Demon King

After the conversation I had with Rain was finished, I silently walked to the boss room without talking to Lee Chan-yu and inspected myself.

I have Baptism of Blood, Blood Shadow, Herma’s Bloodstone Ring, and finally, five daggers.

Subsequently, my status was also confirmed.

[Kang Si-ha (Fate)]

[Bug Bear Lv 89]

[Strength: 739 Stamina: 663 Magic: 514 Luck: ???]

[Skills: Ebon Heart, Predation Lv4, Advanced Martial Arts Lv3, Intermediate Lunatic Trickster Lv7, Intermediate Armor Defense Lv8, Intermediate Regeneration Lv7, Intermediate Flame Magic Lv7, Intermediate Power Attack Lv6, Intermediate Black Lv9, Intermediate Leap Lv9, Advanced Detection Lv4, Advanced Surprise Lv9, Advanced Fairy Tale Lv3, Intermediate Beast Rush Lv9, Advanced Leadership Lv2, Advanced Immunity Lv3, Beginner Fantasy Magic Lv4, Beginner Healing Magic Lv6, Beginner Speed Attack Lv2, Beginner Water Magic Lv6, Beginner Fire Lv3, Intermediate Flight Lv2, Beginner Stone Skin Lv8, Beginner Shadow Step Lv2, Beginner Madness Noise Lv1, Beginner Ice Magic Lv4]

There were many skills. If not too many.

Of course, I use a lot of these skills, but there were also some that I barely ever use.

Among the overwhelmingly useless skills, one of those was the flying skill that I acquired in the process of eating tens of thousands of flying monsters on the third floor. It has since grown up to the intermediate level.

If I got it early, when I was still a goblin, I would have been naively happy the moment I gain the skill. Flying in the sky was the romance of mankind. But it wasn’t that big of a deal to me anyway. Even if I wanted to use the skill, it was only usable for those with wings or body organs related to flight.

Because numerous monsters that could fly were abundant, this skill proliferated amongst the skills that grew through Predation. And now it’s Intermediate Level 2.

However, wasn’t it the material for the Lunatic Trickster, one of my best skills now, that created spider webs that was the forefront of uselessness? Either way, I was looking forward to using Flight as a skill synthesis material.

Anyway, the growth of my status and skills are going smoothly. I only liked that the Surprise skill could not grow to the highest level, but everything else was perfect. I had some expectations that maybe I would grow up in the process of dealing with the Powered Ripper.

I stood in front of the boss room. I presented Lee Chan-yu with an operation that wasn’t actually an operation.

“I’ll take care of the boss. Can you take care of the other seven in the room?”

Without Lee Chan-yu, I would have had to deal with the other enemies’ attacks while dealing with the boss. I didn’t think it was impossible, but if it would make hunting the boss more manageable, why would I choose the harder path?

“It must be all are rare and high-leveled species, right?”

“Mhm.” Lee Chan-yu smiled and confirmed. “I’m good with that. You don’t mind if I take them out, right?”

“Don’t die.”

Though he spoke jokingly, Lee Chan-yu was trembling slightly. As was I tense. He tapped my shoulder before I noticed it.

“Don’t worry about it. Come on.”

“You don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to. I can do it by myself.”

“No, don’t mistake me. I want to do this.”

Then it can’t be helped. I smiled lightly, put the boss room key in the keyhole, then turned it.

The large iron door opened, and sixteen eyes inside looked at us at the same time.

“Uh…” Lee Chan-yu muttered. “It’s a little different from the dungeon boss room I knew.

[Because, you guys.]

A humming voice rang in my ears.

[Because this is a Black Palace!]

An immense black shockwave hit us. It came from a dark-shaped monster wearing a black hood. It was a mana wave protruding from the tip of a giant scythe wielded by who is obviously the Powered Reaper!

I was convinced that even though I was wearing ancient class armor, I wouldn’t be able to block it. I immediately grabbed Lee Chan-yu and used Leap and Beast Rush. However, the second and third swings flew in succession, making it scary to land on the floor. It left me no choice but to continuously sue my movement skills.

But it wasn’t just the enemy.

[Eat all you want! Food has come to relieve your hunger for many years!]

“Kerung!”

“Koahang!”

The seven monsters in the boss room with the Powered Ripper were black, huge, red-eyed dogs. There was an image that came to mind when I saw them. Hell’s hounds. Hellhounds.

Even before the Reaper spoke, they were already chasing up. When they opened their big mouths, I saw what looked jagged and sharp teeth shaped like a saw blade, Even the black flames swaying from deep in the throat were not that terrifying.

The moment I thought so, black flames shot out straight from their mouths! They really are hellhounds!

“Boss, throw me at them!”

“Try not to die!”

I threw Lee Chan-yu while running away from the black flames and the Reaper’s shockwave. Lee Chan-yu pulled out a long claw and landed it on the back of a hellhound, screaming War Cry.

“Kha, ah, ah!”

He shouted to grab the attention of the hellhounds. Unfortunately, there was one other caught in the War Cry.

[Are you asking me to take care of you first?]

The moment he turned to Lee Chan-yu, I rushed towards the Reaper with Surprise, Fairy Tale, Leap, Shadow Walk, and Beast Rush activated all at once!

[I’m reading all your energy!]

“Break.”

Just before reaching him, a giant scythe fell vertically in front of my eyes, blocking my rush. You were reading my energy? What lies. If I read my moves earlier, I wouldn’t have responded with such a passive defense!

‘Does your ability to detect crease when they get closer to you? It could be the ability of a skill or an artifact.’

I kicked the scythe to the side and jumped into the air. I glanced at the Powered Reaper’s pale face as if looking through the body hidden under the hood.

At the same, the power of Lunatic Trickster triggered three traps. It was all tied to tie his feet and suspend him in the air.

However, the next moment, the body blurred. And just before the trap was triggered, it leaped into the air, moving fast enough to be considered teleportation!

Intuitively, I noticed that the Reaper’s previous skill was Shadow Step. It was a Shadow Step that far surpassed mine, which is still at the lower level.

[If you want to die that much, I shall deal with you first!]

Against the scythe he wielded, I swung with Blood Shadow. At the clashing of the two weapons, mana spewed out like a light, with a violent reaction.

Could it be that I didn’t know I could keep up with his power? The Powered Reaper was clearly embarrassed.

[On the subject of bugbear!]

The moment after I felt that the black energy from the scythe was intensifying, another scythe made of mana appeared over my head. In a split-second judgment, I created a trap made of half mana and two demonic hooks. It grabbed the mana scythe and bounced it off the Powered Reaper!

[Huh?!]

The moment he was wounded from the unexpected counterattack, he retreated. Not wanting to let this chance slip away, I made a whip of black lightning with one hand and swung it at him, wrapping around his neck.

“Hot!”

As I rushed towards him and stabbed my sword in his neck! I thought I could finish it this time if I could.

But my judgment was wrong. While the Reaper was caught by the whip, his body blurred again, then disappeared and reappeared a little later.

[My body is close to ethereal. You are mistaken if you think you can hold me with that kind of magic.]

He didn’t attack carelessly. Perhaps it was because he was wary of the trap that I used on his sickle a while ago. He was only focused on my timing, swinging the giant scythe in his hand.

I got nervous when I found a black jewel that shone out of place on the base of the scythe’s blade. The Jewel of Pelcadia! Perhaps it is the power of that jewel that helps him escape the Black Rose Whip now?

Regardless, I had to be on the lookout for any traps that might come out. Luckily, it was one of the things I got used to while hunting various monsters on the third floor.

I hit the floor again. The Reaper rushed towards me as if he was sliding in the air. Dozens of black spheres rising around him darted towards me before he could reach me. In retaliation, I had to use fire magic.

At that moment, he disappeared before my eyes. At the same time, the Reaper’s scythe rose from my feet.

[Hahahahahahahahaha!]

Along with the Reaper’s unpleasant laughter, the real scythe that glowed black sliced my body.

[…What? This is not his shadow!]

To explain, he sliced the illusion of my body that showed only my appearance using the Fairy Tale skill. It was a remarkable achievement through linking abilities that I got used to now.

When the trap inside the illusion was triggered, five demonic hooks tried to grab and pull him. I was embarrassed because the Reaper noticed it earlier than I thought. Still, when he finished grasping the situation anyway, I was positioned right behind him.

[Intermediate Leap raised to Level 10 and evolves into Advanced Leap! You can leap again in the air. It only consumes mana and stamina.]

[Beginner Fantasy Magic raised Level 10 and evolves into Intermediate Fantasy Magic! It becomes possible to create a more realistic illusion! By consuming mana, it becomes possible to give temporary power and magic to the illusion.]

Without looking at the two notification windows, I swung Blood Shadow, blowing it across him. Power Attack, Speed Attack, and finally, blood! At the end of the open swing from Blood Shadow, the Reaper’s head was split in half.

[Kia aaaahhhhhhh!!]

For the first time, he was able to elicit a satisfying scream from the enemy. However, the moment he made the critical hit, the scythe appeared randomly from all directions.

I hurriedly made full use of Leap and Beast Rush, withdrawing back and landed. However, the Reaper’s attack did not end just like that. The moment I stepped on the floor, the scythe rose from the tiny shadow created by the light in the dark boss room and tried to cut my foot!

Observing it with a heightened sense, I left the place just before the scythe caught my ankle. Had it not been for the Baptism of Blood that absorbs light, the shadow would have been more significant than that, and if it had been, my ankle would have been cut off no matter what.

‘Okay…’

At this point, I was sure. The power of Pelcadia’s jewel that the Reaper possessed was none other than that of shadow! The Shadow Walk that was strengthened to the limit and attacking by invading others’ shadows was a ridiculously powerful ability. The first thing he reads is my movements, probably because of the darkness. I must have stepped on his shadow!

In retrospect, the moment when Lunatic Trickster appeared was breathtaking. It was mistaken as me created by my flame magic. If not, the attack wouldn’t have worked.

I was lucky in many ways. It was like that now.

If it had begun to invade my shadow before Leap reached the advanced level, there would have been nothing I could do. When he was looking down on me, I was very fortunate that my skill had improved in due time.

[Die!]

I took out the corpses of the rare higher species I had saved in my inventory, eating them as my illusion leaped into the air. It kept stepping through the air without anything as if there was a footstool.

My shadow can no longer threaten me. It’s not that scary. In the end, the Powered Reaper was just a high-end intermediate monster.

My illusion’s propensity to fight was similar to mine, though at a lower level. The only thing to watch out for are shadows!

A shockwave flew in again. I avoided it using Leap and Beast Rush at the same time. Once again, I stepped in the air and now saw him in front of me.

I figured out how to tackle this, and I was sure not to rely on shadows.

All the trajectories he swung in the air became mana scythes and flew at my throat. At that very moment, I used 50% of my mana to activate Intermediate Flame Magic. A flame entwined me, him, and everyone around him.

[Foolish! Do you think you can burn me with that weak flame?]

Once again, a combination of Illusion magic and Fairy Tale left only my presence and illusion in my place. At this close range, the trap shouldn’t work, but now it will.

[There you are!]

Dozens of scythes rushed to my illusion. Good. He didn’t detect me.

Now that a particular space is filled with fire, there are no shadows created. Even there were, it would be far away from where we are fighting.

This strategy won’t last long.

Avoiding the scythe flying overhead, I leaped into the air. Using Surprise and Fairy Tale turned me into a haze in the flame, with Beast Rush lingering on both my legs. Using Leap created a foothold in the air. I kicked it.

[Intermediate Beast Rush raised to Level 10 and evolved into Advanced Beast Rush! Accelerating and dead stopping is more manageable. If you use Beast Rush in tandem with other movement skills, the ability is amplified!]

[Congratulations! You have satisfied the conditions for synthesizing special high-level skills!]

I don’t see the notification window now. There’s no time for skill synthesis during battle.

A black scythe from beyond the flames ran into my body. Of course, I was expecting it. It’s just one of the powers that the Reaper has.

However, at this level, Baptism of Blood cannot be penetrated. In fact, it didn’t do much damage. The scythe could only serve as a reminder of my real strength in comparison to the Reaper.

The problem is that it was too late for him to notice.

The moment when the Reaper recovered the thrust scythe, he looked astonished as I swung with all my mana poured into Blood Shadow.

[What?!]

In one swing, I successfully removed the Reaper’s neck from his body.

[You gained 250,109 experience!]

[You acquired 500 gold!]

[You acquired Pelcadia’s Gem (Black)!]

[You acquired the Cloak of the Lesser Reaper!]

I looked behind, trampling the body of the Powered Reaper falling to the floor.

I had done my part, so I thought it was time to help my partner.

That’s what I thought, but Lee Chan-yu was evolving into a hellhound when I got there.