Chapter 205
Chapter 205
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 205
Chapter Title: Song of the Dead (1)
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“...It’s a good thing we prepared in advance. Isolating the cemetery, for instance.”
Seong Woo-hyeon let out a small sigh.
The mass grave for the countless victims of the demonic beasts.
From within, the dead clawed their way out of the earth, their resentful voices creating a scene that was nauseating to watch.
The measures he had taken immediately after returning to the residence upon discovering the first undead had been the right call.
“Don’t get complacent. It looks like some of these bastards can use the powers they had in life.”
Kim Hyo-jong swung his sword irritably.
A jet of water that had shot toward him like a serpent shattered into pieces.
“The one that just attacked me. That was one of your guild members who went to fight the King of Disease. I figure you’d remember him.”
“I know. I am the guild master, after all. I have memorized the names of all my guild members.”
“All of them? That’s some freakish memory. How do you do it?”
Kim Hyo-jong smirked and swung his sword again.
The undead climbing the wall couldn’t dodge his attack and were cleaved in two, tumbling down.
Watching this, Seong Woo-hyeon remained silent for a long moment.
‘He was a vibrant person. Always smiling, always approaching everything with joy.’
A troubled expression was plain on Seong Woo-hyeon’s face.
This wasn’t just a matter of the dead coming back to life.
Those killed by demonic beasts reappeared exactly as they were at the moment of their death, dredging up painful memories for those who knew them.
And it was even worse when they became monsters themselves, turning their blades on you.
*Swoosh…*
The severed bodies reattached as if they had never been cut, and they began to climb the wall once more.
Kim Hyo-jong clicked his tongue.
“Are they really immortal? If these things keep swarming us, we’re screwed.”
“Lee Min-hwa-nim and the elite members of the Hongryeon Guild are on it. We’ll leave the solution to them and focus solely on defending the residence.”
“Yeah, I know that much.”
[Kraaaahk!!]
An undead in the form of a werewolf leaped over the wall in a single bound and charged at Kim Hyo-jong.
Kim Hyo-jong dodged the attack with minimal movement and plunged his sword into the werewolf’s stomach.
A vital spot that would have instantly killed any normal human.
But the werewolf merely shuddered for a moment before its eyes turned vicious, and it swiped with its claws, even while impaled on the sword.
“This is a real pain in the ass.”
Frowning, Kim Hyo-jong swung his sword, sending the werewolf flying into the distance.
If it couldn’t be killed, flinging it far away was the most effective strategy.
The others were also struggling to hold back the undead.
Those who had been weak in life weren’t much of a threat, even if they couldn’t die.
But it was a different story for those who had possessed some strength.
The single fact that they were immortal made them feel as difficult to handle as A-rank monsters, or even higher.
“By the way, it wasn’t just Hongryeon that mobilized, right? You said Kim Se-hyeon was moving with them?”
“That is correct.”
“You still trust Kim Se-hyeon, I see.”
“...I do.”
“Sorry, but I still can’t.”
Kim Hyo-jong said irritably.
Seong Woo-hyeon didn’t say much either, focusing his efforts on repelling the undead.
It was no secret among the guild masters that Kim Hyo-jong and Seon Woo-jin openly disliked Kim Se-hyeon.
Their behavior during the meeting after the subjugation of the Corrupted Ignis had made that clear.
“...But, I can believe that he doesn’t kill people recklessly and tries his best to save everyone.”
A moment later, however, Kim Hyo-jong’s tone softened slightly.
Seong Woo-hyeon looked at him, surprised.
“So I’ve decided to watch and see, just as you suggested.”
“What brought on this sudden change of heart?”
“It’s nothing. I just heard about what happened in the east.”
The series of events that had unfolded in the eastern residential area of Seoul had already spread among the players.
Chief among them was the conduct of Kim Se-hyeon and his party.
With their power, it would have been far easier to just kill their way through, but the rumor was that they hadn't killed a single person, a claim backed by the testimony of players who hadn't been brainwashed by Ada.
This was enough to sway even those who had previously held animosity toward Kim Se-hyeon.
A faint smile touched Seong Woo-hyeon’s lips.
“That’s good to hear.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I trust him completely.”
“I know.”
“Why are you grinning like that? It’s creeping me out… Wait a second.”
Kim Hyo-jong, who had been grumbling, suddenly sharpened his gaze.
His unique ability, ‘Eye that Pierces the Battlefield,’ had activated.
“Damn it! They’re underground!”
[Kyaaaaah!!]
The road cracked open, and the hands of the dead reached out from within.
Enemies were swarming not only from outside the residence but also appearing from within.
At this rate, the fall of the residence was only a matter of time.
The thought made Kim Hyo-jong’s face harden, but he soon noticed something strange and his eyes widened.
There was no one on the streets.
Instead, the moment the undead emerged, they were met with a concentrated barrage of attacks and sent tumbling back underground.
“What the. When did everyone get on top of the buildings?”
“I instructed them to do so beforehand. The dead rise from the ground; they don’t fall from the sky, do they?”
“Well… I guess not.”
Kim Hyo-jong nodded reluctantly.
“As long as everyone does their part from their positions, we can hold out. The people who went to Incheon will handle it.”
Seong Woo-hyeon smiled gently and flexed his arms.
*Crack.*
The undead caught in Seong Woo-hyeon’s hands, which had transformed to resemble dragon claws, was crushed beyond recognition.
Even if they were immortal, the more damage they took, the longer it took for them to recover.
Seong Woo-hyeon’s method was perfect for exploiting that fact.
“Be careful! That one was an A-rank when he was alive! If he uses a skill…!”
[Kraaaaaaaah!!]
Before the woman directing the scene could finish her sentence, a burly undead slammed its hands into the ground with immense force.
“An… an undead using a skill!?”
*KABOOM!!*
Those who had taken positions on rooftops and ledges to launch ranged attacks lost their balance, scrambling to keep from falling.
The same went for Jo Min-woo, who, being a close-range dealer, had been sitting on the edge watching the fight.
“Ugh!?”
“Min-woo!”
Jo Min-ah, who was next to him, tried to grab him but missed by a hair’s breadth, and Jo Min-woo tumbled onto the street below.
Fortunately, there weren’t many undead nearby, so he wasn’t hurt.
“Damn it, I let my guard down… Huh?”
As he stood up, rubbing his back, his gaze happened to fall on something not far away.
A familiar face.
An unforgettable face.
Jo Min-woo muttered blankly.
“...No way.”
“You’re not seeing things.”
Jeong Ha-yeon, who had followed him down, answered as she kicked away an undead.
A single undead was approaching them, letting out a strange cry.
Jeong Ha-yeon continued in a subdued voice.
“That’s really… Lee Seong-chan-ssi.”
“That’s…! H-hey, wait!? Min-ah! Jo Min-ah! Don’t get any closer!”
“Min-ah!?”
Jo Min-woo and Jeong Ha-yeon cried out in alarm.
Jo Min-ah, who had come down at some point, was approaching Lee Seong-chan.
The undead Lee Seong-chan had also spotted Jo Min-ah and was letting out a low groan.
“I really wanted to tell you this.”
Jo Min-ah looked up at Lee Seong-chan.
At this range, he should have attacked, but Lee Seong-chan just stared down at her blankly.
He made no move at all.
“Thank you for saving me back then.”
So.
“Now… rest.”
[The trait, ‘Soul Flame,’ has met its conditions and will now activate.]
*Fwoosh!*
The moment Jo Min-ah finished speaking, a blue flame erupted from Lee Seong-chan’s body, instantly engulfing him from head to toe.
They revive even if burned to ash.
That was the nature of the undead's ‘immortality,’ something Seong Woo-hyeon had discovered.
But the blue flame kindled by Jo Min-ah burned even the ash, leaving no trace behind as it completely erased Lee Seong-chan’s existence.
—I’m glad.
Startled, Jo Min-ah looked around.
There was nothing left, but that had definitely been Lee Seong-chan’s voice.
A faint smile touched her lips.
“She annihilated an undead...!?”
It was an undead that would revive infinitely, no matter what was done to it.
No one knew that better than Seong Woo-hyeon.
A complex mix of emotions swirled within him.
That she was one of the twins Kim Se-hyeon cherished so dearly.
Seong Woo-hyeon couldn’t tell if it was a coincidence or not.
‘Just what is that child…?’
And there was one other person whose face had stiffened at the sight.
“Blue flames…”
The clear flames spiraled into the sky, and Jo Min-ah stood with her hands clasped as if in prayer.
While he was impressed that she had annihilated an immortal undead, he couldn’t bring himself to be entirely happy.
For some reason, a corner of his chest ached.
‘Why?’
He was proud of Jo Min-ah’s growth, as if it were his own.
But the power she had just displayed felt… wrong.
Like it was a power she shouldn't use.
Watching Jo Min-ah, who seemed to have expended a great deal of energy, Jo Min-woo felt a strange sense of unease.
***
Unlike Tarwi’s temple, which had been entirely above ground, the buildings The Order had provided were all underground.
In other words, Tarwi’s temple had been a diversion from the start.
The core rituals, including the ‘Priestess’ and the ‘Song of the Dead,’ were being conducted right beneath their feet.
“A unique barrier.”
A single magic circle blocked the entrance.
At this point, seeing magic so openly displayed as if it were a real, existing thing, sparked various thoughts.
“So how do we get in?”
“A light touch will bring up something like a password prompt.”
“...Like an electronic lock?”
*Vmm.*
A 10x10 grid of dots appeared on the magic circle.
This was a type of encryption spell used by The Order.
Pressing the correct dots among the 100 would open the ‘gate.’
The password for the unique barrier varied depending on which apostle’s branch created it, but the ones in East and Southeast Asia were all standardized, so if my memory served me right…
“First row, 3 and 4. Second row, 3 and 7. Third row, 1 and 4…”
As I was trying to recall the sequence, Jun Bo-ra, who had been staring intently at the grid, began to list the positions of the dots one by one.
“You know it?”
“I remember it. It was interesting, so I memorized it the moment I saw it. I even rewound your stream a few times, so I remember it clearly.”
“...You memorized it the moment you saw it?”
It was absurd enough that she said it so casually, but Jun Bo-ra didn't seem to think it was a big deal.
A 10x10 grid of dots.
It wasn't something one could memorize so easily.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
‘Just how good is her memory?’
The world of streaming was a market that could change drastically with a single opportunity.
With her fundamental abilities, she could have easily become a major streamer if she’d had the right chance.
‘Not that it means anything now.’
“Seventh row, 3 and 4, and then…”
*Vmmmmm.*
Before Jun Bo-ra could finish speaking, I input all the dots, and the magic circle split in half, opening a space.
“What are you doing? Let’s go.”
“...Right. Of course, you’d know.”
Pouting, Jun Bo-ra used Teleport to quickly enter.
My Extreme Eye could detect hundreds of mana sources.
The cultists here weren’t strong individually, so subduing them would be easy.
And, most importantly.
‘The Priestess.’
The puppet meant to summon an ancient, sealed god.
Her presence, too, could be felt clearly.