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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Rain Over the Waves - Part 6
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Seo Eun-ha—she was like a bolt of lightning.
Shrouded in radiance, she shot forward like a beam of light and toppled five Haunted Armors in an instant.
In the sight of her back, the search party members saw a powerful glimmer of hope.
"Wow, so that's Attack Platoon Leader Seo Eun-ha in combat… I've only ever heard stories."
It was the first time they had seen it, and they couldn't help but be astonished.
Of course, they had heard all about it from the officers in the Attack Platoon who operated alongside her.
According to Sergeant Kang Ik-jun, the platoon's sniper,
Lieutenant Seo Eun-ha's fighting style was closer to a 'berserker' than a 'paladin'…
"It was true…"
He felt like he finally understood what that meant.
Ahn Min-tae stared blankly for a moment before snapping back to his senses and raising his shield.
"Alright! We follow the platoon leader and provide covering fire!"
Maintaining their defensive formation, they advanced cautiously, following Seo Eun-ha.
The light emanating from her body pushed back the darkness, allowing them to press forward into hell itself.
They stayed in a tight-knit group, picking off the zombies that swarmed them from all sides.
"They're coming from the right!"
"—Concentrate fire!"
Before long, a trail of over a hundred zombies lay behind them like laundry hung out to dry.
'…We can do this! We can do it this time, too!'
When he first saw this hellscape, he had honestly thought it was hopeless. But the moment the two most famous Players of the 1st Battalion unleashed their true power, everything was turned on its head.
'Lieutenant Seo Eun-ha is incredible, but Sergeant Choi Young-jun is no slouch either.'
To their right, among the trees, Choi Young-jun's battle was unfolding.
"—Gak!"
The fedora-wearing vampire who had boldly charged in, vowing revenge on Choi Young-jun, was now hopping back on one leg, while Choi Young-jun pursued him relentlessly, swinging his blade.
*Shwaack!*
An upward slash tore through the creature's right shoulder, leaving it dangling all the way to the shoulder blade. The creature had no choice but to leap back and flee. They had only crossed blades twice, but it was already severely wounded.
'A clear difference in skill.'
He had seen Choi Young-jun fight many times, but he had always overwhelmed his enemies so completely that it was impossible to gauge his true strength. And this time was no different.
"We can really do this!"
Ahn Min-tae cheered without even realizing it.
If they could just keep pushing like this, everything would end smoothly.
'To think we can survive even in a hell like this… it's a miracle!'
Having those two powerhouses in the same battalion was nothing short of a miracle.
And yet…
*BOOM!*
A sudden explosion from somewhere brought Ahn Min-tae's thoughts to a halt.
"Ugh!"
The search party members reflexively dropped to a low stance.
Flames erupted from the darkness ahead.
Something flew through the air toward them.
*Thud—*
"Huh?"
…It was Seo Eun-ha.
A stream of crimson blood trickled down her forehead.
The corners of Ahn Min-tae's mouth slowly turned down.
"Pl-Platoon Leader?"
"Get… back… Re…treat…"
But for some reason, the radiance had vanished from her body.
"Right, your name isn't famous for nothing, is it?"
A woman's voice echoed from the darkness.
"Did you think I wouldn't know about that incredible skill of yours? That's why…"
Four arms sprouted from the woman's back.
One of them was clutching something that emitted a black light.
"…I came fully prepared with a second gift."
*Whirrrrr—*
It was a necklace.
The necklace was emitting a strange noise, pushing back the radiance that Seo Eun-ha projected.
- Warning! The curse of 'Gregory Azazel' is spreading! All holy power in the area is being suppressed!
"Ugh! Of all the things… an artifact of a fallen angel…"
In Judaism, the 'Grigori' were an order of fallen angels, and 'Azazel' was their leader. They were beings who once wielded holy power but betrayed it to serve the forces of darkness. An 'artifact of a fallen angel,' based on such lore, was an anti-holy power item.
Simply put, it was an Achilles' heel for Players who used holy skills.
Dark reddish stains were spreading over the white characters inscribed on Seo Eun-ha's armor, shield, and greatsword. The white light dimmed, and her power waned.
Seo Eun-ha struggled to her feet and staggered forward.
"Hngh, ugh…"
But with her holy power restricted, there was no way she could use her full strength.
*Thump— Thump—*
Three Haunted Armors strode toward the stumbling woman.
For some reason, they seemed even larger now.
As if they would crush Seo Eun-ha to death at any moment…
Even Choi Young-jun's situation was taking a turn for the worse.
He had just succeeded in severing all of the fedora-wearing vampire's limbs.
But then, black smoke began to seep from the severed parts, starting to replace the lost flesh.
"…What, smoke?"
If it took the form of smoke, Choi Young-jun's blade alone wouldn't be able to cut it.
The next moment, the smoke enveloped the fedora vampire's entire body…
*Whoooosh—*
"Huh? Sergeant Choi Young-jun! Watch out—!"
It transformed into a single gust of wind and engulfed Choi Young-jun.
His body was lifted into the air.
And just like that, Choi Young-jun was swallowed by the black smoke and vanished far into the forest.
"…"
They had no way of knowing what was happening to him now.
Their two beacons of hope had been extinguished at the same time.
"Ah, what just happened all of a sudden…"
"Now… what are we… what are we going to do?"
The search party members felt their hearts not just sink, but plummet.
"We're all dead."
"We have to r-run, now…"
Panic began to set in.
"Hey! Snap out of it and raise your weapons!"
"Ah…"
"We have to keep fighting! Zombie horde at 11 o'clock, they're coming again!"
They turned to face the enemies before them, reflexively raising their weapons.
It was all they could do.
But they all knew that if even those two couldn't succeed, there was no hope.
"Gasp! Oh no, it's coming this way!"
*Thump— Thump— Thump— Thump—*
While Seo Eun-ha was struggling against three Haunted Armors, two others turned toward them.
"Fire! Fire!"
Arrows imbued with holy power were loosed in a volley.
*Ting— Ting—*
But they barely scratched the massive suits of armor.
"Aaargh!"
"No! Run!"
*Thump— Thump—*
The shadow of the approaching behemoth fell over the tankers.
Ahn Min-tae looked up at it and raised his shield.
"W-We're screwed."
This is it. I'm really dead this time.
The thought crossed his mind.
He was pretty sure this was the second time he'd felt this way today.
The first time, Sergeant Choi Young-jun had appeared like a miracle.
But now, he was gone, blown far away.
Hoping for another miracle like that was, frankly…
*Thwack—*
"…Huh?"
At the sound of a loud impact, Ahn Min-tae cautiously lowered his shield.
*Gonggg—*
The empty suit of armor began to resonate with a clear, ringing sound, as if it were a giant bronze bell.
The reason was a silver rod lodged in its chest plate, vibrating intensely.
*Kieeeeee—*
A shriek. The evil spirit within the Haunted Armor howled.
It was holy power. That mysterious rod was imbued with holy power.
The creature dropped its weapon and tried to pull the rod out, but…
*Thwack— Thwack— Thwack—*
Three more flew in and embedded themselves in different parts of the armor.
More holy power coursed through the armor's interior.
Unable to bear it any longer, black smoke burst from its joints, and the armor collapsed to its knees.
*Kooong—*
The evil spirit had voluntarily abandoned the Living Armor.
"Isn't that… one of those stakes?"
A few of the search party members recognized it.
Just then, behind them, lights began to flicker on one by one in the dark forest.
Flashlights mounted on weapons.
A large number of A.M.T soldiers stood tall in the darkness.
"Reinforcements!"
And the man at their head was, of course, Lee Hyun-wook.
"Ah! Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook!"
Ahn Min-tae cried out before he knew it.
His voice was choked with emotion.
Right, he had momentarily forgotten.
The one man who should have been thriving more than anyone in this hell…
Lee Hyun-wook had yet to make his appearance.
He approached and placed a hand on Ahn Min-tae's shoulder.
"Ahn Min-tae, get a grip. It's not over yet."
"Ah! Yes, sir!"
Feeling his morale surge, Ahn Min-tae raised his shield high.
"What are you all doing? Get ready to fight again!"
At his shout, the search party members who had been backing away moved forward once more.
The reinforcements that had arrived with Lee Hyun-wook began to form ranks on either side of them.
They were female soldiers from the 2nd Company, most of them Mage-class Players.
"Alright! Stay sharp and prepare the Link magic!"
A short female sergeant shouted, leading the group.
It was Kim Se-hee, the most famous soldier in the 2nd Company.
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-wook slowly surveyed the battlefield while reading the system message appearing before his eyes.
- You can secure 'Master Authority' over this Living Armor.
* Due to your low 'Control', it may not function properly!
The message had appeared the moment the Haunted Armor was defeated.
Living Armor was a combat weapon designed through magic, a sort of auto-hunting item.
Typically, mages would use 'Control Magic' to secure master authority over them.
'But there's an easier way: using Control.'
Control was one of the rarest and most powerful Player abilities.
There was Inferno, who controlled flames.
Park Jun-mo, who controlled electricity.
Necromancers, who controlled death.
And Lee Hyun-wook, who controlled metal. In the system's eyes, his 'Metal Control' was a master key that could secure 'Master Authority' over a Living Armor.
'Take control.'
At his command, the various magic circles engraved on the surface of the fallen Living Armor began to glow. They lit up in sequence like a machine booting up, and then, a pair of cold blue eyes ignited.
*Thud—*
It rose to its feet and stood tall before Lee Hyun-wook.
- You have secured 'Master Authority' over the Living Armor.
"…You really brought some nice toys with you."
Lee Hyun-wook suppressed a smile.
"L-Lee Hyun-wook?"
It was Seo Eun-ha's voice. She was already a complete wreck.
"I was almost a little late this time, but I made it just in time."
"You! Is this any time for jokes? Ugh…"
As she swayed, on the verge of collapsing, Lee Hyun-wook rushed to support her.
Just then, his eyes met those of the woman standing in the distant darkness.
"Ah, so you're the other one who killed Oh Gwang-muk… Finally decided to show up, have you?"
Lee Hyun-wook knew who she was.
'Carol Choi, leader of the Five Butchers.'
She was one of the minions of Ki Baek-jun, the Blood Lord's second child.
A vampire who could also wield death magic, giving her control over the undead.
Though, of course, she was nothing compared to a true commander of the dead, a Necromancer…
*Kueeehhh…*
Behind her, in the wide valley, a swarm of green lights gathered.
"Quite a crowd you've gathered."
Lee Hyun-wook began to walk toward them.
"Looks like you were about to throw a grand party, but I'm sorry, I'll have to intrude."
"Hmph. I suppose you know your heads are what's on the menu for this party?"
Carol dropped her cigarette to the ground and crushed it with her foot.
But Lee Hyun-wook didn't even spare her a glance.
His attitude made it clear he considered her beneath his notice.
He simply walked forward and tilted his head to look at the sky.
"…Looks like it's going to rain. Do you have an umbrella?"
Carol tilted her head at the rather random comment.
"…What are you talking about?"
"If you don't, that's a shame… because I think it's time to wrap this party up."
As he spoke, Lee Hyun-wook raised a hand.
As if on cue, the mages of the 2nd Company all raised their wands and staves.
Sergeant Kim Se-hee's voice rang out.
"Now! Link!"
Link, a spell that summoned magic cast elsewhere.
Fifteen mages drew magic circles in unison, and fifteen beams of light shot up into the sky.
*Cra-a-ack—*
The beams converged and merged at a single point.
Everyone looked up at it.
*Woooong—*
A circular ripple appeared in the middle of the dark sky.
Then, as if a lid were being opened in the heavens, a faint light began to leak through.
"It's a portal."
A Portal was a dimensional tunnel, a door connected to 'somewhere' else.
"Rain… you say?"
Carol's eyebrow twitched. She finally seemed to sense the impending danger.
Just then, a voice crackled from the walkie-talkie on Lee Hyun-wook's shoulder.
*-Kshh- Wide-area magic from the battalion armory has been deployed!*
It was Major Moon Tae-ho, the Wide-Area Magic Controller.
"Yes, confirmed."
*-Kshh- But remember! The wide-area portal will only stay open for three minutes!*
"Yes, I know. And that's…"
Lee Hyun-wook slowly raised his left hand.
His target was the 'wide-area portal' that had opened in the sky.
He reached for it—
no,
for the things beyond it, grasping them across space itself.
"…more than enough for a downpour to wash away this filth."
With those words, his hand fell.
And from the portal, hundreds of streaks of light began to rain down.
*-Kshh- Deployment complete. Good luck.*
That day in Seoul, a rain of steel fell.
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