"Anna!"
Yeon Yujun screamed for Anna Sloane who was stubbornly charging towards [The Hollowed Graveshell] with full power.
The skill <[S] Boundless> was clearly draining her mana... At this rate, she was going to die from her recklessness.
Yeon Yujun had to act fast.
( "[S] The Mind's Eye" is now activated! )
His own glowing purple eyes landed quickly on [The Hollowed Graveshell] with frantic concentration — after Song Dohyun landed a blow on it, its HP had decreased.
[ Health: 9999999/100000000 ]
It decreased by a million, it seemed like Yeon Yujun had underestimated Song Dohyun's strength after all.
But it wasn't enough to take the creature down.
Anna Sloane pierced right through the monster's eyes and mouth, causing it to shriek in pain and tumble backwards.
Before Anna Sloane could triumphantly hit the monster with another blow, [The Hollowed Graveshell]'s other intact eyes shifted towards her direction, now targeting her.
Yeon Yujun instantly used his <[B+] Sprint>, a futile attempt to drive Anna Sloane away from the incoming danger.
"Anna, watch out!"
The monster lifted its massive crab-like arm and struck at Anna Sloane, causing her to land against the temple's wall and cracking beneath her battered body.
"Urk..!" Anna Sloane coughed up blood, her sword dropping to the ground before she fell next with a loud sickening thud.
The others just watched in terror behind Choi Hoseok's skill <[L] Shadowing Barrier>.
"ANNA!" Han Yerin's cries could be heard all the way inside, meaning she saw Anna Sloane get defeated by the monster.
Yeon Yujun turned his head back to [The Hollowed Graveshell] — he had to defeat it now, meaning he had to use all of his mana.
He bit his lip until it almost bled as he took a deep breath, the monster only had 988888 of HP left... meaning the creature's weakness was definitely critical hits.
'I... I have to defeat it,' Yeon Yujun gripped his weapon so tightly that it slightly trembled. He could feel Pouch's comforting presence beneath the
Unwanted thoughts swirled in his mind, damn it, why couldn't he focus on the battle at all?
Was this really the end? What if... What if his skill wasn't enough? Would his sacrifice end in vain?
Before he could even think of anything else, he saw something he wasn't expecting at all. In fact, the least thing he expected.
[ Several hunters are healing your mana, your mana had increased significantly! ]
While the monster was wailing and distracted by its own pain, Yeon Yujun turned around and saw Choi Hoseok's skill <[L] Shadowing Barrier> fading slowly, showing everyone watching Yeon Yujun.
They were willing to go this far?
"No! Stop!" Yeon Yujun tried to object, he saw their hopeful stares as if he was the last one to make things right.
His chest ached like something had cracked open inside it.
None of them spoke, but their stares told a lot of things that Yeon Yujun understood.
End the monster once and for all.
Yeon Yujun shifted his eyes back to the wailing monster who now recovered from its pain and focused on Yeon Yujun.
While he sprinted towards the creature, he dodged every attack that the monster was throwing at him, thanks to his sprinting skill.
Yeon Yujun jumped high, activating his <[A+] Levitate> skill as he brought his own sharp sword to his abdomen, bracing himself for what's to come.
Even though he knew that he wouldn't even die from his own weapon as long as he's the one holding it… It was because of the pain he would feel afterwards.
Then, he stabbed himself with his weapon, causing blood to pour from the wound as Yeon Yujun's eyes watered from the immense pain. He tried so hard to not scream from the pain.
The blood splattered at
"SSKREEEE!!!—"
( "[S] Reoccurrence" is passively in effect. )
The blood started to glow on the monster's body, before it combusted into massive flames — Yeon Yujun's blood was also laced with poison, not only burning the creature alive but also poisoning it simultaneously.
While
"Eight! You've done it!" one of the hunters let out a breath of relief but still had their guard up as the temple shook.
Once the creature burned into ashes… The portal would appear shortly and they can… finally get out of this hell.
Han Yerin was limply walking towards Anna Sloane's body that was slammed against the ground while Choi Hoseok was too weak to move against the wall and groaning in pain.
Most hunters alive weren't healed due to the healers focusing more on recovering Yeon Yujun's mana.
"Is everyone alright!?" Yeon Yujun frantically asked. He clenched his wound as it began to heal, dropping
Yeongseok nodded slowly, reaching to help Choi Hoseok get up, even though he's weak- he was still helping others.
As for Song Dohyun, he wasn't healed too but he was eerily quieter than usual.
"Y-yeah… our mana is just a bit drained…" he mustered up a strength to even speak as his eyes landed onto the defeated monster who was now dead.
"Hey… it's all worth it, we won." Choi Hoseok coughed weakly with a slight smile on his face.
Hologram screens appeared in front of them — [YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY CLEARED THE VORTEX.]
"W-we're… we're free…!" One of the hunters laughed while the temple kept shaking and the black-colored portal opened, an exit from this hellhole.
"Yerin!" Yeon Yujun called out for Han Yerin who was hunched over Anna Sloane's body.
"S-She was dead, really dead… S-she…" Han Yerin hadn't moved, still staring at Anna's body.
"S-she…" Han Yerin couldn't finish the sentence, frozen over Anna's body with unblinking eyes stared at the battered body.
"We have to go before the vortex collapses!" Yeon Yujun warned her and was about to pull her away to guide her out of the vortex.
Suddenly…
"Ack..!"
A sword piercing right through the flesh filled the air as Yeon Yujun stopped.
'What…?'
He slowly turned around, seeing the hunter who was close to the portal lay on the ground, bleeding out, and the one who stabbed them was no other than…
"Song Dohyun…?"
Song Dohyun stood there, blood splattered onto his cheek as he clenched the weapon in his hand.
The
Pouch emerged from the sword and ran towards Yeon Yujun in full sprint, terrified and stressed out despite being vulnerable at the moment as it hid in Yeon Yujun's pocket.
"Man, I was waiting for years," Song Dohyun sighed, running his hand through his hair as he stared at the hunters who were shocked by his betrayal.
"D-Dohyun..! What are you–" Choi Hoseok tried speaking but he coughed once more as Yeongseok steadied him.
( "[A] Mana Siphon" is now in effect. )
Choi Hoseok clenched his chest as he collapsed dead onto the ground when Song Dohyun used his skill at him, draining the last bits of his mana as the life drained from Choi Hoseok's eyes.
"Choi Hoseok-ssi!!" Yeon Yujun yelled as Song Dohyun didn't spare the others — he used his skill <[A] Mana Siphon> on every last hunter and those who tried getting through him were killed in cold blood.
Now it was just him, Han Yerin, and Song Dohyun left.
"I should've killed you a long time ago, but that would've been so boring now, would it?" The mad man walked towards Yeon Yujun slowly, gripping the sword in hand.
[ THE VORTEX WILL COLLAPSE IN TWO MINUTES ]
The screen appeared in front of them once more before it was dismissed after a few seconds and Song Dohyun used his <[A] Mana Siphon> skill once more, at Han Yerin as she instantly collapsed on top of Anna Sloane's body.
"Y-Yerin..!" Yeon Yujun took Han Yerin's shoulder, shaking her as if it would somehow magically revive her.
But nothing happened, just another futile attempt.
"Song Dohyun! H-How could you!?"
"How could I? How could you?" Song Dohyun laughed mockingly, using his skill <[A] Mana Siphon> to Yeon Yujun — draining his mana just enough for him to not use any of his abilities.
Yeon Yujun fell towards the ground, trembling as the hologram screen displayed in front of him.
[ YOUR MANA IS CRITICALLY LOW, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM USING YOUR MANA. ]
Yeon Yujun's purple eyes flicked back to grey as he stared up weakly at Song Dohyun. It felt like his life force had just completely disappeared.
He couldn't use any skills at all, only his stupid skill <[S] Concealment> remained.
Song Dohyun grabbed him by the hair roughly, causing Yeon Yujun to groan in pain.
"I've always envied you, y'know?" He tightened his grip.
"I mean, look at you… parading around Seoul with a hidden identity and everyone loves you for being the unknown hero."
"Y…You don't have to do this…" Yeon Yujun tried to beg, but it won't clearly work on Song Dohyun.
Was their friendship all just a facade?
"Thanks to you, I've learned your weakness. It's not just this weapon right? Every weapon you wield… and once someone else wields it?" Song Dohyun pointed the blade onto Yeon Yujun's neck.
"You're helpless, you can't use <[S] Reoccurrence>, right? You'll be just limping like a roach."
Song Dohyun fisted both his hands onto Yeon Yujun's head and threw him to the other side — he tumbled in pain like a ragdoll as Song Dohyun approached him.
"I don't have much time left," he muttered, finally thrusting the
Yeon Yujun screamed in pain as Song Dohyun twisted the sword deeper in his body, "Once I get outta here… I'll be the sole survivor."
Song Dohyun let out a laugh that was humorless and pure madness that it painfully echoed through Yeon Yujun's skull.
"So… Just die already, Eight. They will forget you tomorrow,"
Then, he took the sword out and made his way to the portal —
"Goodbye, old friend."
Yeon Yujun's eyes felt heavy… way too heavy that it closed on his own. He couldn't stay awake from the unbearable pain. From everything that's happened in the vortex.
From the betrayal of someone he trusted and called a friend.
Song Dohyun went to the portal as the temple began to finally collapse and Yeon Yujun had no choice but to accept such a tragic fate.
An unfair tragic fate.
That was the last thing Yeon Yujun saw before he drifted to unconsciousness.