Chapter 90

Chapter 90 – Corrupted Elf (4)

13 .

‘I almost died . ’

Hyrkan distanced himself from the Cockatrice as the Skeleton Warriors bought some time for him . He thought about what just happened .

He didn't even have to think about it . He was sure the magic thrown by the magician had headed towards him . The accuracy was so spot on that he wanted to give praise to the magician's skill . If he exaggerated his compliment, he wanted to ask why the magician was a pitcher in the MLB . That was how accurate the magic hit its mark .

However, there was a reason why he was able to survive despite the attack .

‘I'm glad I was prepared . ’

Preparation .

He had prepared for this situation . He had stacked the expensive candy, expensive gum, and even the pricey Snake Essence! He had kept all three of them in his mouth .

‘Still, my HP went down to around 30% . . . . If I hadn't invested in the Body Strengthening Skills, I would have died . ’

Again, Pelato had underestimated Hyrkan's Stamina . Hyrkan hadn't skimped on the Body Alteration Skills .

There was the 'Skin Sewing' Skill that increased his passive defense, including an increased defense against magic . There was the 'False Heart' Skill that significantly increased his Stamina . Then, there was the 'Boiling Blood' Skill that increase the rate of HP recover and, at the same time, mitigated the HP lost from burns and blood loss .

He saw the true result of his investment into the Body Strengthening Skill Tree . It also helped that he had done his best to gather as many titles as he could . The titles were a big help in gaining a large Stamina Stat .

Anyways, he was alive .

Since he survived, Hyrkan had the right to take over the leadership role .

“Did I tell you before? If you move without my permission, your severed wrists will be the only thing uploaded to my youtube page . ”

The 30 users all froze in place at Hyrkan's warning .

“The magician who threw the magic spell at me should especially take my words to heart . ”

The magician who had attack Hyrkan was frozen like an ice statue . Pelato's expression also hardened .

‘Is it possible?’

From Pelato's perspective, Hyrkan's words didn't sound so innocent .

'Did he catch on…… . ’

Pelato was the commander, yet he was keeping his silence . Thus, the other members of the party couldn't act .

Everyone just glanced around and surveyed the situation .

The progress of battle in front of their eyes were ever-changing .

Keee, keee!

The Cockatrice ignored everyone, and it was busy getting rid of the Skeleton Warriors attached to its body .

Its fierce struggle dislodged the Skeleton Warriors from its body . When the Skeleton Warriors were thrown to the ground, it either ruthlessly stepped on the Skeleton Warriors or pecked at them as if it was eating corn from the ground . The beak broke apart the Skeleton Warriors’ skull .

The Skeleton Warriors were pretty adept at dodging its attack . At times, the Skeleton Warriors were able to stab the body of the Cockatrice . However, it would be impossible for the Skeleton Warriors to change the tide of battle all on their own . The number of Skeleton Warriors decreased rapidly . There had been 10 of them, but now there were only four of them left .

The countdown had started .

The four became three . The three would become two then one . The Cockatrice's attention would turn to others .

‘Don't we have to move now?’

‘We should change our formation . ’

The party members kept looking at each other . They could continue to play this game of ice tag .

“Didn't I warn you? I told you not to move . ”

However, Hyrkan didn't allow them to respond .

There was a reason why he did that .

‘I will never hand over the command post . ’

Hyrkan decided he wanted to command this situation .

He had already confirmed that Pelato was gunning for Hyrkan . It would be crazy for him to hand over the role of commander to Pelato .

However, words were insufficient . He couldn't take the command just by flapping his lips .

He had to show them his skills .

'I show you what a real commander looks like . ’

Hyrkan took out a gem . It was more pitch black than black . The gem containing the thick, black light was gripped by Hykran, transforming into a black, murky liquid .

Drip, drip .

The black murky water dropped to the liquid .

Koo-koo-koo!

The ground let out a cry as it shook .

Finally, a giant snake that boasted a length of 7 meters showed up . It was a Snake Golem .

The ingredient and the owner of the gem was the Black Anaconda!

There were many types of snake-type monsters in Warlord, but this particular one had the trick of squeezing its prey into two pieces .

When the snake appeared, Hyrkan gave his attack orders . In a flash, it slithered towards the Cockatrice .

Kwah-kwah-kwah!

The Snake Golem moved across the floor, its movement rough and boorish compared to the Black Anaconda .

However . . .

Keeee!

The Snake Golem was at a distance where the Cockatrice would have noticed it . However, it was still busy facing the Skeleton Warriors . In a flash, the Snake Golem encircled the Cockatrice . Its skill was surprisingly on par with a Black Anaconda .

“Hardening!”

Hyrkan immediately used the Hardeninig skill . The Golem made out of dirt hardened like a rock .

Koo-oohng!

The Cocatrice was unable to keep its balance, so its large body fell to the floor .

Several users held their breath when they saw this sight .

‘Such a method was possible?’

‘Fantastic!’

He used the Clay Play Skill to create a Snake Golem . The Snake Golem had encircled the target, and it had used the Hardening Skill .

It was an amazing combination .

They almost let out a sigh of admiration .

Keeee!

The Cockatrice, who was at the wrong end of this attack, was letting out a screech . The Snake Golem was wrapped around the entire length of the Cockatrice's body, and it was having a hard time dislodging the Snake Golem, which had turned into stone .

Bboo-dook, bboo-dook!

Of course, one couldn't ignore the Cockatrice's power . Every time the Cockatrice struggled a crack formed on the Snake Golem .

They once again swallowed their spit as they continued to watch the sight .

‘Should we head in right now?’

‘Isn't our time to attack?’

The Cockatrice was being tied up perfectly .

At the same time, the countdown started . The Snake Golem could hold on for a finite amount of time . Even the users who weren't a Necromancer could see that time was running out .

There was less than 1 minute left .

In truth, this fact in itself was amazing . In a Boss Monster Raid, a Boss monster had been restricted of its movement for 1 minute . This wasn't something a user could do .

Normally, this was the time used to prepare . The magicians would prepare magic spells, the Strikers would stick to the monster to get rid of the armor, or the party would change formation .

However, no one could move right now .

‘What do we do?’

‘Should we move?’

‘Who's giving the orders?’

They were told not to move . Hyrkan had said so .

During all of this, Hyrkan was operating his voice talk program .

“Choose . ”

He tried a 1 on 1 chat instead of a group chat .

– What?

Pelato was his conversation partner .

“Choose whether you will fight the Cockatrice with me or do you want to fight me with the Cockatrice . ”

– What are you…… .

Boo-doohk, booh-doohk!

While the conversation continued, the continuous struggle of the Cockatrice caused cracks all over the body of the Snake Golem .

They didn't have a minute . They were down to seconds .

Pelato was getting desperate . Hyrkan continued speaking in a calm manner .

“Who incited this?”

At that moment, Pelato made his decision . He could tell Hyrkan wasn't a normal user by his appearance . Moreover, he already knew about Pelato's secret plans . In the end, if Hyrkan decided to actively interfere in this raid, Pelato would never be able to catch the Cockatrice .

Moreover, he wasn't in a position where he could take down Hyrkan .

He didn't even need to list the pros and cons of doing this .

– A . . . Apollo . It was the Apollo Guild .

Hyrkan immediately switched to the voice talk option and yelled out to everyone .

“Magicians get your magic spells ready . Priests give full buffs to the Strikers . After the magic strikes, the Strikers will run in . ”

Hyrkan had yelled out the instructions instead of the commander . Normally, they would just ignore any order that didn't originate from the commander .

However, an answer came as if they had been expecting this .

– This is the West magician team . We are short on time .

– Right! If we start casting now, we need at least 1 minute!

– This is the priest team . Do you not realize how long it takes to cast a full round of buffs?

They needed more time!

Hyrkan had heard those words countless of times during his raids . He smirked as he spoke .

He had to buy time .

Hyrkan was very familiar with that work .

“I'll buy some time . ”

Hyrkan immediately summoned new Skeleton Warriors .

Moreover, there was a specific Skeleton in the middle of the group .

[Special Ability 'Chivalry' was activated . ]

He had the Skeleton Knight .

14 .

Storm Hunter's Storm Princess . Red Bulls guild's Matador . Hydra guild's First Head .

There was a similarity between these users beyond the fact that they were leaders of the largest guilds in the 30 Great guilds . They were all Swordsman class users, and they always lead from the frontline . They commanded their troops while being always nearest to the monster .

At this point, anyone would ask the question .

Wasn't it too dangerous for the most important party in the group to fight in the frontline?

However, this was the wrong question to ask . They were considered to be important precisely because they fought in the frontline .

Basically, the positions that received the most attentions were either the Strikers or the Tankers . Those in the frontline decided whether a Raid failed or not .

When one was being commanded by a skilled Striker or Tanker, the Raid felt different .

Currently, it was like that .

“Did you see its body shake?”

– It did?

“I'm sure it is a sign that it is going into phase 3 . ”

– What do we do? We don't know what happens in phase 3 .

“Since we don't know it, we do it by the book . The Tankers will be placed at the North, South, East, and West . This is in preparation for an unexpected situation . The magicians will ready their most powerful magic for a single strike . ”

– Where should we sent the magic spells?

“I'll decide . My cute Skeletons are sacrificing their bodies to stall it, so if you miss, you better be ready to take responsibility . ”

– Yes, boss!

It was like the ocean with violent waves, and Hyrkan was basically the buoy floating atop the ocean . Hyrkan commanded on top of the Cockatrice's back . His command skill was so great that everyone participating in the raid felt a feeling of admiration .

The evidence was all over the Cockatrice's body .

When Hykran fell off the Cockatrice's body, he immediately used the Skeleton Warriors to divert the aggro . Its entire body was covered in wounds . The armor it had been wearing was gone, even its gray leather was peeled off . Its appearance was appalling .

It was evidence that Hyrkan's command had been flawless . Now the Cockatrice basically had no defense .

“We are starting the countdown . ”

The Skeleton Warriors, who had been acting as bait, retreated as Hyrkan started the countdown .

Hyrkan counted down to zero! It happened when that word was spoken!

Koo-uhhhhh!

Three enormous flaming bears charged towards the Gray Cockatrice .

Several dozen ice spears formed about the Cockatrice's head, and the spears plummeted towards it .

For the finale, clouds formed above the Cockatrice's head and the black clouds spat out yellow lightnings .

Gwah-roo-roohng!

Everyone's vision turned yellow when the level 120 Unique rank magic, Mega Thunderbolt, fell from the sky .

The ground almost split from the power of the continuous magic spells . The surrounding landscape wasn't able to hold out .

Keeeeee!

Even being assaulted by such attacks, the Cockatrice let out a cry as it let its presence known .

– Sick . I'm sick of this .

– Its defense should be almost 0 . What kind of bastard could survive such a magical barrage?

– What kind of bastard? Of course, it’s a monster .

The party members spoke to each other as they watched the sight . Hyrkan made a tight fist once again .

Drip, drip!

Black liquid dripped down through his clenched fist .

Koo-koo-koo!

The ground shook, and a Snake Golem immediately appeared .

The Snake Golem quickly maneuvered over the rocky terrain, and it was very close to the Cockatrice .

The Cockatrice turned its head to look at the Snake Golem . The unsightly monster only had malice left within it . The Cockatrice used its large beak to peck at the Snake Golem's body .

Kwah-jeek!

The Cockatrice's beak was embedded deep within the Snake Golem's body .

At the same time, the Snake Golem moved its body to encircle the Cockatrice's body .

“Harden!”

Soon, the Golem had turned into stone and the Cockatrice fell to the floor . The Cockatrice struggled, and the Golem's body immediately started to crack . Hyrkan yelled out his instructions .

“Thirty seconds . Strikers will be in charge of the finale . ”

– Roger!

After replying, the frightening Strikers with full buff started to move . They were going to end this . The Strikers were always closest to danger, so they were very suspicious of commanders . If they didn't trust the commander, then they wouldn't move .

When Hyrkan's word ended, the Strikers ran immediately towards the monster . It was evidence that showed the Strikers 100% trusted Hyrkan's command skills .

‘We just need to finish it off . ’

He had been perfect in his command .

‘I'll have to request a reimbursement from Pelato for all the money I spent today . . ’

Hyrkan had just completed his calculations when his eyes picked up something .

Poohk!

He saw the scene of an arrow flying towards the Cockatrice, and the arrow was planted on the Cockatrice's body . A single arrow shot had ended the life of the very tenacious Cockatrice .

– What?

– Who shot the arrow?

– No user in Warlord uses a bow!

Everyone was taken aback .

Hyrkan was the only one who wasn't taken aback . He was running towards the direction of where the arrow had come from .

A sound was heard in Hyrkan's ears .

[The Corrupted Elf has appeared . Please track him down . ]

The announcement that helped the Quest Progress was heard .

15 .

Heh-bibin was in a good mood .

‘The situation is finally on the mend . ’

Big Smile had been backed into a wall by the Triple Wing, but recently, they had come across some favorable news . They had developed a live channel program involving a popular Chinese actor . It would be shown on public television in China .

In truth, this program had been long in the making, but they hadn't been able to get anyone to back it . They had started airing it recently, and the result was better than expected .

Moreover, there was a lull between the war with the Triple Wing . The two guilds still had a bad relationship, but for now, they avoided getting into a war that would lead their guilds into life or death situation .

It wasn't as if they had come to a special agreement . It came to be because they heard rumors indicating the Underfoot guilds were gunning for the spots occupied by the two guild . They didn't want to become sacrificial lambs in these trouble times! This was how they came to a tacit agreement .

‘If we build up our fighting power again, we'll be able to climb to the top again . ’

Of course, it wasn't as if all the problems had disappeared . Still, it gave them time to rebound so Heh-bibin was thankful .

He was in a good mood until he had heard the news .

– Excuse me . Do you perhaps know about this?

The employee in charge of keeping the Big Smile guild's items in storage was called Hae-bibin .

“What are you talking about?”

– When we last spoke, you told me to loan out items to the Apollo guild if they asked . Do you remember?

Apollo guild .

Heh-bibin's face crumpled a little bit at the word, then his face relaxed again .

“Yes . Yes, I did . ”

Heh-bibin's weakness was being exploited by the Apollo guild . He tried to give some preferential treatments towards the Apollo guild . This was why they had loaned out the items . He hand made an extra effort so the Apollo guild could get the loaned items .

Truthfully, he thought no problem would arise out of it . The biggest problem that could happen in loaning out the items is the loss of the item . If he considered Apollo's financial coffer, he didn't need to worry about that .

So why was it being mentioned right now?

– Recently, the Apollo guild borrowed a lot of Unique items .

“Did he perhaps lose all of them?”

At this point, Heh-bibin wished Apollo had lost all the items . If so, he could secretly tie off their relationship .

– That isn't it…… It seems the Unique items were moved to the Red Lake .

Unfortunately, Heh-bibin's wish went up in smoke .

“What?”

Red Lake .

Of course, Heh-bibin knew about that location .

‘Why did the Apollo guild go to the Red Lake?’

Heh-bibin tilted his head in confusion as he thought about the level of the core users in the Apollo guild . It was a location that was accessible to the Apollo Guild, but Apollo's personality didn't suit that location .

First, the Apollo guild couldn't act like he was a king in that location . If Apollo acted like he did in the regular field, he would be smashed into pieces at the Red Lake .

Moreover, Apollo didn't have the skill required to hunt there .

‘No . That pig bastard has no reason to go there . . ’

Items weren't the only thing required to succeed in a Boss monster raid . One's own personal skill was important . Apollo didn't have the requisite skills . If he went to the Red Lake himself, he would only realize that he was trash . All he was capable of doing was eating EXP from the back .

At that moment, Heh-bibin suddenly remember something .

It was the latest news .

‘Maybe…… . ’

A Corrupted Gray Cockatrice had appeared at the Red Lake, and someone was gathering an attack force to take it down .

Moreover . . . .

‘……He is trying to catch the Hahoe Mask?’

There was new that the Hahoe Mask had appeared there .

Once he combined the two news, it made Heh-bibin frown . A terrible hypothetical situation appeared in his mind .

‘Maybe . No way . . . ’

What if Apollo was using the borrowed Unique items from Big Smile to catch the Hahoe mask?

If so, who would take the blame for the incident?

‘……no way . ’

Heh-bibin desperately tried to contact Apollo .