Countless black streaks of light struck Lee Minseong like thunder and lightning.
Blag!
[Ack…!]
He fell to the floor and let out a tremendous roar.
Baek Miho immediately followed him to the ground and plunged her fist straight into his abdomen.
Bang!
[Ack!]
Lee Minseong's eyes opened and he vomited blood from his mouth.
"Let's fight here."
Baek Miho, with a raging gaze, swung her both hands.
Skill, Beast Claw.
Slash!
Baek Miho attacked Lee Minseong without a break.
If she stopped even for a moment, she could miss him.
'I don't know what happened, but I can't miss this opportunity!'
She was taken aback by Suho's sudden ability, but if she missed such an opportunity, Lee Minseong could run away at great speed.
Baek Miho spurred on the attack, and Lee Minseong suddenly came to his senses and fought back.
Speed was definitely Lee Minseong's advantage, but numerous shadow lancers constantly harassed him to fill that agility gap.
He could not hide his confused expression.
'How…?'
'What happened?'
'How did the lancers suddenly appear?'
'What the hell does that human have to do with the Queen Bee!'
Numerous question marks filled Lee Minseong's head.
The moment he saw Suho attacking him, he felt a surge of complex emotions.
[What kind of relationship do you have with the Queen Bee?!]
Bang!
Lee Minseong's attack was directed at Suho.
Common sense made him think that it's only right to Baek Miho, who is stronger than Suho, but Lee Minseong could not think rationally.
He realized what that terrible emotion was.
Jealousy.
[Why did the Queen Bee give the lancers to someone like you?!]
He used to deny it with all his body, but there was one truth that never changed.
That's right…
[The Queen Bee's favorite and strongest worker bee is me! Me, Lee Minseong! Not someone like you…!]
Lee Minseong's raging attack crumbled the whole area like a bomber, Baek Miho hurriedly unfolded her defense skills.
"Ack! Hide behind me, Suho!"
But instead of retreating, Suho jumped forward.
'Oh my.'
Baek Miho couldn't help but doubt her own eyes.
In front of her, Lee Minseong's spear and Suho's sword were fighting fiercely.
Lee Minseong's speed was obviously overwhelmingly faster than Suho's.
However, Suho never stopped attacking, taking all the unblockable attacks with his bare body.
She couldn't help but be surprised at that terribly tough defense.
'Was he a tank, and not a summoning hunter?'
She was so confused.
In the end, she gave up thinking about it, but there was some truth to what she was thinking.
['Skill: Tenacity' level increased!]
[Physical defense +60% → +80%]
'Great. I'll be able to hold out longer with this.'
Fighting with all his might, Suho's mind was extremely rational.
Body hot, head cold.
He was fighting, checking his HP and MP every moment while looking at the status window.
Since Lee Minseong was such a strong enemy, there was no room to use the skills that sucked mana in real time.
It was suicidal to grow in size with the giant's armor against a fast enemy.
Even if he tried to amplify his speed by strengthening Gray, the limit was only a few minutes.
Even if he didn't use a skill, he was attacking with mana energy, so he needed to fight while conserving his mana thoroughly.
'Eventually, it's just the Spiritual Body Manifestation…'
Among his skills, the one that boasted the most destructive power was definitely Spiritual Body Manifestation.
However, it was also a skill that consumed mana in real time, and in order to hit an attack against such a fast enemy, he had to be prepared.
Suho ordered the Shadow Lancers.
"Tie that bastard's feet! Tear off his wings, attack the legs!"
A truly cruel order!
But rather, it was the Shadow Lancers who were torn apart.
[How dare you!]
[Krrrk…!]
In the hands of Lee Minseong, the lancers' heads were cut and a huge hole was pierced in their chests.
It was just the beginning.
[Khiiik-!]
As Suho's mana decreased, the fragmented bodies of the Shadow Lancers turned into black steam and began to reattach.
Lee Minseong was greatly shocked by that.
[No way! That's just impossible…!]
The jealousy towards a fellow lancer surged up in his heart.
[Why didn't the Queen Bee give me the ability to regenerate?! Could it be that the Queen was afraid that I would become too strong?!]
Of course, not.
However, Lee Minseong's misunderstanding became the incarnation of jealousy and grew out of control. He realized one thing.
He was originally unable to attack the lancers sent by the Queen Bee.
But now, for some reason, the attack was possible.
What does that mean?
[That's right! Haha! I'm already completely free of the Queen Bee! As expected, creating my own corps was the answer!]
Lee Minseong burst into laughter with a face full of joy.
He defeated the lancers and attacked Suho.
But at that moment.
Chills!
[…!]
He saw something.
Swoosh-
A huge shadow behind Suho's back.
The illusion of something huge like a mountain looking down on him with an arrogant gaze.
[The Queen of Insects, the Plague Monarch, is watching Lee Minseong.]
[Ahh… Ahhh…]
In front of that mighty gaze, he became a tiny and shabby insect, trembling before he knew it.
Then…
The stopped time started to flow again.
Lee Minseong's spirit suddenly returned to reality, and the huge shadow was nowhere to be seen.
'Did I just see something?'
He didn't know what it was, but Lee Minseong decided to run right away.
'Besides, my intended purpose was all accomplished.'
Lee Minseong's gaze turned to Lim Taegyu, who was shooting arrows at the ghouls from afar.
'I don't know how the ghouls poisoned him…'
It was clear that Lim Taegyu was suffering from the poison.
He managed to suppress the poison with his mana powers, but that will eventually reach its limit.
'It doesn't matter if I lose all the ghouls I've collected so far. I just need to catch Lim Taegyu!'
With that, he would be able to take on an S-Class hunter as a worker bee.
… Lee Minseong was mistaken.
Unaware of the fact that Secretary Oh betrayed Lim Taegyu, Lee Minseong mistook him for being addicted to his royal jelly.
'Okay, I'll run away first! No one will be able to detoxify Lim Taegyu's poison anyway, so I just have to hide quietly and wait until he gets completely poisoned!'
As soon as he thought about it, he immediately turned around and ran.
"Make sure to not miss him!"
Immediately, Suho chased Lee Minseong with the Shadow Lancers.
[You got caught, you bastard!]
Seizing the momentary gap, Lee Minseong suddenly turned to Suho again.
[Before I go, you…!]
"…!"
Lee Minseong's magic exploded toward Suho.
"No!"
Baek Miho hurriedly ran from behind, but it was too late.
Bang!
There was an explosion of highly concentrated magical power.
"… Ack."
"…!"
Suho opened his eyes.
It wasn't him who received the attack.
Lim Taeyu suddenly got in between the two, and received the attack by Lee Minseong instead of Suho.
Even Lee Minseong was taken aback by the completely unexpected situation.
[L-Lim Taegyu, you bastard…]
"Yes, it is me. You son of a bitch."
Lim Taegyu looked straight into Lee Minseong's eyes and smiled.
Blood poured out of his mouth.
However, even in the midst of such pain, his two hands firmly gripped the spear of Lee Minseong, which was stuck in his stomach, and did not let go.
No matter how hard Lee Minseong tried, his spear could not be pulled out.
Lim Taegyu still had the physicality of an S-Class hunter.
[Lim Taegyu!]
Lee Minseong desperately struggled with Lim Taegyu.
[What are you thinking?! Don't tell me you're going to die with me!]
"… Why would I, bastard? "
Lim Taegyu struggled to answer those words.
"It's because of me that you have such a bad temper. Right?"
[…!]
At those words, Lee Minseong's body suddenly stiffened.
Looking straight into his bloodshot eyes, Lim Taegyu muttered with a smile.
"So you have to take responsibility. At least as a business partner."
Lim Taegyu was truly sorry.
It hasn't been more than two years since they fought.
Before that, they were close friends.
How did everything happen?
What is this mana power?
What is awakening?
'Why is a guy who was born with everything jealous of me…'
"… So, Minseong…"
Swoosh!
Lim Taegyu's mana, which had been suppressed until now, suddenly began to surge.
At the same time, the royal jelly's poison tried to invade his brain, but everything would end before that.
"I really can't see my friend getting beaten up by others. So if you will die, just die in my hands."
[Nonsense! It is you who will die!]
Lee Minseong roared and attacked Lim Taegyu with his other hand.
Swoosh!
Suho, like a thunderbolt, got in between the two.
Both of Lee Minseong's arms were cut off by his twin swords.
[…!]
Lee Minseong's eyes widened.
"You talk a lot."
Suho, who had been waiting for the moment Lee Minseong was tied up, poured all his strength towards him.
[Use 'Skill: Spiritual Body Manifestation'.]
Spiritual Body Manifestation.
The power of Ammut, which raised even a small and insignificant goblin into an Iron Body Monarch.
A large, black energy enveloped Suho's arm and spread out as a sword.
Swoosh-!
Suho did not stop attacking.
Like a giant hand crushing a small bug to death.
Again and again.
It was ruthless violence against Lee Minseong.
'No way…'
Lee Minseong, who lost both arms, couldn't even scream properly, and had no choice but to suffer with all the attacks.
'Why is this guy…!'
He just couldn't believe the situation.
It would be better if it was Lim Taegyu, an S-Class hunter, but he couldn't accept the fact that he was being treated so badly by an unknown kid.
But…
It hurt.
All of Suho's attacks were so painful.
The worst of all…
Lim Taegyu was watching his desperate appearance and muttered something.
"…"
He couldn't hear anything.
Lee Minseong, who was already battered, couldn't hear a thing.
[Accckkk!]
He got up with his last breath and attacked Suho.
At the same time, Suho's huge black fist and numerous black lancers' attacks rained on Minseong's body.
Blag!