Kaljekan's Rampage
Mu-hyuk stared at the boss monster Kaljekan.
The homepage forums were already flooded with its name.
Thanks to that, it had drawn not just players but even broadcasters' attention. Broadcasting staff who had prepared in a flash hurried toward the Void Plains where Kaljekan lurked.
"Where the hell is it?!"
"Almost there, PD-nim!"
"Ugh, it's so damn far."
Staff from the program Talking about Illusion were visible too.
And so were those from Illusion's World.
Yura, leading the pack, was drawing particular attention.
"She's seriously gorgeous."
"Should I try talking to her?"
"Don't even think about it."
"Why? I'm not so bad myself..."
"Your ranking's lower than Yura's."
"Tch, yeah, but still..."
Yura ignored their chatter, chatting with Kim Min-ho PD instead.
"Worried?"
"A bit. Feels like we're too late."
"Too late? Nah."
"Might miss some good shots."
"We'll get plenty. Looks tough from what I've heard. They're probably struggling hard right now. Even top rankers are just hearing about it and rushing over. Look at all these folks around us already..."
Sure enough, the number of players nearby was staggering.
"So don't worry."
"If you say so."
Kim Min-ho PD smiled softly.
"Let's hurry a bit more."
"Yes! Everyone, push a little harder!"
The staff following Yura grinned brightly at her encouragement.
It was thanks to her upbeat energy.
How much farther did they go?
"Whoa, this is..."
Kim Min-ho PD quickly issued orders.
"Film this first!"
"Got it!"
Enormous craters scarred the ground.
Standing next to one, an adult's size made the craters' scale even more apparent.
"Could fit dozens of people in there?"
"Traces of battle?"
It was astonishing.
Fighting a monster that left marks like these?
Excitement surged.
For Kim Min-ho PD, it was the thrill of capturing such scenes on camera. For Yura, the chance to team up with players against a mighty boss.
"Come on, let's move!"
New energy welled up from nowhere.
They quickened their pace.
Meanwhile,
Thanks to striking Kaljekan whenever openings arose, Mu-hyuk's contribution ranking had climbed respectably high.
He'd also learned why necromancers hesitated to use skeletons as bait.
It worked a few times, but repeated use made Kaljekan target the skeleton's master.
If Mu-hyuk had thrown in a Bone Sword without knowing? The veterans probably would've snickered inwardly.
"Top ranks are packed tight, huh."
"We'll catch up soon."
"We better."
Those were the top three scores.
Mu-hyuk sat at 41st.
Sung Min-woo wasn't far behind at 56th.
"Huh?"
Sung Min-woo suddenly exclaimed, staring somewhere. Mu-hyuk's gaze naturally followed, landing on two familiar figures.
"That's Yura, right?"
"Looks like it."
From the looks of things, they were here to film. Yura must've sensed the stares; she scanned around, met Mu-hyuk's eyes, and approached with a smile.
"Here you are."
"Oh, yeah."
"How's the situation?"
"Eh, not too bad."
"Really? That's not what I heard."
As they talked, Mu-hyuk's eyes shifted.
A group of players arriving around the same time as the Illusion's World crew was stepping forward.
Mu-hyuk raised a hand to cut Yura off.
"What's up?"
"Hold on."
He glanced at Sung Min-woo.
"Time to prep."
"Got it."
Sure enough, they attacked Kaljekan.
Kraaaargh!
The beast roared.
"Wait here a sec."
"Okay."
Leaving Yura behind, Mu-hyuk approached Kaljekan. He ordered mages to cast spells and archers to loose arrows, then nocked an arrow himself and aimed.
Pang!
The shot struck true.
Once more.
Still some leeway.
Pang! Pang!
That let the heavy bow and Bone Bows fire too.
Retreat.
Mu-hyuk called it there.
He returned to Yura.
"Sorry. Contribution points."
"No worries. So what's the deal?"
"Get close to Kaljekan, and you take massive damage."
"Ah, so that's why no one's approaching."
"Yeah. And if ranged users pull aggro, it jumps down—but that's the real pain."
"Pain how...?"
Right on cue, Kaljekan leaped.
"You'll see."
Mu-hyuk pointed. Yura followed his finger to Kaljekan soaring into the sky.
"Slower than I thought..."
The moment Yura spoke,
Pressure swept over them.
Kuung.
The catastrophe unfolded.
"Ah... ah..."
Yura's eyes widened.
"Insane, right?"
"Is... is that even possible?"
"Tell me about it."
"How do you even take it down?"
"That's why we're in this stalemate. Waiting for clueless bait to show up."
"I see."
Behind them, Kim Min-ho PD directed his staff furiously.
"Got it?"
"Yes!"
"Good work. This is gold!"
But one thing nagged at Mu-hyuk.
Would it really stay this way?
If it did, great for him—easy kill, easy rewards.
But something felt off.
Illusion? Easy boss?
No way.
"Whew."
"What?"
"Just... uneasy."
"About what?"
"Feels too easy."
"This is plenty hard. We'd be dead if we rushed in. Over a hundred players down already, easy."
"True, but..."
A nagging unease defied words.
Then Yura drew her sword and shield.
"Huh? Yura?"
"Yeah?"
"Joining the fight?"
"Obviously!"
Fair enough—a ranker just spectating would've been weird.
"Don't get close, got it?"
"Yep, ranged skills only."
"Alright then."
They waited for more bait.
Meanwhile,
Kim Min-ho PD frowned.
Not far from Mu-hyuk, he'd overheard.
Enough to grasp the situation.
Still, a chuckle escaped.
Look at the crowd—thousands, most just watching the boss warily.
"Film it anyway."
"Yes."
Ironic sight.
Top rankers,
Elite among Illusion's billion users, gathered here.
Yet idle, burning time for bait.
Kim Min-ho PD's gut screamed.
"Focus on the boss."
"Not the players?"
"Yeah, get good shots of it."
"Roger."
This wouldn't end anticlimactically.
"Hey, that player's taunting it?"
"Really?"
A clueless fool provoked Kaljekan.
Fwoooosh!
Thousands surged as one.
Skills erupted.
They peppered Kaljekan.
Kwaaang! Kwarung!
A spectacle.
Impressive.
Even Kim Min-ho PD conceded.
Rankers lived up to it.
Unseen flashy, devastating skills dazzled.
Then Kaljekan plummeted on its first attacker.
Kuuung.
Another crater.
Krr... krr...
Emerging Kaljekan looked off.
Way off.
Drooling, eyes rolled back, eerie red aura flowing.
"F-Filming?"
"Y-Yes! F-Filming!"
"Good. Keep it steady..."
Might be your last chance.
Just a hunch.
*
Kraaaargh!
Boss Monster Kaljekan's HP has dropped to 50%.
It loses reason and flies into a frenzy.
Berserker
Mu-hyuk's face twisted.
Damn it...
He instinctively backed away, grabbing the hands of the two beside him.
Sung Min-woo got dragged along blankly; Yura followed with a subtle expression.
Instinct, maybe. Mu-hyuk released Sung Min-woo's hand unconsciously but kept holding Yura's.
Of course, he didn't notice.
"Um... hey..."
"Yeah?"
"Your hand..."
"Oh."
He let go hastily.
"Got startled."
"It's fine."
Mu-hyuk faced forward again, eyeing Kaljekan.
The berserk beast rampaged.
"Crazy! What the hell?!"
"This ain't a joke!"
Veterans exploded.
"Fuck, damn it!"
But complaints were brief.
Kuung. Kung.
It charged the players.
Kaljekan swung a fist. Even proximity drained HP steadily—now direct hits?
No tank could stand that.
"Heals! Heals first!"
Suddenly, it leaped skyward.
Not as high as before, but
Kuung.
The impact was devastating.
Ground cratered; rock shards flew.
Players within 5 meters: instant death.
Farther ones blocked or dodged, retreating.
Krr...
Kaljekan was fully mad.
One way out.
"Fuck, attack! Ranged DPS, melt it!"
A guild leader bellowed; his members unleashed hell.
They strained to keep distance, but Kaljekan closed in instantly.
Then pummeled wildly.
"Us too!"
"Yeah!"
Rankers steeled themselves watching.
Couldn't just evade forever.
Berserk meant unpredictable targets.
Better to pour firepower now.
Hesitant players skill-spammed.
"Yeah, kill it!"
"Nice!"
The "nice" guy's eyes bulged.
Kaljekan was upon him. Couldn't dodge the incoming leg—crushed underfoot.
Kung, kuung!
Stomped to paste.
Logged out helpless.
Kraaaargh!
Victor's roar.
Kirrik, kiririk.
A skeleton clacked jaws approaching, then looked up at Kaljekan.