Chapter 294. The Strongest Guild ‘Veteran Corporation’
The ceiling shattered, revealing the colossal face of a goat.
“Rooooar!”
A shadow loomed over the sky.
The thunderous roar split the ground like a turtle’s shell.
Fear.
So overwhelming that even moving a finger seemed impossible.
Tremble tremble tremble!
Everyone was frozen in place.
These were people who had struggled to survive, but their very instincts faded in the face of such overwhelming terror.
[‘Black Goat’ uses ‘Crushing Wave’!]
A sinister light gathered in the Black Goat’s mouth.
It was the cursed attack that had once destroyed the Great Wall.
“Ah…”
A short sigh escaped from Kim Kitae’s lips.
The people hiding in the underground parking lot also screamed, clinging to each other.
A mother holding her child tightly came into view.
One second. Two seconds. And three seconds.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
A mass of mana compressed to its limit exploded in a straight line.
From the point where the Black Goat stood to the entrance of the parking lot, everything within the range of the light began to evaporate.
There was no way to stop it.
No will to avoid it, either.
This was the end.
Just when everyone thought so.
Crack!
A red pentagram appeared in front of everyone.
Kabang!
As immense mana collided, the dust piled on the ground surged into the air.
“Haa…”
A short sigh.
Following that, a person wearing a mask with geometric patterns emerged from the dust.
“An… unknown player?”
“Why do I have to do such hard work, seriously! Honestly, I won’t forgive this unless you buy me chicken for a month. With cheese fries! And a cola with lots of ice! Make it zero cola while you’re at it!”
Alice, who had been muttering to herself, glared at the Black Goat.
“What are you staring at, you damn goat!”
[Unique Ability ‘Blood Lord’ is now open!]
The sky turned blood-red.
“Rooar!”
“Yeah, right.”
Alice waved her hand towards the air.
Dozens of crimson spears pierced through the Black Goat’s body.
It staggered.
The Black Goat took a step back.
That was just the beginning.
A worldwide phenomenon ensued, simultaneously occurring in multiple locations.
＊＊＊
Europe.
The Black Goats traveling along the desolate highways of southern France abruptly stopped.
They had spotted someone blocking their path.
Step.
Golden hair cascaded down over a pure white armor.
It was Teresa.
Beside her stood Chun Yoosung.
“By now, everyone should have reached their positions.”
“Yes, they should have. Everyone left earlier than us.”
Chun Yoosung nodded.
“Alice can handle it alone, and with you and Chun Yoosung here… we have a fighting chance.”
Teresa’s gaze shifted to the person beside Chun Yoosung.
Meeting her gaze, a beautiful woman with jet-black short hair smiled brightly.
Chu Hon-saryeong.
She was the master who founded the Chuhon Sword and the teacher of Chun Yoosung.
Originally, she was supposed to stay with the Murim Alliance to prepare for the war with the Empire, but due to Chun Yoosung’s earnest request, she sacrificed her inner core to come out of the tower.
“We’ll act as bait. During that time, Master, please finish him off.”
“Oh my, is the young master asking a delicate woman to wield a sword? Against such a monstrous creature, no less?”
Chu Hon-saryeong pretended to be shocked, shaking her head.
Her wide-open eyes and innocent face were just a bonus.
“What kind of talk is that! And since when have you been delicate…”
“You’re too harsh for someone asking for help. Now, try saying this: ‘Please help me, beautiful and strong Master…’”
“Are you serious?”
“Hurry up. Or you might have to face that monster alone with Teresa.”
“Chun Yoosung! It’s coming!”
“I know. Damn it.”
Chun Yoosung gritted his teeth so hard they nearly cracked.
His face turned red with shame, but there was no time to think about anything else.
“Please, help me… beautiful and strong Sword Princess.”
“Hehe. A cute disciple asking for help, how can a master refuse?”
Chu Hon-saryeong grabbed Chun Yoosung’s cheeks with both hands.
The solemn demeanor she had initially displayed was gone, replaced by an image of a master deeply fond of her disciple.
Sling!
Chu Hon-saryeong drew her snow-white sword.
“You haven’t forgotten what I taught you, right? I won’t accept losing to the disciple of the Dark Emperor.”
[Unique Ability ‘Song of the Sword’ is now activated!]
Chu Hon-saryeong unleashed her unique ability.
“You don’t need to worry about that. After this, I’ll surpass even him.”
Chun Yoosung also activated his unique ability.
[Unique Ability ‘Song of the Sword’ is now activated!]
An indescribable aura enveloped the swords of both Chun Yoosung and Chu Hon-saryeong.
A clear light surged from their sword blades, soaring more than a meter high.
“I’ll handle the initial strike.”
Teresa extended her shield forward.
[Unique Ability ‘Blessing of the Stars’ is now activated!]
Thus.
The Saintess who saved Amsterdam once again moved to save Europe.
＊＊＊
At the same time.
The place where Andria of the 5th floor resided was also completely transformed by the Black Goat.
The arena had vanished, the mines had collapsed, and the asylum was half-destroyed.
But not everything was over yet.
“Huff… huff… huff.”
Andria panted heavily.
The bosses of the other areas had either perished or fled.
Andria was the only one left, protecting her territory alone.
“Not… yet.”
Andria bit her lip.
This was the precious home left by Jinhyuk.
The place that had given meaning to her life when she was at rock bottom.
‘I’ll protect it even if it costs me my life.’
Even if she had to fall in battle, she had no intention of fleeing.
[Andria uses ‘Fox Orb’!]
Flames containing the soul of a fox blazed fiercely on her nine tails.
Tuk… tuk… tat!
Moving at high speed, leaving afterimages, Andria reached the Black Goat’s feet.
The flames from the nine directions converged into a single point.
Whirr!
The blue flames engulfed the Black Goat’s entire body in an instant.
However.
‘No reaction at all.’
The flames barely singed its skin.
“Rooar…”
As if dealing with an annoying fly, the Black Goat opened its mouth to form a sphere.
Crushing Wave.
The light that had torn countless people to pieces was aimed at Andria.
Just then.
“You’ve done well holding out alone.”
A new voice intervened.
A handsome man with deep silver hair stood, blocking the Crushing Wave with his bare body.
Though his face twisted slightly, the ferocity emanating from him only grew sharper.
“For an apparition, you’re quite strong. It almost feels like an old nightmare resurfacing.”
This was one of the noble Demon Kings of the demon realm.
The manifestation of Beriel, known as the Rotting Heart.
“But for your kind to bare your fangs at me is laughable.”
A crimson-black spear appeared at Beriel’s fingertips.
Crackle! Crackle!
Sparks flew.
And in that very moment.
“Tell Shub-Niggurath. I’m here on this floor.”
The spear vanished without any preliminary motion.
Along with the sound of the air tearing, five sonic booms erupted.
Boom!
“Graaah!”
Hit in the chest, the Black Goat’s feet left the ground.
Unable to withstand the unimaginable shock, even its enormous body couldn’t hold out.
But the shocking part was just beginning.
Crunch!
Crack!
The spear kept spinning, releasing even more powerful mana than before.
Curses and spells depicted in runes started to encroach around the spear simultaneously.
“Gr…raaaaah!”
The Black Goat’s jaw seemed to tear open.
Vwoom…
Boom!
Its body flew to the opposite cliff, a grotesque sight beyond words.
＊＊＊
Thanks to the queen hiding in the sand after a thorough beating, there was a brief lull in the battle.
‘It seems the outer defenses are more or less secured.’
Jinhyuk nodded in satisfaction.
Having placed trustworthy comrades in strategic positions, they were able to avoid the worst-case scenario.
The gate that appeared in Murim was also being handled by Master, Goguma, T-Bone, and the ancient soldiers.
They should be able to buy enough time.
‘The situation outside…’
[Outbreak ‘Nightmare’s Beginning’. Is this the end of everything?]
[Even major guilds are helpless, merely standing by.]
[Black Tuesday. Emergency meetings convened by world leaders.]
Headlines flooded the media and the internet.
Good.
The atmosphere had ripened perfectly.
Humanity in crisis. And the heroes who would save them.
There’s no better setup for an epic narrative.
[Activating video call.]
Everyone’s chat connected to one place.
“Remember what I told you? Just say it as you memorized. Don’t say anything not in the script.”
-Alice: Hey. Do we really have to say this? Really?
-Chun Yoosung: Damn it. I’m not your clown.
-Teresa: Jinhyuk, the whole world is watching right now.
-Dark Emperor: Disciple, do you know the term ‘expulsion’?
-Andria: Jinhyuk… idiot.
-Beriel: Haha. As expected of my Apostle candidate. You show the makings of a Demon King.
-Goguma: Tweat!
-Spirit Special Forces: Master. This is an international embarrassment… no, a tower-wide embarrassment.
-T-Bone & Ancient Soldiers: Master. Go die.
Complaints erupted from all sides.
Of course, in a dictatorship, minor complaints are best trampled on lightly.
“With everyone’s attention on us, we must promote ourselves. Do you think I run this guild on air?”
The promotional effect for the guild and the subsequent revenue and brand image elevation were invaluable.
-Chun Yoosung: You… If you want to promote so badly, why don’t you do it yourself?
“I still have work to do, so that’s impossible.”
Jinhyuk drew a firm line.
There was something more important than dealing with the queen.
He had to go to a place through the ‘Mirror that Breaks Boundaries.’
To obtain a crucial reward there.
“Besides, you’re in no position to talk back to me.”
He had the maid video in his hands.
Surely, you haven’t forgotten?
If I feel like it, I could end your life, not just your medical career.
-Chun Yoosung: You… keep threatening me with that, I won’t stand still. Do you even know it’s a crime?
-Chu Hon-saryeong: Oh my. There’s a video of my disciple? I’d love to see that.
-Chun Yoosung: M-Master…?
“Your master seems to be on my side, what will you do?”
In the end.
Amid a coercive atmosphere… a video to be forever imprinted in the Tower community and ViewTube began to take shape.
“If you’re curious about who we are, it’s natural to give you an answer…”
Unknown, no, Alice, opened her mouth.
One hand on her waist and the other pointing forward with her index finger.
“In the name of the Veteran… Veteran… phew… Veteran Corporation.”
Chun Yoosung continued in a voice like swallowing molten iron.
“From now on, these guys…”
Everyone else said their respective lines.
And so.
“We will face them.”
All their voices joined together.
