The power achieved by sacrificing an entire army clearly exceeded Min-hyuk’s current strength.
As if to prove it, Min-hyuk’s movements showed he was focusing on dodging rather than clashing directly.
*Boom! Boom!*
Every time a fist slammed into the earth, it sounded like a bomb exploding, and the ground collapsed.
A single sword swing split the earth so deeply that part of the fortress crumbled.
When the Battle Spirit erupted, craters formed in the surrounding area.
It was an overwhelming sensation one wouldn’t see on the lower floors, but such power only mattered if it actually hit the target.
Despite the Goblin Lord launching indiscriminate attacks at an insane speed and destroying the ground everywhere, Min-hyuk dodged every single one.
While the fortress was halfway demolished, no actual damage had been dealt to him.
‘If the battle drags on, I’ll win.’
As if to prove Min-hyuk’s thoughts, the goblin’s own mana was becoming more than just unstable; it was acting as if it would go out of control, unlike the form of the Battle Spirit which was growing larger.
Even its body seemed unable to handle the immense power, turning glowing red in various places.
It felt like the goblin was charging forward while ignoring the danger signals his body sent out, like a warrior fighting while burning away his last remaining life.
He certainly wouldn’t last long.
Min-hyuk could easily win if he simply ran away, but he didn’t.
A warrior’s duel that any man would dream of at least once was laid out before him, and he was supposed to avoid it?
Especially when he actually stood a chance?
If the old-timers saw Min-hyuk fighting like this, they would have told him to turn in his man card immediately.
Therefore, even though he knew he shouldn’t clash head-on, Min-hyuk met his opponent’s attack directly.
“Hup!”
Stopping his evasion, he responded by swinging his Zanbato with a short shout.
*Screeeech!*
With the sound of metal scraping against metal, Min-hyuk’s Battle Spirit and the Goblin Lord’s Battle Spirit collided violently.
However, due to the difference in strength, Min-hyuk was eventually pushed back.
He rolled several times before stabbing his Zanbato into the ground to barely come to a stop.
‘Is it a difference in density?’
With just one collision, he noticed the difference between the Battle Spirit he emitted and that of the Goblin Lord.
Since the goblin was unleashing all its power in a short time, there was the sheer quantity of Battle Spirit, but the key was that something was preventing the Battle Spirit from scattering.
However, it seemed to be bound artificially, as he could see it fluctuating from just one impact.
‘A paper tiger that only looks good.’
The moment he realized that while it seemed to have built a stable form, it was only impressive on the surface, Min-hyuk’s body moved reflexively toward the enemy.
The phantoms that had found the enemy’s weakness showed him several ways to attack.
*Boom!*
The Goblin Lord’s greatsword collided reflexively with Min-hyuk’s attack, and Min-hyuk was pushed back once more.
Nevertheless, he immediately stood up and charged again, digging into the Goblin Lord’s weaknesses.
Although the difference in Battle Spirit was extreme, he covered his shortcomings with his well-trained physical abilities and senses.
However, no matter how well he managed, internal injuries were bound to deepen as the collisions repeated.
As if to prove this, his complexion gradually turned pale, and he began to cough up blood.
“Cough! Cough!”
The Goblin Lord rushed in to finish him off as he gasped for breath, but Min-hyuk threw himself to the side to dodge and attacked again.
*Thump!*
When Min-hyuk, who had repeated the cycle of being bounced away every time they clashed, held his ground for the first time, the Goblin Lord’s eyes widened in surprise.
Conversely, a relaxed smile played on Min-hyuk’s lips.
“I think I can handle this now.”
With a twisted smile, he unleashed an even more intense Battle Spirit toward the Goblin Lord.
Although his internal injuries worsened because of it, the situation was more serious for the Goblin Lord.
Unlike Min-hyuk, whose mana amplified as his stamina dropped and injuries worsened, the Goblin Lord’s strength was gradually decreasing.
*Clang! Crash!*
The greatsword and Zanbato collided with thunderous roars.
In the duel that had now reached a stalemate, Min-hyuk’s protective gear and the armor worn by the Goblin Lord were gradually becoming rags.
But the strange thing was that despite being covered in wounds, smiles were hanging on the lips of both warriors.
‘It’s far.’
Min-hyuk admitted that the unstable realm the Goblin Lord had achieved through the descent of a god was still a distant realm for him.
However, power obtained by those who are unprepared has its limits.
As the Goblin Lord’s strength gradually waned, the battle slowly moved toward its final stage.
“Pant… pant….”
Min-hyuk breathed heavily, leaning his body against his Zanbato with an exhausted expression.
Unlike how relaxed he had been before, he had fought a grueling battle this time, to the point where his armor was dented and cracked in various places.
Perhaps it was because he had pushed himself so hard that his muscles were cramping?
His skill deactivated automatically.
**[…Sword Dance has ended.]**
Min-hyuk, whose eyes had returned to normal from their blood-red state, wore a look of regret.
“Is it already over?”
Directly in front of his gaze, he saw a goblin sitting down with its body completely shriveled.
The shrunken Goblin Lord painfully lifted its head to look at Min-hyuk and raised its necklace.
— The… your… victory…. —
At the words that seemed to acknowledge Min-hyuk’s victory, he also silently bowed his head and finished the job himself.
*Stab!*
As the Zanbato pierced its heart, the Goblin Lord collapsed with a faint smile.
**[You have cleared the Emergency Quest.]**
**[Transcendent Clear! Please check the rewards at the Outpost!]**
**[※ All items will be stored in the challenger’s Subspace.]**
**[Moving to the Outpost. 3… 2… 1….]**
Min-hyuk moved to the Outpost with a bright light.
At that moment, an emergency announcement was posted throughout the entire Outpost.
**[Outpost Emergency Notice: A special quest will be generated for challengers of floors 10 to 19 starting now.]**
**[1. A bridge leading to the 15th floor will be created. Defend against enemy attacks for a set period!]**
**[2. Safe zones and watchtowers will be established throughout floors 12 to 15. Defend against enemy attacks until construction is complete.]**
**[Reward: Three times the normal achievement points + clearance rate, 30% discount throughout the shopping district!]**
Due to the sudden emergency quest generation, everyone looked at Min-hyuk, who had appeared in the plaza.
**[※ Due to the incredible achievement of Min-hyuk clearing floors 12 to 15 all at once, known as a Transcendent Clear, the opportunity to expand the Outpost’s domain has been seized! Everyone, please do your best for the development of the Outpost!]**
At the unbelievable sight of the system praising him on its own, even Min-hyuk, the owner of the Outpost, stared blankly up at the system window.
The mana stone of the Outpost shone brightly toward him and poured out rewards.
**[※ As a reward for your unbelievable achievement, an auto-storage function has been added to the Subspace.]**
**[Ancient Weapon Refinement Fragment (1/2) obtained.]**
**[Legendary Broken Greatsword owned by the Goblin Lord obtained.]**
**[The Goblin Lord has personally handed over a Shard of God (Material). Ownership is recognized!]**
**[Part of the ancient legendary power imprinted in the Butcher’s skill has been engraved into your body!]**
**[Part of high-level Battle Spirit application techniques has been engraved into your body.]**
**[You have exerted a significant influence on floors 10 to 15. Min-hyuk is prohibited from climbing above the 10th floor until the emergency quest is completed.]**
**[There is a possibility that floors 1 to 9 will change according to the emergency quest. Since this will greatly affect the material supply of the Outpost, Min-hyuk is prohibited from entering floors 1 to 9 until the quest is over.]**
“Huh….”
Min-hyuk wore an absurd expression after being banned from entering despite working so hard, but before he could even complain, the rewards arrived with a cluster of bright light.
As the Shard of God and the goblin’s broken greatsword were created in Min-hyuk’s hands, the Zanbato and other swords came out of the Subspace without being summoned and began to tremble.
While he was looking at the trembling weapons with a perplexed expression, as if they were asking him to strengthen them with these materials, the equipment craftsman appeared.
What was strange was that all the people who had been crowding the area until a moment ago had disappeared.
“To think I’d see weapons developing their own egos again.”
Unlike Min-hyuk, who was flustered by the sudden change, the craftsman only stared intently at Min-hyuk’s weapons.
“Could you… possibly refine them for me?”
At Min-hyuk’s question, the craftsman shook his head.
“If it were my father, he might have at least attempted it, but it is impossible for me.”
Just then, Min-hyuk looked at a fragment of a document torn in half that had fallen into his palm.
As the craftsman glanced at it, his eyes widened.
“What is this?”
Min-hyuk asked as he looked at the document, which contained strange patterns and characters he didn’t recognize.
The equipment craftsman, his hands trembling, looked at the half-document and spoke.
“A lost refinement method.”
“…Is it possible if you have that?”
At those words, the craftsman shook his head firmly.
“Too many things are lacking. You might be able to find weapons equivalent to Rare or Masterpiece rank in the caves occupied by kobolds. But it would be a shame to end it there with these precious materials. Above all… with only half of this refinement method….”
He shook his head as if he couldn’t make it perfectly.
Min-hyuk nodded slightly at the words of the craftsman, who refused because his conscience as an artisan wouldn’t allow him to do a subpar job even if he technically could.
“I understand. For now, please keep this.”
As he said that, he handed over the broken greatsword and the Shard of God.
The craftsman nodded heavily at the promise that Min-hyuk would ask him again once all the materials were gathered, then disappeared into his shop.
At that moment, the plaza, which had been empty except for the two of them, returned to being filled with people.
“Oh? He’s back.”
When a hunter spoke while looking at Min-hyuk, everyone around looked at him.
[Floor 10 Clearance Rate: 57%/60%]
“We’re almost there.”
At Min-hyuk’s words, everyone nodded as they looked at the 10th-floor clearance rate.
It was a result achieved by everyone joining forces.
Although time was tight, it seemed the overall clearance rate of 60% could be achieved soon if they worked a little harder.
Since hunters from other countries had begun to move to the 10th floor in earnest to contribute, the clearance rate was rising faster than expected.
This was because some hunters had come to the Outpost in advance to secure achievement points, contrary to the expectation that everyone would move a week later.
Thanks to that, the clearance rates for the 10th and 11th floors were rising rapidly.
He was wearing a satisfied expression when it happened.
“Min-hyuk!”
“Yes?”
Suddenly, a hunter who was holding a load of various bags and luggage called out to Min-hyuk.
“Are you leaving the tower right now?”
“No, I’m not.”
When he replied that he intended to look around some more, the hunter, with a brightened expression, voiced a complaint.
“It’s about the plaza. As soon as you leave, Min-hyuk, this place becomes a mess. Could you please stay a little longer?”
“What do you mean by that?”
When he tilted his head as if he didn’t understand, the hunters who had set up stalls flocked toward Min-hyuk.
“There are certain standards the soldiers use to arrest people, and they cleverly avoid them to interfere with our business.”
“They act like they’re going to buy something, then surround us and stand there for hours so we can’t do business.”
“They intentionally shout and cause a nuisance to those around them. Then, when a soldier comes, they act like they’re making a transaction.”
Min-hyuk’s expression turned cold at the news that there were already people who had identified loopholes and were acting out.
The current Outpost system could not handle this perfectly.
However, even if he had to find a solution later, he had to manage it strictly during this important period.
“Let’s deal with the worst offenders first. Who are they?”
At those words, the stall merchants who had come to complain all looked toward one side.
The moment he turned his gaze to follow theirs, he saw foreign hunters drenched in cold sweat and looking utterly terrified.
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