Chapter 137: 9-Quad. The Textbook Explosion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 137: 9-Quad. The Textbook Explosion
The elders, catching sight of the strangers who had suddenly appeared, instinctively pulled the children behind them, their faces etched with terror.
“We are not from the government. We have no intention of harming you.”
Despite Jin Long’s reassurance, the elders remained wary, blocking the path to the children with anxious expressions. They couldn't fully trust these newcomers, especially when the echoes of explosions and desperate screams had only recently faded from the distance.
Seeing their hesitation, Jin Long spoke again, his voice steady and sincere.
“I am Jin Long, a disciple of the Yugok Sect. I swear on my honor that we will not harm you. Please, trust us.”
At the mention of the Yugok Sect, a wave of visible relief finally washed over the elders. As they exhaled and lowered their guard, the children began to peek out from behind their robes, their eyes sparkling as they looked at Jin Long.
“Mister, are you really a disciple of the Yugok Sect?”
“Really? Are you truly a disciple of Yugok Ipseon?”
“Can you really shoot palm blasts?”
The reactions of the elders and children alone spoke volumes about the Yugok Sect’s reputation among the common folk. It was no small feat for martial artists to be met with such warmth rather than the usual repulsion or fear.
“The Yugok Sect seems quite popular with the people,” Seo-un remarked quietly.
Li Lingwei nodded. “That’s right. Even though it’s a sect of Secret Transmission with very few members, their reputation hasn't grown this great just because of their absolute masters. It was only possible because of the unwavering support of the common people.”
In contrast, a bitter smile touched her lips as she thought of her own family. If the name of Jindok Valley were mentioned, not a soul would remain within a thousand paces.
Seo-un watched Jin Long, who had dropped to one knee to meet the children at eye level, patiently answering their questions. As Seo-un scanned the gathered villagers, his expression darkened.
About twenty elders and fifty children.
Evacuating them was out of the question. He wondered how they had even made it this deep into the mountains in the first place, but there was no way he could lead them back out now.
Watching the sun dip below the horizon, Seo-un narrowed his eyes.
“Let’s split into teams. We’ll move in pairs, but Sa-gwang, Senior Jin, and I will operate individually.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“I’ll protect Juriel,” Dump said.
Li Min stepped up beside Lyle. “Then I’ll take Lyle.”
With those two paired up, Gi-chan naturally spoke up. “Then I’ll... let Lingwei-noona protect me.”
He had started to follow the others' lead, but after catching Li Lingwei’s sharp gaze, he quickly adjusted his phrasing. Li Lingwei let out a short, amused huff.
“Li Min and Lyle, no matter what happens, you stay here,” Seo-un commanded. “This is the final line of defense. No matter how chaotic it gets at the front, you must never leave this village.”
The two wiped the smiles from their faces and nodded solemnly.
“We’ll hold the line. Don’t worry.”
“I’ll protect them, no matter what.” Lyle’s eyes sparkled with determination as he looked at the children, many of whom were younger than himself.
“The Lingwei team and the Juriel team will take the middle. Your role is to support the front or rear depending on the situation. Deal with any players the hunting team misses and react flexibly.”
Juriel quickly realized why Seo-un had placed them in the center.
“Don’t worry. We won’t reveal ourselves recklessly.”
Seo-un offered her a small smile. He knew she understood his intent: despite mages being high-profile targets, her position allowed her to observe the battlefield and help him relay orders while he was busy on the front lines.
“Finally, Senior and Sa-gwang...”
“I know,” Nam Sa-gwang interrupted, his face gleaming with a terrifying bloodlust. “We’re the hounds who’ll bite them all to death before the night is over.”
Looking at him, Seo-un briefly wondered if this man truly belonged to the Righteous Faction, but he kept the thought to himself. To kill the monsters coming their way, it was better to unleash a monster of their own.
“Everyone, you must not come outside until we tell you it is safe,” Jin Long told the villagers.
The people began to murmur anxiously.
“The Demonic Fiends are approaching,” Jin Long continued. “I will stop them no matter what... so please, trust me and follow my lead.”
Following his instructions, the villagers began to retreat into their homes in small groups.
“Mister! Good luck!” A child who had taken a particular liking to Jin Long smiled brightly and pumped a small fist.
A natural, gentle smile formed on Jin Long’s face. But as he turned away, a rare, intense killing intent flickered in his eyes. He would protect that smile at any cost.
Seeing that everyone was ready, Seo-un gave the final order.
“Then, let’s begin.”
On his signal, the team members pulled black cloaks from their subspaces and threw them on.
Flutter!
With a sharp snap of fabric, nine shadows melted into the deepening darkness of the setting sun.
*
Squelch.
At the sickening sound, eight pairs of eyes whipped around.
Thud.
The head of a mage, eyes wide with shock, hit the forest floor. The eight players stood frozen for a heartbeat, paralyzed by the sight of the black shadow standing behind their comrade.
The shadow moved first.
As it lunged toward the mages positioned in the rear, the knights in the front belatedly charged.
Boom!
The moment a mage instinctively swung their staff to unleash a stored spell, the lunging shadow was swallowed by flames and vanished. The knights stood before the fire, guarding the remaining mages.
Thud, thud, thud!
The heads of three more mages, who were in the middle of casting, fell simultaneously. A chill ran down the knights' spines as they slowly turned their heads.
“I’m asking just in case. This tattoo... it’s your guild’s mark, right?”
Seo-un held up a severed arm, pointing to a tattoo on the wrist.
“R-Run! Survival is the priority!”
As one knight charged forward to buy time, the remaining players scattered, firing red flares into the air.
Screeeech!
With the unpleasant sound of tearing metal, the knight—sliced apart along with his heavy armor—collapsed before he could even mount a defense.
Seo-un pulled out the Cloak of Stealth he had briefly stored and vanished once more, merging with the night. Before the darkness had even fully set in, red flares began to dot the sky across the mountain.
*
“You know who I am, don’t you?”
At Jin Long’s cold voice, the three masked men furrowed their brows.
“I promise you this,” Jin Long continued, his gaze piercing. “Your sects will pay dearly for this. I will hold them accountable in the name of the Yugok Sect.”
“Urgh! We have to kill him! His identity must never be revealed!”
Having already cut down several members of the so-called Righteous Faction who claimed to value justice, Jin Long’s eyes were filled with a deep resentment toward humanity for the first time in his life.
Hearing such words from a disciple of the Yugok Sect, the martial artists who had set out to hunt civilians grew desperate. They had thought that in this vast land, erasing a few scattered villages of struggling farmers would go unnoticed. They had covered their faces and moved in secret, communicating only with their guild and avoiding major cities. Encountering Jin Long here was nothing but a stroke of catastrophic bad luck.
“No matter whose disciple he is, he’s just one man!”
Crunch!
The martial artist who charged forward died with his eyes wide. A Sword Aura shattered his internal-energy-infused blade and cleaved straight through his chest.
Seeing the power of the Sword Aura, the two remaining martial artists abandoned the mage casting behind them and fled. With his protectors gone, the lone mage was cut down by Jin Long before he could even lift a finger.
Before the dead martial artist’s body could vanish into data, Jin Long checked his face. He hurriedly rummaged through the drop box that appeared and gripped a token.
“As I thought... a disciple of the Seongeom Sect!”
His hand tightened around the wooden token, trembling with pure rage.
*
Boom!
“B-Block him! Block him by any means necessary!”
Nearly twenty players were trembling against a single opponent. The martial artist charging them, a long Hand Aura extended to cut through everything in his path, was the embodiment of terror.
Neutralizing their positions and breaking through their line, the enemies eventually gave up on the six martial artists and knights blocking the way and fled using a group teleport scroll.
“Tsk! Those damn scrolls have become way too common these days.”
Nam Sa-gwang, his excitement dampened by the frequent escapes, withdrew his Hand Aura. He looked at a female knight who was barely managing to pick herself up. As he clenched his fists and smiled, the knight felt goosebumps erupt all over her body.
*
—Five people at direction A! Two mages and three knights!
Gi-chan responded to Juriel, who had deployed Eyes of Distortion across the area.
—Lingwei-noona and I will take them! They’re close!
—Brief us immediately if anything unusual happens! Lyle, how’s your side?
—Situation cleared here. We’re moving after collecting the coins and items.
At Lyle’s report, Juriel issued orders while monitoring the map.
—Don’t leave the village. Keep guarding the center.
—Yes, ma'am!
*
At the foot of the mountain where Seo-un’s squad was fighting, nearly 200 players had gathered.
“So you’re saying you all got beaten and ended up huddling here?”
“We had no choice! They aren't normal! It’s definitely a Crown Grade player blocking us.”
“And you think you did a good job by staying stuck here waiting for the main force without even identifying the enemy’s numbers?”
A man wearing armor emblazoned with a red eagle drew his sword, and white flames erupted from the blade.
“W-We’re sorry.” The masked martial artist bowed his head and fell silent.
“An opportunity like this doesn't come often,” the leader continued. “As you all know, Cloyd’s ranking system is determined by coins earned. The higher you go, the higher the drop rate for rare Epic Monsters and items. We will seize this chance to climb. Desert Eagle... our guild is staking everything on this game.”
Following his lead, the players began their ascent.
However, others were watching them from a distance.
“There are definitely quite a few martial artists mixed in.”
At the man’s words, the figures in red martial robes standing beside him bowed.
“Should we charge in now?” There wasn't a hint of hesitation in the martial artist’s voice, despite being outnumbered nearly seven to one.
“No. There are people already hunting them on the mountain. It’s better to coordinate with them rather than interfere.”
The man, who had been struggling recently due to increased difficulty and poor luck, watched the knight with the white Sword Aura and began to move. This man, once recorded as the greatest rising star of all time, led his subordinates and quietly followed the enemies like a predator stalking its prey.
*
—Junior! There are a lot of enemies! Well over a hundred! They’re entering the mountain!
At Jin Long’s warning, Seo-un’s expression darkened. He blew off the head of a mage who was struggling after being pierced by his Hand Aura and spoke into the team chat.
—With that many, they’ll definitely have Carmen’s Eyes. Everyone, assemble near the village.
The team members immediately began to converge.
—Li Min and Lyle, hold that position until the end.
As Seo-un flew toward the village, Gi-chan spoke up anxiously.
—Hyung, isn't this too much? A group battle against over a hundred enemies...
They were experts at guerrilla warfare using Cloaks of Stealth, and as high-ranking players, individual combat wasn't the issue. However, a numerical disadvantage of this scale changed the nature of the fight entirely.
Seo-un didn't answer immediately, instead checking his remaining Immortal Demonic Energy. He was at about half capacity. He then counted the remaining Mana Explosion Scrolls in his subspace.
The team members gathered, each bearing the marks of battle. No one was seriously injured, but Seo-un, Jin Long, and Nam Sa-gwang were drenched in blood, radiating a heavy scent of gore.
“Hyung, this fight is reckless,” Gi-chan repeated.
Seo-un nodded slightly. “I know. I know it’s reckless to charge those numbers. But sometimes, you have to fight even when the odds are against you.”
Gi-chan couldn't argue. The elders and children they were protecting weren't players; they wouldn't respawn. The weight of those lives was heavy.
“Sigh. You have... a plan, right?”
Seo-un smiled. “Before that, can you give me that Amplification Prism you got last time?”
The Amplification Prism was an item Gi-chan had brought along at a cost of 60 coins, intending to use it to enhance his staff later. At Seo-un’s request, Gi-chan pulled the fist-sized prism from his subspace and handed it over.
“What are you going to use this for?”
Seo-un pulled out three Mana Explosion Scrolls.
“No way... you’re going to set those off?”
“Is there anything better than this for an area-of-effect attack?”
“But unless you set them off right in the middle of them, it won’t do enough damage. They’ll have barriers, and you’d have to get all the way inside...”
Before he could finish, Seo-un plucked a strand of hair and blew on it. A clone, transformed via Yoseonsul, took the shape of one of the knights Seo-un had killed—complete with torn armor and gushing blood.
“Ah...”
Seo-un handed the three Mana Explosion Scrolls, the prism, and a separate subspace ring to the "knight."
“Your mission is critical.”
“I know,” the clone answered curtly, stowing the items.
“Clones can use subspaces too?”
“Yeah. Turns out they can.” Seo-un looked at Gi-chan and Juriel. “Prepare as many area-of-effect spells as possible. We have to sweep them up before they can recover from the blast.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Got it.”
Seo-un looked around at his team. “We might lose our streak of top rankings here. But... I have no regrets.”
The team members smiled back and stood up. Donning their Cloaks of Stealth once more, they vanished into the darkness.
*
“Gah!”
A knight collapsed in the distance, coughing up blood. A scout from the main force quickly approached to check on him. The fallen knight desperately showed the tattoo on his wrist.
“Damn it! When did this happen?”
“L-Less than ten minutes ago... There are more enemies than we thought... nearly a hundred...”
The scout signaled the main force and ran toward them with the wounded knight in his arms.
“Is there a healer?! If anyone has a recovery scroll, bring it!”
The Desert Eagle players gathered around. The guild leader, Luwain, stepped forward and pulled out a recovery scroll.
“I-I have... important information...” the knight wheezed as Luwain handed him the scroll.
“Recovery first! Is there no mage who knows Heal?” Luwain shouted. The wound was deep; blood was gushing from the knight's chest.
As mages pushed through the crowd, the knight gripped Luwain’s hand tightly.
“C-Closer... I must tell you...”
As the knight’s voice faded, Luwain leaned in, bringing his ear to the man’s mouth. The knight’s hand, hidden by Luwain’s body, moved frantically.
“What is it? Speak!”
“I said... all of you... just die!”
Luwain’s expression shifted to confusion. He pulled back to look at the knight’s face, only to see a crazed, wide grin. Then, he saw the item in the knight's hand.
A blinding light, amplified by the prism, instantly swallowed the entire area.
KABOOOOM! BOOM! CRACK-BOOM!
Simultaneously with the massive explosion, Blade Storms and Chain Lightnings tore through the smoke. As the barrage of area-of-effect spells poured in, the players who had survived the initial blast were swept away.
—Everyone! Get a grip and counter-attack!
Luwain, the guild leader, roared as he drew his sword. His body was shrouded in a brilliant Sword Aura. Having used Absolute Defense—a skill with a three-day cooldown—to survive the blast, his face was contorted with rage.
As he sliced through a Blade Storm, his players began to reorganize.
It was then that thirty martial artists in red robes charged into the fray.
“E-Enemy!”
—Hyung! Those guys are...
—Consider them allies for now, Gi-chan. But don't let them get too close. Stay on guard!
At Seo-un’s command, the team dove into the chaos to finish the job.