Chapter 159

Those who normally have an interest in wild animals or have watched related broadcasts would know.

With their endless instinct for exploration, they often act based on curiosity in many situations.

If there’s a creature they’ve never seen before, they’ll approach and touch it for no reason, and they never leave something that catches their attention alone.

The Cat-Head Serpent was no different.

‘At a glance, it’s clearly not a type with rationality.’

It might barely possess something that could be called intelligence, but it lacks the unique wisdom seen in humanoid Specters.

In other words, it meant it was that much more faithful to its instincts.

‘And, the two attacks it has made so far…’

They weren’t even really attacks.

The first time, it was just excitedly wagging its tail after spotting us first, and the second was just it throwing a tantrum out of irritation from being injured.

And we barely managed to block even such petulance with difficulty. If we hadn’t handled it properly, there might have been casualties.

That was the gap between a top-tier Specter and humans.

I heightened my concentration even more and warned the unit members.

“You must raise your tension to the maximum. From now on, it will recognize us as clear enemies and attack.”

If the first impression was ants it could crush anytime, now our appearance must seem different to it.

Perhaps Shin Noeul is a fierce wild dog, and we are a swarm of flying bees?

Unfortunately, there was clearly that much of a gap.

“Team 1, prepare the Binding Spell Formula again, and Team 2, assist the Unit Leader by attacking its eyes or drawing its attention with containment Art Formulas. Absolutely do not use powerful Art Formulas right now.”

Now is the time to play defensively. If we recklessly deploy an Advanced Attack Art Formula or something similar and an attack comes, our defense will be delayed.

After giving instructions, I called in all members of the remaining Team 3 and rearranged them so they could deploy defensive Art Formulas at any time.

And I sent a shadow to secretly convey my intention to Arietta.

[Shin Noeul alone won’t be enough. The time to seriously step in will come, so conserve your strength.]

As Arietta nodded, the Cat-Head Serpent’s atmosphere completely changed.

And soon, strange sounds began to echo in all directions.

Squeak!

Pee-eek!

Swoosh.

Piriririk.

It sounded like a flute, and also like the sound of air escaping a balloon.

As I listened to that strange phenomenon, I somehow felt my mind going blank.

The moment I felt that dreamy sensation, I reflexively snapped out of it and shouted to Arietta.

“White Yang, now!”

“…Hmph.”

At almost the same time, Arietta, who had shaken off the enchantment, summoned a pure white fox from her earring.

And White Yang, after grasping the situation, immediately let out a cry.

Hoo-oong.

[Kiiiiing—!]

Only then did the unit members, now fully regaining their senses, flinch and open their eyes wide.

“Wh-what was that just now?”

“It’s the creature’s Art Formula! Everyone, stay alert!”

“…Tch, what a bother.”

Looking now, except for the 1st-Rank Exorcist Yoo Jinho, who regained his senses similarly to us, almost everyone else was in the midst of falling under the Cat-Head Serpent’s bewitching sorcery.

We almost suffered a major loss from that one instance.

The unit members conveyed their gratitude to me and Arietta with their eyes.

‘…Hmph.’

However, embarrassingly, the situation had already changed in that brief moment.

Somehow, a long wound had appeared on the Cat-Head Serpent’s face area, while Shin Noeul was frowning deeply and holding her left arm.

Even in that fleeting moment, their fight had continued.

“We need to buy time! Fire the Art Formulas now!”

At my words, Team 1 members deployed the Cursed Technique they had prepared, and I also accurately shot an Intermediate-Rank Curse at the Cat-Head Serpent’s wound area.

The attack didn’t show much effect, but Shin Noeul used that gap to retreat backward.

“Unit Leader!”

“Are you alright?”

“…Why all the fuss? I knew from the start this opponent was at this level.”

Her words were calm, but the injury she had sustained seemed more serious than expected. Moreover, her apparent inability to move her arm easily suggested she might have been affected by poison or a curse.

‘Paralysis or petrification type?’

An ability often possessed by Specters modeled after snakes.

Remembering that, I quickly approached Shin Noeul and said.

“I’ll use a reversal curse. If successful, the paralysis in your arm will be released, and for a moment, its movements will stiffen.”

“What, you know how to use Forbidden Arts too? But will that work on an opponent of that level?”

“Yes. The likelihood is high.”

At my confident words, Shin Noeul tilted her head, and Arietta, beside her, provided supporting fire.

“…It will work. I’ve never seen the junior’s judgment be wrong.”

It was quite an excessive evaluation, but at Arietta’s words, Shin Noeul seemed to solidify her resolve.

“Well, I’ll be damned. A subordinate who calmly asks her superior to stake her life.”

“Isn’t it all to survive?”

“…If it fails, run away on your own.”

Without hesitation, Shin Noeul simply tended to her injury and turned back toward the Cat-Head Serpent.

Certainly, having a superior like this, it wouldn’t be bad to trust and follow under her, I thought.

It was a moment when the loyalty of the Jeokhwadan members became deeply understood.

Shin Noeul, positioned before the Cat-Head Serpent, began reciting an incantation, explosively pouring out Spiritual Power as if wringing out every last bit of her own.

Hanjungyusin (Fierce Heavy Flow Swift), Yongyeongijeonggyeong (Lotus Connect Energy Thunderbolt Bright), Geuk (Halberd), Tae (To strike with the foot), Yunsa (Arrow shooting).”

Hearing that, I felt a chilling sensation run down my spine and looked at her back with panicked eyes.

Because right now, Shin Noeul was doing the insane act of reciting the incantation for a Grand Art right in front of the S-Rank Specter, the Cat-Head Serpent.

‘……’

Only then could I realize her resolve.

‘It won’t work on that thing unless it’s at this level, is that it?’

It wasn’t just words. Shin Noeul truly staked her life on the suggestion of a mere Academy student.

And all of that was to defeat the powerful Specter, the Cat-Head Serpent, and save the unit members.

Shin Noeul’s gaze, which she had slightly turned back, was directed at me. I didn’t avoid it and nodded.

‘…I absolutely must not fail.’

Whoosh.

Hoo-oong!

I drew out all the Spiritual Power infused into the Bari Jade Bracelet, even used the Soul Combustion Trait, and poured all the Spiritual Power I could contain into a single Art Formula.

And I softly recited the incantation.

“The grudge of the reversed soul, the hope of the reversed origin.”

Srustle.

Pasuseusuk.

Next, I used the Evolution Art Formula to send a shadow to Shin Noeul’s left arm.

It was an advanced technique, Transference, of channeling an Art Formula deployed through a shadow.

Hope for the reversal of original resentful souls.”

Pasasasak!

As the Art Formula completed, the Cat-Head Serpent’s curse that had been corroding Shin Noeul’s arm began to clash with my Forbidden Art.

At first, it seemed like a tense struggle, but unlike the other side, which had merely implanted a curse momentarily, this side was an Art Formula with our full power.

Adding the correction from my Forbidden Technique Value, the Forbidden Art finally devoured the curse, transformed it more powerfully, and returned it to the Cat-Head Serpent.

“Shiiiiik!”

Perhaps the effect took hold beyond expectations, as the Cat-Head Serpent stiffened its expression and completely stopped moving for a moment.

And in that moment, Shin Noeul’s Grand Art, whose incantation was completed without a single waver, accurately struck it.

Lend Thunder Thunderbolt Strike”

Kwarururung!

Jjeo-eong!

Kwajik!

Kwagagagagak!

Far in the sky, a Spear of Spiritual Power strikes the ground in a form resembling lightning striking down.

Its scale is enough to completely cover a certain space. The Deputy Unit Leader of Jeokhwadan, Lee Doosik, was well aware of the identity of that Art Formula.

It was precisely the Grand Art of his superior, Shin Noeul: Great Thunderbolt Strike.

‘Unit Leader…’

That could be seen as a good sign, but at the same time, it could also be interpreted as a bad sign.

It meant the opponent was so strong that a Grand Art had to be used, but it was also proof that, despite facing such an opponent, she somehow succeeded in landing a Grand Art.

The Exorcists beside Lee Doosik, who witnessed it, also each expressed admiration.

“…Astounding.”

“Is that Unit Leader Shin Noeul’s Grand Art?”

“If that hits directly, no one could come out unscathed.”

Although he had sustained quite a serious injury in the earlier battle, Lee Doosik had managed to pull himself together enough to participate in the fight after much difficulty.

Moreover, he had gathered all available Exorcists from the nearby Guard Unit.

“Sorry, but I must ask you to push yourselves a little more! Time is of the essence!”

“Understood.”

“I will cast my family’s Secret Technique of body enhancement on everyone.”

Hoo-oong.

With the help of an Exorcist from the Baek Family who happened to be a guest of the Guard Unit, they sped up even more and headed toward the battleground, harboring both expectation and worry about the battle’s outcome.

And there, they could witness despair.

“Th-this, this can’t be… can’t be…”

His precious comrades with whom he had shared years of hardships, and even the 1st-Rank Exorcist Yoo Jinho, whom he considered both a rival and an excellent competitor—all of them were lying pitifully on the ground, bleeding.

Just in case, he checked the pulse of the third-year unit member, Gwak Woong-gil, who was closest, but he was already dead.

Srustle.*

Just as Lee Doosik, falling into despair, was about to kneel on the spot, one of the elderly Exorcists who was assessing the situation urgently spoke up.

“Don’t jump to conclusions! Most are still breathing!”

“Huh?”

Rushing over at those words, it was indeed true. Each was in a miserable state, but everyone except Gwak Woong-gil still clung to life.

‘…It’s unlikely the creature just retreated obediently?’

If so, the judgment was easy.

Someone had lured it to another location and was still engaged in a fierce battle.

Only three people were not visible at the current location: Unit Leader Shin Noeul, Han Kangyoon, and Arietta Morgan.

‘They’re still holding out in this situation? The Unit Leader is one thing, but those rookies?’

It was hard to believe easily, but all clues pointed to it.

As if that thought wasn’t mistaken, Yoo Jinho, who sensed their presence and regained consciousness, breathed heavily and said to Lee Doosik.

“The Unit Leader and… the rookies…”

It was a voice as if split, small, but that was enough.

The Exorcists, understanding the situation, began to act quickly even without anyone giving orders.

“Let’s have three people stay behind to tend to the patients.”

“We must hurry. In a battle of this scale, that monster must also be quite injured.”

“I’ll take the lead!”

If the Unit Leader is still there fighting the creature, then this time, he must add his strength.

Lee Doosik once again firmly grasped the hand of the unconscious Yoo Jinho and then ran toward the direction where Spectral Energy could be felt.

He earnestly prayed that the three would still be alive by the time they arrived.