Chapter 23

Chapter 22: The Enemy Within

"This can't be happening."

When Song Cheon-hwa and the other players rushed to where the shouting was coming from, it was already too late.

"It's... too late."

The healer, who had been checking the four people lying on the ground, shook his head.

A clean wound on the back of their heads.

They had undoubtedly been ambushed from behind and killed instantly.

However, the problem far greater than the death of the four was what they had been guarding.

Rumble!

A black sphere floating at the entrance of the ruins.

Someone...

...had awakened the Guardian.

['The Guardian of the Ruins' is looking at the intruders.]

[Time remaining: 09:59]

The Guardian, which guards the entrance to the ruins, possesses the strength of a boss in an upper-level dungeon, but it only awakens when stimulated.

Thus, its nickname is 'Sleeping Bomb.'

It means a bomb that is harmless as long as it is left alone.

"Who the hell triggered this thing!"

"What's the point of figuring that out now? It's already starting to awaken!"

Yes, it was already too late.

Only 10 minutes remained.

If they didn't leave the ruins within that time...

The Guardian would fully awaken.

"Bro, help!"

"I know, I know!"

Song Cheon-hwa bit her lip.

They couldn't fight the Guardian.

It would be tantamount to suicide.

'At least half... no, maybe even more might die.'

In effect, the raid had to be abandoned.

It would be impossible to reach the boss with half the team gone.

But.

'End it before we even properly start?'

And for the ridiculous reason of awakening the Guardian?

The guild's reputation was at stake.

They might even be expelled from the guild.

'I've worked so hard to become a raid leader...!'

Her teeth dug into her lip.

This couldn't end here.

Absolutely not.

Song Cheon-hwa, as if making a decision, issued an order.

"Let the Guardian awaken. We'll keep moving forward."

The decision to continue was met with murmurs of dissent.

"Bro, are you serious?"

"We need to think carefully. Seriously, if we mess up, we could all die."

One team of porters had already entered, but three teams were still waiting outside.

Moreover, a guild that was supposed to join as reinforcements hadn't even arrived at the ruins yet.

Continuing meant giving up more than 20% of their total strength.

"Stop complaining and follow. I'll take responsibility."

Song Cheon-hwa dismissed the objections.

"And... even without the reinforcements, we have a good chance with Teresa alone."

That's right.

This is her trump card.

Song Cheon-hwa's gaze flicked to the side.

The blonde saint.

When it comes to Undead monsters, Teresa is considered the best in the world.

With her, it's possible.

Definitely possible.

***

The news reached the porters a few dozen minutes later.

"Wait, this is different, right? The Guardian has awakened, and we can't leave the ruins?"

"What the hell is this? So, you're telling us to travel with the raid team?"

"Damn. If I had known it would be this dangerous, I wouldn't have come in the first place!"

The porters raised their voices.

But the response was cold.

"Someone assassinated those guarding the Guardian, and by the time we arrived, the Guardian was already awakened."

Assassination...

Jin Hyuk, who had been silent, perked up his ears.

'Someone here is the culprit...'

In the current world, murder wasn't a big deal.

What was interesting was the motive.

Not for any gain.

Trapping people inside the ruins so they couldn't leave.

Interesting.

I have a rough idea of what he's after.

And who he is.

Maybe the awakening of the Guardian will make the situation more flexible.

At that moment.

Jin Hyuk suddenly turned his head.

And a moment later.

"Monsters from the side! Medium-sized... a lot of them!"

A player on scout duty shouted.

"Prepare for battle!"

Song Cheon-hwa's veins bulged.

The ambush came before they were fully prepared, so their response was slow.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground shook, and the grass swayed.

They were coming.

And coming fast.

"Tanks to the front!"

"Porters, move back quickly! Don't get in the way, move back!"

Crash!

A tree fell.

The monsters that emerged from the parted grass...

"Krooo!"

"Kraaa!"

Dwarves, over 2.5 meters tall.

Twelve in total.

All armed with maces and axes.

"Ugh."

"Dwarves!"

There are 13 types of monsters at the entrance of the ruins.

Dwarves are among the most difficult to deal with.

The overwhelming pressure made the hair on their bodies stand up.

A top predator, fundamentally different from Ghouls or Skeletons.

Their tough skin, combined with speed and strength, made Dwarves extremely difficult to handle.

"Support classes, buff the tanks! Dealers, conserve mana and time your attacks!"

Song Cheon-hwa led the raid.

[Song Cheon-hwa activates Lv3 'Iron Shield'!]

[Go Yun-deuk activates Lv2 'Wedge Formation'!]

[Lee Yoon-mi activates Lv2 'Warrior's Song'!]

Rumble!

Various skills and buffs overlapped.

And at that moment.

"Kraaa!"

Crash!

A Dwarf's mace landed on a shield.

***

Jin Hyuk observed the battle from a slightly distant rear position.

'Indeed, the formation of a guild is solid.'

Their coordination was evident.

They didn't falter even against the Dwarves.

The problem was the solo players not affiliated with any guild.

They were mostly used to traveling alone and were unfamiliar with group battles.

Eventually, casualties began to appear.

Crunch!

The sound of bones breaking and flesh being crushed.

"Kraaa!"

A man with a shattered shoulder fell, spewing blood.

"These guys are unrealistically fast!"

"Healer! Where's the healer?"

"Send us some tanks. We can't hold on... If this continues, we'll all die!"

It was a chaotic scene.

The hastily formed organization couldn't handle the Dwarves.

At least, that was the reality for the solo players.

But despite the desperate calls for help, Song Cheon-hwa ignored them.

Casualties were inevitable.

And it was even better this way.

The corners of Song Cheon-hwa's mouth twisted.

'To create a dramatic situation, sacrifices are necessary.'

In fact, this raid had another purpose besides clearing the ruins.

To secure regular subscribers.

Because of the rule that each subscriber's view count is counted only once per day, the competition for subscribers among players was fierce beyond imagination.

It was difficult to get 10,000 views with an average video.

'Ultimately, to excite the subscribers, we need to provide visceral stimulation.'

Cruelty and sensuality.

Add a dramatic situation, and it would create the best video.

'Now that there are enough casualties, it's time to move.'

Song Cheon-hwa nodded to the side.

"Dong-yeong!"

"Yes, bro!"

The man casting a spell immediately activated it.

Pzzzz!

The air rapidly cooled.

A pure white sphere formed in his palm.

The ice magic 'Ice Orb.'

Magic power burst from the ice condensed to the extreme.

At that moment.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A gust of wind swept through the Dwarves.

"Kraaa!"

"Kruu..."

The Dwarves' movements noticeably slowed.

Ice formed on their weapon-wielding arms.

Their rapidly moving legs froze in place.

"Now! Spread out!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Song Cheon-hwa and the tanks widened their formation.

The central area was exposed.

Thud!

Thud!

The waiting players kicked off the ground.

They were the main dealers of the first attack team of the Bohai guild, wielding swords and spears.

Swoosh! Crunch!

They aimed for vital points.

To the dealers specialized in chaotic battles, the slowed Dwarves were easy prey.

Boom! Boom!

The Dwarves fell one by one.

-It's a good video, bro. I think it will get at least 3 million views.

The Bohai guild's video editor gave a thumbs up.

'3 million...!'

Song Cheon-hwa's mouth curved upward.

The effort to prepare for this scene paid off.

Indeed, it would make viewers drool.

She had added the right amount of excitement.

'The solo players are almost all wiped out.'

Eight were blocked by the guilds, but the remaining four passed the tanks and went to the back.

The result?

It was obvious without checking.

Those who fought back had already turned into corpses.

Only the quick ones might have survived.

***

Is this what it feels like to have your life flash before your eyes?

Kim So-mi, a 25-year-old information specialist, gave up on life as she saw the approaching axe.

She had no more strength to run.

No magic power to defend herself.

'I should have lived within my means.'

She was just one of the many who had come hoping for a quick fortune.

This wasn't the ending she wanted.

She closed her eyes tightly and waited for the end.

Wishing it would be over quickly.

But.

"..."

There was no pain.

Strange.

She thought it would be incredibly painful.

Unable to resist her curiosity, she opened her eyes slightly.

"Ah!?"

An unbelievable scene unfolded before her.

Crack!

The axe had stopped.

The muscles in the Dwarf's arms were bulging, but it couldn't move past the man in front of her.

'...He's holding it?'

No, he was blocking it with ease.

With just a dagger.

Clearly a melee dealer from his equipment...

Why did he look more massive than a tank with a shield?

She was amazed.

Amazed and awed.

But the next scene turned her amazement into fear.

Whoosh!

Flames erupted from the man's left hand.

Not small sparks, but blinding flames.

"Ma... Magic?"

It was impossible.

All-rounder players were extremely rare.

Even they had some weaknesses.

But she had never heard of someone with all abilities this strong.

His level...

'I can't even guess.'

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The flames engulfed the Dwarf's head.

The smell of burning rotten meat filled her nose.

"Kraaaa!"

Boom!

The Dwarf's body, now a charred lump, collapsed.

That made four.

Jin Hyuk looked at the fallen Dwarf for a moment.

He had to maintain level 1, so he didn't completely finish it off.

But it was practically a corpse.

'He'll take care of the rest.'

Jin Hyuk shook the soot off his hands.

And he licked his lips, seemingly unsatisfied.

What can I say?

It felt like the match ended before he could even warm up.

The Dwarves were much weaker than expected.

Simple patterns based on instinct rather than sophisticated attacks.

They were a bit faster and stronger, but that was it.

In fact, it took less than 3 minutes to deal with the four.

'Why does it feel easier than when I did it before?'

Back then, it took over 10 minutes to kill four Dwarves.

Shortening it by 7 minutes was absurd, even to him.

It seems 11 years of stagnation had its effects.

But right then.

"How... how did you...?"

A voice from behind, completely unexpected.