"Urgh, what is this...!"
The force that seemed to only weigh down on the shoulders became progressively immense. Initially, it forced one to their knees, gradually to the waist, and finally, Changsik was made to crouch down, struggling to utter even a single word, his groans breaking into syllables. The situation for the rest of the party was similar.
Igor barely managed to prop himself up from the ground, Yihun and Misha supported their bodies with their weapons, and Lucia clenched her hands, striving not to completely fall over. Sihyun also gritted his teeth to withstand the crushing pressure on his body. Despite his best efforts, one knee inevitably gave way.
Boom!
Nonus rolls its forepaw once more.
"Ugh!"
The pressure bearing down on them intensified.
-Grrr.
The beast that let out a growl had its mouth wide open, pinning down the party. A chill seeped from the corners of its mouth, a prelude to its attack.
We must block it.
But how?
Unable to twitch even a finger, the remaining strength in the body was only enough to keep from collapsing, causing Sihyun's hand to tremble. The moment he tried to grasp the rod, the beast opened its mouth and exhaled its breath.
Zzzzzk!
Everything freezes over again.
Just then, Igor, who managed to half-rise while shouting, used a skill.
Using two powers at once seemed to weaken Nonus's breath compared to their first encounter. Igor screamed as if in desperation, converting all his remaining mana into fire with all his might. The beast retreated for a moment, but it was only temporary.
After all, Nonus's power was greater, and Igor was on the verge of being extinguished, his body aflame.
Before that happened, something had to be done.
Sihyun spotted a weakness in Nonus's chest and stretched his hand towards the bow.
"Urgh!"
The distance was too great. The bow, repelled by an invisible force, was far out of reach.
The time for copying psychokinesis had ended, and no way came to mind to pull the unreachable object closer. Sihyun clenched his fist and slammed it into the ground.
Damn it!
Igor, like a berserker, was gradually being pushed back after overwhelming Nonus with a moment of explosive power. Changsik belatedly resisted gravity to aid Igor, but it was far from enough to turn the tide.
Just when this had to happen!
Just when the weapon was far out of reach. Sihyun's frustration was palpable at that moment.
Should I help?
"......"
A strange sense of déjà vu was felt.
Having experienced this before, Sihyun opened his eyes wide. Focusing again to verify if it was a hallucination.
Should I help?
The voice was heard once more.
Just like during the previous Dekumanus battle.
The difference was that the voice he heard then wasn't the same as this time.
It wasn't the voice that had helped him before and was with him during Haewoon's resurrection. If anything, it felt a bit more similar to Sihyun's own voice. Sihyun called out a name he suspected.
"Kang Sihyun?"
There was no response from the one he hadn't met for a long time.
It felt more like a machine programmed to respond based on his answers rather than having a conversation with him.
With his attention on Igor, Nonus's power had weakened, but not enough to move and retrieve the bow.
Sihyun, desperate, called out.
Help me.
Feeling ignoble for relying on someone else's power again, now was not the time to worry about pride. As he pleaded for help, the voice felt closer, enveloping his ear.
You can shoot the bow without the bow.
What?
Miracles can transform into anything because they are miraculous.
Miracle?
Inject your mana, with all your might.
While the conversation didn't align perfectly, Sihyun was certain of what the voice meant. Among all the weapons here, there was only one that could be called miraculous.
Sihyun grasped the rod. The gentle and soft voice encouraged him, believing he could do it. The maturity in the tone made Sihyun certain that the owner of the voice wasn't Kang Sihyun, but he slowly, painfully stood up.
Whoooosh.
He gathered all his remaining mana. His heart throbbed rapidly. The moment he gripped the weapon, feeling as if it was sucking all the mana from his body, was intense.
Grrrrrrr!
Where Nonus had been sitting when they first entered the top floor.
The deepest part of the top floor vibrated, and part of the wall began to crumble.
Swoosh!
Something fell from the wall towards Sihyun. It was another gleaming rod.
-What!
Nonus, startled
, turned its head. It was too late to block with its breath. The two rods, now close, vibrated strongly and resonated, eventually merging into one.
-What are you doing!
The creature roared, opening its mouth. Just as it was about to release its energy, crack! Misha and Yihun, along with other nearly S-Class Russian Awakeners, combined their powers to target the dragon's neck, restraining its movement. The sharp blades moved at various angles to bind it. Their power alone couldn't fully control the giant dragon, but among the party was an S-Class buffer.
"Don't mind and keep going, Sihyun!"
Lucia used a binding skill on Nonus and shouted. The force of the skill suggested that, like Igor, Lucia had also poured all her mana into restraining Nonus.
"Sihyun!"
Yihun urgently called out to Sihyun, who was somewhat out of it. Finally, Sihyun shifted his gaze from the rod and assessed the situation.
Everyone was doing their best from their positions, looking at him. Trust was evident in their eyes, believing he would accomplish something. Sihyun bit his lip and poured all his mana into the rod.
As if responding to the trust of his companions, the miraculous weapon vibrated violently and then emitted a massive light.
Flash!
The top floor was exposed to a brilliant light as if struck by lightning. The shape of the rod began to change. The forearm-sized rod had now become a bow and arrow, emitting white light. Seeing this, Sihyun grasped the miracle.
A mystical power burst from the weapon, filled to the brim with Sihyun's mana. No longer burdened, he couldn't run but at least had the strength to stand and shoot an arrow. He got up and placed an arrow on the bowstring as if possessed, the process flowing smoothly like water.
Clear the line of sight.
Igor's flames and Nonus's ice obscured the view, he murmured quietly. The archer's unique skill helped penetrate the flames and ice, allowing him to spot Nonus's weakness beyond.
He pulled the bowstring tightly after navigating through all obstacles and pinpointing Nonus's vulnerability.
Target locked.
His blue eyes sparkled. The activated skill stabilized Sihyun's trembling posture under Nonus's pressure.
There was no need for a surefire shot.
Sihyun, clutching the miraculous weapon still emitting strong light, was confident.
Regardless of what Nonus did, this arrow would surely pierce its weakness.
Sihyun released the bowstring.
Fwiiing!
The miracle, springing from his fingers, cut through everything with a fierce sound.
Fire, ice, the mysterious gravity.
As if nothing could hinder it, the arrow swiftly and stubbornly sliced through space. Nonus desperately exhaled its breath in an attempt to stop it, but to no avail. Like a ship unaffected by the storm, the arrow reached its target.
Boom!
The collision of Sihyun's arrow with Nonus's solid ice body created a loud noise. The aftermath generated a strong wind, with the party members anchoring themselves to the ground or holding onto each other to avoid being blown away. Sihyun, exposed directly to the shockwave, was sent flying backward, rolling three times.
"Cough!"
Sihyun quickly raised his head to assess the situation as his body stopped rolling.
Crack.
The arrow had pierced half through the ice. Despite their best efforts, their power was insufficient. This strike was the last they could do together with the party, knowing this, Sihyun glared at the arrow with bloodshot eyes, clenching his fist.
More.
Stronger.
Deeper.
More!
As he chanted his desire, clutching his fist, surprisingly, light added to the arrow, and it began to pierce through Nonus's body once more.
-Aaagh!
Nonus, who had been smirking in anticipation of victory, screamed unexpectedly.
Drip, blood flowed from Sihyun's nose and eyes.
"Sihyun!"
A worried scream sounded. Sihyun didn't bother wiping the blood, focusing all his attention on the arrow.
Deeper.
As he longed more, the pressure increased, and blood flowed from his ears, fading the sounds. As all senses dulled and only the arrow filled his vision, Sihyun didn't hold back the rising cry in his throat.
-Pierce through!
With a powerful chant that could shake the entire fortress, Sihyun's arrow emitted light once more. The brilliance was too intense for human eyes, and as everyone instinctively closed their eyes, the sound of something breaking apart was heard.
Thud!
The arrow penetrated deeper.
-Gurgle!
Nonus gasped, unable to breathe. Sihyun clenched his fist once, and bright light burst forth, tearing through Nonus's body. The heart was pierced, and the body was torn apart from the
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