NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 28
Chapter 28
– You have defeated the Named Monster, ‘Red Molar, Farg’.
– Individual merit points have increased by 4,000 points.
– Acquired ‘Farg’s Heart.’
In an instant, another Named Monster had fallen.
Unable to withstand the simultaneous attacks from both sides, Farg had its insides burst out, causing blood to stream from within.
Meanwhile, Kang Han-cheol stared at his fist in amazement.
“If you get used to it, you’ll be able to produce this level of power even without the Constellation’s help.”
“This is Strong Fist (强拳), isn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
A monster in the form of a boar, known for its endurance, and this power had burst the boss monster.
This was exactly why Se-woon taught Kang Han-cheol the Jinju On-ga Fist.
Kang Han-cheol, seemingly pleased with the power of the Strong Fist, kept staring at his own fist for a while.
– The ‘Red Molar, Farg”’ has been devoured.
– Absorbing its nutrients increases Strength by 5 and Stamina by 10.
Like Karnil, Farg also provided a total of 15 stat points.
Additionally…
– The Constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ savors the exquisite, tender meat, describing it as a divine taste.
The reaction from Beelzebub, the wielder of this power, exceeded expectations.
“Kang Han-cheol, you can handle the rest of these boars, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
The ordeal wasn’t over yet.
There was still one final Named Monster remaining.
Se-woon moved towards Rocky Mountain.
It didn’t take long before he saw the people fiercely battling the red monkeys.
‘Yoo Seo-ah. She’s doing better than I thought.’
The situation was completely different from Kang Han-cheol, who faced a Named Monster alone.
She not only wielded her swords at the front lines but also directed the people, using formations and tactics to deal with the monkeys.
She made full use of the barricades and traps set up by the twins.
– The Constellation, ‘Crowned Spider,’ criticizes its contractor, saying the web is still too sloppy.
Probably, Yoo Seo-ah’s talent and the Constellation’s power were manifesting simultaneously.
The highest-ranking Demon Lord, Baal, known as the ‘King of Hell,’ was a distinguished commander and strategist in the underworld.
While observing Yoo Seo-ah’s commanding abilities…
“Catch me if you can! You can’t, right? Frustrating, isn’t it? Haha!”
“Hm?”
A familiar voice rang out among the monkeys.
– The Constellation, ‘Thief with the Donkey Head,’ rolls on the ground, asking someone to find its belly button.
Upon closer look, Park Jung-pil, who claimed to be Se-woon’s right-hand man, was also making a significant impact here.
Holding a banana, Se-woon’s taught bait, he was darting around amidst the Red Monkeys. No one had given him the task, but he performed the role of a baiter perfectly.
Perhaps due to the interest shown by the Constellation Balefor, his speed had increased, making it difficult even for the Red Monkeys to catch him.
Moreover, he cleverly evaded their attacks, even stealing the equipment held by the Red Monkeys.
It was clear that he had learned ‘Theft,’ a skill from Balefor, the sixth-ranked Demon Lord.
‘What is that guy doing performing so well.’
Se-woon sighed softly.
It was a stark contrast to what he had expected when he first took him in. Unlike Yoo Seo-ah or Kang Han-cheol, who he personally trained, Park Jung-pil was growing at an astounding rate on his own.
‘It’s ultimately a good thing, though…’
The increase in the camp’s fighting strength was, after all, a positive outcome for Se-woon.
Despite his reservations, remembering the Park Jung-pil from before his regression, he couldn’t dismiss someone based on past events.
“Ugh!”
Crack!
Rumble…
“Fall back! I’ll handle the Named Monster. Everyone else, hold the line at the broken barricade!”
Lost in his thoughts for only a moment, the Named Monster among the monkeys, ‘Red Claw, Yashak,’ had broken through the barricade.
All ten traps had either been used or destroyed.
No matter how outstanding the tactics and formations were, the disparity in raw power was just too vast.
Seeing the worsening situation, Se-woon immediately ran to Yoo Seo-ah’s side.
“Yoo Seo-ah.”
“Se-woon! Why are you here? What about the other areas?”
“They’re roughly taken care of. The Named Monsters are down, and they’re wrapping things up now. It’ll be finished soon.”
“That’s a relief. If it’s not too much trouble, could you…?”
“Don’t worry, I’m fine. Let’s finish this quickly.”
“Thank you!”
“Ugh! Ugh!”
Red Claw, Yashak.
The monster stood just over 2 meters tall, shorter than other Named Monsters.
However, its movements were clearly fitting for a Named Monster.
Agile maneuvers and enough intelligence to command the Red Monkeys.
In its hands, it wielded a steel sword resembling a falchion and a round steel shield, while it wore what appeared to be sturdy light armor.
For someone wielding dual swords like Yoo Seo-ah, a Named Monster with a shield proved to be a particularly challenging foe.
Clang, Clang!
Yoo Seo-ah and Se-woon’s swords clashed against Yashak’s shield.
With Se-woon joining the fray, they were able to fully block its attacks, though Yashak wielded the shield with surprising skill.
In the midst of this…
‘It’s her footwork.’
Se-woon identified the flaw in Yoo Seo-ah’s technique.
When sparring at close quarters, it wasn’t noticeable, but in the larger field with Yashak’s dynamic movements, her weaknesses became apparent.
Her swordsmanship was excellent, but her footwork couldn’t keep up.
Well, come to think of it, it made sense.
No matter how well she learned swordsmanship on Earth, it would have ultimately been restricted to the limited space of a training ground. She wouldn’t have experienced a vast and chaotic battlefield like this.
“Yoo Seo-ah, follow my steps from now on.”
“What? Now?”
“The fastest way to learn is by watching and doing in real combat.”
Anyway, the two Named Monsters had already been dealt with. The only ones left were Yashak and the Red Monkeys.
It was the perfect moment to teach Yoo Seo-ah the footwork.
– Opened the Treasury of Greed.
[Kamil’s Dual Swordsmanship]
– The dual swordsmanship of Kamil, the Mercenary King, of which only five exist in the world. Her footwork, in particular, was said to be like a leaf in a typhoon, impossible for anyone to catch.
Mammon’s Treasury held numerous footwork techniques, but not many suited Yoo Seo-ah.
Since dual swords are inherently difficult to master, few renowned swordmasters excelled at them So, Se-woon brought not only the footwork but the entire dual swordsmanship of Kamil.
Shing.
He drew the molar dagger that had been resting at his waist.
Having been overshadowed by Durandal, the dagger seemed excited for its turn, vibrating with anticipation.
Following Kamil’s dual swordsmanship, Se-woon gripped the swords in both hands and swiftly moved with the footwork.
“If you don’t focus, you’ll miss it.”
“W-wait a minute!”
Tap!
Despite her shout, Se-woon didn’t stop.
Gritting her teeth, Yoo Seo-ah quickly followed closely behind Se-woon.
“What kind of footwork is this…?”
Se-woon’s steps were fundamentally different from ordinary footwork.
Fast, dazzling, and bewildering.
He pushed his left foot forward, then moved his right foot to the left, turned his body, and ducked while swinging his sword. He then rolled on the ground and sprang up in a single leap.
Perhaps because it was the swordsmanship of a mercenary dealing with various monsters?
Kamil’s dual swordsmanship exhibited movements entirely distinct from the martial arts techniques Se-woon had used so far.
And the results were evident.
Slice!
“Ugh!”
It was undeniably impressive.
Yashak couldn’t keep up with Se-woon’s movements, and naturally, its shield couldn’t block Se-woon’s sword.
Desperately trying to track Se-woon’s motions, Yashak felt dizzy from the whirlwind-like movements.
Additionally…
Slash!
“You’re keeping up well.”
“Just a bit slower!”
“I’ll speed up a bit more.”
“Wait a minute!”
Yoo Seo-ah was also closely following Se-woon’s movements.
As a result, Yashak felt as if it had been caught in a storm.
Four blades whirled around in all directions chaotically.
Yashak frantically swung its shield around, but the four swords skillfully evaded the shield and inflicted various wounds on its body.
– The Constellation, ‘Crowned Spider,’ bristles its leg hairs, remarking that its contractor is only now starting to follow in its footsteps.
Se-woon and Yoo Seo-ah’s attacks continued relentlessly.
Yashak’s shield was now completely meaningless.
Initially clumsy and prone to tripping, Yoo Seo-ah’s footwork improved incrementally until she perfectly synchronized with Se-woon.
“Amazing!”
“How’s your stamina holding up?”
“I’m a bit tired, but it’s much better than usual!”
While her lack of strength was unavoidable, it seemed her perceived lack of stamina stemmed from flawed footwork.
Indeed, anyone who had properly learned swordsmanship would swing their sword hundreds or thousands of times a day, so it wouldn’t make sense for her to lack stamina.
By now, Yashak’s body was riddled with countless wounds.
And after a while…
Thud.
The shield fell from Yashak’s hand.
When it raised its sword, four blades targeted its openings; raising the shield only allowed attacks to slip through the gaps.
Even attempting to flee would result in blades aiming for its Achilles’ tendons with every step.
Trapped in a hopeless situation where neither fight nor flight was an option, Yashak gave up the battle.
“Ugh…”
It was a novel sight, even for Se-woon.
Seeing Karnil trembling in fear and now Yashak surrendering, it was a stark contrast to what Se-woon had experienced before his regression.
Slash-
Slash-
Yoo Seo-ah and Se-woon’s swords simultaneously struck, severing Yashak’s neck.
The final Named Monster fell too easily.
– You have defeated the Named Monster, ‘Red Claw, Yashak’.
– Individual merit points have increased by 4,000 points.
– Acquired ‘Yashak’s Sword.’
“Ugh, ugh-kiik!”
“Ugh-kik!”
The eyes of the Red Monkeys watching this scene turned to fear.
Adding to the shock of their leader’s fall, the abilities of the item Seun was wearing had been activated.
– The ability ‘Wolf’s Threat’ of the ‘Red Wolf Armor’ causes nearby Red Monkeys to fall into fear.
– The ability ‘Auro of Dominance’ of the ‘Gray Wolf Cloak’ enhances charisma and worsens the enemy’s fear.
From then on, it was straightforward. All that remained was hunting the terrified and fleeing Red Monkeys.
Having lost their will to fight, it was easy to safely annihilate all the monsters.
And finally…
[ Tutorial Chapter One – Adaptation ]
– Successfully cleared the tenth wave.
– All participants in the wave are awarded 1,000 points.
– Congratulations! You have excellently completed the first chapter of the tutorial!
– All participants in the tutorial are awarded an additional 1,000 points!
– Calculating individual merit points…
[1st Place: Jeong Se-woon 58,660 points]
[2nd Place: Yoo Seo-ah 11,120 points]
[3rd Place: Kang Han-cheol 10,980 points]
“It’s over!”
“Finally, we’re free from this cursed wave!”
“Everyone, you did great!”
With the monsters vanquished, cheers erupted from the people.
Each time they cleared a wave, the phrase “Time remaining until the next wave” appeared, heightening their anxiety. But fittingly, this final wave eliminated that dreaded countdown.
However, there was one thing people weren’t considering.
‘It’s too early to celebrate.’
To confirm Se-woon’s thought…
– Tutorial Chapter Two – ‘Movement’ begins.
A system message announcing the start of the second chapter appeared before everyone.