Chapter 89

# Chapter 89. Decisive Battle in Gangnam (2)

"Cheon Sangwoon."

"..."

"Lee Hyeonje and Kang Yujin's group have broken through Hannam Bridge and reached the Nonhyeon area."

"..."

Cheon Sangwoon sat on the rubble of a collapsed building.

Somun Gwang continued speaking to him.

"They'll probably enter Gangnam-daero soon."

"..."

"I'll lead the Royal Guard and stop them."

The Royal Guard.

After Somun Gwang firmly established himself as the number two figure in Cheon Sangwoon's organization...

He created this unit from only the most loyal and capable fighters.

"Is that all right?"

"..."

"Cheon Sangwoon."

"Ah."

"What did you say?"

Cheon Sangwoon raised his head like someone waking from a nap.

"Sorry."

"I wasn't listening at all."

"I thought you were deliberately ignoring me."

"Of course not."

"I was saying that I would take the Royal Guard and move out to stop Lee Hyeonje and Kang Yujin."

"Ah."

"So that's what you said."

Cheon Sangwoon nodded and smiled.

"You can send the Royal Guard."

"But you stay here."

"What?"

"Stay beside me."

"..."

"I should keep at least one trustworthy person near me."

"Who knows what might happen."

Somun Gwang blinked for a moment.

"U-Understood!"

"I won't leave your side, Cheon Sangwoon!"

"Don't overdo it."

Cheon Sangwoon rose.

"Lee Hyeonje and Kang Yujin will definitely reach me."

"Cheon Sangwoon..."

"We'll sweep them all away..."

"And accomplish our objective."

Cheon Sangwoon turned his head.

He looked at the overwhelming energy rising from underground...

And smiled.

"Yes."

"Our objective."

***

Countless Constellations watched the Nonhyeon area through their observation devices...

Reacting in all sorts of ways.

─ Isn't Lee Hyeonje way too strong?

─ He's wiping everything out with lightning!

─ That's Lee Hyeonje for you. Nobody beats him in wide-area suppression!

─ I thought he was overrated after seeing Yoon Miho beat him, but this is his real strength!

Lee Hyeonje was at the very front...

Crushing the battlefield.

Supported by the S-rank "Grand Preceptor of the Golden Whip"...

Who had once held a position among the Thunder Gods...

Lee Hyeonje could freely manipulate lightning.

Right now...

He was using the spiritually powerful Four-Tiger Evil-Slaying Sword to amplify his lightning and sweep away Cheon Sangwoon's subordinates.

"Lee Jukheon's performance is impressive."

"He suddenly seems much stronger."

"That's probably because he obtained Yoon Miho's sword."

"You think the difference in weapons is that large?"

"Yoon Miho's sword was certainly exceptional."

"Lee Jukheon always had extraordinary talent."

"But due to various circumstances..."

"He wasn't able to properly display it."

"Even after re-contracting with an S-rank Constellation?"

"He seemed to be training hard and improving."

"Lee Jukheon always carried an inferiority complex."

"He also felt he was falling behind people like Kang Yujin."

"That affected his swordsmanship negatively."

"So obtaining a good weapon restored his confidence?"

"Lee Jukheon is strongest when he is convinced that he has become stronger."

"Even though it was a surprise attack..."

"Defeating Yoon Miho would have greatly strengthened that confidence."

"So his confidence is making him even stronger."

Lee Jukheon moved swiftly...

Cutting down Cheon Sangwoon's subordinates one after another.

The sword in his hand...

Belonged to Yoon Miho, who had been considered the greatest swordswoman in the Capital Region.

He couldn't currently use its attribute-countering functions.

Still...

As a weapon forged at tremendous expense...

It displayed terrifying power even in its basic state.

[C-rank Constellation "Attendant Faster Than Light" applauds his tremendous growth.]

[B-rank Constellation "Archer Who Overcame Trials" cheers for him to keep fighting without giving up.]

[A-rank Constellation "Adventurous Sailor" finds it amusing that Seok Taejun is doing fairly well even without the Chimera.]

Even without the Chimera...

Seok Taejun was performing surprisingly well among the powerful fighters.

He had borrowed the spear-converted Durandal Replica from Kang Yujin...

And was displaying the spear techniques he had learned at the Hwaseong Sect.

"Joo Minha is as stable as ever."

"He's supporting the advancing allies perfectly."

"Even back in the central-western region..."

"He was already an excellent mage."

"He just wasn't widely known."

"Wouldn't re-contracting with an S-rank Constellation and increasing his Magic stat have helped too?"

"That certainly can't be ignored."

"But something else probably has an even greater effect."

"What?"

"His mentality."

"The more heroic his comrades become..."

"And the greater the hardship they face..."

"The stronger he becomes."

Joo Minha fought using his specialty...

Magic Bullet-Type Magic.

With a broad field of view...

He supported the entire battlefield.

He had recently spent most of his time reorganizing the Hwaseong Sect and had fewer chances to fight directly.

Even so...

His skill remained excellent.

─ Is this guy insane?

─ Have you ever seen anyone fight like that?

─ Never in my life.

─ This is beyond ridiculous.

─ He's crazy! Completely crazy!

─ Nobody can stop him anymore!

─ He's a god of destruction!

And then...

Kang Yujin advanced.

In his right hand...

A flail.

And in his left hand...

Another flail.

This time...

Kang Yujin had claimed Choi Cheolmin's flail as spoils of war.

He was now using it together with the flail he had always carried.

In other words...

An unprecedented dual-flail fighting style.

Holding two weapons that ordinary people could barely lift...

Kang Yujin destroyed everything in his path.

***

Things are going smoothly.

Princess Longji nodded as she watched the observation device from her throne.

Who would have imagined Cheon Sangwoon's Royal Guard would collapse this easily?

Every member of the defensive line Cheon Sangwoon had established in Nonhyeon was at least A-rank.

And yet...

They were being helplessly crushed by Kang Yujin's group.

Kang Yujin is fighting very well.

And Lee Jukheon seems much more confident now that he has a new weapon.

How nice.

Princess Longji smiled brightly as she watched the Contractors she favored.

When the two exchanged glances...

Swapped positions...

And performed coordinated attacks together...

She cheered and manipulated the observation device.

[You sponsor Contractor "Kang Yujin" with 10 million Coins.]

[You sponsor Contractor "Lee Jukheon" with 10 million Coins.]

She had already spent quite a lot of Coins since yesterday...

But she didn't regret it at all.

"Hehehe."

"They work so well together today too."

"Hehehe..."

"You're making strange noises by yourself again, Princess Longji."

"Eek?!"

Princess Longji jumped at the sudden voice beside her.

"Where did your usual dignity and elegance go?"

"Even when you're alone..."

"Please maintain at least the minimum level of grace."

"D-Don't spy on someone while they're enjoying their hobbies!"

"The moment I connect the communication, your face appears."

"What do you want me to do?"

"If you don't like it, change your settings."

Princess Longji shouted with a bright red face.

Wen Zhong responded coldly.

"Seo Youngmi isn't with you right now."

"You must have plenty of free time."

"Well..."

"That's true."

Seo Youngmi was visible on the observation screen.

But that was actually Daji in disguise.

The real Seo Youngmi was somewhere else.

There wasn't really anything Princess Longji needed to support at the moment...

So she was simply watching Kang Yujin's group in Nonhyeon.

"At this rate..."

"They'll enter Gangnam-daero within thirty minutes."

"That's where Cheon Sangwoon and Somun Gwang are waiting."

Princess Longji scrolled south.

Following the direction of Kang Yujin's group...

She reached a street lined with skyscrapers.

"There aren't many troops there."

"Do they think Cheon Sangwoon and Somun Gwang alone are enough?"

"Do you think so?"

"Is there something else?"

Maybe they were relying on the fourth beast...

And therefore had stationed only a small force.

But the fourth beast still hadn't appeared.

It seemed to need more time.

So what was going on?

"The underground area beneath Gangnam-daero is hidden from our observation."

"Even Apostles can't enter."

"That's true."

"Cheon Sangwoon was probably researching the beast there."

"It may not be only that."

"What?"

"There may be a trap."

"...!"

Princess Longji hurriedly examined Gangnam-daero again.

Now that Wen Zhong had said it...

The deployment did feel slightly unnatural.

"Cheon Sangwoon's side must have predicted that once the fourth beast began manifesting..."

"Enemies would gather at Gangnam-daero."

"What if they prepared for that in advance?"

"Then..."

If Kang Yujin's group walked into that trap...

They would be in danger.

And fighting Cheon Sangwoon...

One of the strongest Contractors in the Capital Region...

While already compromised...

Would be suicide.

"We need to warn them somehow!"

"Are you joking?"

"You intend to tell Contractors where the trap is?"

"They aren't even your own Contractors."

"T-Then we can tell the Nameless Constellation!"

"He'll come up with something!"

Princess Longji immediately tried to establish communication.

But for some reason...

It wouldn't connect.

"What's going on...?"

"I haven't been able to reach him for a while either."

"What?"

Wen Zhong answered coldly.

"He probably noticed the trap before we did..."

"And moved to deal with it."

"So don't worry."

***

Cheon Sangwoon said that, but I need to make absolutely certain everything is prepared.

Somun Gwang thought as he descended underground.

This facility was originally built as an underground fortress in case Pandemonium attacked.

It already has defenses designed to repel approaching enemies.

For example...

Several nearby buildings concealed fixed turrets capable of firing magical projectiles similar to Magic Bullet-Type Magic.

The control room for those turrets was located inside this underground facility.

There were many other defensive installations too.

The entire system had been designed to annihilate enemies who entered the area without understanding what was hidden here.

We'll use that system to inflict a devastating blow.

If Lee Hyeonje and Kang Yujin's group rushed here...

The system would activate at the perfect moment.

Once trapped...

They would be attacked by Cheon Sangwoon and Somun Gwang...

And subdued instantly.

I need to inspect everything one more time.

He had to speak with the control room personnel...

Explain the situation again...

And ensure they were ready to achieve the greatest possible result.

He also needed to check the condition of the three beasts.

There was plenty to do underground.

As the one who supports Cheon Sangwoon...

I need to handle everything.

Somun Gwang was the number two figure in Cheon Sangwoon's faction.

He preferred to personally oversee everything.

Even tasks that could have been delegated...

He still tried to perform the final checks himself.

That was how deeply ingrained his habit of devoting himself to Cheon Sangwoon had become.

For Cheon Sangwoon's victory...

With those thoughts...

Somun Gwang passed through the complicated security systems.

When he reached the control room...

The door automatically opened.

"Everything normal?"

Somun Gwang stepped inside.

Immediately...

He inhaled sharply.

"...!"

Every subordinate who should have been sitting at their station...

Was collapsed on the floor.

And instead...

A single man stood with his back to Somun Gwang...

Operating the equipment.

"Who are you?!"

Somun Gwang was shaken.

This wasn't a place just anyone could enter.

Even among Cheon Sangwoon's subordinates...

Only a very small number knew this facility existed.

Who could possibly have infiltrated all the way here?

"..."

The man slowly turned around.

He wore a white shirt.

He had a thin build.

"...!"

The moment Somun Gwang saw his face...

His body trembled.

"Y-You..."

The man's hair color had changed from before.

His facial features also looked slightly different.

Someone unfamiliar with him might not have realized they were the same person.

But Somun Gwang recognized him immediately.

"You're..."

Those eyes...

As though they could see through everything.

Eyes filled with a will that refused to break.

Those hadn't changed at all.

Somun Gwang had never forgotten them.

After all...

He was the one who had secretly schemed against this man and driven him out of Gangnam.

All because he had been jealous of the special treatment Cheon Sangwoon gave him.

"Why..."

"Why are you here now?!"

Somun Gwang shouted as though screaming...

At the nameless Contractor who had once been linked to a D-rank Constellation.