Chapter 525: Corrupt Star (2)

Seo Jun-Ho's Vita became special thanks to Yeon's modifications.

It could connect to every satellite all over the universe, not just on Earth.

- Oh, Your Majesty! How can I help you?

Therefore, Seo Jun-Ho could contact Neo City virtually anywhere.

"Yeon, have you been well?"

- I'm fine, as usual. How is the new world?

"It's bad..."

Seo Jun-Ho told Yeon about their status.

- In other words, you're trapped.

"That's right. We need reinforcements. Can you relay my message to Earth?"

Yeon wrote down the request and replied.

- You're in a troublesome situation. However, is there a reason why you want to bring reinforcements only from Earth?

"What do you mean?"

- What I mean is, why won't you take a backup from Neo City?

"What can I—" Seo Jun-Ho abruptly closed his mouth. "Wait a minute. Are you saying that you can send that all the way here? That thing?"

- Interestingly, everything in this vast universe is connected to each other.

Yeon was confident.

- Then, my present will be on its way to you soon, Your Majesty, so please stay in good health until then.

***

The world conference on Earth finally ended.

Shim Deok-Gu rubbed his eyes tiredly because the meeting had been a grueling seventeen hours.

"Jun-Ho, you punk... You're really just moving straight ahead."

Seo Jun-Ho's requests that Earth had received from the 5th Floor were exorbitant and heavy. The faces of the presidents and association presidents of several countries and associations went white when they heard Seo Jun-Ho's requests.

However, each and every single request that Seo Jun-Ho had given to them received a positive response. It would have been impossible if the request hadn't come from Specter himself.

'And that's why I'm worried...'

Shim Deok-Gu couldn't help but wonder if that softie could handle the burden.

Shim Deok-Gu sighed deeply and rang someone up. "Yes, it's me. The opportunity for you to take an active part has arrived."

The person on the other end of the line was none other than Baek Geon-Woo.

***

Gulat was a metropolis with a population of more than 12,000 Overminds.

It was one of the three richest cities of the Babella Empire.

"Hm." Duke Schalke was Gulat's city lord, and his monotonous daily routine that had remained unchanging for so many years finally changed.

"What's the situation at the Gate?"

"We have detected no abnormalities with the Gate."

"That's a relief."

Managing the Gate that the empire had moved near his city had become part of his daily routine. His Majesty the Emperor himself had entrusted him with the task of managing the Gate, so he couldn't allow even a single mistake to happen.

"Even if an ant crosses over, report it to me as soon as possible."

"Yes, Father. However, please do not worry too much," replied his son, Hertha.

Hertha was confident as he said, "The Gate is surrounded by several layers of magic detectors that had been installed by the Great Mage Kodone himself. A hundred knights are keeping tabs on the Gate as well, and they are on duty around the clock."

"Hm? I believe I told you that conceit can lead to carelessness." Duke Schalke's eyes grew fierce as he said, "Carelessness was the very thing that led to the collapse of the Radio Tower. The enemies are sly, clever, and powerful. Have you already forgotten that General Ceylonso died in their hands just over a month ago?"

"Please forgive my slip of the tongue..."

"Go about your business."

Hertha bowed. He clicked his tongue as he left the room.

'Geez, Father's strict temper is still there even after a thousand years.'

He thought that his father was simply being overdramatic. Of course, he had to admit that the demons from beyond the Gate were stronger than he expected.

'However, we are fully prepared...'

They had installed hundreds of autonomous weapons, and there were around a hundred knights observing the Gate around the clock.

Hertha was confident that even if hundreds—no, even if thousands of demons emerged from the Gate—he was confident that he could turn them into dust.

"No, I actually want them to come here..." Hertha muttered while staring at the castle gate.

It had already been a thousand years since he became an Overmind. At first, he was just happy about his immortality, but he quickly discovered the hardships of being an Overmind.

'Damn it, my friends have already inherited lands or businesses from their families hundreds of years ago.'

Duke Schalke was still active despite many years, and it was clear that Duke Schalke had no thoughts of retiring anytime soon. Hertha wanted to become the city lord, but it didn't mean that he could commit an immoral act to achieve his goal.

'There's no other way. The only way I can take over the City Lord position is to accumulate achievements.'

Of course, it wouldn't be bad to receive a piece of land from His Majesty.

Hertha soon arrived at a makeshift post near the Gate, and he noticed that everyone seemed frantic.

"Did anything happen while I was away?"

"Ah, loyalty[1]!"

"Loyalty. Anyway, what happened?"

"Well... this thing emerged from beyond the Gate."

"What?" Hertha stared at the item on the desk with a frown. He observed it for a while before asking, "What's that?"

"We don't know, but the magic detectors made noises as soon as it arrived from beyond the Gate."

"Give me the charts..." Hertha sat down and read the report. "The magic detectors went up to the fourth alarm when this thing arrived?"

"Yes, but the magic detectors immediately went silent after that thing was destroyed by the autonomous weapons."

The magic detectors could go up to the tenth alarm, so the fourth alarm wasn't that scary.

However, Hertha felt uncomfortable at the thought of it.

"I don't feel good about this. Send this report over to my father and ask for additional troops."

"Understood!" replied the knight before walking away.

Hertha rubbed his chin, and he seemed confused as he stared at the object.

'I thought that only their reinforcements would emerge from that Gate..."

Hertha thought that even if the enemies' allies decided to send supplies, it would have been food or something else rather than the weird item on the table. In other words, it didn't make sense for a fragile item to emerge from the Gate, spewing out magic.

Hertha fell into deep contemplation.

After a while, he muttered without realizing it, "...A transmitter."

He sprang up from his seat and exclaimed, "Yes, it's a transmitter!"

If the trapped enemies were capable of communicating with their hometown somehow, then they would want to know the current location of the Gate with the help of the people from their hometown.

"They have to know where the Gate is located so they can create plans to take it for themselves!"

If the Gate were to fall into their hands, they would acquire an unlimited amount of supplies and reinforcement.

'And we have no idea just how many of those demons exist beyond the Gate...'

What if they could overwhelm the Overminds through their numbers alone?

Hertha shouted impatiently, "Prepare the car! I have to see my father right now—"

"There's no need."

Duke Schalke's solemn voice echoed throughout the makeshift post.

The surrounding knights quickly saluted.

Hertha turned to look at where the voice had come from.

"Father?"

"Yes, why were you looking for me?"

After hearing that, Hertha then told Duke Schalke his train of thought.

Duke Schalke listened with closed eyes, and he revealed a pleased look once Hertha was done with his explanation.

"Ha... you've grown up."

Hertha's eyes widened. His strict and domineering father had just tapped his shoulder and was staring at him with a look of pride. "You have become capable enough to lead a city..."

"Father..."

"Handle this well, and I'll give you my seat."

Hearing that, Hertha clenched his fists. He had done it. His fastidious and strict father had finally recognized him, and he was now qualified to be the City Lord of Gulat. He shed tears at the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him.

"You're a grown man, so why are you crying?" asked Duke Schalke with a smirk.

After a while, he raised his hand and commanded. "Surround the Gate. Don't let even an ant escape the encirclement."

"Yes!"

"The enemy will attack this place from both directions—from beyond the Gate and from here..."

Duke Schalke reached the same conclusion as Hertha.

'There's a high chance that the item is a transmitter. Their goal is to find the Gate and capture it.'

Duke Schalke smiled lightly. "They're indeed mere humans."

Their operation was too sloppy and crude to be compared to their thousand years of accrued intelligence. Duke Schalke sat comfortably in a field chair and said, "Capture as many of them as you can, do you understand?"

"Yes!"

If they managed to capture the humans and dedicate them to His Majesty, then Duke Schalke reckoned that their time would start flowing once again. By then, it wouldn't be an issue for them to become gods.

"I have a good feeling about this..." Duke Schalke's heart pounded madly against his chest, which was out of his expectations because he had never thought that his cold heart would beat wildly once again.

He could barely wait to see the enemies because he was sure that this was his family's lucky break.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait that long.

Beep! Beep! Beeeeeeeep!

The magic detectors frantically beeped.

At the same time, something emerged from the Gate.

"Hm?"

It wasn't a human being. It looked like a tiny glossy ball.

"What's that?"

Everyone muttered to themselves.

Click!

The detonator was triggered, and the ball emitted a burst of dazzling light that instantly pervaded the surroundings.

***

"It exploded..."

Skaya said after seeing the massive cloud of magic.

Seo Jun-Ho nodded and turned around. A total of eighty-two Players were standing in front of him with determined expressions. The Players were the members of the scout team whom Seo Jun-Ho managed to gather over the past month.

"All right..." Seo Jun-Ho started. The magic bomb had exploded as planned, and everything within a ten-kilometer radius had probably disappeared without a trace.

A storm of dust had enveloped the city as well.

"Let's get started..."

They were about to attack Gulat amidst the chaos.

"However, never forget..." Seo Jun-Ho said, "Never forget that you only have one life..."

Seo Jun-Ho had basically told them not to go beyond their limits if possible.

The Players nodded and tapped their chests before jumping into the portal.

"May good luck be with you, Specter-nim."

"Good luck be with you...!"

The ice castle quickly became empty.

"I apologize for being unable to stand by your side at a time like this..." said Kim Woo-Joong, looking remorseful. However, it couldn't be helped because he still hadn't recovered from his injuries.

"You'll have to move independently, anyway. Are you sure you'll be okay? Gulat will be a bit difficult to attack," said Seo Jun-Ho.

"I should be fine as long as I don't go beyond my limits. Of course, I have no other choice but to swing my sword moderately to recover quickly," replied Kim Woo-Joong.

Someone wearing a cast on one of their arms shouldn't say that they would swing their sword moderately, but it made sense because the patient was none other than the Sword Saint.

"Just don't overdo it..."

"...I wish you the best of luck." Kim Woo-Joong nodded and left for Gulat.

Skaya handed ten teleport scrolls to Seo Jun-Ho.

"I've been wanting to ask you this before, but do you feel like dying whenever you can't do something crazy?"

"...I know it's crazy, but I have to do it today."

"Well, I suppose so. What we have done today is basically the same as a declaration of war, anyway."

A single magic bomb would melt at least hundreds of Overminds, and the outskirts of Gulat were within the blast range, so thousands of them were definitely affected by the attack.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" Skaya asked worriedly.

"It'll be better for me to go alone," replied Seo Jun-Ho.

Skaya bit her lips and said, "All right, but you better not die."

Seo Jun-Ho nodded and walked over to another portal.

"I'll be back." Seo Jun-Ho jumped into the portal, and the scenery abruptly changed. He immediately activated Night Walking the moment he emerged from the portal.

He used magic on both of his eyes and saw a huge fortress on the horizon

"Babylon..."

It was the capital of the Babella Empire, and Rahmadat was held captive somewhere in that city. Seo Jun-Ho was planning to rescue Rahmadat while everyone was focused on the chaos in Gulat.

1. it's a salute ☜