The Iron Wall Rises
The moment the players emerged through the gate connected to the stadium, the venue erupted.
“They’re here!!”
“It’s the kids!!”
“Su-bin!!”
“Yeon-woo!!”
“Dad!!”
“Sanwang is god and Lee Shin is invincible!!”
―――――!!
Leading the charge in a white robe was Sanwang, with the silver knight Kim Yu-shin at his side. Flanking them were Park Su-bin in a black mink coat and Baek Yeon-woo in a white uniform, creating a striking black-and-white contrast. Between them, Yu Ri-ra beamed with her mouth stretched into a triangle.
“Haa…… As expected. Just seeing their faces…… gives me strength.”
The Mir Guild, at full condition and with their full roster.
After the shocking rank announcement came their first debut match!
They had waited so long! This historic moment was being broadcast worldwide!
― “They’re out! Finally! Korea’s strongest. Asia’s strongest legion! The legendary Team 1 has made a grand entrance!!”
― “Kuh, they’re strong. Facing defeat is also part of the samurai spirit…… Don’t lose heart, young samurai of Japan. Train even harder!”
On Japanese Noutube TV, fear and jealousy from their previous loss lingered.
― “The star of Asia that the dragon had kept hidden is deploying. We’re getting a close-up of the genius and the colossus that the Heavenly Sword Emperor praised so highly.”
― “Hmph. We’ll see whether it’s truly Asia’s star or just an artificial one manufactured by the Korean Bureau.”
Chinese Noutube TV, as always, looked down on the talents of a small nation.
― “Oh~ Did you see that presence just now? I like that Swag. So Cool!!”
― “On a slightly different note, I always think this guild has excellent styling. Just their entrance changes the entire atmosphere.”
― “Star quality!! I love it!!”
America simply enjoyed the show.
― “They played the first two sets with an extremely slow tempo squad, and now they’re sending their most violent high-tempo gladiators onto the perfect stage where the third set will be decided.”
― “It was a high-level trick show rarely seen in Asia. That’s right. What era are we in? You can’t survive with just your starting roster.”
Europe was satisfied with the sophisticated strategy.
Other European countries, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and even African leagues including Egypt couldn’t take their eyes off Korea’s dragon.
― “We’ll now announce Mir Guild’s third-set lineup. The Genius Baek Yeon-woo. Sanwang Kim Jong-phil. Hwarang Kim Yu-shin. Blitz Yu Ri-ra. And finally, Guild War Korea Rank 1.”
The entire stadium held its breath.
Then the name dropped.
― “Geoshin Park Su-bin.”
Uwaaaaaah―――!!
!◎#!◎#!◎#$!!!!
With a thunderous roar, the canyon opened.
― “The match begins!!”
* * *
“He’s grown that much……?”
Gwanggeom Jong-yu, who had taken mid lane early, muttered as he watched Park Su-bin walking toward him from the other side. The guy was wearing a black mink coat draped over his shoulders just like his guild leader.
It was definitely the same one he had seen last season. The strange kid he had worked with for a while during the South American incident.
The only thing that had changed was—
“So that’s ‘it’.”
A tiny being lying sideways on top of Park Su-bin’s head with its arm propped up. That existence, reminiscent of a mechanical version of a lamp spirit, was surely the source of the enormous presence radiating from Park Su-bin.
And Gwanggeom’s guess was correct.
The God of Mechanical Devices finds this place stifling. It complains that the World Tree was right.
“Haha, see? I told you the Bureau’s control is different.”
The miniature Gigant puffed out smoke in a sulky manner, and Park Su-bin smiled gently.
Gigant, the God of Mechanical Devices, treated as at least equal to Vita the World Tree, perhaps even higher. Naturally, the influence of control was significant.
“How much output can you produce? Gigant-nim.”
The God of Mechanical Devices says Level 3 is the limit and apologizes.
“Not at all. At Level 3, you can use most techniques. Please relax and enjoy yourself on top of my head, Gigant-nim.”
While soothing the sulky Gigant, Park Su-bin arrived at mid lane.
He bowed politely to Gwanggeom standing before him.
“It’s been a while, senior.”
“Did you grow taller?”
“Taller? I don’t think so. 186?”
“……I see. So that’s your mechanical giant.”
“It’s Gigant-nim. Ah, and please don’t call him ‘that thing.’ He has high pride.”
Though it was an ordinary conversation, tension rose. Mana boiled and waves clashed around the two.
A mid lane as quiet as the calm before a storm.
The battle began the moment minions spawned from both bases clashed at the center of mid lane……
Right now!!
Gwanggeom, who had been speaking, flashed forward and swung his sword right in front of Park Su-bin’s nose. A clean surprise attack using his specialty—speed—to close the distance.
However—
Quajik―!!
“……?!”
The surprise attack was blocked with absurd ease.
That much was fine. He hadn’t expected much, so there was no need to be surprised. The reason Gwanggeom’s eyes widened was because of what had blocked his sword.
Screws, nails, cylinders, springs, engines, pistons, bundles of wires, gears…… A pile of machinery tangled with all sorts of devices.
Gwanggeom quickly looked around. The surroundings were already filled with small circular sparks.
At the same time, the sparks opened. A deafening roar followed!
Gigigigigigik―――!
“Factory sounds?”
Indeed.
It was the sound of Gigant’s factory beyond the dimension activating.
In an instant, the accumulated mechanical devices were vomited out from all directions.
Floating space debris? Or mechanical satellites?
Anyway, the enormous amount of metal debris that poured out began orbiting around Park Su-bin. Even Gwanggeom momentarily lost his words at the crude yet powerful sight.
“……Instead of light orbs?”
“Yes. Pretty cool, right?”
“Huu……”
Even with just the light orbs, Park Su-bin had been called an iron wall. Now he had summoned actual ‘steel machines.’ He had completed a true iron wall in every sense.
And what this symbolized was greater than expected.
Gwanggeom swung his sword so fast his hand became invisible, pouring out countless beams of light.
Kwakagagagagagagagak―――!!
The mechanical debris only scattered sparks and didn’t budge. As if they refused to acknowledge anything lighter than themselves.
Gwanggeom, on the offensive, felt his breath catch. To reach Park Su-bin with the sword in his hand……
‘I have to get past this?’
Or rather…… can I even get past it……?
He desperately denied the fundamental doubt that had unconsciously surfaced and gritted his teeth.
In the hopeless battlefield, Gwanggeom desperately poured out sword strikes. He hammered at the steel again and again, trying to find an opening.
Just as he was desperately building momentum, Park Su-bin’s voice reached him.
“Do you know?”
“……!”
“Hye-jeong noona gave you this opportunity?”
Kang!
Park Su-bin’s eyes met Gwanggeom’s through the mechanical debris blocking the air.
At the silent question of ‘what nonsense,’ Park Su-bin’s eyes curved gently.
“The item setup you prepared was probably one that maximizes attack power. Because you saw Gigant-nim. You must have been certain that your existing attack power wouldn’t be enough to break through.”
Correct.
No matter how fast your attack speed was, if the attacks didn’t land, it was no different from swimming in empty air.
That was why he had pushed attack power to the extreme with an extreme item setup. Even if it meant sacrificing some of the speed that was Gwanggeom’s specialty.
“That item setup must have changed because of Hye-jeong noona and the second team members. A moderate amount of attack power, a moderate amount of speed. They probably compromised moderately to have it all.”
But—
Was that really a compromise? Park Su-bin dared to say—
No. That wasn’t a compromise. It was the best possible choice.
Because—
“That choice saved you.”
“!!”
Exactly!
The moment Park Su-bin flicked his finger—
Mechanical devices combined in Gwanggeom’s blind spot.
A massive fist was completed…… and slammed down!!
Kwaaaaaang――!
The ground trembled with a thunderous roar.
White dust cleared, revealing the ground. A massive crater as if a nuclear bomb had exploded. Though it was being quickly restored by ‘control,’ the terrifying destructive power seemed to overwhelm even control itself.
In the midst of it, Park Su-bin tilted his head sideways and smiled brightly.
“See? It saved you.”
There, Gwanggeom was on the ground, barely dodging the attack by a hair’s breadth, gasping for breath.
If the item setup hadn’t changed, he would have been hit with high probability. And if he had been hit by that attack, he would undoubtedly have died.
Indeed.
Park Su-bin was saying—
With these mechanical devices, he could perform all the movements he had done with the light orbs.
High-speed maneuvers, combination and separation, even transformation. All these attack forms were now executed with the heavy mechanical debris.
I’m no longer just an iron wall.
“Raise your output, senior.”
From now on, I’m going all out.
Following Park Su-bin’s hand, the mechanical devices covered the sky.
Light rising within the mechanical calamity—Park Su-bin’s halo.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the jungle, a scene that was both different and the same was unfolding.
What was different was the dazzling offensive that Pungnimhwasan was displaying, completely unlike before, and the presence of the Shaman Spider supporting him fantastically.
And finally, the synergy between the two people revealed in the canyon.
Pung (Wind).
Fast like the wind.
Nim (Forest).
Quiet like the forest.
Hwa (Fire).
Fierce like flames.
San (Mountain).
Heavy like a mountain.
Pungnimhwasan swung his fan brilliantly, and the surrounding environment changed according to the characters that appeared.
And this area control was further enhanced by the Shaman Spider’s traps and ninjutsu, creating even more diverse changes.
Blocking vision was basic. Beyond restricting the opponent’s movement, they could now guide them wherever they wanted. Sometimes they could even use the traps’ attack power to wear the opponent down.
This was undoubtedly the scene Royal Sword had hoped for from the two.
If that was what was different from the previous set—
Then what was the same?
“Monster!”
“Shibal!! (Chiksho!!).”
“Hey, speak Korean.”
Proper education.
In the country of education, Korea, Sanwang was giving the foreign players authentic Korean-style education.
The so-called cramming education!!
The miniature Vita’s horns glowed.
Kwarurururur――!!
The terrain that Pungnimhwasan and the Shaman Spider had transformed was ground to pieces by the bombardment.
In the previous set, this bombardment had supported the lacking top and mid lanes, but the current Mir Guild didn’t need support.
So he boldly used it to erase the annoying traps.
At the same time, he expanded his domain around him.
Shriririririk!!
Jungle stems shot out from all directions. Stumps were launched, trees soared up and changed the terrain.
The wind hawk that had covered the sky plummeted and bombarded, while water rats occupied the undergrowth.
The forest transformed brilliantly.
And in the midst of it—
“Yu-shin!”
Hwarang, who had been a step behind, stepped on a bent tree and shot forward, spinning and striking the ground.
Kung――!!
A small vibration and shockwave covered the surroundings.
Area-wide stun.
“Dodge!”
Pungnimhwasan frantically swung his fan and retreated. It was a retreat as swift as the ‘wind’ in his fan. It was closer to a desperate struggle for survival than any resistance.
Sanwang destroyed the ground where Pungnimhwasan had just been standing with a kick and looked at him, now far away.
“You’re quite fast.”
“Chik……”
“Speak Korean.”
“Damn it……”
“Good. How nice and savory it sounds.”
“Now we just need to teach him manners.”
“That’s your job, Yu-shin.”
Sanwang laughed in satisfaction while Hwarang stepped forward.
Pungnimhwasan and the Shaman Spider had indeed done their best. They had shown why Royal Sword had chosen them, and their performance had exceeded expectations.
Unfortunately, their opponents were the Hwarang and Sanwang duo.
In terms of domain dominance that controlled environment and phenomena, Sanwang was world top-tier.
Especially if that domain was a ‘jungle’ with a forest?
Sanwang—in name and reality—was a king.
Moreover, the one guarding his side was Hwarang.
Pungnimhwasan’s specialty was area control and utility, but that also meant his ‘attack power’ was mediocre. Could that mediocre attack power break through Hwarang’s shield?
The same went for the Shaman Spider.
His traps were excellent. Very practical and remarkably effective in the limited canyon of team battles.
However…… they weren’t destructive.
When Hwarang rampaged like a runaway train, all the traps disappeared.
Just as Sanwang and Hwarang were driving their opponents to the edge of a cliff like a tiger and a bear—
As always, the one who broke the balance was……
‘Baek Yeon-woo’ has slain ‘Bang Hyun-soo’.
Baek Yeon-woo.
* * *
One minute ago.
“So you’re the one who tormented Soo-pil?”