Breach and Desperation
Users from the Kaion continent began dropping dead the moment they crossed the entrance. Yet they kept charging in like bulldozers.
"Keep pushing forward, you idiots!"
"Once we're inside, we've won!"
"Just shove through! Hurry up!"
The force of their advance grew even stronger. Kaion users sprinted at breakneck speed. But a barrage of magic spells followed, melting over a dozen of them on the spot.
"Ignore it!"
"This is our chance to rack up contribution points!"
Did the 24-hour penalty mean nothing to them?
They truly seemed utterly fearless of death.
"What the hell are these guys?"
"Hmph."
"Kinda psycho, huh?"
"Scary as hell when they all swarm like that."
Mu-hyuk chuckled as he nocked an arrow to his bowstring.
"Eh, just kill 'em every time they come."
"Yeah, fair point."
Another wave of hostile users crashed toward them.
Pang.
The arrow whistled through the air as he released the string.
A devastating force slammed into them.
------!
It didn't kill them, but it halted their charge cold.
In that gap, attacks from Forma continent mercenaries and summoned beasts poured in, taking out another dozen Kaion users.
But this was just the beginning. Hundreds more hostile users lurked behind the entrance.
Meanwhile.
Yura stood in a secluded corner, positioned in front of the camera.
"What do you think?"
"Whoa, that push at the entrance looks terrifying."
"Pretty chilling, yeah."
"I've wandered all over the place up to now, but this is the first time I've seen anyone charge that recklessly."
The two MCs traded comments, analyzing the situation.
"How do you think it'll play out?"
"The entrance is elevated and narrower than expected, so not many can squeeze in. From the Kaion users' perspective, it'll cost them heavy sacrifices."
"So that puts us—er, the Forma continent— in a good spot, right?"
Yura nodded at that.
"Exactly. But..."
"But?"
"The numbers are so lopsided. We'll have to see how it shakes out."
"Your predictions usually nail it, Yura. Tough call this time?"
"Yeah, really tough."
"Here's hoping they hold the line."
The cameraman zoomed back in on the battle. The two dedicated cameras stayed locked on the MCs, of course.
"Mm."
A groan escaped Yura's lips. They were starting to give ground, bit by bit.
"Looks like the entrance is about to break."
"Yeah. They've taken out at least a hundred—no, easily over 150 by now. It's about time."
"Wish they'd hold a little longer."
The precarious standoff dragged on.
"Whoa...!"
After dropping another twenty or so.
The entrance finally shattered wide open.
Kaion continent users flooded in, swarming the small city's interior.
Once breached, there was no resealing it. Forma continent users braced for combat from their positions.
"Mm, but we're still in a better spot, right?"
"Yep. The Kaion users crammed through that narrow path and got boxed in."
"Oh, right!"
"Yeah, it's like the Forma users have formed an encirclement."
"Ooh...!"
At that moment, Forma users unleashed a massive assault. They'd been saving their ace skills for this.
Vast energies blotted out the sky before slamming into the ground.
-------!
The clustered Kaion users suffered devastating losses, and Forma forces pounced into the breach.
"They're clashing! What do you think, Yura?"
"At this rate, we can hold them."
"Nice. Guess we can sit back and watch?"
It unfolded just as Yura predicted.
Forma continent held the edge.
Mu-hyuk and his skeletons stood out most. Sung Min-woo's spirit combos drew eyes too.
"Hey, that's a squirrel?"
"So cute...!"
Even Yerin's squirrel pulled stares.
Things felt more manageable than expected.
The Kaion cluster in the center was at a disadvantage against Forma's surrounding forces, after all.
The battle tipped in their favor, evening out the numbers deficit.
"We're definitely winning this."
"Yeah."
But an unforeseen twist erupted right then.
*
Kaion continent's 2nd squad leader, Tarantor.
"Goddamn, just fuck off already!"
Being jammed in the center, getting shoved every which way—it pissed him off. Poor visibility only made it worse.
He'd tried enduring, telling himself to hold out a bit longer and things would open up. But that wasn't his style.
"Fucking annoying as shit!"
Shoving through by brute force wasn't easy either.
He was a mage, after all. Low strength stat.
"Die, all of you!"
So the powerful spell he just hurled naturally veered off course.
He'd flung it without a care—hit enemies, allies, whoever.
"Ugh, damn it."
To his rotten luck, it didn't tag any users. It hurtled toward some pointless building instead.
As he sighed in frustration, someone suddenly dove into the path of his spell.
Kwaaang!
The explosion widened Tarantor's eyes.
"What the fuck, that crazy bastard...?"
Dust settled.
The figure who emerged left him even more stunned.
Mu-hyuk?
Why the hell would the rank 2 player pull a stunt like that?
Something important inside?
If so, that was a weakness ripe for exploitation.
"Heh, heh heh."
Jackpot.
"2nd squad, form up!"
"Squad leader! How the hell do we form up here?!"
"Think for a sec, squad leader!"
"No, fuck! See that building? Green roof, black stripes!"
"Where?"
"There, where Mu-hyuk is!"
"Oh, yeah, I see it."
"Focus fire on that building!"
"The building?"
"You nuts, squad leader?"
"Get a grip, man."
Tarantor bellowed at his squad's backtalk.
"You fucking morons! Listen for once!"
"Ugh, such a pain. Fine, got it."
"I'll back you up."
"Goddamn assholes."
Among his ten squadmates, the ranged attackers unleashed their skills.
They rocketed straight at the building—but Mu-hyuk blocked every one with his shield.
"Whoa? What's with that guy?"
"Heh, squad leader's got luck on his side for this shit."
"Luck? It's all skill!"
"Heh heh."
"Anyway, focus that building! Killing high-contribution targets like that nets us more points, right? Mu-hyuk's gotta be top-tier..."
"Fuck yeah, we have to get him."
"Let's max our contributions."
But other squads lurked nearby.
They'd overheard too.
"We strike first!"
"No, you trash—!"
"Focus fire on the building!"
A torrent of attacks rained down on it.
*
Yura flinched.
"That building...!"
"What's wrong?"
"Well, you see..."
The male MC tilted his head.
"Something in there?"
"Yeah, NPCs..."
"...!"
His expression hardened instantly.
"So that's why Mu-hyuk's..."
"Yes."
"What do we do?"
"Mm..."
The broadcast team couldn't do much.
A ruthless crew might not hesitate—hell, they'd cheer at the drama. But Illusion's World wasn't that cutthroat.
"Should we tell the Kaion users?"
"Huh? Say what?"
"That there's NPCs in that building. And since we're filming, smashing it means their NPC-killing footage goes live, crystal clear."
"Mm."
It could work.
But risks loomed.
"What if they go even crazier?"
"Possible..."
Some users didn't give a damn about NPC deaths.
They'd slaughter without remorse—"not real people, so what?"
Ignoring that danger and broadcasting it anyway wasn't simple.
"Guess we just watch."
"I'm so useless..."
They both turned desperate gazes toward Mu-hyuk.
*
Knowing NPCs were inside meant he couldn't dodge.
Kwaaaang!
Even blocking with his shield, his HP plummeted.
HP (329) decreases.
HP (291) decreases.
HP ...
He wouldn't last long like this.
No choice.
He activated the skill Summon Absorption.
Summon Absorption
Absorbs a portion of your summons' abilities.
Please select summons to absorb.
Cooldown was three hours after one use. He had to absorb from all of them. A riot of energies flooded into him.
All stats greatly increase for 10 minutes.
His HP surged massively.
Recovery rate spiked too, naturally.
Kwaaaang!
Leisure crept into Mu-hyuk's expression as he parried the next volley.
HP (195) decreases.
HP (167) decreases.
HP ...
But the situation stayed dire.
No opening to counterattack.
Sung Min-woo, Yerin, and Kim Ji-yeon pitched in nearby, but it wasn't enough.
Short on users, and his summons' stats had tanked hard.
He could still command them, but his own feet—the biggest firepower—were pinned.
This trajectory led to defeat.
Beyond that.
Miss even one attack, and the building crumbled.
NPC deaths.
He had to prevent that.
Mm.
One way out.
"Yerin."
"Yeah?"
"Get inside and get the NPCs out? Looks like back door escape."
"Got it, hold on!"
He glanced at Sung Min-woo next.
"Check the back door for Kaion users."
"On it. I'll handle any."
"Good."
Losing Sung Min-woo made blocking tougher.
Kwang, kwaaang!
Incoming magic and arrows.
He eyed the barrage from all sides, directing summons to fire bone arrows.
Some skills detonated mid-air on impact.
He left low ones to the summons, jumping to intercept mid- and high-level threats.
Shield and body angled just so.
Kwaaang!
Mu-hyuk tumbled rightward and down.
Kuung!
The next spell launched him skyward.
Left upper.
Shifted balance, twisted shield.
Sometimes he vaulted off the building's rear wall. Maximized Wind Step, White Tiger Steps, lightness skill.
He intercepted plummeting attacks at terrifying speeds.
Damn...!
But limits loomed.
Blast shoved him back; distance to the next spell fell short. He thrust his sword desperately, clipping it.
HP (2,011) decreases.
Massive HP loss.
Balance shattered.
Shit!
He plummeted, leaped desperately—but the spell had already struck the building.
"Ah..."
Loss clawed at him.
Creak!
The door flew open.
Armor Knight 1, stationed for just this, shone.
Shock Absorption!
Light from Drake's longsword formed a barrier. It halted the collapsing debris long enough for Mu-hyuk to move again—more than enough.
"Hurry!"
The NPCs scrambled out in panic.