Chapter 79

Chapter 78: How a Veteran Defends (3)

"Eat up, our cute little cherry."

Jinhyuk stroked the red carnivorous plant.

Since it had devoured all the food stored in the warehouse, its size and power were beyond imagination.

Then,

"Kieeeeek!"

A giant plant, standing ten meters tall, roared fiercely.

The air reverberated.

Despite the endearing nickname, could there be a more terrifying nightmare for the players facing it?

"Oh, here it comes!"

"Damn it, everyone spread out! If we stay together, we'll all be wiped out!"

Kwakwakwakwak!

Huge vines swept through the mart in an instant.

"What the hell is this!"

Hwangbo Gunak shouted as he darted around in a panic.

"Huh?"

"If this base is destroyed, the number of zombies heading your way will increase significantly! Why are you doing such a stupid thing?"

The fourth floor is a competitive layer that also requires minimal collaboration.

If someone openly trolls and 'that guy' wakes up, everyone could die.

Even if they are members of the martial arts world on the 20th floor.

'That stupid player wouldn't know that.'

If he knew the consequences of his actions, he wouldn't dare to do such a thing.

Hwangbo Gunak clicked his tongue in frustration.

But,

"You seem to be afraid of the queen."

Jinhyuk's words completely subverted expectations.

"Y-You know about the queen?"

"Of course I do."

There are two ways to get special rewards on the fourth floor.

The first is to achieve the most kills.

The second is to be elected as a popular base through subscriber votes.

However, there is actually another way to get rewards.

A hidden quest: 'The Womb of the Dead.'

Killing the queen of the zombies is the best way to get the biggest reward on this floor.

"…I can't believe it. How could a human who just entered the tower…."

"Before the third wave, if one of the large bases guarded by over 200 players is destroyed, a special event will occur. This is one of those cases."

'I found this method by infusing cheap clay figurines with life.'

It was unprecedented for a large base defended by over 200 players to fall before the third wave.

Therefore, if it becomes known that human forces are overwhelmingly weak, the queen controlling the zombies will awaken.

She will move directly to the human base to eliminate enemies that are not worth fighting.

With Jinhyuk's unhesitating answers, Hwangbo Gunak lost any reason to doubt.

Indeed, the other party knew everything.

"Even knowing about the queen's existence, you still plan to summon her?"

"I don't want to deal with the 50 waves of zombies one by one. It's boring, and it's exhausting."

If things proceed normally, he would have to stay in this gloomy ruin for several weeks.

There's no reason to take the hard way when there's an easier path.

Of course, at first, he intended to tackle it head-on.

To destroy a large base within the third wave, he would have had to massacre a large number of regular players.

However, from the moment he encountered these creatures.

And from the moment they chose the mart as one of the large bases.

His plan changed.

There was no reason to feel any moral qualms about dealing with those who drew their swords first.

"By doing this, your base is completely destroyed."

Even the most skilled players on the upper floors would struggle to face zombies without a base.

The scale and endurance of the forces were insurmountable barriers for individuals.

"So, with the time left, try to survive as best you can."

Having achieved his purpose, it was time to leave.

Jinhyuk turned without hesitation.

"You bastard, you're just going to run away after saying your piece! Do you think you can leave here alive?"

Kakakang!

Sparks flew from Jeonggeolcheon's sword.

However, Jinhyuk didn't even spare him a glance as he walked out of the mart.

There was no reason to engage further.

Already,

"Kieeeeek!"

The plant that would turn the base into ruins was firmly supporting him from behind.

＊＊＊

At the same time.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Kwaang!

A black wave surged madly, striking the rock plant at Sangam Stadium.

[The rock plant activates Lv1 'Deep Roots'!]

The rock plant, with its solid and steep body, prevented the zombies from easily crossing.

Then, the zombies began to use their bodies as stepping stones to climb over.

"Grurrr!"

"Kraaa!"

The bodies of the zombies at the bottom were crushed by the weight, but they couldn't feel pain.

However, the moment the first zombie crossed the shield plant and entered the stadium,

"Kie?"

A shadow fell over the zombie's head.

[The flesh plant uses Lv1 'Full Body Leap'!]

Kuuuung!

A massive flesh plant, weighing several tons, crushed the zombie.

The ice plants emitted cold, reducing the zombies' movement speed.

A clean defense.

The remaining four only needed to handle the cleanup.

"…Really impressive. To the point where players don't need to intervene for autonomous defense. Did Jinhyuk plan all of this?"

Teresa muttered, her face a mix of admiration and awe.

It was a scene that was hard to believe even while watching.

"If it were my brother, he probably would have."

"We thought we knew a lot about our brother because we often went with him, but seeing this, I realize we still have a long way to go."

Lee Taemin and Yu Yeonhwa added their thoughts.

"…."

In contrast, Cheonyuseong frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with everything.

The more he saw of his formidable competitor, the more frustrated he became.

An enemy who not only excelled in individual combat but also designed the situation was extremely difficult to deal with.

Just then,

[The large base 'Mart' has been destroyed.]

A status window suddenly appeared before everyone.

"What, what is this?"

Teresa exclaimed in shock.

"The mart, where those Chinese players were just a while ago. It's been breached?"

"Unbelievable…."

"Could it be… related to my brother?"

The timing of Jinhyuk's departure and the base's destruction was too coincidental.

Moreover, it was impossible for a large base with such strong forces to fall to just the second wave of zombies.

It was certain.

Something unusual was happening.

And as if to prove it,

[A special event has occurred.]

[The owner of the fourth floor, 'Pendariel,' moves to punish the weak players.]

A red status window appeared.

"The owner of the fourth floor… What is that?"

"It's unbelievable. We only had to block the zombie waves, right?"

The existence of a boss monster on the fourth floor was news even to Lee Taemin and Yu Yeonhwa, who had frequented the area.

Naturally, the others had no idea about Pendariel.

"Looks like he's planning something huge."

Cheonyuseong muttered, looking outside the stadium.

＊＊＊

After leaving the mart, Jinhyuk moved to the rooftops of buildings.

He was looking for a suitable place to use an item.

After running for some time,

'Here.'

Jinhyuk stopped.

There were multiple bases nearby, making the flow of mana complex, and it wasn't far from Sangam Stadium.

Perfect.

Jinhyuk took a small stone from his subspace inventory.

A special item obtained by defeating the boss monster, Muhun, on the third floor.

The 'Stone that Blocks the Sun.'

[Stone that Blocks the Sun]

Acquisition Difficulty: Unknown

Description: An ancient Mayan ritual artifact that can block the sun and bring darkness. When used, it reduces the five elemental (water, fire, earth, wind, light) abilities by 50% and increases darkness abilities by 100%.

[The ferocity option is forcibly activated.]

An item that should never be used on the fourth floor.

Most player abilities correspond to one of the five elements.

Conversely, if the zombies, which have darkness attributes, become ferocious, their movement and attack speeds will double.

However,

Crack!

Jinhyuk crushed the stone, mocking the situation.

The fragments fell onto the rooftop.

At that moment,

Woooom!

Darkness enveloped the sun.

A thick blanket began to spread over the buildings.

This would significantly increase the difficulty of conquering the fourth floor.

Of course, he didn't use the item just for the thrill.

If he deliberately provoked danger, another event would trigger.

Indeed,

[Human. What are you thinking?]

As expected.

With actions that defied common sense, a message that only the boss monster could use appeared.

The same type of message Ellis used in the corridor.

"Looks like you're trying to turn the bases into a mess. Is that right?"

[Just. Can't stop. The scouts. No need to hold back.]

"Sorry, but I find it amusing. Don't touch the other bases; come to me. The Sangam Stadium behind me is my base."

[Human. Sacrificing. Yourself?]

"It's not a sacrifice. It's just that 1 million zombies are boring."

[Boring? Come. My children?]

Pendariel's voice changed.

Though lacking in intelligence, the tone of the translated message conveyed anger.

He must be angry.

A single human dared to ignore the boss monster of a floor.

"Pour all your forces and challenge me. I'll wipe them all out."

Jinhyuk sneered.

[Alright. Human. I'll destroy. Your base. First. And warn. All humans. To regret. Challenging us.]

The queen's message ended there.

Soon, her enraged forces would flood this place.

'Is it recording well?'

Jinhyuk checked the broadcast system.

[The video from the large base 'Mart' to just now is being edited and uploaded.]

Jinhyuk clenched his fist, confirming the video was being uploaded.

'Good.'

Everything went according to plan.

The stupid Chinese players failed to protect a base, triggering a hidden quest.

Thus, preparing for the worst.

At that moment, player Jang Jinhyuk took the risk to save everyone.

Using the 'Stone that Blocks the Sun' to draw the zombies to his base.

To everyone, he would appear like a hero.

But,

'I'll take all the rewards: the most kills, the popularity vote, and the boss monster.'

The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth turned up.

Saving people was a bonus.

The main goal was to sweep all the rewards.

This way, he created a golden opportunity to monopolize the public's attention and benefits.

No one else.

'By my own power.'