Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Belated Revenge (2)
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“And by any chance, could you hand over that guy? We need to bring him back alive for the Guild Master to buy it. And if you could come with us and testify about this incident, we’d be grateful.”
At the words of the player from Gaeryeo Guild.
-Can you do it?
Kang Hyun-soo asked Song Ha-na and Tuwang for their opinions.
-We’ll go.
-Leave it to us.
At Song Ha-na and Tuwang’s responses.
“These two will go with you.”
Kang Hyun-soo pointed at Song Ha-na and Tuwang as he replied.
“Thank you. Could you possibly leave right now? We need to report this as soon as possible.”
“Let’s do that.”
Song Ha-na and Tuwang bound the doppelganger who had been disguised as Gaeryeo Guild’s party leader and left with the Gaeryeo Guild players.
“We were thinking of taking this one with us. Is that okay?”
Kwak Dong-su pointed at the doppelganger that looked exactly like him and asked Kang Hyun-soo.
“Of course.”
“Would you be willing to come with us to meet the Guild Master?”
“I will.”
Kang Hyun-soo readily agreed.
He had planned to send Song Ha-na and Tuwang to Gaeryeo Guild anyway.
‘And go to Balhae Guild myself.’
The current Guild Master of Balhae Guild was Sword King Jang Seok-won.
He excelled in personal martial prowess, had leadership, and was sharp in politics.
A sort of all-round entertainer, so to speak.
‘He was a decent Guild Master in his own right.’
However.
‘He dies within a year.’
Balhae Guild’s Guild Master, Sword King Jang Seok-won, gets swept up in a war caused by the doppelganger legion’s schemes and dies.
‘Then Hwang So-wook takes over as Balhae Guild’s Guild Master.’
If Sword King Jang Seok-won had remained?
‘Hwang So-wook never would have risen to Guild Master.’
If he met Sword King Jang Seok-won and built a solid friendship?
‘He could prevent Sword King Jang Seok-won’s death and completely block Hwang So-wook’s chance to rise.’
Though he planned to kill Hwang So-wook this time anyway.
‘He won’t go down easy.’
The guy was such a rat.
Besides, from the start.
‘I have no intention of letting him die honorably.’
He would strip off Hwang So-wook’s mask, expose his true nature to the world, and drop his honor into the dirt.
‘Kill him as miserably as possible.’
And that went for another enemy, Shin So-hee, as well.
‘How many major crimes has Hwang So-wook committed that come to light later?’
The moment Kang Hyun-soo tried to recall the crimes that would later be revealed as Hwang So-wook’s doing.
‘What’s this?’
He sensed multiple presences surrounding them.
“Ambush!”
At Kwak Dong-su’s shout, Balhae Guild players and the small-to-medium guild players following them drew their weapons in unison.
Grrrrowl!
What had surrounded the players was.
A horde of monsters.
“Why are these guys swarming like this?”
“That monster doesn’t even live around here.”
The players were slightly surprised.
But they didn’t panic much.
Because there were so many of them.
‘What’s going on all of a sudden?’
Kang Hyun-soo felt puzzled.
The monsters that had appeared, forming a proper encirclement.
‘They’re not just acting on instinct.’
They moved in orderly fashion, as if under someone’s command.
‘Higher demon?’
The only ones capable of this were higher demons.
Of course, doppelgangers were demons too, so they could control monsters.
But most were lowest or low-grade, so they couldn’t control them properly.
‘What happened?’
Kang Hyun-soo felt considerable doubt.
‘There shouldn’t have been any players who slipped away.’
How had monsters under doppelganger control appeared?
Raaargh!
The monsters’ assault began.
“Kill them!”
Combat broke out between the players and monsters.
-We’re under monster attack.
-Don’t worry. They’re weak; we can wipe them out soon.
Song Ha-na and Tuwang’s words came through.
‘They’re under attack too?’
It was no coincidence.
‘The doppelgangers definitely know what happened here.’
He had no idea how they found out.
‘But that’s not what matters now.’
The doppelgangers had mobilized monsters for an assault.
So what was their goal?
‘To wipe us out completely.’
The ones who knew about the doppelgangers’ existence were Kang Hyun-soo’s group, Balhae Guild players in this hunting ground, Gaeryeo Guild players, and small-to-medium guild players.
If all the players who knew the truth were wiped out?
‘The doppelgangers could keep their secret.’
This assault likely wouldn’t end as just a monster attack.
-We’re under monster attack too. Seems like they’re under doppelganger orders. Be careful. This won’t end with just monsters.
-We’ll contact you if the situation changes!
-Got it! Stay as careful as you can!
After hearing Song Ha-na and Tuwang’s replies, Kang Hyun-soo.
Boom boom boom boom!
Erupted with blood-red aura and swiftly cleared the monsters.
‘I don’t know what trick they’ll pull.’
For now, clearing the monsters as fast as possible seemed best.
At that moment.
“Aaagh!”
“Gahk!”
Screams erupted one after another from players who had been sweeping through monsters with fearsome momentum.
‘Goblins?’
The monsters taking out players one by one were.
Low-level monsters, goblins.
‘Goblins can’t show that kind of combat power.’
Of course, high-level goblins existed, though rarely.
But most goblins were.
‘Low-level.’
And the active monsters weren’t just goblins.
Low-level monsters like red-maned wolves, orcs, and lizardmen were rampaging fiercely.
‘It’s doppelgangers.’
Doppelgangers disguised as monsters had joined the fight.
The players had underestimated the doppelgangers disguised as low-level monsters.
And lost their lives all the more pathetically because of it.
-Doppelgangers are disguising as low-level monsters. Be careful.
After warning Song Ha-na and Tuwang, Kang Hyun-soo charged at the doppelgangers disguised as low-level monsters.
Slash! Slice!
In an instant, the doppelgangers disguised as low-level monsters met a mass death.
But the doppelgangers made full use of their strengths in combat.
“Gahk! Why you?”
“Everyone, be careful! Doppelgangers have turned into players!”
“You, what are you? Why do you look like me!”
“You’re the one looking like me!”
As doppelgangers transformed into players appeared amid the chaos.
The situation grew even more tangled.
Even.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah, Dark Knight! Thank you.”
Stab!
‘They’re even copying my appearance?’
There were even ones copying Kang Hyun-soo’s form.
‘Clear the fakes fast.’
Slice! Slice!
Kang Hyun-soo quickly disposed of the doppelgangers in his form.
However.
For other players in the midst of combat, distinguishing was not easy.
‘Can’t just kill them all.’
That was the tricky part about doppelgangers.
Weakest among demons.
But in some ways.
They were harder to deal with than top-tier demons with overwhelming combat power.
‘Guess I’ll have to spend some money.’
Kang Hyun-soo took out silver coins he had prepared in advance.
Crunch!
And ground them into powder.
Then.
He charged at pairs of identical-looking players.
Slice!
Giving both minor wounds.
Whoosh!
And sprinkling silver powder.
Sizzle!
The fakes were immediately revealed.
Slash!
And he severed their heads.
“You can prove you’re not a doppelganger by using silver coins!”
At Kang Hyun-soo’s shout.
“I’m real!”
“No, me!”
“Then get a wound and sprinkle it here!”
“Got it!”
“Damn it!”
In an instant, the doppelgangers’ identities were exposed.
No need to prove by sprinkling blood on silver.
The fakes avoided it or changed into others’ forms on their own.
‘This method works best, as expected.’
It had worked well even before regression.
‘This way, no need to suspect allies.’
The moment the doppelgangers’ strongest weapon was neutralized.
“Dark Knight!”
Then Kwak Dong-su approached Kang Hyun-soo.
“Your skills are incredible! I survived thanks to you!”
“The battle isn’t over yet. Save the thanks for after.”
“Understood.”
The moment Kang Hyun-soo turned to attack the remaining monsters.
Whoosh!
Kwak Dong-su’s sword flew toward Kang Hyun-soo’s heart.
Crack!
Just as the blade piercing through the Dragonscale Armor was about to impale his heart.
[EX-Rank skill Ice Shield activates.]
Crackle!
A bluish shield of cold ice formed, covering Kang Hyun-soo’s body.
Boom!
Kwak Dong-su’s attack, which had pierced the Dragonscale Armor, was completely blocked.
‘How?’
Kang Hyun-soo was greatly shocked.
Was it because of his pre-regression connection?
Even in the chaos of battle, Kang Hyun-soo had subtly watched over Kwak Dong-su.
Thanks to that, he knew there was no doppelganger in Kwak Dong-su’s form.
The Kwak Dong-su before his eyes.
Had been the same person from their first meeting until now.
Yet the reason Kwak Dong-su attacked Kang Hyun-soo was singular.
‘He was a doppelganger from the start.’
Grit!
He ground his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
That Kwak Dong-su’s doppelganger had been impersonating him even before meeting Kang Hyun-soo meant.
‘Dong-su hyung.’
That the real Kwak Dong-su had died long ago.
“Die!”
Boom boom boom boom boom!
Kang Hyun-soo’s sword, wrapped in blood-red aura, flew at the doppelganger.
Clang!
But astonishingly, the doppelganger blocked Kang Hyun-soo’s sword.
“Not bad for a human.”
The doppelganger in Kwak Dong-su’s form looked at Kang Hyun-soo with a surprised expression.
‘Not a mid-to-low grade doppelganger.’
Kang Hyun-soo realized the doppelganger in Kwak Dong-su’s form was no ordinary one.
‘At least high-grade demon. Maybe even top-grade.’
High-grade and top-grade demons were the pinnacle among common demons, excluding demon nobles.
‘Even as a doppelganger, it has the power to easily crush most named players.’
That was why.
A high-level player like Kwak Dong-su, who had some skill, was killed silently without proper resistance.
“Dark Knight, huh. Killing Baron Karos and getting in our way—you lot who learned our identity are a thorn in our side. This is a good chance to find out who you are.”
“Same here. Didn’t expect to hunt a high-ranking doppelganger this soon. I’ll use you to root out all the doppelgangers hiding in the Atlantis Dimension.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, you pathetic human. Think you can beat me?”
The doppelganger in Kwak Dong-su’s form underestimated Kang Hyun-soo.
The skill that disrupted mana was tricky, but.
He could endure it by injecting stronger mana.
“Last time, your interference messed things up, but now I’ll set it right.”
The doppelganger in Kwak Dong-su’s form nearly dying to the one disguised as a Gaeryeo Guild player.
Was actually a staged act.
He planned to take moderate injuries, lose half the party, return to Balhae Guild, and incite war with Gaeryeo Guild.
If he got lucky and met the Balhae Guild Master alone?
He planned to poison him at the right moment, then take his place.
But Kang Hyun-soo’s appearance ruined everything.
“If only we didn’t know how to reveal our identity, I might have let you live longer.”
If so?
He would have built rapport with Kang Hyun-soo and dug out Dark Knight’s secrets.
But.
The silver method to reveal doppelgangers was too fatal.
If that got out?
Balhae Guild would launch a massive search immediately.
Then?
All doppelgangers infiltrated into Balhae Guild, including himself, would be exposed.
“Quite confident, aren’t you.”
Kang Hyun-soo was dumbfounded.
The thing was acting like it had already won without even properly fighting, brimming with inexplicable confidence.
“Go on, put up a struggle. Though you have no chance.”
With those words, the doppelganger in Kwak Dong-su’s form charged at Kang Hyun-soo.
Kang Hyun-soo also swung his sword at the doppelganger.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Aura clashed against aura repeatedly, massive explosions resounding one after another.
“Gahk!”
The doppelganger in Kwak Dong-su’s form spat blood from his mouth and staggered back like a drunkard.
“W-what is this?”
The doppelganger in Kwak Dong-su’s form panicked greatly.
His true power was on par with a player bearing the Emperor title.
Even with mana suppressed, he was stronger than players with King titles.
That strength was why he planned to secretly eliminate Balhae Guild’s Guild Master, Sword King Jang Seok-won, and take his place.
Without the skill?
No matter how perfect the shell, he couldn’t properly impersonate the Sword King.
Yet.
Such a self was being overwhelmingly pushed back by a human with no titles, merely called Dark Knight.
‘No way his power surpasses Emperor-title players?’
Players beyond Emperor title were only those with God-tier titles.
In the Atlantis Dimension currently, there were only ten God-tier title holders.
Among them, only three used swords like Kang Hyun-soo.
But none matched Kang Hyun-soo.
Different builds, different aura colors, and no skill to disperse mana.
‘A secret God-tier title player belonging to Dark Knight?’
And unluckily, he ran into one?
One who knew the doppelganger clan’s fatal weakness, no less?
‘How unlucky can you get.’
The face of the doppelganger in Kwak Dong-su’s form, once brimming with confidence.
Twisted into a complete mess.