Chapter 352: The Old Guard (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 352: The Old Guard (3)
Cheon Yu-seong, Teresa, Frey, and Uasis unleashed their respective unique abilities.
Rumble!
Along with a brilliant light, an immense amount of mana surged forth.
"Did you keep your allies on standby... and then connect the dimensions?" Hound spoke slowly.
He had anticipated the traps, but he hadn't foreseen a scheme like this.
However, his surprise lasted only a brief moment.
"So what? Did you honestly think this would turn the tide?"
Perhaps if there were hundreds or thousands of troops deployed, it might be a different story. But to the Old Guard, this was barely even worth calling an ambush.
Dealing with chaotic brawls and outnumbering foes was more than just familiar to them—it was practically their daily routine.
If there was any troublesome opponent among them, it was the doll with blue hair.
'The Homunculus... There were rumors it would appear at the auction. So it was completed after all.'
Yes. As long as he watched out for that one, there would be no variables.
Clang!
Hound drew his greatsword.
Rumble!
An ominous energy enveloped the entire blade.
"Damn it. What is that monster supposed to be?" Cheon Yu-seong asked immediately.
"Huh? What is?"
"What do you mean, 'what is'?! You suddenly told us to prepare because enemies were coming through some middle manager named Rick, and now a whole pack of out-of-spec monsters has swarmed us!"
Hmm... that?
"It's nothing. They just look tough, but they won't even be a match for you."
Jinhyuk joked on purpose, but Cheon Yu-seong's expression didn't improve.
The mana prickling against his skin was so intense it was painful. He couldn't even begin to estimate just how powerful these incoming enemies were.
"It won't be easy to face them one-on-one," Teresa added.
She intended to activate 'Corruption', but even with that, she wasn't sure if she could properly handle even one of them.
"The transformation of the ruins seems to be related to them as well. The lingering scent of their mana... is similar. It's goosebump-inducing."
Finally, Uasis analyzed the mana radiating from the Old Guard.
Whatever the case, as long as their goals overlapped, a clash was inevitable.
"Kill them. Everyone except Kang Jinhyuk."
With Hound's command, the battle began in earnest.
* * *
Boom! Crash! Bang! Kaboom!
Mana clashed against mana.
Cheon Yu-seong unleashed the forms of his Soul-Chasing Sword, clashing head-on with Seli of the Old Guard.
In a span of less than ten seconds, dozens of blows were exchanged. It was a continuous flurry of swift strikes, their afterimages barely visible.
"Not bad. For a human, that is."
A smirk played on Seli's lips.
"You're annoyingly fast yourself."
Cheon Yu-seong clenched his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
He had used the fastest forms in his repertoire, yet his opponent read every single sword path with infuriating ease. This was a feeling he hadn't experienced since his fights with that damn veteran.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Once again, swords sliced through the air. Sparks scattered, leaving trails of light in the void.
"Someone as strong as you should have realized it from that exchange, right? That continuing this any further is utterly pointless."
"Yeah... you're right. To be honest, I don't have a shred of confidence that I can win."
The stronger one was, the more adept they became at measuring the gap between themselves and their opponent. Knowing one's own limits meant their ability to predict the outcome of a fight grew sharper.
However...
Cheon Yu-seong gripped his sword with both hands.
Hundreds of times. No, thousands of times.
He had challenged and tasted bitter frustration.
To secure a single victory, he had swallowed the bitter cup of defeat countless times.
Perhaps that was why.
"If there's one thing I'm sure of... my sheer, stubborn refusal to give up is superior to that bastard's."
Crackle...
A beautiful melody began to sing along the blade.
Sword force and sword qi harmonized, and everything he had built up to climb the Tower—to surpass his one and only rival—began to burn.
"...!!"
Seli crossed her twin swords.
Crash!
A blow as heavy as a mountain slammed down upon her swords. She couldn't completely deflect the impact.
"The title of Sword Saint is certainly more than I deserve. Just as you said, there are still countless enemies I cannot overcome."
Cheon Yu-seong immediately prepared his next form.
The strikes flowed seamlessly into one another, evoking the image of a single, colossal sword.
Rumble!
The mana infused into his sword grew even deeper.
At the same time, Seli's feet, absorbing the brunt of the attack, began to sink into the ground.
"But today, I will defeat you and rise to a position worthy of that title by my own strength."
"...You arrogant brat...!"
The swords danced once more.
* * *
"Tsk. Seli, struggling like that."
Nocking an arrow, Blackrock clicked his tongue. He was frustrated by her inability to quickly suppress a mere swordsman.
"I'll deal with you two quickly. It would ruin our reputation if the Old Guard got dragged down by small fry."
The enemies were two: Teresa and Uasis.
A combination of an all-rounder who could tank, heal, and deal damage, and a long-range dealer.
'The chief of the Dryads is probably just poking from a distance... and this one uses divine power. Hmm. Individually they're nothing, but together they might put up a decent fight.'
At least, it didn't seem like it would end too quickly.
Whoosh.
In an instant, Blackrock vanished and reappeared above them.
"Let's test your reaction speed first..."
Whoosh... Boom!
An arrow tore through the air.
From above, a streak of light plummeted downward.
"Watch out!"
Teresa raised her shield a fraction of a second too late, shielding Uasis.
However, a single arrow sent her shield flying. An impact akin to being hit head-on by a battering ram shook her entire body.
"Ah!"
"Teresa!"
Uasis nocked an arrow woven from her own hair.
This was a fleeting window of opportunity bought dearly by the tank. She couldn't let this chance slip away.
Twang!
The hair arrow shot forward in a straight trajectory.
It was fast and precise.
However...
"Too slow."
That was all.
Blackrock's reload speed was faster than the incoming arrow's flight.
Furthermore, his speed wasn't the only shocking thing. Not only did he strike the tip of her arrow mid-air, but his second arrow slid along the side of Uasis's arrow, bypassing it entirely.
Thud!
"Aaaah!"
A cry of agony escaped Uasis's lips.
The arrow pierced her shoulder and pinned her to the opposite wall.
'This is bad...'
Teresa instinctively activated 'Corruption'.
Now, she had to fight with everything she had, regardless of the consequences.
* * *
Meanwhile, a short distance away, another battle was about to unfold.
"So my opponent is you. Well, hunting the strongest prey is never a bad thing."
The fourth member of the Old Guard, a close-combat martial artist named Roipeng, spoke.
His entire body was covered in red tattoos, and his hairless, smooth head was particularly striking.
Thud!
As he clashed his fists together, a blue-green flame flared up.
It was a fusion of two attributes: ice and poison.
"Do you... know me?"
Frey, being singled out, tilted her head.
"Of course. Aren't you the greatest masterpiece ever created by an alchemist? Personally, I am thrilled to have the chance to hunt the Homunculus known as Alpha."
Roipeng burned with enthusiasm.
While carrying out Nyarlathotep's orders was a given, hunting strong prey was the driving force that made him feel truly alive.
"I don't know what satisfaction is. And I don't know if I like fighting strong enemies either."
"Is that so? Then what is your reason for fighting?"
At Roipeng's question, Frey stared down at the short spears gripped in her hands.
Her reason for fighting...
It was...
"There is someone I want to protect."
The person who had given her a name for the very first time.
The person who had promised to treat her as a companion, not just a weapon or a tool.
She wanted to stay by his side... just a little longer.
If she had a reason, that was it.
* * *
The fierce battle raged on.
Jinhyuk carefully assessed the state of the battlefield.
'They're holding out better than I expected.'
Thanks to everyone's help, they had managed to tie down three of the four enemies.
Only one remained.
Hound.
The leader of this group.
Hound's combat prowess was so formidable that even if the other three teamed up, they might not defeat him.
However, the core of this battle wasn't about who defeated whom.
It was about obtaining the Crown of Hegemony.
That was their sole purpose and reason for coming here.
"...Seeing how hard your brain is working, you must be calculating how to get your hands on the crown. I suppose you can't afford to waste an opportunity you bought by sacrificing your own comrades."
"That's a bit harsh. Sacrificing them? They all volunteered."
And...
"Why do you assume we're the ones who will end up as sacrifices?"
He was seriously underestimating the strength of the Veteran Corporation.
They hadn't even shown all their cards yet.
Rumble!
Jinhyuk opened his Dimensional Subspace inventory.
Along with a blinding light, his second wave of reinforcements made their appearance.
"Mogyuuu!"
Goguma proudly stood on all four feet.
His black scales and amber eyes burned with intensity.
Beside Goguma stood a noble figure with long, flowing silver hair.
Alice von Ataraxia.
If the Old Guard were the hunting dogs that slaughtered high-ranking players inside the Tower...
Alice was one of the absolute beings who symbolized the Tower itself.
Even if she wasn't in her prime, her experience and status remained untarnished.
"You promised. Once this is over, you must have a meal with me at a place of my choosing. The menu must be what I want, too. And there must be no other pests interrupting us. Especially not that blue-haired girl or that idiot saintess! Absolutely not! Promise me! Do you understand?"
Alice snapped with a pout.
He had tried his best to appease her, but it seemed she still harbored plenty of complaints.
"Yes, yes. I absolutely promise you that."
"Hmph! Fine, I shall trust you just this once."
"Don't worry about that and focus. This isn't an opponent we can take lightly."
"I know that."
Sensing that the enemy was unusual, Alice also went all out from the start.
[Alice activates her unique holy spear, 'Revelation of Genesis'!]
Along with a crimson ring, flames resembling a manifesting sun surged upward.
Beyond the warping space, dozens of crimson harpoons rose in tight formation.
"Shall we deal with the one in front first?"
"I can handle that guy. You guys help the others. Teresa and Uasis are struggling, so start with them."
"Understood. Then I shall move quickly with the Spirit Trees."
Alice nodded toward the spirits that had emerged with her.
"Yep, leave it to us, Master."
"We'll fight our hardest. We'll teach them a lesson they'll never forget!"
"Hehe. Man, what kind of idiots dared to upset our cold-blooded, ruthless master?"
The Spirit Trees showered him with all kinds of flattery.
An Ancient Species, a True Ancestor, and even the Spirit Trees.
With this lineup, they actually stood a decent chance.
But at that very moment...
Rumble!
The quicksand within the dunes began to churn violently.
Due to the ruins' internal trait of shifting based on the sun's position, the sand was starting to migrate.
Glint.
It was then that a dark light gleamed from amidst the sand.
Deep within the massive torrent of grains...
"...!"
"Found it."
Jinhyuk and Hound's eyes flashed simultaneously.
There was no mistake.
The 'Crown of Hegemony' was inside that rushing torrent.