CHAPTER 31
✦ ✦ ✦
[The 'Scream in the Nightmare' from 'Nightmare' collides with the 'Unbreakable Guard' and dissipates.]
[Party member 'Lee Jehee' activates the secret technique 'Flying Heavenly Sword'.]
The otherworldly wail, or whatever unnatural force it represented, crashed against the golden shield with a bone-chilling resonance. Slowly but surely, it withered away into oblivion. As the skill faded, Jehee executed a breathtaking leap, scaling the heights where Nightmare loomed. With precision, he hurled his blade, lodging it firmly in the very core of Nightmare's being.
Gracefully landing on the ground, Jehee launched forward once more, soaring skyward in a grand display of martial prowess. Utilizing the sword anchored within Nightmare's abdomen as a stepping stone, he vaulted higher, driving his remaining sword deep into the beast's flesh. The force was awe-inspiring, cleaving a path from Nightmare's abdomen up to its shoulder.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Nightmare has sustained a critical injury.]
"ROOOOAAAAR!" Nightmare bellowed, writhing in torment as it grappled with the grievous wound. A thick plume of black smoke, an eerie substitute for blood, billowed from the gaping gash.
In my previous gaming sessions, I had often grumbled about the absence of blood in such encounters. But now, that swirling smoke, sinister and inexorable, held a macabre fascination. Its slow ascent painted a haunting picture, more ominous than any crimson fluid could have ever been.
As the chilling scene unfolded before me, I found myself frozen in place. Taera, standing at my side, playfully jolted me back to reality with a friendly tap on the back.
"What are you freezing up for?"
"Uh, it's just..."
"What, you think we're going to lose?"
"..."
"Don't worry. We won't lose. No, even if we do, Jehee won't," Taera assured me, his confidence shining through like a beacon of hope. His handsome countenance blossomed like a field of vibrant flowers, radiating an almost ethereal beauty.
In his gaze and expression, there was an unspoken message—trust in him. Even in the darkest of moments, when all seemed lost, trust in Lee Jehee.
His assured smile had a calming effect on me, causing my tense shoulders to relax, the burdens of fear and doubt slowly melting away. As Taera had proclaimed, the protagonist, Lee Jehee, was an indomitable force. With that thought in mind, even the resounding roars of Nightmare lost their capacity to inspire dread.
Yet, complacency would be our downfall.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Nightmare activates the attack skill 'Return of the Nightmare.']
[The first effect of 'Return of the Nightmare' skill brings 'Nightmare' to this place.]
As these ominous status messages unfurled before us, long, sinewy tendrils erupted from the ground, each adorned with menacing, barbed spikes that looked capable of rending flesh with ease.
In a sudden, terrifying spectacle, a colossal black tendril erupted near our protective shield and descended with unrelenting force.
"AAAAAHHH!"
Taera's commentary cut through the chaos, his words laced with a touch of dark humor. "Look at that scream. Told you, it's like renting out the whole dungeon."
As I slumped to the ground where I stood, Taera chuckled lightly, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. He nonchalantly crossed his arms, clearly unfazed by the impending danger. True to his earlier confident proclamation, the menacing black tendrils struck the golden shield, only to be forcefully repelled.
However, these inky appendages were not so easily deterred. They regrouped, snaking their way around the entire barrier, shrouded in ominous black smoke.
✦ ✦ ✦
[The second effect of the 'Return of the Nightmare' skill initiates Nightmare's self-healing.]
"Everyone, be careful. It seems like just being near those tendrils drains mana," Jehee cautioned, stepping back from his fierce assault on Nightmare.
The party members exchanged knowing glances and acted swiftly, dispersing in a well-coordinated maneuver. Yet, a quick glance at the party window revealed that everyone's mana had already been halved.
Even as they moved away, the undulating tendrils drew closer, relentlessly siphoning their mana reserves. With each stolen droplet of magic, Nightmare's health gradually rejuvenated.
"Hey, that thing's health is filling up slowly!"
"Then we'll just have to reduce it again," Taera spoke with a relaxed demeanor, an aura of determination radiating from him. A brilliant silver light erupted from his body, signaling the activation of his Awakening trait.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Party member 'Baek Taera' activates his Awakening trait.]
[The Divine, Hwata appears.]
[The Divine, Hwata activates the second stage of the 'Divine Vision Chapter 5 - Protection of Blood' Awakening skill, 'Nourishing Sound.']
With the activation of his Awakening trait, Taera's once-grey eyes transformed into a deep, mesmerizing red. Before him materialized four imposing acupuncture needles, each adorned with the character for 'rescue' (救命). These formidable needles swiftly found their marks, flying towards the party members and piercing the backs of their necks.
Taera, his grip firm on the long crimson threads trailing from the needles, began to consume mana potions with unyielding confidence.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Hwata, 'Baek Taera's' 'Nourishing Sound' skill effect sacrifices his mana to continuously replenish the party members' mana.]
Thanks to this extraordinary ability, the party members' mana reserves started to replenish at an astonishing pace. With these needles in place, their worries about mana depletion vanished like a distant memory, replaced by the sensation of an unending transfusion.
But those needles... they looked undeniably painful. Hwata's skills were infamous in the game for their discomfort. Fortunately, they were not employed on me. Witnessing my companions battle with these needles embedded in their necks only heightened their heroic stature.
As their mana surged, a shadowy figure streaked past Taera and lunged at Nightmare. This enigmatic silhouette brandished a colossal axe and commenced a furious assault.
✦ ✦ ✦
[Party member 'Han Chorok' activates his Awakening trait.]
[The Berserker, Warrior of Fury, emerges.]
[The Berserker, Warrior of Fury initiates the 'Frenzy' Awakening skill.]
[Nightmare's self-healing falters under the relentless onslaught of the Berserker's ferocious attack.]
With each thunderous swing of the colossal axe, ominous black smoke erupted from Nightmare's hulking form. The relentless onslaught proved too much for the creature to withstand, as indicated by the status message.
"Way to go, Chorok!"
But my moment of admiration for Chorok's prowess was cut short as Nightmare, undaunted by its injuries, pressed on with its next move.
The creature, which had hitherto fixated solely on Sora, abruptly shifted its malevolent gaze to Chorok, who wielded his massive battle axe with wild abandon. Nightmare emitted a menacing growl, clearly preparing for a retaliatory strike.
Hana, who had been providing cover from a distance, wasted no time in activating her Awakening trait.