“Doom Kaos seems to ripple us first. It’s the same on the King of Hell’s side! He is not caring about his land on fire.”
Seong-Il pondered Mary noona’s words. He could not make a conclusion about the King of Hell’s side, but Mary’s final battlefield was certainly different from his or the other Awakened. The scent of the Baclan’s blood from Mary noona still irritated his nostrils.
She must have come from the mainland of the Baclan Corps.
Mary noona’s Final Stage was on the monster’s homeland. In other words, her mission was to infiltrate directly into the enemy’s base and eliminate the forces set for the night raids in advance.
Baclan Corps’ mainland…
That place meant a lot to him.
“You must be Mary. I have heard a lot about you. I am Kwon Seong-Il.”
“He must think highly of you. You can call me Mary.”
It was the land where he first met Mary noona.
[The dominated female human has been expelled from the party.]
Also, it was the land where he lost a woman he once loved.
“Seong-Il oppa.”
He could no longer remember her face or voice. All he could recall was the way she used to call him. Yet, the feeling of loss remained etched in a corner of his heart. Whether his feelings for her were of affection or camaraderie, she was the first person he lost. She was Lee Soo-Ah, the Queen of the Baclans.
[Warning: You have entered the Red Zone. Please be extra careful.]
Seong-Il came back to his senses and expanded his sensory network. The path he had cleared was filled with monsters again as nearby monsters had joined in.
At least the trap has not been reset.
Then, the Guide Lulua appeared as if an anime character had popped out.
[I was so nervous I thought I would die. Aren’t you too late? (｡◕ˇдˇ◕｡) ]
He retorted, “Were you just watching? After all my efforts to clear the way, ugh.”
[We, the Lu-seah clan, specialize in mental and spatial control, not raw physical power like someone. So, please spend the remaining coins on me.]
“Yo, Priest. Can’t you just use the mind control ability?” Seong-Il asked flippantly.
[How will we handle the boss fight if I waste the energy now? Please keep in mind that Lu-luah has plans.]
“Forget it. It is like casting pearls before swine.”
[Pearls? Huh?]
“You are so full of it, damn it.”
Seong-Il reminded himself not to get irritated by the annoying pest. Soon enough, he would be mired in an emotional swamp, on edge, and agitated.
He could not allow more than one hour to lapse between being in active battles as he needed to maintain the ninth stage of the trait Passion. A short nap had to be less than an hour.
No matter how superhuman a challenger’s physique was, sleep deprivation was unavoidable. Whenever he remembered how He had gone for nearly a month without sleep, it reminded him of how astonishing His willpower was. Soon, Seong-Il would face such a challenge. Well… the Guardian of the LIght Pillar, which was the boss monster, would be the immediate matter to resolve.
[Guild: Mary has left.]
[Caliber: Gosh, noona. Did you finish it off right away?]
[Mary noona: Leave Shin Kyung-Ah alone until she finds peace. Do not disturb her. And I am sorry that I have to leave early.]
***
Three hours after the first Night Raid began…
[Warning: City (3) is in danger.]
[Warning: City (6) is in danger.]
[Mayor of City (5), Age: One Master. One Diamond. We are good on this end.]
[Mayor of City (7), Masco: Two Diamonds. One Platinum.]
[Mayor of City (6), Ryoko: Please come to the east gate.]
[Vice Guild Leader Sapa: Special forces, go to City (3) right now! Resupply other cities with available resources.]
[Attack Leader, Sigurdson: Move.]
Seong-Il ignored the messages because continuing through the Red Zone was the way to help his subordinates.
As he leaped forward, the place where he stood previously dramatically collapsed. Inside, the magic of Baclan Corps manifested. The thing that looked like the root of a gigantic plant, moving on its own, could be identified as a giant monster. It flailed around, having lost its target.
The entangling death root. Baclan’s brown poison, the phobia of nature.
[This way.]
Seong-Il did not brush off Lulua, who tried to stick close to him. He also did not resist the force exerted by Lulua. The spatial flow arising from Lulua transported Seong-Il to a different space.
There was an old Baclan. The sturdy muscles, which was a distinct characteristic of Baclan Corps, seemed to have faded long ago, as its skin was sagging unimpressively. Moss was growing between the folds of its skin, and what prominently appeared on its face were all fungal organisms resembling mushrooms.
It was difficult to spot it, but there was no issue in identifying its location once he found it. Seong-Il’s fist violently struck the crown of the old Baclan’s head.
Bang!
[You have defeated the high-ranking nature mage of the Baclan Corps.]
[You have gained two reputation points.]
[You have leveled up.]
[Level: 520]
[Guild: Guild Leader Caliber completed the quest ‘Those Who Became Part of Nature’ and has acquired 2200 build score.]
[Vice Guild Leader Sapa: Thank you. Use this in City (6).]
[Mayor of City (6), Ryoko: Yay, we are safe! Invincible Caliber!]
[Mayor of City (2), Ager: Invincible Caliber!]
[Mayor of City (7), Masco: Invincible Caliber!]
[Guild: City (6) has been upgraded from Weakening Curse Tower (LV.3) to Fatal Weakening Curse Tower (LV.4).]
[Guild Leader Caliber: If you die, it will not just end with you. It affects the entire guild and even Him. Fight with the resolve to die, but seriously, you can’t really die.]
[Mayor of City (2), Ager: Invincible Caliber!]
[Mayor of City (7), Masco: Invincible Caliber!]
…
[Mayor of City (1), Eita: Invincible Caliber!]
[Invincible Lu-luah! ٩(๑`ȏ´๑)۶]
Seong-Il smirked at Lulua. Though the bastard was annoying, it was quite helpful. Finding a monster that had almost harmonized with nature would have been difficult for him without the bastard’s support. Even He would have had difficulties with such creatures in the past.
“That’s right. Good job. Let’s end this on the first day, okay?”
[Invincible Lu-luah! ٩(๑`ȏ´๑)۶ Invincible Lu-luah! ٩(๑`ȏ´๑)۶ Invincible Lu-luah! ٩(๑`ȏ´๑)۶ Invincible Lu-luah! ٩(๑`ȏ´๑)۶ Invincible Lu-luah! ٩(๑`ȏ´๑)۶ Invincible Lu-luah! ٩(๑`ȏ´๑)۶]
“...You are going crazy just because I complimented you, right?”
[Have you realized the true worth of the Invincible Lu-luah? ( ๑˃̶ ꇴ ˂̶)♪ ]
Anyway, the XP gained this time was considerable. Honestly, the constant leveling up was clearly making his blood boil in excitement. However, everything including XP and build scores was the power bestowed by Him, so Seong-Il’s expression was not bright.
It was the same when he attacked the Greenwood Continent. With each enemy he killed and completed quests, the XP that came in was on a different level than before. The rule was no different here. Knowing the truth, it was hard for him to accept them happily.
Then, an object that should not have been with the old Baclan’s corpse was discovered.
[Isis’s Enhanced Earring (Item)
It is an item that the high-ranking Baclan mage had as a trophy. It appears to be a main item of an Awakened who died in Act Two, Stage One. It has signs of use.
Item Class: S
Item Level: 490
Effect: Mental Resistance + 15%, Spiritual Resistance + 15%, Health + 50, Agility + 50
* When used, enhances the skill ‘Isis’s Gaze.’]
Seong-Il checked as he moved.
[Ohhh! That looks great! Hehe. If the Invincible Lu-luah wears it, I will be able to assist Mr. Caliber better!]
[Please give it to me. Please? Pretty please? We got it together. The Invincible Lu-luah also has a right to claim it.]
“Do you know who used to have this?”
[So many Awakened died in Act Two, Stage One, so how would the Invincible Lu-luah know that?]
“Items find their owners. This must have belonged to Mary noona.”
[Mary noona is…]
“Shut the fuck up if you understand what I mean. Stop being blasphemous. Just stop it.”
[T…then…please tell the contribution of the Invincible Lu-luah. Pretty please.]
“By the way, when will you stop calling yourself invincible? That’s my title.”
Bang! Baaaaang!
Lulua could not dodge. When it opened its eyes after tightly closing them, over ten Baclans were dead on the ground.
[You have defeated the Baclan assassination squad.]
“You are going to die if you don’t be extra cautious. Now, tell me. Who is invincible?”
[Invincible Lu-luah ٩(๑`ȏ´๑)۶ ]
“Come to think of it, Odin is very generous.”
[Pardon me?]
“Ah, never mind. Get back to work.”
***
After leaving the high-ranking mage’s area, Seong-Il was now doing a reconnaissance mission. It was not enough to just run towards the light pillar. There was no issue if he had a corps-sized force and was led by pursuers or hunters.
However, there was more to consider, doing all the roles. The high-ranking mage alone was a lot of work. Seong-Il had to hurry, but he needed to maintain a calm mind.
As expected, the movement of the Baclans captured in his sensory network was unusual. Ever since Lee Soo-Ah and Shin Kyung-Ah joined the Baclan Corps, their strategies had become more refined each day. Moreover, the traps became more sophisticated and harder to overcome.
The closer he got to the light pillar, the more intense the Baclan’s defense became.
It took one month even for Him in the past. Considering it was divided into Zone Seven and Eight barriers… Fuck. It would be hard to finish in one day. I should think of a minimum of two days.
Seong-Il had other tasks to finish before breaking through the front line.
[Caliber: Noona, are you still on the mainland of the ox-head monsters?]
[Mary noona: Oh, did I tell you that?]
[Caliber: I can tell without asking, haha. I am not sure if you have a moment. I found an excellent item. Based on its level alone, it does not suit your status, but it will become SSS-class if you wear it. Sorry, I got a bit carried away. Please take a look for yourself.]
Mary noona’s task was to locate and eliminate potential threats that could be involved in the night raids from the monsters’ homeland. The more successful she was, the less dangerous the night raid became. This was directly connected to His victory!
Seong-il hoped that this would at least compensate for all the power he received from Him, even if it was something he stumbled upon.
[You have requested a trade. (Target: Mary noona)]
[You have offered the item ‘Isis’s Enhanced Earring’ to ‘Mary noona.’]
Although Mary noona did not give any verbal response, Seong-Il could feel her astonishment.
I knew it.
[Mary noona: Where did you get it?]
[Caliber: Ain’t I right? This is perfect for you.]
[Mary noona: I did not know such a thing existed.]
[Caliber: If the original owner of this item was still around, then they might have been a rival to you. Well, not that they would stand a chance against you.]
[Mary noona: The Second Evil…]
[Caliber: Huh?]
[Mary noona: I can’t accept such a jackpot item for free.]
[Caliber: Nah, we have a relationship stronger than the best friends and family. Although we are not blood-related, you are like kin to me. I would be so happy if you felt the same. Please accept it.]
[‘Mary noona’ offered the item ‘Furious God of the Moong’s Claw.’]
[Would you like to exchange ‘Isis’s Enhanced Earring’ with ‘Furious God of the Moong’s Claw?’]
[Mary noona: That is an S-class, too. Give it to one of your smart, reliable kids. If I find anything else useful, I will send it to you. It’s up to you on how to handle it. You always need resources.]
[Caliber: Okay.]
Seong-Il did not hesitate anymore because he really was in need of resources.
He checked the item. Although the item’s title began with a traditional deity ‘Furious God of the Moong,’ its effect that temporarily amplified power through rage was similar to the one Hera had.
Seong-Il did not need to ponder, even if it was for his rival.
[Caliber: It’s me, Caliber. I got something that perfectly matches your main skill. Claw. It’s the type that fits well with your technique as well. Perfect, right?]
[Hera: Caliber?]
[Caliber: Why? Do you want me to speak in Korean? I heard you are studying hard on it. Good job.]
[Hera: Why did you call me?]
[Caliber: It won’t be easy for you alone to destroy the light pillar. No need for a long talk.]
[You have requested a trade. (Target: Hera)]
[You have offered ‘Furious God of the Moong’s Claw’ to ‘Hera.’]
Seong-Il leaped as he said this for the last time.
[Caliber: It’s for free.]
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