The Final Boss Has Returned – Episode 115
The Final Ruins!
The target of today's raid, said to have been built by the ancient natives of Broken World, was a place that took half a day's march even from Lycanthrope Village to reach.
For this final ruins raid quest, not only me, Yujin, and my summons, but all combat personnel from Lycanthrope Village had been mobilized, so an army-scale host was effectively cutting through the forest.
"Thank you for the donation. Ah, when will we arrive? Just a bit further."
[A bit further lol when exactly lolol]
[Isn't this actually a Chinese restaurant instead of another world?]
[When's the jjajangmyeon getting here? ???: Coming soon~]
[Feels like we're hiking lol Just a bit more and we'll be at the peak!]
"There's really not much left. Don't worry too much."
I glanced at Yujin communicating with the viewers and looked around.
Trees, trees, and more trees!
The scenery of purple trees stretching endlessly sky-high wherever I went had grown tedious.
I wished monsters would at least show up to make it less boring, but in the Forest of the End, not even a single common monster could be seen.
If this had been a forest in Arde World, it would have been time to run into monsters several times over by now, but the Forest of the End was quiet to an unsettling degree.
Like walking on thin ice that could break at any moment.
'This is a bit ominous.'
No monsters.
Of course, since this was another world, the environment might simply be different from Arde World, but based on my long gaming experience, a field without monsters was closer to a bad omen than a good one, unless it was a safe zone like a city.
For example, the territory of a powerful monster that other monsters didn't dare approach.
Just as I was walking while keeping my guard up.
"My Lord."
Nosferatu, who had been walking beside me, spoke.
"What is it?"
"The bats I sent for reconnaissance have discovered the enemy position."
"The scale?"
"They say grotesque trees with tentacles hanging instead of leaves are spread out ahead."
It was the Wolf King, Robo, who supplemented Nosferatu's report.
"Man-eating trees, Yateveo. They are living structures used to defend their Plant. It seems we've finally arrived in their territory."
"I see."
[Oh, finally arrived?]
[Wow, we waited so long lol]
[Is the real game starting now? I already finished the chicken I bought earlier, ugh lol]
[Man-eating trees? This is suddenly getting interesting]
Chats flooded in almost before Robo finished speaking!
I looked at the chat and trudged forward.
Sure enough, far in the distance, an ominous grove of trees sprouting tentacles unlike ordinary trees came into view.
And beyond that, a massive stone temple covered in mucous membranes was visible.
It was the final ruins, our destination.
[Ugh, disgusting;;]
[For real, feels like we'd melt instantly if we attack-move lol]
[How are we gonna break through?]
[Raid briefing! We need a briefing…….]
In the chat window witnessing that sight, messages demanding a raid briefing began increasing exponentially, along with 'lololol'.
I smiled as I watched and said,
"You want a raid briefing?"
[Yes!]
[Drakan-nim looked at me!]
[No, he looked at me!]
[The guide!! Hurry!!]
[We want it, Drakan-nim!]
[OMG, why is Drakan's reaction game such great value today? lol]
['PleaseRevealTheGuide' has donated 10,000 KRW.]
The moment I spoke, the chat window surged like rough waves!
I watched that spectacle and spoke.
"The guide is simple. First, a frontal breakthrough."
[Frontal breakthrough lololol]
[What? That? Isn't that like rolling around in a minefield?]
[What on earth is he thinking lolol]
[Honestly, if it's a joke, it was funny. I'll admit it haha]
[A frontal breakthrough is too reckless;;]
The chats erupted into chaos calling it reckless the moment the words "frontal breakthrough" left my mouth!
I smiled as I read the chat.
As the chat said, a frontal breakthrough was reckless.
The man-eating trees were merely a defensive line, and charging through the front when it was obvious more enemy troops were lurking behind was practically no different from suicide.
Yes, under normal circumstances, that would be the proper assessment.
But the current situation was not normal.
"Normally it might be reckless, but it doesn't matter."
I pointed at Yujin with my finger and said,
"Because Yujin will be the meat shield on the front lines."
[Meatlolololshieldlololol]
[He's not even a tank and he said meat shield lol]
[His word choice is insane;;]
[Yujin....... suddenly....... meatshield.......gif]
[How can you use the word meat shield for Yujin-nim? Honestly, this time you've crossed the line.]
[Facts.]
[Hate buzzkills;]
[He's just cheerful, look at Yujin keeping a straight face lololol]
[For real, isn't that something only Drakan can say? Ah lol I love Drakan-nim so much lol]
[As expected, the class of speaking casually to Yujin;;]
I terribly hated Yujin, but separate from that, his strength was currently the strongest among users.
Anyway, since we were in the same boat in the current situation, I needed to actively utilize Yujin's strength to clear the quest.
"You heard me? Take the lead."
"Understood."
And as expected of a pushover, Yujin smiled at my words and took the lead.
Wings of light soared up from behind his back and shone brilliantly.
He kicked off the ground and shot into the air, rapidly descending toward the grove where the man-eating trees densely sprouted.
The moment the man-eating trees' tentacles twisted grotesquely and shot up to attack Yujin, a brilliant barrier of light appeared around his body and began intercepting the tentacles one by one.
'Guardian Light. A complete cheat-level tanking skill that defends, draws enemy aggro, and returns damage at a certain probability.'
Watching that sight, I immediately recognized the skill he was using.
Guardian Light!
It was such a cheat-level tanking skill that it surpassed most tanker classes, and striking Yujin while he was using that skill was no easy feat.
Truly befitting the possessor of an all-weather, all-purpose cheat job that could tank, deal, and heal.
BOOM!
Yujin in the sky, wrapped in Guardian Light, fired golden auras in every direction.
[Kieeeek!]
[Kiiiiik!]
The man-eating trees let out terrible screams!
Purple bodily fluids shot into the sky, and the man-eating tree grove was literally reduced to a wasteland.
It was truly the destructive power befitting a top ranker, the power I once possessed in the past, and also the power I had to reclaim in the future.
I suppressed my boiling emotions internally and stared at the chat.
[Demolition show ddd]
[Yujin is insane lol]
[Wow, so this is why they say top ranker, top ranker;;]
[Worth setting up the meat shield lolol]
[Drakan getting carried again lol]
[The ride quality is insane~]
[Tsk tsk, don't you know the main character appears last?]
Every time a golden aura exploded from Yujin's holy sword, the chat exploded just the same!
But I ignored those chats.
There was no way the only obstacle before the final ruins raid would be a mere grove of man-eating trees.
"I smell enemies."
As if to prove those words, Wolf King Robo sniffed the air and spoke to me in a low voice.
Along with his words, a pitch-black horde was charging from the ruins, shaking the earth.
They were the vassals of the Hive Mind, the Lord of Conquest.
[Grrrrrrr!]
[Kieeeek!!]
Unlike the simply contaminated and twisted specimens seen in Arde World, these were monstrosities with ferocious appearances one and all, bearing forms that seemed born solely for battle!
Born from the bio-factory called a 'Plant' built upon corrupted land, as if stamped out by a machine, the vassals of the Hive Mind ultimately obeyed the will of the Lord of Conquest, the Hive Mind—an absolute, unified will of a single swarm consciousness.
Rather than creatures capable of proper thought, they were closer to weapons of war—unless they were specialized individuals granted intelligence, autonomy, and dominion by a Hive Mind like the Unclean One!
These were the true vassals of the Hive Mind, and according to the Wolf King, they were the nightmare monstrosities that had invaded and destroyed countless worlds through dimensional gates.
[Wow;; how do we beat this;;]
[What's the strategy this time, another 'frontal breakthrough'?]
[Feels like we'll all get sliced up trying a frontal breakthrough lol]
[Honestly, even with Yujin this is a bit much;]
[What are you talking about, if Yujin-nim is here we can win!]
[Facts.]
[Ah seriously, no matter how I look at it, this number is hopeless;]
The sheer number of enemies rushing in endlessly was enough to make even the viewers watching through the screen gasp in shock!
Looking at the waves of enemies varying in type—from small, hound-like monstrosities to elephant-sized behemoths—I approached Yujin.
"As discussed beforehand, I will hold this place with the Lycanthropes and Lich Dice."
Before I could even speak, Yujin said to me.
Exactly.
Before the stream began, this was the strategy Yujin and I had jointly established after obtaining information.
The strategy was simple.
Break through the enemy's first defensive line with a frontal assault.
But the enemy's numbers were inevitably greater than ours, and especially since the Hive Mind's vassals excelled at swarming, if we kept facing them head-on, our allies would inevitably suffer casualties.
Even for a top ranker like Yujin, protecting all allies without a single scratch against endlessly swarming enemies was a near-impossible feat.
So the second strategy we came up with was this.
Due to the enemy race's nature of being dominated through a swarm consciousness, if we eliminated only the command unit, their army would be no different than a disorganized mob. Thus, while Yujin drew aggro and held the enemies at the front, I would lead the Wolf King and the Vampire King to take out the enemy commander!
It was a simple diversion tactic, but also the most effective strategy in the current situation.
While replaying the operation in my head once more, I stared at Yujin and spoke in a nonchalant voice.
"Hold the line."
"I wish you good fortune, Drakan-nim."
Hearing Yujin's farewell, I smirked and called Lich Dice to summon the Bone Wyvern.
[Whooooooo.]
The Bone Wyvern appeared with a sorrowful, eerie wail!
I boarded the Bone Wyvern with Wolf King Robo, and soon after, the Bone Wyvern beat its wings against the ground and soared into the sky.
"Hermit's Mist."
Following behind, the Vampire King, who had likewise soared into the air, used a skill. His body transformed directly into mist and enveloped the Bone Wyvern carrying me and the Wolf King.
Hermit's Mist!
True to its name, it was a stealth skill that transformed the body into mist and used mana to turn invisible and hide. As expected of a stealth skill performed by Nosferatu, the king of vampires, none of the enemies below noticed me or the Bone Wyvern.
[Cloaking lolol]
[They're splitting forces here;]
[Well, I guess there was no other answer haha]
[So where exactly is Drakan going now?]
[Ah lolol since they split up, I'm so conflicted about which screen to watch;]
I gazed at the massive stone ruins beyond the constantly popping chat in front of my eyes.
The quest destination was gradually drawing closer to me.