chapter_0075

Chapter 73: Rough Welcome Greeting

The Gladiator’s Arena gate, as described by Kang Hong-yeon, led directly to the boss room.

“This time, we need to be a little more cautious,” Cheong Harin advised.

“Because the boss monster’s strength alone earned it a B-class threat level,”

Siwoo replied.

The risk level is not determined solely by strength.

The risk level takes into account numerous factors such as the internal environment of the gate, the strength of the boss monster, the strength and characteristics of any minor monsters, and, most importantly, the interactions between the boss monster and its environment.

After considering all these conditions, the risk level is assessed.

“But, considering that the boss is a martial artist-type demon who doesn’t use magic and there are no other monsters present…” Siwoo continued, “The difficulty of this gate could be even harder than some low-grade A-class gates.”

Cheong Harin nodded at his speculation.

She released her magical power to assess the situation inside the gate.

After several checks, she arrived at only one conclusion.

“If we go down this corridor, the boss monster will be waiting for us.”

“Then, should we prepare magic just like last time?” Siwoo asked.

“Understood,” Cheong Harin replied.

They both knew that the demon awaiting them desired a fair, one-on-one fight, in an arena-like setting, specializing only in hand-to-hand combat.

It wasn’t just Siwoo who understood this; Cheong Harin also knew this well.

“I’ll prepare the maximum firepower with the railgun,” Cheong Harin said, taking a small bullet from her pocket.

The railgun, which had been used in the Lilith’s Playground mission, was Cheong Harin’s best weapon.

For a mage, casting their strongest magic wasn’t something they could do casually.

Even within the gate, the aftermath of such spells could easily overwhelm allies and hunters alike.

Thus, when considering the efficiency of the operation, Cheong Harin refrained from using maximum magic firepower.

The most powerful magic she could cast was something that, with luck, could be used maybe once a year.

For that reason, Cheong Harin hadn’t used her maximum magic power since Lilith’s Playground, believing she wouldn’t need to again.

“I’ll handle the fine-tuning. Cheong Harin Hunter, you just focus on firepower,” Siwoo instructed.

Despite this, over the past month of gate raids, Cheong Harin had fired her railgun more than a dozen times.

Cheong Harin’s specialty wasn’t as a main damage dealer but rather as a support role using her pistol—a weapon that allowed her to adapt and respond to any situation with precision and calm judgment, thanks to her engraving that suppressed emotions.

Although her attacks weren’t as strong as those of other hunters, she was versatile enough to handle any situation.

“Increase by 10 degrees to the right,” Siwoo said.

“Confirmed,” Cheong Harin replied.

At first, she hesitated several times.

With just one casting of magic, more than half of the mana that filled her entire body was consumed.

In this situation, the flexible response ability that the Akinese Guild wanted couldn’t shine.

“How much is the charging at now?”

“About 70%. Start creating some distance.”

Crack!

Blue lightning began to gather around the bullet.

The bullet, heated like crimson flames, emitted a forceful aura, as if it could explode at any moment.

‘We don’t need to worry about situational adaptability now.’

The bullet, having consumed the mana, emitted a strange scream.

Even a bullet coated three times with mana couldn’t contain the full power of a mage like Cheong Harin.

“90% charging complete. Please enhance my physical strength.”

“I’ve already prepared it.”

In addition, the enhancement of the nervous system was also completed.

Siwoo drew his sword from the sheath and readied his stance.

Upon seeing his partner’s prepared posture, Cheong Harin nodded and exhaled a heated breath.

No more words were needed.

Even if it had been just one month, the number of battlefields they had overcome together had already exceeded.

There was no lack of trust or confidence.

Cheong Harin’s role was unquestionable.

“100% charging complete. Railgun, firing.”

This was her answer to her partner’s trust.

Over the month, the bullets and magic had gone through repeated refinements.

Unlike hunters who were born with a mage’s engraving and inherited knowledge that was already complete, it was impossible for Cheong Harin to rely on anything but herself.

So she built it from zero.

She recreated a modern weapon, the railgun, which even medieval people could only dream of.

Through lightning, she generated a magnetic field and exploded the condensed electric power.

With two accelerations, the bullet shot past the speed of sound, annihilating the enemy.

Kang Hong-yeon had evaluated that it was a powerful magic, though only usable once, due to its immense power.

If the conditions were right, it could even be classified as a top-tier A-class spell.

With further refinements, it could even be effective at the lower levels of S-class.

In other words, it meant that the firepower and instantaneous power of this magic could surpass even the durability of re-awakened hunters, and even outdo the magic that once belonged to Yu Ga-eun, who had an SS-class engraving in the past.

The mana contained in the improved magic circle had grown to a level that couldn’t even be compared to the Playgrounds of Lilim.

It wasn’t that Cheong Harin’s total mana had increased, but rather that the amount of mana needed for safety had decreased compared to when she first cast the railgun.

She created a center of gravity in the form of a bullet to contain the mana that would otherwise leak out.

Through repeated improvements, she had eliminated unnecessary rituals.

This alone was enough to elevate the power to an entirely new level.

“I’ll shoot.”

With the familiar trigger word, the bullet was fired.

The trajectory of the bullet met with the air pressure and lightning created by the bullet’s path, vanishing into nothing.

Even Siwoo’s enhanced senses, thanks to his nervous system strengthening, couldn’t track the bullet as it sped by.

At this range, unless something extraordinary happened, the demon would have no chance to retaliate.

‘But I have to finish it.’

Fwoosh.

A faint black flame rose from Siwoo’s emerald-colored eyes.

The demon would die from that shot.

However, the calm expression on the demon’s face as it met its end with the railgun never left Siwoo’s mind.

He could understand how other monsters might behave, but demons were another story.

These creatures, who detested the idea of their scenario being disrupted, who would turn their eyes away from tragic events as if they were trivial, showed such a serene demeanor in the face of their own death?

‘It feels… unsettling.’

Whoosh!

The black flames swirled and gathered around Siwoo’s sword, following his thoughts.

Despite being a completely different energy from mana, controlling the black flames was remarkably simple.

Unlike the manipulation of charm, which had been complex and rooted in his engraving, the black flames—starting from his engraving—responded freely to Siwoo’s will.

Crack!

The iron bars shattered, and the vast arena of the coliseum came into view.

In the center of the dome-shaped structure, with the sun shining brightly overhead, a white-haired demon holding a black two-handed sword stood, gazing blankly at the sky.

Despite the shockwave from the railgun coming closer, the demon did not move.

‘No, it’s not that it can’t move.’

With the speed involved, it would be impossible to even perceive it.

No matter how superior a demon’s physical abilities were, if it couldn’t react, it was meaningless.

The bullet, which could not be avoided due to the lightning-fast speed, moved straight toward the demon’s heart.

When the distance between the bullet and the demon was mere inches away…

Swish.

The demon’s eyelids opened.

As the darkness receded, light appeared in the demon’s eyes.

And then.

Fwoosh—!

The demon’s eyes ignited.

A different purple flame, unlike Siwoo’s black flames, burned fiercely in the demon’s gaze.

“-!!!”

Mana, laced with killing intent, spread across the entire coliseum.

Breathing became difficult. The oppressive aura of murderous intent caused Siwoo to slow down.

Siwoo, gritting his teeth, lifted his head, ignoring the terrifying sense of suffocation he hadn’t felt in a long time, and glared at the demon.

‘It’s already too late!!’

No matter how fast he moved, there was no way to deflect a bullet traveling at that speed.

A faint smile spread across Siwoo’s face as he thought victory was already within his grasp.

“…?”

The demon’s gaze shifted from the bullet.

It was no longer focused on the bullet but was directed at Siwoo, the one who was rushing toward it—its natural enemy.

“I have my answer. By sending the second death in response to my question, you have given your answer,” the demon uttered an incomprehensible phrase.

“Then… I, too, will defy the one I worship by overcoming this death.”

At the same moment, the demon’s sword moved.

Fwoosh!

The purple flames burst from the demon’s black sword.

And simultaneously, in the slowed-down time, only the demon’s lethal strike accelerated.

The accelerated strike soon reached…

Shing—!

The bullet, having reached the speed of sound, was cleaved in half.

Thus, Siwoo answered the demon’s fierce greeting.