Chapter 86: The Manticore King’s Descent

In front of the Vulcanus Guild building, where the battle was raging fiercely.  

On the top floor of the Vulcanus Guild building.  

In the Guild Master’s Room prepared there, Guild master 1 opened their eyes.  

“Hoo.”  

Of course, that identity was me.  

Possession Skill.  

As my level rose, the duration and proficiency of the Possession Skill had also greatly increased.  

Having used it frequently recently, I had become accustomed to it.  

“Vulcanus-nim.”  

In front of me, Nam Bora was already waiting.  

She held the items she had received in advance by using the function that sends items to guild members.  

[Blind Tracker]  

A crossbow, the Blind Tracker, was created by modifying the Dragon Blinder.  

I took the quiver that was sent along with it and slung it over my shoulder.  

“Thank you.”  

“This is all the help I can offer right now.”  She uttered words similar to what I had just been thinking.  

I felt an unexpected sense of camaraderie.  

It had been a very long time since we had faced each other like this, but now was no time for greetings.  

‘Chaaang!”  

I swung the ceremonial sword hanging at Guild master 1’s waist and shattered the window in the wall.  

It was a pity, but the window could be repaired later.  

I considered relocating, but the time it would take seemed too costly.  

More than anything, there was no better vantage point in the Vulcanus Guild building for sniping Manticores.  

“Although Manticores have flight ability, they can’t compare to real flyers like Griffins. They won’t be able to fly this high.”  

This was Nam Bora’s assessment.  

We trusted that judgment.  

I stood before the broken window.  

Hoooo— a cool breeze blew in through the shattered glass.  

Standing there gave me a dizzying feeling, but after all, this wasn’t my real body.  

I felt sorry for Guild master 1, but even if it got hurt, my true body wouldn’t suffer any damage.  

Well, if things went according to plan, Guild master 1 wouldn’t get hurt at all.  

“You can stay safe, Bora.”  

“No. There’s nothing more I can do anyway, so I just want to watch.”  

“Then so be it.”  

I looked down through the window.  

Below the guild building over 80 Vulcanus guild members had gathered, locked in a fierce battle with Manticores continuously emerging from the Gate.  

Even though more guild members had joined, the situation had not improved.  

In fact, it was disadvantageous.  

Compared to the 30 additional Vulcanus guild members, Manticores kept appearing endlessly through the Gate.  

Looking down below,  I loaded the arrow I had made in my room.

[Hanbing Arrow]  

Then I raised the crossbow and aimed at the Manticores below through the sights.  

I knew well.  

Even if I aimed like this, with my skills it was impossible to hit a Manticore at this distance.  

Without relevant skills, even the best Hunters find it very difficult to hit flying Manticores at this range.  

Still,  I pulled the trigger without hesitation.

“Thunk!”

The arrow flew out.  

Frost dust sparkled as it fell from the arrow’s trajectory.  

Fortunately, the Manticores apparently never expected an attack from above and ignored the arrow.  

Moreover, thanks to the tracking effect of the ‘Blind Tracker,’ the arrow subtly curved mid-flight and struck the Manticore’s back.  

Puncture!  

“Karru?”  

The leather was pierced.  

But it wasn’t a fatal blow.  

It was literally just piercing the hide.  

I could tell from the Manticore’s reaction to my arrow.  

Despite the arrow being lodged in its back, it only flinched briefly, like being bitten by an insect.  

But the main attack was yet to come.    

Around the arrow, the Manticore’s back skin began to freeze.  

In truth, the back is one of the least vulnerable spots on a monster’s body.  

But what if it’s a flying monster?  

What if the wings were attached to its back?  

“Kyarrruk!”  

The Manticore’s two wings froze solid.  

Because high-grade materials had been used, even the Manticore couldn’t break the ice on its wings and began to plummet.  

It tried to thrash its tail across its back but, before the ice could be broken,  “KABOOM!!”

The Manticore crashed straight to the ground.  

A deafening roar erupted.  

No matter how tough a Manticore was, it couldn’t endure a fall like that from such a height without damage.  

At least, the ice on its wings broke from the impact of the crash.  

“Let’s finish off the one that’s fallen!”  

“Yes!”  

The Vulcanus guild members clearly understood their roles.  

They immediately charged toward the fallen Manticore.  

The Manticore desperately exhaled poison breath, but it had no effect on those wearing Detox Masks.  

“Karru.”   

Eventually, the Manticore collapsed under the concentrated assault of the Vulcanus Guild.  

And this was only the beginning.  

“Twung! ” 

My arrow began actively tracking the Manticores.  

***

“Team Leader Park Sang-hyun! This is impossible! They’re Manticores!”  

“I know. But we can’t let the guild building collapse.”  

“Our lives matter more than the building! The Guild Master isn’t even inside, anyway!”  

Since the recent Assassin Incident,  Vulcanus guild members had realized something.  

The Black Armor resident in the building was not the Guild Master.  

Or rather, while it was the Guild Master, it wasn’t the real body but a kind of avatar.  

Although everyone here respected Vulcanus, this was a different matter.  

If Vulcanus himself were really inside the building, maybe it’d be worth risking life and limb to protect him, but guarding his avatar wasn’t the same.  

“If we judge it impossible or unnecessary, we will order a retreat. Until then, focus on your assigned roles.”  

“But…!”  

“Who’s brought us this far until now?”  

“Guild Master. Vulcanus-nim.”  

“So I will continue to trust him. I hope you all will too.”  

After Park Sang-hyun’s words, the guild members fell silent for a moment before nodding.  

If they hadn’t joined the Vulcanus Guild,  they would never have grown this much.  

They wouldn’t have wielded proper weapons.  

They wouldn’t have been able to use the high-tier abilities they had acquired.  

They would have wandered between the guild and the Gate without ever becoming true Hunters.  

Vulcanus had saved them.  

He had accepted those who were looked down upon in the Awakened One world and crafted equipment to maximize their abilities.  

So they had to believe in Vulcanus.  

“I’ll block them!”  

“Boom!”  

But fighting Manticores wasn’t easy.  

Rank 7 monster Manticores.  

Even if the poison was blocked, their long, sharp stingers remained a serious threat.  

Their thick hides were already hard to penetrate, and attacking them in flight was tough.  

They fought against the Manticores, even though they knew it was hopeless.  

“Kaboom!!”

Suddenly, a Manticore crashed to the ground.  

On inspection, its shoulder blades were frozen solid.  

Because of that, it couldn’t use its wings and fell.  

Curious about why, but now wasn’t the time.  

“Let’s finish off the one that’s fallen!”  

“Yes!”  

It was a moment to seize the opportunity.  

The Vulcanus guild members united their strength and finished off the grounded Manticore.  

Then, as they looked up, wondering why it had fallen, they saw it.  

A blue trail streaking down from the sky.  

And the Manticore’s wings hit by it froze solid.  

“Crack!”  

“Kyarrruk!”  

The Manticore plummeted to the ground.  

“What the…?”  

That wasn’t all.  

A yellow flash rippled through the sky like lightning, and a Manticore fell to the ground with its wings charred black.  

A red explosion flared up, burning the Manticore’s wings and sending it crashing down.  

The arrow lodged in the Manticore’s wings expanded, becoming a giant stone stake, and the Manticore couldn’t bear the weight and fell.  

“What’s happening?”  

It made no sense.  

Why were these Manticores falling so pathetically?  

At that moment, a familiar voice came to everyone’s ears.  

“Currently, Vulcanus-nim is personally shooting down the Manticores.”  

– While it’s possible to knock them down, landing a fatal hit might be difficult, so please focus on finishing off the falling Manticores.  

– Please do not let Vulcanus-nim’s efforts go to waste.”  

“The Guild Master?”  

How?  

Everyone knew Vulcanus as a blacksmith.  

The guild members too.  

Yet, here he was, taking down Manticores with ease?  

Even skilled ranged dealers struggle to hit fast-flying Manticores.  

It was an inexplicable situation.  

But regardless of those doubts, their bodies quickly began to carry out their duties.  

“Left Manticores! Team 2 will handle them!”  

“The ones with stakes? Team 14 is on it!”  

“We’ll finish off the ones falling over there!”  

The Vulcanus guild members swiftly divided their tasks.  

One side blocked attacks from intact Manticores, while the other finished off those shot down by Vulcanus.  

Fallen Manticores lost not only their flight but were also disoriented from crashing, so they were quickly dealt with.  

All of them felt it.  

“We can do this!”  

Everyone in the Vulcanus Guild had hope.  

Manticores were powerful monsters, but they had blocked both their key strengths: poison and flight.  

Without poison and flight, the Vulcanus Guild was more than capable of taking down Manticores.  

“Shreek!”  

How was Vulcanus, the blacksmith, shooting down so many Manticores?  

It didn’t matter.  

The Vulcanus Guild simply believed.  

In Vulcanus and the equipment he crafted.  

“Kyarrrruk!”  

The number of Manticores steadily decreased.  

Some raised their heads to block arrows, but their wingbeats could not reach the top floor of the Vulcanus Guild building.  

Occasionally, a Manticore tried the impossible and challenged the height.  

[Flash Arrow]  

“Thunk!”  

“Ziiiiiiiiing—!!”

Those were the first targets for Vulcanus.  

Flash Arrow, an arrow emitting brilliant light that blinds not only the target but also Manticores nearby, obscuring their vision.  

It even created a deafening blast like a flashbang, disorienting their hearing and balance.  

On the ground, this would cause a stumble.  

But in midair, such an attack meant only one thing:  

“Kyarrrruk-?!”  

They plummeted to the ground.  

The number of Manticores swarming the sky dropped rapidly.  

Just a little more.  

Just a little more, and not only would all the Manticores be defeated, but they could reach the Gate and prevent the Gate Break.  

At that hopeful moment,  the rampaging Gate distorted grotesquely, reaching its limit.

“Thud!”  

From within, a monster emerged with an overwhelming presence unlike any Manticore before.  

“Kyarrrrrrrrrr—”  

Two heads.  

Five pairs of wings.  

Three tails.  

A blood-soaked mane and sharp stingers dripping with venom.  

“Kyarrr!”  

The Manticores that had been thinning out turned their heads all at once.  

They began to howl in praise of their ‘King.’  

[Magnus the Entwined]  

The King of the Manticores.  

The boss monster had appeared.