Chapter 263: The Mightiest Reinforcement (1)
“Move quickly! We need to get going soon.”
“Where is the detachment squad that was handling the small monsters? Once they finish, we can move to the next area.”
“It’s been about an hour, so we should hear from them soon.”
“We’ve received word from the rear that combat rations and additional supplies are ready. We’ve nearly collected all the magic stones from the monsters’ corpses. We’re in the final stages.”
While Jinhyuk’s vanguard played a crucial role, the rear also had its own vital responsibilities.
The rear’s role was to handle all miscellaneous tasks, allowing the vanguard to focus solely on clearing the path.
At that moment…
“Huh? What’s going on? Someone’s coming.”
A player collecting magic stones at the front tilted his head in confusion.
Familiar players appeared just ahead.
“Gandara… it’s them.”
“Really? Why are they here?”
“They should be busy attacking their own route…”
Something felt off.
The first and second attack teams were subtly competing to see who could reach the Witch of Wailing first.
There was no reason for Gandara’s rankers to come here in large numbers.
Moreover, approaching our rear without any communication… it was beyond strange.
Instincts tingled.
Something was wrong.
They weren’t approaching with good intentions.
Srrrng!
Weapons were drawn, emitting a cold aura.
“Damn it. Those bastards drew their weapons.”
“Are they out of their minds? Alert the rankers immediately!”
But…
As they shouted, one of Gandara’s female players had already approached right up to them.
Sagitta.
A ranker from the Gandara Guild, specializing in assassination.
Her round blades, with both shoulders exposed, exploded towards them like lightning.
She closed the distance so quickly there was no time to react.
Whoosh!
The blade aimed at the porter’s neck.
The chilling sensation of the blade against his skin was palpable.
But instead of the sound of flesh being cut and bones shattering…
Clang!
A sharp metallic sound rang out.
Sagitta clicked her tongue and retreated, her surprise evident.
“Ugh!?”
The ambush had been blocked so easily, it was hard to believe.
But the real surprise had only just begun.
“To think I have to play nanny to humans… even if Alice herself ordered it, it’s outrageous.”
Velus revealed his sharp fangs.
Behind him, numerous vampires began to draw their rapiers and emerge one by one.
“Watch your mouth. She is now the head of the Decassus House. I won’t tolerate any disrespect.”
Ophelia frowned immediately.
“Hah! Since when did a human become the head of a great family? And since when did you swear loyalty to that human?”
“…I’m just repaying the person who saved my life. Do you intend to deny that your master follows Jinhyuk?”
“What? Who follows whom?”
“The once-proud former head of the Ataraxia family has become quite soft, smiling like a teenage girl.”
“You wretched Decassus scum dare insult her! I’ll drive a cross into your empty head!”
“My, my. Ataraxia always resorts to insults when words fail. So uncouth…”
As the two vampires bickered, the players on both sides were left speechless, their mouths agape.
“This… can’t be… vampires?”
“Why are they protecting humans?”
The Gandara Guild members couldn’t hide their confusion.
The Olympus Guild members were equally shocked.
“What the hell is going on?”
“Are they… helping us?”
The Olympus Guild, composed mostly of porters and miners, would’ve fallen within thirty minutes if a proper fight broke out.
But with the vampires’ intervention, the situation turned completely.
“Slaughter them all.”
“Block them!”
Velus’s cold voice clashed with Sagitta’s urgent command.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Argh!”
“Screams filled the air amid the explosions.
Ataraxia’s vampires tore through the tankers’ defenses and began massacring the dealers.
It was overwhelming.
Even the advantage of numbers paled.
Clang! Clang!
Blades clashed chaotically.
Few rankers could even contend with Velus or Ophelia. Ordinary players needed at least five to handle one vampire.
So instead of gaining the upper hand, they were being gradually pushed back.
“Damn it!”
Sagitta groaned.
To think the enemy would predict this.
No, even if they did, who would have expected them to call such powerful reinforcements?
“Indeed…”
Yes, Nirasha was right to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
When a new variable arises, you just need to cover it with an even stronger one.
“Oh, you don’t seem too flustered. So, this isn’t your final move?”
“Did you think we only targeted here?”
The Olympus rear wasn’t the only place.
There were teams handling small monsters ahead, and another team managing byproducts and supplies from here.
Three in total.
In other words, there were three areas to defend.
“The team handling the small monsters may be equipped for an attack, but it doesn’t matter. We sent a monster fitting for the job. And the most vulnerable rear? It’s obvious.”
Sagitta’s lips curled up.
She understated by calling it ‘fitting.’ They sent more than enough.
The most ferocious and aggressive of the Seven Apostles, the Apostle of Wrath.
With Gawain and other demons added, even the most seasoned veterans couldn’t withstand everything.
However.
Despite her words, Velus’s expression remained unchanged.
“Honestly, I’d love to see you land a blow on that bastard, but it’s unlikely. That human might be annoying, but he’s not careless.”
“What?”
“He reads everything above your heads.”
They, too, had multiple cards prepared.
A three-meter-tall figure with reddish skin.
Blood-red eyes and an ominous aura rising from his body made it clear he was no ordinary foe.
[Apostle of Wrath ‘Reppels’]
The Seven Apostles created by the Witch of Wailing.
Among them, the Apostle of Wrath stood out.
Even if intruders defeated the other six, the seventh Apostle was crafted to ensure the ruins remained protected.
Thud!
Slash!
“Hahaha! More! More! Come at me, you wretched humans! Struggle and resist all you want!”
Every swing of Reppels’ greatsword brought a shower of blood.
Armored soldiers were sliced in half, their torsos flying away.
It was overwhelming power.
Reppels’ stride never halted.
He simply cut down everything in his path.
“Ugh…”
“How can such a monster exist…”
The main attack force of the Olympus Guild, experienced in many battles, fell without resistance.
Their attacks barely affected him, while he swept them away with light swings, killing tankers effortlessly.
Their numbers, which were in the dozens, quickly dwindled.
The remaining half would soon follow.
No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t handle a monster akin to a natural disaster.
But.
Thud.
Someone blocked Reppels’ path.
“Hmm. I came as quickly as I could, but I’m a bit late. You all can rest now. I’ll take it from here.”
“Hahaha! An old man dares to face me?”
Reppels laughed loudly.
If they had come in a group, maybe. But a single man?
It was laughable.
“Hmm. You seem quite strong. I haven’t been in the tower often, but I know monsters who talk aren’t ordinary.”
“Not often in the tower?”
“Just a couple of times.”
“Then you must be one of those who didn’t make it into the Seven Great Guilds. A nobody.”
“Haha. Is that how it is? Well, you’re not wrong. I don’t belong anywhere in particular.”
“Unbelievable. A nobody dares to face me. You seem to have some skill in handling energy, but that won’t do against me. Your foolishness will be repaid with death.”
[Apostle of Wrath activates unique ability ‘Armor of Resentment’]
Crack!
A black armor enveloped his entire body.
What made the Apostle of Wrath exceptional wasn’t just his immense attack power, but the difficulty of penetrating his armor.
-Only those who have honed a skill to its utmost can damage this Apostle.
To pierce the Armor of Resentment, one needed a skill or ability with a proficiency level of at least 35.
A level 35 F-rank skill was more effective than a level 1 SSS-rank skill.
While some players had the former, the latter was virtually non-existent.
But one person could do it.
“Coming all this way at my granddaughter’s request and to repay a life debt… I didn’t expect a sermon about my accumulated karma from a stranger.”
Even before the tower appeared, he had devoted his life to martial arts.
People called him…
‘Warrior.’
[Yoo Chunyoung activates Lv41 (10-star) ‘True Taecheonghwarang Technique’]
Rumble!
The entire passageway shook violently.
Dust spread across the ground, forming a pattern around Yoo Chunyoung.
“Let’s see… how valuable the tower’s monsters are as opponents. Let’s clash.”
For Yoo Chunyoung, who had mastered the True Taecheonghwarang Technique, raising skill levels quickly was not difficult.
Thus.
The flow of energy completely changed.
Meanwhile.
Gawain and the demons also faced an obstruction.
“…You are.”
Gawain’s eyes narrowed.
Sitting in front of the supplies was Teresa, the saint who saved Amsterdam.
Of all times, a holy knight appeared.
Holy power was a challenging force, the complete antithesis of demonic abilities.
But.
That’s all it was.
A sinister smile spread across Gawain’s face.
“Holy power is bothersome, but relying solely on it to stop us is overconfidence. Did you think we wouldn’t know how to counter it?”
Weaknesses can be compensated for.
The demons had already prepared for this.
Yet, as Gawain spoke, his words trailed off.
This feeling… could it be?
It wasn’t holy power.
A dark, ominous aura emanated instead.
“Hmm…”
A strange moan escaped Teresa’s lips.
“Don’t worry. I won’t use holy power. Unlike the goody-goody, I prefer tearing things apart directly.”
Though it was Teresa, it wasn’t Teresa standing there.
“A split… personality?”
The smile vanished from Gawain’s face.