Demon God's Armor (1)
The Northern Borderline. It was the name given to the frontline where fierce battles raged against the powerful monsters descending from the north.
Before Earth's people arrived on the Ernoir Continent, the monsters pouring down from the north had first struck the Ingrium Empire at the continent's center. The other nations, unaware of the crisis's severity, had even welcomed the monster invasion. They had hoped the continent's strongest power, the Ingrium Empire, would be weakened.
But a major problem arose. The Ingrium Empire, which everyone assumed would sweep away the northern monsters, collapsed under their assault. The monsters that seized the central continent split into three groups, attacking the east, south, and west simultaneously.
Though their forces were divided, the monsters' power remained formidable—abnormally so. These hordes swept through the east, south, and west like an unstoppable tide.
The south, bolstered by the mighty Arnan Empire, managed to hold off the monsters relatively well. But the east and west were different stories. The west, in particular, had been pushed to the brink of annihilation.
It was in this dire situation that Earth's summoners began to appear. Leveraging their high levels, they drove back the monsters ravaging various regions of the continent.
Yet even the summoners' power couldn't fully eradicate the monsters. Borrowing the strength of each nation, the summoners erected massive walls. Thus, the Northern Borderline was born—the humanity's final defense against the monsters that had already claimed the continent's heart.
In the continent's east, three kingdoms stood in a diagonal line, forming a slanted frontline to hold the border. From top to bottom: the Ixis Kingdom, the Elnot Kingdom in the center, and the Marcia Kingdom's forces maintained the line.
At the center of the eastern Northern Borderline, defended by the Elnot Kingdom, multiple guilds led by one of the three great guilds—the Leviathan Guild—joined forces with the Elnot Kingdom's army. They clashed fiercely with monsters attempting to breach the line.
This place already saw frequent brutal skirmishes with monsters. Now, horrific screams echoed through the air.
Roarrr!
"Aaaargh!!"
"What the hell! Block it!"
A blaze of infant flames erupted across the defensive line of Elnot Kingdom soldiers and summoners. The scorching heat devoured their bodies in agony.
"Where the hell is the Leviathan Guild?!"
A woman in a robe emblazoned with a red rose emblem shouted in desperation. She led Red Rose Guild, one of the six great guilds.
"Leviathan's core members have all left on an expedition to a newly discovered dungeon!"
"Damn it! Why now of all times?!"
Park Seol-yeon, Red Rose's guild master, spat curses as she clutched her blue-tinged hair, her face twisted in despair.
"Why... why is that monster here...?"
She stared beyond the raging inferno, murmuring in a voice choked with terror.
The Elnot Kingdom's section of the Northern Borderline was anchored by the Leviathan Guild. But even without them temporarily, it shouldn't have crumbled this badly. Elite units like the Andras Knights, composed of natives, were stationed there, along with powerhouses like Red Rose Guild. Including smaller elite guilds, maintaining the eastern line stably wasn't impossible.
Until that one monster horde appeared and shattered everything.
"Dragonean..."
Park Seol-yeon whispered the name of the figure visible through the flames, her expression one of pure horror.
Dragoneans—also called the Dragonkin—were extraordinarily powerful monsters. They resembled lizardmen, a hybrid of reptile and human, but were beings of an entirely different caliber.
Draconic blood coursed through their mighty bodies. Ordinary weapons without mana couldn't even scratch their tough scales. Each one wielded terrifying close combat prowess, potent magic, and—even if limited—a dragon's breath. They were high-level monsters.
No fewer than thirty dragoneans had appeared—ones that required at least six summoners over level 90 in a party to barely handle. Worst of all, the boss-like figure at the horde's center unleashed a devastating breath attack that collapsed the borderline in one blow.
As the line crumbled, hundreds of waiting monsters charged the walls. Without Leviathan Guild's overwhelming might, the defense collapsed rapidly.
"Boss monsters haven't appeared in a while..."
Park Seol-yeon muttered anxiously. After months without boss spawns, the summoners had let their guard down. This was a bolt from the blue.
"G-Guild Master! The third defensive line has fallen too!"
A man rushed to her, shouting urgently.
Park Seol-yeon bit her lip hard and spoke.
"Transmit the retreat order."
"Pardon? B-But if we do that..."
"You wanna get wiped out right now?"
She glared sharply at him. The man shook his head stiffly.
"...Hoo."
Park Seol-yeon let out a deep sigh and turned her back on the raging battlefield.
* * *
Beyond the endless flames, a dragonean stood with arms crossed, gazing down at the carnage with savage eyes.
A massive scar across his chest marked him. His name was Rekras—the architect of this slaughter.
"Lord Rekras, the humans' forces are retreating."
A dragonean knelt beside him and reported.
"Good."
Rekras murmured lowly, his scales glowing crimson as if ready to ignite, his muscles bulging with power.
"Assemble the horde."
"Yes!"
The dragonean stamped the ground with a roar and bounded off. His feral bellow pierced the ears of the rampaging monsters across the field.
The monsters halted their destruction and swiftly gathered under Rekras.
Though Rekras stood only about two meters tall—not huge among monsters—few could defy his command.
Hundreds bowed before him. Rekras surveyed them with piercing eyes.
"Our goal is simple! Slaughter every last human cowering and trembling beyond that pathetic wall!"
-Kraaaargh!
-Grrrrowl!
The monsters roared in ecstasy at his fierce cry. For them, Rekras's promise of hunting prime prey—humans—while sating their endless urge to destroy was irresistible.
"Go! Kill the humans! Topple their castles! Burn their cities!"
Thud!
Rekras stomped, flames erupting in a ring around him. The monsters cheered again, electrified by his overwhelming aura prickling their skin.
Rekras gazed down at the frenzied horde, lips pressed tight.
Then, a stray thought flickered through his mind—an oddity that didn't fit the moment.
'Why am I trying to kill humans right now?'
"Kgh?"
Rekras grimaced at the throbbing pain in his head.
Why kill humans? Simple: because he had to. Because he was ordered to.
'...Who by?'
His face twisted in confusion. Only one could command him: Kargas, master of his soul.
But Kargas, the ancient dragon who had lived millennia, saw no value in insignificant humans. He wouldn't issue such a pointless order.
If not Kargas, then who?
Questions chained endlessly. Rekras clutched his head as the headache worsened, like wandering a fog-shrouded maze.
A hazy silhouette emerged from the mist.
His chest scar burned hot.
"Ugh... uuu..."
As the vague form solidified in his mind, Rekras's body trembled violently. Suffocating dread crushed him—terror gripping his soul.
Fear like what he'd felt meeting Kargas in the past. No—worse.
"Krrrr..."
Rekras halted his thoughts. He sensed if he continued, he'd break.
"Kill... the humans."
Madness warped his eyes. As if entranced, he muttered the words and marched toward the Elnot Kingdom.
* * *
"The Northern Borderline... has fallen?"
Tiriya von Erman uttered the words, which felt utterly unreal.
Bae Han-seong's voice continued from the communication orb.
-Yes. I just got the emergency report myself.
"...But doesn't the Leviathan Guild hold the line there?"
Her face showed utter incomprehension.
Leviathan boasted three rankers: "White Sword" Kang Ha-rin, "Warlock" Park Sang-jun, and "Leviathan" Park Sia. Over a hundred high-level summoners and hundreds at level 50 or above—a monstrous force.
Even with them, a breach seemed impossible.
-It happened while Leviathan was exploring a new dungeon.
"Even so... The Northern Borderline isn't just Leviathan's responsibility. The kingdom's strongest knights, the Andras Knights; Red Rose Guild; Onnuri Guild; Fox Star Guild—all eastern powerhouses were assembled there."
-An estimated S-rank boss monster appeared.
"S-rank..."
Salvatore Guild members' faces hardened.
An S-rank boss required hundreds of summoners led by rankers to challenge.
-We need an emergency strategy meeting right away. How's your situation...?
"Yes. Not fully wrapped up yet."
Tiriya glanced at the remaining fifteen Judas Guild members.
"Let's head there now for the meeting."
The Salvatore members nodded.
Yeong-sik followed Tiriya, lost in thought.
'An S-rank boss monster...'
A dark smile curled his lips.
The boss itself held little interest. But the S-rank Memory Cube it would drop? That piqued his curiosity immensely.