A trick within a trick (1), A trick within a trick (2), A trick within a trick (3) and A trick within a trick (4)
beat, beat, beat.
Footsteps echoed softly in the quiet space.
Hyun was on his way down the stairs with Ain and Louise.
“Finally, the Regressor Guild has begun to move.”
In the silence, Ginny’s whispers were heard.
Thanks to the genie, Hyun was able to grasp the situation of Salon and Latisse while predicting the next move of the regressor guild.
“Are you moving this way?”
“Yes, almost certainly.”
‘also.’
We arrived at the 4th basement floor after going through a hundred meters of stairs.
It was a vast place where magic circles glowed everywhere, creating a mysterious atmosphere.
Hyeon whispered softly to Ain as he passed the pillars decorated in an antique style.
“Ah, don’t look around too much.”
“Uh, uh… ?”
“You look suspicious for nothing.”
According to Genie’s report, the Regressor Guild will arrive here soon.
No, someone might already be watching this way.
Now, instead of holding back the guild of regressors, they had to focus on imaginary quests.
“I’ll explain where this is later.”
Even so, Hyun understood that Ain was looking around.
She doesn’t even know what exists on the 4th basement floor.
Coming down here was unexpected.
Of course, he figured out the information in advance, but he did not tell the guild members the details.
It was because the operation could be carried out more efficiently if only the most important roles were informed.
But now that we’ve come this far, it’s probably necessary to briefly explain the situation to Ain.
Hyun gave a brief summary of information about the fourth basement level.
“There are war weapons of the Holy Kingdom in the basement of Zeturia Castle.”
“ordnance… ? Something like a weapon or a bomb?」
“no. It’s far more dangerous than that.”
While talking, the party continued walking.
After advancing for a long time in the tense silence, I was able to face a huge magic circle.
Waves of divinity flowing from the light leaking from the floor.
In the middle of that huge magic circle, there was a doll about 3 meters tall.
The thing that is still sleeping is the war weapon of the Holy Kingdom.
“Valkyrie… ?”
Suddenly, Ain murmured softly.
As the saying goes, the appearance of the doll holding the spear resembles the Valkyrie, which is said to be an angel’s limbs.
It probably would have looked exactly the same had it not been for its size much larger than that of a human.
“Oh, you see this here.”
“Do you know something?”
Louise seemed to know something about giant dolls.
In response to Hyun’s question, he explained what he knew.
“I’ve only heard rumors, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it myself. A doll in which the skills of a thousand people are concentrated… . He has the official name of Kratos, but people seem to call him ‘Goliath’.”
“Goliath… .”
“I don’t have a soul, but I still won’t be able to see it lightly. After all, it was created by heavenly beings yearning for a transcendental being.”
“How’s the power?”
“As rumor has it, it will be great. It is said that under certain conditions, it can produce power equal to that of an angel halfway between a plane and a bishop.”
“What conditions?”
“hmm… For this body to remember… .”
Louise’s words did not carry on to the end.
It was because the floor was shaking and five new dolls sprang up.
The newly introduced dolls were smaller than ‘Goliath’.
‘Is it a guardian?’
Hyun’s eyebrows narrowed.
The moment he saw the silver knight dolls clad in steel armor, memories of the past flashed through Hyun’s mind.
The only passage connecting the earth and the sky. There was a time when I had to fight the elite guardians who guarded the magic circle in the sky bridge.
The five guardians raised their weapons and took a defensive posture.
It must be to protect Goliath, who is still immobilized.
Seeing that they weren’t approaching, it seemed that they had no intention of attacking first.
‘It doesn’t look strong.’
Hyun’s gaze scanned the silver armor of the guys.
similar form to the previous one.
Even if it has the ability to regenerate, this time it won’t be as difficult to deal with as it was last time.
Unlike Louise’s ‘Black Wind’, Ain’s flame could melt metal entirely.
‘Are you still planning on not showing up?’
Dealing with the Guardians itself is not difficult.
The problem is the guys who are staring at us from nearby.
——————
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After coming down to the 4th floor, Hyun deliberately slowed down his walking speed.
But still, the regressors haven’t taken any action yet.
The reason why they are still silent even though they must have been watching this side must be because they know that the one who moves first is at a disadvantage in a fight.
‘It can’t be helped.’
But we can’t be confrontational forever.
If they don’t want to move, this side has no choice but to move first.
pat-. Hyun first assimilated with Louise.
It was to convey a request.
“Louise, make it big.”
“What does it mean… ?」
“Either releasing the seal of sympathy or exploding demonic energy… I want you to run wild as much as possible.”
Louise’s eyes widened at Hyun’s request.
“Are you serious? If you do something like that, the knights, or even the bishops, will come here immediately… !”
“I know. I’m asking for that.”
“that… !”
Louise raised her voice again.
“It’s reckless! It means that I will only have to deal with one Knight Commander!”
“You fall in the middle. Did you bring the private room scroll?」
“Then the current you… ?」
To that question, Hyun answered as if what was the problem.
“Do you want to do more than just die?”
“… !”
Instantly, upon hearing those words, Louise’s heart ached.
Louise is an NPC with second-generation artificial intelligence.
He also understood that death doesn’t mean much to users.
Why do I still feel this way?
“You need to value your life a little more.”
“… .”
「A transcendental person feels pain whenever the soul connected to him or her is torn away. The closer the soul is, the greater the pain.”
Louise’s mood that has been passed down as a fairy tale for a moment.
Hyun tried to apologize to Louise, but Louise spoke faster.
“Promise me you won’t die.”
Hyun answered at once without hesitation.
“okay.”
“… You are shameless.”
A smile crept across Louise’s lips.
Because I was able to know from the fairy tale that Hyun was not sure of the promise.
“but… I can’t refuse your request.”
Then, Louise’s body turned black.
The magic energy released from her body gradually blended into the wind.
Woo-woo-! It soon became a whirlwind and began to echo in the space.
Louise released empathy and at the same time wrapped her whole body in demonic energy.
“Okay, I’ll make sure to serve you!”
And then.
“Come out, Shatin.”
Cougung- Heavy metal fell from the air at Louise’s gesture.
Slightly smaller than Goliath, but two inches taller than the Guardian, the identity of the statue is Shatin, an attendant of eternal darkness!
Shatin’s appearance was quite different from five years ago.
The old and shabby armor had been replaced with armor engraved with fancy patterns, and behind her was not only a greatsword, but also a long spear, one-handed sword, and even a dagger.
However, the metallic voice that seemed to be broken somewhere did not change from before.
“Did you call… What are you planning to play with today? ?”
“Today is not a game, it is a real fight!”
“fight… is it?”
“Yes, spread your wings for now. I’m going to show it to everyone!”
“… All right.”
At Louise’s instruction, Shatin immediately used one skill.
Hwaaak! Immediately behind her, a pair of black sparks erupted.
It looked like a fiery demon flapping its wings.
Then Louise asked as if expecting Hyun’s impression.
“Is this enough?”
“that’s enough… !”
Pat- Hyun, who finished the conversation up to that point, assimilated into Ain this time.
It was to tell Ain what to be careful of.
“Ahin, you know that you can’t use transcendental power, right?”
The truly dangerous enemies are not the guardians in front of you.
A situation where you don’t know when the regressor guild guys will attack with NPCs.
Besides, you have to think about Goliath’s move.
In order to prepare for an emergency, it was always necessary to have transcendental powers.
“There’s no need to use that against these guys!”
“okay. Then I’ll leave it to you!”
Ain inserted the scythe of vigilance.
It is difficult to inflict great damage with a slash-type attack against guardians. Instead, Ain activated Ifrit’s Claw.
Roaring! It was the very next moment when the blazing flames galloped forward.
***
Flash! Latis’ sword shone.
The flash pierced the opponent’s vitals like a beam of light.
Although the damage is low compared to the level, it is Latis’ attack that can’t be compared to any other skill in terms of speed and accuracy.
A regressor guild member stabbed in the back was scattered into the light without knowing how he died.
That moment.
“Cheak!”
A sudden scream was heard.
Latis slowly turned her head to the side.
There, another regressor guild member was scattering into the light.
“Kuh-kuh, this is what an assassin hunts for an assassin.”
After that, Salon approached with a dagger stuck in the enemy’s back.
The reason why the assassin who was aiming for Latis did not notice Salon’s existence at all was that Salon’s skill and proficiency in killing sound and presence were far superior.
“There’s a good chance they’re hiding behind the ledge! That one was completely blind!”
Just then, Latis heard Genie’s voice.
Genie, watching everyone’s screens, was delivering important information not only to Hyun, but also to Salon and Latisse.
The experience of working as a pro gamer in the past made it possible to look down on the battlefield with an expanded view.
And thanks to Genie’s prediction, Salon and Latis were able to easily deal with the assassin who was hiding in an exquisite blind spot.
“… Why, what did you put on my face?”
Facing Latis, who was suddenly staring at him, Salon tilted his head.
“No, nothing.”
“Hmm, fresh guy.”
“… .”
The reason Latis looked at Salon was simple.
Because the salon I had seen for a few days felt different from today’s salon.
When I was practicing, I didn’t notice much.
However, now that he experienced the real battle for the first time, Latis knew that Hyun and Ain were not the only ones who excelled in the Shade Guild.
Salon… This man has the ability to make up for what others might easily miss. Thanks to that, he’s got half the things he has to worry about.
In addition, even a woman named Ginny, who was looked down upon due to her low specs, was unrivaled in her ability to understand complex situations through her limited field of view and information.
Each person’s ability is being displayed to the limit where it is most appropriate.
Maybe it’s because all of this fits organically… hyeon.
Latis, who was starting to understand the big picture bit by bit, got goosebumps for the first time.
‘I was completely mistaken.’
Did you try so hard to cross the mountain called Ain?
But behind that mountain lies an even greater mountain range.
If we meet them again as enemies and fight… I felt an uncomfortable conviction that it would be absolutely impossible to overcome this on my own.
“Hide!”
It was while Latis was lost in thought that Genie’s cry was heard again.
“Up left!”
Following Ginny’s instructions, Salon and Latis were able to discover an unobtrusive location.
The two of them hid themselves in a square near the ceiling and looked down.
Du-du-du-du- Underneath, at a glance, unusual people were rushing somewhere.
Salon and Latisse’s eyes became serious as they watched the NPCs.
It was because I couldn’t figure out how the situation was going because I hadn’t listened to Hyun’s detailed explanation.
‘order… ?’
‘No, there are also people you can’t normally see!’
‘What is Hyun doing?’
Salon and Latis looked at each other for a moment and nodded slightly.
Then, the two of them slowly started moving toward the fourth basement floor so as not to be noticed.
A battle with the five Guardians.
The Guardians were easily destroyed by Ain, Louise, and Shatin’s attack, but as expected, they did not die easily.
This is because the guardians that can regenerate will be restored to their original state unless the nucleus that moves around in the body is destroyed.
“Don’t get too carried away.”
While the fierce battle continued, Hyun asked Ain and Louise to do it.
The real danger is not the guardians in front of you, but the eyes that are watching you from somewhere.
Hyun did not participate in the fight and prepared for a surprise attack that could come at any moment, while requesting a favor from Ain.
“Deliberately show a loophole.”
“huh… ? Why all of a sudden?”
“If you destroy the Guardians, they might hide away again. You have to throw bait to pull it out.”
“huh… I’ll try… !”
From then on, Ain started acting focusing only on fighting.
I deliberately used ‘Frosia’s Ice Knife’ instead of ‘Ifrit’s Claw’.
Just in case, don’t destroy the Guardians’ core.
The battle continued for a while.
The regressor’s guild moved at the very moment after using the Ajin’s movement device, the incarnation’s step.
“come… !”
“… !”
A blue blade suddenly fired!
Caang! The dagger that flew from behind hit Ain’s armor and bounced off.
Hyeon, who was assimilating, was able to avoid damage thanks to the fact that he crouched at the same time as using the shadow shield.
But the attack wasn’t all.
Since when have you been there?
Ain could see two users rushing from either side of him.
‘Uh… ?!’
A warning light rang in Ain’s head.
The moment you realized that your enemies weren’t using moving, you instinctively sensed danger.
Why are you being so honest?
‘Dangerous… !’
Ain had a hunch that this was not an ordinary form of surprise.
There must be a ranged attack coming from the blind spot.
Party members’ attacks penetrate each other’s bodies. Even if you block the attack, the follow-up will come right away!
I was in the middle of exchanging sums with the guardian, so I couldn’t move my hands!
Ain used the rest of Hyun’s skill, Shadow Run.
Hwaaak!
Right after the afterimage of demonicity stretched out.
Looking back, Ain could see that his intuition was correct.
Countless projectiles were hidden behind the backs of the assassins with swords.
Wow!
A huge roar echoed through the underground space.
The attacks fired by the members of the regressor guild in unison were powerful enough to annihilate an entire guardian.
“ah… ?”
and the next moment.
Ain’s mouth fell open in shock.
Because he could see an arrow flying straight towards him.
‘My movements were read… ?’
Wheein-!
It was no ordinary arrow that made a sound that broke the air.
Following the trail of the spinning arrow, the ground was breaking apart.
What if it hits you… ? I don’t think it will be all right… ?!
However, in a situation where the mobility was all gone, there was no time to dodge the arrows flying in front.
Ain twisted his body in the air to let go of the attack as much as possible.
‘The armor of darkness!’
Hyeon, who sensed the crisis, also used the most effective defense skill.
At the same time, the pitch-black armor wrapped around Ain’s body.
It was clear that an ordinary user would not be able to break through this protective shield with hundreds of thousands of durability no matter what.
However.
Kwadeuk! Quadd!
‘what!’
It was different this time. Hyun, always calm, was surprised to the point of widening his eyes.
It was because the armor of darkness was shattered the moment the arrow brushed against the whirlwind.
The sturdy armor he created by consuming all his magic power!
‘Oops, armor destruction… !’
Hyun realized it belatedly.
Assrian has a weakness in the combat system.
And among some attack skills, there were those that had the characteristics of inflicting great damage on shields or armor.
The reason why hundreds of thousands of armors with durability are torn like paper is probably because these arrows have the property of destroying armor.
Here, Hyun could see how much the regressor guild members had prepared to catch him.
He accurately predicted Ain’s avoidance route and even prepared a means to destroy his skills.
The reason why he didn’t show up even if he showed his gap was to seize the one chance he had thoroughly prepared for.
[The transcendent is protecting you!]
[Your HP will not drop below 1 for the next 3 seconds!]
Quadd!
The arrow of the wind tearing off the ground pierced Ain as it was.
It only specializes in evasion. Ain, who had neither high stamina nor a defensive passive, had no way to withstand such strong attacks.
Even after the arrow crossed Ain, it left a whirlwind of afterimages.
As the blade of the wind hacked through Ain’s body, Hyeon immediately shouted.
“Louis!”
Louise was on the move even before Hyun called for help.
Fain! Fain!
Louise, who had come to Ain’s side in just two steps, thrust out the spear with all her might.
The reverse rotation was applied to the rotating air current flow again.
Faaaaang! An explosion was heard in the air as the wind and wind collided.
“Hyun, are you all right?!”
“Yes… .”
After a while, realizing that Ain was safe, Hyeon let out a sigh of relief.
“Come on, hit me. I will share my blood… !”
“thank you… .”
[‘Louise’ has stopped cooperating with your party.]
Every time Louise was cut by the scythe of vigilance, Ain’s physical strength, which had been exposed to the bottom, gradually recovered.
At level 400, Louise’s health is about 10 million.
Even using Ain’s ‘Regular Absorption’, it was a figure that did not burden much.
The battle with the Guardian was stopped due to a sudden surprise attack.
Hyun took a deep breath and looked around.
The regressor’s guild was revealing itself everywhere, as if it had no intention of hiding.
“amazing. Blocking all the ultimate combos.”
Hyungwon turned his gaze to open his mouth.
Their eyes met the annihilation of the guild leader of the regressors.
Annihilation focused his gaze on Ain.
He murmured, as if convinced that the strings were assimilating into her body.
“Honestly, I thought you couldn’t help it this time. Always unexpected.”
“… … .”
Hyun did not respond to his monologue.
A moment of silence followed.
When the other person didn’t show any signs of speaking, the persecution opened its mouth again.
Looking at Louise holding a spear beside Ain.
“She must be an NPC after all, right?”
“… .”
“It’s a little clumsy. You said you didn’t need NPC’s help before.”
Louise tried to say something, but closed it again.
Because Hyun from the side warned me not to answer.
“Are you going to keep doing that? Let’s talk while looking at each other’s faces.”
“… … .”
Pod! Hyun silently canceled the fairy tale.
Facing the extinction, he slowly opened his mouth.
“Why are you interfering?”
“what… ? kick… .”
Hyeon’s words almost burst into laughter.
He took a deep breath and murmured softly.
“Disruption. We never interfered with your quest, did we?”
“what… I just attacked you from behind.”
“Ah, that was a mistake. We got the same quest as you. First of all, we have to kill those guardians, right?”
“… .”
“I accidentally attacked you while trying to attack the Guardian.”
“mistake?”
“okay. mistake.”
Continuing a meaningless conversation with Hyeon, Jeolsal felt an electric current running through his body.
Have you ever been superior to the prefecture?
Absolutely, today is the first time.
Even if it only returns the same humiliation suffered during Asura’s days.
The feeling of crushing an existence that could never be surpassed was an exhilarating sensation that could not be compared to any other pleasure.
“Get off now. If you don’t want to be killed for nothing.”
A word from the string that came out at that moment.
If it had been in the past, the blood would have flowed backwards, but in the current annihilation, even hearing such threats was enjoyable.
“Extermination! That’s scary! But am I extinct?”
“… Do you think it would be impossible for us to kill all of you?”
“under… .”
Annihilation snorted.
It’s the first time I’ve heard such a bloody threat from Hyun.
However, the former prefecture was a guy who either slyly or jokingly trampled on them and giggled.
The fact that he is seriously threatening in this way is not proof that he has already been cornered.
“That is scary… But do you know what?”
“… what?”
“Don’t you think the time we talked was a bit long?”
“What do you mean… ?”
“It was long enough for someone who had heard the news to arrive to watch the fight.”
Doo doo doo-.
As soon as the words of annihilation were finished, loud footsteps began to be heard from afar.
The sound grew louder as time went on.
Then, the voice of a middle-aged man who seemed to be an NPC resounded on the 4th basement floor.
“That way!”
As he pointed his finger at the place where the string was, he soon discovered the killing and asked.
“Is this the place where the devil’s traces appeared?!”
“That’s right. Those guys.”
“… I’m sure I salute you for your dedication.”
Whoops.
Then, the space next to it shook again.
The one that came out of the blue light portal was a face Hyun also knew.
One of the 12 bishops of the Holy Kingdom!
The bishop glanced at Hyeon, Ain, and Louise once.
“Ohh, ohhh… !”
His eyes flickered as he stopped looking at Louise.
“You found the seed of evil… !”
‘The seed of evil… ?’
The Bishop’s voice grew louder as the mysterious Myosal lost his thoughts.
“Have you made known the existence of evil? The Holy Kingdom will not forget your exploits!”
“Haha, that’s an overstatement.”
Myoolsal, who was rolling his head, quickly grasped the situation and responded deftly.
“The sacrifice of our regressor guild members was greater than mine. Almost half of the guild members died at their hands. But I decided it was worth it to destroy evil.”
“How great! Great job!”
Doo doo doo!
Soon the sound of horses hooves was heard.
The last to arrive was the Knights of the Holy Kingdom!
“Captain Leat, I have arrived with the Knights!”
Judging from the fact that the name was not remembered by the prefecture, it seemed that some of the five greatest knights had died and had been appointed as the new leader.
Now, the 4th basement floor was full of NPCs from the Holy Kingdom.
The surroundings were surprisingly quiet despite the hostility of many people.
In the midst of everyone’s gaze, Hyun noticed Jeolsal raising his mouth in the distance.
[‘Destruction’ requested friend registration!]
[Do you want to accept? Y/N]
A sudden message.
As soon as I accepted the request, I started hearing his voice in my ears.
“As expected, there are many things to protect, so it’s difficult to enter, right?”
“… .”
“Don’t kill me. You and Ain too. Even that NPC you care about. And don’t mistake this for the end.”
“… Do you really have to?」
“what? Hehe, if you remember what you’ve done to us… You know very well that this is just the beginning, right?”
Hearing Jeolsal’s words, Hyeon could understand his actions.
Was it to buy time for the NPCs to arrive?
Certainly, with this kind of power, even oneself can’t help it.
Even Louise could barely deal with at least one knight commander, so she wouldn’t be able to do anything against such a large force.
“I will give you one last chance. It would be good for you too.”
“Haha, after the appeal, is it a threat?”
conversation that follows.
At Hyeon’s words, Jeolsal snorted once more.
“Our guild is different from yours. There is nothing to protect, and there is no need to manage the image externally.”
“… … .」
“I admit that your skills are amazing. But if you wanted to ascend the Assrian throne, you shouldn’t have treated us that way.”
“so. Are you going to interrupt me until the end?”
“Yes, we will never see you become the pinnacle of Asrian.”
“hmm… .”
Hyun nodded.
Obviously, he did a lot of things he couldn’t do in the past, but it’s also true that he gave them a chance.
Even though he had the chance to destroy the regressor guild several times while playing Asrian, Hyun was generous with them.
You said you were waiting for the NPCs to gather?
It was the same here.
If that’s what they mean, it can’t be helped.
“Louise, please.”
Heh, it was the next moment that a bitter smile hung on Hyun’s lips.
under… . Hyeon let out a sigh along with a laugh.
The decision to get rid of the Regressor Guild was made when I realized that there were spies inside the Border City.
If it wasn’t for Mayday’s report, it was clear that the Shade Guild would have suffered an irreparable blow at that time.
Even after that, the Regressor Guild secretly continued its plan to destroy the Shade Guild.
That persistence was tantamount to disproving that their feelings were not simple competition or jealousy, but hatred.
‘It fit perfectly.’
Hyun reviewed this operation again.
A ploy to attract them by pretending to be on a quest.
It was a strategy that would not be caught if the regressor guild did not have more than necessary ill feelings.
If they don’t focus more on the other person’s loss than their own gain, they won’t let go of this.
In a way, the regressor guild was given the opportunity to choose the last option.
There would be no reason to fall into this trap if they had only calmly considered their profit and loss.
so… The ruin of the Regressors Guild today is something they brought on themselves. Although it was expected.
‘Well, it has no choice but to end like this.’
In fact, Hyeon also had ill feelings toward the regressor’s guild.
It was hard to take a good look at these guys since Louise barely survived the danger of death in the land of darkness.
But why does the thought of dropping them into the abyss with his own hands make him feel a little sad?
Just as they built the foundation of the Shade Guild, they must have their own grounds.
It must be because they know how painful it is for them to collapse in an instant.
However, this is Assrian, a world of weak meat that is worse than reality.
A world where if you don’t eat those who run with you and knock them down, you will eventually be eaten.
That’s why Hyun decided not to be swayed by personal feelings.
“Return, my servant.”
While Hyun felt complicated, Louise continued to play her role.
Putting Shatin back into her soul, Louise slowly began releasing the demonic energy from her body.
The demons of darkness attacked Hyun and Ain, who were the closest.
Hwaaak! The feeling of being covered in pitch black was as cozy as being bathed in the sunlight on a warm spring day.
“this… Stop it!”
“The devil’s seed is up to something!”
“Everyone attack! I can’t let that mysterious magic complete… !”
Wedge! All kinds of magic flew to Louise.
Tata Tang! At the same time, a gunshot rang out from somewhere.
The owners of the gunfire are the members of the Regressor Guild.
The damage of the bullets was not much, but mixing them with other magic and interfering with the line of sight or casting was one of the known uses of guns from a long time ago.
The moment when so many pieces of ice, magic bullets, and pieces of metal flew all at once.
‘Time amplification, biorhythm acceleration.’
As if waiting, Hyun used two skills at the same time.
‘… !’
Louise’s eyelids rose high.
Her pupils moved left and right at a speed that humans couldn’t.
In the time when everything slowed down. Louise’s hand holding the spear began to move.
Louise shot a whirlwind of black wind from her spear, redirecting all projectiles towards her.
It was truly spectacular to see countless magical effects being entangled in a whirlwind and bouncing off.
“Beings of the abyss, wake up.”
Then, as Louise slammed the spear on the floor, waves of demonic energy spread in all directions.
The demonic energy spread in concentric circles and attacked everything within sight.
The demonic energy of the Great Demon resonates with all types of demonic energy in the world.
Soon, Hyun could see demonic energy rising from his entire body.
It’s a phenomenon that you can’t control yourself.
The wave caused by Louise swept away all space and existence, and the members of the Regressor Guild who were watching were no exception.
‘What, all of a sudden… ?’
‘Why is my body… !’
The faces of the members of the Regressor Guild belonging to the Abyss were stained with astonishment.
Whoa! Demonic energy was welling up in their bodies regardless of their will.
“Poetry, seeds of the abyss!”
“User! Suddenly, users with demonic energy appeared!”
“wait for a sec… Aren’t these guys new ones?!”
The surroundings were instantly engulfed in chaos.
Except for a few celestials with excellent senses, most NPCs have to look closely at the back of their hand to identify an abyss user.
The same goes for high priests and archbishops.
The reason why the Regressor Guild was able to reap all the benefits of both the Sky and Abyss while still based in the Holy Kingdom was because they had been using those blind spots to deceive the NPCs of the Holy Kingdom.
But today, the dark side of the Regressor Guild was revealed for the first time in the middle of a gathering of high-ranking NPCs.
‘It’s a big deal!’
Annihilation flashed and came to its senses.
Their relationship with the Holy Kingdom is their only weapon, their last bastion.
It didn’t matter what Hyeon did now that the biggest shame that the Regressor Guild had been hiding was revealed.
Rather, you should start thinking about how to defuse this situation!
“What happened? Nearly half of the users in the same affiliation as you… How could this happen… .”
The bishop’s murmur made the slaughter’s heart feel urgent.
He pretended to be calm and quickly began to make excuses.
“It is a misunderstanding! That demon uses her magic to cast evil spells on my men… .”
“Do you think my eyes are knotholes?”
“yes… ?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t even be able to recognize that Magi was yours?”
‘this… damn it!’
Annihilation spat out a curse inwardly.
I tried to make excuses in a hurry, but I couldn’t do it.
You have to come up with a plausible excuse again! When a relationship goes wrong… Everything that has been accomplished may come to an end… !
When the extinction was desperately rolling its head like that.
“It is annihilation.”
Louise looked at the annihilation and began to speak incomprehensibly.
No matter what magic she used, her voice echoed loudly throughout the space.
“It wouldn’t have been easy to lure the Knights. You did really well.”
‘what… ?’
“Good work. Your credit will be appreciated later.”
Extinction was a moment of bewilderment.
What are you talking about?
The moment I couldn’t hide my absurdity because I couldn’t understand the meaning.
“Urgent news!”
Someone’s urgent cry was heard near the place where the armor was worn.
Judging by the fact that he was reporting to the knight commander, he seemed to be an adjutant.
“The news that the city, Coutern, has been completely captured by the Empire!”
“what… !”
“It looks like the Imperial Knights came ambush while we were away.
Knight Commander Leight’s eyes trembled as he looked at the video of the crystal ball.
“Oh my… medical charge.”
It was shocking to see the people of the Holy Kingdom and their loyal subordinates dying without help.
What’s even more shocking is that the Knights have never even fought the enemy.
Was there ever a stupid knight commander who made this mistake as soon as he was appointed captain?
It was clear that he would go down in history as an idiot.
And the Bishop and Myungsal were also listening to the conversation taking place near the Knights.
At that moment, the ancestors were able to notice Louise’s true identity.
Seeing Hyun’s figure disappear before he knew it, it was clear that he was inside that body.
‘That bastard!’
As soon as he realized the inside story of the incident, Jeolsal glared at Louise as if he were going to kill him.
No, someone who would be laughing at herself inside her.
‘Such a dog… !’
Myungsal finally fully grasped the situation.
From the beginning, he and his guild members were approaching the precipice of the cliff leading to ruin.
Seeing the murder in the eyes of the bishop who was already looking at him, it seemed that no excuse would work.
About half of the members of the regressor guild were actually Abyss users, so there was no possibility that the excuse would work.
The tower that all the members of the Regressor Guild had built one by one over the years had collapsed.
“Fuck you bastard!”
The reason of annihilation was cut off.
I tried to charge in the direction of Hyun with my eyes turned upside down.
At that moment, a sharp blade pierced the back of the annihilation.
dump! The true identity of the shadow of the person extending his sword behind him after he fell through the pit of the stomach is Knight Commander Leit.
slippery.
As the remnants of the slaughter turned into light and permeated the floor, Leit lowered his head to the bishop with a drool.
It is to convey an apology to the Holy King for his mistake.
However, the bishop could not say anything to him.
Because he thought that he was not qualified to judge him for making a worse mistake.
“What the King said was right.”
“… … .”
“The user is like the limbs of the devil… Because their beliefs are never true.”
The bishop looked at those who smoked demons nearby with cold eyes.
Again, he turned his gaze to the users belonging to the heavens by his side.
“Incinerate them all.”
At the bishop’s command, the priests next to him bowed their heads.
It was an obvious story about what the fate of the remaining guild members would be.
“It’s over.”
Hyun looked at the dying users with a bitter expression.
Losing the trust of the old kingdom is like a death sentence for a regressor guild.
As the future changes, most of the knowledge of the past is a photographic situation.
In addition, the foundation built up so far has also collapsed, so there is really nothing left for them.
Due to this incident, users who leave the guild will increase one after another.
If the contracts are also canceled, the regressor guild will have no choice but to go through the dissolution process.
“hyeon.”
Suddenly, Louise’s voice rang in my ears.
“This is a place that does not communicate with the underground.”
“huh… ?」
“It means to refrain from doing unnecessary things.”
“okay.”
Hyun nodded.
There are not many places in the world where the above and below are connected.
Louise was saying that she could not escape from here to the symmetrical world.
“I understand, so write quickly… .」
Hyun urged Louise.
Whoops. The magic circle drawn on the floor was approaching my feet before I knew it.
When the space distortion magic circle is completed, the return scroll will no longer be activated.
Louise also recognized that fact and nodded briefly.
She had one last word before leaving.
Hyun thought the voice sounded faint.
“Please don’t die.”
Since the return scroll targets one soul, it cannot move together even if it is assimilated.
Louise’s new form disappeared, and the string returned to its original form.
Pod! Immediately assimilated into Ain.
In the place where the three stood, there was only one child left.
The wave of Magi created by Louise is gradually fading.
The fact that Louise had suddenly disappeared made the voices of the NPCs in the Holy Kingdom even higher, but that was not an important issue right now.
“Hyun, can we live?”
“… well.”
Hyun sighed at Ain’s sudden question.
Through fairy tales, each other’s thoughts were conveyed.
He already knew the answer, but Hyun decided not to say it out of his mouth.
Instead, it would be better to come up with something more hopeful.
“For now, I’m going to try.”
The 4th basement floor of the castle of the Holy Kingdom.
A situation where the bishop’s priests and knights, including the leader, are watching his every move.
Both Ain and himself knew that it was impossible to survive here no matter what.
‘Well, that’s it.’
Hyun smiled faintly.
Death is a predestined plan.
From the beginning, he had planned to destroy the guild of regressors and die himself, so he had no regrets.
It wasn’t a quest in progress, and if you died, you could resurrect in the nearest town two days later, or the most recent town you visited, so it wasn’t a big loss.
Yes, it is normal to have no regrets.
I’m not really dying… But why are you so frustrated?
As he faced his death, Hyun’s desire to never want to die this time surged up.
It may have been because he heard the useless words of the last Louise.
“Yes… ?」
And the future always takes unexpected directions.
“Tongue, string… ! Didn’t that just move?”
“what?”
“That one, that one!”
“hmm… ?」
Hyun’s eyes narrowed as he followed his gaze.
She is pointing at a giant 3-meter-tall Goliath.
Ain was claiming that Goliath had just moved.
“Goliath?”
Hyun paid no attention to the eyes of the NPCs in the Holy Kingdom who were looking at him, and focused on Ain’s words.
Hyeon, who was examining Goliath so closely, recalled Louise’s explanation just before.
The Goliath is a war weapon created by the hands of celestials.
They said that no one had the authority to move Goliath until the heavenly people gave permission… .
“You moved? really?”
“Really!”
Ain’s voice grew louder at Hyun’s doubtful question.
After listening to it, it seems that Goliath’s posture has changed.
The moment Hyun tried to look more closely.
I’m going to go to the middle of the day – kooung!
Goliath’s foot took a step forward.
Its body looked much heavier than that of the heavy Shatin.
Every time a joint creaked, there was a subtle metallic sound.
“Look, it’s moving!”
“What, what… .”
“Are you moving?”
Suddenly, the eyes of the NPCs turned from Ain to Goliath.
Because something that shouldn’t be working was working.
However, none of the NPCs in the sky seemed to know what it was.
“What is going on?”
“Checking. I can’t move alone like this… .”
‘what?’
The moment he looked into Goliath’s eyes, Hyeon recalled an unknown sense of incongruity.
This is because he had the illusion that the robot-like guy, who was not even a living being, was glaring at him.
‘No, it’s not an illusion!’
After a while, as soon as Goliath’s sheep’s eyes came into white light.
Hyuneun could sense that he was glaring at him.
me? why?
There was no time given to continue thinking for a long time.
‘… !’
Ain’s vision, which opened his eyes, turned white.
Flash! It was because a huge slash in the form of a half moon reached right in front of me with a flash of light.
Goliath’s attack has been launched at the speed of light, which does not match its massive appearance at all.
‘danger… !’
It was the moment Hyun sensed the crisis that his vision shook.
Roaring! The flames passed in front of my eyes.
After a while, Hyeon realized that he had jumped vertically using the ‘Avatar’s Step’.
Ain, who barely escaped Goliath’s attack, kept his teeth tightly closed.
‘What happened… ?’
Looking down, Hyeon had no choice but to open his mouth involuntarily.
Goliath’s attack split the entire 4th basement floor in half. It was because a line of gold shining white was engraved on the ceiling, on the walls, and on the pillars.
And Hyun was not unfamiliar with this attack.
‘This… Angelic swordsmanship?’
That’s right, a transcendental skill that slashes through the air and cuts down all beings in the world.
Kurur-!
As the two gigantic pillars slid along the grain, Hyun was able to observe the spot where the sword had passed in more detail.
Tiny grains of light are scattered here and there.
Seeing that a considerable number of NPCs were cut off by this blow, it was clear that Goliath had swept away even the NPCs in the sky who were on his side, not enough to cut down the entire 4th basement level.
‘… It was a war weapon that was only a nuisance.’
Hyun could understand why the Holy Kingdom did not use Goliath for war.
It seemed that even the Holy Kingdom had not come up with a way to control Goliath, who couldn’t even differentiate between friends and family.
Since you can’t use the powerful power as you want, you must have only used it for very limited purposes.
Kurrrrrrr, click!
Even after mopping up the floor, Goliath was still fixating his gaze on Ain hanging from the ceiling structure.
‘Did you say it was a heavenly invention?’
Hyun was able to guess why he woke up.
Celestials are very sensitive to demonic energy.
If it was something created by such celestials, it wouldn’t be too strange for it to be awakened by the wave of magic emitted by Louise.
And there is only one existence with demonic energy around here.
In summary, it means that you have been set as a target for a giant robot.
Hyun, who finally grasped the situation, opened his mouth.
「Ain. Maybe we can live.”
“Yes? really?!”
Ain widened his eyes in disbelief.
「To the knights, to the bishops, to the holy mages… Now, even that giant robot can live by targeting us?”
“no.”
Hyun shook his head at Ain’s question.
He pointed to Goliath, whose eyes flashed at him, and murmured.
“He’s the only one aiming at us.”
“… ?」
“Thanks to you, it’s much easier than before.”
Ssik-.
Ain’s front teeth were slightly exposed at Hyeon’s smile.
A metal golem said to have been created by celestials longing for the power of an angel.
In fact, Goliath had power beyond imagination.
According to Louise, even though she looks like a Valkyrie, she can wield power equal to that of an angel.
“I just saw the road.”
There are things I realized while going through numerous main quests.
The future doesn’t always turn out as planned.
He had to make a choice among countless crossroads, and that choice turned into a completely different future.
I do it over and over again… At some point, I had eyes that could see a little beyond the crossroads that were woven like a spider’s web.
Discovering and pioneering the path to the desired future.
Maybe that’s what taking a chance is.
Even a guy with overwhelming power definitely had gaps.
Rather, it is a gap that is too easy to find. That said, his intelligence didn’t seem that high.
Hyun was planning to actively use that point.
“Latis!”
The moment the strategy was sorted out, Hyun called Latis’ name.
Salon and Latisse had been waiting near Hyun since Louise was together.
Since the two of them had perforated tendencies, they were able to blend in with the NPCs of the Holy Kingdom without attracting suspicion.
“Salon, clear the road ahead with Ain!”
“Okay, this time it’s the vanguard.”
“Ain, I’ll ask you too.”
Hyun, who asked Ain and Salon to lead the front, looked at Latis again and said.
“Latisse, take care of the rear.”
“You mean defense?”
“That’s right, a light attribute attack will come flying. There is no one to stop you but you.”
“Light… Right. I see what you mean.”
Latisse nodded.
He also knew what he had to do because he saw Goliath’s attack while hiding among the NPCs.
“In a Y formation!”
At the direction of the prefecture, the four members prepared formations in perfect order.
Y-shaped large. The string is the most effective formation to support everyone in the center.
It was also the formation we practiced the most while the four of us had been training for quite a long time.
‘Light… .’
Jinhyeong’s last line.
Latisse raised her sword at an angle.
I thought of Goliath’s sword attack that I had just seen.
His own attack was fast enough, but his sword attack was faster than his own.
If you accidentally blink, your body might break in two at that moment.
Latis remembered Ain’s method.
If you think and move, it will be too late.
The only way is to clear your head and speed up your instinctive reaction.
Latis waited quietly.
In a state where the whole body is relaxed so that it can move at any time.
And the moment lightning flashed in front of his eyes, he swung his sword, relying on his body’s senses over and over again tens of thousands of times.
[Diffraction Sword Lv.2]
-Shoots light energy that exists around 10 meters in the direction of the sword swing.
(Cooldown: 5 seconds)
(Consumed Divine Power: 2000)
Flash!
A white burning straight line was drawn centered on Latis.
No, it wasn’t a straight line.
It was because the straight line that seemed to continue infinitely did not exist only near the spot where Latis was standing.
The light energy that exists around you includes the opponent’s attack.
Latisse restored the divinity contained in Goliath’s sword.
‘As expected!’
The reason I was able to infer that Goliath’s attack was a light attribute was because the attack didn’t sound.
There was only a loud crashing sound of the broken pieces of wreckage, and at the moment when the world split in half, it was as quiet as a rat dying.
Avoiding with the incarnation’s steps was close to heavenly luck, so it would not have been possible to avoid it without a mobile device.
An irrational attack that could not be avoided with human reaction speed in the first place.
The only way to destroy it was to return the guy’s attack.
And that irrationality is the same for enemies.
Hyun did not miss the moment when the enemies screamed at the attack that Latis returned.
“in action!”
With that cry, the party started running at full speed while maintaining a Y-shaped formation.
Towards the surface of Jeturaa Castle!
‘… That’s amazing.’
Continuing to move, Latis was surprised by Hyeon several times.
Being able to quickly devise a strategy and place party members in the right place, even in a first-time experience, was by no means an ordinary ability.
Certainly, the only person who could respond to such a fast light-attribute attack would be himself.
‘hmm?’
For an instant, Latisse’s eyes narrowed.
Flash!
It was because the gigantic chandelier hanging from the ceiling was falling at the same time he returned the blow of light once more.
I glanced around and saw the shadow of Hyun, who was aiming a long gun at the ceiling.
and the next moment.
Bubber!
The countless magic lanterns that made up the chandelier exploded in the air after being hit by the blow of the light it returned, exerting the effect of a smoke grenade.
‘Is it a coincidence… ?’
It took Latiss some time to understand what he had witnessed.
The speed of the light flying faster than the chandelier falling.
If Hyun intentionally aimed for the effect of the smoke grenade, it would be possible only if he had predicted which direction he would fire the blow of light.
The fact that it actually happened means that Hyun completely read his thoughts.
But is that possible?
Reading the thoughts of others in this short moment, predicting the future of the moment, and elaborately connecting one’s intentions to it.
No, you can’t intentionally cause such a coincidence.
Latis shook her head and scattered her thoughts.
Woo woo-.
The enemy in the rear wasn’t all Goliath.
Latiss tried to change her stance to block the ice shards rushing towards her.
That moment.
“Don’t defend yourself!”
The voice of the string suddenly stuck in my ear.
Latis reflexively stopped moving.
Tata Tata Tang!
He could hear gunshots in succession as he watched all the projectiles narrowly miss him.
“… !”
As Latis held her breath, Hyun’s cry was heard again.
“You only want to block light attacks? Never mind anything else!”
“… I don’t remember.”
It took quite a while for Latisse to respond to Hyun’s words.
It was because he felt the hot blood flowing through his entire body.
He was very curious about what he had just seen.
I can’t check it right now, so I have no choice but to watch the recording later.
But if what you just saw is true… It may be that he still has not fully grasped the user Hyun.
“Okay, just keep going like this!”
Meanwhile, Hyeon continued to command the party in the center of the Y-shaped formation.
Ain and Salon, who sometimes cut through the road from the front, supported me, but it was Latis who took care of me the most carefully.
Still, the Y-shaped formation had the greatest burden on the rear, but the number of enemies was the largest, so I had no choice but to apply almost all buffs to Latisse.
“Hyun, go upstairs from there!”
Genie wasn’t just watching, she was fulfilling her role by reporting the situation.
Thanks to her map and pointing out the thin floors of the 3rd and 2nd floors, the group was able to skip an entire floor.
‘haha… ! Is there anything wrong?’
As time goes by, I am more certain.
It’s not that difficult to get out of Zeturia Castle now.
I came prepared for death, but I didn’t have to die.
Unexpected gains are always pleasing.
Hyeon was feeling a thrilling pleasure that his whole body trembled for the first time in a long time.
And the countless crossroads that were woven like a spider’s web in the future Hyun envisioned changed their shape again.
In Hyeon’s head, thoughts that he hadn’t even dared to think of just before began to emerge.
‘Can I catch that thing at all?’
