Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: World Hunter Grand Tournament
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With Abyss's coordinated assault, we quickly finished off the last remaining Error Code.
The bound heroes were all reverse-summoned the moment the battle ended. Maya reported that four out of our thirteen guild members had sustained injuries, forcing a team kill to log them out.
And,
Lea and Kaizen had died.
Ophen, clutching Lea's brutally slain body, muttered in a strangled voice.
"Fool...."
As night fell, lights flickered on throughout the buildings—everywhere except the ruined sections.
A few guild members wiped away tears.
The test subjects that Lea had risked her life to rescue from inside the building now gazed up at us from the front yard, their eyes brimming with fear.
Since they'd been non-combatants gathered in a safe zone, almost none had died.
These so-called military test subjects varied wildly in apparent physical age, but one look at their faces revealed just how innocent and young they truly were.
I bit my lip hard, staring at Lea's corpse before lowering my gaze.
I gently stroked the head of the least wary-looking child among the test subjects.
"...."
These were precious lives that Lea had staked her own on to save.
Maya, her eyes glistening with tears as she mourned Lea's sudden death, asked me cautiously.
"What do we do now?"
"We hand them over to the forest dwellers, and we head to the center."
We still had to fight Lenox's forces—and face what we assumed was the final boss, Lenox himself.
If all the forest folk were former test subjects like this, then they'd know best how to treat these survivors and integrate them.
A civilian who seemed like their leader approached me.
"Ehwen and Philia have captured the military officials who were fleeing from the forest."
I asked,
"Did you tell them about Lea?"
"We did."
"...."
My heart throbbed with pain.
After a moment of silence, I said,
"Don't kill them right away. Ask if they'd be willing to extract info on what's inside this building."
"Understood."
Killing them out of spite wouldn't change anything.
I opened the chat window and, as guild master, summoned all Fullminak guild members before typing a message.
[Kaisha: Everyone, return as soon as the Error Code raid ends.]
I worried about the guild members who'd logged out due to injuries, but all I could do was pray they were safe.
No—now I had to properly claim land and rack up massive compensation for our guild.
I closed the window and turned, only to flinch.
Ophen had laid Lea down and risen to his feet, walking toward me.
For a split second, I wondered if he'd punch me, or yell and throttle me—but he simply held something out.
Click.
It was a locket pendant containing a photo of Lea and some man.
[You have acquired Lea's Pendant.]
Why give her keepsake to me...?
Confused, I looked up. Ophen, who'd just lost his mother, stared back with an eerily calm expression.
"She wasn't going to live much longer anyway."
"What do you—"
"Born as Lenox's twin and raised pampered in the center as a divine clansman—how long could someone like that survive in the forest? And after bearing three kids, no less—she was already dying from illness."
His voice tangled grief and cynicism.
Both sides of the locket Ophen handed me held images: one of the man we presumed was Lenox, and photos of Lea as a child and as an adult.
"You might find a use for it. That bastard Lenox—he—?!"
I pulled Ophen into a hug and patted his back.
There, there.
Just as he hadn't shown joy when I rescued Ehwen, Ophen—the forest guardian—had sealed away his emotions, trying to erase even the grief over his mother's death.
As if the passing of the mother he'd spent his whole life with didn't hurt.
I knew what happened to people who couldn't grieve fully when they should—I'd been through it.
Ophen shoved me away in confusion.
"W-What are you doing?"
"You're sad your mom died."
"...."
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect Lea. Hate me if you want—just cry your heart out somewhere alone, okay?"
Truth be told, I was the one suppressing my grief out of habit right now.
When my father died, and my maternal relatives flooded my life like a tidal wave, I hadn't grieved properly—instead, I'd been praised as "mature."
I never realized how deep a wound that would leave. I didn't know that unprocessed emotions pile up and twist your life.
No one had ever told me, so I'd suffered without understanding why.
Ophen gazed at me with a dazed expression, then—as if entranced—brushed my cheek with his fingertips.
As if wiping away my tears.
"!"
I met Ophen's eyes and smiled softly. He flinched and pulled his hand back.
I patted his shoulder reassuringly, then walked past, slipping Lea's pendant around my neck.
[You have equipped Lea's Pendant.]
[[Item Info]
Name: Lea's Pendant
Description: Lea's keepsake from Ophen. There's always a reason when someone hands over something precious.]
Yeah. I figured as much.
I could guess without looking.
Seeing the central top brass and Lea's childhood photos painted a pretty clear picture.
Don't worry, Lea.
I'll make sure your death wasn't in vain. I'll make that future you saw for me come true.
Maya approached, looking concerned.
"It's night—shouldn't we rest a bit?"
"This opportunity came at too high a cost to waste. Can't you feel how empty the forest is now?"
The other countries wouldn't just sit idle at night, and securing as much territory as possible right now was the best strategy.
I opened the map.
Just as I'd said.
The European Union, having endured a horrific massacre from the Error Codes' emergence, had fled the forest at top speed, leaving it utterly silent.
Unlike them, we'd stood our ground and slain three Error Codes.
I'd hit max level from the kill contribution rewards, but in this situation, that wasn't the real prize.
No matter when or where, we couldn't forget this channel's main quest.
Land grab.
"Get the forest folk who know the terrain best to help claim territory. The countries that took down Error Codes will soon flood the center. Let's grab land fast and gear up for the World League proper."
Maya nodded at my orders.
"Got it. Heading out now. How should we split the manpower?"
"Take all the guild members here."
"What about you?"
"I called in reinforcements."
Right on cue, Hyunwoo-nim and Mura-nim arrived from the nearby territory port with more guild members.
* * *
God Gold provided commentary on the situation.
["Ha. Watching Kaisha face off against those Error Codes shredded my heart."]
["Kaisha was Kaisha, as expected."]
["Dart was Dart, too."]
["Can't forget our guild master's exploits, Gilgamesh."]
["It's a breather, but who knows when Round 2 drops—we'd better wrap this up quick."]
["Fullminak, having safely downed the Error Codes, swiftly claims forest territory."]
Under Kaisha's orders, Fullminak guild members dashed through the forest with the locals, seizing land.
The map flushed red at a rapid pace.
Korea's national color was red.
["Current status: Fullminak with six total logouts. Goldbunker three. SpaceKing one."]
["Fullminak's the only ones who logged out via team kill after injuries from Error Codes."]
["Four of them, no less."]
["Three pathetic Error Codes ganged up on Kaisha—of course that's what happened."]
["Whoa. Seriously, watching that... whoa."]
One host raised his sweat-soaked hand, still sticky with tension.
["I legit thought Kaisha-nim was gonna die to those Error Codes."]
["Terrifying."]
["We got wrecked hard early on."]
Viewership had skyrocketed on news of Kaisha's peril.
The chat exploded with curses at the Error Codes ganging up on her, frantic worry for Kaisha—until Extinction died, turning it into a festival.
The broadcast showed the moment Kaisha felled Extinction.
["Cameras couldn't keep up with the fight pace, so we missed Kaisha-nim killing one inside the building."]
["Ah, such a shame."]
["Apartments nationwide erupted in cheers when Kaisha took down an Error Code in the forest."]
["What a thrill."]
["Three-on-one against Error Codes. Pathetic for them, but a true show of god-tier power."]
["Ooh, magnificent."]
["Trust Kaisha and ride that national pride."]
["You'll feel the pride surging with this pic."]
Stills popped up: Kaisha, Dart, and Gilgamesh each slaying an Error Code.
The hosts shook their heads.
["Humanly speaking, Korea took five out of six Error Codes? Even if we're gaming pros, this is insane."]
["Time for the world to reflect."]
["All thanks to Kaisha-nim's one-versus-three."]
["Exactly. SpaceKing and Goldbunker teamed with others, but Fullminak? Pure Kaisha carry with Abyss support for three kills."]
["Why's she gotta be so damn strong."]
["Knew it since she no-sold that Bipa siege nuke."]
["Kaisha too OP. Kamen."]
Drunk on national hype, the hosts bantered in increasingly off-kilter, pride-soaked chatter.
As highlights faded, reason returned to their eyes.
["Meanwhile, on the eastern front, Dart pulled a classic Dart right after downing an Error Code."]
["Show the pic."]
Dart stabbing America's top ranker Lugh flashed on screen. Hosts leaped up in applause.
Clap clap clap!
["Gotta respect that villain energy."]
["Hell yeah. Good job."]
["Lugh had it coming."]
["Yeah, why drop guard mid-PK?"]
["Don't know Dart? Your fault."]
Chat scrolled: "First time seeing God Gold hosts back Dart—hair-raising."
Rare sight indeed.
["Wonder what the US articles say."]
["Dark hero vibes, right?"]
["Dark Hero Dart—rhymes perfect."]
["Hurts American pride, but they're natural-born capitalists obsessed with money and heroes."]
["Ooh, exactly."]
["My prediction: they'll spin these two as rivals for max image sales. Movie-ready duo. Bring home those foreign box office bucks."]
["Dart as the villain, obvs."]
["Duh."]
Hosts, applauding both cheers and jeers, settled back.
["Personally shocked by our guild master's feat. Took down an Error Code solo."]
Mentioning Gilgamesh made the neighbor host backpedal hard.
["Guild master, not me! I always firmly believed you'd pull one off."]
["What?! No, this guy's ruining the vibe—I never meant shocked like that! Shocked at how badass you were!"]
Chat flooded with [lololol] and "Relatable corporate zombies wriggling."
["Our guild master's Bipa Korea server rank 5, y'know? And Dart counter specialist—high win rate against him."]
["16.8 percent, probably."]
["Handled the Error Code that way too. Our guild master's a master of exploits and exploiting gaps."]
["For real. Mad respect, guild master."]
Mid their tearful ass-kissing, one host's eyes widened at breaking news.
["Breaking: just in."]
Real-world footage hit the screen.
["Guild members logged out from injuries were found by arriving medics and rushed to the ER."]