Chapter 273
Chapter 273
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 274
Chapter Title: Predator Legion Assault
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Upon hearing that the Predator Legion was coming, we hurriedly left the inn and soon moved outside the city walls.
“......What the hell.”
I looked toward the horizon. A chill ran down my spine.
The legion was approaching.
Boundary Predators gripping spears and monsters drooling as they searched for prey.
Even at a rough estimate, there were at least a thousand of them.
A massive army.
I racked my brain trying to figure out why this was happening. In the original story, there had never been a large-scale raid like this. Not even anything remotely similar.
Where did it all go wrong?
Exactly where....
“Ah.”
In that moment, yesterday's events flashed through my mind.
The nighttime assassination of the Predator.
It seemed that was the cause.
They must have sensed the lingering mana from the Predator I killed and felt a threat.
In the past, Jin Cheonwoo had massacred Predators in a virtual world to gather materials needed for 'immortality.'
And the Boundary Predators hadn't forgotten that day even now.
They might have assembled this legion out of fear that the same thing would happen again, intending to nip it in the bud.
That explanation made all the puzzle pieces fit perfectly.
“......Our luck is absolute shit.”
At some point, the innkeeper, Jeong Cheongho, had appeared beside us and spoke to Lee Seojun.
“You, by any chance, can't stop that?”
“No, there are just too many of them.”
“......Even as Jin Cheonwoo's apostle, it's too much?”
Jin Cheonwoo's apostle? Even a 21-year-old Jin Cheonwoo couldn't stop this.
I calmly watched the legion charging toward the walls and asked one of the nearby city guards.
“How long can the barrier surrounding the city hold them off?”
“It can handle small-scale attacks just fine, but against an army that size, it'll break through quickly.”
“What about other options?”
“We're activating the emergency gate installed in the capital right now.”
Emergency gate.
It refers to a gate that massively amplifies the city's mana to evacuate a large number of people at once.
For reference, this gate plays an important role in the original story too.
It's essential for reaching the next destination and uncovering the secret of immortality.
In the original, they found a separate mana supply method to use this gate, but now that the crisis has hit, they're activating it themselves.
“How long until it's operational?”
“......It requires activating the surrounding mana supply devices, so about 10 minutes.”
“10 minutes?”
That's too long.
More than enough time for the gate to fall into enemy hands.
What now?
That's when Lee Seojun turned to me.
“......Seonwoo, think you can stop that?”
“How the hell am I supposed to stop that.”
If I used my S-rank AoE skill 'Mana Downpour,' I was confident I could wipe out more than half from here, but the problem comes after.
There would still be remnants left, and the question is whether Lee Seojun and Choi Seoyoon could handle them.
After using 'Mana Downpour,' I'd be out of mana and couldn't join in.
“It's impossible. No way.”
“Even with that downpour spell you showed before?”
“Yeah, I could thin their numbers significantly, but not wipe them all out.”
“......I figured as much.”
As Lee Seojun expressed his disappointment.
Wuuuung—!
A massive fireball appeared above the legion's heads. It was a combined spell conjured by the Predators drawing on their mana.
And that spell was fired straight at the wall we stood on.
Kwaaaaang!
“Kyaaack!”
“Run!”
The mana slammed into the wall, causing the barrier to shake violently.
Fortunately, the barrier held strong and didn't shatter, but the impact was definitely massive.
If their attacks continued, the barrier would surely collapse soon.
Kwaaaaang—
And after some time, the barrier finally fell.
The wall crumbled, and people began fleeing in terror.
Even though everything in this world was fake, seeing the situation diverge so completely from the original made me laugh in absurdity.
[Kruk, pursue them—]
A voice erupted from the midst of the legion. At the same time, monsters and Predators surged toward us at high speed.
They were so fast that some monsters were already nearly upon us.
“Attack for now!”
Choi Seoyoon and I took out the monsters right in front of us with simple spells.
But with such overwhelming numbers, there was a limit to fighting head-on.
......If nothing else, we had to protect the gate for the story to progress.
So my remaining options were....
“Seojun.”
At my call, Lee Seojun looked at me.
“I'll buy time here. You head to the gate and evacuate the people.”
“......What? What are you even saying?”
Lee Seojun scowled. Choi Seoyoon, who had been listening quietly beside him, approached me with a panicked look.
“Sunbae. You're not thinking of holding them off alone, are you?”
Choi Seoyoon glared at me and grabbed my arm. Her voice carried urgency and a tremor.
“No. I absolutely won't let you stay alone!”
“......I didn't say anything about holding them off alone.”
“......Pardon?”
Choi Seoyoon blinked.
“Stay with me.”
At my words, Choi Seoyoon froze like a statue. She looked completely caught off guard, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly.
She must have imagined some tear-jerking scene where I heroically sacrificed myself for everyone.
But I had zero intention of sacrificing myself for others.
“......You want me to stay too?”
“Yeah, the two of us can buy enough time.”
Choi Seoyoon stared blankly for a moment, then surprisingly nodded coolly.
“Okay, I'll stay. I thought you were gonna stay alone for a second there.”
“......”
Lee Seojun looked back and forth between us, finding the situation ridiculous.
“Kim Seonwoo. Are you sane right now?”
“If we do nothing, we're all dead. This is the best option.”
“That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice yourself...”
“Seojun.”
At my call, Lee Seojun looked at me.
“I said buy time, not sacrifice myself. While I'm doing that, you go first and find the secret of immortality or how to escape this virtual world. Don't worry about me.”
“But still......”
“Come on. I said I've got this. When have I ever been wrong?”
Lee Seojun clamped his mouth shut for a moment.
“......Never. Not once.”
He muttered, then nodded.
“Got it.”
I flashed him a grin.
“Go on ahead. See you later.”
“Yeah.”
After that, Lee Seojun told Choi Seoyoon the same and shouted loudly.
“Everyone, follow me!”
I stood still, watching their retreating figures.
Just this morning, I never imagined this would happen.
“Sigh. No idea where it all went wrong......”
“Tell me about it.”
Choi Seoyoon muttered from beside me.
I gazed at the legion charging toward us, then glanced at Choi Seoyoon.
Even in a situation scary enough to warrant fear,
Her eyes showed no tremor.
“Not scared?”
“No, not scared. Kinda exciting, actually?”
Choi Seoyoon smiled playfully, trying to lighten the tension.
“Seoyoon.”
At my words, Choi Seoyoon flinched in surprise.
“......Yes? Oh, yes!”
“You can handle the ice barrier, right?”
“Yes, I can. No, it's my specialty.”
“Then from now on, shield me with the barrier.”
With that, I activated the Heart of Great Nature.
Thump!
My heart pounded hard, and at the same time, the magic circle for [Mana Downpour] manifested at my fingertips.
I calmly inputted the enemies' coordinates into the circle.
With so many, I couldn't cover every position, but I meticulously completed it so the 'downpour' could strike the maximum number.
Wuuung!
After about 2 seconds, the magic circle was complete. All preparations done.
Time to start.
I poured mana into the circle, and the mana in my body rapidly drained away.
At the same time, a magic circle appeared in the sky, and a beam of light shot down to the ground.
Kwaaaang!
—Kieeeek!
One monster was pierced by the beam and died.
And again.
New magic circles manifested in the sky, multiplying one by one until they filled the heavens.
Moments later, dozens, hundreds of beams bombarded the ground.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaaaang—!
—Kieeeek—!
—It's a catastrophe!
Under the downpour, the monsters screamed in agony.
—Kirik, dangerous! Kirik! Never seen magic like that!
—Kirik, attack that human man first!
Fwoosh!
In that instant, a massive flame manifested above the legion.
The flames grew larger and soon shot toward me.
But I had no intention of canceling Mana Downpour to dodge.
Just as the flames were about to engulf me.
Crackle—
The surrounding air froze, forming an ice wall that blocked the flames.
Kwaaaaang!
But the attack didn't end there. A new flame spell was fired at me right away.
This time too, an ice wall formed and blocked it.
I glanced back to see Choi Seoyoon sweating profusely, pouring everything into protecting me.
Meanwhile, Mana Downpour swept through the monsters.
—Kirik! No good! Retreat for now!
The monsters pulled back temporarily. They'd judged that mindless charges wouldn't work.
From their perspective, it was the best call.
As my mana nearly bottomed out, Mana Downpour finally ended.
“Huu......”
['Slaughterer of the Boundary' achievement unlocked.]
[3,000 points acquired as reward.]
[Massacred multiple enemies with a single spell.]
[Mana Control proficiency increased by 3%!]
Points and Mana Control proficiency rose.
Points aside, the Mana Control boost was very satisfying.
It might seem like just 3%, but training to raise it by 1% takes an insane amount of time.
As I admired the messages,
Wuuuu—!
Flash!
Vast mana spread from the city center behind us, and a huge beam of light shot into the sky.
Choi Seoyoon and I turned to look.
“......Looks like the gate's active.”
“Yeah. Good thing.”
“Sunbae, what now? My mana's running low too.”
Choi Seoyoon gave a hollow laugh as she eyed the legion.
Mana Downpour had cut their numbers by nearly half, but plenty remained.
The issue was my Heart of Great Nature duration ending, leaving my mana depleted too.
But.
I hadn't used all my cards yet.
I still had the 'mystery' card left.
I immediately used the mana stored in the [Mana Crystal Pendant]. My depleted mana quickly refilled.
—Kruk...... Those guys aren't attacking anymore. They're out of mana!
—Of course, after a spell like that, no mana left. Our turn now? Kruk!
—Attack!
At that moment, another flame spell manifested above their heads.
I looked at it and said to Choi Seoyoon.
“Situation's handled, so let's get out of here.”
“How?”
“Hold on tight.”
“Pardon?”
I immediately scooped Choi Seoyoon into my arms.
“Kyak!”
I activated [Airwalk] on my shoes and kicked off into the air, soaring skyward.
At the same time, flames hit where I'd stood, exploding.
—......Wh-what! Kruk! Th-the guy's flying!
—Big trouble! Can't attack if it flies!
Floating in the air, I immediately activated Instant Acceleration.
My body exploded forward in speed, kicking off the air as I raced ahead.
Airwalk lasts only 5 seconds.
But combined with Instant Acceleration, it was more than enough to shake them off.
Meanwhile, Lee Seojun and the city folk who used the emergency gate arrived at a new location.
Once everyone was out, the gate lost its light and shut down.
Lee Seojun felt a mix of complex emotions about leaving his friends behind to escape alone, then slowly looked around.
“......Where is this.”
It was a small temple. It gave off the vibe of ancient jungle ruins.
There were statues, stone altars, and buildings.
Voices came from behind.
“Phew. We barely survived.”
“We lived because those two young wizards bought us time earlier.”
“......What about those two?”
Lee Seojun stood silently, listening. Then Jeong Cheongho approached.
“Too bad about your friends. We owe them big time.”
Lee Seojun thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“They'll be fine.”
“......You think so?”
“Yeah, they'll definitely be okay.”
If it's Kim Seonwoo......
I could firmly believe he'd survive any situation.
So what I needed to do now was uncover Kwak Moojin's research and how to escape this virtual world in his place.
“By the way, I have a question.”
“What?”
“Why do you call me Jin Cheonwoo's apostle?”
It had been bugging him for a while. Things were too hectic earlier to ask in detail.
At Lee Seojun's question, Jeong Cheongho pondered briefly.
“First, because you possess mana unique to Boundary residents.”
Lee Seojun knew he'd experienced death once in his mother's womb.
Jeong Cheongho's words were probably related.
“Second, because of what Jin Cheonwoo said in the past.”
......What Jin Cheonwoo left behind?
“He said he'd leave alone, but far in the future, one who shares his blood and has experienced death would come to save us. That's you.”
......Jin Cheonwoo said that?
Feeling momentarily bewildered, he heard Jeong Cheongho say as he looked around.
“Anyway, this seems to be a legacy left by the Boundary's mystery scholars.”
“Legacy?”
“First time here for me too, so not sure. But Jin Cheonwoo came to the Boundary specifically to see this legacy.”
Lee Seojun scanned the temple thoughtfully.
Jin Cheonwoo's goal was this temple.
That means there's definitely some secret related to immortality here.
“......Did Kwak Moojin see this temple too?”
“Probably.”
Lost in thought, Lee Seojun unknowingly entered the temple interior.
Looking around, the walls were covered in intricate drawings.
Fetus, living world, Boundary, afterlife......
And all sorts of complex rituals drawn alongside.
......Records related to immortality?
Instinct drew Lee Seojun to touch a ritual.
Right then.
The magic circle glowed, spewing pitch-black darkness.
“......Huh?”
Lee Seojun backed away in panic. But the darkness enveloped him faster and swallowed him whole.
Shwaaaak—!
When he came to, he stood alone in pitch darkness.
He'd had similar experiences before, so he knew what this was.
A meeting with a mystery.
[Welcome. Living being straddling the Boundary. You are the blood kin of the man who visited this world long ago.......]
A voice echoed from the darkness. Lee Seojun walked toward it.
“......Are you a mystery?”
Then, from the faint darkness, a wrinkled old man's face emerged.
[......I am not a mystery. But if you ask if I'm different, not really. I achieved half-immortality, awakened to the truth, and gained power akin to a mystery.]
“......What does that mean?”
The old man's face looked strangely familiar. Lee Seojun gasped.
“......Y-you're?”
[You know me, huh. Well, visiting here makes it natural......?]
The old man muttered, then continued.
[Yes, I am the creator of this virtual world, Kwak Moojin.]
Late evening.
I arrived at a forest far from the city with Choi Seoyoon.
“......Phew. Think we've shaken them completely?”
Choi Seoyoon leaned against a rock, catching her breath laboriously as she muttered.
“Yeah, should be safe now. Let's rest.”
“Okay.”
I pulled water and a towel from my bag and handed them to Choi Seoyoon.
“Ah, thank you.”
Choi Seoyoon wiped the sweat from her forehead with the towel, took a sip of water, and glanced at me.
“You have some too, sunbae.”
Choi Seoyoon offered me the water.
“Nah. Plenty of water, don't worry, drink up.”
I said that, then took my own water from the bag and sipped.
Only then did Choi Seoyoon start drinking from hers.
After finishing, she capped it and said to me.
“Tell me now.”
“Tell you what?”
“Why you and Seojun-sunbae are chasing that guy...... I mean, Jin Cheonwoo. What's the deal between Seojun-sunbae and Jin Cheonwoo? The innkeeper even called Seojun-sunbae his apostle.”
“Ah.”
The reason we're chasing Jin Cheonwoo.
At this point, it's natural she'd be curious.
But suddenly, I wondered.
Is it okay for me to answer instead of Seojun?
After some hesitation, seeing Choi Seoyoon's serious eyes, I made up my mind.
“......Jin Cheonwoo shares blood with Seojun.”
Choi Seoyoon's face filled with shock at my words.
“W-wait. Shares blood? So that guy's Seojun-sunae's father?”
“Something like that.”
The relationship between Seojun and Jin Cheonwoo was about to be revealed to the major characters soon anyway.
And Seojun had been uncomfortable keeping it secret from those around him, so it shouldn't be a big deal if I told her.
Choi Seoyoon's face turned grave as she sank into thought alone.
“I figured there was some huge secret, but I never imagined......”
Muttering that, Choi Seoyoon turned to me.
“Then what about you, sunbae?”
“What about me?”
“Why are you chasing Jin Cheonwoo?”