Chapter 78: The Genius Awakener's Livestream (7)

“

Aaaaaaah!”

The bearded man shrieked and thrashed wildly as if he'd stubbed his pinky toe on a desk.

The onlookers near the narrow gap stood slack-jawed, watching in disbelief as he charged straight at the Hydra like a lunatic.

“W-What the fuck?”

“What’s wrong with him?”

Kwon Oh-Jin chuckled as he observed the chaotic scene.

Wow, that worked like a charm.

He had used a crude imitation of Vega's precise jolts of lightning—the very technique that had immobilized the gills of Murlocs in an earlier fight.

“Did you seriously recreate that after only seeing it once?” Vega asked.

“Practicing in the hospital came in handy,” he replied. He'd spent ten days fine-tuning his control over even the tiniest spark of lightning.

“You only practiced for ten days—” As if she couldn't be bothered anymore, she shook her head and sighed.

“Never mind.”

The Hydra's eyes locked onto the screaming man rushing toward it.

“Kkkkrrrrrrk!”

The man’s face turned pale as he looked up at the towering Hydra.

“A-Aaah...

S-Save me! Someone, please save me!” The man desperately turned to his party members, but unsurprisingly, no one moved a muscle. “Y-You motherfuckers!”

“Krrrrr!”

One of the Hydra’s nine heads lashed out toward him like a giant tentacle, its massive mouth parting to reveal razor-sharp, venom-dripping fangs.

Kwon Oh-Jin activated the Stigma of Canes Venatici and scrutinised the Hydra’s movements.

It’s fast. No surprises there.

The creature, a proud elite among seven-star monsters, moved with terrifying speed. Each of its heads, weighing several tons, swirled with lethal grace, and its venomous fangs only heightened its threat level.

Kwon Oh-Jin smirked. “But it’s nothing special.”

Compared to Ashad Khan's overwhelming pressure, this was trivial.

Gripping his spear tightly, he bent at the waist and kicked off the ground with his lightning-clad leg.

Boom!

Snapping upright, he charged at the Hydra, which was fully focused on the screaming man.

“Krrrrrk!”

He lowered his spear until it nearly scraped the ground and then sharply slashed upward.

Lightning Flames.

Crackle!

“Hup!”

He braced himself and pierced the sparsely scaled part below the Hydra's neck with the spear tip laced with blue flames.

“Kraaaaa!”

Now lodged deep in its neck, the spear stirred wildly like a rowboat paddle. The Hydra's flesh split open, splattering thick, green fluid onto the ground.

Two of its heads growled as they rushed at Kwon Oh-Jin.

Song Ha-Eun dashed forward, spreading her arms wide. “Don’t you dare!”

Fwoosh!

Flames erupted and engulfed the two heads of the beast, causing it to thrash violently.

“Kraaaak!”

“

Ugh!

Oh-Jin!" she cried out. "This thing’s too strong! I can’t hold it for long!”

“Got it!” He yanked his spear out of the beast and swung it down.

Slash!

Taking a deep breath, he extended his left arm toward one of the heads that Song Ha-Eun was restraining.

Bang!

A wire shot out, coiling tightly around the neck of the targeted head. As the beast flailed around, he was launched into the air.

Now, if I shoot another wire from here...

Bang!

The second wire coiled around another neck on the right. As both the wires quickly retracted, the two heads of the Hydra crashed into each other.

Boom!

“Krrrrrk!”

By controlling the amount of mana used, the upgraded wire shooter allowed him to adjust the wire's length freely, enabling a wider range of movements.

Song Ha-Eun grinned. “That’s it! Good job, Oh-Jin!”

She crossed her outstretched arms into an X-shape and slashed downward. Her flames transformed into sharp blades that severed some of the Hydra’s necks.

“Hey, kid!" Riarc called out. "One more coming!”

The silver wolf stepped on one of the wires, jumped up high, and swung his paws at one of the Hydra's heads that were lunging toward Kwon Oh-Jin.

Crackle!

Riarc's lightning-clad claws ferociously raked across the head’s eyes, ripping them apart.

“Krrrk!”

The injured head lashed itself at Kwon Oh-Jin like a whip.

“How persistent!” Vega remarked, floating near her apostle. She extended her hand and spread blue lightning out like a spiderweb and deflected the Hydra’s head.

“Nice!”

Not missing this opening, Kwon Oh-Jin dashed forward and slashed down with his spear. The Hydra’s green scales split apart, and blood gushed out like a waterfall.

“Krrrrrrrk!”

Boom!

The Hydra staggered back in retreat, four of its heads completely mangled.

The Awakeners huddled near the exit stopped in their tracks and gawked at Kwon Oh-Jin and his party members, who had overwhelmed the Hydra.

“Whoa!”

“W-Wasn’t the Thunder Wolf only a four-star?”

“Who’s that woman? Isn't she way too strong to be in this gate?”

The livestream viewers also showered the party with praise.

┗Holy crap!

┗That’s badass frfr

┗Did you see Thunder Wolf’s movements just now? I got goosebumps.

┗That Star Spirit is also insane omg

┗Where do you even get something like that?

Perhaps thinking the battle was winnable after all, Jerry Kim began summoning arrows that rained down on the Hydra. “I’ll join in too!”

Kwon Oh-Jin squinted as he watched the Hydra retreat.

This is a lot easier than I thought.

Four of its nine heads were a mangled mess, leaving only five heads remaining.

At this rate, it won't take long to destroy the rest—

“Oh-Jin! That thing’s regenerating!” Song Ha-Eun shouted.

Gurgle, gurgle.

The Hydra’s half-severed neck bubbled as it started to regenerate.

Kwon Oh-Jin clicked his tongue. “I see. I was wondering why this was so easy.”

The Hydra healed its wounds rapidly, instantly regenerating two of its destroyed heads.

“Krrrk!”

With a deafening roar, it resumed its attack.

Wait. Only two?

Kwon Oh-Jin carefully observed the Hydra and found that the heads burned by Song Ha-Eun’s flames were regenerating much more slowly.

Do burnt wounds take time to heal? In that case...

“Ha-Eun!" he yelled. "If I cut any of the heads, scorch the exposed surface!”

“Got it!”

Bang!

He used the wire shooter to launch himself through the air. His spear, covered in crackling blue lightning, slashed through the Hydra’s neck.

Whoosh!

“Oh-Jin! Move!” Song Ha-Eun shouted as she prepared her flames.

Fwoosh!

The fire snaked through the air as if alive and closed in on the bleeding neck.

“Kraaaaak!”

The remaining six heads suddenly sprayed thick, green liquid over the approaching flames.

Sizzle!

The liquid extinguished the fire, filling the air with smoke.

Song Ha-Eun shouted in frustration, “Damn it! What was that?!”

Kwon Oh-Jin narrowed his eyes at the Hydra.

It’s being cautious of her flames, perceiving them as its greatest threat.

In that case, I need to destroy as many heads as—

Rumble!

Before he could strike another head, the severed one regenerated.

“What the hell?”

It only took five seconds for its head to return to normal,

he mused.

It wasn’t this fast earlier.

“M-Mr. Oh-Jin! Something’s off!" Jerry Kim yelled. "I’ve never heard of a Hydra regenerating this fast—

Agh!

"

One of its regenerated heads snapped at the streamer, forcing him to cease his arrow barrage and roll frantically across the ground.

It is pretty strange.

“My child! The star energy within that monster has suddenly doubled!” Vega remarked.

Kwon Oh-Jin noticed a faint blue light emanating from the Hydra. "Damn it.”

Who would’ve guessed that the phenomenon of double Starstones would lead to this?

Song Ha-Eun quickly conjured a massive flame wall to block the surge of green fluid being hurled at them. “Oh-Jin, I don’t think this is something we can handle!"

No, there is a way,

he thought.

Its regeneration may be quick, but its outer shell pales in comparison. It only took one strike to sever its head. If that’s how it is...

“I just have to cut off all seven remaining heads in that window,” he declared. Once they were all gone, the Hydra wouldn't be able to block Ha-Eun’s flames.

Song Ha-Eun gaped at him. “What?”

Vega muttered, “My child, I don’t think that's possible—”

“There’s no other way,” he asserted firmly. If there was no alternative, they had to pour everything into their only option.

“... I’ll give you my blessing.”

He shook his head. “Next time.”

Vega’s blessing was a last resort for him. He had to push himself to his limits first.

“But if you get hurt in the process—”

“Vega...” he muttered. “It’s painful to be bound by the restriction, isn’t it?”

“That’s...”

He didn’t need to hear her answer—he had seen her writhe in agony countless times whenever the Celestial restrictions took effect.

He continued, “It’s the same for me.”

Just as much as she didn’t want him to get hurt, he didn’t want her to suffer.

At first, she was just someone I planned to scam, but...

Before he knew it, she had seeped into his life and become part of the warmth he wanted to hold on to.

She looked at him, her face flushed red. “M-My child...”

“I’ll be counting on your support. You too, Riarc.”

“

Hmph

. I was planning to, even if you didn't ask,” Riarc uttered bluntly. For some reason, Kwon Oh-Jin didn't find his tone unpleasant.

“Alright then.” He crouched low.

The time limit was five seconds. Within that duration, he had to sever all seven heads at once.

“Exceed.”

Blue lightning enveloped him.

Crackle!

He launched himself forward with explosive force.

Boom!

Start with one,

he resolved.

Slash!

His spear, engulfed in blue flames, sliced through one of the Hydra’s heads. Then, using the severed stump as footing, he propelled himself into the air and sliced through two more heads.

Two, three.

“Krrrrrrk?!”

In a panic, the Hydra pulled its remaining four heads back.

Bang! Bang!

Kwon Oh-Jin fired wires that coiled around two of the beast's heads.

Explosive Lightning coursed through the wires, causing the heads to explode.

Boom!

“Five down.”

Two seconds left.

Damn it.

The remaining two heads had already retreated too far back. Even if he rushed now, he wouldn't make it.

I need to be faster.

He channeled all his mana into his legs, up to his limits—no, beyond his limits—and roared fiercely.

“Aaaaaah!”

Blue lightning engulfed his legs, making them embody lightning itself.

Ring!

[Kwon Oh-Jin has unlocked a clue for Lightning Form.]

[Exceed has reached Lv3!]

Lightning erupted from his legs, propelling him forward at an astonishing speed as though jet engines had been attached to his feet.

Slash!

“Krrrrrrrrk!”

All seven of the Hydra's heads were finally severed.

He twisted midair, turning toward his party. “Ha-Eun!”

“Leave the rest to me!”

From her outstretched arms, seven massive dragon-shaped flames soared upward.

“Agh!”

she groaned, clutching the left side of her face. The grotesque veins around her eye spread to her cheek and down her neck.

“Haa, haa!”

Her breathing grew ragged, and she felt as though her eyeball was being crushed.

My precious Oh-Jin has endured far more pain getting here! Can I call myself his friend if I don’t do the same for his sake?

She screamed, “Die, you bastard!”

Her Dragon Eye emitted a fierce light, locking onto the Hydra’s severed necks.

Fwoosh!

The seven fire dragons blazed fiercely and coiled tightly around the Hydra’s necks.

Sizzle!

Dark smoke and the stench of burning flesh filled the tunnel.

The twenty-meter-tall Hydra finally collapsed to the ground.

Thud!

“Haa! Haaa!”

Kwon Oh-Jin approached her from behind. “Good work, Ha-Eun.”

“Good work, my ass. I merely landed the final blow.”

“It wasn’t easy, though.”

The final blow she had landed was far from simple. After all, she only had less than a second to finish it off.

It took me four seconds to sever its necks,

he recalled.

In the remaining one second, she had to incinerate every one of the severed stumps. In a way, her role was even tougher than mine.

“

A-Ahem!

W-Well, as long as you’re aware of what it took.” She abruptly turned her head away.

At that moment, his eyes widened in shock. "Huh? Ha-Eun,

um

...”

He pointed at her chest.

“My boobs? What?

Haha

, I already know they're amazing, you brat.”

“No, not that.”

What the hell is she even saying?

He continued, “It’s glowing."

“... My tits?”

“No! Your fucking Stigma is.”