Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: The Gangster Party Emerges
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I open the door and step out of the flower carriage.
“What the hell? Where’d everyone go?”
There’s no one around the flower carriage. Not a single monster or any of my companions in sight.
But then—
*Tap.*
A light noise makes me look up, and I spot a cat perched on top of the flower carriage. Obviously not a real cat—it’s one of the smart pets swarming the island.
Fluffy text floats above its head.
[Hill... beyond... tree.]
“Beyond the hill... a tree?”
I read it aloud absentmindedly, and the cat scowls fiercely.
[I said act like the camera’s not there!?]
“How am I supposed to ignore something right in front of me...”
Grumbling, I start walking, and Cheda scurries after me.
‘Ah, should I leave this behind? It might get smashed in a fight...’
But I shake my head soon enough.
‘The broadcast station will cover it.’
“Cheda. Just in case, send the script to that guy and follow me. Hide your presence, even if you have to use mana.”
“Stealth mode, activating.”
I confirm Cheda detouring to the cat on the flower carriage, then head up the hill.
*Boom!*
As I crest the hill, a corpse golem’s back comes into view.
I raise my sword to sever its neck, but before I can, its shadow ripples first.
*Ruuuumble...!*
A heavy resonance vibrates through the air.
And then—
*Pop!*
“Kraaaack...!”
The tremor starts at its ankle, races up its body, and its back explodes.
“Spellcraft... but a little off somehow.”
I dodge the spraying blood and flesh. But that was just the beginning.
“Shed your husk! Gnaw the exposed flesh! Blessed hours of revelry amid spilling life arrive!”
“Dodonmangmangchichijido sumsumjijido!”
“Kraaaargh!”
Dark-attribute monsters swarm toward a massive tree atop the hill.
*Bang! Thud!*
The corpse golem’s fist, the zealot’s dagger, the death knight’s longsword—they all hammer the tree. Yet the colossal trunk, over five meters in girth, stands firm against their assaults.
Occasionally, bark tears or splinters, but a surge of potent forest mana restores it in an instant.
And then—
*Ruuuuumble—!*
A resonance emanates from the tree. Or more precisely, the tree itself is unscathed.
The resonance—no, the vibration—bursts from each monster’s shadow.
*Clang! Thud! Clang!*
Torsos rupture, metal snaps. The monsters pounding the giant tree die or take equivalent damage, tumbling to the ground.
“Wow, taking out hundreds in one shot? Though not even a fifth went down...”
Still, the sheer power is staggering. Since the attack travels through their shadows, evasion and defense are nearly impossible. My own shadow, standing amid the monsters, remains utterly still and unaffected, so it’s selective too.
*Clink!*
Perhaps they’ve been fighting like this for a while—items litter the ground near the tree. I snatch one up.
[Glorious Days]
Melee damage +15%
Curse chance +10%
Stress +10%
The black longsword has a name mismatched to its gloomy vibe. No base damage, no grade—just multipliers. Totally different system from Revenge items.
“Eh, looks sturdy enough.”
I swing it lightly, and the massive tree splits open left and right, revealing its interior.
“What’re you standing around for! Get in here!”
Following Seongjae’s voice, I slip inside, and the gap seals shut.
“So this is where everyone was.”
From outside, it looks big, but with the bark’s thickness, the interior isn’t exactly spacious. Four people—two men, two women—huddle within.
Seongjae, half-buried in the tree and channeling mana, isn’t surprising. He’s a sorcerer specialized in wood-attribute spells. I’d guessed as much when I saw a tree smack in the battlefield.
What’s odd is Olya’s position.
“Why... are you lying down?”
She’s flat on the ground. Not prone or anything tactical—her ample chest is squished right against the dirt.
Lea the amplification sorceress clings to her left side, and Hye-young the dark-attribute chakra master sits on her right.
But they don’t seem in any state to answer my question.
“They’re coming again!”
“No, we’ve killed thousands already—why won’t the numbers drop!?”
“Shut up and get ready!”
*Hum!*
The dim tree interior brightens. Not from a new light source—the walls have turned transparent. They weren’t like that from outside, so probably one-way visibility.
Through the now-transparent tree walls, the scene unfolds.
*Hummm!*
Darkness coalesces from empty air...
“Kraaaaaang!”
...morphing into a massive corpse golem.
Seongjae snaps irritably.
“Damn it. Regen time’s speeding up! My mana’s down to half...!”
“Are the other teams okay?”
“Boram’s party with her main body should be fine... but I don’t know. These monsters—their numbers are insane. Perfection-level freaks pouring out endlessly...”
Everyone’s faces darken. The endless battle has dragged on far too long.
“Here... goes...!”
Then Olya’s prone body glows bright blue.
“Amplifying... factor 9.4!”
“Transmitting... now!”
*Ruuuumble—!*
A heavy vibration radiates from Olya’s body. And—
*Thud! Pop! Crunch!*
Monsters hammering the tree explode and shatter, collapsing!
“What the hell?”
“It’s a combo move of sorts.”
With Seongjae meditating to recover mana, Olya explains.
She casually pops a walnut-sized pill from her pocket. The nonchalant vibe suggests it’s some special elixir.
“Ah... respawning again. Short version: I fire the vibration, Lea amplifies it, and Hye-young transmits via shadows.”
“Kyungcheonchilseok pairs perfectly with amplification magic. Nine-plus times amp, and no strain.”
“Shadow step meshes well too. Ten shadow steps exhaust me, but transmitting vibrations? I can do it endlessly.”
“Less talk... here we go!”
*Flash!*
Blue light erupts as vibration shoots from Olya’s body. Lea amps it, Hye-young shadows it.
*Crunch! Thud!*
A monster peeling the bark explodes.
Seongjae groans.
“Can’t you fire faster? The tree’s gonna get breached!”
“I’m already pushing limits! My fat’s all burned off—my chest dropped from F to C cup!”
Olya’s words make Seongjae recoil.
“Ugh, don’t say that here! We’re mic’d up!”
Their bickering makes me think.
‘They’ve got more leeway than expected.’
Not that they’re slacking. Seongjae’s pale, and Olya—usually a bit plump—is noticeably slimmer.
But.
‘No despair in their eyes.’
They’ve got an ace up their sleeve. Curious what it is, but I step up instead of watching.
“Vibration output’s the issue?”
Olya nods, reading my intent.
“Physical hit to boost it? Good idea, but mixing absorption red and emission orange might tank efficiency...”
“Try it.”
“Try it...? What am I, getting spanked...”
Grumbling, Olya flattens herself again. Beyond the transparent wall, monsters charge madly.
I raise my hand. Fist clenched at first, then spread wide open.
And I focus.
‘Flow.’
Same physical force, different manifestations. Strike, blow, impact, etc. Even instant attacks have rhythm and focus.
*Hum.*
My qi swirls through my body. Land Breaker roots my legs to the earth like anchors.
Then—
I slam down.
*Smack...!*
“Hngh...!?”
Her clothes shred off her upper body, Olya’s frame shudders...
“Ngh!”
“Ugh...!”
Lea and Hye-young groan too. Overwhelmed by the torrent of power.
Yet even in that chaos, they execute perfectly.
*Splatter—!*
The corpse golem smashing the tree shatters, scattering everywhere. Zealots spew blood, death knights crumple and roll.
Unlike before, where only some died—
Total annihilation.
Not a single monster around the tree survives.
“...Whoa, what was that?”
Seongjae gapes, scanning the silence that blanketed the noisy hill in an instant.
“Wow! Teacher, how’d you do that? The impact went straight *bam!* into pure vibration! No, more than that!”
Olya, stunned into babbling, jumps up.
“Hit gentler! My back nearly burst! What kinda strength...”
Everyone freaks at furious Olya.
“Eek!”
“Down! Stay down!”
“Don’t get up!”
Forcibly flattened again, Olya gripes.
“Hey, it’s my chest—why’re you all freaking?”
“Quiet and stay down! Cameras in here too!”
Sure enough, a squirrel clings to the tree wall, watching us.
“Eh, I can dial back the power. How much?”
It was overkill, honestly. What’s my strength level?
‘Rip-a-building-out strength.’
Not full-muscle squeeze, but with Land Breaker? The load on her was immense, obviously.
Good thing my [Flow] insight smoothed her vibration conversion—raw hit would’ve ruptured her guts, Kyungcheonchilseok’s physics resistance or not.
“Dial it back...?”
But at my consideration, Olya pauses.
She opens her mouth, closes it. Then glares wide-eyed.
“...No! Hit full force, master! Even if my back bursts!”
Handprint stark on her back, she shouts defiantly. I grin.
“Got it. Let’s keep going.”
I raise my palm.
And deploy my new technique.
“Master Touch.”
“What kinda name is that...”
Protest or not—
I slam down.
*Smack!*
* * *
Survival Island’s cast numbers around thirty, but with staff—over two hundred. PDs, assistant PDs, writers, environmental mages, warp mages, mechanics, guards, cooks, etc.
When shit hit the fan and the island isolated, their camp was safest.
Fortified for non-combatants, with oversight facilities and supplies galore.
But sturdier and more crowded meant more monsters drawn in.
“Red bears! Red bears here! New monster wave—123 inbound!”
“Repaired warrior unit, front line again!”
“What the hell? How long will they keep coming?”
“Ether shield dropping! Rotate!”
The monster flood was endless. They mop up 30 mid-tier gigases and 2 high-tier ones per wave, yet more rip through space.
“Guidance devices! Destroy the guidance devices! They’re using them as dimensional beacons!”
“Who doesn’t know? We want to!”
But they can’t.
The next roar explains why.
—*Kraaaaaah!*
Phantom Dragon Replie’s cry spreads darkness and death.
8th-class master and national MC Boram groans.
“Those transcendent freaks are carrying three lures each...”
Battle-worn, she’s drenched in sweat.
Top of showbiz, fighting for her life—yet she knows she can’t lead this fight.
*Whiiiing—!*
A red beam slashes across the island. Then—
*Kaboom kaboom kaboom!*
“Down! Everyone down!”
“Oh god!”
Even their heavy defenses crumple under mere shockwave.
‘Transcendents decide this.’
They repel with all they’ve got, but if the Five Dragons lose, it’s over. Three vs. five dragonkin? No chance.
“Gotta help somehow...”
Desperate, but pinned by the monster tide.
Then, suddenly—
“What’s happening...”
“Huh? The monsters?”
The frenzy thins visibly. Not just fewer—the wave’s direction shifts, eerily.
“How? Where’re they all going?”
“Phew. Breather at least.”
“No—breather ain’t the issue! If they hit the cast!? Which way... what the hell’s that?”
Something approaches from the edge of vision.
*Thud!*
A massive tree.
*Thud!*
It lumbers along on huge legs, claims the tallest nearby hill. Roots burrow, anchoring firm.
“Kraaaaaah!”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
“Kieeeek!”
Every monster nearby swarms it. The tree looks seconds from splintering.
*Hum!*
But the air quakes.
“No, this is—”
“Vibration...?”
Everyone rubs their skin, baffled. Not even targeted, yet hair stands on end from the menace.
And right after—
*Pop pop pop!*
*Boom boom!*
Every monster on the battlefield explodes.
“No way, insane...”
“What... was that...?”
All stare, dumbfounded.
The unprecedented ‘Gangster Party’ had revealed itself to the world.