SMH 151

Chapter 48 – Raid Hell (3)

TL: Boko

Editor: Frost

The reinforcements would arrive before the wave began. Then, the exhausted Hunters could assume the rear while the new Hunters blocked the wave. Sung Joon believed he’d done his job.

“I understand… Good luck.”

The Investigator said no more. After Sung Joon had nodded his head, he ran towards the closest warp gate, which was north.

It was a critical situation, as they had lost contact with the S-rank Hunter Na Joon Yeol and his team. Thus, there was a chance that the SS-rank raid boss was at the northern warp gate.

“The Red Axe’s Tribal Chief should be at about the SS-rank level. I believe he’s the raid boss.

Rishubalt was of the idea that Rash was the raid boss.

Sung Joon rushed over to the warp gate like a speeding car and sensed several mana reactions.

“Stealth.”

He used his item’s stealth function in order to hide himself completely. He also used the technique from his past life that allowed him to remove any traces of his presence.

“I’ll come back after I’ve scouted.”

Rishubalt knew what Sung Joon intended for him and preemptively went out to scout. Sung Joon continued to move toward the warp gate. Then, Rishubalt returned after five minutes had passed. Sung Joon sent a small amount of mana to him so that he would notice.

“As I thought, Na Joon Yeol and Baek Ha Yeon have collapsed in front of the warp gate. Rash was in front of them as well. The next wave hasn’t begun yet but there are more minions than I expected.”

If he destroyed the warp gate, all of the monsters that used the particular warp gate would be unsummoned. Therefore, the minions would always be nearby, guarding it.

This time was no exception. Sung Joon had expected it but Rishubalt was concerned by the number of minions.

Since Sung Joon was stealthed, he couldn’t respond, but it didn’t really bother him either. After all, all he needed to do was kill them.

‘I’m killing them all.’

At some point, Sung Joon had gotten close enough to the warp gate to see it with the naked eye. Sung Joon looked around coldly.

He could see Rash as well. There was a human skull tied to his waist. He was wielding two red axes, one in each hand, befitting his tribe’s name.

Aside from Joon Yeol and Ha Yeon, all the other Hunters had died, and the two were tied up as prisoners. They looked like a wreck.

The two Hunters were bloody. The Red Axe Tribe probably intended to publicly execute them to lower the Hunters’ morale.

“There’s someone here.”

Sung Joon had combined stealth with a high level technique that reduced all traces of his presence. Regardless of that, Rash knew that someone was there.

He wasn’t sensing Sung Joon’s presence or killing intent. It was an instinctual fear that came from being hunted.

Rash felt intensely anxious. He acted as though everything was fine in front of his subordinates but it wasn’t easy.

‘I don’t know who it is… but they’re powerful.’

This was the first time he felt ‘fear’ since he encountered Roukel at the Ridonia Great Plains.

Likewise, his subordinates were also gripped with an intense fear. If they were normal soldiers instead of Orcs with aggressive tendencies, they would have run away already.

Rash surveyed his surroundings with a sharp gaze. However, since Sung Joon was using his high level techniques in tandem with stealth, he found it impossible to find Sung Joon’s exact location.

‘Damn it!’ Rash cursed inwardly. However, he figured out a way to force his opponents to reveal themselves.

He gave the ‘signal’ to the Orc High Priest who was by his side. What he intended was quite simple.

‘Fire offensive spells in all directions.’

He would force Sung Joon out of stealth by firing large-scale spells in every direction.

The Orc High Priest just nodded its head. And relayed Rash’s message to the other Orc Mages through magic.

When Sung Joon confirmed that the Orc Mages were gathering their mana, he immediately used his high-speed movement.

His stealth was released, but since his attack was so sudden, the Red Axe Tribe couldn’t respond immediately.

“Ugh!”

Sung Joon threw his dagger, which burrowed into the Orc High Priest’s neck. His surprise attack was perfect; he didn’t give it any time to react.

“Attack!”

The six nearby Orc Blademasters drew their swords, and simultaneously rushed toward Sung Joon.

A normal person wouldn’t be able to keep track of their movements. Normally, it would appear as if they were moving too fast. However, to Sung Joon, it appeared as if they were moving so slowly that they might as well not be moving at all.

Sung Joon scanned them quickly. Eventually, he swung his sword swiftly.

“Ugh!”

“AH!”

The Orc Blademasters were unable to do anything before the overwhelming difference in strength. They were cut down by Sung Joon’s sword and fell to the floor. Streams of blood flowed from their bodies.

However, their sacrifice bought the Orc High Priest enough time to almost complete its spell.

“Petrify.”

Sung Joon made the first move. The red petrifying ray struck the High Priest’s chest.

The Orc High Priest turned to stone before the Orc Blademasters’ bodies could even hit the floor.

“Damn it!” Rash cursed. Two High Priests and six Blademasters were killed instantaneously. The Orcs’ strategy was much like the Empire’s. Rash intended on using a human-wave strategy to exhaust his opponent before sending in his elites: the High Priests, Blademasters, and the Warlords. But as of now, he had already lost most of his elite combatants.

“Attack!” an Orc Blademaster urgently ordered. He was able to survive as he had been further away.

“Get the hostages!”

Two of the Orc Warlords rushed over to the tied up Joon Yeol and Ha Yeon, and several Orcs gathered to stop Sung Joon.

“Tempest Sword.”

The Orcs were swept up in a storm of sword winds. They let out cries of agony  as blood spurted into the air.

Then their blood fell like rain. All that remained around Sung Joon were Orc corpses.

With one technique, he had killed around one hundred Orcs. He managed to kill three Orc Warlords as well.

“There are two Orc Warlords moving towards Na Joon Yeol and Baek Ha Yeon. I believe they’re going to be taken hostage,” Rishubalt reported. Sung Joon just gathered his mana.

“Blink.”

He vanished and then reappeared in front of the wood pillar that Joon Yeol and Ha Yeon were tied to. The two Orc Warlords hurriedly drew their weapons.

They aimed their aura clad spears at Sung Joon. One of the Orc Warlords opened its mouth and gathered its mana to use its War Cry.

“Ugh!”

However, before it could use its War Cry, Sung Joon threw his dagger with a cold expression. The dagger made its way into the Warlord’s neck.

Even if it had managed to use its War Cry, Sung Joon could nullify its effects immediately with his vast mana capacity. However, it was always better to stop an annoying technique from being used.

“D-Damn it!” The sole remaining Orc Warlord cursed, and thrust its spear at Sung Joon. It was as fast as a bullet. But…

“You’re slow.”

It felt much too slow for Sung Joon. He twisted his head to the side to avoid the strike, then cut the spear’s shaft.

Although the shaft was made of steel, it couldn’t withstand Sung Joon’s aura. The Orc Warlord gave up on its spear and grabbed a handaxe instead.

It attempted to counterattack. But at that moment, Sung Joon stared at it and released his killing intent.

“Ugh!”

Even though it was an Orc Warlord of the Red Axe Tribe, it was impossible for it endure Sung Joon’s killing intent.

Not only did its legs shake, but it urinated as well. Seeing that, Sung Joon smirked.

“You’re even pissing yourself? Must be embarrassing for the Red Axe Tribe.”

He ridiculed the Orc Warlord and simultaneously swung his sword, cutting off its head. It bled like a fountain and its severed head rolled on the floor.

“Don’t look down on the Red Axe Tribe…!”

He heard something behind him. Sung Joon swung his sword as he turned his body. His swift attack caused Rash to give up on his attack and retreat back.

“Return.”

Sung Joon threw his returned dagger at the ropes around Joon Yeol’s arm. Mysteriously, the dagger had only severed the ropes, nothing more.

“Heal!” He extended his left hand at Joon Yeol and yelled. As an SS-rank Healer, Sung Joon’s Heal could instantly heal an injury grievous enough to cause an S-rank Hunter to black out. At the same time, he let out a forceful wave of mana as well.

“Ugh!”

The soft impact awoke Joon Yeol.

“Shield!”

He cast a defensive spell as soon as he awoke because he was an experienced S-rank Hunter.

Right on time too, as a handaxe had embedded itself into his blue magic shield. The handaxe was enveloped in aura, but because Joon Yeol’s magic shield was so durable, the axe cracked, but it didn’t break entirely.

“I woke up because of you. Thank you,” Joon Yeol said, thanking Sung Joon. He sharply scanned his surroundings in order to get a feel for the situation. With a sad expression, he spoke.

“It seems like everyone else died…”

“Mr. Na Joon Yeol, you were about to die too,” Sung Joon said. He must’ve lived thinking he was better than others, so this must’ve been a humbling experience for him.

Joon Yeol nodded his head. It wasn’t an unpleasant expression, but his face was downcast. He was feeling an intense guilt for being unable to protect all of them.

“I understand the situation now,” Joon Yeol said, and gathered his mana. He manifested dozens of fire spears in the air. It was a multi-cast befitting an S-rank Mage Hunter.

“Human, you dare!?”

Rash swung his red axe whilst utilizing his high-speed movement. An Orc Warlord followed suit. Despite them being surrounded on all sides, Sung Joon and Joon Yeol remained calm.

“I’ll throw them off.”

As soon as Sung Joon nodded his head, Joon Yeol shot his prepared fire spears. Eleven of the Orc Warlords were swept up in the flames and let out agonized cries. The ensuing Wind Cutters caused the Orcs to spurt blood as they were cut into pieces. However, as he continued to cast his spells, three Orc Blademasters and eight Orc Warlords rushed over to him.

There was no time to wake up Baek Ha Yeon. The situation was much too strenuous.

“I’m counting on you to take care of the boss.”

Joon Yeol didn’t stop multi-casting. He looked at Sung Joon and calmly asked him to take care of the boss. Sung Joon just rushed over to Rash.

“Illusionary Sword.”

Sung Joon spoke the activation words and unleashed his lethal finisher.

“This is Roukel’s technique! It was you!”

Rash’s eyes gleamed. He ‘transformed’ the aura around his red axe and dispersed it. He dispersed the sharp pieces of aura, as though it were a barrage of daggers, and nullified the Illusionary Sword.

“Haha!” Rash laughed elatedly. He let out a battle cry and swung his handaxe in order to split Sung Joon’s head. His handaxe ripped through the air and clashed against Sung Joon’s sword.

Kwang!

“Ugh!”

He succeeded in defending against its strike, but the force behind Rash’s handaxe was tremendous. A giant crater formed underneath him. Sung Joon’s right wrist was broken.

However, he didn’t let that get to him. While Rash prepared his follow-up strike, Sung Joon gathered his mana and spoke.

“Heal.”

His injury was healed. Rash wasn’t even aware of this, as he continuously swung his handaxe at him. They weren’t just normal swings either.

“It’s a Cut.”

‘Cut’ was a high-rank technique that could cut through dimensions. However, Sung Joon still smiled.

Then, the moment his eyes gleamed…

“Dimension Slash.”

Dimension Slash* was a more advanced technique than ‘Cut.’ It was personally created by Roukel himself. Aside from Roukel, only a handful of knights in the Knight Brigade were taught this finishing move!

*T/N: Changed the name of the technique he learned in 141 to Dimension Slash, as all the literal translations I could think of didn’t accurately represent the technique. The Korean word literally just means sword (or a really high quality sword). I translated it based on context. It cuts dimensions, hence Dimension Slash.

And Sung Joon had used that very technique, ‘Dimension Slash’, which cut through everything and anything.