Chapter 212


    The broken pieces of the Dewinged Angel Statues were scattered by the wind, breaking down into pebbles and then disappearing as powder.


    Hyukjin said, I have a special skill.


    ...


    Junghwa could not pester him for details. Special skills, innate abilities, ss skills, etc. Revealing ones hidden cards was a disadvantageous move, something you only did with trustworthypanions or party members you needed to cooperate right at that moment.


    But Kim Hyukjin shared such important information very readily.


    Its a skill that determines the opponents weakness and strikes it, no matter what.<blockquote>


    [Sword of Insight]


    An advanced innate ability created bybining and pooling the merits of Excellent Strike and Sword Path Tracing in one ce. No matter the situation, it will lock onto the enemys weakness and deliver a powerful attack at the most vulnerable point.</blockquote>


    He didnt reveal its name, nor did he say it was actually a sword-rted technique. IfHyun Junghwa heard that, it was highly likely she would either not believe him or have a mental breakdown.


    Its actually a sword technique, but I synthesized it into a bow technique using Unique Ability Fusion. It somehow worked when I applied it to the arrow.


    He kept those words to himself, but in any case, he didnt lie.


    I stacked another title effect onto that skill.


    ...You have another title other than True Ruler?


    Yes. Luckily.


    Junghwa nodded. Titles were pretty difficult to get, but she could acknowledge it if the title holder was Kim Hyukjin. She believed he had two titles at the very least.


    He might even have three.


    In fact, he had eight, but there was no way Junghwa could have known that.


    That title has a 20% damage buff.


    That was the effect of Excellent yer.


    <em>20%</em>?


    Not 2%, but 20%. Junghwas jaw dropped wide open. A 20% amplification effect. Shed never heard of such a thing.


    But that wasnt quite enough, so I also drew on my sovereign skill, which increases crit chance.


    Plus one more thing.


    Arrows are consumable items, right?


    Technically, yes.


    And what I just did was a 1 vs. 1 fight.


    Right.


    I have a sovereign exclusive ability that amplifies item effects by another 30%.


    ...


    Junghwa was silent. The numbers she was hearing werent 2% or 3%, but 20% and 30%. Kim Hyukjin was a yer on a scale she had never once encountered.


    But didnt you just give that same buff to us?


    I did. I have a skill to give the same buff to myself.


    Having experienced it herself, Junghwa knew how potent it was. She just hadnt expected he could ovep it twice.


    Very well. Junghwa nodded. I will take it as your title and skills being broken and not that you used some kind of special ability as an archer.


    Itd be best to think of it like that, yes.


    Unique Ability Fusion was also a skill, after all. What she said wasnt wrong.


    I guess there was nothing for me to learn.


    Unfortunately.


    But a promise is a promise. Here.


    Junghwa handed him an item. It was called Angel Statues Wings.


    Youre giving this to me?


    Youre not going to refuse?


    Ill dly take what is offered.


    That kind of makes me want to take it back. Isnt it good form to refuse once out of courtesy?


    Youre the one who wanted to give it to me first.


    Junghwas brows furrowed a little. Somehow, she got the feeling she was getting more entangled with every word.


    But still, this is kinda mean.


    Just then, Hyukjin heard a notice.<blockquote>


    [The Night of Shooting Stars is deeply awed by your archery.]</blockquote>


    The dine-and-dash suspect, the Stage 2 Guardian Night of Shooting Stars, appeared again with a message expressing his awe. Finally, after a long time, Hyukjin got a quest clear notification.<blockquote>


    [Qualifications of an Outstanding Bowman has been perfectly cleared.]


    [Receiving the reward.]</blockquote>


    Which was none other<blockquote>


    [Tome of the Divine Bow Physique acquired.]</blockquote>


    than the Tome of the Divine Bow Physique itself.


    He wasnt a dine-and-dasher.


    It did take a long time, but he got it in the end. As he expected, you had to kill something on the level of these Dewinged Angel Statues to get a reward of this level.


    Senia faithfully fulfilled her duty. Her expression was as t as a board, but she was doing her best to respond to the massive sponsorship, allowing Hyukjin to focus on his ying.


    Hyukjin smiled.


    Now then. Shall we go inside?


    * * *


    * * *


    The inside of the Wind Temple was different from its outside appearance. The ceiling was far higher. It wasnt an ordinary ceilingit was so high you had to tilt your head all the way back to barely see the top. A fresco was painted on the ceiling in western ir.


    Geometric patterns.


    Between the patterns were nude humans he presumed were gods. Each naked person wasying down, pointing at something.


    The rectangr border of the ceiling was glowing with faint purple light.


    Eighteen pirs.


    But there was one difference from when they saw the pirs outside.


    A Central Pir in the middle.


    The pir,rger and greater in diameter than the others, went through the ceiling high into the air.


    Its like the Wind Temple from before.


    Before, Jo Sunghyun scaled that pir and brought down the Offering Box. If this ce went by the same schema, there might be something on top of that pir.


    Junghwa fired her bow.


    <em>Splurt!</em>


    The arrow dispatched its target, a level 22 Bigmouth Lizard. A bunch of them were descending from the Central Pir.


    Theres also a Bigmouth Lizard, same as before.


    It was all too identical.


    Inmyeonjos will probably show up, too.


    Sure enough, an Inmyeonjo appeared. The monster with a human face and birds body was level 29. Both Bigmouth Lizards and Inmyeonjos were weak monsters.


    Junghwas hand moved without stopping.<blockquote>


    [Using the innate ability Consecutive Rapidfire.]</blockquote>


    As expected from the future Divine Archer, her aim was true. She hunted a whopping twelve Bigmouth Lizards and Inmyeonjos without Hyukjin having to do a thing. The monsters were no big threat.


    It really is the same as before, said Hyukjin.


    Looks like Ill need to go up. I also have the Wind Shoes.


    I think so, yeah. But lets look around a little longer.


    Before, Jo Sunghyun would have been ripped into pieces by the mana current if he slipped up even a little. Getting separated from that Central Pir meant death.


    But I dont see the mana current this time.


    It <em>appeared</em> to be extremely simple. All they had to do was send Sunghyun up the pir and bring down whatever was up there, be it the Offering Box or something else. That would bring them closer to the clear.


    Is it really that easy?


    Probably not. They were missing something.


    But Oppa, didnt we smash the pirs before? asked Sunhwa.


    We did.


    That was another difference.


    Back then, we had to destroy seven pirs for the Central Pir to appear.


    But now, it was already there.


    The more pirs we smashed, the lower the Central Pir became. In exchange, the monsters became more fierce. Hyukjin came to a conclusion. That Central Pir is the key.


    He turned to Junghwa. Do you think you can destroy the Central Pir?


    Ill try.


    In no time at all, Junghwa found herself faithfully following Hyukjins orders. She had acknowledged him as a leader without even realizing it.


    She changed her weapon to a bow zing with fire. It was a slow, but powerful fire attribute item called me Toad.<blockquote>


    [Using the special skill Explosion.]</blockquote>


    The arrow she fired hit the pir.


    <em>Babang!</em>


    An explosion rocked the temple. After several attacks, the pir copsed, leaving a small circr hole through which the sky was visible in the ceiling where it had been.<blockquote>


    [1 pir has been destroyed.]


    [The monsters have be fiercer.]</blockquote>


    With that, Hyukjin was sure of it.


    Theres an order.


    It was simr to the past, but not the same. The details were different.


    We got the first one right.


    It was time for the next.


    If we mess up the order


    There was a high chance this temple would be sealed off, and the field would cease to exist. If that happened, everyone here would die.


    The former Hyun Junghwa cleared this?


    The angel statues aside, that was unlikely. He was absolutely sure she hadnt managed it on her own. Someone had definitely helped her.


    Hyukjin fired a shot with Sylphids Wing.


    Miss Junghwa, over there.


    Junghwa quickly caught on.<blockquote>


    [Using the special skill Explosion.]</blockquote>


    She began a barrage on the pir Hyukjin had struck. Sunghyun pitched in as well, and together, the pir quickly came down.


    Next, this one.


    Their party began to take down the eighteen pirs one by one in order. Thinking back to what he learned from the Hill of Blowing Wind, Hyukjin decided to only destroy twelve.


    His experience back then clued him in now. They couldnt destroy all eighteen pirs. The temple woulde down on them. Smashing twelve and leaving six intact was the most efficient way; Hyukjin was sure of it. He checked the ceiling.


    The half-naked god located at the first pir they destroyed, the central one, was pointing at another pir. That was the one they took down next. Another half-naked god was there, pointing at another pir, which they smashed.


    The fresco above them wasnt just for show. It was the key to clearing this ce. At the end of every finger was a pir, tracing an order of pirs starting from the central one.<blockquote>


    [7 pirs have been destroyed.]


    [The true Central Pir is being generated.]</blockquote>


    The copsed Central Pir came together again in mere seconds, as if time were being rewound. A massive pir glowing faintly with golden light and marked with various geometric patterns appeared before them, shooting through the ceiling high into the air.


    Sunghyun, please.


    Yes, Hyung.


    Be careful, the mana currents strong.


    Yes.


    Sunghyun was confident. This time, hed absorbed the Tome of the Divine Wind Physique, and his level was much higher. He could climb the pir far better thanst time.


    Well support you from below.


    Sunghyun began to run, the Wind Shoes equipped. He mbered up the Central Pir. In the meantime, Hyukjin, Sunhwa, and Junghwa set out to destroy more pirs.


    Here.


    Sunhwa and Junghwa faithfully carried out Hyukjins orders.<blockquote>


    [12 pirs have been destroyed.]


    [The monsters have be fiercer.]</blockquote>


    That was the cue for a new monsters appearance.


    Thats<blockquote>


    GrudgeInmyeonjo LVL 37</blockquote>


    It was a level 37 monster. It was simr to anInmyeonjo, but gave off a purple aura.


    Curse type.


    The Grudge Inmyeonjo was capable of a fairly powerful curse. It spread its wings in flight. Its target appeared to be Sunghyun, who was climbing the Central Pir.


    Sunhwa, aggro.


    Sunhwa responded immediately.


    Taunt!


    Like the genius tank she was, she aggroed it in one shot. The Grudge Inmyeonjos eyes glowed purple as it let loose an eerie cry at Sunhwa. It folded its wings, dropping into a dive. It had a human face, but its mouth was extremelyrge and gleamed with the sharp fangs of a savage beast.


    Junghwa immediately shot an arrow.


    <em>Clink!</em>


    But her arrow failed to prate the Grudge Inmyeonjos barrier. This monster had a strong resistance to long-ranged attacks. But there was no time to use the powerful Explosion or another special skill that could punch through its barrier. The Inmyeonjo was approaching too quickly.


    Junghwa shouted, Sunhwa!


    Normally, she would politely say Miss Sunhwa, but the honorific fell away in her haste.


    No!


    However, Hyukjin knew what the Grudge Inmyeonjo was trying to do.


    The suicide attack, Bitter Grudge.


    The Grudge Inmyeonjo was the evolved version of an Inmyeonjo. It didnt just have higher stats. It had a powerful one-time-use attack called Bitter Grudge, a suicide bombing. Its power was proportionate to the cost.


    Its dangerous, even for Sunhwa.


    That suicide attack came with a potent curse. Even if Sunhwa blocked it somehow, she would be left with an aftermath effect, either disease or permanent paralyzation. At this point in time, there were no advanced priests who could dispel a Grudge Inmyeonjos Bitter Grudge. It was best to avoid it in the first ce.


    Shes my sister.


    Of course he wasnt going to let such a shitty attacknd. Hyukjin spoke to the panicking Junghwa, looking every bit rxed.


    Have I told you already?


    The artifact bearing the same name as the Queen of the Sword Forest, the transcendent sword with the stigma of cursing her heavenly talent.


    He pulled out Isabel.


    My main weapon isnt the bow, but the sword.