Chapter 11 Part3 (1/2)
<chapter 11.=”” lightning=”” tooth=”” -=”” 3=””>
The level 5 Treasure Eater roamed the underground in search for higher leveled treasures.
However, by leveling up, the Treasure Eater's eyesight had drastically improved, and there weren't many items that it recognized as treasures. Thunder Lasting, which had dropped to level 3, had returned to level 4 and had actually become more powerful, transforming into the Lightning Tooth, thereby becoming enticing enough prey to draw the Treasure Eater.
[Lv5 Treasure Eater]
In the end, it wasn't a level 4 Treasure Eater that had arrived, but a level 5 one! He knew there'd be a day that he'd meet one again, but he didn't think he'd have to fight against one that was two levels higher than him...
Despite feeling slightly concerned, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo greeted the Treasure Eater with unmistakable excitement and joy.
”Hey, Steve...?”
[Guwoooooooooooh!]
[The Treasure Eater uses Shriek of the Dead. Those exposed to this shriek momentarily fall into a frenzied and fearful state.]
[Invisible Heart nullifies the effects of Shriek of the Dead.]
However, the Treasure Eater responded to his lively greeting with Shriek of the Dead. 'What s.h.i.+tty manners,' he thought, while Jin spoke from beside him whilst persistently gritting his teeth.
”You learned that yelling skill from the same species as that weird bug, right?
”Yep. How're you holding up?”
”Somehow...”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo naturally wasn't affected by the scream, and Jin wasn't either. It wasn't because they were undead, or because Jin was a horse, but because of his Horseback Riding skill; it was because they were connected, albeit superficially.
In other words, the status ailment that Jin should've received was shared with Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, and in the process, Invisible Heart had completely taken care of it.
[Gooooooooooh!]
Since its shriek was ineffective, the Treasure Eater seemed p.i.s.sed and charged. The golems that were spread across the highlands rolled to either side, making a path for the Treasure Eater so that they wouldn't get in the way. It was as if they were saying 'It's not our problem. Take care of it amongst yourselves, whether you have to fight or kill each other.'!
Jin spoke slightly urgently towards Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, who was nodding, feeling as though the golems' IQ was higher than he had thought.
”How the h.e.l.l are you going to fight against that idiot?”
”Hmm... I'll think about it after getting some more info.”
The level 2 Treasure Eater didn't have any special abilities aside from Shriek of the Dead or Roar of Healing.
However, the level 3 Treasure Eater possessed an outrageous ability, the Flames of Resentment, instead of the Roar of Healing (it might've had it, but at the very least, he didn't see it use it against him). So he didn't have any ways of knowing right now of what abilities, besides Shriek of the Dead, the level 5 Treasure Eater possessed.
It may have all of those abilities, or it may have something even more outrageous. Since this Treasure Eater was his first encounter with a level 5 monster, and it was also an elite, he couldn't know for sure.
”Could you maintain this distance for me? Can you do it?”
”Yeah, that's not a problem.”
Treasure Eaters tended to have high magic and health. In other words, compared to its size, its speed and strength aren't very impressive. Of course, it was level 5, so its stats should be amplified accordingly, but to Jin, who had overwhelming speed even at level 4, there was no way it would be able to catch them.
Even while Lee s.h.i.+n Woo rode on his back, that fact didn't really change. Jin strode across the rugged highlands as if it were flatlands and leisurely widened the distance between them and the Treasure Eater!
[Guooooooooooh!]
”Yes, yes. I'm over here. Catapult!”
[Kuhaaaaaahk!]
For starters, he needed to figure out whether his Catapult would be effective against it or not. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo moved as quickly as possible and shot his index finger, but the Treasure Eater instantly emitted a horrific shriek and the flying shot exploded in midair.
He had expected it to evade it or block it, but he didn't think a method like that would exist! Seeing that, Jin spoke in disgust even whilst running.
”Don't learn that skill. If you don't want to burst my eardrums.”
”You don't have any eardrums to burst... Never mind, sorry. My bad. Please don't drop me.”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo desperately regained his balance atop the excessively shaking Jin and pointed both hands at the Treasure Eater this time. Of course, this attempt didn't come from a complacent idea like 'one didn't work, so let's fire several simultaneously, and hopefully, one will eventually hit the mark.'
”Firing!”
All 10 of his fingers, from his thumbs to his little fingers, were coated in flames and fired. However, they lost their power midflight, as if he had shot them improperly, and fell to the ground! Steve trampled those bones as if it were mocking him, and attempted to keep charging but...
”Self-Destruct!”
[Kuwoooooohk!]
[Critical Hit!]
At that instant, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo yelled vigorously, and all of the 10 bone pieces exploded, hitting its abdominal area hard, causing it to roll onto the floor while spurting blood! Though he was on the cusp of becoming level 4, a level 5 elite monster had been successfully struck by a level 3 hero's blow!
”Hoo, it worked...”
”You should've told me ahead of time.”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, who had already fought Treasure Eaters a few times before, knew that the skin covering its head and its back were tough, and knew that only its stomach area was weak. He had shot his first Catapult in order to ascertain its abilities.
He acted as though he didn't have a suitable way to deal with it, lulled it into a false sense of security, and then, sprung the trap at the most opportune time; weren't these the basics for a Duelist? Though he wasn't a Duelist!
”Then... it's time. Jin, run!”
”Run!? You said we couldn't run back then!?”
”Temporarily! We need to run in order to get the last piece in place!”
Jin, who was surprised that Lee s.h.i.+n Woo suddenly told him to run when it'd finally seemed like they'd have a shot at beating it, asked back, but Lee s.h.i.+n Woo didn't explain at length.
Though they had an opening where they could get a huge hit in, a difference of 2 levels was huge. A similar attack likely wouldn't be effective twice, and if that's the case, they would lose if they kept going at it like this, as the Treasure Eater was unfathomably tough.
What could they do then? The answer was the cheat skill he had; he needed to activate his Avenger skill.