Chapter 7
The small girl who seized every gaze with that single execution. Everyone present knew it instantly. Among those who played Astria Online, no one was ignorant of that sword's existence. Even without facing it themselves, they had witnessed its overwhelming power—the storm-like onslaught—in videos.
Sertina!!
A silent cry of shock rippled through the air.
The girl, Sertina, gazed up at Arcon with emotionless eyes.
"Kiyoooooo!!"
Startled that its attack had been blocked, Arcon unleashed a menacing roar from midair. But to the girl, that cry was nothing more than the pathetic wail of a mere insect, posing no threat whatsoever.
"...Annoying."
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwak!
With a casual diagonal upward slash from low left using Blood Eater, the blade extended in a flash of crimson. One of Arcon's massive wings tore clean off with a sickening rip.
"Kieeeek!"
The roar turned to a scream in an instant. Its bulky body lost lift and plummeted pitifully to the ground—like a tiger savagely mauling a dragonfly.
"R-Raid boss... in one hit..."
Yunsia, hands clamped over her mouth, whispered in a voice on the verge of breaking.
Irresistible terror. An overwhelming gap in power. The blood-red sword had severed not just flesh, but Arcon's freedom of movement—and its last shred of hope—in a heartbeat.
"Kek... keaak..."
Foam-like saliva dribbled from Arcon's gaping beak. Its body twitched with labored breaths, swelling and deflating in rhythm. The severed stump oozed thick fluids.
Sertina stared down at it with eyes deep as an abyss. Slowly, she stepped forward. Blood Eater in her hand wailed, scattering flame-like blood droplets.
One step. Another...
She reached Arcon. Its dull black eyes looked up powerlessly. Her crimson gaze met them without a flicker of emotion—eyes brimming with the deaths of countless souls, unmeasurable.
These were not the eyes of one who granted mercy.
"Farewell."
A cold verdict tossed out indifferently. As the blood-blade gleamed...
The raid boss Arcon's colossal body split perfectly in two.
It's real...!
Watching the girl slay the raid boss with one clean stroke, Lee Min-ho swallowed dryly amid his shock. A heavy pressure crushed his shoulders; his huddled heart pounded like it would burst. The instinctive fear of a frail lifeform before an absolute being—it had rung alarm bells the moment they met.
Who could deny it? That girl was unmistakably Sertina.
He'd once dreamed of meeting her, chatting even. But now he realized: she was far beyond his reach. No lowly insect like him could dare speak to her.
The pinnacle of Astria Online. The undisputed absolute powerhouse. A living calamity. The end of all life—Sertina.
The lingering trace of her single slash had cracked the asphalt as far as the eye could see. Staggering through fading consciousness, Lee Min-ho took a step forward. His feet felt leaden, like walking toward death. A throbbing headache hammered his skull, shredding his mind.
In that dizzy haze, he decided.
No escaping Sertina anyway. To survive... I have to negotiate or something...
Clinging to a faint hope like a candle under the sun, he fixed his blurring vision on her. She stood there still—regal, queenly—watching him with blood-red eyes.
The world smeared like spilled paint, losing form. Hope faded with it. His legs buckled. Vision shook as he toppled backward.
Ah... can't hold on.
In that thought, Sertina's wavering form vanished.
What?
Then, strong arms caught his falling body from behind. Slender yet steady forearms. Soft skin in stark contrast.
...Warm.
"You okay?"
The voice that followed eased his mind inexplicably. He forced his eyelids open. A calm, composed girl's face sharpened into view.
Familiar yet strange. The face of a merciless slaughter demon from afar. But up close...
A faint flicker of concern beneath the blank expression. Tension melted into drowsiness.
"Yeah, I..."
Fatigue crashed like a wave. As surroundings muddled and eyes lost focus—
"Rest your eyes a bit."
A small hand shadowed his vision, gently over his eyelids. A soft, comforting shade.
Sertina. World boss. End of life.
...For some reason, it felt okay to let go, just for now.
"Ugh... huuk!"
Lee Min-ho groaned long, writhing before blinking awake blearily. He bolted upright like a zombie bursting from a coffin, flailing as he scanned around—exactly like a meerkat sensing a predator on the savanna.
A half-asleep voice pierced his ear.
"Min-ho! You with us?"
His gaze locked. Yunsia peered down, eyes brimming with tears, swollen red from prolonged crying.
The sun had set; darkness blanketed the sky. Under sporadic streetlights, worried faces gathered—the survivors from their post-update base.
"Uh... uh-huh."
Still disoriented, Lee Min-ho nodded slowly, mindful of Yunsia's state. A foggy haze clung; something huge had happened, but his half-dormant brain blurred recent memories—like chasing an elusive shadow.
As he half-raised an arm to scratch his head—
"Agh!"
Sharp pain rocked his shoulder. He yelped, freezing instinctively.
"Don't move! I healed you, but the pain'll take time to fade!"
Tier's sharp scolding rang out. Lee Min-ho lowered his arm carefully and looked up. Tier frowned fiercely, teeth gritted—yet worry shone beneath the twisted expression, eyes misty as if ready to cry.
He could only nod silently in response.
So... why am I like this?
Clarity returned with awareness. He rewound his memories.
Meat party interrupted by raid boss. Felt unbeatable, rushed to buy time. Cheol-ho hyung sacrificed himself...
Right—Cheol-ho hyung?!
Lee Min-ho snapped his head up.
"Whoa!"
Tier, approaching, jumped back startled. But he pressed on.
"Ch-Cheol-ho hyung? Hyungnim!?"
"Yeah, you callin'?"
Hwang Cheol-ho leaned against a half-collapsed fence post, waving casually.
Lee Min-ho blinked in stupefaction.
"H-How...?"
"Man, you're somethin'. Who the hell'd you summon?"
"...Pardon?"
Lee Min-ho tilted his head dumbly. Hwang Cheol-ho nodded toward somewhere, arms still crossed, as if to say behold.
His eyes followed.
"Hup!"
Shock made him gulp air. Blood-red eyes stared down indifferently. The absolute terror of all players. The end of life—Sertina—sat astride an overturned car, arms folded, watching him. In her signature white dress etched with blood-red patterns.
"Hic."
A tiny hiccup escaped his throat from the cold air. Sleepy fog vanished; his mind cleared. Final memory pieces clicked.
Oh, right... Sertina...
He averted his gaze sheepishly. She'd saved him. The infamous world boss, no less. The others didn't seem wary or avoiding her either.
He shot Hwang Cheol-ho a pleading look. Seemingly flighty, but reliably cautious and thorough.
Understanding, Hwang Cheol-ho nodded without uncrossing arms.
"If she saved you, I trust her."
Time passed to midnight. Survivors had roughly repaired the breached defenses.
Sertina, who'd stood guard, finally rose, brushing off.
The commotion drew plenty of monsters during repairs. But before Astria Online's strongest, they meant nothing.
"Whew, thanks to you, one worry down. No monsters means work's a breeze."
"Gotta repay the help somehow, but..."
"Um... you really won't attack us, right...?"
Thus treated as both hero and potential villain unintendedly. As she snuck a few cooled, tough samgyeopsal bits from the grill, savoring the greasy meat scent to leave—
"Um, Sertina-nim."
A tentative voice grabbed her ankle. Yunsia.
Caught eating pork?
Sertina pursed her lips, eyeing her.
"Sure you wanna head back like that?"
Tense, worried tone. Not the pork, thankfully.
"You seemed reluctant to reveal yourself. Shouldn't you at least cover your face...?"
"Hm..."
Sertina propped her chin with thumb and forefinger, pondering. These folks were ones I planned to recruit anyway. Identity reveal was inevitable.
But not world-wide yet.
She decided.
"Wear a hoodie."
"That hoodie... high-level players would spot you quick. We suspected from the start."
Er... valid point.
Her wardrobe was barren as a warehouse. Inventory outfits lacked face cover too.
"...Got a better idea?"
She dumped it on them. They furrowed brows, pondering intently—faces screaming they'd die without a solution.
Nah, probably not.
"W-Well, for covering your face, I have a surefire item..."
Lee Min-ho broke the silence. Sertina eyed him expectantly.
"Speak."
"Uh, well, y'see..."
He'd opened his mouth yet flustered visibly, scratching his undamaged left hand, dodging.
What's his deal?
As she opened to ask again—
"I have an item that perfectly hides the face..."
"Oh."
Clear solution, yet his voice sank lower. Perfect face-hider? No reason to refuse.
"Show it."
Lee Min-ho flinched. Did he commit a felony?
All eyes pinned him. What is it?
Under pressure from her insistent stare, arms crossed—
"H-Here..."
With a glow, the item equipped on his head.
"Cough! Ack, kek!"
Hwang Cheol-ho, chugging water, spewed it out, thumping his chest. Eyes around widened in horror.
Sertina's eyes sparkled.