Strange-

A gust of wind blew, accompanied by the unpleasant sound of something metallic twisting. Unlike before, it wasn’t a simple fall, but a heavy impact that pierced through the air, pounding the air. Parak, the stream flowing through the air moved swiftly like dragonfly wings, and amidst it, a small, damp humanoid figure blinked with wide eyes. Its watery wings fluttered, briefly glancing at Seong Hyeon-je and Song Tae-won.

Whoosh, it disappeared. Song Tae-won, who was taking a battle stance, raised his eyebrows.

“…Weren’t all the intruders targeting you?”

“Everyone has different opinions. I thought it looked quite delicious.”

Should I chase after it? Seonghyeonje muttered softly, tracing the faint, fading traces of the watery magic. Certainly, the very presence itself was different from anything before. The sky, which had once shed a gleaming light even beyond the thick dark clouds, had now become silent. The invasion hadn’t stopped. A sense of spatial distortion surged in from all sides. There was also the sound of a rumbling, a pounding, a lingering presence, unable to penetrate.

The more powerful a being, the more difficult it becomes to step into a world outside their own. Something scratched the wall and twisted. A creak, a creak, a crack, a crack. Thud! Two paths appeared almost simultaneously above the ruined building.

“It’s raining!”

A long, monolithic servant opened his umbrella. Beside it, angular flowers, seemingly made of white, opaque glass, swirled their leaves. The monolithic servant looked at Seonghyeonje. The ornaments on his horn swayed.

“See you later.”

Feet clad in horseshoe-like shoes lightly tapped the ground. Glass flowers clanged as they approached the monocle, who was climbing the tip of the fallen pillar.

“What? I won’t stop you, but you’re at a disadvantage before the system takes effect. You won’t be able to use your skills properly.”

In worlds where the system was active, both subordinate and transcendent beings had to follow it. However, beings from other worlds needed time to adapt to the system, as their skills were adjusted to suit the level and environment of that world. While some skills could be used immediately without localization, this was not the case.

“It seems like the manager here is deliberately trying to procrastinate.”

The flowers swirled and twirled. Dozens of petals transformed into sharp thorns around the round bead in the center.

“Yurira.”

Glass is a classic insulator. Ordinary glass would simply melt with the intense heat of an electric current, but this was a subordinate of the Transcendent. Its durability would also ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) be remarkable. The monocle subordinate glanced at Seonghyeonje and kicked the ground again. Its back quickly vanished into the distance.

The lone glass flower slowly moved its thorny petals. Raindrops trickled down the smooth surface. Song Tae-won took a step forward. At the same time, Seong Hyeon-je, applying force to his heels, spun around.

Kang!

The chain, swinging wildly, collided with something unseen. It was another subordinate, who had hidden himself and attacked. It was a perfect stealth skill, one that even S-class senses couldn’t detect. However, Seonghyeonje possessed combat foresight.

Song Tae-won, quickly assessing the situation, kicked the ground without hesitation. The glass flower belonged to him, and the hider belonged to Seong Hyeon-je. There was no need for conversation. Sharp glass petals flew towards Song Tae-won as he charged. Instead of dodging the petals pouring down from all directions, Song Tae-won used a defensive item. A S-class, single-use consumable item. It was something he would never use under his normal circumstances.

Kang, Kaga River!

The glass petals beat fiercely against the barrier. The barrier shattered, and a few petals, still with momentum, grazed Song Taewon’s body. He ran without slowing down, risking minimal injury, and soon reached the main body of the glass flower.

Swish. The tips of the combat boots slammed into the floor, as if stabbing. The handcuffed hands clenched, and the line extending from the shoulder was pulled back sharply. The center of the flower, anticipating the incoming attack, began to glow red, strengthening its defenses.

The already sturdy race now boasts powerful defensive skills. The flower, judging it could easily withstand the blows of an S-class hunter, regenerated its leaves instead of dodging. Sharp petals rose again behind Song Tae-won, forming a new form. Just before they could strike, a clenched fist extended out in a smooth line, casting a pitch-black shadow.

Slurr-

Just as the fist was about to touch, the shadow first struck the flower’s center. The all-consuming power instantly eroded the red glass sphere’s defensive skills. The red aura vanished, its surface paling, and even the magical power within it dissipated.

– Chaang!

The flower let out a startled noise. The attack struck before he could even react. Hearing the sharp sound of the air slicing behind him, Song Tae-won, without a moment’s hesitation, poured all his strength into a single point, along with his fist.

Wow!

The glass sphere cracked. Handcuffed hands sliced ​​through it, digging inward. The shattered glass scraped against Song Tae-won’s exposed wrist, then up his forearm, crawling up to his elbow. The thorny petals, which had reached Song Tae-won’s back, clattered to the floor. Then the glass sphere, too, split in two and fell with a thud, rolling away.

A magic stone appeared between the fragments. Song Tae-won hesitated for a moment before picking it up. A loud crack echoed from behind. An unseen enemy swung its claws like blades. Seong Hyeon-je twisted his upper body to avoid the attack and turned to Song Tae-won.

Whoosh-

Instead of intervening, Song Tae-won threw a magic stone at him. “Pillage” was particularly effective against enemies who relied on their defensive capabilities. On the other hand, it was difficult to use against opponents who struggled to reach with such a type of pillage. Trying to help an enemy without detecting them would only hinder them.

Seonghyeonje, who had received the flying magic stone, absorbed it. Though he was annoyed by the powerful stealth skill, he still seemed relaxed. After dodging several more attacks, he began to disperse subtle currents. The stealth skill distorted his mana perception, but he couldn’t completely avoid the direct current.

Amidst the current, the enemy’s form was vaguely visible. “Chaaaaak,” Sung Hyun-je’s toe kicked a long puddle of stagnant water. A wall of water rose high toward the enemy. “Crackle!” The electricity already spreading through the water seeped into it. It permeated the rising mass of water, the falling raindrops, the damp air. Light seemed to condense from the mass of water covering the subject.

Kwaaang!

An explosion occurred. A continuous blast of sound engulfed the subjects, causing a rumbling noise. Seonghyeonje, who had stepped forward to dodge, raised a piece of chain and hurled it toward the center of the explosion. At the same time,

Kwarung!

Lightning struck. A simple lightning strike, even an A-rank, not an S-rank, could easily deflect. This was because his body was protected by powerful magical power. However, the lightning struck immediately after the Holy Emperor’s mana condensed and exploded on the water, striking him with a powerful blow. It pierced his subordinate’s body and burned him. His armor had been stripped away, and he was stabbed.

Another magic stone was grasped by Seonghyeonje. Before he could catch his breath, he sensed a new presence. Some left immediately to await system application, but others remained, their teeth bared. A giant, seemingly made of twisted, ancient trees, bent its body. A massive lump of condensed mud from a swamp licked up the rainwater. A swaying cloth quietly settled down. It moved, hollow and ghostly.

“It doesn’t seem like it’ll be easy this time.”

Song Tae-won spoke softly. Judging by the form, it seemed like it would be more difficult than before. However, it was easier to deal with them now than after the system was implemented. They had a significant advantage in both skills and items.

Thump, the giant stepped forward. The tree, too, was likely to possess a strong regenerative capacity against insulators. Two pairs of eyes watched the movements of its subjects, as if observing them. Even a brief observation would reveal a characteristic, making the encounter easier.

The sky sways, and the mud gradually spreads. The air is filled with a cool tension.

Gooooong-

The ringing sounded again. Song Tae-won’s frown narrowed slightly at the new intrusion. “There are too many of them.” The space slowly split apart as he wished for them to leave.

Whew.

Black butterflies fluttered through the gap. Dozens, hundreds. A human figure glimpsed through the swarm, swaying like pitch-black smoke. His toes touched the butterflies, gently walking through the air. The rain falling around them disappeared without a sound.

Those who belong to the outside world must reapply titles and skills. However, those who originally belong to this world must also reapply titles and skills.

[Lonely Strategist (SSS)]

A title is applied. A hunter who has killed ten thousand S-rank or higher monsters alone. If no one around the title holder is friendly, attack power, defense, and agility are greatly increased. Resistance skill effects are increased. Already strong abilities are further enhanced with buffs.

Everyone’s eyes turned to him, overwhelmed by the weight of the air. Butterflies fluttered about in a dizzying flurry. Black hems and hair could be seen brushing between them, but their precise form was difficult to discern. The butterflies seemed to obscure him like a curtain.

A white hand reaches forward. Droplets of blood drip from the fingertips, and the butterfly that touches it transforms into flames. Black flames flutter. The beautiful sight of the flames gently lands on the ground.

Hwarur!

A black flame arose. The flames began to engulf everything.

[Blessing of Fire (SS)

A blessing given to those who possess three or more fire attribute skills of SS rank or higher.

Increases the effectiveness of fire-attribute skills. Immune to preemptive attacks from fire-attribute monsters. Stats increase in fire-attribute environments. Increased recovery in flames.

In addition, the fire attribute skill was enhanced (S). The fire spread rapidly amidst the overlapping enhancements. Without any time to react, the flames engulfed everything, consuming everything from building debris to stagnant rainwater and road debris. The subordinates were no exception.

– This fire!

The giant tree shuddered. Black flames clung to the delicious prey. Despite its regenerative powers, the burned parts of the giant never recovered. Unable to escape, it staggered amidst the flames. The cloth tore off its burning ends and flew away, disappearing. The mud clods recoiled from the fire. The moisture of the vast swamp threatened to extinguish the flames.

[Footprints of Ashes (SS)

A hunter who has burned countless dungeons. Behind him, a ash-colored path stretches.

Another title took effect. Burning more than two-thirds of the surrounding environment increases your stats. The fire becomes even more intense. The swamp writhes and resists, the rain disappears before even reaching the ground. His gaze fell on the two people standing in the flames. Song Tae-won’s mouth tightened. It’s dangerous. A chilling sense of crisis washed over him, telling him that this time, he wouldn’t be safe.

Charuk, the chains moved and the black shadow disappeared. At a speed close to teleportation.

Kaga River!

The blade clashed with the chain. At the same time, a burst of light erupted. A tremendous surge of electricity poured out, but he paid it no heed. Layers of attribute resistance, and, as expected, his stats had also been enhanced. Equipment that had originally belonged to this world. The sword spun around, wrapping itself around the chain. His toes, weaving through the current blocking his path, aimed for Seonghyeonje’s chest. With the help of his battle foresight, he barely evaded the blow, but with a squeak, the hem of his clothes was torn, leaving a faint wound.

It was a terrifying speed. As soon as Seonghyeonje stepped back, the raised black toe landed on the butterfly. Running backwards through the air, it aimed for Song Taewon first. A black shadow barely managed to swallow the flames that surged like a raging wrath. As if waiting for this moment, the body that had been kicking the butterfly through the air aimed its blade.

Crunch!

“…Huh!”

A sword plunged into his twisted torso. It was his shoulder. He barely avoided a vital point, but that wasn’t the end. A white, firm hand released the sword without hesitation. Flames formed in his grip, transforming into a spear. A golden chain flew towards the spear, which was about to strike his head. With a snap, the spear stopped in midair.

Hwaruk- He scattered and clung to the chains that were trying to stop him. At the same time, he swung his leg instead of his spear and struck Song Tae-won’s head hard.

Everything happened in an instant. The gap in strength and speed was clear. Song Tae-won’s body flew wildly and fell to the ground. The shock shook his brain, preventing him from getting up straight and he stumbled to the ground.

“The appearance.”

Even though it wasn’t visible, Seonghyeonje’s words were cut off. The blade cut through the air with a chilling shiver. The ground beneath my feet was already burning and melting, making it difficult to even step on it. Even battle foresight wouldn’t be effective if I couldn’t keep up with my opponent’s speed.

Kwakwakwang!

Lightning strikes again and again, but there’s no time to catch it. Butterflies flutter.

Sparks fluttered. The golden chains shattered and split, and even the light that was his essence melted away. Seonghyeonje’s body slid long and thick across the muddy floor. His feet slammed into the black earth, brushing past his faded hair. He directly injected electricity through his hand that touched the ground. Boom! The ground exploded, melting and scorched earth rising up, obscuring his vision. But even that was fleeting, vanished in the encroaching flames. Black flames engulfed Seonghyeonje. The hem of his clothes, which he quickly retreated, burned. There was no longer any damage. He held on precariously, relying only on the tightrope of battle foresight and keen senses.

‘That’s dangerous.’

It wasn’t like there was no way out. Using the absorbed magic stones and the accumulated power, he could somehow fight back. But that would make it even harder to control the accumulated power. Would he rather die? Seong Hyeon-je’s feet faltered for a moment. The blade slashed through his throat without hesitation. He was grabbed by the back of his neck. Seong Hyeon-je’s body was pulled back as if thrown. And then.

Kaang!

“It just barely popped out.”

The puppeteer’s hand grasped the sword, engulfed in flames. Dark eyes peered at him from beyond the swarm of butterflies.

“You’re the gardener’s subordinate, aren’t you?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep