Chapter 136: Geumwa Clan (3)
Chapter 136: Geumwa Clan (3)
Lately, the Awakeners of the Geumwa Clan had been growing in power, gaining access to various unknown magics through their Ego Artifacts.
Having felt their own strength increase firsthand, their confidence was sky-high. They were even filled with the conviction that they could win a confrontation with the Yuseong Clan.
However, even if the front gate had been breached unexpectedly early, the news that the Awakeners on the first floor had been suppressed in an instant planted a seed of anxiety in their minds.
The Geumwa Clan’s Ivory Tower, like any other building, was accessible via stairs and elevators.
The elevators had naturally been shut down. Currently, they were setting up barricades in front of the stairs leading from the first floor to the second, preparing to pour down attacks on the enemies climbing up.
An eerie silence hung among the Awakeners on the second floor.
Though no one spoke a word, they could see the unease in each other's eyes. They could hear the sounds of battle from the first floor, and it was clear that their side was being unilaterally crushed. The only screams they heard were voices they recognized all too well.
The elevators were out of commission, leaving the stairs as the only path.
As long as they blocked the stairs...
If they could just deal with the enemies coming up that narrow staircase, it was only natural that their defenses wouldn't be easily breached.
Under normal circumstances, that would have been a sound strategy.
But not today.
The Geumwa Clan Awakeners would soon realize just how wrong they were.
The Ivory Tower’s staircase was designed to follow the outer edge of the circular building. This meant that those on the upper floor could see the upper bodies of those ascending first, making it easy to attack.
But being able to attack didn't mean the problem was solved.
A silver helmet appeared first, followed by a knight clad in silver armor.
The Geumwa Clan Awakeners attacked as if they had been waiting for this moment. They unleashed every spell at their disposal and fired arrows in a fierce barrage.
Swooosh!
Boom! Bang!
The sharp whistle of arrows and various explosions rang out, followed by a thick shroud of smoke. They were certain that even if they hadn't killed the intruder, they had at least inflicted a heavy wound.
That certainty lasted only until the knight in silver full body armor and a martial artist in light armor emerged through the smoke.
Leading with the shield in his left hand, the silver knight charged straight at the Geumwa Clan Awakeners.
Clang! Ping!
Arrows flew at him but were deflected, unable to pierce the shield.
It is often said that for an ordinary person, it is difficult to even track the movements of an Awakener with the naked eye. That was exactly how the Geumwa Clan Awakeners felt right now.
A faint silver aura swirled around Han Shin’s body. He was in an enhanced state, drawing upon the Power of the Dragon as a Dragon Knight.
Having entered the state known as 'Juggernaut,' he slammed directly into the barricade.
CRASH!
The barricade, crafted from thick, refined stone specifically designed to withstand internal combat, was blown to smithereens.
The Geumwa Clan Awakeners behind it were sent flying, screaming as they went. Those closest had their faces crushed by stone debris or torn by sharp fragments; some were slammed into walls, while others tumbled across the floor.
Seeing the silver knight wreathed in a faint silver aura, the Geumwa Clan Awakeners—already tainted by demonic nature—felt a surge of primal fear.
Simultaneously, the martial artist in silver light armor closed the distance rapidly, devastating every Awakener she touched.
Just as she had on the first floor, she seized the limbs of the hostile Geumwa Awakeners and snapped them wherever she could grab them.
Fighting in such a confined space was familiar to Laysia, and it didn't diminish her combat effectiveness in the slightest. Especially when fighting humans, she could use the enemies' own attacks against them, which proved to be a great advantage.
While knocking down an Awakener, Laysia sensed an arrow and a spell flying toward her. She grabbed the collar of an Awakener whose right arm she had just dislocated and used him as a meat shield.
"Ugh... Argh!"
Laysia, devoid of her usual gentle smile, was utterly cold. Since they didn't need to capture every Geumwa Clan member alive, she had no qualms about using them this way.
The Geumwa Awakeners suddenly found themselves killing one of their own. While a couple of them, less tainted by demonic nature, felt a flicker of guilt, most didn't care at all.
But before they could even hurl curses at Laysia, they saw her already upon them, swinging her fists.
Boom! Bang! Thud!
"Aaaagh! Help me!"
*
From the top floor of the Ivory Tower, Kim Gi-joon and the other Geumwa Clan executives watched as their subordinates on the lower floors were dismantled without being able to lift a finger.
CCTV cameras were installed throughout the building, allowing them to witness the entire process.
The executives had originally gathered to briefly discuss how to use magic to attack external enemies from within the tower and how to handle the situation moving forward.
However, seeing Han Shin and Laysia break through with such unstoppable force left them utterly dumbfounded.
Of course, if they were given enough time to cast, their mages could wipe out an entire floor. But seeing the duo break through using nothing but martial arts and direct confrontation was unbelievable.
The Ivory Tower was five stories tall, and they had been confident it wouldn't be easily breached. Yet, in the blink of an eye, the battle was already reaching the third floor.
Less than an hour had passed, and the fact that the fighting had already reached the third floor showed just how dire the situation was for the Geumwa Clan.
Watching Han Shin and Laysia continue their ascent without a moment's rest, groans of despair escaped the executives' lips.
"Are those bastards even human?"
"What are we supposed to do?"
They clutched their heads, racking their brains for a way to kill the two, but nothing came to mind. Even those watching through the CCTV found it hard to be confident in victory; the movements they saw told them that they wouldn't stand much of a chance either.
Kim Gi-joon realized that if they continued to respond half-heartedly, their forces would just be picked apart piece by piece. He decided to commit to a total war.
"We're going down to the fourth floor immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone stood up and answered in unison, filing out of the top-floor office to head down to the fourth floor.
The Awakeners on the fourth floor were also trembling with anxiety as they heard the sounds of the battle raging on the third floor and the speed at which the lower levels had fallen.
The demons and the recently defeated Geumwa members had proven that even if demonic nature turned one's personality cruel and ferocious, it didn't mean they were immune to fear.
However, when the leadership of the Geumwa Clan personally descended and declared they would fight a total war, their courage began to swell again.
"Don't stay too close to the entrance. Spread out in a wide fan shape and concentrate your firepower."
Following Kim Gi-joon’s orders, the Geumwa Awakeners moved busily. They reorganized their defensive formation with impressive speed. As expected of a Large Clan, their level of training and ability was top-tier, and they executed the orders flawlessly.
Meanwhile, the sounds of battle rising from the third floor—the screams of Geumwa members, explosions, and the clashing of metal—began to fade.
"They'll be here soon. Everyone, get ready."
Kim Gi-joon’s low voice reached every member of the clan.
They believed that no matter how strong the intruders were, they wouldn't be able to withstand the combined magical onslaught of all the guild's executives at once.
Furthermore, they had set up triple-layered barricades. Kim Gi-joon and the executives were even prepared to use powerful area-of-effect spells, even if it meant incinerating their own subordinates in the process.
Kim Gi-joon instinctively knew that Han Shin and Laysia were unnaturally strong. He judged that if they could just take those two out, the rest of the Association's "husks" would be easy to deal with.
However, contrary to the expectations of Kim Gi-joon and the Geumwa Clan, everything went quiet.
Until now, Han Shin and Laysia had moved up to the next floor immediately after finishing the battle on the one below.
Many of the members on the fourth floor were trying to convince themselves that the second and third floors had only fallen because those Awakeners were caught off guard, and that they were different.
But when the intruders didn't come up immediately, it was actually a natural occurrence, yet it left them feeling flustered.
Kim Gi-joon furrowed his brow slightly and began biting his left thumb. It was an old, ugly habit of his that resurfaced whenever he felt incredibly anxious or unsettled.
'Why... why aren't these bastards...'
Because Han Shin and Laysia weren't moving as he expected, he felt as though he was being toyed with.