Chapter 249
Chapter 249
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 249
Chapter Title: Frozen Confrontation
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Blue House's outskirts were in utter chaos.
"We need to send reinforcements right now!"
"No, does that mean we're abandoning this place for real?"
"It's the vice guild master's order! If we don't listen and let the enemy slip away, are you going to take responsibility?"
"And you, Team Leader Baek, are you going to take responsibility if the demons cross the forest?"
Troops had been stationed around Blue House to guard against demons.
Those troops shifted based on the demons' movements. Especially in situations like now, where demons were appearing or communications were cut off, they couldn't afford to slacken their vigilance.
No matter how urgent the fight between players was, it couldn't be more important than a demon invasion.
But.
"I'm saying we should solve the problem happening right now instead of something that's not even confirmed!"
Lee Won-jae was trying to move those troops.
It wasn't an incomprehensible situation.
Adolf was dead. Adolf was an executive to whom Kim Il-su had entrusted the management of Blue House.
The death of such a person could be seen as a declaration of war on Blue Zone.
"But isn't this already more than enough? It's just one opponent, right?"
"Well..."
Even Baek Team Leader Baek Seung-hoon was at a loss for words at that question.
In truth, he knew it too. No matter how strong the opponent was, unless it was the Heavenly Demon, this was an excessive order.
Would Blue House really be breached by a single person? Especially with the blockade already in place, it was safe to say there was no chance of letting the enemy escape.
...I find it just as hard to understand.
Yet the incomprehensible order had come down. Did that mean this was an opponent worth going this far for?
It was while they were in such confusion.
Bwoooo—.
High in the sky.
A whale-like cry echoing through the heavens came from something floating in the air.
A blue battleship hidden within thick clouds revealed itself.
Baekya (White Night).
Blue Zone's battleship, which only appeared during major guild operations like wars or Guardian raids.
Baek Seung-hoon's expression hardened at its appearance.
"Are you still going to say the same thing?"
"......"
He couldn't answer easily.
Baekya moving meant war had been declared—no different from that. It meant all of the guild's forces had to mobilize.
There was no turning back now.
"Understood. Then let's hurry, even if it's just one minute sooner..."
Dung-dung—.
At that moment, drumbeats echoed from afar.
Dung-dung, dung-dung-dung—.
Gugugugu—.
Drumbeats loud enough to ring in their ears. Distant, yet accompanied by enough footsteps to shake the earth.
Baek Seung-hoon, who had been shouting to send reinforcements just moments ago, turned his gaze toward the direction of the drums.
Dung-dung—.
Dung-dung-dung—.
The sounds came from the dark forest. Amid the black woods, crimson eyes began to appear one by one.
And the first to emerge into the sunlight was.
Kadudududu—.
Kaduk—.
A walking skeleton with barely any flesh clinging to its bones.
"De...mon..."
It wasn't just one voice—several cried out at once.
"Demons!"
"Damn it, of all times!"
"Request reinforcements! Hurry!"
At a glance, their numbers weren't small. Demons' summoned beasts flew in the sky, and giants peeked over the treetops.
And at the same moment.
Whoosh—.
Baekya, floating high in the sky, was freezing over white.
Whoosh—.
The massive battleship, Baekya, was frozen solid.
It wasn't just the ship that was frozen.
The sight of the sky itself freezing over made the entire battlefield seem to freeze in place for a moment.
Tok—.
Pristine white flakes fell onto the faces of some.
Their dazed minds snapped back at the cold sensation. Rankers who brushed the frost from their faces jumped in alarm.
"...Snow?"
Snow was falling from the sky.
The warm weather had turned cold enough for breath to mist.
It was hard to believe.
That human power could alter the weather on such a massive scale.
But considering who had done it, it wasn't entirely unbelievable.
Kim Si-woo.
Kadududu—.
Lee Won-jae's head turned at the sound of the ground freezing.
There were no screams from the people freezing along with the ground. White breath escaped from Si-woo's lips as he slowly walked through the crowd.
"Hoo, ha—."
Having rushed here, Si-woo was breathing heavily.
He looked toward Ye-ryeong, who was far away, and asked,
"Am I late?"
"You're late! Super late!"
Her words said that, but her joy was indescribable.
On a battlefield like this, Si-woo wielded greater power than Ye-ryeong. His skills were strongest in battles against multiple foes.
"...The ones out there haven't returned yet?"
At Si-woo's arrival, Lee Won-jae felt an unprecedented sense of crisis.
The legends of the blue eyes had returned. Facing both Si-woo and Ye-ryeong together was immense psychological pressure.
Especially now, when Blue Zone's forces were less than half their original strength.
"They'll be back soon."
"Too damn slow."
"Well, they were held up holding off the demons..."
"In this situation, how is that crap important!"
"Can you, Vice Guild Master, explain this situation?"
Blue Zone's high ranker, Pierre, took over Lee Won-jae's words.
He couldn't understand this situation. Having recently joined Blue Zone, he saw it only as some unknown rankers invading the guild.
But looking at the unfolding events, something was off.
"That woman on his back—wasn't she locked in the guild basement?"
"......"
"And that woman moved to rescue someone locked up in the guild."
"She's just a criminal."
"And if my eyes aren't wrong..."
"Enough."
Lee Won-jae cut off Pierre's next words. Pierre bowed his head at the look that promised no mercy if he continued.
But some quick-witted ones already knew. What those two people's true identities were.
"Huh?"
In the frozen battlefield.
Unhyang spotted Soo-hyuk, who had arrived with Si-woo, and waved her hand.
"Soo...!"
In her moment of joy, she nearly called his name but quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Unhyang slapped her own mouth as if scolding herself, then smiled brightly as if finally relieved.
It wasn't just Unhyang who noticed Soo-hyuk.
That guy...
Lee Won-jae also glared at Soo-hyuk, grinding his teeth.
So they were connected after all.
Jeong Chan-young.
The bastard who had pretended to be Ye-ryeong and fooled everyone.
He had been half-doubting at first but ended up deceived anyway. That guy had known Lee Hyo-min was hidden here.
Because of that bastard, everything was ruined.
The fact that he had worn out his feet searching for Lee Hyo-min, and that Adolf had stupidly tried to sneak her out because of it—all because of that guy.
Step—.
Si-woo began walking toward Ye-ryeong.
His steps weren't hurried or leisurely.
He was heading to Ye-ryeong, but Si-woo's gaze was fixed on Hyo-min on his back.
Gulp—.
Though they itched to draw swords and lunge at his throat right away, no one did.
Whenever a hand twitched or a foot shifted, they glanced up at Baekya floating in the sky.
The ship turned white. Their comrades atop it, frozen from head to toe.
The moment they saw them, no one dared charge.
Of course.
There were always those fearless few.
"Stop right there."
Pierre.
The yellow-haired man with eyes closed.
He blocked Si-woo's path.
"Move."
"First, release our comrades, and we'll consider it."
"My mood's really complicated right now."
"Why is that?"
"The situation's urgent, but my mood's freaking great."
"Your mood's good?"
"I found my friend again."
Glance— Si-woo's eyes swept over the two.
"So my mood's awesome."
"Congratulations, but in this situation, what does that..."
"It means I'm not in the mood to kill just anyone today."
Tik, tiditik—.
Pierre's fingertips began to freeze slowly.
"So move aside. Don't ruin our reunion."
"I can't do that."
Kaduk—.
Pierre clenched his freezing hand. The solid ice shattered, and heat boiled up from his body.
Whoosh— Thick steam visible to the eye rose above Pierre's body.
"If I let an enemy pass right in front of me, the guild's reputation hits the dirt."
"Enemy?"
A smile formed on Si-woo's lips. He turned his head, looking toward where he had come from.
"If that's the case, seems like they're coming from over there."
Weeng, weeeeng—!
Alarms blared from all directions.
Kits everywhere wailed urgently. Just like when Adolf had sent the alert before dying, it was a message for emergencies.
"Wh-what?"
"Why is this happening again..."
"Twice in one day?"
There was no time to check the messages amid the deafening kit alarms.
Dung-dung, dung-dung-dung—.
From far away, where Si-woo's gaze pointed, drumbeats echoed. Faint smoke hung in the sky.
A warning signaling guild danger. Drumbeats and black smoke announcing war.
No fools who couldn't grasp this situation were present here.
"D-demons!"
"Damn it, of all times!"
The demons were coming.
Demonic energy was felt from afar. Even at this distance, the distinct demonic aura was clear.
It was different from their usual ambushes.
They advanced drumming loudly, as if ambushes were unnecessary.
Confidence that they could annihilate everyone even like this.
"Vice Guild Master!"
Pierre, who had blocked Si-woo, shouted.
"...This doesn't seem like the time."
No matter what was happening, repelling the demon invasion was the top priority.
Human vs. human fights had justifications or benefits, but demons had only malice. They needed no reason to kill humans.
Step—.
As if they had expected this, Si-woo and Soo-hyuk passed by Pierre.
Before a greater enemy, the significance of the prior foe faded. Knowing this, the two could ignore Blue Zone.
Crack—.
As they walked toward the group at the center of the blockade, a grinding sound came.
Soo-hyuk turned his head. Right beside him, Lee Won-jae stood trembling, gripping his sword, face twisted in rage, glaring murderously at Soo-hyuk.
"What are you?"
He still didn't know Soo-hyuk's identity.
Without turning, Soo-hyuk answered,
"Lee Soo-hyuk."
Lee Won-jae's eyes gleamed.
Come to think of it, just before, when Soo-hyuk appeared, there had been a thunder-like sound.
"...That streamer?"
"No."
Normally, he might have said yes. Now that he'd reunited with Ye-ryeong and Si-woo, there was no need to hide blindly anymore.
The reason he denied it wasn't to preserve the streamer Lee Soo-hyuk's mystique or for other gains.
Simply, on any other day maybe, but today, he just wanted to be the real him here.
"The person you thought you killed."
Lee Won-jae turned with an incredulous expression.
Coincidence or fate, at that moment, Soo-hyuk's head turned too, and their eyes met.
Soo-hyuk grinned.
"Didn't think I'd come back, huh?"