The Sea Dragon Temple (10)

Fwoosh!

Choi Mari, kneeling, fervently prayed inwardly.

More devoutly than ever.

Praying to overcome this peril.

Well, um.
No.
Correction.

‘Sc-sc-scary!’

She was merely whimpering in fear.

This was inevitable.

Choi Mari was a healer with no real combat experience.

She had only recently unlocked the true power of her unique ability, [Lucky Machine].

The first time she saw a real monster was in the [Underground Waterway].

Confidence has its limits.
Encountering such a terrifying dragon unexpectedly, how could she not be scared?
The fact that she didn’t collapse on the spot was likely due to her last shred of pride as a senior.

‘M-Meep!’

But being scared was one thing, and doing what needed to be done was another.

One of the reasons why Yu Seha held Choi Mari in such high regard.

It wasn’t just because of her powerful abilities.

Although Choi Mari appeared to be the weakest and most fragile, she had an incredibly strong mental strength.

Choi Mari was also aware of this fact herself.

She had always been the classic case of a gentle exterior but a strong interior.
Even in this moment, when her body was trembling with fear, she knew that her strength was desperately needed.

You have to do this.
Your juniors are watching.
If you’re a senior, you have to do it!

This led to only one thought.

‘L-Lord God!’

I don’t know what it is!
I don’t know what it is, but…!

Please, something powerful.
Please, something strong.
Please, a ‘holy spell’ to help us! She prayed.

Choi Mari was like a joker who creates variables, contrary to a typical .

Yu Seha had likely expected her to use the holy technique, ‘Divine Light Garam.’

As far as he knew, it was the strongest holy technique that Choi Mari could handle right now, and it would have been more than enough.

But instead, with her heartfelt plea of, ‘I don’t care what it is, just make something happen!’…

She unknowingly created something far more powerful.

Ziiing!

“…?!”

Yu Seha, who was charging forward, suddenly stopped, startled.

The [Saint’s Sword] at his waist was resonating as if it were vibrating.

The one affected by this was Choi Mari, who was offering a prayer.

The thought of ‘Could it be?’ soon turned out to be true in the next scene.

Shwoosh!
Boom!

Dozens of sword blades shot out from Choi Mari’s body.

They spread out in all directions, like the thousand-armed Avalokitesvara.

The irregularly extended blades centered around Choi Mari contained such speed that even the rushing Yu Seha was easily outpaced, and they held an aura sharp enough to shred water droplets hanging in the air.

Unusually, each blade lacked proper form, thickness, and edge.

What was even more astonishing was that they were all composed entirely of mana, forming ‘Invisible Swords.’

Like the root techniques used by .

Dozens of sword roots spread irregularly.
Yet most menacingly, they surged toward the .

*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! *

Four fast-moving vortices aimed at Choi Mari.

An Epic-grade skill.
A derivative ability of [Tsunami of the Rising Dragon].
[Blades of Water Disaster] shattered in an instant.

“…!”

The startled hurriedly tried to respond, but it was already too late.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The formless blades pierced through the ’s body, slicing through its flesh, bones, and internal organs, shredding everything in their path.

“Roooooooaaaaaar!!!!!!!!!”

An ear-splitting scream.

Damn it, this dragon brat…

Luckily, I had already wrapped my ears in magic to reduce the noise.

Otherwise, my eardrums might have burst.

“…Huh.”

But I didn’t have time to care about that.

A smile naturally formed on my face.

This is amazing.

That thought alone filled my mind.

Oh my gosh.
As expected!

‘As expected, of Choi Mari!’

A performance befitting the queen of creating unexpected variables in PVP.

Who would have thought she would use ‘that technique’…?

‘I thought it would definitely be Divine Light Garam’s [Light]…’

But something even better came out.

As I wondered why Choi Mari used that, the reason naturally narrowed down.

‘It’s because of me.’

The sight of me wielding the [Saint’s Sword] must have subconsciously influenced Choi Mari’s strength.

Originally, I planned to blind the with the Unique grade [Light that Repels Evil].

And use Meowi’s [Provocation] skill to create a window for dealing damage.

‘This is even better!’

While pushing in the damage, an opportunity also arose.

In front, the ’s body had holes all over it.

Blood and chunks of innards were flowing out.

The unexpected shock made the creature scream and writhe in agony.

Thud.

“…Meep.”

Hearing that sound, I turned around.

Exhausted, Choi Mari collapsed.

She met my eyes and smiled faintly, giving me a thumbs-up in gratitude.

Choi Mari’s role was over.
She had done more than her fair share.

‘From now on…’

It’s time for us juniors to shine.

Ziiing!

Beside me, Meowi began to glow as she sprinted forward, raising both hands and letting out a fierce cry.

“Meeeooow! Ultra Super Hyper Meowi’s turn!”

“Seha!”
“Yes!”

With a look of trust in her eyes, I veered away from the [Sea Dragon’s] front, moving toward its rear.

I tightened my grip on the [Saint’s Sword].

Believing in Meowi’s success, I waited for the perfect moment to strike.

Meow, meow, meow!

Ma Hana ran.

A tremendous vitality surged through her entire body.

Thanks to Choi Mari, her body and skill range were further enhanced.

‘I have to do it.’

She must create it.
She must create the timing for Seha and Na-young to deal damage!

“Rrrrrk…!”

The , barely free from pain, raised its body.

Kugugu!

The water on the floor started to swirl again, as if trying to create another vortex.

That can’t happen!

“Meow! Look over here!”

“…Krk?”

An unbelievable taunt range of at least 15 meters.

Thanks to this, the canceled the skill it was casting and turned its gaze towards Ma Hana.

But that was as far as it went.

One second.

The time the paid attention to Meowi was no more than that.

Its inherent resistance was absurdly high, breaking the [Taunt] in just one second.

The low grade of the skill was also a factor.

‘…Meow.’

She knew it.
She knew it all too well.

A benefactor more precious than life itself, thanks to Yu Seha, she gained the [Taunt] ability.

But she was not a tank born with a true talent for [Taunt].

With just this, she couldn’t divert the attention of the .

‘That’s why I worked hard!’

While Yu Seha swung his sword every night.

Ma Hana also swung her shield at a nearby training ground.

Enduring attacks, persevering, and training.
She strengthened all the abilities she had.

‘I am still an inadequate person.’

A tank born with a mere 1★, insignificant.

Surrounded by those born with talents of 4★, 5★, but not herself.

In the past, she would have been intimidated.
She would have lost her confidence.

However, not anymore.

She held her head up high.

‘Seha…’

Because he told her.
That she could do it.

From the moment Ma Hana first decided to believe his promise.

After many adventures, even at this moment.

There was always only one thing she wanted.

Become the shield that protects the path Yu Seha walks!

Kiiing!!!

That determination was enough to instill new power in her.

“[Taunt’s Shout]!!!”

“…Krrrooo?!”

A more powerful [Provocation] force spread from Ma Hana’s body.

It was the derivative skill of [Taunt’s Shout], the rare-grade [Unstoppable Roar].

As a higher-level taunt, it was effective enough against the .

Additionally, it provided a 20% reduction in damage taken.

The downside was that her movement speed was halved, but that didn’t matter since she was focused solely on defense.

The real problem was the absurd attack power of the .

Bang, kwakwakwa!!!
Thud! Crunch!

“Uuugh!!!”

A heavy impact was transmitted to the [Turtle’s Shield].
Crack! She heard the sound of it cracking.

The under [Provocation] no longer had the intellect to use its water-manipulating abilities.

It only unleashed ruthless violence with its overwhelmingly sharp and heavy tail.

But even that alone was enough to make Ma Hana’s body feel like it was breaking apart.

Crunch!

No, it actually broke.

She gasped for breath, realizing that a couple of her ribs had shattered despite blocking with a shield.

It was only because of the [Dot Heal] cast by Choi Mari that she didn’t collapse.

Of course, this wouldn’t last long.

“Aaargh…!”

She had to give it her all.

Even if it meant falling, she had to create time for Seha to make a move.

Thus, Ma Hana brought out another new technique she had been saving till then.

“Meow!”

A strange cry echoed as a soft, pink cat-shaped aura formed around her.

With an adorable NyangNyang Punch, it pummeled the face of the .

It might seem like a child’s play, but its effect was not to be underestimated.

The first derivative skill obtained as [Nekomata’s Luck] evolved.

Originally, it was meant to be used as a substitute after the duration of [Taunt] ended.
But seeing that collapse was inevitable, it was used in advance.

Bang, bang, bang!

“M-M-Meow!”

Drip…

Her palm holding the shield tore and blood flowed.

As if using [Raise Shield] was of no use.

The impact that seemed to shatter her entire body was enough to blow Ma Hana’s mind with each attack.

‘Endure…!’

The special ability of [Shining Gem].
Beyond [Transparent Vision].

She saw Ju Na-young and Yu Seha moving.

‘Just a little…’

Just a little more endurance was needed.

What Ma Hana aimed for was not simply buying time.

She reserved her final move until the very end.

A strike so sharp it was hard to believe it came from a cute cat.

In the corner of Ma Hana’s vision, the small was filling up.

―…! Meowi, did you… learn that?
―Meow~ Yes!

The night of awakening .

Determined to use ‘that ability’ shown to Yu Seha through the right here and now.

‘Just a little…!’

Ma Hana’s will soon became a firm iron wall.

She wouldn’t stop here.

Recently, thanks to a fortunate encounter, she activated two skills simultaneously.

Whoosh!
Crack!

The shield wrapped in [Burning Flames] began to spew fire.
When she used [Stone Hardening] on her entire body, it became covered in stone and rock.

Bang!

Increased durability through [Stone Hardening].
Self-inflicted damage using the shield heated by [Burning Flames].

Thanks to that, the slightly remaining [Gauge Bar] was completely filled.

Glance.

Ma Hana glanced at Choi Mari, who was exhausted and collapsed.

If it weren’t for the [Lucky Machine] and the divine skills she had bestowed, she wouldn’t have been able to endure this.

‘Thank you. Senior.’

Thanks to you, I was able to do it.

“Meeooow!!!”
“Krooo!!!”

Bang!

Ma Hana stepped on the floor.

While deflecting the tail of the [Sea Dragon], she rushed forward.

Just like that…

She thrust the nearly broken [Turtle’s Shield] straight ahead.

“!“

What Ma Hana shouted was surprisingly an .

Crimson patterns appeared on her tail and ears.
It was unmistakably the manifestation of an .

A bursting flash.
The pupils of the widened.

Bang!

All the damage Ma Hana had taken gathered into one and took on a unique shape.

What appeared was…

A long, yet soft, giant cat with six legs.

Thud!

Without a moment’s hesitation, the cat struck the jaw of the hard.

“Roar!!!”

The body of the fell backward.
The mass of water hovering in the air lost its control and fell like rain.

“Kr… Krr…!!!”

The shuddered in agony.
Its massive eyes twisted this way and that, streaming blood.

It was undoubtedly an manifestation beyond .

“Mmm… Mmm…”

Ma Hana collapsed on the spot.

She had used up all her remaining mana, and even her stamina.

She looked at the [Turtle’s Shield] shattering with a rustling sound.

She literally had no strength left to even move a finger.

Yet, she did not forget to shout.

“Na-young, Seha!!!!”

Fwoosh!

Ju Na-young swiftly outpaced Ma Hana’s shout to position herself behind the .

She relentlessly pounded her fists into it.

Thud-thud-thud!

The thunderous sound, like a machine gun firing, resonated powerfully.

‘Damn it!’

However, Ju Na-young’s face showed displeasure.

As she had suspected, her punches weren’t doing nearly enough damage.

The was a being specialized in defense.

Moreover, it possessed the power of [Water], which was Ju Na-young’s nemesis.

At the moment when she was frustrated by her inability to deal damage as the