Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Storming the Castle
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China's leader unleashed his aura. A brilliant white light poured from his body.
It wasn't the power of an ordinary player.
But I looked down at him and issued the command once more.
"Get lost."
"How dare a player from some puny little country talk to me like that?"
Puny little country?
"Cut the bullshit and get the hell out if you don't want to die."
"Shut your mouth. Why are you Korean bastards—who've been hiding this whole time—suddenly gunning for the castle now?"
"Because I'm here now."
The bastard's face twisted in confusion.
"......What?"
"I wasn't here before. But now I am."
"You think you alone can turn the tide of this game?"
I nodded.
"Last warning. Get out fast if you don't want to die."
The man in the blue robe drew his sword.
Shing.
"What's your name?"
"Kim Cheonjae. You?"
"Wang Cheonma."
The moment I heard "Cheonma," I knew who he was.
The one and only absolute powerhouse of the China server.
The Demonic Path's Wang Cheonma.
So he was here too.
"I've given you your chance. If you don't turn back now, we'll have to fight."
"Then we'll fight."
"......Watch your head."
Whoosh—
A spear came flying from the castle side.
Clang!
Wang Cheonma blocked it effortlessly.
"Kim Cheonjae, I'll make you regret coming at me."
I smiled.
"Thanks."
"Come on, then."
"Why would a tiger bother swatting a fly?"
"......What did you say?"
Yoo Sora injected Ma Jeongwoo's arm.
A yellow liquid flowed into Jeongwoo's body.
['Ma Jeongwoo' has received a blood transfusion from player 'Yoo Sora' under pressure.]
[The power of the Golden Arhat, who served as the Jade Emperor's bodyguard and head of the palace guards, is activated.]
[Activation time: 30 minutes]
Ma Jeongwoo cracked his neck.
"Jeongwoo, I'm counting on you."
"Leave it to me."
Wang Cheonma furrowed his brow.
"Fool. You think you alone can take me on?"
"Heh heh."
Whoosh—
Ma Jeongwoo's axe blade gleamed.
Clang!
It clashed against the Heavenly Demon's sword.
"So you're Wang Cheonma. I've been itching for a fight with you."
"......Itching for a fight? Do you even know who I am?"
"Yeah. Do you know who's the top Barbarian Warrior among the Korean players, by chance?"
"......You don't mean."
Ma Jeongwoo grinned.
"Nice to meet you. I've been dying to kill you, and now here's my chance."
A dragon-tiger brawl.
An insanely fierce battle erupted.
A fight so intense that regular players couldn't even intervene.
Wang Cheonma, who wielded aura, versus Ma Jeongwoo, whose superhuman speed surpassed human limits thanks to the Golden Arhat's power.
Every clash of their blades sent shockwaves rippling through the air, as if space itself was trembling.
Clang!
While they fought, I pressed on with the original plan.
"Advance."
Li Keruna nodded.
His subordinates led rhinos in attacking the Chinese players heading for the castle.
Then, the Korean players slowly advanced toward the castle, elephants in the lead.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
-Trumpet!
The Korean players hid behind the elephants, aiming at the enemy and firing.
Japanese soldiers peering from the castle windows, Chinese troops with their backs exposed.
Bang! Bang bang!
Enemies dropped one by one.
The enemy spotted our snipers and fired guns and spells, but the high-defense elephants blocked them.
-Eyes sharp, everyone!
-Stick tight behind the elephants—shoot the ones poking their heads out the windows first!
-Th... this is how you fight?
Like a circus parade marching through an amusement park, we arrived lightly at the castle gates.
The rhinos charged with their massive bodies, flipping over a group of Chinese shield warriors.
Like a bowling ball striking pins.
The warriors went flying.
-Argh!
-Someone stop that rhino!
As the enemy priests chanted holy spells, hyenas lunged and tore into them.
-Yip yip!
"What's this now?!"
Crunch!
"Argh!"
Chinese screams erupted everywhere. Even the Japanese fighting them stared in stunned silence.
I bellowed.
"Kill anyone blocking our path!"
It didn't take long to clear the area in front of the castle.
My summons outnumbered them by far, and each one's stats outclassed regular players.
-Sp-Spare me!
-Wang Cheonma! The warrior line is broken. Priests are getting mauled by hyenas, archers and mages are dropping one by one to the Koreans...
Once about half the Chinese players were down,
Wang Cheonma halted his fight with Ma Jeongwoo.
"Damn bastards."
"What, not coming at me?"
"......We'll settle this in the seventh round."
"What? You running away?"
"It's not running. Just stepping back from your cowardly tactics for now."
I shrugged.
"Cowardly? With three nations as enemies, hitting them from behind is just smart strategy. How's that cowardly?"
"......Next time, face me head-on in a fair fight."
I flipped him the bird.
"Have this instead."
Wang Cheonma squeezed his eyes shut, then kicked off the ground and leaped high. He waved the flag overhead, signaling his troops to retreat.
An adjutant-looking guy bellowed in sync with the signal.
-Retreat! Retreat! We're forfeiting this game!
Hearing the call, the Chinese players and their soldiers turned and fled the castle.
-Everyone, fall back!
I'd thought them a ragtag bunch, but they moved surprisingly fast on command.
Li Keruna shouted after them as he pursued.
"Kill the Chinese!"
* * * * *
With the Chinese gone, the area in front of the castle cleared up.
A tense standoff hung between the Japanese and us.
Not attacking yet, but on the verge.
Our snipers aimed at the castle windows, ready to shoot if they so much as peeked out.
[Time remaining: 49 minutes]
Less than an hour left.
I lined up the animals in a straight row.
"Major Kim Juncheol."
"Yes."
"When I give the signal, follow the hyenas in."
"......Understood."
"Jeongwoo, you too."
Jeongwoo nodded.
"Everyone else, hold this spot—don't let any enemies escape the castle. Got it?"
The Korean alliance players replied in unison.
-Yes!
I glanced at the skeleton crows circling in the sky.
They swirled near Kim Jeongjae.
'Kim Jeongjae...'
I beckoned the crows.
They descended slowly, clinging to the castle walls.
Confirming their position, I clenched my fist and twirled it overhead.
"Kim Cheonjae, what're you doing?"
"Signaling."
"What signal?"
"The one to call the evil ghosts."
"......Evil ghosts?"
"Yeah. Evil ghosts."
['Kim Jeongjae' is watching Kim Cheonjae closely.]
Caw! Caaaaw!
Bone crows swooped down over our heads.
One of the mid-tier skeleton combos.
Goblins infected with the virus rode atop them.
Holding wooden shields and daggers, they let out eerie cries, craving battle.
-Kieeeek!
-Kuheeeerl!!!
Jeongwoo frowned.
"......You resurrected the goblins from the ravine too?"
"Yeah, almost died to infected on the way out. Owe my life to their corpses."
Ma Jeongwoo looked up at the sky in disbelief.
"Lucky bastard."
The crows plummeted, flipping in midair before dumping the goblins onto the walls.
-Kieeeek!!
Thud!
The goblins scaled the walls and slipped through the windows.
Bang! Bang bang!
Gunfire echoed from inside.
I yanked hard on the leash around the tiger's neck and shouted.
"Deploy the giraffes!"
The giraffe stepped forward slowly, reared its neck back,
Whoosh—
And slammed it hard into the castle's second floor.
Boom!
The wall shattered.
Tiny skeleton soldiers used the giraffe's neck as a ladder, swarming up fast.
Thud thud thud thud—!
"Kyat-ho!"
"Kieee!"
"Kyaaak."
Tiny skeleton suicide bombers wielding kitchen knives.
Explosions rocked the castle from all sides as they poured in.
Kaboom! Boom! Boom!
"Rhino unit!"
The rhinos charged full speed at the castle gate.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The drumbeats from Li Keruna's subordinates boosted their morale.
['Rhino' movement speed increases.]
Boom—!
The wooden gate shook.
A hole punched where the rhino's horn hit.
Four rhinos took turns hammering the gate.
Boom—! Boom—!
The crumbling gate split in half.
"Rhinos, fall back."
The rhinos pulled rearward, creating cover for our snipers behind their shields.
"Elephants, advance."
The elephants moved forward.
No real attack—just swung their trunks wide and smashed the gate.
Boom!
It shattered in one hit.
"Charge in!"
Hyenas bolted inside.
Kim Juncheol's Goblin Unit and the Korean alliance followed.
Bang!
Waiting Japanese soldiers opened fire.
Two swordsmen stepped forward.
Mukai and Noda.
"Damn Chōsenjin."
"Yeah! Kill those Chōsenjin, bro."
I didn't stop running—charged straight ahead.
"Chakan i!"
Chakan i dashed up behind me.
"Earth Wave."
The ground surged like a wave, engulfing them.
Rumble.
"Go on. I'll hold here."
"You got this?"
Jo Youngki winked.
"Piece of cake."
"Michael! Back up Chakan i!"
Michael drew his pistol.
"Okay."
I led Kim Juncheol and Ma Jeongwoo up the stairs.
Japanese troops were posted everywhere. Not the brightest NPCs, but their skills rivaled solid players.
Kim Juncheol's Goblin Unit took point, blocking them.
"Cheonjae-ssi. Leave this to us."
"Got it. See you after."
"Stay safe."
I kept running.
Just plant the flag, and this game's won. Hurry a bit more.
Swoosh—
The sound of air slicing.
I swung my fang on reflex.
Thwack!
"......Shuriken?"
A blade grazed the fang. Looking back, a bandage-wrapped figure stood there.
"Meet again."
"......Hanjo."
"I figured you weren't ordinary. But to make it this far..."
"You look even less ordinary."
Hanjo chuckled wheezily.
"The wound you gave me still throbs."
"Should've died then. Too bad."
"......Sly fox."
"Fox to a tiger? Says the monkey."
Hanjo drew his sword.
"Not like last time."
"Oho, full of confidence? Sorry, gotta go—running out of time."
Glancing at the clock, game end was near. No time for this guy.
"Jeongwoo."
"......Got it."
"Just buy me time. Flag's all I need."
"Don't be late this time."
"Yeah."
Hanjo tilted his head.
"Think you can just pass us?"
"......Us?"
"Yeah."
From the shadows behind him, another man emerged.
A middle-aged guy with a crew cut in military uniform.
"Greetings, folks. Name's Gunkichi."
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