Chapter 41 Part8 (1/2)
<chapter 41.=”” the=”” second=”” advent=”” of=”” the=”” sun=”” G.o.d=”” -=”” 8=””>
[Kiiiiiiik!]
[Kihiiii!]
[Kuooooooooh!]
Ten minutes after the monsters, which boasted a height of at least 50 meters, began their decisive battle, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was able to give the Garuda's golden flames a proper name.
”Let's call that s.h.i.+ning flame.”
”It's just as chunibyou as your dark flame.”
”No, that's not the issue here. It's the fact that it's the counter element to Dark Shadow.”
While light possessed the power to sever connections, the s.h.i.+ning flame took it one step further. The s.h.i.+ning flames were capable of erasing all cause and effect of anything it touched.
Whereas Dark Shadow allowed him to reverse cause and effect, so if the two elements were used against each other, then the winner would be determined by which was more powerful. He'd only just become level 8 and obtained a beginner level 1 innate element, so he couldn't overcome the Garuda if he went head-to-head with it.
”I have the worst luck. I just got an innate element, but why did it have to be an element on par with it?”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo realized how wide the world truly was. After reaching level 8, and obtaining both Dark Shadow and Wild Card, he'd thought that perhaps he was unrivaled. However, he immediately met an enemy that shattered his delusions!
'Perhaps it was a good thing that he hadn't been conceited,' he thought. Jin merely gazed at Lee s.h.i.+n Woo speechlessly.
”Aren't you the one who's amazing for obtaining an element on par with that monster's...? No, wait. How are you even going to fight it anyway?”
”With the dark flames. Dark Shadow won't work, but the dark flames will. There's a chance it'll work since the exhausted Dark Flame Ghosts are putting up a fight.”
The dark flame was a powerful ability that destroyed anything it touched and returned what it destroyed to its wielder. Even if the s.h.i.+ning flame erased cause and effect, by stealing that ability, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo would be able to weaken its efficacy.
...Of course, the Dark Flame Ghosts were too weak, so they weren't able to nullify the Garuda's s.h.i.+ning flame, but they were at least weakening it. And through their black armor, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was able to gather indirect experience with the dark flames, increasing his proficiency and allowing him to set up countermeasures for the s.h.i.+ning flames. As a result...
[The Intermediate Dark Flame element has become Lv2! Magic has increased by 20.]
”Sseup, I'll have to integrate this element's power someday.”
He'd already gotten a start. The Wild Card skill fused all of his skills together, so all of his attacks, defenses, or elemental conversions became unconstrained; if he studied exhaustively with this skill, then he should be able to reach the end of his path.
This was 'another step forward'. 'What a difficult next step,' Lee s.h.i.+n Woo quietly muttered, and extended one hand forward. At the same time, the Dark Flame Ghosts, which were fighting against the Garuda, stiffened.
[Gik...!]
[Kuhik...?]
Once he reached level 8, all of his skills (even if they didn't level up) were affected by his karma and changed in a positive manner. His Rule of Bone was no exception and was strengthened considerably. So much so that he could easily control and restrain the two Dark Flame Ghosts, even though he was tired!
”You've done well. Now die.”
”You really do talk like a final boss!”
If he let this go on, then the Dark Flame Ghosts would inevitably be killed by the Garuda. That in itself wasn't a huge problem, but there was a chance that the loot would be burned into dust by the s.h.i.+ning flames.
If nothing else, he knew the Dark Flame Ghosts had nothing left in them.
[Guaaaaaah!]
[Kihiiiiiik!]
The Dark Flame Ghost suddenly screamed in agony. Although the Garuda was fl.u.s.tered, it didn't let go of this chance and unleashed its s.h.i.+ning flame onto them.
But there was no way that Lee s.h.i.+n Woo would help him out for nothing. The Dark Flame Ghosts mustered their last remaining strength and barely blocked the s.h.i.+ning flames; when their energy was finally depleted and the Garuda was wide open...
-Kwaaaang!
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo blew up their black armor. The darkness swelled, covering the Dark Flame Ghosts in their entirety. Then they exploded, unleas.h.i.+ng destructive energy onto the Garuda!
[The Beginner Dark Shadow element has become Lv3. Magic has increased by 20.]
”Oh, this Dark Shadow ability's great.”
”That was Dark Shadow!? Just now!?”
”Yep. Once I acquired the innate element, it became my fundamental element. It's like my normal attacks are turned into elemental attacks.”
”Sorry. I don't get it.”
The Dark Shadow element was capable of reversing cause and effect. The explanation was quite ambiguous, but if his image and will were clear, then it was like an omnipotent ability. It was nigh-impossible to do this, aside from Lee s.h.i.+n Woo himself, so that's why it was called an innate element.
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had used the Dark Shadow element like this just now. Normally, Rule of Bone could only explode bones, but he had reversed cause and effect so that the rest of their body was considered 'bone'. This allowed him to explode their entire body. This was only possible because of his Disguise skill (which he could use on others), as well as his Acting skill, which could even fool the world itself!
”That doesn't make any sense! Now you can fool the world!?”
”It does make sense. You're looking at it right now. But it's still imperfect, so don't go crazy with the compliments.”
”That modesty's even scarier!”
[Guaaaaaaaaaah...!]
He'd exploded two level 8 elites, so even the level 9 divine bird (which was in the midst of its undead transformation) couldn't withstand it unscathed. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had landed a direct hit with the explosions, and the Garuda screamed weakly and plummeted. During that time, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo collected the loot that the Dark Flame Ghosts had left behind.
”Jin, if I could, I'd reinforce you, but I have to prioritize the battle for now. Don't worry, I'll make sure to make it up to you later.”
”No, you don't need to worry about that!”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was deeply moved by Jin's 'humility' and soon executed Bone Reinforcement. He reinforced himself with the Dark Flame Ghosts' bones (he must've been lucky, as one of them dropped two bones at once!), while he used the Dark Flame Bone Cores they left behind to reinforce the still-evolving t.i.tan Bone Core.
[Absorbing the Lv8 Fiery Sand's Dark Flame Ghost's wing bone, head exoskeleton, and molar. Fully understanding the Fiery Sand's Dark Flame Ghosts' memories. Strength has increased by 80, Agility by 30, Health by 70, and Magic by 65. The Intermediate Dark Flame element has become Lv5 and Magic has increased by 60. The Absorption skill has become LV15 and Magic has increased by 60.]
”Mmmmm.”
Perhaps it was because he was on equal footing with them now, as the stats he gained were much lower than before. Even if he factored that in, he still gained a huge amount of stats. But more importantly, he had absorbed several bones that originated from the same species, causing them to resonate. This allowed him to see through their entire lifetime!
His proficiency in the Dark Flame and the Absorption skills weren't the only things that grew. By completely a.n.a.lyzing the lives of such high level existences, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's own existence grew. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's state as one who overcame the boundaries of combat skills and elements had grown.