Episode 383: Return to the Demonic Cult
This time, even the woman seemed taken aback. She swiftly spun around, deflecting Sabikang’s powerful strike.
Swoosh!
Yet, the razor-sharp energy grazed her, drawing blood.
Sizzle… Sizzle…!
As droplets of blood hit the ground, they hissed and melted the carpet beneath.
Sabikang, drenched in blood, turned with a sly grin.
“Sorry, but my body is immune to all poisons.”
The woman’s expression briefly twisted before she smiled, intrigued.
“The more I see you, the more I like you. I can’t let you go. Even if I have to give up on the others, I must make you mine. I’ll raise you to be the best.”
With that, she carelessly tossed the head of Namak she had been holding over her shoulder.
“Seems like you haven’t been disciplined enough.”
Sabikang coldly remarked, then used Blink to appear right in front of her.
Zap!
Whoosh!
His fist, charged with energy, shot towards her shoulder.
“That won’t work.”
With a confident smile, the woman vanished as if she had teleported.
Bang!
Sabikang’s punch hit nothing but air.
But this time, Sabikang had anticipated it. In fact, he had been waiting for this moment.
‘Got you!’
In an instant, he extended his left hand, casting a spell.
“Sonic Buster!”
A fierce wind, moving at the speed of sound, struck the woman.
Boom!
“Aaah!”
The explosion sent her flying, her side and one leg completely obliterated.
Splash!
She fell into a pool of blood, sinking beneath the surface.
“Phew.”
Sabikang took a deep breath, steadying himself.
He frowned as he watched the Northern Demonic Sect members still entangled in battle with the cadets.
“Do I have to deal with them too?”
Typically, once the boss of a dungeon was defeated, the rest would vanish on their own.
‘Then again, this dungeon is a bit unusual…’
He might have to clear out those minions first.
Fortunately, the cadets were holding their ground well.
But as Sabikang pondered, a cadet was kicked by a Northern Demonic Sect member and fell into the blood pool.
Splash!
“Aaah!”
The cadet screamed, flailing before disappearing beneath the surface.
“Damn it!”
Sabikang was about to rush to the platform when,
“Don’t be too sad. They’ll soon be reborn as my children. Death is always the birth of new life.”
The woman’s voice came from behind him, and then,
Swoosh!
She emerged from the blood, her injuries completely healed.
“My amniotic fluid always nurtures new life.”
“You really have a thing for blood, don’t you? Quite troublesome. But thanks to you, I’ve got a good idea.”
The woman tilted her head, curious.
“What idea?”
“That death is just another birth.”
The woman beamed.
“I’m glad you understand. You won’t resist death now. Don’t worry, child. I’ll give birth to you again, with a mother’s joy.”
“I hope you keep smiling, even when I take all your precious children away.”
“What?”
Suddenly, Sabikang shouted.
“Natas!”
Whoosh!
A dark green light burst from the cranium embedded in Sabikang’s collarbone, shooting up to the ceiling.
The light descended beside him, forming into a cloud that materialized into a skeletal knight draped in tattered black robes.
The twisted-faced knight bowed to Sabikang.
The woman’s eyes widened in shock.
“W-what are you planning?”
A wicked smile played on Sabikang’s lips.
“I told you, I’m taking your children. Natas, can you retrieve them?”
“Then do it.”
In an instant,
Whoosh!
Natas soared, a wave of black smoke engulfing the Northern Demonic Sect members and bandits.
The enemies, who had been fighting alongside the cadets, froze as soon as they inhaled the smoke.
Their eyes, once glowing red, turned completely white.
The woman shrieked.
“What have you done to my children?”
“Just letting them rest.”
Sabikang instructed Natas with a chilling voice.
“Make sure they’re beyond saving.”
As if summoned for such a minor task, Natas waved a hand dismissively.
Thud! Thud-thud-thud-thud!
With a gruesome sound, the bodies of the Northern Demonic Sect members shattered into pieces.
Bones and flesh scattered, leaving no trace of their original forms.
The woman’s face twisted in horror, while Sabikang wore a faint smile.
“Looks like they can’t be revived now. But if you do manage, I’ll just kill them again.”
Half of it was true, half was bravado.
In truth, summoning Natas in this chamber was a one-time deal.
He couldn’t keep calling on Natas indefinitely.
But the woman seemed to believe Sabikang’s words.
“You… I’ll tear you apart! I’ll kill you and your children!”
Her eyes bloodshot, she screamed.
“Aaaah!”
In that moment, the pools of blood rose into the air, solidifying into beads.
The blood beads shot towards the cadets at terrifying speed.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
In a flash, Sabikang Blinked in front of the cadets, extending his hand to cast a spell.
“Ground Shield!”
Whoosh!
A large dome formed above the platform, intercepting the blood beads with a sizzling sound.
Pop-pop-pop!
As the beads burst and the blood evaporated, Sabikang addressed the cadets.
“The blood is poisonous. Use your protective energy to block it. If you can deflect or block it with your weapons, even better.”
“Y-yes, sir.”
The cadets swallowed nervously and replied. Sabikang then launched himself forward.
Whoosh, zap!
Mixing his martial arts with Blink, he reached the woman in an instant and struck.
Bang!
But she was incredibly fast.
Like a gust of wind, she slipped past his hand, her nails slashing sharply.
Slash!
“Ugh!”
Sabikang’s right arm was slashed open, blood spraying.
But he didn’t stop. He turned and unleashed a shadowless flying kick.
Boom!
He hit her back, but it felt like striking a boulder, the impact heavy.
The woman skidded to a stop on the carpet.
“Arrogant…!”
“It’s not over yet!”
With a shout, Sabikang charged at her.
His fist unleashed the Heavenly Destruction Fist technique.
A deadly martial art mastered by Baek Gongbo.
It concentrated all energy into a single explosive punch.
Whoosh!
As the energy gathered at his fist,
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, the woman’s side was blown away.
She hit the opposite wall and fell into the blood pool without a sound.
Sabikang steadied his breathing, waiting.
Once in the blood pool, she would surely return unscathed.
‘This is… the toughest challenge since the indestructible Huangmyeon.’
In fact, it’s worse than that.
This is her chamber, a confined space.
Using mana depletes it too quickly, and relying solely on physical strength is taxing due to her endless regeneration.
The only solution is to eliminate her where there’s no blood pool, but there’s no way out of this chamber without defeating the boss.
Swoosh!
As expected, she rose from the blood again.
Her side, once torn, was fully restored.
Her eyes narrowed sharply.
“I’m starting to get angry.”
She stepped forward slowly.
With each step, the faintly visible veins on her pale skin became more pronounced.
Eventually, each vein glowed red, like tattoos etched into her skin.
Sabikang narrowed his eyes, watching intently.
‘Is she absorbing the blood?’
Her body grew larger, and by the time she stood fully on the carpet, she was more than twice her original size.
“You’re too valuable to kill… but you’ve made me very angry.”
The woman muttered coldly, extending her right hand to the side.
In that instant, droplets of blood began to rise from the puddle, gradually hardening into a long spear.
Swoosh, thud!
Grabbing the crimson spear, the woman fixed her icy gaze on Sabigang.
“Unfortunately, I have no use for a child who won’t listen.”
With a swift motion, she swung the spear, sending a red energy slicing through the air.
Sabigang quickly raised a shield to block it.
Bang!
As the red energy dissipated, Sabigang smirked and replied, “Is killing every disobedient child your solution? Tsk… That’s why you’re unfit to be a mother.”
“Silence!”
In a flash, the woman lunged at Sabigang, her spear slashing through the air.
Crash!
The spear cut through the air, striking the carpet where Sabigang had been.
But Sabigang had already used levitation magic to rise into the air.
Clicking her tongue, the woman spread her arms wide.
The fabric pinned to the wall by Vertas began to flutter more violently.
Finally,
Rip!
The fabric tore free from Vertas’s hold and plunged into the blood pool.
Moments later, it emerged from the surface, as pristine as before.
The fabric flew to her shoulders, and instead of transforming completely, vibrant wings sprouted from her back.
Whoosh!
With a powerful flap, she shot into the air.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
Swoosh!
The blood spear, charged with crimson energy, hurtled toward Sabigang.
Sabigang reached out, retrieving Vertas, and struck downward.
Screech!
Clang!
Vertas and the blood spear collided, sparks flying.
Sabigang gritted his teeth.
“I must think! There has to be a way to defeat her. I’ve never faced a dungeon I couldn’t conquer!”