Chapter 618
A rift leading into the mental world.
It was one of the contingencies Brahma had prepared to ensure a flawless victory.
Given the nature of the ongoing Outbreaks, if he could bring in support from several S-rank boss monsters…
Not even the most veteran members of Veteran Corporation, nor Jinhyuk himself, would be able to withstand it.
“…Contractor.”
Alice noticed Aperman’s reaction a moment too late.
The trace of mana was faint, but there was no mistaking it—the lingering energy connected to another dimension was seeping through.
If their contract hadn’t been active, even Alice wouldn’t have sensed it.
“What are those foolish humans doing at a time like this!?”
Her fury naturally turned toward the people panicking in disarray.
They couldn’t even recognize their benefactor and were now trying to stab him in the back.
Seeing the contractor still fighting desperately to protect them only made her anger boil hotter.
At the very least…
If there were still some who truly fought to help others, not just to protect their own bowls of rice…
At that moment—
[An S-rank Gate ‘Gigant Medulas’ has opened!]
Another Outbreak had begun.
Gigant Medulas—a colony-type insect dungeon that grows through [Devouring Growth].
Due to their hive-based nature, once the gate fully opened, the sheer numbers alone would be impossible to contain.
Given that their forces were already being overwhelmed by quantity, this was the worst possible scenario.
“Grrr…”
“Screeeech!”
Massive insectoid monsters emerged from the rift.
Covered in jagged teeth and hard green carapaces, their very presence made even the bravest tremble.
“S-stop them…! We have to stop them!”
Even the major guilds felt the impending disaster.
No matter how much they’d wanted to take down Jinhyuk first, even that priority was starting to crumble.
Han Sangjin was still missing, Unknown hadn’t appeared in a long time…
Whispers of doubt began to spread—maybe the real and the fake had already been switched.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Damn it, enough already!”
“Use everything you’ve got! Potion supply’s coming soon!”
[Kim Sumin activates Lv15 ‘Ice Bringer’!]
[Jang Seunghyun activates Lv18 ‘Indiscriminate Strike’!]
[Park Taehyun summons Lv18 ‘Dokkaebi Spirit’!]
Skills and abilities erupted in every direction.
Some members of the Dangun and Balhae Guilds tried desperately to contain the Outbreak.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions of every color roared around the gate’s entrance.
These were A-rank or higher rankers—powerful attacks from skilled players.
However—
“Groooaaah!”
A rhinoceros beetle with a one-meter-thick carapace took the full barrage without a scratch.
A deep, buzzing drone filled the air like a swarm of killer hornets.
Thuk! Thuk! Thuk!
A moment later, blood sprayed through the air from the dealer line.
“Ghhhk!?”
Park Taehyun was impaled on a horn—his summoned spirit pierced through alongside him.
“Goddamn it! You wanna die playing stupid!? We’ll all be wiped out at this rate! You’ve got crap for brains, you sons of—!”
Lee Changhee shouted, veins bulging in his neck.
Having already turned against the Dangun Guild, he had nothing left to lose. Even his thick provincial accent came out as he chewed out the other rankers.
“Gaaah!”
“Help!”
“Please, no!”
People kept dying by the dozen.
The S-rank Gate’s strength was beyond imagination—those of average skill didn’t last a single second.
Finally, Balhae Guild’s Song Chunhwa spoke heavily.
“Player Lee Changhee… your comrade went down to the Association’s underground detention earlier, correct?”
“You blind? You didn’t see him go?”
“…So it’s true. Understood.”
Song Chunhwa raised a hand to her ear and murmured something quietly.
At that same moment—
“Kiieeehh!”
The rhinoceros beetle that had just killed Park Taehyun lifted off again, searching for its next prey.
Driven by its instinct to devour the strong and evolve, it locked onto Yoo Yeonhwa—who was still standing after countless battles.
“Haa… haa…”
She had been fighting alone for hours—physically and mentally exhausted.
But still…
‘If I fall, oppa and the others will be in danger.’
A small elite force only had meaning if each member could fight as a hundred.
She couldn’t stop now.
[Yoo Yeonhwa activates Taecheong Hwarang Style – ‘Never Retreat in Battle’!]
[Attack and Defense increase by 50% for 5 minutes!]
[After ‘Never Retreat in Battle’ ends, all stats will drop to 0!]
A last stand.
She would burn like a candle in her final five minutes.
Yeonhwa faced the oncoming monster head-on.
Her legs, honed through thousands of drills, cut through the air like blades.
Whuuuush!
Her kick sliced through the wind.
Boom!
A full-force 720-degree spin kick.
The pinnacle of Taekwondo—her strike slammed squarely into the beetle’s face.
Speed, timing, power—perfect.
But that was all.
“Grooaaaar!”
The beast flinched but barely slowed.
It spread its wings wide and raised its claws high.
“Ah…”
Yeonhwa’s eyes trembled.
The sharp claws glowed with deadly mana as they sliced across.
Then—
[Spatial Movement complete.]
A brief message appeared.
BOOOOOM!
A thunderous impact unlike anything before resounded.
The beetle’s chest was caved in.
The shockwave tore through the air, smashing into buildings beyond.
“You held out well, Yeonhwa.”
“G… grandfather?”
Yu Chunyoung released his kicking stance and stood beside her.
“From here on, leave it to us.”
Rumble!
A terrifying aura burst from his body.
“Locking people away in the dark…! Isn’t that too cruel for a poor university freshman? The boss didn’t even bother visiting us once!”
“Hahaha! Our boss is a stickler for evaluations. Don’t take it too hard. I’m sure he’ll make it up to you later. Isn’t that right?”
“Of course. He’s the one who took me from the bottom and made me a guild master. I’m expecting bonuses, promotions, and a sweet vacation too.”
Lee Yuri, Min Jeongwoo, Kim Heewoong, and countless other detained allies appeared.
Song Chunhwa’s teleportation had succeeded.
A massive reinforcement—now Yeonhwa no longer had to fight alone.
“Still… it won’t be easy. Even with Alice and the others doing their best, the Outbreaks are spreading too fast.”
“You don’t have to worry about that either. We’ve met a few friends willing to lend a hand.”
It wasn’t just Lee Changhee and Song Chunhwa who had arrived at the detention center.
Step. Step.
As the light of teleportation faded, more figures emerged.
The Japanese [Samurai Guild].
All 27 of their rankers were among the top 300 worldwide, and nearly a thousand more members were en route to Seoul.
Given that Tokyo itself was in an apocalyptic state, sending such forces was no small decision.
“Are you certain about this?”
Murata, the Samurai Guild’s No.3, asked anxiously.
Then—
“Have faith.”
Takeshi nodded firmly, unwavering.
He had already witnessed Jinhyuk’s feats and true identity.
“This war will end in victory for Lord Kang Jinhyuk… no, for Player Kang Jinhyuk.”
He was light. He was salt. The sole god who transcended humanity within the Tower.
For him, even such calamities were nothing but amusement.
And so—
A new variable joined the battlefield in Seoul.
—
“Ghhhk…”
“Kehek… urgh…”
Burning thirst and sinking sand swallowed everything.
“Grrr! Grrr!”
“Arf! Arf!”
And among them—thousands of jackal soldiers, apostles of death.
The Egyptian warriors—one of the Tower’s great powers—swept through Indra’s army like a tidal wave.
Even the elite thunder soldiers could not escape, trapped so perfectly.
If this continued, it would be annihilation.
For all but Indra, there was no chance of survival.
“T-that can’t be…”
“There was no sign of teleportation! When did they bring them here?”
No one could understand what had just happened.
“This is fascinating. I never expected anyone besides Vishnu to be so skilled with barriers.”
Brahma let out a wry chuckle, acknowledging the blow.
It stung badly—but rather than anger, he felt a rare flicker of admiration.
Through countless battles, never had his defenses been pierced so completely.
Still.
The priority was to minimize losses.
He could afford to lose soldiers—but losing both Rudra and Indra on the very first day of war? Unacceptable.
“Ganesha.”
“Yes!”
“I’ll give you one hundred thousand men. Lead them, retrieve Indra, and retreat to the temple. Sacrifice everyone if you must, but bring Indra back alive.”
“You’re retreating? After just one exchange? We still—”
“I know it’s nothing more than a mosquito bite. But there’s no need to dive headfirst into a hornet’s nest.”
He had already established a backdoor to the outside.
In time, Unknown and the Operators would send the S-rank bosses into this mental world.
When that happened, the power gap would only widen further.
And soon, through that same rift, [Asura] and his army of demon beasts would arrive.
A force equal to the greatest gods themselves—a true army of slaughter.
‘No matter how monstrous he is, even he can’t stand against an endless horde.’
Brahma turned away without hesitation.
He planned to drag this into a prolonged war of attrition, striking relentlessly and without rest.
And from afar, Jinhyuk bit his lip as he watched.
‘Still calm as ever.’
He’d hoped to bait Brahma into overextending, but the man had cleanly accepted defeat.
Typical Brahma—too composed to be provoked.
He regretted not being able to inflict heavier losses, but Brahma’s retreat direction gave him a new target.
‘Heading toward the temple… that means he’s preparing to meet Asura.’
Although technically allies, Asura—the embodiment of rage—was impossible to control. To keep him in check, one of the three supreme gods—Brahma, Shiva, or Vishnu—had to act as a stabilizer.
But concentrating their forces there meant…
Another part of their line would be left exposed.
‘The First Lotus.’
A divine relic symbolizing eternity itself—used by countless gods as a primary source of mana.
If he could seize it…
He could pull the entire flow of this war to his side.