Chapter 504: The 6th Great Disaster (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 504: The 6th Great Disaster (5)
Immediately after the Blood Rain broke out, Lee Tae-seong withdrew from the 1st Defense Line.
He headed straight for the city center, intercepting the monsters that had slipped past their formation and were now running rampant.
Bark! Growl!
The beasts lunged. A chaotic swarm of monsters, spearheaded by vicious Hellhounds, bared their fangs at Lee Tae-seong.
It was one of the world's great mysteries. Under normal circumstances, monsters viciously attacked anything outside their own species. Yet, whenever a Great Disaster broke out, they fought as a unified army. People theorized this was the power of the Absolute—that during the dimensional summoning, every beast fell under its absolute control.
'I'll break through them in one go.'
Whoosh!
He didn't slow down. Plunging headfirst into the dark, surging wave of monsters, he swung his twin swords in a deadly arc.
'Rampage.'
Slash! Screeech!
Blood sprayed through the air.
The Hellhounds were shredded before they could even put up a fight. Riding that momentum, Lee Tae-seong unleashed an indiscriminate slaughter. The Directly Controlled Unit following right behind him was just as fierce. Just a few months ago, some of these men would have struggled against a single Hellhound. After three months of hellish training, they were reborn.
Crunch! Thud!
They crushed the monsters. Moving in perfect unison, covering each other's blind spots, they methodically thinned out the enemy ranks alongside Lee Tae-seong.
The Directly Controlled Unit.
The realization that the Central Government had abandoned them had pushed them to the edge of a cliff. Led by Lee Tae-seong, they had sacrificed sleep for intensive, brutal camp training. Not a single person complained. Most of the unit, Lee Tae-seong included, had lost their families to the Great Disasters. Their hatred for monsters ran so deep that the mere chance to grow stronger was enough reason to lay down their lives.
Their progress had been explosive. Thus, when ordered to clear out the city center, they didn't hesitate. They had the strength; it was only natural they took the vanguard.
Roar!
An Ogre bellowed. Even among A-Rank monsters, it existed on a completely different level.
Lee Tae-seong channeled his mana, charging straight at the towering beast.
'Lord Roman Dmitry taught me this swordsmanship. An ultimate art that cuts down enemies in a single strike.'
Whoosh! Crash!
The Ogre swung its massive club. Deflecting the crushing blow by a hair's breadth, Lee Tae-seong's blades flashed.
'Lightning.'
Flash.
The ultimate fast sword technique. Chris's legacy had been passed down to him.
His twin swords carved a bloody X across the Ogre's chest. The beast shrieked in agony, flailing its massive arms. In that brief opening, Lee Tae-seong severed its Achilles tendon. As the monster stumbled to one knee, his blade sheared off its arm. When it swung its remaining fist in a desperate counterattack, he cleanly sliced through its other thigh.
It was breathtakingly fast. The entire sequence unfolded in mere seconds, leaving the blood-soaked Ogre completely defenseless.
Flash.
Its head flew into the air.
An anticlimactic end. Despite the Ogre's reputation as a nightmare on the battlefield, Lee Tae-seong and his Directly Controlled Unit neutralized it in an instant.
"We've cleared the surrounding area."
"Good work."
Lee Tae-seong flicked the blood off his blade.
An S-Rank sword. It felt like a whole new world. Wielding a weapon that could perfectly handle his aura output played a massive role in his ability to overwhelm an A-Rank monster so easily.
Just as his subordinate reported, the immediate vicinity was secure. However, the battle was far from over. With countless monsters still running rampant through the city center, Lee Tae-seong pressed forward while checking the comms.
"1st and 2nd Defense Lines. Report your current status."
\\[This is the 1st Defense Line. Lord Roman Dmitry is still holding off the monster wave all by himself. There are no words to describe it other than magnificent. Cheongsan and a portion of our forces are holding their positions to prepare for unexpected variables, but honestly... it doesn't look like Lord Roman Dmitry will ever fall.\\]
\\[This is the 2nd Defense Line. Under Mayor Kim Jun-hyeok's command, we are successfully repelling the attacks. Also, Baek-il joined us just a moment ago. They declared their intention to turn their backs on the Central Government and join Incheon. With their magic support, we are holding the line much more easily than expected.\\]
It was incredible news. A surge of hot emotion welled up inside Lee Tae-seong's chest.
Six years ago, Incheon had fallen. In the ruins of that devastated city, Kim Jun-hyeok had vowed to rebuild. Lee Tae-seong, a man with a brilliant future ahead of him, had sworn his loyalty on that single promise. People had called him a fool with no grasp of reality. But now, as they held back a Great Disaster using nothing but Incheon's own strength, Lee Tae-seong felt his blood boil.
'You were right, Mayor. We have built a city capable of protecting itself. The dream the world mocked was never impossible.'
Kim Jun-hyeok. And Roman Dmitry.
He would live for their dreams. That was Lee Tae-seong's sole purpose. Even if he died on this battlefield, he wouldn't have a single regret.
"Let's go."
"Yes, sir!"
He charged forward. Through the burning streets of the city, the Directly Controlled Unit continued their endless battle.
* * *
Meanwhile, Jo Dal-su was enjoying a leisurely drink in a luxurious private lounge reserved for assemblymen.
"Pfft, I knew it. The President is not a man who makes exceptions. Why would someone who prioritizes Seoul's safety above all else help Incheon? They've been nothing but a thorn in our side. They brought this on themselves. That arrogant fool dug his own grave."
"You're absolutely right, sir. Incheon is finished."
Sitting across from him was Investigator Moon Tae-jun. Encouraged by the flattery, Jo Dal-su chattered on excitedly.
"Life is truly amusing when you look at it like this. To think a monster wave would break out near Incheon of all places, right after they turned their backs on the Central Government. Heaven itself has abandoned them! How could they possibly stop a monster wave with just their own strength?"
"It's impossible. Even if Roman Dmitry is an S-Rank Hunter, he can't handle a wave of that magnitude alone."
"Exactly! That's why I could never understand Incheon's bravado. In a tiny country like South Korea, do you think they're the only ones who want to rebel? Everyone hates the Central Government's dictatorship, but why do they hide their true feelings and bow their heads? Because a Great Disaster isn't something you can survive alone! You can't withstand an onslaught of tens of thousands of monsters without the backing of a massive faction. The people of South Korea had no choice but to accept reality. But Roman Dmitry, that arrogant bastard, overlooked that fundamental truth. No matter how strong he is, he's just one man. At best, he'll kill a few hundred monsters before he runs out of breath and gets his limbs torn off by the horde."
He took a slow sip of his champagne, feeling utterly elated. While the outside world burned in chaos, sitting in this quiet room gave him an immense thrill. It was the sweet taste of power.
The Great Disasters weren't entirely bad. As long as Seoul's safety was guaranteed, this was a wonderful world for Jo Dal-su to live in.
"Tae-jun."
"Yes, sir."
"Do your job properly from now on. If you cause another mess like Incheon, I won't let you off the hook."
"I will keep that in mind. I will never disappoint you again."
Moon Tae-jun bowed deeply. For him, this was a miraculous stroke of luck. Because Roman Dmitry had emerged as public enemy number one, Moon Tae-jun's own blunders had been overshadowed, granting him a second chance.
He sighed in relief. His fatal mistake was about to be swept away along with Incheon in the Great Disaster.
But ten minutes later...
"Assemblyman Jo Dal-su. The President has called an emergency meeting."
"What? The last meeting just ended. What is it about?"
"Well... I'm not entirely sure, but he specifically singled you out, Assemblyman. He ordered you to attend immediately."
A sudden, targeted summons. Jo Dal-su's face contorted. He didn't know the reason, but a deeply ominous feeling crept up his spine.
* * *
His premonition was spot on.
Standing beside a grim-faced President Kim Jeong-tae, the Intelligence Chief stepped up to the podium.
"Baek-il has betrayed us."
"What?"
"Betrayed us?!"
The assemblymen erupted into a confused uproar. Baek-il had cooperated with the Central Government for years. They were a cornerstone ally, and the government had always treated the white-robed mages with the utmost respect. Their sudden betrayal was impossible to accept.
"Taking issue with our decision to abandon Incheon, they used mass teleportation magic to relocate there just moments ago. While this is a massive loss for the Central Government, Seoul is not so weak that it will collapse without Baek-il. However, that is not the real reason for this emergency meeting. As you all know, a monster wave has broken out near Incheon. We projected that Incheon would hold out for a day at best, even if they fought to the bitter end. But the situation is unfolding far differently than anticipated. The footage I am about to show you was captured using Familiar magic."
The room murmured in confusion. What on earth was he talking about?
As the assemblymen stared at the large screen with questioning eyes, the live feed from Incheon began to play.
\\[Boom!\\]
\\[Rumble!\\]
\\[Screeech!\\]
It was a battlefield. The screen captured a scene of absolute, violent chaos. At the center of it all was a single man—Roman Dmitry—indiscriminately slaughtering the monster horde.
At first, they simply marveled at Roman Dmitry's martial prowess. But as the seconds ticked by, the politicians who had dismissed him as 'just another S-Rank Hunter' could not hide their hardening expressions.
It was bizarre.
Roman Dmitry was completely alone. Yet, facing a tidal wave of tens of thousands of monsters, he was overwhelmingly butchering them.
The Intelligence Chief spoke.
"It is exactly as you see. It has already been three hours since the monster wave began. We assumed Incheon's forces would be reaching their absolute limit by now. Yet, absurdly enough, Incheon is holding the line through the sheer power of Roman Dmitry alone. You must all be wondering if this is a trick. As your Intelligence Chief, I can tell you with absolute certainty: what is happening on that screen is rationally impossible. Roman Dmitry is accomplishing something that even the world's greatest S-Rank Hunter could never dream of."
A realm beyond common sense. The slight tremor in the Chief's voice proved just how terrifying Roman Dmitry's display truly was.
* * *
Jo Dal-su was speechless. His mouth went dry.
Roman Dmitry's martial prowess was beyond shocking. Defying common sense aside, Jo Dal-su instantly understood what this situation implied for his own neck.
"Assemblyman Jo."
"Y-Yes, Mr. President."
It was Kim Jeong-tae. The President turned away from the screen and fixed Jo Dal-su with a freezing glare.
"Three months ago, you submitted a report regarding Roman Dmitry, Assemblyman Jo. You claimed he had rebelled against the Central Government with the backing of the Incheon government. You explicitly stated that although he was an S-Rank Hunter, he was not a threat we needed to worry about. Can you still stand by that report after watching this footage? That garbage analysis claiming he was nothing to worry about?"
"......I am sorry, sir."
"Save your apologies! If Roman Dmitry was this powerful, I would have done whatever it took to win him over, if only for the safety of South Korea! Yet, because of your pathetic judgment, Assemblyman Jo, we have lost an invaluable national asset. How do you plan to fix this? I've looked into the matter, and it seems the initial conflict with the Incheon government stemmed entirely from Investigator Moon Tae-jun's personal malice. If Incheon somehow survives this Great Disaster, you will bear full responsibility for the fallout, Assemblyman Jo."
It was chilling. Jo Dal-su hurriedly read the room.
Now that Roman Dmitry's strength had shattered all expectations, Kim Jeong-tae was ruthlessly cutting ties. He was shifting the blame. The President knew the full truth of the matter from the very beginning, yet he was dumping the entire political disaster onto Jo Dal-su's lap.
A surge of rage boiled in Jo Dal-su's gut, but he didn't dare protest.
'Kim Jeong-tae is a ruthless snake.'
The moment you fell out of the President's favor, survival in Seoul became impossible. Even a high-ranking assemblyman could be quietly disposed of overnight. Jo Dal-su had no choice but to grovel.
"I am terribly sorry. I made a foolish mistake. I will make sure to resolve this so that absolutely no harm comes to you, Mr. President."
Kim Jeong-tae shifted his gaze away, completely washing his hands of the matter. Even though he was the one who ignored Incheon's pleas and ordered them to be abandoned, he acted as if his hands were perfectly clean.
As the atmosphere in the meeting room froze over, an officer suddenly burst through the doors.
Slam!
"We have an emergency!"
It was a familiar pattern. During a Great Disaster, urgent reports bearing catastrophic news were all too common.
The breathless officer shouted, "An S-Rank monster has appeared in Incheon!"
"What?"
Jo Dal-su's face instantly brightened. This was wonderful news! Though Seoul would eventually have to deal with the S-Rank monster, its appearance in Incheon practically guaranteed Roman Dmitry's death.
It was simple math. A monster wave was already overwhelming enough; what would happen if an S-Rank monster was dropped into the middle of it? No matter how strong Roman Dmitry was, he would never survive.
If he died, Jo Dal-su's massive political blunder would be buried with him forever. And since Roman Dmitry was someone the Central Government couldn't control anyway, Kim Jeong-tae wouldn't view his death as a bad outcome either.
However, that wasn't the only reason the officer was in such a panic.
"Furthermore... a massive monster army, led by another S-Rank monster, has just appeared near Seoul! It seems the monsters that were hiding during the omen phenomenon have finally revealed themselves with the onset of the Great Disaster!"
Seoul's false peace shattered in an instant.
The Central Government was no longer a mere bystander watching a screen. Just like Incheon, from this moment on, they too would have to fight for their very survival.