Chapter 179

Chapter 179

PITTER-PATTER!

Fragments of the giant leech poured down like rain.

The fragments were small leeches.

A considerable number had died in the explosion, but most were still perfectly alive.

The ones rolling across the ground soon tried to gather around the progenitor. But Zeon did not let them.

SWISH, SWISH, SWISH!

Dozens of streams of Sand Blaster pierced through the small leeches approaching the progenitor.

After isolating the progenitor like that, Zeon unleashed Sand Blender once more.

GRIIIIIND—!

The sand surrounding the progenitor rotated at terrifying speed.

The progenitor itself was a Grade B monster.

The durability of its outer skin was on an entirely different level from that of ordinary leeches.

Thanks to that, it was able to endure inside Sand Blender for a short while. But it was literally only for a short while.

After a little time passed, its force field was completely stripped away, and cracks appeared across its outer skin.

Once that happened, the progenitor grew desperate.

SCREEEE!

The progenitor let out a high-frequency cry. Then black objects poured down from the air like rain.

The small leeches stationed in the surface shifting sands zone had swarmed in response to the progenitor’s call.

The small leeches entered the underground cavity through the hole where Zeon and the others had fallen.

The underground cavity turned black with small leeches.

The small leeches built a wall in front of Zeon to protect the progenitor.

A gigantic, writhing wall.

They defended against Zeon’s Skill with their own bodies.

They offered up their lives without hesitation to protect the progenitor.

That was what made swarm-type monsters terrifying.

If it was to protect the progenitor or the core individual, they would offer their lives without the slightest reluctance.

All yet one.

One yet all.

That was a swarm-type monster.

The progenitor summoned all the small leeches to protect itself.

Seeing that, a cold smile appeared on Zeon’s lips.

“So you’re going with wave tactics? What a shame. I’m confident in wave tactics too.”

SHHHRK!

The sand around Zeon wriggled and took on human forms.

He had summoned Sand Soldiers.

More than a hundred Sand Soldiers surrounded Zeon.

Zeon gave an order to the Sand Soldiers.

“Break through.”

At that instant, the Sand Soldiers shot forward like bullets.

The Sand Soldiers and the small leeches clashed.

CRASH! BOOM—!

With explosive roars, the small leeches burst apart.

The Sand Soldiers were powerful.

Though they were not as strong as Zeon, they possessed strength comparable to most martial-type Awakened.

The Sand Soldiers smashed and burst apart the small leeches blocking their path. That did not mean the Sand Soldiers took no damage.

More than ten small leeches rushed at each Sand Soldier.

Under the small leeches’ wave tactics, the Sand Soldiers lost their form and returned to sand.

Even while watching the Sand Soldiers collapse, Zeon did not panic.

Sssss!

As long as he supplied mana, Sand Soldiers regenerated without limit.

The Sand Soldiers that had just collapsed under the small leeches’ wave tactics rose again in perfect condition. Then they attacked and destroyed the small leeches.

POP! POP!

Under the attacks of the Sand Soldiers that regenerated no matter how many times they were killed, the small leeches burst apart, and a path toward the progenitor opened.

Zeon walked along the path the Sand Soldiers opened.

KIIIEEEE!

The progenitor retreated with a bizarre groan.

It felt extreme fear toward Zeon.

The giant leech had been useless, and even the small leeches’ wave tactics did not work.

The surroundings were entirely sand, so there was nowhere to hide and nowhere to flee.

Zeon was the leeches’ perfect counter.

“Where are you going to hide now?”

Naturally, the progenitor could not answer.

No, it was unable to.

That was because it was struggling desperately to survive.

Ssssss!

Black mist poured out from the progenitor.

It was the progenitor’s trump Skill, strong-acid mist.

It was a terrifying Skill that released strong acid from within the body and melted most Awakened or monsters in an instant.

The strong-acid mist surrounded Zeon in an instant.

Seeing that, the progenitor trembled with joy.

It looked as if everything was going according to its plan.

The progenitor had no doubt that the strong-acid mist would melt Zeon away.

It was then.

Ssssss!

Black mist also rose from Zeon’s body.

Exion had been released from his pores.

Exion whirled around Zeon’s body and pushed away the strong-acid mist.

Even the strong acid that melted everything could not affect Exion in any way.

In an instant, the strong-acid mist was neutralized, and the progenitor appeared defenseless.

Zeon stared directly at the progenitor.

At Zeon’s emotionless gaze, the progenitor flinched.

Zeon sent Exion flying toward it.

WHIRRRR!

Exion spun like a drill and struck the progenitor.

A hole opened cleanly through the progenitor’s body.

That was the progenitor’s end.

SCREEEE!

With a scream, the progenitor collapsed.

When the progenitor died, the small leeches let out shrieks and scattered in every direction.

“Whew!”

Just as Zeon sighed and released the Sand Soldiers’ summons, it happened.

BURST!

Suddenly, a being holding a huge scythe appeared after breaking through the sand.

It was the Grim Reaper that had kidnapped Cha Jin-cheol.

SLAAASH!

The Grim Reaper swung its enormous scythe at the dead progenitor. Then the progenitor lost its sheen and shriveled wretchedly.

The Grim Reaper had absorbed all the progenitor’s vitality.

At the sudden turn of events, Zeon frowned.

“You?”

The Grim Reaper looked at Zeon for a moment, then passed through the wall and disappeared. In the direction it vanished, there was the ancient castle.

Zeon did not know why the Grim Reaper had absorbed the progenitor’s vitality. But he knew it had not done so with good intentions.

Zeon swung his hand toward the wall where the Grim Reaper had disappeared.

BOOM—!

Sand flew out and carved a large hole in the wall.

Beyond the hole, a dark passage could be seen.

Zeon entered the passage and muttered,

“I’ll have to hurry.”

---

“Fuck! It’s disgustingly huge.”

“The atmosphere is insane.”

The Pegasus Raid Team and the Awakened looked at the gigantic ancient castle before them with appalled expressions.

Thanks to Zeon, they had crossed the shifting sands and reached the ancient castle easily.

Seen up close, the ancient castle was truly enormous.

They had to look up so far that their necks nearly broke before the top of the ancient castle entered their sight.

Clouds gathered especially thickly above the ancient castle.

Because of that, the already pitch-black ancient castle felt even darker.

“It feels like something will come out at any moment.”

Lee Ji-ryeong muttered while glaring at the ancient castle.

“It doesn’t matter what comes out. As long as it isn’t sand......”

“Wahaha!”

“That’s right! As long as it isn’t sand, nothing can stop us.”

At the clearing team leader Bronson’s words, the Awakened burst into laughter.

It was then.

BURST!

Suddenly, hands shot out from the ground.

There were not just one or two. More than hundreds of arms broke through the ground and appeared.

“What the hell?”

“Watch the ground.”

The Awakened hurriedly retreated.

The owners of the arms broke through the ground and revealed themselves.

They were soldiers with rotten flesh and bones exposed here and there.

Lee Ji-ryeong recognized the soldiers’ identity at a glance.

“They are undead. Everyone, be careful.”

“Undead?”

“Then they’re living corpses?”

“Fuck! Disgusting.”

The Awakened’s eyes trembled.

They had cleared countless dungeons, but this was their first time seeing undead.

The feeling of watching the dead rise and move was truly horrifying.

“A Grim Reaper, and now undead? What the hell is this dungeon?”

“Is this the time to stand around theorizing? Everyone, prepare for battle. If you die here, you might end up like those bastards.”

“Ugh!”

The Awakened trembled as if even imagining it was horrible.

Dying was frightening enough, but becoming undead like them and being bound to the dungeon was even more terrifying.

At that moment, Bronson, the leader of the Pegasus Raid Team’s clearing team, stepped forward and shouted,

“What is there to fear from mere corpses? We will sweep them away with Formation One. Everyone, prepare.”

“Yes!”

At Bronson’s shout, the Awakened of the Pegasus Raid Team moved in perfect order.

The Pegasus Raid Team usually practiced various formations for dungeon clearing.

Among them, Formation One was the most traditional method.

Martial-type Awakened with outstanding physical abilities blocked the enemy from the front, while magic-type Awakened concentrated bombardment from behind.

Formation One, which swept away enemies with overwhelming firepower, was the formation the Pegasus Raid Team favored most.

“We will help as well.”

The West District Awakened stepped forward.

Originally, they would have fallen back and preserved their strength as much as possible, but they moved in order to save Cha Jin-cheol.

Time was not on their side.

The later they were, the lower the chance of saving Cha Jin-cheol became.

Now was not the time to conserve or hide their strength.

The mechanized Awakened stood beside the martial-type Awakened.

WHIRR!

With mechanical noise, the metal parts hidden beneath their skin revealed themselves.

GROOOAN!

At that moment, the undead soldiers charged forward with bizarre cries.

“Come on, you disgusting corpses.”

“Don’t let a single one get through.”

The martial-type Awakened also shouted and swung their weapons.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM—!

The undead and the Awakened collided.

The martial-type Awakened led by Bronson displayed overwhelming might against the undead.

CRUNCH!

SLASH!

The undead’s bones broke, and their limbs were severed.

While the martial-type Awakened and mechanized Awakened held back the undead, the magic-type Awakened began their magical bombardment.

“Haaah! Magic Arrow.”

“Fire Wall.”

“Wind Cutter.”

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM—!

Countless spells rained down on the undead soldiers.

Flames exploded, and blade-like wind became a storm and swept through them.

Under the bombardment of the magic-type Awakened, numerous undead burst apart and were sliced to pieces.

It was truly overwhelming.

“We’ve got this.”

“They’re nothing special.”

The martial-type Awakened and mechanized Awakened smiled in victory.

That was because they had suppressed the undead far more easily than expected.

Under the overwhelming firepower, more than half the undead had already been destroyed.

Sweeping away the remaining undead seemed only a matter of time.

The battlefield changed at that moment.

WHOOOSH!

Suddenly, ominous red energy burst out from the ancient castle and swept across the battlefield. Then the fallen undead rose again.

“What the hell?”

“The dead bastards are reviving.”

Lee Ji-ryeong shouted,

“We have to find and destroy the core to stop their resurrection.”

“Fuck!”

Only then did the Awakened realize it.

An endless battle was waiting for them.