Chapter 35
"You can't escape!"
"Serves you right, you murderer bastards!" someone shouted in relief. It was Kim Jin-woo. He roared, swinging his fist at the empty air.
Tatata— Footsteps pounded as someone came running.
My body suddenly lifted, and my view rose high.
"Huh?"
Two hands had slipped under my armpits. A bright, beaming face. It was Cha Eun-joo.
"I knew you'd pull it off!"
Still holding me, she spun around in a gleeful circle. She'd been on standby to jump in if things got dicey, but of course, there'd been no need.
In the passing scenery, I caught glimpses of stunned players' faces.
·····Somehow, I felt embarrassed and scratched my cheek.
"Uhmm······."
"Ah? Sorry. Got a little carried away."
Cha Eun-joo gently set me down. I could see why Lee So-yeon had called her a wild one—it fit perfectly. I hopped back and looked up at Cha Eun-joo's face. The height difference was such that I had to crane my neck.
"It's not over yet. We've still got some bastards to catch."
"Oh, right. Yeah?"
"Yeah. Get ready quick. No time to waste."
"Hehe, right away, ma'am."
Cha Eun-joo gestured into the air. In one corner of Gwanghwamun Square, a shimmer of light appeared, and a small airship materialized. It was that inverted-triangle craft I'd seen when I rescued her from Yeongdong Bridge—a high-mobility transport vessel.
·····It packed more firepower than your average S-rank player, and it was just for getting around?
"Let's go."
"Yes, ma'am! Taking off!"
Cha Eun-joo hopped cheerfully into the pilot's seat. As I boarded the airship, I messaged the guild members.
"You all head back to headquarters first and rest up."
"Pardon?"
"We'll wrap things up here and join you."
"Wait, hold on······."
Kim Jin-woo reached out, trying to say something, but the door sealed shut. The airship's engines roared to life, surging powerfully upward.
As altitude climbed, the view spread out below in a single glance. Sure, I appreciated their desire to help, but...
I could handle this alone. No need to drag the guild into more hardship.
And so the airship sped toward its target.
The Eterna Guild members, left standing there, stared blankly at the receding ship.
Kim Jin-woo opened his mouth awkwardly.
"I mean, leaving us like this······."
"Um, excuse me... what on earth just happened?"
Choi Ah-rin approached cautiously, hand on her chest. Behind her trailed thousands of players, their faces a mix of curiosity and fear.
"What are we supposed to do now······."
Maybe getting swept up in their midst had been inevitable from the start.
*
Whump-whump-whump-whump— Three helicopters kicked up a storm of prop wash as they touched down at Seoul Airport.
President Han Sung-ho led the prime minister and cabinet ministers, clutching their collars against the wind as they scrambled out.
"This way! Hurry!"
Agents in black suits waved frantically.
The fierce rotor blast made it hard to stay upright, but they gritted their teeth and sprinted toward the waiting presidential jet on the tarmac.
Damn it all—how did it come to this?
Han Sung-ho inwardly lamented his fate, biting his lip raw.
Thanks to some anti-government player's live stream, he'd accidentally witnessed the pro-government alliance players' battle. The result? Total annihilation.
Of all the uncontrollable forces, that one had sided with the rebels.
Bloodshot, Han Sung-ho spat her name.
"Sertina······!"
He clenched his fist, grinding his teeth in a vow of revenge. Someday, somehow, he'd make that damned monster pay.
But right now, he'd lost his footing. Years of built power crumbled in an instant's exposure.
·····All because of that vile monster.
Han Sung-ho clambered breathlessly up the jet's stairs. Agents loaded cargo into the hold below and shouted.
"Mr. President! Go on ahead! We'll follow right behind!"
He nodded dazedly and climbed the rest of the way. The door sealed.
The engines hummed through the soundproofing—four turbofans whining to life. A sense of lift as the nose pitched up. Leaving the ground, rocketing past skyscrapers, piercing toward the clouds.
Finally peering out the window in tense relief, Han Sung-ho exhaled.
"Hoo."
They couldn't catch up this far. He sank into the plush sofa.
The ministers eyed him worriedly.
"So, what's the plan moving forward?"
"······First things first, retake our lost territory."
At Han Sung-ho's words, Prime Minister Shim Hyun-baek slammed the table and shot up.
"That's impossible right now! Everyone saw how terrifying that Sertina is!"
Tremor laced his voice, undisguised terror in his eyes. The ministers fell silent as if gagged with honey.
They'd seen it too—that horde of elite pro-government players butchered by a single Sertina.
A nightmare they never wanted to face again.
But Han Sung-ho crossed his legs calmly.
"It's still just a monster trapped in the game's rules. If a thousand won't do, send three thousand. If three thousand fails, ten thousand. Chip away long enough, and its HP hits zero eventually."
In short: exploit the system where even weak hits drain health.
The ministers remained skeptical.
"How? Our player forces are wiped out!"
"The remaining Korean factions might not even cooperate on a Sertina hunt!"
Han Sung-ho shook his head.
"I'm not looking for solutions in Korea. Luckily, we have a neighbor who can muster that kind of manpower."
"You don't mean······."
"China."
The ministers swallowed hard.
China. Right after Astría Online went real, the Communist Party had mobilized flawlessly, leveraging sheer player numbers to stabilize faster than anyone—now reclaiming major cities, with only rural pockets left.
They had manpower to spare. Worth asking for aid.
Shim Hyun-baek stroked his chin, nodding slowly.
"True... China might pull it off. Their player count rivals Korea's entire population."
"But will their government play ball? They saw the Sertina footage too."
Bad memories resurfaced; the ministers groaned again.
Han Sung-ho sighed heavily.
"We'll have to offer unprecedented terms."
"Like what······."
"The entire North. If that's not enough, parts of Gyeonggi and Gangwon too."
"······!"
They gulped, glancing around, but no one objected outright. Sertina's threat was on another level from typical world bosses.
For that danger, the price had to match.
"This isn't the time to quibble. First reclaim the country, then we can talk."
"Yeah, we can't do much alone."
Han Sung-ho nodded.
"So, we've got China's cooperation lined up—landing clearance at Beijing Capital International—"
BOOM!
A thunderous roar shook the cabin. The plane lurched violently.
"Eek?!"
"Gah, what the—?!"
The heavyweights staggered.
Crack! Rumble!
The calm sky erupted in repeated thunderclaps. Han Sung-ho hauled himself up and peered out the window. His pupils quivered in disbelief.
"What in the world······."
The sky bled crimson. Massive thunderheads coiled like serpents. An apocalyptic vista, surreal as world's end.
Red lightning flickered intermittently.
KABOOM!
"Gaaah!"
Bolts crashed perilously close. The cabin rocked. Alarms blared—beep-beep-beep-beep—lights bathing everything red.
Han Sung-ho bit his lip, gripping the window frame to stand.
Damn it—what kind of freak lightning is this?
A sinister thought flashed.
No way?!
Blood-red sky. Blood clouds. Blood lightning.
Blood······?
His legs buckled.
"Shit. It's her! Has to be!"
Teeth chattering, he lunged for the comms on the table. Snatched the handset, hailing the cockpit.
"This is Han Sung-ho! Max throttle right n—"
CRASH!
Vast vibration flung the handset—and him—from his grip.
"Aaaah!"
Ministers and prime minister tumbled. Lights strobed wildly. Objects floated then crashed repeatedly. The fuselage pitched acrobatically side to side.
Teacups shattered on the floor; the pot sprayed scalding tea everywhere.
Then—THUD!
A deafening boom as the emergency exit dented inward.
Screeech—
A nails-on-chalkboard metallic groan warped the door further.
Han Sung-ho and the elites gaped wide-eyed.
"B-back up!"
"What the hell is that?!"
CRUNCH!
The door ripped clean off.
"Arrrgh!"
Ear-splitting noise. Turbulence flooded the cabin. Clothes and papers whipped like plastic bags in a gale.
In the chaos, Han Sung-ho saw it.
That aura of utter terror.
Stoic face. But absolute power radiating in contrast.
"Se... Sertina······!"
Despair washed over his features.