Chapter 561
Kukukukukuku!
Overwhelming mana.
Even though it was just breathing life into a dragon’s corpse again, the unique power and authority inherent to dragons had not disappeared.
Patzzt!
Green smoke gathered around the mouth.
“Begone. Filthy lesser god.”
T-Bone thrust his sword forward.
At the same time—
[Bone Dragon activates ‘Breath’!]
A beam of light pierced through the window.
In the blink of an eye.
Caught off guard by the sudden ambush, Ares missed the timing to react.
Summoning his shield just in time was the best he could manage.
“Graaagh!”
The beam of light swallowed Ares and pierced through the opposite sky.
Engulfed by the breath, Ares plummeted to the ground.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa… kwakwabang!
It tore apart the road and cut across to the far side of Seokchon Lake before the impact finally subsided.
“Lady Master, are you all right?”
T-Bone quickly checked on Alice’s condition.
“Haa… uh… ah…”
Alice gasped for air, clearly in pain.
Things didn’t look good.
She must be restraining the instinctive urge to devour Jinhyuk’s blood with all her might.
‘I must inform Master immediately.’
T-Bone focused his mind at once.
—
Kwaaaang!
A massive splash erupted from Seokchon Lake.
“You rotten bastards…”
Ares clenched his teeth after taking a clean hit.
“Kyaaaak!”
“Th-There’s a person…”
“Did they fall from there? No, more importantly, how are they still alive?”
“Hey… look up there! A dragon!”
People out on a peaceful evening walk screamed in panic.
It was only natural, given the sudden catastrophe.
But the surprise didn’t last long.
Slash!
Ares drew the sword at his waist.
A filthy slash cut across the air.
“Wh…?”
“What just…”
Pshuk!
What followed was a thick spray of blood.
Corpses, unaware they had even died, dyed the lake red.
[Ares activates the Unique Holy Spear ‘Warlord’.]
[User’s combat abilities vary depending on distance.]
[The closer the range, the closer Ares’s stats reach their maximum.]
Wuuuuung!
Golden waves pulsed out from Ares.
“If you got cocky just because you brought back a dead lizard, you made a huge mistake!”
The mana he released painted the Seoul sky bright gold.
An overwhelming power that made the atmosphere tremble.
This was one of Olympus’ Twelve Main Gods—
The God of War, [Ares].
“So it’s only good for buying time.”
T-Bone’s eyes glinted faintly.
If even the breath didn’t work, then realistically, there was no way to bring him down with the weapons they had.
However, orders were orders. Even if it meant death here, retreat was not an option. (T/N: Damn. When did T-Bone become so dependable. )
[T-Bone activates ‘Whispers of the Dead’.]
[Undead obey the call of the Death Knight.]
Kukukukuku!
The sky split apart.
From the warped space emerged countless undead monsters.
These were the retainers T-Bone had painstakingly prepared.
“Groooar!”
“Kyaaaa!”
“Grrk grrk…”
All of them were flying types.
Each one at least a Specter or Death Wyvern-class high-rank type.
T-Bone pointed his sword downward.
A chill spread across the sky.
“Kill him.”
With that command, the horde of undead rushed at Ares.
It was like watching the prelude to the apocalypse.
Even the citizens who were running away in terror froze on the spot, overwhelmed by the display of force.
“Ah…”
“It’s all over.”
A shadow fell over everyone’s faces.
If caught up in a battle like that, there was no way they could survive.
They were too paralyzed by fear and dread to even move a step.
All they could do was pray for a quick and painless death.
But then—
“Kyaaaa!”
“Gyaah! Gyaaah!”
For some unknown reason, a few undead monsters blocked the people as if to protect them.
At the same time, they gestured for them to escape without getting caught in the battle.
“Why are the undead… helping us?”
“I-I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on…”
“Does it matter right now? Just run! If we get caught up in this, we’re dead!”
People hastily followed the instructions.
Some even bowed their heads in thanks as they ran.
And then—
Kwaaaang!
Ares retaliated against the incoming undead.
With a single swing of his sword, dozens of undead were chopped to pieces.
“Khahaha! Pathetic! Did you think sheer numbers would amount to anything?!”
They couldn’t even get within several dozen meters, let alone land a direct hit.
His meticulously crafted high-ranking undead were being slaughtered before they could do anything.
Flash!
A golden energy shimmered on his blade.
“Kyaaaa!”
“Gyaaagh!”
The divine power from [Olympus’ Blessing] triggered unbearable pain in the undead’s eyes.
Almost at the same moment—
Patzzt…!
A golden sun rippled at the tip of Ares’s sword.
“You let me taste your breath, so I’ll return the favor.”
[Ares summons ‘Sword of the War God’!]
It didn’t quite reach the level of Zeus’s [Astrapē].
But even without comparison, its power was more than enough.
Kwakwakwakwakwang!
A straight golden beam shot out.
“It’s… dangerous!”
T-Bone, riding the Bone Dragon, threw himself toward Alice.
The rest of the undead surrounded T-Bone and Alice in a tight formation.
Kwaaaang!
A massive impact followed.
The undead on the outskirts were vaporized into dust.
“Groooar!”
Even the Bone Dragon took a critical hit.
T-Bone wasn’t spared either.
Crack…
His left arm was completely shattered.
Both legs, which maintained his balance, were cracked all over.
“Well, that was a decent warm-up. If the Bone Dragon had been fully completed, it would’ve been more fun—but I guess you rushed it?”
“…Clatter. There wasn’t enough time.”
“Figures. A true high-rank requires not a month or two, but a year of investment.”
Ares walked past T-Bone and approached Alice.
“No… don’t…”
T-Bone reached out his only remaining hand.
Splat!
That hand was cleanly severed.
“…Ughhh…”
Alice glared at Ares with bloodshot eyes.
Her whole body trembled violently, but she couldn’t do more than that.
“How ridiculous. Even like this, she’s still resisting?”
Even Orpheus, blinded by love, couldn’t manage this much.
It couldn’t be helped.
Ares brought his sword to Alice’s neck.
He was going to end it completely.
Vwooom!
The blade rose.
This time, with just a simple gesture, the head of Ataraxia’s master would fall.
“Wait.”
But just before Ares brought the sword down, a third party intervened.
Someone who had silently observed everything while in a semi-transparent state.
Ares flinched at the heavy pressure from the man’s hand.
…He’s strong.
It wasn’t just brute force—it was an overwhelming authority.
Like that of a father.
No, perhaps even heavier than a father’s.
“You…”
Ares’s brow furrowed.
He’d met this man before.
25 Years On a Diet. (T/N: I swear, that is his name. )
The one who had planned everything, including Alice.
“Killing Alice would violate the contract.”
“I know that. But what do you expect me to do when she’s still holding out like this?”
A will that transcended limits.
She was enduring everything with the sole purpose of not harming Jinhyuk.
From experience, he knew no amount of torture would break her spirit.
“…It can’t be helped. I really wasn’t supposed to get involved…”
25 Years On a Diet let out a deep sigh.
Then, he placed his finger on Alice’s forehead.
[Administrator’s Special Skill ‘Forced Connection’ activates!]
Crackle! Crackle-crack!
Blue sparks flew in all directions.
“Aaaagh! AAAAGH!”
Alice screamed until her voice gave out.
The hypnosis embedded deep in her mind was so intense it could shatter her sanity.
A realm untouched by mere willpower or determination.
This was the domain of the unconscious.
“Just give up already. Now that I’ve used this, the result is inevitable.”
“D-Don’t… kid yourself… Never! Never!”
Blood flowed from Alice’s mouth.
“You’re terrifying.”
Even Ares couldn’t help but mutter those words.
After several minutes of [Forced Connection], Alice finally lowered her head.
She didn’t yield.
She had simply passed out.
“We’ll continue after a short break.”
“You’re stopping? Why?”
“If we continue, she might die. Next time will probably be the last.”
Everyone had a breaking point.
It was just a matter of how long and how much it took to get there.
But just then—
*Clatter. Clatter.*
T-Bone let out a chuckle.
The unsettling clash of bone against bone grated on the ears.
“What’s so funny, you pile of bones?”
“How could I not laugh?”
T-Bone pointed his remaining bone up at the sky.
“My Master and I share what we see and hear.”
The master-servant link of the undead kept their consciousness tethered.
And—
“Just now, my Master arrived here. In other words…”
You’re all dead.
[Unique Holy Spear ‘Flowing Moonlight’ – Alternate Clone is active.] (T/N: HOLY FUCKING SHEEEEEEEEETTT! LETS GO MADAFAKA!)
Moonlight shone through the night sky.
And in that light stood someone who should’ve still been inside the Tower.
—
Through the shared consciousness—
Jinhyuk gazed at the familiar world through his clone.
There, he saw Alice writhing in agony from the broken contract.
T-Bone enduring with all his might.
And the innocents who had been senselessly slaughtered.
Jinhyuk’s eyes shifted to one spot.
“You bastard…!”
Ares, seething with rage, came into view.
That explained everything.
Tap.
A light step.
In an instant, Jinhyuk closed the distance and stepped into Ares’s range.
Ares let out a baffled scoff at the unguarded approach.
“Haha! Right. You haven’t experienced just how great my power is yet.”
The core of the Unique Holy Spear [Warlord] was [Distance].
The closer the enemy, the greater Ares’s attack power and speed multiplied exponentially.
Even within 10 meters, he was called a natural disaster.
Let alone now, when they were within breath’s reach.
Ares swung his sword like lightning.
But then—
Kwaaaang!
A clean hole appeared in the blade.
That’s absurd…
“M-My sword… broke?”
Even if his mana was being loosely controlled, to damage a Sacred Relic…?
He’d never heard of such a thing.
[Napoleon’s Crown activates!]
Patzzt…!
Jinhyuk held a familiar weapon in both hands.
The product of countless hours of gameplay.
The pride of one who reached the Tower’s peak.
And the revival of his prime powers.
“Don’t think you’ll die easily.”
Kwakwakwakwakwang!
Muzzle flashes erupted with fire.
(T/N: LET’S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!)