Chapter 49: Thank You Akto (3)
As expected, the Red Scorpion quickly approached me to attack. Its speed was really fast, just like its large body.
All three of them rushed toward me almost at the same time.
I needed to make good decisions.
How long I will attack. When to retreat. The wrong decision means death.
The factor that will determine that time is combo.
The requirements for combo get more difficult the higher you go.
First, the time you have to hit the next attack gets shorter. When you are under a 10 level combo, you just need to hit again in the next second to continue the combo, but after the 50 level combo, you need to do it within 0.7 seconds, after the 80 level combo, 0.5 seconds.
Of course that wasn’t a big issue for me. Drake’s TBSA can hit 3.5 times in 1 second.
The really difficult problem is the critical hit.
As the combo level gets higher, it becomes much more likely for critical hit to fail.
That is the principle for combo.
Plus, the opponent wasn’t an easy punching bag like Deathworm, but a ton of monsters running around in all directions.
It is hard enough to chase after and accurately hit monsters that are moving unexpectedly, but I also need to worry about dodging. Although the Kobbits are weaker in comparison to the other monsters, if they hit me properly, the damage will not be low.
Was it just the Kobbits? There were also Jump Spiders and Red Scorpions as well. If those hit me, even one hit will be critical.
It is no wonder that my attention was split among many things.
But that lowers the chances of a successful critical hit, which would mean the end of combo. I would need to restart from combo level 1.
That is why the Maginot Line I determined is level 70.
I will defeat all three Red Scorpions before reaching combo level 70. I need to take care of the strong monsters first while there are still weaker monsters for me to have a chance to succeed.
I used the hoard of Kobbits nearby to continue my combo as I dug in to the side of a Red Scorpion.
The Red Scorpion did not just sit there and get hit. It’s sharp tail came down like a spear from the sky.
Swiiiiish- Swiiiish-
Even if that just manages to scratch me, I will be poisoned by a strong poison.
But I should be able to evade a couple hits. Although the Red Scorpion may be fast with large movements, I am much faster with the small movements.
I twisted my body to dodge as I launched combos at the Red Scorpion’s side. It was a high level combo I had continued from earlier on.
It should be at about level 50.
Papapat!
……
[10,192]
[11,822]
[13,714]
……
It went past the tough skin’s defense and hit over 10,000 worth of damage. Maybe it is because of the strength of the BachuPichu Twin Blades, but it felt great.
Every time the cutlass swept by, the Red Scorpion’s side started to open up. The cut was so large that it was hard to believe it came from such small and thin cutlass.
It was almost like someone grabbed the cut and pulled it apart.
Kiiiiiiii-
In the end, the Red Scorpion could not last more than six attacks and fell over.
Even though it was six hits, it was a short amount of time that was less than 2 seconds. For a strong monster over level 50, it was a bit boring.
But the reward for killing it was not boring at all.
A quite long message flooded my mind.
I can’t relax yet. There’s still two Red Scorpions trying to stab me with their poison stingers.
And the two of them came at me together like siblings.
Thankfully.
I completely ignored the reward message coming through my mind.
I needed to kill the remaining two and move to a safe location before combo passed level 70.
I used the Black Spider in the middle to continue my combo and flung my body toward the Red Scorpions.
The poison stingers came down from above my head like darts.
Swiiiiish- Swiiiiish-
I twisted my body and used the rotation to slash the Red Scorpion’s leg. I then followed up with an attack to the body.
……
[44,962]
[52,155]
[60,500]
[70,181]
……
Kiiiiiiii-
I took down another one.
What level is it at now? Isn’t it probably close to 70 by now?
Maybe that was why but the damage was huge. It was over 70,000.
It’s time to step back now.
But there was only one left. It was also really injured. I feel like I can finish it with one or two more hits.
‘Please!’
Papat!
Kiiiiii-
‘I did it!’
Now it was really time to step back.
But there was no reason to just stop my combo. I used the large but extremely slow Giant Spider as a connection point to move toward where the weak monsters were gathered.
The Jump Spider jumped up and down to threaten me, but I dodged with a roll every time to increase my distance.
In the midst of all of that, at some point, my damage color changed to red. I failed to land a critical hit and my combo ended.
76 level combo.
It was a high level combo that I never managed to achieve in the game.
My confidence started to shoot really high up.
But it is not time to be drunk in joy. There are still a ton of monsters to get rid of in this Demon’s Cave. There’s no way there is a monster even stronger than the Red Scorpion hiding in the back, is there?
For some reason, I feel like that is going to be the case. The Red Scorpion is strong, but it feels a bit lacking to be called the boss monster.
I need to pull my level up as much as I can before that.
‘All bonus stat points to agility!’
I dove into the monsters once again.
Papapat!
How much time must have passed?
Now I am really tired.
Haaaaaa. Haaaaaa.
‘Let’s pull out the last of my strength.’ I kept saying that over and over. It’s probably been at least ten times. Now I feel like I don’t have any strength left at all.
But thankfully, I can see the end. There are not too many monsters left. Around 30 left?
The majority of them are weak monsters as well.
Yes ‘the majority.’
But there is just one exception. The problem is that this exception is extremely strong.
‘Damn it, how can a Cave Troll come out at this point?’
It is as large as a polar bear.
Well, it is small for a troll. But a troll is a troll. Its HP and recovery rate must be scary.
I mean I was expecting something like this. I was pretty sure that the Red Scorpion would not be the boss monster. I knew there would be at least one stronger monster.
But this is just unfair.
Wasn’t this a miner quest with a level restriction of 10? How could a monster close to level 70 be a part of it?
Of course there was still a way to succeed since my level was up to 30 now. I don’t know how many hours has passed for sure, but I know I managed to gain close to 20 levels in less than 10 hours.
‘It is now do or die. Put all bonus stats to agility.’
[Kang Hwi Ram, Level 30]
Title: First Human Blacksmith (Do not show)
Dexterity: Advanced Level 2, 33%
Strength: 97
Agility: 227
Stamina: 90
Intuition: 89
Magic: 9
Vitality: 36
Mana: 328
HP: 493
Endurance: 33
Toughness: 43
My agility is 227. This should be enough to overpower the Cave Troll at least when it comes to agility, right?
I will not know until I face it first hand.
I know about the Cave Troll’s extremely high level, but I don’t know details about its stats.
Kwaaaaaa-
‘Damn it, it doesn’t give me any time to rest. I’m tired and you’re fresh, is that it?’
I avoided the Cave Troll that was rushing roughly toward me and dug into the side of a slow Giant Spider.
Of course it was to create a large combo.
The Cave Troll approached me quickly. It wasn’t extremely fast, but since I slowed down from a lack of stamina, it felt fast in comparison.
But my combo continued to build. As it passed the 30 level combo, the Giant Spider was sliced in half with one hit, and every time I moved, a miraculous road was created.
The Cave Troll also used that road to approach me. It was right on my heel.
I could not run anymore. Now I needed to settle it.
‘Fine, let’s try it!”
The Cave Troll swiped its hand trying to slash my back. I twisted my body to the side and changed directions at the same time.
With a cutlass in one hand, I slashed the neck of a Kobbit that was bumbling around, and with the cutlass in the other hand, I increased the spin to cut the Cave Troll’s thigh.
Continuous attacking.
Papapat!
……
[3,606]
[4,183]
[5,629]
……
Kraaaaaaaaa!
‘It hurts, doesn’t it? So let us rest a bit before fighting. Please.’
But neither the Cave Troll nor I stopped attacking. The Cave Troll lifted up its nail-like fingernail and swung it around, while I forced my almost unable to move body to move and continued my combo.
‘Aaah!’
It scratched my back and shoulder. I thought it only skimmed me, but seeing as how the pain is severe, the cut must be deep.
It is because I was focused on attacking rather than defending. It was an unfortunate but necessary sacrifice to use Drake’s TBSA.
It was only because of the defense from endurance and toughness that it ended with just this much damage.
I did not stop my combo. Even though it hurt like hell, I did not die. But if my combo stops, then I will really die.
Thinking about ‘death’ made it feel like I was subconsciously bringing out superhuman strength.
When possible, I only aimed for the Cave Troll’s leg. It was because I needed to stop it from moving in order to have a chance to succeed.
53 combo, 54 combo, 55 combo.
……
[10,183]
[11,834]
[13,745]
“Ugh.”
It scratched my side again.
The pain was stronger than before. It was enough to make me lose 150 HP in one hit. My HP was already at about half, so it instantly reached close to the bottom.
‘Dangerous!’
I quickly put the wristbelt to my mouth.
When I started, there were a total of 8 strongest potions, but now the last one disappeared just like that.
The bigger issue was that combo was stopped. It was unavoidable in order to drink the potion.
Thankfully, the Cave Troll couldn’t move either. It was because the injury to its lower body was severe. It flopped on the floor and tried to get up, but continued to fall back down.
But it’s recovery rate is extremely fast. I know it is a troll, but for it to heal faster than a Strongest HP potion…
‘I can’t give it any time.’
I clenched my teeth and started to move again.
I had to move. It wasn’t like the Cave Troll was the only monster there. The Kobbits and Jump Spiders were rushing towards me trying to eat my flesh.
Thank you for coming all the way here!
Thanks to them, I was able to make a combo again.
Once I reached a decent damage level with at least a 30 level combo, I returned to attack the Cave Troll’s lower body. The Cave Troll that just got up after showing its extremely fast recovery speed, fell down again.
‘I did it. This fight is over.’
I attacked and attacked again. It passed 50 combo and then 60 combo.
But this dude is really strong. Why won’t you die!
It really is a boss monster.
I might end up fainting from fatigue before it dies. I wanted to give everything up and just lay down and sleep.
But all I need to do is land a few more hits. Stay focused a little longer.
I clenched my teeth and continued the combo.
76 combo, 77 combo, 78 combo.
Papapat!
[94,435]
[109,545]
[127,072]
And then the sound that released all tension in my body could be heard.
Grrrrrr.
You have established a new combo record by landing a 78 level combo.
As a reward, you have been given 1 bonus stat point and your fame has increased by 5.
You have defeated the monsters in the Demon Cave with your own strength. You have earned the title of ‘Guard’ from the Ares Temple. Your fame has increased by 15.
You have established a new record for lowest level to earn the ‘Guard’ title.
As a reward, you have been given 3 bonus stat point and your fame has increased by 10.
You have earned a Chaos Jewel.>
‘Chaos Jewel?’
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Translator : Miraclerifle
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