Leveling Up through Eating

Chapter 1167

It was fatal for a mage to fail in casting and combining magic. At best, the effort they spent trying to create by consuming a lot of mana and time would be wasted.

What would happen if the remnants of a casting failure were hit before they got destroyed? In the case of more than 90% complete magic, it would be out of the caster’s control, although its effects would remain for a short moment as if it were activated.

What Alex tried to do here was to combine the magic that he cast by breaking the gigantic ice sphere, which was combined from more than a thousand smaller ice spheres. However, reviving a magic spell that had failed to combine was highly challenging. After all, they only had a fraction of time, around 0.5 seconds, to restore a magic that had been unable to combine.

Although the magic failed to combine, it was still able to be successfully triggered because Minhyuk was able to hit the gigantic ice sphere in that split second. Thanks to Minhyuk’s success, Alex obtained the 8th Class magic, Frozen Storm. Now, he could use the skill with just the chant. There was no need to go through the entire process of combination again.

Many close-combat class guardians, charging straight at Alex, turned into ice. Their number reached no less than 170.

[The Frozen Storm has hit you.]

[The Frozen Storm’s effects will melt after five minutes.]

[You will suffer from abnormal status: Frostbite.]

[Your movement and attack speed will decrease by 40%.]

[If you allow your enemy to attack you in your frozen state, the damage they could inflict upon you will double.]

‘This is nuts…’

‘Are you saying that we will be in a state close to a stunned state for five minutes?’

‘And after getting out of this frozen state in five minutes, we will still suffer from the frostbite effects…?’

In fantasy movies, the concept of being “shattered” was applied instead of the idea of being “cut down” in the case of those who have been completely frozen. Of course, following this concept, the amount of damage they would suffer would be beyond imagination.

The guardians, who could only move their eyes, caught sight of Minhyuk running swiftly toward them. He immediately triggered the Dual Swordsmanship Technique with two swords in his hands.

Most of the guardians at the forefront were tankers. What was a tanker’s advantage? They could strengthen their bodies and use skills that invoke shields that never break. Alas, they had been frozen. This meant that they could not use their skills.

At this moment, with the word Destruction activated, Minhyuk swung his sword at them.

Crack, crack, crack–!

Minhyuk, who activated the Dual Swordsmanship Technique, could swing his sword ten times per second. Lightning rained down and smashed one tanker into pieces in just a second.

Boom, boom, boom–!

Everyone was left flustered at the sight of the tanker, which had turned into an ice statue, collapsing just like that. Still, Minhyuk was not yet done. He activated Supreme Overlord’s Technique and continued to run among the frozen guardians.

Rumble–!

“...!”

“...!”

The players could only watch as the Supreme Overlord’s Technique approached them. Dozens of ice statues collapsed when the blazing flames of the skill collided with the frozen guardians.

[...eliminated two guardians.]

[...eliminated five guardians.]

[You have completed the mission. You are the fastest member of the Exploration Team to eliminate five guardians.]

[You can now receive a reward.]

[If you choose to put the reward on hold and continue with the mission, the reward you will receive will improve.]

[However, if you get killed during the process, you will not be able to receive the reward.]

‘Put it on hold.’

[...eliminated ten guardians.]

[...eliminated twenty guardians.]

[...eliminated twenty-five guardians.]

[Exploration Team’s Minhyuk’s results for the current mission are overwhelming.]

[You have eliminated forty guardians.]

[You are running rampant in the Gaia Continent.]

Clatter–!

Minhyuk summoned the Ego Chain Sickle, a weapon that could move on its own and deal tremendous damage. The Ego Chain Sickle cut through the air and broke down the ice statues one after another. Everything happened in a flash.

[You have eliminated more than fifty guardians.]

Everything happened in just thirty seconds.

Minhyuk’s Supreme Overlord’s Technique destroyed thirty guardians in those thirty seconds, while the Ego Chain Sickle took twenty out of those thirty seconds to destroy twenty guardians.

Meanwhile, Alex ran close behind Minhyuk. He was also bombarding the frozen guardians with 5th~6th Class magic.

In a way, Minhyuk had only used a little effort, yet he was taking advantage of Alex’s hard work. Nonetheless, Alex did not mind it. He thought that Minhyuk was deserving of this.

‘I wouldn’t be able to activate the skill if he did not trust me.’

The number of guardians Alex and Minhyuk had eliminated increased by the minute.

[You have eliminated more than sixty guardians.]

[You are running rampant in the Gaia Continent.]

[You have eliminated more than seventy guardians.]

[Gaia Continent’s ??? were shocked to see you achieve such outstanding results quickly.]

Those who had just been pointing fingers at Alex and Minhyuk and calling them stupid were left dumbfounded, unable to move from where they were standing.

“What the hell are you guys doing?! Why are you all still in a daze?!”

The voice that rang in their ears made them snap back to their senses, and they immediately joined the battle. Since they joined in late, they could only eliminate a few frozen guardians, but they were still a huge help.

The over 170 guardians who had turned into ice statues were broken apart in just an instant. Among them were around 100 tankers and around 70 close-combat class guardians. In other words, the guardians have lost many of their solid shields and mighty swords.

Once they fell apart, the Exploration Team made a breakthrough. Although plenty of guardians were hiding behind the thick cover of the forest, there was enough gap for them to pierce through and break away from them.

Every member of the Exploration Team looked at the two who created the breakthrough point. They immediately ran after Minhyuk and Alex, enduring a massive number of attacks that bombarded them.

“How’s our situation?!”

It was crucial for them to grasp their current situation.

“We have five dead and two seriously injured!”

They might have killed nearly 200 guardians, but the damage that their allies suffered was also significant.

As they continued to run, a notification rang in their ears.

[The first mission has ended.]

[Your rewards are being computed.]

[You have acquired the Strong One’s Elixir.]

Minhyuk immediately checked the information of the Strong One’s Elixir.

‘It can restore my HP and MP to 100% and increase my total HP and MP by 10%. It can also reset my skill cooldown time and increase my attack and defensive power by 4%. And for every guardian I kill, my stats, skills, attack, and defensive power will increase by 0.2%.’

Minhyuk realized that his thoughts and predictions were correct.

He, Emperor Cardin, Brod, and Duke Laghman might be strong, but it would still be tough for them to deal with a thousand guardians. However, with the rewards given by the mission system, their chances could increase.

Minhyuk and Emperor Cardin made eye contact while they were running. The two nodded at each other and immediately turned and ran in different directions. Of course, Minhyuk took Brod with him, while Emperor Cardin took Duke Laghman.

The survivors of the Exploration Team realized that their position would become more disadvantageous the longer they gathered together, so they immediately dispersed and went their separate ways.

***

The members of the Exploration Team continued to fight against the guardian even after scattering.

The viewers were amazed when they saw each member of the Exploration Team deal with ten guardians alone, as their monitors constantly showed their movements.

As everyone had expected, Duke Laghman and Emperor Cardin’s performances were remarkable. The two had already killed around seventy guardians together.

Unfortunately, the damage to their exploration team was also very significant.

[There are only six members of the Exploration Team left. The rest have been wiped out.]

[The number of surviving guardians is 569.]

The notifications made Duke Laghman’s expression grow ugly. The Exploration Team had already been reduced to a third of its initial twenty.

‘This is quite difficult.’

No matter how powerful Duke Laghman and Emperor Cardin were, they would still struggle to deal with the guardians. After all, the guardians were determined to die and were willing to pour everything that they had at them.

Then, the second mission appeared to them, who were busy recovering their physical strength and stamina.

[Each of the survivors of the Exploration Team has killed more than thirty guardians.]

[The second mission has been given.]

[The 1v30 battle will now begin.]

[Please follow the arrow to start the 1v30 battle.]

[If you don’t follow the arrow, your HP will decrease.]

[You will be able to receive a reward after eliminating thirty opponents.]

“...”

Laghman’s already ugly expression grew even more hideous. Fighting a 1v30 battle was no easy feat.

‘Of course, it will be easy as long as we can reduce their numbers one by one.’

What would happen if all thirty of their opponents ambushed them in this 1v30 battle and unleashed all the attacks they could use? It would not matter how tough Emperor Cardin or Duke Laghman were; they would find it hard to survive.

“Duke Laghman. Forget about protecting me; just think about how to protect yourself.”

“Your Majesty, it’s only natural for me to protect you.”

“Your left arm became like that because you overdid it, no?”

“...”

Duke Laghman could not open his mouth to answer. It was true. His left arm was broken to the point that he could no longer hold anything with it. He could not even raise it.

Regardless, he ignored the five-meter restriction and approached his emperor to protect him. He ended up dealing with ten guardians while enduring immense pain. The pain disrupted his movements, creating a gap the guardians took advantage of. In the end, he was forced to receive their attacks.

“I’ll do my best.”

The two quickly followed the arrow. The place where they were guided was none other than the edge of the forest. And what greeted them there? It was a dead end.

“Damn it! Gaia Continent!” Duke Laghman cursed.

He realized that the people of the Gaia Continent did not want them to explore further.

Then, at that moment, a golden chain shot out and wrapped around Emperor Cardin’s neck.

“What the…?”

He did not feel any pain, but there was something weird about it.

[All of your mana has been sealed for five minutes.]

“...”

They were now stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Then, the man who seemed to be leading the guardians appeared at that moment. He raised his hand and lowered it while saying, “Attack.”

Bang, bang, bang–!

An onslaught of attacks rained upon them. Among them was an arrow so powerful that it pierced through the cliff and created a path from the thick walls that blocked their path. At the same time, hundreds of magic attacks and hundreds of sword lights flew straight toward them.

Nonetheless, Duke Laghman was a strong, genuine warrior representing the Luvien Empire. He handled most of the magic attacks and sword lights by himself and tried to protect Emperor Cardin as best he could. Even so, there were still some attacks that flew past his defenses and landed on Emperor Cardin. In the end, the two received huge damages.

“This is crazy. I can’t believe he can still cut down more than ten people alone even though he is already in a situation like this,” Richard, who was in the form of a guardian, said in admiration.

Nevertheless, it was challenging for someone to fight while protecting someone. Laghman, whose body had already turned tattered, could only gasp after suffering from the attacks. And Emperor Cardin, whose mana was restricted, was also severely injured.

When Laghman saw that another wave of attacks was about to land on them again, he immediately ran toward Cardin and tried to wrap him with his arms.

“Keuaaaaaack!”

The pain that engulfed him the moment he entered the five-meter radius around Cardin made him stop in his tracks. He forced himself to move further, but when he reached the three-meter mark, the pain intensified. It felt like countless blades were slashing Laghman’s body while lava was flowing in his veins. The pain made him shake and tremble, unable to take another step forward.

“Laghman!” Emperor Cardin shouted.

He wanted to push Laghman away, but he was also unable to approach the man because of the unbearable pain that attacked him the moment he tried to take one step closer. And Laghman? He was stuck where he was, blinded by the pain that was wracking his entire being.

“This has become very easy.” Richard chuckled underneath his rabbit mask. Suddenly, two men appeared from behind the guardians.

Shwaaaa–

Slash, slash, slash–!

The two attacking the guardians were none other than Minhyuk and Brod.

“What’s happening here? I came here after I got the mission, and this scene greets me?”

“...”

Cardin and Laghman unexpectedly saw very unwelcome allies.

[All of your mana has been sealed for five minutes.]

“Crazy…!”

One of their dear allies, Minhyuk, was also left to suffer the same fate.

By some strange coincidence, the arrow guided them to the same place, which led to a more dramatic situation.

The sixty guardians that Brod and Minhyuk had to deal with joined the around forty guardians left that Cardin and Laghman had to deal with. The battle has now turned into a 4v100 battle. The worst part? Minhyuk and Cardin’s mana were restricted. In other words, it was now impossible for them to use their skills.

“Attack.”

Bang, bang, bang–!

The same thing happened as before. This time, though, the attacks were fired at Minhyuk.

A groan escaped Minhyuk’s mouth as he staggered back from the tremendous damage inflicted upon him.

As for Laghman? He was still screaming from the pain of entering Cardin’s five-meter radius.

Vwoooong–

Slash–!

Brod looked behind him and said, “Emperor Cardin, Duke Laghman, I’ll save the two of you. So, I hope that you can protect His Majesty in return.”

“...?”

“...?”

Emperor Cardin and Duke Laghman hated Brod. Yes, he was strong. Regardless, they could not understand why Nerva would only choose to recognize this man. The thought alone was enough for them to grit their teeth in anger.

In a way, Brod and Nerva were enemies. So, the man should view Emperor Cardin as an enemy.

“It’s not because I like you. The only thing that I want to do is to protect His Majesty Minhyuk. If you promise to protect His Majesty, I will extend my protection to you.”

The two could not understand what the hell Brod was talking about. Then, they saw Brod raise his fingers.

The two looked in Brod's direction. They saw a space between the cliffs that three people could barely squeeze. The first arrow that flew in created a small path. The space the arrow dug through was deep enough for three people to enter while maintaining a five-meter gap between them.

Then, Brod approached Minhyuk.

“Brod. What are you trying to do…”

“Your Majesty, please stay inside that space for five minutes.”

Shocked, Duke Laghman exclaimed, “Stop! If you enter that five-meter radius…”

At the same time, these notifications rang in Brod’s ears.

[You have entered the one-meter radius of another member of the Exploration Team.]

[The pain that you are being subjected to will increase and put heavy pressure on you.]

[The illusory pain you are being subjected to will begin to materialize and be seen by others.]

Laghman’s pupils trembled. This was because he caught sight of hundreds of blades slashing and hacking at Brod’s body. Flames were also falling from the sky and licking every inch of his skin. Even hundreds of spears appeared and pierced through him as he stood in front of Minhyuk.

Despite the harrowing torture, not a groan or a scream came out of his mouth. Brod then carried the injured Minhyuk to the safest place inside the cliff. After that, he had Emperor Cardin, followed by Duke Laghman.

“Do… do you not feel the pain?”

“...”

Brod said nothing. When Laghman saw the cold sweat running down his forehead, he realized the truth. It was not as if Brod was not feeling any pain; he was just enduring it.

Brod stood before the small nook on the cliff and blocked everyone alone.

“...”

Goosebumps rose all over Duke Laghman’s body.

‘A monster. No. He’s someone who goes beyond common sense.’

“How… Why are you so…”

Brod, enduring the pain, looked at Laghman and said, “I am His Majesty’s Sword.”

“...!”

“And I am His Majesty’s Shield.”

At this moment, Laghman realized that even if he could grow strong enough to rival Brod in power, he would not be able to win against his outstanding mental power and an overwhelming desire to protect someone.

Then, he recalled Nerva’s words.

–He is a man that we could not dare to judge.