I became a childhood friend of the middle boss. - chapter 25

Episode 25

Splash, splash.

I run across the surface of the water.

The mana spread throughout my soles gently pushes against the surface, creating ripples that expand across the lake.

Splash, splash.

Each time, the sound of the water hitting my feet echoes in my ears.

Splash, splash.

It’s not just one sound.

If I widen my senses and listen closely, I can hear others splashing in the water as well.

Splash, splash, splash, splash

Even without seeing them, I can feel their presence.

After a moment.

Kiiiii!

We’ve gotten close enough to engage with the monsters at the forefront.

“Seok-woo hyung.”

The battle is about to begin.

I speak as I observe the creatures revealing their murderous intent.

“Oh, Gyeon-woo.”

“I’ll leave the subordinates to you. My sister and I will handle the boss, so we won’t be able to focus on that side.”

“Got it. I’ll support you from the back.”

Do Seok-woo was the oldest participant in the evaluation match.

He had earned a certain level of respect.

With Do Seok-woo’s leadership, the others would follow without complaint.

Having made that judgment, I slowed down and stepped back from the others.

Do Si-eun also reduced her speed.

Soon.

“Split them left and right!”

“Prioritize clearing a path!”

The battle began.

Do Seung-woo, along with my relatives around my age, shouted from the front lines.

They clashed with their subordinates, creating a path for those behind them to advance.

“Push them back!”

“Keep running!”

A second wave of combat erupted.

The people grabbed their subordinates just as they had moments ago.

A path was formed.

Ahead stood the boss.

“Sis, let’s go.”

“Okay.”

I signaled to Do Si-eun.

We then increased our speed and rushed down the clear path.

Splash!

The sound of the water grew rough.

Our vision quickly cleared.

As we passed the people and their subordinates, only the boss remained in sight.

Kiiiii!

Just as we recognized the creature, it recognized us as well.

In the final moments before we closed the distance.

It swung its spear down with all its might.

The force generated a wave of wind and water rushing toward us.

Thud!

We immediately changed direction.

As agreed beforehand, I went right, and Do Si-eun went left.

The creature’s attention was split.

Kiiiii!

Left and right.

The creature turned its head, trying to track our movements.

Meanwhile, we exchanged glances over the boss.

Nod.

Do Si-eun nodded her head.

It was a signal that she would attack first.

I nodded back at her and decided to match her pace.

Immediately, she crouched down and accelerated.

<Suwang-ryu Attack Style 3>

Lion’s Iron Whip

She swung her sword like a whip of iron.

Mana enveloped the blade, extending its length as Do Si-eun struck.

The mana, channeled through the blade, launched an unexpected attack on the boss.

Clang!

However, the boss only hesitated for a moment before twisting its body and deflecting the spear attack.

It then immediately attempted to retaliate with the trajectory of its spear.

I took advantage of that opening.

<Suwang-ryu Attack Style 1>

Lion’s Thrust

I delivered a thrust to the exposed back of the creature.

The sound of slicing through the air echoed like a lion’s roar.

Kiiik!

The creature narrowly evaded that attack.

Sliding away from the water, it glared at me, grinding its teeth.

But that was only for a moment.

Splash!

As the creature’s attention was diverted, Do Si-eun quickly closed the distance and approached it.

Once again, her blade shone.

Splash!

I too immediately plunged into the water.

Do Si-eun and I dove into the fray, mixing swords and spears.

Clang!

Do Si-eun’s sword bounced off.

The creature’s spear fell.

My sword struck the spear away.

She swung her recovered blade.

The creature hurriedly stepped back and rotated counterclockwise.

While turning, it used the spear it had retrieved to block my sword and evade the attack.

At the same time, the creature advanced in a wide arc, swinging its spear.

Whoosh!

The spear whipped through the air rapidly.

Its transitions between offense and defense were fluid.

Because of that, it was hard to get close.

However, we had the upper hand.

Clang!

There was no need to rush.

Do Si-eun and I blocked the creature’s attacks, taking turns to catch our breath.

Meanwhile, the creature had to keep moving to fend us off.

…Hah.

Without the help of its subordinates, it had no time to catch its breath.

As our exchanges continued, the creature began to tire.

…!

Eventually, it revealed an opening.

We didn’t miss that moment.

Immediately, I compressed mana into my sword.

<Suwang-ryu Attack Style 2>

Lion’s Claw Marks.

With the compressed mana, I added a technique to my sword, carving claw marks into the enemy as if a beast had torn into it.

Our thoughts aligned.

Whoosh!

Almost simultaneously.

Do Si-eun and I sliced at the creature’s flank from different directions.

“Ugh, its hide is annoyingly tough.”

“It’s not hide; it’s scales.”

“Same difference.”

Kii…ik….

Unfortunately, the wound wasn’t deep.

However, the injury created by the Lion’s Claw Marks would slow its recovery.

The creature would have to bleed continuously during the fight.

Eventually, it would die.

It wouldn’t be able to overcome us.

“Rank 3 isn’t so impressive.”

“Don’t let your guard down.”

“But you think so too, right, sis?”

“….”

With this momentum.

The boss was furious.

Having been the ruler of the lake, it felt humiliated to be attacked by mere humans, let alone being drawn above the water to face them.

Moreover, the humans who had pulled it up were matching their strengths against it, cutting off its arms and tail, inflicting severe wounds.

‘How dare a mere human!’

Among monsters, there were those who could think and act beyond mere instinct.

The boss, taking the form of a human woman, was one such case.

Thus, the boss not only felt a one-dimensional rage about its situation but also experienced humiliation.

‘How dare, how dare.’

To be treated like prey by mere humans.

The more it succumbed to that feeling, the more it wanted to tear apart the humans approaching it.

However, despite its weakened state, their skills were no joke.

Especially the blue-eyed woman.

‘That one is different from the others.’

Even with only a few exchanges, the boss could gauge that her skills were considerable.

So it became wary of her.

‘What the hell is that guy!’

There was another one.

A shorter man than the woman.

His skills were no less impressive than hers.

‘What an annoying pest!’

He knew when to hit and run.

While the man faced the woman, he would look for openings or quickly take her place when she retreated to catch her breath, disrupting her.

Each time I tried to respond, he would tease me just enough to keep me on edge, narrowly avoiding my attacks.

It was as if he knew exactly where my strikes would land.

‘If only he hadn’t lost his arm.’

But it didn’t stop there.

The man persistently targeted my left side, where I was missing an arm.

It was utterly cowardly.

In that sense, the man was a far more annoying and dangerous opponent than the woman.

The boss, feeling frustrated, had no choice but to engage the man.

Just then.

<Suwang-ryu Attack Style 2>

Distracted by the man, the boss allowed the woman to launch a surprise attack.

Lion’s Claw Marks

The boss reacted too late.

The blade that slipped under her armpit shattered scales, tore flesh, and grazed bone, barely allowing it to twist away and avoid a fatal wound.

However, the situation was dire.

Splash!

Left and right.

Two humans were rushing toward the boss to connect their attacks.

They were closing in.

Shhaaa!

The boss cried out in desperation.

It couldn’t die like this.

Even if it died, it would take them down with it.

Consumed by intense emotions, the boss pushed through the pain.

Whoosh!

Once again, blades and spears clashed.

The boss swung its spear with all its might, trying to shake off the two humans while using its long reach to threaten them.

──!

The sound of wind was fierce.

In its frantic movements, the surface of the water churned violently.

Clang!

Swinging, thrusting, and striking.

The humans dodged, blocked, and countered without retreating.

The sounds of wind and water mixed with the clang of metal.

A declaration of no compromise spread like ripples.

Kiiiii!

Exhausting its life force.

The boss squeezed out its last remaining strength, launching a relentless attack.

At some point, with each step it took, the two humans began to retreat.

Kirik.

The humans were now struggling.

Their movements were slowing.

The seemingly endless dance of metal was nearing its end.

The boss resolved to cling to them so they wouldn’t retreat.

So first, it aimed for the man.

Just then.

<Suwang-ryu Defense Style 3>

The man tilted his sword, slicing through the water with the edge of his blade.

──!

A splash of water erupted.

From within the spray, a blade shot up.

And following the trajectory of the sword

Lion’s Veil.

The mana embedded in the water spray surged, creating a veil that obscured the man.

Kiiik!?

The veil concealed him.

What was he doing? I couldn’t sense anything beyond the veil.

Losing sight of my target, I relied on instinct and swung my spear.

Whoosh!

The spear cut horizontally through the veil.

But the man was nowhere to be seen.

He had slipped away.

Even so, he was nearby.

<Suwang-ryu Attack Style 5>

At that moment, I sensed the woman’s presence.

The boss hurriedly turned around.

The woman took a large step forward, lowering her stance as she pulled her sword inward.

Right after.

Crack!

A blue lightning bolt erupted.

A thick branch shot up into the sky.

Lion’s Fierce Charge

It was a lightning strike, unlike the sporadic ones from earlier.

She was charging forward, electrifying the water.

This was dangerous; I had to avoid it.

An alarm rang in my head.

But there was no escape.

<Suwang-ryu Attack Style 5>

Because the man was blocking the way out.

He had taken the same stance.

And….

Crack!

Lightning erupted from him as well.

The clear blue lightning shot up into the sky like a dragon ascending.

The sound of the lightning crackling echoed like a roaring lion.

No, it was a lion.

Lion’s Fierce Charge

The lion moved.

The man, wrapped in blue lightning, swung his sword outward with great force.

Do Gyeon-woo and Do Si-eun are working together.

Even though it was their first time coordinating, they moved seamlessly.

The boss was caught off guard by their synergy and couldn’t respond properly.

“…Impressive.”

On the cliff.

Those watching the screen couldn’t help but express their admiration honestly.

No one dared to deny the murmurs of awe.

“I wish I could see it from above.”

“If you tell someone on-site, it should be possible. I’ll mention it.”

Do Ye-ik was also captivated by the scene.

He felt regretful that he was only watching the fight through a screen.

Though it wasn’t as good as seeing it live, he decided to adjust the angles for a better view.

After a moment, several screens shook and the angles changed.

One of the screens caught his attention.

A smile crept onto his face.

“They really do work well together.”

The aerial footage of the battle showcased Do Gyeon-woo and Do Si-eun.

With only their heads visible, they danced around the boss, repeatedly closing in and retreating.

It felt like watching a spinning top fight.

And then.

[Whoosh!]

Finally, their swords connected.

They struck the boss’s flank.

It was an almost simultaneous attack.

“Haha. I think I finally understand why Gyeon-woo beat Seung-woo.”

“…”

Those who had witnessed Do Gyeon-woo’s skills had no rebuttal to that statement.

Contrary to the concerns that Do Si-eun would overshadow him, he was now demonstrating skills that matched hers.

“Cough… How can that be?”

Do Seungwoo’s father, Do Beom-jun, had to acknowledge Do Gyeonwoo’s prowess.

He couldn’t hide his expression, his face twisting in disbelief.

Then, unable to endure watching any longer, he stood up.

“I’ll go have a smoke.”

“I think it’s about to end, so just wait a moment.”

“…Understood.”

Do Beom-jun showed respect to Do Ye-ik but left the scene, feeling humiliated.

He couldn’t disobey the head of the family but felt frustrated to continue watching the battle.

[Crack!]

Meanwhile, as Do Ye-ik had predicted, the battle showed signs of concluding.

The flow created by the boss’s desperate efforts was interrupted by Do Gyeon-woo’s defense, leaving it vulnerable.

[<Suwang-ryu Attack Style 5>]

Do Si-eun, taking a charging stance.

As she moved, the lightning exploded.

[Lion’s Fierce Charge]

It erupted like a thunderclap.

The blue lightning blossomed around her.

It was as if watching a flower bloom against the clear sky.

“…”

The spectators were entranced by the sight.

She had perfectly executed the lightning technique, which had only been hinted at before.

“Haha! You finally did it!”

The achievements of the second head of the family were being realized once more.

Do Ye-ik laughed as he watched the flowers blooming on the water’s surface, painting the screen white.

Just then.

“Look over there!”

“…What?”

Someone pointed to another screen.

A distant shot of the lake.

The screen clearly showed the flowers of lightning blooming on the surface.

And to the left as well.

[Crack!]

“….”

People doubted their eyes.

It couldn’t be. That was impossible.

How could Do Si-eun’s lightning reach that far?

As if to deny that thought.

[Crack!]

From the left, lightning surged powerfully.

On the surface where Do Gyeon-woo stood.

A fierce blue current erupted around him, blooming like a flower.

“That’s… impossible….”

The surface of the water reflected the world like a mirror.

On that surface, two blossoms radiating blue light bloomed.

To those watching, it appeared as if two bolts of lightning had pierced the earth from the heavens.

[Lion’s Fierce Charge]

Finally, the flowers became two fierce lions, roaring as they charged at the boss.

[Kiiiii….]

From below, the lightning surged upward.

The boss was cleaved into three pieces by the blades wielded by the two.

Its lifeless body, unable to leave behind even a final cry, floated on the surface of the water.

Thus, the boss was defeated.

[The gate has been conquered.]

A message appeared before those at the gate.

“Right, it wasn’t just one of them!”

Without glancing at the message, Do Ye-ik gazed at Do Gyeon-woo amidst the swirling lightning, filled with joy.

His laughter didn’t cease.

“All this time, I thought you were a rabbit, but you’re a lion cub too.”

“…”

After all, if he inherited the blood of the Shin-gyeong family, he couldn’t have been born a mere rabbit.

Do Ye-ik forgot to maintain his composure, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

Meanwhile, due to his words

[You have achieved a feat recognized by the head of the Shin-gyeong family.]

You have gained the title ‘Lion Cub.’]

Do Gyeon-woo received the message.