Chapter 239: The Great Raid (1)
Chapter 239: The Great Raid (1)
The US Branch of the Awakened Association responded with agility the moment they received the grim news from Wolyeong that the demons would soon launch a much more powerful offensive.
Having fought alongside the Moon Shadow Party in Morocco and gathered intelligence on the demons and demonic humans, the Association had concluded that every word Wolyeong spoke was the absolute truth. They trusted her implicitly.
Given the United States' significant influence within the Awakened Association, they shared this information with other nations, preparing for a global response to the impending demonic onslaught.
However, some countries and more cynical individuals refused to believe the Moon Shadow Party’s warnings.
This was especially true for nations with strained relations with the US, many of which were autocratic regimes. They reacted sensitively, viewing the situation as a ploy by the Americans to seize control of their portals.
Their suspicion stemmed from the US proposal to immediately share all information regarding portal appearances and clearances through the Association to ensure a rapid response.
China stood at the forefront of this opposition.
Nations maintaining a state of tension with the US formed an alliance, flatly rejecting what they perceived as American interference. They acted out of a belief that their sovereignty was being infringed upon. In response, the US worked in tandem with Korea to emphasize that global cooperation was essential, attempting to persuade the holdouts.
Naturally, things did not go smoothly.
Those obsessed with power and sensitive to its shifts reacted with predictable volatility to anything they perceived as a threat to their control. It was a classic, almost cliché, reaction.
For his part, Park Min-woo had secured the cooperation of Korea’s large clans. Together, they had established a system to immediately report demon sightings and engage in joint combat.
Yet, he was deeply worried about the other nations—especially those refusing to cooperate. If the demons struck there, the lack of a timely response could lead to catastrophe.
Looking back at the most recent attack in Morocco, the Black Spire had been operational for over half a day, causing significant damage to the dimensional barrier. It was only thanks to the US detecting it relatively quickly that things hadn't ended worse; otherwise, they might have been in the middle of an all-out war with the demons by now.
Park Min-woo had expected some pushback and wasteful debate, but the reality of it gave him a massive headache.
"Sigh... if the demons attack now, the damage will be catastrophic..."
It was certain that demonic humans who had already defected to the demons were hiding on Earth. While they had conducted sweeps, it was dangerous to harbor the groundless hope that not a single one remained.
The US felt the same frustration. Their long-standing friction with China made this latest round of obstructionism particularly infuriating. They needed to prepare for the attack immediately and repel the demons before the damage escalated. Even if full cooperation wasn't possible, they needed at least a modicum of it, but even that was being denied.
The nations opposing the US feared losing their grip on power more than the demonic threat itself.
For the time being, the nations that had agreed to cooperate began sharing all data on portal generation and closing, establishing a communication network to alert one another instantly.
And then... the omens appeared.
A day came when no new portals appeared on Earth. While existing portals remained, the daily generation of new ones simply stopped.
The nations that had taken the warning seriously and prepared for the demonic offensive recognized the significance of this lull. They immediately placed their Awakeners on high alert, ready for combat at a moment's notice.
Since no one knew exactly how the demons would strike, even the slightest anomaly was treated with extreme caution.
While some of the non-cooperative nations dismissed the phenomenon as nothing, others sensed the strangeness of the situation. Some even came forward belatedly, offering to cooperate.
But it was already too late.
A massive number of portals emitting an eerie purple light began to manifest across the globe.
Typically, portals emitted a blue light and contained monsters. However, these purple portals were of a type that had appeared once before.
Reports had previously identified these purple portals in Japan, where they were found to be teeming with demons. This was a fact known to all Awakeners, and the sight of so many ominous portals appearing simultaneously exerted a crushing sense of pressure.
Though they suspected demons were inside, the Awakeners were hesitant to enter.
Based on information previously provided by the Moon Shadow Party, they knew that blue and purple portals differed in internal structure and function. While blue portals functioned as dimension bombs, the purple portals were like transport ships designed to safely ferry demons to Earth.
Given the high probability that the demons inside were no longer in a state of slumber, charging blindly into the portals was incredibly dangerous. If the demons were active, any Awakener stepping inside would be met with an immediate, coordinated ambush.
The decision was made to send reconnaissance drones into the portals first.
Small drones disappeared into the purple light. Because the interior of a portal existed in a different space, signals could not be transmitted; the drones had to be programmed to return so their recorded footage could be reviewed.
However, not a single drone returned.
It was clear evidence that the demons were waiting inside, destroying anything that entered the portal immediately.
Ultimately, the Moon Shadow Party decided to take action.
Han Shin and the rest of the team performed a final check of their equipment. Since the likelihood of an immediate ambush was high, they were tense and meticulous in their preparations. One could never be too careful.
"We're going in now."
Wolyeong, acting as the liaison with the Association, informed Park Min-woo, who was present at the scene.
"Understood, Wolyeong. Please, everyone, be careful."
Grace and Han Shin took the lead. Both held their shields and one-handed swords, ready to react to an attack the moment they crossed the threshold.
Inside his helmet, Han Shin’s eyes were sharp with focus as he adjusted his grip on his sword. Without further delay, they leapt into the purple portal.
Shuck!
A low, sharp sound hissed past Han Shin’s ear instantly.
Clang!
Raising his shield, Han Shin deflected an arrow. The cold ring of metal on metal sent a slight tremor through his arm.
This wasn't an arrow fired by an ordinary demon. The weight behind the impact was unlike any projectile he had encountered before.
A barrage of dark magic and arrows followed immediately.
This time, Han Shin didn't move to block. The demons weren't the only ones capable of magic that slowed projectiles. Though their attributes were opposite, the Benevolent Gods possessed similar spells.
Laysia immediately cast Dragon's Veil, centered on the party, to reduce the speed of incoming projectiles. A faint silver aura expanded in a ten-meter semi-circle around Han Shin’s group, visibly slowing the projectiles as they entered the field.
Kang Yujin moved next. Using her psychokinesis, she seized the cursed arrows made of dark metal and snapped them into tiny fragments.
"Everyone, watch out for those arrows!" Sitri warned, recognizing the weapons.
They were cursed arrows forged from dark metal infused with dark mana. Even a single scratch could cause one's body to wither and weaken.
The Moon Shadow Party’s entry point was a perfect kill zone. They were positioned at the bottom of a basin, while the demons looked down on them from above, as if watching from the stands of a circular amphitheater.
The concentrated volley of arrows and magic was a direct result of this disadvantageous terrain. Upon confirming that the legendary Moon Shadow Party had entered, the demons on the ridges intensified their assault.
"Kill them!"
"Fire without ceasing!"
These were bellicose demons from Nippur who had volunteered for the first large-scale expeditionary force to Earth as the rift widened.
They were followers of the Evil God Baphomet. Possessing muscular bodies and the heads of various beasts and monsters, they were a breed that looked down on the demons who had previously been defeated by the Moon Shadow Party.
They had mocked and ridiculed the failures in Nippur, boasting that if they ever encountered the Moon Shadow Party, they would slaughter and desecrate them.
Now, they rejoiced, seeing that their prey had crawled right into their trap.