Part 2, Episode 137.
Red Devil, Asion.
It is said that it was given this nickname because its noble posture, standing tall with dark red wings spread amidst the flames, resembled the Red Devil.
That is also true, but the fundamental reason was something else.
[The trait ‘Flame Walker’ activates.]
[Walking in flames doubles fire-related abilities and grants immunity to all continuous damage and status effects.]
[Activating the Transcendence Unique Ability ‘Red Flame Wings’.]
[Generates flames every time you flap your wings. Allows you to fly for a certain period, but consumes more stamina.]
[The effect of the Mythic God ‘Shadow Holding the Flame of Destruction’s’ weapon ‘Flame of Destruction’ reduces the required casting time for all Fire-attribute abilities by 70%.]
[For instant-cast abilities, projectile speed increases by 1.5 times.]
Asion, it was because he grew stronger where the flames rose.
Moreover, even starting a fire was simple.
Flutter-
Like a phoenix.
Just by moving a pair of huge wings, flames rise from the ground.
That is why he always went around stirring up flames.
In the past, when he was at the height of his activity, there was even a theory circulating that whenever a massive fire broke out, it meant Asion had appeared.
However, nowadays, the number of people who remember that image has decreased significantly, and even those who do remember it often ignore it.
They believed that even if he appeared now, he would not be able to demonstrate the status he had back then.
Hana Dohyeon could guarantee that it was all bullshit.
Is it that there are more new formidable enemies compared to before?
So, the existing rankers have become overwhelmingly stronger, so their status is bound to decline compared to before?
I agree up to that point.
However, that is only relative.
‘… … I’m sure of it. That guy wasn’t originally this strong.’
Asion itself returned stronger than before.
And to an extent that can’t even be compared.
It was obvious from a common-sense perspective. After all, he wouldn’t just sit still as time passed.
But putting that aside, the reason Dohyeon is so certain is… … .
[Conditions have been met.]
[Signature trait ‘Avatar of Ifrit’ is activated.]
[Activates when exposed to a significant amount of flame for a certain period of time, gradually and steadily increasing health regeneration rate, defense, and magic resistance.]
[You can activate ‘Ifrit’s Heart’ when regenerated HP reaches 50% or more of total HP, and increased defense reaches 30% or more of total defense and magic resistance.]
That ridiculously overpowered ability is real.
It was because of the signature trait he had acquired.
As if our stats weren’t bad enough enough, having to engage in aerial combat makes it incredibly difficult.
If you manage to exchange damage somehow, even if you have to cling to his back, that guy’s health will regenerate.
Some people can’t even make use of their signature traits.
What an unreasonable fight this is.
However, the real problem wasn’t that monstrous endurance.
So far, yeah, well, if you invest the time, it is manageable somehow.
[Activating ‘Ifrit’s Heart’.]
[Damage and range related to the Fire attribute are doubled, and all activated Fire changes into Ifrit’s Fire.]
[Targets exposed to Ifrit’s flames have their magic resistance significantly reduced and take continuous damage.]
But this wasn’t it.
Double damage and range, plus magic resistance reduction and continuous damage.
The moment you get hit even once by an attack from a guy who has dumped in every single thing that could potentially boost his damage, you can see your health bar shrinking while screaming for help.
[Exposed to Ifrit’s flames.]
[Magic resistance is greatly reduced, and you take continuous damage.]
[The Poison King’s Constitution is activated by continuous damage from a single attack.]
[Saturation considers continuous damage as poison.]
[You become immune to poison due to the effect of invulnerability.]
It’s a good thing I at least managed to endure the continuous damage; otherwise, I would have died without being able to do anything.
Asion already possesses top-tier sustainment capabilities, even when compared to those we have seen so far.
If we hadn’t been able to ignore the sustained damage, wouldn’t we have lost even if he just flapped his wings in the air and ran away?
Although we have always been fighting a disadvantageous battle, this was the worst condition in recent times.
Did he become impatient?
[Casted Legendary Skill ‘Volcano’.]
—-!!
While visibility was obscured by the flames.
While concentrating all his attention on Asion attacking from the air, he ended up getting hit by a huge attack that burst through the ground.
“Kaiser, is this all there is?”
“…….”
The boldness you showed at the beginning seems to have vanished without a trace.
That was the reason Dohyun was kneeling on one knee.
Dohyeon, who had made a fool of himself thanks to that, frowned at Asion’s provocation and stood up again.
“You’ve only landed one punch and you’re running your mouth… Anyone would think you’ve been beaten up all day.”
“It is the result of running away like a rat. Rather than dying late while struggling desperately, dying gracefully is one way to go.”
“Well, I’m not sure. Was I really running away? I think I just stayed in the air because I was scared.”
It’s a strategy.
“Yeah, that’s a very Red Devil-style strategy. I think they gave it the wrong nickname. Devils for what… Shouldn’t they have named it something like Red Crow?”
Asion fell silent at Dohyeon’s provocative smirk.
I clearly provoked first, but as the conversation continued, I felt like I was the one getting dragged into it.
In that case, there is no need to continue the conversation.
After all, we are the ones with the advantage.
Faced with Asion’s attitude, Dohyeon also did not go out of his way to continue the provocation and calmly thought things over.
What’s with the bookmaker having wings? It’s not like he put wings on a tiger or anything…
I could say for sure.
That villain Asion is one of the few enemies I’ve ever met.
Honestly, if you look solely at the fraudulent nature of his ability, he is top-tier.
He was a guy who not only possessed fraudulent abilities but was also quite meticulous.
Volcano… … .
A top-tier skill among fire-based magic skills.
It is probably the most reliable damage-dealing skill among all of that guy’s techniques.
Considering that they have kept such things hidden for so long while the battle has continued, there might be more that they have hidden.
But before I could even confirm that, the guy rose into the air again.
It appeared he intended to stick to his usual strategy without bothering to use up the cards he had saved. At this, Dohyeon scratched the back of his head vigorously.
Ugh, here we go again.
I suppose since they are dominating in terms of sustain, they aren’t the ones in a hurry.
What can I do even if it’s annoying?
The winged guy wanted to settle the score in mid-air, and from Dohyeon’s perspective, there was no way to stop him.
Bang! Whoosh!
And so, an aerial battle began again.
Ashion flies through the air as if possessed by a dragon, pouring out fire-related magic.
The only way to overcome this overwhelming difference in range was physical ability.
[A marker is generated.]
[‘Brain Shift’ was used.]
Crackling
Use various movement skills to cling to its back as much as possible, and when Asion explodes with flames as if self-destructing, land back on the ground to dodge.
Bang! Whoosh!
As you frantically run around dodging, before you know it, the entire surface of the earth is engulfed in flames.
And when that moment comes.
[Casting Legendary Skill ‘Phoenix Flare’.]
[It plunges toward the ground wrapped in flames that seem to express the blazing light of the legendary mythical creature, the Phoenix.]
[Inflicts fire-attribute suplex damage to enemies within a certain range. Targets hit directly take greater damage.]
Boom!
The guy falls like a meteor and delivers a dropkick.
True to his profession as a bookmaker, his power was formidable, but the real problem started here.
The timing when that guy used that technique was always when the flames were full, and the life force of the guy engulfed in flames recovered at a speed that made you wonder if it was right.
Just when it seemed like its vitality had recovered to some extent, it rose back into the air.
What followed was a repetition of the previous battle.
After engaging in a fierce battle like that, the difference in vitality was… … .
[Remaining HP is 50% or less.]
[Caution! Your remaining mana is 30% or less.]
Dohyeon is half blood.
On the other hand, he is currently at 64%… no, 65, 66… and is continuously rising in real time.
The same goes for defense and magic resistance.
You look like you are struggling quite a bit considering how much you provoked.
“You can never defeat me by just running away like a rat. You must know that this war of attrition has no effect on me.”
It’s just as he said.
If the war of attrition continued like this, we were doomed to lose.
That is why they continue to instigate a war of attrition.
Conversely, this meant that even that guy didn’t have the power to take him out in one blow…
If we fight like this for a few hours, that guy won’t even lose a bit of blood.
There must be a limit to the increase in defense while in the flames.
The problem is that we still haven’t reached that limit.
Even now, his dwindling vitality is gradually diminishing, so if we drag this out any longer, he might not bother to rise into the air by then.
Even if we fight while taking all the hits, our life force will be depleted more.
Will my mana run out before then?
A difficult situation in many ways.
“Cha, Charlie. Shouldn’t we help too? At this rate, the owner might lose.”
– Ri, Rijarija!
… … My Lord told me to trust and leave it to Him. Let’s try to trust Him just a little longer.
-but…….
Dohyeon glanced sideways behind him at the voices of the worried Guardians.
A situation where they are backed into a pinch, enough to worry them.
Actually, there is an easy way to win. It is to ask your colleagues for help.
Behind the guys who were stamping their feet in panic, not knowing what to do, the Sword Saint and the Empress were calmly watching, and it seemed it was over long ago…
Boom!
“It’s not over yet! Try to stop this if you can.”
“Alright, I’ll pierce it a hundred times over. Come on.”
“Aaaargh! This is ridiculous… Why can’t my attacks reach a bastard like this?”
“I told you. I’ve fought ten truckloads of guys like you. Have you ever been toyed with and beaten up for five hours straight? Humans are animals that learn, that’s what I’m saying.”
From the looks of it, it seems the fight on the middle-aged men’s side is also coming to an end.
If there are no unexpected variables, it should be an easy win.
If we just swarm in and beat him up like this, he won’t have any chance of holding out.
Then everything would be resolved, but… Dohyeon snapped his head away.
No. Absolutely not.
You’re supposed to be the former leader of this party, so are you ashamed of being the only one struggling?
That is part of it, but this is not that kind of problem.
It is the unspoken rule of the Kaiser Party not to interfere until the fight with the assigned opponent is finished.
Breaking that rule and asking for help?
It amounted to admitting that he absolutely could not win alone, and once the fight ended like that, it would be talked about for years to come.
Actually, back when I was genuinely overwhelmed with sorrow because I obtained a normal grade skill even after scattering ‘Fairy Dust (an item that increases probability)’ during the Demrok era.
“Kaiser, are you… crying?
-Pfft! Really? Hey, are you crying? Wow, seriously, he’s crying? This bastard’s eyes are all teary.
Oh, really? The world is so unfair, I felt so sad~ Haha.
-Puhahahaha!
It started with me being teased by the guys who rushed in thinking this was my chance, and I was teased for a whole two years.
It’s been two years since I had a slight tear in my eye, and now I’m the only one getting crushed in a one-on-one here?
No, it would be a relief if I just got beaten.
If I were to make a fool of myself by asking for help…
Gulp.
“… … It’s worth at least a year.”
Dohyeon gripped his sword tightly as he pictured Kuku and Ajae, whom he would tease whenever he had the chance all year round, and the Sword Saint, who would pretend not to be and agree in a historical drama style.
I absolutely cannot stand seeing that happen.
Although I hadn’t been discouraged to begin with, my motivation was burning brightly.
Dohyeon clenched his teeth, making no effort to calm his turbulent emotions, which felt like pouring oil on a fire.
You’re dead.
It wasn’t just a casual remark.
It is true that he possesses fraudulent abilities and has greater power compared to the kings gathered here, but…
Because I had been seeing grounds to win for a while now.
Ding-
And now.
The notification window ringing loudly was further solidifying that basis.
Is this here?
Dohyeon’s eyes widened for just a moment.
Soon, he gently raised one corner of his mouth.
It was a smile where the corners of the mouth were stretched wide, but the eyes were not smiling at all.
This way, it’s worth a try.
That’s right. This is anger fueled by well-founded confidence.
It was by no means an attempt to take out on him the anger I felt remembering being teased by my colleagues.
……maybe.
