Chapter 5
Chapter 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Clashing with People Before Demons
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The location known as the Dark Phoenix's Nest had earned its evocative name quite naturally due to the legendary deeds of Geon-woo. It was here, during the historic first wave of the Earth Expedition, that Geon-woo had managed to obtain a large soulstone of immense power. At that time, one of the highest-ranking demons to have crossed over into the realm of Onviroad had established a foothold in this very spot, and Geon-woo had joined forces with the local residents in a desperate struggle to slay the entity. The battle had been so catastrophic that the Dark Phoenix mercenary group and the local defenders both suffered heavy losses, with casualty rates exceeding 60% of their total forces. However, the news of slaying such a high-ranking baron-class demon shook the foundations of Onviroad and elevated Geon-woo's reputation to that of a living legend. Shortly after the victory, the mercenaries vanished without a trace, leaving the site of the open-pit mine to be reclaimed by nature and renamed by the locals as a tribute to their "Undying" saviors.
‘What do you think is the reason this place was eventually called a nest?' Geon-woo asked his spirit companion as they emerged from the gate into the center of the basin. Following standard gate etiquette to avoid obstructing other travelers, he immediately led his eight silent jiangshi toward the perimeter of the clearing before scanning the surrounding ridges.
= Judging by the curved terrain, it clearly resembles a colossal bird's nest, though I am far more curious about the "Dark Phoenix" prefix, Ilryeong replied, failing to recognize the overgrown vegetation as the site of their final stand. Geon-woo, who had spent seven years meticulously gathering intelligence on Belloca City and its environs, reminded the spirit of their battle against the demon Helparis. Ilryeong’s eyes widened as the memory of the barren, blood-stained mine returned to him, and he marveled at the thought of the Dark Phoenix rising again from its namesake nest to continue their grand legend. Geon-woo chuckled at the spirit's flowery language, noting that the situation in the region was currently dire, with demons pushing in from the interior and threatening to force the abandonment of the basin entirely.
* * *
= My lord! Ilryeong called out suddenly, his tone shifting to one of sharp caution.
'I am aware,' Geon-woo replied in a low, somber voice, sensing a hostile aura approaching from behind. As they reached the ridge above the basin, over a hundred users poured out from the Belloca gate, all marked by a red rose emblem on their gear. The group charged up the slope with shouts of "Chase them!" and "Over there!" clearly targeting Geon-woo's small party.
= What are your orders, my lord? Ilryeong asked, his eyes turning cold as he assessed the threat. Geon-woo noted that while he had come to hunt demons, he would likely be tasting user blood first. He had no intention of retreating, as an avatar's death was not a final end, but he cautioned Ilryeong to hold back the first strike. He was mindful of the other users scattered around the basin; he did not want his debut in Onviroad to be branded as a criminal act of player killing. He preferred to let the aggressors commit themselves first under the watchful eyes of the public.
"You bastards! Stop right where you are!" a man bellowed, scaling the steep hill and closing the distance to ten meters. He was a tank-class warrior in heavy plate armor with a large metal shield, his chest emblazoned with the red rose of his guild.
"What is the meaning of this interruption?" Geon-woo asked, stepping forward with his eight jiangshi flanking him like a wall of silent death.
"You are Kang Geon-woo, are you not?" the man asked with absolute certainty, surprising Geon-woo. The hostile intent was clear, and before another word could be exchanged, the man ordered his comrades to kill them. "Bonus!" someone shouted as the hundred-plus users charged across the twenty meters of ridge.
In the world of Onviroad, the physical abilities of a demon-hunting avatar are roughly 3.5 times that of an average human, allowing them to close distances in seconds. A rain of over a dozen arrows, hand axes, and daggers descended upon Geon-woo, but the assault was intercepted by Oryeong and Yukryeong—his fifth and sixth jiangshi. The massive shield-bearer and the crescent-blade wielder deflected the projectiles with ease, acting as a perfect defensive line.
"Twinryeong, Flashryeong. Go!" Geon-woo commanded. His second and third jiangshi, focused entirely on agility and speed, leaped into the charging crowd. They moved with such velocity that they appeared as flickering shadows, butchering the aggressors at speeds the human eye could not track. Geon-woo then deployed his fourth jiangshi, an archer named Gungryeong, who unleashed a devastating barrage that emptied a thirty-arrow quiver in under five seconds.
The hundred attackers, despite their numerical superiority of more than 12-to-1, began to collapse like rotten bundles of straw. Desperate cries of "Magic armor!" and "Blades aren't penetrating!" rose from the survivors as they realized their weapons were useless against the enchanted plate gear of the jiangshi. Panic replaced their earlier bravado as they realized that death meant losing their equipment and hard-earned items.
"You absolute idiots! Get out of the way!" a new voice roared. Six powerful users, who had been observing from the basin floor, leaped over twenty meters into the air to join the fray. They were significantly higher level, each engaging one of the frontline jiangshi while the final two batted away Gungryeong's arrows and charged directly at Geon-woo with lethal intent.