Chapter 207
Chapter 207
Translation: godtl
A gloomy forest.
Thud.
A group of about fifty people trudged through it.
"Ugh... There are spiderwebs everywhere!"
"Of all places, we had to get the Night Shade Spider map!"
"What's so scary about a damn spider?"
"They're disgusting! Fuck!"
They grimaced and grumbled in irritation.
Then—
"Shut your traps, all of you!"
A muscular man leading the group barked harshly.
With a square jaw and thick beard, he shot a disdainful glare at his companions.
"Even if Night Shade Spiders are monsters Diamond-rankers avoid, we are Russia's top guild. The elite of Tsar."
Thud.
He slammed the massive mace he was holding into the ground, looking ready to kill anyone on the spot.
"The whole world is watching. If you keep whimpering like cowards, I'll personally smash your skulls in."
His piercing gaze swept over the fifty-strong group.
Nikolai fiddled with the hilt of his telephone-pole-sized mace.
The guild members who had been voicing complaints all fell silent.
"Tch! These damn idiots. You're embarrassing the guild."
"Nikolai, no need to dirty your hands. Just say the word."
"Right! I'll take care of the cowards myself!"
The more skilled members rallied behind Nikolai, shouting in agreement.
Nikolai's eyes scanned the guild members before finally settling on the very back.
The hostility in his gaze vanished in an instant.
The reason was simple.
'Listen carefully, Nikolai.'
Before this Guild War began.
Along with Sergei, Russia's representative in the World Federation—
'Except for the weakest member in the Platinum division, the rest will be personally selected by Sergei-nim.'
His brother, the top Ranker of the Tsar Guild and his escort, had given him a stern warning.
'Do not question or complain. And above all, never provoke that person!'
His brother—a man among men, tough as they come—had been terrified.
'Just who the hell is this person to make my brother so afraid...?'
Though curiosity burned in him at the unprecedented sight of his brother's fear, that was all.
'Whatever it is, my brother wouldn't spout nonsense.'
His brother was Tsar's representative Ranker, recognized worldwide.
If he was that fearful and issued such a warning, this person couldn't be ordinary.
"...Alright, everyone, reform the formation. We're moving out now."
After a fleeting glance at the robed figure at the rear, Nikolai turned and led the guild members forward.
Some time passed.
As they pushed through the damp, web-infested forest, Nikolai suddenly stopped.
Grip.
His fingers tightened around the hefty mace.
True to their reputation as the elite of Russia's top guild—
Swish.
Whoosh.
The guild members following him drew their weapons or began casting spells without any signal.
"......"
"......"
A heavy silence settled over the dark, eerie forest.
None of the fifty members dared to speak.
The reason was simple.
Though ordinary ears would hear nothing but insect chirps—
Swish, rustle.
To the ears of these elite Rankers on the cusp of Platinum, the sounds were clear.
Fast. Numerous.
And sharp.
Then—
Screech!
Something came flying through the air with a shrill cry.
Proving himself the best among Tsar's current elite—
"Where do you think you're going?!"
Crash.
Nikolai effortlessly batted away the incoming shadow with his massive mace.
Something hit the ground silently, twitching.
Nikolai frowned down at the creature oozing thick fluid.
"Night Shade Spider...."
With a voice dripping with disgust, he muttered.
And with that as the beginning—
"Night Shade Spiders!"
"They're coming!"
"Damn it! Which idiot messed with the spider webs?!"
The once-silent forest instantly erupted into a battlefield filled with war cries.
Squelch.
"Aaah!"
"M-my body...!"
Poisonous fluids and spiderwebs poured from the darkened woods.
And then, with their eight long legs spread wide—
Skreee.
Screeeech.
—enormous black-striped spiders baring their venomous fangs, swarming in from all directions.
The situation had devolved into utter chaos in an instant—but only for a brief moment.
"Get a grip, you fools!"
BOOM!
With a hammer strike that shook the earth—
"Form a circular formation now! Tanks to the perimeter! Support classes, focus on barriers and antidotes instead of heals! Mages and archers, set the surroundings ablaze!"
Nikolai's booming command, backed by the shockwave that saved the guild members from peril, spurred them into action.
"Raise your shields! If you can't, block with your bodies!"
"B-barrier up!"
"Cure!"
"Flames, consume everything in sight...!"
The Tsar Guild's elite prospects swiftly formed ranks around the outer tanks.
Truly, their reputation as Russia's top guild was no lie.
Once in formation, they quickly minimized casualties.
"I see them!"
"Take out the burning ones first!"
"Revenge for earlier, you bastards!"
"Die!"
They counterattacked, swiftly turning the tide of battle.
[As expected of Nikolai, the Tsar Guild's top prospect! With calm orders and overwhelming force, he protected his guild members from danger!]
[And that's not all.]
Following Michael's excited shout, Jonathan continued with a grave expression.
[Kim Si-mun used his Demonic Beast control to lure every Night Shade Spider on the map here, and yet they're sweeping them away. The numbers have already halved!]
[Now that you mention it! The swarm of over 200 Night Shade Spiders has dwindled to less than 100 in no time!]
Just as Jonathan and Michael said—
The Tsar Guild's momentum, now in perfect formation, was truly terrifying.
They weren't just holding their own against Night Shade Spiders—creatures even Diamond-ranked players avoided—they were slaughtering them in droves.
For Platinum-rankers, this was an impressive feat.
[Not to mention, they were ambushed at the start. Yet, only three casualties so far.]
[Indeed! Worthy of being called Russia's top guild!]
Jonathan and Michael couldn't stop praising them.
And the viewers watching the stream were no different.
Everyone was in awe of the Tsar Guild's performance.
"As expected of the Tsar Guild."
Even Si-mun, observing the battle firsthand, was no exception.
'Russia was one of the few nations that held out until the very end, alongside Europe, America, and China—before only two remained.'
That resilience, naturally, stemmed from the foundation of Russia's top guild—the Tsar Guild.
'Not to mention, only three casualties against Diamond-tier Demonic Beasts at Platinum-rank...'
But what truly caught Si-mun's attention wasn't just their solid circular formation.
"Die, you damned pests!"
CRASH!
It was the muscular man outside the formation, swinging his hammer with brutal precision, cutting through the battlefield like a storm.
Nikolai.
'Nikolai Ivanov. Truly, he's got what it takes to become a high-ranker later.'
Nikolai Ivanov.
One of the two high-rankers who had defended Russia alongside his older brother, Ivan Ivanov.
In his past life, after Russia's fall and the death of his brother, he had defected to the Continent Guild.
Despite the Continent Guild's notorious discrimination against refugees, Nikolai was treated exceptionally well—proof of his strength.
And true to that potential—
"Kuhaha! I'll crush every last one of you!"
Nikolai swung his massive hammer in all directions—
Shattering Diamond-tier Demonic Beasts left and right.
Then—
"Hey. You just gonna stand there and watch?"
A voice spoke up beside Si-mun.
It was Go Mal-suk.
"Your spiders are getting slaughtered."
Perhaps excited from watching the battle—
Her voice was slightly higher than usual.
Her hands, clad in OPG, repeatedly clenched and unclenched.
Si-mun shook his head.
"Of course not. Those are just the vanguard. They're nothing more than a means to gauge the enemy's strength."
"Might as well dig up whatever trump card the Tsar Guild is hiding too, right?"
"Exactly."
Go Mal-suk's eyes, faintly tinged with the crimson energy of the Heavenly Demon, fixed on Si-mun.
"So? Seen enough by now?"
"I think so, but..."
Though he nodded in agreement, Si-mun trailed off.
The reason was simple.
'Even based on the data Jin-uk provided and my past-life memories, the Tsar Guild's current forces are exactly within the expected range, but...'
Despite falling squarely within his predictions, something felt off.
His left eye, activated by the Demon Eye, prickled as if Odin's Eye were being prodded.
Even after activating the Death Eye.
'Why can't I spot anything suspicious?'
He couldn't detect the slightest anomaly among the fifty or so Tsar Guild members.
Yet, he hesitated to send Mal-suk in for one reason.
'There's no way they invited us, not the Seongsam Guild, as Korea's representatives for no reason.'
No matter how much they'd risen in prominence recently,
in terms of scale or reputation,
the Yggdrasil Guild was no match for the Seongsam Guild, which had been established since the early days of the Arena.
Si-mun knew this well.
So why had the Yggdrasil Guild been chosen as Korea's representatives?
Especially when only five guild members could participate in the Guild War?
'The Continent Guild and the Dragonkin must have pulled strings to get us here as Korea's representatives...'
Given that the Platinum division was a single-match elimination,
and the Yggdrasil Guild was pitted against Russia's Tsar Guild in the bracket,
Si-mun had already anticipated some underhanded scheme in this Guild War.
The Continent Guild and the Tsar Guild were as deeply intertwined as China and Russia.
Then—
"Hm?"
As Si-mun scanned the Tsar Guild members,
Odin's Eye caught sight of a robed figure.
'A robed person?'
Amidst everyone clad in guild-marked armor,
this figure stood out, draped in nothing but an extravagant robe.
More importantly—
'How did I not notice someone that conspicuous until now?'
And this was with Odin's Eye active.
'Unless it's on par with Jin-uk's stealth, there's no way it could fool my senses.'
Nothing short of top-tier Diamond stealth could deceive his current perception.
Which meant—
'That robed figure is at least a top-tier Diamond, if not higher...'
But how could someone of that caliber participate in a Platinum division Guild War?
The answer was easy to guess.
'Just like when we ambushed the early Tsar Guild, that robed figure didn't react at all.'
In other words—
'If they use their full power, they'll be caught without fail.'
As the situation quickly became clear,
"Things just got interesting,"
the corner of Si-mun's mouth curled up slightly.
To which,
"What? Finally feel like stepping in?"
Go Mal-suk asked brightly.
Si-mun nodded slowly.
"We'll keep watching, but unless something major happens, we shouldn't move. It's better if we make the first move."
"Huh? What're you talking about all of a sudden?"
Mal-suk blinked at Si-mun's sudden words.
Instead of answering, Si-mun jutted his chin toward the battlefield.
"Go. But take care of Nikolai first."
He gave her permission to charge in.
"Kyahaha! Don't worry, you bastard! Nikolai or whatever the hell your name is—you're dead!"
Mal-suk burst into wild laughter and bolted into the battlefield like a bullet.
Then—
"I-It's Miss F*ck!"
"Ugh! To think we'd run into that crazy bitch again!"
"Damn it! We haven't even finished dealing with these spiders yet!"
"Where?! Where is she?!"
As if well aware of Go Mal-suk's notorious reputation,
the rising stars of the Tsar Guild panicked and redirected their firepower toward her.
"Leave Miss F*ck to me! All assassins, break off and search for Kim Si-mun! We have to stop him before he casts any spells!"
At Nikolai's command to intercept Go Mal-suk, they moved with flawless coordination.
Thud.
A muscular figure, easily over 190 cm tall, stepped forward to block Go Mal-suk's path.
"Miss F*ck. I've heard all about your reputation."
Nikolai gripped his mace tightly,
his expression stern as he glared at the smirking woman.
"I heard you won the Platinum Debut Match? Impressive record—but in the end, you're just a rookie who barely made it to Platinum. Compared to me, Nikolai—"
"F*ck. You're built like a mountain, so why the hell do you talk so much?"
Go Mal-suk cut him off sharply.
Before Nikolai could even flare up in anger—
"Just die, you bastard."
Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Technique: Peerless Slash.
A 5-star technique of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Without hesitation, Go Mal-suk unleashed the Peerless Slash.
Swoosh!
A crescent-shaped wave of dark Demonic Energy sliced through the air in an instant.
One.
"Just as the rumors say—you really are a crazy bitch!"
Was the title of Russia's top rising star just for show?
"Annihilation Strike!"
With a force reminiscent of Sword Qi—
Whoom!
Nikolai's mace, wreathed in a violent Aura, met the Peerless Wave head-on.
Screeeech!
Amid the sharp grating of metal—
Crack.
Nikolai shattered Go Mal-suk's Peerless Wave.
Of course, it wasn't without repercussions.
"Ugh."
His muscular frame and the fierce Aura enveloping his mace wavered unsteadily—but only for a moment.
"As expected of a technique worthy of your reputation, Miss F*ck."
Regaining his composure almost immediately, he looked at her with admiration.
"Hah! I thought only Diamonds could block that. A Platinum stopped it?"
"I am the Tsar Guild's top rising star. I've already won multiple duels against Diamonds, you know."
"Yeah. I guess that makes sense."
Even though her technique had been countered, Go Mal-suk's eyes sparkled not with irritation—but excitement.
"Then, for the first time in a while..."
Sssss...
A crimson energy began seeping out from her entire body.
"I can go all out."
With those final words—
BOOM!
The air itself exploded from the force of her step.
KWA-BOOM!
A deafening blast erupted.
At its epicenter—
'As expected of Nikolai. He's incredible.'
Watching the battle between Nikolai and Go Mal-suk, Si-mun let out a small sigh of admiration.
'He's keeping up with Mal-suk as she is now.'
Go Mal-suk, who had received his intensive care,
had grown at least twice as fast as in her past life—yet,
True to his reputation as Russia's top rising star,
Nikolai was matching her without yielding an inch.
Of course—
'Judging by how he's burning through his Aura, he'll start losing ground to Mal-suk later on.'
In the end, Mal-suk would win.
But just then, Si-mun's ears caught—
"We're almost done here!"
"This side too!"
"Stay alert! Archers, assist in the search! We need to find Kim Si-mun quickly!"
The voices of the Tsar Guild's rising stars reached him.
"Hmm. They've almost cleared out the Night Shade Spiders."
Turning his gaze toward them, Si-mun nodded slowly.
"Then I'll just have to restock."
He stroked Paracelsus' Cylinder mounted on his left forearm.
'This time, double the amount.'
A complex black Transmutation Circle formed at the tip of the cylinder.
Thanks to the increased capacity—now holding up to four stored circles—
Zzzzzzt!
Four black Transmutation Circles shot out, instantly forming a ring that encircled the Tsar Guild from all sides.
Screech!
"Wh-what the hell?!"
"No way! Again?!"
"This can't be happening! How many are there?!"
A hundred each.
Four hundred Night Shade Spiders in total poured forth from the black transmutation circles.
Though they'd managed to defeat two hundred earlier with only three casualties—
"I only have half my mana left!"
"Same here!"
"My Holy Power's almost gone too!"
After battling Diamond-grade Demonic Beasts,
even the Tsar Guild's elite prospects weren't in peak condition.
And now twice that number—four hundred?
But their nightmare was only beginning.
Swish.
Lumps of silvery metal flew from Si-mun's inventory.
Then—
Snap.
At the flick of his fingers, the silvery metal writhed like slime before—
Creeeak—
"Go."
Transforming into roughly fifty Mithril Golems, they advanced toward the Tsar Guild members encircled by the formation.
"Mithril Golems?!"
"What?! Why are golems here?!"
"It's Kim Si-mun! He's nearby!"
Moreover—
Creeeak—
After drawing another transmutation circle on the ground—
Thud-thud-thud!
Crack-crack-crack!
The Mithril Golems transmuted nearby rocks and terrain to launch long-range attacks.
For the Tsar Guild's elite prospects already facing four hundred Night Shade Spiders, this was nothing short of calamity.
"God damn it!"
"They're using magic too?!"
"Since when do golems cast spells?! Are you kidding me?!"
"N-Nikolai, sir!!"
Their earlier bravado vanished without a trace,
as despair rapidly consumed the Tsar Guild's prospects.
Yet Si-mun's gaze wasn't on them.
'Still not moving, huh?'
It was fixed on the Robed Person silently stationed at the rear.
Despite possessing concealment skills potent enough to deceive his senses—
"Tch. How stubborn."
Si-mun smirked at the motionless figure.
'Given how their gaze has been locked on me since earlier, they're definitely targeting me.'
Even Odin's Eye couldn't detect this opponent.
With no intel to go on,
it was better to force them to make the first move.
Thus—
'Need to create a situation where they have no choice but to act.'
If those guild members were wiped out, the Guild War would end automatically,
robbing them of any chance to make a move against him.
With a colder glint in his eyes, Si-mun observed the 450 summoned creatures—
"Healer! I need healing over here!"
"The barrier's breaking! Someone assist!"
"Stay calm! Use all the defensive artifacts and scrolls the guild provided!"
"Mages and archers, burn through all offensive artifacts and scrolls!"
"We just need to hold out until Nikolai arrives!"
—as the Tsar Guild's prospects gradually rallied.
True to Russia's top guild,
Whooosh!
Clatter-clatter!
they resisted fiercely by unleashing a barrage of at least A-grade artifacts and scrolls.
Not that it mattered.
'I could crush them instantly if I stepped in myself...'
But doing so might provoke some scheme from that mysterious Robed Person.
Not that he was afraid, but—
'Since Mal-suk's here too, better play it safe.'
In that case—
'Perfect timing to try something new, especially with that promise I made to the Constellation.'
Grinning, Si-mun flicked his fingers.
Before him—
[Insufficient Transmutation Power to meet the required transmutation threshold.]
[To compensate for the Philosopher's Stone's deficiency in Equivalent Exchange, 500 Achievement Points are required.]
[Accept? (Yes / No)]
A familiar message appeared.
'500 points? Must be consumable unlike what I remember.'
Shrugging, Si-mun selected "Yes."
Then—
Huuuum—
The converted Achievement Points' energy gathered at his fingertips.
And—
Snap.
With another flick of his fingers,
a blinding platinum radiance, like the break of dawn—
BOOOOM!
—heralded something massive crashing down behind him.
[Constellation Isis shows interest in the sudden appearance of the Obelisk of the Ennead.]
[Constellation Nephthys shows interest in the sudden appearance of the Obelisk...]
[Constellation Set shows interest in the sudden...]
Notifications from the Ennead's Constellations flooded in.
Naturally—
[Constellation Ra cheers,"Finally, my turn! (Took you long enough! I get front-row seats too!!)"]
—alongside the obelisk's owner, who'd finally shed his question-mark title.