Chapter 62: Déjà Vu (6)
Hyun Suho and the members of the Cheonrima Guild were prepared to move forward.
In a typical party, the tanker would stand at the front, with healers or mages, who need protection, positioned at the back or in the center.
But this time, Hyun Suho took the lead, with the Cheonrima Guild members lined up behind him.
“We're going in!”
What Hyun Suho held in his hand was the Genocide, a flamethrower.
When it comes to filth, pollution, or disease, the best solution is intense flames.
The firepower emitted from the Genocide’s core was far more powerful than that of an ordinary flamethrower.
Whoosh!
As the blue plasma flames spewed forward, the source of the contamination covering the ground began to burn rapidly.
Crackle!
It looked like a writhing sludge, but it seemed to have some sense, as it quickly recoiled from the flames.
It was as if a snail had been startled by a touch to its antennae—except here, the touch wasn’t a gentle one, but a fierce blaze.
From Aphos’s perspective, it must have felt like its flesh was burning.
The underground cave echoed with Aphos’s scream.
“Uuuuuu!!!”
As the cry of this extraterrestrial monster reverberated, a damp, sinister energy burst out in all directions.
The ground shook as if the cave would collapse, and indeed, large chunks of rock began to fall.
Among them were massive boulders nearly 5 meters in diameter.
Boom!!
Had this been in the center of a city, the buildings would have been devastated.
In fact, many monsters were crushed to death by the falling debris.
The party wasn’t safe either.
“Gah! Everyone, be careful!”
The real challenge began now.
The path had been opened, but it was only natural that they would draw aggro.
Monsters that had been wandering aimlessly around started swarming toward them, like guards alerted by an alarm.
“Rooaarrr!!”
“Everyone, stay alert! They’re coming!”
A variety of monsters, each of different types and species, started charging towards them, trampling over Aphos’s slithering body.
It seemed these creatures weren’t affected by the acid—likely something Aphos could control.
The location where the sacred beast was presumably trapped was directly in the center of the cave.
The distance was roughly 500 meters.
For hunters, it was a distance they could cover in the blink of an eye, but since they had to clear the path with fire, progress was slow.
Moreover, even after carving out a path with intense flames, Aphos would quickly regenerate and block the path again.
Whenever Hyun Suho diverted even a little bit of his firepower elsewhere, the glowing slime would surge forward, pressing the party.
Realizing this, Jo Seung-joo shouted, “Leave the rear to us! Suho, just focus on the front!”
Jo Seung-joo was level 6, even higher than Hyun Suho.
He had been temporarily incapacitated by the Succubus’s combo attacks, but he had shown remarkable skill in other battles with monsters.
His swordsmanship said it all.
He was a talented swordsman who had honed his skills through constant effort.
In terms of ability, he was almost on par with the Silver Knight, discounting the equipment.
With a bit of guidance from Hyun Suho, he could become even better.
‘If we make it out of here, that is.’
The other Cheonrima Guild members, though not as skilled as Jo Seung-joo, were experienced and highly capable.
It was unfortunate that there were no beasts for Jo Mina, the tamer, to command, but that couldn’t be helped.
Trusting them, Hyun Suho unleashed more flames ahead.
Whoosh!
The Cheonrima Guild members were fully aware of their roles.
They couldn’t allow the monsters to interfere with Hyun Suho.
They unleashed their skills without holding back their mana.
“Sword Dancing!”
“Fire Strike!”
“Wide-Area Taunt!!”
Even Jo Mina, who had no beasts to control, wielded her whip to assist the others.
As a tamer, she could also cast buff spells, enhancing the fighting power of her allies.
“Blood Lust!”
She wasn’t a specialized buffer, but being an S-rank, her effects were not bad at all.
The plasma flames grew even more intense after receiving the buff, a clear indication of its effectiveness.
The charge was easier than expected.
This meant that the Cheonrima Guild members were doing their jobs well.
Having spent so much time together, they didn’t need to speak; a glance or a feeling was enough to understand each other’s intentions.
The powerful monsters swarming from all directions were held back by their resistance, unable to approach Hyun Suho.
‘So this is what team play feels like?’
Ever since obtaining Nova, becoming a hunter, he had never considered forming a party.
Given the Genocide’s outstanding performance, he didn’t see the need to join a party and share the loot… but his perspective was starting to change.
Even though their attack power wasn’t on par with his, hunting in a party was much more efficient and safer.
‘If it’s with a trustworthy party…’
It was what he had always wanted since childhood.
A party hunt with comrades for whom he would gladly give his life.
Although the sibling duo of Jo Seung-joo and Jo Mina was an exception, the other two cared for and protected each other like family.
He had always dreamed of one day conquering dungeons with such companions, sharing both laughter and tears.
Just like the way they were now.
“Cheol-min! Watch your back!”
“Ahhh! You bastards! I’m right here!”
Although their individual combat abilities couldn't compare to Hyun Suho’s, the Cheonrima Guild members fought by covering each other’s backs, allowing them to fight without worrying about being attacked from behind.
Had it not been for the ambush by the Masked Men, they wouldn’t have been so easily subdued.
A cheerful party aiming to conquer dungeons together while having fun.
It wasn’t bad now, but with a leader to help them refine their skills, they could grow even faster.
‘They definitely have potential. If we can just make it out of here alive, this party will become even stronger.’
[Agreed.]
As feared, Aphos wasn’t merely a summoned boss.
The path Hyun Suho was creating with fire, the route they were taking, started to boil with slime.
Bubbling!
Soon, the slime rapidly converged at certain points and then surged upward, transforming into long tentacle-like structures.
They were so massive and solid that they resembled ancient tree trunks—calling them tentacles might not do them justice; they were more like pillars.
Suddenly, five of these tentacles appeared around them.
As they swung simultaneously, it felt as if skyscrapers were collapsing.
Whoosh!
The Cheonrima Guild members, who had been fighting monsters, were understandably shocked.
“No…! Aaahh!!”
The sheer mass of the attack carried a clear intent to kill.
These weren't just any pillars; they were Aphos’s tentacles.
If they were crushed beneath those, their insides would burst, and they’d be dissolved and absorbed by the acid.
But there was nowhere to run.
The path they had already crossed had been restored, now filled with slime.
There was no escape route.
The only way forward was through the path Hyun Suho was burning with flames.
As fear gripped everyone’s eyes, Hyun Suho leapt into the slime, shouting, “Leave this to me!”
He quickly summoned the chain sword and combined it with the Genocide.
The result was a flame sword, with fierce flames rotating where the saw blade would have been.
Whoosh!
The tentacles were so thick that Hyun Suho judged the flamethrower alone wouldn’t reach deep enough to burn through.
He could manage one or two of the tentacles, but dealing with five at once was impossible.
So he decided to cut them down with physical force first, then burn them.
‘Even though I like crispy on the outside and tender on the inside…’
[Before that, Master will be turned into dried squid.]
As Hyun Suho leaped high, the tentacles twisted toward him like a jellyfish snatching its prey.
They bent smoothly yet attacked with undiminished speed.
As they drew closer, the surface of the tentacles compacted, forming countless spikes.
‘Trying to eat me?’
The intention was clear.
They wanted to absorb Hyun Suho to create a new monster.
“Screw that!”
If he ended up as monster food here, Heavenly Demon would lament how pathetic he was.
“I’m the guy who defeated 5he Heavenly Demon!”
Even if it was just a play on words.
Recalling that made him relax, and his movements became smoother.
Using the subtleties of the Suho Sword Technique, he swung the flame sword.
Shhhk!
It felt like he barely touched the tentacles, yet the thick tentacle was sliced cleanly down to the end.
A clean cut.
It reminded him of when the Heavenly Demon sliced through a robot as massive as the sun with a single stroke.
Of course, it didn’t involve the same level of profoundness.
A wave of energy surged from the sword.
Unlike martial artists, what surged out wasn’t a wave of ki but plasma energy.
The intense plasma cut through the tentacle and began to burn it simultaneously.
Whoosh!
The flames that erupted from the severed end quickly spread throughout the entire massive tentacle.
The thick tentacle, like an ancient tree trunk, was completely incinerated and vanished before it even hit the ground.
Tack!
Hyun Suho landed lightly on the ground, and the Cheonrima Guild members were left gaping in astonishment.
A miraculous display of skill just when they thought they were doomed.
Even Aphos seemed shocked, its slime writhing as it slowly retreated.
Even Nova asked in a surprised tone,
[What did you just do?]
An unusually intense tone from Nova.
Still in a daze, Hyun Suho responded,
‘What do you mean?’
[Do you realize what you just did?]
‘Did I do something?’
It felt like something was spinning in his mind.
A flash of insight danced on the edge of his thoughts.
Nova clarified it for him.
[Master… you used the Genocide’s core with martial arts.]
What he used was the Suho Sword Technique.
It was indeed martial arts, but the destructive power had been amplified through the Genocide’s core.
All of this happened so naturally.
Hyun Suho hadn’t even noticed anything strange.
And in that moment, he realized.
‘This isn’t my own ability.’
Even though Hyun Suho had acquired the talent of the Heavenly Demon’s lineage, it wasn’t something he could unleash in a single moment.
It wasn’t as if he had realized something profound or had a sudden inspiration.
He had simply moved as the martial art dictated.
‘Suho Sword Technique.’
It was all thanks to the martial art.
The martial art he acquired from the dimensional gate seemed as if it had been designed with the expectation that Hyun Suho would wield the power of the Mechine God.
A martial art tailored specifically for Hyun Suho.
‘Amazing!’
Originally, he intended to use martial arts merely as a stepping stone toward becoming a Mechine God.
While it would be useful later, it would have its limits.
After all, unlike the Heavenly Demon, Hyun Suho’s path wasn’t to become a God of Martial Arts but a Mechine God.
But this martial art shattered all of Hyun Suho’s preconceived notions.
Had it not just demonstrated that it was possible to merge machines with martial arts?
//*Manryugwijong*—All streams lead to one source.
‘Then maybe magic and superpowers could be possible too?’
If martial arts could do it, why couldn’t other things?
It suddenly felt like there were countless ways for him to grow stronger.
‘But first, let’s take care of this...’
From that point on, there was no hesitation.
There was no longer a need to use the flamethrower. He advanced forward, slicing through the tentacles with the Flame Sword as if cutting down weeds.
The drawback was that it consumed a lot of mana, but given the current situation, there was no other choice.
As he gained some breathing room, he began to understand the truth behind this place.
‘Someone deliberately trapped Aphos here.’
Aphos was a creature from outer space.
Its true size couldn’t possibly be just enough to fill this cave.
It might be as large as a continent, or perhaps even larger than Earth itself, like the fog monsters.
Its level would surely exceed 10.
If this were the real Aphos, Hyun Suho would have been absorbed without much resistance.
So, what was here was merely a fragment of Aphos.
Even so, the fact that they could trap such a fragment here was a tremendous feat.
‘How did they even bring Aphos to Earth?’
The Knights, who orchestrated all of this, had undoubtedly taken a part of Aphos and placed it here.
Their goal was likely to corrupt that divine beast.
Whatever their intentions, it was clear they wouldn’t benefit Seoul or this Earth.
Hyun Suho drew upon his strength and intensified the flames.
“Get lost!”
Whooosh!
The intense flames caused the slime to recoil in pain, retreating.
With a bit of breathing room, he checked on the people who had been dangling from the slender tentacles earlier.
If the battle had intensified, Aphos would have absorbed them to replenish its strength.
Fortunately, the people were unharmed.
Bippo had quietly flown over and already rescued them.
(*ˊᗜˋ*)
[Beep! Beep!]
“Well done!”
There was no longer any need to hesitate.
Hyun Suho swung his sword wide, incinerating all the contaminated substances at the destination.
“Burn it all to ashes!!”
Whooosh!
The plasma flames thoroughly eradicated the contaminated substances.
And just as Jo Mina had said, there was a divine beast in that spot.
A massive divine beast, lying exhausted from its struggle with Aphos.
It was about 10 meters tall, with burning red feathers, a beautifully curved beak, and still-sharp claws.
It was a creature everyone was familiar with.
“A phoenix?”
The one Aphos had tried to corrupt was none other than the legendary phoenix.
