Chapter 85

Chapter 85. Assault of the Eight Guardians (1)

[The Scenario has begun.]

Unlike Events and Quests...

The message announcing the Scenario was extremely simple.

There was no basic explanation.

No clear condition.

No reward.

Even so...

Kang Yujin understood instinctively.

This Scenario...

Could truly become an enormous event capable of changing the fate of the world.

Early morning.

Standing atop a ruined building...

Yoon Miho spotted the target.

"That cargo truck."

A box truck raced down the road.

Lee Hyeonje and the others had to be inside.

"I'll move first, Choi Cheolmin."

"Do whatever you want."

Before her partner even finished responding...

Yoon Miho jumped.

Using gravity...

She fell in a clean arc.

Her landing point...

Was exactly where the speeding truck would pass.

Checking the relative positions...

Yoon Miho placed one hand on the sword at her waist.

"..."

Yoon Miho didn't trust so-called "legendary swords."

She admitted they could possess mysterious powers...

But she couldn't understand why anyone trusted antiques forged hundreds or thousands of years ago.

What if the thing broke during battle?

That was why Yoon Miho used a specially manufactured modern sword.

Material Realm science.

Fantasy Realm magic.

Every available technology had been poured into it.

Only the finest materials were used.

It was a sword in the entire world...

Created solely for Yoon Miho.

The production cost exceeded ten billion Coins.

And that was merely the cost of this one finished sword.

The amount she had spent on repeated experiments and failures...

Was far higher.

Even for one of the Eight Guardians...

It was not a small amount.

But Yoon Miho had never once regretted spending it.

Because she believed the sword was worth it.

"..."

She could see a woman sitting in the driver's seat.

Seo Youngmi...

One of Lee Hyeonje's subordinates.

Seo Youngmi hurriedly stepped on the brakes.

But it was already too late.

Whoosh!

A sharp sound cut through the air.

The instant Yoon Miho landed on the road...

She swung her sword.

As always...

The sword felt light.

Because of that...

Yoon Miho could swing it many times in a single instant.

The result...

The cargo truck was torn apart.

Even after cutting through a huge mass of metal again and again...

There was barely any strain on Yoon Miho's wrist.

It was as easy as cutting a paper model with scissors.

Standing among the loudly scattering debris...

Yoon Miho frowned.

Seo Youngmi's body should have been cut in half.

But it was nowhere to be seen.

An illusion.

Yoon Miho immediately understood.

Seo Youngmi...

Contracted with the A-rank "Fairy Who Controls Water"...

Specialized in using water to confuse the enemy's vision.

She had never actually been sitting in the driver's seat.

Then...

Yoon Miho raised her head.

They were already outside the vehicle.

Six of them.

Just before Yoon Miho swung her sword...

Six Contractors had leaped from the roof of the truck.

Now...

They all rushed toward her.

Yoon Miho wasn't surprised.

Interesting.

A smile appeared on her lips.

It was time for the next attack.

There was no reason to bother with small fry anymore.

I'll take Lee Hyeonje first.

Choi Cheolmin can handle the rest.

With that thought...

Yoon Miho prepared to manifest her Constellation Armament.

Yoon Miho really attacked us...!

Lee Hyeonje bit his lip.

The Constellation was right!

Just moments ago...

Lee Hyeonje had finished communicating with the "Grand Preceptor of the Golden Whip."

Normally...

It was impossible to speak directly with one's Constellation.

But a Contractor receiving special treatment...

Could spend an enormous number of Coins...

And communicate through an Apostle.

I can't believe the Eight Guardians are collapsing like this...

What the Grand Preceptor told him...

Had been shocking.

Cheon Sangwoon was using three monsters...

Including the Chimera...

As substitutes for the beasts from the Book of Daniel.

He intended to summon the overwhelmingly powerful "fourth beast."

Then use its power...

To destroy the Eight Guardians system and seize control of the Capital Region.

Not only that.

Yoon Miho and Choi Cheolmin had most likely already joined Cheon Sangwoon.

We need to reach Gangnam quickly...

And stop Cheon Sangwoon!

Lightning wrapped around Lee Hyeonje's entire body.

He rushed toward Yoon Miho faster than anyone else.

But Yoon Miho avoided his attack with exquisite movement.

Even the lightning Lee Hyeonje released...

Failed to touch her.

As expected of Yoon Miho...!

The other five rushed in behind Lee Hyeonje.

But that didn't work either.

BOOM!

The ground shattered...

As a man landed directly beside Yoon Miho.

"Choi Cheolmin!"

"Long time no see, Lee Hyeonje."

The bronze-skinned man grinned.

One of the Eight Guardians.

An SS-rank Contractor linked to the S-rank Constellation "Hero King of Monstrous Strength."

Choi Cheolmin.

"Sorry."

"But you'll have to postpone your trip to Gangnam."

"Choi Cheolmin..."

"Why the hell did you side with Cheon Sangwoon?"

Lee Hyeonje glared at him.

"Cheon Sangwoon intends to destroy the Eight Guardians system and seize absolute power for himself."

"You're willing to accept that?!"

"What's wrong with it?"

"What?"

"An equal alliance between eight Contractors was unnatural from the beginning."

"Look at history."

"Systems like that always end up being broken apart..."

"By the strongest individual at the top."

Choi Cheolmin rubbed his chin.

"If that happens..."

"Cheon Sangwoon is most likely to seize control."

"So I told Cheon Sangwoon long ago..."

"That if things ever reached this point..."

"I'd side with him."

"That way..."

"Even if Cheon Sangwoon establishes a dictatorship..."

"I can secure my share."

"Choi Cheolmin..."

"What the hell are you...?!"

"Don't assume every Contractor is an idealist like you, honor student."

Looking at Choi Cheolmin's smile...

Lee Hyeonje clenched his fists.

"Yoon Miho."

"Do you feel the same way?!"

"I don't care about those things."

"But..."

Yoon Miho answered coldly.

"The Capital Region has been too peaceful."

"I simply hope..."

"Cheon Sangwoon's chaos gives me the chance to fight more violently."

"Ugh...!"

Choi Cheolmin was a realist who pursued only his own benefit.

Yoon Miho was a battle maniac who sought only the thrill of bloody combat.

Both types were common among Contractors.

But from Lee Hyeonje's perspective...

Neither could be tolerated.

"You people..."

Lee Hyeonje wanted to condemn them.

But there was no time.

And neither of them seemed interested in continuing the conversation.

"Choi Cheolmin."

"I'll take Lee Hyeonje."

"Then I'll handle the others."

After exchanging only a few words...

The two Eight Guardians moved.

They drew their weapons...

And revealed clear killing intent.

"Oh!"

"My god!"

"This is huge!"

"The Eight Guardians are really fighting each other!"

"This Scenario is incredible from the very beginning!"

"That's why Scenarios are the best!"

"Exactly!"

"The scale of the battles is completely different!"

"Are all the Constellations watching the Scenario looking at this right now?"

"At least a thousand."

"Maybe two thousand."

"Nothing has really started in Gangnam yet..."

"So everyone should be watching this!"

Reading the messages in the chat room...

Geumgak, one half of the B-rank Constellation "Golden and Silver Children"...

Could feel the excitement rising.

Even through the observation device...

It was obvious countless Constellations were watching with anticipation.

So many messages were appearing...

That the screen itself became difficult to see without changing the settings.

"Brother."

"Today looks like it's going to be fun."

"Yeah."

Geumgak answered his younger brother Eungak...

While adjusting the observation device to find the best possible angle.

Dozens of Apostles were broadcasting from the scene.

Finding the best viewpoint among them...

Was practically work in itself.

"But if it's Lee Hyeonje versus Yoon Miho..."

"Isn't the result obvious?"

"What are you talking about?"

"What's obvious?"

"Lee Hyeonje is one of the strongest Eight Guardians."

"He's said to rival Cheon Sangwoon."

"Yoon Miho might also be SS-rank..."

"But isn't she weaker than Lee Hyeonje?"

"Then Lee Hyeonje wins."

"Ah..."

"You really don't know much about the Eight Guardians."

"What?"

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Listen carefully."

"Among the Eight Guardians..."

"Cheon Sangwoon is the strongest."

"Lee Hyeonje is considered almost equal to him."

"So?"

"But if you ask..."

'Which Eight Guardian has the best chance of defeating Cheon Sangwoon or Lee Hyeonje?'

"The first name that comes up is Yoon Miho."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Didn't you just say Cheon Sangwoon and Lee Hyeonje are first and second?"

"Well..."

"At least when it comes purely to swordsmanship..."

"Yoon Miho is the best."

"That's why she's called the greatest swordswoman."

"Combat strength isn't decided only by swordsmanship."

"Correct."

"But Yoon Miho has more than swordsmanship."

"What?"

"Yoon Miho can seal away her opponent's advantages."

"That's why she has a chance to defeat either Cheon Sangwoon or Lee Hyeonje."

"What kind of power lets her do that...?"

"Of course..."

"She needs advance preparation."

"So under normal circumstances..."

"Cheon Sangwoon or Lee Hyeonje are much stronger."

What the chat room was saying...

Was correct.

If Yoon Miho knew in advance who she would fight...

And had enough time to prepare...

She had the potential to defeat any of the Eight Guardians.

That was precisely why...

Cheon Sangwoon had sent her to assassinate Lee Hyeonje.

Crackle!

The enormous lightning that could cover the world...

Scattered uselessly...

Without inflicting any damage on its target.

"You already know this, Lee Hyeonje."

"Ugh...!"

Listening to Yoon Miho's cold voice...

Lee Hyeonje bit his lip.

He had tried to drive her back with lightning as she rushed toward him...

But once again...

The lightning couldn't touch her.

"My sword isn't simply light and sharp."

"Yoon Miho..."

"By replacing its modules in advance..."

"I can maximize its resistance against a specific attribute."

"Today..."

"Naturally..."

"It's specialized against lightning."

That was the true ability of Yoon Miho's weapon.

When fighting a fire-attribute enemy...

It could be equipped with fire resistance.

Against ice...

Ice resistance.

Against lightning...

Lightning resistance.

Yoon Miho knew little beyond swinging a sword.

The reason she could still become an SS-rank Contractor...

Was entirely because of this weapon.

Of course...

It wasn't without drawbacks.

The greatest weakness...

Was that replacing a module required at least twenty-four hours.

But today...

Yoon Miho only needed to fight Lee Hyeonje.

She had been able to prepare in advance.

"No matter how much lightning you throw at me..."

"I can disperse it without a problem."

"I don't understand the exact principle myself."

"Maybe you should study physics...!"

"Sorry."

"I dropped out of high school."

"I don't know science."

"Unlike you..."

"Who went all the way through graduate school."

After answering coldly...

Yoon Miho raised her sword.

"We've talked enough."

"Let's start fighting seriously."

"...!"

Lee Hyeonje tensed.

He knew...

Yoon Miho's true combat power was about to emerge.

"Greatest knight..."

"Grant me your strength."

At that moment...

Blue energy wrapped around Yoon Miho's body.

Her long tied hair fluttered behind her.

Then...

Yoon Miho murmured.

"Arondight."

"Pseudo Manifestation."

Arondight.

The holy sword of the lake wielded by Lancelot...

The strongest Knight of the Round Table.

It was said to have slain a fire dragon.

This...

Was Lancelot's Constellation Armament.

Originally...

Yoon Miho could use higher stages than Pseudo Manifestation...

Including Imitation Manifestation and Limited Manifestation.

But Arondight was too large and heavy for her combat style.

So instead...

Yoon Miho used Pseudo Manifestation...

To grant the power of Arondight to her own sword.

What happened...

When one of the strongest swords in the Capital Region...

Received the power of Arondight?

"Die, Lee Hyeonje."

Along with Yoon Miho's cold voice...

A slash faster than lightning...

Swept toward Lee Hyeonje.

"Lee Hyeonje!"

"AAAH!"

Seo Youngmi tried to rush toward Lee Hyeonje...

But Choi Cheolmin struck her...

And sent her flying.

Seeing her arms and legs break from a single blow...

Everyone inhaled sharply.

"This..."

"Won't be easy."

Listening to Lee Jukheon's tense voice...

Kang Yujin glared at Choi Cheolmin.

"Don't even think about going to help Lee Hyeonje."

"I won't let you."

A giant flail rested in Choi Cheolmin's hands.

A metal ball the size of a human head...

Was attached to a thick chain.

Choi Cheolmin swung it at terrifying speed...

Dominating the entire area.

And his own movements...

Were extremely agile.

Even if someone avoided the flail and tried to approach...

He immediately responded...

Counterattacking with his huge fists.

"That man..."

"His fighting style resembles yours, Kang Yujin."

Listening to Joo Minha's calm voice...

Kang Yujin frowned.