Chapter 226
He never imagined such a skill existed.
It was completely unexpected.
Seonghyun had no way of knowing, but this one skill alone was enough for Deputy Manager Lee Jaekyung to be certain of Seonghyun’s defeat.
A skill that could only be used once progress reached 80%.
Severance.
A skill that blocks all external contact.
Once it was activated, unless the number of people in the area changed, it could not be undone.
No one could help Seonghyun or Ragna Ekrion.
Ragna Ekrion likely used it, expecting Seonghyun would call for outside help.
But in reality, it was a hard counter specifically against Seonghyun, the black mage.
‘This won’t be easy...’
Just knowing he couldn’t use his usual vassals,
He had no choice but to feel tense.
The difference between not using something by choice and being unable to use it is huge.
As Seonghyun grew suddenly tense,
Ragna Ekrion nodded while watching him.
“I know Leon has tried to help you, but I never worried about him. Seeing your reaction, it seems you did have someone ready to assist.”
He could tell from Seonghyun’s response.
Anyone could see Seonghyun was clearly flustered by the cut-off help.
But Seonghyun quickly composed himself and slowly drew his sword.
Remaining calm, he assessed the situation and lifted his sword.
Ragna Ekrion smiled, then likewise drew his own sword.
“I hear your skill is exceptional. I have high hopes—for both you and this sword.”
He said this while caressing his sword like a precious treasure.
At that moment, Ragna Ekrion’s blade pulsed as if alive.
Dark purple tendrils, like veins, slithered along the hilt, eventually wrapping around and dominating his right arm.
The vein-like tendrils embedded themselves in Ragna Ekrion’s arm, pulsating as if sharing blood.
Thump—thump!
Thump——thump!
Thud! Thud—! Thud——!!!
With the sound of heartbeats,
Seonghyun saw a system message unlike any he’d seen before.
[Hidden Unique Raid Boss, 『Ragna Ekrion』 encountered.]
[Phase 1 is activated.]
!!!Warning!!!
This raid requires at least six users with Legendary rank classes!!!
You have no party!!!
Danger!!!
There is an extreme level difference!!!
Danger!!!
Even the system was issuing violent warnings about this raid boss.
It was the first time he’d ever seen such a thing.
A hidden raid boss with a unique status.
With tension rising, Seonghyun stared at his foe.
A raid that requires at least six users with Legendary-rank classes.
There had been no such warning embedded in the quest.
And in that moment, it became clear.
‘Was this a quest designed to be failed?’
There are sometimes quests that assume failure from the outset.
Was this one of those?
Even as he thought so, Seonghyun shook his head.
No, even if that were true, it did not matter.
He could not summon his vassals.
But if he fought with everything he had, even alone, the outcome might be different.
At the very least,
‘All that matters is doing my best.’
At that resolve,
Kakakakakaka——!!!
The sword strike immediately tore the shield of darkness.
Seonghyun, who was behind it, used the brief moment bought by the shield to step back.
At the same moment the sword tore through the shield,
He used the Grasp of the Abyss.
The claws of the abyss sprouted from Ragna Ekrion’s feet and captured him.
Ragna Ekrion, feeling his body immobilized, looked at Seonghyun in disbelief.
“...?”
A skill that could bind him?
He stared in incomprehension.
And from earlier,
“What kind of skills are these?”
The incomprehensible skills.
He was so stricken with fear that anger welled up, causing him to fail to realize what was happening.
But this time, he could definitely sense something strange.
Regardless of this,
After confirming the message that movement was impossible,
Seonghyun used the Pitch Black Fallen Thorns, which had grown stronger after acquiring Lord of Darkness.
The dark thorns rose from Ragna Ekrion’s feet, piercing through his whole body.
Pitch-black thorns rained down from the sky.
Puhubububububuk——!!!
The countless thorns pierced Ragna Ekrion all at once like porcupine quills.
The pitch black fallen thorns twisted together as if bound, forming a black rose that engulfed the surroundings in darkness.
Kwágagagagaga——!!!
The devastating energy wave threatened to annihilate everything around it.
Seonghyun sensed something flying at him, so he wrapped darkness around his sword with Lord of Darkness and raised it.
Kakakakakaka——!!!
He barely managed to block Ragna Ekrion’s dark purple sword.
Sparks flew continuously as his body trembled.
The power gap was massive.
Feeling this, Seonghyun glared at Ragna Ekrion.
Ragna Ekrion narrowed his eyes and asked,
“So you’re not a swordsman.”
His tone had changed from half-doubtful earlier to now fully certain.
Regardless, Seonghyun pushed back the overpowering sword as best he could and lightly shoved Ragna Ekrion.
Then with both feet, he kicked Ragna Ekrion’s abdomen.
Phwung——!
A sound like air bursting echoed.
Normally, Ragna Ekrion should have been knocked back.
But his body was so solid that Seonghyun’s kick made him step back a fair distance.
At least distance was maintained.
Seonghyun stretched out his left hand, which wasn’t holding the sword, and cast the Tome of Destruction.
A destruction spell not recorded anywhere in the world became real.
A geometric magic circle unfolded, scorching the sky black.
Sensing something was wrong, Ragna Ekrion surveyed his surroundings.
The blackened sky split apart.
Szzzzzzz—
The high sky cracked open, and countless bolts of lightning fell through the rift.
So many that they could not be counted, these bolts coiled together like a massive spear.
They blanched the world as they plunged down.
At the point where this heavenly spear touched the ground,
Ragna Ekrion swung his sword fiercely, eyes wide open,
But faster still, the spear whitened the world and drove straight into Ragna Ekrion.
—KRAAAASH!!!
The ground bulged upward, and the surrounding area exploded into dust and powder.
Where Ragna Ekrion had just stood,
The spear of annihilation drove down, creating a massive pit as if obliterating everything in its path.
A truly fearsome skill.
Yet Seonghyun did not let his guard down.
He wrapped himself in the Flames of the Dead, a flame of teal that surged around his body,
And strengthened his flesh with various buffs.
Still not done,
He used Lord of Darkness to envelop himself in darkness, shaping it like full plate armor.
It looked like the black darkness danced and roared with teal flames, similar to his vassals’ forms.
With this powerful form,
Seonghyun watched as Ragna Ekrion slowly strode from within the pit left by the spear of heavenly destruction.
‘A monster.’
Despite the strike, Ragna Ekrion had not yet moved on to phase two.
Seonghyun realized this was no ordinary foe.
But he showed no sign outwardly.
In any case, he knew this was an enemy to be defeated.
As he braced himself,
Ragna Ekrion looked at him and spoke,
“A black mage. Impressive.”
A pure tone of admiration.
Muttering those words, he shook his head slightly.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect to struggle this much.”
Saying that, Ragna Ekrion raised his dark purple sword.
Seonghyun readied himself as well.
And in—an instant—
The two stretched between each other like taffy, elongating,
Until finally, their forms touched.
Ragna Ekrion’s sword clashed with Seonghyun’s.
The moment the blades met,
KRA-KA-KA-KA-KA-KA——!!!
A devastating wave started from the clash,
Spreading out like a force that obliterated everything around.
The ground flipped, shattering into countless pieces that flew upward.
The atmosphere burst outward like an explosion.
WHOOOOSH———!!!
The violent wave bent trees like they faced a typhoon, pushing them away from the two combatants.
And as if that weren’t enough,
The swords repelled each other.
Instantly, they gripped their swords again and resumed striking.
Ragna Ekrion’s swordplay was ruthless and brutal as if tearing space itself.
Dark purple aura rippled, shimmering with heat haze.
But Seonghyun’s sword was graceful, swift, and elegant, spreading out to consume all space around.
When the rigid sword met the flowing, swift, and elegant one,
Seonghyun’s sword, swallowing the surrounding space, swept forward, deflecting and unleashing countless slashes at Ragna Ekrion.
Watching the flurry of slashes,
Ragna Ekrion’s eyes widened like lanterns.
‘...What is this?’