each of his sword strikes was elegant, yet the surrounding sword aura was ferocious. The beast-like energy danced to Haehyuk's will, pressing Karis. Even while displaying exceptional skill, the man did not cease commanding.
"Ban Haru, use stealth and attack. Even if discovered, your attack power will increase."
Haehyuk, having inflicted a deep wound on Karis, dryly issued the order. Ban Haru understood immediately and employed stealth.
"Hamin, you
have tank skills, so taunt to draw aggro."
Boom!
As Haehyuk faced Karis's blow head-on, Hamin reluctantly used the taunt.
Facing such an opponent, Karis was hardly fooled. It recognized Haehyuk as the greatest threat, attacking relentlessly to take his breath away.
Flapping its wings, emitting sound waves, and occasionally unleashing feather attacks, Haehyuk maintained a safe distance, dodging or fleeing. A protective barrier previously set up by Kang Sihyun proved effective during a close call.
Ban Haru, having deactivated stealth, filled the gap left by Haehyuk.
Though not as adept as S-class Haehyuk, Ban Haru's strikes were the most ferocious among the remaining members. Targeting vulnerable spots with his reverse-held dagger, each aimed to inflict fatal wounds.
Utilizing Weak Spot Detection, he targeted Karis's vulnerable points, drawing its attention. Ban Haru's agility allowed him to dodge Karis's attacks, though a feather grazed his cheek, tearing the flesh and drawing blood, which soon healed thanks to the auto-healing.
Feeling cornered by Karis's relentless pursuit, Ban Haru reactivated stealth. Though completely deceiving a catastrophe-class sensation was challenging, Hamin, Haeyeon, Yeonjeong, and Seunghyun, supporting with alchemy, coordinated their attacks to distract Karis, allowing Ban Haru to escape fatal injury.
Kang Sihyun, watching Ban Haru barely manage in combat, swallowed his relief.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
