Chapter 303 - Bastard, Why Are You Like This?
"Master Heo, are you alright?"
"Master?"
Despite repeatedly calling out to Heo Taeseok, he didn't seem to understand anything.
If he had understood, he wouldn't be staring blankly and drooling.
It seemed as if he had lost his mind.
"Alex, why do you think Master Heo Taeseok came here?"
"There can only be one reason."
Alex gripped his staff tightly and showed a serious expression.
Victor and Sophia also watched Heo Taeseok cautiously.
After hearing about the bad relationship between Alex and Heo Taeseok, they couldn't help but be on guard.
"Master Heo Taeseok, if you have come for revenge, please stop."
"We would appreciate it if you left now."
Despite their pleas, Heo Taeseok did not respond.
"Grrr..."
He only emitted a beastly growl.
Alex and the others noticed something was wrong.
"It seems he doesn't understand anything we are saying."
"And those strange sounds he's making..."
"Doesn't his skin look redder?"
It didn't take much to realize that something was different.
When Heo Taeseok, who had been still, moved again, Alex shouted.
"Don't come any closer! This is a warning!"
"Grrr, grrr."
"Don't pretend not to understand like last time. In this world, there is a translation function!"
Despite the warning, Heo Taeseok kept approaching.
"Grrr..."
"I told you to stop!"
Unable to take it anymore, Alex created an ice spear and threw it at the ground as a warning.
Crack!
Even though he threw it at the ground, Heo Taeseok showed no reaction.
The only difference was that he seemed provoked.
"Graaaah!"
Suddenly, a horn sprouted from Heo Taeseok's forehead, wings appeared on his back, and his body grew 30% larger, developing a demonic tail.
He had transformed into the demon they had seen in a previous fight.
Alex did not hesitate to attack first.
He knew that if he didn't, he might die.
"Alex!"
Swoosh, swoosh!
Victor shouted for him not to attack, but it was already too late.
The situation was so critical that if he did nothing, they would be turned into ice skewers.
But what Victor feared did not happen.
Heo Taeseok dodged nimbly by flying.
Woosh!
Around Heo Taeseok, who had flown up, ten black arrows appeared.
Victor and the others were in danger, but Sophia stepped in front of them.
"Protection Mantle!"
Before the mantle could be deployed, the black arrows were already in the air.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
The impact was so strong it felt like a bomber had passed, but Sophia's mantle held firm.
"Is everyone okay?"
"Yes, thanks to you."
"Yes, we're okay thanks to you."
Victor and Alex, who were behind Sophia, responded with relief.
Without her, they would have been shredded.
"Why is Master Heo Taeseok doing this? Regain your senses!"
"We should try talking. What do you say?"
Despite their shouts, Heo Taeseok did not respond. Instead, he dropped something.
The black seed fell to the ground, quickly took root, and spat out a demon.
"Gyaaaah!"
The high-rank demon was a Requiem.
"Kieeeek!"
As soon as it saw the group, Requiem charged without hesitation.
It looked like a hunting dog, but its size exceeded 3 meters.
One might think it would be slow due to its size, but that assumption was quickly shattered.
Boom! Bang!
"Ugh!"
The force with which it hit the protective mantle was unimaginable.
"I can't hold this for much longer. It will soon break. We have to decide if we're going to fight now."
At Sophia's words, Alex's gaze changed.
Determined not to act defensively any longer.
"Understood. From now on, we'll consider him an enemy and fight actively."
Immediately, the protective mantle that Sophia had conjured shattered.
Crash!
In that instant, Requiem lunged forward, opening its mouth to devour them.
At that moment.
Fwoosh!
The firestorm Alex had prepared earlier entered Requiem's mouth.
Boom!
"Kyaaak! Hyaaak!"
Even though it was a creature from hell, it couldn't withstand having a fireball in its mouth.
The demon, with its palate burned, screamed and thrashed around frantically.
"Restricting Chains!"
Sophia's skill bound Requiem's legs, immobilizing it temporarily.
At that moment, ice spears, as if waiting, pierced Requiem's face repeatedly.
Puff, puff, puff, puff!
Boom!
Requiem fell to the ground, its face filled with spears.
Just when they thought they could relax, the group had to quickly dodge.
Dozens of black arrows filled the sky once again.
"Dodge them!"
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
As the three dispersed, they frowned and looked at each other.
For them, the safety of the others was more important than their own.
"Are you okay?"
"Brother? Are you hurt?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Just a scratch..."
Though saying "scratch" was an understatement, as Victor's leg was soaked in blood, it wasn't something to worry about.
Pop!
A high-quality healing potion healed the cut instantly.
"Get down!"
No longer able to stand it, Alex launched a lightning spear into the air.
Zzzt!
He was confident that the spear's speed was too fast to dodge, but Heo Taeseok easily evaded it with a slight movement of his body.
"Grr."
Heo Taeseok, smiling as if mocking, dived down with a serious face.
"Huh!"
Seeing Heo Taeseok approach at incredible speed, Alex quickly raised a barrier.
But the barrier couldn't withstand the blow of a single punch from Heo Taeseok.
Thud!
Heo Taeseok's now-demonic hand grabbed Alex's neck in an instant.
With increasing pressure, Alex's mind went blank.
"Ack! Gah!"
"Grrr."
He couldn't breathe.
In a few seconds, he would die of suffocation.
Though he understood his fate, Alex could do nothing more.
Sophia, unable to bear the scene, swung her sword.
"Ha!"
Trying to cut off Heo Taeseok's arm.
But Heo Taeseok's other hand caught Sophia's sword.
Crack!
"Eek!"
Sophia, being a guardian and occupying the tank position, had high strength stats.
However, even though Heo Taeseok had caught the sword, there wasn't a single wound on his hand nor was he being overpowered.
He was clearly a dark sorcerer.
"Damn crazy master! Let go of Alex!"
"Krhhr."
Heo Taeseok let out a mocking chuckle and tightened his grip on Alex's neck.
"Ack! Gak!"
Just as Alex was about to die, Victor, unable to stand it anymore, pulled out his weapon and rushed forward.
"No, brother!"
Though he couldn't be of much help, he couldn't stand by and watch his companion die. With that determination, he ran with the intent to stab Heo Taeseok's eyes, but even a berserk Heo Taeseok wasn't oblivious to his intentions.
Using his tail, he tried to kill him instantly, aiming directly at his heart.
Puum!
Victor, with his chest pierced, opened his eyes wide. Heo Taeseok's tail had penetrated directly into his heart. However, Victor did not die and moved. Moving, he stabbed a dagger into Heo Taeseok's eye.
"Gah, ghaaaak!"
Though Heo Taeseok could stop a sword with his bare hands, his eyes weren't as tough, and he screamed in pain as he released Alex.
Thanks to this, Alex, who had been on the brink of death, could breathe with difficulty.
"Ghaaa! Ghaaa!"
Heo Taeseok, in the midst of pain, made a big fuss, and Victor looked stunned.
"How am I alive?"
Though it seemed his chest had been pierced, there was no blood and he felt no pain.
He didn't know why, but he didn't have time to think about it.
Thud-
"Sophia!"
Sophia suddenly fell to the ground bleeding.
"What's happening? Where are you hurt?"
"Gulck..."
Instead of a response, blood spread from her chest.
At that moment, a skill appeared in Victor's mind.
"Don't tell me... did you use Sacrifice?"
The Guardian's level 60 skill, [Sacrifice]. A skill that can assume another's death and can only be applied to a designated person.
Seeing the blood suddenly gushing from her chest, it was clear.
"You said you wouldn't use that skill! You said you wouldn't use it on me!"
"Little brother... did you believe that... so foolishly...?"
"Idiot! Why did you use it on me? You knew I don't have a life potion!"
"...Live... Live for me..."
Sophia couldn't finish her words and closed her eyes.
"Aaahhhh!"
Blood tears flowed from Victor's eyes.
He wanted to save her, but he didn't have life potions ready.
Resurrection potions were hard to make due to the rare ingredients needed.
However, that didn't mean there was no way to save Sophia.
'Christine. The only person besides me who has a resurrection skill.'
If he called her, she could revive Sophia.
The problem was that he had to bring her here within 10 minutes to save her.
But that wasn't the only immediate problem.
"Krhrhr..."
If Heo Taeseok didn't let them go, both Alex and Victor would die here.
He seemed to have no intention of letting them go.
Shhha!
“Ugh!”
Heo Taeseok hung Victor in the air with black chains and approached step by step.
He radiated a bloodthirsty aura all over his body.
"Krh..."
He raised his hand as if to tear Victor's heart out while he was still alive when a voice interrupted them.
“Master?”
Turning their heads, they saw Eom Jun-seok with a surprised expression looking at Heo Taeseok.
"What the hell is this...?"
Alex could barely breathe, as if he had returned from the dead, while Sophia lay dead with her chest bloodied.
Victor knew that if he hadn't called Eom Jun-seok, his heart would have been pierced.
Sshring!
“Stop, Master!”
Although he didn't know all the details of the situation, Eom Jun-seok drew his sword. He couldn't trust anyone more than the master, but what was this?
“No matter that we're in a round where we must kill each other, this is not right! You will never be forgiven for this! So please, stop...”
He realized his words wouldn't reach Heo Taeseok when he saw his eyes.
"Krhh..."
His unfocused eyes and strange animalistic growl showed he had lost his mind. He couldn't be reasoned with.
“Forgive me, master. Forgive my insubordination. Haaap!”
"Grahhhh!"
Eom Jun-seok, with his sword raised, charged forward.
Though he had a common warrior class and lacked talent, he had survived until round 19. He wasn't sure if he could defeat the master, who had overpowered the three lying there, but his determination didn't waver.
‘I won't fall easily...’
However.
Klang!
Seeing his sword break easily against Heo Taeseok's strength, Eom Jun-seok was speechless.
A sense of helplessness overwhelmed him.
Crack!
"Ugh!"
In an instant, Heo Taeseok grabbed his neck and lifted him off the ground.
"Krrr..."
He felt humiliated that he couldn't even attack properly and just struggled.
‘Even someone as useless as me fights to survive.’
He thought that maybe dying here would be best for his companions.
As he thought this, he felt his body fall to the ground.
‘I have finally died.’
But it wasn't his neck that fell, it was Heo Taeseok's arm.
“Haah, haah.”
Raising his head, he saw his savior with a cold look as he retracted his scythe, observing Heo Taeseok.
"What is wrong with this guy?"