Jaeho’s attack carried a debuff that made Gold Tooth cock her head in puzzlement for a moment, but she quickly dismissed it.
With her current level, she didn’t feel especially threatened.
Bang bang bang—
The barrels spun as flame spat out in rapid bursts, engulfing Jaeho.
“???”
Even for Jaeho, dodging every single pellet from this close range was unthinkable…
[You have selected <Elbo Spiritization> for <Thunder Reed> .]
[Agility greatly increases.]
[Evasion increases significantly.]
“!”
***
Just as Gold Tooth was wondering what nonsense he was spouting, her attack speed dropped sharply.
She was still fast, but it bought Jaeho enough time to evade.
Fwoosh—
With graceful movements like a dance, Jaeho slipped through the hail of bullets, and Gold Tooth’s eyes widened.
“Impressive, aren’t you?”
It was genuine admiration.
No matter how much someone’s stats or skills were boosted, if they lacked their own sense, there was no way they could dodge at this level.
It was a movement only Jaeho could pull off.
[You have selected <Elbo Spiritization> for <Devil Grass Spirit> .]
In an instant, Jaeho closed the distance, swapped spirits again, and thrust the Legendary Sapling Shovel.
Twang—
Though she had been slowed by the word curse, Gold Tooth still managed to block Jaeho’s attack with ease!
Amazingly, even while fighting Jaeho, Gold Tooth was providing covering fire for her own allies.
Because of that, Jaeho’s blows occasionally landed, but it was by her allowance.
“So you’re letting some through on purpose.”
Apparently, she had decided that Jaeho’s unarmed attacks weren’t much to worry about.
Even the Magi stacking up on her wasn’t much of a threat from her perspective.
“Hmm—your level isn’t that high, is it?”
“?!”
In the midst of their exchanges, Gold Tooth finally caught on.
The accumulated damage was negligible compared to the number of hits she’d allowed.
“So all that monstrous play is just natural talent… You really are a monster, just like you look.”
Jaeho abruptly stopped attacking.
“?”
Gold Tooth tilted her head at him, and Jaeho stared back.
“Why’d you stop?”
“…I was just wondering where the line between my conscience and morality really lies. And I’ve just made up my mind.”
“What are you talking about?”
“This.”
Jaeho pointed behind Gold Tooth—no, exactly at something behind her.
“<Rapid Growth Mutation>”
***
Without a doubt, Gold Tooth was one of the top talents Jaeho had ever met.
She instantly saw through Jaeho’s level, and always blocked his shovel strikes even if she let punches or kicks through.
If it turned into a contest of stamina, Jaeho would likely be the one to collapse first.
Of course, there was always a chance Gold Tooth could finish him off with a powerful technique before that happened.
So Jaeho couldn’t afford to hold anything back.
But the reason he’d been restraining himself was simple.
Social controversy…!
Jaeho’s attack power was enough to make even Rankers shudder.
How else could he have taken out Usster or Taylor so easily?
The reason Jaeho, who always fought the strong, could bring out such overwhelming power was thanks to his sure-fire finishing moves.
In other words, growth-type skills that used plants!
…The truth was, most of those skills were pretty brutal.
When Taylor got caught in the desert, bound up and utterly humiliated, it became the “highlight of the week.”
If people found out he’d used such skills on a female player?
He’d be branded a pervert.
But once Gold Tooth pointed out his looks, all such concerns vanished.
“Why am I the only one getting beaten up here?”—that sense of injustice made Jaeho bring out his skills at last.
And his targets were the local specialty monsters scattered around the Embay Forest!
Kudududu—
Monsters—or rather, plants—began to grow rapidly.
Already huge to begin with, they swelled to the size of giants, forming a colosseum just for the two of them.
A move to block her from supporting her allies and to head off any social scandal!
Ridiculous.
Gold Tooth was no stranger to the strange ecology of this forest.
She’d seen it all on her way in.
She’d ignored the creepy-looking plants so far, since they weren’t that threatening—but now that they’d grown so big, the revulsion was multiplied.
Creak—
For the first time, Gold Tooth let out a troubled groan as a thorny petal lashed toward her!
It wasn’t that she was threatened, but a deep, instinctual disgust welled up.
Creak—
Now she was busier than ever.
Not only did she have to deal with Jaeho, but also the biting flowers (?) attacking from all sides.
“Thankfully, they’re not after me.”
Thanks to the effect of the title, all flowers held an absolute fondness for Jaeho and left him alone.
But with such horrific visuals, Jaeho forgot they were even “flowers.”
Wounds began to accumulate on Gold Tooth’s body.
With the toxins of so many flowers mixing, she was now suffering from a poisoning effect.
Amid the chaos, Jaeho’s voice rang out.
“!”
“?
A skill name? …The moment of confusion lasted only a second before the skill hit.
“Ku—huk!”
Hit by an enormous impact, she staggered back.
The truly fearsome part of was this.
The sheer incongruity between the name and the power of the skill.
Anyone struck by would pause in disbelief after hearing the skill’s name.
Jaeho never missed the opening created in that split second—hence the outcome now.
Attack power?
No need to even mention it.
“Guh…”
Hit by a force unlike anything so far, her face twisted in pain.
“!”
Boom—!
With a loud bang, Jaeho instantly closed the gap.
“!”
Bang bang bang—!!
Her signature firepower skill was unleashed at Jaeho, but the swiftly moving flowers blocked the shots, shielding him.
“You guys…”
Jaeho was a little moved.
These Demon Spirits, who had always been so rebellious, were now throwing themselves in harm’s way to protect him…
“Tch.”
Cleaving through another onrushing flower, Gold Tooth finally started to understand.
Why Taylor lost to this guy.
“He’s not just troublesome.”
If there were Elves alongside him, she’d have already lost.
“I thought my victory was overwhelming…”
Dragging things out any longer would only make it worse.
—What’s the situation?
—It’s not good!
—Are you okay in there? What are these damn monster plants?!
Her hurried questions were answered just as urgently.
She was, after all, the party’s key combatant.
The others, at best, were mid-rankers.
Her normal style was to provide ranged support, covering for their lack of power.
Now that was completely cut off.
“Especially that Golem…!”
The Golem’s first surprise attack had been serious.
It was a completely different form from the Golems she’d seen in Bear Kingdom, and clearly much weaker now, yet still threatening.
“Fine. I’ll get rid of these damn plants, even if I have to force it.”
With her decision made, Gold Tooth pulled out the bombs she’d been saving from her Inventory.
[Bomb: Causes a huge explosion.]
It wasn’t a fancy name, but as a weapon made by Goblins, it lived up to it!
But being focused only on explosions, she could easily be caught in the blast herself.
Heh—
She gave Jaeho a quick wink, smiling as she looked his way.
“Let’s see if you’re as tough as you look!”
“That’s my line, actually.”
“?”
He’d stopped attacking and was now holding one arm up.
It looked suspicious, but she couldn’t guess what he was up to…
Snap—
Jaeho flicked his thumb and forefinger.
[ <Magic Addiction> has stacked 32 times.]
[ <Magic Explosion> will now trigger.]
Aaaaah—!!!
She’d paid little mind to the minor damage from , but now it exploded.
“Kyaaaaaa!!!”
A scream burst from her lips.
And it wasn’t even over.
The bombs she held also chain-detonated.
[The Demon Spirits exposed to powerful Magi have entered Magic Frenzy.]
Even more unwelcome effects.
“Aaaaagh!”
Jaeho himself was sent tumbling across the ashen ground by the blast.
At the same time, he frantically downed recovery items, struggling to avoid death.
[The Bloodstained Golden Golem is excited by the powerful Magi.]
***
Why are you here?
Thud—thud—thud—
A different, regular crashing sound rang out amid the explosions.
Crash—
Soon a Golem burst through the tangled flower stalks.
“Huh? Is that you??!!”
Jaeho’s nose tingled with emotion.
Rushing through the still-erupting explosions, trying to protect him…
Kyaaa—!
The Golem’s massive fist swung at the heart of the blast.
And there was Gold Tooth.
Bang—bang—bang—!!
Jaeho stared blankly at the brutal scene of relentless pummeling.
Thanks to the Golem’s intervention, the shock of the explosion was lessened, but he doubted it came to save him specifically.
And then…
“What are you doing there?”
Jaeho spotted Jingjing clinging to the Golem’s back, staring down at the ground.
—Hey, hey, hey! Unsummon this thing right now!
“What?”
—It’s not listening! It has total anger management issues!!!
***
While Jaeho was fighting desperately inside the giant wall of plants, a fierce battle raged outside as well.
Gold Tooth’s underlings pressured the Demonic Spirits with coordinated moves, but the real problems were Fonda and the Golem.
Fonda, being a Spirit, was immune to most physical attacks.
And since it flew in the sky, melee-focused fighters found it near impossible to deal with.
And then the Golem.
Its attack patterns weren’t much different from a normal Golem.
Just punches and body slams.
But the scale was outrageous.
It was as if a god of destruction had possessed its body—crushing everything in sight.
Players couldn’t help but be cowed by its violent aura.
Even its punches were oddly unpredictable.
If you prepared to block when its fist was coming, the attack would always come a split-second late.
For veteran fighters to miss the timing on a summon’s counterattack made no sense.
The fact that it kept happening meant the Golem was deliberately controlling its own tempo.
A destructive trickster!
None of them had ever seen a Golem fight this way before.
“Damn it! We need to clear out those monster plants and free Gold Tooth so she can move again!!!”
If they could just get Gold Tooth back to the center of the fight, everything would get easier…
Aaaagh—!!!
A sudden explosion!
Its source was the field of flowers where Jaeho and Gold Tooth were fighting.
“Kyaaaaaaaa!!!”
Her scream pierced through the thunder of the blast!
“Go, Gold Tooth-sama!”
Before they could react, something else moved first.
Kroooo!
[The Bloodstained Golden Golem is excited by the powerful Magi.]
Bang bang bang bang—
Crash—crash—snap—
The giant flower stalks were ripped apart as the Golem tore through like a mad beast.
—Ugh, ugh, what is wrong with this thing?!
Jingjing, who had been clinging to the Golem’s head since Jaeho threw him there, screamed.
—…Help me.
Seeing this, Kkunda mumbled in a daze.
“Stop it! Stop it now!!!”
“This crazy monster!!”
Players from Aks Face, snapping back to their senses, swung their weapons at the Golem, but exposed to the Magi, the Golem was now even stronger!
Crunch—pow—
Eardrums burst.
“Urgh, help—”
Players were sent flying, and though they tried to scramble to their feet…
Boom—
[You have died.]
***
Notifications popped up that were so shocking it felt like a system error.
“As expected, the Demonic Spirits are useless.”
“They never could do anything unless they overwhelmed you with numbers anyway.”
A languid voice called out from behind.
Turning, the players found unexpected figures had arrived.
Skin pale as snow, utterly at odds with their surroundings.
Unbelievably beautiful faces.
And… pointed ears!
“Eh, El—”
Fwoosh—
Thud—
Another fell.
Tremble—
Only now did they truly understand.
Why Elves are called balance breakers…