Chapter 326. Immediate Battle (5) (1/2)
As the green energy began to seep into the Unicorn’s outer skin, Seol Jihu pushed his spear in deeper while rousing the power of Soma.
Thinking that this was the end, he exerted the anti-evil energy to the limit.
Eventually, as golden arcs of lightning crackled on the overflowing holy water—
PZZZZZZT!
”KIAAAAA!”
The Unicorn’s mouth split open. Inside a blindingly dazzling burst of light, it shook and thrashed its body in a frantic struggle, screaming at the top of its voice.
However, not a single thing went its way. Threads imbued with holy power newly flew in and bound the Unicorn’s forelegs again. As a result, the Unicorn became frozen in place with its forelegs and hind legs spread wide, and the lightning current frolicked around in the green sea like an excited child.
”Kuooooo….! Kuaaaa….!”
The Unicorn’s squirming died down just as quickly as its screams. Its previously grinning eyes rolled back as it clearly looked to be on the verge of losing its consciousness.
However, Seol Jihu did not drop his guard. His comrades had exhausted their power to create this single opportunity for him.
The golden light surging around him already demonstrated that he was using the anti-evil lightning to the fullest, and he had no plans to pull his punches.
And so, just as he was about to scrape up every ounce of mana in his body, risking potential damage to his mana circuit, Seol Jihu suddenly received a strange sensation.
‘It’s being pulled in?’
The lightning current that was running around like a playful child abruptly became orderly. Then, it suddenly stopped dancing and was sucked in one direction like a child answering its mother’s call.
Taken aback by this sudden phenomenon, Seol Jihu cast an upward glance.
The attack wasn’t over yet. The holy water’s aura shot up like a fountain and began to take shape. It split into twenty-six streams, spread out like a discus, and slowly rolled up from opposite ends.
The final shape was that of a flower. The twenty-six streams of holy water came together and bloomed into a lotus.
Next, as it absorbed the lightning current that was flowing in, a truly wondrous golden lotus flower bloomed.
And thus.
Boom!
As one petal exploded in a terrifying flash of light—
”Kurarararararara!”
The Unicorn that was nearing its death once again rampaged in madness. It shook its head in all directions, reeling from pain as the lotus flower exploded inside its body.
Meanwhile, the petals continued to explode one by one, raising a storm with extraordinary explosions.
Seeing this, Seol Jihu narrowed his eyes. The light from the explosions was so intense that it was dyeing his vision white. Due to its fierce intensity, Seol Jihu worried he might lose his sight.
Even the threads imbued with holy power were about to melt like wax under the sun.
Glancing to the side, Seol Jihu saw Baek Haeju glaring fiercely with her hands pressed together. She was in deep concentration, sweating profusely with her mouth firmly shut.
Seol Jihu also clenched his teeth and gripped the Spear of Purity. Once the twenty-six petals of the lotus flower all bloomed, the periodic explosions halted.
Immediately afterward, the swaying horse head stood erect.
”Keeeeeeeeu!”
With heavy pants, Raging Temperance’s eyes lit up.
Baek Haeju quickly shouted.
“Get back!”
In the next moment, the six Warriors who rushed in, including Baek Haeju and Seol Jihu, fell back simultaneously.
At the same time, the Unicorn raised its forelegs and began to stomp down crazily.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Even after taking dozens of steps backward, intense vibrations could be felt under their feet. Although the Unicorn was attacking blindly without a clear target, it was still incredibly powerful.
“He still has so much energy…?”
“No.”
When Chohong sighed with an exhausted look, Baek Haeju shook her head in denial.
“A candle burns the brightest right before going out.”
Hearing the calmness in her voice, everyone gazed at Raging Temperance. After finishing its short final struggle, the Unicorn was left in a sorry state that was hard to watch.
Its bulky body had cracked up and was now looking grotesque like a deflated balloon. Its beautiful white hair had burned to a crisp, exposing a barren hill, and the way parts of its body were stained black, pus mixed with blood must have flowed out before being cooked by the flames.
”Uwuk, uwuk, kuwuk, kuwuk!”
It even started to dry-heave while dragging its four legs. It was easy to see that it wasn’t in the best condition. The expedition team’s killer move had done its job.
Next, as if to prove this conjecture, the Unicorn’s legs buckled and it plopped down.
Chohong’s complexion brightened.
“Is it dead?”
“Aaaaaaaah! Shut up! Take what you said back right now!”
Hoshino Urara threw a fit as soon as Chohong asked.
“Don’t you dare plant such a shitty death flag!”
“What?”
“Come on, if you say something like that, this bastard is gonna come back to life, saying something like, ‘Uhahaha! Not bad for a bunch of humans! I will show you my true power now!’ Don’t you watch movies!?”
Hearing this, everyone shut up. They knew she was joking, but a part of them couldn’t help agreeing with Hoshino Urara.
“…There’s no way he’s dead yet.”
Baek Haeju sighed while watching the vomiting Unicorn.
“Each Parasite Army Commander was bestowed with the power of a god and cannot be looked down on. Even if we get lucky and force them to the verge of death, they can always use Divine Manifestation as a last resort.”
“Oh right!”
Hugo did a double-take and asked in fright.
“T-Then shouldn’t we hurry and finish it off? Before he uses that Divine Manifestation thing…”
“No.”
However, Baek Haeju shook her head once again.
“Each Army Commander had a different degree of success in absorbing the divinity they were given. The more they failed to digest, the bigger the surge of power is when they release it. We have to be wary of being swept away by this terrifying storm. I can’t remember how many Earthlings died like this.”
Hearing this, the vomiting Unicorn flinched. The way its burned, scar-filled face contorted, it must have been planning on doing this.
”You… you… you cowardly little bitch!”
It tried to stagger up, but ultimately fell back down. Hugo shouted again.
“Then what do we do!?”
“Just wait. For now, save every last breath you can.”
Baek Haeju spoke firmly as if she couldn’t be bothered to explain more.
It just so happened that Seol Jihu expended his full power in the previous attack. He didn’t mind taking a short break.
Feeling like the inside of his body was completely empty, he quickly collected his breath. Soon, a voice rang out in his head.
—As you can see, it’s almost over. All we need to do is force Raging Temperance to release its divinity and then escape.
Everyone’s gaze fell on Baek Haeju at her unexpected words. Hugo was about to insensitively inquire, but Oh Rahee quickly kicked his shin and shut him up.
—The Army Commanders don’t have their divinities sealed for nothing.
—Each individual of each race has a clear limit as a vessel. In the first place, it is extremely difficult and rare for a mortal to fully absorb the power of an immortal.
As Baek Haeju said, an Army Commander did not release their divinity unless it was absolutely necessary. Although each Army Commander was different, they could only last ten to thirty minutes once they used Divine Manifestation. Once that time passed, they would need anywhere from several months to a whole year to replenish their strength and recover.
Meaning, Divine Manifestation was an extremely inefficient skill that was only used as a last resort.
—But once they fully release their divinity, their strength will truly be on par with a god.
—Without an expedition team full of Level 7s or a defensive measure rivaling Tigol Fortress at its prime, facing an Army Commander in that state is no different than suicide. Instead, we have to run.
—But this also means that we only have to wait out this time. Moreover, releasing divinity in a healthy state is totally different from releasing divinity with such injuries. In the latter case, they won’t be able to sustain the divinity for as long.
—Plus, given that Raging Temperance has the word ‘raging’ in its name, there’s a good chance that it will lose its mind.
Seol Jihu nodded. Baek Haeju was saying they should wait until the Unicorn released its divinity before scattering and running away, then coming back to finish it off once it ran out of time.
Although the enemy might curse them for being cowardly, there couldn’t be a better method for them.