Chapter 63: Déjà Vu (7)
'Phoenix.'
The legendary firebird that is said to resurrect even after death.
Every thousand years, it burns its own body to ashes, and from those ashes, a new Phoenix is born.
A divine beast symbolizing life, rebirth, and resurrection.
The pinnacle of avian mythical creatures.
Not only does it possess incredible vitality, but it is also formidable in battle, with adult Phoenixes said to be as strong as Ancient Dragons.
[Though it doesn't have a Dragon Heart.]
"……."
Even if it's just a remnant, the Aphos here is a level 9 catastrophic monster.
Hyun Suho was only able to make it here by fighting such a monster because Aphos had exhausted much of its power in a struggle with the Phoenix.
"That was close."
If he had arrived a little later, the Phoenix would have fallen into corruption and become something entirely different.
If he had arrived a little earlier, the Phoenix would have been defeated by the powerful Aphos and reduced to nothing more than nourishment.
If it weren't for Jo Mina, they wouldn't have even known the Phoenix was here.
Everything happened at the perfect time.
From start to finish, it was nothing short of a miracle.
'So this is why people keep talking about precognition.'
But the situation wasn't resolved yet.
Although they had succeeded in securing the divine beast, Aphos's mucus still covered the area, and the number of surrounding monsters was significant.
Hyun Suho had no time to catch his breath as he drew his sword.
"Should I call this the second phase?"
In order to fight against Aphos, they desperately needed the Phoenix's help.
But the Phoenix, weakened, was barely able to open its eyes.
Hyun Suho urgently shouted to Jo Mina.
"Isn't there something we can do?"
"J-just a moment."
Jo Mina quickly placed her hands on the Phoenix's body and closed her eyes.
Then, a warm light emanated from her body, gently caressing the Phoenix.
Was it healing magic?
Whatever it was, he could feel the Phoenix's condition improving.
"I'm going to heal the Phoenix. Please buy me some time."
Hearing this, Hyun Suho shouted.
"Let's hold out a little longer!"
Now the quest objective had changed to protecting Jo Mina and the divine beast.
The problem was that Aphos's power had increased drastically.
It seemed that the force that had been suppressing the Phoenix was now being fully unleashed on the party.
[Kuwwooo!!!]
Massive tentacles sprang up everywhere.
Earlier there were only five, but now dozens were being created.
Even the party, which had gained momentum, couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the sheer pressure.
"Hmm…."
In the end, the Cheonrima Guild members could only look to Hyun Suho.
After taking a deep breath, Hyun Suho shouted.
"I'll take care of those tentacles again. The rest of you, handle the other monsters."
In this situation, it was the only option, so there was no need to come up with a strategy.
Without time to share opinions, countless tentacles curved and flew toward the party.
"Let's go!"
[I'll assist you!]
Since he was focusing all his energy on his sword, he couldn't even wear battle armor.
Given his current defense, even a graze from a tentacle would be dangerous.
But he couldn't afford to hold back.
The Suho Swordsmanship was the best move he could use right now, but it wasn't the only one.
Since he had gained enlightenment, he decided to use the remaining abilities without reservation.
"Black Hole!"
It was a skill he acquired after resolving the dungeon break where the Elder Lich had appeared.
Selling it would have brought in a huge amount of money, but he couldn't bear to part with such a rare skill book, so he decided to learn it.
The name was grandiose, but it was actually a type of gravity manipulation magic.
There was no way he could reproduce the cosmic phenomenon of a black hole with his current magic power.
Maybe a level 10 mage could manage it?
As he opened his palm, a pitch-black sphere was summoned.
A gravity ball generating strong gravitational forces.
'Tsssss!!'
As expected, while he grasped the basics, adapting magic to mechanical divine power was impossible with his current understanding and abilities.
It was only possible because it was incorporated into the Suho Swordsmanship from the beginning.
Still, he got an idea, so with practice, he might be able to use it someday.
Having more available weapons was never a bad thing.
The tentacles caught in the gravity ball's force hesitated for a moment, but eventually, they broke free and regained their speed.
It didn't matter.
He never intended to stop Aphos's tentacles with an immature gravity spell.
If it could delay them for even a second, or even 0.1 seconds, it would be possible to destroy them one by one.
[I will mark the priorities.]
Nova marked the approaching tentacles in order. Hyun Suho moved, trusting the information absolutely.
'Slash!'
The tentacles slashed by his sword burned and crumbled one after another.
Masses of mucus, each as large as several skyscrapers, were instantly annihilated.
But there was still a mountain of Aphos's mucus left.
'Even if it was just a remnant, the outer-world monster could never be underestimated.'
'As time passed, it seemed to grow stronger and stronger.'
'To prove this, even more tentacles were generated than the number that had been destroyed.'
Rumble!
“Damn it!”
The pressure intensified.
The tentacles swung as soon as they were created.
There was no time to use gravity magic again; the situation was that urgent.
'If that's the case!'
Hyun Suho extended his arm toward the swinging tentacles.
His highest stat was still mental strength.
Nova had suggested learning psychic skills because it would be a waste not to use that stat.
The top-tier telekinesis skill obtained from the government.
“Stop!”
As the power of telekinesis was applied, the movement of the tentacles slowed.
The tentacles and telekinesis began pushing and pulling in midair.
It looked as if giant fingers were trying to pierce a tough plastic sheet.
The telekinesis was so powerful that cracks appeared in the air, almost as if it was becoming tangible.
Screeeeech!
Thanks to his high mental strength, he barely managed to hold on, but he couldn't maintain it for long.
“Grrk!”
Unlike other skills, psychic power consumes SP (Spirit Power).
While it had the advantage of conserving mana, overusing it could lead to brain exhaustion.
He was holding back a massive amount of force with only his mental strength.
He had expected this much.
No matter how weakened or reduced to remnants, a level 9 monster couldn't be defeated with some insignificant martial arts, magic, or psychic powers.
The difference in strength was so vast that it was more like flailing than resisting.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
It felt like his brain was being split apart at a cellular level.
Would it feel like this if you put your brain in a microwave?
To somehow endure, he clenched his teeth so hard that blood trickled from his mouth.
Fortunately, before Hyun Suho collapsed, Jo Mina succeeded.
“Please help!”
Screeeech!
The Phoenix, encouraged by Jo Mina, spread its wings wide and flapped them.
Then, from the Phoenix's center, golden waves burst out in all directions.
Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t golden waves but golden flames.
A sacred fire that annihilates all evil and impurity.
The flames spewing outward quickly formed a massive whirlpool.
Rumble!
Swirling like a vortex, it shredded all the mucus like a blender.
It was truly unstoppable.
Even if it was just a remnant, Aphos, with its level 9 strength, couldn't resist the sacred fire.
Just a touch of the flames made Aphos’s mucus ignite and disappear without a trace.
This was different from plasma flames.
Even with high-temperature plasma, it only burned specific areas, but this fire was something Aphos couldn't shake off.
The sacred fire that clung to Aphos’s body grew larger with time, soon consuming all of Aphos’s mucus, which had filled the massive space.
Whoosh!
The party was suddenly trapped in the middle of a scorching inferno.
The sacred fire had already engulfed the entire space like a typhoon.
Yet, strangely enough, the party remained unharmed.
Even when the sacred fire touched their bodies, it didn’t burn or even feel hot.
The sacred fire only burns impurity.
Instead, it felt as if the flames were warming their bodies and healing their wounds.
All the party could do now was watch as the fire spread.
And after some time passed, finally…
《Hidden Epic Quest Cleared》
▶ Seed of Destruction
▷ Reward: Sacred Fire
《Level Up!》
Along with clearing the quest, they received their rewards and even leveled up.
At last, or rather so soon, he had reached level 6.
Considering that the Silver Knights, who had the full support of the state, were also at level 6, it was clear how remarkable this achievement was.
It was the result of gaining enormous experience from a Hidden Epic Quest.
His stats had nearly doubled, and he felt a tremendous surge of vitality throughout his body.
But rather than feeling that power, Hyun Suho first took a moment to catch his breath.
“Phew~ That was close.”
As expected, it was still difficult to block Aphos's attack with just telekinesis.
Until he learned how to link it with mechanical divine power like the Suho Swordsmanship, it seemed it wouldn't be usable in critical moments like this.
In any case, telekinesis had helped protect everyone.
Without other defensive skills, Hyun Suho wouldn't have been able to protect everyone and the Phoenix just by swinging his sword.
“What about the others?”
Looking around, it seemed most of the Cheonrima Guild members had also leveled up.
They were also beneficiaries of the quest, after all.
However, the rewards differed depending on their contribution rates.
Hyun Suho was the only one who received the Sacred Fire, while the others received slightly different rewards.
‘Do you know what the Sacred Fire is? Is it good? Can I use it?’
The latter part was crucial.
Clearing the Hidden Epic Quest was a tough achievement, but if the ability gained wasn’t all that great, it would be utterly useless.
Just because an ability was exceptional didn't mean that was the end of it.
No matter how good an ability might be, it had to create a synergy with the user in the end.
Wouldn’t a Barbarian having a 10th Circle magic spell be like a pie in the sky?
Fortunately, Nova’s answer was encouraging.
[It’s much more than that.]
'What do you mean by that?'
[The Phoenix is said to have been born from sacred fire. So, it's not an exaggeration to say that Master has obtained the Phoenix’s origin.]
'The origin?'
The sacred fire that burned through Aphos’s body came to mind.
An overwhelming compatibility beyond mere strength.
A flame that burns away all impurity, corruption, and evil.
It meant he had gained that power.
[You could use it even more effectively than the Divine Power stat you previously obtained.]
'If I can use it freely, that is.'
[After all, its form is fire. Don’t you think it will be much easier to combine it with Divine Power than magic or psychic powers?]
Even though he had obtained the Suho Swordsmanship, Hyun Suho’s main weapon was still plasma.
A powerful source of thermal energy.
Since it shared similarities with the sacred fire, it shouldn’t be too difficult to combine the two.
At least, as Nova said, it should be easier than combining it with magic or psychic powers.
While everyone was celebrating the fact that they survived and cleared the quest, Phoenix’s body suddenly began to break apart.
Screeeeeech!
Was it because it had exhausted too much power during the fight with Aphos?
The Phoenix let out a pained cry and rolled on the ground.
Jo Mina, who had been caring for the Phoenix, was startled and used a skill.
“Oh no, what do we do?! It can’t die.”
Even though Jo Mina poured all her mana into it, she couldn’t stop Phoenix’s body from disintegrating.
The Phoenix’s massive body, which had been nearly 10 meters long, gradually shrank until it was only the size of a palm.
It seemed like it would disappear completely… but…
Screeeeech!
It barely managed to stop breaking apart.
The once-majestic and awe-inspiring mythical beast that could dominate the sky had shrunk down to fit in the palm of a hand.
Not only had it shrunk, but its belly was now round, and its beak, wings, and claws had become adorably tiny.
“…A chick?”
It looked like someone had dyed a chick red, as someone commented.
Screeeeech!
Now that it was small, it was incredibly cute.
“Is it alive?”
[Phoenixes are inherently immortal. Even if they turn to ashes, they can be reborn.]
Everyone watched in surprise as the Phoenix, with its tiny, unimpressive wings, flapped over to Jo Mina’s chest and nestled in.
Screeeeeech!
The Phoenix, now comfortably nestled in Jo Mina’s chest, began to doze off as if it were tired.
Seeing this, Jo Seung-joo asked his sister incredulously.
“Did you just tame the Phoenix?”
Jo Mina was an S-rank Tamer.
Up until now, she had commanded terrifying beasts to aid the party.
And now she had managed to tame the Phoenix.
[It seems she received a reward just as significant as Master’s.]
‘Indeed.’
Come to think of it, Jo Mina’s contribution rate wasn’t small either.
She had noticed the Phoenix’s presence and healed it in time.
As everyone stared at the Phoenix in amazement, Jo Mina shouted, embarrassed.
“Wh-what are you looking at!”
It just so happened that the Phoenix was nestled in her cleavage.
Realizing this, everyone awkwardly averted their eyes.
“A-ah, no. That’s not what we meant.”
Patting the sulking Jo Mina on the back, they exited through the portal that had appeared.
Whirr!
“We’re outside!”
“I never thought I’d see the sky again…”
The ten people who had been captured by Aphos’s tentacles also made it out safely.
Hyun Suho went around, using his Healing Factor to treat each of their wounds.
Jo Seung-joo cautiously approached and asked.
“How are they? Will they survive?”
“Fortunately, we weren’t too late. They’ll heal with time.”
At Hyun Suho’s words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, their eyes welling up with tears.
It was the moment they realized their comrades, whom they thought were dead, had returned.
“Thank you so much! We don’t know how we’ll ever repay this debt.”
“It’s nothing. I got a good reward out of this too, thanks to you.”
He meant it.
If not for their help, Hyun Suho wouldn’t have been able to clear this quest.
As the crisis passed and everyone enjoyed the warm atmosphere, Jo Mina suddenly asked cautiously.
“Um… Oppa, do you have a party?”
“A party?”
He didn’t have a party, but he did have a guild.
The Ex Machina Guild.
He was even the guild master.
Not knowing this, Jo Mina looked up at him with expectant eyes, her gaze sparkling with anticipation as she asked,
"If you don’t have one, would you like to join us?"
Jo Mina’s sudden proposal surprised not only Hyun Suho but also the Cheonrima Guild members.
Wasn’t she usually shy and too timid to even talk to others?
Especially since she found it difficult to interact with men despite having an older brother, she often felt awkward even around her own party members.
And yet, here was Jo Mina, actively making such a bold suggestion.
"I…"
Just as Hyun Suho was about to respond, he felt a strange sense of unease.
‘Where have I seen this scene before…?’
Could it be that his foresight had been triggered again?
No.
Foresight couldn't occur this frequently.
To be precise, this was a part of the original foresight he had experienced.
At that moment, a wave of anxiety washed over him.
‘Is it not over yet?’
They had defeated a Level 9 boss monster and completed the Hidden Epic Quest.
He thought all that was left was to head home in high spirits.
But the scene before him still felt like déjà vu.
Slash!
A long, red line appeared across the chests of the four.
At first, he didn’t understand what it meant.
That is, until their upper bodies fell to the ground before the lower halves followed suit.
Thud!
Blood poured out relentlessly from the severed torsos.
In an instant, the companions who had been laughing and chatting with him moments ago had become lifeless, bisected corpses.
It was a horrific sight, straight out of a nightmare.
“Huh?!”
Startled, Hyun Suho shook his head vigorously, and the scene of the Cheonrima Guild members, who were waiting for his response, came into view.
They were all unharmed.
Was it just an illusion?
‘No!’
In that instant, Hyun Suho moved reflexively.
Tap tap tap!
He darted past the confused Cheonrima Guild members and swung his sword.
The air had appeared empty.
However, when Hyun Suho swung his sword, he felt a heavy impact.
Crash!!
Something collided with his sword, was repelled, and flew backward.
A sharp attack that had been flying horizontally.
Just a moment too late, the trees along its path were cut down and fell to the ground.
Thud thud thud!
Among the felled trees were some massive ones, as thick as Aphos's tentacles had been earlier.
Even those had been sliced through cleanly without any resistance.
If he hadn’t intervened, the four would have been killed just as they had in his vision, without even knowing what happened.
The reason why Hyun Suho had used his foresight.
It wasn’t just because of Aphos, as he had initially thought.
It was because of this very situation.
“Well, well! You managed to block that?”
From the shadows of the forest, a man with a grotesque appearance emerged, speaking as he did.
“Are you the ones who dared to interfere with the work of the Reus Knights?”
