Chapter 156 – Bodge (１)

Kwa-kwa-kwakwang!

Jun’s Fireballs rained down on Ghast.

‘It’s over.’

Jun felt it in his bones.

That strike had snuffed out Ghast’s life.

‘Only because he let his guard down.’

Ghast had been careless, secure in the belief that Jun couldn’t find him.

And Gijun had aimed for that exact spot.

Well. It worked.

If this attack had failed too, the fight would’ve dragged on — but Gijun’s plan had landed true.

That one must have meant something to Bodge.

He didn’t need to say it aloud.

Once word reached Bodge, the bastard would crack.

Now, then.

Gijun turned his gaze.

Looks like they’re done over there too.

Klaim and Amalta had nearly finished off the monsters.

After Gijun killed the ghast, the beasts lost control — and the two of them mopped up the rest with ease.

So. Time to head inside.

He had no idea what obstacles lurked in there, but another hill was behind him.

Still, no room to let his guard down.

This is where the real game begins.

The actual fight started here.

Let’s move.

Sure the battle was settled, Gijun finally stepped toward the fortress entrance.

At that moment, a horn blast rang out again.

*

…A second horn?

Bodge’s eyes narrowed.

A second horn meant they’d breached the inner keep.

“What the hell is that sound!” barked one of the Nuia.

“What’s going on?” cried another.

Every Nuia in the hall erupted in panic.

Come to think of it, the monsters’ roars had stopped too.

And the shouts of the Nuia warriors who’d charged outside.

…In this short a time?

For a split second, Bodge’s pupils shook.

They had downed the ghast, slaughtered its beasts, and cut through hundreds of Nuia warriors — all in the span of this?

What the hell kind of bastard is he?

He had no choice but to be stunned.

He’d never imagined the ghast would fall so cheaply.

No — he’d never even imagined the ghast could lose.

That bastard could take four or five other warriors at once and still win.

When the ghast fought in earnest, he alone wielded the strength of a whole army.

He’d send his monsters forward while he lurked in the shadows, pouring daggers at his enemies without end.

So of course Bodge had assumed the ghast would sweep them all and arrive at the doorstep…

Goddammit.

For the first time, Bodge’s face twisted.

He’d only snorted when he learned of the first three Nuia’s deaths.

But now — even he couldn’t afford that kind of poise.

The Nuia warriors were already rattled.

None of them were stronger than the ghast.

Which meant no one among them could stop the intruders.

…I’ll have to step in myself.

There was only one answer left.

Bodge himself would take the field.

If he sent out other warriors instead of stepping forward himself now, the trust they had in him as their chief would plummet—that much was obvious.

Bodge rose to his feet.

Without a word, he gathered his arms and equipment.

Watching him, the Nuia warriors exhaled with relief, their faces full of reassurance.

“Wait here. I’ll be back soon.”

Leaving only those words behind, Bodge began to move.

*

“Quiet.”

“I thought they’d pour out again like before, but…”

Klaim and Amalta glanced around as they spoke.

True to their words, not a single Nuia was spilling out from the fortress now.

Even though Gijun had summoned as many Fireballs as he could to light up the surroundings, it made no difference.

At that moment, Gijun sensed it.

‘A Boss fight.’

If the area was this silent, the only thing left was the Boss.

And here, the Boss meant Bodge, obviously.

‘Sooner than I thought.’

The pace was definitely faster than Gijun had anticipated.

He’d been ready to charge into the fortress and cut down the waves of Nuia soldiers and warriors pouring out.

‘This is cleaner.’

And of course, this situation was far more favorable for Gijun.

“You—go inside and find that treasure.”

Amalta said.

But Gijun shook his head.

“I should be the one to do it.”

Taking down Bodge was not something he could leave to anyone else.

The Quest demanded it, of course.

Even setting that aside, Gijun wanted to defeat Bodge with his own hands.

“Instead, I need a favor. You two go inside and take care of the rest.”

“…That works too.”

Amalta accepted Gijun’s words without argument.

It was also a sign that Amalta truly acknowledged Gijun as his superior.

“Then shall we go?”

“Yeah.”

Just as Amalta and Klaim were about to move—

Step.

From the other side, a dark silhouette emerged.

‘That’s him.’

Gijun knew the moment he saw the figure approaching.

That was Bodge.

“I’m counting on you.”

Gijun said to them once more.

And the two began to move.

Even as they passed right by Bodge, he didn’t spare them a single glance.

‘Confidence?’

That was Gijun’s thought.

The bastard was sure of himself.

Sure that he could take Gijun down, and confident that his warriors inside could hold those two off.

‘He’s got charisma, I’ll give him that.’

Despite being an enemy, Bodge’s first impression was striking.

His face betrayed no emotion—just a hardened expression radiating authority.

‘Fighting style… I heard it’s not fixed.’

According to the information from Hadon, the man’s combat style wasn’t bound to any single form.

His entire body was a weapon.

They said he was the most brilliant talent in Nuia history—a body born purely for war.

[He is strong.]

Even Libre admitted it.

[That one is dangerous. You must be cautious.]

If Libre—who rarely worried about anything—was concerned, then the bastard was truly formidable.

Gijun had already sensed it himself. He drew the Sain-geom, his body taut with wariness.

‘No room for leisure now.’

Magic and Illusion Sword.

It was time to bring out every weapon he had.

‘I have to win.’

He steeled himself again.

No matter what it took, he would seize victory in this fight.

“Do you think you can defeat me?”

“….”

Gijun didn’t answer.

Not that Bodge had been waiting for one.

He smiled coldly, his gaze locked on Gijun.

“Things won’t go as you plan. You’ll die right here. But I’ve heard you bastards come back to life no matter how many times you’re killed.”

Bodge knew about Players.

Of course—the Lords and their underlings had told him.

“So I’ve prepared something.”

He drew a dagger.

Then, from a small vial at his belt, he poured a dark liquid over the blade.

“This is poison.”

“…?”

“A poison that carries a curse. A gift bestowed upon me by that one in person.”

“….”

“Yes. A power that eats away at your soul and seizes your flesh. If this poison so much as grazes you, your soul will begin to rot on the spot.”

Gijun let out a bitter laugh.

‘Damn it.’

Again.

The Ancient Evil.

Its power.

So if he lost this fight, he’d lose this account.

‘Is this how it’s going to be from now on?’

Gijun narrowed his eyes.

It was clear now—that bastard was moving in earnest to devour his account.

And if this kept up, a single defeat meant losing everything.

‘Then what happens to me…?’

If his soul was truly devoured, as Bodge claimed.

If he could never log into this account again….

‘Do I lose my abilities too?’

That wasn’t certain yet.

What would become of all the power he’d accumulated?

‘Even if the abilities don’t vanish, it’s still a problem.’

That was the truth.

Even if his powers remained, without access to this account, his explosive growth would cease.

After all, it was the game that had made him this strong this fast.

‘Not yet.’

Gijun was strong now.

But it wasn’t enough.

To bring down the remaining Lords.

And to defeat the Ancient Evil waiting at the end—he’d need to become far stronger than this.

‘Hoo….’

He let out a breath.

‘Right. Worrying won’t change a damn thing.’

Then he thought.

‘No need to think about losing.’

This was a fight he had to win, no matter what.

Just one more annoying condition added to the pile.

A damn tricky one, though.

Not a single hit could be allowed.

Bringing that bastard down without taking a single blow — that was going to be brutally hard.

I have to do it.

If there was no way around it, then he’d just have to crash straight through.

Whoosh!

Jun channeled Mana into the Sain-geom.

In that instant, flames erupted from the sword, and in a blink, the Blaze Sword was complete.

“You could have saved your life if you’d tried to run.”

Bodge sounded almost pitying.

Like Jun, he didn’t seem to entertain even a flicker of doubt that he might lose.

No surprise there.

A battle you absolutely cannot lose.

Because losing meant forfeiting everything you had.

Flash!

In that same moment, Jun’s Fireball shot toward Bodge like a meteor.

CRACK!

It screamed through the air with a furious roar, bearing down on Bodge.

Bodge reached out a hand.

In an instant, dark energy surged from his palm, spreading out into a black barrier.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! KA-POW!

Jun’s Fireball slammed full-force into the barrier Bodge had conjured — and detonated on contact, completely blocked.

…Not gonna be easy.

Jun bit down hard on his lip.

Had anything ever stopped his Fireball that effortlessly before?

If I keep hammering it, it’ll break through, though.

That barrier couldn’t be infinite.

There had to be a limit to what it could hold back.

But Bodge was probably just a taste of what was coming — a measuring stick for the caliber of enemies yet to appear.

It felt like a warning: the days when every single Fireball landed a crippling blow were over.

And then —

Thud!

!!

Bodge moved.

The moment he stomped the ground, he vanished from where he stood.

At the same time, Jun felt murderous intent blooming right in front of him.

Slice!

Jun twisted his body just in time.

Bodge’s Dagger carved through the space where Jun had been standing a heartbeat ago.

But it didn’t end there.

Without pausing, the bastard twisted his blade mid-stroke and redirected it straight at Jun.

SHING!

The Dagger was now driving directly toward Jun’s waist.

Danger.

In a fraction of a second too short to even blink.

Every cell in Jun’s body was screaming a warning.

This attack was lethal.