The Weight of Power
The battle was never going to last long.
Park Su-bin’s mechanical giant served as the ultimate hard counter to every spell and distortion of truth, while Belphegor had discarded even his human shell to become a monster that could edge closer to that same power.
Had they known from the beginning, the outcome might have differed. But the instant the creature fell into the mechanical giant’s grip, Belphegor was utterly sealed. Once the other rankers joined the fight, its fate was decided.
The “result” now floated beside Park Su-bin: a fist-sized, crimson jewel.
More precisely, Belphegor’s core.
“To think transforming himself into a monster meant creating an actual core, not just reshaping his body… Even the Voice was surprised, wasn’t he?”
The God of Mechanical Devices shakes his head. He says it’s merely vulgar creatures doing vulgar things.
The real problem began now.
This brilliant core still carried Belphegor’s will and was fighting furiously to break free. Because the creature had always been viciously stubborn, its resistance was no small matter. It even unleashed mental pollution.
“Noona, I told you not to stare at it. Its will is still inside.”
“My… precious!!”
“That’s enough. Come over here, Noona.”
“Uwaaang!”
…In Yu Ri-ra’s case, she simply had a fatal weakness for anything cute and shiny, but the core was still dangerous.
Ordinary hunters could be enthralled just by standing near it.
In the end, Cross Iruha, who had taken command, spoke up.
“Su-bin, seal this and return to headquarters. Right now, you seem to be the only one here who can contain it.”
As he said, a small mini-gate had opened behind the floating core. Wires and cables poured out of it, wrapping the core in layers of restraint.
Yet for some reason Park Su-bin’s expression remained clouded.
Killing a corps commander and sealing its core alone was an incredible achievement, but he still felt dissatisfied.
“If the Voice and I worked together, we could probably handle an entire sector. Wouldn’t that give everyone else a little more breathing room?”
The God of Mechanical Devices tells you that you have already done more than enough and should rest.
“Even so… Everyone else is still struggling out there. It feels wrong to sit back.”
This young man wanted to shoulder responsibility equal to the weight of the power he had been given. He believed that receiving such immense strength when he had once been so lacking was a command to give back in equal measure.
Park Su-bin was foolishly upright and kind.
And that was exactly why the contrast felt so stark.
At the end of the corridor, just beyond the door, stood someone who possessed power yet had abandoned duty instead of protecting others.
“Hey! Representative Lee! I told you it was a mistake!”
The sudden roar made Park Su-bin pause at the door, wondering what was happening. A familiar voice answered immediately.
“I’m warning you. Say the word ‘mistake’ one more time and I might just flip this entire place over.”
It was his hyung. Lee Shin.
Lee Shin was furious right now—more than Park Su-bin had ever seen.
From the conversation that followed, Park Su-bin quickly understood why. It concerned the very events he had been part of.
“All right, since we’re talking, let’s be clear. A mistake? You call it a mistake? Leaving your position without a word is a mistake. Failing to report it properly is a mistake. Abandoning one of our own and running away is also a mistake? Wow, you really live in a convenient world. Two mistakes from you and you could lose an entire country.”
“Representative Lee, even if you’re upset, the way you’re speaking…”
“Fine. Then let me ask one thing. You and your rankers ran without even putting up resistance, correct? Was that a mistake too?”
“N-no, it’s not that we didn’t resist. We did our best—”
“This guy is still acting cute. Hey, do you think I’m an idiot just because your team is full of idiots? If you had resisted—even a little—Belphegor could never have appeared there. Ever.”
“…!!”
It was an unbelievable claim.
They hadn’t resisted at all? No way…
Park Su-bin, who had been holding his breath outside the door, unconsciously glanced at the sealed core of Belphegor. Could it be true?
The sealed core flashed with red light.
If it looked like it was laughing, it had to be his imagination… right?
“It’s really true…? Are you insane?”
If that was the case, this was no ordinary incident.
The Brazilian association president and his rankers had done something unthinkable even in the worst possible raid. And they had done it on a battlefield where no one could see even an inch ahead.
That was why Lee Shin was this angry.
“Retreating? Sure, that can happen. Communication delay? It can happen. Losing sight of the enemy? Fine, I’ll be generous and understand it like I’m some kind of saint. But once you actually faced the enemy, you should have resisted at least a little! You should have crossed blades, thrown spells, stalled for even one minute—one second! Instead, a bunch of rankers froze in fear and their association president encouraged retreat? This isn’t even your country, is it? Huh?”
“…That’s correct. We didn’t.”
“Shut up. Do you think me standing here commanding as the so-called supreme commander is just for show? I see everything. Your unit’s movements, timing, actions—every last bit. Even the way you’re rolling that useless thing on your shoulders right now.”
“…”
“Association President Carlos, listen well. When this is over, I will personally make sure you’re finished. You think I don’t have the authority? Watch me and find out whether I can or can’t.”
If you understand, get lost.
At those words the Brazilian association president opened the door and stepped out, only to meet eyes with Park Su-bin who had been waiting in the corridor.
He looked back and forth between Park Su-bin and the sealed Belphegor core, then swallowed hard.
He seemed nervous. Park Su-bin stared at him with ice-cold eyes before speaking.
“It was really dangerous over there.”
“…”
Leaving only that single sentence, he walked past the man and entered the room.
“Hyung, I’m here.”
“Oh, Su-bin! You made it. You worked incredibly hard—truly.”
Lee Shin had been so furious that he had a magic cigarette in his mouth, but the moment Park Su-bin entered he tossed it aside and pulled the younger man into a hug.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m not hurt, but…”
“Not hurt, but…?”
“My coat is gone. It feels a bit empty without it.”
“You idiot, don’t worry. Hyung will buy you an even cooler one.”
Park Su-bin glanced over Lee Shin’s shoulder at the surroundings.
Dozens of screens covered an entire wall. In front of them, more than ten people sat at computers monitoring the battlefield situation. Behind them, members of Brothers Outsourcing moved busily, searching for data. Several others grabbed documents and dashed through the rear door.
Wow, so this is what command looks like.
Park Su-bin was genuinely impressed.
While he had been responsible for a single sector, his hyung had been overseeing the entire vast battlefield. He could only stand there with his mouth open.
While Park Su-bin marveled at the control room, Lee Shin stepped in front of the sealed Belphegor core.
He murmured quietly.
“It really does look exactly like the one in the game. Hey, truth worshipper, I know you can hear me. I’m curious about something. Is the power you use ‘Truth Distortion’?”
Bwooong!!
“Just as I thought.”
A small curiosity satisfied.
Lee Shin smiled and tapped the vibrating core a couple of times.
“Stay quiet and sealed. The Bureau will dispose of you cleanly.”
Bwooong—!!
“Hyung, you should be careful with that.”
“Yeah, you’re right. It does feel creepy. See the goosebumps?”
Lee Shin returned with a playful grin.
Facing Park Su-bin again, he spoke first.
“Your role is over now. Go sit on the sofa and rest.”
“Do I really not need to go out and provide support?”
“It’s fine. You’ve done more than enough.”
“Still…”
“Hey, I said rest. If it bothers you that much, think of it this way. Besides you, is there anyone else who can seal that thing?”
Belphegor was one of the most dangerous villains among the GM’s roster. If you factored in his ability to awaken the power of the level 8 boss Sloth Corps Commander, it was guaranteed to be SSS-rank.
“People who can cleanly seal a mage of that level are extremely rare. In the current expedition force, excluding you, only the Mountain King could manage it.”
“Ah… Then Master wouldn’t work. He’s commanding the front lines in your place, Hyung.”
“Another thing. You’re currently in an awakened state and overflowing with power, but it wouldn’t be strange if you suddenly collapsed at any moment.”
“Eh… Really?”
“Think logically. After taking that kind of beating and then forcing an awakening, you really think it’s just ‘ta-da, fully recovered’? Is this a cartoon? A game?”
“Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”
“Explanation complete, then. Go lie down.”
While speaking, Lee Shin finished arranging the sofa and patted it invitingly.
“Lie down comfortably. Just watch the show.”
My magnificent performance.
Lee Shin winked at Park Su-bin, then returned to the screens. In just a few steps his expression transformed into something remarkably serious. A dizzying array of lights sparkled within his eyes.
“Report any special developments.”
The moment his order left his lips, the personnel at the computers began speaking over one another.
“Sector Z restoration complete. Should we deploy personnel?”
“Gargoyle forces have appeared in Sector D. They’re requesting support, saying they can’t handle it. What should we do…”
“In Sector A, elite goblin artillery is attacking the ramparts from outside their range…”
“Support request from Sector F as well. The commander is injured…”
Questions poured out in an endless, nearly incomprehensible stream.
Yet in the middle of this chaotic situation, Lee Shin did not waver in the slightest.
“In Sector Z, post only the minimum guards and fill the rest with decoys. The fact they sent a corps commander means they have no plans to attack there. Just make it look occupied.”
“Pull all magic forces from Sector D. Don’t waste spells on gargoyles. Dispatch Jang Antonton’s team immediately for support. Send the freed mages straight to Sector A.”
“In Sector A, tell them not to panic over the bombardment and to focus solely on reinforcing the ramparts with magic. Our goal isn’t to kill monsters but to buy time. If the bombardment prevents monsters from climbing the walls, it’s actually to our advantage.”
“In Sector F, tell them to stop whining and hold their damn positions…”
Tactical placement. Firepower concentration. Encirclement construction. Route securing. Support requests. Diversion operations. Point designation. Frontline reinforcement.
With each of Lee Shin’s instructions, the tangled war situation unraveled like a ball of yarn.
The more one watched, the more awe-inspiring the ability seemed.
Not only the people delivering the orders, but the hunters watching on the screens, and even Park Su-bin who was observing from behind, were all astonished.
But to Lee Shin this was nothing special.
He knew the patterns of every monster visible on those screens.
Their weaknesses, strengths, defense and attack power, how to counter them, points to watch out for—everything.
He also knew the characteristics of every Brazilian hunter shown there.
Their specialties and shortcomings, their preferred playstyles, and the limits of what they could do.
Beyond that, he knew the items, the terrain features of the map, and even trivial details like how the commander of Corps A was ridiculously cowardly or how the commander of Sector F loved to exaggerate his injuries. He knew their personalities as if they were game characters.
Of course, unexpected variables like the incident with Park Su-bin could still occur. Even so, if he could somehow keep the situation under control, minimize those variables, and ultimately shape the battlefield like a game…
If he could make it just like GM!
“Heh.”
Lee Shin had no doubt.
No doubt that he would win.
Turning on GM, achieving victory, succeeding—it was simply his everyday routine.
“Move faster!”
“O God, punish this evil.”
In Sector B, pure white crosses filled the sky.
They crashed down at Cross Iruha’s prayer.
The undead legions beneath the earth melted away in an instant. Meanwhile, the Brazilian rankers assigned to him moved in to open breathing room across the battlefield.
At the same time, Spear Ghost Yang Kang-cheol, who was in charge of rear harassment outside the ramparts, warned the Brazilian rankers following him.
“Keep your heads straight. If you’re late, I’ll abandon you.”
“…Understood.”
“Pathetic cowards. Ptui.”
“W-was I joking?”
“…No.”
“Let’s go.”
He split up the dazed Brazilian rankers and attached them to Korean rankers.
It was the best measure Lee Shin could take at the moment, and it worked perfectly.
These people were bound by power whether they liked it or not.
Having lived wildly, as if there were no laws, they instinctively understood one thing: if they defied him this time, they were truly fucked.
With the unit centered around Spear Ghost harassing the rear, Sectors B, C, and D all gained breathing room.
During the brief pause in the monster wave, they had to eliminate as many monsters as possible.
The moment Lee Shin’s order came down, personnel leapt from the ramparts all at once.
It was the melee damage dealer corps that had been conserving their strength.
Swords, spears, axes, and all kinds of cold weapons flashed with light and radiated magic power. Among them, the most eye-catching duo was unmistakable.
Sword Master Park Gwang-seob and Baek Yeon-woo.
“Little brat!”
“Hup!”
The daggers thrown by the Sword Master danced through the air. Baek Yeon-woo became a streak of light, stepping on the daggers and soaring into the sky.
The instant Baek Yeon-woo drew his sword beneath the moonlight—
Pa-bat—!
The daggers exploded, sending hundreds of sword-energy fragments that devastated the ground below.
In that moment the Sword Master drew his twin blades. The true nature of twin swords was melee chaos!
His thighs swelled ferociously and exploded with power.
Pa-pa-pak———!
The Sword Master wove through the storm of fragments, swinging his blades. A cloud of dust rose along his path.
Similar scenes were unfolding in Sectors E, F, and G.
While the King of Fist and Brazilian hunters cut through the waist of the monster legions outside the walls, these two cleaned up the rest.
“Unnie!!”
“Got it.”
At Yu Ri-ra’s shout, the staff of the Black Star struck the earth.
Thousands of skeletons rose.
Shield soldiers and spearmen stood at the front, archers and mages at the rear. The perfectly formed skeleton legion pushed the monsters beneath the ramparts, creating space.
Starting with her skeleton legion, various summoners’ creatures began to appear, steadily expanding the cleared area.
Once a massive barricade was completed—
Yu Ri-ra took a shooting stance, scattering lightning.
She aimed at every monster her eyes could reach. Targets were drawn in her vision while dozens of floating guns rose around her.
The lightning-charged firearms aimed according to her sight.
The moment she pulled the trigger—
“Bangya!”
Kwa-dududuk!!
A cute voice rang out, followed by a merciless lightning bombardment that crashed in every direction.
By the time the ramparts had been cleared, the Crain strike force centered around the Mountain King and the Divine Archer was also weaving through the forest in fierce combat.
The Mountain King rode a wave of stumps and slammed it into the ground.
Crain flew into the air screaming from the impact. In that instant, arrows pierced through the darkness.
Pu-pu-puk——!!
The Divine Archer stood elegantly atop the highest tree, drawing his bowstring.
Every time he released an arrow, an enemy fell without fail.
Below him, the Mad Sword scattered light while the Guardian rode a tiger and charged the Crain.
The Mad Sword acted alone as always, using his speed.
In contrast, the Guardian handled the largest number of Brazilian rankers, filling every gap in the battlefield.
Hunters did what hunters did, rankers did what rankers did, and Lee Shin did what Lee Shin did.
When each performed their assigned role from their exact position, the battlefield slowly but surely began to stabilize.
And so, very slowly.
The moment that had seemed impossible finally arrived.
“It’s here…”
“!!”
Light rising beyond the horizon.
And the transport planes flying along with that light.
With the dawn, the disaster came to an end.
And then.
Amid everyone’s cheers, Lee Shin removed his headset and stretched.
“Now all that’s left is that one thing.”
Lee Shin’s gaze turned toward the forest.