Chapter 142: 9-Quad. The Final Battle. (feat. Great Sage, Equal of Heaven.)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 142: 9-Quad. The Final Battle. (feat. Great Sage, Equal of Heaven.)
Clatter! Clatter!
Seo-un picked up the two items that had tumbled into the vending machine's retrieval bin, a smirk playing across his lips.
[Force Field Adjustment Ticket: Allows the user to adjust the force field at will. Minimum range: 1km radius. Maximum range: 120km radius.]
Seo-un’s grin widened as he confirmed the item’s details.
“Judging by your expression, Junior Brother, things must have gone according to plan.”
Having spent several rounds together, Jin Long could now read Seo-un’s mind just by looking at his face. Seo-un nodded in response.
“Yes. This is more than enough. Senior Brother, I need you to contact the Murim Alliance.”
“What should I tell them?”
Seo-un’s grin grew even broader as he began to explain the message he wanted delivered. Once he finished, he turned his gaze toward Li Lingwei.
“Can you deliver the same message to your grandfather in the Unorthodox Alliance?”
“Probably. It shouldn't be difficult if I use a messenger pigeon.”
“Then let’s… start the real preparations.”
“Preparations?”
As the team focused their questioning gazes on him, Seo-un poured out a mountain of scrolls from his subspace. Among the items he had never failed to collect while farming a thousand boxes were scrolls. Everyone had already received an equal share of recovery scrolls; the ones he was dumping out now were Mana Explosion Scrolls.
“This many…?” Lyle’s eyes widened in shock.
“With this amount, you could potentially wipe a whole castle off the map,” Juriel added, her eyes trembling as she looked at the pile of over three hundred scrolls.
“It’s a bit lacking, but this should be enough to clean things up.”
Despite claiming three hundred scrolls were insufficient, he led the team to the plains spread out beneath Paeryeok Mountain. The terrain was a bit troublesome, filled with weeds and vines on a slight incline. After surveying the area, Seo-un took a long spear from his subspace and drove it into the ground.
“We’ll use this as the center for a one-kilometer radius. Divide into the four cardinal directions and plant the Mana Explosion Scrolls. Focus on the trap-types and calculate the range thoroughly so they trigger in sync with the instant-activation ones.”
As he finished speaking, Seo-un distributed the scrolls to each team member.
“Hyung, if we’re not careful, we could get caught in it too,” Gi-chan spoke up anxiously.
Seo-un brushed it off. Having played with fire like this more than once or twice, he was full of confidence.
“Don’t worry. I have a plan. Just don’t forget to start burying the trap-type scrolls exactly from the midpoint.”
With a smile, the team members nodded and moved to set the traps. Seo-un also worked hard burying the scrolls. Once they were all planted, the team marked the spots subtly so only they could recognize them.
With the burial complete, Seo-un took out the other item he had pulled from the vending machine.
[Epic Monster Summoning Ticket. List of summonable Epic Monsters: Heavenly Demon (Current game’s Epic Monster), The Sealed Demonic Spirit Mage, General Makcheon (Great Commander of the Asura Realm), Clone of the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven…]
Seo-un’s eyes sparkled as he scanned the long list. Finding the monster he was looking for, he smirked and pulled the Soul Stone of the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven from his subspace.
The Great Sage appeared, having consumed the Immortal Demonic Energy. His one eye glowed blood-red as he looked around.
“What is this? I don’t see my other self.”
Seo-un smiled at the creature, who wore its displeasure plainly on its face.
“You’ll meet him soon. But before that, I have a question.”
“Speak.” The creature sprawled out on the ground, picking its ear with a bored expression.
“If you meet your clone, can you persuade him to cooperate with us?”
At that, the Great Sage curled his lip and looked at Seo-un. “You’re planning to work him like a dog, aren’t you?”
“If it’s a clone of the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, it shouldn't be that hard of a task.”
As Seo-un replied with a matching smile, the creature sat up abruptly.
“I can’t guarantee it. I can persuade him to cooperate, but I can’t persuade him to do your work for you. It’s a mistake to think he’s the same as me. He is me, yet a completely different existence.”
Seo-un nodded despite the cryptic words. I’ve seen plenty of settings where a personality is split and given different traits. Even if he doesn't help, this should be enough to get me into the top ranks.
Having finished his confirmation, Seo-un used the item.
Ding! Would you like to use the Force Field Adjustment Ticket?
Ding! Please select the location of the force field on the map.
He zoomed in on the map and precisely set the location where his spear was planted.
Ding! Please set the size of the force field.
After setting it to the minimum size, the final notification sounded.
Ding! Please set the duration. A minimum of 5 days is required.
Since this force field would encompass all of the Eight Provinces of Gangbuk, he had expected it to take at least a week, so he was slightly surprised it could be done in just five. However, Seo-un set it to one week. He felt that those who were protecting people and hunting Players in this world needed at least that much time to be contacted.
Seo-un’s face crumpled at the announcement. “How childish.”
It was a notification clearly intended to tattle on him to other Players, since the system couldn't pressure him through the game rules. But Seo-un didn't care. The number of remaining Players was 3,312. To end the game, he had to eliminate all of them anyway.
Once the chaotic battle begins, there won't be any room to pick and choose targets.
*
The movements of the Murim Alliance and the Unorthodox Alliance—who had been defending major castles and sending out punishment squads to track Players—began to change. Even the warriors who had been defending the castles joined in, tightening the noose on the paths leading to Paeryeok Mountain.
At the same time, a notice began to appear throughout the Eight Provinces of Gangbuk. No one knew who had posted it, but its content was so shocking that rumors spread like wildfire.
[I will be waiting at the foot of Paeryeok Mountain. Heavenly Demon, if you have the guts, come and fight me. —Jin Seo-un.]
In the current Gangho, there was no one who dared to provoke the Heavenly Demon. Even Jang Do-cheon, known as Yugok Ipseon, would not provoke the Leader of the Sun and Moon Divine Cult and the Master of All Demons. Everyone knew that the reason the current Gangho remained divided between the Righteous and Unorthodox factions was that the Sun and Moon Divine Cult took no interest in the Murim.
“Jin Seo-un. You really are an interesting fellow.”
The Heavenly Demon, hearing the rumors, curled his lip and changed his course. He had been planning to return to the Divine Cult after hearing that the force field had begun to move, but now his face was once again filled with vigor.
*
“So, you’re saying we should leave anyone who enters the plains below Paeryeok Mountain alone?”
At the Alliance Leader’s question, the warrior who had tracked him using the Thousand-Mile Scent nodded.
“According to the messenger, yes. They said a great battle will take place on those plains, and that will be the end of this game. They warned us never to interfere, as anyone caught in it cannot be guaranteed to survive.”
“Ho ho, if Rung-ah says so, then it must be true.”
At the words of Jang Do-cheon, who stood behind him, the Alliance Leader also nodded.
“Understood. We will continue to move while checking the small villages along the paths to Paeryeok Mountain. Tell them not to let their guard down until the matter is settled.”
The Alliance Leader watched the space where the man had bowed and vanished, then turned around.
“Elder. If what Jin Long says is true, this affair will soon come to an end.”
“Well. We’ll have to see if it’s the end or a beginning. To clean up the aftermath, much blood will have to be shed. How you will bear all that resentment… your shoulders will be heavy.”
The Alliance Leader was well aware of the meaning behind Jang Do-cheon’s words. Regardless of faction, there were many warriors involved in this incident who had slaughtered innocent civilians. To prevent the same thing from happening again, they couldn't just let it slide, even if it meant turning entire sects into enemies.
The number of Righteous Faction sects they had already confirmed exceeded twenty. There were many who had the stench of civilian blood on them, not even recognizing the faces of the Alliance Leader and the man called Ipseon, Jang Do-cheon. Among them, twenty-one sects had been clearly identified. Two of them were prestigious sects that served as pillars supporting the Alliance.
“Do not worry. I will have them all close their gates in my name. I will take all the resentment upon myself and resign from the position of Alliance Leader to retire.”
Jang Do-cheon sighed. “You’ve made a difficult decision. You’re still in your prime.”
“Hahaha, in my prime? Elder, I am already eighty. I’ve held the position of Alliance Leader for eighteen years; that’s long enough. Besides, I cannot hold onto the leadership with hands stained by the blood of fellow Righteous Faction members. The Alliance might split. I have no choice but to take all the blame and wash my hands of the world.”
Jang Do-cheon nodded at his determined words. “There are things that can only be seen after letting go. I respect your difficult decision.”
“Thank you. I have felt many things through this incident. There’s no guarantee that a child from my own sect won't fall into such temptation. I intend to pay more attention to keeping my own house in order. Also… it would be fun to hone the teachings I received from you there. Perhaps I might meet you there again, Elder.”
“Ho ho. That would be interesting indeed.”
After a brief conversation, the two figures vanished like the wind.
*
“All the children of the Hanseo Squad have obtained the rights as well?”
“Yes, Ice Lord. According to the communication from the Alliance, those Players will all gather in one place from now on. What should we do?”
“If all the children of the Hanseo Squad have obtained the rights, that is enough. They will handle the rest on their own. Tell everyone to return to the Ice Empress Castle while checking the small, remote villages.”
“Yes. Oh, and the Castle Lord… has left her post.”
“Sang-ah?”
“Yes. I heard she disappeared, saying she was going to find the Ice Lord…”
“Sigh. Well, given her personality, she’s endured for a long thirty years. Leave her be. She’ll return when the time is right.”
*
The Players flocking to the vicinity of Paeryeok Mountain had no rest. With the force field shrinking drastically day by day, they had to keep moving to stay inside the circle. The impact was even greater for Players who had been far away. Conversely, Players who had been operating near Paeryeok Mountain could watch the situation unfold with a bit more ease.
Six days passed quickly.
As midnight passed, Players who saw the final shrinking location began to move, fighting each other in various places. Players swarmed from all directions, moving toward the final force field, which had a radius of only one kilometer.
Seo-un, watching their psychological warfare from a distance, smiled. Small-scale skirmishes were breaking out everywhere. The night was lit up by the fierce battle of wits between those trying to secure a spot inside the circle first and those trying to slowly enter with their backs to the force field until the very last moment.
Keep draining each other’s strength like that.
The number of remaining survivors was 2,091. It was time to start the final battle.
After cautioning everyone once more, Seo-un took out the Epic Monster Summoning Ticket.
Ding! Would you like to summon this monster? The summoned monster will not show consideration for the user.
Despite the warning, Seo-un pressed the 'O' button.
Rumble!
With a flash of lightning across the night sky, clouds bathed in moonlight began to swirl above Seo-un’s head like a vortex. At that moment, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven appeared. Though he looked exactly like the monkey he knew, the aura of this creature looking down at him with an arrogant expression was completely different from the one who had given him the Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils.
It’s like a different person… no, a different monkey.
The creature looking down at Seo-un reached out a hand, and instantly, crimson flames erupted in its palm.
“To dare summon me. I shall annihilate you, leaving not even your soul behind.”
“I wouldn't do that if I were you.”
Seeing Seo-un’s smirk, the creature lunged at him. As it charged with incredible speed, another Great Sage appeared in front of it. The crimson flames that seemed ready to incinerate Seo-un’s entire body vanished in an instant.
Seo-un, feeling a heat so intense it felt like his whole body was being scorched, let out a silent sigh of relief and maintained a nonchalant expression.
“Why are you siding with a human? Were those eyes stolen? Or did you give them away?”
“Don’t take it so seriously. It was just a trade.”
“A trade?”
“I merely lent them for a while in exchange for reuniting our split selves.”
“To think a mere human could reunite us. How foolish. Your flighty nature has caused us losses more than once or twice.”
At those words, the clone of Deception, with the same face, showed a playful expression.
“Thanks to that, there have been many interesting things. If it weren't for this human, we would never have been able to meet in the same space again. They wouldn't have allowed it. But by using the rules they created, it’s possible. Just like now.”
At those words, the clone of Pride looked at Seo-un for a moment. A small ripple spread through the creature’s eyes, which had been as indifferent as if looking at a passing landscape.
“You mean to… deceive them?”
“That is my essence, after all.”
“I like it.”
“In exchange, there’s something you need to do.”
At this, the creature’s brow furrowed deeply. “Surely you’re not asking me to clean up after that human?”
Seeing the creature unable to hide its look of humiliation, the clone of Deception raised both hands and smiled. “It’s a trade. There has to be a give and take.”
“If I lent the Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils, the price is more than paid. I have no intention of giving anything more to a mere human.”
Seeing the clone of Deception looking troubled, Seo-un felt cold sweat running down his spine, but he feigned a calm expression.
“More than paid? It’s far from enough.”
At his words, the creature’s face twisted into a hideous scowl. Seo-un’s heart began to thud at the heavy bloodlust that made his skin prickle. Still, Seo-un didn't stop.
“One of the Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils versus the value of the complete Great Sage, Equal of Heaven. Which one weighs more?”
At those words, the clone of Deception smiled, and the clone of Pride smoothed its crumpled expression. Seo-un continued, watching the creature who was now staring at him silently.
“What I put on the line for this trade is the complete Sun Wukong, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven. What you gave was merely lending one of the Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils. If the value of the Great Sage is that light, then do as you wish. It’s your value. It’s only right that you decide.”
At his clever words, the clone of Pride answered immediately. “What do you want?”
“It’s simple. In a little while, the Players swarming over there will enter this area. When that happens…”
“There will be a massive explosion.”
Seo-un smiled and nodded as the creature cut him off.
“Exactly. At that time, transform into me and fight the Players inside while hiding your true strength.”
“I could just kill them all.”
“No. You must hide your strength as much as possible. While you’re doing that… someone far more powerful than those Players will appear. Kill that person.”
The creature nodded. “Is that all?”
“I told you. You’re the one who decides your own value.”
The creature frowned for a moment, then transformed into an exact copy of Seo-un.
“We’ll talk about the price again next time.”
With those words, the creature dashed toward the battlefield.
“You’ve got some nerve. If the summoned clone had been Wrath instead of Pride, your head would have rolled before you could finish talking.”
“If that were the case, I wouldn't have spoken like that in the first place.”
The creature’s smile deepened. “We have a lot in common.” With that, the creature vanished.
About half of the Immortal Demonic Energy remains.
After checking his middle Dantian, Seo-un transformed into a large, blonde man. Donning the armor set made of Black Dragon scales and holding Hamit, who had transformed into a massive two-handed sword, Seo-un looked back.
In the distance, he could see the force field rapidly approaching. As the force field’s speed increased, the Players who had been fighting and watching each other began to run inside to get into the circle. It was the moment almost every Player had entered the circle.
At Seo-un’s briefing, the team members, who were hiding in deep pits they had dug just outside the circle, layered their barriers in preparation. Seo-un also dove into a trench he had dug separately.
BOOM!
When a trap-type Mana Explosion Scroll someone had triggered went off, the Players didn't pay much attention. But soon, as the explosions chained together and grew massive, all the Players turned around, their faces turning pale. Intense light swallowed the Players who were throwing themselves between the approaching force field and the blast radius.
KABOOM!
The aftermath of over three hundred Mana Explosion Scrolls detonating in a chain reaction was so immense it seemed to pierce the night sky. A pillar of light soared into the heavens, brightly illuminating the dark night. Along with it, a vibration and roar that seemed to shake heaven and earth swallowed the surroundings.
“Aaaargh!”
“Layer the barriers!”
“Prepare the recovery scrolls…!”
Golden barriers and defensive skills were activated everywhere. Countless Players gritted their teeth and thought of one man’s name simultaneously: Jin Seo-un.
The Players caught in the explosion cursed the man who had driven so many of them into a trap. As the massive explosion passed, boxes and coins lay scattered everywhere in the ruins, and the surviving Players were frantic, trying to recover and keep others at bay.
Seo-un appeared in a place where almost no Player remained unscathed. Seeing him fighting Players with flames erupting from both hands, some Players moved far away in caution, while others rushed at him, pouring out attacks on the lone man. Besides them, there were many Players scattered around, groaning and barely clinging to life.
A man watching the chaos from a distance muttered to himself, a madness-tinged smile on his face.
“You’re still the same. Loving the act of drawing people in and blowing them up.”
Leaving those words in the air, the man dropped toward Seo-un. Leaping from halfway up Paeryeok Mountain, his figure cut through the air and fell toward the crown of Seo-un’s head.
CRACK!
The Heavenly Demon’s madness-filled smile, intended to crush Seo-un’s skull in one blow, twisted. Wiping away the smile and furrowing his brow, he glared at Seo-un, who had blocked his palm strike.
“What did you do?”
Just before the attack, the man’s energy had been nothing special, but it had changed completely the moment his attack landed. Far from being suppressed by his demonic energy, a bone-chilling ghostly aura pushed back against him, making him scowl involuntarily.
“…None of your business. Die.”
As Seo-un finished speaking, the color of the flames in his hands began to change. The flames, which had looked ordinary, turned blue, then white, and then a dark crimson. Facing them, one couldn't help but think that if the fires of hell existed, they would look like this.
WHOOSH!
At the intense heat felt even from a distance, the Heavenly Demon opened his Baihui acupoint and began to interfere with the natural energy. An instinctive gut feeling rang an alarm in his head, telling him that if he didn't fight with everything he had, his life would end here.
CLANG!
As Seo-un blocked his side with a wall of fire he had raised, the Nature Aura generated by the Heavenly Demon struck the wall of fire and vanished.
“For someone like you… you’re quite something.”
In truth, the words "for a mere human" had almost leapt from his throat, but Seo-un cut himself off at "the likes of you" and lunged at the Heavenly Demon.
Screeeech!
The Heavenly Demon’s Nascent Soul suddenly manifested, but Seo-un’s blade of fire sliced through it in a single stroke. The Nascent Soul let out a grating shriek before vanishing. Rather than vanishing, it was more accurate to say the Heavenly Demon had hastily withdrawn it. For the first time in his life, the Heavenly Demon recoiled, shaken by an attack that had nearly obliterated the Nascent Soul intended to be his precious immortal vessel.
As Seo-un pursued him, Nature Aura surged from all directions, closing in like a localized storm. As if annoyed, Seo-un detonated the flames in both hands. The encroaching Nature Aura scattered and dissipated instantly. The dark red flames exploding from his palms formed a dome around him and the retreating Heavenly Demon, causing the very Nature Qi that filled the area to be annihilated.
"No matter how you struggle, you are but a human."
"Who are you? You are not Jin Seo-un."
"You have many questions for one so close to death. Just know this: I am an existence you could never hope to challenge, even if you were to become an immortal. That is all you need to take to your grave."
Amidst the sweltering heat that threatened to incinerate everything, the Heavenly Demon finally managed to pull out a scroll and tear it. Had it been anyone else, even the greatest of masters would have melted the moment they were trapped inside that dome.
Seo-un’s expression crumpled as he watched the Heavenly Demon vanish the instant the scroll was torn. Closing his eyes, he expanded his senses across the world, searching for the Heavenly Demon’s presence. Soon, Seo-un vanished from the battlefield to give chase.
However, his pursuit was halted at the river dividing the Eight Provinces of Gangbuk and the Twelve Provinces of Gangseo.
Thud!
Bound by the rules of Cloyd, he had no right to leave the designated map.
"Dammit! I couldn't even fulfill a simple request to kill a single human... My reputation is in tatters."
He gnashed his teeth, glaring fiercely in the direction the Heavenly Demon had fled.
The impact of the brief clash between the Heavenly Demon and the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven—who had taken over Seo-un’s body—was catastrophic. Many players nearby had been swept away by the Heavenly Demon’s Nature Aura, and more than a few had lost their will to fight entirely after witnessing the Great Sage’s flames.
The dark red fire, which felt as though it could burn not just the flesh but the very soul, left a profound shock on all who saw it. In truth, the flames he wielded were indeed the Hellfire of the underworld. Almost no one knew that he had stolen the Fire of Tribulation, a flame said to burn away even the unbreakable shackles of human karma along with the soul.
A momentary silence fell over the battlefield where the Heavenly Demon and Seo-un had disappeared. That silence was broken by a powerful surge of mana.
"Since it’s come to this, I’ll end this game myself!"
Crow, who had a history of fleeing from the Heavenly Demon in the past, shouted with renewed confidence after using his last remaining Highest Grade Mana Stone to summon a Meteor. He didn't have a shred of doubt that once the Meteor struck this force field—which was less than a kilometer in radius—no one inside would survive.
In the midst of the chaos, the real Seo-un ordered his teammates—who were hidden and farming items according to plan, finishing off any players still clinging to life—to stay calm and continue playing as instructed.
Hurry back, you stupid monkey!
Seo-un, maintaining his disguise as a knight while fighting off enemies to pass the time, glanced anxiously at the sky. In the distance, a Meteor began to fall, trailing a streak of crimson light. Just as he was about to hurl a curse at the Great Sage, he felt a presence and turned his head.
The Great Sage appeared, wearing Seo-un’s face. However, instead of his usual arrogant smirk, he looked rather sheepish. The moment they recognized that face, the five players who had been surrounding the knight-disguised Seo-un scrambled backward.
"What happened?"
"That human was lucky. He was born under a lucky star; it seemed as though he enjoyed the protection of the Heavenly Realm."
Seo-un scowled deeply at the monkey, who was coming up with quite the eloquent excuse for his failure.
"Instead... if there is something else you need done, speak freely."
"Deal with that thing falling from the sky first. Then, kill everyone on this battlefield except for my teammates wearing Cloaks of Stealth. Leave only one person alive."
Since Seo-un didn't immediately scold him, the Great Sage moved quickly. The commanding tone grated on his nerves, but he had a guilty conscience and couldn't really complain. If he argued about the tone, Seo-un would inevitably bring up his failure to kill a mere human, so he had no choice but to obey quietly.
Shoooo—boom!
The falling Meteor exploded high in the sky, turning into hundreds of thousands of flaming fragments that embroidered the night sky before vanishing. Crow, who had summoned the Meteor, was struck with horror. His eyes bulged in disbelief, but in that instant, the Great Sage—still in Seo-un’s form—appeared before him and began incinerating every other player on the field.
"Aaaaaagh!"
Though these were bright red flames instead of the dark red ones used against the Heavenly Demon, not a single player could hope to resist them. Once every player had been killed as Seo-un ordered, the Great Sage approached him.
"Is this enough?"
"Yeah. And... I’d prefer if that guy over there couldn't use magic anymore."
As if it were no trouble at all, the Great Sage flicked a small ember from his index finger. The flame sank into Crow’s chest, incinerating only the Mana Circles around his heart before vanishing.
"Gah...!"
Nam Sa-gwang immediately moved in to deprive the man of his sight and hearing, then nodded toward Seo-un. Only then did Seo-un return to his original appearance.
"Sigh. It would have been perfect if you’d killed the Heavenly Demon."
At his words, the Great Sage, now back in his true form, looked up at the sky pointedly. "Oh, the heavenly energy flows quite uniquely in this place."
Ignoring the Great Sage’s deflection, Seo-un spoke up. "More importantly, where is your Soul Stone? I need to take it with me."
After staring at the sky for a moment, the Great Sage conjured the dark red flames once more and began to burn his own body.
"You had best uphold the terms of our deal."
"You're one to talk, considering you couldn't even uphold yours properly."
Pretending not to hear Seo-un’s parting shot, the Great Sage was engulfed in fire. He vanished along with the flames, leaving only a Soul Stone and a glass bottle filled with red fire in his place.
"Whew. Everyone, finish farming quickly!"
Leaving Crow rolling on the ground—his Mana Circles destroyed and his senses gone—the team resumed farming Blue Coins and items from the supply boxes.