Chapter 135
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Dimensional Traveler, Main Quest - 3
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Lee Hyun-wook had been granted a second life, and its purpose was singular.
To become stronger than he was in his past life, to ensure he would never again suffer the same failures...
To that end, he had focused every moment of his new life on growth.
He devoured metal, scraped together items, and seized every opportunity.
The result was the present, a new future in which he was several times stronger than his past self.
"...H-How could he have reached this level?"
Utterly oblivious to this truth, William Bernard was beyond dumbfounded; he was completely stunned. This was nothing like the past he knew. He felt as if he had leapt headfirst into hell.
"I heard history could change a little... but this isn't a little!"
He let out a string of curses, glaring up at the object descending upon him.
A colossal steel hand created by Lee Hyun-wook was plummeting down as if to swat a bug.
It weighed tens of tons, each knuckle as thick as a man's torso.
*Whoosh—*
William Bernard hesitated for a moment before raising Moglei.
"In the end, it's just a lump of metal!"
With his strength, he could shatter any number of steel chunks like that.
The moment he swung the two-ton greatsword with enough force to split a mountain—
"Huh?"
The giant metal hand warped, 'melting' once more...
*Swoosh—swoosh—swoosh—swoosh—swoosh—!*
In an instant, it transformed into hundreds of spikes that rained down on him.
"Just as foolish as I remember?"
Lee Hyun-wook assessed him, as if he knew him well.
"Damn it!"
He kicked off the ground and shot backward, the spot where he'd been standing instantly turning into a field of thorns.
But that wasn't the end.
*Crash—cra-cra-cra-crack—!*
Shatter. The metal filling the area exploded in unison, sending sharp fragments flying.
"Ugh!"
Next, the 'Cloud and Sand Needles' that had drawn near unleashed a current of electricity.
*Bzzzzzt—!*
He blocked the current seeping into his skin with 'Ki', containing it in his upper body before retreating.
But no matter where he dodged, one of Lee Hyun-wook's traps lay in wait.
"Damn it—damn it—damn it—!"
Everywhere, in every direction, was filled with metal under Lee Hyun-wook's control.
*'Damn it... Just like before, I've been completely swallowed up.'*
It was a painfully familiar experience, and the nightmares of his past began to surface.
He had targeted Lee Hyun-wook several times to avenge his brother, but had failed every time.
Just like now...
*'No, I'm much stronger than I was then. If I can just land one hit, I can win.'*
Wary of a major attack like Moglei, he waited for the opportunity that would soon present itself.
Just then, something struck him in the back of the head.
*Clang—!*
The weight was on a different level from the metal that had been battering him until now, and he pitched forward.
"Gah!"
His vision swam, but he fought to stay conscious, rolling across the ground to evade the follow-up assault.
Turning his head, he saw a short-handled hammer soaring into the sky.
"Is that... M-Mjolnir? Don't tell me he has Mjolnir too..."
That wasn't all.
*Swish—!*
The sound of something slicing through the air came from his right blind spot. He barely managed to cover himself with Moglei.
*Scraaaape—!*
A disc-shaped blade scraped against Moglei's surface and ricocheted away.
A red afterimage trailed behind it like a long brushstroke of paint.
"Damn it, that's the Sudarshana Chakra!"
That made three legendary-grade items already.
It wasn't just the three Mogleis he had to watch out for.
*'Wait, this is far more dangerous than I thought!'*
Even for the greatest warrior-class Player, withstanding an onslaught of legendary-grade weapons was impossible.
*'Damn it. For now, I'll focus on defense over offense.'*
He redirected the Ki concentrated in Moglei, converting it into a protective aura that enveloped his entire body.
*K-k-k-k-kwaaang—!*
The solid barrier of Ki that bloomed from his body deflected all the incoming metal fragments.
This way, he could ignore the miscellaneous metal weapons and focus solely on the legendary ones.
*'Although Moglei's power will be significantly weaker, it should be enough to neutralize his assault.'*
But even that thought was careless.
*Swish—*
Immediately after, a piece of metal pierced through his protective aura with far too much ease.
He reflexively raised his forearm to shield his neck.
An arrow embedded itself in his forearm, then burrowed in like an insect.
"Ugh! Did he already claim ownership of the Fail-not I shot?"
The arrow's magic resistance-piercing effect had allowed it to cut through his protective aura like tofu.
And—
"Gack!"
Another wave of pain shot up from his side.
"Wh-what..."
He turned his head to see an arrow identical to the one in his arm... another Fail-not, lodged in his side.
The existence of a second one was so unexpected that he hadn't been able to react.
"You—you son of a bitch! Just how many damn items do you have!"
But even while dodging the attacks flying at him from all sides, he never lost track of Lee Hyun-wook's position.
*'Calm down... Blink Rush. Once the cooldown is over, I'll have one chance. Thirteen seconds left...'*
Finally, the time came.
*Flash—*
The moment he kicked off the ground, his body vanished from the air and reappeared fifty meters away.
*Flash— Flash—*
Two more Blink Rushes, and he once again succeeded in closing the distance to Lee Hyun-wook.
The two men met eyes dozens of meters in the air. He could see Lee Hyun-wook's eyebrow twitch.
*'I've got him!'*
This time, at least, there was no 'Gleipnir'.
*'Even if he has something else, it won't be on the level of Gleipnir!'*
One strike was all it would take. Confident of his victory, he swung Moglei.
At that moment, black smoke billowed from Lee Hyun-wook's wrists.
"What now?"
A pair of items, a spear and a shield, materialized in his hands.
*'But this time, I'm faster!'*
The two-ton greatsword bypassed the shield and struck Lee Hyun-wook's head squarely.
*'Got him!'*
A sickening thud should have followed, and the bastard's body should have been split in two.
But instead, a dull *thunk* rang out, as if he had struck him with a toy sword.
Such a hollow reaction couldn't be from a defensive barrier.
"...Invincibility?"
Only then did he realize that the two items looked quite familiar.
They were none other than Achilles's Armament Set, which granted the user a temporary state of invincibility.
"Well—you motherfucker. You've really got all the tricks..."
A bitter laugh, born more of disbelief than shock, escaped his lips.
For a moment, he wondered if he was having one of those childish nightmares from long ago.
*Stab—!*
But then the Spear of Achilles plunged into his abdomen.
The intense pain made him realize this moment was very much real.
- Warning! You have sustained an unrecoverable wound.
"D-damn it..."
Heals began to rain down on him from somewhere.
It was likely support from the Villains of this era.
But this wound could not be healed by that alone.
He staggered backward.
But somehow, a shotgun was now in Lee Hyun-wook's hands.
"What's that now?"
Before the thought could even finish, a red magic circle appeared at the muzzle.
*BOOM—!*
An explosion... In an instant, his vision blurred.
*BOOM—!*
Another explosion. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears.
*'This is dangerous!'*
Though he couldn't see a thing, he rolled on the ground, struggling to get out of the line of fire.
When the Spear of Achilles had pierced him, a part of his protective aura had been depleted.
Powerful bullets were now tearing through that gap... If he kept taking these hits, he would die. He knew it instinctively.
*BOOM—!*
He took another hit and felt his body fly through the air like a kicked can. Even while airborne, he focused his senses, detecting the sound of something tearing through the wind—and swung Moglei toward it.
*Clang—!*
Despite his lost vision, he had managed to parry the Moglei falling from the sky.
But immediately after, something—probably Mjolnir—slammed into his spine.
*Crack—!*
He crashed to the ground and rolled over and over. Both his arms were dislocated, and his shin was bent at a right angle.
*'I'm screwed.'*
From the repeated impacts, the consciousness he had been desperately clinging to began to fade.
Then, he felt someone hoist him onto their shoulders, kick off the ground, and take flight.
"Ugh, get a grip! Seeing you charge in so recklessly, I guess I was right about you, you moron..."
The voice was identical to his own. It was William Bernard.
"Hah... You made such a cool entrance, and now look at you."
Over his shoulder, he could see his brother, Harry Bernard, being sent flying while fighting Han Tae-san.
The Villains had begun to move, targeting Lee Hyun-wook, and Lee Hyun-wook's side had responded.
A chaotic battle between Players had broken out, but for now, the Villains seemed to be losing.
"Ugh—thanks, my past self... I guess the only one I can trust is myself, huh?"
"Bullshit. When we get out of here, you're going to explain what the hell is going on, right?"
But even in his dazed state, he immediately shook his head.
"No, I'm sorry... but you won't be able to get out of here... you,"
"Huh? Me? Just me? Why? That doesn't sound very good."
"It's for the best. I'll work hard enough for the both of us... and transcend."
*Stab!*
At that moment, something pierced through the past William Bernard's abdomen.
"Gack—wh-why..."
It was Moglei, and the one holding its hilt was the William Bernard from the future.
A single system message appeared in his eyes.
- [!] Transcendence Quest has been updated.
And he could feel life force being drained into him.
- Congratulations! By absorbing your 'self' from another dimension, all of your stats have been significantly increased. (+50%)
"Hmph... Sorry, but killing my past self happens to be one of my Transcendence Quests."
"Gack—guh..."
"Don't feel too bad. It's all a meaningless life anyway. If you knew the truth of this game..."
But just then...
- Warning! A 'Zone of Impending Death' has been declared in this area!
Out of nowhere, that system message flashed before everyone's eyes.
*Squish— Squelch—*
The ground in the area had transformed into a black mire.
As everyone witnessed the bizarre scene, the battle momentarily ceased.
The cacophony of noise died down as if snuffed out, replaced by an eerie silence.
Amidst it, only the low gurgling of the boiling mire could be heard.
"They're here..."
Someone among the Villains muttered.
The reinforcements they called the 'Mansion's Basement' had arrived as scheduled.
But for some reason, even they seemed terrified.
*Squish— Squelch—*
And then... something rose from the mire and grabbed William Bernard's leg.
"Huh?"
It was a hand.
"Shit, what is this!"
He had been half out of his mind, not even noticing something like that clinging to him.
*Squish— Squelch—*
Judging by its form, it wasn't one of Lee Hyun-wook's skills.
*Hisssss—!*
On the contrary, any metal that approached the area was being completely corroded.
"Ugh, this power, could it be..."
*Grip! Grip!*
Dozens of black hands writhed like snakes, wrapping around his entire body.
*'I can't move.'*
At that moment, a black-haired woman crawled out of the mire a few meters away.
*Tssssss—*
Her naked, snow-white body was covered in a newborn-like slime, and dark blue veins pulsed and writhed beneath her pale skin. Her eyes were ruby red, her teeth sharp as a beast's, and her tongue was long like a snake's.
This cold beauty... he recognized what this woman was.
"B-Banshee! Wait—don't kill me!"
The woman's eyes glinted.
"Oh? What's this... Darling, you know me?"
The woman slowly approached, her long tongue darting out to lick his neck.
"Don't you recognize me? I'm William Bernard! Right?"
He pleaded, but the woman just smiled with a detached expression.
"Sorry, darling, but didn't you just kill the *real* William Bernard?"
The woman called Banshee turned her head and glanced at the ground beside her.
The past William Bernard, impaled by Moglei, lay sprawled on the ground.
His corpse was being dragged into the mire by the black hands.
"No!"
From somewhere, Harry Bernard's scream tore through the air.
It seemed he had only just now confirmed his brother's death.
"—Banshee, what are you doing to my brother!"
But the Banshee ignored his cry and looked at the William Bernard from the future.
He struggled to speak.
"I'm from the future! S-so if you let me live, I'll tell you what's going to happen—mmph!"
A black hand clamped over his mouth.
"For someone so important, you were getting your ass kicked pretty badly, you know? Like a complete moron... Pfft!"
The Banshee pouted, then turned her head as if she had lost interest.
"My master would like to kill you and remake you into a more faithful servant. What do you think? Isn't that wonderful?"
Her cold hand reached out and caressed his face.
*'Ah...'*
The master of this woman he knew, the one called the 'Child of the Mansion's Basement', was not someone who could be easily reasoned with.
*'I need to talk to the Chairman, not this woman or her master.'*
But he instinctively knew he wouldn't get the chance.
*'Fuck, I was the first one to enter the Transcendence Quest, and this is how I fail...'*
The hands of the dead that had wrapped around his body now forced their long fingers into his mouth.
"Gack! Gack! Gack!"
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-wook was also watching the bizarre scene unfold.
*'That's...'*
- Follower of Death 'Banshee' (LV: 143)
The woman, who at first glance looked like a Player, was registered by the system as an NPC—a monster.
She had probably been a Player originally, but had been 'monsterized' upon becoming someone's subordinate.
*'...In any case, for the Main Quest, I need to kill the dimensional traveler.'*
Lee Hyun-wook launched an all-out assault on the Banshee.
Most metal melted like smoke the moment it touched the black mire.
But by shaping it more thickly, he could make it endure long enough to land a physical blow.
*Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang—!*
She frowned and sank into the ground, disappearing.
Lee Hyun-wook seized that opening and fired two Fail-not arrows.
*Thwip! Thwip!*
This time, they accurately pierced William Bernard's neck.
- Congratulations! You have successfully completed the first milestone of Main Quest <2: Slay the Dimensional Traveler>!
*'That's one down.'*
Immediately after, he transformed some of the metal into chains, wrapped them around Moglei, and pulled.
*Clang—!*
The greatsword flew fiercely through the air and landed in his grasp.
- You have acquired Moglei (Heroic).
The Moglei he had used in the future had crossed dimensions and returned to his hand.
With this, he now had a total of four Mogleis.
But the Banshee, who had reappeared at some point, looked up at Lee Hyun-wook and smiled faintly.
"Ah—so you're the fine ingredient my master was looking for."
William Bernard's blood flowed across the ground and crawled up her naked body. It twisted together, forming a suit of blood-red scale armor, and a crimson staff bloomed from her right hand.
Then, from the black mire spreading behind her, skeletons began to crawl out.
*Clatter! Clatter!*
- Priest of Death (LV. 112)
Six in total, they were the same as the Priests of Death from the demon army he had fought at Jeju International Airport.
*'But their levels are much higher.'*
After them, more black hands poked up from the mire.
*Gurgle— Gurgle—*
The second group to emerge were troll skeletons, each carrying a jar on its back...
*'Those are... the Jars of Abyssal Breath I saw in the Temple of Death we found in the CAR.'*
Immediately after, their lids popped open in unison, and black smoke erupted.
*Pshhhhhh—*
Like a sea fog rolling in, the black mist began to rapidly consume the area.
"Damn it, what is this!"
"Gah—!"
Players who inhaled it fell under a 'curse', letting out pained groans.
"I-I can't... breathe!"
"Gah—someone use a purification spell on me!"
Most Players had fled the area immediately after the dimensional traveler's attack.
But those who remained, along with the ROK A.M.T. forces, still numbered over a hundred.
"L-look over there! It's fine near the Divine Tree!"
"Ugh—everyone, pull yourselves together and head over there!"
Regretting their decision not to flee sooner, they ran toward the sanctuary of the Divine Tree.
It was then.
*Kieeeeeeh—!*
A zombie swordsman drew its blade and charged toward them.
"Huh?"
*Slash—!*
In a single strike, three people were decapitated.
"Gah! Watch out—gack—"
Two more heads were lopped off.
They were all B-rank or higher Players, yet none of them could react.
This meant the zombie possessed an overwhelming skill that belied its appearance.
"I'll hold him off! Everyone, run to the Divine Tree—!"
Finally, Oh Kyung-pyo stepped forward to block the zombie.
Watching the scene, Lee Hyun-wook was startled and shouted.
"—Mr. Oh, don't!"
But it was too late.
*Clang!*
Oh Kyung-pyo's spear blocked the creature's sword.
Just then, two bony arms burst through the zombie's back, near its shoulder blades.
Each of those arms held a kukri.
They swung toward Oh Kyung-pyo's blind spot.
*Slash—!*
"Ugh?"
In that split second, he avoided decapitation, but his right wrist was severed.
If Han Tae-san hadn't uprooted a tree and thrown it, his head would have been next.
"Wait, that thing... isn't that him?"
A few of them recognized the zombie's identity.
- Zombie Warrior Blessed by Death (LV. 141)
The zombie with such a bizarre name was not yet fully decayed, its facial features still well-preserved.
*'Okita Kaito...'*
The man Lee Hyun-wook had captured, who should have been imprisoned in the Player prison.
Why had he appeared here in such a wretched state...?
It seemed someone had smuggled him out of prison and 'used' him for an entirely different purpose.
*'And it's obvious who's behind it...'*
Lee Hyun-wook glared with hostility at the black 'domain' that was taking over the ground.
*Gurgle— Gurgle—*
The unidentifiable 'black mire' was spreading across the area like a receding tide.
It was so stealthy that no one had noticed the change, making it seem as if the world had transformed in an instant.
A bizarre and unsettling scene, like being plunged into a depiction of hell, filled his vision.
And throughout that black landscape, writhing movements could be seen.
*Groooaaan—*
Skeletons were being summoned from within the black mire, but they were few.
It was the corpses of the Black Orcs that had died nearby that were beginning to rise, one by one.
Some became zombies, others skeletons. They picked up the weapons on the ground, and their eyes lit up with a green glow.
Within the black mist, hundreds... thousands of lights flickered on, forming a green galaxy.
And their numbers were still growing.
For the first time in a long while, Lee Hyun-wook felt a shiver run down his spine.
*'The Necromancer... He's here.'*
Yes, all of this was the power of the Death Legion Commander, the Necromancer.
*'This is insane...'*
Lee Hyun-wook couldn't help but be shocked anew.
He knew the man had already begun his activities, but...
*'...He's growing much faster than I thought.'*
Could it be because Lee Hyun-wook had repeatedly thwarted the Villains' plans?
It seemed they had accelerated their efforts to cultivate their ultimate weapon, the Necromancer.
*'Damn it, at this rate... Should I have just brought the Saintess with me?'*
Even he hadn't anticipated encountering the Necromancer here.
*'But in this life... I will leave no regrets.'*
He was living a second life, leaving the regrets of his past behind.
This time, he had no intention of repeating the same mistakes.
He took out an item he had recently acquired.
*Click—*
[Item Information]
- Name: Argetlam (Legendary)
- Effects
1) Command of the Noble: All weapons and all subordinates are granted the '3rd-Tier Divinity' effect.
2) Authority of Healing: Placing it on a wound and infusing it with mana will activate the '2nd-Tier Healing' effect.
3) Clíomh Solais (Condition Required): Not currently active.
*'And as luck would have it, I've obtained something well-suited to counter him...'*
Lee Hyun-wook infused it with mana.
- Argetlam's skill 'Command of the Noble' has been activated!
*Woooooong—*
This item granted a 3rd-tier 'divinity' to all weapons.
Most Players could use two weapons at most at the same time.
This meant the item's effective range was limited to two.
But Lee Hyun-wook was a completely different case.
*'I can control an overwhelming number.'*
And so, he could imbue an incredible number of weapons with divinity.
"Hah..."
For some reason, Lee Hyun-wook felt his heart begin to beat faster.
At last, the Necromancer's forces had appeared before him.
Facing the worst crisis he had long been waiting for, he felt, ironically, a strange sense of exhilaration.
"Perhaps... I've been waiting for this moment."
In his past life, he had failed to stop the flames of death from consuming everything as they grew.
*'But this life will be different.'*
Perhaps he had been striving all this time, waiting for this very moment.
*Clatter! Clatter!*
When he opened his eyes again, a massive army of undead was converging on him.
As he looked down upon them, thousands of divine weapons arrayed themselves behind him.