Chapter 62

Chapter 62

 

The moment he was swallowed by Dread Reaver, Ha-kyung swung Crimson Edge like a madman.

His plan was to tear up its insides and make it vomit him out on its own.

But the situation flowed in a completely different direction from what he had expected.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

“Excuse me?”

Ha-kyung could only make an absurd expression.

He had struck the esophagus with Compressed Abyss Refinement.

But instead of blood and chunks of flesh flying.

Only sparks flashed along with the ring of metal.

It clearly looked no different from ordinary internal organs.

In the end, Ha-kyung had no choice but to be dragged even deeper inside.

‘If even its organs are this hard, finding a weak point won’t be easy, will it?’

Even so, Ha-kyung tried to maintain his composure.

Even if the sky fell, there was always a hole to crawl out through.

Even an iron fortress had gaps.

Soon, Ha-kyung dropped into a fairly spacious area.

It was about the size of a small gymnasium.

It was too dark, so he decided to turn on a light first.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

When he took out glow sticks and broke them, clusters of green light formed.

But on the opposite wall stood something unexpected.

A figure almost like a boy.

Without realizing it, Ha-kyung asked a question.

“Who are you?”

Then he gave an awkward smile.

This was an Unfathomable-grade dungeon of The Void.

Inside the body of Dread Reaver, the Dungeon Guardian, a giant monster resembling an anglerfish.

There was no way a person would exist in a place like this.

Not even an adult.

A short boy with blue hair.

And yet an unexpected answer came.

—Good to meet you.

“What? Are you human?”

—Of course not.

“Well, I suppose not. Then what are you?”

—A being interested in you.

Ha-kyung frowned.

Being eaten by Dread Reaver was absurd enough.

And now he was meeting an unknown being inside it?

What kind of situation was this?

The boy moved toward the glow stick Ha-kyung had thrown down.

—Humans use so many strange objects. You also endure Gate Breaks rather well. Fascinating in many ways.

The moment he heard the other party muttering to himself, Ha-kyung felt as if something had pierced through him.

Because the content was quite ominous.

He asked the boy a question.

“Are you the Emperor of The Void?”

—I thought you might be able to infer that much, but you are quite quick-witted. Fitting for one who escaped the Abyss Ruler’s grasp.

“What is your relationship with the Abyss Ruler?”

—A sort of……. distant cousin?

“You’re saying you’re on the same side.”

—More or less.

Ha-kyung felt as if a blockage inside him had been cleared.

Until now, he had made countless assumptions.

About the Emperor mentioned by the Core Guardian and the Talent Predator.

About whether that bastard was the Abyss Ruler or not.

But that endless curiosity was resolved all at once.

Because the Emperor of The Void had appeared before Ha-kyung.

“Well, whatever. But why are you interested in me?”

—I was curious.

“About what?”

—It would not be fun if I told you that much. In any case, one thing is certain. You were worth it after all.

Sssssssss!

The boy’s form began scattering little by little.

He was turning into dust and drifting away.

Watching that, Ha-kyung spoke calmly.

“Why are you trying to turn Earth into the Upper Floors of the Abyss?”

—Because that is fate.

The Emperor of The Void tried to leave behind only vague nonsense and disappear.

The smile hanging on his lips looked almost mocking.

As if he found the Awakened’s struggles laughable.

Ha-kyung clenched his fist tightly.

“Fate is not something you submit to. It’s something you carve open.”

—I knew you would say that.

“So let me hit you just once.”

—Hm?

WHOOSH! BOOOOM—!

Ha-kyung’s fist struck the face of the crumbling boy directly.

He had closed the distance in an instant with Wall-Walking Steps.

Then driven in Heaven-Shattering Fist without hesitation.

He had not used Kin-Eater, but its power was outstanding.

Enough to shatter the Emperor’s body as it was.

—What kind of madman is this? How dare you lay a hand on Our face…….

The last remaining mouth of his opponent kept blathering until the very end.

Ha-kyung stepped on the Emperor’s remains and let out a long sigh.

CRUNCH!

“Hah……. To hell with fate.”

Whether it was the Abyss Ruler or the Emperor of The Void.

They were clearly beings he had to destroy.

Ha-kyung looked around.

‘Putting that Emperor bastard aside, escaping from here comes first.’

Ha-kyung examined Dread Reaver’s stomach wall carefully.

But there was nowhere that could really be called a weak point.

It was just a vivid red wall of internal flesh.

Yet even Compressed Abyss Refinement could not leave a scratch on it.

It was enough to leave him dumbfounded.

Then, suddenly, blackish marks caught his eye.

Ha-kyung tilted his head.

“Huh? Why is only this spot a different color?”

At first, he had no sense of what it was.

Even when he struck it with his blade, it only made the sound of metal.

It was not greatly different from the surrounding area.

But the moment he saw a little ivory-colored powder left on the floor.

Ha-kyung unconsciously realized it.

‘No way. Is this a mark from Heaven-Shattering Fist?’

He tried punching the wall.

THUNK! THUNK!

A heavy sound rang out, similar to when he had struck it with his sword.

But the reaction was different.

GURGLE! GURGLE!

The stomach wall, which had shown no movement until now, began to squirm.

Right then, Ha-kyung realized it.

‘Can it only be damaged with blunt force? Blades don’t work?’

It truly was a bizarre gimmick.

It was absurd, but Ha-kyung’s body was already moving.

There was a saying that when in Rome, you followed Roman law.

After taking out the Resonance Pillar, he began beating the stomach wall with all his might.

CLANG! VMMMMM—!

A strange wave spread out with each swing.

Perhaps because it was colliding with something soft.

No drawing force occurred.

Still, the effect was certain.

The movement of the stomach wall grew more violent.

Soon, faint light poured down from above.

At that moment, Ha-kyung was certain.

‘Its mouth opened!’

Now all he had to do was get out.

But the spacious area began shrinking rapidly.

Ha-kyung could not help panicking.

‘At this rate, I’ll be crushed to death.’

Instead of swallowing its prey whole and leaving it at that.

Dread Reaver had the ability to crush food by contracting its hard stomach walls.

At this rate, Ha-kyung would be chewed to pieces inside its belly.

He immediately ran along the wall.

TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP!

Ha-kyung’s Awakening Skill.

Wall-Walking Steps unfolded.

He passed through Dread Reaver’s throat in an instant.

At this rate, he would be able to escape soon.

As long as Dread Reaver did not close its maw.

But then the roof of the bastard’s mouth suddenly entered Ha-kyung’s sight.

‘Even if I’m leaving, I should at least leave one gift behind.’

Generally, the roof of a living creature’s mouth was close to its brain.

Maybe he could inflict a serious blow in one strike.

Ha-kyung adjusted his grip on Crimson Edge.

[The Core Guardian’s will creates an Extreme Annihilation Zone]

Slide. Stab!

The tip of his sword pierced the vivid red roof of its mouth.

Soon, something astonishing happened.

Dread Reaver’s hard internal tissue vanished in an instant.

As if a scoop had been carved out of it.

Vivid blue blood sprayed out and dyed the surroundings like mist.

‘That landed properly!’

Ha-kyung, exulting inwardly, quickly threw himself away.

Because Dread Reaver had begun thrashing.

SNAP!

Sharp teeth narrowly grazed Ha-kyung’s back.

He had burst out in an almost defenseless state, but there was no chance of crashing into the floor.

The Abyss of the Deep Sea was filled with water one could breathe in.

After landing lightly on the floor, Ha-kyung looked back at Dread Reaver.

‘Did that kill it in one hit?’

But the result was slightly different from what he had expected.

Perhaps because Dread Reaver’s head was so huge.

An attack with a diameter of only two meters could not kill it.

Still, it had accomplished quite a bit.

It had bought the team members time to catch their breath.

As soon as Ha-kyung appeared, Ryu Jeong-hwan’s excited voice came through.

—Now! We need to make use of the opportunity Mr. Lee Ha-kyung created! Front line, seal off Dread Reaver’s movements first!

The tanks charged in and began driving in all kinds of Taunt Skills.

Until now, they must have had no opening at all.

Apart from its giant size.

Dread Reaver was incredibly fast.

But now, they could use them as much as they wanted.

Though there was no telling how long this opportunity would last.

Ha-kyung watched Dread Reaver’s movements carefully.

‘It won’t last very long.’

Considering the bastard’s tremendous size.

It was only about the same as a fingernail-sized piece of flesh falling off.

It was a somewhat dangerous area, but no major organ had been injured.

Dread Reaver would regain its senses soon.

Ha-kyung immediately realized what he needed to do.

“John!”

“Oh! Bro. How does it feel to be chewed-up gum?”

“I was only swallowed. I was never chewed.”

“Well, either way, you went and played around in its mouth.”

“Please save the nonsense for when we get home. More importantly, I have a favor to ask.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Please fix this to the floor. Every time I circle around to the other side.”

Ha-kyung handed John the Refinement Rope.

Perhaps because it had absorbed so much Abyss Energy in the meantime.

Its thickness seemed to be a full fifteen centimeters.

With this, even Dread Reaver could be tied down tightly.

Then John smiled lecherously and said.

“Oho! You’re going for bondage play?”

“Could you please not answer with that expression?”

“IKWYM.”

“Pardon?”

“I said I know what you mean. You’re Korean and you don’t even know abbreviations?”

“What on earth is that……. Anyway, you’ll do it?”

“Okay. No need to say it twice.”

John answered cheerfully.

Then he had a clam in the coral bite the opposite end.

That would be far sturdier than simply tying it.

That coral clam bastard never let go of anything it bit once.

Ha-kyung gave him a thumbs-up and immediately began running.

He cast Wall-Walking Steps and ran wildly all over the coral zone.

After going back and forth like that dozens of times, Dread Reaver’s movements subsided.

Almost like a criminal caught by Spider-Man.

“GROOOAR! GRUOOOK!”

Dread Reaver roared and thrashed.

But it only stirred slightly.

The Refinement Rope Ha-kyung had installed held firm.

He immediately grabbed the Whisperer and spoke.

“As time passes, the binding will gradually come undone. We have to kill it somehow before that.”

—Understood. Begin the all-out attack. Healers, please join in as well.

The offensive poured out without restraint by forty Awakened was a spectacle.

Countless skills slammed into Dread Reaver’s head.

The strategy Ryu Jeong-hwan chose was to dig a single well.

After all, their opponent was a monster covered from head to toe in a hard shell.

Rather than searching for a weak point whose location was unknown.

He intended to simply focus their attacks and create one.

Ha-kyung went in at the timing when the ranged attacks stopped.

Then he struck Dread Reaver’s head hard.

While scattering the gray-white flash of Soul-Sever.

CRACK—!

Perhaps Crimson Edge’s Defense Shattering had activated.

Dread Reaver’s scales immediately fell away.

A moment later, Ha-kyung’s blade pierced the newly created weak point.

SPURT—!

[Defeated Dread Reaver, Dungeon Guardian]

[Reward granted: ‘Deep-Sea Scale Armor’]

Dread Reaver’s massive body stopped moving.

Just then, the Refinement Ropes began snapping one by one.

SNAP-SNAP-SNAP!

Dread Reaver’s struggling and the team members’ attacks.

Various factors had unraveled the binding of Abyss Energy.

It was a burst that had ended at a truly hairbreadth moment.

Ha-kyung was inwardly relieved.

‘It would’ve been really dangerous if we were even a little later. I’m glad we managed to end it somehow.’

If Dread Reaver had started swimming again, there would have been no way to catch up.

He sat there, gasping for breath.

Perhaps because he had consumed too many resources at once.

He did not even have the strength to walk around.

Then someone quietly approached and spoke to Ha-kyung.

“Um……. Mr. Lee Ha-kyung?”

“Yes?”

He looked puzzled.

In truth, he had no choice but to be.

Because standing before Ha-kyung were the healers of the Raiders Guild.

Soon, one of them scratched the back of their head and said.

“You worked really hard.”

“If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Could we please have your autograph?”

It was such a bewildering request that Ha-kyung only blinked.

‘There isn’t a single normal person here. No, maybe this is just what makes them Raiders.’