Chapter 70

Jun-sang’s Brutal Dance and Bukail’s Demise

Wearing Grunwal’s cloak, Jun-sang moved slowly and cautiously in a state of invisibility. From atop a towering rock by the roadside, he silently observed the monsters, armed with spears and swords, arrayed as an escort for Bukail and the skeleton mages in the center. When Bukail and the skeleton mages reached his position directly below, Jun-sang smoothly dropped down.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he spread his arms wide, holding the two iron balls, and spun his body vigorously. It was like a ballet dancer’s pirouette, but the rotational force emanating from Jun-sang’s strengthened arms and waist, combined with the immense weight of the iron balls, created a veritable whirlwind. As the rotation reached its peak, the two iron balls flew from Jun-sang’s hands, violently thrashing the surroundings. Each iron ball flew rapidly in its own direction before being halted by its connected chain, initiating a rotational motion. Instantly, intense pain surged through Jun-sang’s wrists and shoulders, which were acting as the axis of rotation.

“Ugh!” But Jun-sang didn’t stop rotating. Instead, he used the recoil from the shackles on his wrists to sequentially pull the two iron balls back towards him. Even as his arm muscles bulged as if they might rupture, Jun-sang carefully watched the iron balls returning to him, then snatched their handles. Only after grasping both iron balls did Jun-sang finally stop rotating, bracing himself with the iron balls on the ground as he gasped for breath.

“Huuuh…” He had only attacked once, but the surroundings were already a wasteland, devastated by the massive vortex Jun-sang had created. The ten skeleton mages were ground into bone dust and scattered everywhere before they could even react, and the monsters guarding them were also torn into pieces, splattering blood and bodily fluids as they fell. Only one survived the storm of slaughter Jun-sang had unleashed: the pot-bellied, toad-headed monster, Bukail. He had miraculously managed to pull his body back just as the defensive barrier around him was shattered by the iron balls.

—BUKA!

Bukail roared in anger and stamped his feet at this intruder who had suddenly appeared and annihilated his subordinates. Jun-sang, who was gently massaging his throbbing wrist before launching another attack, suddenly witnessed an unbelievable sight. As Bukail stamped his foot and roared a few more times, the scattered bodies of the shattered skeleton mages and monsters began to reassemble.

“This is…”

That wasn’t all. Bukail then pulled something else from his pocket, scattering it wildly around him, and continued his clumsy dance. The scattered fragments, like the shattered skeleton mages, began to reassemble and take the form of skeleton soldiers. Seeing this, Jun-sang finally realized the role of this supply unit. In a situation where most of the forces were undead or similar creatures, what kind of supplies would be needed? Food? Would undead bake bread or grill steaks? From the start, food-type supplies were meaningless to this dark army. Their supplies were the troops themselves. No, to be precise, the role of this supply unit was to revive the corpses killed by the vanguard troops and turn them into new forces.

“Wolf Pack!” Jun-sang clicked his tongue and summoned his wolves, having them support his rear along with his spirits, then immediately charged towards Bukail. He realized that unless he defeated this toad monster first, the previous situation would simply repeat itself.

As Jun-sang charged with the two iron balls, Bukail stopped his clumsy dance and erected a new defensive barrier around his body.

—BUKA! BUKAKA!

As the toad monster drew circles with its short arms, the surrounding scenery distorted with a strange sense of unreality. Jun-sang immediately threw the iron ball in his right hand at Bukail. The skeleton soldiers that had taken form in front of Bukail unhesitatingly threw themselves at the incoming iron ball.

CRASH-CRASH-CRASH!

The massive iron ball, about a meter in diameter, flew like a giant bowling ball, smashing the skeleton soldiers. However, the iron ball, scattering bone fragments everywhere, stopped as if blocked by an invisible wall in front of Bukail, then bounced back as if hitting a soft cushion.

CLANG!

And the next moment, the defensive barrier around Bukail’s body shattered like glass, scattering everywhere.

—BUKA!

Bukail lifted his short legs to dance again, but seeing his defensive barrier instantly shatter, he frantically waved his hands and began to create a new barrier. But then, the second iron ball, having left Jun-sang’s hand, flew towards Bukail.

—BU-BUKA!

He hastily completed the defensive barrier, but perhaps due to his haste, this barrier did not perform its role as effectively as before.

CRACK!

The iron ball pierced through the barrier in an instant and struck Bukail directly in the belly.

THUD!

Jun-sang expected to see the toad monster’s round belly rupture and its contents spill out the moment the iron ball struck. But surprisingly, Bukail’s belly only sustained minor scratches and simply repelled the iron ball.

—BUKA! BUKAKA!

Bukail shrieked and leaped upon taking the hit. But he immediately stuck out his tongue, slathered his short hands with saliva, and rubbed the wound. In an instant, even the remaining wound on his belly healed completely.

“Huh…” While Jun-sang clicked his tongue in disbelief at the sight, Bukail extended his hand, completed a new defensive barrier, and resumed his clumsy dance. The shattered skeleton soldiers began to reassemble and take form once more.

Though taken aback, Jun-sang, having roughly confirmed his opponent’s abilities, immediately lunged forward, closing the distance. As he charged, the skeleton soldiers collectively raised their weapons and attacked. But Jun-sang easily shattered them with the iron balls in both hands and continued his charge toward Bukail. He then immediately swung an iron ball at the strange, transparent barrier.

CLANG!

A fierce noise erupted, and once again, the defensive barrier shattered into pieces. Jun-sang attempted to strike Bukail, but at that very moment, Bukail, as if waiting, cast a spell.

—BUKAAAH!

As Bukail raised his short arms high and made a gesture as if cheering, WHOOSH! A round curtain of fire unfolded around the giant toad monster, then swept outwards like a wave.

“Ugh!” Jun-sang hastily shielded himself with the iron balls. But the flames relentlessly washed over his body.

—BUKAKA!

Bukail clutched his voluminous belly and burst into laughter, seeing Jun-sang charred black and emitting white smoke from being engulfed by the wave of fire. However, it was too soon to laugh.

Thud… thud… Black soot began to fall from Jun-sang’s body, revealing his glowing red skin.

—BUKA?

Only then, sensing something was amiss, Bukail tilted his head. His eyes met Jun-sang’s, which shone with an eerie blue light through the gap in the iron balls. The moment Bukail flinched and recoiled from the ominous glow emanating from Jun-sang, Jun-sang, shedding the soot that covered him as if breaking out of an egg, charged at Bukail. All his clothes, except for the cloak he was wearing, had been instantly burned away by the sudden intense heat, but his body had sustained little damage, only his hair being slightly singed. The flame resistance equipped on his cards and items, coupled with the effect of the Spirit Master combo, mitigated the damage from the surprise fire magic. Of course, even with the reduced damage, the pain would have been enough to make an ordinary person faint instantly, but Jun-sang’s regeneration ability was continuously healing his body, which was still hot from the flames.

As the naked man, emitting smoke and only wearing a cloak, charged with two massive iron balls, Bukail was startled. But at that moment, the pot-bellied, toad-headed monster had no means left to defend against Jun-sang’s attack. It was too late to create a defensive barrier, and too late to cast another spell. Bukail could only hope that his slimy skin would provide some resistance against the naked assailant’s onslaught.

However, that hope was shattered into futile foam. Jun-sang’s swung iron ball, with the wedges on its surface, tore through the toad monster’s belly skin as if a giant beast had raked its claws across it.

—BUKAAAH!

The toad monster leaped up in agonizing pain and extended its tongue to apply saliva. But Jun-sang wouldn’t let it. He immediately plunged the iron ball in his right hand into Bukail’s torn belly, then leaped up and grabbed Bukail’s long, outstretched tongue with his empty hand. Bukail was left looking like a frog trying to catch a bug, but unable to retract its tongue.

—Uh-buh… Uh-buh-buh…

Bukail waved his hands in a panic as his tongue was seized, but before his hands could even reach his body, Jun-sang swung the iron ball in his other hand and severed the monster’s tongue.

—KEEEEEK!

The iron ball tore off Bukail’s long tongue, which was several meters long. Bukail, whose tongue wasn’t just cut but ripped out at the root, shrieked in pain and collapsed. Jun-sang landed and pulled the iron ball out of Bukail’s belly, then muttered, “Martial Artist.”

The interface, receiving the new command, immediately cleared the currently equipped cards from the slots and equipped new ones:

Rampage (R)

Counter

Shoulder Charge

Heavy Blow

And with the addition of the Souls of the Wolf, Bear, and Boar, the “Dark Martial Artist of the Underground Arena” combo was completed.

Jun-sang looked at Bukail, who was sitting stunned and helpless from the shock of his tongue being ripped out, and gathered strength in the hand holding the iron ball. One second, two seconds, and after three seconds, as the power within his body condensed into a single point, Jun-sang immediately concentrated it into the iron ball in his right hand and unleashed it.

CRACKLE!

Suddenly, a bolt of thunder descended upon the earth. The thunder, which instantly incinerated the surrounding air and shot forth, completely shattered Bukail’s massive body. Then, Bukail’s thick bodily fluids began to rain down on the forest.

“Huuuh…” Jun-sang took a deep breath to endure the after-effects of the Heavy Blow.

However, the next moment, the hidden quest entry seemed to update, and a white light enveloped Jun-sang, beginning to heal his overloaded body.

“Oh…” And the next moment, Jun-sang noticed a new message appear before his eyes, along with a level-up notification.

Congratulations!

You have reached ‘Level 20’ for the first time.

-In celebration of your achievement, you are granted the title ‘The Best of the Best’.

[Click here for detailed title information.]

“Level 20?” Jun-sang tilted his head. He thought he was level 19. “Did I miscalculate?” Come to think of it, this might be the first time his exact level number had appeared in a message. Despite his confusion, Jun-sang immediately moved to clear out the remaining supply unit enemies that the wolves were holding back.

What do you think is the significance of Jun-sang reaching Level 20 and gaining the title ‘The Best of the Best’?