27 – Divine Beast

Constellation-nim, ah, what is this!

“What kind of compensation is this! This isn’t right!”

The increase in my body’s charm was a bit embarrassing, but it didn’t really matter.

I was already pretty, and there weren’t any major visible changes, so it wasn’t a big deal.

But the size itself increasing was a different matter.

It’s a bit embarrassing.

I could feel the weight.

“It’s also uncomfortable…”

It’s not like they got violently bigger or anything.

It’s just… wow… they’re big… to that extent.

It doesn’t hinder combat, but the embarrassment is a different matter.

Besides, it’s not just uncomfortable, but I can feel the weight, so I keep being conscious of it.

[Constellation, ‘Moon-Cleaving Flash’ is pleased with the appearance.]

“Why are you laughing!”

Is my Constellation such a pervert!

I started to get a little scared.

If I ever meet him, I’m going to get messed up somehow… No, no! Let’s trust the Constellation!

“Ugh… next opponent.”

Still in the middle of the trial, I pulled myself together and stared at the passage where the next opponent would appear.

The iron bars were already open, and the sixth enemy walked out with a dignified air.

[You have encountered an S-rank wolf Beast-man type monster ‘High-end Lycan’.]

A similar type of enemy to the lion Beast-man from before appeared.

Similar build to the lion Beast-man Van-Kalle, but looking a bit more agile.

What was certain was that this enemy looked stronger than the last one.

“From now on, it’s better to use Sacred Haze right away.”

[Skill, ‘Sacred Haze(S)’ is activated.]

[Item, ‘Derkael’s Immortality(S)’ unique attribute ‘Purity’ is confirmed to be active.]

[Skill, ‘Sacred Haze(S)’ performance is increased.]

“….?”

An unexpected skill enhancement.

I thought it was just a useless attribute that only increased charm and stamina, but I didn’t know it would still have an effect here.

‘For now, it’s better to focus on the enemy.’

Thinking that, I pointed the tip of my sword at the High-end Lycan in front of me, or High-kan for short this time.

And suddenly.

[Skill, ‘Mana Beam(A)’ is activated.]

A white beam of murderous intent shot out.

It fired a beam thick enough to cover almost this entire area.

I didn’t shoot it with the intention of dealing a significant blow.

Since it’s A-rank, even if I shot it with all my might, it would only cause a scratch.

‘The reason I used it is for a smokescreen.’

When you use Mana Beam, a large Flash is emitted.

Even if there’s no damage, it should at least blind them.

It’s similar to a lower-ranked Flash magic, but this one just pours out mana like crazy to force it.

“Shall we use some Northern Demon Swordsmanship for the first time in a while?”

It would be difficult to even feel the presence.

Even with the big difference between S and A, the caster is S-rank, so it can’t be completely ignored.

The presence is mostly felt through sound and the spread of mana, but the sound was blocked by the huge beam that struck the ears.

Similarly, the Mana Beam, which is a pure mass of mana, will interfere and block the mana.

Thinking that, I put mana into the sword held with both hands, just like when I first used it.

Without thinking, just mindlessly like the first time!

“Bisect!”

As I slashed down vertically in one go, a mass of insanely condensed mana flew along the path of the sword.

“Kuaaaack!!”

A little later, I felt the enemy’s form disappear along with a scream.

I feel a little bad that I couldn’t even see the corpse this time.

[-You have killed an -Evil- aligned enemy.]

[Stack increases.]

[1/5]

….

“Uh, that compensation is over, so there won’t be anything like that anymore, right?”

I tried to think that way and turned my head away from the passage that I had been looking forward to earlier.

Every time I look at that, I can feel my chest getting a little heavier.

“Now there are four left.”

Judging by the upward trend, the next monster is probably S-rank.

And the monster after that will also be S-rank, and to be honest, since the owner here is SS-rank, I don’t think they’ll give me SS-rank, so I think they’ll give me S+ from then on.

The last 10th monster… I don’t know.

“Constellation-nim, do you know the tenth monster?”

[Constellation, ‘Moon-Cleaving Flash’ is silent.]

I thought so.

If he had the mind to tell me, he would have told me where this is.

Thinking that the Constellations have their own circumstances, I looked at the next enemy that would come out soon.

[You have encountered an S-rank humanoid monster, ‘Top Gladiator Sega’.]

Now back to a humanoid monster, and an enemy of the gladiator type.

But I couldn’t let my guard down.

He was definitely stronger than that wolf from before.

“Are you the challenger who came this time?”

“…Oh.”

Finally, an opponent I can have a proper conversation with has appeared.

“I am Sega. I’m a veteran of this arena.”

“I’m S-rank Hunter Baek Ha-yeon.”

While exchanging greetings, they would be feeling each other’s mana circulation.

“Do you know where this place is?”

“You should know too, right? It’s the Divine Beast’s trial ground. This is the second trial ground among them.”

“I know that much…”

Ha-yeon lowered her head in disappointment at the answer she already knew.

“Well, I can’t tell you the details due to the System’s regulations… but if you’ve come this far, it’s okay to tell you this much.”

“…? What is it?”

She perked up her ears at his words that he would tell her something and waited for him to speak.

“If you lose here, you will become a Slave Gladiator in this arena. That goes for the opponents you’ve faced so far, and for me too.”

“….Huh? What do you mean… Keuk!”

Her eyes widened at the shocking words, and just as she was about to ask what he meant, Sega raised his rapier and stabbed her.

Ha-yeon blocked the surprise attack with her reflexes and retreated.

“I can’t tell you the details about that!”

But he didn’t seem to want to stop, and he rushed at her with a speed that couldn’t be compared to before and poured out attacks.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal clashing echoed in the arena.

After exchanging a few blows, Ha-yeon used Sacred Haze to turn to the side with a speed that surpassed Sega’s and used One Extreme Flash, but.

“….!!”

“An attack using the System! The attack is too simple!”

It was just a guess, but since he became S-rank with just a rapier, he wasn’t fooled by shallow tricks using the System.

Even if I use One Extreme Flash, I’m the one being pushed back.

‘Then…’

I just need to push him with my own strength without the help of the System.

This time, Ha-yeon attacked first and swung horizontally in a big motion.

“Your strength… is strong!”

“You’re blocking this?”

Just as I thought I had succeeded in attacking by swinging a sword with quite a bit of mana.

Sega blocked the attack with a mana shield he had created at some point.

“How simple! Is this the education method of the modern generation!”

If you’re saying that to me… what would you say if you saw Seol-ah?

I smiled a little at the ad-lib that came to mind in the middle of the fight and stepped back to regain my stance.

“Don’t worry, this isn’t the end.”

I didn’t know I would have to use this from the sixth one…

Thinking that, Ha-yeon cut her left hand just a little.

[Blood has been detected.]

[Title, ‘Sword Demon’ effect is activated.]

[Title, ‘Cold Blood(B)’ effect is activated.]

I felt my head getting hot.

At the same time, my skin was getting stronger and hotter, but my head was cold only when it came to combat.

Confirming the activation of the title and epithet, I rushed at Sega.

“Fast! Is this your true strength!”

He thrust his rapier at me.

But…..

‘I really don’t have time to delay anymore.’

My stamina is starting to drop.

There are still seven, eight, nine, and the last tenth enemy left, so I don’t have time to be doing this here.

No matter how strong the opponent is, even if they can talk, a quick resolution is the top priority.

Dodging his thrusting rapier to the side, she swung her sword sideways faster and stronger than before.

And the sword split Sega in half.

“….”

This time, the Stack notification window didn’t appear.

It’s probably because this man named Sega doesn’t belong to any of the Evil, Chaos, or Undead alignments.

“Next.”

The System must be watching, seeing as how it’s been waiting and adjusting the timing appropriately.

As if that expectation was correct, the iron bars quickly opened as she muttered, and the next opponent came out.

[You have encountered an S-rank humanoid monster, ‘Slave Gladiator Thief Rugalia’.]

Looking at the hybrid name, I charged straight in without delay this time.

“I am the king of thieves! Come on and try to…”

“Shut up.”

He was about to counterattack, but.

‘Sacred Haze.’

While pretending to clash swords with Sacred Haze, I naturally slipped to the side and immediately cut off his neck.

Completely opposite weight compared to that Sega from before.

It was the method of using Sacred Haze that I had roughly sensed while fighting Sega.

I didn’t know if I could succeed in one go.

[-You have killed an -Evil- aligned enemy.]

[Stack increases.]

[2/5]

This time, the Stack is going up.

In the eyes I briefly met before the corpse disappeared, there was a great sense of bewilderment.

But it’s not my business, so I decided to just ignore it.

“Now there are three left.”

With so few left, she started to go berserk.

It is said that the remaining humanoid monsters, excluding the tenth, felt a chill for some reason in the unknown waiting room.