Chapter 97: Juliana (2)
It was highly evident that the fight had reached a larger scale.
Juliana, evidently the owner of this dungeon, had reached the point where Kim Hyunsung was forced to step up his game. Meanwhile, I could feel the room we were in changing, little by little.
Can’t you get out of here?
Bang!
Quadduck!
At first glance, it would be easy to retreat. However, this was a battle that Kim Hyunsung had to dish out.
Take the curse!
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
Gedric!
Unlike Kim Hyunsung, who could fight without any reservation, Juliana alternated between attacking and showing her constant weakness—me. I didn’t know what this Gedric meant to her, but I now knew that he was important enough for her to risk her life. Since someone important to her was being held hostage, it was only natural for her to be unable to properly execute her abilities.
Whenever I screamed out for Juliana, she grew more agitated, thereby showing more weak spots. It would be easy to end the fight now.
From the moment I had shown myself to her as Gedric, she had stopped executing her powers to the fullest. However, those who were watching the fight didn’t seem to think of it that way.
But no, they had nothing else to do but watch. This was Kim Hyunsung’s turn to showcase his abilities to the rest of the Guild members.
The guy in question was now biting his lips in concentration. To be able to incite such a serious expression showed that Juliana was very strong. The black tentacles surrounding her stretched out in all directions, all to trap Hyunsung in place.
However, he was able to avoid their deadly grasp by dodging or by simply cutting them off. His high agility and flexibility reminded me of a splendid display of acrobatics.
Each time a tentacle was slashed off, he would jump to another spot, as Juliana would quickly combat his parry with a second attack.
Of course, it was also natural for Juliana to prove that she was not easy to beat.
It felt as if I was watching a high-grade fight in front of me. Perhaps, Cha Hee-ra was the only other person I knew who could exhibit the same combat prowess. Even Lee Sang-hee, said to be the strongest among us, looked at Kim Hyunsung as if in a trance.
When Juliana first exhibited signs of her unstable behavior, I began to think about the number of ways I could take her down. However…
‘It’s too dangerous.’
If I tried something out and it ended up backfiring, the whole party would be harmed. I was not too fond of gambling. Now was not the time to throw the dice.
Wait a bit, Gedric. Just a little bit more!
It was satisfying to know that our enemy was successfully taken in with our act, but I felt like I had to intensify it a little more. I could see that Juliana’s desperation would be the key to our victory.
She genuinely thought ‘Gedric’ was in danger. Alas, she was doing her best to fight the invaders while trying not to harm me.
Of course, I didn’t sympathize with her actions. I didn’t forget the fact that she was the owner of a dungeon that had swallowed up numerous victims and that my party might soon be a group of casualties if we didn’t win this fight.
Simultaneously, there was no excuse for the fact that we had invaded the dungeon even though she had made it explicitly clear that she did not want to be disturbed. Nevertheless, we came here for a reason.
This troublesome fly!
“…”
I’m going to let the darkness swallow him up!
A dark inverted cross materialized in the sky. It fell toward Kim Hyunsung, but he swung his sword in response.
Bang!
Quazzik!
Quaddeuk!
‘He’s so strong…’
Seeing Kim Hyunsung tear down crosses that were bigger than his entire being enveloped me with a sense of awe. Without realizing it, I was stuck staring at the scene with my mouth wide open.
You will eventually succumb to the darkness!
Quazzik! Quaang!
‘Huh…’
What was notable was the fact that Kim Hyunsung was smiling. Despite knowing one blunder could cost him his life, he seemed to be enjoying the battle.
Quazzik!
The fight truly brought out Hyunsung’s strength. Of course, the difference in stats was inevitable, and Kim Hyunsung suffered a few wounds of his own, but he still seemed satisfied with how the fight was going.
‘His stats haven’t even reached an average of 80 yet…’
You can’t get out of here even now. Shameless intruders… face my wrath!
A sword then fell from the sky, over the cursed saint who appeared to be glaring at Hyunsung. It was not a sword that belonged to anyone.
‘What kind of sword is that?’
No, in the first place…
‘What kind of fight is this?’
The fight I was witnessing was surely out of standard, and I didn’t like it. Juliana, who seemed to have reached the second phase, was clashing with Hyunsung with her sword.
Kim Hyun-sung met Juliana’s attacks head-on, and we, too, were affected. However, Park Deokgu and Lee Sang-hee were steadily protecting us, and our magicians ensured that we had an extra layer of safety after each clash.
‘Will we be able to win?’
In the meantime, I was worried about the outcome of the battle. I was sure that Kim Hyunsung would win, but I was worried about the injuries he would sustain in doing so. Even though our party kept a continuous supply of divine power to aid in the battle, there was no guarantee that we’d be able to avoid the worst-case scenario.
‘Should I believe in him?’
I knew this wasn’t Hyunsung’s full ability. He was probably hiding his true power. However, he might have been overconfident in his abilities.
You will be trampled in the dark!
Juliana lifted her sword, and Kim Hyunsung also concentrated his magic on his sword.
‘This will probably be the last clash.’
I didn’t know how the fight was going, but the ominous feeling stayed within me. When the swords were about to hit, I couldn’t help but scream.
“Juliana!”
At this, the enemy in question turned her head towards me. Simultaneously, Kim Hyunsung slashed through her sword with enormous energy, cutting through the air.
The next thing I saw was his sword piercing right through her abdomen.
Ged… rick…
‘Oh…’
I’ve dealt with my fair share of monsters up until now, but this was the first time I’d ever felt my heart squeeze upon seeing the death of one.
It was probably because Juliana had instinctively reached out for me as she fell.
Gedric…
The expedition members slowly scattered behind me as this scene unfolded. When the steamy heart was left behind, a new energy spread in all directions.
I flinched for a moment, but my head suddenly became clear. It was at this moment that I realized we’d completed the dungeon attack.
[Heroic-grade quest has been completed.]
[Heroic-grade quest - Eliminate Juliana (1/1)]
[Gives 4 random stat points as a reward.]
‘It’s over.’
It was no wonder that everyone rushed to Kim Hyunsung. An eruption of voices soon reverberated in the room.
“Hyunsung, are you okay?!”
“Hyunsung!”
“Oh, I’m fine…”
The first point of action was to check on Hyunsung, but the chaos didn’t stop there.
“Huh…”
“I can’t believe it…”
“I knew it would be difficult, but I feel so embarrassed.”
“This is also my first time, so I can’t really explain how the notion of promoting or demoting of ranks works…”
“Whatever happens, it will be a blessing to the guild.”
I didn’t understand what they were talking about, but I guessed it had something to do with the sword.
[Cursing Sword - Legendary-Grade]
‘Huh…’
It was faint, but the sword kept flashing orange hues.
‘Great…’
I was beginning to understand why Kim Hyunsung wanted to go to this dungeon.
‘Is it for this?’
In front of me was a legendary item, one of the only ones on this continent, I could bet.
There were a total of six confirmed legendary-grade items, perhaps a few more, but not more than 10. There was no guarantee that such artifacts would drop even in legendary-grade dungeons.
If Kim Hyunsung knew that he would get one here, then his insistence at coming would be understandable. Anything rated legendary was simply phenomenal, be it a legendary-grade dungeon, legendary-grade job, legendary-grade item, legendary-grade quest, or legendary-grade monster raid.
Even if there would be a dispute over ownership, it won’t be a strange scene to witness. Even so, the owner was already decided.
It was then that I decided to speak.
“I couldn’t even imagine killing Juliana one-on-one.”
“I could have suffered if Kiyoung had not interfered. Thank you very much.”
Kim Hyunsung’s desire for this sword was evident. Just as I desired good alchemy kits, he would also want good swords.
There shouldn’t even be a dispute as to who the owner would be. After all, we wouldn’t have been able to survive this dungeon if it weren’t for Kim Hyunsung!
Lee Sang-hee also seemed to have something to say.
“First of all, I will declare the completion of the attack of the heroic-grade dungeon, Cursed Shrine. Clean up the area and search for other items or bodies of other guilds. I would like you to look around in groups of three and report any unusual issues immediately. The settlement will be made after returning to the guild. Gahyeon, please return to the guild right now and let them know the situation of the expedition. And…”
“…”
“It’s too early to tell all of you, but I’m pretty sure you all understand who owns the cursing sword. Just in case… This cursing sword…”
Before Lee Sang-hee could finish speaking, a spectacle occurred.
“Wow…”
“Huh?”
‘What…’
The sword lying on the ground suddenly started to rise and twirl up in the air. It was natural for everyone to feel alarmed.
As everyone looked at it confusedly, the cursed sword slowly approached me. What was strange was that I didn’t feel hostility from it.
“Is this a master ceremony?” Someone else muttered.
Only
The sword approaching with a faint light seemed to look at me, making a continuous trembling sound.
‘What is this…?’
I didn’t know what was going on.
‘Oh no, don’t be like this. Don’t test me…’
I then realized what was happening.
I could see an embarrassed expression showing on Kim Hyunsung’s face.
‘It’s not like this… Hyunsung, trust me, I didn’t mean to do this.’