Chapter 292: The Black Goats (2)
From beyond the gate emerged a monstrous entity whose form was difficult to discern.
Giant black tendrils.
Numerous mouths and teeth attached to them.
And.
From the liquid dripping off those teeth, goats the size of several meters, shaped like black goats, appeared.
They were the soldiers of the ‘Shub-Niggurath’ thoughtform.
Though there were only five of them, each exuded an overwhelming magical power that was beyond comprehension.
“Argh!”
“Screaaam!”
Just facing them was enough to drive one mad.
The thread of rationality snapped, and cells screamed in agony.
“Ugh…”
The magic-type players barely managed to withstand it, but their morale had long since vanished.
“What kind of monsters are those…?”
“We can’t… ever stop them.”
Buying time until stronger rankers arrived?
The thought was painfully arrogant.
No, even if the rankers came, could they even touch these creatures?
That was unimaginable.
Just then.
Gurgle.
The river began to turn black.
A mysterious liquid spread along the waves.
Their instincts screamed a warning.
That it was dangerous.
“Run…!”
Players raised their shields and shouted to the citizens behind them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The black wave instantly swept over the riverside where the players were.
The shields shattered like glass, and the tanks behind them couldn’t withstand the impact, spewing blood from their mouths.
“Argh!”
“Screaaam!”
Screams echoed from all directions.
Their comrades fell helplessly.
Shields and barriers were meaningless.
This was hell.
The very center of hell.
They knew they needed to flee, but their frozen limbs wouldn’t move as they willed.
If they were in such a state, how much worse would it be for the civilians?
Pure, overwhelming terror.
But.
The wave was blocked by something and repelled.
“Sorry for the wait.”
Before the players, a group of people appeared.
It was Chun Minsoo, the flagship dealer of the Balhae Guild, and the main raid team.
“It’s Balhae! Chun Minsoo from the Balhae Guild is here!”
“They have a sacred relic too. It’s the ‘Great Wall of China’ for large-scale defense!”
“Are we… going to survive this?”
Chun Minsoo, one of the top A-rank players.
And the raid team with him consisted of members experienced in high-level relic raids.
And to think they brought a sacred relic specialized in defense.
[The special effect of the Great Wall, ‘Mountain River Wonders,’ is activated!]
[Defense of the stronghold increases by 500%!]
[Morale increases by 30!]
[All individual stats increase by 3!]
[(Absolute Judgment Effect): All enemy aggro focuses on the fortress wall!]
The sacred relic, a scaled-down version of the Great Wall, gleamed.
A golden mist rose, and a long wall appeared along the Gapcheon River.
At the same time.
“Groooar…”
The black goats detached from the tendrils began to move.
Boom!
The immense weight caused ripples that reached the riverside.
“Chun Minsoo, those monsters…”
“Don’t worry too much. According to the analysis team, that branch with numerous teeth is the main body of the enemy. However, it has failed multiple times to emerge from the gate.”
“You mean the main body can’t come through?”
“At least for now.”
Chun Minsoo nodded.
The beasts in the river were likely just its minions.
They could hold out until Korea’s main guilds and Japan’s support arrived.
“Get ready. While they batter the wall, we’ll launch a surprise attack from behind.”
Chun Minsoo ordered his companions.
“Five of them…”
“If three of us take on one each?”
“They’re strong, but as long as the main body doesn’t move, we can manage. They’re goats on two legs, so we can sever their tendons.”
Swish!
Click!
Various weapons were drawn.
Given their large size, there were many vulnerable points if they got close.
Just then, the goats reached the Great Wall.
Boom!
The impact of their hands hitting the wall echoed throughout the city.
But the wall, like the historic barrier it was modeled after, withstood the blow.
…Now.
“On my count of three.”
Chun Minsoo lowered his center of gravity.
Magic for lightening and speed enhancement was layered on their legs.
“One.”
Magic gathered in their legs.
“Two.”
Thump.
Smoke rose from the ground.
“Three.”
They all vanished.
Their target was the black goats’ rear.
A precise, surprise attack.
But.
“Huh…?”
Despite approaching from a blind spot, Chun Minsoo felt a chilling sensation run down his spine.
This feeling, this sensation…
No doubt about it.
[The aggro effect on the target does not activate.]
The special effect of the Great Wall… the absolute judgment of the green-grade sacred relic…
It wasn’t working.
And only then, as they got closer, did Chun Minsoo realize.
What they had gauged was the magic on the surface of the black goats.
Beneath the surface, in the depths, flowed sinister, viscous thoughts that couldn’t be compared to the surface.
“No… no!”
He shouted urgently, but it was too late.
From the black goats’ bodies, dozens of black threads shot out.
Sizzle!
The black threads swept over Chun Minsoo and the other players.
The acrid smell of burning flesh pierced their nostrils.
And a metallic taste surged up from deep within their throats.
“Cough…”
Chun Minsoo looked in disbelief at his missing lower half.
And that was the last thing he saw.
“Groooar!”
Magic gathered in one of the black goats’ horns.
Not threads, but an orb.
A mass of magic infused with thoughts emitted a brilliant light.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The orb blasted through the Great Wall and evaporated the players behind it.
[The Great Wall has been breached.]
Roads and buildings collapsed.
Just a slight movement from the goats altered the landscape.
Thus.
The most horrific nightmare began.
—
Korean Awakener Association Headquarters.
The place was steeped in a heavy silence, where even the sound of breathing could be heard.
Tremble!
Han Sangjin’s body trembled slightly.
To think the sacred relic they relied on would be destroyed so easily.
The five beasts at Gapcheon far exceeded expectations.
“Chairman. We just received a report from the U.S. Washington area is half-destroyed. Estimated deaths are in the thousands.”
“France… Versailles Palace is the same. The three raid teams from Olympus Guild and other medium-sized guilds have been annihilated, along with an entire division.”
“Guangzhou in China has just opened a gate, and they have essentially abandoned the city’s defense…”
Bad news came from all directions.
Only thirty minutes had passed.
Just thirty minutes.
“……”
So far, they had ascended the tower too smoothly.
There had been some significant outbreaks globally, including the European lich, but none of them had directly affected Korea.
So they felt safe.
They believed Korea would be fine.
That even if something happened, someone would step up to solve it.
‘Our complacency and arrogance have led to this.’
Perhaps they were now paying the price.
A punishment for falling into complacency, forgetting that humanity could face extinction.
“Chairman.”
“…I understand.”
Han Sangjin nodded.
Now was not the time for self-recrimination or despair.
It was time to struggle with all they had.
“I will escalate the situation to Code Red. I will contact the Blue House directly.”
Code Red.
It had never been issued before but was a unique authority granted to the chairman of the Awakener Association.
When an outbreak deemed unmanageable by Korea’s players occurred, they would abandon the area and rebuild the defensive line at the rear.
“Players, military, and police in Daejeon should prioritize civilian evacuation. We will designate Gyeryong, Sejong, and Okcheon as the secondary assembly points.”
Once the black goats’ direction was confirmed among the three places, they planned to concentrate all their firepower there through long-distance teleportation magic.
“Where are the rankers now?”
“About 20 minutes away.”
Dangun and Saoulabi had already summoned all rankers from the tower.
And the Samurai Guild from Japan would soon arrive in Korea.
“Do you think we can stop them if they all gather?”
One of the communication staff asked cautiously.
The voice trembled as if seeking even a glimmer of hope.
However.
Han Sangjin did not indulge in false hopes.
“It will be impossible.”
The strength of the black goats seen in the video was unlike any beast they had encountered.
It wasn’t just about strength; an overwhelming sense of alienation exuded from them, a feeling that humans could never defeat them.
If the main body with the teeth-branch emerged, humanity would face complete annihilation.
“Then are you saying we should pour everything into a doomed mission? Helplessly. Knowing we’ll all die…”
“That’s not it.”
Not everything was over yet.
Though it might be impossible for Dangun and Saoulabi…
There was still one flicker of hope.
“It may be hard and painful to watch and wait, but we must endure. He will never give up.”
For the first time, Han Sangjin smiled faintly.
“So we must not give up either. If we falter, we’ll have no face to show those fighting for their lives outside.”
—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A whirlwind cut through the ruins.
White flashes shattered the heads of the insects, piercing through their bodies.
“He’s handling the main raid’s role alone. My god…”
“The speed at which he creates magic bullets inside his body… it’s not just fast. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“His magic control is absurd. His combat sense is unreal. We might have to seriously consider using firearms too.”
“Don’t be mistaken. It’s possible because it’s him. For anyone else, it’s out of the question.”
The Titan Guild rankers following behind muttered in awe.
Since the status window appeared, Jinhyuk’s attitude had changed completely.
Mountains of over hundreds of insect corpses testified to that.
“Player Kang Jinhyuk has already killed them all and moved below. At this pace, we can easily clear the 16th floor.”
“That’s not a good thing. It means we have very little time left if someone of his caliber has to go all out.”
Aidan frowned.
While others might not notice, it was clear to Aidan.
The traces left on the insect corpses.
Instead of managing his magic calmly, there was a desperate determination to end them quickly.
—
While the Titan Guild lagged behind.
Jinhyuk, alone, reached the place where the named monster resided.
Thump.
His swift steps finally halted.
“…Still swarming.”
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue briefly.
Carnivorous plants, flying insects, and medium-sized beetles.
There were more types of creatures here than he had encountered before.
“I won’t say it twice. Move.”
Jinhyuk pointed his gun forward.
“Chitter…”
“Chirp, chirp.”
Various insects bared their teeth instead of answering.
Of course, reasoning was futile.
He had to sweep them all away and move on.
[Unique ability ‘Domain of Wind’ activated!]
Just as he was about to accelerate again.
“Huhu. To come here alone. Impressive for a human. Are you the one harming the queen’s children?”
A monster with the form of a giant butterfly appeared.
It had the body of a woman with large butterfly wings attached.
Named monster ‘Mrusielio’.
It was the one that bestowed intelligence upon the insects and commanded them.
“I am the hand and foot of the great queen. Mrusieli…”
Bang!
The gunfire resounded.
A magic bullet flew in a straight line, striking the butterfly’s skull.
“Ugh…”
Blood dripped from Mrusielio’s forehead.
“You damned… coward… shooting while I’m…”
Bang! Bang! Bang!