Chapter 44
Part 43
The Association commander immediately fell silent and nodded.
Step. Step.
Yugeon walked past the entire formation and stood alone directly in front of the Tower's entrance.
Thousands of people stood behind him.
There was nothing in front of him.
"Is that guy insane?"
"Won't he die immediately if he stands there?"
"But didn't he do the same thing in Mongolia?"
Whispers spread through the crowd.
Yugeon ignored them and checked his watch.
It should start any moment now...
At that moment...
RUMBLEEEEE!
The ground began to shake.
CRAAAAACK!
The Tower opened its enormous white mouth.
"It's really happening?"
"A Monster Wave is actually starting..."
The Awakeners stared at Yugeon in astonishment.
In truth, most of them hadn't believed his warning.
National Alert Authority?
They had assumed it was nothing more than a publicity stunt.
After all, how could anyone possibly know when a Monster Wave would occur?
When rumors spread that he had obtained the National Alert Authority from the Association, many people expected him to embarrass himself and disappear from public view.
But now...
Every Awakener present realized that Han Yugeon had been telling the truth.
"...What is that?"
Someone's voice trembled.
Purple smoke was rising from the bodies of the monsters pouring out of the Tower, drifting around them like a shimmering haze.
HISSSSS!
The asphalt beneath the monsters' feet began bubbling and melting.
"P-Poison!"
"Put on your anti-poison equipment! Everyone, put it on!"
"We don't have any! They never issued us any!"
The front of the formation immediately fell into disorder.
As the poisonous mist drifted toward them on the wind, the Awakeners began coughing and retreating.
"Ugh! My eyes...!"
"Fall back! I said fall back!"
"Mages! Put up your shields!"
Just like the future.
Yugeon narrowed his eyes as he watched the scene.
Inhaaaale.
He stepped forward and took a deep breath.
"?!"
"W-What the hell is he doing?!"
Alarmed shouts erupted behind him.
Han Yugeon was walking straight into the poisonous mist without any protective equipment.
Worse still, he was deliberately taking deep breaths.
"Haa."
Yugeon slowly exhaled.
Ding!
[Accumulated growth is being reflected in your stats.]
Internal Energy +1
Internal Energy +1
Internal Energy +1
...
"Nice, fresh air."
At the same moment...
WHOOOOOSH!
The purple poisonous mist spread across the area began flowing toward Yugeon.
It was as though he were standing at the center of an enormous whirlpool.
"..."
"..."
Everyone stared in disbelief.
The poison was clearing.
No.
It wasn't simply clearing.
It was being consumed by a single person.
"Grrrr?"
Even the monsters stopped in confusion.
"Come on. Spit out some more. I'm not full yet."
Shing.
Yugeon drew the Godslayer Sword.
Then...
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A completely different kind of vibration came from deep inside the Tower.
Step. Step.
A figure emerged through the entrance.
It had a humanoid shape, but its skin was covered in festering sores and seemed to be melting off its body.
A gigantic jar was strapped to its back.
Purple liquid constantly overflowed from the jar's opening.
[Lv. 52] Plague Lord Brugal
There you are.
Yugeon's eyes narrowed.
"...Was it you?"
Brugal glared down at Yugeon and ground his teeth.
"The insect that devours my breath."
"Your breath? Thanks for providing my meal."
"You arrogant..."
BOOOOM!
Brugal tilted the enormous jar on his back.
A tidal wave of purple liquid poured out.
It was a deadly poison capable of dissolving even bones on contact.
Before Yugeon's regression, that single attack had wiped out an entire city.
"Dodge!"
"Block it! Raise your shields!"
Desperate shouts erupted behind him.
But Yugeon didn't retreat.
Inhaaaale.
Instead, he took another step forward and inhaled deeply.
WHOOOOOSH!
The poisonous tidal wave changed direction before it could even touch the ground.
Every drop was drawn into Yugeon's body.
"Wh-What... is... this...?"
Brugal's eyes widened as though they might pop out of his head.
This was his Authority.
A plague he had cultivated over hundreds of years.
Yet that human was absorbing every last bit of it.
"Thanks. You've helped me replenish my internal energy."
Yugeon adjusted his grip on the sword.
"And now, goodbye."
Ding!
[You have activated Heaven-Annihilating One Sword.]
[Feat 1 has been consumed.]
FLASH!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A flash of light swept through the battlefield.
And that was all.
CRAAAAACK!
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Brugal's body split horizontally.
Even the enormous jar on his back was cut cleanly into two pieces.
The thousands of monsters gathered in front of the Tower's entrance also lost their upper bodies before they could even react.
BOOOOM!
"..."
"..."
A heavy silence settled over Incheon.
Thousands of Awakeners stood motionless, unable to utter a single word.
Swish.
Yugeon shook the blood from his sword and looked up at the sky.
The sky above Incheon, which had been stained purple...
Was already clear again.
That's Incheon taken care of.
Yugeon turned his head and looked south.
I wonder how things are going in Gwangmyeong.
"...There aren't as many people here as I expected."
Woojin looked around as he arrived in Gwangmyeong.
A defensive line had been established around the Tower.
However, it was nowhere near the size of the one they had seen in the news reports from Incheon.
There were twenty members of the Association's response team.
And one hundred guild members who had been hastily reassigned.
That was everyone.
Even those numbers had only been gathered because of Yugeon's message.
"You're right. There really aren't that many."
Mincheol adjusted his shield.
Too few.
There were far too few people.
He understood that there were multiple Towers scattered throughout the country, not just one in each region.
But even considering that, the number of defenders was much too small.
They probably don't believe it.
He believed in Yugeon.
So did Hwarin and Woojin.
All three of them trusted him completely, without the slightest doubt.
But other people were different.
Who would believe someone if they suddenly announced that another Monster Wave was coming?
In the forty years since the Towers appeared, only two waves had occurred.
There had technically been three if they included the recent one.
But that wave had ended so quickly after the boss died that it was almost embarrassing to call it a Monster Wave.
Of course they wouldn't believe another wave would happen just three weeks later.
Clench.
Mincheol tightened his fist.
Since things had turned out this way, the three of them would have to give everything they had.
For Yugeon's sake, if nothing else.
"Mincheol, someone's coming over."
At Hwarin's words, Mincheol turned his head.
Step. Step.
A middle-aged man wearing an Association vest was approaching them.
Several Awakeners with guild emblems followed behind him.
"Are you Awakener Cha Mincheol?"
"Yes, that's me."
"I'm Park Hyunwoo, leader of the Association's Second Response Team. I've been briefed on the situation. I understand that Awakener Han Yugeon has transferred his Independent Operational Authority to you."
"That's right."
"..."
Park Hyunwoo remained silent for a moment.
Then he cautiously spoke.
"May I ask what level you are?"
"..."
"Since you're one of Awakener Han Yugeon's companions, I'm sure your level is quite high. However, I still need to check as part of our procedures. I hope you won't take offense."
Mincheol displayed his level.
[Lv. 63]
"Huh...?"
"Hmm..."
The other Awakeners looked slightly surprised when they saw that his level was higher than expected.
Anyone above Level 50 was classified as a high-ranking Awakener.
And Korea did not have many high-ranking Awakeners.
Nevertheless, Mincheol's level was still lower than that of the deputy commanders belonging to the major guilds present.
"Team Leader, isn't this a little unreasonable?"
"Exactly. We have people at that level in our guild too. Why don't we get Independent Operational Authority?"
"Didn't Han Yugeon just go to Incheon himself and send his companions here so they could build up their experience?"
Whispers spread among the members of the different guilds.
After all, there was a considerable difference between being subject to someone else's command and having the freedom to operate independently.
Every other guild was currently under the Association's control.
Yet these three were allowed to act separately under the so-called Independent Operational Authority.
Naturally, some people were unhappy.
"You're going too far."
Woojin's expression turned cold.
His fingers began to twitch.
"Woojin."
Grab.
Mincheol placed a hand on Woojin's shoulder.
"It's fine."
"..."
"Team Leader."
"Yes?"
"Watch us for thirty minutes before making your decision."
"...Pardon?"
"If you still think we're unreliable after thirty minutes, I'll give up our Independent Operational Authority and follow your orders."
Mincheol's voice remained calm.
He could have invoked Yugeon's name right then.
He could have demanded to know why they were questioning an authority legitimately granted by Han Yugeon.
Or he could have silenced everyone by telling them to take their complaints directly to Yugeon.
If he did that, they would all shut their mouths.
But if I do that...
He would no longer be taking responsibility for the safety of his companions.
Yugeon had trusted him enough to place him in command.
What would be the point of that if he simply borrowed Yugeon's reputation to resolve every problem?
"...Understood."
Park Hyunwoo nodded.
When he withdrew with his subordinates, Woojin pursed his lips.
"Why did you just let that go? You could've said something to them."
"It wouldn't have changed anything."
"But..."
"Woojin, today's the first time we've met any of those people."
Mincheol looked across the defensive line.
"But in a little while, those people will be standing behind us. If we let our emotions get the better of us now, we'll be the ones who suffer."
"..."
"And Hyung entrusted this mission to us because he believes in us. If we act emotionally, we'll only end up making him look bad."
"...I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking things through."
Pat. Pat.
"It's fine. I was getting angry too, actually."
Hwarin smiled as she gently rubbed Woojin's hair.
At that moment...
RUMBLEEEEE!
The ground began to shake.
"It's starting!"
"Everyone! Get into formation!"
CRAAAAACK!
The Tower opened its enormous white mouth.
"Orcs!"
"There are Lizardmen too! On the right!"
A black tide began pouring out of the Tower.
Orc Infantry.
Gnoll Spearmen.
Goblin Slingers.
Twisted Lizardmen.
And above them, Harpies took to the sky.
"Maintain the formation! Don't let them push through!"
Park Hyunwoo shouted.
However, the defensive line began to buckle from the very first collision.
After all, there simply weren't enough people.
