Chapter 265 – 9 Tails (3)
Translator: Seven
Editor: Ana_Banana
The players had a saying.
Stepping onto a new floor was like stepping onto the surface of the moon.
Those who heard would think that it meant stepping onto a new floor was an amazing and mysterious experience.
Naturally, they had the wrong idea.
The reason players compared new floors to the moon, wasn’t because it was new, fresh or even amazing.
Instead, it was because they had stepped foot in a mysterious s.p.a.ce, where it wouldn’t be strange for them to suddenly die without knowing what happened.
That was what that saying meant.
It was the same for Lee Jin-ah at that moment.
Gulp!
The moment he entered the eighth floor, he couldn’t help but subconsciously swallow his saliva.
Even Lee Jin-ah, who had encountered and overcome numerous hards.h.i.+ps couldn’t help but be tense.
However, it couldn’t be helped.
“Night?”
On the eighth floor of the dungeon, there was darkness reminiscent of the surface of the moon.
Furthermore, the darkness was so thick that they were unable to see anything except for small lights that flickered in the distance.
In this darkness, Kim Woo-jin, whose eyes had turned golden, said.
“Those lights, they’re Foxfire.”
Through Horus’ eyes, he was able to determine the ident.i.ty of the lights that illuminate the darkness.
“Foxfire?”
Lee Jin-ah, who clearly remembered their experience dealing with Foxfire, was surprised, and couldn’t help but ask back carefully.
“Isn’t that a monster that only appears on the fifth floor?”
Foxfire.
They were monsters who could take the shape of any other monsters and couldn’t be dealt with by normal attacks.
In addition, they were rare monsters who were only found on the fifth floor.
“They’re not monsters.”
But the Foxfire they were seeing at that moment weren’t monsters.
“They’re magic that the Nine Tailed Fox created with its skill.”
Magic.
“The Nine Tailed Fox’s magic?”
Lee Jin-ah’s expression stiffened when he heard those words.
“Wait, the boss of this dungeon is a Nine Tailed Fox?”
Kim Woo-jin frowned slightly at the question.
This was because it was a truly unexpected question.
Kim Woo-jin thought that Lee Jin-ah would’ve known that the boss monster of this dungeon was a Nine Tailed Fox.
“Then what did you think the Nine Tailed Beast was?”
Because the only Nine Tailed Beast that they knew of was the Nine Tailed Fox.
Even if it turned out to be another monster, it was still natural to at least keep the Nine Tailed Fox in mind.
Lee Jin-ah could only scratch his head sheepishly when he heard Kim Woo-jin’s question, and say.
“No, well… I just didn’t think too much about it, okay? We just have to defeat whatever it is anyway, don’t we? So I just prepared to defeat whatever we encountered.”
An 8 Floor dungeon, the first 8 Floor dungeon attack, and he didn’t think too much about it?
“…amazing.”
This fact caused even the normally stoic Kim Woo-jin to express his surprise and admiration.
This admiration made Lee Jin-ah smile as he said.
“Haha, I am a little amazing.”
It was a very bright smile.
“Anyway, those Foxfires aren’t monsters, but magic?”
With the smile still on his face, Lee Jin-ah continued.
“Doesn’t that mean we’d get no loot from it if we kill it? And that we’d get no experience to level up? Plus, since it’s that Nine Tailed Fox’s skill, doesn’t that mean it can keep summoning them endlessly?”
Fortunately, Lee Jin-ah didn’t forget the dangers of the Foxfire just because he heard it was magic.
“So we have to search for the Nine Tailed Fox while dealing with these Foxfires…. That’s such a headache. And I’m certain that the Nine Tailed Fox would be hiding in the dark, it wouldn’t be easy to find.”
Furthermore, Lee Jin-ah was able to quickly a.n.a.lyse the difficulties of the dungeon attack.
It was as he said.
First of all, the magic Foxfires were rather tricky.
They weren’t monsters, they were constructs made of magic, but that was the only difference between them as they still had the same characteristics.
Foxfires could turn into any monster, and ordinary attacks would not work on them.
In addition, the light given off from the Foxfires basically blinded the hunters.
It didn’t matter if they stayed in the dark.
But if in such darkness, a bright light appeared, when it went out, the eyes of most living creatures would need time to adjust to the darkness once again.
“How much of them can the Nine Tailed Fox summon?”
The troublesome part was the fact that they weren’t sure just how many Foxfires the Nine Tailed Fox could summon at a time.
This might just be a portion of it.
“If it’s a hundred or more, that would be such a headache…”
It would be very difficult if the number exceeded a hundred.
Kim Woo-jin answered this question for him.
“Infinitely.”
“What?”
Infinitely.
When he heard this expression, Lee Jin-ah could only stare at Kim Woo-jin in shock.
Then Kim Woo-jin continued.
“In the worst case scenario, I might be able to summon them infinitely. So we have to plan with that in mind.”
Although he said ‘worst case scenario’, Kim Woo-jin knew for a fact that the Nine Tailed Fox was able to summon Foxfires infinitely.
‘That’s why it’s the worst.’
And that was the reason why the Nine Tailed Fox was one of the worst monsters to face.
“In that case, a drawn out battle is inevitable.”
Against the Nine Tailed Fox, a prolonged battle was basically inevitable.
“Even if that’s the case, it wouldn’t be good to have a prolonged battle. If there are no other monsters other than the Foxfire, my magic power would not be able to last.”
Furthermore, in the absence of corpses, Kim Woo-jin would not be able to showcase his full ability.
As Kim Woo-jin said, if there were no other monsters on the floor, he wouldn’t be able to absorb any additional magic power.
“So we have to finish this in a day.”
Therefore, Kim Woo-jin intended to end the battle with the Nine Tailed Fox in a day.
“Whew.”
Lee Jin-ah let out a long sigh at those words.
“Then I guess I’ll just have to deal with Foxfires again. That’s just my life.”
But Kim Woo-jin interrupted him.
“This time, I’ll deal with the Foxfires.”
Along with those words, Kim Woo-jin gave Balmung, which had been in his hand, to Lee Jin-ah.
“If you find the Nine Tailed Fox while I’m dealing with the Foxfires, stab it.”
Shocked, Lee Jin-ah couldn’t help but ask.
“Why?”
Kim Woo-jin replied easily.
“Because it’ll be faster if I handle it.”
Along with those words, Kim Woo-jin took Excalibur from his inventory.
…
In a forest covered in deep darkness.
Crackle!
Numerous Foxfires that had been created by the Nine Tailed Fox, each with the shape of a different monster, illuminated the darkness.
In a way, they could be called beautiful lanterns.
Crackle!
In particular, they lit up the dark forest like stars lighting up the night sky.
It was truly a beautiful scene.
But it wasn’t just beautiful.
In the dark, their brightness served only to blind the players who had come to hunt the Nine Tailed Fox, attracting them like moths and causing them to be unaware of their surroundings.
Furthermore, the Foxfires were arranged in such a way that if one Foxfire was attacked, the rest would be able to quickly encircle the aggressors.
Crackle!
The Foxfires were laid down in order to alloy the master of this territory to annihilate the intruders faster.
Those who knew such a fact wouldn’t dare to call such a thing beautiful.
Of course, that didn’t mean it was guaranteed to work.
Haaa!
Death Knight.
The Knight of Death created by death stepped out of the darkness in front of a Foxfire.
Crackle!
When the Death Knight appeared, the Foxfire took the form of a Troll.
And when the battle started, the Death Knight’s sword tore through the Foxfire.
Paht!
The Death Knight’s sword cut through the Foxfire easily.
In a way, this was to be expected.
The sword it held in its hand was none other than the legendary Achilles’ Sword, which had no problems cutting into the Foxfire.
Moreover, it was none other than the Death Knight who was wielding this sword.
[The Death Knight cuts off the Foxfire’s life.]
A being that was able to kill any living thing.
A Death Knight had the ability to rip a Foxfire apart with its bare hands.
So naturally, the battle was one sided.
Shuk!
The Death Knight, which rode a skeleton horse, swung its sword three times, sending pieces of the Foxfire flying with every slash.
It was a moment when a Foxfire, a creature which terrorised every player that encountered them in 5 Floor dungeons, became extremely helpless.
Then, the Foxfire around it began to move.
Crackle!
Crackle!
The flaming bodies of more than thirty Foxfires began to burn brightly as they transformed themselves.
The shapes they took were that of monsters who were able to run very quickly.
In that state, they all flocked towards the Death Knight.
Haaa!
Then, the Death Knights who had been hiding in the darkness made their appearances known.
These Death Knights, who suddenly appeared, all attacked the Foxfires’ flanks without exception.
It was a surprise attack.
A surprise attack that their enemies could not have seen coming.
Naturally, the effect of this attack was powerful.
Shuk.
The Twelve Death Knights that appeared unilaterally annihilated the Foxfires to the point where their fights could barely be called as such.
Naturally, the forest darkened as a result.
It was as if the Death Knights had occupied this portion of the land.
Crackle!
Suddenly, a group of Foxfires appeared in the distance.
At that moment, exactly three hundred Foxfires had been created.
[The Nine Tailed Fox summoned Foxfires.]
And it was the moment that the Nine Tailed Fox, which had been silent until then, finally showed its hostility towards the intruders.
Crackle!
Like well trained soldiers, the Foxfires which appeared all took the form of Ogres and began advancing towards the Death Knights like a well-trained army.
In an instant, the darkness of the forest was pushed back by the resplendent brightness.
The sight was so bright that it would force onlookers to avert their gazes.
Of course, the Death Knights didn’t need to look away from this scene.
Haaa!
Following this terrifying cry, thirteen Death Knights, each atop a skeleton horse, charged towards the group of Ogre shaped Foxfire* without hesitation. (TL: Gonna call them Foxfire Ogres from now on, and I’ll do the same for any monster the foxfires transform into)
Light and darkness. The two groups, which could only be described in this way, soon collided.
Then something began to approach the Foxfires from behind.
[Excalibur’s wielder has confirmed the Foxfire’s hostility.]
[Excalibur has granted you the Winner’s Blessing.]
It was Kim Woo-jin!
Appearing behind the Ogre shaped Foxfire army, Kim Woo-jin leaped towards them as soon as he appeared.
This leap from Kim Woo-jin was spotted by a 5m tall Foxfire Ogre, the neck of whom was immediately cut by Kim Woo-jin’s sword.
[You cut the enemy’s neck.]
[Your Winner’s Blessing has ended.]
Cut by Excalibur, this Foxfire Ogre was immediately extinguished.
This was one of Excalibur’s abilities.
Cutting the opponent’s neck was a guaranteed victory, and no interference would be tolerated.
Crackle!
When Kim Woo-jin appeared, some of the Foxfire Ogres turned around to face him.
That was the moment when the perfectly formed battle line collapsed.
Naturally, this was good news for the Death Knights.
Haaa!
The Death Knights were prepared to repay the opportunity their master gave them with only one word. Victory!
Hyaha!
Suddenly, Ice Arrows shot over from the distance.
Skeleton Wizards!
It was the moment they began to provide support under the Lich’s orders.
The broken battle line had to face off against Death Knights, monsters which defied common sense, as well as the supporting fire from the Skeleton Wizards.
In the face of such a situation, the Foxfire Ogre Army was not able to showcase even half of their original strength.
Despite outnumbering them, the Foxfire Army was the one at a disadvantage.
[Excalibur’s wielder has confirmed the Foxfire’s hostility.]
“Hoo!”
And in such a situation, Kim Woo-jin showcased his prowess more strongly than anything else.
They literally began sweeping away the Foxfire.
In such a situation, the choice the Nine Tailed Fox, who hid in the dark, would make was simple.
[The Nine Tailed Fox summoned Foxfires.]
This time, it summoned 500 Foxfires.
Crackle!
The light, which had once again begun to die down, now burned more brightly than ever.
It was at that time.
‘There.’
Lee Jin-ah, who had been looking for the Nine Tailed Fox all this time, made his move.
‘Just like Kim Woo-jin said, the Foxfires will only be summoned around the Nine Tailed Fox.’
The Nine Tailed Fox summoned Foxfires around itself, so Kim Woo-jin had told him to use them to find its location.
And now, he had figured it out.
‘It’s smaller than I expected.’
The 10m long body of the Nine Tailed Fox, which lowered itself so that it wouldn’t be spotted among the Foxfires appeared in front of Lee Jin-ah’s eyes.
Then Lee Jin-ah charged towards the Nine Tailed Fox with a sword in his hand.
‘Just once.’
Lee Jin-ah’s task was to just leave one wound on the Nine Tailed Fox.
This was easier than any task Lee Jin-ah had been given so far.
Therefore, Lee Jin-ah performed this task well.
Puk!
The tip of Lee Jin-ah’s sword pierced the side of the Nine Tailed Fox which had all of its attention on Kim Woo-jin.
Kii!
At taht moment, a bizarre cry was heard from the fox’s mouth.
At the same time, the Nine Tailed Fox’s body began to burn with a violent red flame.
[The Nine Tailed Fox’s Alter Ego has been destroyed.]
‘Ah.’
This proved that the monster Lee Jin-ah had just stabbed was only an Alter Ego, one of the Nine Tailed Fox’s abilities.
In other words, it meant that Lee Jin-ah’s supposedly easy task had failed.
Kii!
At the same time, a large tree nearby made a terrifying sound as it quickly transformed into the shape of the Nine Tailed Fox.
Crunch!
After revealing another ability, the Nine Tailed Fox opened its mouth towards Lee Jin-ah.
Crackle!
Then a huge fireball flew from its mouth and swallowed Lee Jin-ah like a snake made of fire.
Crackle!
The fire quickly enveloped and burnt Lee Jin-ah to ashes before he was even given the chance to scream.
Kiii!
The Nine Tailed Fox’s lips curled into a cruel smile at this sight.
It was a smile that mocked its prey for falling into the trap it created.
Puk!
This was none other than the sound of the Nine Tailed Fox’s side being pierced.
And with the sound, something gradually appeared beside the Nine Tailed Fox.
[Cap of Invisibility’s concealment released.]
The figure that was revealed was Lee Jin-ah wearing the Cap of Invisibility. (ED: My heart skipped a beat. I thought Lee Jin-ah died since they were nearing the end of the book.)
[The Nine Tailed Fox has been afflicted by the Curse of Balmung.]
In addition, the sword he held in his hand was Balmung.
What had just happened was really simple.
Kim Woo-jin had also given the Seventh Tail of the Nine Tailed Fox in his inventory to Lee Jin-ah, and Lee Jin-ah used the item to create an alter ego.
And since then, his real body had been hidden by the Cap of Invisibility.
In other words, Kim Woo-jin had expected the Nine Tailed Fox to use its alter ego from the start.
This was Kim Woo-jin’s plan to injure the Nine Tailed Fox.
[The Nine Tailed Fox lights itself on fire.]
The Nine Tailed Fox, which was attacked with its own skill suddenly set itself on fire.
In an instant, its body became covered in huge flames, and Lee Jin-ah instinctively retreated.
‘That’s dangerous.’
It was a wise move.
If he came in contact with that fire, then like h.e.l.lfire, it would not go out until he was burned to ashes.
Of course, while retreating, Lee Jin-ah kept his eyes on the Nine Tailed Fox.
‘If I let it get away, Kim Woo-jin will beat me to death.’
He was determined to keep following the Nine Tailed Fox till he died.
Flas.h.!.+
Suddenly, the Nine Tailed Fox emitted an intense light before disappearing.
‘Ah!’
In that moment, Lee Jin-ah’s eyes lost their function.
This wasn’t the same as a ‘blind’ effect.
It was just a natural process of his eyes adapting to an intense light source.
Even if Lee Jin-ah had Lancelot’s bracelet which made him immune to negative status effects, he wouldn’t be able to avoid this natural phenomenon.
‘I lost it.’
When Lee Jin-ah’s eyes finally adjusted, the Nine Tailed Fox was long gone.
All that was left in its place was Balmung which had fallen from its body.
‘Dammit.’
Suddenly, a small Goblin Skeleton Soldier appeared beside Lee Jin-ah.
Then the Skeleton Soldier said.
“Good job.”
Lee Jin-ah responded bluntly to Kim Woo-jin’s words.
“Are you being sarcastic now?”
“No, I mean it.”
“Mean it?”
The Skeleton Soldier nodded.
“Because now I can smell the Nine Tailed Fox’s blood.”
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