Chapter 388
“Three-digit monsters from the start? I’m scared to think what comes later.”
Lee Taeyeon grumbled as she moved. Spirits supported her, and black magic rained down toward the monsters.
Rumble—!
The monster’s tentacles lashed out. The density of the attacks made it impossible to dodge everything. Lee Taeyeon swung her sword.
[You have activated Deflection.]
Boom!
The trajectory of the tentacles twisted. Just as the monster’s attention focused on Lee Taeyeon, Kang Junhyuk dropped down from above.
Crash.
His sword pierced the monster.
The monster, caught off guard, staggered. The attacks aimed at Lee Taeyeon stopped, and she didn’t miss the chance. She dashed in and drove her sword into the monster alongside Kang Junhyuk.
[You have defeated Monster 577.]
“You okay?”
“No problem.”
Lee Taeyeon caught her breath. Working together with Kang Junhyuk, they could take down a three-digit monster without much trouble.
Slicing a charging monster in half, Lee Taeyeon scanned the battlefield.
“They’re holding on pretty well.”
Numerous four-digit monsters and a few three-digit ones. It was tough for the Hard mode players to handle, but they were managing to bring them down.
They had fought monsters far stronger than themselves on Earth. Through countless deaths and accumulated experience, they had developed optimal formations and strategies. They no longer crumbled easily.
Lee Taeyeon launched herself forward. Her speed doubled in an instant.
[You have activated Acceleration.]
Crash.
“Huh?”
Her sword skewered the monster. Kim Hwiyeon, who had been gritting her teeth to endure, widened her eyes. Lee Taeyeon gripped her sword tight.
[You have activated Rend.]
Slashslashslash!
Her sword tore through the monster, shredding it to pieces.
“Thanks, Taeyeon.”
“Looks like the situation’s under control.”
“We’re doing fine…”
Kim Hwiyeon glanced to the side.
From the direction of the Indian players came a scream loud enough to reach them.
“Things are not going well over there.”
“Where’s Mr. Taesan?”
“He went to the Russian side. Said they could handle it on their own and left it to us.”
Kim Hwiyeon grumbled, but her expression wasn’t dark. In a way, it meant Taesan trusted her.
“The Russian side…”
Lee Taeyeon narrowed her eyes. Russia was fighting from a fair distance, but that didn’t pose any issue for her anymore.
Russia’s players were being overwhelmed by the monsters.
And there, in the middle of them, Taesan landed.
“This’ll be over quickly.”
—
The situation in Russia was dire.
Viktor, trying to block the oncoming monsters, shouted in horror.
“This is insane!”
The monsters were incomparably stronger than before.
Even the rare three-digit monsters were hard for Hard mode players to withstand.
‘Was that warning true?’
During information exchange, Kim Hwiyeon had warned that the monsters appearing this time would be completely different. She had said that without preparation, many would lose their lives.
Viktor was skeptical. Though he had seen Taesan’s power, the monsters Taesan had faced didn’t seem that strong.
Still, assuming it wasn’t a lie, he had prepared as much as possible. Yet the strength of the monsters was far beyond expectations.
Boom!
With a thunderous roar, people flew through the air. Each swing of the club held by the giant monsters claimed more lives.
The players from Russia and Mongolia were panicking and unable to respond properly.
They were pushed back helplessly.
[Ooooooh!]
Thud! Thud!
The giant let out a war cry and charged toward Viktor.
Realizing the danger, people threw themselves to stop it, but it wasn’t enough. As the club swung and Viktor braced himself—
Crash.
The giant’s body was crushed and slammed into the ground.
The monster that no one could stop had suddenly died. And standing atop its corpse—
“…Kang Taesan.”
“Now you get it. Just what kind of situation we’re in.”
“Loud and clear.”
Viktor agreed with a grim expression.
“That’s enough, then.”
People don’t truly understand until they experience it for themselves.
Viktor’s expression showed he now fully understood.
That meant it was time to clean up.
Taesan gathered [Magi]. Power manifested from the open passage.
[You have activated Zepar’s Black Storm.]
“S-stop! P-people will—huh?”
The people fighting desperately froze.
A small vortex of black wind formed among the monsters.
It was small enough to be ignored, but for some reason, everyone’s eyes were drawn to the dark wind.
The wind began to grow. It swirled, eventually taking the form of a massive storm.
Kakakakak!
A storm that devoured the world descended upon the land.
Monsters began to get sucked into the storm. People screamed and huddled down, but the black storm didn’t touch them—only the monsters were pulled in.
“Is that…”
Viktor stared blankly at the storm.
As the storm slowly dissipated, not a single monster remained.
Tens of thousands of monsters were wiped out in an instant.
No one could speak in the face of such overwhelming power.
“…He was holding back.”
Viktor let out a hollow laugh.
Taesan hadn’t even used his full strength when he defeated the three thousand Hard mode players. Viktor only now realized that.
Two days later, the Wave ended.
Thanks to Taesan, Russia suffered minimal losses, and the three East Asian countries managed to win without much difficulty due to their prior experience.
But India was a different story.
They barely survived, standing atop mountains of corpses.
—
“Ahh…”
Screams and groans echoed in every direction. The faces of India’s Hard mode players were frozen in horror.
The number of dead was so high it was terrifying to confirm.
To them, the Return Quest had been nothing but a game.
They believed they could defeat monsters anytime, and so they never formed proper formations or strategies.
Naturally, the damage was catastrophic.
Upon review, 30% of players had died. That included a large number of Hard mode players.
And then the quest reappeared.
[Special Quest begins.]
[The second Wave will begin.]
[Countdown: One week.]
[Eliminate all incoming monsters.]
[Rewards upon returning to the dungeon will vary based on performance.]
“Ah…”
Fear washed over people’s faces.
Hassan desperately tried to persuade the Hard mode players.
“Did you not see it with your own eyes? From now on, the monsters will be too strong for us to handle alone. We must unite with other groups and ask for help—”
“Silence!”
They wouldn’t listen to him.
“This was just a fluke. Just this once… We’ll stop the second Wave with our own power!”
They clung to the confidence that they possessed overwhelming strength.
The belief that monsters were no match for them.
As that belief crumbled, they began denying reality itself.
Fueled by arrogance and stubbornness, they shouted rashly.
“…I see.”
Hassan’s eyes dimmed. With a look of resolution, he stepped back.
And then the second Wave began.
Nothing had changed. The monsters were still powerful, and they were still weaker.
Unlike the first Wave, they at least formed a makeshift formation, but the disparity in numbers was too great. The lack of coordination only worsened the damage.
“We’re here to help! Fall back behind us!”
Fortunately, just as the casualties mounted, Korean players—who had already subdued their own Wave—arrived to assist.
Thanks to their support, further losses were avoided.
However, the mood had worsened.
This incident had proven that they couldn’t withstand the threat on their own.
The people began to divide.
The only reason the caste system had remained intact was because the Hard mode players had the power to survive.
They used overwhelming strength to impose caste onto others. It was built purely on the logic of power.
But if they no longer had power…
If trusting and supporting them led to nothing…
Then everything built on that power would collapse.
A message appeared: the next Wave would begin in a week.
That very night, India’s Easy mode players—classified as Chandala—secretly tried to move into Korea’s formation.
But there were too many of them. The Hard mode players sensed them.
With twisted expressions, the Hard mode players blocked them.
“You! What do you think you’re doing? I told you interaction with other groups is forbidden!”
“Shut up!”
One of the Chandala men shouted fiercely.
“You treated us like slaves, tools—saying if we obeyed, we’d survive! But look at us now! We’re dying, not surviving!”
The sheer intensity of emotion made the Hard mode players falter for a moment. The man gritted his teeth and yelled.
“If this keeps up, we’re all going to die! That’s why we decided to join another group!”
“Y-you…!”
The Hard mode players flushed with anger. They wanted to retort—but couldn’t.
It was true that at this rate, most of them would die.
But even so, they had no intention of agreeing with the other side’s words.
“…Fine. I’ll admit it. But it’s been made clear by our rules—those who try to betray us will face death.”
The Hard mode players drew their weapons.
The Chandalas trembled in fear and screamed.
One of the Hard mode players grinned and pointed his sword at the man.
“If you repent and end your own life right now, we’ll forgive the others with a simple eye gouge.”
“Screw you.”
The man raised his middle finger.
“Whether we die like this or that, it’s the same. Do what you want.”
“…So, you’re rushing toward death willingly.”
The Hard mode players decided to kill them.
Just as they were about to charge forward—
“What’s with all the noise?”
“Ah…”
It didn’t happen.
Standing right beside them, Taesan gazed at them expressionlessly.
The Hard mode players were instantly shaken.
They hadn’t sensed Taesan’s approach at all.
Like a ghost, he had appeared beside them without a sound.
But they quickly collected themselves.
“Leave,” one Hard mode player stepped forward confidently.
“This is an internal matter. You have no right to interfere.”
Taesan didn’t reply. He simply stared at him.
The Hard mode player felt a chill but forced himself to look back proudly.
“You. What’s your name?”
“Sajid Khan. A proud Brahmin of India.”
“Right. Sajid. I don’t like you.”
“…What?”
“I’m not a saint. I have no intention of saving people who aren’t mine. But if they’re willing to become mine, then that’s a different story. They’re trying to leave you and join my group, after all.”
Taesan looked to the Chandala.
“You guys. You’re trying to come over to us, right?”
“Y-yes! We’ll follow you! We won’t stay with these bastards any longer!”
The Chandala man shouted desperately, his face brightening.
Taesan nodded.
“Good. Then come.”
“…Who said you could!”
Sajid screamed and drew his sword.
“They’re ours! You have no right to take them!”
“And you do?”
“W-what?”
“You’re not India’s leader. Kamal Hassan is. And he and I already had this discussion.”
If anyone wanted to change groups, they wouldn’t stop them.
They would allow free movement.
That was what Hassan had told Taesan two days ago when he visited in secret.
“Even if he holds no real power, you acknowledged him as your leader. That makes the rest of you just regular players. You have no right to stop me.”
Taesan’s tone was calm.
They had no rebuttal.
It was they who had pushed the title of leader onto Hassan to avoid responsibility.
“…Don’t make me laugh!”
But Sajid resisted.
“You think I’ll allow this!”
“I don’t need your permission.”
“Tch!”
Sajid sneered, opened his inventory, and pulled out a blue staff.
“You betrayed me! Die!”
[Sajid activates Windblade Staff.]
Blades of wind surged toward the Chandala.
They screamed and collapsed.
Taesan flicked his hand. The wind scattered under his control.
Sajid’s eyes widened in shock.
“W-what…?”
His power wasn’t blocked—it was erased.
Taesan stared at him without expression.
Sajid forced a calm tone and shouted.
“They’re slaves! They don’t need qualifications!”
He was convinced—Taesan couldn’t kill him.
India still had hundreds of thousands of Hard mode players.
If Taesan attacked him here, a full-scale conflict would erupt.
There was no way he’d risk that—for mere Chandala.
“Leave, outsider!”
Sajid shouted and charged at the Chandala.
Other Hard mode players also began to move.
But Sajid was mistaken about one thing.
To Taesan, India’s Hard mode players held no value whatsoever.
Taesan snapped his fingers.
Sajid’s head snapped back and his body flew.
He collapsed to the ground, writhing like an insect.
“…Huh?”
In the stunned silence, Taesan’s voice rang out.
“I think you’re mistaken.”
To him, none of them had any value.
Whether they were Easy and Normal mode players treated like slaves,
or the Hard mode players who ruled over them—
They were all the same in Taesan’s eyes.
