Chapter 142 – Celestial Castle (３)

What’s going on?

Martin was just as stunned as the rest.

An absurd thought crossed his mind—that Gijun was seeing something no one else in this room could perceive.

Just… what the hell is he?

Martin stared at Gijun, shaken beyond words.

Then a single idea struck him.

No way.

Could Gijun actually see it?

The Boss Monster’s location, even while cloaked in Stealth?

That can’t be…

It was nonsense.

He hadn’t even used any kind of detection magic worth mentioning.

“You’re telling me he can see something that even detection magic can’t pick up? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Now!”

In that instant, Hera’s shout rang out.

And the archers and mages who’d been waiting unleashed their barrage all at once, converging on the Boss Monster.

BOOM! KA-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM!

‘…So that’s it.’

Only then did he understand what Hera and Jun had been talking about before the fight started.

Back then, he’d assumed Jun was asking for support or protection.

But he’d been wrong.

It hit him—that conversation had been for this very moment, this exact instant.

‘Unbelievable.’

Of course, questions still lingered.

How in the world had Jun located the Boss Monster’s position?

‘Could it have been luck?’

Maybe, by some one-in-a-million chance, Jun had stumbled onto its location.

The thought flickered through his mind, but it didn’t hold up.

Because if it were luck, that earlier conversation would never have been possible.

Meaning Jun had already known this was going to happen.

“…Exactly as the oracle said…”

A chill ran down his spine in that instant.

Maybe Gijun was already proving that the one the oracle spoke of was him — the right person after all.

“It vanished again.”

After one furious storm had swept through, the Boss had once more concealed itself from view.

Of course, that soon proved to be nothing more than a futile struggle.

Gijun’s Fireball split the air again, erupting once more.

Sizzle—!

The creature’s form emerged once again.

Then came the barrage from the Saint guild Players right behind it….

‘It’s true.’

So Martin had to concede it too.

‘He’s the right one.’

Gijun was exactly the person the Oracle had spoken of as the right one.

And now, he understood it once more—crystal clear.

‘Why Hera acknowledges and trusts that man the way she does.’

What it was that earned him the absolute faith of the guild master who led the largest guild in Real Spirit.

He knew it for certain now.

At the same time, an absolute trust in Gijun was taking root in his heart.

*

‘Good.’

Gijun clenched his fist.

‘Lucky for me, this ability just awakened when I needed it.’

To Gijun, the Boss Monster’s form was completely visible.

That was thanks to his newly blossomed trait — Perception.

The ability he’d earned as a reward from the Level 9 Dungeon.

‘Without this… I’d have been in for a much rougher fight.’

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

As always, he felt that everything was arranged just for him — a sense of fullness that left no room for doubt.

Gijun shifted his gaze again.

He was looking for the creature.

Soon spotting the Boss, he unleashed another torrent of Fireballs.

He didn’t bother forcing stronger magic.

After all, the Saint guild’s players had him beat in pure firepower.

Right now, his role was simply to pinpoint the hidden Boss Monster’s location — and that was more than enough.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BLAST!

Another wave of explosions swept through.

[KRAAAAAAAAA!]

The Boss Monster’s roar shook all of Celestial Castle.

CRASH!

And the creature slammed down onto the ground.

Its stealth dropped entirely.

[It seems it’s finally realized how pointless that was. What a dull creature.]

Libre said.

Exactly so.

It was clear the monster now understood that stealth was useless.

‘Not a single one of its attacks landed.’

What was even more encouraging — not once had the Boss’s attacks come while it was stealthed.

“We did it!”

“Nice!”

Cheers erupted from the players all around.

Then Hera and Martin approached Gijun.

“That was incredible.”

Hera’s voice.

“Only because you helped so well.”

“Don’t be modest. Without Master Jun, we would’ve struggled badly.”

“He’s right.”

Martin added his own word.

“Honestly, I had my doubts… but that was shocking.”

He spoke from the heart.

“How… are you able to see that thing’s location?”

And finally, he blurted out the question he’d been holding back.

“….”

Gijun thought for a moment before answering.

“I picked up a skill. A passive that detects hidden enemies.”

“…Ah!”

Both of them gasped at the same time.

“I’ve heard such a skill exists, but….”

“With Master Jun, nothing is impossible. He does what others can’t even imagine after years of playing, like it’s routine.”

Before Martin could finish, Hera cut in.

It was a statement that could only come from a trust that Gijun could achieve anything.

Of course, by now, Martin felt the same way.

“I suppose so. Well then….”

Martin turned his gaze again.

“First, we need to clear the area.”

Magin still poured forth from every crack.

And the Boss Monster, having landed on the ground, was already preparing its attack.

“Let’s move.”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

At Gijun’s words, the two Guild Masters began to move again.

Gijun followed suit.

*

“Hoo…”

After a fierce battle, the Magin were cleared.

“They’re no pushovers.”

“Tell me about it.”

But this Raid was only just beginning.

Simply dealing with the Magin had been so overwhelming that they hadn’t even properly started their assault on the Boss Monster.

“I’d wager that thing couldn’t launch a proper attack either, busy as it was commanding its minions.”

Martin said.

“Seems commanding the Magin while attacking puts a strain on it.”

“Maybe that’s why it used Stealth.”

“Likely so. But you saw through that Stealth in an instant…”

“That’s thanks to Master Jun, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“…”

Caught off guard by the sudden shower of praise, Gijun didn’t know where to put himself.

Still, they weren’t wrong, so he just listened.

“Anyway, a new pattern is about to begin.”

Martin spoke again.

“As I said, from now on, its real offensive will start.”

With no more Magin left to command, it was time for the beast to reveal its true power.

“You said the next pattern was… the Irregular Pattern.”

“That’s right.”

And following that was the Irregular Pattern.

Literally, the moment when it would unleash its attacks in whatever order it pleased.

“Still, it’s limited to a few types: sweeping with its massive front claws, breath attacks, and a few kinds of magic. From here on, individual improvisation becomes key.”

Martin was right.

From now on, its attacks would come at random, not in a set pattern.

This was the moment when quick thinking to move and react on the fly mattered most of all.

‘I’m confident in that.’

Of course, this was the part Gijun was most confident in.

Then Gijun spoke to the two of them.

“I have something to say, if you’ll indulge me.”

“Yes.”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s about the pattern that follows this one.”

“…!”

“…”

Both men listened closely to Gijun’s words.

Just like before, they judged that Gijun must know the answer.

“…I’d be grateful if you’d do it this way.”

“Understood.”

“We’ll do as you say.”

Of course, neither man questioned Gijun’s judgment.

And they vowed to follow his lead completely.

“Thank you.”

Gijun expressed his gratitude.

“It’s starting!”

The creature began to move again.

*

[Got more influence than I thought, huh?]

[Where the hell are all those guys who said they were just along for the ride?]

At first, there were many who doubted, but the criticism of Gijun was gradually fading away.

[Jun just carried that, right?]

[He’s the one who found the boss’s location.]

[That’s a carry if I’ve ever seen one.]

Moments ago, when the Boss Monster vanished, the viewers tensed.

But the instant the boss went stealth and disappeared, Gijun’s performance kicked off.

Only then did the audience truly grasp why he’d been brought into this party.

And it didn’t stop there.

[No way, he’s actually good?]

[At this rate, he’s not falling behind the others.]

[This is no joke, for real?]

After the stealth broke,

Gijun held his own against the Magin without lagging behind other Players.

In some ways, he even outshone them.

[His reflexes are insane.]

[What kind of gear is he wearing?]

[Most of those guys are probably at Ranker level.]

[Obviously.]

[How good are his items, seriously?]

[Ugh, so jealous….]

Some envied Gijun’s Equipment.

[Is it all just about the gear?]

[Nah, reflexes matter more.]

[Plenty of whales throw money at this game, but they still get filtered at the Saint guild entrance, lol.]

[Exactly. Real Spirit’s insane because it’s a skill-based god-game.]

[Only scrubs with garbage reflexes deny this.]

[And that’s exactly why this guy’s impressive.]

[That’s right.]

Others envied Gijun’s overwhelming physical prowess.

Either way, one thing was clear: Gijun had both.

Overwhelming Equipment that others lacked, and an overwhelming talent that others couldn’t even match.

These two forces combined made his combat so dazzling and intense that just watching it made your fists clench.

[He’s in!]

[That’s it!]

Even then, Gijun was constantly landing Damage on the Boss Monster.

It was a free-roll completely detached from the two guilds’ tactics, yet he meshed with them perfectly, filling their gaps.

All through a style of combat never seen before.

[Is he a mage, an archer, or a knight?]

[All three.]

[Multi-Player.]

[All-rounder.]

Then the Boss Monster began to move.

[Is it starting up again?]

[That pattern?]

[The one that drove the Crusader guild to despair?]

It was just beginning.

The pattern that had crushed the Crusader guild, forcing them to retreat.

The Crusader guild’s known — and public — final phase.

But then something strange happened.

[What the hell, those guys?

[What are they doing?]

Crusader and Saint.

The players from both guilds began moving oddly.

[Why’s everyone running?]

[Why are they fleeing?]

The Players who had held perfect formations scattered like a receding tide in an instant.

And in the spot where they’d been massed, only Gijun stood alone.

[What are you trying to do?]

[What the hell are you thinking?]

The situation now was, quite literally, a one-on-one between the Boss Monster and Gijun.

A tactic that was hard to accept, given that even the Crusader guild had hit a wall against that very pattern.

But at the same time, it only made the viewers more expectant.

Naturally.

The fact that the leaders of those two giant guilds had made that choice meant, without a doubt, that Gijun had a sure trump card.

And then.

Kukukukuku—!

Celestial Castle began to shake.

[It’s starting!]

[Invincibility Pattern!]

The pattern beginning now was none other than the Invincibility Pattern.