Episode 11: The Grand Scheme / Chapter 188: Dark Clouds (3)

TL: emptycube / ED: Obelisk

Grit.

She ground her teeth so hard it seemed she would bite her tongue. Blood ran between Mack’s lips. Surging lightning crackled as it evaporated the blood flowing from her mouth.

Vice-Commander-in-Chief of the Event Horizon Troop, Kalon, glanced at Mack as he mumbled,

“The monsters… Are still using dragons as weapons…?”

“Yes, they degraded and made us into living bombs.”

Mack said, her voice was laced with uncontrollable rage.

A large part of the dragon race’s ruin was due to other tribes’ disinterest, but the monsters played a large part as well. They tenaciously targeted the dragons. Not created by flames, machinery, dark matter, or a group intelligence, the dragon race were the most powerful lifeforms of blood and flesh. The monsters used dragon bodies as materials to create various weapons like the Planet Destroying Stake used just now.

As he could sympathize with her fierce spirit since he too was the descendant of an extinct species, Kalon didn’t say anything and excused himself.

‘This isn’t something that can be comforted with words.’

Though he understood her feelings, he was an outsider in the end. Kalon didn’t look at Mack any longer, fixing his gaze on the monsters, because he knew this better than anyone else.

Mack felt sorry because she felt like she vented to the wrong person, but it was only for a moment as her vision was now filled with monsters that would be killed soon enough.

Yet, the situation was good.

“Haaa… They appeared as expected.”

Baek Seoin, who had been silently looking at the frontlines, held his head.

At some point, Choi Hyuk’s appearance, which had clearly been running amok at the front, split into fragments and couldn’t be seen clearly. Instead, various indiscernible images of round and square objects filled his mind, making him confused.

He was referring to one thing.

“Transcendent monsters have appeared.”

When Baek Seoin turned around after saying this, there were no longer any transcendent warriors standing behind him.

They had already disappeared in order to deal a severe blow to the newly appeared transcendent monsters.

“Haa… We’re screwed.”

Baek Seoin held his head again. Their judgment wasn’t wrong considering Choi Hyuk had already been exposed, but this progression of events was the worst since there was no doubt the other side would have more transcendents than them.

“Now… We can only rely on our individual capabilities.”

Baek Seoin mumbled as if resigning himself to this situation. He bit his lips as he unsheathed his sword. The longsword, ‘Baek Seoin’s Premonition’, revealed its mirror-like blade that reflected the universe. A chill shined in Baek Seoin’s eyes.

Baang!

It was as he expected.

The three who were rushing towards Choi Hyuk were ambushed before they could reach him. The monsters clearly had the advantage.

Three Exalted-Wing-level monsters ambushed Choi Hyuk, and seven transcendent-level monsters, who were similar in power to the top 100 of the alliance ranking, attacked the three transcendent warriors who were rushing to save Choi Hyuk.

The unfavourable battle began at a disadvantage.

**

“Nice to meet you. You can call me Jae{1}.”

It was a casual voice that accompanied a casual ambush.

Jae looked like an eight-year-old boy and wielded a pointy broadsword that looked rusted. It had suddenly appeared behind Choi Hyuk and swung its sword.

When Choi Hyuk dodged its attack by a hair’s breadth, it smiled as it blew on him. Brown smoke blew and permeated Choi Hyuk’s body.

‘Huh?’

Though it was unbelievable, Choi Hyuk felt dizzy.

However, Jae didn’t give him a chance to examine his body.

Kwe stood at the back due to its injuries from last time as it changed the course of the nearby monsters.

The monsters were more closely connected than the previous time when they had used the chain-link strategy.

The monsters attacked Choi Hyuk as an enormous wave.

A sea of tens of thousands of eyes filled with killing intent and teeth and claws that could rip one to shreds swarmed towards him. There seemed to be no point in differentiating whether a monster was of the high or highest-rank. It was simply a cosmic disaster.

Rooar!

Monsters within this wave were crushed by other monsters as it continued to advance faster and faster.

Choi Hyuk endured this spell of dizziness as he pushed his sword into this disaster.

With smooth movements as if churning cream, ‘Choi Hyuk’s Denial’ passed through the monsters’ bones, flesh, and teeth. He broke the wave of monsters up as though he was slaughtering animals.

Puahaha!

Hudrdrdrk!

Though the monsters pushed forward like a landslide, the moment they arrived in front of Choi Hyuk, the wave was ripped to shreds and scattered like a drizzle.

Choi Hyuk calmly wielded his sword while feeling dizzy. His eyes suddenly widened.

“Keuk!”

Baang!

A heavy strike had been hidden behind the wave.

Choi Hyuk barely managed to block it with the side of his sword. Though he blocked it, the side of his sword was pushed back against his stomach. His body bent like a twig against the impact to his abdomen.

“Wow! You weren’t pierced through? It was really powerful this time. Anyways! I’m Myeol!”

It was at this moment Choi Hyuk realized that Jae’s attacks and Kwe’s attacks from behind were all in preparation for Myeol’s attack.

It had used the fact that Choi Hyuk’s focus had become hazy from Jae’s attack to hide and ride in the wave of monster to increase its momentum and punch Choi Hyuk’s abdomen.

Kiririiiiik!

‘Choi Hyuk’s Denial’, which couldn’t break, buckled under the impact as it groaned.

“Kaff!”

Blood gushed from Choi Hyuk’s mouth. However, even in this situation, Choi Hyuk didn’t bat an eye as he stared directly at Myeol, who had punched him.

“Wow… Thrilling eyes!”

Flash!

For 0.0001 seconds, no, in an instant even shorter than that, Choi Hyuk lost consciousness.

‘Did it… punch my chin?”

His head turned back. The right side of his chin throbbed as though it was shattered. His body was flung back, unable to withstand the impact. Only after understanding this did Choi Hyuk realize that he had been hit. While it was for an extremely short instant, Choi Hyuk had lost consciousness. His physical body from when he was human was simply a shell now. His body now moved using karma, yet he fainted? Whether this made sense or not, Choi Hyuk sighed in sincere admiration.

‘Ha…’

It was the first time he had experienced this. To think that he would lose consciousness after taking a blow from his opponent during a fight? This didn’t happen even when he faced Narci, a highest-ranked monster, when he was a high-ranked warrior.

The monster known as Myeol was of similar strength to Choi Hyuk. Even if he considered that it had Kwe and Jae’s assistance, its punch just now contained unbelievable talent.

“Haa… You blocked that too?”

However, it wasn’t only Choi Hyuk who sighed in admiration. Forgetting to attack Choi Hyuk again, Myeol alternated its gaze between its fist and Choi Hyuk as it sighed in admiration. Even in its perspective, its punch just now was perfect. Its punch just now was the most covert, most destructive, and most timely punch it had thrown since birth. Yet, Choi Hyuk blocked this with the side of his sword. Of course, he didn’t completely withstand the impact and fainted momentarily due to the blow to his chin.

‘I blocked it?’

Though Choi Hyuk was dazed by Myeol’s mumbling, it was true. If he hadn’t blocked it, that would have been the deciding blow.

Still, Choi Hyuk didn’t remember blocking it. It was either he blocked it unconsciously or he forgot after blocking it.

Whatever the case, it left a huge blow to his pride.

“Haaa…”

Choi Hyuk’s gaze became cold. A smile hung crookedly on his lips.

It felt like all the hairs on his body were raised and each cell had eyes. A powerful awakening controlled him. The pure, savage emotions Choi Hyuk had always suppressed were released without any restriction as they ran amok.

He wasn’t the type to talk a lot during a fight, but without being aware of it, his mouth spoke with a pretentious air,

“It hurts?”

Choi Hyuk didn’t know what he was saying after experiencing this feeling for the first time during a fight.

Myeol was the first rival he had met in his life.

**

Blaaze!

A white light shined from Lee Jinhee’s raised sword, illuminating its surroundings. ‘Lee Jinhee’s Vow’ was notifying her that Choi Hyuk needed her help.

‘I need to protect him! …But how?’

The situation was different from before. ‘Lee Jinhee’s Vow’ only shined, it was unable to show her a path. Lee Jinhee thought she knew the reason. While she wasn’t certain, there was no doubt there were at least two Exalted-Wing-level monsters attacking Choi Hyuk. There was also no doubt that she would die a dog’s death if she rushed in to help Choi Hyuk.

‘Then what about the other transcendent warriors?’

Helping them was also impossible. The most rational scenario was where they quickly defeated their enemies and went to help Choi Hyuk, but joining a fight between three transcendent warriors and seven transcendent monsters would be a one-way ticket to dying a dog’s death.

‘Lee Jinhee’s Vow’ didn’t know what to do as it simply shined brightly.

Baek Seoin shouted at Lee Jinhee, who didn’t know what to do,

“There’s no other way now! We need to protect the 13 stars no matter what! If our defensive line remains intact, the transcendent monsters will weaken to a degree! Our duty is to protect the 13 stars so none of them are destroyed!”

Blaaze!

The light shining from ‘Lee Jinhee’s Vow’ surged as if saying he was right. Lee Jinhee bit her lips.

‘What vow…’

She was quite proud when she had helped him in his fight against Kwe last time, but this was the worst. Who was protecting who when she couldn’t even get near the fight between transcendents. Rather than being of direct assistance, she could only use the most roundabout method of all the roundabout methods to help Choi Hyuk.

Though she ridiculed herself, she ground her teeth.

Even if she was upset, she had to endure it. Now was the time to fight with all her strength.

Baek Seoin rushed towards the front and Lee Jinhee followed behind him. Mack was already way out in front of them. There was no point in differentiating the front and rear lines.

**

In the all-out war where there was no distinction between the front and rear lines, Shiro desperately tried to stop Chu Youngjin.

“It’s not logical!”

Her usual stiff voice was nowhere to be heard. She screamed like a child.

“We can only protect the defensive line! That’s the best we can do! You’ll die a dog’s death if you go there! As we are now, we can’t even perceive a battle between transcendents!!”

Chu Youngjin and Shiro naturally followed along when the Event Horizon Troop joined Dragonic. Chu Youngjin didn’t even glance towards Choi Hyuk’s fight so that his relationship with him wouldn’t be exposed.

However, what caught his attention was a different problem on the battlefield. He couldn’t take his eyes off the hellish fight happening between the three transcendent warriors and the seven transcendent monsters.

He was completely entranced by it, like a moth rushing towards a flame despite knowing it would burn to death.

He was fascinated by the overwhelming violence that seemed like it could rip him to shreds just by looking at it.

This was a type of mental illness.

He had been traumatized when he powerlessly watched his girlfriend, the dearest person in his life, being brutally murdered.  After that day, Chu Youngjin hated violence more than anyone, but he was also engrossed by it. Those without hope were bound to resemble what they hate.

Also, the fight between transcendents was the most perfect violence in the world.

“No! You can’t!”

Shiro blocked Chu Youngjin’s path with her body. Him acting recklessly wasn’t uncommon so Shiro had even begun matching his rhythm and fighting alongside him. This time, she couldn’t. She couldn’t lose him like this.

Shiro held him back with the resolve to beat him down if she had to.

“Where are you trying to go?! When you can’t even see them!”

Shiro screamed deafeningly.

However, the next moment, she lost her hold on him.

“Huh?”

She couldn’t ‘perceive’ how Chu Youngjin escaped her grasp.

“I see it. No… I think I see it.”

What resounded in her ears was Chu Youngjin’s voice, who seemed to be dreaming.

“No… Just what are you saying!”

Whoosh!

“Huh?”

Shiro was about to refute his words, but she lost sight of him again.

No matter where she looked, she couldn’t see him.

Her gaze instinctively turned towards the fight between the three transcendent warriors and the seven transcendent monsters.

“You… Crazy bastard!!”

Her cold, stiff face crumbled, almost about to cry.

{1} Jae – Disaster/Calamity

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