Fierce battles were still raging on the battlefield.
Both the main base of the Shadow Dominion and the hunting units that had managed to escape were under relentless assault from the undead army.
"Graaaargh!"
"This isn't the time to be wasting our strength on these undead!"
"These bastards are trying to hold us back…!"
The greatest strength of the Legion of the Dead was their overwhelming numbers.
They pursued the Shadow Dominion's hunting units and bogged them down with undead forces.
Then they used that time to hunt monsters themselves.
The undead army swept through the battlefield, and monsters fell before them.
As a result:
[A monster unit, "Orc Battalion," has been summoned to the Legion of the Dead.]
[A monster unit, "Troll Battalion," has been summoned to the Legion of the Dead.]
[A monster unit, "Harpy Battalion," has been summoned to the Legion of the Dead.]
[A monster unit has been summoned to the Legion of the Dead...]
Monster battalions began to be summoned into the Legion of the Dead.
They joined forces with the undead army that was attacking the Shadow Dominion's main base, launching a fierce assault on the defending towers and walls.
But the Oathbound of Shadow were not ones to be taken lightly either.
Slash!
Krrrrrack!
The Oathbound of Shadow summoned the shadows that loomed all around.
The shadows they stirred turned into massive thorns, monstrous maws, or wild beasts that relentlessly attacked the undead.
The number of undead fell visibly as a result of the counterattack.
"Hmph, so they do have the skills to boast about being an elite few."
"Even so…"
The Oathbound of the Dead roared with excitement, rallying morale as they watched their enemies fall.
For every undead destroyed by the Shadow Oathbound, another was summoned—returning immediately to the front lines, pushing the enemy back once more.
Damage to the towers and walls continued to accumulate.
Seeing this, Rihardt furrowed his brows.
"The undead are swarming in again!"
"I expected this, but their regrouping speed is even faster than before!"
"The harpies are diving in! Ready the Shadow Spears!"
A devastating clash continued to unfold.
But the tide of battle began to shift—
Both the Oathbound of Shadow and the Oathbound of the Dead could sense which side it was turning toward.
"Graaaargh!"
"Kuh… Kahaaaagh!"
"My eyes! My eyes—!"
The battle gradually tilted in favor of the Legion of the Dead.
Undead forces advanced alongside their minions. The Oathbound of Shadow and the mercenaries fought back, trying to stop their assault on the towers.
After a fierce and grueling struggle, they finally managed to repel the horde of undead.
The problem was… casualties had occurred in the process.
"If you're injured, fall back and recover! Report all casualties!"
"Understood! Nine Oathbound have been sent for recovery!"
"Twenty-five mercenaries are dead! We're still confirming the wounded!"
Bit by bit, their forces—large or small—were steadily dwindling.
Meanwhile, the Oathbound of the Dead could afford a battle of attrition, endlessly cycling through undead troops.
Of course, their mana wasn't infinite. It would run out eventually.
But that didn't matter.
"Kihihihihi!"
"Graaaaargh!"
Because by the time that happened, their monsters would trample what remained of the exhausted enemy.
Rihardt sliced down a charging harpy with a blade forged from shadow, clicking his tongue in frustration.
The Oathbound of Shadow knew it, too.
'All we can do is hold out until the hunting unit delivers results.'
Only the most skilled warriors had been selected for the hunting unit.
They would create the opportunity. That moment would be the turning point.
Until then, they had to endure—throwing in everything they had.
"Raise the shadows! Even if it costs your life, we must hold this ground…!"
They had to defend it.
As Rihardt, face set with grim resolve, moved to rally the troops—
[Kwiamamamamamaaa!]
A scream erupted across the battlefield.
The Oathbound and mercenaries locked in fierce combat instinctively turned toward the direction it came from.
It had come from the eastern front.
"W-What was that? What kind of scream was that…?"
"It came from the east, didn't it?"
The scream had been so sudden that no one could hide their bewilderment.
Thankfully, the mystery didn't last long.
A system message appeared before the eyes of the Shadow Dominion.
['Han Yuseong' has defeated the Epic Monster 'Poison Dragon Luicus'.]
[The Shadow Dominion receives the Blessing of the Poison Dragon: All physical and magic attack power +30%, skill damage +30%, mana regeneration +50%. A poison field has been created around the outskirts of the base, repelling enemy intrusion.]
[Additionally, 'Poison Dragon Luicus' has been summoned to the Shadow Dominion!]
A message announcing the defeat of the Epic Monster Poison Dragon Luicus.
It was completely unexpected.
How much time had even passed since the crisis began?
And the monster in question…
"P-Poison Dragon Luicus?"
"Isn't that the one that uses deadly poison? One of the hardest Epic monsters to take down— and it's already been defeated?"
"That's… unbelievable."
Was it even possible?
That question naturally rose in everyone's minds.
There was no room for doubt—because the results were right in front of them.
Fwoooooosh!
- Guuh, muhmuhmuhmuh…
- Kkimamamamamack!
Countless undead and monsters attacked the Shadow Oath's main base.
On the outskirts, a green liquid suddenly poured down, and a sticky fluid burst upward.
It was poison. A deadly toxin that melts anything it touches.
The undead melted away, and the poisoned monsters coughed up blood.
And then—
KUUUUUMONG!
"W-What is that?"
"T-That thing, it's enormous…"
A massive tremor shook the ground.
The oathbound of both sides stared at the Shadow Oath's base as if entranced.
Something was being summoned from the shadowy colossus.
A venomous serpent-like creature, its scales oozing with noxious poison.
- Kihamamamamack!
An Epic Monster —
It broke through the magical barrier and began charging toward the enemy.
Crushing undead and monsters underfoot, it surged forward toward the Oathbound of the Dead.
"What the hell is that now?!"
"An Epic Monster! No way — they've already summoned one?!"
"I-It's coming! With the undead—no! We need to retreat first…!"
"Retreat?! There's no time! We have to stop it with magic!"
The undead and the Oathbound of the Dead launched a simultaneous assault.
But it wasn't enough to stop the Venom Dragon's charge.
Moving at a terrifying speed, the venom dragon reached just in front of the Oathbound—
- KWAAMAMAAA!
"Ughhhhhh…!"
"M-My body…!"
Its breath, laced with deadly poison, swept over the Oathbound of the Dead.
Bodies melted, and the oathbound collapsed, vomiting blood.
The oathbound and mercenaries of the Shadow faction watched the scene in a daze.
The situation had turned too suddenly for anyone to keep up.
Richard was no exception.
"What… What the hell is this? Who… who could've done this?"
"H-Han Yooseong… The name Han Yooseong was written there."
"Han Yooseong…? He's not one of our oathbound, so… a mercenary?"
The oathbound of the Shadow mumbled in confusion.
Richard vaguely recalled the face of a stranger.
When the battle first began, someone had appeared like the wind—cutting down undead and minions before vanishing.
Yoon Garam had gone after that person.
'Could it be… a human?'
Richard looked in the direction Han Yooseong had disappeared.
It was hard to believe, but it was the only possible explanation.
Whatever the case, this was an opportunity—one they couldn't afford to lose.
"Half the forces, follow me! This is our chance to kill those vile necromancers!
We need to reduce their numbers as much as possible—now!"
"Follow Richard! Let's go!"
"WAAAMAMAAAH!"
The players of the Shadow faction charged out of the base, following Richard across the battlefield.
A fierce battle erupted once again.
But this time, it was very different from the one just moments ago.
Meanwhile—
Yoon Garam couldn't believe what he was seeing.
The air was thick with poison.
The fallen form of the Venom Dragon, lying collapsed.
And Han Yooseong, standing over it—
gripping a sword still dripping with the creature's blood.
"That… was actually possible?"
The Venom Dragon had spewed deadly poison, its scale armor firing like a weapon.
But Han Yooseong had cut it down, ignoring the venom entirely, striking again and again with his sword.
Even seeing it with his own eyes, the scene felt unreal.
"Could I have defeated that thing alone…?"
No. Absolutely not.
If it had been him, there was no way he could've moved with such boldness.
Even if he had tried to fight, he would've melted away from the venom before landing a single blow.
Yoon Garam stared at Han Yooseong with conflicted eyes.
"Whew, that was tough… But damn, that thing was vicious."
Han Yooseong shook his head, slightly staggering as he turned around.
Signs of poisoning were clearly visible all over his body.
Though the Venom Master class came with high poison resistance, it didn't grant full immunity.
It only provided an auto-detox effect, so he couldn't completely avoid being poisoned.
[Stop whining. You're not dying, are you? It'll detox eventually.]
As Kakasha said, it wasn't fatal.
The Venom Master skill was just that good.
Yooseong spat out blood tinged with venom and checked the messages that had appeared in front of him.
[You have defeated Venom Dragon Luicus. Gold acquired: +8,000.]
[You hunted a powerful monster. Bloodstained Machete is being enhanced.]
[Bloodstained Machete (Legendary): +80% damage against monsters, +200 attack power, +30% increased attack and movement speed.
Effects are halved when fighting non-monster enemies.]
An enormous amount of gold, and the machete had been upgraded.
To raise the Bloodstained Machete to legendary tier, it was required to hunt an Epic Monster.
It was a difficult condition—but the reward was worth it.
Normally, the gold would be split among all participants in the hunt.
But this time, Han Yooseong had essentially taken it down solo.
As a result, he got to keep all the gold for himself.
"Now then… guess I'd better head to the shop—"
"…Someone's coming."
Yoon Garam, who had been quietly watching, suddenly warned him.
Just as she said, something—or rather, many things—were approaching from not far away.
And they weren't just a few. A whole group was headed their way.
"Judging by the sound… not many of them."
"Must be those damned oathbound of the dead."
"Yes. Looks like they heard the news and came to investigate."
As the toxic fog cleared, the approaching figures were revealed—
The Oathbound of the Dead, accompanied by undead and summoned creatures.
They were tasked with hunting monsters on the battlefield. After hearing that an Epic Monster had been defeated, they'd come to find out who was responsible.
"We've got things to do, so let's take care of this quickly."
"Right."
Han Yooseong cloaked himself in Night's Shadow, vanishing from sight.
Yoon Garam, startled by how completely he merged with the darkness, quickly activated her own stealth skill.
Both of their figures disappeared into the shadows.
Moments later, the Oathbound of the Dead arrived.
"…Undead, move to the front. No telling what's still lurking around here."
"Seems empty. Are we sure this is where the Venom Dragon showed up?"
"Look over there. With that much blood left behind, it has to be."
More than 150 undead and about 30 Oathbound had shown up.
They spread out, scanning the surroundings, clearly searching for Han Yooseong.
"This… doesn't look like a group attack. The signs suggest it was done by one person."
"One person? Are you saying someone took down the Venom Dragon solo?"
"Seems like it. Don't know if that's even possible though."
"You saying someone in the Shadow Oath is that strong?"
The Oathbound of the Dead murmured among themselves as they examined the traces left behind.
It was a sight no one could easily believe.
But what was even harder to believe—
Sss000—
—was that someone hidden in the shadows was watching them, preparing to strike.
Han Yooseong gripped his sword tightly and summoned his mana.
He swapped himself with a decoy in the shadow beneath the Oathbound of the Dead.
"Huh?"
"This bastard…!"
Han Yooseong burst out of the shadow.
The Oathbound only realized what was happening too late.
A vicious wave of energy surged through Han Yooseong's blade.
What exploded from the tip was Full Moon Slash.
KWADUDEUDEUK!
"GAAAHHH!"
"Kuhh—!"
The blade's force spread in a sweeping circle, cutting down the enemies.
But Han Yooseong didn't stop there.
He followed up with a fierce barrage of strikes, finishing off the remaining survivors.
Yoon Garam joined in, assisting his assault.
The undead rushed to protect their summoners—but they were too slow.
The summoners were killed and forcefully unsummoned before the undead could reach them.
"Ugh… u-unbelievable…"
And just like that, the last of the Oathbound fell.
More than 200 enemies, including the undead, were annihilated.
Han Yooseong, who had accomplished the impossible, casually wiped the blood from his sword… and walked forward.
As if none of it had been a big deal.
'Thanks to these guys, I've ended up with even more gold.'
The Venom Dragon. The monsters he'd killed before that. Now the Oathbound of the Dead.
Han Yooseong's current gold total had reached 10,000.
With that much, he could afford at least one Legendary-tier item.
He headed toward the shop he'd passed earlier, lost in thought for a moment.
'The standard strategy would be to hunt more Epic Monsters.'
While the Venom Dragon attacked the enemy, the ideal move would've been to hunt additional Epic Monsters,
then use the tamed Epic along with his team to launch a final strike on the weakened enemy base.
No doubt, the Oathbound of the Dead knew that too.
They would try to defend the dragon and disrupt the Shadow faction from hunting any more Epics.
'But if I turn that strategy on its head…'
If the Dead faction was committing heavy forces to protect the dragon and block Epic hunting,
then he could exploit that overextension to create a situation they wouldn't anticipate.
With that in mind, Han Yooseong purchased three items:
[You have purchased: Wrath of the Destroyer (Legendary), Obsidian Blade (Unique), and Boots of Leaping (Rare).]
[Item Effects: +60% attack power, +80 flat attack, +35% defense penetration, bonus physical damage to structures, enhanced jump height.]
Though its base attack was lower than other Legendary weapons,
Wrath of the Destroyer offered high structure damage—perfect for raids.
As Han Yooseong finished shopping, Yoon Garam approached.
"So, are you heading out to hunt another Epic Monster?"
"Not quite."
Han Yooseong shook his head.
Yoon Garam, seeing this, looked puzzled.
He's not going to hunt another Epic Monster?
Then what was he planning to do?
The answer came immediately.
"I'm going to attack the enemy's main base."
And not in any way they'd expect.
Yoon Garam's eyes widened in shock at his reply.
Han Yooseong began to absorb the lingering venom in the air—
quickly, in preparation for the battle that was about to unfold.