Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 364

Yet even with its heads severed, Yamata no Orochi did not die instantly but lunged at Su-ho.

That was the nature of serpents.

Even when decapitated, for a time they kept enough life to bare their fangs at their attacker.

It was common knowledge when facing serpent-type monsters.

So Su-ho did not let down his guard. He swung his sword again at the eight heads charging like a final desperate strike.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

The heads of Yamata no Orochi split in half, becoming sixteen pieces.

Now it was truly finished.

Cut both crosswise and lengthwise—unless it was a planaria, how could it regenerate?

As the eight heads twitched and finally ceased, Su-ho turned his gaze to the body.

Its heads were gone, but it was not dead.

Yamata no Orochi was famous not only for its eight heads but also its eight tails.

Which meant the eight tails, and the massive body binding them together, all had to be severed as well.

In that instant, the headless tails lunged like octopus tentacles toward Su-ho.

Swoosh! Slash! Slash!

He cut down several of the tails.

One tail lunged sharply at him, and he struck it away.

From that tail came an interesting sound.

Kaaang!!

The clang of metal.

Hearing it, Su-ho’s lips curved upward.

“So, there you are.”

The highlight of Yamata no Orochi wasn’t its heads or its body, but its tails.

And that was exactly what Su-ho had come here targeting.

Having found his mark, Su-ho swiftly closed in.

Slash! Slash! Paaah!!

The tails lashed furiously, but none could block Su-ho’s path.

Severed tails dropped limply to the ground, unlike the heads they did not move again.

And then, cutting through the body, Su-ho stood before the tail that had given off the metallic clang.

The monster’s state was miserable.

It had lost its brother-heads and tails, and its body binding them together was pushed to the brink.

The lone remaining tail, without eyes, nose, or mouth, somehow still evoked the image of fear.

Raising his sword, Su-ho spoke.

“You fought hard.”

[ Steel Severance is activated. ]

[ Enhancement is applied. ]

[ The power of Steel Severance is greatly increased. ]

Slash!

The blade cleaved deeply.

And the final tail was cut cleanly from the base.

Brrr...

It twitched like a salted worm for a while, then went still.

[ You have slain Yamata no Orochi. ]

[ The Gate has been cleared. ]

[ MVP of the Gate clear is ‘An Su-ho’. ]

[ Bonus EXP granted for MVP selection. ]

[ 1 Bonus Stat granted for MVP selection. ]

Yamata no Orochi had been defeated.

His level did not rise.

Because while Yamata no Orochi was two-star grade, the gate itself was only one-star.

A shame, but it was fine.

If he had come here during the mid-Cataclysm, the difficulty would have been incomparable.

'Better to lose a level’s worth of EXP and finish it easily.'

At worst, it was just a single level difference.

Humming, Su-ho approached the tail he had cut last.

Once split open, it would reveal the true reason he had come here.

So he thought—when suddenly:

Crackle!

At that moment—

......

Nine shrieks.

Nine heads made it nine times as loud.

[ Yamata no Orochi of Crimson Ruin uses Boss Monster-grade Fear. ]

[ Dragon Blood is activated. ]

[ Fear nullified by Dragon Blood’s "Dragon Mind" effect. ]

Of course.

As expected, it used Fear.

Su-ho pressed his fingers to his ears, blocking his hearing.

The world fell silent.

“Much better.”

Thud!

With preparations done, Su-ho stomped the ground.

[ Blessing is activated. ]

[ Holy Enchant is activated. ]

[ Mana Perception is activated. ]

[ Endurance is activated. ]

[ Enhancement is activated. ]

[ Eye of the Blacksmith is activated. ]

New buffs surrounded him.

The ones he had dismissed after the first fight—he had to use them again.

Immediately, Su-ho cast [Weaken].

[ Weaken is activated. ]

Fwaaaah!

The skill’s effect burst out, striking the serpent.

But with a 20-level gap, how long it would hold was uncertain.

So the plan: speedrun.

Su-ho charged forward.