Chapter 40

Flар…!

Тhе sight of the Griffin sрrеаding its еnоrmous wings was ovеrwhеlming.

Its size was оn a cоmрlеtеlу diffеrent levеl from anу Мonstеr sееn sо fаr, and thе immensе Manа еmаnаting from it was stаggering.

Кwaaaааaaaah!!!!

Тhе Griffin, having spotted Khаn аnd Bellop’s grouр, lеt out a Rоar.

Instаntlу, а mаssive gust of wind swept оver them аs if а suddеn storm had еruрtеd in the surrounding аrea.

“Кgh…!”

“What kind of powеr is this frоm just a single wingbеаt…!”

Tеo and Rоan of the Вellор Guild were almost sent flуing baсkwаrd but bаrelу managеd tо hоld their ground.

‘Тhis cоmрliсаtеs things significаntlу… Тhis is a rеаl problem.’

Khan sighed inwardly as he gazed at the large black rock beside the Griffin in the distance.

‘Originally, I planned to acquire the Hidden Skill first and then defeat the Griffin more easily. I need to change the plan.’

If he had obtained the Rank 2 Hidden Skill here first, defeating the Griffin would have been much simpler. He hadn’t anticipated that the Griffin’s spawning location would be right where the black rock was, so Khan quickly revised his strategy.

“Byutek, you’ll be able to move sufficiently, right?”

“Of course!”

Swoosh!

Thud.

Byutek drew the massive Greatsword sheathed at his waist.

“Sharin, you support Byutek by attacking the Griffin from the very rear.”

“Got it!”

Sharin subtly took a step back and prepared to draw upon her Mana.

“My strengths are my great strength and sturdy physique. I’ll draw its attention from the front line, so attack the Griffin then.”

“Understood.”

Bellop, confident in his toughness matching his large frame, volunteered to take the front line even against the Griffin.

“Teo, Roan. You two assist Sir Byutek from his sides.”

“Got it…!”

Teo and Roan stood beside Byutek with their swords drawn, their legs trembling uncontrollably.

The sight of the Griffin, boasting a height of about 7 meters with its wings spread wide to the sides, was truly overwhelming.

Moreover, the stench of blood carried by the wind stung their noses.

Looking closely, the bodies of adventurers were scattered all around the Griffin.

The Griffin was a lower-tier variant of a griffon, but it was still a considerably powerful creature.

‘It’s fine since I prepared for contingencies.’

Fortunately, the Griffin was a Monster that did not initiate attacks first.

It merely flapped its wings and Roared, not making any aggressive moves yet.

For about 0.1 seconds, he wondered if it might be possible to go to the black rock beside the Griffin and find the Hidden Skill first, but that was impossible.

‘The moment we enter its radius, it will likely attack immediately.’

It was only refraining from attacking because they were currently quite far away.

“Byutek, Sharin. You two are crucial!”

“Haha! Just trust me, Sir Khan!”

“Yes…!!”

Sharin had also been diligently studying her Magic Tome and practicing Magic, so her Level had risen noticeably.

Byutek was Level 21, Sharin was Level 12, and the adventurer Bellop was Level 15.

A typical Party would stand no chance against the Griffin, but with Khan present, the situation was different.

‘If I keep applying Barriers to Byutek and support him, we should be able to defeat it.’

With preparations to defeat the Griffin complete, Khan stretched his hand forward and shouted.

“Bellop! Byutek! Now!”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

Bellop took the lead.

Swoosh!

Like Byutek, Bellop was also a Swordsman who used a Greatsword, and his plate Armor and plate leggings indicated he was a Tanker.

Kwaaaaaaaaah!!!!!

As Bellop entered its radius, the Griffin Roared and drew upon its Mana.

Oooom…!!

Flap!

Swaaaaaaaaah!!!

As the Griffin beat its wings, blades of wind formed from Mana flew toward Bellop at an incredible speed, carried by a gale.

Bellop swung.

Swaaaaaaaaaaah!!!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Craaaaaaack…!!

Perhaps due to the significant Level difference between the Griffin and Bellop, Bellop was utterly exhausted just from blocking a single attack.

“Kgh…! Sir Byutek…! I leave it to you!”

Byutek passed by Bellop, who had drawn the Griffin’s Aggro, and dashed toward the Griffin at lightning speed.

Tatadadadadad!!

An incredible speed unimaginable for the Byutek of before! It was astonishing that a large-framed person like Byutek could run that fast.

“Haaaaah!!”

Swaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!

In an instant, Byutek reached right before the Griffin’s eyes and swung his sizable Greatsword toward it.

Thud!!

Pwhoooosh!!

The Griffin’s right wing was sliced about halfway, and blood gushed from the wound.

Kreeeeeeeeeeee!!!

The Griffin writhed in pain and swung its sharp claws toward Byutek.

‘Barrier.’

Oooom…!!

As Khan used his Skill, an invisible, transparent Mana Barrier appeared before his eyes.

Crash!!

A mere Rank 1 Skill was insufficient to block the attack of a Level 30 Griffin.

However, Khan had anticipated this and immediately used Barrier again.

‘Barrier.’

Crash!

This time too, the Barrier shattered instantly, but it likely helped slow the Griffin’s speed slightly.

Whoosh!

Thanks to that, Byutek ducked his head and narrowly avoided the Griffin’s claws.

Oooom…!

Bzzzzzzzzzt…!!

Meanwhile, while Byutek was engaged in close combat with the Griffin, Sharin was rotating her Circle and firing perfectly mastered Energy Bolts.

“Power of lightning, to me……”

The Incantation wasn’t very long and was quite short.

A short Incantation indicated high Proficiency in that Magic.

Bzzzzzzzzzt!!!!

Kreeeeeeee!!!!

The Energy Bolt fired by Sharin struck the Griffin.

The creature let out a pained groan and spread its wings wide to the sides.

“Sharin, well done!”

Energy Bolt was a highly powerful Offensive Magic even among Rank 1 Magic, and its additional effect made it an excellent Skill.

Crackle…. Bzzzt….

The additional effect of Energy Bolt was a certain chance to Electrocute the target hit.

Seeing sparks fly from the Griffin’s body and its movements slow down confirmed it was in a state of Electrocution.

“Byutek, now’s the chance! Draw upon all your Mana!”

“Understood!”

Click.

Byutek, who had slightly bent his waist before the Griffin, drew upon all the Mana in his body.

Pullduk…! Pullduduk…!!!

Instantly, large muscles swelled all over Byutek’s body.

A faint blue Mana swirled around the Greatsword he held.

This entire process took barely 0.1 seconds.

Byutek intended to immediately deliver a decisive Single Strike to the Griffin’s head.

But then.

Oooom…!!!!

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!

Suddenly, an enormous amount of Mana erupted from the Griffin’s entire body.

And as the Griffin let out a great howl, that Mana spread out in all directions.

“M-my body…!! It won’t move…?!”

“Mine won’t move either…!”

“Me too…!!”

“I… I can’t either…!”

Byutek, who was about to deliver the decisive Single Strike, stiffened rigidly in a pose with his Greatsword raised high.

Even trying to draw upon Mana and exert strength throughout his body, he couldn’t move a single hair.

It was the same for Sharin.

Bellop, Teo, and Roan—all of them couldn’t move their bodies.

“This is… Fear! I read in a book before that in front of powerful Monsters, you can’t move a muscle… But I never imagined the Griffin was a Monster powerful enough to use Fear…!”

“Sharin! Then how do we make our bodies move?!”

“I don’t know either! The book said if you’re not stronger than the Monster, you can’t even budge…!”

“Then… does that mean I’m weaker than this damn Monster?!”

“Seems so!”

“That can’t be…!”

Kraaaaaaaaah!!!

Suddenly, Byutek alone began shouting and Roaring almost like a Monster himself.

Shakeshakeshakeshake……

Trembletrembletremble…

As Byutek mustered every ounce of strength, his fingers trembled and seemed to move a little, but nothing beyond that was possible.

“Kgh… damn it!”

Normally, when hit by a Monster’s Fear Skill, you become incapacitated.

At best, you can move your head a little and your mouth to speak.

Moving your body beyond that is completely impossible.

Grrrrrr….

The Griffin glared at Byutek right before its eyes.

The reason it wasn’t attacking Byutek immediately was likely because it had used a large amount of Mana at once.

“Wait a minute…! Si, Sir Khan…?!”

At that moment, Byutek frantically turned his head and began searching for Khan.

As things stood, they were all as good as dead, so their only hope was Khan.

“Master…?! Don’t tell me… Master can’t move his body either…?!”

“……”

Khan, standing quietly beside Sharin without saying a word.

Looking at him, it seemed certain he was also affected by Fear.

“Sir Khan! Pl, please wait a little! I’ll quickly break free and defeat the Griffin right awa——”

Byutek shouted to Khan while mustering strength throughout his body, but his words couldn’t continue to the end.

“Byutek, be quiet.”

Step. Step.

Khan, whom they thought was affected by Fear like the others, began approaching the Griffin step by step with an indifferent expression as he spoke.

Step. Step.

What on earth did Khan, a Mage, plan to do by getting close to the Griffin?

Moreover, Khan absolutely could not defeat the Griffin.

No matter how many Hidden Skills he had, his current Level was only 9.

“Sir Khan, it’s dangerous to get too close…! Please stay at the rear for now——”

Even for Khan, facing the Griffin head-on would be little different from suicide.

Byutek believed Khan was a strong and skilled Mage, but if asked whether he was a Mage strong enough to face the Griffin alone, he couldn’t give a definite answer.

Byutek had never actually seen the extent of Khan’s strength against a Monster this powerful.

Oooom…!!!!!

The reason Byutek, who was shouting to Khan, stopped mid-sentence.

It was because an immense amount of Mana, unlike anything he had ever seen before, was suddenly rising from Khan’s body.

“Byutek, I need to concentrate, so shut that mouth of yours.”

“……”

Byutek was momentarily unable to respond to Khan’s overwhelming Mana and just stared blankly at the blue Mana.

Even Khan’s own lips trembled slightly as he looked at his Mana.

After all, Mana that should only be possessed by someone at least Level 30 or above was suddenly emanating from his body.

Step. Step.

Khan, now close to the Griffin, stretched his hand forward.

Click.

Simultaneously, the Griffin flinched and tried to swing its foreleg armed with sharp claws.

But.

‘Fire Boom.’

Kwaaaaaaang!!!!

Whoooooooosh!!!!

A massive Flame Explosion erupted from the Griffin’s body, and simultaneously, numerous messages appeared before Khan’s eyes.