Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Invasion of the Doppelganger Legion (2)
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‘There sure are a lot of spectators.’
Players from mid-sized guilds were watching from a safe distance, their faces lit up like they were enjoying a fire across the river, observing the standoff between the Balhae Guild player party and the Goryeo Guild player party.
‘This is exactly why wars break out.’
For major guilds, reputation and pride were critically important matters.
In the case of guilds under the Might Empire, made up of Chinese players,
their obsession with face and pride went beyond all reason.
‘But it’s just a matter of degree—major guilds are all pretty much the same.’
From the perspective of a major guild, like it or not, they had no choice but to protect their reputation and pride.
‘One or two times might be overlooked, but if they keep showing weakness, they’ll face constant challenges.’
It also created major instability in recruiting guild members and maintaining their territory.
In a world of the strong devouring the weak, repeatedly showing frailty?
‘It’s as good as advertising, “I’m really weakened right now. Don’t miss this golden opportunity—attack me immediately.”’
But.
‘The leaders of Terra Kingdom’s major guilds aren’t idiots.’
Naturally, they tried to avoid all-out wars where everyone loses.
So even when major guilds clashed, they usually settled things while saving face for each other.
‘And that’s what the doppelgangers are blocking.’
By killing the envoys of reconciliation or adding provocations to force things into an all-out war.
‘They’ll use the mid-sized guild players just right, too.’
Most of them lived based out of the great city of Verokkerto, in Balhae Guild’s territory.
If their eyes and mouths spread the word like wildfire across the great city of Verokkerto?
‘Even the players residing there, not to mention the nobles and commoners, would start looking down on Balhae Guild.’
Kwaaaang!
“Gahk!”
Especially stimulating rumors like the elites representing Balhae Guild in the great city of Verokkerto getting one-sidedly crushed.
Goryeo Guild players were unilaterally overwhelming the Balhae Guild players.
‘Definitely doppelgangers.’
Balhae Guild and Goryeo Guild were on similar levels.
Such a one-sided outcome was absolutely impossible.
‘Not bad.’
Doppelgangers had low combat prowess.
But that was.
‘Only relative to other demons.’
Even the lowest-class demons could easily tear apart ordinary monsters.
Moreover, if it had been quite some time since they arrived in the Atlantis dimension?
‘They might have leveled up, like Demon Dragon Karas.’
In the case of Demon Dragon Karas, a noble of the demon world, promotion required an enormous sacrifice.
‘But for bottom-tier demons like doppelgangers without titles, promotion is possible with relatively few sacrifices.’
Kang Hyun-su was someone who had personally experienced exactly how Terra Kingdom fell to the doppelgangers before his regression.
‘The combat power the doppelgangers showed at the final moment was quite impressive.’
Especially the demon world noble who was their leader.
‘It took hundreds of named players and rankers attacking together just to barely take it down.’
Kang Hyun-su had come to Terra Kingdom to nip that threat in the bud early.
‘It’s not too late yet.’
At that level?
It was more than suppressible.
Pakang!
The Balhae Guild tank’s shield split in two.
“Die!”
A Goryeo Guild player swung his aura-wreathed sword with a shout.
If Kang Hyun-su just stood by?
The Balhae Guild tank’s body would be cleaved in half.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
Minor clashes could be smoothed over somehow.
But if a guild member was publicly murdered?
Balhae Guild would have no choice but to retaliate physically.
Even if the doppelgangers slipped away in the meantime, it would force the guilds to fight each other.
Pakang!
Kang Hyun-su’s sword blocked the Goryeo Guild player’s blade.
“Who the hell are you?”
The Goryeo Guild player.
No, the doppelganger disguised as a Goryeo Guild player glared angrily at Kang Hyun-su.
“This is Goryeo Guild business. Back off and don’t interfere, or you’ll die too.”
Kang Hyun-su snorted derisively at the words of the doppelganger disguised as a Goryeo Guild player.
“Where do these fakes who aren’t even Goryeo Guild get off pretending to be Goryeo Guild members?”
At Kang Hyun-su’s words,
“We’re not Goryeo Guild?”
“No way. Kang Chul-soo is definitely Goryeo Guild.”
“Seong Ha-yoon is too.”
To gain nationwide fame?
You needed to be at least a named player or ranker level.
But for those operating in the same area?
You ran into them so often that you couldn’t help but learn their faces and names.
Most of the mid-sized guild players gathered here hunted in areas near the great city of Verokkerto, under Balhae Guild’s influence.
But that didn’t mean they never hunted in Goryeo Guild’s territory.
Plus, Balhae Guild and Goryeo Guild hunting grounds overlapped in some areas.
“Crazy bastard. Die.”
The doppelganger disguised as a Goryeo Guild player swung at Kang Hyun-su.
‘Well, it’s almost certain, but I need to confirm.’
Pakang!
Kang Hyun-su blocked the doppelganger’s attack and lightly swung his sword.
Seokeuk!
Slicing off the arm of the doppelganger disguised as a Goryeo Guild player.
“Aaaahk!”
The doppelganger disguised as a Goryeo Guild player screamed.
Blood spurted like a fountain from the severed arm’s stump.
Ting!
Kang Hyun-su pulled out a silver coin and tossed it into the pool of blood on the ground.
Chiiik!
The silver coin began to melt the instant it touched.
“Confirmed.”
At Kang Hyun-su’s words, the expressions of the doppelgangers disguised as Goryeo Guild players changed.
They had flinched a bit when he first said they weren’t Goryeo Guild players.
But since no one believed him, it wasn’t a big issue.
But now the situation was different.
“What the hell is that?”
“Why’s the silver coin melting when it touches the blood?”
“Did that guy use poison?”
The mid-sized guild players hadn’t grasped the situation yet.
The Balhae Guild players were the same.
From the perspective of the doppelgangers disguised as Goryeo Guild players, it was a stroke of luck.
So.
“Kill him!”
They had to eliminate him before Kang Hyun-su could say more.
‘Nine of them.’
No matter how low their combat power, demons were demons.
‘They’re weaker than Drakans or Dragonians, sure.’
But they’d definitely give more experience.
Plus.
‘Achievements will pile up nicely.’
Catching one Demon Dragon Karas, who held the title of demon world baron, had netted enormous achievements.
These doppelgangers before him might lack titles,
‘But they’re still demons.’
They’d surely contribute to achievement gains,
Or.
Seokeuk! Jwauak!
‘Grant new ones.’
Kang Hyun-su mercilessly cut down the doppelgangers disguised as Goryeo Guild players.
“Eek! The aura’s disappearing!”
“Healing skills aren’t working!”
“How is this possible?!”
The doppelgangers disguised as Goryeo Guild players were thrown into considerable panic.
They’d already confirmed Kang Hyun-su’s superior skill.
But there were nine of them.
He was alone.
Naturally, they thought a joint attack would favor them.
Why?
They had a healer.
But.
Attack skills and defense skills melted away like snow.
Healing became useless.
In this situation,
“Gahk!”
“Kuaaak!”
The doppelgangers collapsed all too pathetically.
-They’ve appeared on our side too!
At that moment, Song Hana’s voice echoed in Kang Hyun-su’s mind.
-Leave one alive and take out the rest. Let me know if you need backup. I’ll send summons.
-Don’t worry. We can handle it ourselves.
-What do you take me for?! Don’t worry! Just me and Song Hana are enough!
Hearing Song Hana and Tu-hwang’s responses, an amusing thought occurred to Kang Hyun-su.
‘It’d be good to have them meet in person.’
He was in the middle of eliminating doppelgangers,
But whether players or demons, the dead dissolved into residual mana anyway.
It was impossible to distinguish whether the dead were doppelgangers or players.
However.
‘I know their tricks well.’
The obvious tactics of the doppelgangers, who had tormented him relentlessly before his regression.
‘The ones Song Hana and Tu-hwang are suppressing are probably disguised as Balhae Guild players here.’
Conversely, the ones here were likely disguised as Goryeo Guild players from Song Hana and Tu-hwang’s location.
Why?
‘That maximizes the misunderstanding.’
If a dead person turned up alive or the killer denied involvement, things could get messy.
The best way?
‘Leave only witnesses and wipe out all the Balhae and Goryeo Guild players.’
Then Balhae Guild and Goryeo Guild would have no choice but to assume the other side killed their members.
Kwajik!
Kang Hyun-su’s sword severed the last remaining doppelganger’s windpipe.
At the same time,
[You’ve achieved the unbelievable feat of defeating a demon doppelganger.]
[Title: Demon Hunter B-Rank granted.]
He’d earned a B-Rank achievement.
‘Tch.’
When he hunted Demon Dragon Karas, he’d gotten four titles total.
Demon World Noble Hunter, Demon World Noble Devourer, Demon World Noble Slayer, Demon World Noble Butcher.
‘And Hunter was the lowest rank among them?’
Yet even that low rank was just B-Rank, not EX.
‘Well, only nine of them, so can’t expect much.’
It was then.
[You’ve achieved the unbelievable feat of defeating a demon doppelganger.]
[Title: Demon Hunter B-Rank grows to A-Rank.]
‘The rank went up?’
There was only one reason for that.
‘Song Hana and Tu-hwang got some.’
As if confirming Kang Hyun-su’s prediction,
-I captured one alive and took out the rest!
-I told you I didn’t need any damn summons?
Song Hana and Tu-hwang’s voices rang in Kang Hyun-su’s mind.
‘As expected.’
Kang Hyun-su smiled and issued instructions.
-Persuade the Goryeo Guild players not to move anywhere else. We need to clear up the misunderstanding.
-Got it.
-If they try to leave, I’ll hold them by force if necessary.
Tu-hwang was a bit extreme,
‘But that’s acceptable.’
They had to clear the misunderstanding, even if it meant holding them by force.
-I’ll head over. Wait just a moment.
With that, Kang Hyun-su approached the Balhae Guild players who had escaped death.
“Thank you for saving our lives. But what do you mean they’re not Goryeo Guild players?”
The Balhae Guild tank, who had narrowly avoided death, asked Kang Hyun-su.
‘Dong-su hyung.’
Kwak Dong-su.
Back before his regression, when Kang Hyun-su was in Balhae Guild.
Aside from Hwang So-wook, he was the one he’d been closest to.
‘He was full of affection.’
Kwak Dong-su had pitied Kang Hyun-su, who was ostracized in the guild due to his unique skill Replica, and had looked out for him in various ways.
Well, midway through, Hwang So-wook schemed to make meetings rare—once a month if that.
‘But whenever we did meet by chance, he always showed me extra care.’
He hadn’t realized it then.
But looking back now, there were a few guild members who had approached him first without bias while he was in Balhae Guild.
However.
‘That bastard Hwang So-wook made sure I had no time with my close allies by constantly changing my assignments and affiliations.’
The only one Hwang So-wook had allowed?
‘Just Shin So-hee.’
Back then, Kang Hyun-su thought only Hwang So-wook and Shin So-hee were truly on his side.
When he learned of Hwang So-wook’s dark intentions, got shocked, and left Balhae Guild.
Shin So-hee had followed Kang Hyun-su out of Balhae Guild together.
‘I thought it was genuine back then.’
But it wasn’t.
Shin So-hee had just been a pawn planted by Hwang So-wook.