Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: A Guild Master Can't Rely on the Game Alone
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["Wasn't the nest at Dangsan Station? Why's it showing up here too?"]
["Looks like the location doesn't matter—it's whether there's a backer supporting the heroes there that counts."]
["Whoa. A backer in some alley..."]
["This is gonna be chaos. Dart's gonna hate it if we cause trouble for Fullminak."]
I'd been quietly listening to the guild members chatter when Binu turned to me and sent a party invite.
[Binu has invited you to a party.]
[Accept?]
Binu asked cautiously.
"Y-You're gonna help us take down the heroes, right?"
I'd come all this way to help with exactly that, so I nodded without hesitation.
The moment I accepted, the SpaceKing voice chat kicked in.
["Isn't tagging along already a hassle?"]
["Dropping that guy who survived falling from the sky was super sus—oh. Kaisha-nim, hello!"]
"......Hello."
The voice chat exploded.
["Aaaah!"]
["Loyalty!"]
["Kamen!"]
["We respect you!"]
["Sorry for dragging you into this!"]
["We survived inside the gate thanks to you! Thank you so much!"]
["Right now, we're tracking down the remnants with the military, but the backers are messing with electronics, so modern tech isn't helping much."]
Got it.
In the end, hunters have to leg it out.
["Sigh. They pay peanuts."]
["We wouldn't run these crap ops if it weren't for the cheap gigs."]
["Don't say that with Kaisha-nim here."]
["Thank you so much for helping us, Kaisha-nim!"]
["I'm a fan! I love you!"]
["Who's the idiot confessing now? I'm holding back too, so watch yourself."]
This is getting embarrassing. Cut it out.
I muted the group voice chat.
The deeper we went, the more it felt like no ordinary place.
From the SpaceKing guild's chatter, it seemed less about the spot itself and more about the backer's influence.
That girl definitely had doll-like looks, but her presence was no joke.
[Warning!]
"!"
A warning popped up in our status windows.
Seeing the same alert from inside the gate, Binu—who'd been charging ahead—halted and glanced at me.
"This warning shows up near backers. What now? When we got it chasing traitors from Dangsan Station, we pulled back immediately."
No data on the situation.
"Later, when I and the first string went back with Dart after hearing the news, it didn't trigger anymore."
I nodded after listening carefully to Binu.
"I've seen something like a backer near Dangsan Station too."
"Really?"
"If it's okay, shall we head in?"
Binu nodded, face tense.
SpaceKing's vice-guild master Binu was one of the few magic geniuses who could adapt skills on the fly with Dart, and Bipa rank 2 assassin Abyss's firepower went without saying.
Binu had this bratty, rude persona in Bipa, but in real life, he was pretty polite.
Dart must take after his game self, though.
"Whistle. Messiah. Lyannon."
I summoned the heroes except Hellcannon and Elfer, who'd followed us into the alley.
And then.
"Terra. Valen."
Summoning circles etched into the ground, and the two appeared before me.
The hero management system lets you fix heroes' outfits on summon, and sure enough, they came geared in their fixed items no matter when I called.
"Long time no see, you two."
Terra and Valen, spotting me and the other heroes, gave short bows.
"Whoa, jealous..."
Binu muttered watching me summon them, then pulled up the game chat and activated his keypad.
"The first string's tied up, so just in case, I'll ping Dart."
I nodded at Binu's words and turned.
"Abyss."
He looked over from eyeing the heroes.
"You take Terra, Valen, and Lyannon. You three, follow Abyss and provide cover."
"I'm fine, but..."
"You'd stick with me anyway. Just in case."
"Got it."
Solo player Abyss hadn't raised any bound heroes.
Non-raiders lent out their heroes during sieges, so he didn't have his own set.
Binu kept sneaking envious glances, so I said,
"I'll watch over you, Binu-nim."
He startled.
"Me?! Oh, th-thank you! I stuck to my Bipa build, so my defense is kinda low..."
"SpaceKing has plenty of tank hybrid melee DPS."
"True. Like Nix or Shiva. Miss my meat shields here. Haha."
You could feel SpaceKing's internal pecking order.
Binu and I chuckled.
Their first string probably off in Midgard raising the 2nds and 3rds, like Kali?
While I gauged SpaceKing's setup from that, Binu finished messaging and took point.
"Let's go."
Thud. Thud.
Tension squeezing our skin tighter, three hunters and seven heroes stepped inside.
Ding!
[Warning!]
[Field under strong influence of a specific constellation!]
[Danger possible!]
Constellation?
I'd seen the term in the Babel Tower quest.
Mine specified "incarnated constellation," so not sure how it differed from just "constellation."
At the alley's end, a redevelopment site's wrecked ruins sprawled out.
Binu shouted.
"Incoming!"
Buff lights popped off in bursts, a thick sky-blue shield enveloping the area.
Boom! Kwaboom!!
Shockingly, attacks poured from all directions, front and back.
"Damn! They were hiding everywhere?! No idea how much stronger they've gotten! Don't let your guard down!"
Binu yelled.
He conjured countless Dark Spears in the air, scattering them wide for AoE.
Kwakwakwa-boom!!
Magic attack channeling power into spears but no explosion.
Worried about property damage.
"Focus melee skills. Cover and defense from the rear, please."
"Got it."
"Enemies coming from all sides. Protect Binu-nim."
After ordering the heroes, I glanced at Messiah, who cast a hidden ultimate-tier buff.
[Sacred Restoration lv94]
[All allies' stats +200% in sacred light. Bound master and heroes' defense +300%.]
[Higher levels extend duration and range.]
[Current duration: 15 seconds]
Ding!
[Constellation ‘The One Who Guides to Ruin’ watches you with interest.]
What now?
I ignored the alert, gripped my sword, and charged.
One hero—faster than the rest who'd been repelled—rushed me with a red-glowing blade.
Skill light flared.
Kwa—boom!
"!"
Heroes shouldn't have thunder force, but the skill clashing with my sword sent a taut thunder-force sensation through my body.
Abyss zipped in from the side, stabbing the enemy's body with his blade.
Stab!
The hero twisted to dodge a neck strike but took it in the forearm, grunting and retreating—my sword pierced first.
Sorry, but goodbye.
Kwa—boom!!
I exploded the skill's force in my sword with thunder force, smoothly withdrew, and swung at the onrushing others.
Slashhh—!
Binu wasn't kidding about not dropping guard.
My heroes were in danger.
Sensing crisis, I cast [Embrace of the Guardian God], honed hundreds of times in Midgard by instinct alone.
Whoosh!
[Bound heroes within 1km feel deep peace from your presence.]
[Bound heroes' faith rises.]
[Bound heroes resonate with your emotions.]
[All bound heroes' stats max-sync with master's.]
[Direct buff: +200%.]
It worked.
Dodging traitors, I cast wide heal—my heroes' HP filled in the area.
"Messiah! Heal Hellcannon!"
I couldn't heal Hellcannon since he wasn't mine, but Messiah could target single heals even on enemies.
Binu, seeing that, piled multi-buffs on Hellcannon.
"I'll handle Hellcannon's buffs!"
Ah, Binu can manage since Hellcannon's SpaceKing.
Kuboom!
Abyss's AoE exploded, knocking charging enemies off-balance and airborne.
Abyss, me, and Binu didn't miss the opening, pouring in burst DPS.
Kwakwakwa-boom!!
"Yes!"
Binu cheered from the rear, Abyss darting around slicing throats.
Feels like we're gaming without morals now.
Watching Abyss kill heroes without pause, I suddenly worried and asked Binu.
"......We can kill them, right?"
"Cut 'em down fast! They heal right up!"
SpaceKing, down four guildies to traitor heroes already, was locked and loaded mentally.
Binu added,
"Oh. Military's taking full responsibility for any fallout from killing heroes, so no worries."
Figures.
Hope they comp the car Hellcannon trashed too.
Then.
"!"
Binu was right.
Enemies Abyss and I hadn't finished got wrapped in gloomy light, healing wounds and rising.
[Warning!]
[Constellation ‘The One Who Guides to Ruin’ grants its power to otherworld warriors.]
No clue what, but black auras raged around the foes.
"What's this constellation crap."
Binu answered my mutter.
"Like the final boss?"
Hellcannon sidled up, face worried sick.
"......Please be careful."
I nodded.
Seemed like the Leonhardt incident, but more numbers this time.
I loaded skills pronto.
Messiah, cooldown up, dropped another ultimate buff on the area.
I said,
"Here we go."
"Yes."
Binu replied, unleashing buffs as I charged the enemy lines.
Elfer must've cast AoE—countless arrows covered my rush, exploding on impact.
Kwakwakwa-boom!!
Abyss, late starting from scanning, blazed in at light speed and unleashed ultimate up front.
A horizontal slash tore space like black lightning, exploding.
Whoosh,
Kukwakwakwa-boom!!
Enemies raised big shields against Elfer's arrows, but Abyss's strike—felt even on my skin—shattered them clean.
Everyone's easing up on property damage worries.
In that case, me too.
[Tearing Darkness Thunder]
[Thunderbolt Guided Missile]
Same wavelength—me and Binu unleashed merciless AoE ultimates simultaneously.
Too late.
We both winced, but skills were mid-cast.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Kukwakwa-boom!
Dual AoE effects overlapped, front exploding like fireworks.
I'd mentally bid farewell to the buildings, but as skills faded, a barrier appeared.
Someone in enemy ranks threw up a massive self-made AoE shield, protecting the area in a pinch.
From it emerged a black silhouette that suddenly vanished.
"Kaisha-nim!"
Hellcannon called my name in utter desperation.
The figure—gone then smoke-like—clashed blades with mine up close, shrieking sparks.
Kaaang!
Kiiing, kiiiiing—!