Without a moment's rest, the battle continued mercilessly as the enemy did not allow such privilege, despite it already being back to full health.
Although the efforts of the combatants were great, something was lacking. No matter what damage they made, Medea always restored her health and broken limbs.
Even the attacks of the only halberdier in this battlefield were useless unless she could finish the job, so naturally the only option left was to run around evading and attacking, repeating the same pattern for the past ten minutes or so.
"Why does she keep healing!? Even for an enemy, there should be some kind of restraint or limit on her skill, but I have to yet to see it!"
The second domain Ruler's skill
Those with enough power were able to dismember the enemy completely, but no damage was taken from its health status and as expected, what was broken quickly returned healthier than ever.
Cho Jae-Hwa's gaze wanders as she runs in circles. The defenders were starting to lose their breath, much like the attackers that were slowing down in pain from their legs.
I can still run for some more time, but all this jumping is taking a toll on my legs as well... If only we could bring Medea down to the ground and restrain her skill.
Although the idea is the desired outcome and also mutually understood between the group despite the lack of communication, such strategy was not as easy as it sounded.
For once, no one knows how to halt the healing or how to bring the enemy down.
"Chief!" One of the newbies shouts, holding a backpack nearly twice her size in her hand effortlessly.
"We are running out of healing items! We don't have enough for everyone!"
First the skill, now this!? Why do these battles have to be so problematic!?
Jae-Hwa shouted in her mind, but was the only thing she could do. She had strayed too far from the group and if the attention of Medea was directed to her, there would be no one to protect her. Actually screaming would be suicidal.
Pak Sangwook, however, was heading to the rearguard, assuring everyone as the leader with his directions.
"Everyone, retreat for now! We can't let the attackers suffer any more damage!"
The halberdier ran to their side, slowing down to conserve more stamina for the battle that was about to come.
The Domain Ruler on the other hand, shone its eyes red with bloodlust and brought its arm close to the chest, inhaling every particle of air it could sustain.
With a mighty shout, the giant Banshee sings away the frustration of a broken love and the exhaustion of lengthy fight, making the graves tremble with emotion.
Each grave was worn out from time, many of the words engraved lost to natural causes, but each of them contained the emotion and courage of a warrior, which was presented in the weapons that raised from the gravel and slightly moist dirt under them.
It was like a plea for help, a whisper to the deceased to protect the once thought princess from slaying her.
Medea is calling the poltergeists now? But why—.
In a moment of exhaustion, the halberdier's eyes focused on the commander, proudly presenting his shield to the incoming weapons at high speed. However, because he was in a position that obstructed his perspective, he could not see the same as Jae-Hwa.
Pak Sangwook wasn't able to notice that his enemies were indeed traveling fast, but compared to the first time, they were much slower. Instead of blinding chasing after someone, they are now coordinated enough to leave space between each weapon to not halter their attack range.
One quick look towards the floating Banshee was enough to confirm her suspicion.
Eyes arching upwards and a smile that reached the corners of its face with content so forced that it created tiny ripples and tearing.
The Ruler's intentions were to play the long game, disrupt the group by taking out the commander.
"Sangwook! Get away!"
The scream seemed useless, there wasn't enough time to react. Her efforts were meaningless and eventually led to the death of someone — Such dark thoughts, tons of Jae-Hwa's bottled emotions would and did come out of the locked box deep in her mind, but only for a brief moment.
From the corner of her eye, a gleam of gold, a beacon of hope surged.
Unexpected to everyone, perhaps even to herself, but Hyeong Hae managed to take a step forward and do an action inconceivable to everyone.
From the bottom of her feet appeared what could only be described as a magic circle with the crest shaped like a shield in the center, glowing a fervent yellow that covered her whole body and adjacent belongings.
With a slam of her blade in the surface of the newly acquired shield, Hae shouts with all the courage in her soul. "I'm the one you want, you bunch of crazy tools!
The enemies stop and be it friend or foe, even the Domain Ruler, all turn their eyes to her, although for different reasons.
The possessed flying blades halt their movement just before reaching this operation's leader and change their course attracted to the light. This time they had returned to their thoughtless forms, traveling at full speed towards the one that had called for them.
Even if she distracts them, she won't be able to defend against so many!
Jae-Hwa's feet react before her thoughts could catch up, where only when looking down did she notice she was already running.
The halberdier doesn't have enough, it's impossible to reach her friend's side in time, but her stubborn emotions did not allow her to stop sprinting just yet.
"
At the moment the Poltergeists should have had collided with her shield, a barrier of light composed of multiple small squares surged in its place and threw back the enraged spirit a couple of meters.
No matter the direction or side they chose to attack, it didn't even matter if the enemies attempted to attack twice or more times, all attacks were stopped before making contact with her and the enemies blown away clueless.
"Jae-Hwa—!" Hyeong Hae shouted as loud as her lungs allowed, knowing that help was coming to her, believing that her friend was coming to help. "—I can't move while using this skill, so please finish them for me!"
The halberdier's racing heart had calmed for a brief moment. There were so many moments of worry in such a short time that her heart must have stopped knowing how to beat for a second or two.
However, in this moment her worries were surprisingly erased and a weight in her shoulders was lifted with just some words.
She had finally reached a spot where her weapon would reach and cut, all with a smile.
As she leaped forward, the enemies became stunned from hitting themselves too much on the barrier and briefly stopped moving. In that instant, performing two simple movements with her halberd up and down was enough to the destroy and disintegrate the incarnations of the awakened deceased.
—CONGRATULATIONS————————
+ 71 EXP
CREDITS: +12
—LEVEL UP—————————————
"Honestly, it becomes hard to not envy you with powers that strong." Jae-Hwa giggles, holding her weapon on her shoulder, tracing the slightly warmed up texture of the metal with her thumb.
"Sorry about that, but at least it saved us, right?" Hae answers back with a tired laugh.
Looking back, Pak Sangwook is on the ground immovable with regret for his decisions while Medea continues hovering around with a smile despite the lack of her minions.
"You know, seeing you distract the poltergeists gave me an idea... Do you think you can use that thunder thing again, Ms. Hae?"
The Banshee was readying itself to heal, the only reason it didn't was due to Hae's skill,
However, although the solution wasn't certain, there was a possibility in the halberdier's mind.
I always thought it was strange for the main quest to be so obsessed with her eyes. Apart from the skills, there should be no other reason to obsess so much with it... But if there was something more? A key factor about her eyes—.
"I can, but what do you want me to do?" Hae asks, confused.
Meanwhile, Jae-Hwa simply points to the gigantic crowned monster. "The moment her tear is about to fall, hit her with a thunder."
Although still confused, Hyeong directs her blade to the clouds, which become progressively darker and filled with voltage.
Medea stretched her arms once, eyes already glowing, ready to heal itself back completely.
As a single tear starts forming, Hyeong chants for thunder to reveal its presence.
"Let thy punishment be quick... For the almighty thunder is instant."
And so, it falls. Contrary to the team's previous attempts, the attack was not nullified but it also didn't do any damage. Instead, it caused light burns all over and made tear evaporate into gas and never reach the ground.
"The tear itself is what triggers Medea's healing, but only because her eyes produce it."
In a moment of hurry, thoughts become words, words become actions. While in search of a better position to attack, Medea screams in pain and frustration glaring its gaze towards one of the groups as its eyes obtain a vibrant pink color.
"Everyone attack! Attack! Attack! A-Attack!"
His voices echoes, his orders are sounded, but none seemed to follow them as the members notice something wrong in his behavior. Noticing this, Pak Sangwook uncontrollably shouts and goes on a rampage, flailing his shield and sword around without a care who he hits.
That must be her other skill, Alluring Gaze.
"There's no other way... Ms. Hae!" The halberdier shouts, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Sangwook is too unstable to be giving orders, so from now on you take leadership! I have a plan, so please restrain both him and the Ruler!"
She had no other choice. The woman in her thirties, although only a human pressured by the expectations of dozens, was the only one to have actual experience as a leader. Thankfully, she knew this as well and deep down was also yearning for another opportunity like this.
"Divide into two groups! Those with tools or weapons that can restrain or grab Medea's attention at long range, go do it. Those that have enough strength disarm the former leader and stop him from rampaging."
Hyeong Hae's orders were precise and her voice was clear enough to understand, no more problems to create.
The next hurdle was to remove the giant enemy's healing. The plan was simple, it only needed for its movements to stop and have it fixed to a place.
After that was guaranteed, Jae-Hwa had stored her polearm, switching it for one of the few rare grade weapons in possession of a player, the pitch-black recurve bow made of the precious rinan ore, Ignis Fatuus.
"The only problem now is if I can do it or not... No, I have to do it regardless of my technique lacking."
The halberdier, total amateur to the bow, slowly pushes the string back. No arrow to send yet, just pure strength in her arm before her slightly dry lips move secretly and with a mumble, chant.
"
With the glistening of her eyes red and the warmth of the tip of her fingers rising, a straight arrow of flames forms from nothingness. The palpitation of her heart becomes audible and slow as she releases the tension on the string and the projectile flies away in direction to Medea's eyes.
Doubt emerges, only to be interrupted by an explosion of heat it makes contact. The shot was far from accurate, but enough to let the blazes propagate along the optic and transform it into a ball of dry carbon.
As the giant lets out a deafening scream, Jae-Hwa hand was already loading another arrow and releasing the tension on the string. The same outcome for the other eye was predictable, although this time slower since the projectile did not directly hit it.
Medea had started to go on crazed rampage, screaming and crying rivers of pain and frustration although no tear left this time.
The remaining members were either restraining the bothersome Pak Sangwook with all they had or the powerful Domain Ruler.
The only remaining were Hyeong giving out orders and making sure the situation remained calm and the halberdier, Cho Jae-Hwa, that checked her status and Medea's.
ENERGY: 35/60
ENEMY HEALTH: 54/200
"There's no need think any further..."
Placing the halberd in the palm of her hands once more, her speed increases for one final attack, passing Hyeong with a shout.
"Ms. Hae, use Valiant Echo on me, please!" The skill functioned within the range of an area, but even then, with a nod and all her energy points, the courageous leader managed to get close enough to reach Jae-Hwa.
"Now to use my own..."
A light orange light engulfs the body of the halberd user, next to the metallic shine in her weapon.
Thanks to the effects of
DAMAGE: 51 » 166
(51+ 10+5+125%+200%)
What should be a dangerous attack that also makes me weak is now my greatest weapon against you!
Leaping with all the strength left in her legs, Jae-Hwa reaches the restrained Banshee, noticing the threat in front of it with a fearful expression.
For a moment, Medea seemed to want to communicate, to express its apology despite the horrors it had done until now.
"Quit your innocent princess act and die already, Medea Traditore!"
With one fell slash, creating an arch of light that followed the blade of the halberd, the Domain Ruler is split in half and soon after grunting disappears into countless particles of light.
The dark clouds in the sky, the mist engulfing the cemetery, all of it disappear in a matter of seconds and the notification appears in the sky where everyone could see.
—DOMAIN RULER SLAIN———————
Congratulations! You have defeated Medea, the Lovesick Banshee!
"It's finally over!"
"Finally! Please, no more!"
Contrary to her first battle against a Ruler, instead of being happy they survived and won, the raid members chose to relax and complain over how long and tiring it was.
What surprised Jae-Hwa, however, was another great news that decided to appear in front of her.
—CONGRATULATIONS————————
You were one of the main contributors of the fight! <+ 75% EXP>
You dealt at least half the damage! <+ 40% EXP>
You dealt the final attack! <+ 40% EXP>
+ 480 EXP
CREDITS: + 40
—LEVEL UP—————————————
—WARNING—————————————
The Blessing of the Eternal Widow is resonating with you, one of its hidden effects was triggered!
EFFECT: Every 10 levels, reduce the maximum amount of energy by 10.
(MAX ENERGY -10)
"So many things..."
Despite the blessing effect being quite unfortunate, she quickly dismissed it and instead focused on her own status and what would come forward.
"Level ten... Finally double digits..."
With a smile, the halberdier claps her hands and happily announces.
"Everyone! To commemorate our victory, who's up for a Christmas party?"
—CURRENT STATS——————————
PLAYER NAME: CHO JAE-HWA
LEVEL: 10 <0/570 EXP>
BLESSING: Phantasmagoria
TITLE: Giant Slayer
HEALTH: 136/200
DAMAGE: 53 (+28) // DEFENSE: 45 (+15) // ENERGY: 13/55
WEAPON: Ceremonial Nanite Halberd
ARMOR: Reinforced Hunter's Garb
ACTIVE SKILLS:
PASSIVE SKILLS:
CREDITS: 297