Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Red Tower's Reckoning
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“The magic circle is complete!!”
“Mana charge complete!!”
As the magic circle activated, several more began generating sequentially beneath their feet.
“First synthesis complete……!!”
“Activating multiple magic circles!!”
“Commencing second synthesis!”
The number of sequentially activating magic circles reached a staggering four.
“L-Look over there!!”
“Red Tower is casting magic!!”
“No way! Four stacked magic circles?!”
The onlookers watching the battle from afar couldn't hide their shock at the sight of the forming magic circles.
Until now, the known limit for stacking magic circles had been three.
Yet the Red Tower mages were surpassing that limit.
‘We prepared it for conquering the 10th floor…….’
Suzuki Hana clicked her tongue regretfully as she watched the magic circle take shape.
“No matter what, the dragon is ours.”
Having revealed their hidden trump card, they needed to gain something from it.
Squeeze—.
Suzuki Hana stepped forward in front of the mages.
She raised her red staff high above her head and began chanting.
Roooar……!!
Flames erupted from the tip of her staff, starting to form a magic circle in front of her.
Two magic circles appeared, crossing each other like a Möbius strip on either side.
Swooooosh……!!
As her multiple magic circle merged atop the four stacked ones, the formation spewed crimson flames and ignited fiercely.
“Are they really planning to take down a dragon?”
“The Crimson Witch has sharpened her blade this time?!”
The immense magic surging from the rear was intimidating enough even for those without mana.
And naturally, Bensina was aware of the magic as well.
Unlike the shocked onlookers, the dragon viewed human magic as utterly insignificant.
“The black dragon is moving……!!!”
It was then.
Bensina, having wiped out the raid party, began to take steps forward.
“Hold magic!!!”
Suzuki Hana shouted in panic at the black dragon's sudden movement.
“Prepare shield scrolls!! It might use breath! We must protect the magic circle at all costs!!”
Shrrrip———!!!
At her cry, the mages tore their scrolls in unison.
A translucent barrier formed around the magic circle.
The mages watched the black dragon's approach with bated breath.
“……What?”
But in that moment, astonishingly, the black dragon began walking not toward the mages attacking it, but toward the village.
Standing in the ruins of Torn Bach's center, Bensina gazed at the Red Tower mages with a flat voice.
His words left everyone in the area stunned.
“……What?”
Suzuki Hana stared at the black dragon with a stiffened expression.
The citizens were evacuating, but many still remained in Torn Bach.
At least several hundred.
And all of them were within the magic's range.
“Everyone will die……”
One of the Red Tower mages muttered unwittingly, heightening their tension.
‘……Again.’
Woojin recalled the incident at the Bolton family.
It wasn't just simple hunting anymore; enemies were starting to test players in ways that caught his eye.
He couldn't understand what [Ethan] intended by orchestrating these events repeatedly.
The weight of life?
He shook his head.
No matter how much they preached it, would it resonate with players?
“Fire—!!!!”
As expected, Suzuki Hana slammed her staff down with all her might, shouting with resolute determination despite the dragon's provocation.
“B-But……”
“Dead players can be compensated by opening up Red Tower's hunting grounds!!”
Death in the game wasn't real death anyway.
“Urgh…… Urk……”
“Waaah…… Waaaaaah……!!!”
Groans and cries from citizens rose amid the collapsed plaza and ruined buildings.
And they looked at the Red Tower mages with fearful eyes.
“Fire!!!!”
But the deaths of NPCs stirred no guilt in the players.
They weren't real, after all.
Like mercenaries, they were disposable tools to be used and discarded.
“R-Resume activation!!!”
Ruuuumble—!!
At her command, the mages poured mana back into the magic circle.
Kaboomboomboom———!!!!
Dozens of fiery streaks erupted from the magic circle, raining down from the sky like a shower.
“Y-You crazy bitch……!!!”
Colson threw down his sword and started running at the sight of the incoming flames.
Puke—.
“Where do you think you're going?”
In that instant, his abdomen burned hot.
“……Huh?”
Colson looked at the sword piercing his stomach with trembling eyes.
“Never dream of scavenging a dead man's toll again.”
“Y-You…… fu…… ck……”
Colson's face twisted.
Woojin raised his sword with all his strength while staring at him.
Shlick———!!
His limbs split in half.
“M-Master……”
Luen, buried under debris, looked at Woojin with an exhausted face.
“You can't come here!! Run away!!!”
Step— step—.
But ignoring her desperate pleas, Woojin approached and dug through the collapsed rubble.
“Where would I go without you.”
“……Pardon?”
Luen's lips quivered at Woojin's words.
“Are you alright?”
“I'll help!!”
Nisen, Karlan, and Weden joined in, quickly clearing the debris.
Luen felt her body lighten immeasurably.
Not because the rubble was gone.
It was because of Woojin's hand lifting her fallen form.
It was then.
The Red Tower's magic struck Bensina's head.
Flames exploded, enveloping its body from the head down.
“Keep attacking!!”
At Suzuki Hana's shout, the mages chugged potions and unleashed spells relentlessly.
“Hah…… Hah……”
“Cough……”
But the barrage of magic began to slow bit by bit.
“What are you doing!! We're almost there……!!!”
Suzuki Hana berated them.
But no matter how much they feared her, the mages could cast no more.
With their mana completely drained, they collapsed, barely able to breathe in agony.
“Ah……”
The fallen mages looked up.
The black dragon, wreathed in flames, gazed down at them—a sight that made further struggle seem pointless.
Thud— thud— thud—.
Bensina stepped out of the village toward the mages.
He said.
Boom——!!
The black dragon's massive tail smashed down on them.
[Raid member 'Jess' has died.]
[Raid member 'Araz' has died.]
[Raid member 'Baltas' has died.]
…….
The flood of notifications ringing in her head left Suzuki Hana frozen.
In an instant, the Red Tower mages were annihilated, leaving her standing alone amid pools of blood.
“Wh…… Wh……”
Where had it gone wrong?
Her trembling lips tried to form words, but her body, seized by terror, wouldn't obey.
She had simply seen it as an opportunity.
No game was unconquerable.
She had always believed that, viewing Bensina's appearance as just another common event.
A dragon would surely have its difficulty scaled to player levels.
But no.
The black dragon before her was unlike any monster encountered before.
“……Damn it.”
Blaming her complacency was pointless now.
Bensina's massive maw was already swallowing her whole.
Crunch— nomnom—.
Chomp—.
Bensina devoured Suzuki Hana voraciously.
“Ah……”
“What now……”
The Crimson Witch's death was enough to instantly freeze the boiling morale.
“R-Run……”
“The hunt's a failure!!”
The cooled resolve returned as greater terror, sending even the distant onlookers fleeing.
“You go first.”
The curt words sent a pang through Luen's chest.
“N-No! I'll fight too!!”
-That's right!
“We can still fight!!”
But Woojin shook his head at them.
“Outlanders can revive upon death. But you can't. Value your lives.”
Thud— thud— thud—.
Bensina finished sweeping away the Red Tower mages and slowly approached them.
“Your lives are more precious than mine.”
In that moment, his words embedded themselves in the minds of the citizens still in Torn Bach.
‘That man…….’
‘He's different.’
Unaware or uncaring of their thoughts, Woojin simply steeled himself against the approaching black dragon.
“……Understood.”
Karlan bit his lip, anger rising at his own weakness, and nodded.
‘Yes. Be angry. That's the best way to break your curse.’
Woojin patted his shoulder lightly.
“Hurry……!!!”
Luen looked like she wanted to say more but held back, contenting herself with one last glance at him.
“Whew……”
After Luen, Setsuna, and Karlan left, Woojin slowly exhaled.
The massive raid party had vanished, and even those who had portaled in to spectate were hurrying back.
“……Why haven't you gone?”
In that moment, Woojin turned to Weden, who was shivering beside him.
“Why what!! I have nowhere else to go, so I stay here!”
Woojin chuckled at his characteristically bold reply.
“I can't take responsibility if you die.”
“The gear's all stuff I looted anyway. Dropping it on death wouldn't hurt.”
Weden stepped in front of him.
“I'll take the vanguard.”
He picked up a crumpled shield from the ground and strapped it to his wrist.
“Hup—!!!”
As he inhaled and pulled the shield toward his body,
[Refraction]
[A faint light flows from the shield.]
‘Must've picked the shield trait.’
At level 50, the next skill tree unlocked, allowing specialization traits within the class.
Warriors generally split into tanks and dealers.
Tanks further divided into offensive types reinforcing attacks with hardened skin, or defensive types all-in on shields.
Weden was the latter.
“Sorry. If I'd known, the vigilantes could've scrounged a shield for you.”
“Haha…… Even if you had, it wouldn't have mattered then. Right after arriving on the central continent, I got wrecked…… Lost the will to fight.”
“And now?”
“Even if I die, I'll get you in front of the black dragon.”
Weden thumped the crumpled shield confidently.
“Don't die, I said.”
Woojin ruffled Weden's hair like a real little brother and turned to face Bensina.