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 [Chapter 200]

[A Matter of Moments(2)]

They had been running for hours.

Their bodies were already exhausted to the limit.

Breath was caught in their throats.

There was no leisure to look around.

They didn't know how many players who retreated with them were left.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it...!!"

Dankun Clan's <Earth Worker> Kwak Woo-hyuk.

Kwak Woo-hyuk, who had been sprinting in a way that didn't suit his body, spat out curses.

Saliva flew in all directions, even splattering on his own face.

Nevertheless, he cursed and swore at the situation he was in.

Shit..., how twisted is my fate that I can't bloom even after more than 10 years?

Until he was called a promising talent in Changhae Clan and was considered a candidate for the next Twelve Seats.

Thinking about it, that might have been the peak of his life.

It was all downhill from there.

Changhae Clan disbanded.

The Twelve Seats position flew away.

Fortunately, he joined Dankun Clan and thought he might soar again.

This time, Dankun Group walked the path of collapse.

Dankun Clan's standing diminished.

Moreover, 5 years ago, <Big Data> made a major mistake and ended up leaving Dankun Clan.

Then he somehow became considered an ace in Dankun Clan.

And now─.

─Why is my fate really like this!

Now I'm even told to substitute for the clan lord of a dying clan...!!

Several sub-lords of course.

Even the Dankun Clan Lord died.

The Dankun Clan members entrusted him with command authority.

It happened because he was considered the most reliable skilled person among the remaining clan members.

In the situation of running away from the corps commander, he didn't have time to refuse and ended up becoming the temporary Dankun Clan Lord.

"C-Clan Lord...! How much further do we have to go? I don't have any strength left..."

"If you have time to say that, just run more! Run with all your might, even the strength you used to suckle milk! Run! Damn it, don't you see even I, a caster, am running this much!? You have better stamina than me, so run until you die!"

"...Yes! I'll run until I die!"

"As expected of our Clan Lord! Even though it must be hard, to consider the clan members like that.... It's completely different from that Jang Bong-jeon bastard."

The clan members muttered something.

Kwak Woo-hyuk didn't bother with them.

Running was the priority.

They had to survive first.

They couldn't die like this.

Really, I can't die like this.

Just how much further do we have to shake them off!?

Meanwhile, he focused on the sound coming from behind.

There was no need to look back.

He just had to detect the vibrations in the ground.

The vibrations transmitted through the soles of his feet soon made him visualize the surrounding geography in his mind.

─Thump thump thump

From behind.

The 3rd Attack Platoon's commander <First Sword> Ji Yong-hyeon was facing the corps commander with three of the Five Swords.

No, it was hard to call it facing.

Their attacks were hardly effective, and they were barely defending.

It would be more appropriate to say they were protecting the rear so the platoon members could retreat.

Even so─.

─Even <First Sword> seems tired now, do we still have to lure that thing?

Even that was becoming difficult.

Not only the people facing the corps commander, but also the retreating people were getting exhausted.

It was understandable since they had been running for hours trying to avoid its pursuit.

Moreover, they had to give time for the players at Uijeongbu Arts Center to prepare.

If they brought the corps commander suddenly, the recapture team might be annihilated.

So the 3rd Attack Platoon had been circling around near Uijeongbu Station since earlier.

It was then.

[─The 5th Communication Platoon reports. The 3rd Attack Platoon should now lure the corps commander to the crater at Uijeongbu Station.]

Finally, the signal came.

Smiles spread on the faces of the people who received the telepathy.

The movements of <First Sword> and the three Five Swords, who had been defending using terrain features, became lively again.

"─We're almost there! Lure it to that crater over there!"

""""Oh!!""""

Kwak Woo-hyuk shouted.

The Dankun Clan members cheered.

Crimson Knight and the monsters, unaware of anything, were lured towards the crater following them.

Soon Hoguk-ro Intersection came into view.

The crater appeared before their eyes.

The players passed the intersection with all their might following the telepathy.

And at that moment─.

─Activate the trap!

Pull the ropes with all your might! One, two!!

On both sides of the intersection.

Players who had been hiding against the outer walls of buildings revealed themselves.

Casters, supporters, and rangers created ropes made of mana.

Dealers, hunters, and guardians pulled those ropes.

──!!

The corps commander that had been charging blindly.

Its foot got caught in the suddenly appearing rope.

Its body tilted forward.

Seizing that moment, snipers, casters, and others waiting on building rooftops attacked from behind.

Boom boom boom boom boom!!

It can't avoid magic attacks.

It fell face-first on the ground after being hit by attacks flying from behind.

And that's not all.

Supporters cast magic on the ground, making the friction coefficient close to 0.

It slid with its visor facing the ground.

It fell into the hole as the players had expected.

"─Now's the time! Blaze Clan, start the military song! The song is 'Wonderful Man'! Show that thing the hot taste of a man's fire!"

"Lava ready! Drop the lava!"

"Bury it in the hole like this!! Anyone who can handle rocks, come running out!"

Blaze Clan revealed themselves.

They deployed fire magic.

Flames fell into the hole, and the ground unable to withstand the heat began to melt completely.

The hole was instantly filled with lava.

The corps commander tried to raise its body to get out of the hole.

Casters, pour attacks on the corps commander as top priority!!

The players wouldn't leave it alone.

Casters gathered around the edge of the hole and kept launching magic to prevent the corps commander from getting up.

The corps commander couldn't get up properly.

"─That damn bastard.... You don't know how long I've been waiting for this moment."

The tide had turned.

Kwak Woo-hyuk regained some strength after receiving treatment from supporters.

He approached the hole.

He couldn't miss this opportunity.

The corps commander was as good as caught.

He couldn't just stand still.

He placed his hand on the ground.

─Rumble rumble rumble

The ground shook.

A giant snake made of rock appeared from under Kwak Woo-hyuk's feet.

Two more similar snakes sprang up.

Three snakes.

Kwak Woo-hyuk, standing on the head of one snake, ordered.

"─Go and sweep it away."

Why he was called <Earth Worker>.

Today he would show the reason.

Kwak Woo-hyuk said proudly.

If I achieve merit like this, I might be mentioned for the Twelve Seats.

Since <Beast Tamer> died, a caster position should be open.

The Dankun Clan members cheered.

Kwak Woo-hyuk made calculated thoughts while leaving their cheers behind.

Somehow achieve in this position and establish a foothold as the next Twelve Seats.

The corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily.

Meanwhile, Kang Hyeon-cheol snapped his fingers and sighed deeply.

"─What is this, not even being able to fight.... Am I just playing the role of lighting the furnace? I should have switched roles with Pandora Clan if it was going to be like this, damn it."

"There's no clan that can make such a fire pit except you and the Blaze Clan members. It's good that there's not much damage─."

──!!!!

Kang Hyeon-cheol's regret was short-lived.

A pillar of fire shot up from the lava, and Crimson Knight appeared.

Its armor was considerably damaged after being continuously attacked by players.

Some parts were even melting, unable to withstand the heat of the lava.

Yet its aura remained fierce as ever.

And that's not all.

─I am the guardian of this land.

I do not forgive intruders.

It entered its 2nd phase.

Swords like the one in its hand were circling in the air.

Moreover, four pillars rose from the lava.

They expanded the red domain.

"Yes, that's how it should come out. Otherwise, there's no reason for me to be here."

Kwak Woo-hyuk quietly retreated.

Kang Hyeon-cheol finally showed interest.

☆

At that time, the 2nd Supply Platoon was also starting their operation.

As soon as the 4th Attack Platoon lured Cobalt Knight to the designated point─.

─Fisherman's Foot Binding

Kang Si-hyeong and others each deployed binding magic mediated by devices.

Some threw ropes or chains used for transporting supplies.

─Whoosh!

Restraints flying from various directions.

The corps commander, which had been blindly chasing the 4th Attack Platoon, had no choice but to be caught by the restraints that sprang out from both sides of the road.

It fell forward.

But it managed to avoid falling completely.

It looked around while bound by restraints, supporting its body by thrusting its sword into the ground.

I am the guardian of this land.

Magic didn't work on it.

Even restraints mediated by devices didn't function perfectly.

Moreover, they had to hold onto the restraints relying on their own strength.

Conversely, the corps commander was trying to break free from the restraints using its bulk.

"Ugh...!"

In the end, Kang Si-hyeong lost the test of strength.

Kang Si-hyeong, who had restrained its left ankle with chains, couldn't withstand the force and finally floated into the air.

The corps commander paid no attention to him who had risen into the sky, and just tried to break the other restraints by force.

That was its mistake.

─Giant Hammer

It probably never imagined.

That that small human would be called <Little Giant>.

Kang Si-hyeong, who had floated into the sky, grabbed a trajectory that happened to pass in front of him.

Hoshimiya Kaede's star-picking.

The arrow that left the bow was still under Kaede's control.

Kang Si-hyeong, who flew behind it, jumped down without hesitation.

He discarded the shield connected to the chain and interlocked his fingers.

The gauntlet with interlocked fingers grew larger and larger.

─Bang!

In the end, a fist that had grown as big as its head struck the back of its head.

It, which had been walking forward blindly to break the restraints, lost its footing, and its body tilted again.

And─.

─Thousand Steps

Flow Speed

Towards the falling monster.

Trajectories of different colors flew.

Soon the trajectories running along the ground split left and right.

The trajectories emitted more light there.

New trajectories were created.

─Gift <Cutting Providence>

Diamond Blast

Gift <Critical >

Flash Sword

The silver trajectory pierced the monster's shoulder armor.

A crack appeared in the armor that hadn't been significantly damaged even when players combined their strength.

It was a very small space.

The pure white trajectory precisely cut through the space created by the silver trajectory.

"Seeing that attacks are working like this, it seems we can do something."

"Still, it's going to be hard to fight relying only on devices and not magic."

<Golden Sword> Mok Min-ho.

<Divine Sword> Choi Eun-hyuk.

Among the dealers, these two took the lead.

The two who retreated after passing the baton to the dealers exchanged impressions.

As they had heard, the enemy was indeed tough.

Moreover, since magic didn't work, it seemed quite tricky.

"At least the corps commander's armor condition seems pretty bad from coming all the way here. I'm not sure if it's tired though."

"We can't confirm from the outside, but it must be quite tired too."

People pulled the restraints with all their might, limiting the corps commander's movements.

Meanwhile, people who activated magic mediated by devices like <Ten Thousand Poisons Impervious> and <Gale > rushed at it.

The tide was slowly turning in favor of the 2nd Supply Platoon.

There was no need to be hasty.

They had plenty of manpower.

Players just had to rotate and face it.

Moreover─.

─My body shall be a fortress.

It wasn't just the 2nd Supply Platoon.

The 5th Communication Platoon had also sent some forces.

And there was the 4th Attack Platoon that had retreated from it, swallowing their resentment.

Having lost their commander, they harbored grudges against the corps commander.

<One-Man Fortress> Chu Young-hoon.

He was also one of them.

───!!

He deployed magic after stepping forward, having received treatment from supporters.

The shield in his hand disassembled and attached to his body.

A guardian clad in iron armor.

"Graaaah!!"

The monster swung its sword down.

Chu Young-hoon caught the sword falling towards his head with both hands.

His body was driven into the ground, unable to withstand the impact.

Nevertheless, he grabbed the monster's sword, creating an opportunity for other players to attack it.

The players didn't miss that moment and poured attacks.

People holding restraints took that chance to tightly bind its limbs.

And─.

─Hanmae Style Ultimate

North Wind Cold Snow

When Chu Young-hoon could no longer endure and retreated to the rear.

Ryu Yeon-hwa trudged out onto the road that people had cleared.

Snow crystals swirled matching her footsteps.

─I am the guardian of this la....

The corps commander recognized Ryu Yeon-hwa.

It tried to move its arm bound by chains with difficulty.

Ryu Yeon-hwa just calmly watched it swinging its sword.

Soon she drew a spear in the air.

That was the end.

─Crack

Such a sound was heard.

The armor covering its left chest fell to the ground with a thud.

The armor couldn't withstand the rapidly falling cold.

That wasn't all.

Its chest was already pierced.

─Thud

""""...."""

Though there was accumulated damage and it couldn't move freely.

Ryu Yeon-hwa had defeated the 3rd rank overrank monster too easily.

People were dumbfounded.

But she wasn't flustered.

──!!

It entered its 2nd phase.

Its armor shattered.

I am the guardian of this land.

I annihilate intruders.

Surrounded by broken armor.

A slightly smaller monster than the original corps commander appeared.

It was holding a staff in its hand.

Soon it tapped the ground with the staff.

─Whoosh!!

Armor pieces that had been swirling around its body.

The small fragments rushed according to its command.

The armor that had high defense now became blades with high attack power.

They rushed towards Ryu Yeon-hwa who was blocking the corps commander's way.

"Ugh..."

The supporters' protection magic was useless.

Ryu Yeon-hwa had to block the attacks with her own power.

She couldn't block all the blades made of small pieces.

She had no choice but to take some hits on her body.

─Winter Fog

At that moment when the pieces were rushing in.

She infused mana into her spear.

Winter Fog, made with Eulji grade, responded to her mana.

Everything made of her mana became snowflakes and scattered in the world.

Whoosh

A winter cold wave rushed in.

The fierce wind completely froze the sharp fragments.

The ice fragments lost their power and fell.

She, who had disappeared becoming snowflakes, appeared behind the corps commander.

Hanmae Style Ultimate

Snow Dragon

The corps commander's reaction was slow.

It tried to block the attack by swinging its staff.

But Ryu Yeon-hwa showed a movement beyond the corps commander's prediction.

She boldly stepped back.

At that instant─.

─Blast Cross

Spark Blast

Meteor Shower

...Meteor

Magic fell from the sky.

One was a sword strike.

The other three were magic.

So it only needed to block the sword strike.

Then it realized.

The three magic attacks─.

─I am the guardian of this la....

Were not magic deployed on its domain.

When it realized this, it ultimately failed to block the bombardment.

─Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!!!!!!!

☆

Jung Ha-yang's prediction was correct.

Cobalt Knight's magic only applies to people who have stepped into its domain.

In other words, it doesn't apply to people in the air above the domain.

"Kaede, how did it go?"

"The attack was successful. It seems some damage was dealt too."

"I see, that's good."

Roh Eun-ha, Bae Su-bin, Kaede, Jo A-ra.

The four were flying in the sky using different methods.

Their faces, which had been hiding their presence in case the corps commander noticed them, brightened.

They had found an effective strategy against the tricky corps commander.

Still, it's a shame we can't increase the power of magic beyond this.

However, the method of intercepting from the air wasn't entirely effective.

If they poured in too much firepower, they might accidentally harm their allies.

So they had to adjust the firepower appropriately and launch attacks.

And now that it would have noticed their presence, it would somehow try to counter.

Sure enough─.

──!!

Light flashed from the ground.

It had shot out magic.

At this, Bae Su-bin spread a barrier.

"Tch, it's disgustingly strong."

She clicked her tongue.

Her hand was trembling.

It seemed burdensome to defend against the attack with one hand while holding a broom with the other.

Nevertheless, she hid her pain and waved her numb hand in the air.

"Since they attacked first, we should return the favor, right?"

The corners of her mouth split.

As if she couldn't stand being on the receiving end.

She shot magic at it.

But she couldn't inflict the same damage as before.

This time, it defended against it.

Not only that─.

"─It's using magic on itself.... It seems to be using healing magic and buff magic?"

"""...."""

It cast magic on itself and its army with its staff.

At Kaede's words, who had the best eyesight among the four, the clan members' faces hardened. They thought they had inflicted wounds, but the corps commander had recovered.

On top of that─.

─Whoosh!!

Monsters that had noticed their presence flew up.

Eun-ha frowned while swinging his sword at them.

This is going to be quite troublesome to intercept from the air.

The flying monsters were persistent.

And there were many of them.

In contrast, only a few players belonging to the 2nd Supply Platoon were skilled in aerial combat.

No, it seemed like there might be only 10 players who could rise to this altitude.

At this, the players had to scatter to avoid attacks.

Blast Cross

Eun-ha bombarded the air.

The flying monsters fell in droves after being hit by the bombardment.

Just when he thought he had barely driven them away, new ones appeared from somewhere to replace the reduced numbers.

Moreover, spatial distortions were occurring in the air due to the recent battle.

Above all─.

[─We just got a message from Silla Clan. The 3rd rank overrank Demon Face Manta Ray is approaching Uijeongbu again. They're trying to somehow divert its course elsewhere, but it's not going as planned. They say they'll try their best to prevent Demon Face Manta Ray from going to Uijeongbu... but sorry, they can't guarantee it. They ask us to keep that possibility in mind...]

Hearing Jin Seo-na's telepathy.

Eun-ha frowned deeply.

If Demon Face Manta Ray approached, the corps commanders whose strength they had just drained would recover.

Not just recover strength.

They would become stronger under the dungeon's influence.

Even now─.

───!!

At that moment, the blue domain expanded.

Casters and supporters who had been attacking from outside the domain ended up stepping into it.

Their magic became ineffective, creating a flaw in the strategy.

The corps commander and its army persistently tried to exploit this weakness.

The corps commander, which had shed its restraints upon entering the 2nd phase, changed targets and attacked them.

─Boom!!

The players specializing in magic who had entered the domain couldn't take any countermeasures.

Their magic didn't work.

Those who tried to defend with magic ended up falling to its magic.

Suddenly the rear was attacked, and monsters sacrificed themselves to finally break through the front line.

Monsters that leapt over the front line chased after people trying to escape outside the domain.

The tide of battle was now flowing in an unpredictable direction.

[─This is from the 2nd Attack Platoon. Crimson Knight has entered its 2nd phase, the red domain has expanded, and unexpected damage has occurred....]

The situation seemed to be the same for the players subjugating Crimson Knight.

The corps commanders were making their last stand.

At this, Eun-ha sent telepathy through Jin Seo-na's artifact, The Lovers' Whisper.

[Seo-na, tell the clan members. Tell the clan members inside the domain now to use <Amplification >.]

[Then the people outside the domain can use it at their own discretion, right?]

[Yeah, that's right. Tell them the rest is left to individual judgment.]

[Okay. I'll tell them that. Oh, we just got a message from Silla Clan.]

Jin Seo-na's voice became serious.

Eun-ha bit his lip.

[─Currently, Demon Face Manta Ray is heading towards Uijeongbu. Based on the current situation, it's estimated to pass over Uijeongbu Station airspace in about 30 minutes. The platoon facing Crimson Knight needs to be cautious. Accordingly, the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Special Formation Platoons will focus on subjugating Demon Face Manta Ray rather than herding it.]

Demon Face Manta Ray is approaching.

Whether they defeat the knight-type corps commanders before it arrives or not.

From now on, it was a race against time.

The battle situation was hanging by a thread.