Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Roadside Betrayal
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BOOM!
With a massive explosion, the vehicle carrying Yoo Baek detonated.
It was a well-known fact that bullets couldn't inflict significant damage on top-tier Players.
KABOOM! KABOOM!
But bombs were different—especially explosions in such a confined space. They were more than enough to deal real damage even to top-tier Players.
FWOOSH!
Especially now, with the status windows completely down.
"Urk!"
Even with the status windows offline, the Players' powers still functioned.
Stats like mana, strength, and ability values were still fully operational.
The problem was...
FWOOSH!
The skills.
Skill activation was different from before.
It was like they were under a heavy load—activation was delayed, and their power wasn't fully there.
In severe cases, the skills didn't activate at all.
"...A-Are you... okay...?"
Yoo Baek immediately checked on the guild members who'd been riding with him.
They were covered in blood, but still breathing—for now.
KABOOM!
But the explosions weren't over yet.
Every vehicle moving with Yoo Baek exploded simultaneously, sending massive flames surging into the sky.
"Cough."
Mana tangled chaotically, and his vision blurred.
Wipe.
Yoo Baek wiped the blood from around his eyes.
CLANG!
He immediately channeled mana into his arm to block an incoming attack.
Stab!
Then, with the longsword summoned from his inventory, he pierced the assailant's throat.
Only then could he see who had ambushed him.
"Kill him—!"
A voice shouted from a distance.
"...Guild Leader Kim Yujung...!"
A member of the Sanctuary Union, who'd been in a meeting with him just moments ago.
"Kill him, I said!"
He was bellowing orders at the attackers.
CLANG CLANG!
Sparks flew.
Even though his skills weren't working properly, Yoo Baek instinctively deflected the enemies' weapons.
Slash!
And cut them down.
"......!"
He could feel the attackers' panic.
"How...?"
Faces full of disbelief.
But Yoo Baek slit their throats before they could say more.
CLANG!
The assault wasn't over yet.
No.
'Just how many are there...?'
It showed no signs of ending.
The road was filled with presences—black shadows swarming from every direction.
'100? 200?'
CLANG!
One thing was clear.
"You came prepared..."
Yoo Baek swung his sword with blazing eyes.
The enemies who'd been attacking fiercely hesitated and fell back.
"...Crazy."
"No way! How is he doing this without skills?!"
It didn't make sense to them.
No matter how high Yoo Baek's level and stats were, without skills, they figured their numbers would overwhelm him.
But Yoo Baek was holding his ground steadily, even with the skill activation issues.
"If any survivors are out there...! Get over here!"
That was...
"The difference between devotees... is this much?"
It was plain on Kim Yujung's face too.
Bitten lips hiding uncontainable rage and jealousy.
The power of devotees that no ordinary Player could match.
Snort.
Yoo Baek twisted his lips in response.
"Guild Leader Kim Yujung."
He was right.
From the start, the training devotees received...
-Forgot about skills.
Didn't factor in skill usage at all.
-Don't rely too much on the System. Skills are just support, in the end.
-You have to know how to fight with mana alone, with your own physical strength alone, even using skills.
That's what the man who'd become their training instructor said.
The man who'd grown close to the pinnacle of Players himself: Lee Jaekyung.
"Kim Yujung!"
Yoo Baek shouted toward him.
"Have you sold your soul to demons?!"
Yoo Baek stood tall and bellowed.
*
*
*
CLANG CLANG!
Yoo Baek had to fend off the relentless attacks without a break.
The unfortunate part was that survivors, including himself, could be counted on one hand.
The fortunate part was that they couldn't use skills either.
Ripple.
But Yoo Baek could mimic skills.
That difference was playing a key role in overcoming the overwhelming numerical disadvantage.
"Kim Yujung—!"
Boiling rage.
Why did the Sanctuary Union exist? Why was it born?
"For you to sell your soul to demons—!"
Who would've thought such a fool would emerge from the Sanctuary Union.
Amid slowly awakening senses, Yoo Baek shouted.
"Hah!"
Then Kim Yujung's voice came.
"Demons?"
By now, the attackers had positioned themselves, surrounding Yoo Baek and the survivors.
"Rebelling against the Sanctuary Union means you've joined hands with demons?"
Kim Yujung's cold voice pierced through.
Slash!
For the first time, Yoo Baek took a wound from a sword strike.
"We haven't joined hands with any demons."
Yoo Baek bit his lip hard.
It was something he felt without needing to be told.
If they'd made a deal with demons, there would've been some trace of it.
That's why.
'I can't use Sin.'
That power was for fighting demons, not humans.
If he used Sin against humans...
"Then it must be you who've joined demons, Yoo Baek."
It would be no different from demons themselves.
"Nonsense!"
"Nonsense?"
At Kim Yujung's voice, the attackers briefly fell back to regroup.
Seeing that, Yoo Baek was certain.
'Who the hell did they team up with?'
Even outside Seoul, pulling off something like this in the middle of the road required backing.
No, in Korea's history, Player-on-Player conflicts this big were rare enough to count on one hand.
"After seeing what happened in North Korea, you still say that?"
"What?"
"...After seeing that power, can you be sure he's not a demon?"
Yoo Baek froze.
"Demons? In my eyes..."
Kim Yujung drew his sword and approached.
"He's a demon through and through."
"......!"
"So this isn't rebellion—it's revolution..."
"You spout nonsense so well."
Yoo Baek raised his sword again and charged.
CLANG!
Sparks erupted.
Blood sprayed amid the clash.
Splash.
"Don't make excuses. You move for profit, in the end."
A sinister smile spread across Yoo Baek's lips.
"Don't you dare insult Him."
Slash!
Three more Players were sliced apart at once.
No one could stop Yoo Baek charging like a beast.
His rank wasn't officially set, but he was already top-tier.
Slash!
Players from neither Sanctuary Union nor Holy Union couldn't handle him.
Slash!
Yoo Baek closed in on Kim Yujung and swung at him.
CLANG!
Sparks flew from the clashing swords.
With swords locked, Kim Yujung spoke.
"Even after seeing your power, you don't get it? We didn't contract with demons—you did. Though you seem to deny it's even demons."
A smile crept onto his lips.
Hum.
Blue light began to dye the surroundings.
"......!"
Yoo Baek's eyes widened in shock at the familiar light.
"Storm Arrival!"
It was Kim Yujung's signature skill.
"This is the proof."
KABOOM! RUMBLE!
A fierce mana explosion engulfed Yoo Baek like a storm.
*
*
*
"Huff... huff..."
Yoo Baek's state was indescribable.
His armor was shredded, and blood trickled from countless small wounds all over his body.
Whoooosh.
Mana raged like a storm.
That was why.
"How...?"
Every Player's skills were glitching.
Especially special skills like Kim Yujung's Storm Arrival—supposedly near impossible to activate.
KABOOM!
But Kim Yujung wasn't just using it freely.
'He's gotten stronger?'
It felt more powerful than before.
"You're not using that power to the end, huh?"
Kim Yujung sneered.
"Why? Scared it'll make you the demons?"
"Shut up!" "This is proof."
Crackle! Zap zap!
Electricity sparked along Kim Yujung's sword.
'Lightning Imbue.'
One of Kim Yujung's skills.
Rumble!
But it seemed even stronger than before.
"What the...?"
"It means we're the ones chosen by the true 'God,' not you."
"......!"
"You still can't use the System, right?"
It was true.
"But we're different."
"What are you...?"
"The chosen ones like us can use the System smoothly—and receive even greater blessings."
Zap zap!
The surging electricity burned more dangerously.
He had to move.
Drip.
But Yoo Baek's body had reached its limit.
It wasn't just Kim Yujung using skills—several other Players were too.
'Sin...'
If he used Sin, Karma Points, he could win.
But against humans, not demons—was it right to use that power?
"Go Yohan—that guy's the real demon."
Dozens of Players closed in, surrounding Yoo Baek.
Where was the support? Why no civilians in sight?
Doubts flooded his mind.
And then.
Snort.
Yoo Baek laughed again.
"Why laugh?"
Kim Yujung sounded annoyed.
"What's so funny?"
"...All I'm questioning is why no support, why no civilians."
"That's..."
"It means I have zero doubt about Him, even now."
"......!"
Yoo Baek raised his sword again.
"You never saw it."
The scene in North Korea.
Mountains of corpses piled from demons and beasts.
How could he doubt after that?
"Him, a demon? So what?"
"...What...?"
"If he's more sincere than anyone about hunting demons, isn't it irrelevant?"
"You're insane."
"Without Him, this world would've ended long ago."
Yoo Baek never activated Sin to the end.
Instead, he concentrated all his mana into his single sword.
'At least Kim Yujung.'
If he could just cut him down, it'd be enough—or so he thought.
"......?"
As Yoo Baek's eyes widened at the sudden silence.
Crunch!
The enemies right in front of him were shredded whole.
"Why are you people so stubborn?"
"......!"
Yoo Baek's sword hand trembled violently.
"C-Cap... Captain...!"
It was Go Yohan.