Chapter 131
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Ancient God, Main Quest - 1
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To Lee Hyun-wook, dealing with the undead legion was like putting out a massive fire.
A fire, once started, is difficult to extinguish. It consumes everything flammable in its path, growing larger by the second.
But if you have a way to cut off the three elements of combustion, it can be put out with surprising ease.
The undead, once risen, are difficult to kill. They turn nearby corpses into more of their kind, swelling their ranks.
But if you have the power to weaken the authority of death itself—holy power—they can be taken down with surprising ease.
‘…Of course, if you don’t extinguish it in time, it will become an unstoppable disaster.’
The Necromancer was a prime example of that.
*Clank— Clank—*
But having foreseen this turn of events, Lee Hyun-wook had prepared a countermeasure to prevent such a disaster.
‘The power of the Saint Dome should be able to suppress most dark-type enemies.’
They had visited once before to help him, but that was a top-secret matter.
In other words, no one could have easily predicted that the Saintess would be on standby here.
No, even if they had, they were cornered to the point that using voodoo magic was their only option.
Lee Hyun-wook had been waiting for this exact moment, deliberately keeping this incredible reinforcement hidden.
The Wight Tree Guard reformed their ranks, becoming a solid wall brimming with radiant energy.
“Raise your shields—!”
At Peter Clark’s shout, the fifteen paladins in the front line stepped forward and raised their shields. In the rear, figures clad in armor but belonging to the priest class raised their staves.
“Holy Light chain! Fire in unison at the front!”
Bright light erupted from all their weapons, converging at a single point in the air to form a white orb.
*Zzzzzzz——*
From it, seven thick beams of light shot out, sweeping across Hangang-daero.
*Kieeeeaaah——!*
The horde of ghouls that had been madly charging forward suddenly stumbled as if hit by a headwind. They twisted their bodies, trying desperately to evade the light, but they couldn't possibly be faster than light.
Like a swarm of ants scattering from insecticide, they writhed and contorted their bodies in a frenzy.
“—Now!”
The moment Lee Hyun-wook shouted into the Mana Messenger, a barrage of spells and arrows soared over their heads, raining down on the scattering ghouls. It was the offensive from the First Battalion waiting in the rear.
*Boom—boom—boom—boom—BOOM—!*
With the explosions, the rather tough bodies of the ghouls were easily shattered, and this time, they didn't regenerate.
“Oh, it’s working now!”
Having already been doused in powerful holy energy, the ghouls had not only lost the protection of dark power, but their overwhelming regenerative abilities had also been significantly reduced, making them vulnerable to conventional attacks.
It was like how even the most ferocious wildfire loses its momentum in the rain.
“Alright, advance and wipe them all out.”
At Lee Hyun-wook’s command, all 43 Living Armors moved in unison.
*Clank— Clank—*
Ten units from the vanguard raised large, cylindrical machine guns.
‘Are those the new weapons Kang Hee-seol recently developed?’
[Item Information]
- Name: Graver-buffalo (Advanced)
- Effects
1) Subspace Magazine: You can ‘load’ 10 ‘ammo belts’ into subspace.
2) Subspace Magazine: You can ‘load’ 10 ‘ammo belts’ into subspace.
‘Graver-buffalo… what a name.’
In any case, it was a type of magic machine gun equipped with an internal mana power engine.
This was the first time Lee Hyun-wook had seen one in person, so he was curious about its firepower.
And just as he’d expected, it was equipped with two subspace inventories, albeit slightly lower-grade ones with ten slots each.
*Rat—tat—tat—tat—tat—!*
They opened fire in unison. The warheads, made from a dungeon steel base and thinly plated with adamantium, sprayed out. The ghouls caught in the hail of bullets were literally pulverized. While it was true the ghouls were weakened after being hit by Holy Light, the firepower was undeniably impressive.
‘This… I should invest more and mass-produce these.’
If their numbers were multiplied, they would become a formidable force.
And if they were mass-produced to the point of replacing military-grade weaponry…
‘Even regular A.M.T. soldiers could wield powerful firepower, regardless of their abilities.’
Items crafted with magic engineering like this were in a different league compared to enchanted standard rifles.
Just then, a few ghouls began to evade the barrage of bullets by climbing building walls and traffic lights.
“Damn it, they’re so fast!”
It was easy to hit them when hundreds were moving in a pack, but it was a different story when they moved individually like this. They leaped into the middle of the Living Armor formation, slashing with their claws.
*Cla—ang—!*
The ghouls were of a much higher class, and the Living Armors were torn apart like tin cans.
At that moment, Talos moved forward, swinging its four arms.
*WHIRRRRRRR—!*
Five or six ghouls charged at it simultaneously, but with a single sweep of Talos’s arms, they were torn to pieces and scattered.
After that, any ghouls that acrobatically broke through the gunfire instinctively rushed toward the closest and most threatening target—Talos—which was akin to moths flying into a shredder.
However, the ‘Malevolent Spirit Ascetic,’ born from the ashes of Diebl, was not just standing by and watching.
“It’s starting to move, be careful!”
Black spikes bloomed from its hands, soared into the sky, and rained down on them.
The attack melted five of the vanguard Living Armors like cheese pierced by a hot fork.
A few spikes then struck Talos, but its body was of a different class and wasn’t destroyed.
「(>3d_d)o How dare you… touch my precious body… It’s on!」
With that cry, one of its arms transformed into a cannon.
*BOOOM—!*
A crimson pillar of fire shot out, turning a dozen ghouls to dust before engulfing the Malevolent Spirit Ascetic.
But the creature simply turned into smoke and rose into the sky, easily dodging the attack.
「Wow… (v_v ;;) I guess one day I'll be able to fly too…」
Just then, a light brighter than anything else erupted from Laputa, drawing everyone’s attention.
‘…It’s begun.’
It meant that the Saintess aboard Laputa, Emilia Müller, had personally intervened.
This was the beginning of a true holy attack.
A cluster of sparkling lights spread across the sky. It was a countless number of light arrows.
The scene was surreal and beautiful, like the blooming of the Milky Way.
Soon, the arrows of light began to pour down on the Malevolent Spirit Ascetic like a waterfall.
*P-p-p-p-p-POW—!*
Struck by the assault, the creature flickered unsteadily, as if it would evaporate at any moment.
*Chrrrrrr—*
Several of the arrows then changed form, becoming chains of light that bound the creature’s limbs. In that state, the arrows continued to rain down, inflicting one-sided damage in a rather brutal fashion.
*Graaaaaaah—!*
This was the power of the Saintess… Everyone watched the scene with their mouths agape.
However, only Han Tae-san stood with his arms crossed, glaring somewhere.
Oh Gyeong-pyo followed suit, raising his spear and pointing.
“But why is that bastard just standing there while his friends are getting their asses kicked? Something’s fishy…”
Now that he mentioned it… Sumakt hadn’t moved throughout this entire chaotic battle. He just stood there with his axe resting on his shoulder, watching the situation with a relaxed air, as if he were waiting for something.
“Tsk, I think Phase 2 is about to start…”
Kang Seo-yoon muttered, having also sensed something ominous.
At that moment, the ‘Malevolent Spirit Ascetic,’ unable to withstand the attack any longer, transformed into an orb and flew off somewhere. All the other ghouls that were still moving also disintegrated into black energy and shot up into the sky.
*Whoom—*
All of it flew toward one place: Sumakt. The creature swallowed it all.
Instantly, an intense energy, visible even at a glance, began to boil and overflow from its entire body.
The life energy of every Black Orc present had gathered into Sumakt.
“What… Don’t tell me he was waiting for this?”
That wasn't the end of it.
The creature pulled something out from its waist…
“Huh? That… I don’t know what it is, but it’s not good.”
At Kang Seo-yoon’s words, Oh Gyeong-pyo tilted his head.
“Director Kang, are you seeing something again?”
“…It looks like some kind of potion, but the air around it is vibrating.”
A liquid that distorted the very air just by existing. That power… Lee Hyun-wook was familiar with it.
‘That’s Nectar.’
It was the drink of the gods, ‘Nectar,’ which Lee Hyun-wook also possessed. It was in the creature’s grasp.
‘If it drinks that, things will get complicated.’
The director of the Alchemy Complex, Choi Tae-jun, had turned into a horrific monster called the ‘Incarnation of Molech’ after drinking it. If Sumakt, who was already an overwhelmingly powerful boss monster, drank it and obtained the body of a god…
“…He drank it.”
*Crack— Crack—*
Simultaneously, the creature’s body began to grow even larger.
“That’s gigantification.”
Han Tae-san said, instinctively cladding both his arms in a pale blue aura.
“No, it’s not just gigantification.”
Lee Hyun-wook shook his head.
“Do you know what he just swallowed?”
“Probably something containing divinity.”
“What the hell is that, all this weird shit…”
Nectar, a legendary-grade consumable item. If the one who consumed it was strong enough, they would obtain the body of a god. If they already had a contract with a deity, they could borrow a portion of that god’s power.
‘Just like how Choi Tae-jun received the power of the demon Molech and became its incarnation.’
In that case, Sumakt… would likely become the incarnation of an ‘Ancient God.’
*Crack— Crack—*
The creature’s spine could be seen squirming and transforming as it instantly grew to about 10 meters tall. Tentacle-like appendages sprouted from its chin like a beard, likely taking on the form of an Ancient God.
*GROOOOAR—!*
Next, its right arm twisted with a sharp crack, and a black bone burst forth from within.
*Crack-crack-crack—*
The bone twisted like vines, forming into a massive hammer about 7 meters long.
- Black Orc Warlord Sumakt: Great Warrior of an Unknown Ancient God (LV: 171)
…His level was a staggering 171.
Considering the Black Orc King Stonox was level 175, they were practically on the same level.
On top of that, imbued with the power of an ‘Ancient God,’ he was a much more troublesome opponent.
‘Damn it, how are we supposed to kill that thing?’
This was a development even Lee Hyun-wook hadn't anticipated.
‘At level 171, most attacks won’t even scratch it.’
Just then, the creature took a step forward and swung the bone hammer in its right hand indiscriminately.
“Look out—!”
*WHOOOOOSH—!*
A magical storm erupted, lifting everything attached to the ground into the air.
The Seoul Culture Station and Seoul Station L-Mart, which were in the creature’s right-side radius, were completely uprooted.
The railway tracks bent like taffy, soaring into the air like a ladder.
“Everyone, cast Link Magic 1—Holy Guard!”
*Whoom—*
If the Saintess and the entire Wight Tree Guard hadn’t pooled their strength in that split second to form a sacred barrier, everyone present would have been swept away by the storm.
“This ‘Holy Guard’ will only last for about 60 seconds!”
Peter Clark shouted, ordering his subordinates to prepare a teleportation spell for their escape.
“Ha… Crazy— How are we supposed to kill that thing?”
“Didn’t you see that just now? Retreat is our only option.”
Voices of doubt… no, voices filled with fear, could be heard from all around.
“It seems we’ll have to call in all the troops from Ganghwa Island for a large-scale raid.”
“But then we’d lose Seoul… and even Laputa could be destroyed.”
“Damn it, it’s a war event, so of course the final boss is ridiculously strong…”
Meanwhile, the ‘Holy Guard’ hanging above their heads began to flicker and fade.
“Uh… 60 seconds is almost up, I think?”
*Thump— Thump—*
Beyond the fading barrier, Sumakt, now grown to 14 meters, was approaching.
At that moment, after much deliberation, Lee Hyun-wook thought of what was essentially his last resort.
“…Emilia, can you hear me?”
- No, what in the world is that thing—!
A voice, stained with annoyance and panic, shot back at him.
She must be looking down at the scene from Laputa.
But with something like that appearing, even Laputa was no longer safe.
“Whatever it is, I have a way. Please focus your healing on me so I don’t die.”
At his words, everyone turned to look at Lee Hyun-wook.
- Don’t you know my title? That’s my specialty. But who? The Fist King?
“He needs attention too, but… I might die.”
- Just run away. Why would you die?
“Ah, I won’t die like that. It might be a method closer to, um, suicide by poison.”
- …What? I haven’t had that much to drink today, so why am I hearing nonsense?
Lee Hyun-wook brought an AD-2 behind him and pulled something out from within it.
[Item Information]
- Name: Nectar (Legendary)
- Effect: Unknown
‘I have Nectar too.’
This was the item he had obtained from the secret facility inside the Gangdong-gu Alchemy Complex.
He had planned to process it and use it properly once the alchemy industry had developed…
‘Drinking it raw has major side effects, but I have no choice if I want to use *that*…’
The bottle contained 150mL. He would only need to drink a tiny bit.
He then took out the other item, the real reason he needed to drink the Nectar.
*Tzzzzzzzt—*
It was a black spear, about 2.5 meters long, a single piece from shaft to tip.
A black haze shimmered from it, giving it a rather sinister aura.
[Item Information]
- Name: Gáe Bolg (Legendary)
- Effects
1) Spear of Death: After a successful throw, infusing mana will release ‘Thorns of Death’.
* Warning! Using this skill may lead to ‘Death’ depending on the circumstances.
Gáe Bolg. The barbed spear or javelin said to have been used by the great hero of Celtic mythology, Cú Chulainn. The moment it hits, it releases 50 barbs, ensuring that the victim can never survive.
‘As expected of such a savage weapon, the over-handicap is enormous.’
Just then, Kang Seo-yoon, who recognized the item, approached with wide, startled eyes.
“Wait a minute… Are you planning to use that now?”
“Didn’t you give it to me to use?”
“W-well, yes, but… you know, that thing is…”
During the 4th Wave, she had offered the Zmeun-narae Guild’s Gáe Bolg as a reward, and Lee Hyun-wook had won it.
“…The price for using that spear, the over-handicap, is your life force.”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded, indicating he already knew.
“And no one has been able to properly use the skill on it yet.”
In other words, despite being a legendary weapon, it was a white elephant.
Just using a basic attack with it consumed life force.
So, using a skill called Spear of Death… would consume an absurd amount of life force.
“The hero who used that skill, Kim Tae-hyeok, is still suffering from the aftereffects.”
The hero Kim Tae-hyeok. He was the man who had thrown this spear at the Twin-Headed Ogre Champion during the Gwangmyeong Ogre battle. At the time, he was the 5th ranked player in Korea, the strongest tanker who could transform into a white tiger. That day, he had shocked the world by killing a level 98 boss monster with a single throw of this spear, but…
“After throwing the spear, his body began to collapse, and he was evacuated to the Saint Dome.”
And despite receiving intensive treatment for six months with the power of the World Tree, he never fully recovered.
“Hyun-wook, if you use that now, you will die.”
Just then, Han Tae-san approached.
“Lee Hyun-wook, it would be better if I used it.”
He said with a very serious expression. Even for him, using this would cause severe physical damage. But he knew that in this situation, there was no one else who could handle it.
“Mr. Han Tae-san, you are the only one who can bind that thing so I can hit it with this spear.”
Lee Hyun-wook said, unclasping his belt, Megingjörð, and holding it out.
“Using this will double your strength. Oh, I’m just lending it to you.”
He then took out the ‘Hook of the World Tree,’ which greatly increased pulling strength.
“Please use this to immobilize that thing. Then I’ll aim for its heart.”
In that time, the Holy Guard dissipated, and Sumakt charged as if it had been waiting.
*Thump— Thump— Thump— Thump—*
“Damn it, everyone, get back!”
Lee Hyun-wook gripped the spear’s shaft and shot into the air.
*Zzzzzzzzt—*
An unpleasant pain, an unbearable power, filled his hand.
‘If I use this with my current body, I will definitely die.’
He opened the bottle of Nectar and took a very small sip.
- Warning! You have consumed the drink of the gods.
* You do not yet possess the ability to handle the power of transcendence!
“……”
The pain was so intense, as if his entire body was being shredded, that Lee Hyun-wook couldn’t even let out a groan.
He turned on the Mana Messenger and managed to force out a single word.
“Heal…”
The moment he spoke, a beam of light descended from the sky, enveloping his entire body.
“Gasp—!”
- Damn it, what did you just drink that’s making your body fall apart? Is this really suicide by poison or what!
This was his body, not up to par, collapsing in real-time as it absorbed the Nectar.
He should have died before it was fully absorbed, but with the Saintess present, it was a different story.
His cells and nervous system, burning away in real-time, were being regenerated in real-time, creating a strange sense of pleasure.
In essence, he was forcibly absorbing it…
- Congratulations! You have absorbed the ‘Nectar,’ the drink of the gods.
* All abilities are permanently increased by a small margin. (+10%)
* For 30 minutes, all abilities are greatly increased. (+300%)
* For 30 minutes, you are ‘immune’ to all status effects.
* For 30 minutes, you are ‘immune’ to all mental curses.
He could feel truly overwhelming power surging through his entire body.
“Whew… Emilia, thanks for the heal just now. But I’m going to need one more.”
Lee Hyun-wook raised the black spear, Gáe Bolg, held in his right hand.
*Tzzzzzzzt—*
Even with his enhanced body, the moment he threw this spear, his body would begin to collapse again.
- Well, if you die in one piece, I can probably resurrect you. You’ll be crippled, though.
“That’s reassuring.”
Lee Hyun-wook composed his breath, held Gáe Bolg, and ascended higher into the sky.
‘This is a gamble.’
As always, there was no guarantee that things would go according to his plan from start to finish.
An unexpected variable had appeared this time as well, but fortunately, he had a way to deal with it.
And… if he could just take down something like that, an incredible reward would surely follow.
In other words, Lee Hyun-wook was literally making a gamble.
But then…
- (!) The Main Quest has been updated.
‘…A quest?’
- Congratulations! You can obtain a hint for Main Quest <1: Tracking the Black Gate>.
* Condition: Hunt the Black Orc Warlord Sumakt ‘Great Warrior of an Unknown Ancient God’!
‘Looks like I’m on the right path…’