My entire body surged with intense fury. The humiliation I had suffered because of this bastard, the role that slowly stripped away my feelings, and the dress... If only I could get my hands on him someday. I swear, I will skin him slowly and butcher him afterward!
"Big sister!" Kim Seong-Hoon screamed in panic, summoning his sword and launching an attack at the spectral chains pulling my body slowly toward the ceiling. The icy slash of energy collided with the chains, but the force was nullified, unable to even scratch them.
I saw everyone grow smaller as I hung at a height of about ten meters. I felt a weird, disturbing gaze coming from Kim Seong-Hoon, and I realized that my dress was visible from below. "Where the fuck are you looking?! You piece of human garbage, kill that thing quickly, and I'll deal with you soon enough!" My face burned with shame and embarrassment. My hands were tied, and I had no way to cover myself.
Kim Seong-Hoon turned around instantly, facing the monster, muttering something to himself. I could almost see a smirk cross his face before he turned.
-TIME LIMIT IS 10 MINUTES. FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE CHALLENGE IN TIME MEANS DEATH.-
The skeleton seemed to listen intently to the system's voice, almost as if it was entranced.
HOOOOOOWL
A loud howl escaped its mouth, as if it were screaming in anguish. The longsword it wielded swung in an instant, forcing Kang Eun-Woo to summon his golden shield.
CLANG!
As the two collided, sparks flew everywhere. Kang Eun-Woo was pushed back a few steps, but he held on tightly. Like a tall tree, he refused to fall. "Forget about Miss Lee Gaon for now! We must focus on the objective!" His tone sounded commanding; he quickly took the role of leader in the fight. Nice block!
Jieun summoned celestial flames on both her hands. Moving as quickly as the wind, she attacked from afar, circling the monster and aiming at its face and legs to distract and damage it. Her attack left a small char on the monster's bones, but it was better than nothing.
The skeleton seemed irritated by her attacks, increasing its assault on Kang Eun-Woo, which gave Malrang more room to launch a Hellfire Breath at it. I was impressed by the damage it did; the monster screamed in pain, turning its attention to Malrang, chasing after her with loud but quick steps. The fox had no problem dodging with her small frame and agility. Suddenly, Kang Eun-Woo's shield glowed with a beautiful moonlight, attracting the monster's attention and shifting its focus back to him. Is that a taunt skill? He really is a tank!
After my battle with the Goblin King, I'd completely forgotten to inspect Malrang's level. Therefore, I was unaware of her current strength.
I hope this works... Inspect!
To my surprise, the Inspect skill worked even with my power suppressed.
-PURPLE FOXTERIT LEVEL 4-
Basic Stats:
Stamina - Level 8 (Current Stamina: 80)
Lesser Agility - Level 2 (Current Agility: 200)
Magic - Level 10 (Current Magic: 200)
Defense - Level 8 (Current Defense: 80)
Strength - Level 7 (Current Strength: 70)
Mana - Level 10 (Current Mana: 300)
Mana Regeneration - Level 10 (5/s)
Physical Resist - Level 3
Magic Resist - Level 3
Special Stats:
Mind Expansion - Level 1 (Increases overall intelligence)
Mana Expansion - Level 2 (adds 200 mana per level)
Mana Regeneration Expansion - Level 1 (increases mana regeneration level by 2)
Magic Growth - Level 5 (Increases Magic stat level by 10)
Agility Growth - Level 4 (Increases Agility stat level by 8)
Lesser Demon Body Regeneration - Level 3
Skills:
Hellfire Breath - Level 4
Dash - Level 3
Cinder - Level 2
Ruler of Hell - Level 1
Foxfire Steps - Level 1
Hell Bite - Level 2
She's grown so much and so fast with our shared experience points; all her stats seem to increase by 2 points each time she levels up, unlike humans... Monsters in this world are just too terrifying.
Kim Seong-Hoon roared like a dragon and launched himself toward the skeleton, his sword glowing with an icy radiance that dropped the temperature in the hall. "Dragon Frost Slash!" he roared, making his weapon vibrate and release a powerful slash attack. The eye on the weapon scanned the monster, as if searching for its weak points.
Shhk-crack!
A powerful ice attack collided with the skeleton's leg, leaving a small crack that instantly healed at a blinding speed. "Need more power!" I shouted from above, but my voice was quickly rebounded by some sort of invisible wall.
-NO INTERFERING. ANY FURTHER AID WILL INCREASE THE DIFFICULTY OF THE CHALLENGE.-
The system's voice echoed in my head, making me furrow my brow. It's not like I want to help them... I know they'll be okay, stupid system...
A series of explosions suddenly rang out as Jieun's powerful celestial attack lit up the hall, blinding everything. A four-meter-wide ball, made of the celestial light, materialized in front of her, and with an outstretched hand, she launched it at the skeleton monster. It left her panting but dealt heavy damage, reducing the monster's entire upper half to ash.
"We did it!" she shouted excitedly, but from my perspective, the monster quickly began regenerating, launching its sword at Jieun, piercing her in the middle and leaving a deep, gushing wound.
"Little sister!" both men shouted in panic and fear. Her tiny body shone with golden light, keeping her alive and moving her to the other side of the hall, hanging her against the wall. Her eyes looked lifeless, but she was still breathing.
"Little sister! Can you hear us?" Kang Eun-Woo screamed incoherently, on the verge of losing a friend for the first time in his life.
-CONTINUE THE FIGHT. IF YOU WIN, SHE WILL LIVE.-
The same vile system voice echoed, and I could hear a hint of amusement coming from him. Is this all a game to that bastard?
"WOO!" Malrang screamed, launching herself at the monster, her quick, agile body biting all over with what I guessed was her new skill. Her jaw looked a hundred times stronger, her sharp teeth leaving deep bite marks.
"Moon and Sun, lend me your strength!" Kang Eun-Woo's entire body blazed with a radiant fusion of golden sun's glow and moonlight. "Great Solar Eclipse!" The room plunged into darkness as a ten-meter-tall black meteor materialized and crashed onto the skeleton with overwhelming force. "Dieee!"
KABOOOOM
Everything shook. An attack from a level 7 player was powerful, but not enough to end this fight. Without waiting for the monster to stand, Kim Seong-Hoon dashed at lightning speed, his sword growing larger dragon teeth, booming with draconic aura. A massive spectral dragon head appeared over his shoulders, roaring with force. "Dragon Warrior Slash!"
The monster's entire head burst into dust from the powerful swing. Meanwhile, Malrang took a deep breath and exhaled a fearsome Hellfire Breath. The bones began melting; it looked like the monster would be reduced to ashes from their combined assault.
Every fighter was exhausted; the amount of mana they'd used was more than they could handle.
BOOM BOOM BOOM
The entire hall shook from intense pressure within the skeleton's body. A small golden flame burned inside where its heart should be.
Whoosh whoosh!
Everyone was sent flying, their bodies colliding with the cold wall. The torch light suddenly went out from a powerful wind pressure, leaving only a small flame to light the hall. "Kensta, amara, wit!" the skeleton spoke in an eerie bone-scraping voice, but now its voice sounded different with each different sound as if its vocal cords were changing.
A man's voice in his late forties replaced the eerie skeleton's. A crown shone, lighting the entire room. A tall man dressed in golden armor adorned with large diamonds stood where the skeleton had been. He looked like a king, only missing a throne.
"Haaa..." He breathed out, locking eyes with me and smirking sinisterly, sending a shiver through me but also sparking a deep rage.
I felt powerless and useless, watching as my teammates struggled back to their feet, bloodied from impact, but with a fire still burning in their hearts.
"Humans... I see... it's that time again..." The knight spoke in a language we understood. "So that means he has awakened again... ahahaha!" He sounded crazed. "I, the King of Ruttham, will feast on your blood today, restoring my strength and glory!" His golden eyes shone maniacally. The light of his crown faded, casting the hall into darkness. When it shone again, I screamed.
"MALRANG!"
I watched as her small body was instantly pierced by the giant sword. She suddenly glowed like Jieun and was dragged away, hanging on the wall, barely breathing. "LET ME OUT! I'LL SLAUGHTER HIM! LET ME KILL THAT PIECE OF SHIT! ARHHHHHGGG! FUCK!"
All I could do was watch as the light flickered and, one by one, my friends were left in a half-dead state, uncertain if they could ever recover from their injuries. Kim Seong-Hoon had his head completely severed, and Kang Eun-Woo's body was crushed, with every single bone likely turned to dust. Their bodies shorty joined the other two on the wall, unknown if they were alive or dead.
"NOOOO! YOU BASTARD! NOOOO!" I wailed, feeling my heart fracture, my long-suppressed emotions flooding out in anger.
"HIHIHIHI!" The king laughed hysterically, savoring every second. "That was fun! Give me more! Hey, can you hear me ------? Give me that woman, let me tear her to pieces as well. Quick! Quick!" He sat down on the ground, laughing like a madman.
-YOUR RESURRECTION HAS GREATLY EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS... SO YOU KEPT A TINY STRAND OF YOUR SOUL HIDDEN FROM ME? ALRIGHT. I WILL COMPLY. I OWE YOU AT LEAST THAT MUCH... HAVE FUN.-
Right after the creator's voice echoed, I felt power surge back into my body. I dropped to the ground, my gaze fixed on my friends' bodies, hanging from the wall, their fates unknown. My heart throbbed with intense rage and sorrow, a dark desire for vengeance that only fueled my anger. I am a Death Eater... I will be the last one standing!
"I will skin you alive for what you've done!" My scythe materialized in my hands, and I pointed it at the monster, prepared to slaughter the enemy before me.
"Hahaha! I love your passion! Come!" he taunted, his voice laced with excitement. The battle that would decide everyone's fate was about to begin.