Chapter 284


    <b><i>Zone 1 – Abandoned Laboratory (5)</i></b>


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    “Anyway… Isn’t it…?”


    “It doesn’t matter. Because…”


    Choi Arin opened her eyes in a faint consciousness.


    Fragments of conversation entered her mind, but she couldn’t hear properly due to a splitting headache.


    ‘…What is this?’


    Barely holding onto her senses, she looks ahead.


    In front of her were two men wearing ck uniforms.“Then we can use her as a sacrifice as nned.”


    “Yes. She has excellent magic retention, so she’ll be a great help to the Head of the school who has just left.”


    As her blurry visiones into focus…


    The sounds in her ears be clearer.


    Now she could fully hear the conversation they were having.


    And as she slowly digested the content of that conversation, Choi Arin remembered.


    ‘I was kidnapped.’


    …That is the situation she was currently in.


    She hade out for a direct trade of magic stones, was knocked unconscious by a special power, and then kidnapped somewhere.


    It seems she had been asleep for quite a while…


    When she opened her eyes, this was the situation.


    “Understood. Oh, Lord Aquilen. By the way, about the post-processing…”


    “…Do as you please. That’s your share.”


    “Hehe, thank you.”


    However, as if the kidnapped girl wasn’t even a concern, the two men continued their ominous conversation.


    “Are you going back to Section 3?”


    “Yes. I need to prepare to wee the Master of the school. Youe over too once you finish your work. We should start closing the warp gate of this research institute soon. There’s not much use for it anymore.”


    “Understood… Hm?”


    Hup-.


    She unknowingly swallows a rough breath.


    The man in front who had been bowing with a vile face suddenly turned his gaze towards where Choi Arin was.


    Thanks to that, the eyes of the man giving orders next to him also turned this way.


    It was the moment when her eyes met those of her kidnappers.


    “Hehe. The sacrifice has woken up. The magic must have been strong, it took unusually long.”


    “…I guess I’ll hear unpleasant screams again. Take care of it yourself.”


    “Yes, Lord Aquilen.”


    Sacrifice.


    This unfamiliar word is heard for the second time.


    And the intelligent Choi Arin could grasp the meaning it implied.


    ‘They’re using kidnapped people as sacrifices.’


    She doesn’t know what kind of sacrifice or how they’re used.


    But she could at least understand that this abnormal act could actually take ce.


    The atmosphere inside the research institute, the expressions of the men, the surging magic power around.


    Everything surrounding this ce…


    Was telling her that this conversation was no joke.


    ‘I need to escape.’


    She tries to find a way while maintaining maximum calmness.


    But there was nothing she, who wasn’t even in thebat field, could do.


    Her whole body was neatly restrained, and it seemed all usable magic tools had been taken away.


    “……”


    At that moment, fear swept over her body.


    The thought of bing a test subject for these unknown individuals was terrifyingly sad.


    Even though Choi Arin was known for her cold rationality…


    She was still just a twenty-year-old student Holder.


    The current situation was too overwhelming for her to endure.


    “Hehe. Don’t be afraid. From now on, you’ll be a sacrifice that will greatly contribute to the departure of the great Master of the school….”


    However, as if trampling on Choi Arin’s hope, the man in the ck uniform approached with a vile smile.


    A space covered in despair.


    A situation where resistance was impossible.


    Just as the rough hand was about to touch Choi Arin’s shoulder.


    “Rush in.”


    She Heard some voices.


    * * *


    Ippotrantion


    ***


    Fortunately, I wasn’t toote.


    The distance shortened through the ultimate skill [Distortion’s Shadow].


    After piercing the neck of the man approaching Choi Arin with the [Sword of Penitent], I quickly followed up with subsequent attacks.


    I sh the back, near where the heart is expected to be, three times in session.


    This is the use of the derivative skill [Change Strike].


    [Change Strike] is a derivative skill that most warrior-type Holders use, almost like a ‘basic skill’, but right now it was demonstrating a power that couldn’t be ignored.


    Now the [Master of Martial Arts] rune has also risen to level 13, and its sub-rune [Sword] is showing a proficiency that would normally be close to level 20.


    As the proficiency of the rune increased, naturally, the destructive power of its derivative skill also increased dramatically.


    ‘If I make it explode here, it’ll be over.’


    If I additionally use [Explosive Sword Aura], it would surely finish him off, but with Choi Arin right in front, I couldn’t use such a provocative ability.


    I had just killed the guy right in front of her, so there was a lot of blood stter and it was a brutal sight.


    Given the situation, it couldn’t be helped, but it must have been quite a burdensome scene for her.


    I continued my attack in a different direction to minimize her injuries.


    “Ugh, urgh…!!”


    I switched weapons using Art of Weapon Exchange, put on my knuckles, moved from behind the enemy to the front and struck his chest.


    The sound of blood boiling burst from his throat.


    With that powerful hit, the enemy was pushed back.


    It was a finishing blow to an opponent who had effectively lost allbat ability and will.


    ‘I’ll give you Poison w as a bonus.’


    As a precautionary skill, I gifted him [Poison w] from the [Venom] rune.


    Since it’s a derivative skill of [Venom] that has risen to level 11, even if he somehow survives, he’ll eventually die slowly.


    “Holder Choi Arin.”


    “Yes, yes?”


    Although time was short, I spoke to ensure her safe rescue.


    I had already undone all the restraints binding her long ago.


    “I’m sorry foring sote. The situation is a bit urgent now, so Holder Choi Arin needs to escape on her own. Can you see the traces I left with magic towards the exit?”


    Choi Arin is a Holder with good judgment.


    Despite being kidnapped and almost vited, she understood well the meaning of my words and what she needed to do.


    Nod nod-


    Seeing her nod, I quickly continued.


    “Escape following the traces. Other Holders will clear the path for you.”


    It wasn’t just the Ludenark school here.


    As we encountered in the Area Pboratory, various types of chimeras were blocking the way.


    And dealing with that volume…


    Park Ji-hwan was handling it all alone.


    “Then, be careful!”


    “W-wait…”


    Tap, tap-!


    I move without listening to Choi Arin’s words further.


    There was no time.


    While Park Ji-hwan was dealing with the chimeras alone, I…


    Pop-!


    ng-!!


    “Ugh…”


    “Don’t think about escaping. I won’t let you go twice.”


    Another man in the room trying to escape through [Warp Gate].


    I had to catch a member of the Ludenark school.


    Moreover, not just any member.


    Judging by his appearance, this bastard was definitely the mage called ‘Aquilen’ that Park Jin-woo had mentioned.


    He was a Ludenark executive who was said to be with Vice-Master Dave.


    “Damn it… You interfere till the end, Do Jae-hyun.”


    “You even know my name?”


    “How could I not know? Because of you, our nned schedule got messed up, rushed, and everything went crazy!”


    What a temperamental guy.


    I lightly ignored Aquilen who was bursting with anger, and stabbed him deeper with my sword.


    This isn’t an ordinary attack.


    The ‘water’ attribute I imbued using [Elemental Master].


    On top of that, when I took down the previous man, I had already stacked the attribute conversion 4 times.


    In other words, this thrust is an attack with the ‘Change Strike’ effect at full stack… And filled with the water attribute I handle best.


    When using a sword, I could deliver a powerful blow even without using skills.


    Zzzzt-


    ng- ng-!!


    However, Aquilen’s defense was tougher than expected.


    Around his body, there was a [Magic Barrier]posed of ck magic power, and this barrier was blocking my sword as if it were a Barrier.


    ‘No, this isn’t just a simple magic barrier.’


    There’s a limit to the durability that can be achieved with [Magic Barrier].


    My strength and speed stats that have already surpassed 100.


    And various auxiliary runes within [Warriors’ Enhancement Art].


    My physical attacks couldn’t be easily blocked by ordinary defensive abilities.


    The ‘ck barrier’ created by Aquilen… Was clearlybining physical defense along with the existing magic defense.


    “It’s toote to notice now. I don’t know how you so easily prated Kruig’s ck Barrier, but my ck Barrier won’t be so easy.”


    Aquilen growls at me as he speaks.


    Hearing this, I thought, ‘This bastard, he’s freely giving away his information.’


    Apparently, the identity of this unique barrier is a skill or rune effect called [ck Barrier].


    And I also naturally realized how I had easily prated this Barrier when dealing with the previous enemy called Kruig.


    ‘It was because of the Distortion’s Shadow Effect.’


    The ultimate skill [Distortion’s Shadow] mainly upies the enemy’s rear as if teleporting, but it also has two additional effects.


    They are disrupting the magic array of the space and ignoring 100% of the target’s durability for the next attack.


    Thanks to the former effect, I broke down the magical defense of [ck Barrier], and with thetter effect, Ipletely ignored the physical defense… That’s why that guy called Kruig went down without a chance to counterattack.


    ng-


    Grrrrr-!!


    The sound of [Sword of Penitent] grinding as it shed power against power.


    I immediately pulled back, withdrawing my sword.


    Though I definitely wouldn’t be pushed back if I kept shing like this…


    ‘I could get hit by magic head-on.’


    The advantage of mage fighters is their overwhelming destructive power.


    Even with my well-equipped defensive measures, it could be dangerous if I took a direct hit from their already powerful magic attacks.


    ‘First, I need to do something about that ck Barrier.’


    Taking a step back, I looked at the Barrier of magic power rippling with darkness.


    [ck Barrier], capable of high-level magic defense and physical defense simultaneously.


    It seemed I needed to deal with that first to have a chance of winning.


    But I had already used [Distortion’s Shadow], so I couldn’t break through that defense in one go.


    ‘Then I’ll have to create an opening.’


    I slowly draw up my magic power.


    I still had methods left to substitute for that effect.<hr>


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