Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 73
>Chapter Title: Shattering the Blockade
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>The man who blocked with his shield from the shock that exceeded expectations fell flat on his butt.
The man didn't stop there and even shoved back the users in the row behind him.
"Argh, what the hell!"
"No, I couldn't help it... What kind of shield damage is this? I thought it was a boss attack."
The formation shook like falling dominoes.
Even so, as veterans, they quickly reformed their ranks, but that brief gap was enough.
Shuuuuaak-.
Do-hyun, who reached out his hand and caught the returning shield, spun 360 degrees on the spot and threw the shield again.
As the large-area shield flew back like a boomerang in an instant, the guys who didn't even have time to raise their shields scattered to both sides in a panic.
A path opened up.
Clatter-.
Do-hyun didn't even pick up the shield and just charged forward.
"B-block... Khek!"
"Hngh!?"
"What kind of brute force is this...!"
A few tried to block him belatedly by throwing themselves in the way, but instead, they couldn't withstand Do-hyun's charge and were sent flying or fell over.
Do-hyun, who broke through in an instant, reached out his hand again,
Fwoooong-.
"Urk?"
"Hmph, that startled me!"
To the shield returning along the exact path he had cleared, they had no choice but to part ways again like the miracle of Moses.
By the time they came to their senses, Do-hyun was already far away.
"...He's fast."
"Yeah."
The scouts stared blankly at the scene with bitter faces.
They couldn't comprehend this situation.
'What just happened? What went past us?'
'No way, it's only been a short time since he graduated from Raven. Does this make sense?'
'What kind of deal... What traits and gods did he pick to make this possible...? And what's that weapon? An S-rank reward?'
'Whoa, he's insane.'
They had heard rumors about Kaiser.
So they had been on guard and prepared a solid strategy...
But this crushed everything, strategy or not.
Overwhelming power was one thing, but the way he used his abilities and his senses were on another level.
They scratched their heads vigorously, suddenly finding themselves with their eyes wide open while getting their noses slit.
"...Argh, what the hell do I even report this as."
"It's too frustrating to even report. They got beaten without a chance and will they even believe it?"
"I don't know, fuck. I'll just write a report or something...."
They were distressed by the clearly visible grim future ahead.
* * *
[You have entered the City of Promise, Brion.]
[Tip. If your karma level is too high, visit a temple!]
"Hoo."
Do-hyun, who had entered Brion, let out a short breath.
Jihad and Eliza, who had hurriedly followed behind him, wiped the sweat from their foreheads and complained.
-That startled me. What the hell were those guys, Master! Why did they suddenly pick a fight?
-Liza-liza!
The two, unaware of the situation, had every reason to be baffled.
They had come out after resting well, only to find the world had suddenly turned hostile.
So this time, Do-hyun didn't ignore them and kindly explained.
"It's because I've become a bit famous against my will, so I have a lot of enemies now."
-Enemies? If they're Master's enemies... you've been marked by the outsiders?
"Something like that."
-...So does this mean it'll be like this every time from now on? Ugh, just thinking about it makes me sick.
-Liza....
They understood faster than expected.
Imagining the future that would soon unfold, Jihad and Eliza openly made disgusted faces. Do-hyun chuckled and tossed out a remark.
"I don't like it either. I have no intention of putting up with it forever."
-But you said you've been marked. Does it work that way just because you want it to?
"No. I have to make sure they can't do that."
-How?
Do-hyun curled up the corner of his mouth as he looked at Jihad tilting his head.
There had been countless such enemies even in Delrock. How many hyenas and wolf cubs had he encountered on his way to the number one spot?
Among them, the ones who tried to backstab him could fill a few trucks.
And the solution was always the same.
"Get stronger. Strong enough that they can't even meet my eyes."
-Ah.
People fundamentally have a bit of 'strong fear weak, weak fear strong' built in.
It's not a bad thing; it's instinctual.
From the primitive era full of strong beings, survival rates went up by gauging opponents before charging.
It's an obvious instinct for animals, not just humans—a law of the world.
-I get it.
And Jihad, whose instinct was stronger than anyone's, understood immediately.
As expected from Jihad, whose guardian trait even listed 'Strong vs Weak, Weak vs Strong'.
'It's all because my current position is ambiguous.'
Who would dare pick a fight with Annihilation or Arthur?
They held positions in the Top 10 Guilds and overwhelming personal strength, and they had proven it.
On the other hand, what about Do-hyun?
'They must see me as a juicy target.'
To them right now, Do-hyun was a golden goblin.
A honey pot with disproportionately huge rewards compared to the difficulty of taking it down.
Past number one? Amazing control?
Sure, but now he's just a fresh newbie who barely entered Brion, right? And catching a newbie like that means massive gains?
'Whoa, that's a huge profit.'
'Worth a shot, right?'
That's how it had to feel.
So, get stronger.
Once he got strong enough to reclaim his old spot, they'd scatter on their own.
'Now I have a reason to level up quickly.'
At least hit max level to stand on the same starting line.
The good news was that each city had level restrictions.
Meaning, no one would get ganged up on by enemies dozens of levels higher, throwing balance out the window.
In that sense, Do-hyun was confident.
'I can tell from dealing with regular users. How ridiculous my current specs are.'
Do-hyun's level was only 27, but his specs were at least as high as graduation level 35, if not higher.
Plus Thousand Transformations and his traits—no one who came at him scared him.
"Look over there...."
"No way, is that Kaiser? Awesome. First time seeing Kaiser."
"Should I ask for an autograph?"
"Shh. Look at those scouts glaring. Better avoid getting caught in the crossfire."
So the moment he entered Brion, even with all the focused gazes, Do-hyun walked confidently.
The stares only intensified, but so what.
"Ugh, if this weren't inside the city...."
"Fighting would mean straight to jail, no choice."
"But they say he broke through a group blockade from the neighboring area in 10 seconds flat. Is that true?"
"No way that's real. They're just exaggerating because they were embarrassed to let him slip."
Being in Brion meant they couldn't touch a single hair on Do-hyun's head.
Gaoze doesn't interfere with field PK, but if it happens inside a city, their response flips 180 degrees.
Differences vary by city, but usually assault means jail time at minimum.
Assault is that bad—what about murder?
'Pretty much, without connections, you have to delete your character.'
That's why hundreds of scouts were eyeing him, and even more users watched with interest, but no one approached.
Step, step.
Users parted like the Red Sea before Moses' miracle.
And Do-hyun's group strode right down the middle, as if a red carpet had been laid out.
Everyone was watching them.
Feeling like the protagonists of the world, Jihad let out his characteristic chirp- but hurriedly covered his mouth.
Even so, he couldn't help the twitching corners of his mouth as he grinned.
-Hmm. This feels kinda good?
-Liza-liza!
"Quiet down and just follow."
-Tch, always picking on me.... So where are we going? Huh? That's....
As they got closer to the destination, Jihad's face stiffened.
Majestic. The overwhelming holiness and scale that naturally brought that word to mind belonged to a temple.
As a place called the City of Divinity, Brion boasted countless temples.
But none of those numerous temples could dare compare to this one.
'Lair Grand Temple.'
Brion's landmark and symbol, the Lair Grand Temple.
Brion's largest and strongest temple, home to the mightiest priests and holy knights.
Even foreign kings dared not act rashly here—that was the Lair Grand Temple.
"What? He's heading to the Grand Temple?"
"Why there?"
"What do you mean why? Who in Brion doesn't go to the Grand Temple? Kaiser's not unemployed, right? Probably going for his class quest."
"Kaiser's a god himself—does he need one? Maybe he really is jobless."
"Yeah, cut the bullshit."
As Do-hyun headed there, people murmured.
"Class quest... wonder what Kaiser's class is."
"Swordsman, I heard."
"Doesn't look like a swordsman if he uses all kinds of weapons."
"Didn't you see the NewTube video? Parrying means pure swordsman. Using all weapons... probably got Weapon Master trait or something."
"Whoa? Kaiser has NewTube? Logging out and checking right now."
"Wonder what god he picked."
"Obviously a Mythic God, right? His actions so far only make sense with that."
"You think? He hasn't shown any standout unique abilities."
All sorts of guesses flew among them.
Do-hyun let the snippets he overheard go in one ear and out the other as he stood before the Grand Temple entrance. A guard approached.
"What is your business?"
"I wish to see the Grand Priest."
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No."
The guard, speaking in a stiff tone, shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but the Grand Priest does not meet without an appointment. If you have other business, I can guide you."
His tone was so firm it would make even those with appointments flinch.
But Do-hyun didn't panic at all.
With an impassive face, he pulled something from his inventory and discreetly showed it only to the guard.
"I found something like this. I think I need to discuss it with the Grand Priest."
"This is...?"
"If the Grand Priest still refuses to meet after seeing this, I'll leave."
"...Please wait a moment."
The guard, whose face had stiffened rigidly, hurried inside.
They waited a few minutes.
About the time it takes for cup ramen to cook, the guard returned.
But he wasn't alone. He brought two priests, who looked around urgently with anxious faces and immediately asked upon spotting Do-hyun.
"Are you the one? The one who brought 'that'?"
"Yes."
"Ahh... I see. We're sorry for making you wait so long. The Grand Priest wishes to see you right away. Please come in."
"Understood."
Then one of the priests glanced behind Do-hyun and cautiously asked.
"Ah, and these ones?"
"My companions."
"Understood. This way...."
The priests and guard guided Do-hyun inside with discreet gestures, mindful of onlookers.
Creak. Thud.
As soon as they disappeared inside, the users who had been holding their breath finally spoke up.
Their faces were full of bewilderment. It was their first time seeing such a scene.
"What was that? Priests coming out to greet him?"
"He said he's going to see the Grand Priest? Does the Grand Priest even meet regular users?"
"He has met a few...."
And rightly so—it was the Grand Priest, no less.
Priests greeting was surprising enough, but heading in to meet the Grand Priest so easily was even more shocking.
Unless you were a holy knight or priest class, you might never see the Grand Priest even after graduating from Brion.
"Who in Brion has actually met the Grand Priest?"
"Mainly Annihilation. Most of the Top 10 Guilds, Verge, Arthur? Phoenix Jennifer and Baekdu Mountain probably too."
Counting on his fingers one by one, the man soon folded all but one and added.
"...He doesn't meet just anyone. Probably around ten thousand at most."
"Excluding relevant classes?"
"Maybe... officially less than a thousand?"
"Crazy...."
In a game with 10 billion players, barely a thousand.
He had pierced that insane probability.
And right after arriving in Brion!
Gulp. Someone swallowed hard somewhere. The anticipation in their eyes clearly said it.
"Every single one of his actions is anything but ordinary."
"Am I the only one who feels like Kaiser's about to cause another huge incident?"
"Think he'll show it? Reclaiming the throne from Annihilation and even Verge?"
"Verge is meh, but... with Kaiser, I'm hyped. Subscribing and waiting. Hope he uploads a video."
That Kaiser might show something again this time.