Chapter 175: When One Falls, the Others Continue (2)

"We abandon defense!"

Jackson clenched his fists.

"And we do nothing but attack!!"

Everyone froze for a moment upon hearing his plan.

Abandoning defense entirely and focusing only on attacking a King-rank creature...

A monster like a cat with seven lives.

Jackson was practically asking them to die.

A single direct attack from Morgus would be enough to kill most of them instantly. Gustav was the only exception, now that he had reached the Saint Rank and possessed enough durability to withstand him for a short while.

"Understood!!"

While everyone else hesitated, Moon’s answer came after less than a second.

Her voice carried no uncertainty whatsoever.

If Jackson intended to charge straight into hell, she was ready to run after him.

Her resolve left the members of the First Team stunned for a moment.

The girl standing before them had made her decision faster than they had, despite them being the more experienced hunters.

But their hesitation didn’t last.

Gustav rushed forward next, and the two remaining members of his team reluctantly followed behind him.

Jackson nodded in satisfaction as he watched them gather behind him.

"I wouldn’t have blamed any of you if you’d chosen to retreat and run away here... but every one of you chose to keep going with me."

He paused, his gaze passing over them.

"We may belong to different generations, but the same blood runs through all of us."

"You have my respect."

Jackson slammed his fists together, a wide grin spreading across his face as his crimson eyes began to glow.

"Now let’s send this damned zealot to the gods he worships!!"

Jackson charged.

The ground exploded beneath his feet as he launched himself forward like a raging bull that had finally found its target.

Everyone followed close behind him.

On the other side...

Morgus had completed his transformation.

A new pair of brilliant golden wings spread from his back, bringing the total to four.

Standing before them with four radiant wings unfurled behind him, Morgus looked like a fallen angel descended from the heavens.

The fallen monster soared toward Jackson, and only moments later, their fists collided midway between them.

Both auras erupted at the instant of impact, unleashing a violent pressure wave in every direction. The ground cracked beneath their feet, yet neither gave a single step, their fists remaining locked together as each poured everything he had into overpowering the other.

Then they broke apart at the exact same moment.

Barely a heartbeat passed before they charged again, and their clash descended into savage close-quarters combat. One punch met another, arms intercepted blows before answering with elbows and knees, while the aura coating their bodies exploded with every collision until even the air around them seemed to tremble.

It was a thunderous battle between two monsters, each tearing the other apart.

The other four hunters joined the brutal exchange and bombarded Morgus with attacks from every direction. The monster was locked against Jackson as his primary opponent and couldn’t simply ignore him, preventing him from directly focusing his attacks on Moon and the others.

They were using the same strategy Ethan had devised against the Iron Devil.

Rotate in and out, exploit the monster’s focus on Jackson, and inflict as much damage as possible whenever an opening appeared.

But it wasn’t nearly as simple this time.

Unlike the Iron Devil, who had essentially been a tank that relied solely on its body, Morgus was a Paladin.

And Paladins could wield miracles.

Morgus slammed his foot against the ground.

His aura surged through the floor before erupting beneath everyone around him in the form of spears that pierced upward toward their bodies.

Moon was fast enough to leap high into the air and escape the attack, while Gustav blocked the spears with his Aura Armor.

But the members of the First Team weren’t nearly as fortunate.

One spear pierced through the first hunter’s abdomen.

Another tore through the second hunter’s arm and leg.

"No!!"

Gustav screamed in horror when he saw his teammates wounded.

His attention slipped for a single second.

That was all Morgus needed.

The monster caught him with a sudden attack and sent him flying across the hall before he crashed violently into the distant wall.

With a single move...

Morgus had temporarily reduced the number of opponents surrounding him from five to two.

But he had failed to account for the phoenix burning above his head.

Moon, who had leaped into the air to avoid the spears, was now directly above him.

She tightened both hands around the hilt of her sword.

The flames surrounding the weapon intensified until the blade itself disappeared entirely within them, the fire twisting into the shape of a bird struggling to break free from inside the sword.

"I didn’t want to use this attack yet..."

Moon began falling toward him.

"But I have no choice."

She brought her sword down with everything she had.

The instant it struck, Phoenix Flame erupted violently inside Morgus’s body, destroying him from within as the tremendous pressure accompanying the blow shattered the ground beneath his feet.

Morgus screamed in agony.

Flames burst from his eyes and mouth, while Moon remained clinging to his back, driving her sword deeper into his flesh and pouring even more fire directly into him.

The attack didn’t kill him.

But the damage it inflicted was devastating.

And Jackson immediately took advantage of it.

He drove a killing blow straight into Morgus and blasted apart the monster’s chest.

"Excellent work, Moon Heart!"

Jackson shouted in admiration at what he had just witnessed.

Moon rolled away before springing smoothly back onto her feet, blood dripping from her forehead.

"Quickly! The wounded need to heal themselves with their flasks! We don’t have time!"

Moon turned toward the fallen monster, a bitter expression crossing her face.

"I can only use that attack once... and I didn’t want to waste it this early."

Her grip tightened around her sword.

"We need to do better than this if we want to win!"

Her words were both a reprimand and encouragement to her companions, especially the members of the First Team, who understood that their mistake had nearly cost everyone the battle.

They quickly drank their flasks and returned to their positions behind Jackson.

Then came the fourth bell.

As expected, Morgus rose again.

Stronger than before.

Another pair of wings emerged from his back, bringing the total to six.

"May the heavens curse each and every one of you. May your names remain a disgrace even after death."

The monster spoke again.

And this time, he sounded even angrier.

His body grew larger as a torrent of aura coursed through his veins, eventually gathering around his arms until both disappeared inside enormous clouds of overwhelming power.

The battle resumed immediately.