The Support Ate it All
Chapter 64: No.388 Feathered Serpent Altar (3)

Squelsh!

With the sound of blood splattering the body of a barbarian crumbled down.

This one was the last of them.

Go Hyeon-woo thrust his slightly cracked iron sword into the ground.

It seemed likely to break soon so it was better to throw it now rather than have it snap in the midst of battle.

He pulled out a new iron sword from his inventory and started moving along the path once more.

“……”

As Go Hyeon-woo walked briskly he took in the sight of a large rock on his right.

All that could be seen beyond it was deep darkness but he knew.

It’s an ambush.

It was all written in the strategy guide.

There was no reason to wait for the enemies to make the first move.

When Go Hyeon-woo launched himself towards the rock, the barbarians hiding there were taken aback and revealed themselves.

“We’ve been spotted!”

“Kill him!”

Spears flew towards him.

Go Hyeon-woo responded with the same composure as before.

With a smooth swipe of his iron sword, the spears rushing towards him lost their momentum and fell to the ground, followed by the heads of the barbarians.

Swish!

There was not a hint of hesitation in Go Hyeon-woo’s swordplay.

Mercy was a luxury for those who offered humans as living sacrifices.

Even amidst the blood-drenched scene, Go Hyeon-woo’s expression remained impassive.

He immediately leaped to the next location.

There’s no time to waste.

By now, Kim Ho would be risking his life in a one-on-one battle with the boss monster.

He had volunteered for the most challenging role to ensure that he could secure the hidden piece.

What then was the best course of action available to him?

To achieve his goals as swiftly and accurately as possible.

Having familiarized himself with the [Feathered Serpent Altar] strategy guide and entered the dungeon, he realized that things were not as complicated as he had initially thought.

It seemed that even a few mistakes wouldn’t hinder his ability to accomplish his objectives.

Perhaps because it was their first underground dungeon Kim Ho kept it simple and easy on purpose.

However, Go Hyeon-woo had no intention of being satisfied with a mediocre performance.

To execute it flawlessly, without a single error.

And by doing so, he would prove something.

That he could be trusted and relied upon, even in the more dangerous depths of deeper dungeons.

As Go Hyeon-woo’s train of thought came to an abrupt halt, the path ended, and he emerged into a considerably large space.

The Feather Serpent Altar was clearly visible from afar, but it was even more magnificent when seen up close.

It felt as though one side of his vision was completely filled by it.

Preparations for the ritual were in full swing in front of the altar.

Prisoners who would soon be offered as living sacrifices were tied up in rows and waiting for their turn like livestock.

Their eyes were devoid of life and they seemed to have resigned themselves to the inevitable death that awaited them.

Several barbarians milled around them while continuously sprinkling something from baskets onto the ground.

What should one call it…?

Seasoning?

Meanwhile, the barbarians armed themselves and were prepared for confrontation.

It was only natural, given that news of Go Hyeon-woo must have reached them by now.

Hostile glares poured in from all directions.

With these stares upon him, Go Hyeon-woo strode confidently through the crowd.

“What are you all doing? Capture him immediately!”

“It doesn’t matter if he’s killed!”

At someone’s shout, every spear and sword in the area were aimed at Go Hyeon-woo.

From that moment on, Go Hyeon-woo quickened his pace.

He cut down anything that blocked his path and ran straight in one direction.

He brushed past a man thrusting a spear.

The next moment, a long gash appeared across the man’s chest.

Another attacker came at him, wielding a sword with a shield in front of him.

Go Hyeon-woo tilted his body slightly and with a swift motion of his iron sword, split the shield and its bearer in two.

“Ahh!”

“Keuek!”

Screams and death throes echoed as he moved swiftly on, leaving them behind.

He already knew where to go.

At Go Hyeon-woo’s intended location stood a large figure.

He was noticeably taller and bulkier than an average person.

The face paint was clear and unique, setting him apart from the typical barbarians.

That must be Fatty.

Among those waiting at the altar were two altar servers.

They held a position just below the priest and were essentially acting as mid-level bosses.

In Kim Ho’s strategy guide, they were nicknamed the “Fatty” and the “Skinny”.

– Fatty uses his brute strength to swing a thick log, while Skinny darts around with great agility and shoots poisoned darts.

– The battle becomes more difficult once the two start attacking together.

Would be interesting to have a fight with them.

As a warrior, Go Hyeon-woo felt a surge of competitive spirit, but he did not forget his main duty.

For now, I should just follow the strategy as it is.

Fatty silently locked eyes with Go Hyeon-woo and then embraced a thick log embedded in the ground nearby.

Once he applied more force, the log slowly began to emerge from the depths of the earth.

Meanwhile, Go Hyeon-woo steadily closed the distance between him and his opponent.

According to the next part of the strategy guide:

– The battle becomes more difficult once the two start attacking together.

– But, is there a need to confront both enemies at the same time?

Just as Fatty was about to fully extract the log,

At the moment when his opponent was most vulnerable, Go Hyeon-woo’s iron sword traced a straight line.

[Rapid Current]

A powerful gust of wind swept up from behind him.

Riding this current, Go Hyeon-woo’s sword strike accelerated.

This was the swift sword technique he had honed through his duel with Jang Sam.

Whoosh!

In the next moment, Fatty’s movement came to an abrupt halt.

Fatty’s eyes widened in disbelief for a moment before he clutched his throat and collapsed.

The bulky body and the log hit the ground one after another, kicking up dust.

Thud!

Go Hyeon-woo let go of his crumbling iron sword and drew a new one.

He grabbed the now cold arm of Fatty and tore off his bracelet.

“One down.”

Then, in a swift motion, he turned around and drew his sword.

Clang!

Something struck the iron sword and was deflected away.

A quick glance at the object that fell to the ground revealed it to be a poison dart that was incredibly thin and short.

Go Hyeon-woo’s gaze slowly swept over the surrounding barbarians before catching a swiftly moving shadow among them.

It was almost certainly the “skinny” one.

Swoosh!

He dodged another incoming poison dart by moving half a step to the side.

As he followed the trajectory of the shot with his eyes, he found that the shooter had already vanished.

A tactic of using the numerous barbarians as a wall to launch poison darts.

How troublesome.

That was Go Hyeon-woo’s honest impression.

It was a tactic that he could never favor as a warrior.

If there was one piece of good news, it was that the barbarians’ defenses were not as solid as Park Na-ri’s companion tiger.

Having taken out Fatty in advance proved to be effective.

The next instruction in the strategy guide resonated well with Go Hyeon-woo.

– Do not pursue Skinny immediately; first reduce the number of barbarians.

He was confident in a head-on confrontation.

With enemies swarming like waves, the movement of his iron sword gradually slowed.

[Clear Stream]

A gentle wind swept past the barbarians.

However, what ensued was anything but gentle.

Swiiiiiiish!

“Kaaaaak!”

The sword energy carried by the wind mercilessly tore through a dozen barbarians within its range.

As the fallen barbarians’ places were filled by those behind them, another gust of wind swept through, claiming more lives.

Though they were like fanatics who were willing to risk death, there was nothing they could do as they fell down one by one with one sword strike.

The human wall crumbled in an instant, revealing a man who had been hiding among them.

His body was as thin as a skeleton and he held a long blowpipe in his mouth.

Go Hyeon-woo wasn’t one to usually comment on others’ appearances, but in this moment, he had to admit.

Kim-hyung really knows how to pick a nickname.

The nickname “Skinny” couldn’t have been more fitting.

Whoosh!

Skinny launched another poison dart.

Go Hyeon-woo’s attitude was more relaxed than before.

As he continued to slowly draw his sword through the air, the poison darts disintegrated mid-flight.

“!!”

Skinny’s eyes widened in shock.

He stood frozen in place for a moment and Go Hyeon-woo aimed his sword directly at him.

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Skinny was taken aback and attempted to flee but no matter how swift he was, escaping the wind was impossible.

As the [Clear Stream] became concentrated, his whole body was twisted and blood spurted out.

Soon, an unrecognizable battered mass of flesh lay on the ground.

“……”

Go Hyeon-woo approached Skinny’s corpse to retrieve his necklace.

Fatty’s bracelet and Skinny’s necklace.

When combined, they fit together as if they were originally one piece.

It was a serpent-shaped emblem, coiled and adorned with feathers all over, seemingly ready to soar into the sky at any moment.

The next step is to ascend the altar.

The climb to the altar encountered far less interference than before.

After the loss of two altar servers, the barbarians’ momentum seemed to wane.

Moreover, the altar itself appeared to be a sacred site that should not be tread upon lightly, and they hesitated to advance.

Occasionally, he would cut down one or two people with a single sword strike who rushed at him without realizing that their lives were at stake.

The entrance to the inner part of the altar was sealed by a thick stone door but it immediately responded when Go Hyeon-woo approached.

The serpent emblem in his hand trembled and the door opened as if welcoming him.

The interior was clean and tidy without a speck of dust, and a long sword was neatly placed in the middle of it.

Though it was made of gold, it lacked luster, and countless hieroglyphs were engraved on the blade.

It was more an artifact of art than a sword.

[Feathered Serpent Magic Sword (D)]

Originally, this magic sword was bound to the Feathered Serpent priest.

During the final showdown, as the priest slowly moved towards the altar, failing to stop him would result in him arming himself with the magic sword.

From that point on, one would have to fight against a magic swordsman who was good at both close-range and long-range combat.

However, since Kim Ho had confined the priest to the tribe, and Go Hyeon-woo reached the altar first, the magic sword became his possession.

But it wasn’t over yet.

There’s one more step remaining.

As Go Hyeon-woo took hold of the magic sword and stepped away from the altar, an invisible foreign energy poured in.

The magic sword greedily devoured it all.

[Feathered Serpent Magic Sword (D+)]

▷Souls of the Feathered Serpent Tribe 100/100 (Complete)

▷Souls of the Feathered Serpent Altar Servers 2/2 (Complete)

▷Soul of the Feathered Serpent Priest 0/1 (In Progress)

The sword’s rank had risen from D to D+.

The worn parts of the blade had been notably restored and the hieroglyphs became even clearer.

It had been strengthened by absorbing the souls of the barbarians and the altar servers.

Just one more, and the enhancement would be perfectly complete.

I’m heading back to the tribe.

Go Hyeon-woo began to retrace his steps.

With Kim Ho having left marks along the way, finding the tribe should be easy.

***

Boom! Crash!

I twisted my body this way and that to avoid the golden lights that were flying at me for who knows how many times.

I paused momentarily to survey the scene.

The tribe lay in ruins as if swept by a natural disaster.

Barbarians were strewn about here and there.

Most were the work of the priest.

My only crime was running away.

I must admit. I did occasionally use Wind Force to send some nuisances flying so I’ll concede to being about 10% at fault.

“No…!”

The priest who had been fervently casting magic suddenly shifted his gaze towards the altar.

It was then that he realized his connection to the ritual sword had been severed.

The transfer of ownership of the ritual sword meant someone had successfully infiltrated, which in turn implied that the two mid-bosses had been defeated.

I guess it’s over.

I was very satisfied.

Judging by the time it had taken so far, it almost perfectly matched my expectations.

It appears Go Hyeon-woo followed the strategy book quite accurately.

If Go Hyeon-woo was unable to suppress his competitive spirit and took on both Fatty and Skinny at the same time, it would have cost him a lot of time.

Moreover, had he not followed my instructions to take out the barbarians first when dealing with Skinny, not only would it have taken longer, but he would also have had to finish off the 100 barbarians for the ritual sword afterward.

By prioritizing and adhering to my strategy, he was able to finish within the expected timeframe.

You pass.

With this much success, I felt confident enough to entrust the next hidden piece to them.

“Stop him! I will head to the altar.”

The priest pointed at me and commanded the few remaining barbarians.

Then, he attempted to leave the scene in a rush but I called out,

“Where are you going all by yourself, Ahjussi?”

[Activate ‘Amplification’]

[The rank of ‘Wind Force’ has been increased. (C+->A+)]

[Duration 00:01:57]

[Cooldown 00:49:57]

Whoosh!

I created a gust directly in his path.

The tremendous wind force made the priest try to resist with all his might but soon he was stumbling backwards and ended up embarrassingly landing on his backside.

He then shouted with his face flushed red in anger.

“You!!”

“Is it common to leave in the middle of a fight? It’s quite disappointing.”

“Don’t get in my way!!”

“There’s nothing left for you there. It’s all over anyway.”

There was no need for him to go; Go Hyeon-woo was already on his way here.

The final goal for strengthening the magic sword was to absorb the priest’s soul.

There would be no obstacles in his way, as I had left markers for him.

It wouldn’t take long for him to reach this place.

“Let’s wrap this up, shall we?”

My fist was engulfed in a dark red flame.

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