MLCAI 14

Chapter 14

Saebyeok twirled the staff in her hand and sprang forward.

“Get her!”

The enemies rushed at her at the same time—only for her figure to vanish.

“<Lightning>.”

A voice came from above.

When they looked up and saw her rolling in midair like a forward roll over their heads—it was already too late.

KWA-KWA-BOOM!

Lightning crashed down from above.

“Gyaaaah!”

In an instant, their numbers dropped from more than ten to just five.

“What, they’re this weak?”

Landing with a roll on the opposite side, Saebyeok looked at them with dissatisfaction. She had even tried to control the power, yet seven had fallen.

“Well, considering that even a squad leader like Jo Cheolsu was only C-rank…”

“She’s a mage! Tanks up front!”

“Mages are dead once you close the distance! Pull her into melee!”

At least they weren’t complete fools—they quickly formed up.

“It’s just one mage anyway! Hit her with debuffs!”

But compared to Saebyeok’s combat experience, they were nothing but gnats.

“Not a good idea.”

She muttered under her breath, unheard by them. Status effect spells rained down at her.

!! Alert !!
Status abnormality detected.
<Passive: Blessing of the Sky (S)> prevents all effects.

The notifications flashed rapidly, but none of the attacks touched her.

Worse still for them, one of those debuffs triggered Kim Ihan’s last remaining buff counter.

!! Alert !!
Status effect attack detected.
<Buff: An Eye for an Eye (A)> activates. (3/3)
<Curse: Poison Fog> reflected 24% to caster.

“Gyaaah!”

The woman in the back coughed blood and collapsed—it must have been her curse spell.

“No! Our buffer—! What did you do?!”

“Damn it, you targeted the healer first! You evil witch!”

It turned out the unlucky one had been their healer and buffer.

Bad news for them. Lucky break for Saebyeok.

“Evil? You’re the ones kidnapping people to sacrifice to demons.”

Her voice dripped with scorn as she swung her staff.

“<Sprout>.”

CRACK!

From the ground, plant roots shot out at terrifying speed.

“Hey! Damn it, tank, why are you dodging?!”

“You want me to just die? What am I supposed to do without buffs?!”

Their frontliner, built like an ox, rolled aside, wrecking what little formation they had.

But the roots didn’t strike them. They whistled past mockingly—straight at the wall behind.

KRAK-KRAK!

“Damn it, she’s after the ritual chamber! <Phantom Slash>!”

The swordsman charged, his blade splitting into two or three mirages.

It made no difference. Saebyeok slammed her staff to the ground.

“<Ignite>.”

“Uwaaagh!”

Both his real body and his illusions went up in flames. The fire leapt from him to the others, quickly becoming a blazing inferno that swallowed them whole.

The supposed tank screamed in terror and bolted toward the door—but flames engulfed him too.

Then Saebyeok clenched her right fist toward the inner wall.

BOOM! CRUMBLE!

The roots latched onto the stone wall like lions biting prey, tearing it apart.

The wall separating the prayer room and ritual chamber collapsed.

“Wh–who goes there!!”

From beyond the rubble came a metallic voice—the man these cultists called “Leader,” Saebyeok’s target tonight.

“Tch, I should’ve just done this from the start. Why bother sneaking in?”

Spinning her staff, she stepped forward.

“Who dares defile this sacred ritual!”

An old man well past seventy bellowed, brandishing a staff swirling with black energy.

From the hall doors behind, shouts rang out—“What’s happening, sir?!”—but his cultists couldn’t enter. Saebyeok’s plant vines held the doors fast shut.

“You wretch! May evil smite you!”

“I’ve survived the world’s abandonment—why would I fear a demon’s punishment?”

She froze mid-step.

The ritual chamber was even more repulsive than the prayer room.

A circular groove around the stone altar brimmed with a thick, unknown fluid. Piles of monster bones lined the room at intervals, while sinister summoning patterns covered the floor.

From the ceiling hung long banners that, at certain angles, showed hydras—and at others, demonic faces.

Just standing here was enough to make someone lose their sanity.

But what truly stopped her steps was not the grotesque scenery—

It was the child, crouched atop the altar.

“Sob… p-please, don’t kill me… I-I’m sorry, I’ll go back to my brother, just let me…”

Wearing what looked like a hospital gown, the boy trembled, unable even to resist.

“Hah.”

Saebyeok let out a bitter laugh through clenched teeth.

“Fine then. Bring it on—your so-called king’s punishment.”

Her jaw tightened as she spun her staff like a windmill. From its tip, razor winds howled, sucking up the stone rubble around her into a whirling storm.

The debris circled her like savage hounds straining at their leashes.

Behind her, the monstrous plant roots writhed, tearing apart stone walls. Cultists still alive screamed as flames consumed them.

“Instead, you’ll taste my punishment.”

Her blank expression made her look like an executioner from hell.

“Do you even realize what ritual you’ve interfered with? We were about to summon the great archdemon Botis into this world—!”

“Yeah, enough of that. Hey, kid!”

Saebyeok’s shout cut him off.

The boy flinched—but for some reason, raised his head slightly.

And when he saw her, his eyes widened.

“L-Lightning sister…!”

The nickname was unexpectedly cute, and Saebyeok couldn’t help a little laugh.

“You trust me, right?”

The boy nodded furiously.

Though only briefly, he seemed quick to understand. He remembered being dragged from his brother, beaten, forced into foul clothes drenched with rancid perfume. His arm bruised black where they’d grabbed him. The moment he entered this room, his senses dulled.

Terrified, he’d curled up on the altar, unable to lift his head before the strange old man. He had prayed it was just a nightmare.

Please save me. Please help me.

But instead came thunderous crashes, screams of agony.

It was like Seoul Station again—being chased by monsters, helpless, afraid.

He clutched his ears and held his breath, praying no one would notice him.

I’ll be good. I’ll eat less. Just let me see my brother again…

And then, a voice cut through all the fear.

He looked up—saw the black veil of terror burning away in a great fire.

Just like at Seoul Station, when dazzling lightning had torn apart monsters to save him.

“<Ignite>.”

Beautiful flames circled around him, forming a sanctuary.

“Kid, close your eyes and count to fifty.”

Shihu squeezed his eyes shut at once.

“One… two…”

The reason didn’t matter.

If he listened to her—he would live. He would see his brother again.

That was all that mattered.

“You think I’ll let you? <Venom Darts>!”

From the cult leader’s fingertips, sharp needles whistled toward her.

Saebyeok dodged sideways, every dart missing.

“Please, I won’t fall to cheap tricks like that. <Blow>!”

WHOOSH-BOOM!

A snap of her fingers unleashed the storm at her back, tearing through the room.

“My precious bones! Do you know how long it took to gather them?!”

The cult leader screamed as his monster bones were shredded.

“<Toxic Mist>! <Blood Agony>! <Heart of Flame>!”

Black smoke spewed from his staff toward her. Threatening, but useless.

!! Alert !!
Status abnormality detected.
<Passive: Blessing of the Sky (S)> prevents all effects.

Before reaching her, the black haze evaporated.

“W-what trickery is this…!”

The cult leader stumbled back in shock.

“You and I are the worst match for each other.”

Saebyeok grinned.

She had hunted him in her past life—she knew all his abilities.

An A-rank Hunter, with 80% of his skills based on poison and debuffs. Perfect as a cult leader. Worst possible opponent for her.

“Out of tricks already?”

Counting the skills reflected by Ihan’s buff, he’d already burned through six.

Even strong A-ranks rarely had more than five—meaning he’d used up weapon and accessory skills too.

“Then I guess it’s my turn.”

Her voice was mischievous, yet victory was already decided.

“<Ignite>!”

She swung her staff with force, launching a blazing strike.

“Fool! <Totemism>! This ends now—hahaha!”

The cult leader unleashed his final hidden ultimate.

A massive totem pole erupted from his staff, colliding with her flames in a thunderous explosion.

At that exact moment, the prayer room doors burst open.

“Seize that heretic!!”

Scavenger Guild members poured in—eyes glowing blue, enthralled by the floating totems.

“Damn it, they brainwashed themselves too? <Ligh—>”

She tried to adjust her lightning output, mindful of innocent civilians in the hall—

!! Alert !!
Unexpected skill clash.
<Staff of Survival of the Fittest (D)> temporarily paralyzed.
<Skill: Brain Gap> forcibly released.

“Eh?”

“NOOO!”

Her bewildered gasp and the cult leader’s scream overlapped.

The floating totem’s blue light vanished in an instant.

The stone-and-gem totem plummeted.

CRASH!

It smashed through the wooden floor, fell into the underground chamber, and shattered with a deafening boom.

The brainwashing light winked out. Cult followers collapsed like puppets with cut strings, while guild members staggered.

“Y-you wretch, what have you done?!”

The cult leader shrieked.

But Saebyeok barely heard. Her mind froze.

The totem… fell into the underground.

The underground… where there are still people!!

“Aaah! There are people below!”

She cried out, clutching her hair in horror.