Beyond the Eternity

The ogres advanced through the flickering flames, launching their assault. A huge figure approached, and I raised my handgun, firing a magic bullet into its forehead.

Bang—

Blood spurted as a hole was formed and the enemy collapsed. Despite having the number advantage, the corrupted monsters did not approach carelessly.

It was because the weakness of the ogres was fire.

Ogres had a deep-seated fear of flames. While all creatures instinctively avoid burns, this fear was profoundly embedded in their veins and psyche.

If we exploited this fear, we could hold out until reinforcements arrived.

In essence, we were merely stalling for time. Some corruptors managed to pass the wavering flames and approached with wide steps.

"Lee Suhye, keep the monsters at bay."

"I'm on it."

Lee Suhye swiftly raised the submachine gun and activated a skill.

[The character 'Lee Suhye' has used Execution Zone Lv. 3]

[The Mark of the Targets has been placed.]

[The character 'Lee Suhye' has used the authority 'Homing'.]

Bwoom, bwoom, bwoom—

Magic bullets flew rapidly and pierced the skulls of the approaching ogres. Since they were marked, only headshots were achieved. It felt like Lee Suhye was using an aimbot in real life. What a scary power that was.

Thud—

A corrupted Oni leaped towards me and I moving my sword, piercing its heart in retaliation.

Jung Yunhee gripped the Katana and slashed the ogres one by one in a smooth manner.

Angelica sliced through the advancing monsters with her swiss rapier. While her skill level wasn't the highest, it was sufficient enough to hold her ground.

The deafening echo of gunshots reverberated in my ears, mingling with the anguished cries of dying monsters and the harsh rasp of my sword slicing through flesh, all against the relentless rhythm of my own heartbeat.

It was a tense situation. And what happened next only made it worse.

Drop, drop—

Raindrops began pouring down from the sky.

Why did it have to start raining now, of all times?

The party members noticed this change and opened their mouth.

"It's raining?"

"What's up with this development?!"

"Don't worry about that, continue fighting!"

I pulled out the ether bombs and hurled them forward, triggering a massive explosion that sent the corrupted monsters into disarray, scattering them with a powerful shockwave.

Although we were also affected by the shockwave, we were able to manage somehow.

If I didn't prepare the ether bombs beforehand, it would have been difficult to break through on our own.

Of course, because of this stupid rain, things became more difficult.

Soon enough, hundreds of ogres encircled us. The remnants of fire still smoldered, but the relentless rain quickly subdued their intensity.

The party members shifted their gaze here and there, and became nervous.

Given our current circumstances, let's proceed with plan B. We needed to change our current position.

I hurled several Ether bombs forward and a great explosion erupted, sweeping away the approaching monsters.

I shouted "Everyone, move quickly!"

A fleeting breach appeared in the monster horde's encirclement. We seized this opportunity and lunged forward, the flames flickering behind us as a shield that blocked the monsters.

It was difficult. The combination of raindrops and smoke obscured our vision, and the muddied ground impeded our movements.

Even though we have gotten considerably stronger, we were still human.

As we moved closer to the bridge, the sound of the rushing river grew closer.

The horde of monsters slowly retreated. They just glared at us from a distance as if attempting to intimidate us then turned their heads somewhere else.

They were aiming for the northern gate. It was understandable. They were supposed to meet up with the monsters there and join the attack.

Thud, thud—

The ground suddenly trembled. An earthquake? No! A huge 'something' was approaching.

A huge monster carrying an axe greater than its own height and shook the ground as it approached.

Broad shoulders, thick arms, a torso covered in short, coarse fur, sharp horns curving upward, with a snout, flared nostrils, and fierce, glowing eyes that convey a sense of rage and ferocity.

It was a monster that had the body of a man and the head of a bull.

Kuoooooh!

As soon as the massive beast spotted us, it let out a bone-rattling roar that reverberated through our ears.

[The grade 7 'Minatour' has used the skill 'Fear']

[Exclusive skill 'Omniscent Wall' has activated.]

[Exclusive skill 'Omniscient Wall' has negated the effects of 'Fear'.]

I remained unaffected because of the omniscent wall, but the rest of the group were not lucky. They trembled and froze under the aura of the predator.

"Everyone, snap out of it!"

My scream caused petrified party members regained their composure. In the next moment, we were suddenly forced to jump back.

Kwang!

A giant sword struck the spot where we were standing, leaving a massive dent in the ground.

If we were hit by that giant sword, we would have been crushed without delay. Fortunately, everyone was away from the danger zone.

How did Sung Jaewon deal with this Beast of Destruction? Regressors really have it good.

I quickly activated a skill and tried recalling a chapter that I've already read.

[Exclusive skill 'Omniscient Wall' has activated.]

[ Minatours are a warrior race so they possess natural strength several times greater than a human. However, they are vulnerable due to their lack of agility ]

Sung Jaewon was able to overwhelm the Beast using strength because he was an regressor who had already lived through multiple rounds. But the case was different for us.

Let's use a different strategy...

Lee Jongho and Kim Sungwoo were not around so someone had to take their place as the tanker.

Angelica and Jung Yunhee did not have build or stats necessary for the tanker position. Let's not even mention Lee Suhye. Therefore, there was only me.

I was reluctant to move but there was no choice. I opened my mouth and shouted.

"I'll draw its attention! Lee Suhye, attack it from a distance! Angell and Jung Yunhee, attack from its rears!"

"Understood!"

Lee Suhye loaded the gun while Angell and Jung Yunhee moved quickly.

I hurled a stone from the riverbank straight at the Minatour's grim face.

The Minatour scowled as if angered and rushed towards me.

Roarrr!

The massive beast spat out a deafening cry and swung the giant axe in an arc. In retaliation, I raised the Iron-severing sword to defend.

Clang—

Both swords crashed and sparks flew. I successfully blocked the giant axe but my hands trembled greatly. It was a strike filled with great force.

The beast lifted the giant axe and stared at it as if baffled. That was only for a moment before it started swinging the axe down like a hammer.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

I was able to endure the relentless onslaught because my strength and endurance were around Lv. 20 but my hands trembled uncontrollably.

Maybe I have just been lucky this entire time. Even so, that didn't matter now. I have already played my part in this story.

Puok! Puoookkkk!!

Several magic bullets flew and penetrated the Minatour's eyes and it screamed. Seizing this opportunity, Angelica and Jung Yunhee attacked simultaneously from both sides.

Angelica's shone shone with a golden aura. Perhaps she had a skill related to the holy attritude. It was a shame I couldn't check her status window.

Sukak! Supaak!

The Minatour spat out a strange cry as it was hit from both sides. The huge creature howled, brandishing its giant axe aimlessly in an unhinged frenzy as if hoping to catch us by some miracle.

Sukak! Supaak!

Puok! Puookkk!

Attacks continued to run down on the Minatour with it unable to defend properly. It felt like the Beast's stamina was decreasing in a steady pace. If this continued, we might be able to kill it.

Kiaaaa!

The rest of the bottom feeders rushed towards the bridge in a frenzy. I hurled several ether bombs towards them. It exploded upon contact and blew them apart.

After her magic bullet bounced off the skin of the huge beast, Lee Suhye grumbled a curse under her breath.

"What a tough bastard. Why won't it fall down already?"

"Don't waste your bullets. Aim for its weak spots."

"Where the hell are these weak spots?"

"It has the weak spots of a normal person."

At first, Lee Suhye tilted her head as if confused then a cruel smile slowly formed on her lips.

She raised her gun, took aim at the gigantic monster's lower parts and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Bang—

Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

A painful cry escaped from the beast as blood gushed out from its lower region. Just witnessing such a horrifying scene was enough to make me trembled subconsciously.

Even the strongest man in the world would scream if he was shot in the groin. The beast became agitated and swung the giant axe towards me.

I managed to jump back and created a safe distance between me and the Minatour.

Then I noticed the beast had started to behave strangely.

Instead of attacking relentlessly, the monster focused it's gaze on the bridge and stared at it for a while.

This bastard, it couldn't be...

I widened my eyes and shouted at the top of my lungs.

"He's aiming for the bridge!"

"Shit!"

"Quick, Stop it!"

Lee Suhye swiftly raised her gun and shot the monster several times. Although the magic bullets not penetrate the beast's skin, it did manage to get the beast's attention.

The beast glared at Lee Suhye momentarily before launching itself in a sprint towards the bridge.

"Damnit."

"Don't let it get to the bridge!"

Several bullets struck the beast but it didn't stop its relentless sprint. The ogres, crowded on its route, were blown away with tremendous force.

Has it gone mad? No, the bastard knew it was going to die. That's why it was hell-bent on destorying the bridge.

It was the same suicide tactic that I considered cringe. In fact, this story was cringe.

[Exclusive skill 'Soul Purifying Sword' has activated.]

An enormous amount of magic power was consumed and my sword shone with a brilliant glow. I didn't mind the high consumption of magic power. I had to prevent the destruction of the bridge no matter the cost.

I kicked the ground and lunged myself forward. Once I reached the space of the demonic beast, I swung the brilliant sword with all my might.

Kuoooooh!

The beast roared out in pain as its foot was severed and rolled across the ground. I rammed the blade here and there repeatedly. The purifying effects of the skill was causing the beast even more pain.

The beast glared at me with those yellow eyes before kicking the bucket.

[You are the first to hunt down the grade 7 Minatour species.]

[1000 coins has been received.]

Kia!

Stunned by the scene, the ogres hesitated. With the death of the Minatour, their remaining confidence was shattered.

What kind of strange expressions were they making? In any case, we should probably finish up here.

I swung the soul purifying sword across the air and the monsters retreated back in fear. They were afraid of the sword that slayed their strongest.

When I was about to approach the agitated ogres, I suddenly heard the voice of an Angel. It wasn't actually an Angel but it was someone that had the voice of an Angel.

"Jakga!"

"Angelica, what is it?"

"Look over there. Something is approaching!"

Suddenly, the sound of approaching hooves entered my eardrums. Was it more enemies? Fortunately, it was not what I was thinking.

At the end of the bridge, a large number of figures clad in shining red armor were rapidly approaching. The soldier at the forefront was waving a red flag.

I chuckled and said out loud. "It seems like we did it."

We managed to survive until the reinforcements arrived.

[Crimson Knights: X 550]

[Reinforcements has joined the battlefield.]