While toxic venom and the energy of confusion mixed into crimson blood splattered everywhere, dissolving the entire village, Seong stood there blankly, staring at the scene.
What the hell is this?
The decrepit Drakanos.
Honestly, he'd thought it was a dud.
The ancient Demon Knight? Sure, the title sounded impressive.
But old age was inevitable.
He’d assumed the role would be that of some instructor, offering teachings and guidance.
But seeing him, frail as he was, claim he couldn’t handle the cold and retreat almost immediately—who would expect anything?
And yet, this power.
Who could have predicted this?
“Whoa.”
Seong couldn’t close his mouth as he watched Drakanos draw his sword and effortlessly slash through the carapace of Mirage Ne, the Mistress of Illusions.
That wasn’t just a mere strike.
‘A swift sword, a domineering sword, a heavy sword, a pulling sword, and a bending sword?’
A spectacle of five distinct sword techniques executed as one—the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
Even Seong had only managed to combine four techniques into one.
He could mix up to four combinations that worked well together, but most of the time, it was just three.
But what Drakanos had just displayed was a seamless fusion of five styles.
And they didn’t even seem like compatible combinations.
How the hell did he do it?
Lost in thought, Seong could only watch in a daze.
Meanwhile, his familiars formed barriers around him, protecting him.
With Mirage Ne's blood pooling and dissolving everything around, their priority was to guard their master.
Seong resisted the urge to rush to Drakanos and demand an explanation.
‘Now’s not the time.’
He almost forgot to record the scene to share with Lee Geon-dong later.
Right now, creating a video introduction for his familiars was more important.
Yes, the swordsmanship could wait.
While Seong stood there lost in thought, his familiars paused, awaiting orders.
The Mistress of Illusions, Mirage Ne, clearly dissatisfied with the situation, thrashed in fury.
Kuwaaang—!
The very ground trembled as if the area would collapse.
Even Drakanos, standing behind Seong, seemed like he might be swept away, yet he gracefully dodged every droplet of venom and chaotic energy as he descended lightly from Mirage Ne's back.
His movements were so fluid, so poised, that one couldn’t help but stare.
Seong held back his awe and issued a command to his familiars.
“Let’s go all out.”
With a glint in their eyes, they sprang into action.
Noctrynnium was the first, summoning massive hands of earth that dwarfed mountains and slamming Mirage Ne into the ground.
Kwaaaang—!
“Skreeeee!!”
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Though she struggled violently, the enormous hands were stronger.
In the blink of an eye, Fiora transformed, taking the form of a young dragon.
Not yet fully grown, but her draconic aura was unmistakable as she opened her maw and unleashed a concentrated breath upon the wound Drakanos had inflicted on Mirage Ne’s back.
Kwoooaaah—!
This breath was far more intense than what she had used against Kyow, tearing the wound open even further and leaving a scar deeper than before.
Toxic venom flowed, the breath dissolving even internal organs.
Fiora, exhausted, reverted to her original form, panting heavily.
It would be some time before she could take on a high-level form again.
But the assault didn’t end there.
“Skreeeee!!”
Mirage Ne’s anguished thrashing began to crack the massive hands restraining her.
But the hands only grew larger, holding her firmly.
From above, Seong and Drakanos summoned Anemore, transforming him into a bolt of thunder.
Kwarrrrng—!
A colossal bolt of turquoise lightning descended, fiercer than the left arm of the Thunder God Kyow had created, ripping Mirage Ne’s wound apart.
Following the lightning, the sword-wielding Kalisha appeared, her blade wrapped in black waves of energy. She danced between the torn flesh, spreading the energy to deepen the wounds further.
Krrrkkk—!
Then came Leonic and Valtar, unleashing azure and crimson auras from their swords.
Kwakakakakakak—!
The azure slash tore through Mirage Ne, while the crimson aura seemed ready to split her in two.
The twin attacks formed an X across her body, leaving deep gashes.
Barfur followed immediately, his razor-sharp claws widening the X-shaped wounds further.
Blood fountains erupted from Mirage Ne’s body.
Toxic venom gushed like waterfalls, but it didn’t deter the familiars.
Dodging every droplet of venom, the decrepit old Drakanos closed the distance once more.
His sword began to glow, the blade turning crimson as if aflame.
In a flash, it extended like a massive greatsword, emitting a searing heat like the sun.
The cut left a searing trail across Mirage Ne’s wound.
Chiiiii—!
Not the sound of flesh being cut, but of it burning.
Mirage Ne’s eyes widened in terror.
The overwhelming pain left her unable to even scream.
Under the relentless onslaught of Drakanos’s overwhelming swordsmanship, Mirage Ne collapsed.
Her thrashing body caused the massive arms restraining her to crack and shatter.
Kwagagagaga—!!
Her enormous frame rolled, flattening the already devastated surroundings.
Yet even as she rolled, her burning wounds only grew hotter.
The black flames of the sun burrowed deeper, tearing through her flesh.
Whoosh—!
Realizing she couldn’t endure any longer, Mirage Ne stopped struggling.
She understood that to end this pain, she had to eliminate her enemies.
Charging her venom, she infused every limb and fang with her deadliest poison.
But just as she was about to unleash her ultimate skill, a cackling laughter echoed behind her.
Turning her head, she saw a witch—larger than herself—mocking her.
The witch, laughing at Mirage Ne’s pitiful state, held a massive turquoise needle and sewed her lips shut.
Then, placing a finger to her lips, she whispered:
“Shhhh.”
As the Lord’s Gag Order was invoked, the venom that had been surging through Mirage Ne’s body abruptly disappeared. Her entire skill set was canceled, leaving her stunned. She thrashed violently, attempting to launch another attack.
But—
Kwarrrrrng!
Like a streak of lightning, a thunderbird darted forward.
Screeeeeeeech!!!
The sharp cry of a raptor pierced the air.
By the time the sound reached Mirage Ne’s ears, it was already too late.
A gaping, round wound appeared on her massive torso, as if pierced clean through by a spear. Furious, Mirage Ne turned to pursue the thunderbird, but it had already vanished.
In its wake came a slower, dark thunderbolt that struck Mirage Ne with concussive force.
Kurururung—!
Unlike the previous attack, which targeted the exterior, this strike sent a wave of energy deep into her core, rattling her insides.
[The Hidden Raid Boss, 『Mistress of Illusions Mirage Ne』, has suffered severe internal disruption and is in a state of confusion for 1 second.]
Reeling from the impact, her massive frame stumbled.
That’s when Barfur appeared, slamming his fist into her jaw with enough force to topple her.
Kwoooom—!!
The ground quaked like an earthquake as Mirage Ne’s enormous body collapsed.
The tremors didn’t stop; they grew stronger as massive arms of earth emerged once again. This time, even larger and sturdier than before, they wrapped tightly around Mirage Ne, pinning her in place.
From above, Leonic, Valtar, and the recovered Fiora descended, each wielding weapons infused with their auras.
Leonic’s navy aura, Valtar’s crimson aura, and Fiora’s pale blue-white aura swirled together, forming a tempest of energy that engulfed Mirage Ne.
Kagagagagagaga—!!!
The storm of auras slashed through her countless legs, severing them like a farmer harvesting crops.
Even after suffering such devastation, Mirage Ne began to rise, her colossal frame exuding defiance.
But she was halted by the old man who had been there from the beginning—Drakanos.
“Shhhhk!”
Drakanos’s sword gleamed as it swung cleanly toward Mirage Ne’s eyes.
Shaaash!
“Skreeee!!!”
A deep, irreparable wound marred both of her eyes, rendering her blind.
The sword’s blade, still red-hot, left burns that ensured the damage could never be healed.
Drakanos stepped back, leaving her thrashing wildly in her blindness.
“Sksssksksksk!!!”
Her rampage sent tremors and debris flying in all directions, but all of Seong’s familiars had already retreated to a safe distance.
They waited patiently, letting Mirage Ne expend her energy.
Explosions rocked the area, scattering debris like shrapnel, but Seong and his familiars remained unscathed.
As Mirage Ne’s frenzied movements slowed, Seong’s familiars launched another coordinated assault.
Their seamless teamwork overwhelmed Mirage Ne, leaving her unable to effectively use her skills or mount a counterattack.
Time passed, and her body began to glow red.
A system message appeared before Seong.
[The Hidden Raid Boss, 『Mistress of Illusions Mirage Ne』, is evolving.]
[The Hidden Raid Boss, 『Mistress of Illusions Mirage Ne』, has entered Phase 2.]
Warning
Seong tilted his head as he watched the battle unfold.
He’d told his familiars to go all out to create a good introduction video for them.
‘But at this rate, I don’t even need to step in.’
They seemed fully capable of handling it on their own.