28 – The Battle Against the Charging King (1)
The Charging King’s characteristics were simple.
Countless monsters and a plethora of toxins, relentlessly pressuring the hero party with countless insects that had accumulated for decades, even centuries.
Later on, more things would be added, but for now, the specifications of the guy coming out as the first of the Four Heavenly Kings were roughly like this.
Especially strong in the Earth element and becoming closer to defeat as time dragged on.
Unlike the slow-paced conquest of the Charging Ring, the conquest of the Charging King was quite straightforward.
An all-out battle.
Deal as much damage as possible before the monsters gather in the real world.
“Let’s go.”
So when the Charging King’s voice resounded, I ordered my team members with a stern expression.
From now on, it would be a race against time. They had to take down at least one before the other insects gathered.
Fortunately, it seemed like the plan had been established in advance.
They silently started following behind me.
Good. The plan had been set in motion.
Now it’s time to check my stats.
While running, I briefly checked my condition.
“Status Window.”
As I thought that, a blue window flickered before my eyes.
———-
Name: Luke
Level: 77
[Skills]
Mana Control Level 4, Mana Blade Level 6, Bright Ryu Swordsmanship Level 5, Battle Focus Level 4, Multicasting Level 3, Pain Resistance Level 7, Poison Resistance Level 9, Blood Flow Acceleration Level 2, Pain Memory Level 1, Blood Substitution Level 1, Blood Absorption Level 3, Fireball Level 5, ······
———-
This time, I only looked at the recently leveled-up skills, excluding the useless MAX skills.
There were quite noticeable changes in the values. The level had increased by a whopping 3 compared to before, and the skills had also grown and gained many new ones.
Including swordsmanship skills like Mana Blade and Bright Ryu Swordsmanship.
As well as mental buffs like Multicasting and Battle Focus.
And even the level increase in Mana Control starting with Fireball.
Among all the level increases, the most important one was this.
Poison Resistance.
The ‘Poison Resistance’ that had stayed at Level 3 before entering the Poisonous Cave had now reached an impressive Level 9.
Now, most poisons could be neutralized with just a few deep breaths.
This should be enough. At the very least, I have the specs to approach the Mantis King.
This time, I turned my head to check the levels of my party members.
＜74＞
＜74＞
＜76＞
＜76＞
They were the levels of Yulise, Lily, Adel, and Camilla, respectively.
Compared to last time, they had all increased their levels by one or two.
Surprisingly, the most remarkable growth was from the Saintess.
Whether it was because she always used her holy powers to burn monsters or because she regularly purifies us at the end of each day, her level had increased by a whopping 3.
Considering her influence during the Mantis King subjugation, this is very good news.
I nodded satisfactorily after checking my specs once around.
“I can do it.”
No matter how difficult it is, I will give it a try.
The possibilities are ample.
[I cast ‘Battle Focus’!]
[I cast ‘Multicast’!]
[I cast ‘Mana Blade’!]
[I cast ‘Bloodflow Acceleration’!]
And so, I entered into battle.
*
Perhaps it’s because my party members’ specs have increased significantly.
Or maybe it’s because I’ve consistently cleared bugs and monsters in this area. Or it could be because the dungeon’s depth is quite substantial.
“Haak, haa…”
“Haah, haah…”
We could quickly reach the chambers of the Insect King.
After running for about 30 minutes, we arrived at the King’s abode.
There were no casualties.
Some were tired, and there were those with lowered vitality, but that was it.
There were no issues in progressing through the battle.
“Well done.”
As we caught our breath for a moment, a voice was heard from up front.
A spine-chilling voice, as if scraping metal.
Suddenly, when I looked ahead, the Insect King was applauding us.
Clap, clap, clap.
Applause echoed through the silent chamber.
“To pass through my castle without a single failure. I see now that it’s all your doing that the number of bugs has decreased in the past two months. Indeed, is this what you call a hero’s party?”
If someone had invaded his castle for two months, he would probably be quite angry.
He observed with interest, remaining consistently composed.
Of course, that’s to be expected. That crazy battle enthusiast gets more excited the more challenging the opponent is.
“Saintess, bestow your blessings.”
I decided to do as the guy wanted.
With a body covered in buffs, I urgently asked the saint to grant us blessings once again.
The saint began to bestow blessings upon the party members with her hands clasped together.
A warm light, similar to that of the Great King, enveloped us.
[Temporary increase in strength due to the effect of the blessing!]
[Temporary increase in agility due to the effect of the blessing!]
“Well, there’s no need for any conversation in this yard. Let’s charge ahead. I am always prepared.”
“We will proceed according to the original plan. The saint will provide constant purification and buffs, Lily will exterminate the incoming poison insects, Adel and Camilla will suppress the elite monsters.”
And I am in charge of facing the King of Insects.
The party members might also attack the King of Insects when they have time, but most likely, that task will fall to me.
After completing the final explanation, I immediately rushed towards the King of Insects.
Thump.
If the saint had not stopped me in the middle, that is.
“Huh?”
When I turned back, I saw the saint looking at me with a worried face.
Although she has become slightly more reserved since the previous incident, we have improved to the point where we can easily have a conversation.
I still don’t know what she truly feels, though.
“Um…”
As I waited for a moment, she opened her mouth.
“Please do not drink the blood of the King of Insects. There might be poison in it…”
“Hmm?”
I furrowed my brow.
“Well, we can purify most poisons anyway, right?”
“Well, still, you never know…”
The saint looked at me with desperate eyes. There was even a hint of sincerity hidden in her desperation, so I could only nod instinctively.
“Yes.”
I don’t know if I’ll need to use the blood poisoning that appears from the second Four Kings, but it’s better to be cautious.
“Well, as long as I’m careful, it won’t be bad.”
And so, I started charging at the guy again.
Thump!
The boy’s body rapidly approached the ground as I confirmed his level one last time.
＜80＞
This guy is different from us right from the start.
Even compared to me, the highest leveled party member, he has a difference of three levels, and he is even two levels higher than the Balkan who originally came from the game.
It’s a sight that immediately brings curses to mind, but still…
“He’s worth it.”
I made the judgment. For now, our growth is not bad either.
Eventually, as I reached the boy’s close proximity, I swung my sword.
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Swoosh!
The holy sword, adorned with various spells and blessings, fiercely slashed towards him.
“Ouch.”
Swoosh!
The crimson line of blood turned into droplets and scattered into the air.
My attack only managed to take away a bit of his forearm.
Even if his entire body is covered in buffs, it can’t deliver a fatal blow all at once.
Tsk, even if his main body is weak, his basic physical capabilities are still there.
If that’s the case, there’s no time to stop.
I swung the holy sword towards him as is.
“This warrior has quite the impatient temperament. Take a moment to calm down.”
That’s when it happened.
The King launched a spell. A purple magic circle appeared on the ground, and soon after, insect-shaped monsters poured out.
In just a few seconds, dozens of creatures, each at least twice the size of my body, appeared.
“For now, let’s have some fun with my children.”
I ignored the monsters.
As I mentioned earlier, this wasn’t my responsibility.
“Here they are!”
Bang! Whoosh! Bang!
As Camilla shouted, dozens of arrows flew towards the monsters. Adel’s shots not only killed several monsters but also caught their attention splendidly.
I raised my sword again and said,
“No, you’re going to play with me.”
“hahahaha, good! Yeah, I had a team.”
He laughed as if he found it amusing. It also meant that he still had some leisure.
Then, he cast the next spell.
Suddenly, the lid of the horibyong beside him opened, and hundreds of wasps began to swarm out from there.
One of Chungwang’s main items.
The bug horibyong.
With space magic, the horibyong had pests and venomous creatures that could be immediately used, with tens of thousands of them sleeping inside.
Seeing that, I immediately opened my right palm.
[Thought Acceleration: Battle Focus!]
[Mana Control: Amplifies the efficiency of mana!]
Gather mana. Condense it.
Some of the mana circulating within me was drawn into the palm of my hand.
In that state, I began to visualize the spell.
What came to mind was fire.
I wanted a massive and powerful fire that could instantly send a bothersome swarm of bees to the underworld.
[Casting Fireball!]
Immediately, a fireball was launched.
A flame, about the size of my entire body, fiercely emitted light as it charged toward the swarm of bees.
Kwang!
The bees had no choice but to be engulfed by the massive flames.
Balkan smiled brightly upon seeing that.
“Magic! Indeed, it’s challenging! Good, entertain me more!”
“You damn bastard. Let’s see how long you can keep laughing.”
I picked up my sword again.
It had been five minutes since the battle began.
Time was still on his side.
