Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: New Year's Raid
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―Courage of the Guardian (Evolution Stage 5)
―Finger Chain 5th Circle
―Guardian's Skin 5th Circle
―Pulse of Hatred 5th Circle
―Fear Detection 5th Circle
―Fear Search 5th Circle
―Guardian Illusion 5th Circle
―Protective Will 5th Circle
―Colosseum 5th Circle
As expected, all his skills had leveled up. His skin felt tougher, and he was brimming with power. The sensation of his skills activating was also distinctly different from before.
Out of habit, Wang-sik checked one particular skill.
―Finger Chain 5th Circle
―1st Circle Effect: Chain durability enhancement
―2nd Circle Effect: Chain length increase
―3rd Circle Effect: Inflicts lethargy on the target
―4th Circle Effect: Unlocks Multi-Chain
―5th Circle Effect: Unlocks Thorned Chain
He immediately summoned a single chain.
As he focused on the rapidly extending chain, sharp metal thorns sprouted densely along its length. Seeing how much sturdier it had become, its binding effect had clearly improved, but now it would also pack a considerable punch as an offensive weapon.
‘Good.’
His gaze naturally shifted to the new skill.
“Colosseum?”
This was the part he always looked forward to most after a successful evolution.
―Colosseum 5th Circle
―Creates a battlefield that traps a target.
There were no constraints listed.
‘I wonder how useful it is?’
He could trap only his opponent, or he could enter the space with them.
He’d have to test it to know for sure, but he thought that if his allies within range could also enter, its applications would be limitless.
‘So the dome’s strength and range increase with the circle level.’
He wanted to check it right away, but he couldn't do that at the mansion.
‘Should I go test it out?’
Unable to wait, Wang-sik headed for the Decartes Mountains.
* * *
He arrived at the border between the 5th and 6th stages of the Decartes Mountains.
“Been well?”
Wang-sik saw a monster emerge from the opposite side.
It was a familiar presence now, the ruler of this territory: the Giant Iron Gorilla, Big Iron.
*Flick!*
Wang-sik tossed something, and Big Iron caught it.
The red object, completely hidden in its hand, was an apple.
“That was the biggest one they had.”
Big Iron crunched on the apple as if it were candy, then stepped into the center of the clearing.
“Good luck.”
Already familiar with the routine, Min Ha-na led Sa Seon-gi, Gong Yeong-ji, and Aisi to a safe distance.
“I should’ve brought popcorn.”
“Please be careful.”
With Gong Yeong-ji’s worried encouragement, the battle began.
“Colosseum.”
*Fzzt!*
A transparent, dome-shaped barrier shimmering with an aurora-like light formed over the clearing.
It was large enough to encompass the entire area.
Big Iron let out a roar. At the same time, its subordinates watching over the clearing grew excited and began pounding on the barrier.
‘Perfect. I can test its durability.’
Inside the dome, Wang-sik and Big Iron clashed.
They stood their ground as if rooted to the spot, trading blows.
*Crash! Crash! Crash!*
It was the same pattern as always.
‘It’s definitely working.’
With the improvement of Guardian's Skin, the impact he felt was significantly reduced. It was a shame his attack power hadn't increased, though.
Their exchange was the same as before, and neither fell.
Even after a long battle, the Colosseum didn't disappear. Its durability seemed quite decent.
*Shhhk!*
As the Colosseum vanished, Wang-sik glanced at his companions.
As they had already planned, the four of them quickly approached him. Seeing this, Big Iron’s subordinates also charged forward, but Wang-sik reacted faster.
“Colosseum.”
A smaller Colosseum appeared.
“Ugh!”
However, perhaps due to using the skill twice in a row, his body felt like it was twisting for a moment. The considerable shock was startling, but the Colosseum deployed perfectly.
“It’s a success.”
Min Ha-na was the first to report the result.
Their allies had entered the Colosseum with him.
That said, Min Ha-na and the others didn't join the fight.
“Hoo.”
Wang-sik pushed Big Iron back once and retreated.
It was their way of ending a fight.
As soon as the Colosseum disappeared, Big Iron roared. This must have been a command, as its charging subordinates halted.
“Thanks for the hard work.”
When Wang-sik held out his fist, Big Iron roughly smacked it. But there were no further attacks. Wang-sik didn’t make an issue of it, considering it a penalty for suddenly summoning the Colosseum.
“Such a temper. You’ve gotten much stronger, too.”
The gorilla itself was bigger than before, its muscles bulging as if they would burst.
“See you next time.”
Wang-sik said his final goodbye and turned to leave.
* * *
After testing it over time, he finished his analysis of Colosseum. Its durability and utility were satisfactory, but there was one constraint.
“It can’t be reshaped.”
He could reduce its range, but it could only be summoned as a perfect circle.
A perfect circle, not even an oval was possible.
This was its only limitation.
“This is more than enough.”
Satisfied with the results, Wang-sik recalled another message from his memory.
―Evolution conditions will be unlocked.
―Blood Fragments required for Evolution Stage 6 (0/2)
It was a simple message.
The number of fragments needed for evolution had increased to two.
“It’s tough, but at least it’s straightforward.”
Having succeeded once, he could now make a clearer plan than in the past when he had just hunted aimlessly.
‘Well, I know the locations of three of them.’
The problem was that they were gifts bestowed by the emperor. Typically, such items were not given to others.
‘I doubt I can get them through formal negotiations.’
Various thoughts crossed his mind, but he decided to put them aside for today.
“Wang-sik! Let’s go!”
They had already made plans, so Wang-sik passed through the gate with his friends.
“Hurry, we only have 10 minutes left!”
“In 10 minutes, you could get to America.”
With gates, that wasn't an exaggeration.
“Why are you so unromantic? You’re supposed to watch the New Year’s countdown with a fluttering heart for the last five minutes. Reflect on the past year, think about your wishes for the next. There’s a lot to do.”
The reason they had postponed everything was that today was the last day of the year.
While the Azelan Continent still had a day left, a new year was about to begin in Korea.
“But you care about this stuff?”
Wang-sik asked, as it didn’t seem to fit Min Ha-na’s usual image.
“It’s been a while, actually. I used to celebrate with my mom and dad, but after I was left alone, I just let it pass. The new year only made me feel lonelier.”
As Wang-sik listened intently, Min Ha-na lightly patted his back and said.
“Don’t make that face. I have friends now, so I’m going to have fun again.”
“You’ve really opened up.”
“I’m just trying to be honest with my feelings. Like Aisi.”
Watching Aisi, who always said she did things for herself, not for others, had made Min Ha-na realize something.
She understood that it wasn't selfish at all.
She had learned the value of honesty.
“I’m so proud to see my friend become so wonderful.”
“It’s all thanks to our wonderful instructor.”
Min Ha-na wrapped an arm around Wang-sik’s shoulders and squeezed.
“But Wang-sik, there’s something I realized while training Aisi.”
“What is it?”
“Couldn’t you have been a little kinder? Now that I'm trying it, I see it works even with nice words.”
The hand on Wang-sik’s shoulder began to feel warm.
“You’re not Aisi.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means what it means.”
Wang-sik didn’t answer and quickened his pace to get away from her.
“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?!”
Their boisterous new year was about to begin.
* * *
Everyone, except for the Central Control Room staff on shift, gathered in one place.
It was a typical party with a bell and a countdown, but it held great significance for them.
It was the first new year they were celebrating at Mad Castle.
Kang Il-seop was also present amidst the lively chatter and jokes. He had now completely moved into the residence here.
There had been concerns that he wouldn't mix well due to the generation gap, but those were unfounded.
“Commander, what’s your new year’s wish?”
“For 50 years, my wish has been the same. To have sons and daughters and live happily ever after.”
“What? So you’re making the same wish this year?”
When everyone looked confused, Kang Il-seop grinned slyly and said.
“I’ve got all my kids right here, don’t I? If you don’t believe me, I’ll put every last one of you on my family register!”
“Guys, don’t even joke about agreeing. He’s the type to actually do it.”
Just as Wang-sik was hastily trying to settle the mood, Kang Il-seop stopped talking and pulled out his smartphone. His expression hardened abruptly as he read the message on the screen, and everyone sensed that something had happened.
“There’s been an intruder at Chairwoman Han’s residence.”
As Kang Il-seop spoke in a stiff tone, the four combat members reacted automatically.
“Everyone to your positions!”
The party was over in an instant.
* * *
Passing through the gate to Seoul, they ran to the rooftop of the Guseong Gate Exchange.
It had taken them less than a minute to get there.
The helicopter pilot on standby on the top floor had barely managed to get into the cockpit. The veteran pilot pushed aside his surprise and started the engine.
“Taking off.”
The propeller whirred loudly as the helicopter slowly lifted off the ground.
“Target is the Chairwoman’s residence in Nonhyeon-dong. Straight-line distance of 7 kilometers. Estimated travel time is under 3 minutes.”
As soon as the pilot’s transmission ended, Kang Il-seop’s voice followed.
―She has taken refuge in the residence’s bunker. All bodyguards are dead. The intruders are searching the living room. Total of two individuals. They appear to be at least A-rank Awakened.
Thankfully, the security system had activated, giving them time to get to the bunker.
“We have to hope the bunker holds.”
The bunker had been built when they were planning the establishment of Mad Castle.
It was created with the possibility of Han Young-im being a target in mind. Especially after the New Zealand incident, they had even hired bodyguards composed of the Awakened, but they had been breached in the end. The bunker was designed to be secure, but the problem was that it could be broken through depending on the abilities of the Awakened.
“How is Yura?”
―She evacuated with Chairwoman Han.
Three minutes felt like three years. Then, bad news came.
―It seems they’ve found her location. They must have a detection skill.
“We’re arriving. Everyone, get ready.”
Wang-sik’s eyes sharpened as he got into position.
“Seon-gi, stick with me. Ha-na, you take care of Yeong-ji.”
They formed two pairs and stood at the helicopter’s two open doors.
“Go.”
The Mad Castle combat members jumped out all at once.
*Chwa-rat!*
Just before hitting the ground, a chain he threw dug into the garden of Han Young-im’s residence. Using the chain’s momentum to change direction, Sa Seon-gi leaped off Wang-sik’s shoulder.
*Thud!*
Landing with a rough thud, Wang-sik was joined by Sa Seon-gi at his side, and soon after, intense flames crashed down around them.
Their descent ended with Min Ha-na carefully setting Gong Yeong-ji down.
There were no less than seven bodies lying in the garden.
They were the ambushed bodyguards.
Wang-sik’s heart raced.
“Let’s begin.”
Sa Seon-gi was the first to move, leaping through a shattered window. As Wang-sik smashed through the front, Min Ha-na climbed onto the roof, which offered a view of the entire garden.
―One target spotted in the living room.
At Sa Seon-gi’s voice, Wang-sik reacted immediately.
“Ignore him and go to the bunker.”
With that, Wang-sik charged the man in the living room.
The man, who had come out to investigate the noise, quickly swung a silver spear, but it failed to pierce Wang-sik.
Deflecting the attack, Wang-sik grabbed the man by the waist and slammed him to the floor.
*Thwack! Thwack!*
Two punches to the face, and the man lost consciousness.
“Seon-gi, what's your status?”
―Target neutralized.
“Any others?”
―None.
Min Ha-na answered first, and Sa Seon-gi replied a moment later.
―Clear.
Only then did Wang-sik let out a sigh and lower his guard.
“Ha-na, hold your position. Yeong-ji, come inside.”
Calling for Yeong-ji just in case, Wang-sik went to the front of the underground bunker where Sa Seon-gi was waiting.
Ignoring the downed intruder, Wang-sik stood before the bunker and stared at the camera. The heavily fortified door opened.
“Mister!”
Yura ran out and threw herself into Wang-sik’s arms. Holding the child, he looked inside and saw Han Young-im, sighing with an exhausted expression.
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Thank you. I knew you would come.”
Though she was staggering as if she might collapse, Han Young-im walked out of the bunker on her own.