The Puppet Master's Backfire
Cain's jaw dropped as he witnessed the scene. "Is that item so powerful that even he's shocked by it? How are we supposed to beat that...?"
"No, I think it's something else," Lee Da-bi said, tilting her head. *That reaction... it looks a lot like what I usually see from the Power Warrior guild members.*
Of course, the one who was most bewildered was Dominic. He had conducted the ritual using the crown of the Atali royal family, but what emerged was a pair of prosthetic arms he had never seen before!
"...?????"
Dominic is extremely bewildered.
Dominic has temporarily fallen into a state of Confusion.
"!" Tae-hyun instantly put the pieces together. *Ed-an, you magnificent bastard...!* He had never dreamed that the crown Ed-an had swiped would actually stop the ritual like this. He felt a little guilty for scolding the thief earlier! In that case, there was only one thing left to do. "All units, attack!"
"Y-Your Majesty! Pull yourself together! What are you doing?!" the Salavian Archbishop cried out in panic. With Tae-hyun's party and the royal knights charging forward with murderous intent, they desperately needed Dominic's strength right now.
"How dare you... This is the sacred ground of Lord Salavian! Begone, you pests!" Furious, the Archbishop swung his massive staff. Instantly, a horde of Blood Golems surged forward, blocking the path.
"Break through! We have to beat him down now!"
"Warriors of the Order, gather here at once!" The Archbishop didn't stop there. Drawing a massive magic circle in the air, he summoned all nearby cultists. As the enemy forces multiplied in the blink of an eye, Tae-hyun grit his teeth. *We need to break through and kill him quickly!*
Fortunately, the palace courtyard had its limits, meaning the Archbishop couldn't pull off the same limitless summoning as he did outside. Instead, he focused on quality over quantity, unleashing a barrage of massive buff spells on his summons and cultists. *Blood Aura, Boiling Blood, Creed of Hatred...*
• You have defeated an Elite Blood Golem of the Salavian Order. Your Holy stat has increased.
• You have defeated the Salavian Order's Elite Blood Golem at an unbelievable speed. You receive an additional bonus.
Thud! Crash! Tae-hyun unleashed a torrent of burst damage that other players could only dream of, carving a path forward. Yet, the way remained blocked. For every cultist he cut down, another rushed to fill the gap, all while the Archbishop continuously pumped them full of enhancements.
*Damn it. Is there no way to break through? They're coming at us from all sides...* If Tae-hyun retreated from the vanguard to find another way, his party would be overwhelmed instantly. The cultists gathered here were just that formidable. The only reason they were holding the line was because Tae-hyun was rampaging like a madman at the front, supported by the royal knights.
"Form the barrier!"
Knight's Barrier!
Rumble!
Locking their shields and matching their strides, the knights became a walking fortress. A charging Salavian beast slammed into them, unable to pierce their defense, and was thrown backward.
Crash!
Screeeech!
"Fire!" At Yu Ji-soo's command, the Tyrum Hunters simultaneously aimed for the beast's vital points. "Aim for the eyes! Don't ruin the hide!"
*Are those guys seriously worrying about the quality of the leather in a situation like this?* Cain thought to himself as he swung his weapons. They were a bizarre bunch, but their skills were undeniable. Having such reliable ranged damage dealers in a chaotic battle like this was a massive relief.
With Cain, Evangeline, and the royal knights holding the front line; Choi Sang-yun, Tae-hyun, and Lee Da-bi positioned right behind them; and Jeong Su-hyeok alongside Yu Ji-soo's hunters bringing up the rear, Tae-hyun's party composition was incredibly formidable. Even if they couldn't pierce deep into the Salavian Order's ranks, they weren't losing an inch of ground.
"Archbishop, we have arrived!"
"Welcome! Tear those bastards to shreds!"
"!"
Late to the party, additional high-ranking executives of the Salavian Order finally arrived. Just from their appearances alone, each one was an elite semi-boss monster!
*Oh, great...*
A vampire pirate with a hook for a hand, wearing a coat that looked like an artifact, letting out a bizarre chuckle.
A two-headed vampire priest clad in the ceremonial robes of the Salavian Order.
A vampire warrior that looked more like a demonic beast, its dozens of arms wielding all kinds of weapons.
And a very familiar-looking Death Knight.
The most terrifying executives of the cult had gathered here...
"Huh?" Tae-hyun blinked. He double-checked the last executive.
That was... Golgol-i. Though he looked much sleeker and healthier, as if he had been pampered and well-fed...
-!
"!"
Nodding with a solemn expression in the distance, Golgol-i suddenly locked eyes with Tae-hyun.
*What the hell are you doing there??*
*M-Master. Please let me explain. You see, what happened was...*
Golgol-i's explanation was absolutely tear-jerking. It began with "that bastard Heuk-heuk abandoned me," and detailed how, in order to survive, he had ended up pretending to be an elite monster summoned by a vampire priest!
Tae-hyun was utterly speechless. He knew the undead knight was still alive, but he had assumed he was either running away somewhere or recovering from a beating—not working a full-time job inside the enemy cult! Moreover, seeing him summoned now, it seemed he had actually made enough contributions to climb into the lower ranks of the executives.
*Why on earth... is he wasting his talents on something so useless?* The necklace and armor Golgol-i wore were clearly items he had received as rewards from the Salavian Order!
Tae-hyun quickly regained his composure. Right now, Golgol-i's corporate success story within the evil cult didn't matter. What mattered was how he could exploit this situation!
*Golgol-i!*
*Yes, Master!*
*Stab him!*
*Huh? Stab whom?*
*Who else? Stab the Archbishop!*
*...A-Are you serious?*
Golgol-i was horrified. Right now, the Archbishop, Dominic, and the entire executive lineup were standing right there... The moment he stabbed him, Golgol-i would be turned into finely minced meat—or rather, finely crushed bone meal.
*Even if you die, I can just summon you back after some time.*
*But dying is still incredibly painful, Master...*
*Golgol-i. Do you want to die honorably over there, or do you want to die a much more painful death by my hands?*
Your Supreme Eloquence has successfully triggered a Threaten attempt!
*I will stab him immediately!*
*Your loyalty warms my heart!*
Golgol-i took a step forward. The Archbishop looked at him and nodded. "Ah, you must be that Death Knight. I have heard rumors of you. Since you were summoned by His Majesty Dominic, you are exceptionally clever and powerful. It is indeed true that a summon reflects the qualities of its summoner."
Golgol-i nodded silently.
"The rest of you executives, deal with the expedition. Focus your attacks on that Kim Tae-hyun! If we bring him down, the expedition will crumble."
"But his power is formidable! He is protected by a strange energy."
"It must be the power of that wicked, filthy, despicable, underhanded, and cowardly Archisus. Do not worry. With the divine Authority granted to me by Lord Salavian, I shall suppress the power of Archisus. Death Knight, protect me. If you prove your worth once more, I shall personally bestow a blessing upon you."
Nod.
Golgol-i nodded once more. His heavy, reliable demeanor was highly pleasing to the Archbishop.
"O soul of Lord Salavian, who dwells in the deepest darkness..."
An ominous incantation from the very first line! The Archbishop began channeling a powerful, lengthy spell. Normally, such a spell had to be interrupted before completion, and the Salavian Order knew all too well that the Archbishop would be vulnerable during this grand casting. Thus, they formed a tight defensive perimeter around him. It was an absolute, ironclad defense that not even a single needle could pierce!
"Archbishop... Archbishop! What are you doing?!" Dominic, having finally recovered from his confusion, called out. The Archbishop, deep in his channeling, could not reply.
"The Archbishop is currently preparing a devastating spell."
"In this situation?! That is dangerous!"
"Do not worry, Your Majesty. The Death Knight you summoned is personally guarding him."
"...What?" Dominic asked blankly, holding the prosthetic arms in his hands.
At that exact moment, Golgol-i drew his sword with lightning speed and plunged it straight into the Archbishop's chest.
Squelch!
"?!?!?!?!?!?!"
"Aaaargh!"
"What the hell?!"
"T-That crazy bastard?!"
You have attacked the Salavian Archbishop while he was channeling a spell!
The magic has gone out of control!
Salavian's Wrath sweeps over the surrounding area!
BOOM!
A crimson tempest erupted with the Archbishop at its epicenter. Not only the nearby Salavian cultists but also every single executive was caught in the devastating blast.
The Death Knight, Golgol-i, has taken massive damage and has been unsummoned!
Cooldown required to re-summon Golgol-i. Gathering more power required for Undead Summoning will shorten this duration.
*Aaaargh! Master!*
Standing right next to the blast, Golgol-i was instantly vaporized!
• The Salavian Order's Vampire Pirate has been defeated.
• The Salavian Order's Hundred-Armed Vampire Warrior has been defeated.
• Your Reputation has increased.
• Golgol-i's level has increased.
• Golgol-i's level has increased...
"Whoa, holy crap." The fighting players froze, staring blankly at the spectacle. The Salavian Order's formation was completely disintegrating. It was an absolutely brutal magical backlash.
"Uh... shouldn't we be running away too?" The crimson vortex was expanding rapidly. Tae-hyun immediately sprang into action.
Archisus's Divine Territory! Divine Foresight!
He activated his saved Authority skills to defend. The moment Archisus's Divine Territory expanded, the crimson vortex trying to breach their perimeter weakened rapidly.
"This way!" Guided by Divine Foresight, Tae-hyun led the group to the safest spot. Thanks to his quick thinking, the crimson vortex only swept away the Salavian Order's executives, warriors, and beasts.
Salavian's Wrath has ended.
"A-Are they all dead?"
But they weren't. Amidst the absolute carnage, Dominic stood alone. The ring on his finger glowed with a bright scarlet light, shielding him from the devastation.
"You... cursed bastard of Archisus...! I should have killed you first!"
Everyone else subconsciously nodded. *Yep, he's absolutely right!*
"If you want to beg for mercy, you'd better do it now. Because I am going to tear you limb from limb!" Glaring at Tae-hyun with bloodshot eyes, Dominic pulled out the prosthetic arms. "O crown! Grant me power!"
"Dude, that's not a crown!"
"Silence, follower of Archisus! How much longer do you think you can deceive me with that silver tongue?!"
Persuasion attempt failed.
"This change in form is undoubtedly the will of Lord Salavian! These prosthetics! It means I must tear you apart with these very hands!"
"..." Tae-hyun silently pulled out his crossbow. While preparing his ammunition, he had worried whether he would have enough for this expedition. He only had one special arrow, but there were far too many enemies to kill! Fortunately, the unexpected magical backlash had made things much easier.
Click-
Carbanog warns you not to shoot right now!
*Huh? Why?*
Carbanog states that those prosthetic arms will block your attack!
*...Really? The gear that the self-proclaimed Great Thief Ed-an wore has an effect like that? Or is it because it's imbued with Salavian's power?* Tae-hyun wanted to shoot, but he held back. After all, Carbanog was a divine entity too.
Meanwhile, Dominic equipped the prosthetic arms.
Clack-
• A fragment of the soul left behind by Salavian has possessed Dominic.
• The prosthetic arms cannot withstand Salavian's power and are destroyed!
• Dominic has gone berserk!
"Aaaaargh! Graaaah!" Dominic let out a horrific, beastly roar. His clothes shredded to pieces as his muscles swelled, transforming him into a monstrous abomination.
"Why! Why?! The crown... If it were the crown, it surely could have withstood it...!"
"I keep telling you, that wasn't a crown."
"I will kill you... Archisus! Kill! Archisus! Kill! Archisus!"
Slay the Berserk Dominic
• Salavian's wrath is boiling over.
• Defeat Dominic. Otherwise, this monster will burn down the royal palace and hunt down the Avatar of Archisus.
"I was planning to do that anyway!"
Twang!
Tae-hyun pulled the trigger of his crossbow without a moment's hesitation. No matter who it was, the absolute truth of gaming remained: a boss is always at their weakest and most vulnerable right after transforming!
Thwack!
A highly satisfying sound echoed through the courtyard.