GBAS 25

Of all things, the first target of attack was Baek Jooin. Even though two tanks were rushing at it. If left like this, Jooin would be in danger. Hyunwoo, keeping the wolves rushing at him in check, blew a whistle.

Woof-!

Frost, having understood its partner’s signal, barked once as if to say ‘got it’ and ran with its eyes fixed on the Mantis. The wolf, which leaped high with a running start, snatched one of the Mantis’s front legs, which had almost finished casting its skill.

Thump-thump-thump!

Before falling, Frost, which had pulled the Mantis’s arm it held in its mouth and slammed it onto the ground mid-air, leaped again and came to stand beside Hyunwoo.

Grrrrr.

At Frost’s low growl, the pack of wolves that was about to rush Hyunwoo flinched and stopped in their tracks. The creatures, whose pecking order had been established in that short moment, tucked their tails between their hind legs and began to make puppy-like whining sounds, whimper, whimper.

The wolves, which had been facing off against Frost and slowly backing away, simultaneously turned their bodies and started to run. It was a swift judgment, but their escape did not succeed. Aqua’s fireballs poured down on the plains wolves that were running for their lives.

The Mantis, which had gotten up from between the broken and fallen tree branches, shook its head from side to side as if to get a grip. After shaking off the small leaves stuck on its eyes, the Mantis began to move to activate its second skill.

It slowly rubbed its two front legs together, and its widely spread wings trembled. Two melon-sized eyes moved nimbly. The Mantis, having soon decided on its attack target, raised its two front legs high up and burst into a cry.

Screeech-!

As the creature’s scythe-like front legs cut through the air in a large arc, a green light that formed along the large trajectory drawn by the tips of its arms flew like a blade.

The dry tree roots that had been obstructing the view were cut by the Mantis’s attack and piled up on the floor. The cut surfaces were clean, as if tofu had been sliced with a well-sharpened knife.

Only then did Hyunwoo, who understood the reactions of those who had casually regarded the extremely inconvenient map condition, nod his head. He thought that those tree roots filling the space might all be cleared away by the mid-to-late phase, or perhaps even before that.

The Mantis’s attacks poured down without rest.

Hyunwoo, who had parried the flying blades a few times, suddenly looked back. It was to check if Jooin was safe. Jooin was protecting the stage, but because everyone was busy blocking their own attacks, there was no one available to mark Jooin. Without a second thought, Hyunwoo ran towards that spot.

Just as Hyunwoo, who had taken a position closer to Jooin, was about to turn his body to face forward again, the Mantis, not missing the short gap, sent an attack flying behind Hyunwoo’s back.

[General] Aqua : Dodge!

His head recognized that a skill was flying towards him, but his body wouldn’t move easily. Hyunwoo, looking down at his feet that couldn’t budge as if they were glued to the floor, furrowed his brow.

‘Damn it. I’m screwed.’

A deafening dissonance rang chaotically through the music, and with no time to even call for Frost, Hyunwoo had no choice but to squeeze his eyes shut against the rapidly approaching blade.

Peeeeeeek-!

Just then, something cut in front of Hyunwoo.

The light, hitting a solid wall, split into two and grazed past both sides of Hyunwoo. The tree trunks hit by the attack fell in a shower.

[General] Camellia : Are you okay??

The one who had planted a silver shield into the ground looked back and asked. It was Camellia.

Wow, I’m alive. A sigh of relief flowed out the moment he saw the familiar face. With some leeway, his brain finally started working again.

What did I just do? Why did I do that?

No way, did I do that to protect Baek Jooin?

Am I crazy?

Hyunwoo’s face, having reached that thought, was colored with horror. No way. Amidst all that, Jooin was continuing his performance without a care.

Frost, having confirmed its partner was safe, resumed its hunt.

As Frost, which had drawn aggro with a close-range attack, moved the Mantis to the opposite side, the dealers followed behind it and relentlessly landed their attacks. This was a play made possible thanks to the many tangled tree roots in the cave having been cleared up by the creature’s indiscriminate skill spamming a little while ago.

When its remaining health dropped below 1/4, the Mantis’s eyes turned red.

Frrrrrrk-!

The Mantis, having entered its 3rd phase, trembled with a sharp cry. However, what followed was not smooth sailing. Every time it tried to unleash its Baptism of Fear, the Platoon Leader’s bombs flew into the Mantis’s side.

[General] poPlatoonLeaderwer : Ah, a hit!

THUMPTHUMPTHUMP!!!!!

The roars of large and small explosions and stray skills hitting the walls mixed together in a mess. The giant mantis flailed around chaotically in the shower of skills pouring in from all directions.

Hyunwoo, who had spotted the skill rush starting from a distance, calmly caught his breath and summoned the maximum number of orbs onto his hand.

Although the mobs on the floor were the Mantis’s minions, they didn’t flock to their boss just because it was being attacked. As he took aim and threw orbs at the monsters in range one by one, the surroundings quickly became clean.

But that was also only for a moment. These damn insects swarmed endlessly as if they were undergoing cell division on the spot. No matter how many he caught, there was no end.

Hyunwoo, who had deflected a red moth flying towards Jooin’s back, stood in place. Then he roughly rolled up and put away the pieces of cloth that were uncomfortably hanging down.

It was something he had wrapped around like a bandage as a preventive measure because of Frost, who would lick his head until it was soaked whenever it had the chance, but there was no need to wear it during a long battle.

In the meantime, the boss Mantis’s health had decreased to 1/10.

As if to announce that the battle was nearing its end, Jooin’s performance piece changed. This time, it was a heavy metal song mainly composed of a rough, tearing sound with a proper distortion effect.

[Party member ‘Jooin’ has used ‘Hysteric Heavy Rain’.]

[Critical hit rate and strength are temporarily increased.]

The Mantis, facing its end, sent scythes of severance flying in all directions. Naturally, it didn’t work on those who already knew the pattern. The stray blades cut through the tree branches and roots tangled like vines. The Mantis’s minions were damaged one by one and perished in the shower of falling debris.

It wasn’t long after that that the Mantis was defeated.

[CRITICAL!]

[Your summon ‘Frost (Frost Wolf)’ has defeated ‘Mantis’! +62,355xp]

Thump-thump-thump-!

The Mantis, turned to stone, slowly tipped over to its side and then slammed its arms and head into the ground with a thud. A musty dust cloud rose up, and in the spot where the monster disappeared, only a small box remained.

While the party leader, Camellia, was approaching to collect the box, Frost, having finished the battle, was heading towards its partner. It was a walk full of pride, as if it was pleased to have gotten the last hit point.

The wolf, which insisted on spinning in place before sitting down when it could have just sat, wrapped its fluffy tail over its paws and gently closed its eyes. Then it noticeably wrinkled its nose. It was a blatant signal demanding a treat.

Hyunwoo, who was watching the scene quietly, couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing. Although the creature caused trouble in many ways, it was undeniable that it was the best summon. It was right to reward the praiseworthy creature, but there was something to do first before that.

Hyunwoo, opening the summon-exclusive bag, took out a lump the size of a soccer ball and held it in his hand. The light in the eyes of Frost, which had gently opened its eyes full of anticipation, instantly calmed down.

Hyunwoo, forcing open the creature’s snout before it could run away, shoved the round lump into Frost’s mouth. This, which even Frost, who would try to eat anything that could be put in its mouth, avoided, was a healing herbal ball.

Hack- cough!

It might taste a bit bitter because it contained a lot of things that were good for the body, but its effect was just as certain. Hyunwoo ignored the gagging Frost and opened the bag again, pushed a dog-exclusive candy into its mouth, and then took out two pieces of jerky the size of a surfboard and offered them.

Woof-!

The wolf, its mood instantly improving, lay down on the spot and began to devour its share of the snack with crunching sounds. Just as he finished the appropriate reward and was about to check his own equipment, JuJuGeneralAssembly, who had approached nearby, plopped down next to Hyunwoo and asked.

[General] JuJuGeneralAssembly : Jeon Hyunwoo, what was that earlier? You couldn’t even dodge that

The moment he took in the chat, it felt like he could hear the sound of an engine starting up, vroom vroom, from somewhere. Hyunwoo, letting out a small sigh, sat down beside him without a reply, and JuJuGeneralAssembly, twitching his cheek, spoke again.

[General] JuJuGeneralAssembly : Has the aging curve already hit? lol

JuJuGeneralAssembly muttered and watched Hyunwoo’s reaction. Then, looking at Hyunwoo who still showed no reaction, he rolled his eyes. Unlike the party members who were chattering noisily after the battle, only silence flowed between the two.

At last, yellow texts appeared in Hyunwoo’s chat window.

[Whisper] JuJuGeneralAssembly : You, earlier

[Whisper] JuJuGeneralAssembly : You were going to take that hit for Baek Jooin, weren’t you?

Only then did Hyunwoo raise his head and look to the side.

[Whisper] JuJuGeneralAssembly : lol

A wave of anxiety washed over him at the smile spread all over his friend’s face.