Chapter 280
Chapter 280
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 280
>Chapter Title: Thunder Emperor
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 280
3 years.
That was the time Do-hyun had spent playing Delmrock.
During that span—short if short, long if long—he had encountered countless players.
Comparing them to the ones he met while playing God Ose back then, naturally, there had been more unique characters in the old days.
‘Especially as we got into the late game.’
They were the diehards who stuck around in a game derisively called a total flop, so it made sense.
That meant dozens of players sprang to mind right away, but if asked to name the most memorable ones, he could count them on one hand.
Excluding his comrades, of course...
‘Thunder Emperor.’
Thunder Emperor Cheon Ji-ah. She left the strongest impression.
It wasn’t because of any camaraderie with Do-hyun, like with his comrades, though.
‘She’d show up out of nowhere and pick fights with the old man.’
She picked fights so often that even without much conversation with Do-hyun, he felt an odd sense of familiarity.
-This should be enough to work with. You made a decent sandbag. See you next time.
-Ugh, that bastard shows up just to beat on me and vanishes. Ah, let go of me. I’ll blow this whole place to hell.
-Hoo, perfect timing. I just got a new teleport skill to test out.
-Ah, my blood pressure.
No matter where he was, she’d track him down like a ghost, pummel him like a sandbag, then saunter off.
To Do-hyun’s group, she was practically an event.
She brought them amusement like rain in a drought when content was scarce and they had nothing to do.
-Hey, quit just watching and help out. Why are you munching popcorn?
-Nah, real men handle this stuff solo, old man.
-I was too busy training my sword to pay attention.
-Damn it. I saw you laughing your ass off... And Sword Emperor, didn’t you just lock eyes with me? I swear you paused mid-swing.
-......Ahem. Must’ve been your imagination.
Maybe that’s why.
Do-hyun, Kkukku, and Sword Emperor never bothered intervening.
Thanks to that, her feud with Purple Old Man only grew fiercer.
She started visiting once every two weeks, then once a week, and by the end, every three days.
“You know, now I get what Xiao was saying. From your antics to your speech, you reek of cheapness... Not a pretty sight.”
“Cheap my ass—this is style, you punk. Better than that needlessly lofty tone of yours.”
“’Tis a matter of decorum. What would you know?”
“Hah, I know decorum better than you.”
“So you call strutting around ‘decorum’? Then tattoos and clutch bags must be your medals.”
“Hey, that’s...”
That’s why he spotted her instantly.
Black hair, porcelain-white skin, black martial arts uniform, and an aloof demeanor matching her refined speech.
“......Thunder Emperor?”
She looked utterly different from her previous flashy yellow hair and vibe, but anyone could tell it was her from how she bickered with Astra without missing a beat.
“Hoo?”
“Oh, what’s this? You recognized me right away? Figured this new look would throw you off.”
The two paused their argument, turning toward him in surprise.
Empress, who’d been listening quietly, chimed in with disbelief.
“You two started your lovers’ spat the second you arrived. How could anyone not recognize you?”
Their faces twisted at her blunt remark.
Like they regretted her overhearing.
Their simultaneous scowls were mirror images.
“Ugh, gross... what the...”
“Most displeasing, Empress. Surely no one would pair me with this dimwitted bear.”
“What? Hey, who says I’m thrilled? I’m the one losing out here.”
“Shut your mouth before I hurl.”
“After all this...!”
Roooaaar!!
A roar echoed just as tempers flared again, silencing them like a bucket of water.
Their faces turned serious in an instant, as if the fight never happened.
“You hit it for real, and it’s already up?”
“No scratches either.”
It made sense—the Legion Leader looked utterly unscathed.
Hard to believe they’d slashed it dozens of times and shoved in upgraded special options.
It wasn’t just looks.
[Sealed Abyss, '4th Legion Leader of Ruin's vitality is below 90%.]
They’d only whittled down 10% of its health so far.
Considering Arthur had severed its arm, and Zealot had charged in with guildmates swinging greatswords nonstop, its toughness was beyond imagination.
“What a monster. What kind of boss is this?”
“Now’s not the time for lovers’ quarrels, old man. Focus.”
“No, Kaiser, even you... Sigh, fine. Let’s deal with this thing first.”
“Agreed.”
Still, there was hope.
“What’s this? We can’t lose either!”
“Charge!”
“It’s already doomed. What’s the point?”
“What point? We gotta do something to rack up raid points.”
“Raaaaah!!”
The remaining Top 10 Guild Alliance members quickly assessed and joined the fray.
“Form ranks. Don’t fight recklessly.”
“Leonne follows Aegis Guild’s lead.”
Among them were sub-masters Marpad and Rabaon.
With the temporary alliance in place, Kasin Faith joining the fight was only natural.
Hundreds formed a coalition in seconds.
The Ten Star Knight Order and sub-masters commanded skillfully, impossible for the Legion Leader to ignore.
Boom! Baaam!
Zealot stood out the most.
Her blonde hair whipping as she swung her massive greatsword relentlessly—she was a force of destruction even from afar.
It explained why Leonne kept getting pushed back.
“Black mask and robe... Kasin Faith? Wait, then that woman’s gotta be Zealot?”
“Seems like it.”
“Why are they here... No, wait. Did you meet them? Talk?”
“Nah, no time with how urgent it was.”
Astra’s surprised expression grew odd as Do-hyun shook his head.
She seemed thoughtful, then blurted,
“Then you still don’t know who she is.”
“Nope.”
“Hmm, really?”
“What? Spill it.”
“Nah.”
Do-hyun frowned at her cryptic tone.
‘As if.’
The way Purple Old Man smirked at the corner of his mouth—he definitely knew Zealot’s identity.
From his reaction, someone they both knew from Delmrock.
‘Who?’
Do-hyun was curious, but no time to ponder now.
“She’s solid, so leave her to it... Looks like it’s our turn.”
“Music to my ears.”
Time to focus on taking down the Legion Leader.
Empress, who’d been waiting for this, stretched her hands and took left flank.
Arthur smirked at Astra falling in behind her.
“Never thought I’d fight with this lineup.”
“Likewise.”
Do-hyun nodded as Arthur and Heavenly Demon took right flank.
The Top 10 Guild Alliance he’d fought bloodily, his fan club Kasin Faith.
Plus comrades, Arthur, and Heavenly Demon.
‘No crazier combo than this.’
For Do-hyun, whose only parties were with comrades, it was bizarre.
-Don’t forget us.
-Liza Liza!
-We shall support you, my lord.
Then the Guardians stepped forward.
Do-hyun chuckled, gripping Cheonbyeon tight.
“Let’s begin.”
-Liza!
Thus began God Ose’s first Abyss Legion Leader raid.
* * *
Boom! Baaam!
----!!
‘Ahh......’
Harrington couldn’t hide his awe.
‘A raid of this caliber?’
The Legion Leader title wasn’t hype—few battles this fierce in his memory.
Hundreds of rankers surrounded the 10M-tall behemoth.
Ants swarming a beetle—and the scene matched.
Kwaaang!
“Urk......”
“2nd squad, reform!”
Dozens of Aegis Guild members flew back powerless with each swing.
Pitiful for top tanks, but they were rankers.
When frontline tanks fell, the next shield squad filled in.
“Charge!”
Then Rabaon led Leonne guildmates in.
They got knocked away blindly too, but pressed on doggedly.
An epic battle already, but Harrington’s eyes weren’t on them.
Whish—Boom!
Whooosh—Baaang!!
The six rampaging up front.
Zealot fixated on severing the left leg, Arthur trying to grind off the severed arm entirely.
“Just now.”
“Oh yeah, big one incoming.”
Heavenly Demon and Astra syncing perfectly as a team.
Kaiser and Empress weaving through guildmates, dodging everything.
From afar providing ranged support, it hit Harrington clearest.
No doubt—they were the stars of this battlefield.
‘Ahh....... That insane movement.’
Empress’s feral beastliness was chilling, but Kaiser amazed most.
Most fatigued yet extracting max efficiency with minimal motion.
Precise like a machine in distance and steps.
‘As expected, never betraying faith.’
Peeing himself in excitement, Harrington held it and nocked an arrow.
A flawless battle, but one big issue for Almighty Kasin.
“We’re at limit, switch.”
“Got it.”
Bottomed-out stamina.
Kaiser and Empress, worst off, alternated seamlessly.
No jarring shifts despite turns—thanks to their monstrous physiques.
But limits existed.
“Switch.”
“......Not recovered yet.”
Like when both stamina depleted simultaneously.
That’s when Harrington shone.
Shuuuwaaak—!
Bang!
He’d snipe ghost-like in pinches, buying time.
“Oh, nice.”
“Who’s the archer? Pretty good.”
“Dunno.”
He didn’t mind not being remembered by name.
Helping Kasin sufficed.
‘Nice...... she said. Ahh, Almighty Kasin.’
Hearing “nice” from Kasin himself was ecstatic.
Fueled by zeal, his shots improved stamina rotation.
Soon, no more simultaneous depletions.
[Sealed Abyss, ‘4th Legion Leader of Ruin’s vitality is below 60%.]
Health visibly chipped away, previously unyielding.
At this rate, raid success seemed possible.
Woooaaah!
Boom! Baaam! Bang!
‘Situation’s better than expected.’
‘Half our raid’s dead already...... but doable.’
‘As long as they’re alive, we got this.’
‘Whoa, masters aside, Kaiser and Empress are nuts. Human?’
‘Explains why they wiped us.’
Those at the center felt it most.
Fighting alongside amplified Do-hyun and masters’ prowess, morale skyrocketing.
But Do-hyun’s expression soured.
More uneasy than anything.
‘Too smooth.’
Not really—over an hour in, health still over half.
They’d lost nearly half the raid force.
[Vitality below 20%.]
[Mana below 10%.]
[Reverse Heaven effect active.]
And fatigue mounting.
Even Arthur, Heavenly Demon, Astra—whose conditions held—were waning.
Prolonged fight favored the enemy.
Yet Do-hyun felt unease from “smoothness” for one reason.
‘That thing hasn’t used instant-kill once.’
Was their edge real?
Doubt crept in.
If a slight mishap...
The rampaging Legion Leader froze.
“Huh?”
“It’s groggy!”
“Now! Burst it down!”
As players surged—
Flick—
Its head snapped around.
Bloodshot red glare locked on Do-hyun.
Not just eyes.
[Sealed Abyss, ‘4th Legion Leader of Ruin’s vitality is below 50%.]
[Phase 2 begins.]
[Eye of Truth activates.]
“......!”
Something small near its heart flashed red.
The moment he clocked it—
Ding—
Something utterly unexpected happened.