Chapter 197: The Immortal Archmage (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 197: The Immortal Archmage (1)
The Royal Palace of Amsterdam had been reduced to ruins.
Thick with the stench of death, it had now become a dark palace ruled by a Lich.
Currently, five men and women who had come to this place were making their way into the deepest recesses of the palace.
They were Jegal Cheon, Hwangbo Gun-ak, Namgung Hyun, and Tang So-ha.
These four members of the Murim had previously used a mart as their base on the 4th floor, where the main mission was the 'Zombie Wave'. However, they had been utterly crushed by Jinhyuk's counterattack. Held accountable for that failure, they had been training relentlessly within their respective sects, eagerly waiting for the day they could wash away their disgrace.
"Finally, we can repay the humiliation we suffered at the hands of that vulgar human," Tang So-ha ground her teeth so hard they threatened to shatter.
The other three harbored just as much resentment.
"I'm just glad the Sect Leader gave us another chance."
"Tell me about it. Damn it, I was practically dying of boredom waiting around."
"But why did the Alliance entrust this matter to a mere corpse animated by dark magic?"
At Hwangbo Gun-ak's question, the fifth and final member of the group spoke up. She was a woman with short, bobbed hair, carrying a conspicuously long sword over her shoulder.
"Because it has its uses, of course. Besides, no matter what orders come from above, you only need to obey without question. A soldier who thinks for themselves loses their value as a soldier."
She was Baek Seol-rin, a rising star of the Mount Hua Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects. Her moniker was the "Snow Cloud Sword."
Baek Seol-rin was also one of the "Hidden Dragons" of the Murim, renowned for being the first among the younger generation to break through the wall of the Peak Realm and approach the Transcendental Realm.
"Well... that is true, but..." Hwangbo Gun-ak trailed off.
Even so, he clearly found it distasteful for a member of the noble Orthodox sects to strike a deal with a Lich.
"Let me remind you, we are at war with the Empire. On top of that, we've received intelligence that the Heavenly Demon has finished his secluded meditation. We don't have the luxury of being picky about our methods."
This was one of the reasons the Murim was moving so urgently.
The Heavenly Demon was a double-edged sword. Depending on his actions, he could be a weapon that laid waste to the Empire. Conversely, if the tip of his blade turned toward the Murim, the entire land would instantly be drenched in blood.
Although the Kunlun Sect, located near the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, was closely monitoring the Demonic Cult's movements, it would be impossible for Kunlun alone to stop them if the Heavenly Demon, the Dark Emperor, and the Seven Great Masters of the Demonic Cult—including Shimmasaryong—were to make their move in earnest.
Ultimately, before those variables could trigger a chain reaction, they needed to chip away at the Empire's territory as much as possible. Furthermore, they had to exert influence outside the Tower to prevent Players, who enjoyed the Empire's protection and favor, from sending reinforcements.
Hearing Baek Seol-rin's explanation, the others fell silent. Having it laid out like this, anyone with a brain had no choice but to realize how dire the situation was.
A moment later, they arrived at the center of the palace, where the boss monster ruling the 14th floor finally came into view.
The Lich.
The immortal mage, wearing a black crown, looked down upon everything from his throne. His magical power was incredibly arrogant—even when facing the Murim, who dominated much higher floors.
"You are late. Do humans, living such fleeting lives, not even know the value of time?" the Lich spoke.
His blue, glowing eyes were sharp, as if piercing right through the five Murim warriors.
"Ugh! How dare you...!"
"My apologies. We had our own circumstances to attend to."
Jegal Cheon bristled and flinched, but Baek Seol-rin stepped forward first. At her words, the glow in the Lich's eyes softened slightly.
"If you require assistance, speak. Everything upon this land already obeys my command. If there are troublesome pests, I can dispose of them for you."
"It concerns matters inside the Tower, so I doubt you can help us here," Baek Seol-rin shook her head, dismissing the offer.
Then, her gaze was suddenly drawn to something inside the palace. To be precise, to a person who was completely bound.
"Who is that woman?"
"The only human among the countless rabble in Europe who managed to entertain me. She possesses a fascinating mixture of energies, so I have specially kept her alive."
The Lich lightly waved his hand.
Bzzt!
"Ugh... Ah..."
Bound in dark red ropes, the woman let out a faint whimper. She had beautiful, spun-gold hair and emerald-green eyes. Though her white armor was stained with blood and dust, she had not lost her innate nobility.
She was the Saint of Amsterdam, Teresa.
Teresa had stayed behind to fight to the very end to save the city. She had even burned her own life force to save just one more person.
But all her efforts had been in vain. No matter how desperately she struggled, her sword could not reach the Lich.
As a result, an unimaginable number of people had been killed or captured. Forced to watch it all happen helplessly, Teresa writhed in an agony so deep she wished she were dead.
The Saint who had once saved Amsterdam was no more. There was only a weeping girl, drowned in despair and frustration.
The magical power flowing from the Lich's hand grew even denser.
"Aaaagh!"
A human body where light and darkness coexisted. To a Lich, who was a mage to his very bones, such an intriguing subject was an irresistibly sweet temptation.
"Writhe in even greater agony."
He felt he would only be satisfied once he witnessed what happened when two completely opposing natures clashed to the absolute extreme.
* * *
South Korea, the United States, Japan, India, and Russia.
A total of five countries decided to dispatch forces to support Europe.
Although the Lich could only be damaged by magic-type attacks, other types of attacks were still somewhat effective against the rest of the undead monsters, leading a massive number of Players to participate in the raid.
The South Korean contingent was split into three teams.
The Dangun Guild's raid team, led by Moon Gyu-ho, was deployed to France. The Ssaulabi Guild's raid team, led by Gong Min-woo, was assigned to the Italian region.
Meanwhile, Jinhyuk took a few personally selected individuals and headed toward the location where contact with Teresa had last been made.
Vrooooom!
A military transport plane sliced through the clouds.
There was a high probability that the exits of the European gates inside the Tower had already been overrun by the undead. Consequently, the raid teams had to choose between land, sea, or air routes.
"I never even rode a military plane when I was in the army, yet here I am," Jinhyuk muttered, looking around while gripping his seatbelt tightly.
Let's see.
Various military equipment that he had only ever seen in movies caught his eye, but the most prominent sight was Cheon Yu-seong, who sat right in front of him, grumbling with a sour look on his face.
Like french fries with a hamburger, he now felt like an indispensable part of the combo. Especially now, with Alice away.
"Still, don't complain too much. If Teresa dies like this, even you wouldn't be able to sleep easy at night, right?"
"I highly doubt you brought me along out of concern for my sleep schedule."
"No, really. I brought you because I was genuinely worried about you. Do you not trust me?"
"Trust you? You ambushed me in the middle of the night while I was sleeping and kidnapped me all the way here. How dare you even utter the word 'trust'?"
Clank! Clatter! Thud! Bam!
Cheon Yu-seong twisted his body violently. However, because chains made of runic words and barriers bound him tightly, his hands couldn't reach his sword.
Whoever bound him did a fantastic job. They'd definitely be in my good graces later.
"That's why I specifically used a weak anesthetic on you. Besides, when heading into the jaws of death, there's no companion I'd trust with my back more than you."
He actually meant it. If he had to walk into hell, there was no better comrade than the Sword Saint. Though the biggest reason was that Yu-seong made an excellent meat shield in a pinch.
"You call that an excuse...!" Cheon Yu-seong thrashed even more wildly.
Meanwhile, Yu Yeon-hwa and Lee Tae-min, who were sitting next to Jinhyuk, chimed in.
"How can you guys crack jokes in a situation like this? I respect you, seriously. In so many different ways," Yu Yeon-hwa sighed.
"You guys don't seem nervous at all, haha. Though that does make you more reliable..." Lee Tae-min added.
Self-deprecating chuckles escaped their lips. Never in their lives had they imagined there would be people who could laugh and chat while walking straight into a death trap. They had been considered veterans in their own right in the past, but... how should they put it? In front of Jinhyuk, they felt like absolute newbies.
Yet, deep down, they all knew.
Breaking the tension with silly banter, and showing excessive confidence even in a life-or-death situation...
It was all Jinhyuk's way of showing consideration, ensuring they didn't lose hope.
Finally, Wolyeong, who had been tagging along like a shadow, sat near the transport plane's exit, staring anxiously out the window. For a guy whose only experience with science was seeing a waterwheel spin, suddenly flying through the sky was bound to make him uneasy.
"By the way, who is that guy? He doesn't look like an ordinary Player," Cheon Yu-seong asked.
"Ah... him? He's one of the disciples I'm raising."
His first disciple was Andrea, who was currently undergoing rigorous training under Alice. This guy was his second. As the most finely honed hidden weapon of the Black Wind Society, he was the perfect candidate for a disciple. Jinhyuk planned to train him well and put him to good use in the future.
"His breathing and presence are quite high-level... What a pity. Of all people, he had to end up with you. His talent will never even get the chance to blossom," Cheon Yu-seong clicked his tongue.
"Hey, honestly, a teacher of my caliber is..."
But just as Jinhyuk opened his mouth to strongly protest,
Rumble!
Suddenly, with a deafening roar, the fuselage of the transport plane shook violently. This was no mere turbulence. It was something entirely different.
"Everyone, hold on tight!" the pilot screamed at the top of his lungs.
At the same time,
Boom! Bang! Crash!
Flames the size of houses exploded just outside the windows. The transport planes flying alongside them were being blown to pieces.
...It was the enemy. And in numbers too vast to count.
Gargoyles swarmed outside, filling the sky, tearing into the transport planes and devouring the people inside at random. There was still quite a bit of time left before they reached Europe...
Have they already taken control of the sea?
The situation was worse than he had anticipated. The fact that they had crawled out over the ocean meant the mainland had already been completely devastated.
And at that very moment,
[Mere insects, welcome to my domain. As a reward for traveling such a long and arduous way, I shall grant you all eternal rest beneath the sea.]
A sharp, metallic voice that grated on the eardrums echoed from beyond the sky.
"Oppa!"
"My Lord, it is dangerous!"
Yu Yeon-hwa and Wolyeong reflexively unbuckled their seatbelts. Cheon Yu-seong had also drawn his sword before anyone realized, fully prepared for battle. However, because they were all specialized in close-quarters combat, merely maintaining their balance inside the shaking plane was the best they could do.
"H-Hyung! I'll... I'll try to stop them somehow!"
Lee Tae-min, the only one capable of aerial combat, deployed his drones using his Machine Lord class skill. Drones armed with firearms formed a defensive formation around the transport plane.
"Kieeeek!"
Whirrrr!
He attempted to protect the transport plane by firing a barrage of various elemental rounds, but...
The gargoyles, influenced by the 'Advent of the Specter', possessed physical resistance several times higher than normal. Above all, it was impossible for a mere dozen or so combat drones to deal with over hundreds of gargoyles.
But right then,
[Glacial Shaping...]
Jinhyuk released all the magical power he had gathered at once.
"Incoming."
Crackle!
Freezing cold gathered in one spot, manifesting into a physical form. A massive sphere reminiscent of a white moon.
"Open wide."
[The 'Millennium Ice Jade' blooms!]
The ice sphere shattered into pieces. Thousands, tens of thousands of finely broken shards began to fill the empty air.
There was nowhere to run. The entire sky in sight was already under the domain of the Millennium Ice Jade.
Crack...
Shatter!
Every drop of moisture in the air froze solid.
And without a single exception, the gargoyles flying through the sky were turned into frozen stone statues.