Chapter 134

Episode 134. The Great Overlord (3)

A deafening boom rang out. The entire monster territory, the -Land of Death-, shook from the shockwave. The barren land cracked and crumbled, and trees fell.

The monsters let out ear-splitting howls that sounded like cries or roars. Confusion at the death of their species, a newfound fear of death, and anger. The howls were a mix of all kinds of emotions.

"...I guess Si-woo did it."

Kim Seung-hyun murmured. It was just as Jeong Si-woo had predicted. The monsters howled desperately, assimilating with the Overlord's emotions. And members of the Jeong Si-woo Division faced a sight they had never seen before.

But no one panicked. It was just the way they heard. Instead of being startled and freezing still, they needed to get going.

"According to what we heard earlier, the third guardian will appear soon. And full of the Great Overlord's emotions, it will try to kill us."

"......."

"Don't panic. We'll kill it by following the attack strategy. We need to get rid of it before the Great Overlord gathers up all the monsters here and forms an army. And only then will Si-woo be able to safely kill the last guardian as planned."

The hunters of the Jeong Si-woo Division nodded. After fighting together countless times, they moved and thought as one.

Following a signal, they moved in perfect order. In the chaotic Land of Death, the members of the Jeong Si-woo Division were the only ones calmly following their routine.

"Hey, back there!"

And they ran into Lee Jin-woo at the exact place where they were supposed to meet. Lee Jin-woo was panting as he ran forward. He grabbed a big bow from his back. At the same time, he strung an arrow on the bow and shot it without hesitation.

The arrow flew in a straight trajectory, narrowly brushed past Kim Seung-hyun, and smashed the head of a monster charging from behind.

It was a perfect shot, crafted from countless hours of training. His arrow shot was wrapped in First-strike Victory, which ignored all means of defense. And it was now powerful enough to instantly kill the monsters of the Land of Death.

"Si-woo already moved on. Let's go quickly! Over there!"

Thud.

The dead monster helplessly collided with the ground. Dust clouds rose, and the brisk footsteps of monsters could be heard from beyond. If they hesitated even a little, they would get caught up in the incoming wave of monsters and be wiped out.

Yoo Ji-yeon nodded instead of replying. She saw that Lee Jin-woo had joined the team, and she raised her foot and slammed it into the ground.

-Rune of Flight-

Intangible mana wrapped around a small area, and the next moment, the Jeong Si-woo Division members rose into the air. They rose so high that the atmosphere cooled instantly. Looking down at the faraway ground, Zhang Wei clicked his tongue.

There were a lot more monsters than he expected. Like piranhas swarming towards prey thrown into the water, the monsters were rushing like packs of dogs towards the place where they used to be.

"Let's clean them up before leaving."

Yoo Ji-yeon spoke dryly and gestured to Sung Hyun-woo. With a nod, Sung Hyun-woo waved his finger in the air. Simultaneously, his invisible telekinesis bunched up the monsters rushing forward.

The monsters struggled like a school of fish caught in a net. Yoo Ji-yeon let out a long breath as she looked at them. Her light-purple eyes sparkled like jewels.

"Just hold onto them tightly. If I miss, it'll complicate things."

Sung Hyun-woo nodded. Yoo Ji-yeon's magic was completed soon after. A strong purple light flashed, and strong winds gushed out along with the sound of thunder.

The ground split as if a giant beast had swiped at it with its claws. The surging air lifted the monsters high up into the sky and brutally ripped them apart.

The storm destroyed the monster's hard shells, tore their flesh, and killed them.

Tap. Tap.

Stone fragments caught up in the whirlwind fell to the ground. Subsequently, the dead monsters' bloody body parts dropped down.

Yoo Ji-yeon's firepower was currently the strongest in the -Jeong Si-woo Division-... No, in the world. And, at this moment, the witch completely revealed her power.

"Come on, let's go."

* * *

"Analysis team, what on earth is happening right now?"

"We don't know. We have no confirmation. Mana waves suddenly peaked, and the monsters are methodically moving in rows as if they're receiving orders from a superior!"

"That sound... I think that sound caused this. There was a loud explosion, and abnormalities have been occurring ever since."

"Even I can say that the sound was unusual! I'm asking you to find out what it was, and how to respond. Right now!"

Inside the Wailing Wall was complete chaos. The moment the hunters were about to leave and hunt monsters, abnormalities had occurred.

However, the world's elite experts couldn't explain the occurring phenomena, and the hunters were panicking.

No matter how solid the 'Wailing Wall' was, if that many monsters charged and slammed into it, the wall wouldn't stand. The fort was solid, but it was man-made. If an unfathomable Disaster decided to demolish it, the fort would fall.

"Captain, I think we need to leave!"

"What?"

"Rifts are forming around the Wailing Wall! Probably because that sound caused mana concentration to rapidly increase. They are all level A Rifts at the least, and there are too many of them. If the monsters end up advancing to the Camp, the Camp will be destroyed since most of the hunters are here!"

"Damn it, damn it! What the hell is going on.......?"

The Captain clutched his head. Waves were storming in from the front and back. If they didn't respond to the incoming legion of monsters, the Wailing Wall would be at risk. If they didn't destroy the occurring Rifts, the Camp and other forces standing by in the back would be in danger. What... what did he need to do...

"Follow-up team, advance team. Go and assist the Camp."

"What?"

Lee Hyun-seung spoke.

"I'll try to defend the Wailing Wall as best as I can. Swiftly deal with the situation at the back and return."

"What do you mean? No matter how strong you are, you can't stop that many monsters. Even with the support of guilds, no living human can stop that!"

"I can hold out. I might be able to hold them inside the -Wailing Wall-. So, get going before I cave in and the whole place collapses."

Lee Hyun-seung spoke with determination. The Captain of the front line looked at his eyes and was struck with the ridiculous thought that Lee Hyun-seung might actually manage to hold out.

Lee Hyun-seung's eyes were filled with such strong faith and pride in himself.

"Okay. Okay. Then, we'll get going right now without further ado and get rid of all of the new Rifts. Please hang in there. Hang in there for just a while."

"Okay."

"I'll bring the remaining hunters at the Camp and the 1st generation hunters who are heading here for some reason. Even if they came to do something else, I'll do whatever to get them to help. So please, just hold on. Just for a moment. Thank you. Thank you."

Tears streamed down the Captain's face. Lee Hyun-seung turned around quietly without replying. He was headed to the -Land of Death-.

The hunters raised their hands and saluted him. It was a sign of respect for the hero who devoted his life to protecting humankind, who headed towards fatal circumstances without hesitation.

Lee Hyun-seung's back looked so broad. It wasn't because he was large and bulky from weight training, nor because he was strengthened by mana and had physically transcended the limits of a human body.

He was a man full of righteousness and love for humanity that was unimaginable to ordinary people. The 'Wailing Wall' was not the only wall that stood firmly at the front line, protecting humanity.

To the hunters, Lee Hyun-seung's back looked broader and sturdier than the large and solid Wailing Wall.

"...Please."

And with that, the hunters raced towards the outskirts.

* * *

[Are you sure about leaving the third guardian to your teammates instead of handling it yourself?]

"They'll be fine. They're strong people."

I trusted them more than anyone else. And if the Five Heroes failed, I couldn't succeed, either. They were the key to my plan, and they never let me down.

Strong trust brings about success and overcomes difficulties. This had always been my belief.

[Yes, well. You have never been wrong, so I suppose this time....]

The Traveler rambled on and on. Listening to him, I hid behind rotten trees and moved slowly. I needed to be very careful from here on.

The last guardian was in a place where mana concentration was at its peak. The monsters inhabiting the area had unbelievable powers and strange abilities that ignored the laws of physics.

If I made a single mistake here, I would die.

There was no Sung Hyun-woo or Yoo Ji-yeon who could help me run away. There was no turning back.

The bridge connecting the cliffs was broken, and all I could do was move forward.

[So what kind of monster is the last guardian? I asked about the first, second, and third, but you didn't tell me. I think you can at least tell me about one of them.]

"......."

[Fine, I give up. I give up!]

I could hear the sound of something ripping nearby. A Rift was forming. It was a rough and unpleasant sound, like a dull knife cutting through objects. It was a Dimensional Distortion Phenomenon, where the wall standing between Earth and a different world was collapsing.

Soon, monsters would pour out from the tiny crack and roar, becoming the Great Overlord's underlings.

'It's such a ridiculous ability.'

The Great Overlord caused Rifts to form just by existing. And he could even create Rifts on purpose by drawing up all of his power. He was truly the origin of Disasters.

'As I expected, when a monster died, he Awakened the ability to create Rifts. And he's become rougher with the monsters. He'll Awaken other tricky abilities once the four guardians are all dead. But he's still manageable right now. Yeah, still manageable.'

I nodded slightly and walked slowly, holding onto a tree. But...

'......?'

I couldn't lift my foot. I looked down to check the strange situation. The land, which had been normal until just now, had turned into a sticky swamp.

What was going on? Was it a surprise attack? All sorts of thoughts passed through my mind. One of my ankles was already swallowed up.

'No, I didn't feel anything. Even though I'm wearing shoes, I would have noticed under normal circumstances. I can't feel anything, and I can't move. So, it must be—'

The circumstances of the situation came together in my mind and reminded me of something.

'Is it that the guy?'

The swampy land had already swallowed my knees. But my head was still spinning rapidly. The only thing that could create this kind of situation was an Illusion ability. And in the Land of Death, there was just one monster that could trap me in an illusion, no matter how unguarded I was.

"Whew."

I closed my eyes. I imagined a large library. Based on the smell, sound, and rough sensation on my skin, I constructed a world.

Thinking about the world I constructed, I took a book out from the library. I opened the book, and I could see a drawing instead of letters.......

It was my stupid-looking face and countless tentacles wrapping around me. Something sticky was dripping down.......

[The unbinding ability of the 'Akashic Records' has been activated]

[→ 'Eye of Truth']

And when I opened my eyes, my body was no longer stiff, and I wasn't stuck in a swamp. However, an octopus-like monster was clinging to me, pouring out sticky mucus.

"You look like crap, as usual."

It was known as the last guardian of the Great Overlord.

It was the 'dream predator.'

"Get off, damn it. I don't like seafood."