Chapter 194

〈 Chapter 194 〉 Part 1, Chapter 9, 28

When the Great White Flame himself illuminated the darkness with his own hands, the massive form of the Black Scorpion was revealed.

Beneath the towering figure of the Black Scorpion, which rose like Mount Tai, lay a deep shadow. The nearby heroes were reduced to mere ants.

The little ones, unable to contain their anger, picked up their weapons, and the Black Scorpion rampaged like a parent who had lost their child.

Its trembling body is still vivid in my mind. I could do nothing but watch the Black Scorpion frozen in ice from afar, for my skills were lacking.

Lady Snowflake descended from the shattered ice wall, giving us ground to stand on, yet none dared to attempt climbing the hill.

The battlefield was too dark, and the Great White Flame struggled to ignite his flames. Oh heavens, why did you grant the Great White Flame the strength of a lion, yet also bestow upon him such chivalrous spirit?

Though noble-hearted, the Great White Flame’s treatment of even female beasts with kindness left many men yearning.

Thus, righteous knights gathered, holding aloft the torch left by the Great White Flame.

Indeed.

It was the tail of the Black Scorpion slain by the Great Hero. We used it as a torch to illuminate the darkness, finally revealing the full form of the Black Scorpion.

Ah!

What a ghastly and pale appearance! How eerily human-like! Its cries of grief for its lost young were truly unsettling.

Is this not akin to humanity itself? My fellow warriors surely witnessed it. Has the Moon Goddess descended? Or perhaps the Western Goddess of Beauty has arrived? The Eastern Professor proclaimed:

“The Black Scorpion represents the ultimate beauty of womanhood.”

Ultimate beauty!

We beheld with our own eyes the overflowing maternal instincts of the Black Scorpion nurturing thousands of offspring. What else could this be but motherhood incarnate?

Ah…

It is still so vivid.

The anguished screams of the Black Scorpion grieving for the small ones’ wrath. How foolish are humans to cut open the liver of the golden egg-laying goose! The moment of hanging it out of jealousy still haunts me!

Alas!

Ah…

Curious about the Black Scorpion’s form?

Not telling, lol.

<This channel has been suspended by the Hero Association.>

– June 23rd, Hero Community Streaming Site, excerpt from “[Certified] Sharing my encounter with Queen Black Scorpion”

* * *

Seok Harang pounded his empty chest with his palm. Creating an ice rink across the entire Blue Sea required more magic power than when he froze the East Sea while battling Moby Dick.

“Huff…”

A breath escaped Seok Harang’s lips. The cold night air meeting the ice he created caused the battlefield temperature to plummet dramatically.

“Get out of the way!”

“Raise the torches! Hold high the Black Scorpion’s tail!”

Heroes gathered around the bonfire created by Hwakwon, holding aloft the tail of the Black Scorpion. Though insufficient to directly confront the 60-meter giant monster, they supported the S-Rank Heroes battling the Black Scorpion using other methods.

“Darkness, begone!”

“Shine light upon the Black Scorpion! The heroes might not see well in the dark!”

The white flame that had surrounded the lake began concentrating toward the center.

The circle gradually shrank, forming another encircling net around the Black Scorpion, while heroes held high the Black Scorpion’s tail as signal fires.

“Ohhh!”

“It’s visible! It’s visible!!”

As the torches gathered, they formed a massive blaze. The heroes’ wishes reached the center of the lake, becoming a lighthouse illuminating the Black Scorpion’s body.

“Uooooooh!”

“Go, gooo!”

Heroes began shouting someone’s battle cry, regardless of age, nationality, or hero rank. With one heart and one mind, they chanted someone’s name.

“Fire! Fist! Fire! Fist!”

While simple cheers wouldn’t increase magic power, the dark desires of the men definitely infused themselves into Hwakwon’s fists.

“Hyyyyaaaah!”

Hwakwon leaped off the ice, clenching his fist. He “unavoidably” unleashed his magic power, causing it to naturally circulate through his body and ignite flames in his fists.

Whaaaaaat?!

The Black Scorpion extended its long arms to snatch Hwakwon. The upper torso emerging from the ice shook violently.

“KyaAAAAAAH!”

“Uoooooooh!”

The women screamed, while the men cheered. Seeing the approaching massive palm, Hwakwon gathered flames under his feet and exploded them.

BOOOOM!

The explosion sent Hwakwon soaring into the air. The Black Scorpion ended up only grabbing a handful of flames, which startled it into shaking its hand violently at the heat of the white flame.

KyaAAAAAAH!!

The Black Scorpion screamed in pain while shaking its hand violently. The scorpion body trapped beneath the ice also trembled greatly.

[Long-range attackers, begin bombardment! Fire away!]

Following the Executioner’s command, Usa and Pungbaek hurled water bombs. Various magical projectiles and arrows flew toward the Black Scorpion’s abdomen, causing it to cover its belly with its hands.

BOOOOOM!

The Black Scorpion’s body rocked violently. Hwakwon, floating in mid-air, took a deep breath and clenched his fist, ready to strike down.

Whaaaaat?!

“Ahhh!”

The Black Scorpion stretched its hand upward to grab Hwakwon. To escape the tightening grip, Hwakwon quickly undid the top part of his suit caught between its fingers and slipped out.

“Kyaaaaaah!”

Hwakwon stumbled and landed on a slope. He sighed in relief as the battlefield suddenly became silent.

“…?”

Hwakwon swept his foot against the ground he was standing on. Though it appeared to be the solid outer shell of the Black Scorpion, its color resembled his own white flame.

“Eh… Could this be-”

[Where do you think you’re standing?!]

The Executioner’s shout snapped Hwakwon back to reality. There was a hint of embarrassment in the trembling voice.

[Can’t you come down immediately?!]

“Ah, but where exactly am I-”

[On top of the Black Scorpion’s chest!]

“Gyeeek.”

Hwakwon looked up. About 10 meters above, the Black Scorpion stared down at him with black eyes.

Whaaaaaat.

The Black Scorpion definitely said something, though Hwakwon couldn’t understand as he wasn’t a monster. He was merely shocked to realize where he was standing.

“Huh, but if I’m here, maybe the weak point…”

[Can’t you come down immediately?!]

“Ah, no, Executioner. This is a golden opportunity-”

[Come down nowwww!]

The Executioner’s scream nearly broke the earpiece in Hwakwon’s ear. Deciding to first escape the problematic location, Hwakwon moved.

“Eh, eh?!”

The slope suddenly became steeper. Realizing the inclination wasn’t due to himself but rather the Black Scorpion bending forward, Hwakwon started sliding.

“Kyeeeeeh?!”

Hwakwon slipped on the outer shell. Attempting to grab something with his hands proved futile.

“Kyaaaaah!”

Below Hwakwon waited the sharply gleaming poisonous stinger. Using its powerful tail, the Black Scorpion successfully broke through the ice and pulled out its tail, with Hwakwon being its first target.

“Hyyaaah!”

Just before falling, Hwakwon instinctively grabbed a protruding hard part.

“Hooooh.”

[You perverted bastard!]

“You, Executioner. Wha-”

[What are you touching?!]

“Wha, wha, wha?! I absolutely didn’t mean to do this!”

Hwakwon finally realized what he had grabbed.

“Kyaaah!”

Understanding what he had touched, Hwakwon panicked and released a burst of magic power forward. A massive white flame erupted centered on Hwakwon, sending him rolling across the ice in a parabolic trajectory.

Screeeeetch?!

The Black Scorpion’s body bent sideways from the massive explosion on its chest.

Though unharmed thanks to its tough outer shell, the impact was enough to make it lean forward, supporting itself with its elbow on the ice.

“Wowwwwwww!!!”

“Truly the Great White Flame!”

“Truly S-Rank!”

The heroes praised Hwakwon, who had dealt a great blow to the Black Scorpion. More and more torches gathered, lighting up the ice field brightly.

“We can’t lose either!”

“All melee attackers gather! Cutting won’t work!”

S-Rank heroes from foreign lands wielding blunt weapons ran across the ice. Some jumped high like Hwakwon, others circled around aiming for the Black Scorpion’s side.

Whaaaaaat!!

The Black Scorpion raised its body again and swung its arms. It caught a hero jumping bravely and threw them to the opposite side of the lake, while its sharp tail stabbed like lightning.

Crashhhhh!

A flower of ice bloomed in front of the hero aiming for the side. Though the poisonous stinger pierced halfway through the flower, it couldn’t penetrate completely. The hero grinned widely and swung their massive hammer.

“Nice assist, Snowflake Lady!”

BOOOOOM!

The refrigerator-sized hammer struck the Black Scorpion’s side. The ice cracked widely as the Black Scorpion’s body tilted to the side.

Whaaaaaat…!!

The Black Scorpion punched the ice, causing massive vibrations that shook the heroes’ stances. Many heroes fell from the spreading magical shockwave.

KyaAAAAH!

The Black Scorpion’s lower abdomen split vertically, revealing the Black Scorpions hidden within.

Each one displayed menacing pincers and stingers, proving to be genuine S-Rank monsters, not just in name.

“Crazy! They’re enhancing them inside?!”

“D-Rank thousand can’t beat S-Rank three! Don’t worry! Just capture them!”

[A-Rank heroes, establish formations! Three-person teams will handle the Black Scorpions! S-Rank members continue attacking the Black Scorpion and…!]

The Executioner added sternly.

[Don’t do anything like Hwakwon…! It lowers national dignity!]

The Executioner showed considerable discomfort. However, the heroes hearing this found it difficult to judge whether it really lowered national dignity.

“It’s just a monster…”

“Seems overly sensitive.”

“Stop talking and fight already!”

Tempest Lady summoned wind to push her allies forward. The pushed-forward heroes blocked the Black Scorpion’s pincers and tail.

“Unsa!”

“I shall devour!”

Pungbaek swung his staff against the pincers, while Unsa leaped from behind and thrust her spear. The greedy clouds gathering at the spear tip devoured the poisonous stinger, biting and tearing at the tail.

A-Rank heroes moved systematically in teams to handle the S-Rank Black Scorpions. This applied not only to Korean heroes but also to those rushing from other directions.

“Dangerous!”

“Safe!”

Yuhwangsook crossed dual swords to deflect the tail and Chenja stabbed with his sword. Gray bright flames threatened the Black Scorpion. The one opening its mouth received severe burns and retreated.

Whaaaaaat!!

The Black Scorpion began smashing the ice with both fists. It wildly swung its tail trying to emerge onto the ice, causing cracks to appear on the ice containing it.

“This way…!”

[Seok Harang.]

“Eh?”

Seok Harang involuntarily exclaimed. Heroes nearby trying to support him jumped back in surprise.

“K, khem!”

[Why!]

[Should I teach you the weakness?]

[Eh!]

[…You answered quite quickly. Good.]

Seok Harang wanted to grab Phoenix by the collar and shake some answers out of her.

[Black Scorpion’s second phase is concentration of power. Though it appears as one externally, it’s actually a ‘group body’ formed by binding thousands of Black Scorpions with magic power. To counter this-]

[Get to the point quickly!]

[…You need to enter inside and target the ‘mother’ core.]

[Thank you!]

Seok Harang shoved the hairpin into his rear pocket and ran forward. There, protected by heroes, stood the Executioner directing the battle.

“Executioner! We need to target the heart! There’s a mother core inside!”

“Really? The heart?”

“Yes! We need to enter inside and target the mother core!”

“But how-”

At that moment, the wind blew. All heroes on the battlefield lost their balance from the sudden gale coming from the southeast, and the Black Scorpion’s hair fluttered like a flag.

“Wind…?”

The Executioner’s beret flew high into the sky. Rising like a rocket, it landed on the shoulder of someone who caught it.

“Reporting, this is Gale Guest.”

A beauty comparable to the Black Scorpion put on the beret and bowed her head. Though surprised by the unexpected arrival, the heroes remained tense.

“Gale Guest! Dangerous-”

“This thing is already dead.”

Gale Guest kicked the nape of the neck with her foot while casually resting a broken sword on her shoulder.

Keerrreee….

The Black Scorpion made a phlegmy sound as its shoulders shrunk. Its head bowed forward, then lifelessly detached from the neck and rolled down the chest.

“Tch.”

Everyone froze. Now the scene had become unsuitable for teenagers in a different way, but Gale Guest paid no heed and shrugged her shoulders.

“Thought it’d be cleaner to cut it off neatly, so why? Is there a problem?”

Though there was much to say, the heroes kept their mouths shut.

Gale Guest’s previous nickname was Murder Demon.

Complaining would undoubtedly result in losing one’s head like the Black Scorpion.

“No really, why are you all like that? Did I kill a person?! I killed a monster!”

Only female heroes similar in build to Gale Guest seemed willing to take her side.