Episode 263
“I told you this is the limit!”
“No, it’s exactly the same here!”
“Damn it!”
The snowy mountain region in the northeast of the Lore Alliance.
Players attempting to conquer an unconquered area were struggling against the瘋狂 swarms of monsters.
Boom!
Crunch!
Enormous numbers of monsters were wreaking havoc in the blizzard.
Most were creatures shocking to behold, such as pure white orcs wearing knuckles and yetis wielding axes.
Smack!
“Ugh!”
An orc’s fist struck a player who was fighting back with a sword.
Sent high into the air, the body flew at tremendous speed to crash into a wall.
“There’s a cave over here!”
Just then, a voice was heard from a distance.
“What? A cave?”
“Move immediately!”
Turning their gaze simultaneously, the three players frantically ran in the direction the voice came from.
There was no time to gather dropped equipment or items.
The same went for the comrade who had been sent flying far away.
“Haa…”
“We’re screwed, seriously.”
Those who had taken refuge in the cave let out sighs and curses.
There were 20 players assigned here due to the Black Dragon's plan to occupy the territory.
Ten of them lost their lives the moment they encountered monsters, and five more died as the battlefield was devastated.
Having just lost one, only four remained.
“What about Mr. Max? Can’t you get in touch? He wouldn’t still be in the middle of a raid, would he?”
Viper, a man keeping watch outside, asked with a frown.
Max, ranked 322nd among the hardliners.
Everyone here was an employee of the company he belonged to.
To be precise, they were members of the team Max had assembled and his subordinates acting on his orders.
“…I heard he finished that place and went to investigate another area.”
“What? Then what about here?”
“If you can’t handle that on your own, you should be ashamed of yourself…”
“Ha.”
Viper let out a hollow laugh at the absurd order.
He was always that kind of person, but this time it was too much. After all
, he was the strongest one here, ranked 6,201st.
Dealing with a horde of monsters in the mid-400s was an impossible task.
*Crunch*—
*Thump*!
An ominous sound echoed from beyond the view obscured by the blizzard.
Being discovered meant certain death.
With the exit blocked, escaping was not an option to consider either.
“Isn’t there a way to kill the boss right away?”
a subordinate, who had been cautiously keeping watch, asked while looking into the snowstorm. It was
the massive monster visible beyond the rampaging creatures.
It was a Level 460 boss named the Ruthless Orc Chieftain.
“You can’t kill it. My weapon won’t even penetrate it properly.”
Viper said, looking down at his dagger.
It was an expensive weapon infused with deadly venom, but its condition was poor now.
“Then what do we do?”
“…Haa.”
He couldn’t answer his subordinate’s question.
How was he supposed to get through this?
It was obvious that if he just gave up and threw himself in, he would struggle to handle the aftermath.
Yet, holding out until the very end was out of the question as there was no one in sight to turn to for help.
To resolve this situation, we would need at least a 1,000th-ranked player—no, even higher than that.
“Once it quiets down, I’m going to secure the line of sight. Everyone, check your potions and equipment, and if it looks like we’re going to die, do something…”
Boom!
Just then, the cave shook with a sudden roar.
Bang!
Crash!
“Ugh!”
“It’s collapsing!”
Startled, the four players hurriedly ran out of the entrance to avoid the collapsing cave.
But.
Thump!
What awaited them was a massive leg that had emerged from the blizzard.
“Damn it…”
Frozen, Viper looked up. It was
a gigantic monster, likely five meters tall.
It was an Orc chieftain, adorned with all sorts of ornaments and wielding a blackened mace.
Whoosh!
The creature crouched low and thrust its massive face forward.
It was an action distinctly different from that of ordinary monsters.
It seemed to be enjoying the situation where it had gained the upper hand.
Crack!
Squeak!
Before they knew it, other monsters had also gathered around, surrounding the area.
Upon seeing that sight, the players naturally let go of their weapons.
*Grrr*
—the Orc chieftain, with a smirk, rose to his feet and raised his mace high.
Death, and failure.
Only two outcomes came to mind.
“I have such terrible luck.”
Viper waited for death with a voice of complete resignation.
But then.
Whoosh!
The raging blizzard suddenly swirled with tremendous force.
“…Huh?”
“What is this?”
Viper and the players turned their gaze at the strange phenomenon.
Upon closer inspection, something resembling a wind barrier had formed on the outer edge.
Whoosh!
Just then, a crescent-shaped gust of wind flew through the blizzard at high speed.
It struck the Yeti standing behind Viper.
Whoosh!
Split in half, the creature collapsed helplessly, spewing blood.
And that bewildering scene continued like a storm.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Before anyone knew it, blades of wind began flying in, filling the entire field of vision.
They slaughtered the monsters standing on solid ground in an instant.
“It looks like this is the end.”
While they stared blankly at the scene, someone appeared from beyond the blood-soaked gaze.
Viper, watching the face become clearer, instantly widened his eyes.
“…Black Dragon?”
The Black Dragon, who was surely supposed to be doing a quest on Feria Island.
Yet, he had appeared here so unexpectedly.
“Is Mr. Max not here? I planned this with that in mind.”
Approaching leisurely, the Black Dragon spoke while gazing at the corpses of the monsters.
Grrr—!
Just then, a sound was heard from within the still-whirling wind.
Realizing his mistake, Viper urgently raised his voice.
“The boss isn’t…!”
Crunch—!
Before he could even finish his sentence, thick tree vines appeared from somewhere.
They firmly bound the Orc chieftain who was about to pounce on the Black Dragon.
It was a force strong enough to render the giant boss monster completely immobile.
Smack—
The Black Dragon lowered his sword and slowly approached the Orc chieftain.
Then, leaping lightly, he thrust his multicolored sword.
Thud—!
The blade dug precisely into the monster’s neck.
The light vanished from the rage-filled eyes of the Orc chieftain in an instant.
Ding-
[Hardliners have successfully captured Territory 46.]
***
“For this reason, only we remain.” The
snowy mountain fell silent.
Hanbit listened to the report from Viper.
To summarize, it meant that Max, who was supposed to come here, had changed his plans based on his own judgment.
'Is he actually acting recklessly?'
The person who had handed over the occupied territory information to the Adult Faction was none other than Max, the 322nd ranked player.
It was impossible to tell at the moment whether he would rather die than obey the Black Dragon’s orders, or if this was also a strategic move.
“Understood for now. Please return to the city to regroup. There is only one day left until the invasion event.”
“Ah, yes! Thank you!”
Responding with a disciplined look, Viper left the occupied territory with his remaining comrades.
Left alone, Hanbit looked around at the surroundings covered in pure white snow.
'So this is how it works.'
The carcasses of the monsters had vanished cleanly in an instant.
The collapsed terrain was also slowly returning to normal.
It must be undergoing a specific recovery process.
“There’s nothing special here?”
Just then, a man with black hair approached from behind.
It was Kim Han-seop, who had come here with him.
“It’s probably a recovery period right now. They have a separate purpose for occupying the territory.”
Hanbit gazed at the holographic window that appeared in front of him.
It contained information about the territory.
[Territory No. 46]
Owning Faction: Hardliners
Occupation Points: 7
Area Effect: Cold Resistance +100, Damage +10%
*After 6 hours, the territory will recover, and monsters will appear in the danger zone.
The purpose of the territory was revealed in this simply summarized content.
Ultimately, this place existed for hunting and farming.
The message did not end there.
[The number of territories currently owned by the Hardliners is 34, and the occupation points are 112.]
[A buff is granted to all Hardliners' territories.]
[Gold acquisition increases by 1.5 times.]
[Experience acquisition increases by 1.5 times.]
[Item drop rate increases by 1.5 times.]
Buffs granted based on the faction's performance.
Actual usage would likely occur after the occupied territories were recovered, but it was a significantly unconventional figure.
“Are they trying to balance it with this? If done wrong, the gap could widen even further.”
Kim Han-seop speculated on the situation based on his perspective on the game.
While there may have been an intent to encourage growth, the system of occupied territories was ultimately designed to incite war.
It was highly likely the scenario the Goddess of Turmoil had hoped for.
“What do you think we should do now?”
Hanbit asked, as if gauging his capabilities.
After a moment of contemplation, Kim Han-seop examined the displayed hologram and spoke.
“We need to identify the nature of the occupied territory and distribute our personnel. Since a clash is inevitable from the moment the invasion event is scheduled, strategy is important, but strengthening the rest of the faction members, even just a little, comes first. We need to use the information that leaked to the Holy Body Faction against them, so perhaps it would be better to invest personnel in a way that avoids suspicion? It would be nice if we could get information from the Holy Body Faction as well, though…”
Kim Han-seop focused with an increasingly serious expression.
Hanbit shared similar thoughts, but a new variable had entered the situation.
“You will find out information from the Holy Body Faction soon.”
“What? How?”
“I’m lucky with the people this time.”
“…?”
At the strange remark, Kim Han-seop wore a puzzled look.
Hanbit chuckled as he watched the bewildered face and turned his gaze away.
"Avant-garde."
"I have found out some things regarding the territory occupied by the Holy Body Faction. The cleanup should be finished by dawn, so how about we meet at the guild grounds early in the morning?"
Avant-garde, who had started scouring the players' black markets across the globe,
seemed to have obtained the necessary information at the perfect time.
If this wasn't the result of good fortune, then what was it ?
"We can hold the meeting in the morning. You join too. It’s a good way to get acquainted."
"That’s fine, but what about the plan?"
"You’re the one who has to come up with the plan."
"…What?"
Kim Han-seop’s expression grew even more flustered by the sudden remark.
However, this was exactly the kind of element Hanbit expected of him.
"Think of it as a process of discovering talent. I’ll handle the combat aspects as well, so don’t worry."
"Wait, what if you leave it to me and it fails?" "
Of course I’ll criticize it if it’s off. These are just opinions that can be raised during a meeting, so don't feel too much pressure. But it would be nice if you did well, right?"
“He’s just telling me to do well…”
Kim Han-seop let out a sigh at the one and only correct answer.
Of course, the pressure was immense, but Hanbit harbored a certain expectation.
Specifically, the possibility that he could demonstrate his qualities as a strategist.
“Anyway, it’s late, so come early tomorrow. Get some sleep.”
“…Okay, I understand. I’m going first.”
Kim Han-seop nodded and exited the game.
Turning his gaze, Hanbit sent messages to the Twins and Pingpong, who had already finished the raid, as well as to his reliable alliance members.
‘This should be enough.’
Having reached out, Hanbit also immediately logged out.
Getting out of bed, he quickly finished showering and returned.
Lying
sprawled out on the covers, Hanbit had a single worry cross his mind.
“The stream has become a bit awkward.”
The streaming had ended the moment the invasion event was released.
Normally, he would rest until tomorrow, but he didn’t particularly want to do that. After all,
it was a weapon that could throw enemies into confusion if used well.
“Should I give it a try?”
Having made his decision immediately, Hanbit got up and sat at his desk.
His overtime work, which began with looking at the map, continued until dawn.
