Chapter 184 …

Chapter 184

Fierce Strike.

Depending on how it was used, it could become an incredible combo skill—or, on the contrary, a skill that couldn’t even function as a simple charging slash.

Because of that, Fierce Strike was like a constant homework assignment that every swordsman had to figure out.

“—When is the best timing to use Fierce Strike?”

“Why are you curious about that, old man? Don’t tell me you’ve been eyeing Fierce Strike and thinking of switching classes?”

“It’s not that, brat. I’m just curious because you always seem to use it so well.”

Questions like that always followed.

Bora-Ajeossi, who was particularly interested in Fierce Strike, was one of those people.

If it were him, he would probably just use it to bulldoze enemies with brute damage.

But Do-hyeon and the Sword Emperor used it in all kinds of creative ways, and that fascinated him.

Back then, Do-hyeon had answered like this:

“The first hit is important. Before it stacks up to five strikes, the stagger and knockback are weak, so it’s easy to block. You have to keep throwing feints and throw off your opponent.”

“Then what about after five stacks?”

“After that? Timing doesn’t matter. You just beat the hell out of them.”

“Ah.”

The reason many swordsmen struggled to use Fierce Strike properly was because its effect was insignificant before the five-hit stack.

But once it reached five stacks—

Range, movement distance, damage, even stagger and knockback—

Everything became powerful.

If you got caught by it properly, you’d end up being beaten like a dog on the hottest day of summer.

And by the time you regained your senses, it would already be at ten stacks, the maximum.

[Five Strikes (5-Hit) Stack Activated.]
[The power of Fierce Strike deepens. Stagger duration and knockback strength increase.]
[Damage is amplified.]

Just like now.

Thud! Bam! Crack!

“Nice… that feels good.”

[Kyaaaaah!!!]

Six hits. Seven. Eight. Nine…

The barrage of Fierce Strikes pounded Ruidra as if she were being beaten with a club.

It had been a while since the skill landed properly, and the sensation was immensely satisfying.

Ruidra was already in poor condition because of the ice-type attacks.

Every time Fierce Strike hit, she was pushed back and staggered.

For her, it must have been maddening.

[Ruidra’s HP has fallen below 15%.]

While Do-hyeon relentlessly beat her down, 5% of her HP vanished in an instant.

The speed was absurd compared to the previous 10% he had chipped away.

At this rate, killing her with just dozens of Fierce Strikes seemed possible.

After all, when used properly, Fierce Strike could output DPS comparable to a legendary skill.

But Ruidra was a Hidden Named Raid Boss.

Though she had been briefly shaken, she wasn’t the type of boss who would go down so easily.

“How dare you…! With such pathetic numbers!! I am the Dream Witch acknowledged by Him—the Ruler of Nightmares! The one trembling in fear should be you!”

Creak—whirl!

Even while being pushed back, Ruidra twisted her body at an impossible angle, overcoming the limits of her skeletal structure to regain her posture.

Her scythe bent with a grotesque bone-cracking sound.

Creak—

Then it swung faster than Do-hyeon’s sword, aiming to slice off his neck.

At this rate, Do-hyeon would be countered instead.

“Die, insolent Apostle!”

It was a life-or-death crisis.

But Do-hyeon was smiling.

This much was within expectations.

It wasn’t his first or second time using Fierce Strike.

Something like this didn’t even qualify as a crisis.

“Whoever ‘that person’ is… doesn’t seem to have good judgment.”

“…What?”

At that moment, Do-hyeon’s body vanished.

Crackle—

A spark flared behind her.

Do-hyeon had used Backstab and was already swinging his sword from behind.

[Nine Strike (9-Hit) Stack Activated.]

This is why Fierce Strike is so versatile.

If all it did was repeatedly swing a sword and cause knockback, it would just be an average skill.

But the reason it was so useful was simple—

You could use other skills during it.

In that brief window of about one second.

Only near-instant skills could be used, but if the conditions were right, it allowed for countless flashy combos.

Never thought I’d use Backstab as part of the combo.

For someone like Do-hyeon—an All-Master—that was trivial.

Ruidra spun around in fury and swung again.

But Do-hyeon deflected it with a parry, spun, and continued into the tenth strike.

Her side was sliced open.

Blood poured from her pale skin.

She tried to swing her scythe in pain, but her body wouldn’t move properly.

In the end, she was the one getting cut again.

“KYAAAAAAAH!!!”

[Hidden Raid Boss ‘Ruidra, Ruler of Nightmares’ uses Nightmare’s Scream.]

Her desperate scream exploded outward as a shockwave.

Its power was strong enough to sweep away everything in front of it.

At such a distance, it should have been impossible to dodge.

But even that couldn’t reach Do-hyeon.

[Backstab used.]
[Mark disappears.]

He still had one more charge of Backstab left.

Seeing the exposed back of her neck, Do-hyeon gripped Cheonbyeon.

A violent surge of energy burst forth.

[Ten Strike (10-Hit) Stack Activated.]
[Maximum stacks reached. All amplification values reach maximum.]
[If used within 1 second, Fierce Strike can continue.]

[Sword Aura – Slash activated.]
[Delivers a powerful strike proportional to the damage accumulated on the mark.]

The combination of Fierce Strike stacks + Sword Aura.

It was one of Do-hyeon’s favorite finishing moves back in the Demrock days, and a combo he had full confidence in regarding destructive power.

One element was missing.

But instead, Backstab’s powerful strike was added.

In terms of destructive force, it was even stronger.

This is impossible to dodge.

The perfectly angled slash descended toward Ruidra.

[Hidden Raid Boss ‘Ruidra, Ruler of Nightmares’ HP below 10%.]

Her remaining HP: 10%.

Enough to die from this single finishing blow.

“Ah…”

At that moment, as the world seemed to slow down like in slow motion—

Ruidra smelled something familiar.

A scent both familiar and strange.

In the Swamp of Nightmares, where countless deaths gathered.

For the first time, that nostalgic scent was coming from herself.

It was the first request He ever made of me… and I was so close to fulfilling it.

Her sun.

Her savior.

The one who had awakened the life of a strong being within a worthless slave girl.

She had almost fulfilled their request.

If only she had a little more time, she could have retrieved “that thing.”

“I… cannot die like this.”

That thought became an obsession.

Her determination to be acknowledged by the one who saved her surpassed obsession and turned into madness.

And her body went berserk.

“RAAAAAAAAH!!!”

[Phase 3 Activated.]
[Ruidra draws out the Source of Nightmare.]
[All of Ruidra’s traits disappear and a unique space within a 5m radius is created.]
[All skills and buffs of targets inside the space are removed.]

“…What the hell?!”

Do-hyeon froze in shock as the messages appeared.

He had expected a Phase 3.

But a skill-cancellation pattern?

Her abilities had already been absurd.

This was beyond unfair.

[Sword Aura – Slash cancelled.]
[Fierce Strike energy dissipates.]
[Thunder Dragon Descent cancelled.]
[Powerful Strike disappears.]
[Ice Energy Flow disappears.]

Damn it!

This wasn’t the time to complain.

All buffs and skills had truly been erased.

The massive burst damage he had prepared vanished instantly.

[HP below 30%.]
[Mana below 20%.]

To make matters worse, both HP and mana were nearly empty.

With cooldowns forcibly reset, he had almost no skills available.

Meanwhile, Ruidra still had several dream buffs active.

The situation reversed instantly.

“Die for Him, Apostle of Prophecy.”

Ruidra swung her massive scythe.

The stat difference was overwhelming.

But Do-hyeon didn’t give up.

Because he still had one bullet left.

[Holy King’s Mark used.]
[Power of Faith activates. All skill cooldowns reduced by 65%.]

A mark that drastically reduced cooldowns.

“…What?”

It was an absurd effect capable of ruining Ruidra’s ultimate pattern.

But the timing wasn’t ideal.

Even with 65% reduction, most skills still weren’t ready.

[Thunder Dragon Descent activated.]
[Bleed activated.]

At best, he could use skills that had been off cooldown for a long time.

Still… it’s something.

A blue flash burst in the sky.

A dragon-shaped lightning bolt crashed down.

BOOM!

“Ghk…!”

Ruidra’s monstrous reflexes let her dodge a direct hit.

But it bought Do-hyeon time.

[Madness activated.]
[For 90 seconds, HP decreases by 1% per second while stats and speed increase based on current HP.]

[Mana below 15%. Warning.]

Tch… it would’ve been easier if I could use that…

But the recently discovered technique consumed enormous mana.

With his current mana, it was impossible.

At least he hadn’t wasted it earlier.

Otherwise he wouldn’t even have enough mana left to stand.

“How is this possible?! Even for an Apostle of Prophecy, this makes no sense!”

“My line.”

What kind of boss design was this?

Who was supposed to beat something like this?

A one-on-one fight should have been impossible.

Then again, had anything ever been easy?

Do-hyeon gritted his teeth and gripped Cheonbyeon.

Now both of them had only one thing left to do.

“Fine. Let’s see who wins in the end.”

“RAAAAAAAH!!!”

A direct clash.

No attack skills.

No special techniques.

Just pure physical ability and control.

A brutal fight of instincts that would decide the victor.

And in fights like that—

Do-hyeon had never lost.

Slash! Slice!

At first glance it looked even, with countless small wounds appearing on both bodies.

But both of them could feel it.

“Ghah! Why?! Why won’t you die!!!”

The one slowly being pushed back…

Was Ruidra.

Her giant scythe struck Do-hyeon less and less.

Meanwhile Do-hyeon’s weapon transformed into various forms, tightening around her like a noose.

Thud! Crack! Bang!

Slash—stab!

Shield blocks the scythe.

Sword slashes.

If distance opens, he thrusts with a spear.

If he closes in, a dagger targets vital points.

Sometimes he even used martial arts, turning his entire body into a weapon.

A desperate battle.

What started evenly gradually tilted—

Until it became one-sided beating.

Thud.

[Hidden Raid Boss ‘Ruidra, Ruler of Nightmares’ HP below 1%.]

Finally, she dropped to her knees.

Closer to the swamp of death than anyone else.

“I’m sick of this. Just die already.”

At Do-hyeon’s exhausted words, the blood-soaked woman raised her head.

She saw the sky.

A colorless sky without life.

The same color as her emotions before she was saved long ago.

“So… this is how it ends.”

Black tears flowed down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry. Even after receiving your grace… I couldn’t fulfill even one of your requests.”

“Who’s this ‘person’ you keep talking about? Let’s hear it.”

“Five suns and moons… the true masters of Abtartel.
They are the rulers of all things… the true salvation.”

To others it might be a nightmare.

But to her, it was salvation.

Her voice was filled with unwavering faith.

Do-hyeon sensed something ominous.

“…What kind of people are they?”

“You are not worthy to know their identity.”

“So you won’t tell me?”

“Do you think you deserve it? You who couldn’t even complete the trials!
But do not be curious! On the promised day, they will appear!
And everyone will receive true salvation through death!
Kahahaha!!”

Her laughter echoed madly.

She truly believed it.

“If you won’t tell me, fine.”

“Kahahaha—ghk!”

Feeling disgusted by the fanatic look in her eyes, Do-hyeon drove his sword into her neck without hesitation.

She wouldn’t say anything more anyway.

And he was already at his limit.

Besides—

He didn’t really need to hear more.

[Hidden Raid Boss ‘Ruidra, Ruler of Nightmares’ defeated.]

[First kill reward: Boss-related equipment guaranteed.]

[Harvesting Ruidra’s Essence Orb guarantees equipment.]