Chapter 188
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: The Final Junction - 1
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‘I’ve now reached the final junction.’
So thought Lee Hyun-wook.
He had captured the Necromancer, the one he’d considered his final opponent since the beginning of his second life.
Of course, the mastermind, Gordon Price, was still out there, but with the Necromancer in custody, all of the man’s weapons were effectively neutralized. Victory was practically his.
But at this point, another concern began to fill his mind.
‘Now, I have to pursue the main quest.’
Hyun-wook was in the middle of a quest that could lead him to the truth, to the identity of the game that had consumed this world.
For whatever reason, the entity that created and operated this game had given him, and only him, a second chance.
‘…Why, of all people, was I the one to return to the past?’
It was a question that had always lingered in a corner of his mind, but with no hints so far, even speculation was difficult.
There was, however, one suspicious keyword…
‘…At the very least, I’m certain all of this is related to the keyword <Transcendence>.’
Hyun-wook looked at the second dimensional traveler before him, Ricardo Oliveira.
A Player classified as a ‘quasi-transcendent,’ the dimensional traveler, Ricardo Oliveira…
‘This bastard probably knows some of the information I’m curious about.’
That was why Hyun-wook felt it was necessary to capture and interrogate him rather than kill him on the spot.
Of course, that wouldn’t be easy.
“Whoa, did you all gather here just to welcome me? This is a bit much, even for someone like me who’s used to being the life of the party…”
Though he joked, his tense expression betrayed his nerves as he hesitantly backed away.
Having just said he thought he’d come to the wrong place, he must have realized his disadvantage and was now on high alert, preparing to respond.
Hyun-wook watched the man’s movements with Hugin while remaining vigilant for any other potential attacks.
The situation was clearly, overwhelmingly in their favor. With the man surrounded on all sides, any foolish move would get him riddled with holes in an instant.
‘But if I let my guard down, he could land a blow. He’s still a man from eight years in the future. He might have an item that can get him out of this situation.’
Hyun-wook knew a great deal about the ‘Blood Lord.’ He could create all sorts of demonic beasts using his own blood, which was imbued with the power of death, as a medium.
In other words, while he appeared to be alone now, he had ways of summoning familiars from all over his body.
‘The Blood Lord I saw in the future was at a level where he could create werewolves with just a few drops of blood…’
Of course, it consumed a significant amount of mana, so he couldn't summon them infinitely, but it was still a considerable threat.
Therefore, Hyun-wook didn’t approach him directly, instead focusing on blocking any potential escape routes.
Clank— Clank—
First, the Living Armors moved to surround him, and the ROK AMT forces naturally joined the formation around them.
And in the sky, hundreds of metal weapons hung, their blades pointing downward in a dense array, ready to rain down at any moment.
“…Blood Lord, I have a question for you.”
Hyun-wook took a step forward and spoke.
“Yeah? You trying to interview me?”
The man was still putting on a brave face, but Hyun-wook could feel the tension coiled in his body.
“Why did you come to our dimension? I know you’re from another one.”
“Oh— a completely unexpected question. But the fact that you’re asking means you already know about us. Looks like that William Bernard fellow really messed things up after he came over first, huh? Anyway, about that…”
His words trailed off as he suddenly twisted his body acrobatically and started running in the opposite direction from Hyun-wook.
“—I’m not telling you! Heh heh! I’m outta here!”
Of course, that area was also surrounded.
However, it was arguably the weakest point, with only a few Living Armors and ROK AMT soldiers waiting with their weapons raised.
‘As expected, he’s not one to give up easily!’
Hyun-wook fired Failnaught at the man’s legs.
*Swish— Swish—*
But the man’s back split open, and a giant palm emerged from it. It looked like a wing, and it blocked Failnaught.
*Thud— Thud—*
Then, blood vessels shot out from the wound and ensnared Failnaught.
“Ha! You think I haven’t dealt with those gnat-like arrows before?”
He then threw open his black coat.
“Here, surprise—!”
A ripple appeared from both of his flanks, and a swarm of hundreds of bats poured out like a waterfall, scattering in a fan shape.
*Kee-reet—kee-reet—kee-reet—kee-reet—*
- Red-Blade Bat (LV: 61)
Their claws were as sharp as scythes, tearing apart the Living Armors and Players standing in their path.
“Aaargh—!”
They soared into the sky, covering it completely.
And that wasn’t all. From the mouths of the Red-Blade Bats, a swarm of insects began to pour out like black smoke.
*Wheeeeeee—*
Vampire Flies, blood-sucking insects that the Blood Lord cultivated inside the bodies of his familiars.
They blanketed the sky, blocking Hyun-wook’s barrage of steel weapons.
‘Letting those spread will be a pain.’
Hyun-wook kicked off the ground and extended his left hand toward the man.
The bracelet on his wrist stretched out and wrapped around the man’s body.
“—Ugh! This is Gleipnir, isn’t it?”
It was a legendary-grade item that could incapacitate a target for a full ten minutes upon a successful hit.
However, it had one major weakness: it could be easily undone if a third party intervened.
*Slice—*
Just then, a black hand rose from Ricardo Oliveira’s shadow and quickly undid Gleipnir.
- Shadow Vampire (LV: 113)
The bizarre entity was a ghost-type familiar that lived in its master’s shadow.
“Ha, don’t you underestimate me, you bastard! I’ve been in more bizarre and twisted fights than you can imagine! I’m prepared for almost every trick in the book!”
He wore a triumphant expression, then pulled a dagger from his coat and slit his own wrist.
*Spurt—* Blood shot out like a fountain, splitting into dozens of clumps in mid-air, each one forming a distinct shape.
- Blood Lord’s Elite Werewolf (LV: 99)
There were 43 of them in total, and they were far more powerful than the familiars of the ‘present’ Blood Lord.
This was how the Blood Lord of the future operated, suddenly summoning hordes of demonic beasts that he carried all over his body.
It was why he was called a special forces unit, whereas the Necromancer was called the Villain’s army.
But…
“…Hmm, that’s not all, is it?”
Hyun-wook spoke as if he found it pathetic.
It no longer felt like a major threat to him. The current him had surpassed his past self.
“If that’s all you’ve got, you might as well stop resisting… No need to make this difficult for both of us, right?”
In response to Hyun-wook’s dismissive tone, the man began to pull out items one by one.
“You son of a bitch… Steel Great Emperor of this era, no matter what variable made you so strong, you can’t defy eight years of time in this world.”
That was, in fact, a perfectly accurate statement.
‘Right, you can’t defy it through normal means.’
But Hyun-wook belonged in the category of ‘abnormal.’
Next, Ricardo Oliveira pulled out something else.
It was some kind of metal sphere, and Hyun-wook recognized it.
It was none other than…
[Item Information]
- Name: Dormant Munin (Legendary)
- Effect: Activates when infused with mana.
It was Munin, the counterpart to Hugin. Hyun-wook couldn’t help but cheer inwardly and nod.
“Good, that’s the one. Bring out more.”
“…What?”
“You have more than that. Go on, show me everything.”
Hyun-wook remembered a few useful weapons the man used and briefly considered how he would use them in the future.
Perhaps this was what shopping felt like.
“What the hell is this bastard…”
The man ground his teeth but still pulled out another useful item he possessed.
It was an object that looked like a pair of glasses.
[Item Information]
- Name: Lens of Horus (Artisan)
- Effect: Enhances the ability of Horus's Eye Fragment 1 by 30%.
This item was created by processing Horus’s Eye Fragment 1 with magitech.
Just as Hyun-wook normally did, the man’s combat style was to combine Munin and the Eye of Horus to maximize his information-gathering abilities and use that to command his familiars.
“Yes, that’s it.”
“…Who the hell are you to keep commenting on my items?”
Both items were incredibly tempting for Hyun-wook.
As he smiled faintly and even clapped, a crack appeared in Ricardo Oliveira’s composure.
“…D-don’t look at me with those greedy eyes! You think I’m some sick gazelle? If you get rid of all these small fries and fight me one-on-one, I’ll make you realize that’s exactly what you are!”
Hyun-wook gave a slight nod and extended his hand behind him, where the Dragon Tooth Warriors were gathered.
“If you’ve shown me everything, then… it’s my turn.”
At Hyun-wook’s gesture, the Dragon Tooth Warriors opened the iron boxes on their backs and pulled out the spears and shields within.
The aura emanating from those items was extraordinary.
‘This was my trump card, meant for the battle with the Necromancer.’
[Item Information]
- Name: Saint Dragon Spear (Artisan)
[Item Information]
- Name: Saint Dragon Shield (Artisan)
Hyun-wook currently possessed the corpses of three dragons.
And even now, on Laputa, the development of items using those dragons as materials was ongoing.
This was the prototype.
However, since there were very few Players who could handle the unique class of a dragon, mass production was not yet possible.
The same went for the Living Armors and Iron Golems. The moment they held these items, sparks would fly, and they would be forced to retire.
‘But the Dragon Tooth Warriors, whose foundation is the teeth of a dragon, are not subject to such restrictions.’
This was the true power one gained by possessing the familiars known as Dragon Tooth Warriors.
*Crackle—*
As they gripped the dragon weapons, faint sparks flew from their hands but were quickly absorbed and disappeared.
Thus, the Dragon Tooth Warriors, armed with spears and shields made from dragon bones and scales, advanced toward the Blood Lord’s elite familiars.
“I don’t know what those are, but they’re just scrubs from eight years ago! Wipe them all out—!”
Still not fully grasping the situation, Ricardo Oliveira boldly ordered his familiars to charge.
His plan was likely not to try and defeat Hyun-wook here, but to create a diversion and attempt an escape.
But that was a huge mistake.
These were Dragon Tooth Warriors armed with dragon weapons. As beings whose very foundation was a part of a creature of a different class, they were not opponents that could be easily defeated in a head-on clash.
*Krawrrrr—!*
The monsters on both sides charged violently and clashed in a chaotic melee.
*Pow—BAM—BAM—BAM—!*
But in the end, it was the Blood Lord’s werewolves that were sent flying first.
A single stab from the spears made of dragon ribs was enough to effectively retire them.
“Wh-what! My elite werewolves are being taken down in a single hit…”
The reason for this was that the shaft of the ‘Saint Dragon Spear’ was a branch from the divine tree of Ganghwa Island, ‘Shindansu.’
In other words, it was imbued with a potent holy power, making its strike unbearable for most undead-type creatures.
“Those weapons were made specifically to hunt smelly undead like you.”
Hyun-wook had made countless preparations solely to take down the Necromancer.
Although that process had become meaningless, it wasn’t entirely useless, as this showed.
“Therefore, you are no match for me.”
With his familiars annihilated in mere seconds, Oliveira could only stare in dumbfounded shock.
In that time, Hyun-wook approached him.
“I can grant your wish for a one-on-one fight. So stop thinking about running and give it a shot.”
He approached the man without bothering to use the ‘Holy Sword’ effect.
He intended to capture the man alive, and a careless stab with the Holy Sword could be instantly fatal.
This attempt at a one-on-one duel was also for the purpose of capturing him.
“…Who the hell does this bastard think I am, challenging me like this?”
Sure enough, a fire sparked in the man’s eyes.
He then charged forward, transforming his hands into beastly claws.
He likely assumed Hyun-wook was helpless in close combat, which the past Hyun-wook certainly was.
But not anymore.
“Tsk, you still don’t get it?”
Hyun-wook threw a light jab at the charging man.
*Crack—*
His jab—delivered with the gauntlet ‘Argetlam’—shattered the man’s nose.
“Keuk!”
He clutched his nose and stumbled back. As Hyun-wook advanced, the man’s eyes flashed, and as if he’d been waiting for it, he unleashed a Brazilian kick. His faltering retreat had been a feint.
*Thud!*
But Hyun-wook simply guarded his head with his forearm, then grabbed the man’s leg and lifted him into the air.
*Crrrrack—*
Metal generated from his hand and slithered up the man’s leg like a snake, coiling around it tightly.
“Keuk, what the—”
*Whoosh!*
“Uwaaargh—”
With a flick of his wrist, Hyun-wook swung him like a flail, slamming his chain-bound body into the ground.
*CRACK—!*
“Keuk!”
*CRACK—!*
This scene repeated a total of eight times, carving a deep crater where the man was slammed.
“Huuuhh…”
No matter how physically capable he was, a pained gasp couldn’t help but escape his lips.
“…I’ll ask again.”
Hyun-wook bound the man’s limbs with chains imbued with holy power and pressed a Failnaught to each of his temples.
“Why did you come to our dimension?”
Even though he was completely subdued, Ricardo Oliveira still glared defiantly, forcing an air of余裕.
“Keuk— damn it… I came here second, thinking there’d be plenty for me to take, but it’s all gone to shit…”
Hyun-wook sighed and flicked his left index finger. The two Failnaughts began to spin, drilling into the man’s temples.
“Agh-ga-ga-ga— Al-alright! I’ll talk, I’ll talk!”
At Hyun-wook’s gesture, the drilling Failnaughts stopped, and the man slowly opened his mouth.
“Hah— Wh-why do you think Players do dangerous shit in the first place? It’s all for quests! We’re dragged around like dogs from start to finish because of those damn quests!”
“…Is that quest called the Transcendence Quest?”
“You, just how much do you know? But if I tell you everything… are you going to let me live?”
“That depends on how well you explain it, so give it your best shot.”
“Really? Then I’ve got something important you don’t know. Could you take a look over there?”
The man smirked and pointed somewhere. Instead of turning his head, Hyun-wook used Hugin’s eyes to look.
There, he saw the spherical capsule containing the Necromancer… and on top of it, an unnatural shimmer.
It was a shadow.
*Creak— Crack—*
To be precise, it was Ricardo Oliveira’s familiar, the ‘Shadow Vampire.’
It was stealthily prying open the capsule’s hinge.
*Clang—*
Finally, the capsule door swung open.
*Swoooosh…*
A liquid poured out from within, and a boy was swept out with it.
That boy was the Necromancer.
‘Ah, this means…’
When he first saw that boy, it was only on a CCTV screen, so the summoning mechanism for ‘dimensional travelers’ didn’t activate.
But now, he was seeing him with his own eyes…
- (!) The main quest has been updated.
- Congratulations! You have reached the third junction of the main quest <2: Slay the Dimensional Travelers>.
- Warning! An ill-fated connection from your past life—the third dimensional traveler—is scheduled to appear. Eradicate him!
“Ugh—”
Ultimately, the boy began to retch.
“Heh heh— So, the condition for our summoning really is for our counterparts in this dimension to make contact with you, right? I had a hunch after finding out you killed William Bernard thanks to this Moglei, and I got lucky! Heheheh—”
He tapped the sunglasses he was wearing.
‘The Eye of Horus…’
It seemed he had used it to check the information on Hyun-wook’s Moglei and realized it was the item William Bernard had brought from his dimension.
“Heheheh— I didn’t want the Necromancer to come over, but I guess it can’t be helped now…”
“…Even though I got my ass kicked by you, the Necromancer will be different. It’s hard to even explain what a horrifying monster that guy is.”
At those words, Hyun-wook fell silent for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
“…No, I know all too well.”
“What?”
Because he himself was the one who had fought that horrifying monster the most, and in the end, had been trampled without ever winning.
‘That’s why I set my sights on battling him and prepared to an almost excessive degree.’
Hyun-wook sighed and pulled the Moglei floating in the air toward him. He then bestowed the Holy Sword effect upon it.
“I told you earlier, I’ve made a lot of preparations to deal with smelly undead like you…”
As Hyun-wook raised his left hand, half a dozen AD-2s passed overhead, opening their sub-space inventories and began dropping something at regular intervals.
They free-fell and plunged into the muddy ground soaked with holy water.
*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*
They were flag-like items with giant World Tree leaves attached to the ends of long poles. A white light spread out from them, dyeing the entire area.
- <Domain of the Divine Tree: Stage 3> is now applied to this area.
* All ‘Darkness-attribute’ monsters are weakened. (-25%)
* All ‘Holy-attribute’ damage is increased. (+35%)
There were a total of 24 such items, effectively turning the entire space into a sanctuary.
This, too, was one of the strategies he had prepared for confronting the Necromancer.
And the Holy Sword Moglei soared high into the sky, leveling itself horizontally as if ready to be fired at any moment.
‘…I won’t even give him a chance to summon his undead.’
Its target was the Black Gate materializing in the air—and the Necromancer from his past life who would emerge from it.
‘And one shot is all I need.’
Like a hunter waiting for a tiger, Hyun-wook had set all his traps and held his breath, preparing for that single, decisive shot.