World Boss VS World Boss (3)
In Chungnam Province, the world boss subjugation operation was in full swing. Eight thousand top-tier players had been gathered from all corners. Two thousand of them were Eterna Guild members, so Choi Ah-rin felt profound gratitude for Sertina's cooperation.
If Sertina hadn't stabilized Seoul so quickly, things would have been dire.
Thanks to her, most of the defensive forces needed for Seoul could be redirected to Chungnam. The fact that they could focus entirely on the subjugation now was, in a way, all because of Sertina.
"I'm in your debt in so many ways."
The vivid heat of the battlefield transmitted even through the situation room screens. Choi Ah-rin issued precise, moment-by-moment instructions to each guild leader over the radio.
That's when a uniformed general suddenly burst through the situation room door.
"President Choi Ah-rin!"
"I'm busy right now."
"The North Korean regime has collapsed!"
"...Huh?"
Choi Ah-rin turned her head at the bombshell declaration, blinking in stunned silence. She was shocked, of course, but it wasn't entirely unexpected. North Korea had no players, so its leadership had just been cowering from monsters. They'd probably holed up in underground bunkers, ignoring whether their people lived or died. Once this is over, we'll have to clean up the monsters there too.
"It's urgent, but we'll handle it after we finish this."
"Yes, I suppose so, but..."
"Is there more?"
The general fidgeted like an anxious puppy before nodding.
"Yes. China has dispatched players to North Korea."
Choi Ah-rin could only gape in disbelief.
"What?!"
"They're crossing the border southward right now. Roughly ten million strong..."
"Insane!"
Choi Ah-rin momentarily forgot her presidential dignity and spat out a crude curse. Wang Chunfeng, that son of a bitch...! Her clenched fist trembled violently.
Ahem. She quickly cleared her throat and asked, "Their current position?"
"They've just passed central Pyonganbuk-do Province. At this rate, Pyongyang will fall in an instant."
"Haa..."
Choi Ah-rin clutched her head.
"First, concentrate players near the Military Demarcation Line and raise surveillance to Watchcon 1. We'll decide on further measures based on the world boss subjugation progress."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Of all the times to invade, they picked this one. Choi Ah-rin bit her lip and shifted her gaze to the Busan battle feed.
A colossal sphere of water blotting out the sky. Ketehon's instant-death skill loomed with terrifying menace.
"We have to resolve this quickly..."
Musang Guild leader Park Jung-hoon bit his lip as he stared at the shadowed sky.
In the confined fields of a game, an unblocked instant-death skill meant total player annihilation. But dropped on the vast Earth, it wouldn't doom humanity.
However, if that thing fell... Busan City would vanish.
And there was no way to stop it. The skill required hiding inside a dense defensive formation of a hundred tanks.
But this was reality, not a game. The tanks were scattered, with no predefined spot to gather like in a field.
Busan's destruction was inevitable. The players' survival was far from guaranteed.
"Is this... the end?"
Defeat darkened Park Jung-hoon's face.
At that moment—
BOOM!
A girl boldly kicked off the ground and soared into the air.
"Sertina! What are you doing? That's an instant-death skill!"
Ignoring Cha Eun-joo's desperate shout, I accelerated toward the massive water sphere.
Instant-death skill?
It was certainly powerful enough to obliterate an entire city. But in that brief instant, I'd analyzed its structure.
The mana circuits are far too frail. It's like a water balloon stuffed full of mana.
Overwhelming in power, but the circuits were so fragile they'd shatter at a poke.
A proper strike could nullify the skill's activation entirely.
The technique known as Spell Break.
Destroying the very foundation of the magic.
But shattering the mana circuits that formed its core required an immense amount of mana. Especially for a super-sized spell like this.
As I flew toward the water sphere, I drew mana from my dantian and concentrated it into one hand. No other parts needed.
Just this one fist.
Focus enough power into a single point to pulverize the mana circuits themselves.
-Insolent earth creatures. This is your end!
Ketehon's roar echoed through the heavens.
Not enough yet. More. More—enough to demolish the spell's foundation!
Mana layered onto my right fist, then layered again. Meanwhile, the creature finished preparing its skill.
Damn it!
I forcibly drew even more power from my body. Like ramping up pressure in a narrow pipe, a torrent of immense mana explosively coalesced in my fist.
No second chances. This is the only shot!
I didn't want to see this city destroyed. Didn't want to witness people desperately fighting to survive plunge into despair. Didn't want to see Cha Eun-joo or my guildmates collapse powerless.
...Have I ever felt like this before?
Unfamiliar. Yet somehow familiar. Like something from a memory I didn't have, from an age long past.
Crunch.
I clenched my fist. Hard enough to draw blood.
My blood mingling with the magic amplified its power further. The mana output surged in response to my pounding emotions.
-Accept your apocalypse!
Ketehon hurled the colossal water sphere toward the ground.
A massive shadow engulfed part of Busan City.
I pulled back my mana-compressed fist and maxed my speed toward the oncoming orb.
"Not on my watch!"
I tore ruthlessly through the monstrous wind pressure from the compressed air on the water's surface. Like a meteor shower blasting toward the heavens.
"I'll shatter you!"
I unleashed everything into my fist.
The thrust fist collided with the sphere.
CRASH!
In the ear-shattering explosion, something shattered. The sound of ultra-high-density output slamming into the mana circuits.
Violent vibrations wracked my entire body.
"Nngh...!"
I gritted my teeth.
The Spell Break, triggered against a super-sized spell, tore Ketehon's skill structure apart from the roots.
I absolutely... won't yield!
My blood-red eyes blazed fiercer than ever.
The massive water sphere decomposed into blinding white light. A supernova-like flash devoured the clear sky.
And then—
KABOOM!
A circular shockwave blasted across all of Busan.
Windows and buildings shattered indiscriminately tens of kilometers away. Power poles sparked and died. Clouds were shoved beyond the city limits as thunder ripped the heavens.
RUMBLE!
The accompanying tremors persisted, finally collapsing dozens of already weakened structures before fading.
The players gazed up at the sky.
In the now-still heavens, billions of light particles scattered like the remnants of fireworks.
*
-I-Impossibility! This can't be!
Ketehon's pupils quivered wildly.
-T-To think someone could block a strike from me...!
I was certain now. The source of Ketehon's confidence was that skill.
Its raw power was indeed tremendous.
I clenched my fist and kicked the air again, launching toward it.
Bang!
This time from high above—higher than its head—plummeting down to smash its skull like a falling meteor.
BOOM!
Ketehon slammed into the ground in an instant.
-Gaaah! This can't...!
Soil flipped as debris sprayed outward.
I landed and slowly approached Ketehon.
-W-Wait!
Terror-stricken, Ketehon crawled backward with one hand outstretched, but I didn't stop.
Step by step.
Once I'd closed the distance somewhat, I halted.
I slowly raised the Blood Eater gripped in both hands above my head and spoke.
"You've shown me your strongest..."
The blade tip aligned perfectly vertical with the sky.
"So it's only polite that I show you mine."
In that instant, the blade surged skyward with piercing force.
KABOOM!
A colossal surge of energy defied the flow of time itself, plunging the world into darkness. A void that blocked even light. Only the eerie glow of blood-red aura illuminated it.
Ketehon's eyes bulged as it pointed a trembling finger.
-Wh-What is that power...!
The sword in my grasp. The pressure radiating from its rampaging blade was incomparable to something like Deep Sea Invasion. It felt like beholding apocalypse made manifest.
Ketehon suddenly felt insignificant. Ashamed of its self-proclaimed title as ruler of the abyss.
"...Time to end this."
I swung the raised sword, passing final judgment.
A blade that severed life itself.
"Myeolseom."
KABOOM!
The elongated blade rent the heavens asunder and descended.
The crimson edge cleaved Ketehon and struck the ground.
CRACK!
Busan's sea split in two, exposing its seabed.