Chapter 10 – One Swing Sweeps, Blood Dyes Mountains and Rivers

-Grrrr! Woof woof!

Amidst the Unified Riders charging toward the Hobgoblin Rider like a pack of dogs.

Flicker-

The shadow of the Assassination Directive began to engulf the eyes of the Alpha Direwolf unified with the Hobgoblin Rider.

Crunch!

The wolf’s neck bends at a grotesque angle with a chilling sound. To bite the Hobgoblin riding on its back. The Hobgoblin Rider’s response to this was simple.

Thud!

-Traitors shall be executed.

With the greatsword it held, it split the head of the wolf trying to bite it in half.

Along with the wolf’s eternal silence, the shadow of the Assassination Directive that had possessed the wolf also lost its power.

Yet, the wolf’s massive frame remained standing upright. Because the Unification was maintained without being severed. So, even with its head split, the wolf did not fall.

It was merely that the control of the body, now in a state like a walking corpse, had passed to the Hobgoblin Rider.

Since both Colonization and Assassination Directive were Second Awakening Skills, neither could completely suppress the other. Although Assassination Directive had a slight advantage due to compatibility.

A few more moves were still needed for victory.

Swish!

The Hobgoblin Rider, having crushed the nearest threat, slashes the Goblin Rider who had somehow closed in right before its eyes.

The goblin and wolf, split cleanly in two.

They were dead, but not dead.

Slither-

-Your strength shall become my strength.

‘The power of the dead Goblin Riders was added to the Hobgoblin Rider through Colonization!’

To be precise, the Starlight remaining in their corpses, freed from the restraint of the Assassination Directive, infused power into the Swarm.

The characteristic of Colonization, where all are one and one is all. As long as they were connected by that, until everyone in the Swarm died, they were not dead even in death.

Even in death, their Starlight was still used to strengthen the Swarm’s master, so the total power held by the Swarm did not decrease.

A hitch occurred in the plan to weaken the Hobgoblin Rider by creating a rift in the Colonization.

It even drew a bitter laugh. Could this really be called a low-star entity?

Ultimately, the Awakening Skill was the problem.

Awakening Skills containing a Constellation’s Blessing were the power that allowed us humans to wield strength beyond our normal limits, but it was the same for monsters.

‘If the Hobgoblin Rider kills all the traitorous Swarm members like this… we’ll be facing a 4-Star monster containing the Swarm’s power in a single body.’

“Sehee-yah.”

“I know.”

Judging that a variable was needed, I called Yu Sehee, and she immediately realized her role and activated her Awakening Skill.

《Lamp of Prolonged Life》.

Fwoosh.

Florence Nightingale, known by the epithet ‘Lady with the Lamp’. Her Spirit Treasure revealed itself.

A lamp that spreads a light that keeps an ally’s life attached, no matter their condition.

Whoosh!

As soon as the light of prolonged life pouring from the lamp illuminated the Training Ground.

-I’ll kill you all!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh-!

The Hobgoblin’s greatsword, wrapped in faint Starlight, spun like a windmill. Then, along with a fierce wind pressure, thick trails of Starlight tore apart the subordinates targeting it from all sides like slicing tofu.

It was the manifestation of the Rare Skill <Sword Qi>, usable from 3-Star and above.

But unlike before, the Starlight of the goblins and wolves, now chopped to pieces, was not added to the Hobgoblin.

‘As expected.’

Although they were in a state that could hardly be considered alive, more like corpse fragments, it was thanks to the Lamp of Prolonged Life effect judging them as not dead.

Originally, the prolonged life effect typically only applies to allies.

However, the goblins whose control had been temporarily seized by the Assassination Directive effect were also treated as allies for the time being. And Yu Sehee, having received the blessing of a Nameless Constellation, could also target such ambiguous allies with the prolonged life effect.

The Lamp of Prolonged Life could bind their Starlight, preventing it from escaping the restraint of the Assassination Directive.

-Hmm?

The Hobgoblin Rider seemed puzzled when the strength of those it killed wasn’t absorbed, but it didn’t pay much mind and focused on killing the traitors still alive and moving.

Each time the greatsword cleaved the wind and tore flesh, a fountain of blood surged.

Even without new strength added, the Hobgoblin Rider was still powerful.

Before the Sword Qi, the Goblin Riders, possessed by blind killing intent, were little more than scarecrows.

Then, the Aura from Park Seongcheol’s Three-Foot Sword settled upon the Goblin Riders.

Seeing the Lamp of Prolonged Life applied to the goblins and wolves, he belatedly realized an application made possible by the Constellation’s Blessing. Similarly, he bestowed the power of the Three-Foot Sword upon them.

The riders, growing slightly faster and stronger.

“Deploy wheel formations and mobile warfare! Avoid the front, focus on flanking!”

On top of that, he deployed the Rare Skill <Legion Command>, correcting the simple movements and attack methods of the Goblin Riders.

Like proper cavalry, the rider facing the Hobgoblin’s front fell back, while others charged in from the other three sides, adjusting intervals and forming a formation.

The individual drawing attention at the front was frequently rotated to conserve strength.

Thanks to that, the rate at which riders were dying slowed down, but…

‘…It’s still woefully insufficient.’

The gap stemming from the number of stars could not be ignored. Both speed and power were on the Hobgoblin Rider’s side.

Even trying to maintain a safe distance, whenever it closed the gap with an instantaneous acceleration, another rider would fall.

So, while the monsters were still acting as meat shields, we needed to use a few more tricks.

‘The way the weak overcome the strong has always been through tools and techniques.’

And the tool Lee Hanseong intended to use was poison.

It was about time, having somewhat recovered the stamina consumed by consecutively using Single Flash and Shrinking Earth.

《Deadly Poison Zone》.

Among the newly usable Awakening Skills, he deployed the Awakening Skill of the Herbalist Blundell.

A Domain-type Awakening Skill created when the Darkness Constellation blessed his despair, born from the mistake of mistaking poisonous herbs for medicinal herbs, which led to the massacre of his saviors’ village.

Though a First Awakening Skill, thanks to the limitation of not distinguishing friend from foe, its lethality rivaled that of a Second Awakening Skill.

‘This should be sufficiently effective even against the Second Awakening Skill, Colonization.’

Hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss!

A pitch-black deadly poison mist spread centered on Lee Hanseong.

The domain of poison unfolded over the Training Ground.

Since it was a deadly poison that didn’t distinguish friend from foe, allies would also be in danger if left like this, but there was no problem.

《Light of Purification》.

Whoosh!

Nightingale’s Second Awakening Skill, derived from the Feat of greatly influencing the development of Hygiene, was added to Yu Sehee’s lamp.

The light that purifies toxic substances purified the poison attempting to invade the allies.

Thanks to this, the only one affected by the Deadly Poison Zone was the Hobgoblin Rider.

-Cough! Using poison? Cowardly humans!

The Hobgoblin, vomiting blood from the poison’s effect. The light of the Sword Qi flowing on its greatsword dimmed.

But only for a moment.

-Useless!

Soon, the Hobgoblin Rider regained its color.

It had transferred the poison to its subordinate entities through the remaining Colonization connection.

Originally, the subordinate entities within the Deadly Poison Zone range should also have been poisoned together, leaving no room to transfer the poison, but the problem was Yu Sehee’s lamp treating them as allies and prolonging their lives.

The Light of Purification even purified the poisoning of the goblins and wolves whose lives were prolonged by the Lamp of Prolonged Life, creating a void within the Swarm that could bear some of the Hobgoblin’s poison.

Of course, as long as the Deadly Poison Zone persisted and poison continued to flow in, transferring all the poison was impossible, but for the Hobgoblin, that much was enough.

Screech!

As if intuiting that it would fail if it stalled and became more deeply poisoned, the Starlight dwelling in its greatsword grew even brighter.

Swoosh!

Immediately after, the greatsword was swung in a large arc.

The riders quickly retreated from the sword’s reach, but it was useless.

The Sword Qi, which had remained only on the greatsword, left the blade and severed nearly half the necks of the goblins surrounding it.

This was a phenomenon impossible with 3-Star level Sword Qi.

Sword Qi emission, possible only upon reaching at least 4-Star.

‘What?’

Fortunately, the wolves still connected by Unification were fine, so even with their necks severed, they were in a state capable of fighting, but their movements became cruder than when their necks were intact, which was unavoidable.

Screech!

The Hobgoblin gathering Sword Qi as if to spew it out again.

Swish! Swish!

However, before sufficient Sword Qi could gather, hidden blades were fired in succession.

It seemed Jin Yuseong had also recovered a fair amount of stamina consumed by the Assassination Directive, as he began harassment by deploying Hidden Blade.

Clang! Clang!

The Hobgoblin had no choice but to momentarily stop concentrating Sword Qi to block the hidden blades.

At that moment, an opportunity appeared in Lee Hanseong’s eyes.

‘Opening!’

Though his stamina was nearly depleted from deploying the Deadly Poison Zone, he drew upon the stamina of his comrades connected through Colonization to deploy one more Awakening Skill.

Single Flash.

Swish!

A Slash that tore through space severed the arm of the creature holding the greatsword.

Clatter!

Along with a fountain of blood, the greatsword and arm soaring into the air flopped onto the ground.

“Huff… Huff…”

This was truly the limit now.

Using another Awakening Skill here would cost another life.

He barely maintained the Deadly Poison Zone and left the finishing touches to his other comrades.

“Kill it!”

As soon as Park Seongcheol’s command fell.

To kill the Hobgoblin that had lost its weapon, all the remaining riders charged.

Stab stab stab!

Blades and arrows lodged into the Hobgoblin’s entire body in succession.

It was an injury from which death would not be surprising, but the light in its eyes was still fiercely alive.

-KRAAAAAA!

Suddenly, a crimson madness swirled in its eyes.

《Berserk》.

The Hobgoblin Rider’s third Awakening Skill, following Unification and Colonization.

Since it hadn’t fully reached 4-Star, it could only be a Vocation Awakening Skill.

Groooooowl!

An ability similar to the Berserk possessed by the Goblin Champion in Henrietta’s records, but unlike Berserk, a First Awakening Skill, its Berserk was a Third awakening skill, containing more of the Constellation’s Blessing, making its power superior.

As it was wounded, its momentum intensified.

Of course, since it used a Vocation Awakening Skill, even if it won, it would ultimately die.

But now, until it truly died, it was no different from a 4-Star Rank.

‘Crazy, what kind of monster uses a Vocation Awakening Skill?!’

Swish slash! Swish!

The Hobgoblin Rider grabbed the whip at its waist with its remaining arm and, imbuing it with energy like Sword Qi, butchered the traitors who had stabbed it.

Amidst the chaotic wave patterns lingering in the air like afterimages, the remains of goblins and wolves fell to the ground with a thud.

-Traitors… execute…!

Fortunately, as the Hobgoblin Rider’s target was the traitors, the whip first targeted the Goblin Riders still alive and moving.

Whack- Boom! Whack- Boom!

Each time the concentrated energy at the whip’s tip struck its target, it exploded with an explosive sound.

The number of riders rapidly decreased.

Lee Hanseong and the party couldn’t move recklessly and could only anxiously wait for its Berserk effect to end.

But, it wasn’t dying.

“Hey, it seems like it should be dead by now, why isn’t it dying?”

“…Could it be because of Colonization?”

Death was being postponed because the Colonization connection still remained.

The fact Lee Hanseong suddenly realized was shared with everyone through Colonization.

“Tsk, so we have to kill all the Goblin Riders for that guy to die too?”

“No, I’m keeping the riders alive with the Lamp of Prolonged Life. As long as their lives are attached, that guy won’t die.”

Yu Sehee answered Jin Yuseong’s question.

“Crazy. Isn’t this a complete stalemate? …Or not? Will it die right away?”

“It will die. After killing all of us.”

“Ah, seriously. Then what do we do? There are only three left now.”

Another one falls.

Now two.

Once those two fall as well, it’s our turn next.

‘What should we do?’

-Woof.

While pondering a way to kill the Hobgoblin Rider and survive, the wolf carrying him howled.

“Ah!”

Seeing it, a good idea suddenly came to mind.

Only one rider remained now.

There was no time.

Immediately conveying the thought to the wolf, it let out a long howl.

-Awooooooo!

Though it had reached 2-Star through Transcendence and lacked the <Leadership> Skill, Lee Hanseong’s <Empathy> assisted instead.

Resonating with the wolves, which were little more than corpses, using the tamed wolf as a medium.

Oooooom!

The wave of Empathy transmitted from wolf to wolf, then spread to the Goblin Riders unified with the wolves, burrowing into the Hobgoblin Rider’s Colonization network.

It was like planting a virus.

‘Good.’

If the opponent’s Colonization was intact, it would have been impossible, but since it was already cracked by the Assassination Directive, we could barely pry into that gap.

At that moment, the last rider fell.

The Hobgoblin, having lost all its primary Obsession targets, turned its gaze toward the Direwolf tamed by Lee Hanseong.

Fortunately, we were faster.

Zzzzt- Crack!

Destruction is easier than creating something new.

Using <Overmind> to forcibly twist the Synchronization Rate between the Hobgoblin Rider and the remaining entities, shattering the Colonization from within the Swarm.

Swoosh!

As Colonization unraveled and the Starlight noticeably dimmed, the Hobgoblin’s whip was swung.

“Now, release!”

Yu Sehee excluded the goblins and wolves from the Lamp of Prolonged Life effect.

Whack- Boom!

As complete death descended upon those who should have already died, the whip’s tip struck our wolf.

-Yelp!

It was a fatal wound, but thanks to being connected to us through Colonization, it wasn’t dead yet.

“Seongcheol!”

“Yeah.”

Confirming that sufficient death had accumulated within the Three-Foot Sword’s Aura, Park Seongcheol deployed a new Awakening Skill.

《”One Swing Sweeps, Mountains and Rivers Stained Crimson”》

The corpses within the range touched by the pure white Aura melted into crimson blood, dyeing the Aura red, and then.

Whoooooosh!

All the red Aura condensed onto the Three-Foot Sword, transforming it into a bright crimson blood-sword.

Swish-!

As he lightly swung it.

KWA-BOOOOOM!!!!

A blood-colored tornado erupted from the sword’s tip, sweeping over everything around the Hobgoblin, which was about to swing its whip toward us again.

The Hobgoblin, trapped within the tornado reminiscent of a blood dragon.

-KRAAAAAA!

It tried to escape the tornado by rapidly whipping, but it was useless.

Though “One Swing Sweeps, Mountains and Rivers Stained Crimson” was a Second Awakening Skill requiring the precondition of accumulating a certain amount of death, its power rivaled a Third awakening skill.

Resistance was meaningless inside the blood dragon that ground up everything like a blender.

If it could have been deployed from the start, even the Hobgoblin Rider’s intact Swarm wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.

At some point, the Hobgoblin’s scream was cut off.

Fwoooooosh!

The blood dragon, having completed the enemy’s annihilation, vanished without a trace.

Only a thick scent of blood carried on the mountain breeze proved its existence.

It was a pity that even the Byproduct that could yield a Skill was crushed, but this was the only way to kill the Hobgoblin Rider, who had set foot into the 4-Star Rank.

Still, not everything was gone.

“Ah, the greatsword over there is left!”

Fortunately, the spot where the Hobgoblin’s arm and greatsword, severed by Single Flash, had fallen was outside the blood dragon’s range.

While about to move to check the greatsword.

-Whimper.

Only then, upon hearing the groan from beside him, did his thoughts turn to the wolf that had suffered a fatal wound.

“Ah, we need to treat it quickly…”

Just before activating the Awakening Skill 《Healing》 of the nun Hanna to restore the wolf.

Fwoosh…

The Transcendence effect ended.

The things that had changed into General Awakening Skills returned to being Vocation Awakening Skills.

To heal the wolf, Lee Hanseong would have to expend one of his own lives.

“Hmm…”

His gaze upon the dying wolf grew complicated.