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Chapter 223 (Part 2)
Chapter 223 (Part 2)
Chapter 223: Fully Prepared (Part 2)
The second place he arrived at was the Dwarf city of Iron Grey, where he was meeting Russell.
Russell was already waiting outside the forge, as the promised three hours had passed.
“Ah! Black Scythe!”
Ryu Min descended to the ground and asked calmly.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“Not at all!”
“The reward?”
“Of course, I got it! Would you like to check?”
Ryu Min nodded, and Russell approached, placing his hands on Ryu Min’s gear.
[The effect of the ‘Equipment Polish’ skill has increased the armor’s stats by 20%.]
[The buff will last until the end of this round.]
‘A 20% increase?’
It used to be 10%, but now it has doubled.
A satisfied smile appeared on Ryu Min’s face.
It was worth returning to receive the buff.
“I’ll polish your other equipment as well. Your weapon, too.”
“Thanks.”
Russell moved his hands over Ryu Min’s equipment, enhancing everything except his accessories.
[The effect of the ‘Weapon Polish’ skill has increased your weapon’s attack power by 200%.]
[The buff will last until the end of this round.]
Not only was his equipment polished, but his weapon was also enhanced.
A single three-hour quest had strengthened all his skills.
On top of that, his reputation with the Dwarfs had risen as well.
“And your reputation?”
“It went from neutral to very friendly in an instant. All thanks to you, Black Scythe. And, of course, the prophet who set up this connection.”
Russell was smiling broadly, clearly pleased with the enhanced skills.
“I’m glad you’re happy. Now, you just need to level up.”
“Thank you, Black Scythe. I’ll work hard and become even more helpful in the future!”
“Don’t forget that resolve. Anyway, I need to get going.”
Ryu Min spread his wings and took off slowly.
He had one more person to meet before confronting the angels.
‘Hopefully, they’ve summoned more than 99.’
Ryu Min quickly flew out of the city.
*
The Forest of Beasts was now filled with angels.
The Fifth-Rank angels had gathered in response to the summons from Uriel and Raguel.
[Uriel, how are your wounds?]
[They’ve mostly healed. And you?]
Raguel rotated his shoulder, showing the spot where his wings had been torn.
[Recovery is slower here in this dimension, but the pain is gone.]
[That’s good to hear.]
[Compared to the Heavenly War, these wounds are nothing. I can’t fly just yet, but I’ll be fully healed once we return to Heaven.]
Angels could be treated in the ‘Fountain of Heaven.’
Even if their limbs were torn off, as long as they were still breathing, their bodies could be completely restored.
[That bastard Black Scythe turned out to be stronger than I thought. You admit it, right?]
[I do now. But he can’t rampage any longer. Not with this many troops.]
Raguel’s gaze swept over the battle angels that filled the Forest of Beasts.
Two hundred angels stood with weapons in hand, ready for battle.
[Indeed, with these reinforcements, subduing Black Scythe will be easy.]
[Even if he turns black?]
Uriel paused, pondering the question carefully.
The balance of power between them and Black Scythe weighed heavily on his mind.
[It won’t be easy if he transforms, that’s for sure. The two of us won’t be enough. But…]
Uriel’s eyes settled on the angels.
‘With 200 shields at our disposal, we’ll have more than enough.’
He concealed his thoughts behind a sly smile.
[With this many troops, there’s nothing to fear.]
[Right? We’ve got this in the bag, don’t we?]
[Of course. Just to be safe, though, if Black Scythe turns black, let’s execute him on the spot. I don’t think subduing him will be enough.]
[Music to my ears.]
Raguel was hoping Black Scythe would transform. He was eager to repay the humiliation he’d suffered.
[Now that we’ve gathered our troops, shall we go kill Black Scythe? Or rather, subdue that insect?]
[Indeed. Start preparing to track him.]
[Understood.]
While Raguel activated his tracking artifact, Uriel stepped in front of the soldiers who stood like statues.
[You know who I am without the need for an introduction. You must have seen my name when you were summoned.]
The angels didn’t respond, nor did they nod.
To them, a Great Archangel was an incomprehensibly high-ranking officer.
In military terms, it was like a private standing before a two-star general.
[I appreciate how many of you responded to the call. Your mission is simple: assist Raguel and me in eliminating a human criminal who’s been causing chaos in the Heavenly Realm.]
‘A human criminal?’
‘They called us here for just one person?’
Angels knew well that humans were weak.
They had eagerly answered the call, but none of them had imagined the mission would be to hunt a human.
[Don’t underestimate him just because he’s one man. He’s among the strongest of the humans.]
While they thought it unlikely he could be that strong, none of the angels voiced their thoughts aloud.
What a Great Archangel said must be true.
Their focus was now on earning glory and catching the Archangel’s eye.
Uriel knew how to motivate them.
[Finish this job well, and I’ll personally promote you all to Fourth-Rank. Do your best. Understood?]
[Yes, sir!!!]
Their voices rang with determination, and their faces showed they were eager to tear apart the human as soon as possible.
Uriel smiled in satisfaction, but it was short-lived.
[Uriel, sir.]
Uriel’s smile faded when he saw Raguel’s troubled expression.
[What is it? Did something happen with the tracking artifact?]
[No, it’s Black Scythe.]
[What about him?]
[It seems he’s coming toward us.]
[What?!]
The man who had been fleeing now coming straight to them?
[Are you certain?]
[I am. Both the direction and the distance are pointing here.]
[Well, isn’t that convenient. Saves us the trouble of hunting him down.]
As Uriel smiled, a strategy formed in his mind.
[We should lay a trap and wait. That way, we’ll make sure to finish this.]
[He’ll be here in three minutes.]
[Perfect. Tell the troops to take cover behind the trees. When I give the signal, we’ll strike all at once.]
[Understood.]
Raguel quickly relayed the orders, and the angels moved with precision.
Uriel’s smile returned as he watched.
‘Come on, filthy human. This time, you won’t escape.’