Chapter 273
Chapter 273
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 273
>Chapter Title: Demian Alexander
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 273
>273.
>Demian Alexander.
>The iron-blooded tank who never faltered, no matter the dire situation.
>It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this was precisely why he reigned as the ultimate tank.
>He had exceptional talent and instincts, of course, but for a tank, the most crucial trait was judgment.
>And that judgment was directly tied to composure.
‘I can see how things played out from the situation.’
His eyes vividly captured the battlefield that had unfolded just moments ago.
>Kaiser, visibly exhausted but hiding it well. The Empress, by contrast, looking relatively fresh. And in front of her, Marpad staggering while Rabaon seethed with rage.
‘Kaiser drew their attention, and the Empress fought Marpad.’
The evidence was clear.
>Which made it all the more astonishing.
>What kind of trick had they used to hold off that many foes for so long?
>Even accounting for her being an All-Master, it was an unbelievable feat.
‘Good thing I hurried just in case.’
If he'd been even a little later, Marpad's head would have rolled at the Empress's hands, at minimum.
“……I have no face to show you.”
“Enough. That's not what's important right now.”
Brushing past the deeply bowing Marpad, Demian curled his lips into a sly grin as he faced Do-hyun.
“First time meeting face-to-face, eh, Kaiser?”
“Yeah. This is the first time I've gotten a proper look at you too…… New outfit? Been shopping?”
Leon, the thuggish-talking guy who'd sidled up beside him, chimed in.
>The two radiated leisure.
>At the sight, the Empress picked at her ear and spat out bluntly.
“Bunch of losers huddling together, yet striking all these poses. You show up to steal the kill and now you've got all the words?”
“……Who's huddling? You guys stole it first and started shit.”
“Oh, so that's why you brought a hundred goons to dogpile one guy? No wonder you couldn't hack it, so you barge in…… Tsk tsk, Top 10 Guilds my ass. Real proud bunch.”
“……”
It was pure, unfiltered trash talk, just like her.
>Leon fell silent, at a loss for words, and Demian's face hardened with irritation.
“……Empress. You trying to make enemies of us? Not the best path for you either.”
“Were we allies or something?”
“I'm not playing word games. If you push like this, we can't just stand by. But pull out now, and we'll let it slide.”
Demian meant it.
>The Empress had been no trouble so far, and as long as they stayed out of each other's way, that was that.
>For old times' sake, he was willing to show mercy.
But her answer was set in stone.
“Fuck off.”
Demian nodded as she flipped him the bird with gusto.
“……Yeah, that's you alright.”
“See what I told you, Demian? No time for talk—just smash 'em.”
“No choice. Guess we'll have to eliminate them together.”
“Yeah, that's the play.”
Leon fidgeted with his hands, itching for action.
>Demian gripped his shield, occasionally thinking the guy had a bit of the Empress in him.
“Any last words?”
Do-hyun slowly opened his mouth at the question directed his way.
“You have to succeed this time, no matter what. Leave me alive, and you're the one who dies.”
“……”
It wasn't the empty bravado of a cornered rat.
>It was dense confidence, born from past experience.
>Demian twitched an eyebrow at the powerful taunt but nodded readily.
“I'll keep that in mind.”
He just added one thing.
“No need to worry. I've prepared thoroughly for that exact scenario.”
“……?”
Demian smirked wickedly and slammed his gripped shield into the ground.
Boom!
It was the signal.
>Time to show yourselves.
Swoosh—
Someone appeared atop the labyrinth walls.
>More like shadows, really.
>Countless shadows clung to small crevices on the labyrinth walls.
>They stepped onto the scattered platforms like stone bridges, encircling the area. In their hands: staves, magic orbs, bows—every ranged weapon imaginable.
“……Insane.”
Dozens of them.
>Factor in the reinforcements led by Leon and Demian, and they'd swelled past a hundred in an instant.
>Two against two hundred.
But that wasn't the end.
Thud. Thud.
Low footsteps echoed.
>No need to pinpoint the source.
>Guild members parted like the Red Sea in the direction he approached.
He'd arrived here before they knew it—a man Do-hyun knew well.
‘……Shit.’
Radiant golden hair.
>Gleaming golden armor.
>A faint holy aura seeping out. A sword like a work of art.
‘Arthur…….’
The King’s Master, Arthur, had entered the fray.
No one was happier than Demian.
“You kept your word.”
“……Consider the debt paid, Demian.”
“Of course. Bringing the Ten Star Knights along and all.”
Ten Star Knights?
Do-hyun instinctively scanned around at the mention of The King’s elite force. But no paladins in sight.
Those shadows were all ranged DPS.
>The Ten Star Knights, made of holy knights, wouldn't be among them.
‘……No way.’
Only one possibility.
‘Ast.’
Sent to where Ast was.
Do-hyun's face stiffened, and Demian finally broke into a full smile.
“One of the Top 10 Guild spots just opened up.”
“……That bastard's mine.”
The Empress's red eyes flashed with murder.
>She looked ready to devour him whole. But Do-hyun had no time for her.
—……Master.
—Li, Liza……
Jihad and Eliza were angrier than she was, gauging his mood.
[Using Frenzy.]
>[Using Shroud of Darkness.]
Like the Empress, Do-hyun's eyes turned red. Crimson energy and darkness swirled around him.
“……Wanna add a wager?”
Do-hyun declared through gritted teeth.
“Whoever kills that fucker wins.”
“Sure. Deal.”
They kicked off the ground in unison.
>Demian and Leon gripped their weapons as the duo shot forward like bullets, trailing red energy. Arthur drew his sword with reluctance.
“Let's begin.”
“Yeah.”
Thus began the Labyrinth Great War, to be etched in Godose history.
* * *
Boom! Kwang!
Each thunderous crash cratered the earth.
>Blood soaked the ground, outmatched only by the arrows and spells tearing the area apart.
Do-hyun staggered from a scorched, cracked crater.
—……Master.
—Li, Liza……
Jihad and Eliza glared bitterly.
But as if they didn't even deserve that, Leon stomped on the prone Jihad's back.
—Urk……!
—Liza, no!!
Eliza screamed for him to stop, spewing webs, but they did zero damage.
>Leon didn't budge.
—Kuh…… Just, just wait a moment. This lowly blade…… Ack!
A bit farther off, Charlie struggled to rise, only to eat a spell from behind and drop to his knees again.
The undead legion had vanished long ago.
Kwang! Kang!
“Haa…… haa……”
“Huff, huff.”
Only the Empress and Do-hyun still stood.
Barely.
>Back-to-back in the crater, swords raised to seal blind spots, utterly spent.
[HP below 5%.]
>[Warning! Depleting HP will reduce all stats and induce grogginess until recovery.]
>[Caution! Hero trait ineffective in this system.]
>[Mana below 20%.]
They were truly at their limit.
>No matter how tenacious Do-hyun and the Empress were, they were still users of the same system.
>Once HP hit zero, collapse was inevitable.
[Overwhelmed by insurmountable adversity.]
>[Reverse Heaven effect amplified.]
‘At least this kicked in to hold us…… Otherwise, we'd be done.’
Taking the armor had been a godsend.
>Only regret: it hadn't reached max stacks, so the hidden option stayed dormant.
>A shame in this volatile situation with even one wildcard desperately needed.
‘Kkukku's at his limit too.’
The Empress breathed raggedly, no better off.
Do-hyun eyed the front with dismay.
>Over a hundred still remained.
Arthur approached leisurely, stared silently, then spoke.
“I've always wondered how you took down the Forgotten King. Wanted to cross blades with you, but sorry—it's this mess instead.”
“……Huff, haa.”
“This is just settling a debt. No grudge against you.”
Debt this, debt that—who cared? Do-hyun was dying here; he'd prefer no chit-chat.
He steadied his breathing, focusing his mind.
‘Fucking tough.’
Even one-on-one with Arthur would be rough, let alone surrounded by ranged DPS.
>Constant fighting had drained HP and mana too.
“Damn, you lasted forever. Zombies or what?”
“Hell of a…… thing. Call it impressive or stubborn?”
“No wonder Rabaon got nowhere. Good call processing them now, Demian. That guy's a bigger monster than we thought.”
Sub-Masters intact, three Masters holding strong.
>Their wounds? Mere scratches.
They'd dictated a one-sided beatdown.
‘I’ve still got one last card……’
He'd held it back just in case, but burning it now wouldn't guarantee victory.
>Escape odds? Maybe 1%?
‘If only I'd had a fair shot……’
Things wouldn't have come to this.
As if reading his mind.
“One-man army, god…… Must've loved the hype.”
Demian sneered.
“Arrogance thinking you don't need a faction. Foolishness believing you can stand alone at the top. That's what dragged you here.”
Godose: a game of a billion players.
>Hub of countless masses, teeming with prodigies.
Why else would they all form factions?
“Because otherwise, you crumble. Just like now.”
The survivors are the strong—not vice versa.
>That eternal truth held here too. And Demian believed he deserved the peak.
>He fulfilled both.
“Time to wrap this up. Look forward to it—the days ahead.”
“……Cut the crap and finish it.”
Demian gripped his shield at Arthur's annoyed interruption.
>Every edge razor-sharp, deadlier than most swords, plus its crushing weight for devastating burst.
>Like an executioner looming over the condemned.
“Then, it's over. Kaiser.”
As Demian coldly spat and swung down his shield—
“How dare…… How dare you mock a god.”
A woman's voice echoed from somewhere.
>A voice like rolling jade beads, laced with eerie madness unfit for its beauty.
And—
-----!
Something dropped between Do-hyun and Demian, smoke billowing up.
>Fog so thick, no afterimage visible.
“What the hell now!?”
“What is this…… Huh? Urk! Gah!”
“Gaaah!”
Screams and metallic clashes rang out in the blind haze.
For the first time, Demian's composure cracked.
>Heart pounding in bewilderment, he muttered unwittingly.
“What……?”
But it cut short.
>He saw it.
Silhouettes emerging as the smoke thinned.
>Sensual curves from outline alone. Luxurious golden hair. A greatsword dominating all with its presence.
“……Fanatic?”
No, not her alone.
>Blurred afterimages behind her—all human silhouettes.
>Wielding diverse weapons, masked and robed identically.
As the smoke fully cleared.
Locking eyes with Do-hyun, they knelt as one and cried out.
“Our God, we have come.”
The Church of Kaiser had arrived to meet their god.