Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Confronting the Russians
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054
"Captain!"
Yun Seung-ah, Kim Si-on, and Lee Jae-kyung came running toward Go Yohan.
Swoosh.
At Go Yohan's gaze directed toward them.
They froze.
The apostles and Lee Jae-kyung halted their bodies without realizing it.
It was different from the Go Yohan they had seen up until now.
His appearance was the same, but his eyes, his emotions, and the power emanating from him.
Thump! Thump!
More than when they had seen Kartul—no, even more than that.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Their hearts pounded madly like drums.
It was something akin to instinct.
The natural fear that prey feels toward a predator.
Like when a tiger the size of a house appeared right in front of a hunter...
Step.
But Yun Seung-ah pushed through it all and approached Go Yohan.
"You've had a hard time."
Ignoring her racing heartbeat, she spoke to him and gave a smile.
If in this moment she were to be cut down by Go Yohan's hand, she was confident she could accept it with a smile.
"...What happened to you all?"
The tone had changed somehow, but it was still Go Yohan.
Only then did Yun Seung-ah smile even more brightly.
"Sis, how could you run ahead like that?"
"...Tch, getting scared is just human instinct, you know?"
Kim Si-on and Lee Jae-kyung, who had come late, pretended nothing was wrong as they spoke.
Their hearts were no different from Yun Seung-ah's; their bodies had simply refused to move.
"You got like that fighting the orcs?"
At Go Yohan's words, Kim Si-on and Lee Jae-kyung's faces twisted sharply.
"What kind of nonsense is that, Captain!"
"That's a bit..."
The orcs around them had practically been annihilated.
The survivors, whether unable to accept Kartul's death or despairing at the power shown by Go Yohan and the apostles, had knelt down.
"It was the aftermath of that captain and the monster fighting. Don't you remember?"
Lee Jae-kyung said with a pout.
"From midway, we couldn't even fight the orcs. We were just dodging the captain and the monster's battle, running around like crazy."
Was it that bad?
"And what was that at the end?"
The sword aura of light—that thing she'd never seen before in her life—was a beautiful light that inspired reverence just by looking at it, yet it was destruction shaped like light.
"...? Isn't it the swordsmanship you taught Uncle?"
"That?"
Heh, heh.
A small laugh spread.
Within it.
'I'd forgotten.'
Go Yohan realized his own change.
A sense of relief washed over him somehow.
And.
'The power of jealousy.'
The newly awakened curse power.
Swoosh.
And up to the form of the Great Sin that could be transformed into the Mark of Great Sin.
Until now, Go Yohan hadn't been able to wield a sword, as his body and even the sword itself couldn't handle the overly destructive swordsmanship.
But that thing called the form of the Great Sin was different.
It was as if.
"Holy sword..."
No, that couldn't be.
Thinking that hideous mass of destruction was a holy sword bestowed by the goddess felt like blasphemy, and yet.
"......"
Like the Mark of Great Sin, he also thought it might truly be a holy sword given by the goddess.
Unlike in the past in Travania.
"These must be the spoils of war."
And where Kartul had been, the two greatswords Kartul had wielded lay there.
When Go Yohan picked them up.
Wriggles.
He could feel the massive power and sin dwelling in the greatswords flowing into him.
[Oglac's Twin Fangs]
[Legendary]
[Two forms....]
A long list of the item's abilities.
"Tch, even so, aren't they unusable?"
Lee Jae-kyung said regretfully.
Those were unmistakably cursed weapons.
They couldn't compare to the legendary items recovered so far, and even the strongest among them, Vermouth's Claw, was mere fragments compared to these greatswords' powers.
It was then.
[The Mark of Great Sin absorbs the sin contained in Oglac's Twin Fangs.]
He could feel the black light rippling from the greatsword heading toward Go Yohan's necklace.
"Hm. Looks like there's a way."
The conversation ended there.
Fwaaah—!
With Kartul's death, the black land crumbled into ruin, and the dark clouds dispersed.
The walls surrounding Vladivostok would all vanish completely.
"Churrk.... Churrk..."
Even the surviving orcs were turning to ash and fading away.
Stagger.
At that moment, Go Yohan swayed as if he might collapse.
"Captain!"
"Captain!"
Kim Si-on and Lee Jae-kyung rushed over to support him, and Yun Seung-ah's magic enveloped Go Yohan.
"Looks like you pushed yourself too hard."
The wounds from Kartul were inflicted by a demon, so recovery was slower.
'So I still haven't reached the peak of my power.'
It seemed his body couldn't handle the final power of Michael that he'd drawn out with the power of jealousy.
"I need to... rest a bit..."
It was as Go Yohan said that.
Wriggles.
Go Yohan, Lee Jae-kyung, Kim Si-on, and Yun Seung-ah.
Subtle changes appeared on their faces.
It was Yun Seung-ah who reacted first.
"What the hell is this?"
There, the Russian Association Chairman Anton and a horde of Russian players had gathered.
*
*
*
A complex expression was plainly visible on Anton's face as he revealed himself.
Swoosh.
Around them, the heart of Vladivostok had been utterly destroyed.
'Truly, this is...'
And because he had stood on the battlefield, he had seen it.
'Is this a human?'
The aftermath of the battle that had taken place here.
Pillars of fire shot up, blood and flesh flew everywhere.
But the most terrifying thing.
'That light.'
It was destruction disguised as brilliant light.
He had only felt a portion of it from afar, yet he had collapsed.
Not just Anton, but every player gathered there.
"What the hell is this?"
"Is it... over?"
Anton asked cautiously.
"You're not answering my question."
Anton had seen Yun Seung-ah's power during the last Black Gate.
And he had realized that this group 'Shins' was connected to the Temple, which wielded great influence in North America and Europe.
So he had tried to use them.
After all, they were human too, so if he kept them close and found a way, something would come up.
He had agreed to absurd conditions and promised to hand over nuclear weapons.
He thought that later, it could become some kind of chain on them or proof of goodwill.
"Anton."
He was wrong.
"I'll ask one last time. What the hell are you doing?"
Yun Seung-ah said in a changed tone.
"You all..."
Anton finally answered.
"Are monsters."
Swoosh, the players began to move.
"Even a black bear that smashes trees and tears people apart can be tamed with chains."
They were surrounding Go Yohan and the apostles just like the orcs from earlier.
"But monsters... monsters can't be tamed."
"Ha."
At first, he thought he could intimidate them and extract some promise.
But he changed his mind.
"Your existence won't benefit Russia's future. No!"
Anton shouted.
"Because you exist, Russia will decline even further!"
After all, the place they had deep ties with was America, a potential enemy nation.
"You'll die here. With you all."
"Is that all you've got?"
"If we fail, dozens of nukes will be launched at this place."
The things prepared to fire at the black land.
If Anton reported that 'Shins' had failed and there was no other way, the president would carry it out.
-Anthony! You're insane!
Seeing Mikhail, who had initially been wary of Shins, say that only confirmed it.
"...All units, prepare for battle."
*
*
*
He didn't think they could win against these monsters with this many players.
'Ha.'
Thinking that, he let out another hollow laugh.
Nearly three thousand players, Russia's pride, their elites—yet he couldn't guarantee victory against just four.
But.
'They're tired too.'
Those monsters had fought an equal monster and were worn out.
Their battered state was proof.
Even so, he couldn't be confident of victory.
'If we go all out and drain their strength...'
Even they couldn't survive dozens of nukes.
"All units, prepare for battle."
The players here were different from those of other countries.
They were shackled, able to follow absolute orders.
Flinch.
Even terrified, they were the type to charge with bombs strapped to their bodies.
"Have those guys been possessed by demons?"
Lee Jae-kyung said in a sharp voice and eyes.
"No. A few maybe, but most seem fine."
Go Yohan answered.
"Just..."
As Go Yohan, who had been supported, shook off the support and moved.
Flinch.
The three thousand players recoiled like waves.
"This is what humans are like originally."
He remembered what he had forgotten.
That Travania's fall wasn't due to demons.
That's why.
"Anton."
He had created a force.
But he would give them a chance.
"If we take any damage here, everything you imagine will happen, Anton."
The sharp voice was businesslike.
"Right now, if a single finger twitches, Russia's president will be found dead of a heart attack, and Russia's finances will collapse."
"Nonsense!"
Was it really nonsense?
"We won't be able to request rescue from any Black Gates from now on..."
Then, suddenly.
"Haa."
A sigh escaped naturally.
What was the point of all this?
He had already given them plenty of chances.
As Lee Jae-kyung said.
"Guess they really are possessed by demons."
Go Yohan stepped forward as he said that.
Step.
The moment he took one more step, Anton tried to order an attack.
But.
Shaaa!
The light bursting from Go Yohan—healed Go Yohan and the apostles' wounds in an instant.
"Uh... ugh!"
All he could do was spit out a breath of panic.
The wounded monsters had become pristine in a flash.
And that was.
Crunch.
The last moment in Anton's mind.
Something without a head toppled unsteadily.
"Next in charge."
Go Yohan said in a cold voice.
"......"
In that shocking scene, no one stepped forward.
-Right side, and the man in red...
Yun Seung-ah's voice echoed in his head.
It was.
Boom! Bang! Boom boom bang!
A death note.
"Next."
At Go Yohan's voice, no one could open their mouth.