Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: The Golden Dragon Knight Arrives
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“Hey! Can someone take on those Honor Guards?”
“You’re talking nonsense! Deal with them using guns and firepower!”
“Their shields are blocking the mana stone bullets! They’re forming a phalanx!”
Sure, their armor was laughable plastic junk, but the weapons and shields wielded by the Merman Honor Guards were the real deal—embedded with jewels and coral. They blocked mana stone rounds and sliced through hunters’ gear with ease.
“Fire a missile then!”
“With that agility? Even if it hits, I doubt it’ll kill them!”
“Damn it! How the hell are these fish-heads thinking up stuff like this…?”
The shock of getting royally played by that dim-looking production-line boss, the Merman Warlord, had everyone flustered, clueless on how to regain control amid the chaos.
In the end, the Merman Honor Guards—never before allowed on the white sands—stormed ashore. They pushed all the way to the D-City Hotel, even breaching the hunters’ defensive line.
“W-what do we do? Can’t you summon other spirits?”
“I-I mean… I’ve only leveled up thunder and lightning spirit affinity and skills to fight Busan’s nemeses, the merfolk… so other elements are stuck at low-tier spirits.”
Such was the limitation of a specialized caster focused on a single element.
She had reached the realm of summoning the Thunder Giant, a colossal giant of lightning, but even that behemoth was fully occupied holding off the approaching massive monster—no room to spare.
“The front line’s collapsing.”
“Damn! The Merman Warlord has entered the hotel!”
“What are the hunters doing?”
“B- and C-rank hunters are mostly tied up blocking Honor Guards and Soldiers or already in combat—no reserves left.”
“How could this happen…? To us, defeated by those damn fish!”
Even accounting for innate physical advantages, it was a shock that humanity—with millennia of civilization, war history, tactics, and wisdom—had been outmaneuvered.
The Merman Warlord knew the front’s key weakness intimately, ruthlessly cutting down hunters and soldiers alike as it bulldozed forward unstoppable.
“It’s already past the 20th floor! Punching through ceilings three or four at a time!”
“This won’t do! We need to get Ji-ah out! Prep the chopper now! You too—dismiss your summons and withdraw. Dying here would be a disaster!”
“Y-yes. Understood, General… Then I’ll contact our guild members…”
“No, don’t. If the line breaks now, we can’t escape either. One harpoon from those Honor Guards or Soldiers could doom the chopper. We bail first, then issue the retreat order.”
It sounded reasonable, but it boiled down to sacrificing allies as bait.
Jeon Ji-ah couldn’t stomach that.
They hadn’t paid well or made it easy, but she couldn’t betray those who’d joined the guild to protect their hometown and families.
“I can’t do that. Order the guild members and soldiers to retreat.”
“No! It’s not safe!”
“Then you go first. I won’t abandon my guild.”
“G-Goddamn it! Do whatever you want! Shit!”
Rumble!
An ominous roar grew closer from below. Unable to hold out, the general bolted to the chopper and fled the hotel rooftop.
All that remained were her, a handful of hunters who’d stayed to support the army and other hunters, and their gritted teeth at the fleeing brass.
“Those military bastards… real pros at running. Anyway, Ji-ah, what now? Getting everyone out won’t be easy…”
“What else? Sigh… From the Warlord’s moves, it’s probably gunning for me. Guild members, stick together and fall back. I’ll lure it with the Thunder Giant, swing around another way, and slip out.”
“You sure… you’ll be okay?”
“An S-rank hunter’s title isn’t for show. I’ll draw the Warlord’s eyes as long as I can—you guys go.”
The guild members hated leaving the much younger girl to cover their rear, but powerless to help, they had no choice but to flee.
To minimize allied losses, Jeon Ji-ah stayed late, calling the Thunder Giant to her side.
“Phew… When it comes, jump off right away, Thunder Rush down…”
Thud! Boom!
She took a deep breath, plotting her escape from the Merman Warlord.
The rough, heavy sounds closing in tightened her chest like a vise.
Even an S-rank hunter dreaded facing a martial A-rank monster solo.
“Hah… What the hell are the higher-ups doing, letting a crisis this big blow up?”
“Top brass are all the same.”
“Uncle Chung-sun? Eek! When? When did you get here?”
Amid her dread, a welcome voice boomed from above.
A 3-meter-tall, sturdy stag beetle humanoid. Choi Chung-sun, S-rank hunter guarding Korea’s south, a frequent ally she knew well.
Plus, as a pure tank Druid of Beetle, he was a godsend for a caster like her right now.
“Heard it was chaos there too… How’d you wrap it up? That Han Jung-ho bastard pushing with undead hordes—you couldn’t hold that with your firepower if you died and came back.”
“Haha, harsh words, kid? Not wrong, though… Anyway, got some help and sorted it, came straight here.”
“Help? From who…?”
“Fish-heads daring to invade humanity’s domain on land! I am the Golden Dragon Knight, Yoo Seongwon! I’ve arrived in Busan. Your victory ends now! If you value your lives, crawl back to your Merman Palace!”
A mighty shout rode the wind.
Yoo Seongwon’s presence. She forgot the Warlord scaling the hotel, peering down from the roof.
There, a golden knight astride a massive golden dragon charged with fellow knights on mounts, smashing into the merfolk.
Just five, but knowing each outmatched S-ranks, she shot Choi a curious look.
“Th-those guys! The Golden Dragon Knight? Why are they here?”
“I asked too. Complicated reasons… But anyway, we’ve got priorities, Ji-ah.”
[Grrr… Grraaah! Grrrk!]
Crash!
Bursting through the door, the Merman Warlord reached the rooftop at last. It snarled, locking weapons on the pair like it had found its prey.
Merman Honor Guards followed. Choi and Jeon nodded, battle-ready.
“That thing’s A-rank? I got it. Can you handle the rest?”
“I’ve been stretched covering the whole front—this is easier. Thunder, storm, lightning… all my spirits, gather at my side.”
Rumble! Crackle!
Intense thunder and currents surged as thunder, storm, and lightning spirits from the front materialized behind her.
Dozens centered on the Thunder Giant ringed Jeon Ji-ah, glaring lightning-charged at the Honor Guards.
[Grrrk? Kruk!]
But the cunning Merman Warlord sensed something off in her fully deployed forces.
By plan, the scattered front should’ve drained her, leaving no spirits!
Knowing she wouldn’t abandon dying humans, it glanced groundward, retreating slightly.
[Grk?]
[Big hermit crab… I’ll… handle it.]
[This filth won’t rinse off my scales easy. Yoo Seongwon, laundry fees extra for the stink.]
“Keep the receipt. Ugh, guts’ll make it reek!”
“Flash Dance!”
[Leave the rabble to Seom-myeol, milord.]
While climbing the hotel, something flipped. The merfolk army—steamrolling moments ago—now died to an armored knight and dragon.
No, “dying” was generous.
Like an ebbing tide, they scattered corpses in suppression.
“Heavens! Behold my supreme blade. This strike proves I stand upon this earth as the chosen!”
[Overlord Heavenly Sword Style, Chapter 1—Earth Star Flash!]
Kwaaaa!
Golden light flashed, cleaving the sea. Merfolk and even corpses mostly vanished. The Warlord realized something was very wrong.
Faced with the incomprehensible spectacle, judgment clouded.
But it quickly assessed: a being beyond its forces appeared. For survival—and the palace’s sake—flee to sea.
[Grrraaah! Graaaaa!]
It sent Honor Guards charging at Choi and Jeon, then turned tail and bolted.
Unsure how the tide turned, but survival first.
“Ah! It’s running!”
“Clear the minions first!”
[Gheek! Gheek!]
The Warlord sneered bitterly at human voices.
At suitable height, it smashed a window, leaping seaward.
Perfect dive—home waters in sight. Escape all but sealed, it smirked.
Failure again, but alive meant another shot.
[Gehihihihik! Hihihik!]
In water, faster than on land, it swam for Dungeon—Merman Palace.
Entrance nearing, mind easing to plot anew—then a chill, like dropping water temp.
[You… can’t… escape.]
[Gheek?]
A human might call it chills.
Whirling, it saw an armored dragonkin humanoid swimming at terrifying speed.
How faster than a merman in water? Shock aside, no time—full speed, but too late.
[…Caught…]
[Gheeeeeeeek!]
Crunch!
Tail and fins agonized; flung from water, it soared skyward.
Grabbed by something, it crashed onto Busan’s beach.
A-rank resilience snapped it up fast—but…
“Woo! Didn’t know Krokbane swam that good. Outswam a merman how?”
“Blessed by swamp and river goddess, he says.”
[Master, grill the tail? Or sashimi?]
“You eating this? Sir Akaron?”
Already surrounded by the knights who’d swept its army on land.
Couldn’t parse words, but clear: they’d end it.
Kneeling before the golden-armored leader, it bowed head in surrender.
[Graek! Graaaak! Gra! Gra! Gariraha!]
“Huh? Surrendering like goblins? Hmm…”
Before Yoo Seongwon floated the familiar surrender prompt, Goblin Empire-style.
Tougher merfolk, giant crabs—harsher than goblins, sure. But he hit refuse, aimed Titan’s Stake.
“Selfish as I am, after this carnage, I don’t just accept surrenders lightly.”
[Grak?]
Carnage.
Beach held not just merman corpses.
Fallen hunters and soldiers littered it too.
“Bye, fish-head.”
Crunch!
Profits aside, for sparking this mess, allying with that pastor, and dead citizens’ rage—Yoo Seongwon showed no mercy, smashing the Merman Warlord’s skull with Titan’s Stake.