Continental War (3)
Zhuge was a user skilled in tactics and strategy.
Thanks to that talent, he was serving as a tactical strategist in one of the kingdoms on the Chinese server.
Favored by the king, he had led multiple large-scale battles to victory in the most populous Chinese server.
'Korean users?'
Compared to the battles Zhuge had guided to triumph, this was utterly insignificant.
China held the advantage in every way.
The average participant levels differed by more than 10, and Chinese users overwhelmingly possessed superior artifacts.
'Defenders have the edge in territory wars?'
That was true. But to counter it, China had secured 100 extra users beyond Korea's numbers.
Victory was all but certain.
The world predicted as much.
You could tell just from the Ares Play betting odds.
China was leading at 92.7% in the victory predictions on Ares Play Toto.
And Zhuge himself was the man who had bet his entire fortune on China's win.
'In a situation this certain, what we need is an even more overwhelming victory.'
The advantage of deploying 100 more troops.
Leading with Necromancer ranking 2nd, Wei, he had packed the group with 100 specialists optimized for swarm warfare.
Of course, Zhuge had devised the perfect strategy.
'Korea has no users with significant holy power. Even if they do, they can't handle this many.'
Skills had clear limitations.
Zhuge's target for capturing the Korean castle: 2 hours and 30 minutes.
But then, a white bell appeared, leaving Zhuge flustered.
'What the hell is that bell...?'
His plan had been perfect.
Or rather, it had been.
"We've researched you thoroughly too, Zhuge."
If not for the variable named Nel.
Just days before the continental war began, Nel had studied Zhuge's tactics and prepared numerous countermeasures.
Hyun's Forge and Nel had even more preparations in store, and one of them now revealed itself.
The appearance of a woman atop the castle walls captivated viewers worldwide.
Saint's child.
Korea's top priest-class user.
Bellia, standing beside Hyun-soo, placed her palm on Ramas's Bell.
"Save us from evil."
Holy power infuses it.
Even greater holy power surges from Ramas's Bell.
Holy power infuses it.
Even greater holy power from Ramas's Bell...
At the same time, Hyun-soo—who had forged Ramas's Bell inside the fortress using the skill Reversal—reared back his hammer.
The undead were nearly upon the walls by now.
Doooooooong-!
The moment it rang, a massive wave of holy power spread outward.
Dwooooooom-!
"Kuh!"
"Whoa, what the hell!?"
Users staggered back from the shockwave.
Moreover, Ramas's Bell's innate ability was vastly amplified by Bellia's holy power.
Undead within a 10km radius are weakened by 48%.
Kieeeek!
Kyaaahhh!
Kiiiiiik!!!
The undead touched by the holy wave writhed in agony, swept away like debris in a tide of light.
The astonishing events were far from over.
Ramas's Bell not only weakened undead but also empowered those who slayed them.
You have heard the sacred bell toll.
Attack power and defense against undead rise by 18%.
"W-whoaaa!"
"Wooooah!"
A thunderous roar erupted from the Korean users.
Commander I-hwan was stunned.
'Our troops' morale has gone through the roof?'
Hyun's Forge guild's participation hadn't filled I-hwan with much hope.
They were just the ones who had hunted the first Calamity.
"All troops, fire!"
The archers pulling their bows were the most shocked.
Undead in the level 340s normally took four arrows to fell.
Now, just two shattered them.
The tide had turned.
Previously, the undead's advance outpaced their kill rate.
But I-hwan focused elsewhere.
'A wide-area debuff beyond common sense.'
It had a flaw.
Those with high status resistance could ignore it.
Proof: The top high-level necromancers' undead kept pressing forward relentlessly.
Many had resisted the bell's toll.
Kaboom! Boom-boom-boom! Kaboom!
Some 200 users hidden among the undead unleashed spells and skills.
Korea's losses mounted.
The enemy was still concealed amid hordes of undead.
I-hwan eyed the necromancers lurking behind the melee fighters across the bridge.
'If we don't take them out, the swarm war drags on.'
Right then, I-hwan saw it.
'It's coming...!'
Between 150 and 220 strong.
This was China's most fearsome asset.
Enemies clad in black armor—their terror stemmed from full support by the Black Dragon Forge.
'How many?'
I-hwan was dismayed.
Hidden beneath their robes: items they wore.
'Unique, Unique, Unique, Unique...'
Defenses far beyond norms, and now their weapons—also Unique-grade throughout.
"How do you read the battle?"
Asked the woman named Nel.
"It'll hold even at first, then start buckling. The leader up front is world rank 15, Kou."
I-hwan gave a wry smile and continued.
"I could take him, of course. But amid that many undead? Tough."
"As expected."
At that moment, the gates swung open.
Korean users charging out to intercept Kou and his group.
I-hwan would join the fray soon enough.
Then Nel gazed at him with eyes full of faith.
"Then make it happen. We'll wipe out every last undead for you."
I-hwan looked puzzled.
Then.
Black Night
Darkness fell like someone flipping off a light switch—total blackout, not a inch of visibility.
Primal fear is stimulated.
Enemy hearing is completely paralyzed.
Allied hearing is unaffected.
"Wh-what!?"
"U-uwaaaah!"
"Hiiiik!"
I-hwan and the Koreans' hearing was fine.
They heard the Chinese users' screams.
I-hwan could imagine it.
'Can't see? Bearable.'
But paralyzed hearing too? That brought overwhelming terror.
Is the game glitched? My gear broken? Where am I?
Claustrophobia might set in.
Then Nel spoke.
"Our odds of winning are over 90% against us."
I-hwan agreed.
Humiliating, but fact.
"This method should boost that slim 10% win rate."
I-hwan looked puzzled in the darkness.
Nel continued.
"This is Crazy Rookie's plan. Everyone assumes China attacks, Korea defends."
What?
"But from now on, we..."
I-hwan's eyes widened at her words.
Then.
Snap-
The dark world lit up in an instant.
***
Zhuge panicked.
He too had trembled in pitch-black darkness and silenced sounds.
The moment light returned and status effects lifted, Zhuge was more shocked than ever.
"Wh-what the...?"
Even world rank 8 Necromancer Wei couldn't hide his dismay.
"Zhuge... is what I'm seeing real...?"
No one there—Zhuge, Wei, anyone—had imagined this.
Wei's face hardened as he scanned around.
Necromancers clustered, still summoning undead nonstop.
Gulp.
Wei swallowed dryly.
He'd seen it all since entering world rankings.
But this exceeded expectations.
"Fuck... You defend, we attack, you crazy bastard!"
Right—territory wars split defense and offense.
Yet right above them, Hyun-soo gripped his Twin Dragon Swords, glaring down.
This was Hyun-soo's plan.
The Calamity-forged Black Night blanketed the world in darkness, paralyzing enemy hearing.
But not for the caster, Hyun-soo.
He saw and heard everything.
With Calamity Leap, he soared into the sky.
Patterns engraved on Hyun-soo's Twin Dragon Swords.
Three Feet Swear to Heaven.
A three-foot blade swears to the heavens.
Mountains and Rivers Tremble.
Mountains and waters quake.
Shwaaaaa-
A colossal pressure descended from the Twin Dragon Swords.
It crushed the huddled necromancers and summons.
Necromancers hastily summoned bone shields from the earth, erecting a massive bone wall between it and themselves.
Zhuge's face paled.
Necromancers' weakness: low HP, like mages.
No matter how many walls, against otherworldly might, they were rookies.
Finally, the last inscription.
One Swing Clears All.
One swing sweeps them away.
Blood Stains Mountains and Rivers.
Blood dyes the land.
Hyun-soo knew better than anyone.
This merely boosted win odds by 10%.
Korea would still fall swiftly.
But halting new undead spawns was a step forward.
Or precisely.
'I'm closing in on MVP.'
No more lurking for chances.
Time to show them all.
He swung the fully drawn Twin Dragon Swords down on the 80-odd necromancers.
"Sword Cry."
Kiiiiing-
Their thoughts froze amid screams and roars.
"U-uwaaaak!"
"What the hell is that guy—kill himmm!"
"You crazy fuck!"
"You defend, we attackhh!"
It fell. Shattering their bone wall with devastating force.
That power began tearing into Wei and the necromancers and summoners there.
At that moment.
"Where!?"
"VVIP room!"
Doctor Kim Jin-seop and nurses were sprinting.
'Please, no...!'
Jin-seop's heart pounded harder with each nearing beep.
Beepbeepbeepbeep-
Vital monitor for heart rate.
Two possibilities: death, or someone unplugged it.
Reaching the VVIP room, Jin-seop's eyes widened.
"......"
The bed was empty.
He couldn't hide his shock.
Then he heard the machine hum.
Faint like a fridge, but clear to Jin-seop now.
With an incredulous look, he slowly turned.
'The capsule...'
The VR game Ares capsule was active.
***
Beginner zone blacksmith Ren was flustered.
A tall middle-aged man, 183cm, smiled faintly at him.
"I've heard much about you. Ren, was it?"
His fluster stemmed from the man's face—identical to his master's.
The middle-aged man spoke.
"I miss my son Hyun-soo. Do you know where he is?"