Chapter 43: On the Rooftop of a Tower Piercing the Heavens
On the rooftop of a skyscraper that seemed to stab the heavens, dozens of players had gathered. Each one exuded an extraordinary presence, no ordinary folk among them.
It was only natural.
"Old Man Guild's joined the fray too, huh?"
"I see a lot of Giant guys as well."
They were elite combatants dispatched from major renowned guilds. Even assault teams from Genesis and Mad Dog, affiliates of the mega-guild known as 'Giants', were mixed in.
There could only be one reason such heavyweights had assembled here.
"It's way bigger than I thought."
"No wonder the Association called us in a panic."
"How long's it been since we last saw a blue gate?"
Whooooom—!
A massive blue vortex, towering 6 meters high, hummed in resonance on the rooftop where the players had gathered. A blue gate! Following black and purple, it was rated the third-highest danger level. Excluding the 'black' gates that hadn't appeared since the Ghermadan descent, it was practically the second most dangerous. No wonder the prestigious guilds had mobilized.
But,
"Those the ones? The guild that's been skyrocketing lately?"
"Yeah."
"Skyrocketing my ass. You think drawing lines on a pumpkin makes it a watermelon?"
A few players on the rooftop weren't even looking at the blue gate—they were staring off in a completely different direction.
"Bro, I'm so scared..."
"Don't start whining already, little bro! If we chicken out, who's gonna lead the squad?!"
"That's a blue gate..."
"First time seeing one for real... This is no joke..."
The Black Lion squad stood there looking utterly deflated, their faces pale as ghosts—like a ragtag bunch of amateurs.
Lee Il-ho, the eldest of the Black-White Brothers now in charge of the team, was frantically encouraging his terrified brother and squadmates, but...
"What the hell? They're not even scared shitless pups..."
"At this rate, they won't help with the raid—they'd just be in the way. Lucky if they don't screw us up."
"Know your place. Why's a no-name weakling guild even here?"
To outsiders, they all looked the same. Countless players glared at the Black Lions with open disdain.
"Heard they're some new outfit. Turns out they're the guild of that S-rank couple's son?"
"Fuckin' hell. Makes no sense. If it was just about connections, even overseas majors would've snapped him up—why the hell join that dump?"
"Wait a sec."
One player who had been eyeing the Black Lions with pity suddenly frowned.
"That S-rank couple's son—Hwang Jae-min, right? I don't see his face anywhere."
"Huh? You're right."
"What? So these guys are basically useless? Not worth a rat's shit for this raid?"
Realizing Jae-min was absent, the players turned even sharper glares on the Black Lions, heaping on the pressure.
While everyone else was dishing out the cold stares,
"...Hwang Jae-min's sitting this one out, huh?"
Some smirked as if welcoming the news.
The Mad Dog assault team. The 'First Attackers.' They were the cream of the guild's crop.
And Kang Tae-sik, their commander, had recently heard the word:
'Black Lion humiliated Mad Dog.'
The source was Hong Suk-gyu, the guild's recruitment manager.
Not long ago, Hong had visited the Black Lion HQ to recruit Jae-min but came back empty-handed, seething with humiliation.
Back at base, his face twisted like a demon, Hong had spat:
"I'll kill them all..."
Kang Tae-sik exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke, muttering under his breath too low for his team to hear.
'Not that it matters if they do.'
They all shared his grudge anyway.
The grudge to massacre those idiots inside today's blue gate.
'Not like I'm Hong Suk-gyu's hunting dog or anything...'
Thud! He flicked his cigarette butt to the ground.
'Can't just let our guild get shamed by trash like that.'
The order to crush Black Lion at the first chance had already come down.
And today, that chance had arrived.
'If Hwang Jae-min were here, I'd let it slide.'
From the Guro-gu incident, Kang knew the extent of Hwang Jae-min's power. Even he, famed for his arrogance in the guild, had been awed.
'We're top A-rank, sure... but against a monster like that? No guarantee of victory.'
Hell, defeat was more likely.
But look at this? The one wildcard was nowhere in sight, leaving only these weaklings.
A golden opportunity to gut Black Lion.
"No, wait."
Suddenly struck by a possibility, Kang rapidly expanded his senses.
'He might be hiding with Stealth.'
No reason to unless he knew about the massacre plan, but...
What if the cautious bastard had anticipated it and cloaked?
Kang couldn't tolerate even a speck of uncertainty. He focused every nerve on the mana waves he spread like radar.
But,
"...Guess I worried for nothing."
No suspicious blips on the radar.
Only now did Kang relax.
All that was left was to slaughter the fools at leisure.
Of course,
"No way I'm dirtying my hands on a few bugs."
He had no intention of killing the Black Lions himself.
They weren't worth it.
Someone else would get their hands bloody.
"You know what you gotta do, right?"
Kang turned and said.
There stood a girl with a youthful face, head bowed. Her red hair hung messily to her shoulders, hiding her beauty.
Kang smirked and brushed her hair aside.
"Prove your worth today."
"......"
"Not gonna answer, Lee Ji-yoon?"
Her now-exposed face was shadowed by long, dark hollows.
And those shadows clung stubbornly even as,
"Yes,"
she lifted her head and forced out the words.
***
Whiiiish—!
The first to greet those crossing the blue gate was a knife-like gale that flayed the skin.
The late-entering Black Lions huddled and gasped in shock.
"This is inside a blue gate...!"
"It's brutal right from the entrance...!"
"Ptooey! Good thing we prepped cold-weather gear!"
Shivering in the murderous chill, they stared blankly at the vast snowy expanse.
On the snow-blanketed ground lay a wolf monster with white fur, bleeding out in death.
Lee Il-ho whistled at the sight.
"Traces left by the vanguard."
Dungeon entrances could hide anything. Scout reports only covered rough difficulty and environment.
So elite vanguards always entered first, clearing threats and paving the way for the rest.
"Let's move!"
The Black-White Brothers led their squad, lugging massive metal cases, forward.
Latecomers or not, they couldn't lag too far.
Whiiiish—!
Braving the blizzard, they trudged across the snow for hours.
About three hours in, they wandered a pristine white forest rimed with frost.
Halting at one spot, Lee Il-ho glanced at the blackened sky and nodded.
"No monsters around, and the conifers block the wind. Perfect for base camp."
"Everyone, prep!"
A blue gate raid averaged three days. A long haul.
A solid base camp was crucial for enduring it.
At the Brothers' command, the squad bustled to set up camp.
Soon, they huddled by a crackling campfire, prepping meals. Laughter occasionally bubbled up.
"...What is this, a school trip?"
A fair jab.
But it wasn't from leader Lee Il-ho.
The startled squad whipped toward the voice.
"Vanguards are out there risking their necks, and you're giggling like schoolgirls? No shame, you vermin?"
Darkness flooded the forest path.
From it emerged a chilling group: Kang Tae-sik and his First Attackers.
"Mad Dog..."
Lee Il-ho swallowed dryly at their guild emblem.
Weaklings or not,
"Well, thanks to that, we can handle you quietly. You're welcome."
They weren't dumb enough to miss the killing intent.
Kang laughed at the frozen Black Lions, like mice in a trap.
Time to unleash the cat.
"Lee Ji-yoon."
"...Yes."
"Go bite."
Shiiiing—.
A haunting scrape of blade from sheath revealed a girl who looked barely high school age.
Lee Ji-yoon. Mad Dog's latest 'dark horse.'
Talent beyond her years. Guild leader Oh Chae-rin doted on her, sparing no support.
With that backing, she could rise to guild elite.
But alas,
"Don't fuck up. Bite clean. Got it?"
"......"
In Mad Dog, 'dark horse' meant 'hunting dog.'
Ruthless, indiscriminate.
Blindly obeying any filthy order from the master.
"......"
Moonlight glinted off Ji-yoon's long sword like beastly fangs.
The Black Lions gulped at the eerie flash.
Crunch.
Ji-yoon sank deep footprints into the thick snow, slowly closing on her prey.
But only one step.
Still too far for a strike.
Kang, watching from behind, scowled.
"Why'd you stop?"
"......"
"Scared 'cause they're outnumbered? Relax. You can lose. This ain't about you winning."
He didn't care about victory.
Just whether the dog could tear into them.
But.
Shiiiing...
Ji-yoon sheathed her blade in resignation.
Kang's eyes narrowed.
Unable to face him, she stared at the ground.
"I can't..."
"Can't?"
"They're innocent..."
"Innocent? They shamed our guild."
"That's no death sentence."
Twitch—.
A thick vein bulged at Kang's temple.
Talent aside, he couldn't stomach backtalk from this brat.
"Fine. Don't wanna? Don't."
Whoooong—!
His bloodshot eyes glowed red.
"I'll do it."
"...?!"
Like contagion, Ji-yoon's eyes filled with crimson.
An unnatural aura surged like a tidal wave.
"Guh...!"
Her body was no longer hers. A helpless void as control vanished.
Her hands, against her will, drew the blade again.
"C-Commander...!"
"Shut it. Who said I'm your commander, bitch?"
Blind Obedience: A domination skill seizing a pact-bound target's will.
Control the hound with a leash.
Kang had forced the pact on Ji-yoon as a team entry condition.
Not that she acted like much of a hound now...
"Why treat a sub-dog like team? No reason."
"P-Please...!"
Her body jerked like a strung puppet toward the Black Lions.
"S-Stop! Please...!"
With each closing step, her heart sank.
She'd use her free mouth at least.
"Everyone, run—!"
But the words cut short.
First Attackers had surrounded the Black Lions, blocking escape.
A gruesome vision of cleaving their trapped heads flashed in her mind.
Despairing, she squeezed her eyes shut as the blade rose.
And...
"...!"
Crack—!
A horrific rending echoed through the forest.
"Huh...?"
But not from ahead.
Behind her.
'No resistance at the blade tip...?'
Even her seized limbs obeyed her will again.
Ji-yoon opened her eyes, turning to the source of the sound.
But she couldn't fully turn.
"Who're you calling sub-dog, you trash?"
"......"
Ji-yoon wondered if she was dreaming.
Otherwise, how explain her brother's savior being here?
Jae-min, appearing from nowhere, eyed the stunned girl behind him.
There,
"Wh-Where the hell did you—?!"
Kang Tae-sik gaped, his right shoulder pierced by a razor-sharp icicle.
More shocked by Jae-min's sudden arrival than the pain.
"Not even Stealth!"
"Curious?"
Whoosh—!
Jae-min slowly raised a fist blazing with explosive ether, grinning.
"Survive this, and maybe I'll tell ya."