Chapter 140: Geumwa Clan (7)
Chapter 140: Geumwa Clan (7)
The Goryeo Clan, their next target, was located in Gwanak-gu.
Although the Association and Han Shin’s group had successfully suppressed the Geumwa Clan, a problem had arisen. They hadn't anticipated that the clan would be stockpiling monster carcasses on such a scale.
The sheer volume of the discovered remains meant that a significant portion of their personnel had to stay behind to manage the site. Furthermore, they had captured the Geumwa Clan members alive; since there was a possibility of outside forces coming to their rescue, they needed to leave enough people to hold the line and report any developments.
Fortunately, the damage from the battle had been minimal. Almost none of the Association Awakeners were injured, meaning their core combat strength remained intact.
Park Min-woo, the head of the Korean branch of the Awakener Association, couldn't help but feel conflicted as he received the report that the situation was being finalized.
The Goryeo Clan definitely knows we hit this place...
The friction and power struggles between large clans were well-known. It was easy to guess that they had scouts monitoring one another.
The more time he gave them, the more time the Goryeo Clan had to destroy evidence. Moreover, if they were servants of demons like the Geumwa Clan, there was no telling what they might do. He had to move to the Goryeo Clan immediately to investigate, even if it meant facing stronger resistance and a potential battle.
Having made up his mind, Park Min-woo cautiously approached Wolyeong. Everyone knew that the Wolyeong Party was currently their primary combat force. Ultimately, the decision to move on to the Goryeo Clan depended on their willingness.
"Wolyeong-nim. Our numbers might be spread even thinner now. Are you and your party capable of another battle?"
"Yes, it doesn't matter to us. Let's move out immediately."
"I see. Thank you."
Park Min-woo felt a wave of relief at Wolyeong’s immediate acceptance. In truth, since Han Shin and Laysia had handled the brunt of the fighting, the Association Awakeners weren't particularly fatigued.
They quickly piled into the prepared vehicles and headed toward the Goryeo Clan’s territory. As they drove, Han Shin noticed that the streets became conspicuously empty the moment they entered the clan's sphere of influence.
"They definitely noticed we're coming."
At Han Shin’s remark, Kang Yujin, sitting beside him, nodded. Grace and Laysia also sensed the change in the atmosphere.
The Goryeo Clan’s headquarters was a modern building topped with a traditional tiled roof, sporting a Hanok-inspired design that stood out even from a distance. The estate featured a vast forest surrounded by high walls. Buildings could be seen nestled between the towering trees.
The forest within the Goryeo Clan’s grounds was famous for its beauty and meticulous upkeep, often appearing in promotional photos. Han Shin had seen pictures of it online before, but seeing it in person felt entirely different.
Even to an untrained eye, the forest was overflowing with a gloomy, sinister energy. To Han Shin, it felt like looking at the forests inhabited by the Tree Evil Spirit Lesh he had seen in dungeons.
Since Lesh were weak monsters that appeared in low-rank portals, most Association Awakeners had experience with them and knew them well.
"Stay sharp. There might be Lesh in there."
They had already seen the stockpile of monster corpses at the Geumwa Clan. Given that these people were in league with demons, they had to assume the forest was crawling with monsters.
First, they demanded entry, stating they were there for an investigation. Just like at the Geumwa Clan, they were met with a refusal. It was the expected response, and since there was no reason to waste time, Han Shin swung his warhammer and smashed the firmly locked main gate to pieces.
"Watch out!"
"Stay close! Tight formation!"
From the outside, the Goryeo Clan’s forest had merely looked gloomy, but the moment they stepped inside, a thick fog rolled in, and the world seemed to darken.
"It's a barrier created with dark magic. We have to find the core of the barrier and destroy it to make this fog disappear."
Han Shin nodded silently at Grace’s explanation as she stuck close to his side. This was a defensive tactic commonly used by those who wielded dark magic—deploying a barrier to limit the enemy's vision and sap their strength before picking them off one by one.
The reason the mage-heavy Geumwa Clan, where Kim Gi-joon had been, hadn't used this was because they had been caught off guard by the sudden raid. If the Goryeo Clan had been the first target, they likely would have encountered an even stronger barrier at the Geumwa headquarters.
"We'll take the lead and find the core."
"Understood."
Even for a veteran like Park Min-woo, who had been active since the early days, a dark magic barrier was an unknown variable that required caution. Since the Otherworlders knew more about it and offered to handle it, he decided to accept their help. His job was to preserve his forces and minimize casualties in the meantime.
After Han Shin informed Park Min-woo of the plan, the group moved out. Both Grace and Laysia had encountered countless dark magic barriers before. Finding and destroying the core was second nature to them.
Since the core was the most vital part of the barrier, it was a rule of thumb to place it as far as possible from the entry point in an easily defensible location. Furthermore, because it was a focal point for dark mana, the followers of Tiamat—who were sensitive to such energy—could sense it instinctively.
The closer they got to the core, the stronger the sense of revulsion and discomfort became. They simply had to push forward against it. It was almost certain that a guard force would be stationed there to protect the core.
Whish! Rip!
As expected, the trees in the forest had been monsterized. Using the trees as a medium, Jacquin had mass-produced Tree Evil Spirit Lesh and set up the barrier. Wooden vines and stalks flew from all directions, lashing out at Han Shin’s group like sharp whips.
They had only advanced a short distance, but every tree except for a few on the outskirts was a Lesh.
"They're all Lesh!"
At Laysia’s shout, Kang Yujin used her psychokinesis to snap the surrounding trees.
Crack!
The sound of splintering wood echoed everywhere. These weren't ordinary trees; red sap, reminiscent of blood, spurted from the breaks. From an aerial view, it would have looked as if a hole was being punched through the center of the forest, a path of destruction carving a straight line forward.
Normally, Lesh were considered a joke to high-level Awakeners since they appeared in low-rank dungeons. However, the Lesh here were far stronger than those found in dungeons. These were entities created by Jacquin—the ego artifact hanging around Baek Yong-gi’s neck—using the monster corpses from the Goryeo Clan. By directly infusing them with dark mana, he had made them powerful, albeit short-lived.
Consequently, while the Association Awakeners were advancing slowly in a tight formation, they were struggling immensely.
"Agh!"
The casualties began when one of the Awakeners, who had underestimated the monsters because they were 'just Lesh,' had his abdomen impaled by a wooden vine. The attacks were far faster and more powerful than the Lesh they knew. With the entire forest being composed of Lesh, vines and stalks attacked from every conceivable angle.
To make matters worse, the fog from the dark magic barrier severely limited their vision. Awakeners typically had superior physical abilities that allowed them to see somewhat in the dark, and they were used to clearing dungeons by using light sources. They had rarely experienced combat in such restricted conditions.
This wasn't natural fog; it was a product of dark mana. Even when they tried to light fires, the fog refused to clear, leaving them in a suffocating situation where they could only see a few feet in front of them.
"Focus on protecting each other and maintaining the defense!"
Fortunately, their voices weren't blocked. Park Min-woo shouted his orders, and the command was quickly relayed through the ranks.
Park Min-woo felt a sense of dread as casualties mounted before they had even made much progress. The problem was that the level of the Awakeners he had brought—mostly his trusted subordinates—wasn't high enough for this.
Dammit!
Swallowing a curse, Park Min-woo continued to direct his men to maintain their formation and cover one another. For now, they needed the fog to lift before they could effectively counterattack. Trying to go on the offensive now was borderline suicidal.
At this moment, Park Min-woo and the Association Awakeners had no choice but to put all their faith in the Wolyeong Party.