Chapter 584
Before dawn broke.
While everyone else was still asleep, Jinhyuk had been moving busily through the night.
Now that the enormous variable known as the Annihilator had entered the picture, he had to prepare accordingly.
‘With other Apocalypses, I might manage, but in terms of firearms… I’m at a disadvantage.’
He had the experience and instinct, sure—
But his opponent possessed multiple named [Holy Relics] that more than compensated.
It meant that, even now, he had enough firepower to threaten the 50th floor.
On the other hand—
‘I don’t have a single weapon I used back then.’
They say a true master doesn’t blame his tools—but that only applies when you’re dealing with mediocrity.
His opponent was an expert who had reached the peak in gun combat.
Taking him on carelessly could end in disaster.
This was the first stage of preparing to hunt a tiger.
Ssssk!
[Runes have been engraved.]
[A new condition has been unlocked.]
Ancient runes lit up one after another across the stone and rock surfaces.
“Whew.”
That made eighteen total.
Establishing the groundwork for the great barrier required time and effort, as expected.
But it had to be done.
A massive storm was on the horizon.
“Haaahm. Contractor, when will this end? This moist, noble body of mine needs proper rest to maintain its radiant skin, you know.”
Alice pouted, her cheeks puffed out as she complained beside him.
“For someone who cares so much about their skin, you’re really going to eat all that?”
Jinhyuk pointed to the mountain of food spread out over the rocks.
Fried chicken, pizza, pork trotters, pasta—greasy dishes piled high, along with a ridiculous amount of desserts.
He’d spent over 5,000 coins at the coin exchange to purchase this outrageous spread.
Naturally, most of it was already gone.
“’Ahem!’ It’s rude to comment on what a lady eats. A true gentleman would speak more delicately about such matters.”
“Yeah? I don’t know what kind of lady eats like ‘that’. Even you are going to gain weight if you keep it up.”
“Hmph. No matter how much I eat, I can always maintain my figure.”
Alice lifted her chin confidently.
These pure-blooded freaks must have some kind of hyper metabolism. No matter what they do, their appearance stays flawless.
Talk about being blessed.
“Anyway. Go over there now and erase my traces with bloodline magic. Make sure it’s thorough.”
“With all this tribute? Very well. I shall permit it.”
Alice flapped her wings and flew toward the opposite side.
Now, if he could just complete the final engraving, everything would be ready.
But the moment Alice’s rune was carved—
BOOOOM!
A thunderous explosion echoed through the quiet village.
“…Contractor?”
“What the…”
The two reacted at the same time.
Murder and arson were everyday occurrences in the Village of the Hermits.
Fights going until dawn? Nothing new.
But after the Bounty Hunters had fallen under Veteran Corporation’s banner, and with the other factions locked in emergency talks—
It was supposed to be the most peaceful time possible.
Which meant…
Something big had just gone down.
Jinhyuk turned toward the source of the concentrated magic.
‘The north… around the storage depot.’
He didn’t have a full map of the village yet, so he couldn’t identify every area precisely.
But he had confirmed that the northern storage held a large amount of “green powder.”
Usually a type of narcotic—but with certain compounds, it could be used very differently.
For instance—
To awaken something that had been dormant or in stasis.
[The omen of an Apocalypse has occurred.]
A blue system window flashed.
Jinhyuk’s voice turned urgent.
“Follow me. We have to move now.”
The other members would’ve noticed the disturbance too.
There was no way they could stay asleep through that ominous energy.
“Yeah… something definitely feels off.”
Alice spread her wings wide.
“Goguma, deliver this message to Mother. Tell her to follow the instructions exactly.”
“Mogii mogii!”
Goguma accepted the letter and a large mana stone, nodding with all his might.
Things had escalated faster than expected, but they were ready.
Now it was just a matter of whose blade was sharper.
‘Let’s see what kind of game you’ve set up.’
BOOM!
Jinhyuk kicked off the ground and charged forward.
—
At the same time.
All of the top rankers who ruled the Village of the Hermits had gathered in one place.
[‘Green Powder,’ ‘The Sick Man’s Sigh,’ and ‘Lost Bone Fragment’ are reacting!]
BOOOOM!
Another massive explosion shook the area.
This time, the smoke carried a pale green hue.
“Hmph. Smooth.”
Nyarlathotep looked pleased.
With many people working at once, things progressed swiftly.
“At this rate, the Apocalypse should begin within the hour.”
“An hour, huh… And their response?”
“Kang Jinhyuk and Alice, who were on the outskirts, are already heading this way. The others are beginning to move as well.”
The man pulled a cube shard from a small pouch.
‘Clatter, clatter!’
[‘Frame That Collects Shadows’ activates!]
A rectangular slice of space was cut out.
Through it, the Veteran Corporation members, including Jinhyuk and Alice, could be seen.
“They’re scurrying like rats. Good. I’ve recruited some pretty solid people this time.”
Nyarlathotep struck the ground with his staff.
And as if on cue, a number of men and women emerged from the surroundings.
“Hooh. These are the ones who roughed up our people, huh?”
“Definitely not pushovers…”
“They’ve all made it this far through death and fire. But even so, with those numbers, they’re not going to accomplish anything.”
Eleven Old Guards.
The hunting dogs of the 50th floor had been mobilized for this mission.
Their job: completely destroy the Veteran Corporation.
Among them were—
A beautiful man and woman with long golden hair.
Gold Dragons Altera and Aden.
Ancient-class twin dragons.
“If we take out those two, you’ll grant the Gold clan all future Road succession rights, yes?”
“You’ll keep your promise, Lord Nyarlathotep?”
“The ancient contract will be fulfilled. You have nothing to worry about. In fact, we would prefer the obedient and capable Gold clan as the Road’s successor. As for the temperamental Reds and Blacks… let’s not even speak of them.”
“Understood. I’ll engrave fear into that human’s very bones.”
The twin dragons ignited with resolve.
And then—
THWACK THWACK THWACK!
BOOOM!
Spears made of ice and blood smashed into the entrance.
In one strike, the gate—protected by multiple barrier spells—was obliterated.
“Gyaaaah!”
“Aaaagh!”
Screams erupted from all directions.
This wasn’t ordinary ice magic—it was grand sorcery layered with pure-blood bloodline magic.
No ordinary defense could withstand that.
It had begun.
“Idiots! Walking right into our trap!”
“You might’ve been big shots in the Tower, but this is a completely different battlefield!”
The hermits responded to the intruders.
A village twisted like a maze, filled with traps and magic.
A hunting ground tailored perfectly for the hermits.
[6-Star Spell ‘Shadow Ambush’ is activating!]
[Lv29 ‘Twilight Crawler’ is activating!]
Spikes burst from the walls.
“Kiieeeek!”
The ground collapsed—revealing a massive spider that opened its jaws wide.
Ninjas leapt across the walls, giant shuriken and throwing stars in hand, predicting every possible escape route.
Their blades glowed fiercely with concentrated qi.
Front, back, left, right.
No matter which way they moved.
No matter how they prepared.
There was no way out of the encirclement.
Normally, that would be true.
But unfortunately, they had picked the wrong opponent.
[Unique Ability ‘Flame Dragon’s Breath’ is activating!]
FWOOSH!
A massive flame swept across the battlefield.
In an instant, everything was dyed in crimson light.
And then came the unbearable heat.
“Fire magic!”
“Raise the water barrier!”
Just being nearby was enough to feel your flesh burn.
But the ninjas—well-trained as they were—reacted swiftly.
WHOOSH!
A wall of water blocked the flame.
And that… was their mistake.
BOOOOM!
The rapid cooling caused steam to explode into the air, completely obscuring vision.
Jinhyuk used that moment to strike at the monstrosity charging from below.
[Unique Ability ‘Tombgrave’s Right Arm’ is activating!]
[Unique Ability ‘Giant’s Strike’ is activating!]
His right arm turned black, brimming with monstrous power.
Focused energy condensed at one point.
CRACK!
“Kiieeeeek!”
The massive spider’s skull was crushed in a single blow.
Now was the time.
“Alice!”
“Stand clear. I’m at peak condition with a full belly.”
[Alice uses AoE skill ‘Blood Explosion’!]
The scattered blood droplets rapidly expanded.
Almost simultaneously—
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The entire alleyway was engulfed in a crimson storm.
—
The relentless series of attacks left the battlefield in ruins.
Their coordination was flawless.
The spacing between mid and long-range coverage was devastating for the enemy.
“They’ve… broken through.”
With the first gate destroyed, Jinhyuk and Alice penetrated deep into enemy territory.
The ninjas guarding the entrance scowled in frustration.
They had let the enemy in—an unforgivable blunder.
“All that talk about vengeance and they crumble this fast? You should’ve let us handle it.”
“All you know is ambush and assassination. You’re useless in a straight fight.”
The leaders of the other factions sneered.
Following the Bounty Hunters and the Ninjas—
It was now the “Torture Cult” and “Flesh Eaters’” turn.
The Torture Cult wore the skins of other humans.
Driven by sadistic joy, their acts had been so extreme they were banished to the village’s darkest corners.
The Flesh Eaters—lovers of cannibalism and mass slaughter—had likewise become outcasts.
“Don’t get cocky. You think you’re any better?”
The ninja leader growled.
Even with Nyarlathotep forcing them into an alliance, these groups were normally at each other’s throats.
Given the chance, they’d slit each other’s necks without hesitation.
“We’ll see soon enough. This time, it’s our turn. I’m dying to test out our new torture devices.”
“Looks like the enemy sent other members through different routes… I’ll enjoy peeling their skin and devouring them nice and slow.”
Fresh prey, straight from the Tower.
The perfect targets for their twisted appetites.
The wraiths of the Village of the Hermits had declared the start of all-out war.