Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: The Storm Begins
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# 101
A wave swallowed the fleet. Since the ships were fixed by their anchors, a single wave wasn't enough to sink the entire fleet to the bottom of the sea, but the damage was by no means small.
More than a few ships had their masts snapped, and some collided with each other, shattering their decks or sides. There were even some that had tilted completely.
But the black wave's assault wasn't over yet.
Demonic Beast Crocell, in the form of a beautiful girl with amber cat-like eyes and silver hair resembling moonlight, stood on the sea's surface some distance from the port, wiggling her fingers.
The remnants of the wave that had crashed against the fleet reformed on land and advanced again. At the same time, a new wave rose and struck the fleet once more.
The Players, though highly skilled, lacked experience and fell into chaos.
The golden giant, shining like the sun, and the demonic beasts lined up behind it were enough to capture the Players' attention, while the black waves relentlessly battered the fleet, their sheer force and deafening roar shaking the Players' spirits.
But the confusion didn't last long. The Players who had crossed the line between life and death several times, however brief their experience, were the first to regain their senses.
Although the demonic beasts had appeared, a full-scale battle had not yet begun. Aside from the attack on the fleet, which was practically empty, there had been no casualties.
Officers from the naval command center shouted orders, and as the sailors began to move with perfect discipline, the Players also drew their weapons and formed units. The repetitive training, even if only for a few days, had paid off.
Jang Tae-san, who was designated to command the Players, also composed himself. The Players from the Slayers Guild gathered to protect him, and Jang Tae-san quickly moved his hands, projecting a series of luminous text into the air.
The most important thing was to analyze the current situation. The demonic beasts had already shown a pattern of distracting the Players with the golden giant before attacking the fleet with black waves. There was no telling what else might be hidden.
A second wave struck the fleet.
As the terrifying sound swallowed all other noise, enforcing a moment of silence, Jang Tae-san screamed. A dark cloud that had already covered the sky and the downpour that began to fall once again drowned out his scream.
But Jang Tae-san shouted again. In his shock, he first yelled with his own voice before switching to messages, delivering the same content to all twelve Player units.
The short messages couldn't convey everything. Jang Tae-san wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse as he stared once more at the luminous text hanging in the air.
A minimap made of light.
From behind the five demonic beasts, hundreds, perhaps thousands of monsters were swarming forward.
* * *
Why were so many strong humans gathered here?
Did they already know that they would appear here on this day?
Demonic Beast Allocen—the golden giant known as the Warlord—changed his line of thinking.
There are many strong humans gathered here.
All the better. This one battle would be enough to wipe out all the strong humans at once.
An army disproportionate to the island's size is stationed here.
This too was for the better. This battle would also serve to greatly diminish the human forces.
Trampling an island that couldn't even put up a proper resistance was no fun. To move one's own body and fight against strong humans was a warrior's thrill.
Crush them with all your might from the very beginning. Carelessness will not be tolerated.
Hearing the Warlord's intent, the demonic beasts began to unleash their power. And from behind them, the hundreds, thousands of monsters that had surged forward began their landing.
The creatures that burst from the sea were of various kinds.
Some had crab-like pincers, while others had shells like turtles. There were also many demi-humans with fish-like heads, known as fishmen.
A torrential rain poured down. A mad wind blew, churning the sea.
Beyond the flashing lightning, the storm had begun.
* * *
With monsters charging and filling their entire field of view, conventional tactics were no longer viable. The monsters rushed forward like rabid dogs, their speed so great that a head-on confrontation was the only option that came to mind.
The Players, divided into 12 units, drew their respective weapons and assumed combat stances.
Warriors stood at the front. Behind them, ranged attackers like marksmen and archers took their positions, and in the very last row stood the mages.
“Prepare for battle!”
“Red Falcon Guild! Draw your swords!”
“Tanks to the front! Protect the damage dealers!”
“Just fire at will!”
A dazzling display of lights enveloped the Players. Numerous buff spells rained down upon their heads, and as the tanks activated their skills, the emitted light momentarily pushed back the darkness.
The monsters were close. The distance to impact was now barely thirty meters. And just then, Jang Tae-san sent his message. Samer, the Guild Master of the Chosen Guild and commander of the 11th Unit, composed entirely of mages, roared.
“Activate Combination Magic! Rain of Fire!”
The mages belonging to the 11th Unit cast nearly identical spells. The Fireball-type magic that was present in almost every game!
One hundred fireballs, launched in succession by thirty-seven mage Players, rained down like a bombardment. Despite the downpour, the flames’ intensity could not be quelled.
The ground burst into flames. Dozens of monsters caught in the barrage of fireballs vanished cleanly, like words erased by an eraser.
The Players cheered at the overwhelming sight. The mages prepared another spell, and some FPS Players, as if not to be outdone, fired a series of grenades over the monsters' heads.
Explosions engulfed the monsters. But there were still too many of them. The monsters finally closed the distance and clashed with the Shangri-La Navy on the left flank of the beach. The tank-class Players in the front line also collided with the monsters.
It was a chaotic melee.
* * *
The moment the black wave struck the fleet, Kang-seok's party also became aware of the demonic beasts' attack. It was the day before the second World Quest was set to begin, so Kang-seok, who had been sleeping lightly in full combat readiness, hurriedly went up to the deck to assess the situation.
The battlefield was ablaze. A hundred fireballs cast simultaneously by the mages had erased the monsters, and amidst the chaos of fire and rain, monsters and Players clashed.
Even at a glance, the monsters vastly outnumbered them. But Kang-seok was more worried about something else.
The five demonic beasts on the shore were not moving.
They just stood there, watching the fight between the monsters and the Players.
And because of that, Kang-seok felt a sense of urgency.
The demonic beasts' transformation.
He had seen it before, so he knew. While the monsters clashed with the Players, the five demonic beasts were gathering power for their transformation.
That wasn't his only concern. Kang-seok didn't let himself get lost in the overwhelming scene before him and took in the entire battlefield.
Far off, a silver-haired girl stood alone on the black sea, continuously raising waves to batter the fleet.
Even farther out at sea, the storm was gradually, steadily growing stronger.
‘I can't see it.’
It wasn't here yet. The sea monster, which could be called the core of the second World Quest, had not yet appeared.
Would it only appear after all the demonic beasts before them were defeated?
They had to preserve the ship.
The moment the thought occurred to him, Kang-seok looked to the side. The fleet anchored at the shore was practically unusable.
That left the three military airships the navy had brought, and two Player airships, including the Black Dragon.
Kang-seok made his decision. Instead of glaring at the demonic beasts that had nearly completed their transformation, he turned his gaze to the Adamas guild members who had come up on deck. He quickly gave his orders.
“Yu-jin, Min-gu, Christian, and I will fight the demonic beasts. The rest of you, protect the airship. Jun-gyu, get the airship airborne and move inland. Get away from the front line.”
For a fight against demonic beasts, Players strong in close combat were needed. He couldn't just stand by, even if the sea monster hadn't appeared yet.
“But!”
As expected, Choi Yu-ra protested. Seong Yu-jin, understanding Kang-seok's intent, stopped her.
“Yu-ra, you be the airship's artillery. If things get dicey, you can fly in and provide support fire from the air. That'll be enough. The sea monster hasn't appeared yet. We need to protect the Black Dragon and Sekhmet.”
When it came to combat sense, Choi Yu-ra was no less sharp than Seong Yu-jin. Frustrated as she was, she understood Seong Yu-jin's words. She clenched her fists, gritting her teeth.
Park Han-yeong was not suited for a chaotic melee. It would be better for her to operate the other weapons installed on the Black Dragon and assist Choi Yu-ra.
Kim Kang-san was the close-combat specialist left behind as a contingency.
“If it's decided, I shall go first.”
Christian, who had been growling while glaring at the front line, activated his skill. Dozens of rings of light formed around his arms, legs, and torso. As the rings began to spin furiously, chunks of metal materialized from thin air, drawn to the rings and beginning to assemble.
Ivory-colored reinforced power armor.
A giant battle hammer crackling with lightning and a short, cross-shaped shield that generated a force field.
Christian roared and kicked off the deck. He shot towards the battlefield, propelled by jets of air from the pack on his back.
Go Min-gu didn't delay either. He snorted once, then vaulted over the deck railing.
Kang-seok looked one last time at Choi Yu-ra, Kim Kang-san, and Park Han-yeong. He clenched his fist and gave them a smile.
“I'll be back.”
He didn't wait for a reply. He wrapped one arm around Seong Yu-jin's waist, who hadn't yet activated her Magic Armor Arnach, and leaped from the Black Dragon. Together with Seong Yu-jin, he raced through the darkness.
Kang-seok's targets were not the monsters, but the demonic beasts.
And as if responding to his intent, the five demonic beasts, having completed their transformation, began to move.
* * *
Yang Jun-gyu, who had been at the helm instead of on deck, started up the Black Dragon as soon as he heard Kang-seok's order through the speaking tube.
Sekhmet, usually chattering away, curled up with a tense expression. She crouched right next to Yang Jun-gyu's pilot seat, swallowing nervously.
Choi Yu-ra, Park Han-yeong, and Kim Kang-san headed not for the bridge where the helm was, but to the firing ports located on each side of the Black Dragon.
This time, Oh Ha-na didn't hide in her cabin either, instead standing at the firing port next to Choi Yu-ra, gripping a large, mounted crossbow.
The Black Dragon took flight. The other airships also began to move to leave the front line. Being powered by levistones and magitech engines, they could ascend even on a stormy night like this, ignoring the raging winds.
Kang-seok, running on the ground with Seong Yu-jin, glanced up at the sky for a moment. He let out a brief sigh of relief at the sight of the Black Dragon and the other airships ascending safely.
But his expression quickly changed. Seong Yu-jin also let out an urgent cry.
“Yu-ra!”
“Kiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
From beyond the dark clouds, a scream-like roar vibrated through the sky. About twenty giant, bat-like flying monsters rode the mad winds. They opened their mouths in unison towards the nearest Shangri-La warship.
It was a shriek so piercing that even the Players fighting on the ground looked up at the sky. A powerful sonic wave struck the airship, shaking it violently. The flying monsters didn't stop there, attacking the airship's sails and propellers.
The Black Dragon was not safe either. Five of the monsters that had been battering the military airship turned and targeted the Black Dragon. Kim Kang-san and Park Han-yeong quickly pulled the triggers of their crossbows, but the visibility was too poor and the monsters were too fast.
The Black Dragon shook violently. Yang Jun-gyu gritted his teeth and tried to stabilize the airship. Sekhmet clutched her head and trembled.
Choi Yu-ra put away the crossbow and pulled out a heavy firearm. With her uncanny marksmanship, she blew a large hole in the wing of one of the flying monsters. But she could only cover one side of the Black Dragon. Unless she went up on deck, she couldn't cover all sides by herself.
“Kiaa!”
A sonic wave battered the Black Dragon. Choi Yu-ra, who barely managed to avoid falling by grabbing a wall, shouted into the communication tube connected to the cockpit.
“Jun-gyu! Go down! Lower the altitude!”
If they continued this aerial battle, the Black Dragon would just be destroyed. For better or worse, moving to the ground was the right call. But there was someone who didn't think so.
“No! Keep flying! Maintain altitude!”
“Ha-na?!”
Choi Yu-ra looked at Oh Ha-na in surprise. Having been knocked to the floor when the airship shook, she had pulled herself up by grabbing the communication tube. She shouted again.
“Fly! I'll protect the airship!”
“How?!”
“Because I'm an RTS player, too!”
Choi Yu-ra, who had been feeling a surge of irritation towards Oh Ha-na, suddenly wore a blank expression. Her mouth hung open.
“RTS? You?”
Oh Ha-na didn't bother to answer. She rapidly typed on the luminous keyboard that had materialized on her forearm.
“That's right, I don't have any combat abilities. But my army does!”
They cut through the wind.
A barrage of fire from the machine gun barrels attached to each wingtip shredded the wings of the flying monster that had been harassing the Black Dragon.
It wasn't just one.
Two.
Two fighter jets appeared, tearing through the darkness!
They were pure white, making their presence clear even in the dark.
Watching the two fighters begin to escort the Black Dragon through the window opened for firing weapons, Choi Yu-ra let out a hollow laugh. She knew those fighters.
Galaxy Wars, the legendary RTS game now considered a classic. The fighter jets belonging to the human faction in that game.
The fighter, often called a Y-Wing due to its three wings arranged in a Y-shape around the pilot's cockpit, was weak.
It was the weakest of all the fighters in Galaxy Wars, often derided as a paper airplane, but the real thing was nothing of the sort.
Who could look at this magnificent form and call it a paper airplane!
“Good Day, Commander.”
The pilot inside the fighter greeted Oh Ha-na. Hearing the voice come from the keyboard on Oh Ha-na's forearm, Choi Yu-ra laughed again. Oh Ha-na gave the command.
“Ascend!”
The Black Dragon began to climb again. And around it, two pristine white fighters adorned the pitch-black night sky.
The sound of machine guns tore through the monsters' screams.