Lord (3)
Hyun-soo led his guild members to Arham Territory, where he took command of the 50 soldiers who had been waiting for him.
He had brought the guild members along because they would soon be fighting side by side with these soldiers.
And all the guild members received the title of junior baron, becoming knights.
Hyun-soo's heart trembled with anticipation as he headed toward Ballus Territory.
'I wonder if everyone's doing well?'
On the day he left, they had all looked at him with such regret.
Hyun-soo couldn't help but chuckle at the pleasant imaginings flooding his mind.
'Lady Brelin is going to be shocked.'
When he had visited Ballus Territory before, Hyun-soo had been just one insignificant, shabby player among many.
The only remarkable thing about him had been his skill as a blacksmith.
Back then, Lord Brelin had seemed like an incredibly lofty figure.
It was only natural.
A lord who commanded an entire territory was an extraordinary person, no matter how remote or small the domain.
And now, he was returning as a completely new man.
His steps were light and bouncy.
By the time Hyun-soo reached Ballus Territory, a notification chimed in his ears.
The One Who Returns as Nobility
📍 Rank: S
📍 Restriction: The one to whom Brelin conveyed her will.
📍 Reward: Possible chance to become lord, potion crafted by Brelin.
📍 Penalty on Failure: Affinity with Brelin drops to minimum.
📍 Description: Brelin judged herself insufficient to protect Ballus Territory alone. She once spoke of sharing ownership with you before you left. As she feared, Baron Ronso has seized Ballus Territory. Wipe out his forces in one fell swoop.
Hyun-soo's face twisted in anger. Come to think of it, he had heard something from Per.
'It's worrisome. That greedy Baron Ronso—do you think he'll just sit idly by?'
And it seemed they had already completed their takeover of Ballus Territory.
He also learned one hidden fact.
'A potion from Brelin?'
Brelin's potion.
In other words, a potion she had made herself.
This was a field entirely different from blacksmithing.
'Does Brelin have a talent for alchemy?'
He had no idea why she had kept it a secret.
For now, he pushed the thought aside.
Hyun-soo quickly informed his guild members of the situation.
Ronso's subordinates were blocking the entrance, controlling access for outsiders.
They swiftly dealt with them first, then climbed onto the rooftops.
And they moved silently and swiftly.
The reason they could move so stealthily was thanks to the buff from Bellia, child of the saintess.
Hides presence and completely silences footsteps.
From atop the rooftops, Hyun-soo witnessed a scene that contorted his face in rage.
A young boy blacksmith, drenched in sweat, stood there.
The knight in front of him was lighting a match.
Hyun-soo remembered the boy.
The kid named Karan had asked him during his lessons,
'I want to become a great blacksmith like you someday, Hyun-soo!'
Hyun-soo immediately activated his lord's command, stopping the match.
"......I'll kill every last one of you."
Viscount's Title shines brightly.
A more special emergence notification applies for 3 days.
The knights' expressions filled with bewilderment at the sudden appearance of the viscount.
Phon, the knight who had just lit the match, was the most shocked.
'Viscount......?'
Viscount.
One of the highest nobles.
Phon hurriedly assessed their numbers.
Including the viscount, four knights.
'The brightest star—could he be that negotiator we've heard about lately......?'
Phon was indeed flustered. But he quickly surveyed the battlefield.
Their allies inside numbered 50 in total.
The soldiers reached 200.
Moreover, Baron Ronso was the king of this region.
Reinforcements could arrive from Ronso's territory at any moment.
'He became a viscount in one leap, a hero of the homeland.'
Phon flashed a sly, fox-like smile.
'Just four knights? One blacksmith and four knights?'
The tension eased.
He realized how ridiculous that man's words—"I'll kill every last one of you"—truly were.
So he spoke.
"So you're the one who's to become the new lord of Ballus Territory? Welcome. Viscount, and what good timing."
Phon smiled brightly.
"Take the seat that will soon be the 'former' lord Brelin's, and rule the north alongside Baron Ronso. He will bestow many favors, and you can earn immense profits."
This was true.
With Baron Ronso's cooperation, there would be nothing to fear.
Phon glanced at the knights.
"A fight with us will not be easy for you, Viscount Hyun-soo."
Because of this reality, Hyun-soo would have to yield here......
"Bullshit."
"......?"
Phon was taken aback.
Hyun-soo issued a command.
"Don't leave a single one alive. Kill them all."
That order only made Phon scoff in disbelief.
Judging by current forces alone, they held an overwhelming advantage.
Especially Viscount Hyun-soo—he would be the easiest to kill.
Just a mere blacksmith, after all?
And Ger was full of worries too.
'There are too many enemies.'
He swallowed dryly.
Moreover, the blacksmith Hyun-soo looked like he couldn't endure it.
But then...
Something bizarre happened.
Plop—
It was as if their hearing had been heightened in that instant.
The knights had doused dozens of blacksmiths with oil.
The oil soaking their bodies floated up into the air like tiny droplets.
"Whoa......"
Someone let out an involuntary exclamation.
Thousands of tiny oil droplets hovering in the air.
The moment one knight, entranced, touched a droplet with his fingertip.
Whoosh—
The oil droplets engulfed the knights in reverse.
Hyun-soo moved his left arm this time.
Dozens of blacksmiths simultaneously followed his gesture, shoving toward one side.
Splash—
The pushed knights wore puzzled expressions, and soon an arrow flew from a knight atop the roof.
Kaboom—
Phon saw the arrow strike precisely the chest of the knight beside him.
It was just an ordinary arrow.
But...
Roar—
Suddenly, flames erupted from the arrow, spreading from that knight to engulf the others.
Phon recoiled in horror as heat enveloped his face.
But these people here were different from real-world humans.
They possessed superhuman bodies unlike those in reality.
Of course, if asked if it didn't hurt, that would be a lie.
But it wasn't enough to disorient them.
"Ma, mages!"
"Hurry and put out the fire!"
Whoosh—
A mage's water magic surged like waves, extinguishing the flames on the knights' bodies.
Only about 20% damage.
Over 40 knights sneered at the rooftop knights bearing the emblem of hammer and anvil on their backs—Gwangmyeong's knights.
Phon and the knights were dumbfounded.
'How dare these outsiders......'
NPCs were the true masters of this land.
In fact, 80% of outsiders couldn't match the level of existing NPCs.
Sword King Barad's level was already in the 450s.
Yet even the official ranking 1st hadn't reached level 400.
The gap in power between outsider knights and NPC knights was clear.
And with only four of them? Utterly laughable.
Then.
Great Child.
Two knights descended to the ground, while two remained guarding the rooftop.
And as the priestess-like woman prayed, a faint holy power emanated from the three men.
Attack Power & Defense +17%
Skill Damage +20%
Bak and Riesel stood back-to-back.
The knights numbered over 40 in total.
In this situation, Bak spoke first.
"I'll take 15."
"Then I'll take exactly 15 too."
The two glanced slyly at Ian on the rooftop.
"As a newbie, I'll take 20."
Are they insane?
"These crazy......"
They muttered in unison.
"Wave of Frost."
"Dragon-Infused Sword."
"Flame-Seeking Shot."
"......?"
Phon panicked.
It all happened in just 3 seconds.
Phon looked left. Seven knights had frozen solid in a raging wave.
He looked right.
A dragon-like creature he had never seen devoured nine knights in an explosive blast.
He looked around.
The ten knights surrounding them sequentially turned to skeletons, then scattered as bone dust.
"Ian's bow took out at least ten, right?"
Soon, the frozen knights broke free of their status ailment and emerged from the ice.
The blast victims seemed badly wounded but pressed forward again.
But after witnessing their prowess, Phon took a step back.
'Wh-where did these monsters come from?'
Soon, clashes erupted between them and the knights.
But Gwangmyeong's members knew.
'We can't hold out long.'
'If it turns into a prolonged fight, we might lose.'
No matter how superior their power, there were limits.
'And their reinforcements will come too.'
Deliberately, for such a scenario, Hyun-soo had the 50 soldiers from Arham Territory wait elsewhere.
They had a high chance of being wiped out if they came here.
This battle had to be shouldered entirely by the players.
'Otherwise, the casualties would be too great.'
They exchanged endless blows.
The knights' skills clearly surpassed those of the players.
All damage, artifact abilities, levels—everything outclassed them, but one thing they couldn't catch up to.
Skill.
These were lifelong swordsmen; they were mere gamers who logged in.
Gwangmyeong, who had initially overwhelmed, was gradually being pushed back.
'What we need now is for Hyun-soo to quickly capture Baron Ronso hostage.'
That was Gwangmyeong's plan.
So Hyun-soo bolted straight for the castle.
But there was one thing they hadn't anticipated.
***
Special User Management Team.
Lee Min-hwa and Team Leader Kim Tae-seok watched the monitors breathlessly.
The multiple screens each displayed different individuals.
"......It's impossible. For Gwangmyeong to handle territory-level forces was never easy. Especially with Baron Ronso's unexpected variable."
Lee Ji-hee wore a regretful expression.
Player Hyun-soo seemed on the verge of claiming Ballus Territory through his efforts and achievements.
But at this rate, Ballus Territory would collapse completely.
And the variable they mentioned—Baron Ronso.
"The Fourth Calamity, Ronso."
That was it.
The Fourth Calamity Ronso was the Calamity Church's financier.
Moreover, Baron Ronso had disguised himself and hidden deep within Goyad Kingdom for a long time.
With that variable plus the territory's forces, it was too much for Gwangmyeong to bear.
"......Once Ronso reveals himself, he'll slaughter everyone in Ballus Territory and vanish."
"......Probably."
But Kim Tae-seok spoke, as not everything was over yet.
"Hyun-soo is a player who's always created his own variables, isn't he?"
Before they knew it, Lee Ji-hee and Team Leader Kim Tae-seok had become cheerleaders for Hyun-soo.
What could it be called?
His stories always tugged at their heartstrings too much to not root for him.
And moments later.
Kim Tae-seok and Lee Ji-hee gasped in admiration at the variable unfolding before them.
It was a power even they weren't sure what it would unleash.
CEO Lee Se-jin had said,
'That title is a power the supercomputer Ares itself bestowed upon him—his unique power alone. Even I don't know what it will manifest as.'
They saw the variable that had emerged for Hyun-soo.