Chapter 130
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: The Black Orc Legion That Landed on the West Coast - 5
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Amidst the devastatingly collapsed buildings, hundreds of Black Orcs were gathered.
They were likely an elite detachment from the Black Orc legion that had invaded this land.
But the creatures merely stood in formation, clutching their weapons, not yet taking any action.
After all, with steel plates slamming down all around them, even a battle-hungry race would have judged it wise to carefully observe the situation before making a move.
But that judgment proved to be their downfall.
The moment Hyun-wook raised Mjolnir and the sky flashed, some of the Black Orcs realized.
The steel plates that had just descended were a giant steel cage meant to trap them.
And if they stayed here, they would be annihilated by Hyun-wook once again...
Grrrroooaar—!
At the roar of the boss monster, Warlord Sumakt, the Black Orcs raised their weapons.
A dozen javelins flew through the air, aimed precisely at Hyun-wook’s heart.
But Hyun-wook was faster. He raised the steel plates, forming a barrier around himself.
*Thung—Thung—Thung—Thung—*
At the same time, he lifted Mjolnir and invoked the ‘Storm of Flames.’
- Warning! The ‘Storm of Flames’ is beginning in this area!
Red clouds began to gather in the sky.
No, to be precise, they weren't clouds.
*Fwoooosh—!*
They were a kind of plasma mass, what should have been called a bundle of flames.
‘This is... the wide-area skill Phaethon used.’
Hyun-wook recalled the hellish heat he had experienced on Jeju Island. He didn't know which of its one to five stages this skill was, but if it detonated this close, it would be incredibly difficult to withstand.
‘It’s far more lethal in a place with no cover like this.’
Sensing something was amiss, Diebeul-Stonox's puppet raised both its arms.
At that moment, dozens of Black Orcs standing near it clutched their necks and coughed up blood.
Then, a black smoke-like substance billowed from their mouths and was sucked into Diebeul’s hands.
Immediately after, Diebeul thrust both hands toward the sky—
*Woooong—!*
Once again, a massive defensive barrier, a black dome, materialized, covering the Black Orc legion.
‘Just as I thought...’
Hyun-wook had anticipated this and immediately dropped the three Mogleis he had floating in the sky.
It wouldn't have the same impact as a high-altitude drop, but he still had ‘Shockwave.’
*Crrack—! Crack—! Crack—!*
Upon impact, powerful shockwaves erupted, peeling away the top layer of the black dome like a shell.
‘Now!’
At that moment, the bundles of red flames that had gathered in the sky swirled and plunged downward.
*Kwah-ah-ah-ah-ah—!*
They struck the very center of the Black Orc formation, tearing through it like the blades of a blender.
*Kwah-ah-ah-ah-ah—!*
He could see hundreds of Black Orcs simultaneously gaping their mouths from the widespread attack.
Expressions of agony... they were probably screaming with all their might.
But nothing could be heard. The storm, a deafening roar, had consumed the entire world.
- You have defeated a Black Orc Elite Warrior and earned Merit Points. (+13)
- You have defeated a Black Orc Elite Warrior and earned Merit Points. (+12)
- You have defeated a Black Orc Elite Warrior and earned Merit Points. (+11)
Only the system messages confirming the influx of Merit Points made the skill's power tangible.
The asphalt in the area melted into a sticky ooze, rising with the hot wind to form a black spiral.
All sorts of stone debris scattered about were flung upwards, creating a sandstorm the size of a building.
*Kwah-gwah-gwah-gwah-gwah—!*
‘A Storm of Flames. The range is smaller than Phaethon's, but the heat is just as intense.’
Feeling an unbearable heat himself, Hyun-wook retreated a good distance away.
About thirty seconds later, the Storm of Flames subsided, and the heat began to slowly dissipate.
Just then, the voices of Kang Seo-yoon and Han Tae-san came from behind.
"Isn't, isn't that the technique Phaethon used?"
"You... what the hell did you pick up on Jeju Island?"
The two of them, unable to hide their astonishment, asked one after another.
Oh Gyeong-pyo appeared next, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Damn, I can't even get my bearings... Is it over?"
But Kang Seo-yoon shook her head, nocking an arrow to her bowstring.
"Tsk, unfortunately, both boss monsters are completely fine, so don't let your guard down."
"Huh? No way, they're fine even after being in that insane heat? Are you serious?"
"I wish I weren't, but I can see them. They're standing there, perfectly straight."
As a top-tier Archer-class Player, she could perceive things others couldn't.
*Gooooo.......*
After some time, the Storm of Flames completely vanished, revealing a devastating scene.
As if recreating the tragedy of Pompeii's ruins, fossils of agonizing struggles were tangled together.
But amidst them, just as Kang Seo-yoon had said, two figures stood tall.
"Grrrhhh—"
A groan filled more with rage than pain... In that fleeting moment, it seemed Sumakt and Diebeul, the two boss monsters, had sacrificed the lives of numerous Black Orcs to shield themselves.
"Damn it, this is getting old... What trick did they pull to come out of that unscathed?"
Oh Gyeong-pyo gripped his spear tighter and ground his teeth.
"Alright, they're boss monsters, so let's all stay on—"
At that moment, Sumakt raised his battle-axe and slammed it into the ground.
*Kwah-gwah-gwah-gwah—!*
The already mangled asphalt road surged forward like a wave.
"—I'll block it!"
Oh Gyeong-pyo stepped forward and thrust his spear with all his might.
*Hwoong—!*
A sharp gust of wind erupted from the tip of his spear, piercing the center of the asphalt wave.
The wave's advance slowed dramatically, as if it had been hit by a tranquilizer dart.
But—
*Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!*
As Sumakt continued to swing his axe, the ground liquefied, surging forward like a river during monsoon season.
"Uh, sorry, but this is a bit much..."
Those standing there threw themselves in all directions.
In that instant, the beast kicked off the ground and launched itself into the air.
"Hyun-wook, it's after you, so be care—!"
Kang Seo-yoon shouted as she rolled on the ground, simultaneously firing an arrow at Sumakt.
*Shhh—Shhh—Shhh—Shhh—*
But Sumakt simply swatted the four arrows aside with a wave of his hand and raised his axe at Hyun-wook. Hyun-wook reshaped the steel plates floating around him into sharp projectiles and fired them.
"Graaah—A mere human—dares—I'll tear—you—apart—!"
The beast swatted them all away as if swinging a baseball bat and flew forward like a cannonball.
‘Damn, this is dangerous.’
Even as he prepared to fight, Hyun-wook knew instinctively. If he entered the range of that two-meter axe, he would surely die.
Just then, another figure appeared right beside Hyun-wook.
"—Get out of the way!"
Han Tae-san. He shot in next to Hyun-wook.
Hyun-wook retreated without hesitation, yielding his spot.
"...I'll concede this one."
Han Tae-san snorted.
"Bullshit. Conceding? Your head was about to get smashed in!"
During the Phaethon raid on Jeju Island, Han Tae-san's predictions had all been proven wrong. But this time, he was right. Tangling with a level 142 Warrior-class boss monster was insane.
‘Even a brief clash would crush me.’
Even if he was stronger than a typical Warrior-class Player, that thing was an insurmountable wall. In fact, besides Han Tae-san, there was probably no other Player here who could face that monster.
Immediately after, Han Tae-san and Sumakt, two figures, collided in a mid-air arc.
He dodged the axe blade coming in diagonally and kicked the beast in the abdomen with a front kick.
*Thwack—!*
A direct hit. A sonic boom erupted for a split second, and Sumakt’s body was sent flying vertically, slamming into the ground.
"Kuh—"
But as Han Tae-san landed, he staggered. His ankle was twisted at a right angle.
He snapped his twisted ankle back into place without even touching it with his hands, then lightly rotated it on the ground.
"That bastard... It's been a while since I've met a foe that makes me want a challenge..."
"Mr. Han, it would be best to use joint locks against him if you can."
Hyun-wook lacked the strength to grapple with Sumakt, but he had sufficient knowledge of close-quarters combat.
It's often said that if there's one technique a human can use to subdue a gorilla, it's a choke. The same applied here. Of course, the probability of success was still abysmal...
"I know that much, you brat. But hey, you got anything else hidden up your sleeve?"
It was less of a taunt and more of a hopeful plea to bring out anything he had.
"Last time on Jeju, you kept pulling all sorts of bullshit out of nowhere, huh? You got anything this time?"
"......."
"If you don't, then don't get in the way. This time, you could actually... die."
He did have something, but it wasn't time to reveal it yet.
Just then, Sumakt pushed himself up, and everyone tensed.
"Everyone, stay sharp."
That monster could close hundreds of meters in an instant just by kicking off the ground.
*Thump— Thump— Thump— Thump—*
But from where the beast stood, something like a heartbeat began to reverberate like an earthquake. Its body was visibly expanding, veins writhing like snakes all over its body.
"Fuck, he was already tough as hell, and now he's buffing himself again?"
Han Tae-san let out a complaint, uncharacteristically flustered.
From that single clash, he had gauged the monster's full power and realized that he was unlikely to win. And since it was a boss monster, there would be more ‘phases’ to come...
"You understand that a monster like that requires a raid, not a fight, right?"
"...I know, so stop nagging. It's already pissing me off."
In that respect, even Han Tae-san couldn't hold Sumakt in a one-on-one fight.
No, in the first place, boss monsters weren't designed to be fought alone.
‘Still, if Han Tae-san tanks and the others attack, we should be able to take it down somehow.’
The problem was, he wasn't the only boss monster here.
It wasn't called a ‘War Event’ for nothing. There was more than one thing to worry about.
Sure enough, in the meantime, the Diebeul-puppet was also preparing something.
Hyun-wook subtly sent a Moglei that he had left floating in the air crashing down toward it.
But the moment the creature waved its hand, giant black hands rose from the shadow at its feet.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
They swatted away the descending Moglei.
To knock away something so heavy so easily—a boss monster was truly a boss monster.
Then it tore off the prayer beads around its neck, swallowing one of them—
"Kraaaah—!"
A red light burst from its mouth, and black smoke billowed from its entire body.
- Warning! An ancient voodoo ritual is beginning in this area!
‘So it’s using that, as expected.’
Voodoo. Simply put, it was necromancy that raised the undead. A magic of death comparable to that of a Necromancer... Of course, unlike a Necromancer for whom such things were basic skills, it required a tremendous price.
For example—
Krrruuuhhh...
Diebeul, a puppet still bearing the title of a boss monster, shuddered.
Next, a red light shone from its eyes, and in an instant, it crumbled into a pile of ash and vanished.
And from within that pile of ash, a shadow flickered and slowly began to rise.
- Evil Spirit Ascetic (LV. ???)
‘It’s a skill that sacrifices its own life to turn nearby corpses into ghouls.’
It was a technique used by fanatical shamans who believed in ancient gods when they were cornered.
However, if a boss-grade entity was the shaman, the scale would be on a completely different level.
Soon, the corpses of the Black Orcs, which had been frozen like fossils, began to twist and move.
*Crack—crack—crack—crack—*
The others, who had been preoccupied with guarding against Sumakt, noticed the phenomenon and turned their heads.
"What the hell is that now!"
Oh Gyeong-pyo cursed and took a step back.
An unusually ominous aura was emanating from that place.
*Kieeeeeh—!*
"Those are... ghouls!"
Ghouls, a high-tier undead species, were monsters incomparably stronger than zombies.
"What? You mean all hundreds of them are turning into ghouls at once? Is that even possible?"
"That's why it's a boss monster. This is insane, seriously..."
And depending on what kind of being was transformed into a ghoul, their power could vary wildly.
But if they were Black Orcs, the finest warrior monsters... they would be truly formidable opponents.
*Kieeeeeh—!*
Eardrum-shattering shrieks echoed in unison, creating a bizarre resonance.
They began to move their blackened bodies, crawling out of the craters.
And like a pack of rabid dogs, they began to charge madly.
*Kieeeh— Kieeeh—*
- Black Orc Ghoul (LV. 85)
A single one was level 85... and there were at least four hundred of them.
This was an offensive that would be nearly impossible to stop.
"...We have to retreat!"
Realizing this, Kang Seo-yoon screamed.
She then summoned translucent fox tails behind her back and unleashed a barrage of arrows.
*Fwoosh—fwoosh—fwoosh—fwoosh—!*
Where her arrows struck, white foxfire flowed out, creating a vortex.
Next, the Anyang Duo cast overlapping buffs on each other, and the marksman, Kang Jun-seong, opened fire with his gun.
*Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—!*
The continuous area-of-effect attacks sent ghouls flying left and right.
But even with their limbs torn off, they charged forward without stopping.
*Kieeeh— Kieeeh—*
...There was no way to halt the advance of a legion of death ruled solely by slaughter and hunger.
"Han Tae-san—we have to get out of here right now!"
At her words, Han Tae-san, who looked ready to charge at Sumakt at any moment, turned without arguing.
"Today's just a fucking shitty day..."
He said, glancing at Hyun-wook.
But Hyun-wook's expression remained unusually placid.
"You bastard... you've got something else, don't you?"
***
At the same time, a battle was raging on Ganghwa Island. With the main battlefield suddenly shifting to the heart of Seoul and both boss monsters gone, the tide of battle had turned heavily in the Players' favor.
"That guy, I can't figure out what he's thinking. What do we do now?"
A man grumbled amidst the cacophony of explosions on the battlefield.
But his attention seemed to be fixed not on the battle before him, but somewhere else entirely.
"Lee Hyun-wook... I can't understand how he manages to avoid the bait every single time."
He was a Player named Wei Jun from China's <Pangu> Guild, participating as support in this battle.
But that was a cover; in reality, he was a member of 'Amsung,' a private organization within China's Ministry of Public Security.
"Don't worry too much. The Elder predicted that this operation would surely succeed, didn't he?"
Next to him, a middle-aged man carrying a large crossbow spoke. He too was a secret agent of Amsung, one of the villainous teams deployed to assassinate Lee Hyun-wook during this war.
"Ah, you mean after the Elder met with the Black Orc King? I heard he invested heavily in this operation."
"Yes, I've heard a few things myself. Honestly, there's no way Hyun-wook can block everything."
Even though he had clearly witnessed Hyun-wook's feats, he spoke with conviction.
It was a confidence one couldn't have without solid grounds.
"Hmm... what are you referring to? Is it that divine medicine, or drink, or whatever it was?"
"The drink of the gods, Nectar. It's true the Elder provided that item, but there's more."
*BOOM—!*
They strolled forward leisurely, effortlessly dodging a magic projectile that flew in from somewhere.
"See those guys over there?"
In the distance, on a two-lane road in the half-crumbled urban area, knights in white full-plate armor were advancing. Above their heads floated a flying ship called the Oryonggeo.
They were the 'ROK AMT Holy Knight Division,' a sacred army second in fame only to Saint Dome's 'Wyte Tree Guard.'
"As long as they're all here, they won't have the strength to respond to what's happening over there."
"Ah! I see now. You're talking about the ancient god's dark magic, the voodoo ritual, aren't you?"
The Chinese Players, having experienced it during the Shanghai reclamation war, knew well the terror of that spell.
"Indeed. Even Steel Rain won't have the ability to stop that."
"Right. Weapons enchanted with holy power alone won't be enough to handle it."
They chatted idly under a silence spell, strolling through the battlefield and chuckling.
"So in the end, he'll meet his demise being torn apart by the undead."
"Oh... that would be a rather fitting end, wouldn't it?"
"Ah, and just in case, we have America's Pitbull Brothers on standby, don't we?"
***
*Kieeeh— Kieeeh—*
The horde of Black Orc Ghouls sprinted down the road, flailing their limbs so violently their muscles seemed to tear.
"Damn it, they're so fast!"
Even Players, who were nearly superhuman, and Rankers at that, couldn't outrun the ghouls.
The creatures ignored physical limitations, running themselves to destruction.
That was why they were struggling to maintain distance, swatting away any that got too close.
Just then, AMT soldiers who were scattered and taking cover throughout Seoul Station Plaza began to provide support fire.
"Damn it, don't waste your ammo! Everyone, retreat quickly!"
Kang Seo-yoon shouted into her Mana Messenger, warning the AMT side even as she ran with all her might.
But it seemed it was already too late. They too would eventually be swept away by the undead wave.
And for anyone not a Ranker, an attack by level 85 ghouls was an unbearable disaster.
‘Still, if we scatter, some might survive.’
But then...
"No, hold your positions!"
The one who shouted that was Lee Hyun-wook.
- *Chkk—* Do you have a plan?
Colonel Kim Kang-seok's voice came through the Mana Messenger.
"Yes! Prepare for fire support, now!"
However, Hyun-wook, like the others, was still fleeing without looking back.
He continued to bombard the ghouls with steel weapons, but it was merely a distraction.
Without powerful holy magic, there was currently no way to put them down for good.
Of course, there might be some Holy-class Players in the AMT unit at Seoul Station Plaza, but...
"It won't work! You can't take them down with simple firepower! You need immense holy power!"
To Kang Seo-yoon's questioning shout, Hyun-wook nodded.
"Yes, we have it."
"...What?"
He looked up at Laputa.
"—Yeo Sang-min, now!"
- Yes! Ready!
At that moment, the bottom of Laputa opened, and a faint light flashed.
It was the <Wide-Area Deployment Device>, capable of teleporting anywhere in Seoul in an instant. This meant someone who had been on standby in Laputa was now descending. Soon, a pillar of light shot down right in front of them, onto Hangang-daero.
*Kwah-ah-ah-ah-ah—*
And from within it, dozens of figures walked out.
*Clank— Clank—*
What had manifested from the sky were paladins clad in grey armor.
From the center, a large man stepped forward and lifted his visor.
"Steel Rain, it has been a while."
It was Peter Clark, the captain of the Wyte Tree Guard.
"Peter, you've waited long. And I'm counting on you."
At Hyun-wook's words, he drew his greatsword and lowered his visor.
"Last time, we were only indebted to you, but this time, we will prove what we are."
But they weren't the only ones who emerged from the pillar of light.
*Clank— Clank—*
Behind the 35 members of the Wyte Tree Guard, giant suits of armor lined up in formation.
They were... Living Armors.
- ‘Master Authority’ over Living Armor has been secured. (43/43)
To be precise, they were sacred suits of armor, enchanted with the blessing of Saintess Emilia Müller.
And at their center stood the Bronze Sentinel, Talos, also brimming with holy power.
「(˘▾˘) Ahh—For some reason, I feel so reverent...」
*Whirrrrrrr—!*
Four sacred chainsaws roared to life.
Thus, against the legion of death of the Necromancer they were destined to one day face,
the steel legion imbued with holy power, a project designed to counter it,
its prototype, was about to face its first real battle.