Chapter 36

Chapter 36

After Kim Hwan-soo disappeared, carrying Kang Young-chan on his back.

Do-jae remained alone before the monster.

‘I told him to go…’

The monster looked ready to attack at any moment, and his mana was nearly depleted.

He had expended a large amount of mana fighting Gang Young-chan.

Zzzzzz-.

Dojae opened his sub-space and pulled out a potion.

Those colorful boxes occasionally given upon clearing a quest.

They were mysterious boxes containing various items, but when you actually opened them, there was never anything truly amazing inside.

That said, they weren’t worth ignoring either; if things like potions came out, they could be quite helpful.

Especially in a situation like this.

Gulp- gulp-.

Doja downed the top-tier potion right there.

Potions aren’t like healers’ magic that instantly cures wounds.

Drinking them helps restore health and stamina while promoting mana circulation.

They act as a kind of tonic, speeding up the healing of injuries or restoring energy.

For Dojae, who had no external wounds, drinking a top-grade potion alone was a huge help.

While it might not restore him to peak condition, it was more than enough to survive countless monsters.

‘More than that, that Red Oak priest. The aura of mana emanating from him feels unusual…’

Looking down at Dojae from atop the sandworm, Kang Young-chan sensed that same unpleasant, ominous aura he had felt from the Red Oak Priest.

Kim Hwan-soo showed no change in expression, as if he didn’t sense it.

‘He might already know.’

Whether it was only he who felt it or others did too, he needed to know.

He couldn’t just stand by and watch someone radiating an aura like a monster.

Especially because of what Altein had said.

– The shards of betrayal have already appeared before you.

‘The shards of betrayal…’

Is he referring to the Red Oak priest over there?

Or is it referring to Kang Young-chan, who came charging in to fight?

“Hmph…. Is there no choice?”

Dojae let out a faint smile.

So what if we fight?

Everything was ultimately telling Dojae to fight.

Pop-.

– Quest arrival!

A quest notification at a time like this?

Dojae immediately checked the quest.

[Quest]

Type: Subquest (Elatra)

Content: Purge the filthy followers and destroy the shards of betrayal.

Restrictions: None

Reward: Elatra’s Blessing

Failure: None

‘Blessing? A blessing from a witch? Surely not…’

[Quest completed.]

[Eltra’s blessing descends.]

[All abilities are temporarily amplified.]

[Mana regeneration rate skyrockets.]

[Pain perception is numbed.]

Notification messages appearing simultaneously with quest completion.

At that moment, it began to react.

The golem’s heart!

Gugung-.

Gung- Gung-!

A torrent of mana gushed forth like a waterfall from the golem’s violently pulsing heart.

An immense stimulation, unlike anything it had ever felt before, coursed through the golem’s nerves.

The torrent of mana affected its blood flow, raising its body temperature.

As a result, capillaries burst, causing bloodshot eyes and veins to bulge prominently beneath the skin.

Though it seemed doubtful the body could endure, Dojae felt no pain whatsoever.

He only felt an electrifying thrill, an urge to burst out right then and there.

‘Crazy witch. She’s done it to me again… Well, is it okay? Nothing to worry about… Might even be enjoyable… Should I kill this one first? No, that one?’

A fierce bloodlust surged within him.

And a scene he’d never seen before flashed into his mind.

[Kill them! Those filthy followers!]

[Burn them! Leave not a single one alive!]

[Pile up the towers of corpses, pile them higher! Until they fear us!]

The frenzied rage of the woman wearing the hawk mask!

It was beyond anger, bordering on madness.

She trampled the heads of already dead corpses in her trampling, and ripped out the hearts of the living ones, crushing them before their very eyes.

Yet she didn’t even blink an eye, instead bursting into laughter.

[Bring them terror and despair!]

[Let them know my wrath! Make them tremble in fear even in death!]

The woman’s emotions raged.

The lust for blood Dojae felt?

It wasn’t even a tenth of the emotion the woman felt.

– Kill him.

Elatra’s voice echoed.

The brief command sounded so enchanting it left him dazed.

Dojae, moved by her emotion, began to slowly advance toward the monster horde.

***

[Information]

Name: Lee Dojae

Level: 62

Title: Golem Sorcerer

Health: 27,200 / Mana: 42,210 (+84,420)

[Stats]

Strength: 175(+350) / Stamina: 160(+320) / Agility: 170(+34) / Spirit: 200(+400) / Resistance: 140(+280)

(Points: 15)

[Skills]

Passive: Golem’s Heart Lv. Max / Aether Space Lv. Max / Golem’s Eye Lv. Max / Golem’s Nerve Lv. Max

Active: Golem Summon Lv. 4 / Golem Armor Lv. 5

[Options]

Effect: Elatra’s Blessing (Time Remaining: 1,610 sec)

This is Dojae’s current state.

His stats, pumped up by Elatra’s Blessing.

“Thwack!”

Red Oak swings his axe down toward Dojae’s head.

Swish-.

Doja sidestepped, dodging the axe.

Then another step.

As he moved forward, the Red Oak fell.

A large hole pierces the creature’s chest.

“Kigikigik!”

Next to appear was a Death Ent.

Having barely survived the battle with the Red Oak, one of its legs is severed.

“Kigik!”

The Death Ent spits out a viscous green liquid.

The liquid fired at bullet speed.

Dojae casually swatted it away with one arm.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

The strong acid melted the golem armor on his palm.

The area touched by the liquid immediately fell away and was filled with new stones.

Instead, the fallen stones clumped together and shot out again, easily piercing the Death Ent’s hard outer shell.

“Grrraaah!”

Next, the ogre.

The ogre, several times larger than Dojae, suffered humiliation.

Without dodging Dojae’s swinging club, it easily caught it, and a light tug-of-war began.

Grrrgrrrgrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Using the ogre’s massive torso as a shield, he pushed forward.

The ogre looked flustered, gripping the club with both hands and resisting, but it was a futile struggle.

“Guh?”

Dojae lifted the ogre skyward with explosive strength, club and all, then slammed him down.

The Sand Worm and the Red Oak Priest were drawing ever closer.

‘Annoying. I want to kill more.’

Dojae now found hunting them one by one tedious.

The overflowing mana made even this possible.

Thud-.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-!

Dojae descended further and further.

Because he sucked in all the surrounding dirt, rocks, and sand.

As a result, an enormous right arm was formed.

Almost as large as the arm of a colossal statue.

Boom-!

As Doja emerged from the pit and swung his arm, dozens of monsters were swept away.

With just two swings of his arm, a fan-shaped clearing opened up.

Dojae continued sweeping away monsters at a rapid pace.

While it would have been better to level up by taking out one monster at a time, he needed to deal with the Red Oak Priest before Elatra’s blessing wore off.

And finally, he reached the Red Oak Priest.

***

The Red Oak Priest raised his staff atop the sand worm.

Black smoke seeped out and flowed over the sand worm.

Then, the wrinkled outer skin began to wriggle.

Squish-.

Squish-squish.

The sandworm’s skin peels away.

Is it molting?

No, the shed skin turned to ashes, and the red flesh melted away, slimy and gooey.

Finally, the sand worm transformed into nothing but pure white bones.

‘Dead worm…’

Dead Worm.

An undead monster and a boss monster.

Reborn as a powerful Dead Worm by the Red Oak Priest.

“You lowly human. Do not obstruct my path.”

Doja stared at the Red Oak Priest with a look of utter shock.

For precise human speech had burst forth from him.

Yet he felt no great disturbance.

For within his mind, Elatra’s voice echoed.

– Kill that traitor’s follower.

Dojae nodded at Elatra’s command and advanced toward the Red Oak priest.

And in sync with that, the Dead Worm’s attack began.

CRASH!

The massive body of the Dead Worm fell upon Dojae.

The speed and agility gained by being reduced to nothing but bones.

Though it couldn’t reach Dojae, who bore Elatra’s blessing, it was still quite bothersome.

What was even more troublesome was the magic of the Red Oak Priest.

Pwooahh-!

Fireballs shot out wherever Doja moved.

These weren’t simple fireballs, but explosive masses that detonated upon impact.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Where the explosions occurred, armor melted away like molten lava, glowing crimson red.

If only the Dead Worm hadn’t interfered, I’d have dealt with the Red Oak Priest first.

Then, the Red Oak Priest chanted another spell.

Doja tried to dodge, but was bound to the Dead Worm’s spine.

The Dead Worm poured all its strength into blocking Dojae’s movements.

As Dojae spread his arms to break free.

“High Berserk.”

In that instant, black smoke shot out from the Red Oak Priest’s staff.

It struck Dojae.

“Kyahahahaha. Become my faithful servant!”

Black smoke swirled around Dojae’s entire body.

The Red Oak Priest thought it was over.

But Dojae showed no signs of harm.

“What… What is this?! Why isn’t the Berserk magic working?!”

This time, the Red Oak Priest panicked.

High Berserk magic.

It was because the High Berserk magic—an advanced form of Berserk that not only drives opponents into a frenzied rage but also allows control over them—hadn’t taken effect.

“Unfortunately, my mind is filled with Elatra’s voice.”

Doja replied expressionlessly.

That’s right.

Compared to the voice of Elatra tormenting Dojae, the Red Oak Priest’s magic was nothing.

If Elatra had dominated Dojae, the Red Oak priest’s magic would have been nothing more than a mere temptation.

Zzzzzz-.

Space split open above Dojae’s head.

The gap alone was nearly 10 meters wide.

And from within it, massive boulders fell one by one to the ground.

Thud-.

Thud-thud-thud-.

They were all stone golems Dojae had created.

The golems began smashing the monsters around Dojae to death the moment they appeared.

The tripled mana supply provided the golems with ample energy, allowing them to repeatedly regenerate as if immortal, relentlessly closing in on the monsters.

Boom-boom-boom!

Dojae, bound by the Death Worm, strained and broke free.

Four golems swarmed the Death Worm, beginning to chip away at its white bones.

“What are you?”

Dojae instantly closed the distance to the Red Oak Priest.

And he asked.

The question “What are you?” implied how a monster could speak human language and radiate an aura like a human being.

But the Red Oak Priest erected a translucent barrier of mana and gave an enigmatic reply.

“I am one who serves the Holy One! I have come to build His kingdom for the day He descends upon this land!”

CRASH!

Doja struck the barrier and asked again.

“What is this Holy One you speak of?”

“He is not one you could possibly understand! Kill that bastard!”

The Red Oak priest screamed in fury.

But unfortunately for him, none of the monsters attacked Dojae, thanks to his golems.

CRASH-.

Boom-!

Doja struck the barrier repeatedly with his fist.

With each strike, cracks spread across the barrier, and the Red Oak Priest trembled in fear.

– Kill them. Kill my followers and make them understand my wrath!

Boom-.

Crash-!

Finally, the barrier shattered under Dojae’s fist.

The Red Oak priest gazed up at the sky with a look of utter despair.

“Ah… Father…!”

Thud-.

Dojae’s fist pierced the Red Oak Priest’s chest.

The black clouds covering the sky slowly dispersed.