S-Class Monster (5)

“Neueng, neueng! Neueeeng!!!”

A neueng, neueng, and neueng-like voice echoed in my ears.

Divine Light Garam.

She looked at me with a bright smile.
The girl who had been playful like a child suddenly ran over and hugged me tightly.

“Amazing, Junior!”

Divine Light Garam hugged me without any formality.
Although some awkward parts touched here and there, I decided to overlook it.

“It’s a success. I said it’s a success, Junior! We blocked it! We are blocking it!”

Her words and actions were unlike the usually calm and serious Divine Light Garam.

Looking closely, she was even shedding a few tears.

It was proof that she had suffered a lot mentally because of this incident.

I smiled softly.

Patting her back, I turned my head.

And I sighed in relief toward the stunned paladins.

‘…Thank goodness.’

I was relieved that they were safe and not dead.

I was relieved about my own nature.

It had been over 20 years.

The environment I lived in and the education I received were based on the ‘sacrifice’ of someone.

Only by doing so could I live in the present and hope for tomorrow.

‘No more memories of that man…’

Probably, even in the distant past before I formed my self-identity.

It must have been a time of equivalent exchange where I had to chase and be chased, killing someone to survive.

Therefore, I naturally thought my nature was to call for blood.
I, as a being, always sustained life through someone’s death.

This was probably also because I was the Heavenly Killing Star.

But this time, I survived differently.

My shoulder shook slightly.

Peng Jin-ah, who had been silently standing behind, came closer, surprised.

“Cadet Yu Seha, are you okay?”
“…Ah, yes. I’m fine.”

Yes.
Maybe I was giving it too much meaning.
Someone might say it was just a successful operation.
But to me, this was truly significant.

For the first time, I chose a path where everyone overcame it without anyone’s sacrifice.

Thanks to that, I could look back at myself again.
I felt that I could change.
Maybe my future self might no longer call for blood.
I silently gave thanks to somewhere unknown for that fact.

Meanwhile, Su Ok-bin closed her eyes and admired Yu Seha with relief.

More precisely, she admired the operation he had given.

Yu Seha’s first order was to move 150 B-rank paladins fighting on the front line to the rear.

“J-Junior! If you do that, the front line will collapse in no time!”
“We still have to do it. Asking them to fight here more is basically telling them to die. They have long surpassed their limits.”
“B-but…”
“I know. It takes at least 10 more minutes to subdue the Kirin. So, we need people to hold the front line during that time.”

He will now give the operation for that.

The method Yu Seha chose was an unprecedented operation to pair paladins and apprentice priests and send them into the front line.

Each had flaws in tanking and recovery.

Usually, they were used to transport supplies or as a last resort.

But they were actively mobilized to compensate for deficiencies and perform on the front line.

Additional resistance was supplied with supplies.

“Su Ok-bin noona, I heard the association was going to supply materials. Can we use them now?”

“Of course. Use as much as you want.”

The first thing distributed to the paladins was the [Lightning Shield Firefly] potion.
Yu Seha had anticipated that this S-rank monster would be a Kirin, not a Yellow Dragon.
Su Ok-bin accepted and brought a large quantity.

Its effect was a great lightning attribute specialization effect that lowers other attribute resistances by 50% but increases lightning resistance by up to 300%.

They finally used the item that had been unusable due to the antics of Kang Kang-mi and Shibasaki Ryuko.

And succeeded in producing such a splendid result.

If Professor Strict had seen Yu Seha’s operation now, she would have clapped with teary eyes, an outstanding strategy unlike her usual self.

‘Excellent, Yu Seha.’

Su Ok-bin smiled with affection toward Yu Seha, who was diligently commanding the front line.

And then.

Kugugugu!!!

Four pillars of disaster that would overturn the war situation rose.

Everyone, including Yu Seha, turned their gaze.

‘It’s here.’

The Kirin’s trademark and the <Four Divine Beasts Pattern> that had driven the <Order> to the brink of annihilation.

Once again, that nightmare unfolded.

-Kyaaaak!

The Four Divine Beasts emerged from the elemental pillars.

White Tiger, Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird.

The four forms of power bared their teeth threatening the paladins.

A pattern that once annihilated us.

The paladins were terrified but not confused at the situation.

An unknown leader raised a mace.

He shouted loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“White Tiger, start with the White Tiger! Follow the plan! Attack the White Tiger first!!!”

Without anyone leading, firepower was concentrated on the ‘White Tiger’ in perfect order.

-Kruoarrr?

The White Tiger, overwhelmed by concentrated firepower, was crushed in 10 seconds.

Since the firepower aimed at the Kirin was redirected to the White Tiger, it was a natural result.

Soon, Divine Light Garam’s voice vividly echoed in everyone’s mind.

“Everyone, you did well! Next is the Azure Dragon!”
“Waaah!”
“Let’s go, let’s go! We will win!”

I watched the Four Divine Beasts disappear one by one in order and looked at the Kirin desperately emitting lightning above the sky.

S-rank monster. Four Divine Beast Emperor <Kirin>.

It was a monumental raid boss that appeared about four years after ‘GAL’ opened.

The Kirin that first appeared shocked the commanders greatly.

Usually, raid bosses have a strength limit of up to twice, but the Kirin could become up to ten times stronger.

Therefore, challenging it without any knowledge often led to total annihilation, and the <Four Divine Beasts> gimmick that appeared whenever the cooldown ended was a disaster.

‘In short, a typical boss where if you don’t know, you get hit.’

But it was only difficult because we didn’t know.

After several trials and errors, understanding the pattern, it was downgraded to a manageable boss.

The ‘Four Divine Beasts’ appear in directions that seem familiar.

Commonly called East, West, South, and North.

They appear in the order of Right White Tiger, Left Azure Dragon, South Black Tortoise, North Vermilion Bird, and must be swiftly defeated in that order.

A malicious method to confuse by reversing left and right.

And the time to defeat them must not exceed three minutes.
If all four are not killed within three minutes, the Four Divine Beasts are absorbed by the Kirin, dramatically increasing its stats.
And this stacks almost infinitely.

The method itself is easy, but the time limit is tight.

Therefore, the operators included some mercy.

-Kkeoeuik!!!

“Junior! The Kirin!”

Unlike before, the Kirin, which could not absorb any Divine Beasts, went berserk.

Soon, it lost the light around its horns and scales and hung limply as if suspended in the sky.

A typical groggy state and a perfect damage timing.

It was the Kirin’s weakness pattern created by the operators.

“Senior!”
“Everyone, now!”

Before Divine Light Garam finished speaking, paladins, priests, ballistae loaded with stones instead of spears.

All firepower poured onto the Kirin.

Kwa kwa kwa!!!
Pababeong!
Kukwa!!!

“In the name of light!”
“Lord! Please grant strength to your weak servants!”
“Die, die, die!!!”

-Kkeoeuik!!!

Countless explosions erupted on the Kirin’s body.

It writhed in agony and began to descend slowly.

‘Now.’

We had to finish it now!

The Kirin was already as strong as it could be.

If it had appeared less than five minutes ago, it would have been destroyed by the firepower, but it had long adapted to the world.

This was not enough.

-Kkeoeuuuiik!

Blue lightning flickered in the Kirin’s eyes.

It was proof that it was recovering consciousness from the groggy state.

Its wounds were healing.

It was clear that it had activated at least three [Recovery, Regeneration] type skills.

In the end, this would only lead to a war of attrition.

We needed someone to cut off its breath and finish it.

And that role was assigned to…

“Master!”
“Disciple!”

Peng Jin-ah and I.

Chwaaak!!!

The shout became a signal.

Sticky blood spread like waves and gathered at my feet.

Soon, two blood-colored horses rose from the ground.

“Whiiing!”

A unique skill of the ‘Blood Technique’ category.

[Blood Horse].

The one who summoned them was none other than Su Ok-bin.

She created dozens of blood orbs in the air and winked prettily at us.

“Leave these three to me and hurry up!”