Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: The King of the North Visits the South
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The King of the North had come looking for the South.
In the story I knew, he was supposed to stay back and guard the tower without taking the initiative. So why had he come all the way here?
Satan, in the form commonly known as Baphomet, flew toward Leviathan.
“Hey! Long time no see?”
“……You move fast.”
“Fast feet? These are wings.”
Leviathan, clearly annoyed, swung its tail at Satan.
“I don’t have time for wordplay with you. Get out of my way.”
Whoosh—
Thwack!
Satan, barely human-sized, blocked Leviathan’s massive tail with his palm.
“Why the hostility? I just came to chat for a bit.”
“You brought all your gargoyles just to chat?”
“Heh heh… That’s because you’re so scary. You do have that special power, after all.”
[The King of the North subtly reveals his hostility.]
Throughout the game’s story, Satan had always envied Leviathan’s power. I had no idea what the guy was thinking, but he was one hell of a peculiar character.
Always spouting nonsense in his lines, too.
“Quiet. If you have no business, then leave.”
Satan looked down at me.
“……No business? That little one over there—I’m taking him with me.”
I shrugged in disbelief.
Even if he was called the king of hell, to so casually say that after seeing my aura?
Just as I was about to shout, Leviathan murmured lowly toward Satan.
“Satan, Michael has been resurrected.”
Satan’s grinning face froze in an instant.
“What?”
“Michael has been resurrected. He’s inside the Burning Cathedral right now.”
“The Burning… No way. Did he come to break Raphael’s seal?”
“That’s what I hear.”
Satan clicked his tongue, as if he couldn’t believe Leviathan.
“No, that can’t be. How did he slip past our patrols to reach the cathedral?”
“I don’t know. But the human right next to me told me.”
Both their gazes turned to me.
My heart pounded for a moment, afraid the lie would be exposed.
But it was only for a second. Since I knew the entire scripted dialogue flow the system had set, I answered confidently.
“Yeah. Michael’s in the Burning Cathedral right now.”
The plan had gone a bit off track, but if I could lure Satan inside the cathedral too, it’d be killing two birds with one stone.
I could take down two archdemons at once.
Satan sliced through the air and flew right up to me.
“Is that true?”
“It’s true.”
“But your eyes are saying otherwise.”
I glared hard at him and said,
“If anyone’s lying, it’s you.”
Satan glanced at Leviathan, then burst into loud laughter.
“……Puhahaha! This guy’s got guts. Staring me down without flinching.”
Leviathan blinked, and lightning crashed down.
Rumble—
“Satan, will you follow us?”
“……No. If Michael’s seal is broken, I need to report to Lord Lucifer first.”
“……”
“And you—why did you leave the village? Lord Lucifer didn’t permit you to go out.”
“The situation was urgent, so I acted first.”
“Without reporting?”
“Yes.”
They seemed friendly, yet wary of each other.
After glaring at Leviathan for a while, Satan shrugged.
“I’ll report to Lord Lucifer that you left the village.”
“Do as you please.”
“And that human too.”
“Do as you please. We’re done here—now get lost.”
“……Sigh. We meet after so long, and you’re so cold?”
“Satan, I warned you. No wordplay.”
“Warned me? And what if I don’t listen?”
Leviathan opened its maw wide toward the gargoyles that had flown in with Satan.
[‘Leviathan’ casts Dragon’s Breath forward.]
The pouring rain from the sky was sucked into its mouth, swirling violently.
(Get lost.)
The words didn’t come from its mouth.
His voice echoed in my mind.
Boom!
With a massive roar, a spray of water burst from Leviathan’s mouth.
It was a wave big enough to call a tsunami.
Hundreds of gargoyles were swept away in one go.
“Leviathan!”
Satan screamed at the spray, and the wave shattered, scattering in all directions.
* * * * *
[Burning Cathedral]
A towering building with pillars like those from Greek and Roman mythology where gods might dwell.
As grand and beautiful as the Sagrada Família designed by Gaudí, the cathedral stood before the World Tree.
Players began gathering one or two at a time inside the cathedral, protected by a holy barrier.
People from various nations with different skin colors. All united by the same goal.
Their classes were diverse.
Warriors, mages, archers, druids, priests, necromancers.
And players with unique classes from their countries—like ninjas, Native American shamans, or voodoo priests.
Anyway, dozens of players gathered on the cathedral steps, chatting.
And at their center stood Ma Jeongwoo.
“My friend’s about to bring one of the archdemons, so everyone get ready to fight.”
These were skilled players who’d made it to the seventh round.
Yet they moved with the swiftness of army recruits at Ma Jeongwoo’s words.
He’d revealed beforehand that they were the unique group who cleared the seventh round of Land of Ruin without a single sacrifice.
The transcendent group revered by all Land of Ruin players worldwide.
A pale-skinned mage player, doubting Ma Jeongwoo, sneered.
-Are you really a member of the Transcendent Group?
A dark-skinned warrior player chimed in with a grumble.
-I can’t believe it!
A yellow-skinned druid player shouted along.
-If you’re really the Transcendent Group, show us proof.
Ma Jeongwoo hefted his axe and said to them,
“If you don’t believe me, come at me. I’ll prove it with my skills.”
“Ah, no, that’s not how you prove it! We want evidence.”
“What kind of evidence?”
“Well… something like their mark.”
The Transcendent Group’s mark.
Of course, he didn’t have it here. Jeongwoo knew what they meant.
It had to be the third eye, obtainable in the fifteenth round no one had reached.
Ma Jeongwoo nodded as if understanding.
“I can’t get that yet.”
“Do you even know what I’m talking about?”
“The third eye, right?”
“……”
Half the players gathered here didn’t believe him.
Ma Jeongwoo dug his nose, as if their skepticism didn’t matter.
“No other way to prove I’m Transcendent Group right now. Believe it or don’t.”
“……And if you’re not? How do you take responsibility?”
“Take my life. That answer enough?”
His extreme response shut the other guy up.
Ma Jeongwoo patted his shoulder as he passed and continued.
“Why would I lie after coming this far?”
“……”
“One thing upfront: after the seventh round, we’ll open a gate that forces us straight to the tenth.”
“……?!”
“Only one group knows this method. The Transcendent Group you keep mentioning.”
The druid slammed his staff into the ground.
Thud!
“I-Is that true?”
“Yeah. If you wanna go, shut up and follow orders.”
Everyone fell silent at Ma Jeongwoo’s offer. Even the doubters perked up their ears.
Rumble rumble rumble.
Suddenly, the ground shook.
The players guarding the cathedral front stood up. Looking toward the noise, countless demons were swarming.
The druid gulped at the sight.
“It’s real.”
Ma Jeongwoo grinned happily at the approaching demons.
After scanning around for a while, he tilted his head. Leviathan, who should’ve been at the vanguard, was nowhere.
“……Where is he?”
Guarding their frontline was Kim Cheonjae.
The players cheered.
-Wow! Demons are really heading for the cathedral!
-This guy… it’s true?
-Huh…
All hundred or so players in front of the cathedral lit up with joy.
They could easily handle one of the biggest threats that had cornered them in the seventh round.
Ma Jeongwoo eyed the demons slowly, then raised his axe overhead.
“Everyone, battle ready.”
-Roar!
Yoo Sora asked Ma Jeongwoo.
“Jeongwoo-ssi.”
“Yeah?”
“Why’s everyone cheering at the demons?”
“Hm? ‘Cause the plan’s going great.”
“The plan? Shouldn’t Cheonjae-ssi be bringing the archdemon Leviathan?”
“Well… yeah.”
Hearing Yoo Sora, Ma Jeongwoo fell into thought.
The plan’s core was neutralizing Leviathan early, but the ones Kim Cheonjae brought were just low-level demons.
Yoo Sora scratched her head, then said while looking at the demons.
“Where’s Cheonjae-ssi?”
“Cheonjae? He’s right up front.”
“Where?”
“There, there.”
Yoo Sora rubbed her eyes.
“Huh? There’s only red-skinned demons there.”
“No, that one right… up front—”
“……You mean that goat-headed demon?”
Ma Jeongwoo lowered his pointing finger and called Michael.
“Michael, can you do Hymn of the Angel?”
“Oh yeah! You betcha, my turn at last?”
“Yeah. And when I go meet Cheonjae, load the grenade.”
“……Grenade?”
Ma Jeongwoo nodded.
“Yeah, the special round made in Mechnia.”
* * * * *
The demon army stood in ranks before the cathedral, wielding tridents.
Gargoyles appearing from somewhere flew through the sky, screeching eerily.
-Kyaaack!
As the prepared demons surrounded the cathedral, Kim Cheonjae emerged from their frontline.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
“Uh, hey, everyone doing well?”
Ma Jeongwoo replied.
“Where’s Leviathan?”
“Oh, that guy? Said he had to stop somewhere and went ahead.”
“I see. So what’s the plan now?”
“What plan? Stick to the original.”
“What’s the original again?”
Kim Cheonjae scanned the players gathered before the cathedral, then smirked slightly.
“……What’s the plan, you say?”
“Kim Cheonjae.”
“Yeah?”
Whoosh—
Ma Jeongwoo’s axe cleaved the air.
Thwack!
Kim Cheonjae reached out and blocked it.
“W-What?”
To block a barbarian warrior’s full swing axe barehanded—what a feat.
And from a mere necromancer.
Tension filled the faces of the watching players.
The fight between two once-called transcendents had begun.
10 seconds.
No more, no less. Silence flowed.
Everyone gulped, waiting for their move.
Ma Jeongwoo twisted the axe blade free and said to Kim Cheonjae.
“Hey, where’s the real Kim Cheonjae?”
“……”
“Almost got fooled. Even replicated the scythe he has perfectly.”
Suddenly, Kim Cheonjae started laughing maniacally.
Kuhahaha!
“You knew?”
“Knew from before you climbed the steps.”
“Then why wait ‘til I came all the way here?”
“……Why wait? Hey, Michael!”
Michael grinned.
“You’re screwed.”
Boom!