Zikera's Descent
Zikera stared at the orb, a grin twisting his face.
"Heh heh."
To think they were struggling against chimeras of that caliber.
It was utterly ridiculous.
A man who had once dreamed of conquering the continent wouldn't have prepared so little.
Of course, time had been short, so perfection had eluded him—but that didn't mean his forces would fall to the ragtag subjugation army before him.
No longer willing to waste more chimeras, he decided to step in personally.
Zikera emerged from the secret lab and soared into the air. He traversed the path of darkness for a long while until a distant light appeared.
Almost there.
Breaking through, he beheld humans laughing one moment and weeping the next.
"Th-there...!"
"The black sorcerer, Zikera."
Someone murmured as their eyes met his.
Silence fell.
They realized too late that the battle they'd thought won was only just beginning—and that the true target of this subjugation was the black sorcerer himself.
Despair etched across their faces.
Zikera laughed, satisfied by the sight.
Then he raised his hand.
"Die, all of you."
His voice still grated like rusted metal, but he no longer spoke in halting bursts. Black energy erupted from his hand, devouring the sky.
"What the hell?"
"It's too damn dark!"
"Light!"
Someone cast a spell, but that feeble glow couldn't pierce the surging blackness.
As the energy intensified, most trembled in fear—mages most violently of all.
"Ugh... ughhh..."
Duke Amur bellowed,
"Attack! Strike the black sorcerer!"
Mu-hyuk snapped to attention, nocking an arrow to his bowstring.
Paang!
The shot bounced off harmlessly before reaching Zikera. Others followed suit, but none breached the invisible barrier shielding him.
Meanwhile, the sky-filling darkness thickened, descending upon them.
"Nngh!"
A groan escaped Mu-hyuk's lips.
The crushing pressure.
If it intensified even slightly, their bodies would burst like overripe fruit.
He had to act before then.
Mu-hyuk scanned his surroundings. Darkness blanketed everything in sight—no escape. Instinct screamed not to flee, but to endure. He bolted toward Sung Min-woo, far off in the distance.
"Follow me."
"Huh? Oh, okay."
He led him to Ye-rin, his blood sister, and Kang Ji-yeon. Armor Knight 1 was already in position.
Reverse summon the rest.
He dismissed everything but Armor Knight 1.
"Shields up, everyone."
"Yeah."
"Got it."
But the pressure didn't relent.
"What is this?"
"No idea."
Mu-hyuk had only glimpsed it once in footage. The vague memory of that outcome—total annihilation—only deepened his confusion.
Then Zikera lowered his raised hand.
Armor Knight 1: Damage Absorption
A radiant light burst from Armor Knight 1's sword, forming a protective barrier around them. Nearby players and NPCs collapsed under the weight.
"Gaaahhh!"
"What the fuck is this?!"
Mu-hyuk, Sung Min-woo, Ye-rin, and Kang Ji-yeon held firm—the skill blocked everything.
Five seconds max duration. But even that felt impossible; the barrier shuddered violently from the start.
"Wh-what do we do?"
"Endure."
Less than three seconds in, cracks spiderwebbed across it.
"Here it comes."
The shield shattered.
Kuung!
The impact crushed down, forcing Mu-hyuk to hunch.
Huph!
Shields did nothing.
[HP continuously decreasing]
HP plummeted at an alarming rate.
Insane...!
Soon, the darkness swallowed the ground entirely.
*
When the darkness lifted and the world returned, Zikera cackled grotesquely.
"Heh heh."
Satisfaction from the raw destruction? Ecstasy at the slaughter?
Either way, he was far from sane.
Nodding to himself, he surveyed the devastation. The ravaged earth assured him no one had survived.
Wriggle.
His expectations shattered.
"Hm?"
Two presences lingered.
One was Duke Amur's position.
The duke clung to life, shielded by nearby mages. His guarding knight fared the same.
The knight, regaining his senses, urged,
"D-Duke! Flee! I'll hold them off as long as I can."
Duke Amur was dazed.
"Impossible... how could this..."
"Duke...!"
"Hah... hahaha..."
No choice—the knight hauled him up.
"We must go."
He dragged him away, mages trailing behind.
Injured or not, they had to move. Zikera, of course, wouldn't let them escape. He extended a hand toward the fleeing group.
Shiiik.
A sudden gust.
"Hm?"
Turning, an arrow was already inches from his face.
*
Remaining HP: around 120.
Exp Exchange.
He hurriedly burned MP to restore HP, then cautiously scanned around. Everyone was dead except Duke Amur, his knight, and a few mages.
"We must go."
The knight's voice carried.
The duke?
Still out of it.
What now?
Mu-hyuk's mind raced.
Duke Amur.
His survival was key to pressuring the higher-ups. He alone could vouch for Zikera's overwhelming power.
Fuu...
Then he had to live.
Prevent Zikera from killing him.
Just then, the sorcerer raised his hand.
No!
Mu-hyuk nocked and loosed an arrow.
Wind Step.
He knew without looking—the arrow would be deflected or dodged effortlessly.
So he dashed in close with Wind Step, forcing Zikera's attention away from the duke. Did it work?
"Oh? You're..."
Zikera swatted the arrow aside and fixed his gaze on Mu-hyuk.
"The one from before."
A chill ran down Mu-hyuk's spine.
Madness gleamed in those eyes.
Damn...!
No escaping now.
Gritting his teeth, Mu-hyuk charged.
Storm, Cross Slash!
Up close, he slashed.
Kwaaaang!
Shield blocked it. Mu-hyuk grazed past. Wheeling around for another strike, Zikera raised his hand.
Shk-
Something launched.
Huph!
Mu-hyuk hurled himself sideways. It slammed into the ground, exploding—the shockwave swept him away. Stronger than expected, he tumbled.
Panic brief; he had to harass Zikera. Mid-air, he morphed his sword to bow.
Storm, Multi-shot.
Arrows filled the space, streaking forward.
Zikera waved lazily, like swatting toys. They lost momentum and clattered to the earth.
Mu-hyuk landed and charged again. A few more arrows, then sword-form, slashing down at point-blank.
Kagak!
Shield again. Mu-hyuk circled, striking relentlessly.
"Heh heh heh. Entertaining."
That spell had slain most here—and even taxed Zikera. Usable once a month, a massive burden.
Surviving it and fighting back like this?
Must capture him.
Slipped away last time. Not again.
"Truly amusing."
Mu-hyuk glared, scowling.
"Amusing? You think this is fun?"
He roared,
"I'll make it really fun!"
He summoned every available skeleton.
Kirrik, kiririk.
Burtan lunged first.
Kiaaaaaak!
The ki blast pierced the shield, jolting Zikera.
Chance!
Mage spells and bone arrows rained like biblical plague.
Explosions rocked the area—but the aftermath scattered in the wind.
Zikera seemed unscathed.
Fine.
Excitement aside, his mind stayed ice-cold.
Objective clear: not defeat, but delay.
Plenty more to show.
But not just stalling.
As Zikera said—
Make it fun.
Land at least one solid hit.
Eyes blazing, he commanded his skeletons.
*
While Zikera fixated on Mu-hyuk, Duke Amur reached the mountain's base.
"Duke."
"Yes..."
"Are you alright now?"
The duke nodded.
The knight sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness. We must hurry down."
"Yes... we must."
Mu-hyuk was buying time.
The deaths of the others spurred him on.
Report this.
Drive home that nobles alone couldn't take him.
The king—the emperor—must unleash true power.
If Duke Amur reported, the emperor would grasp the threat's gravity.
Then—an explosion midway up the slope.
Kwaaaang!
So potent, eyes turned involuntarily.
"Damn..."
Mu-hyuk must have fallen to that.
"Faster."
"Yes!"
They quickened their pace.
At the same moment,
Mu-hyuk twitched on the ground, struck by Zikera's attack. Lucky or unlucky, he hadn't died instantly again.
Refill HP?
Duke Amur had enough distance by now.
Mission accomplished.
Better to die here?
As he pondered, Zikera's voice rang out.
"Oh? As expected..."
Surviving this attack too.
Greed burned fiercer in his eyes.
"You'll make a fine test subject."
The grating rasp assaulted Mu-hyuk's ears.
Test subject?
"Bullshit!"
Before Zikera could act, suicide seemed best. He raised his sword to impale himself—but his hand froze. Zikera's hold spell.
"This time will be different."
Mu-hyuk's pupils quivered.
No... no way...!
Zikera waved his left hand. Eerie light enveloped Mu-hyuk, plunging him into blinding darkness.
[HP reaches 0]
[You have died]
Dead, unmistakably.
"Heh heh heh."
Yet Mu-hyuk's corpse didn't vanish.