Chapter 110
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Jeju Island, Phaethon Raid - 2
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A crimson tide of molten iron surged across the runway like a wave. The asphalt in its path boiled, sending up plumes of acrid smoke.
Gwa-reu-reu-reu-reu—
- Damn it! What the hell is he doing!
Han Tae-san’s voice, thick with irritation, rang out. But even he had no desire to take a shower in molten metal, so he had no choice but to retreat.
"Is he… he isn't controlling all of that, is he?”
Kang Seo-yoon asked, hanging from the ramp door of the Prydwen.
‘She’s sharp.’
As her question implied, this was beyond the capacity of Lee Hyun-wook's Metal Control.
"Since it's a liquid, part of it is flowing on its own.”
By liquefying the metal and setting it in motion, the viscous molten iron would cling together, allowing him to move a quantity far exceeding his normal control as it flowed in a tangled mass.
He could also force the overall flow by controlling only a portion of it.
For instance, by applying force to the edges or slanting the bottom, he could form a sort of ‘channel’ to direct its movement in one direction.
Gwa-reu-reu-reu-reu—
In this way, hundreds of tons of molten metal surged forward, engulfing the skeleton army.
Woong—
At that moment, the death priests gathered their power and deployed a black dome—the same wide-area defensive skill that had so easily blocked Lee Hyun-wook's steel rain.
‘…This time, I can break through.’
Lee Hyun-wook whipped the molten metal into a vortex and slammed it down onto the black dome.
He focused all his power on a single point.
Fwo-fwo-fwo-fwo-fwo—!
It was a relentless whirlwind assault, like a drill boring into one spot.
The black dome began to shake unsteadily.
‘Good, it’s working.’
But that wasn't all.
Lee Hyun-wook brought out his final, hidden 'secret technique'.
[Skill Information]
- Name: Aura (Saint)
- Rank: D
- Effect: Consumes Mana (10) to grant ‘Aura (Saint)’ to a specific weapon.
* Swallowing a certain amount of ‘metal imbued with holy power’ will increase the skill’s rank.
‘It’s been a while since I used this.’
In other words, it had now become a vortex of holy molten iron.
K-craaaaack—!
Finally, a crack appeared in the black dome, and a section crumbled away.
Through that hole, the molten metal coiled and surged inside like a crimson dragon.
The dragon's head was aimed at the heart of the demon army.
Where the death priests were gathered.
Upon them, the crimson dragon descended like a waterfall.
Fwoooosh—!
Lee Hyun-wook didn't stop, accelerating the vortex to completely crush his enemies.
Gwa-deu-deu-deu—!
It seemed they had no way to stop this terrifying phenomenon.
Gwa-deu-deu-deu—!
Just like that, he melted the 20 death priests in a single breath.
"......."
-.......
Unlike when Han Tae-san was in action, this time there was only silence.
If Han Tae-san had displayed superhuman strength,
Lee Hyun-wook had unleashed calamitous destructive power.
They were in different leagues, but visually, it was Lee Hyun-wook's overwhelming victory.
- Oh! Look, the green light surrounding the skeletons is disappearing!
With the annihilation of the death priests, they had lost their ‘aura’.
"Hyun-wook, you can use Metal Control now… right?”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded and closed his eyes.
In an instant, the iron helmets on the skeletons' heads, the iron armor on their bodies,
all of it fell under his control.
In truth, this was where Lee Hyun-wook's real show began.
Standing on the Prydwen's ramp door, Lee Hyun-wook looked down at the runway.
Slowly, he raised his left hand.
‘Shatter—’
A spectacular scene unfolded as thousands of skeletons exploded in unison.
***
On the 12th floor of a certain building, a man stood before a window with drawn blinds. He was closely watching the main entrance of the building across the street.
"Ah! He's out!”
Spotting something, he quickly raised his mana messenger.
*Chk—*
“...This is Crow 2, Mother Bear is leaving the den.”
An SUV parked behind that building hurriedly started its engine. The man in the passenger seat raised his mana messenger.
“Ahem, this is Black Rat 1. Commencing pursuit of Mother Bear.”
The men secretly tailing their target were agents of the ‘Special Secret Police Bureau,’ also known as <Black Swan>, the clandestine intelligence unit under Woo Seong-mun.
However, ‘Mother Bear’ Ki Baek-jun was also aware of their pursuit.
"Master, we have a tail. An SUV in the second lane behind us.”
The female mage player in the seat next to him reported.
“...Tsk, tsk, they’re really getting into their little detective game, aren’t they?”
He put on his sunglasses with an annoyed look and leaned his head back against the seat.
"The truck will be arriving shortly. I'll prepare for the transfer.”
"Right. They're watching from all sides, so do it discreetly."
"Yes, I will conduct the ‘rendezvous’ with caution.”
A large trailer truck soon pulled up alongside their sedan.
The two vehicles maintained a natural distance as they drove for about a minute.
They both stopped at an intersection when the light turned red.
"Beginning short-range teleport now.”
She began to chant an incantation, and a faint light filled the car.
Woong—
The next moment, Ki Baek-jun found himself sitting in a dark space.
He was inside none other than the trailer that had been driving beside them.
Afterward, the trailer turned left, and the sedan turned right.
The government surveillance team would, of course, follow the sedan.
All the way to an abandoned factory in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province.
‘By the time they realize, I’ll already be on Laputa.’
Just then, a man walked out from the inner part of the trailer.
“Master, we will now head to Seoul Station.”
“Good. Has our special forces team arrived safely?”
"Yes, they're already on site, circling the area.”
"They aren't human; they're beasts. Be careful.”
"Yes, I will issue another command to control them with caution.”
Laputa was floating above Seoul Station.
Therefore, they had to seize control of Seoul Station first.
"And underground… you planted that seed properly, right?”
“Yes. Once a sacrifice is offered, it will grow in an instant and reach Laputa.”
Their plan was systematic and proceeding without a hitch.
Soon, they would set foot on Laputa.
***
Meanwhile, on Laputa, there was Park Jun-mo.
"No matter how I think about it… I must have shown how much I disliked it.”
He sat perched on the railing of the airship port, gazing at the sky.
For some reason, his face was completely dejected.
"That's why Sergeant Lee was upset, and why he left me here. Because he knew I'd just show my displeasure again…”
Lee Hyun-wook always took Kim Se-hee and Park Jun-mo with him. But… for this Jeju Island mission, only Park Jun-mo was left behind, which was unusual.
The reason was that Lee Hyun-wook had told him not to come.
He was told to stay on Laputa instead…
“But why… why…”
At this moment, Park Jun-mo felt an unshakeable sense of unease. It was the same feeling he’d had in elementary school when his friends went to a PC bang without him.
Come to think of it, he wondered if this was a form of demotion.
"Sergeant Lee is my savior, but instead of repaying his kindness… I acted like a clueless private, whining all the time. He must have thought taking a guy like me along would only lead to trouble…”
Listening to his story, Lee Jeong-jun shook his head.
"No, that's not it. Jun-mo, you're overthinking it.”
"Then why did he tell me to stay here?”
"Uh, well… he was probably preparing in case something happened here.”
“...What could possibly happen here?”
Park Jun-mo looked around as he spoke.
In every direction, there was nothing but the vast, blue sky.
This was a place not even a single bird could reach.
Lee Jeong-jun couldn't hide his awkward expression.
"Well, I mean, that's why he set up these weapons, isn't it?”
He pointed to where the ‘Thunder God's Mace’ was installed.
"And he also asked me to guard the place well.”
Before leaving for Jeju Island, Lee Hyun-wook had called Lee Jeong-jun over.
He had asked him to take charge of Laputa's security while he was away.
‘Well, that’s likely just a precaution for a one-in-a-million chance, but…’
Thump—thump—thump—thump—
Just then, the sound of a bouncing ball echoed from somewhere.
Far off in the airship port, a bronze giant was dribbling a basketball. It seemed Talos, Laputa's master AI, was enjoying his new body.
Besides, who would dare try to break in when something like that was on guard?
"......Well, I don't think anything will happen either.”
"Exactly. I've been stationed in a place where nothing will happen.”
"No… sigh… I'm hungry. Let's just get something to eat.”
Crash!
That was the sound of the basketball hoop breaking. It was already the third one.
***
At that moment, the steel fleet landed on the runway of Jeju International Airport.
"Listen up, everyone! We will now sanctify this area!”
Following Kang Seo-yoon's command, the installation of various holy artifacts began.
A total of 245 holy artifacts were mobilized for this task.
“—Linked sanctuaries in all four cardinal directions, installation complete!”
- A ‘holy power’ is now circulating in the area.
Thus, a section of Jeju International Airport received a sanctuary buff.
"Alright, the undead won't be able to approach here now.”
Using this as a base, the priests would fire ‘Holy Lights’ into the sky to push back the swarms of Red Wisps, securing an air route.
Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly.
But… it wasn't long before they faced another problem.
It was a system message, a sudden warning that flew in.
- Warning! <Flame Storm: Stage 1> is about to begin in this area.
* Time remaining: 00:09:59
".......Huh?"
The message appeared before the eyes of every player on Jeju Island.
"A Flame Storm… what does that mean?”
“...Tsk, that doesn't sound good at all.”
"Of course it doesn't. It's a warning, after all. Damn it, what now?”
And 10 minutes later, when the countdown ended…
Fwoooosh—!
“Whoa! What was that!”
From Baengnokdam on Jeju Island, a pillar of fire erupted.
It created a spectacular sight, piercing through the clouds.
It truly looked as if a volcano had erupted.
Immediately after, a tremendous heatwave began to descend from the mountain.
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa—!
"Ah!"
The power of the heatwave was evident even from a distance.
Trees were being uprooted and sent flying into the sky…
Next, it swept through the city, flipping over cars.
The airport was next in line.
"Damn it! Everyone, brace for strong winds!”
It would take some time for the heatwave to reach the runway, so the mage players prepared and deployed a wide-area magic barrier in the interim.
“Everyone—get behind the barrier!”
Hwaaaaa—!
"Ugh! It's, it's hot!”
Despite the barrier, players were still getting burned by the intense heat.
"Gasp! Gasp! D-damn it, what is this all of a sudden!”
"Hey, wasn't the boss monster supposed to be in Baengnokdam?”
For it to inflict damage all the way out here was an absurd situation.
Still, the players gathered here were mostly rankers. Though annoyed, they didn't panic and skillfully prepared for the next heatwave.
‘…The Flame Storm. This is Phase 2 of the event.’
Lee Hyun-wook, of course, had anticipated this.
Once the demon army that had made a deal with the boss monster Phaethon was eliminated, the boss monster itself, the Flame Giant Phaethon, would make its move.
And it wouldn't wait for the players to finish their preparations.
‘In other words, this is going to be a time-limited mission.’
Sure enough…
- Warning! <Flame Storm: Stage 2> is about to begin in this area.
* Time remaining: 00:29:59
“...Damn it, is another one coming?”
"And this time it's Stage 2!”
The stages would progressively escalate.
The first, Stage 1, was merely a powerful heatwave.
‘But by Stage 5, it will set all of Hallasan Mountain ablaze.’
The same power that had incinerated 21 islands in the Philippine archipelago in his past life…
And in the end, it would culminate in the creation of a small sun.
World boss monsters grew stronger over time like this.
‘We have to kill it before that happens.’
Soon, Kang Seo-yoon urgently summoned the group leaders.
"Damn it, if this is the case… we have to completely change our plan.”
Their plan to establish a base here, ensure the safety of civilians, and then slowly prepare for the raid had to be completely scrapped.
"And we were planning to wait for Inferno, who can control fire, to return after finishing the dungeon raid, but that's not an option anymore.”
Now, there was only one way.
"We… have to take down that boss monster as fast as possible.”
In other words, they had to start the raid right now.
"Ha, this is not looking good…”
"With so many variables, there are bound to be more.”
But Han Tae-san was still brimming with confidence.
"It's better to just finish it quickly and get out of here, isn't it!”
He said, glancing at Lee Hyun-wook.
"I find clearing mobs a bit tedious, so I tend to slack off, but I'm really good at beating up one big guy. You all don't have to worry."
He might be inferior to Lee Hyun-wook in a one-versus-many fight, but not in a one-on-one.
And that was a given.
‘There is no player more advantageous in a boss fight than Han Tae-san.’
He was a ‘Bruiser’ or ‘damage-dealing tank,’ the strongest among players capable of both dealing and taking damage.
That's why he was a monster capable of facing a boss monster head-on in a one-on-one duel…
"Hey, you. Don't tell me you're getting cocky after one good showing, are you?"
Lee Hyun-wook just chuckled without giving a different answer.
However…
“Ugh! Why does my head keep hurting today!”
Soon after, the steel fleet took to the skies again.
As they ascended to an altitude of several hundred meters, the second-largest mountain on this land, the Korean peninsula, came into view. It was covered in gray smoke, but thanks to the earlier ‘Flame Storm,’ some of it had been cleared away.
"Wow… Hallasan Mountain has been reduced to a pile of ash.”
The area around Baengnokdam was completely scorched, turned black and charred.
And within that pile of ashes, something could be seen stirring.
They were moving trees, or more accurately, trees that had turned to charcoal.
- Wailing Poplar (LV. 73)
- Wailing Poplar (LV. 72)
Poplars. In Greek mythology, these were monsters modeled after Phaethon's sisters, who turned into poplar trees while mourning his death.
“Alright, let's ignore those for now and find the boss monster first.”
Kang Seo-yoon commanded the entire fleet.
"Well, once we start hitting it, those things will obviously come at us. But we don't have time to clear them out and advance slowly. If we do, we'll all be torn to shreds by the damage over time from that Flame Storm.”
It was a strategy made possible by her trust in the caliber of the steel fleet members.
Even if they were surrounded by a horde of monsters in the mountains, they would endure while the top-tier rankers, including Han Tae-san, hunted the boss monster.
This was less of a raid and more of a simple, brute-force breakthrough.
But at this moment, it was undeniably the most rational strategy.
However.......
"Hmm… it should be visible from around here.”
The steel fleet was currently looking down on Baengnokdam.
But nothing was caught in their surveillance network.
“...There's no way we can't see something that huge, right?”
The Flame Giant Phaethon, as its name suggested, was a monster over 20 meters tall.
It was impossible for something like that to go unnoticed from the sky.
It was practically the size of a 15-story apartment building, wasn't it?
"Alright, everyone be careful. Just like what happened to the news helicopter last time—”
But before she could finish her sentence—
Poo-hwa-a-a—!
An explosion roared from somewhere, and a pillar of crimson fire shot up. A crimson hand had burst out from the ashes on the western side of Baengnokdam.
- No way, did that bastard know we were coming and set up an ambush?
“—Now!”
At that moment, as if waiting for this, Kang Seo-yoon shouted.
Wooooo—
The undersides of two airships, Steel 8 and Steel 4, began to open. Onboard were Do Hee-seon and other ‘Water Mages’.
Immediately, something formed in the air, coalescing into a sphere.
It was a ‘Great Water Ball’ with a diameter of 12 meters.
Five of them materialized and collided with the incoming pillar of fire.
"Everyone, hold on tight! We have impact!”
Ba-boom—!
The head-on collision of fire and water resulted in a massive steam explosion.
Nearby airships were pushed back tens of meters.
- Ugh, but we blocked it!
This was a defensive tactic prepared in anticipation of Phaethon's strike.
"Ma'am, open this rear door right now—!”
Han Tae-san shouted as he walked toward the ramp door.
Lee Hyun-wook followed behind him.
“......Huh?"
Han Tae-san shot Lee Hyun-wook a displeased look.
"What is it?”
“What, are you thinking of going out too?”
“That's right.”
*Grit—*
"You brat, didn't I tell you not to get cocky?”
"Cocky? I don't act without a basis.”
"Ha… you're a control type! You want to get killed by that giant?”
It was common knowledge that so-called ‘control types’ had weak defenses.
But sometimes, common knowledge could be a prejudice.
“You might not know this, but I'm actually quite decent at tanking.”
Lee Hyun-wook said, demonstrating Hardening on his hand.
"Ah, is that what you did when we shook hands? But you know…”
He carefully gripped Lee Hyun-wook's hardened hand with his thumb and index finger. A cracking sound echoed as a fissure appeared.
Even the mana shield layered over its surface crumbled.
"See? That's not enough. I was holding back during that handshake.”
My god, was holding back during a handshake even a thing in this world…
"I don't usually worry about others, but honestly, you're too talented to die, you know?”
Han Tae-san said, patting Lee Hyun-wook's shoulder.
"Just stay put, kid. Your hot-bloodedness reminds me of myself when I was young.”
Just then, the ramp door opened, and hot steam billowed in. Han Tae-san waved his hand dismissively as if to shoo it away, and then dived out.
"That bastard, honestly…”
Well, his actions weren't entirely incomprehensible.
‘No, this is to be expected.’
Han Tae-san wasn't an idiot; he wouldn't fail to grasp the situation.
‘Well, he does have some idiotic tendencies…’
But regardless, he was the world's 5th-ranked player.
His judgment was more accurate than that of most players.
‘But that's because he doesn't know what I've prepared.’
Today, Lee Hyun-wook was planning to rely on what people called 'item power'.
Lee Hyun-wook followed Han Tae-san, throwing himself into the air.
- Argh! You're a stubborn son of a bitch too, aren't you?
Han Tae-san's voice reached him, as if he had seen him jump.
At that moment—
- Warning! <Flame Storm: Stage 2> is about to begin in this area.
* Time remaining: 00:00:03
It was time for the second Flame Storm to begin.
And this time, it would be several times more powerful than the last.
- *Chk—* All fleets, increase altitude!
With Kang Seo-yoon's voice, the steel fleet ascended into the sky.
Lee Hyun-wook, in contrast, pressed down on his own body with Metal Control to fall faster. In the distance, he could see the Flame Giant rising to its feet.
- Flame Giant Phaethon (LV. 128)
The monster's body began to glow as if it would explode at any moment—
Fwoooosh—!
And it really did explode.
No, it expelled its internal heat like a jet engine.
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa—!
The crimson heatwave tore through the already charred forest once more. Lee Hyun-wook summoned Mogeuley, slammed it into the ground, and held on for dear life. The heat itself wasn't a problem.
- ‘Blessing of Helios’ is currently active.
He had his special item number one, prepared for this very moment.
"......Oh! The kid's actually holding on!"
That was Han Tae-san's voice.
About 10 meters away, Han Tae-san was crouched low, enduring the heat.
His eyes met Lee Hyun-wook's, and he gave a wink.
Then, as if to show off, he began to slowly advance…
But the heat intensified the closer he got, and he eventually had to stop.
‘Tsk, tsk, trying to act tough now will only make it more embarrassing later…’
Lee Hyun-wook shook his head.
"Han Tae-san! Do you happen to know the story of Phaethon from Greek mythology?”
Lee Hyun-wook suddenly asked.
"Huh? What are you talking about? I don't know anything about that stuff!”
"Hmm, most high-rank gates draw their motifs from mythology, don't they? World-class rankers usually look up the original myths before a raid......."
“—Ah, damn it, I don't know! Why bother reading it when you can just beat them all to death!”
Well, he had a point…
"Once this heat storm is over, I'm going to beat that bastard to a pulp too, so watch closely!"
Lee Hyun-wook smirked.
“Then let me tell you something!”
"Huh? What?”
"The weakness of that boss monster over there.”
“What? … What is it?”
"Do you know what killed Phaethon in the myth?”
"Ah, I told you I don't know—and I don't need to know—!”
Lee Hyun-wook continued, ignoring him.
“It was the famous lightning of Zeus!”
Phaethon, who recklessly drove the sun chariot and threw the earth into chaos.
An enraged Zeus shot him down.
In the original myth, that was the reason he fell to the earth.
"So, what's your point?”
In other words, Phaethon's weakness is ‘lightning’.
But not just any lightning. It was impossible to retire a giant monster like that with the kind of electric attacks Park Jun-mo could dish out.
“So then, what other lightning could rival that of Zeus?”
Lee Hyun-wook muttered, activating the tattoo on his right wrist.
Shiiii---
In an instant, a hammer appeared in his hand.
- ‘Mjolnir’ skill ‘Wrath of the Thunder God’ is available for use.
R-rumble—!
From the western sky, dark clouds were rolling in.