Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: ACT.18 Four Rabbits (2)
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[We greet the Lord.]
He knelt on one knee, expressing his respect with a disciplined posture.
The surrounding soldiers followed suit, all kneeling in unison.
The long, hair-like plume extending from the back of his helmet seemed to trail off like overflowing energy dissipating into the air.
“Your name, from now on, is ‘Alpha.’”
Instead of a reply, a gleam shone from within his helmet.
With summoned creatures, giving them a name directly increases their loyalty.
Once loyalty reaches a certain point, additional traits or skills are unlocked, so it was always a good idea to name them one way or another.
‘And it’s easier to stick with the names I always use.’
[My Lord. Your command.]
As if wanting to prove his abilities, his fighting spirit seemed to flash, even though his face was hidden by the helmet.
Now that the Dark Moon Guild was taken care of, there was nothing for him to do at the moment.
But he seemed disappointed at the thought of being sent back right away.
I pondered for a moment, then spoke of something that came to mind.
“You have a Commander trait, don’t you? Lead the soldiers, go to the residential area, and annihilate all remaining enemies. Try not to be seen by anyone if possible. I don’t want to reveal your existence to too many people just yet.”
[As you command.]
“Ah, and…”
I added one more thing.
After receiving all my instructions, Alpha and his soldiers vanished as if seeping into the darkness.
Having the Commander trait increases the stats of all allies under his command.
Alpha’s mere presence boosted the combat power of the regular soldiers, so in a way, I had drawn the best possible card for the current situation.
The summon was draining, so I couldn’t maintain it for long, but as long as I wasn't doing anything else, it was manageable.
Alone in the silent, empty room, I quietly organized my thoughts.
‘The Order provided the Dark Moon Guild with a Dimension Stone…’
Conversely, that meant the Order had plenty of Dimension Stones.
A cult that worshipped high-level monsters and even tried to summon them.
That was the true identity of the Order.
At the same time, their name shouldn't have been mentioned this early.
‘They’re supposed to start their real rampage around Chapter 20.’
I knew they had been operating in the shadows for a long time, but I never imagined there would be a connection this early on.
Naturally, I could also deduce the directive the Dark Moon Guild had received.
‘If we neglected the Ark Gate to stop the virus, the King of Disease would descend upon Earth, which was their goal. If we tried to stop the Ark Gate, they would raid the empty house, so to speak, wreaking havoc on the residential area with the virus to make it easier to summon other high-level monsters later.’
Either way, they had nothing to lose.
No matter the outcome, it was their victory.
Killing Gong Yeong-hoon was part of that same context.
To make conquering the Ark Gate more difficult.
My presence had thwarted them, but it was a meticulous plan designed to steer events in their desired direction, one way or another.
‘They’re going to be pretty pissed when they hear this news.’
I smirked and moved on to the next task.
With the caster, Kwon Seong-shin, dead, the mutated virus would naturally disappear.
However, those already infected would not be cured.
Kwon Seong-shin hadn’t created an antidote, and the person who could have developed one was already dead.
That meant I had to find at least a clue to develop a cure.
For instance, any trace of Kwon Seong-shin’s virus research.
“…This must be it.”
I pulled out the files crammed onto the shelf.
All the research data collected since the virus first appeared.
With this research, creating an antidote would be much easier.
That took care of the Dark Moon Guild and the mutated virus.
All that remained was the source of this mess. The ‘King of Disease.’
‘If I go now, I should be able to join them in time.’
Even if I arrived right after the King of Disease was defeated, I could still achieve my goal.
But if possible, contributing to its defeat would clear an achievement and grant additional rewards.
The fact that the Order was already making moves, just as Kwon Seong-shin had said, was a variable, but that could be dealt with in its own way.
‘If the Order is on the move, then *he* will naturally be on the move too.’
An unplanned event would occur, but a powerful, unplanned ally would also appear.
There would be no major twist in the situation.
Just in case, I used Extreme Eye one more time to scan for any hidden Dimension Stones, but I found nothing.
With no more business here, I left the Dark Moon Guild’s headquarters through the secret passage.
***
At the top of the tallest building in the residential area.
A lone figure was surveying the current state of the district.
“Fools.”
The man, his face hidden by a robe, muttered through clenched teeth.
“To think they could fail. It’s a good thing I was watching, just in case.”
As the strong wind blew back his robe, a deeply scowling face was revealed.
He was a member of ‘the Order.’
A priest who served the fourth of the Order’s seven apostles.
Squinting against the glaring sunlight, he pulled something from within his robes.
It resembled a Dimension Stone in appearance, but its color was vastly different.
He threw the object, which glowed a fiery reddish-yellow, into the air and simultaneously chanted an incantation.
*Fwoooosh!*
Suddenly, a massive storm of fire erupted, and from within it, a fiery mass in the shape of a giant emerged.
A Flame Giant.
An S-rank monster that had once appeared in Incheon.
Though it had been narrowly defeated, the specter of the past, which had left great devastation in its wake, had now reappeared at the hands of a human.
‘It may be a downgraded version, but it’s more than enough to raid an empty house.’
The man’s lips stretched into a wide grin.
‘With all the key players inside the Ark Gate, there’s no way they can stop this.’
There was one nagging detail.
The fact that the virus, which looked like white smoke, had vanished meant Kwon Seong-shin had been defeated.
It meant a player strong enough to withstand the virus and defeat an S-rank player was still in Seoul.
But he quickly dismissed it as trivial.
‘That Kwon Seong-shin wasn’t an S-rank because of his combat prowess anyway.’
His gaze shifted to the Flame Giant.
Typically, it took about five S-rank players to defeat an S-rank monster.
It wasn't something that could be taken down by just one or two.
The smile on his lips deepened.
“Go. Giant of hellfire. Lay waste to Seoul.”
As if understanding his words, the giant let out a roar and began to move its massive body.
***
*Fwoosh!*
The blue flames did not easily die out, even on the asphalt.
They were traces of Jo Min-ah’s desperate struggle to eliminate the virus.
Remnants were scattered everywhere, a testament to how much of the virus she had destroyed.
“Phew, looks like we succeeded.”
Jun Bo-ra wiped the sweat from her brow and let out a long breath.
They had defeated all the members of the Dark Moon Guild and stopped the virus they intended to spread throughout the residential area.
They had fulfilled everything Kim Se-hyeon had asked of them.
‘It’s a bit strange that so many of the Dark Moon players were already dead all over the residential area, but I guess a good result is a good result.’
Jun Bo-ra smacked her lips and turned her head.
Over there were Jo Min-ah and Jeong Ha-yeon, who had decided to stay behind in case the Dark Moon Guild attacked again.
Jeong Ha-yeon approached Jo Min-ah with a faint smile.
“Good work. You must be exhausted.”
“…”
“Min-ah?”
“Huh? Oh, yes?”
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
Beads of sweat formed on Jo Min-ah’s forehead.
Her expression suggested something wasn’t going as she intended.
The moment Jeong Ha-yeon sensed something was off and reached for Jo Min-ah, Jun Bo-ra shouted sharply.
“Move!”
*Craash!*
A chunk of concrete engulfed in flames landed right where Jo Min-ah had been standing.
Thanks to Jeong Ha-yeon, Jo Min-ah’s face turned pale, having dodged it by a hair's breadth.
A giant engulfed in flames of several hundred degrees, hot enough to burn one’s entire body just by being near it.
No, a giant made of flame itself.
“A Flame Giant…!”
Jun Bo-ra, who knew its identity, broke out in a cold sweat.
‘Why is that here?!’
A monster that had appeared once and been killed should never appear again.
The Flame Giant was no exception.
Moreover, according to the game’s lore, it was a monster from the past, one that players would never fight directly, existing only in records.
For it to appear like this was strange, and for it to appear at this timing was even stranger.
‘Two S-rank monsters in Chapter 9 alone? That’s impossible!’
It was a situation that truly made her want to scream.
Jun Bo-ra bit her nails, her mind racing.
‘It’ll be some time before Kim Se-hyeon gets back.’
Every time the Flame Giant took a step, fireballs, its byproducts, rained down, and just dodging them was chaotic enough.
On top of that, they were already exhausted from hours of continuous fighting and dealing with the virus.
It was a situation where they had to worry if they could even escape properly, let alone fight.
‘Why did my starting point have to be there!’
She bitterly regretted being forced to acquire the A-rank Teleport.
She lacked the power to hunt a Flame Giant.
‘But if we run…’
She shook her head.
If the residential area was thrown into chaos and the walls collapsed, defending against a monster attack without a guild would be a hopeless task.
Jun Bo-ra bit her lip.
There was no other way.
Somehow, they had to stop the Flame Giant here.
*Fwoosh!*
“I may not be able to attack, but…!”
Jun Bo-ra dashed around, teleporting anything she could get her hands on.
It was a masterful application of her skill, enough to block all the fireballs raining down from every direction, but once the Flame Giant itself began to move, even that became difficult.
*Kooong!*
*Fwoooosh!*
“Hahaha! Destroy everything. Trample it all!”
With each move the giant made, roads shattered, and several buildings lost their form.
Although many had evacuated to the bomb shelters, there was no telling when the damage would reach even the underground.
An alarm bell rang in the heads of everyone there.
‘We have to stop it.’
“Ugh.”
Jo Min-ah, trying to use her ability, staggered and collapsed.
Jeong Ha-yeon, who was nearby, caught her, preventing a fall, but her condition was clearly not good.
“Min-ah!”
“I’m… sorry. I think I used… too much of my power.”
Her face was pale, and she could barely breathe.
It was the aftereffect of overusing an ability she was not yet accustomed to.
And Jeong Ha-yeon was not much different.
Jun Bo-ra was fighting hard, but the sweat pouring down her face showed how much she was pushing herself.
“Giant.”
At the priest's command, the giant swung its arm.
*Craaash!*
The ten-story building, which had been under repair, was snapped in half, and it came crashing down on top of Jo Min-ah and the other two.
“You’re insane…!”
Jun Bo-ra frantically moved next to Jo Min-ah and Jeong Ha-yeon, trying to use Teleport.
But it was only a thought.
The moment she tried to use her ability, her head went numb as a throbbing sensation and severe dizziness washed over her.
It was a symptom of mana deficiency, which occurs when one overuses their powers.
‘Ah.’
Jun Bo-ra’s pupils trembled.
Of all the times.
After getting through all the important parts, a sudden event, different from the original game, had to happen.
Just as she was repeatedly screaming “Move!” with a voice that wouldn’t come out.
*Shnk.*
Suddenly, the pile of rubble was neatly sliced in half, falling to either side and crushing the road below.
*CR-CR-CRASH!!*
“Wh-What…?”
Thick dust rose, obscuring her vision, but Jun Bo-ra could see something standing in front of her.
Something that wasn’t human.
It was barely maintaining its form, yet it possessed a chilling power.
In that moment, the description of Lord of Darkness’s supplementary ability, Army of Darkness, flashed through Jun Bo-ra’s mind.
‘Could it be…?’
[An enemy of the Lord.]
The priest, perched on the Flame Giant’s shoulder, was just as bewildered.
To possess the power to slice through a falling pile of rubble from a multi-story building with a single strike.
The priest already felt that something had gone terribly wrong.
[To be executed.]
From within the black knight’s helmet, a dark blue light gleamed.