Swordmaster Healer Chapter 103

Chapter 34 - Moving Warp Gate (3)

TL: Boko

Editor: Frost

"Healing Spray," Sung Joon yelled, as a white light radiated from his outstretched left hand. The orbs of light poured from the sky, and any Hunter touched by the spheres were healed.

"Mr. Supporter Hunter, please use your mana recovery buff on me!" Sung Joon requested.

"Yes, I understand."

It had been ten minutes since the start of the battle. The number of enemies were dwindling at a rapid pace, but the number of reinforcing monsters was still at a number that they couldn't ignore.

Therefore, he was worried about a long term battle, so he had requested a mana recovery buff.

"Mana Regen!"

The Supporter Hunter cast a buff that increases mana recovery. This would allow Alpha Team Two to fight at least a little bit longer.

"Ugh."

He had increased his synchronization rate by a mere 1%, but he was starting to feel the side effects. If he increased his synchronization rate any further, the pain would make it difficult for him to continue fighting.

"Bless."

Sung Joon kept increasing his synchronization rate as a last resort, and used one of the 'Empire's Battle Priest's Vestments' abilities, the Bless skill.

As he used Bless, he felt effects similar to increasing his synchronization rate. In exchange for not possessing any side effects, the Bless skill required that he consume mana to maintain it.

"Absorb."

However, to Sung Joon, who could absorb both mana and stamina, the maintenance cost wouldn't be much of a problem.

"Team Leader! The left flank has fallen!"

One of his teammates dashed towards him and reported. Sung Joon turned his attention towards the left flank. They were trying to maintain the basic formation, but the teammates couldn't withstand the monsters' furious attacks and the left flank fell.

"How many casualties?"

"There are three severely wounded, but no one has died."

Sung Joon stretched his hand towards the left flank of the formation.

"Healing Spray."

A handful of mana escaped him, and a white light spread through the left flank.

"Mr. Park Jang Hoon," Sung Joon called. Jang Hoon, who had been fighting fiercely amidst the battlefield, grasped a small opportunity to approach Sung Joon.

He wasn't fatally injured, but there were light injuries all over his body.

"Heal."

Sung Joon used his Heal to treat Jang Hoon's  injuries.

"What's wrong?"

"There're three fatally injured team members. I used my Healing Spray on them, but it'll be difficult for them to move immediately. Please go get them and retreat.Then, create a final defense line."

"You can count on me. I'll do my best."

Their first meeting wasn't pleasant, but he trusted Sung Joon more than anyone right now. Jang Hoon brandished his greatsword, dashing back into the battlefield and subduing the monsters.

Whenever his aura clad greatsword cleaved through the air, monsters' red blood would be spewed, and their bodies would topple to the floor.

"Shin Chul!" Jang Hoon yelled, and Shin Chul rained down his completed high-rank magic onto the left flank; the fire spears continuously struck the group of monsters.

The flames spread, erupting into a huge fire.

"Fire Wall!"

As soon as Shin Chul completed his high-rank magic, red flames surged forth. Because he used the already existing flames, the casting time was minimized, and Jang Hoon used that opportunity to rescue the three injured teammates with the help of another Hunter and took them to safety.

"Mr. Kang Sung Joon!"

While Sung Joon was busily cutting down monsters he heard Cha Hyun's voice from behind him. Sung Joon beheaded an Orc Berserker that had rushed towards him, and opened his mouth.

"I'm listening."

It was a tense situation, but because he had experienced several battles in his past life, his voice was relatively relaxed.

"There'll be an air strike! A formation of attack helicopters are coming here!"

"We'll be swept away as well."

"They won't fire a direct shot in this area; their job is to delay the monsters in the surrounding area! While our attack helicopters are buying you time, you just need to clean up all the monsters here and back off!"

Even in these pressing circumstances, Cha Hyun explained the situation clearly.

"I understand."

Sung Joon nodded his head. A little while later, he heard the sound of helicopters approaching. They slowly got closer and closer, and at some point, he heard missiles being fired, with the accompanying sound of explosions.

When the sounds of missiles and  explosions receded, he heard the weighty sound of machine guns firing rock the earth.

"The air strike won't be able to cut down the number of monsters, but they're delaying them from joining up with the monsters here! Mr. Kang Sung Joon, now is the time!"

"Back off first!" Sung Joon ordered Alpha Team Two.

"We haven't procured a retreat route!" someone yelled.

"Then I'll make that retreat path," Sung Joon said briefly, and drew his mana.

"Gale Sword."

His body burst forward like a bullet. At the same time, sword winds raged around him. The monsters were swept away like dead leaves.

"This way!" Sung Joon yelled, and his team withdrew through the path whilst guarding the Healers, Supporters, and Mages. Despite the formation of attack helicopters exhausting their missiles, they fired their machine guns to aid Alpha Team Two's escape.  

In the process, two attack helicopters plunged to the ground.

"There aren't any monsters nearby," Shin Chul reported. The group of monsters acted like troops, centered around the Winter Sovereign. There were some monsters that spread across the battlefield, but most of the monsters moved as a group.

"Please rest for ten minutes whilst keeping your guard up."

Because Sung Joon had absorbed stamina and mana from his opponents, he was barely fatigued, but his other teammates were exhausted from the continuous battle.

Sung Joon knew that they needed at least a small break.

"Hoo!"

Sung Joon sighed deeply, took a water bottle out of his sack, and gulped it down in one go. Rishubalt came beside him and opened his mouth.

"Your synchronization rate is at 41%."

Despite him killing two Orc Blademasters, and killing countless monsters, his synchronization rate had only raised by 1%.

The higher his synchronization rate increased, the more mana he needed to further increase his synchronization rate.

"Thanks," Sung Joon said softly. He had ordered Rishubalt to not be lax in his reports on his synchronization rate. Rishubalt was dutifully following his order.

In such a tense environment, five minutes were much too short. When their break was over, Sung Joon returned back to his teammates.

"It seems like it'll be difficult to defeat the Winter Sovereign with only one team."

This was his conclusion after pondering the subject. Shin Chul, who was perched upon a rock and chewing beef jerky, stood up. He directed his attention to Sung Joon.

"Are you saying we're going to join up with another team?"

"You're exactly right. It's not like we're competing, so there's nothing wrong with working together," Sung Joon replied.

"It doesn't seem like a bad idea."

"Working together sounds fine."

The team members nodded their heads. Eventually, Sung Joon turned his attention to Cha Hyun.

"Team Leader Im. What's the closest team?"

"Choi Eun Joo's Alpha Team Three is the closest."

Cha Hyun briefly paused and inspected the radar. This was for him to precisely ascertain where the Alpha Team Three was.

"They're about three km north of us," Cha Hyun said. Sung Joon narrowed his eyes and organized his thoughts. Three kilometers wasn't very far in Hunter standards, but if he considered that they encountered monsters along the way, they would need some more time before they joined up.

"Team Leader Im. Do you have a way to contact Ms. Choi Eun Joo's team?"

"Yes, I'm carrying the communication equipment."

Because Raids occurred on the outside, there wasn't as much mana interference as there was in dungeons. Despite that, it was impossible to use one's phone during a Raid, but proper communication equipment would enable them to get in touch with others from afar.

"Please relay my intentions to Ms. Choi Eun Joo," Sung Joon said. He was sure that Eun Joo would agree with him. It would probably never happen, but if she disagreed, he could just join up with the sixth ranked S-rank Hunter, Na Joon Yeol.

Joon Yeol was extremely patriotic, so he wouldn't refuse him. But because it would take a long time for them to meet up, the Winter Monarch would cause even more damage in the meantime.

"Ms. Choi Eun Joo has responded. She's decided to come to our location!"

Cha Hyun was the bringer of good news. Sung Joon nodded his head and opened his mouth.

"Let's not just sit here and wait. Let's go!" Sung Joon said, and everyone nodded their heads. The faster they joined up with the other team, the better. The Alpha Two Team and the Alpha Three Team did their best to meet up, and each respectively travelled towards each other. After they had fought through a group of monsters, they were able to join up.

"Mr. Sung Joon!" Eun Joo yelled his name, and dashed towards him; her voice was mixed with joy.

"How many casualties do you have?"

Sung Joon put his happiness behind him, and did his best to grasp the situation at hand.

"Including myself, there were thirty members, but nine of them died. There's one Supporter, three Healers, and one Mage amongst our remaining members."

"It's a relief that Supporters and Healers have joined up with us."

If Alpha Three had sustained a lot of damage to their Supporters and Healers, Alpha Two's own Supporters and Healers would be weighed down by a heavy burden.

"I'll take over command. Is that alright?" Sung Joon said, and Eun Joo nodded as if it were obvious.

"Yes, since there was absolutely no damage to the Alpha Two Team, I believe it's only right that you take over command, Mr. Sung Joon."

As soon as Eun Joo agreed, no one else disagreed with her decision.

"Could you please tell me your plan?"

"I have a technique that can kill the Winter Sovereign in a single blow. It's killing power against a single target is extremely high."

He was talking about the 'Illusionary Sword'.

"That huge monster in one strike?"

"Yes, that's right. However, it's impossible to use it repeatedly because the mana consumption is high. Therefore, I must use it against the Winter Sovereign."

"If that's the case, then my job, as well as the rest of the team's job is to cover you, right?" Eun Joo said. Sung Joon smiled and nodded his head. It was great he didn't need to go through a lengthy explanation.

"Please take care of me."

The team proceeded to start their hunt for the Winter Sovereign in earnest. The Winter Sovereign's advance south was extremely slow. Cha Hyun established a line of communication with headquarters and requested that the army slow down the advance of the Winter Sovereign as much as possible.

The sound of the surface-to-surface missiles being fired from the self-propelled guns ripped through the air. The army's active support helped to slow down the Winter Sovereign's advance, albeit by just a little.

"I see the Winter Sovereign!"

Soon, the Winter Sovereign was close enough that they could see it with their very eyes.

"Team Leader! The monsters are moving!" Shin Chul reported. The monsters noticed the Hunters' approach and the group maneuvered themselves so that they could protect the Winter Sovereign.

"I've confirmed that there are a hundred of them."

Sung Joon grasped the movements of the monster group, and Jang Hoon stepped in front of him.

"Mr. Park Jang Hoon?"

"I'll make a path! So you just need to focus on the Winter Sovereign, Team Leader!" Jang Hoon spoke in an overwhelmingly confident voice. Seeing that, Sung Joon smiled and nodded his head.

"Then, I'll leave it to you."

Eventually, the group of monsters was revealed. Shin Chul used his magic and ascertained the danger level of the group of monsters. Rishubalt likewise did the same, but Shin Chul was a bit faster.

"There are two S-ranks, and five ranks."

"Ms. Choi Eun Joo," Sung Joon called calmly. She raised her greatsword radiating in white light and stood beside Sung Joon.

"I'll take care of the two S-ranks myself."

//

Chapter end