846

 [Chapter 211]

[Seven Devils (6)]

Terror by swarms of flies.

Jung Geum-jeon barely survived by quickly spreading a barrier just before the swarms of flies arrived.

It consumed quite a bit of his limited internal mana.

"Damn..."

"Young master, this is..."

A strange sight unfolded.

Lee Se-hee, who was in Jung Geum-jeon's arms, was at a loss for words seeing the scene outside the barrier.

Jung Geum-jeon was the same.

He felt dismayed.

Buzz buzz buzz

People covered in swarms of flies.

The fly swarms that devoured their bodily fluids grew into powerful monsters.

Also, as people's bodies burst open, tiny fly swarms were born.

Some had their limbs bent strangely and transformed into giant flies.

"Hmm, was there a player here too? You must have some skill to survive after I poured it on quite strongly."

""..."

And the woman controlling the fly swarms.

The woman looked at them, the only survivors, with an interested gaze.

"I'm not a player, dammit..."

Where did such a creature come from?

Was it even human to begin with?

Jung Geum-jeon muttered quietly and opened the bag that had fallen to the floor.

He lacked mana.

He needed to recover his internal mana.

He grasped bundles of money in his hand.

"Hm?"

Whether the woman was puzzled or not.

Jung Geum-jeon absorbed the mana from the 50,000 won bundles in his hand.

"Damn, my blood money... This huge sum is all flying away."

"Young master, this isn't the time to be talking about money."

"Shut up, noona hurry and open your bag too. We need to hold out against that thing until players arrive."

Mana is dissolved in everything.

What's dissolved in the atmosphere is just a part.

Everything that exists in nature is made of mana.

Gift <Mammonish >

The same goes for money.

It contains large amounts of mana.

Especially money that passes through people's hands contains considerable mana compared to ordinary objects.

Jung Geum-jeon's gift had the power to convert that into mana.

A power limited only to money.

As the 50,000 won bundles converted to mana, it infused him with power.

"My money is burning brightly..."

His internal mana amount was slightly below average.

But by using his gift, Jung Geum-jeon could temporarily draw out power exceeding the average.

When he was young, the first Donghae Clan Lord discovered Jung Geum-jeon's talent and wanted to raise him as a player.

However, because it cost too much money, Jung Geum-jeon was living this kind of life now.

☆

In the previous life, Armageddon first caused terror at the Mana Management Organization.

He prevented the Mana Management Organization from responding to the Mines' terror, and induced loss of control by killing high-ranking officials inside.

<First Sword> Ji Yong-hyeon, who happened to be at the Mana Management Organization then, battled with Armageddon.

And <First Sword> died.

At that time, <First Sword>'s death became great fear and despair for the world.

'Ah...'

'Resisting new humans is an extremely meaningless act. I'll clearly show you <First Sword>'s death myself and make you understand.'

Ji Yong-hyeon fought Armageddon alone to buy time for people to evacuate.

In that process, he became a rag and became material for Armageddon's propaganda.

When all broadcasting stations gathered in front of the Mana Management Organization, he dragged Ji Yong-hyeon up to the rooftop.

'This is the end of a human who tried to resist new humans.'

With all cameras rolling.

Armageddon dropped the unconscious Ji Yong-hyeon from the rooftop.

Crunch!

Ji Yong-hyeon plunged headfirst to the ground and was smashed.

People couldn't turn their eyes away.

Due to Armageddon's magic power, people had to take in that sight with their own eyes.

<First Sword>'s death and downfall spread nationwide through broadcasts like that.

That's why Eun-ha, who remembered before the regression, flew to Zenith Clan as soon as he heard the news.

By then it was too late.

If I had come a little faster...

Ji Yong-hyeon was dying.

Eun-ha had to brush off Armageddon's magic, check Ji Yong-hyeon's condition, and chew on his frustration.

"This..."

"..."

Then Ji Yong-hyeon passed his sword as if squeezing out his remaining strength.

A completely broken sword, the symbol of <First Sword>.

Eun-ha realized Ji Yong-hyeon's intention.

And he could also realize what he should do.

I should become the new <First Sword>.

In the previous life.

Just as Ryu Yeon-hwa, who arrived late at the Mana Management Organization, manifested <Ice Flower> and represented the message that a sword protecting the country still remained.

Just as that incident made Ryu Yeon-hwa be called <Divine Spear> in name and reality.

This time he should do it.

So Eun-ha gripped Ji Yong-hyeon's sword and stood before Armageddon.

Whoosh!

He inherits <First Sword>'s will.

Humans are not broken yet.

Eun-ha coated the broken sword with flames and made people across the country watch.

Furthermore─

─Whoosh!!

Eun-ha used his flames to burn the black mana floating around.

Zenith Clan members who were being toyed with by Armageddon's necromancy collapsed one by one.

"You've really done it."

"Hooh, can you now resist my mana without manifesting myth? Ah, is that so. While inheriting <First Sword>'s will, you absorbed the will of people transmitted to him too. With <Cardinal >'s will added..."

Blast Cross

Eun-ha swung flames.

It was a similar sensation to what he felt during the Mana Church's half-soul ceremony terror.

A feeling of being full of power.

He swung the flame-imbued sword to attack Armageddon.

Armageddon spread a barrier and shook off the flames.

But the flames that scattered along the barrier dyed the world bright red.

"Your power to dominate space has grown too. But you're still far off, kid."

Snap.

Armageddon snapped his fingers.

At that moment, the flames scattered and disappeared.

The world had returned to normal.

Eun-ha's eyebrows twitched.

Armageddon chuckled.

Tap

He tapped his staff.

Armageddon, who stepped into subspace, appeared on the rooftop of Zenith Clan Hall.

Soon he emitted his presence to draw the attention of Eun-ha and others below.

"I have no intention of fighting you now. Although my plan went a bit awry, we just came out to formally greet you today. So let's not use unnecessary strength anymore. You don't think you alone can face me, do you?"

Eun-ha gritted his teeth.

Armageddon was a calamity.

He couldn't face him alone.

Moreover, he had consumed considerable mana battling Mammon and flying from Gangnam to the northern edge of Gangbuk.

Zenith Clan members were also injured and not in a state to fight.

"I don't want to use more strength either. Nevertheless, if you want to fight me, I will cause disturbances in the gaps of fighting you and turn Seoul into a wasteland."

"..."

"So let's stop the confrontation here. Didn't you thwart my purpose by inheriting <First Sword>'s will? Be satisfied with that today."

Armageddon's threat.

Eun-ha spread his detection net.

All of Nowon-gu was swarming with monsters.

Zenith Clan should be leading clans to sweep up monsters, but they were currently tied down by Armageddon.

No, being tied down was secondary, there weren't many players who could fight in Zenith Clan now.

"Yes, you should know reality. A hero upheld by people all over the world shouldn't ignore those suffering just because evil is before his eyes."

Eun-ha put strength in his eyes.

He absolutely must not submit.

The world was watching.

Moreover, he couldn't fight without regard for his surroundings in order to eliminate Armageddon.

"That is the fate of a hero revered by people of the world. That has caught your nature. If it was a meeting no one was watching, you would have thought it was an opportunity and rushed in alone. You've been caught by the fate of someone who has risen high."

"Shut up."

So Armageddon's words were wise.

He had revived the atmosphere of the war situation, and achieved results by making Armageddon withdraw and preventing terror.

If he fought Armageddon further, he would lose more than gain.

It was frustrating, but he had no choice but to withdraw.

"Get lost."

"Kkulkkul, alright, I'll do that."

In the end, Eun-ha had to stop at threatening and chasing away Armageddon.

Armageddon chuckled.

Then he spoke as if for all the people of the world to hear.

"Listen, humans."

""""..."

A resonance filled with power.

It was a sound that seemed to speak to the soul rather than being transmitted through the ears.

People all stiffened hearing that sound.

"We are new humans who have evolved to a higher dimension than you inferior humans, who will lead the world from now on. Therefore, inferior humans must be ruled by superior new humans."

""""..."

"What do you have that's particularly outstanding compared to us? Strength, mana, intelligence, lifespan. You are inferior to new humans. Therefore, I think new humans should rule over you primitive and inferior beings, and teach you to be reborn as new humans. The existence of superior new humans has meaning in evolving inferior humans."

Blast Cross

I told you to quietly withdraw.

Armageddon was saying words that made people tremble in anxiety.

Eun-ha immediately launched a sword strike.

Armageddon stopped speaking midway and deflected Eun-ha's sword strike.

"My... I should disappear quickly. Yes, it can't be helped. Then I'll say this as the last."

Armageddon clicked his tongue.

He weakly waved the wrist that struck down Eun-ha's sword strike.

"But you won't quietly accept new humans' rule. That's fine. Why should we receive approval from inferior humans? From now on, we will cause countless terrors like today. In the terrors, some of you may be reborn as new humans and become our comrades, or you may just die."

""""..."

"In the end, you will be in a situation to choose one of two. Either submit, or become new humans like us. Today's terror will be just the beginning. We will dye this country with our power starting from Seoul. So...!!"

Fear new humans.

When Armageddon was about to say that.

At that moment, all communication equipment malfunctioned.

Crackle...

There was a building opposite Zenith Clan Hall.

Armageddon was showing on a monitor installed on the building's outer wall.

But when the signal cut off and reconnected, another person appeared on the monitor.

All broadcast screens showing Armageddon were filled with that person.

[You still talk a lot even after decades. I thought you were dead, I didn't know you'd be alive like this. You've changed unrecognizably.]

"<Index >, how did you..."

[It's nothing for me living in the cyber world to seize communications. But Armageddon, your chuunibyou naming sense is still the same even at that age. The name <Necromancer > Ban Ik-hyeon suits you much better.]

The leader of the 3rd generation Twelve Seats.

<Index > Yoon Seong-jin had seized all broadcast signals people were watching.

[A guy who toys with dead people calling himself a new human... I never thought I'd hear such words in my life. <Necromancer >.]

"Don't call me by that name! As a new human...!!"

[No, you are a Mine.]

<Index > handed over the broadcast signal.

Fairy Im Ga-eul appeared on all broadcasts and delivered a blow.

She spoke in a cold tone.

[New humans... how absurd. You are just Mines born with slightly stronger bodies than humans after surviving in mana disturbances. There are no beings superior to humans in this world. Humans, Ain, and Mines are all equal beings even if different.]

"Hehe, I didn't expect even the Fairy to come out. Calling new humans Mines... you don't know thanks to whom you're in that position, your gall has jumped out of your belly. Otherwise how dare you say Mines..."

[But as long as you've violated human morality, you are enemies we must defeat. You and all Mines causing terror are monsters.]

"...You're not only degrading us to Mines, but treating us as monsters?"

Armageddon asked back, seemingly displeased.

He glared at Im Ga-eul, tapping his staff.

There was no hesitation on Im Ga-eul's face appearing on the monitor.

[Yes, you are monsters.]

"Monsters... Then that means you're being pushed back by monsters like us now? Are you brazenly going against my mood knowing that?"

[Pushed back? Who says?]

Im Ga-eul raised the corners of her mouth.

She answered confidently.

Her voice spread across the country.

[All Twelve Seats have been deployed to the scenes and are suppressing the situation. So citizens, you can rest assured.]

☆

The momentum of the flames burning everything around was gradually decreasing.

Internal mana ran out.

Jin Seo-na, who returned to her original form, was gasping for breath.

"─Sorry I'm late."

"No, unnie..."

Barely grasping consciousness.

Jin Seo-na looked up at the person standing before her.

<Ice Spear> Ryu Yeon-hwa.

With her appearance, the atmosphere changed in an instant.

Gift <Ice Flower>

Embers extinguish, and ice blooms to freeze the surroundings.

The cold that penetrated to the bones shattered the monsters.

"Arm... fell off."

The arm of the man wearing Caesar Hopper armor fell off too.

The man blinked.

When he swung the area where the arm fell off, a new arm sprouted.

"I don't like cold things."

"Come at me."

Ryu Yeon-hwa exerted her aura.

The man showed a wary stance for the first time.

☆

Mapo-gu, Luminous Hall.

Ariel's song was only effective for a moment at first.

Before Lilith's magic, Ariel and other players were barely managing to protect themselves.

"At this rate, we'll be done for too. The magic is too powerful."

"Ugh... It's too hot inside my body. Ah, I'm just going to strip."

Even Ilya's protection magic was useless.

The magic stimulating lust was powerful.

In the end, Kim Meri, who was hit head-on by Lilith's magic despite having protection magic, complained of discomfort.

Shakira and Seo Dam-bi held her down, restraining her attempt to take off her clothes.

With that, Kim Meri became incapacitated for battle.

Fortunately, reinforcements arrived just in time.

Gift <Access >

Twelve Seat <Shadow King> Han Chang-jin.

He activated his gift and controlled the smoke of lust thickly filling the surroundings.

"Is it you? The one who made our Meri like that."

And Twelve Seat <Navy Wind> Jin Pa-rang.

He frowned seeing Kim Meri who was insistently unbuttoning despite people's restraints. He took off the jacket he was wearing and covered Kim Meri's body.

"Pa-rang, don't get too close. It's hard to nullify the magic even with gifts now."

 Han Chang-jin stopped Jin Pa-rang who was about to jump into battle right away.

Including the two of them, reinforcements arrived and surrounded Lilith.

"Tsk, it turned out disappointing. I really wanted to hear those annoying guys whimpering. Especially that one... Ah, was it <Healing Notes>? Her voice was so nice, what a shame."

"Shut up and prepare to die."

Lilith giggled.

People swarmed around her.

People engulfed in lust crawled on all fours like beasts to protect her.

Jin Pa-rang's eyes flashed red.

He growled lowly.

☆

There was no more money.

Jung Geum-jeon clicked his tongue in dismay.

"Still, you defended quite well. As a reward, I'll make you my direct subordinates. Be grateful it's not slaves..."

Lightning

Beelzebub laughed seeing the two people crouched in the protective barrier.

Just then, blue lightning suddenly fell from above the building.

"Kyaaaaaaah!!!"

The lightning pierced through the ceiling and fell on her head.

She screamed.

The lightning that fell at high speed while she was off guard tore her body.

"Huff, huff... This, I was careless?"

But Beelzebub didn't die.

She barely erased the lightning and turned her gaze to the men entering the bank.

"Sorry we're late, advisor."

"Tsk, why did you come so late? Do you know how much I burned? A whole 1 billion..."

"That's cheap for the advisor's ransom. I've got kids waiting outside, so you can leave with me."

Twelve Seat <Great Tree> Seon Gi-jun.

He cast a powerful protection magic on Jung Geum-jeon and Lee Se-hee.

Then he slung the two people over his shoulders.

"I leave the rest to you."

"Leave it to me."

Seon Gi-jun wished good luck to the person who came to the scene with him.

Twelve Seat <Thunder God> Lee Do-jin.

He nodded briefly, blue currents wrapped around his body.

"I heard you're called the best-looking among the Twelve Seats... You are handsome at a glance. You're my type."

"Unfortunately, I'm not interested in monsters that only fly flies."

"Monster? You're calling me a monster? I'm not a monster but a new..."

"What are you if not a monster?"

"..."

Beelzebub couldn't retort.

She was protected by swarms of flies, and while her outer appearance was human, she exuded an atmosphere that made it hard to think she was human at all.

"Monsters are exterminated. That's all."

Lee Do-jin took a stance.

He raised lightning.

Flash

☆

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Jongno-gu.

Players infiltrated the building seized by Mastema.

[Clan Lord, we've caught almost all the police officers who ran amok on the streets. Thanks to <Holy Mother>-nim breaking the brainwashing magic, we were able to respond quickly.]

Twelve Seat <Yama > Kang Hyeon-cheol.

He raised the corners of his mouth at the Blaze Clan member's telepathy.

The annoying problem was solved.

So he just needed to take down the Mine in the police chief's office.

"Easy. Isn't it just a matter of taking him down?"

"Of all people to come, it's someone I can't talk to. By the way, did you come alone? You're underestimating me too much."

Mastema sighed.

On the other hand, Kang Hyeon-cheol raised roaring flames to show his fighting spirit.

Then he replied gruffly.

"Would I have come alone?"

"As expected. Reinforcements are coming up here now...!!"

Whoosh!!

It was when Mastema was moving his feet.

Suddenly, the window behind Mastema shattered terribly.

A huge gust of wind blew.

The gust carrying glass pierced through Mastema's body.

"Hah, to think I have to fight with <Yama > senior, I have such bad luck."

A man floating in the air riding the wind.

Twelve Seat <Wind Mage> Chae Seon-woo.

He muttered as if annoyed.

☆

Sinnyongsan Station.

Son Ga-yeon, who formed a contract with Lala, was in the midst of flying through the air and bombarding.

"Tsk...! You're really being annoying!"

Samael was irritated.

Each bombardment was powerful.

So Samael couldn't show any openings to Son Ga-yeon.

Her mobility to freely change directions in the air became threatening.

But as time passed, Son Ga-yeon gradually became strained.

Internal mana is running low.

At this rate, the transformation will wear off and I'll lose...

Son Ga-yeon grew anxious.

Thanks to her struggle, people were able to go up to the ground.

But reinforcements were slow to arrive.

Meanwhile, the players fighting with her lost their lives.

Now she was the only one left.

Reinforcements must have arrived.

The problem is they can't find a way down here...

Son Ga-yeon assessed the situation.

The situation was drawn in her head.

Players must be evacuating people while looking for a way down.

However, even the path Son Ga-yeon had painstakingly created was now blocked due to successive battles.

"Heh, I knew it. As long as you're human, running out of mana after fighting this much is unavoidable."

Meanwhile, Samael spotted signs of her struggling.

Samael snickered.

He was about to launch magic at her using an electric guitar as a medium.

Just then─

─Earth Dragon's Bombardment

The ceiling shook.

Magic activated from the ground pierced through several layers of ground.

A huge hole formed.

Yet the subway remained intact and standing.

"Fortunately we're not too late. You've worked hard until now."

Twelve Seat <Earth Dragon> Chong Eun-ju.

She came down through the hole and protected Son Ga-yeon.

Then another person came down.

"Hmm... With such a cramped space, fighting wouldn't have been easy."

A woman with blonde hair fluttering.

The woman wearing a pointed hat reminiscent of a witch waved her staff.

"Then I should restore this place's memory and temporarily return it to its original state."

Twelve Seat <Time Witch>.

Pricis Memory activated magic to transform the collapsed subway.

As her magic power permeated the space, the subway began to regain its state before collapsing.

☆

It was similar in the previous life too.

Im Ga-eul seized the broadcast signal and degraded Armageddon's authority at the critical moment.

The only difference was─

─<Index > didn't come out to reveal Armageddon's past.

That was it.

With <Index > becoming the leader of the Twelve Seats, he began actively responding to terror situations.

Eun-ha smiled in satisfaction hearing Im Ga-eul's voice.

He also heard from Zenith Clan's telepath that Pandora Clan had been deployed to the scene.

All clan members were safe, they said.

He felt relieved.

"Hah, I didn't expect to be cornered like this."

On the other hand, Armageddon seemed discouraged.

He clicked his tongue.

He grasped that Im Ga-eul's words were not lies.

He spread one arm.

"I'll have to stop the terror for now."

Space rippled.

Mines came out of subspace.

He had called the Mines.

"You seem to have fought quite fiercely."

"...We're sorry, Lord Armageddon."

The Mines were injured.

There were minor injuries and major injuries.

To this, Mastema stepped forward as representative and bowed his head.

"Yes, Fairy. As you said, we shouldn't underestimate humans. But it's just being caught off guard by mere ants, don't misunderstand that you've won. Today was just a greeting."

[You sure talk a lot after being beaten by those ants.]

"But you must have suffered more damage than this."

[...]

"We will cause terror soon and preach the greatness of new humans. So prepare for that time. Will you be able to come out like this then too?"

Armageddon opened subspace again.

The Mines entered the subspace.

Armageddon turned his body too.

"Ah yes, I should say this."

Armageddon stopped walking.

He jumped down from the rooftop and came down to where Eun-ha was via subspace.

"...!!"

Eun-ha immediately swung his sword.

Armageddon nimbly avoided the sword strike and passed by his side.

Then, he whispered in his ear.

"No matter how much stronger you've become, you can't defeat the current me. If you want to compete with me─"

Armageddon quickly opened subspace and jumped in.

All the Mines disappeared.

Eun-ha pondered the words Armageddon left as he departed.

─You must manifest myth.

So open the door to myth.

O human who will probably become my match.