The Great Atlas War (Part 2) (1)
Korean Hospital, first-floor lobby.
The attending physician Jin-seop, along with other hospital staff who knew Hyun-soo, couldn't tear their eyes away from the massive TV screen.
"It's finally here!"
"After months of buzz, Atlas is revealing its true form."
"The world's top 800 powerhouses are throwing open the gates of Atlas!"
Ji-hye, the nurse from the general affairs department who had a crush on Hyun-soo, was now just another one of his fans, cheering him on.
Watching the gates swing open, Ji-hye squeezed her eyes shut.
She was a player herself.
And more than half the people here knew Ares inside and out.
It was common knowledge that no user in the world commanded more than 5,000 troops.
Even the biggest guilds struggled to exceed that number, combining users and NPCs.
'I can't watch...'
After the Great Atlas War broke out, Ji-hye had done her own digging.
Hyun-soo hadn't shown his face to the public in four months.
Before the fall of Goyad.
He'd appeared then and slain Fenrir, that much was true—but experts said user Hyun-soo hadn't received any troop reinforcements as a reward.
'It must have been his only choice.'
In Ji-hye's eyes, it was his last bastion to protect what mattered most to him.
The experts agreed.
'User Hyun-soo's Atlas is in ruins. No records show Goyad troops withdrawing, and there's no sign of support from Praam Kingdom.'
'Running a small isolated territory alone means his soldiers' levels are probably way below average.'
'What are you all expecting? User Hyun-soo isn't a lord class—he's a blacksmith. Don't put too much on one guy.'
Even Ji-hye had nodded along to that.
Screeech—
The moment she squeezed her eyes shut and whipped her head away.
"Whoaaa..."
A wave of awe rippled through the crowd.
"No way... how in just four months?"
The voice came from right beside her. It was Hyun-soo's attending physician, Jin-seop.
Ji-hye's eyes flew open in shock.
"The cameras can't even capture it all!"
An army of 20,000 strong.
Elite troops clad in jet-black gear stood at attention everywhere.
Thousands clustered right before the open gates.
Others rose from crouches atop the walls.
Still more encircled them in a vast ring, standing tall.
But what caught the eye most was the emblem etched on their gear: Mjolnir, evoking the thunder god Thor, crossed with Korea's Four Signs Sword.
Ji-hye's gaze shifted.
Past the 20,000-strong army, seeking Hyun-soo.
Meanwhile.
Rown, guild master of Black Anvil Forge, remembered.
'Want the vice-guild master spot? Come join us?'
Those were his words to Hyun-soo.
Back then, Black Anvil held the top spot in Korea's blacksmith rankings.
But what if Hyun-soo's forge overtook them? Rown had asked if he'd consider joining them instead.
Yes, Rown had seen what others missed in Hyun-soo.
But after that, dissent brewed in the guild under Rown, who refused to check Hyun-soo.
'The guild master's lost it.'
'Join Hyun-soo's crew?'
'If you wanna go, you go, guild master!'
'If that day comes, Black Anvil will abandon you completely!'
Everyone called Rown crazy.
Yet Hyun-soo proved them wrong with his actions.
'Still, it was a mess.'
Atlas was too risky; joining him meant Black Anvil's doom, they'd said.
Rown had agreed.
'He flew too high, and now everyone's watching.'
Hyun-soo drew more eyes, more threats.
Even now, 500 Black Anvil members were rebelling.
So Rown had given up.
Hyun-soo's forge would crumble after the Great Atlas War.
But just before it began.
He'd wondered what that meant, but now he knew.
"G-Guild master...!"
"Hyun's Forge...!"
In the conference room.
Guild master Rown had already taken it all in.
The executives who'd denied and bashed it as dangerous now stared, faces changed.
The camera panned slowly after capturing the 20,000 troops in detail.
Atop the walls, Hyun-soo in his brown coat, Twin Dragon Swords slung over his shoulder, looked down on the world's top 800 users.
Flanking him, his Hyun's Forge guildmates wore stark white coats, gazing over the world.
At the left end stood Sword King's heir Bella.
At the right, a mountain of a man labeled 'Black Wind Corps Captain Bon'.
And now, everyone's eyes locked on one man.
Hyun's Forge members in white coats.
The 800 rankers just stepping into Atlas.
The 20,000 troops.
Even global viewers fixed on Hyun-soo alone.
'If I win, Black Anvil is yours.'
Black Anvil Guild, home to 500 top blacksmiths.
Today, he stood on the brink of claiming that giant guild.
And as all cameras captured Atlas in full, the alert rang out.
Grand Territory Atlas reveals itself.
You are the lord of Grand Territory Atlas.
*** Atlas's 20,000 troops fixed their eyes on Hyun-soo alone in the center.
Deep down, they had known.
'The world's elite are gunning for our Atlas.'
'It could turn to flames any moment.'
'Atlas will vanish in an instant.'
From the moment 800 troops first arrived in early Atlas.
Even as they awakened the sleepers.
'Scary...'
'I wanna live.'
'Why us?'
They lived in constant fear and dread, day by day.
Awakened by their lord, they had no choice but to endure, praying to sleep safely each night.
Then one day.
Black Wind Corps Captain Bon awoke from slumber.
Another day, 200,000 lost souls pledged eternal loyalty to Lord Hyun-soo and joined their ranks.
'I'm not afraid anymore, because...'
All 20,000 troops gazed at Hyun-soo, who nodded slowly back at them.
He was their master—that was why fear was gone.
Yes, they who had endured oppression and pressure.
But now.
"Load."
Following his cold command, the 20,000 turned bows on the 800 enemies who had targeted them.
"No way..."
"H-How, in just four months?"
"This is impossible."
"Even Montrio, the so-called Grand Lord, hasn't mustered 10,000 yet!"
The world's peaks trembled in fear.
And Hyun-soo posed the question.
'Why should we suffer under you?'
It was absurd.
They justified invasion with the excuse of conquest.
Threatening to find him fast, telling him not to run.
Yes, Hyun-soo realized why.
We were weak then. Not anymore.
Now we are the strong.
"Fire!"
Fwoooosh—!
20,000 Baby Arrows.
Aimed at enemy hearts, loosed in unison.
Ku-ku-ku-ku-ku-ku-ku-ku-kwang—!
The arrow storm pierced the 800 foes in one breath.
But they were the world's elite.
Not one fell to the 20,000 arrows—they endured.
"Scatter!"
The rankers dispersed, charging the 20,000.
"Draw swords."
Shing... shing... shing...
Atlas troops slung bows and drew blades.
The charging rankers seemed laughable.
"No matter your numbers!"
The lowest-level user here was over 450.
The peaks had long passed 500.
Soldiers averaged just over 300.
Knight averages topped 380.
"You rabble!"
20,000 or 50,000—it didn't matter; to rankers, they were mere prey.
Until impact.
Chaaang—!
"...?"
The rankers faltered.
Common sense: their weapons and stats should cleave soldier gear and flesh.
But armor held; damage was half.
More shocking: the soldiers' skill.
"Maintain formation!"
At Bon's order, soldiers struck as one.
'Wh-Who trained these elites...?'
Rankers reeled.
These were the strongest, highest-level soldiers they'd faced.
In moments, 30+ rankers were forcibly logged out.
Numerical superiority plus raw power unleashed devastation.
'How do we drop these numbers?'
Kalli panicked.
800 could beat 20,000—it wasn't impossible.
But their own casualties would be massive.
Then.
"...Lord? Good timing."
The five peaks turned to one man.
Lorander.
One of America's high rankers.
Not one of the five peaks.
Yet even they treaded lightly around him.
National peaks were set by raid prowess, PvP, levels, titles, achievements.
Lorander threatened world rank 1 Bahala in one field alone.
PvP.
Legend of 5,421 1v1 victories.
His YouTube channel 'PvP God' boasted millions of subscribers.
His level was elite too.
"One minute's plenty. Take down Master Craftsman Hyun in 60 seconds, their morale crashes, and the Great Atlas War goes our way, no wrinkles. You're embarrassing yourselves."
To Lorander, Hyun-soo was a cocky rookie leaning on numbers.
He was arrogant by nature too.
'5,421 victories...'
Kalli saw potential.
A man with untamed strength, unlike them—hard even for peaks to control.
Lorander had ignored official interviews warning peaks to 'refrain from reckless statements.'
'Master Craftsman Hyun? That artifact-tinkering punk my equal?'
No one argued.
Lorander dominated PvP.
He moved at once.
"...!"
The 800, on the defensive, spotted Lorander charging.
Gripping a massive axe, he dashed with blinding agility.
"Stop him!"
Bon sensed urgency, moving to block.
But.
"Lightspeed."
Fwooooosh—!
Lorander rocketed skyward, straight for Hyun-soo.
"It's PvP God Lorander!"
"Even if he can't kill the lord outright, experts estimate at least 70% fatal damage!"
"A lord's heavy injury spells disaster in territorial wars."
"Analysis shows Master Craftsman Hyun's win rate against PvP God Lorander at a dismal 2%."
From countless 1v1s, Lorander had him pegged.
'You'll pull me in.'
"Pull."
Snap—!
He timed it perfectly.
Hyun-soo, airborne, yanked Lorander close; facing him, the man grinned darkly, axe raised high.
'Take one hit, then split your skull.'
Concentrating all mana into the axe!
Mountainous power surged in his axe.
"Behold the power of the PvP God!"
The moment Hyun-soo's sword swung.
Slash—!
Swooooosh—!
"...?"
Lorander stared at his HP dropping to 0%, stunned.
Hyun-soo vanished him with a smirk.
Ultimate activates.
The first instant-kill devoured the world.
"...?!"
"...?!"
"...?!"
"...?!"
"...?!"
The world reeled as Lorander scattered into light.