Chapter 49

EP.49 Swall Leviathan (3)

Swall Leviathan's water magic enveloped the pier.

The massive water magic, imbued with mana, was a kind of disaster.

It filled the surroundings like a tsunami, and the large whirlpools made of water caught some holders as if they were prey.

At first glance, about five or six holders were caught up in it.

They were probably all C-rank.

...And they were all likely dead.

Special Disaster Beast Hunting Temporary Attack Squad.

This was not a hunt that could be easily undertaken like a regular dungeon raid.

Why the attack squad was unpopular.

Why most C-rank holders were beginners.

It was a moment when everything became clear.

“Reform the formation!”

“The beast's mana attack is too powerful! We need to change the strategy!”

B-rank holders at the front blocked Swall Leviathan's attacks.

C-rank holders, who were supporting them, gathered in small groups.

And at the forefront, the front line.

A holder was running at lightning speed.

One of the five A-rank holders I saw earlier.

The leader, Im Hyun, who was in charge of the warrior class.

“Warrior class 1st and 2nd squads, with me to the front! 3rd and 4th squads, go to the rear with Im Sung-hwi holder! 5th squad, take charge of protecting the damage dealers!”

He ran at an incredible speed, climbed onto Swall Leviathan, and plunged his sword, which looked like a mana sword, into its body.

-Ka, aaa…!!

Swall Leviathan let out a monstrous scream of pain.

It was the most effective hit among the attack squad's attacks so far.

Warriors usually focus on tanking.

That's the role they typically play in a party.

However, not all warriors are incapable of performing the damage dealer role.

For example, Park Jin-woo is a warrior who focuses more on dealing damage than tanking, and I myself, with the variety of runes, am a holder who leans slightly more towards the damage dealer role.

‘That person is also...’

Im Hyun, the A-rank holder who acts as a leader, was of that type.

Unlike other B-rank holders who held shields.

He wielded only a two-handed sword and faced the beast.

Tanking was handled by his innate durability and evasion skills.

Seeing this with my own eyes.

I was purely amazed.

‘...That’s cool.’

The power of an A-rank holder is at that level.

Although he couldn't completely bring down the S-rank beast, he was definitely landing effective hits on Swall Leviathan.

“5th squad, this way!”

One of the B-rank holders in the warrior class led the 5th squad.

Among the temporary attack squad members, there were two A-rank holders in the warrior class.

Both were dedicated to dealing with Swall Leviathan, so a B-rank holder became the temporary squad leader.

I followed him, holding my shield.

The role of the 5th squad, where I was, was to protect the damage dealers.

“Heal the holders in critical condition first! Use all the divine power you have left.”

“There are not enough divine class holders!”

“Do what you can with what you have! You’re not going to fight that monster yourself, are you?”

The rear was also a battlefield.

Holders who were hit by Swall Leviathan's water magic and physical attacks.

While some holders died, many more were injured.

The divine class holders who participated in the attack squad were healing these injured holders.

The fact that there were already so many injured holders since the start of the battle was not a good sign.

‘The divine class holders are also quite harsh...’

Moreover, the atmosphere was extremely tense.

Perhaps it was only natural.

Jokes are only made before the battle.

In actual combat, any holder, regardless of class, becomes sharp.

A small mistake in any part could lead to the party's annihilation.

That's what fighting a beast was all about.

“Don’t panic, keep your eyes on the front.”

Then, a voice came from somewhere.

A female holder preparing a spell next to me.

She looked to be in her late 30s.

Very calm even in the chaotic situation.

I could tell she was an experienced high-level holder.

“Ah! Holder Jeong Seon-young, I will protect you...!!”

My intuition was right.

The B-rank holder leading the 5th squad shouted when he saw me and this woman.

Holder Jeong Seon-young.

From what I heard earlier, I guessed...

She was probably the leader of the mage class.

One of the five A-rank holders in charge of the mage class.

She shook her head at the B-rank holder's words.

“I am fine with this holder. Please protect the divine class or other damage dealers.”

“...Understood.”

With a short conversation, the B-rank holder quickly moved to a new position.

...Damn.

This means I’m now the dedicated guard for an A-rank holder?

-Ka-aaa…!!

And once again.

Swall Leviathan thrashed.

The physical attack when it first appeared.

Then the water magic.

This time, another physical attack.

Kwaang-!!

“Gah! The strength is too...!!”

“Everyone, run! Tanking isn’t working!”

“Shit. It’s really a monster.”

Swall Leviathan's attacks, using various body parts like its tail, hands, and fins, sent the holders at the front flying like leaves in the wind.

The strength and speed of an S-rank beast.

This was not something even a warrior class holder could easily handle.

And taking advantage of this gap.

The damage dealers prepared their second large-scale attack.

Our counterattack following its counterattack.

The target of my protection.

A-rank holder Jeong Seon-young also completed her preparation and cast a spell.

“Swallow the cold.”

The short phrase that came from her lips.

I knew its meaning.

‘It’s a verbal command!’

She used a verbal command before casting the spell.

Using a verbal command means.

This is Jeong Seon-young's ultimate skill.

Moreover, the spell's class is unique.

It's not the lightning class magic that was troubling Swall Leviathan earlier.

It's ice class.

The cold mana aura and the content of the verbal command clearly indicated that Jeong Seon-young's magic was a rune magic related to [Freezing].

Chir-chir-chir-

Kwahng- Kwaang!!

The attack squad's bombardment was instantaneous.

Jeong Seon-young's ice class magic, which seemed to be her ultimate skill, and various lightning class magics.

The barrage of arrows from the archer class.

Additionally, the physical attacks from the warriors at the front.

The attack from nearly 50 pure damage dealers.

This finally succeeded in peeling off Swall Leviathan's skin.

“Got it! The damage is landing!”

“An S-rank beast is nothing special! Like this...”

Is that a national rule?

One holder's words were cut off as the crouching Swall Leviathan rose again.

Clearly, the attacks were effective, as it was much slower than before.

However.

Its posture was a familiar form I had seen before.

“Shit! It’s using water magic again!”

“Evade…!!”

Physical attack, water magic, physical attack.

And again, water magic.

The attack pattern itself was standardized...

But despairingly, this time the 'direction of the attack' was different.

“It’s coming towards the damage dealers!”

“Damn! Warrior class 5th squad, everyone, raise your shields and move forward!”

I heard the urgent words of the B-rank holder acting as a leader.

This time, Swall Leviathan's attack was not aimed at the tanks at the front.

It was aimed at the damage dealers who had inflicted severe damage on it.

A ranged attack towards the damage dealers at the rear.

‘Iron Defense...!!’

I immediately raised my [Hobgoblin's Bronze Shield] and stood in front.

This attack could not be blocked by just a shield like the previous physical attack.

[Iron Defense], a derived skill of the [Shield] I obtained during the battle.

It was time to use that skill, which I had saved.

Kwah- Kwah- Kwahng-!!

“Gah, gah...!!”

“Save me!!”

The water projectiles spewed by Swall Leviathan hit all around with a loud noise.

Although all the members of the 5th squad in the warrior class, including me, used their [Shields]...

Few managed to block the water projectiles.

The [Hobgoblin's Bronze Shield] has a rare special effect that allows it to block the opponent's mana attacks when infused with mana.

Moreover, I have a special attribute of 'water resistance,' making it easier to defend.

However, not all holders assigned to guard have these special conditions.

C-rank holders who failed to block the mana attacks mostly died instantly, and B-rank holders were taking the hits with their own durability.

‘I can’t keep this up...’

My shield was not unscathed either.

I infused mana to block the beast's water magic, but the power was too strong, causing holes to appear in various places.

The durability of the shield had dropped from 'normal' to 'depleted.'

It needed repair.

Most critically, the cooldown of [Iron Defense] is 1 hour.

I can no longer use this key defensive skill in battle.

Blocking the subsequent attacks from Swall Leviathan with just the [Shield] seemed difficult.

“It’s coming again…!!”

Is this the last desperate struggle of a dragon about to be finished off?

Swall Leviathan fired another round of water projectiles.

This time, there were even more of them.

I quickly turned my head to look at Jeong Seon-young.

She was already casting a defensive spell.

A spell that raised a wall of ice to block the water projectiles raining down.

‘That’s why they said it was fine to leave me as the guard.’

It’s hard to believe she just used her ultimate skill.

Using an ultimate skill consumes a tremendous amount of mana and mental energy, yet she immediately cast another spell, which was surprising.

An A-rank holder in the mage class.

Among the holders who handle [Freezing], she was almost at the top level.

“Sigh…!!”

I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

Jeong Seon-young is currently protecting others from the water projectiles.

This is possible because I am defending her with my [Shield].

If my defense line is breached.

Her ice wall will be directed towards me.

If that happens, someone won’t be protected.

If I do nothing, other holders might die or get injured.

I had to do my part.

I put away my shield and drew my sword.

The [Well-Honed Longsword] given to me by Choi Yu-min.

With the value of the shield reduced.

The only thing I can use now is the sword.

‘I’ve never succeeded before...’

Although the water projectiles are mana-infused magic.

They are similar in form to thrown weapons.

They fly from a distance and are powerful over the distance they travel.

And the only technique I know to block such thrown weapons with a sword is...

‘I can do it. No, I have to.’

I focused on the water projectiles.

As I learned, as I remembered.

I moved like a dance and held my sword like a flowing stream.

The subtleties of [Agile Movement] and [Flowing Water Sword Technique].

I infused them into my body and my sword.

The water projectiles, which seemed to destroy everything.

But they are also part of the flowing water.

From water to sword, from sword to water.

To me.

There was another water that could definitely repel all this water.

“Flow.”

And...

The mysterious sight I first saw from Professor Kim Myung-hyun.

It looked fast.

But it was actually a smooth wave.

The technique was perfectly executed from my sword.

[A massive tidal wave becomes a gentle wave within a soft current. Your sword, imbued with flowing water, can cut through anything and block anything. Your understanding of the Flowing Water Sword Technique has increased sharply.]

[Your rune level has increased.]

[You have obtained the ultimate skill of the Flowing Water Sword Technique rune, ‘Flowing Water Sword’. Due to the abnormal acquisition beyond the limit, the skill usage is restricted.]