Demon Summoning (2)
A few days earlier.
The Parion Empire's elite Blood Ghost Corps—50,000 strong—along with their monsters, had arrived on the Asgan Continent by ship.
Following them, Goyad's finest troops and users gathered at Collode Fortress.
The NPCs aimed to defend the strategic stronghold of Collode Fortress, while the users sought quest rewards.
As the first continental war to erupt on the Korean server, it drew intense media attention.
-Can you see it? Korean users have assembled with the NPCs to defend Goyad.
-Taking overall command is Goyad's one and only grand mage and earl, Balladin.
-Collode Fortress has 80,000 NPCs gathered, plus 30,000 users.
-The invading army from the Chinese server, the Parion Empire, numbers only 50,000.
"For victory!"
"Waaaaaaaaah!"
-With Grand Mage Balladin's shout, the soldiers' morale has surged dramatically.
-Having numerical superiority gives them that much more power.
-The Goyad Kingdom Defense Alliance, centered around Balladin, only accepts those level 380 and above—true elites. They might even stand a chance against Parion's elite Blood Ghost Corps.
-What exactly is the Blood Ghost Corps?
-Details haven't been fully revealed yet. That suggests Emperor Volond foresaw this continental war and secretly raised them. But Goyad has filled Collode, their strategic stronghold, with 80,000 elite troops from across the nation, vowing not to let a single one through.
-The knights here are in the 390s.
-Proof that NPCs grow alongside us.
Dong, dong, dong—!
-The Blood Ghost Corps is revealing itself.
-The Goyad forces atop the fortress fall silent, focusing intently.
Balladin.
He wore a confident smile.
Through this invasion, he planned to solidify his position as Goyad's sole grand mage.
He also wanted to showcase his mage corps' prowess, shattering the prejudice that Goyad excelled only in swords, and propel the kingdom forward.
But what soon appeared left Balladin flustered.
What in the world...?
A height of 10 meters—tall as a castle wall. Ash-gray fur and a named monster Korean users had never hunted.
"Awooooooo!"
One howl, and the fortress troops panicked.
Wolf King's Howl
You have been afflicted with Morale Down.
You have been afflicted with Fear.
Attack power and defense reduced by 9%.
Movement slowed: movement speed and attack speed reduced by 10%.
With that, the massive Fenrir charged forward.
"Mages, prepare your strongest spells!"
Balladin, who had panicked, now laughed.
Mountains tall meant high hit rates.
Here stood his 300 handpicked mages, plus Korea's top mage users.
5th- and 6th-class spells activated simultaneously.
"Fire Wall."
First came Balladin's 6th-class spell.
A wall of flame soared 11 meters high.
-11 meters high...!?
-Incredible. That's the power of Goyad's sole grand mage!
An impenetrable mega-barrier. Anything touching it would melt to bones under Balladin's immense magic attack power.
Yet Balladin panicked again.
Taat—
Fenrir, kicking off with its hind legs, leaped 15 meters high, charging straight into the fortress.
Only then did Balladin and the casters realize why Fenrir was here.
-Fenrir fragments are widespread even on the Korean server.
-The legendary monster Fenrir is infamous for toppling dozens of territories in the past.
-That's because most of its power is specialized for crumbling walls and nullifying fortress advantages.
Simultaneously.
"Frozen."
"Fire Storm."
"Explosion."
Hundreds of spells slammed into Fenrir.
The mages who landed direct hits started to grin in ecstasy—then froze.
Fenrir crashed to the ground but rose instantly.
Fenrir's HP has fallen below 94%.
Just 6% damage.
Its shimmering ash-gray fur filled their vision.
-Fenrir's defense is known to be 50% higher than typical named monsters...!
And with that, Fenrir charged the gates.
Kwahaaaaang—
-Being mountainous means it can shatter walls with ease.
-Fortresses are advantageous because of siege weapons, skills, unbreakable walls for cooldowns, minimizing losses.
-Normal gates hold at least an hour, up to four or more.
Creak, craaaack—!
But Fenrir's power was overwhelming.
After just a few collisions, cracks spiderwebbed across the gates and walls.
"G-Get down! It's collapsing!"
After merely 20 hits, the gates shattered, and users tumbled down.
Beyond the utterly destroyed gates.
Grand Mage Balladin, who had fallen to the ground, was stunned.
Behind the mountain-like Fenrir stood Parion's elite 50,000— the Blood Ghost Corps.
Blood Ghost Corps. They wore blood-red armor, horned helmets, and bloodied swords, true to their name.
"...?"
Balladin was bewildered.
Each one matched Goyad's finest knights in level.
50,000, but with the power of 500,000.
They couldn't afford arrogance over numbers.
Moreover, Fenrir possessed human-level intelligence.
Craaaack—
Kwajak—
Balladin and the mages on the ground were crunched by fangs.
The caster's despairing voice echoed.
-The fortress has fallen in just 5 hours.
Breaking news spread.
Breaking news updated as time passed.
The swift falls stunned Korean viewers.
Gangnam billboards replayed the collapses, experts analyzing the situation.
-Continental wars have already broken out worldwide; Korea's is late.
-Other nations are evenly matched, but Korea's allowing a rapid advance on Goyad's capital.
-Why is that?
-This shows how different true continental wars are from event-style ones. We still live in an NPC-led world; event wars were user festivals.
-Now, NPC strength dominates everything, and Parion Empire, like the Chinese server, is over 10x larger.
-Host, know about human wave tactics?
-Overwhelming numbers to breakthrough, encircle, infiltrate. But Parion only sent 50,000?
-Yes and no. Between 1 million and 13 million people, who has more talent?
-...13 million.
-Exactly. Overwhelming numbers mean more elites, far outnumbering Goyad's strongest.
-Goyad has Blood Ghost Corps-level elites too. Issue is, Goyad's top elites are 3,000; they send 50,000. If Goyad gathers all under Barad to fight Blood Ghost Corps, they could hold.
-Really? Then we have hope...
-But Fenrir can't be stopped, and Goyad's forces take massive losses holding them—fall inevitable.
-...No way at all?
-One way exists.
-What is it?
Those watching billboards.
Or folks with autopilot on, viewing TV in their cars—focused.
A way exists?
-An overwhelmingly powerful individual might change it.
-...One person? Expert, that doesn't make sense.
-Ares fans will know. Astonishingly, Barad alone can take over 10,000 Blood Ghost Corps.
Viewers nodded in agreement.
-Without Fenrir, this battle is easy; Fenrir's overwhelming power makes it hard.
-Strength is relative. One powerhouse terrifies thousands, another slays hundreds of commanders, collapsing chains of command.
The MC's face brightened.
-We have Master Craftsman Hyun-soo, right?
High-level viewers had already guessed.
-Know Hyun-soo's most recent confirmed level?
It was just a month ago.
-330s.
-...
-Post-server integration, no sightings in any hunting grounds. Recently, a world message about creating new transcendence. Master Craftsman Hyun-soo is just crafting artifacts now.
-Hyun-soo, who soloed hundreds of high-rankers...
-Different story. They were users; now enemies are NPCs, true lords of Ares.
Plus, two months post-server integration.
-User Hyun-soo focused solely on territory troops and artifacts in his new land; level stagnant at two months ago.
-Korean rankers hunted like mad those two months, gathered, but failed.
As the expert said, all hopes faded.
And then.
Despairing Goyad key figures shown everywhere.
The expert was right.
Marquis Falo, commanding Varkna's north gate, despaired after over three hours of battle.
"...40% of our north gate allies annihilated. Enemy losses: barely 5%."
Marquis Lookburg at the east gate understood.
"50,000 troops, but those 50,000 hold all of Parion's might."
Why Emperor Volond sent only 50,000.
"To proclaim destroying a nation with 50,000, tarnish Goyad's name, force submission."
Lookburg closed his eyes.
Proof.
"Even leading 5,000 soldiers—they're commander-class for 100,000, now handling 5,000."
Those commanders: personal levels 450.
Absurd.
Assigning 450-level commanders to just 5,000—unthinkable.
Another place.
Prestigious house leading the kingdom.
Elder called one of twin peaks with Sword Master Roman: Sword Sage Laisen.
He despaired watching his knights swept away.
"House lord, His Highness fought Fenrir, took heavy wounds, retreated."
"...Deep wounds?"
"Yes."
Laisen gazed at the sky.
Thinking.
"Heh, Your Highness... Crown Prince Ban..."
Crown Prince Ban.
A peerless genius who bore a title surpassing Sword King.
All here knew.
Had Ban lived, he might rival Sword King.
Strength is relative.
One Crown Prince Ban, and this war wouldn't feel so futile.
Perhaps no hope from the start.
No pure-blooded prince remained; only King Barad guarded Goyad.
Drip, drip—
Tears endlessly streamed from Sword Sage Laisen's eyes.
Then, light entered his eyes.
The king's heir, Hyun-soo, appeared.
Laisen hurriedly wiped his tears.
Not inheriting Crown Prince Ban's talent, but still helpful.
To approaching Hyun-soo, Laisen said,
"Reassuring sight. You take the south—only 800 Blood Ghost Corps there, your troops can handle it."
"No."
Laisen's face crumpled at the reply.
Laisen struggled to stay calm amid swirling emotions.
Seeing no one beside Hyun-soo, he grew angry.
Sent to south because his territory had solid troops.
"South isn't most critical, but path to capital. Where are your soldiers...?"
Mid-sentence, Laisen heard a soldier's report.
"...Someone annihilated the south's 800 Blood Ghost Corps!!!!"
Laisen's eyes widened; Hyun-soo continued.
"South's already handled, no need to go."
Only then Laisen felt it.
That he had begun walking the path to the throne.
And.
One beacon now illuminated despairing Goyad.