891
[Chapter 222]
[A Handful of Light]
Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, Baek Seo-jin's secret chamber.
The secret chamber, with traps laid in all directions by geomantic formations, was filled with darkness.
From within, sporadic signs mixed with killing intent could be felt.
"It seems they were waiting for us to come from that side too."
"But it looks like this is the right place. Fortunately, we won't need to move to another place troublesomely."
Han Chang-jin's information was correct.
The Slayers were manifesting mana with the momentum of ending it here.
It seemed there was no need to prepare a strategy in case they moved to another location using Mastema's power.
<Divine Bow> Hoshimiya Kaede.
<Requiem > Jo A-ra.
The two muttered while looking into the darkness.
They didn't show fear even seeing the Slayers swarming in the darkness.
Light up!
Clear away the darkness!
Soon, the players shouted.
Since the Slayers were prepared, a surprise attack by the players was meaningless.
There was nothing but a frontal confrontation.
To do that, they had to light up the darkness covering the secret chamber.
To this, players ignited fires in various places.
"Meiling, Meirin."
"Yes, it's older sister Meiling!"
"It's younger sister Meirin!"
The form of the secret chamber is revealed.
An area consisting of forest and rock walls.
Jeong Ha-yang registered elements that needed to be recorded through the witch's model garden.
Meanwhile, she called the twins who were about to enter the secret chamber.
"Remember that you're the key to breaking the geomantic formations. Don't get hurt. I'd like you to report through Ariel whenever there's an anomaly."
"Little sister, did you hear?"
"Yes, big sister. I heard."
<Gemini > Meiling, Meirin.
The two giggled.
They were planned to dig into enemy lines as soon as the battle started and disable the barriers and traps surrounding the enemy camp.
Also, Jeong Ha-yang and On Tae-hee would fully support them from the rear.
Destroying the geomantic formations was essential for the rear guard and additional support players from Gyeongsangnam-do to enter enemy territory.
"Everyone, prepare for battle. We will now commence the operation. We will enter enemy territory in 1 minute."
"Mary unnie, please do the countdown."
[Starting countdown. 60, 50, 40, 30, 25, 20...]
<Operator > Jeong Ha-yang.
<Browser > On Tae-hee.
<Healing Notes> Kim Mary.
Jeong Ha-yang's strategy was delivered to navigators commanding each unit, including On Tae-hee.
And Kim Mary took on the role of handling communications from the rear.
"Seo-na, be careful."
"Yeah, I know. You too, Ha-yang."
[10, 9, 8, 7...]
On the other hand, Ariel is in charge of middle-rank communications, and Jin Seo-na is in charge of vanguard communications.
<Mermaid > Ariel.
<Miho > Jin Seo-na.
Jeong Ha-yang wished them good luck while counting down the remaining time.
Shortly after, the countdown ended.
[Commencing operation.]
"Vanguard, infiltrate. Destroy the geomantic formations and make a path."
[Vanguard, infiltrate. Destroy the geomantic formations and make a path.]
Jeong Ha-yang ordered.
Kim Mary's telepathy spread.
Immediately, players in the vanguard leaped towards the geomantic formations.
In the Hole
Heat Beam
The Slayers also reacted.
They wouldn't just let the players rushing in to destroy the geomantic formations with their damage output go unchallenged.
To this, snipers hiding in the middle and rear ranks shot at them.
A gap was created.
The players shouted.
Guardians raised their shields.
Gigant Palm
<Little Giant> Kang Si-hyeong.
He was among them too.
Kang Si-hyeong immediately planted his feet on the ground and spread his hands.
The gauntlets covering his hands emit light, creating a giant palm in front.
Right after, traps exploded.
────!!
As one trap exploded.
Other traps reacted in chain, causing explosions in the surrounding area.
The guardians blocked with all their might.
Finally, as the force of the explosions diminished, dealers and hunters passed through the guardians and infiltrated the geomantic formations.
Also, the guardians widened the hole in the geomantic formations centered on that spot.
Following them, players in charge of the middle ranks like rangers, casters, and supporters immediately jumped in.
Han Mae-ryu Ultimate
Snow Dragon
<Divine Spear> Ryu Yeon-hwa.
And the previous generation <Divine Spear> Nam Gung Seong-un.
They, who infiltrated the enemy camp first, used the same magic.
A snowstorm rages.
Their bodies are covered in snow.
Becoming one with their spears, they transformed into snow dragons.
Kuooooo!!
Two dragons roar.
Breaking the Slayers' battle lines, they open a path for the following players.
Densely packed trees fall, and all incoming attacks are blocked.
The two who changed the local environment immediately dug deep into enemy territory.
[Unnie, I found <Abyss >.]
[Got it.]
The two's telepathy.
Ryu Yeon-hwa received Jin Seo-na's contact and looked in a certain direction.
Between trees where darkness had settled.
<Abyss >'s figure flashed briefly.
"Master."
"Make sure you win."
"Yes."
Ryu Yeon-hwa conversed with Nam Gung Seong-un.
No long words were necessary.
They split up.
The players following them also scattered to face their assigned targets.
"You stepped into the darkness with your own feet. I'll be different from then. This is where we originated."
"..."
"It means our achieved myth is deeply engraved in this land."
<Abyss > snickered.
Ryu Yeon-hwa faced him without saying anything.
She only adjusted her grip on her spear.
She exerted her momentum.
"You're not the only one who can manifest a myth."
She opened her mouth after silence.
At that moment, darkness and snow clashed.
☆
<Sword Saint> Choi Eun-hyuk.
Eun-hyuk, who had been focusing on developing northern Gyeonggi Province, joined the subjugation team after hearing the news.
Choi Eun-hyuk was running alongside the previous generation <Divine Spear> Nam Gung Seong-un.
Running together with a living myth was like a dream to him.
"You're Jin-hee noona's disciple?"
"Yes, sir."
"I look forward to it."
"I'll show you a performance that won't tarnish my master's name."
Soon after, the two changed direction.
There was a cave in the secret chamber.
An ominous energy could be felt from there, disturbing the two's minds.
Entering the cave, they soon identified the source of the energy.
Creeak creeak
A sound like rusty machinery moving.
Something that looked like a person was walking creakily from the other side of the cave.
The gait was terrible.
Soon, its identity came into view.
""..."
<Yama > Kang Hyeon-cheol.
It was his corpse.
It was approaching while moving its joints grotesquely as if it had become a puppet.
Moreover, one arm had fallen off and been replaced with a mechanical arm.
The two's faces hardened seeing that sight.
"To desecrate the death of a hero who gave his life for the country like this... It seems you won't be able to die peacefully."
"You bastards."
Behind Kang Hyeon-cheol.
Other corpses came into view.
And behind them, <Puppeteer > Lee Dong-hyuk was walking.
Nam Gung Seong-un and Choi Eun-hyuk showed intense anger seeing them.
"To think even the previous generation <Divine Spear> would come, I didn't expect this. Moreover, with <Sword Saint> too... Unexpectedly, I might be able to get some good puppets."
<Puppeteer > giggles.
The two glared at him with strength in their eyes.
Eventually, Nam Gung Seong-un opened his mouth.
"Jin-hee noona's disciple."
"Yes, sir."
"I'll kill <Puppeteer >. You take care of those over there." "Yes, I'll do that."
Choi Eun-hyuk stepped forward.
He stood in front of Kang Hyeon-cheol.
"I'll send you off peacefully."
Someone he had admired as a child.
The death of such a person was being mocked.
Choi Eun-hyuk vowed to definitely free Kang Hyeon-cheol from that bastard's control.
Whoosh!
Flames ignite on Kang Hyeon-cheol's body.
Choi Eun-hyuk swung his sword towards Kang Hyeon-cheol while avoiding the rushing flames.
Sword and flames clash.
Gift <Critical >
☆
Besides them.
Fierce battles broke out in various places.
In the middle of the forest.
Halphas was standing in a clearing.
"Lots of delicious things have come?"
Sucking his index finger repeatedly.
Halphas drooled.
He looked at the people trying to face him.
<Sword Saint> Mok Min-ho.
<Winter Cypress Sword> Kim Cheol-sik.
The two showed no disturbance in their posture even with him before their eyes.
"I'll cover you. Your sword is sharper than mine, isn't it."
"Then I'll leave the cover to you."
Kim Cheol-sik yields the initiative.
Mok Min-ho walked towards Halphas.
Support magic from the players falls, strengthening him.
<Valkyrie > Cha Eun-woo.
She also supported from behind.
With Cha Eun-woo there, Mok Min-ho had nothing to fear.
It was then.
Crackle!
""""...!!""""
Gift <Thunder Transformation>.
Lightning leaked from Halphas's body and burned the players' check attacks.
The players contorted their faces seeing his ability.
"Halphas can use lightning now too."
"...I see."
Mok Min-ho suppressed his emotions.
There was no need to show them.
He puts those emotions into his sword.
His sword blade gleamed with light.
Light flashed.
At that moment─
─Gift <Severance Principle>
Mok Min-ho lightly flicked his sword.
That motion sublimated into a sword strike.
Halphas, who had been boasting of his lightning, never thought he would receive an attack like that.
The silver sword strike cut through his power and bisected him in one go.
"Then I'll just cut the lightning too."
Mok Min-ho looked at him with his head split while lightning sparked violently.
He snorted.
Yet he still gripped his sword and didn't let down his guard.
The opponent was a Mine.
He wouldn't die easily just by cutting off his head.
<Thunder God> wouldn't have fallen to such a guy.
Sure enough, the cut parts of the guy were grotesquely filling in.
"You, I'll definitely eat... Kuk...!!"
You won't die even if you die?
Should we fear that?
If the opponent doesn't die─
"─Then kill him until he dies."
14 years since rolling under Noh Eun-ha.
Mok Min-ho said impassively.
☆
In the rear of the players' battle lines.
As Jeong Ha-yang expected, there was an ambush.
Mastema opened a subspace and deployed Slayers.
"Tch, you won't fall for the same trick twice, huh?"
Mine Barbatos.
His surprise attack failed.
Because the players in the rear quickly pointed their weapons at him.
Boom!!
Moreover, <Silent > Yu Su-jin was waiting for him.
She, who had been hiding her figure somewhere in the forest, immediately pulled the trigger as soon as he entered her scope.
"I hold grudges pretty strongly."
Yu Su-jin loaded a new bullet and aimed for the next snipe.
The players' battle began.
<King of Shadows> Han Chang-jin.
He too, who had been hiding in the players' shadows, revealed himself and engaged in subjugating him.
Heavenly Net
Han Chang-jin's mana spreads around.
Threads spread densely like a spider web capture his movements.
That's not all.
Toad Play
The poison of the 4th rank monster Great Toad flows along those threads.
When Slayers get caught, it drops deadly poison on them.
Sizzle
Barbatos frowned at the poison that fell on his shoulder.
His collar burned away.
"What an annoying thing... Do you know how expensive this clothes is?"
Crunch.
Barbatos gritted his teeth.
But the players didn't listen to his words.
He's a variable.
Eliminate him here.
Fairy Enchantment
Rose Muse
Right then.
Jo A-ra borrowed Lala's power.
Wings reminiscent of a butterfly sprout from her back.
As her clan uniform dyes red, rose petals scatter around her.
"What does the geomantic formation matter? In the end, the elements that make it up include flowers and trees too."
The geomantic formation composed through magical formulas and terrain features.
She, who had awakened high affinity with plants through Lala's power, swung her baton with all her might.
Trees and flowers respond.
Plants dance according to her will.
Rose petals fluttering in the forest where darkness lingers flash red light.
"Kuk...!!"
Tree roots emerge above ground and move according to her conducting.
A fantastic nocturne, night song.
A song ringing in the darkness was being played under her conducting.
<Nocturne > Jo A-ra.
Her conducting bound him while widening the players' range of action.
☆
At that time, at the Mana Management Organization headquarters.
Eun-ha was on the top floor.
Around him were Im Ga-eul's bodyguard Park Sang-jin, Surveillance Bureau Director Lee Jeong-hyeon, Im Baek-yeon, <Star-Counting Witch> Song Yun-seo, and Hermit.
"The battle must have started by now."
Song Yun-seo said while drinking tea.
She maintained her composure even in a situation where an operation betting the nation's fate was currently proceeding in utmost secrecy.
On the other hand, Im Ga-eul and Im Baek-yeon sitting on the opposite sofa couldn't do so.
The two barely touched their drinks.
"Really... will he come here?"
At that moment, Im Baek-yeon opened her mouth.
Her face was full of anxiety.
Then Song Yun-seo answered immediately.
"He'll definitely come. Baek Seo-jin has no choice but to come here in the end."
Baek Seo-jin will come here.
Eun-ha, Im Ga-eul, and others thought so too.
Thinking about it, it was obvious.
Armageddon's goal was simply to make the country chaotic, so the Fairy didn't matter much to his goal.
But that Baek Seo-jin bastard's goal can't exclude the Fairy's existence.
What is Baek Seo-jin's goal?
Complete domination of this country.
To do that, he needed to capture the symbol of the Fairy who is the head of state.
In simple terms, the direction of the subjugation operation lay in who would possess the Fairy.
If Baek Seo-jin captures the Fairy, the coup will succeed.
That's why Eun-ha brought Im Baek-yeon here for protection too.
That's why we sent troops to Changwon.
So that he would lead a separate force and come to attack us when our forces are reduced.
That's also the reason why Baek Seo-jin deliberately revealed himself in Changwon.
Baek Seo-jin's forces were no match for the national forces.
So he had to aim for when the national forces were reduced.
Also, Eun-ha's side had to aim for when he revealed himself.
Their interests aligned.
Baek Seo-jin had made a proposal, and Eun-ha had accepted it.
"Don't worry too much. Baek-yeon, what you're worried about won't happen. I'll stop it, definitely."
"Hmph, you're saying that because oppa got hurt."
"Yeah, thanks for worrying."
Eun-ha stroked Im Baek-yeon's head to ease her anxiety.
Then he relaxed his face.
He absolutely didn't want to let her fall into Baek Seo-jin's hands.
Definitely in this life.
Eun-ha vowed.
After taking his hand off her head, Eun-ha soon approached the window.
"Looks like he's coming now."
Even without Song Yun-seo saying it.
An ominous presence could be felt.
Beyond the window, down below.
Baek Seo-jin was boldly walking towards the main entrance, leading his subordinate forces.
Eun-ha looked down at them.
"Hermit."
"Yes, Clan Lord."
"I'll leave Baek-yeon to you."
"Don't worry."
Eun-ha asked Hermit.
Pandora Clan member Hermit.
She nodded.
"Let's go."
"Kang!"
"Bibi bibi papa papa pupu pupu!"
Leading Kang and Buldak.
Eun-ha left the room.
By then, it had become noisy outside the building.
A battle had broken out.
Eun-ha wasn't too worried.
<Great Tree> Seon Gi-jun.
<Titania > Noh Eun-ah.
With them and the players there, they should surely be able to stop them.
Sure enough.
Stepping outside the building, Eun-ha could see them blocking the Slayers from approaching.
"Eun-ha, will you be okay? Support..."
"It's fine. Uncle, please focus on defending the building." "Just try dying. Then you'll die by my hand."
"Noona, how can I die if I'm already dead?"
"That's why I'm telling you not to die." "I'll leave rear support to you."
"Got it."
Seon Gi-jun and Noh Eun-ah spoke to him.
Eun-ha exchanged words with them, then looked out beyond.
""""...."""
Amidst players and Slayers fiercely battling.
Baek Seo-jin was calmly walking along the path the Slayers had made for him.
Eventually, he spotted Eun-ha.
He stopped walking.
"As expected. I knew you would remain here."
"Of course. Because I'm going to kill you. Welcome to your grave."
"Huh, I wonder who the villain is."
"Do you think you can win against the people gathered here with that level of forces?"
"I'll lose. We can't match numbers, and this time you've prepared all sorts of countermeasures to defeat us."
<Lord > Noh Eun-ha.
<King of Darkness> Baek Seo-jin.
As if by agreement, they both drew swords from their waists.
Both used two swords.
They stared at each other.
"But when a battle of myths occurs, forces become useless. You know that too, don't you?"
"That's why I came out. I'll kill your myth."
Right after those words ended.
Without exchanging signals, the two kicked off the ground and clashed.
First strike wins.
As surprise attack met surprise attack, the duel thus began.