Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: The Fall of the Knights' Society
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The Company's headquarters building.
It was bustling with the ninety returnees from the 20th-floor mission.
"Good. For an 800-man mission, this is a lot of survivors!"
Ha Yeonsi and the new promising talent, Dorothea, had perfectly grasped the Fairy Queen mission and led the way, allowing the promising talents from allied cities to return safely. The atmosphere was festive.
However, the star of the praise, Ha Yeonsi, couldn't focus.
She was worried about Ju Gonghyeok and Soma, who had vanished without participating in the mission.
At that moment, another portal opened in front of the building.
"Monk! Where have you been!"
She greeted him happily, but something felt off.
Only Soma had returned.
"Monk? Where's Brother?"
Soma hesitated for a moment.
"Lord Gonghyeok seems to have gone straight to Deus City."
"Deus? Without stopping here first?"
"Yes."
Ha Yeonsi was puzzled, but there was nothing she could do.
Ju Gonghyeok was already in Deus, conversing with the executives of Mother's Rosario.
"Brother. It's been a while."
Marcus, the 13th seat of Rosario, greeted him warmly.
"Have you been keeping our pact?"
"Of course. I'll handle them one by one."
Rosario's Serpent, Marcus.
His avatar 'Serpent of Eden' discerned truth from lies.
A white apple of truth floated above Gonghyeok's head.
"Let's continue to get along well."
Gonghyeok and Marcus's secret agreement was to eliminate Rosario's 13 members one by one.
No one could imagine that Marcus, the most loyal to his mother, harbored such thoughts.
"By the way. Who's that with you?"
Marcus's gaze turned to the man wearing a white plain mask.
The man who had returned to Deus with Ju Gonghyeok.
"He's a talent I recently discovered. A terrifying guy with five avatars, no less."
"Impressive. Finding talent like that makes me envious. What's his name?"
"Haven't decided yet."
One of Marcus's eyebrows rose suspiciously.
"I see. Then I won't ask. If you need anything, come to my residence in the Deus Grand Archive."
He turned and left.
Once Gonghyeok returned from seeing him off, the man in the white mask removed it and gasped for breath.
"Boss, why the mask? Even if I'm originally from Deus, they're not petty enough to block a transfer just like that."
"You must be feeling unreal after your triumphant return."
Gonghyeok's impassive eyes fixed on him.
"The four avatars you have belong to Deus's second-in-command, Liang Xian."
"What!? But didn't you say that monster stole Master Liang's avatars?"
"Who proved that?"
Liang Xian had mysteriously disappeared, and Kim Jintae, who fled from Deus, was using her avatars?
No matter the excuse, Kim Jintae would take the blame.
"Ugh."
Kim Jintae clutched his head upon realizing his situation.
"Hahaha. Well, the situation is what it is. Can't lose out on this. But I'm supporting my little sister, so I need to bring her here."
"Bring her."
Gonghyeok nodded.
"But right now, as a member of our Company, you need to greet everyone. Bear with it for three days."
"Can't I just let them know I'm back?"
"Don't meet them in person. I'll have someone deliver a letter. In the meantime, how about picking a gift for your sister? Something she'll like."
"Oh! On the boss's dime?"
Gonghyeok pulled out a handful of coins from his inventory.
"Spend as much as you want. Bring the receipt to me."
"Thank you! Boss!"
Kim Jintae put the mask back on and left in high spirits.
Gonghyeok glanced at his back once, then checked the clock on the wall.
3:20 PM.
Confirming the time, Gonghyeok stood up.
"About time."
In about forty minutes, news would reach Deus.
Before that, he headed to the Grand Archive's garden to meet someone.
The blue maze garden came into view.
It was the garden tended by Sigmund, the 6th seat of Rosario.
As he strolled through it, he heard rustling footsteps.
"Come on~ guess who it is."
A woman covered Gonghyeok's eyes from behind.
He chuckled at the familiar voice and playfulness.
"No idea. Teacher."
"Argh, you got me."
Deus's leader, Christina, removed her hands and stepped in front.
Brown skin and blonde hair streaked with white.
If not for the Indian sari, traditional attire, it would be hard to guess her nationality.
Her paternal family were British landowners in Punjab, India, and her mother was from a noble caste.
"I've heard you were back."
She smiled gently and spread her arms.
"What are you doing? Come here. You used to hug me all the time back then."
"Your embrace was so lacking that you always hugged four or five at once."
"Oh, right."
"But even then, I was a middle schooler. You called me over with the little kids."
Gonghyeok stepped forward and hugged her neck.
"Long time no see. Mother."
"Welcome back. I'm sorry I couldn't hug you like this last time."
As she patted his back affectionately, a warmth spread in his chest.
The human emotion surprised him with how unpleasant it felt.
It was an emotion he shouldn't accept from her.
An emotion he shouldn't accept from the woman he had killed countless times.
"Hm? Why are you trembling?"
"I'm not trembling. Teacher."
"But your face looked drained, like you have no right to hug me. You hesitated awkwardly instead of hugging tightly."
Her instinct and observation pierced human hesitation and flaws.
Gonghyeok gave a wry smile at her, who saw through his acting after countless years.
The affection he felt for her was different from what he felt for Ha Yeonsi.
Pity for Ha Yeonsi, but pain for Christina.
He still 'respected' the human Christina C. Mahadeva.
"I heard you went to the 20th floor recently. Without Yeonsi or the others, just with an attendant?"
"I wanted to come together, but Yeonsi was dropped on a different 20th floor. No chance to talk, so I came alone first."
"Oh, that's too bad."
Christina smiled brightly.
"Well, since you're here, relax and stay. If the other Rosario brothers make you uncomfortable, you don't have to talk to them. I'm sorry if it felt like I forced you into Rosario for Ben-Hur's holy fire and my greed, using you as a political tool."
"No, Mother. I wanted to meet Rosario's brothers anyway. Could you introduce me?"
Christina brightened and took his hand.
"Thank goodness. Let's go say hello then."
Led by the hand like a child by his mom, he toured the garden.
Christina had no airs of formality and quickly made anyone feel close.
Another presence stirred in the complex maze garden.
Soon, a bizarre man in a white doctor's coat holding gardening shears appeared.
"Mother. Big trouble. You need to come to the Grand Archive conference room urgently."
"Sigmund? What is it? Can you explain now?"
He was the garden keeper and Rosario's 6th seat, Sigmund.
For a moment, he confirmed Ju Gonghyeok and spoke again.
"The Knights' Society was attacked by unidentified monster groups and annihilated."
"Annihilated? No way. Just yesterday during the regular contact, there was no sign."
Ju Gonghyeok looked up at the sky and murmured.
'It's time.'
Sigmund said with a stiff face.
"The Knights' Society has been annihilated. Four hours after the attack, the main base fell, and the death of leader Vermouth was confirmed."
Emotion vanished from her gentle face.
The warm hand grew cold, and she headed to the conference room.
"Sigmund. Summon all executives."
"Already issued the summons. What about Company Internal Director Ju Gonghyeok?"
"We'll go together like this. News will spread fast anyway. Better for him to know sooner."
The three hurried to the conference room in step.
Murmurs grew from all sides as executives headed to the central conference room.
"Sigmund, explain in detail."
At Christina's request, he pulled out a notepad from his white coat.
"First, the attacking monsters were bipedal, wearing clothes and wielding weapons."
"Humanoid with high intelligence. Like orcs or trolls?"
Christina was surprised.
She expected a dragon or deathworm-like giant monster to destroy a city instantly, but humanoids?
"More like something off about calling them humanoid."
"What was off?"
Gonghyeok, following behind, continued.
"Wearing beast masks. Speaking human language. Using martial arts beyond human imagination."
Their gazes turned to Gonghyeok.
To the gaze, Gonghyeok answered briefly.
"Didn't the angels warn sometimes? That climbing Babel isn't just humans."
Wooong—
Message windows appeared before all humans in Babel.
[Human city 'Borderless Knights' Society' annihilated]
- For about 24 hours, the 5th-floor beastkin zone overlapped with the human zone.
- Warriors of the Southern Six Divine Bodies Law escaped the beastkin city and overran the human city.
- Unique city 'Sleepless Fortress' falls to beastkin hands.
* * *
The Knights' Society city, Sleepless Fortress, wandered the 5th-floor mountain range seeking viable mines.
Above a canyon in their path.
Six shadows looked down at the Sleepless Fortress passing through.
"Is that the place the devil mentioned?"
Thousands of grotesques lined up behind them.
Beastkin wearing fur hides, with horns and tails.
But their eyes held pride and will more than beastly savagery.
"Let's go. Hunt them today."
The tiger with a greatsword over his shoulder leaped down, followed by five beastkin.
Six shadows fell atop the Sleepless Fortress.
The Fortress detected them in time, deploying five defensive barriers and raising steel walls to the sky.
The pinnacle of unique city defenses, Sleepless Fortress's walls.
One.
Wolf-headed iron claw crossed, bull-headed monster raised a massive hammer.
Dog God Law Iron Claw: Rock-Breaking Wolf Draw Fang
Ox God Law Destruction Art: One Strike Heaven Flip Skyfall Pulverize
Steel claws tore the barrier like paper, hammer shattered the iron wall in one blow.
Knights' Society members stared blankly at the six descending leisurely after breaking their trusted Sleepless Fortress defenses.
It felt utterly unreal.
Until they saw thousands of shadows leaping into the city after them.
"All hands! Battle stations! Civilians to underground shelters, wall personnel..."
Tiger Clan Sword Art: Tiger Fang Gut-Ripper
Rriip—
The knight issuing orders from the command post was bisected in one strike.
Intestines spilled like a tiger's bite.
"My name is Huwon. Successor to the blood of Ancestral Tiger God Hu-Tae, grandson of Tiger Clan head Jian."
The tiger-headed beastkin in rough hemp dobok shook blood from his cleaver.
"The leader of this pack, face me in a contest of male strength."
Huwon raised his cleaver toward the hunters.
Surviving knights swallowed and drew swords.
"You stepped on our leader. Move your foot."
Huwon blinked down.
"What? This guy was the leader? Lame."
"I said move!"
"Rayston Second Ability Lake Charge!"
"Percival, javelin throw!"
Melee knights, honed over years, summoned avatars.
Amid the onslaught, Huwon lazily spun his blade.
Tiger God Law passed down one technique each to twelve disciples of the clan.
Tiger God Law unfolded from his hands.
Tiger God Law Linked Slash
Seven Cuts Fierce Grip
Tiger cleaver brutally tore fragile human flesh.
Severed human cross-sections ragged like beast work.
"Lame bunch."
Huwon sought the next prey.
What followed was lightning-fast.
Beastkin annihilated Knights' Society hunters with overwhelming power disparity.
Knights' Society round table room.
Old tiger with flowing white beard, Jian, lifted a furious knight's neck from the smashed table.
"Wall of Lament, Vermouth, was it? Impressive nickname for such weak bones."
"Lord Jian. He's the most decent among those here."
Sheep head Takka skewered four corpses on twin blades, complaining.
Beastkin body grades averaged two ranks above humans.
Moreover, these were heads of Southern Six Divine Bodies Law clans.
Human martial artists couldn't even see their attacks, got sliced, or shattered blocking.
They were absurdly strong for one city's forces.
Step— step—
They went out to the terrace beyond the fortress conference room, tossing Vermouth's head.
Jian roared to thousands of warriors gathered before the fallen Sleepless Fortress.
"We are victorious! The spoils are this city itself!"
Kuuooo!
Beast roars erupted.
"From Dragon God's city, retrieve our families! Leave that to the Northern Sect bastards! We live here!"
Monkey head Ukou stepped forward.
"Our Southern Six Divine Bodies Law declares independence from Dragon God and Northern Sect! Tired of their smugness boasting their own Dragon God! We yield nothing to Northern Sect! Behold this fortress!"
Wolf head Kisuah shouted ahead.
"Wolf kin! Weave today's victory in song and howl! A lifelong tale to boast to sons and grandsons!"
"Sheep wives, plow the land and sow pasture. Nothing better than kids grazing freely."
"Gather visible metal goods as clan treasury! That cheese on the round table was tasty! Squirrel some away!"
Tiger, dog, ox, rat, monkey, sheep.
Southern Six Divine Bodies Law's six clans howled in turn to their heads' calls.
"Yawn."
The devil in charge, Mastema, scratched his messy hair, looking down.
"First battle goes to beastkin, I guess. Well, six out of twelve clans, outcome was obvious."
He wagged a finger, and beastkin quest window appeared.
[Beastkin Six Clans Independence]
- Led by tiger head Jian, beastkin six clans walk their own path.
- Jian, who led quest successfully, receives additional stats and item.
- Beastkin cities increase from 1 to 2.
- Rewards issued by merit of this human raid.
- First merit: 'Tiger Head Jian'
- Second merit: 'Ox Head Sabon'
- Third merit: 'Wolf Fang Kisuah'
- Fourth merit: 'Tiger Claw Huwon'
* * *
[Settings Collection]
Coin unit settings.
Purple coin < Indigo < Blue < Green < Yellow < Orange < Red
Purple most common, red rarest.
White and black coins are special, not in this hierarchy.
* * *
Stats and grades.
1 ~ 100 [F]
101 ~ 200 [E]
201 ~ 300 [D]
301 ~ 400 [C]
401 ~ 500 [B]
501 ~ 600 [A]
601 ~ 700 [S]
701 ~ 800 [S-D]
801 ~ 900 [S-C]
901 ~ 1000 [S-B]
1001~1100 [S-A]
1101~1200 [SS]
1201~1300 [SSS]
1300~ EX. [EX]
Beastkin and Machine God tribes use different units.
Stats increasable by coins
Purple [F], [E]
Indigo [D], [C]
Blue [B], [A]
Green [S], [S-D]
Yellow [S-C], [S-B]
Orange [S-A]
Red [SS]
* * *
General coin acquisition standards.
Purple 1~8 floors
Indigo 9~18 floors
Blue 19~31 floors
Green 32~54 floors
Yellow 55~71 floors
Orange 72~87 floors
Red 80~88 floors
Boss monsters or outstanding achievements can yield higher coins.
Orange and red overlap is not an error.
* * *
Demon hierarchy - Celestial Knights < Celestial Knights 44 Spears < Ten Lords < Four Heavenly Kings [Demon King Celestial Knights stat range - 600 ~ 1000 [A] ~ [S-B] * * * Other settings - 5th floor unique cities born from devils' agreement: devils increase contractors, angels create midpoints. - Exchange rates differ: upper to lower vs lower to upper. ex) Red -] Orange 1:100
Orange -> Red 400:1
- Normal human stat limit A-grade. S-grade requires superhuman traits or talents.
ex) Ju Gonghyeok - Master of All Martial Arts, Indomitable Incarnation, Living Hunting Manual, etc.
"The Knights' Society was annihilated by another race?"
At Christina's question, advisor Chinlong nodded.
"Seems so, judging by Ju Gonghyeok's info and the recent message window."
"...Just when human internals seemed sorted, now another race."
Christina had unwittingly felt relieved lately.
Repelling the Necromancer King and Necropolis infiltrating humanity, Company's settlement succeeding—humanity on stable track.
'But as always, plug one hole, another leaks.'
She sighed, hand to forehead.
"Casualties? Entire Knights' Society wiped out?"
"No. Nearly 40,000 survivors."
"40,000?"
Murmurs grew in the conference room.
Knights' Society was mid-small scale, 50,000-60,000.
Despite total city fall, fewer sacrifices than expected.
"Beastkin killed only combatants thoroughly, herded rest outside. Non-combatants not killed if not starving, their principle..."
"They have their code. Good fewer sacrifices."
Despite Christina's relief, Chinlong's face stayed grim.
"Not that simple. Estimated dead around 13,000. As said, combatants thoroughly eliminated."
Ben-Hur beside mother paled.
"13,000 combat dead? Then..."
"All decent hunters gone."
Rosario 4th seat Shaktar picked his nose, nonchalant.
40,000 mostly barely past 5th-floor non-combatants or riffraff.
"Other cities dispatched aid. But..."
Chinlong trailed off.
He knew his mother well.
"Not relief, but scavenging artisan avatars and surviving skilled hunters. Only Nirvana pledged 6,000 refugees."
"Chinlong."