Chapter 155: The Lord Boss
The sensation was similar to a person encountering a tiger in the wilderness.
It carried a fear that seemed engraved directly into one’s genes.
Although it had not reached the point where his hands and feet went numb, his heart really had begun accelerating beyond his control.
He had not even felt this kind of pressure when facing the Zombie Spider before.
Yet compared to that time, his current strength had improved so dramatically that the difference could be described as heaven and earth.
By all logic, he should not have been reacting this poorly now.
Joo Joowon instinctively held his breath.
Fortunately, neither of the cats in his arms struggled or made any noise.
Perhaps, like him, they were also being suppressed by the overwhelming aura.
He carefully began backing away.
At the same time, he pushed his Mental Power outward, trying to reduce his presence as much as possible in the hope that he could leave without being noticed.
However, in the very next moment, Joo Joowon’s expression changed dramatically.
A terrifying sense of suffocation surged through his chest.
He did not even need a system notification to realize what had happened.
He had been locked onto.
[ Ding! ]
[ You have been locked onto by a Lord-rank Boss. Combat has begun! ]
[ Lord-rank Bosses cannot disengage from combat through conventional means. Combat will only end when one side’s life signs disappear! ]
A high position that allowed the boss to look down upon him was definitely not suitable terrain for fighting.
The moment the system notification appeared, Joo Joowon immediately exploded into motion and sprinted downstairs at full speed.
He rushed back into the classroom he had entered earlier and threw every window open as wide as possible, making sure he would have an escape route available at all times.
His previous encounter with a boss had already taught him that this type of lock-on only worked within a general area.
Perhaps this boss was stronger and possessed a more precise sense of detection.
Even so, as long as enough distance separated them, the boss would at most know the general direction in which he had fled.
Without closing to a certain range, it would be impossible for it to determine his exact location.
The creature did not seem to be in any hurry.
Joo Joowon could hear heavy footsteps echoing through the building.
It sounded like an enormous monster.
Every step it took caused the floor beneath him to tremble slightly.
Joo Joowon had already put both cats down on the floor.
He trusted that, with a cat’s natural agility, he was far more likely to become the target of the boss’s attacks than they were.
Finally, a gigantic figure blocked the doorway.
Saying that it blocked the doorway was not an exaggeration in the slightest.
From where he stood, Joo Joowon could not even see the creature’s full body.
The only thing visible within the doorframe was an enormous belly that resembled the stomach of a laughing Buddha statue.
Layers of fat rolled and rippled with every movement it made.
The two legs beneath it looked less like legs and more like giant pillars.
Layer upon layer of flesh had piled up around them until the doorway was completely sealed off without leaving even the slightest gap.
"His..."
Before the enormous boss could even squeeze its body through the doorway, both cats had already exploded into panic.
Their fur stood on end as they flattened their ears and released sharp warning hisses.
Clearly, both of them had sensed the tremendous danger emanating from the creature.
The massive boss, however, obviously did not care about two tiny creatures of such insignificant size.
It stopped at the doorway without moving any further, seemingly trying to figure out how to force its way through the obstacle blocking its path.
Joo Joowon held his Crossbow steady but did not fire recklessly.
The creature looked exactly like the type of boss that possessed extremely high defensive capabilities.
There was a very real possibility that even if the bolts struck, they would fail to penetrate its defenses and would simply become embedded in layers of fat.
How much damage they could actually inflict was impossible to predict.
If he was going to attack, he needed to target areas where the skin was thinner.
As Joo Joowon cautiously observed its movements, the boss finally reacted.
Unfortunately, it was not the reaction he had been expecting.
The layers of fat covering its legs began to ripple and tremble like waves spreading across the surface of a lake.
Before long, a human face actually emerged from the flesh itself.
Its mouth stretched upward toward both eyes, while the eyes themselves had been squeezed into crescent shapes by the surrounding fat, creating a horrifying appearance as they stared directly at Joo Joowon.
The instant before their gazes met, Joo Joowon’s scalp went numb.
Acting almost entirely on instinct, he shifted his eyes away.
Unfortunately, he was already too late.
It felt as though his soul had been struck by a massive hammer.
His thoughts instantly fell into chaos and his body froze where he stood.
An indescribably terrifying energy invaded his soul directly, leaving him with absolutely no room to resist.
In that moment, Joo Joowon felt as though he had fallen into complete darkness.
He could see nothing.
Even the very concept of his own existence began to blur.
It felt as though his soul had sunk into the depths of an endless ocean and was continuing to descend deeper and deeper.
A rustling sound echoed beside his ears.
It was as though invisible worms were burrowing into his flesh.
At the same time, voices seemed to be chanting and praising something.
The chant was solemn, sacred, and majestic.
That Mysterious Father...
Eternal throughout all ages...
Exalted Ruler of the Eternal Cosmos...
We respectfully receive the All Father...
We beg You to listen...
Joo Joowon felt himself sinking lower and lower.
The voices around him grew louder and louder.