Chapter 228 – Sphinx’s Tomb (3)
Translator: Seven
Editor: Ana_Banana
For Isaac Ivanov’s team, the dungeon attack was not difficult at all.
Rattle!
In front of the skeleton army made up of over 600 skeletons, there were no monsters who could stand against them.
“It’s Kim Woo-jin’s poison.
“Stand back.”
And even if there were any enemies who could face the army, they were still forced to kneel in front of Kim Woo-jin’s poison.
There were no pauses, and no hesitation.
[Proceed to the next floor.]
Therefore, on the 21st day since they entered the dungeon, Isaac Ivanov’s party and Johann Georg’s party successfully cleared the fifth floor of the dungeon.
“Only one floor is left.”
And now only the sixth floor remained.
Tensions were high for these players who were about to enter the sixth floor for the first time.
“I think it’ll be harder than we expected.”
It wasn’t just the tension that came with the fact that it was the last floor left.
“Because it hasn’t been easy up to this point.”
The dungeon’s difficulty rating hadn’t been a lie. Which meant that the last floor would be much harder to deal with than the previous floors.
‘This is the end.’
‘It’s coming to an end.’
Most of all, everyone present knew that only one of the two parties would be able to survive the sixth floor.
For some, the sixth floor would be their grave.
Maybe that was why it was hard for him to not say something.
“Now then.”
Suddenly, Johann Georg spoke out.
The only thing he could see was the air, yet he smiled anyway.
“Let’s go hunt that monster.”
With those words, the world around them changed, and a new world welcomed them.
Puk!
The first thing that greeted them was fine sand that reached their knees.
“It’s a forest.”
“It’s a jungle.” (TL: aka dense forest)
The next thing that greeted them was a lush jungle that was growing out of the sand.
‘Uh?’
‘Huh?’
It was then.
“I’ll give you a notice.”
As soon as everyone entered, Isaac Ivanov addressed the group.
“From now on, we are going to pause the attack indefinitely until we catch the a.s.sa.s.sin targeting us.”
…
“From now on, we are going to pause the attack indefinitely until we catch the a.s.sa.s.sin targeting us.”
It was none other than Johann Georg who reacted first to Isaac Ivanov’s words as soon as they entered the sixth floor filled with tension.
Rattle!
To be precise, it was Johann Georg’s Skeleton Soldiers that attacked Isaac Ivanov’s skeleton soldiers without hesitation, creating the loud sound of bones sounded out.
Clang!
Immediately afterward, the thunderous sounds of weapons colliding filled the area as the Skeleton Soldiers became locked in combat.
Clang!
Clang!
The battle between Johann Georg and Isaac Ivanov’s had begun.
“Capture!”
Then Johann Georg began shouting orders in a terrifyingly cold voice to his ten necromancer subordinates.
“Get the Skeleton Knights first, so they don’t get away!”
Lock down the Skeleton Knights.
Johann Georg had already seen the core.
‘I can’t get Isaac Ivanov.’
It was impossible for them to catch Isaac Ivanov’s party at that moment.
‘Isaac Ivanov’s Skeleton Knights are already raised, so if he loses them he can’t regain them.’
Even so, they should at least prioritize the Skeleton Knights, which was Isaac Ivanov’s core power.
‘It takes a long time to rebuild the stacks for Ruler of the Battlefield.’
More importantly, the Skeleton Knights Kim Woo-jin was using were those who had already been buffed to the limit before being sealed into the Book of the Dead.
Taking them down would be the same as disabling the other side’s state of the art equipment.
It was something that had to be done even at the risk of their lives.
“Don’t pay attention to the Skeleton Soldiers! Just get the Skeleton Knights! It’s fine even if you use more skeletons! We have more than double their number!”
In other words, they couldn’t take the time to focus on the Skeleton Soldiers now.
‘Johann Georg noticed it quickly.’
And Kim Woo-jin also knew that.
‘But it’s too late.’
Knowing that the most important thing to do in this situation was protect the Skeleton Knights, Kim Woo-jin had been using the Skeleton Soldiers as decoys from the start in order to get away with his main force.
And his Skeleton Soldiers performed their task perfectly.
They managed to stall Johann Georg and the Ten’s skeletons, which were three or four times their number for quite a while.
And taking advantage of that advantage, Kim Woo-jin, his alter ego, Lee Jin-ah, and the Skeleton Knights, began escaping under Johann Georg’s vengeful gaze.
Seeing this, one of his subordinates couldn’t help but ask.
“Should we follow them?”
Johann Georg’s answer was simple.
“I don’t know about an all out battle, but it’s insane to even try to chase after Isaac Ivanov’s party.”
Then, Johann Georg said to the air.
“It looks like he guessed our plan.”
…
[Dullahan has been sealed in the book of the dead.]
When the sandstorm that swirled around the Dullahan’s body died down, a large stone slab could be seen in its place.
Kim Woo-jin then took the stone slab and placed it into the large Book of the Dead.
That was the last one.
[30 pages are currently available.]
Soon after, he received a notification, but Kim Woo-jin ignored it and pulled out a stone slab from the book.
At that time, Lee Jin-ah walked up to him.
“I don’t think anyone is following us.”
Instead of answering the question in Russian, Kim Woo-jin gave a signal by covering his mouth with his finger.
Lee Jin-ah shut his mouth and nodded, understanding that there might be an invisible pursuer.
Meanwhile, Kim Woo-jin summoned the Skeleton Soldier from the page he pulled out of the Book of the Dead.
[Summoned Wyvern Skeleton Soldier.]
The one summoned was none other than the Wyvern Skeleton Soldier.
[Used Resurrection.]
The next step was, of course, using the Osiris’ Ring’s resurrection skill.
The body of the Wyvern, which had only been bones before, became covered and filled with flesh, skin and blood.
Kieeh!
The Wyvern, which had returned to life, revealed its feelings without hesitation.
Kim Woo-jin then climbed onto the Wyvern’s back. This time, the usual saddle wasn’t present.
When Lee Jin-ah tilted his head after discovering this fact, Kim Woo-jin beckoned to him.
“Get on.”
Lee Jin-ah froze for a moment before responding.
“It’s a bit strange to ride behind a man…”
Kim Woo-jin shot an eerie gaze towards Lee Jin-ah, who said these words with a sincerely serious expression.
“You better get on before I make it carry you in its mouth.”
At those words, Lee Jin-ah turned to look at the Wyvern’s snout, and as if it had been waiting, the Wyvern yawned, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
Seeing this, Lee Jin-ah climbed onto the Wyvern’s back without another word.
“Ah, wait. What about that guy?”
The only thing left was Kim Woo-jin’s alter ego, but there was no more s.p.a.ce for him to sit.
However, his worries didn’t last for long.
Kieeek!
The Wyvern began flapping its wings with a loud cry, and when Kim Woo-jin’s alter ego stuck out its arms, the Wyvern grabbed a hold of them.
Crunch.
It seemed that the Wyvern was ready to crush Kim Woo-jin’s frail arms with its sharp, powerful claws.
At the same time, the Wyvern started flying.
Now, no matter who it was, it would be impossible to follow them.
“It’s done.”
Only then did Kim Woo-jin speak in Korean.
“What?”
“Our job is finished.”
Lee Jin-ah tilted his head at that.
“What are you talking about? Isn’t it just beginning?”
It had been less than an hour since they entered the sixth floor of the dungeon,
And from now on they would have to hunt Johann Georg’s group while dealing with the monsters here.
In terms of a marathon, this should only be the starting line.
It wasn’t a situation where the word ‘end’ would be used.
“It is the beginning.”
“Then…?”
“But we don’t have to do anything else.”
“What are you talking about.”
“Johann Georg will take care of everything.”
Kim Woo-jin closed his mouth after saying that, a slight smile on his lips.
‘It’s obvious that Johann Georg is going to make his move here.’
The Johann Georg, who Kim Woo-jin knew, was a man who could never be truly loyal to the Messiah Guild.
It was obvious just what choice he would make in the future.
‘That choice, I’ll help you make it sooner.’
Kim Woo-jin was determined to prepare the conditions to help Johann Georg make that choice faster.
[A terrible feeling of fear approaches.]
“Get ready, Lee Jin-ah.”
Kim Woo-jin, who felt something with the help of his enhanced senses from the Vampire skill, warned Lee Jin-ah.
“What?”
Just as Lee Jin-ah asked this, a huge shadow covered the Wyvern that was in flight.
The creature that appeared had a lion’s body, a snake’s tail and a human face.
A Sphinx!
It was the master of this dungeon, who naturally wouldn’t allow Wyvern’s to fly around in its territory.
Kehung!
It let out a warning roar to the intruders.
[The Wyvern loses its sense due to the Sphinx’s roar.]
Kii!
And with that notification, the Wyvern let out a high pitched shriek before squirming violently. An action which inevitably caused it to fall from the sky.
Then Kim Woo-jin spoke again.
“Get ready for the crash landing.”
Lee Jin-ah only had one response to those words
“f.u.c.k!”
…
“f.u.c.k!”
Lee Jin-ah swore loudly as he forced his left wrist back into the proper position.
Crunch!
Along with that eerie sound, a vein throbbed on Lee Jin-ah’s forehead.
Lee Jin-ah gingerly touched his injuries and swallowed his pain before turning to Kim Woo-jin.
“Couldn’t you give me a proper warning before we crashed? Huh? Did you really have to tell me only just before it happened?”
The scene from before flashed in Lee Jin-ah’s mind.
While they were flying on the Wyvern, a Sphinx suddenly appeared, and the Wyvern, terrified by the Sphinx, fell from the sky.
Thinking about the crash again made Lee Jin-ah tremble.
“d.a.m.n, I don’t even think I could go on a plane for the time being.”
As Lee Jin-ah said, it was truly horrifying.
On the other hand, the fact that Lee Jin-ah had experienced the crash and only got his wrist broken was, in itself, amazing.
“Lee Jin-ah.”
“What?”
Of course, the thing that was even more amazing was the fact that Kim Woo-jin, who had gone through the same ordeal as Lee Jin-ah, and who didn’t have the Undying Fighter as his halo, hadn’t gotten any injuries at all.
Naturally, that was due to Kim Woo-jin’s skill.
“You’ll have to learn to cope with falling.”
“What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?”
A technique to minimize damage and impact to the body when falling from a flying monster.
“Literally that. From now on, there will be numerous scenarios where you’ll fall from the sky without warning,”
In addition, it was a skill that every player who challenged 6 Floor and higher dungeons should have.
“Because like the Sphinx from before, monsters will never give you a warning before making you fall.”
Because these dungeons had numerous large, flying monsters like Sphinxes and Dragons.
Lee Jin-ah fell silent at those words.
There was nothing he could say to refute what Kim Woo-jin had just said. And now wasn’t the time to have such an argument.
“Can we really catch that monster?”
Could they really catch the Sphinx?
That was the first Sphinx Lee Jin-ah had ever encountered.
Just the fact that he’d asked Kim Woo-jin if they could really hunt it showed how shaken he was.
The pressure given off by the Sphinx was enormous.
And it wasn’t just because it was huge.
“It appeared without a sound.”
What was surprising was the fact that such a giant monster had appeared in an instant.
This showed that the flying ability of the Sphinx was very different from that of the Hatchling that they’d hunted before.
Moreover, its roar appeared to be even stronger than a Dragon’s Fear.
After all, didn’t the fierce Wyvern fall to the ground with only a single roar from the Sphinx?
“It won’t be easy.”
Kim Woo-jin also knew that Sphinxes weren’t easy opponents.
This boss of this A+ rank 6 Floor dungeon was a powerful ent.i.ty strong enough to rank in the top five of all monsters that could be encountered in a 6 Floor dungeon.
In all honesty, even if every player in the world created parties, there wouldn’t be more than ten parties that could actually defeat the Sphinx.
Therefore, Kim Woo-jin was certain.
‘I’m the only one in this dungeon who can hunt it.’
The only person in that dungeon who could actually hunt that monster was Kim Woo-jin himself.
“And now Johann Georg has realised how terrifying that monster really is.”
And Johann Georg now knew that too.
That was why Kim Woo-jin was convinced.
‘I’m the only one who can hunt the Sphinx, so Johann Georg’s options are simpler.’
Of what choice Johann Georg would make after seeing the Sphinx.
…
Kehung!
The roar of the Sphinx, a monster which had only appeared in myths, rippled through the entire forest of the sixth floor like a storm.
Even Johann Georg’s party was not free from the sudden eruption.
“Oh my G.o.d…”
“Oh… dear G.o.d.”
The sound drove fear into the hearts of Johann Georg’s men, and they subconsciously called out to their G.o.ds.
That was the extent to which the Sphinx surpa.s.sed common sense.
On the other hand, Johann Georg looked at the Sphinx’s shadow with a grim expression.
His expression seemed to mirror that of those around him, but his eyes were burning more fiercely than ever before.
In that state, Johann Georg said.
“Let’s change the plan.”
He received no answer, but Johann Georg continued anyway.
“Let’s just kill Isaac Ivanov.”
For the first time, he received an answer.
An English sentence was scratched into the sand beneath him.
-What do you mean?
To that question, Johann Georg continued.
“Isaac Ivanov guessed our plan. He realised that there was an a.s.sa.s.sin, and he realised that the a.s.sa.s.sin would try to target him after he defeated the Sphinx. Therefore, he forced the situation. If he doesn’t attack the Sphinx then there’s no reason for him to be attacked.”
The text below him immediately changed.
-So you want to kill him?
“Then should we just let Isaac Ivanov pick us off one by one?”
After saying that, Johann Georg shook his head.
“We only have two options left. Either we die by Isaac Ivanov, or we die with Isaac Ivanov. What is clear is that killing him is still our best bet.”
It was certainly a valid statement.
-How?
Because of this, the hidden a.s.sa.s.sin asked how he would do it instead of questioning him further, and to that, Johann Georg responded.
“I’ll use myself as bait. I’m sure that they’d try to kill me, or at least I’m sure Isaac Ivanov would. It’s a war of attrition otherwise.”
After saying that, he played with the Hades’ Ring on his finger.
“Firstly, Isaac Ivanov can’t effectively use his skeletons against me. In the end, it’s up to you to decide. That’s why I’m here.”
The hidden a.s.sa.s.sin then wrote.
-I’ll leave it to you.
In response to that, Johann Georg said.
“Then let’s take a break first. As far as I can tell, there’s a high chance that this will turn into a long term battle.”
A smile spread across his lips.
“You should take off the cap and rest first. You haven’t taken a proper break in over 20 days, and I think you’ll need a proper break in order to ensure everything goes smoothly.”
Then he called the hidden a.s.sa.s.sin’s name for the first time.
“Don’t you agree, Miss Miyazaki?”
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