Chapter 94 : Chapter 94
Chapter 94. One Step.
The Montis Rocky Mountains, being vast, contained various terrains.
There was a canyon terrain where the middle of the mountain was hollowed out, and a high spire terrain with sharp peaks.
And there were places where giant, earthworm-like Pythons had burrowed holes everywhere.
Hyunwoo's party and the High Orcs were moving through an area where many Pythons resided.
Over the past month, they had expanded the holes to create a passageway for movement.
When they were about halfway through the hole-riddled rocky mountain, they came to a fork in the road.
A crossroads that led to the 'spire' and 'canyon' terrains.
Stop—
Gracia halted the troops and, as previously discussed, divided them into two.
He stood before the path leading to the 'canyon'.
Behind him stood the 20 High Orcs who had received the 'Spear of Certain Hit'.
"Then, Sir Hyunwoo, I will wait in the canyon."
"How much time do you need?"
"Half a day will be enough."
Half a day.
That was the time Gracia needed to set the trap.
Hyunwoo nodded, sent Gracia's group off, and turned around.
The remaining members were Van, Lucas, and 80 High Orc warriors centered around Conrad.
They headed for the 'spire' terrain of the rocky mountain.
A short while later, an exit with a view to the outside appeared.
Upon exiting, they saw an open landscape and a particularly sharp, soaring rocky mountain.
The spire terrain, the highest point in the Montis Rocky Mountains.
The Harpy Queen's nest was there.
First, Hyunwoo surveyed the surroundings.
From the highest-soaring rock where the nest was, numerous sharp rocks jutted out as if they were sheer cliffs below.
And, he could see the figures of harpies flying around as if scouting the area.
At a glance, their numbers reached the hundreds.
As Hyunwoo observed the harpies, Lucas approached him.
"Just as you said, the harpies' movements are slower than before."
Looking closely, the harpies' wing beats seemed weak.
The spawning season for all harpies was at the same time.
Not only the Harpy Queen, but the regular harpies as well were now in a physically exhausted state after going through the spawning season.
Hyunwoo, who had been observing the harpies, pointed to one of the rocky mountains.
"Is that the most likely place for the harpies' eggs to be?"
"It's certain.
They're desperately trying to block any approach near there."
"Where do we need to go to get as close to the eggs as possible?"
After a moment's thought at Hyunwoo's question, Lucas pointed to a low pile of rocks on the midslope of a nearby rocky mountain.
"There.
It's not easily visible to the harpies, and it's not far from where the eggs are."
Hyunwoo nodded and moved to the location Lucas had indicated.
Around the low pile of rocks, large boulders shot up like mushrooms, making it a good place to hide.
The field of vision narrowed, making it difficult to properly observe the harpies, but on the other hand.
'It means the harpies can't spot us either.'
As Lucas said, it was a suitable place to hide.
The party waited there for a while.
When the red sun began to lean and dye the horizon.
'Shall we begin?'
By now, Gracia's side, which had headed for the canyon, would have finished their preparations and be lying in ambush.
A trap had been set in the canyon.
Now it was time to lure the target to the canyon where Gracia was positioned.
Hyunwoo turned around and checked on the party.
Then he divided the accompanying members into two.
'The bait team and the lure team.'
Conrad and the warriors were the 'bait team', meant to draw the attention of the harpy flock.
Hyunwoo's party was the 'lure team', tasked with stealing the eggs in the meantime and luring the Harpy Queen to the trap.
The plan was to use the eggs as bait to lure the Harpy Queen.
Hyunwoo looked at Conrad, who would lead the 'bait team' of warriors.
"I think we can start now."
"Roasted bird for dinner tonight."
"Don't chase them too hard.
Remember, you just need to draw their attention."
"I'll try."
Conrad glanced at Hyunwoo, Van, and Lucas once, nodded, and led the warriors away.
In the meantime, Hyunwoo's party also began to move.
They moved slightly slower, in the opposite direction of Conrad's bait team.
For a moment, on their way around to the harpy nest, they heard the cry of a harpy.
Cawww—!
It wasn't just one cry.
Cawwwww—!
Caw—!
The sound of the harpy flock, which had been scattered everywhere, flying in a group towards one location could be heard.
It seemed Conrad and the warriors had approached their nest.
The harpies reacted violently to the appearance of intruders.
Even without seeing the situation, it was easy enough to imagine how intense it would be.
'They value their eggs more than themselves.'
Harpies were creatures that wouldn't care for their own bodies if it meant protecting their eggs.
The harpy flock, having lost their reason and rushed out due to the intruders.
Robbing an empty house was a basic strategy.
To prepare for any variables, Lucas decided to stay here.
Hyunwoo and Van looked at each other once and moved cautiously.
Even though intruders had appeared, not all the harpies had left the nest.
Cawww—
Six harpies remained around the nest.
The Harpy Queen wasn't visible either, but it was unlikely she had followed the bait team.
Probably, somewhere higher than here.
Given their tendency to favor high places, she would have positioned herself at the highest point and be surveying the surroundings.
Avoiding the eyes of the harpy flock, Hyunwoo approached and examined the nest Lucas had pointed out.
As Lucas had predicted, the eggs were in this nest.
'Huh? What's that?'
Hyunwoo's eyes sparkled.
Among the pure white eggs, there was one larger egg with a faint yellow tint.
It was a special egg that was said to appear with a low probability during the harpy's spawning season.
Hyunwoo met Van's eyes.
He, too, seemed to have spotted the special egg and nodded.
That egg would be enough to lure the Harpy Queen.
As Hyunwoo gripped Cheonbyeondo, Van prepared to rush out.
A pre-arranged move.
Van was in charge of transporting the egg.
Vwoom—!
Mana instantly filled Hyunwoo's body.
And, as he fired off the prepared mana as a sword aura, he opened his mouth.
⌜Crux Swordsmanship (3-Star)―100%(M)⌟
Shoong—!
"Run!"
Van rushed out in time with the flying sword aura.
It wasn't just one sword aura.
After obtaining Mana II, he could now produce more bundles of sword aura.
⌜Cross Barrage⌟
Shoong—!
Shoong—!
The ultimate secret technique of the Crux Swordsmanship, unleashed from Hyunwoo's hand, cut down the six harpies simultaneously.
There were no harpies left in the nest.
But he was in a hurry.
"Quickly—!"
"Got it—!"
Van, who had jumped into the nest and grabbed the yellow egg, put it into a pre-prepared subspace pocket and quickly turned back.
At that moment, a huge shadow fell over his head.
A terrifying cry from the sky.
Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh—!!!!
The Harpy Queen revealed herself with a cry full of rage.
The eardrum-shattering cry contained an ability that froze the bodies of its prey.
An ability that evoked a heart-chilling fear.
Feathers from the Harpy Queen flew towards Van, who had stolen the egg.
Pshuk—!
"Keuk—!"
Van couldn't avoid the feather the Harpy Queen had thrown.
The white feather that had cut halfway through his waist was stained red.
Light erupted from Van's tattoo.
⌜Regeneration⌟
The split wound began to heal in an instant.
But the Harpy Queen's next attack was faster than the time it took to recover.
Shwoook—!
A new white feather from the Harpy Queen flew in.
Hyunwoo, who had run to Van, hurriedly swung his sword.
⌜Veluma Swordsmanship (3-Star)―100%(M)⌟
A defensive barrier instantly surrounded his and Van's heads.
But he couldn't be relieved.
He immediately supported Van and threw himself onto the path they had used to climb to the nest.
Pssh—!
Judging by the impact, it seemed the barrier wouldn't last long.
"Van, run—!"
Van, who had finished regenerating by then, began to descend the rock like a madman.
A huge shadow brushed past Hyunwoo.
The Harpy Queen extended her sharp talons and tried to snatch Van.
Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeh—!!!!
Fast.
Just as the Harpy Queen's talons were about to aim for Van's head.
⌜Crimson Blade⌟
A red whirlwind soared up above the Harpy Queen.
The Harpy Queen twisted her body in mid-air, easily dodging the magic, and unleashed her fury.
Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeh—!!!!
A chill ran down his spine.
Hyunwoo joined Lucas in the meantime.
"Focus on harassing it! Don't waste your mana!"
Lucas nodded and followed Van with his eyes.
Pant— Pant—
Hyunwoo also followed Lucas's gaze and spotted Van, who was practically rolling as he ran down the rocky mountain.
Still, if he's escaped this far….
Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeh—!!!!
The Harpy Queen had somehow caught up right behind Van.
Stealing the egg had clearly provoked the queen.
If left alone, Van would die.
He had to stop the Harpy Queen.
Hyunwoo and Lucas frantically chased after them.
* * *
Pant— Pant—
The three of them scrambled and rolled down the rocky mountain.
If it weren't for Van's 'Regeneration' tattoo, if it weren't for Hyunwoo and Lucas's harassment, Van would have died dozens of times over.
By now, the sun had completely set, and the surroundings were filled with pitch-black darkness.
Crack—!
In between, the Harpy Queen's pure white feathers pierced through the rocks.
As the distance between the Harpy Queen and Van closed, Hyunwoo and Lucas took turns launching attacks.
A cross-shaped sword aura.
⌜Crux Swordsmanship (3-Star)―100%(M)⌟
And, a soaring thorn.
⌜Thorn of Pain⌟
They had launched dozens of attacks, but none of them reached the Harpy Queen.
Then, an anomaly occurred.
Shoong—!
Crack—!
Hyunwoo's sword aura struck the Harpy Queen's body.
The first successful attack.
But Hyunwoo gritted his teeth.
"Damn it…!
Lucas—!
Unleash all the magic you can—!"
"Got it—!"
The Harpy Queen, with her sharp talons leading the way, began to charge straight at Van.
It seemed she had decided to ignore their attacks.
This was not good.
It was a situation where the Harpy Queen's talons could pierce through Van's back at any moment.
If he was hit properly, he wouldn't even have time to use Regeneration.
Just as the Harpy Queen had approached right above Van's head.
A cliff appeared before them.
"Jump!"
Hyunwoo shouted at Van, who had reached the cliff, and raised his mana.
This was the last one.
One step.
He just had to buy one more step.
⌜Crux Swordsmanship (3-Star)―100%(M)⌟
⌜Cross Barrage⌟
A bundle of sword aura, into which he had poured every last drop of his mana, erupted from his hand.
Shoong— Shoong—!
Crack—!
Just before the Harpy Queen's talons reached Van.
Hyunwoo's sword aura only momentarily halted the Harpy Queen's charge, but thanks to it, Van succeeded in jumping off the cliff.
There was no way the Harpy Queen's rage would stop there.
Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeh—!!!!
With a long roar, the Harpy Queen threw herself off the cliff.
A sheer cliff.
Below it lay a deep canyon.
Hyunwoo shouted loudly down into the canyon where Van and the Harpy Queen had fallen.
"Now—!
Fire!!!"
From the bottom of the canyon, spears shot up with a sharp sound.
Shushushushuk—!!
The 'Spear of Certain Hit' that would never miss.
The target was the Harpy Queen.
Twenty spears surged towards the creature's body.