Emperor of Solo Play Chapter 90:
Chapter 90 - Corrupted Elf (4)
13 .
‘I almost died . ’
Hyrkan distanced himself from the Cockatrice as the Skeleton Warriors bought some time for him . He thought about what just happened .
He didn't even have to think about it . He was sure the magic thrown by the magician had headed towards him . The accuracy was so spot on that he wanted to give praise to the magician's skill . If he exaggerated his compliment, he wanted to ask why the magician was a pitcher in the MLB . That was how accurate the magic hit its mark .
However, there was a reason why he was able to survive despite the attack .
‘I'm glad I was prepared . ’
Preparation .
He had prepared for this situation . He had stacked the expensive candy, expensive gum, and even the pricey Snake Essence! He had kept all three of them in his mouth .
‘Still, my HP went down to around 30% . . . . If I hadn't invested in the Body Strengthening Skills, I would have died . ’
Again, Pelato had underestimated Hyrkan's Stamina . Hyrkan hadn't skimped on the Body Alteration Skills .
There was the 'Skin Sewing' Skill that increased his passive defense, including an increased defense against magic . There was the 'False Heart' Skill that significantly increased his Stamina . Then, there was the 'Boiling Blood' Skill that increase the rate of HP recover and, at the same time, mitigated the HP lost from burns and blood loss .
He saw the true result of his investment into the Body Strengthening Skill Tree . It also helped that he had done his best to gather as many titles as he could . The titles were a big help in gaining a large Stamina Stat .
Anyways, he was alive .
Since he survived, Hyrkan had the right to take over the leadership role .
“Did I tell you before? If you move without my permission, your severed wrists will be the only thing uploaded to my youtube page . ”
The 30 users all froze in place at Hyrkan's warning .
“The magician who threw the magic spell at me should especially take my words to heart . ”
The magician who had attack Hyrkan was frozen like an ice statue . Pelato's expression also hardened .
‘Is it possible?’
From Pelato's perspective, Hyrkan's words didn't sound so innocent .
'Did he catch on…… . ’
Pelato was the commander, yet he was keeping his silence . Thus, the other members of the party couldn't act .
Everyone just glanced around and surveyed the situation .
The progress of battle in front of their eyes were ever-changing .
Keee, keee!
The Cockatrice ignored everyone, and it was busy getting rid of the Skeleton Warriors attached to its body .
Its fierce struggle dislodged the Skeleton Warriors from its body . When the Skeleton Warriors were thrown to the ground, it either ruthlessly stepped on the Skeleton Warriors or pecked at them as if it was eating corn from the ground . The beak broke apart the Skeleton Warriors’ skull .
The Skeleton Warriors were pretty adept at dodging its attack . At times, the Skeleton Warriors were able to stab the body of the Cockatrice . However, it would be impossible for the Skeleton Warriors to change the tide of battle all on their own . The number of Skeleton Warriors decreased rapidly . There had been 10 of them, but now there were only four of them left .
The countdown had started .
The four became three . The three would become two then one . The Cockatrice's attention would turn to others .
‘Don't we have to move now?’
‘We should change our formation . ’
The party members kept looking at each other . They could continue to play this game of ice tag .
“Didn't I warn you? I told you not to move . ”
However, Hyrkan didn't allow them to respond .
There was a reason why he did that .
‘I will never hand over the command post . ’
Hyrkan decided he wanted to command this situation .
He had already confirmed that Pelato was gunning for Hyrkan . It would be crazy for him to hand over the role of commander to Pelato .
However, words were insufficient . He couldn't take the command just by flapping his lips .
He had to show them his skills .
'I show you what a real commander looks like . ’
Hyrkan took out a gem . It was more pitch black than black . The gem containing the thick, black light was gripped by Hykran, transforming into a black, murky liquid .
Drip, drip .
The black murky water dropped to the liquid .
Koo-koo-koo!
The ground let out a cry as it shook .
Finally, a giant snake that boasted a length of 7 meters showed up . It was a Snake Golem .
The ingredient and the owner of the gem was the Black Anaconda!
There were many types of snake-type monsters in Warlord, but this particular one had the trick of squeezing its prey into two pieces .
When the snake appeared, Hyrkan gave his attack orders . In a flash, it slithered towards the Cockatrice .
Kwah-kwah-kwah!
The Snake Golem moved across the floor, its movement rough and boorish compared to the Black Anaconda .
However . . .
Keeee!
The Snake Golem was at a distance where the Cockatrice would have noticed it . However, it was still busy facing the Skeleton Warriors . In a flash, the Snake Golem encircled the Cockatrice . Its skill was surprisingly on par with a Black Anaconda .
“Hardening!”
Hyrkan immediately used the Hardeninig skill . The Golem made out of dirt hardened like a rock .
Koo-oohng!
The Cocatrice was unable to keep its balance, so its large body fell to the floor .
Several users held their breath when they saw this sight .
‘Such a method was possible?’
‘Fantastic!’
He used the Clay Play Skill to create a Snake Golem . The Snake Golem had encircled the target, and it had used the Hardening Skill .
It was an amazing combination .
They almost let out a sigh of admiration .
Keeee!
The Cockatrice, who was at the wrong end of this attack, was letting out a screech . The Snake Golem was wrapped around the entire length of the Cockatrice's body, and it was having a hard time dislodging the Snake Golem, which had turned into stone .
Bboo-dook, bboo-dook!
Of course, one couldn't ignore the Cockatrice's power . Every time the Cockatrice struggled a crack formed on the Snake Golem .
They once again swallowed their spit as they continued to watch the sight .
‘Should we head in right now?’
‘Isn't our time to attack?’
The Cockatrice was being **** perfectly .
At the same time, the countdown started . The Snake Golem could hold on for a finite amount of time . Even the users who weren't a Necromancer could see that time was running out .
There was less than 1 minute left .
In truth, this fact in itself was amazing . In a Boss Monster Raid, a Boss monster had been restricted of its movement for 1 minute . This wasn't something a user could do .
Normally, this was the time used to prepare . The magicians would prepare magic spells, the Strikers would stick to the monster to get rid of the armor, or the party would change formation .
However, no one could move right now .
‘What do we do?’
‘Should we move?’
‘Who's giving the orders?’
They were told not to move . Hyrkan had said so .
During all of this, Hyrkan was operating his voice talk program .
“Choose . ”
He tried a 1 on 1 chat instead of a group chat .
- What?
Pelato was his conversation partner .
“Choose whether you will fight the Cockatrice with me or do you want to fight me with the Cockatrice . ”
- What are you…… .
Boo-doohk, booh-doohk!
While the conversation continued, the continuous struggle of the Cockatrice caused cracks all over the body of the Snake Golem .
They didn't have a minute . They were down to seconds .
Pelato was getting desperate . Hyrkan continued speaking in a calm manner .
“Who incited this?”
At that moment, Pelato made his decision . He could tell Hyrkan wasn't a normal user by his appearance . Moreover, he already knew about Pelato's secret plans . In the end, if Hyrkan decided to actively interfere in this raid, Pelato would never be able to catch the Cockatrice .
Moreover, he wasn't in a position where he could take down Hyrkan .
He didn't even need to list the pros and cons of doing this .
- A . . . Apollo . It was the Apollo Guild .
Hyrkan immediately switched to the voice talk option and yelled out to everyone .
“Magicians get your magic spells ready . Priests give full buffs to the Strikers . After the magic strikes, the Strikers will run in . ”
Hyrkan had yelled out the instructions instead of the commander . Normally, they would just ignore any order that didn't originate from the commander .
However, an answer came as if they had been expecting this .
- This is the West magician team . We are short on time .
- Right! If we start casting now, we need at least 1 minute!
- This is the priest team . Do you not realize how long it takes to cast a full round of buffs?
They needed more time!
Hyrkan had heard those words countless of times during his raids . He smirked as he spoke .
He had to buy time .
Hyrkan was very familiar with that work .
“I'll buy some time . ”
Hyrkan immediately summoned new Skeleton Warriors .
Moreover, there was a specific Skeleton in the middle of the group .
[Special Ability 'Chivalry' was activated . ]
He had the Skeleton Knight .
14 .
Storm Hunter's Storm Princess . Red Bulls guild's Matador . Hydra guild's First Head .
There was a similarity between these users beyond the fact that they were leaders of the largest guilds in the 30 Great guilds . They were all Swordsman class users, and they always lead from the frontline . They commanded their troops while being always nearest to the monster .
At this point, anyone would ask the question .
Wasn't it too dangerous for the most important party in the group to fight in the frontline?
However, this was the wrong question to ask . They were considered to be important precisely because they fought in the frontline .
Basically, the positions that received the most attentions were either the Strikers or the Tankers . Those in the frontline decided whether a Raid failed or not .
When one was being commanded by a skilled Striker or Tanker, the Raid felt different .
Currently, it was like that .
“Did you see its body shake?”
- It did?
“I'm sure it is a sign that it is going into phase 3 . ”
- What do we do? We don't know what happens in phase 3 .
“Since we don't know it, we do it by the book . The Tankers will be placed at the North, South, East, and West . This is in preparation for an unexpected situation . The magicians will ready their most powerful magic for a single strike . ”
- Where should we sent the magic spells?
“I'll decide . My cute Skeletons are sacrificing their bodies to stall it, so if you miss, you better be ready to take responsibility . ”
- Yes, boss!
It was like the ocean with violent waves, and Hyrkan was basically the buoy floating atop the ocean . Hyrkan commanded on top of the Cockatrice's back . His command skill was so great that everyone participating in the raid felt a feeling of admiration .
The evidence was all over the Cockatrice's body .
When Hykran fell off the Cockatrice's body, he immediately used the Skeleton Warriors to divert the aggro . Its entire body was covered in wounds . The armor it had been wearing was gone, even its gray leather was peeled off . Its appearance was appalling .
It was evidence that Hyrkan's command had been flawless . Now the Cockatrice basically had no defense .
“We are starting the countdown . ”
The Skeleton Warriors, who had been acting as bait, retreated as Hyrkan started the countdown .
Hyrkan counted down to zero! It happened when that word was spoken!
Koo-uhhhhh!
Three enormous flaming bears charged towards the Gray Cockatrice .
Several dozen ice spears formed about the Cockatrice's head, and the spears plummeted towards it .
For the finale, clouds formed above the Cockatrice's head and the black clouds spat out yellow lightnings .
Gwah-roo-roohng!
Everyone's vision turned yellow when the level 120 Unique rank magic, Mega Thunderbolt, fell from the sky .
The ground almost split from the power of the continuous magic spells . The surrounding landscape wasn't able to hold out .
Keeeeee!
Even being assaulted by such attacks, the Cockatrice let out a cry as it let its presence known .
- Sick . I'm sick of this .
- Its defense should be almost 0 . What kind of **** could survive such a magical barrage?
- What kind of bastard? Of course, it’s a monster .
The party members spoke to each other as they watched the sight . Hyrkan made a tight fist once again .
Drip, drip!
Black liquid dripped down through his clenched fist .
Koo-koo-koo!
The ground shook, and a Snake Golem immediately appeared .
The Snake Golem quickly maneuvered over the rocky terrain, and it was very close to the Cockatrice .
The Cockatrice turned its head to look at the Snake Golem . The unsightly monster only had malice left within it . The Cockatrice used its large beak to peck at the Snake Golem's body .
Kwah-jeek!
The Cockatrice's beak was embedded deep within the Snake Golem's body .
At the same time, the Snake Golem moved its body to encircle the Cockatrice's body .
“Harden!”
Soon, the Golem had turned into stone and the Cockatrice fell to the floor . The Cockatrice struggled, and the Golem's body immediately started to crack . Hyrkan yelled out his instructions .
“Thirty seconds . Strikers will be in charge of the finale . ”
- Roger!
After replying, the frightening Strikers with full buff started to move . They were going to end this . The Strikers were always closest to danger, so they were very suspicious of commanders . If they didn't trust the commander, then they wouldn't move .
When Hyrkan's word ended, the Strikers ran immediately towards the monster . It was evidence that showed the Strikers 100% trusted Hyrkan's command skills .
‘We just need to finish it off . ’
He had been perfect in his command .
‘I'll have to request a reimbursement from Pelato for all the money I spent today . . ’
Hyrkan had just completed his calculations when his eyes picked up something .
Poohk!
He saw the scene of an arrow flying towards the Cockatrice, and the arrow was planted on the Cockatrice's body . A single arrow shot had ended the life of the very tenacious Cockatrice .
- What?
- Who shot the arrow?
- No user in Warlord uses a bow!
Everyone was taken aback .
Hyrkan was the only one who wasn't taken aback . He was running towards the direction of where the arrow had come from .
A sound was heard in Hyrkan's ears .
[The Corrupted Elf has appeared . Please track him down . ]
The announcement that helped the Quest Progress was heard .
15 .
Heh-bibin was in a good mood .
‘The situation is finally on the mend . ’
Big Smile had been backed into a wall by the Triple Wing, but recently, they had come across some favorable news . They had developed a live channel program involving a popular Chinese actor . It would be shown on public television in China .
In truth, this program had been long in the making, but they hadn't been able to get anyone to back it . They had started airing it recently, and the result was better than expected .
Moreover, there was a lull between the war with the Triple Wing . The two guilds still had a bad relationship, but for now, they avoided getting into a war that would lead their guilds into life or death situation .
It wasn't as if they had come to a special agreement . It came to be because they heard rumors indicating the Underfoot guilds were gunning for the spots occupied by the two guild . They didn't want to become sacrificial lambs in these trouble times! This was how they came to a tacit agreement .
‘If we build up our fighting power again, we'll be able to climb to the top again . ’
Of course, it wasn't as if all the problems had disappeared . Still, it gave them time to rebound so Heh-bibin was thankful .
He was in a good mood until he had heard the news .
- Excuse me . Do you perhaps know about this?
The employee in charge of keeping the Big Smile guild's items in storage was called Hae-bibin .
“What are you talking about?”
- When we last spoke, you told me to loan out items to the Apollo guild if they asked . Do you remember?
Apollo guild .
Heh-bibin's face crumpled a little bit at the word, then his face relaxed again .
“Yes . Yes, I did . ”
Heh-bibin's weakness was being exploited by the Apollo guild . He tried to give some preferential treatments towards the Apollo guild . This was why they had loaned out the items . He hand made an extra effort so the Apollo guild could get the loaned items .
Truthfully, he thought no problem would arise out of it . The biggest problem that could happen in loaning out the items is the loss of the item . If he considered Apollo's financial coffer, he didn't need to worry about that .
So why was it being mentioned right now?
- Recently, the Apollo guild borrowed a lot of Unique items .
“Did he perhaps lose all of them?”
At this point, Heh-bibin wished Apollo had lost all the items . If so, he could secretly tie off their relationship .
- That isn't it…… It seems the Unique items were moved to the Red Lake .
Unfortunately, Heh-bibin's wish went up in smoke .
“What?”
Red Lake .
Of course, Heh-bibin knew about that location .
‘Why did the Apollo guild go to the Red Lake?’
Heh-bibin tilted his head in confusion as he thought about the level of the core users in the Apollo guild . It was a location that was accessible to the Apollo Guild, but Apollo's personality didn't suit that location .
First, the Apollo guild couldn't act like he was a king in that location . If Apollo acted like he did in the regular field, he would be smashed into pieces at the Red Lake .
Moreover, Apollo didn't have the skill required to hunt there .
‘No . That pig **** has no reason to go there . . ’
Items weren't the only thing required to succeed in a Boss monster raid . One's own personal skill was important . Apollo didn't have the requisite skills . If he went to the Red Lake himself, he would only realize that he was trash . All he was capable of doing was eating EXP from the back .
At that moment, Heh-bibin suddenly remember something .
It was the latest news .
‘Maybe…… . ’
A Corrupted Gray Cockatrice had appeared at the Red Lake, and someone was gathering an attack force to take it down .
Moreover . . . .
‘……He is trying to catch the Hahoe Mask?’
There was new that the Hahoe Mask had appeared there .
Once he combined the two news, it made Heh-bibin frown . A terrible hypothetical situation appeared in his mind .
‘Maybe . No way . . . ’
What if Apollo was using the borrowed Unique items from Big Smile to catch the Hahoe mask?
If so, who would take the blame for the incident?
‘……no way . ’
Heh-bibin desperately tried to contact Apollo .