<Chapter 35. The Call of Death - 6>

Two minutes had passed since they began to fight in earnest. The Beast General, who had transformed into a Thorn Werewolf, was taking hit after hit from the two heroes.

"Disappear!"

"Huoooooh!"

[Thorn... Kuaaahk! To think you'd cut through my technique!]

Although he could continuously attack and mend himself by controlling his bones, the two heroes' attacks would break his bones as soon as he made the attempt! Retadane and Lee Shin Woo attacked as one, resembling that of a lightning storm.

[You bastards are... Kuahk! I am...! Kuahk! I'll kill you with my own hands... Kehehk!]

"Huooooh!"

"How dare you turn my seniors into undead? I'll never forgive you!"

'Yes, what lively acting.'

Retadane gripped her flail, attacking like a berserker, and just let out a strange battle cry. Lee Shin Woo supported her, as her strikes left her with a lot of openings, and together, they pushed the Beast General back. He continued to act as though he were a hero with a strong sense of duty. Seeing that, Jin nonchalantly accepted it and pretty much knew what Lee Shin Woo was doing.

"Senior, I'll go a bit faster!"

"Alright... Let's make sure we kill him here and now!"

What's worse, their attacks intensified the more time went on, and the explanation for that was simple. Although they had never worked together before, they had seen each other's techniques and movements throughout the battle and were able to more precisely work together because of it! The fact that they were able to move as one in that short period of time showed just how talented the two of them were.

[Die!]

The Beast General realized that at this rate the situation would turn unfavorable for him, so he punched anxiously. His bone thorn covered bone fist instantly swelled in size and approached Retadane!

"Oh no you don't!"

However, she didn't back off an inch and took his attack head on. Her flail, infused with her light magic, clashed against his fist, causing an explosion!

The light was so intense that it would blind a high level hero, albeit for a short period of time, and simultaneously, the light spread. However, Lee Shin Woo could make decisions and move without sight, so he boldly ran into the diffused light and swung his sword.

"Heup!"

[Keuk!?]

Although the Beast General's multi-layered bone armor blocked the majority of his strike, a lightning bolt was discharged from the blade, striking the Beast General's main body. An attack befitting the name of Breath of the Lightning God. However...

'...Huh?'

The moment his attack worked, Lee Shin Woo felt cold and stood still. It was because he couldn't feel any resistance whatsoever. The Beast General had used the force of his blow to push himself backwards and retreat.

To escape? No way. Even if he tried to run, he wouldn't be able to get away from Retadane and Lee Shin Woo on such a crowded battlefield. He was probably just trying to buy a bit of time. Yeah... about 2 seconds worth.

[That really hurt... Let me return the favor!]

With those two seconds he'd bought, Jilun Pelta used his most powerful skill. The bone thorns all over his body dropped to the floor, as if he were connecting to the planet itself.

[This is the power of the Beast General! Witness, and die!]

Immediately after, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of five meter long sharp, sharp bone thorns sprouted from the ground simultaneously. He had surrounded them perfectly, so that none could escape!

They weren't simple thorns either. Each and every thorn contained a high concentration of darkness magic; they were wicked thorns that threatened to pull one in, stab them, or bind them. This was the Beast General's (who had become a Thorn Wolf) most powerful technique and magic. And he called it...

[This is my Garden of Thorns...!]

"Tch!"

If Retadane were level 7, then she might've died right here. Without even considering their power, the speed at which the thorns moved was much too fast, and their area of effect was much too wide!

However, once she had become level 8, she had become able to perceive and dominate the mana around her, so the moment she sensed a bizarre mana coming from under her, she created a light shield and was able to protect herself.

Light magic was the magic of severing. The moment the thorns touched the shield, their link to the Beast General was severed; they then returned to pure mana and dispersed into the air. The thorns that hadn't touched the shield attempted to surround her, but those were also taken care of soon after.

[Kuaht!?]

Her light magic affected Jilun Pelta's main body as well, causing him to stumble. For just a moment, his eyes were filled with fright. Lee Shin Woo realized that light magic was the most frightening type of magic for all undead, no, to all beings that existed. On the other hand, Retadane seemed relaxed.

"Did you really think you'd be able to hurt me with that?"

[Retadane, your power's not a good match for mine. Well, that's fine. I took one down, so no matter how much you struggle, you won't be able to best me... Huh?]

That's right. This attack wasn't meant to kill Retadane. It was done to escape this unfavorable 2-on-1 situation and take down the one he assumed to be weaker, the level 7 Lee Shin Woo!

When a hero died, they would be resurrected as an undead, so now it would be a 2-on-1 in his favor. At least, that's what he had been expecting. He looked at Lee Shin Woo and...

[He's not there...?]

"...I guess he was able to get out in one piece."

No matter how great her light magic was, Retadane wasn't skilled enough to cover both herself and Lee Shin Woo in that short period of time. Because of that, she was nervous that she might've lost a comrade, but now that she got a chance to look around, Lee Shin Woo wasn't there anymore.

'He was definitely influencing the mana around him with his breathing before... I don't know how that's even possible with a level 7 body, but it's not surprising that he was able to sense the incoming attack and avoid it.'

Indeed, it was possible for one to avoid the Beast General's attack, but in here, there was only so long one could do so. He had probably assumed as such and had retreated.

It was a really smart decision. The giant thorns covered the battlefield, as though it were field magic, and the effects of the Garden of Thorns were still active. If he had hung around, then he would've been caught by the giant thorns and gotten in her way, but the fact that he'd left at the right time was also helpful to her.

'It kind of bothers me that I'm taking all the credit when we fought him together, but... I suppose I just need to pay him back for all that he did.'

Around that time, Retadane finished organizing her thoughts and gripped her flail. Her light magic completely encased the iron mace, and its size doubled. She had been using her mana during the battle, but she had enough to overcome the Beast General, who had been battered and used much of his magic to use his most powerful technique.

"You look tired, Jilun Pelta."

[You do too... You were only able to hit me with that crude iron mace because of that man. You didn't know? What do you plan on doing now that that man has run away?]

"Hoo. ...I'll show you."

Retadane completely ignored Jilun Pelta's foolish taunt, and closed in on him. The Beast General was inwardly screaming, as he was afraid of her light magic, but on the outside, he sported a calm expression while somehow being able to block her attack. But then...

Kwajik!

[...Huh?]

"...?"

It was truly instantaneous... It happened even faster than the activation of the Beast General's Garden of Thorns. Jilun Pelta and Retadane didn't know how it happened. Although they didn't know the cause of it, they were definitely able to see the result...

Why? All the thorns that comprised the Garden of Thorns simultaneously struck Jilun Pelta. The sight of dozens, hundreds, even thousands of thorns defying their master was truly a gallant and horrendous sight.

[What... happened...?]

Jilun Pelta's body shook. He attempted to control the thorns and extract them from his body, but for some reason, it didn't work. It was truly bizarre. He was definitely the one who created these thorns, so why were they disobeying him? Why were they attacking not his enemies, but him? Moreover...

[Why are they even stronger than before...?]

"Keuk!?"

Retadane briefly felt a chill in the air, and quickly backed off. It was a wise decision. The bone thorns that had stabbed the Beast General blew up all at once! The vibration shook heaven and earth, causing Retdane to lose her balance and fall.

It was such a loud 'BOOM' that anyone on the battlefield would've been able to hear it. And what followed was... a short and clear message that conveyed the truth.

[You have hunted a member of the 12 generals, the Lv7 Beast General, Jilun Pelta! All contributing heroes acquire 30,000,000 Perium, and all stats are increased by 100. You have acquired 10 permits to God's secret shop. Proficiency in all combat related skills has increased dramatically!]

"How is this possible?"

It was the most clear evidence that Jilun Pelta was dead. However, despite her succeeding in taking down one of the 12 generals for the first time since becoming a hero, she wasn't overcome with happiness, but fear.

"What just happened...?"

The Beast General had been ambushed by his own thorns, and then there was the following explosion of top of it. She hadn't done any of that. That meant that someone else had killed the Beast General without her noticing, even though she had come to him.

She couldn't stop the irrational fear and the curiosity she had. They probably weren't a hero. There wasn't anyone amongst the heroes who could do such a thing. It would be impossible for even Ethan Cruz to pull off.

Then who was it? Who would've been able to secretly blow up the Beast General, and why would someone who wasn't a hero do such a thing?

"...Could it be?"

At that moment, she felt a name come to mind. A name she heard recently and quite often. One that attacks other undead, who leads a formidable corps, and possesses boundless strength...

"The Heaven Defying General."

She muttered silently and shook. It was an assumption without a shred of evidence, but the moment she voiced it, she was sure that it was them. The Heaven Defying General must've caught whiff of the battle and intervened!

'I'm scared. I'm really scared... But.'

It didn't change the fact that she would kill them, so long as they were undead. No matter how strong they were, what their character was, or even if she had some sort of deep relationship with them in the past!

"No matter what."

She gritted her teeth and forced her weary body to stand. Now wasn't the time to being spacing out. First, she would have to collect the Beast General's loot, and then rejoin the battle.

Retadane ran over to the center of the explosion site. Because so much mana had been exploded, no other monsters appeared. Were they instinctively afraid? If that's the case, then they weren't much different from her. Retadane sneered and checked the loot.

The Beast General had dropped a level 5 artifact, and tens of millions of Perium, but aside from that, nothing else was there.