793

 [Chapter 201]

[Great Escape(4)]

Plants are running rampant.

Shells are falling.

It was a total crisis.

It's difficult to block with protection magic.

Even if we can somehow manage the plants, it's hard to block all the shells too.

Eun-ha clicked his tongue loudly.

He clenched his fist tightly.

Anger boiled inside him.

"─What the hell are these crazy bastards doing!?"

The players shouted.

They expressed Eun-ha's feelings.

While Bang Yeon-ji's transformation into a monster might be an unavoidable disaster.

The military firing shells at Uijeongbu was clearly an accident.

The situation is becoming like before the regression.

Why on earth did the military suddenly fire shells?

Why on earth?

Why is the military firing shells?

He couldn't help but wonder.

Uijeongbu was almost perfectly recaptured.

But the situation where the military moves and turns Uijeongbu into a wasteland was impossible.

Something's going wrong. Wrong orders are falling on the military now, causing this disaster.

Then who issued the orders?

Eun-ha looked around while cutting falling stems.

Players were in panic.

No, it was madness.

"Aaaah!! These crazy bastards are trying to kill us!!"

"What the hell did we do wrong for them to do this!?"

"Damn it, are we just being used and discarded!? Or are you trying to take our achievements for yourselves!?"

"It must be the Fairy's order! They're clearly trying to take the credit for recapturing Uijeongbu for the Fairy Government!"

Their comrades are hit by shells and scattered like pieces of meat.

Buildings that players worked hard to protect crumble futilely.

They cursed the military and the Fairy, crying out almost desperately.

"Damn it...!!"

Just 5 minutes after the bombardment started.

Players were showing intense hostility towards the Fairy Government.

It was a situation where words like "there must be some misunderstanding" wouldn't work at all.

"These bastards...."

Even the Twelve Seats were angry.

<Yamma > Kang Hyeon-cheol was enraged seeing Blaze Clan members die from falling shells while cutting stems.

"─Everyone get your heads straight! Now is not the time to assess the situation, but to somehow escape Uijeongbu! The entire army pack lightly and run to Hoeryong Station!"

At that moment, Regulus Clan Lord Koo Yeon-su shouted at people who were about to give in to their emotions.

Koo Yeon-su's words were right.

Now was not the time to be angry.

For now, they had to survive somehow.

Players decided to escape Uijeongbu according to Koo Yeon-su's instructions.

"Load severely injured patients on stretchers! Help move people who are injured nearby! Don't try to deflect shells with magic, intercept them just before they fall!!"

Soon the commanders came to their senses too.

If even they lost their reason, it could lead to the annihilation of the entire platoon.

They quickly controlled their platoon members and skillfully commanded.

The command of those with long player careers calmed other players.

"Supporters focus on treatment! Casters and rangers will block the shells! Jin Seo-na! Ariel! Kim Mary! Broadcast to all squads!"

"Hey! What about me!?"

"Hyung, just block those stems!"

At that moment, Eun-ha raised a pillar of fire to draw the attention of the 2nd Supply Platoon members.

Thanks to this, he could quickly control the platoon members and give accurate instructions.

The activities of Jin Seo-na, Ariel, and Kim Mary were also dazzling.

[─Everyone please calm down. Please settle your minds and listen to my voice.]

Especially Kim Mary's performance stood out.

She sent telepathy to people in a clear voice.

Even people who had given in to anger.

Even people who were suffering in pain.

They softened their hearts at her voice and decided to obey the control obediently.

What are these guys thinking?

Not just the commander, but do the guys under him have any sense?

If they had any sense, they'd know we're in Uijeongbu.

Meanwhile, Eun-ha was maintaining his reason by suppressing his anger.

Nevertheless, he couldn't do anything about the fire raging inside.

It shouldn't happen in this life.

Eun-ha had firmly warned the commander.

But this disaster happened.

The process was exactly the same as before the regression.

As the recapture war was ending and the Fairy's visit was scheduled, suddenly the military mobilized tanks and came up to Hoeryong Station.

And they bombarded and turned the city that players worked hard to protect into ashes.

I want to kill those bastards right now, but more importantly, I need to deal with what will happen next.

Of course, many casualties occurred, and players began to openly show antipathy towards the Fairy.

Naturally, public sentiment will leave too.

The Fairy's position will plummet to the bottom after the Uijeongbu Recapture War.

How did I raise the Fairy's position this far, damn it!

The Fairy's authority that was painstakingly raised.

It would all be in vain because of this incident.

The tower built with effort would crumble futilely.

Eun-ha wanted to blow off the commander's head right now just imagining it.

But he couldn't blindly get angry like other people.

Moreover, besides the military, there was also Bang Yeon-ji who turned into a monster.

──!!

Bang Yeon-ji was also a problem.

She was floating in the air controlling plants.

Because plants were blocking the paths, players had to take long detours while shells were falling.

If there was one fortunate thing─.

─Whoosh!

Bang Yeon-ji occasionally moved plants to deflect falling shells.

Whether it was intent to protect Uijeongbu.

Or intent to not interfere.

That was unknown.

But ironically, the plants she created were blocking shells.

Of course, in cases of bad luck, shells fell elsewhere and attacked players.

...Even so, we can't leave <Florist > like that.

Bang Yeon-ji is trying to turn Uijeongbu into a jungle.

It was nothing but unfortunate for players trying to escape Uijeongbu.

Moreover, she was even killing people who entered her sight.

[This is Ko Eun-sil who has temporarily taken on the role of Clan Lord in place of the Dark King Clan Lord. Currently, Dark King Clan is... in battle with the 3rd rank monster Florist. Accordingly, Dark King Clan is disclosing Florist's information to the platoon leaders. Based on what's been identified so far....]

At that moment, telepathy arrived from Dark King Clan.

It seemed <Gatekeeper > Ko Eun-sil was substituting for the deceased Do Wan-jun.

Eun-ha fell into thought listening to the information she conveyed.

It seems she suppressed mana overload until now, but couldn't suppress the overload anymore after killing <Phantasm Poem>.

So she's leaning towards monster from between monster and ma....

Wings sprouted on her back.

Except for parts of her body becoming plants.

Florist had an appearance very close to human.

But according to Dark King Clan's information, it seemed Florist was still in a state of continuous transformation.

"...Looks like she failed to become a ma."

Eun-ha muttered quietly.

If she had fully maintained her mind, she might have been reborn as a ma.

But she seemed to be leaning more and more towards monster.

The difference between monster and ma is whether they eat human mana as their main food or not.

As long as she craved human mana, there was no room for compromise.

She had to be killed.

We need to do something about the military too, but....

We need to deal with Florist first somehow.

Mana attracts mana.

Corps commanders attract monsters.

If we leave her like this, Uijeongbu will be filled with monsters again.

So he had to make a decision.

Eun-ha looked around.

Pandora Clan members were running.

"─From now on, some people will come with me to support Dark King Clan and subjugate Florist!"

""""...!!""""

Clan members showed surprised expressions.

Because it's difficult to subjugate Florist in a situation where they're busy escaping Uijeongbu.

Moreover, most clan members had suffered major injuries recently fighting Maegu and the corps commanders.

Eun-ha knew that too.

So he had to pick clan members who could fight.

"Jo A-ra, Nam-hoon hyung, Mok Min-ho, Lee Cheon-seo, Ariel, twin sisters. These 7 people, let's subjugate Florist with me."

"The opponent is 3rd rank! I'll go help too!"

"Eun-hyuk, you focus on treating your leg. It's not easy for you to run even now."

"Ugh...."

Clan members also grasped the situation.

They also recognized that they needed to subjugate Florist to escape Uijeongbu.

So the called clan members bit their lips but didn't raise objections to Eun-ha.

Meanwhile, Choi Eun-hyuk did express his intention to step up too.

Eun-ha flatly refused.

"Hey! What about me!?"

"Pa-rang hyung, carry people who can't move well on your back. Su-bin, you transport people with your broom too."

"Hah.... It's no joke to drive in a situation where shells are falling and plants are twisting like this. Alright."

He couldn't take many people.

There were many injured people.

Other platoons would be organizing troops to subjugate Florist like him anyway.

He immediately changed direction as soon as he selected people to act with him.

They followed behind him.

"Kaede, don't overdo it too much and just receive protection from clan members. Don't try to participate in battle just because you believe in the elixir's effect."

"I can't support without a bow, but I'll support in other ways. And you don't need to worry about me. It's cringeworthy, so please stop."

"You're so stubborn...."

Meanwhile, he wished for Hoshimiya Kaede's quick recovery.

She had just regained consciousness after being treated with elixir not long ago.

He hoped she wouldn't overexert herself.

Soon Eun-ha moved without looking back.

Grr!

At that moment, Gang followed too.

Gang, who realized he was leaving for the battlefield, changed its appearance.

A liger grown to a size that could carry 2-3 adults on its back.

At Eun-ha's instruction, Gang carried Jo A-ra and the twin sisters on its back.

"It's... sad."

"What is?"

And while heading towards Florist.

Jo A-ra, clinging to Gang's back, suddenly said such words.

Eun-ha asked while glancing sideways.

A sad expression was evident on her face.

"<Florist > doesn't believe she killed the Dark King Clan Lord with her own hands."

"..."

"It hurts my heart that she stabbed and killed her lover with her own hands, and is overloading like this unable to accept it. And I feel sorry for the Dark King Clan Lord too."

Jo A-ra spoke as if filled with melancholy.

When she was attending the academy, she received training at Dark King Clan.

Since then, she had been maintaining a relationship almost like master and disciple with Do Wan-jun, though she didn't become <The Seed>.

In that situation, she seemed sad about her master's death, and the fact that he met his death at the hands of the lover he longed for.

"So let's subjugate her quickly. That person probably doesn't know what she's doing now, having lost her mind and overloaded. Let's send her off peacefully before more damage occurs."

"...Okay, let's do that."

At this, Eun-ha comforted Jo A-ra.

She seemed to have gathered her resolve.

She gripped Gang's fur tightly.

Eun-ha saw strength enter her hand and felt relieved.

Phantasmal Beast Transformation

Phoenix Wings

Eventually, when they reached a distance where Florist's form was clearly visible.

Eun-ha spread wings of flame while leaving instructions to Mok Min-ho.

"Ugh...!!"

Then his body protested in pain.

It felt like healing wounds had torn open again.

It couldn't be helped.

Eun-ha endured the pain and took flight.

He instantly rose to Florist's altitude.

Blast Cross

While Florist was focused on Dark King Clan members.

Eun-ha, who had flown to her rear while hiding his presence as much as possible until then, immediately fired a sword strike.

──!!

The flames hit directly.

Plants were vulnerable to flames.

Florist hurriedly defended, but couldn't block all of the attack that exploded nearby.

Unable to withstand the impact, she fell to the ground.

─It's you?

The person who hid our oppa.

Of course, she didn't die.

She bloomed plants from the ground, using them as a cushion to mitigate the fall damage.

Soon she focused on Eun-ha with sharp eyes glowing.

As she pointed her hand, plant stems moved to grab Eun-ha.

"Why are you doing this to an innocent person? Who did I hide?"

Snap.

Eun-ha snapped his fingers.

Flames burned the plants rushing in.

He swung Winter Blooming Coldly to cut the stems.

It's a strain on the body but....

It feels awkward using just one sword after so long.

His body wasn't moving as he thought.

I guess I'll have to loosen up my body while fighting Florist.

Eun-ha steadied his breathing.

☆

At that time.

Mana Management Organization employees staying in Uijeongbu were also fleeing busily.

They, who weren't specialized for combat, had to suffer great damage in the process of fleeing.

Naturally, they weren't looking kindly on the Fairy either.

"Lim Ga-eul, you son of a bitch!!!"

A shell falls overhead.

Sensing he couldn't avoid it, the employee shouted at the top of his lungs.

──!!

But before the employee met his death.

Special Bureau Director Min Ji-a put her hand on the ground to create a barrier.

The barrier created by transforming the ground blocked the shell's attack.

"Get your head straight and evacuate quickly!! Instead of cursing the Fairy, save fallen people first!!"

The employee couldn't believe he had survived.

At this, Min Ji-a scolded the employee in an irritated tone.

Only then did the employee come to his senses and start running again.

She kicked off the ground too.

At the same time, she defended against shells and helped people escape safely.

Besides her, people belonging to the Special Bureau helped people who had become sluggish adapting to bureaucracy.

The Special Bureau was a department that carried out special missions as its name suggests.

So they could quickly respond to changes in the environment.

Even so─.

─What on earth is going on?

For the military to move like this means an order came down from the Fairy.

But the Fairy isn't someone who would ever issue such an order?

An order that's crazy even for being crazy.

Min Ji-a couldn't help but think about the cause of this disaster.

She even had such thoughts.

Did a coup d'état occur?

So are they trying to kill all the players in Uijeongbu who could be strength for the Fairy?

A coup d'état.

It was an absurd thought.

It couldn't be.

But Min Ji-a couldn't think of anything else besides the Fairy going crazy or someone staging a coup.

The situation happening now was that incomprehensible.

Which one it is....

We have no choice but to escape Uijeongbu and meet the military to confirm.

Soon Min Ji-a got a grasp on things.

Surviving was the priority.

If they stayed in Uijeongbu like this, they might die from bombardment someday.

So she exerted all her strength to try to lead as many people as possible out of Uijeongbu quickly.

In the midst of that─.

 ─Ah....

Something flew from behind.

A stone?

Min Ji-a, who was running looking only forward, couldn't confirm properly.

Something pierced through her mana and accurately targeted the back of her head.

A heavy blow.

She momentarily suffered a concussion.

She fell face down on the ground.

People running behind inadvertently trampled her.

Her vision blurred.

"Director Min Ji-a!! Are you alright!? Please, come to your senses!"

"..."

Someone lifted her up.

It was Surveillance Bureau Director <Abyss > Seon Woo-hwa-ryeong.

She tried to move her mouth while cradled in his arms.

Something flew from behind.

She tried to advise him.

But no sound came out.

Right at that moment─.

"─Her condition is very critical. Is there no supporter nearby!? Call one quickly!"

Seon Woo-hwa-ryeong shouted something.

Then he suddenly put something in her mouth, avoiding people's gaze.

A bitter taste spread.

She instinctively realized what entered her mouth was poison.

Her mind cleared instantly.

She glared at Seon Woo-hwa-ryeong with wide eyes.

"─Farewell."

But the poison spread quickly.

In a state where she couldn't even speak, she couldn't appeal her condition to those around her.

Finally, she breathed her last and─.

"─Special Bureau Director Min Ji-a! No, how, how could this happen...."

While being transported on a stretcher as a corpse.

She was hit by falling bombardment and shattered into pieces.