"Follow me you damn bastards!" Min-ho yelled at the top of his lungs. Which was no easy feat, as his lungs were struggling with just how much air his run demanded.
He ran with all his might, as death chased after him. Glancing over his shoulder, Mini-ho saw over a dozen Worm Hounds giving chase. The ones at the forefront drawing nearer to him as the seconds went by.
Fortunately though, he didn't have to run for much longer, because up ahead rested a large rift in the ground five feet away from him.
This was the same rift they had come across not too long ago. It was wide, long and deep enough to carry out Min-ho's plans.
Beyond the rift stood Sae-wee, Dok-su and Jang-book, all of them with weapons in hand and at the ready.
As Min-ho ran, he could see out of the corner of his eye a Worm Hound much too close for comfort. Though he tried to push himself harder, he discovered doing so was impossible because he had already hit his speed limit.
'Damn it,' Min-ho thought. The distance separating him from the rift was less than two meters, but it seemed he wasn't going to make it.
As he ran, he saw a shadow fall upon him. He knew at that moment the Worm Hound would get him. Before he could act, he caught a blur zip past him and cut a bit of his ear.
He winced, but then…
"KKAA!"
The Worm Hound behind him cried out before losing its footing and crumbling to the ground.
The other Worm Hounds behind did not get tripped over by the tumbling one. They all jumped over it.
Now reaching the edge of the rift, Min-ho braced for impact, and just then…
CRACK!
The ground under his feet rumbled and shot up, launching him into the air and over the rift.
The Worm Hounds did not stop chasing, each one falling over the edge and spiraling to the bottom covered with spikes. Courtesy of Jang-book.
No one paid the Worm Hounds any mind as Min-ho was still airborne. He flew across the sky toward his teammate. As he drew closer, his heart stopped when he realized he wasn't going to make it.
An inch away from them, he began to fall.
"Got you," Jang-book said as he gripped Min-ho's arm.
Dangling, he began to pant with a great ferocity the moment he felt his life flash before his very eyes.
Shaking this fear off, he turned his gaze to the bottom, only to have his fear overturned to anger.
'Of course that wouldn't kill them,' he thought before Jang-book hoisted him to the top.
Once on solid ground, he took a second to catch his breath.
"On to phase two?" Jang-book asked Min-ho, and he nodded whilst on all fours, catching his breath.
Seeing he was just exhausted and physically fine beside the minor woundbon his earz Jang-book and Dok-su left his side and walked over to the edge of the rift.
Sae-wee paused for a moment.
"Sorry about your ear," sge said before joining the others. Not even waiting for his response.
His eyes lit up.
'So it wad her,' he said with a wince. Wondering if he should ve grateful or angry.
Grateful made the most sense.
After a few seconds he had regained a semblance of himself, then he summoned his dagger and rushed over to the edge of the rift.
[Your Subject Has Slain A Tier Three E-Ranked Spector 'Warm Hound']
[You Have Received A 20% Coin Bonus As Monarch]
[You Have Acquired 100 Coins]
Upon arrival, he saw Jang-book's hammer on the head on the first Worm Hound to climb out of the rift.
A second later another followed, Jang-book rushed over to it and slammed it on the head, spraying blood and guts into the rift.
[Your Subject Has Slain A Tier Three E-Ranked Spector 'Warm Hound']
[You Have Received A 20% Coin Bonus As Monarch]
[You Have Acquired 100 Coins]
Just like a game of Donkey King, Jang-book went about slamming head after head of any Worm Hound that crawled out of the rift.
Having gone through three Worm Hounds this way, Jang-book had missed one when three more had climbed out almost simultaneously.
The Worm Hound did not go far before Min-ho, Sae-wee and Dok-su attacked. Once again they coordinated their attacks as though they had been fighting together for a very long time.
Though each of them saw how laser focused, meticulous and precise their attacks and evasions were, not a single one of them let that get to their heads.
They fought with vigor and deadly effectiveness to ensure what had happened almost an hour prior would not happen again. Such a blunder was a failure they could not let happen again if they wanted to survive the dreaded Z-Tower.
This determination had shot their synergy up to eleven.
Yet despite this, the Worm the three of them were engaged with fought back equally as ferociously. To a degree that made them question if this Spector was truly a Third Tier like them.
Min-ho in particular had noticed the Worm Hounds' shift in power anytime they were with a group, which contrasted drastically from when they collided with those alone.
It was as though going in a group made them stronger than being alone.
This thought made Min-ho grin without realizing it.
'Ironic,' he thought, then swung his dagger.
As the three of them kept on attacking and evading, Sae-wee tried several times to get behind the Worm Hound, but like before, the worm Hound seemed to be aware of its weakness.
Seeing an opening Sae-wee's accidental distraction had caused, Min-ho dived toward the Worm Hound, then jabbed his dagger into its arm.
"KKKAAA!"
The Spector screamed as it came crashing down.
Dok-su wasted no time capitalizing on this chance. He stepped forward and thrust his claymore into the weak spot on its back.
"KKKKKAAAAA!"
The Worm Hound cried out once again, before falling to the ground, limp and motionless.
[Your Subject Has Slain A Tier Three E-Ranked Spector 'Warm Hound']
[You Have Received A 20% Coin Bonus As Monarch]
[You Have Acquired 100 Coins]
Min-ho remained on the floor, panting once again.
Sae-wee bent over, likewise breathing hard. While Dok-su stood straight, staring at the rift.
He frowned when he saw another Worm Hound making it past Jang-book.
"Get up," he said to Min-ho before rushing in.
Min-ho gritted his teeth against the exhaustion and got onto his feet. He and Sae-wee ran side by side toward the Spector. Everyone of them ready to give a hundred and ten percent to make sure they won this encounter.