Chapter 126
Chapter 126
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: The Scavengers' Turn
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Association headquarters entrance.
And at the bustling entrance of the association, amid all the chaos, another scuffle was unfolding.
It was Baek Gayeon. No matter which route she tried, she was pulling out all the stops to pass on advice about the Arc Demon Beasts, but for some inexplicable reason, she was either flat-out rejected or deliberately avoided at every turn.
"No, why can't I go in?"
"I'm sorry. We're in the middle of a very important operation right now... We can't let anyone inside."
'How did things end up like this? Am I really being treated the same as that Namgo jerk?'
Whether it was because Yoo Seongwon's rampage had been too severe, or because they'd asked her to mediate properly and she kept taking his side instead, she didn't know which weighed heavier—but the association, government, and guilds were ignoring her completely, as if they'd issued a direct order not to listen to a word she said.
'Or maybe it's not just that. If they listen to me now, it might make it harder to pressure her after they win.'
There was no reason to block her this thoroughly unless... She thought about it more, and another motive from the association and government started to come into view.
It was already a fight with high odds of victory, so they didn't want her advice giving them an excuse to slip away later, claiming they'd profited from it.
Realizing this was their way of signaling their future direction too, she understood there was nothing more she could do.
'...Then all I can do is pray they pull it off.'
Wheeeeeen!
With nothing left but to wish them luck, she glanced at the Blue Dragon Guild's private airship soaring high into the sky, then withdrew from the association.
The only thing she could do now was head to Iron Fortress and prepare for the worst.
***
Pyongyang Undercity, Geumsu Mountain Sun Palace.
The Geumsu Mountain Sun Palace, already turned into a total wreck from the second wave of airstrikes and missile barrages.
The palace, built by sucking the people's blood dry for the Kim family, was utterly destroyed, with statues and stone figures scattered everywhere as mere remnants.
Yet the Scavengers had all survived the ordeal and were gathered in one spot, chatting leisurely.
If missiles could have killed them, they wouldn't be living freely in Pyongyang—they'd be slaves instead.
Park Sukja had naturally survived as well and was lounging on the throne amid the ruins. Beside her, one auntie was pounding the ground and wailing.
"Waaah! Oh no! Oh no! Our dear General! Ohhh!"
"Puhahaha! Hey, you crazy old hag, why the tears? Your generals became offerings to Slaughter King ages ago."
"You damn bitch! I... I told you to take good care of the generals' tombs and this place, didn't I?"
"Oh please, look at you. Auntie, how was I supposed to stop that bombardment and attack? I'm a pro at smashing shit myself. If you're so pissed, block it yourself next time."
The woman in her early forties glaring at Park Sukja was Ri Miju, ruler of Hamhung Undercity. A die-hard North Korean communist supporter who'd once held a party cadre position.
When the Awakener crisis hit and the North Korean regime she idolized collapsed, she lost her mind. She mistook the voice of the constellation Slaughter King for that of her ascended dear Leader and General, building a shrine to them in Hamhung.
"I won't let you get away with this! The sacred ground of the Leader and General! How dare you turn it into this! I won't forgive you!"
"Ah, I told you, they're already dead..."
"The Leader and General are eternal and invincible! Even now, they're commanding me to work for the fatherland!"
In terms of pure, mad faith, Ri Miju could rival that pastor—but her sole purpose was serving the Leader and General, so she usually holed up in her shrine, only emerging when Slaughter King issued a revelation.
"Wow, it's rare to see all these hard-to-meet folks together. They're really pounding us hard, huh? Looks like they're dead serious."
"Oh~ our cute little Wonho's here?"
"Wouldn't miss it. Whose orders? Plus, it's an emergency."
Next to appear was a squinting young man in his twenties, clad in a cape and ranger combat suit—Kwak Wonho, ruler of Wonsan Undercity.
He was acting chummy on the surface, but they were the type who'd smash each other's skulls or betray at a moment's notice, so everyone was inwardly calculating their own gains.
Or they were the sort who'd gone so far off the rails they didn't even think about profit or betrayal.
"Anyway, where'd the one who summoned us run off to? The apostle who got beat like a dog by humans and fled with his tail between his legs?"
[Prrrrk! Watch your mouth, human.]
As Kwak Wonho snidely pointed out the absence of Slaughter King's apostle, an Arc Demon Beast who'd called them, a beastly voice echoed from above.
A snow-white horse beastman with angel-like wings on its back. Przewalski, now draped in pure white robes unlike his usual look, radiating an aura of light.
This was his trump card: Divine Horse Ascension.
"Oh dear, my bad. Mouth got ahead of me."
[Prrrk! If it weren't for this situation, I'd rip that useless yap of yours to shreds, but I'll hold back. It's true we suffered dishonor. Anyway, Park Sukja, what's the enemies' movement?]
"Yes. Puhaha, with that second barrage, they're probably about to charge straight into Pyongyang now. Just like our plan. Whew~"
Park Sukja lit a cigarette and eyed the ascended Przewalski.
The Ascension power, the pride of the Arc Demon Beasts.
Originally meant to guard Slaughter King's core dungeon, but after the humiliation in their last fight—and with that pastor ascending to Arc Demon Beast—they'd thrown open all their power and entered the fray.
[Prrrrk! This time... I'll repay the humiliation... feast on more! More blood and flesh! Offer it all to Him! We're all ready, Park Sukja.]
"Yes. So when the signal goes up, just follow the plan, Przewalski sir."
[Good. But... prrrk! Where's our new brother, that pastor?]
"That old geezer? Probably tinkering with something in the old nuke missile research facility."
[Prrk, tinkering? With what?]
"No clue. Puhaha! Who can understand that guy's headspace?"
Przewalski nodded slightly in agreement.
A transcendent madman building human ranches—whatever he was up to next was surely beyond imagination.
Anyway, they'd succeeded in luring the enemies to Pyongyang as planned. One thing left.
Hunt them all, devour them, offer to Slaughter King, and grow stronger.
"All the ones hiding out, everyone who's come this far... Spread the word everywhere. Our turn's finally here~ Our great apostle's pulling out all the stops! With the Arc Demon Beasts stepping up, nothing to fear anymore! Don't let a single intruder escape! Hunt them all!"
[Prrrk! We'll head to the battlefield for the hunt too! Come forth, my 'pack'!]
"Uoooooh!"
At Park Sukja's shout, the Scavengers scattered and began heading south again.
At the same time, Przewalski snapped his fingers, opening a portal from which horse-headed beastmen poured out.
He was going all-in, using his Ascension and deploying all his subordinates.
"Oh, and to block any escapes, Iverico sir and Deokdeok sir are showing up in Kaesong now. Heh heh heh. So everyone, enjoy the hunt! Ah, gotta go myself. Puhahaha!"
With that, Park Sukja stepped down from her Undercity ruler perch and charged out as just another Scavenger to hunt some 'meat.'
Ri Miju and Kwak Wonho followed her, naturally forming a group of Undercity rulers.
Scavengers never knew cooperation, but they instinctively knew moving together made hunting easier for themselves, so they just shot each other side-eyes and raced toward the army approaching Pyongyang.
***
Wonsan Undercity.
Owing to the distance, Wonsan was a bit slower to reach, so Olympus Guild was handling dungeon clears and prepping for S-rank monster attacks.
Diomedes and Tritonias, who'd advanced from Gangwon Province, were on standby aboard the Chronos airship, watching the guilds clear dungeons and monitoring the Undercity for activity.
But the military op was going smoothly, and dungeon clears were on track, so they had no need to intervene—just poring over maps and situations in discussion for a while.
"Hmm... This reeks of a trap, doesn't it?"
"Looks like they're heading for Wonsan and Hamhung to flee into the sea..."
"Nah~ Just hit 'em with missiles and turn 'em into fish food. Or maybe land inland from there and cause havoc? Hmm~ They'd be rats in a trap if we pick 'em off piecemeal."
"Who knows. They might have contact with Japan to take them in as Awakeners."
"Hmm~ But they're not lawless... Huh? What the—?"
Rumble rumble rumble!
Mid-discussion, an ominous rumble started from the sky.
Instruments on the airship blared warnings, and soon an unbelievable sight unfolded outside the windows.
A wall of glowing blue light began slicing across South Korea's land.
"What the hell is that? A barrier? No way, are they insane? Who casts a mega-scale spell like that? Hey! Wake the mages and get a read on it!"
"They're already on it! They sensed the signs early and mobilized... Anyway, it's definitely a magic barrier. Length about 250 kilometers, height 10,000 meters. Cuts across Korea's waist straight to the sea! Starting point: below Kaesong!"
"What in the world? Okay, magic barriers' strength and duration depend on mana... A scale like this means it won't last or it'll be super weak. So..."
"This barrier's mana is immeasurable. Touch or break it, and the sheer mana will rebound and explode. Do NOT touch it! Don't try passing through either! You'll get crushed flat!"
The massive magic barrier born of sudden, immense mana.
The one who'd conjured this impassable-scale barrier was Iverico, the sole mage-type Arc Demon Beast, a pig beastman.
His trump card: Gluttony Ascension. Converting gluttony to mana—and with infinite gluttony came infinite mana.
Conceptual 'infinite mana.' Iverico's power could sustain this barrier to the end of the universe unless he stopped it himself.
[Oink oink, got 'em trapped. Oink oink. Now hunt. Deokdeok! Meat... I want more meat! Oink oink!]
One drawback: even with 'infinite mana,' Apostle Iverico's mage wisdom and skill had clear limits.
He couldn't handle complex spells, only basic ones—so infinite mana just meant scaling up simple spells like this.
Still terrifying, but if he could wield high-tier magic freely, Earth would've been doomed long ago.
[Quack quack, quit whining. Quaaaack! Humans coming. Quack!]
Beside Iverico, emitting blue mana to cast, stood another Arc Demon Beast: Deokdeok, the duck-headed beastman who'd been absent till now.
Startled by the barrier, he eyed the human army and Hunters investigating their direction, then unleashed his own power, ascending just like Iverico.
[QUAAAAAAACK!]
As Deokdeok roared and powered up, his body swelled rapidly.
His Ascension: Gigantification.
Simply put, enlargement—his true form kept growing until a 1,000-meter-tall colossal duck was born.
A literal giant monster descent.
"Wh-what the hell is that? A kaiju? Like Ultraman?"
"Don't panic! Size doesn't mean speed—at that bulk, it'll be slow, so blast the legs with firepower..."
"It's NOT slow! The mountain! The mountain's charging! Hunters! Call the Hunters!"
Boom boom boom boom!
The gigantified duck beastman Deokdeok ignored physics, barreling mouth-open at the panicking soldiers at insane speed.
The troops, gripped by shock and terror, called for Hunters—but the Hunters were just as stunned.
Horrified by the parade of common sense-defying monsters.
"What the fuck... is that?"
"Hey, hey! Call Blue Dragon Guild! BLUE DRAGON GUILD!"
Visible from afar, grasping the situation was easy—but understanding didn't mean solutions followed.
With Iverico blocking retreat via magic, Deokdeok ravaged the army with overwhelming size and mass.
And it wasn't just them—hundreds of pig beastmen and duck-headed monsters under their command appeared, slaughtering the humans invading their turf.
Now it was Slaughter King and the Scavengers' one-sided turn.