Chapter 33

Chapter 8. Akasha's Serpent (1)

Build twitched one eyebrow.

"Second Squad, completely wiped out?"

"Yes, it seems so."

Second Squad had been active behind the Arang Corps, supplying 'materials.'

"The culprits must be those guys again."

Suja bowed his head in silence.

But his response was enough.

Build's irritation flared up.

"You said you could catch them, and you let them slip? Ha! Now it's as if we've lost Harugan for nothing."

Suja knew that making excuses at such times could lead to trouble, so he bowed his head deeply.

It was only recently that he had ordered the Scavenger Squad to deal with Yeonwoo and his group.

This was because the Arang Corps had brought in the information that Yeonwoo, Kan, and Doil had moved to Harugan's nest as soon as they entered Sector E.

So, he had set a trap.

But the brats had brazenly wiped out Second Squad, bait and all.

Moreover, they had even taken Harugan's crown, which they were about to claim at the end of the tutorial.

It was enough to make one's stomach churn.

"Stupid fools. Do I have to get involved in something like this?"

"I am ashamed."

With Second Squad, which he had nurtured, now gone, he couldn't afford to let Yeonwoo and his group off.

If he did, the 'Island' would surely intervene against Build.

"Prepare First Squad."

"Them, sir?"

Suja's eyes widened.

First Squad.

The elite force of the Arang Corps, composed of players specially trained in Cheonghwado.

Each member was a top-tier player.

But what surprised Suja the most was that this was the first time they had been gathered all at once.

To use them just to deal with three people?

It seemed like a waste of resources.

"Three people who wiped out all of Second Squad. Blood Blade, Bomb Tail, and the masked one. We need to consider them as more than we anticipated."

Build leaned back in his chair.

"Rather, it's for the best. This is a good opportunity to show them real combat."

Suja bowed his head, as if understanding.

Indeed, from his perspective, First Squad was a group of arrogant individuals.

Their belief that they were the next stars of Cheonghwado was so strong that they often defied Build's orders.

Build intended to remove the thorn in his side, Yeonwoo and his group, and at the same time, curb the arrogance of First Squad.

"And, I will move as well."

"…!"

Suja's eyes widened, then he bowed his head.

Build, as a player who had cleared several floors of the Tower, was on a different level from even the top players in the tutorial.

'Top-tier players will be dispatched in large numbers.'

Suja clicked his tongue.

Involving regular players in the tutorial could result in significant penalties for the administrators.

Yet, he was willing to accept such penalties to eliminate these three.

They must be a significant obstacle for the Arang Corps and Cheonghwado.

"Or… do you suspect that they might have discovered the true nature of Second Squad?"

Build nodded slowly.

"There's no need to keep a risk around. Moreover, now that we've clashed this much, we can't just let them be."

Build frowned and issued an order.

"So, gather all the members of First Squad immediately. Warn them that anyone who fails will have their head cut off."

"Yes."

Build watched Suja leave, clicking his tongue.

"Now that we're almost ready to gather all the sacrifices, I didn't expect this kind of disruption."

Until he dealt with Kaen and his group, he thought he could just brush them aside.

But now, he couldn't just sit idly by.

'But Blood Blade and Bomb Tail have too much influence. The masked one, in particular, is likely someone secretly trained somewhere. Suspicious.'

Build didn't think Yeonwoo was acting alone.

By his standards, it was unimaginable that someone with such skill could have been created without any support.

Especially, passing the tutorial solo, breaking through a single point, was something he couldn't ignore.

'So, it must be done in secret. Without leaving any evidence.'

Of course, he wasn't afraid of their backers.

Cheonghwado's military power was among the best in the Tower.

But for now, there was no need to provoke other clans or rankers.

'After Artia disappeared, the forced peace in the Tower is gradually unraveling. It could explode at any time. But at the very least, we need to stockpile as much power as possible before it does.'

In secret. Without anyone knowing.

And the Arang Corps was the place that provided the materials for stockpiling power.

That's why Yeonwoo and his group, who had clashed with Second Squad, couldn't be left alive.

Build pondered for a moment how to deal with them.

But his thoughts didn't last long.

Boom!

"An attack!"

"Damn! What the hell is going on!"

The Arang Corps headquarters shook violently.

Something had exploded at the entrance.

"Sir Build!"

At that moment, Suja, who had gone to gather First Squad, burst through the door in a panic.

Build frowned and asked.

"What is it?"

"They're here!"

"Who?"

"Blood Blade and Bomb Tail…!"

"What?"

Build stood up from his seat, his face twisted with irritation.

As Suja was about to say something, Build suddenly twisted the corner of his mouth.

"It's convenient that they came here on their own, without any need for elaborate plans."

Right then.

Boom!

The left wall suddenly burst open, and Kan and Doil appeared.

They had apparently cut a straight path to where Build was, covered in dust and blood.

"Build-!"

Kan roared with a distorted face, filled with rage at the one who had turned the tutorial into a hell.

Rumble-

A storm of killing intent and fighting spirit swept through the room.

"Ugh!"

"Ah!"

The members who had chased after them to capture the two were thrown back by the fierce momentum. Those who weren't thrown back fainted, bleeding profusely.

The floor shook, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.

Kan, covered in blood and wielding a blood-red dragon sword, looked like a demon from the underworld.

This was the true appearance of Blood Blade, the one who had captured the attention of many clans and rankers in the Tower.

Build slowly drew his sword, feeling the killing intent. His skin tingled.

But the more he felt it, the deeper the sneer on his lips grew.

"Right. I was getting bored in the tutorial. This is good. Let's play, son of the Iron Lion."

With that,

Boom-

Build and Kan lunged at each other with all their might.

Another explosion occurred.

* * *

At the moment Build and Kan clashed.

Yeonwoo was entering the eastern area of Sector E.

The dense forest had given way to jagged black rock mountains.

A vast brown wasteland. The territory of the orc village.

Orcs had grotesquely twisted pig faces, solid muscles, and a robust build.

They were nearly two meters tall, larger than lizardmen, and had a habit of charging at players, making them difficult to deal with.

Of course, to Yeonwoo, they were just a handful.

Thud!

Yeonwoo, while on reconnaissance, suddenly attacked three orcs and broke their necks, then cut the tendons in the limbs of the remaining one, pinning him to the ground.

He then mounted the orc and pressed a dagger to his throat.

"Grk! Human! Strong! Please, spare me!"

Players and monsters alike beg for their lives when in danger.

Yeonwoo smiled coldly and asked.

"I spared you because you seemed the smartest among them."

"Y-Yes! Grk! I'm the smartest in the tribe! Grk!"

The orc nodded frantically, his face pale with fear.

In reality, he had just picked the orc at random.

"Then, just one question. Have you seen anything like a Hunter's Moak around here? It should be on a high rock mountain or at the top of a tree."

"W-What? Grk."

"Think carefully. If you want to live. There are plenty of other orcs around to ask, after all."

The orc quickly started thinking.

To survive, he had to recall what he had eaten five days ago.

The cold blade began to press into his neck, drawing blood.

Before he could feel the pain, the orc, filled with fear, managed to recall one memory.

"I-It's there! Grk! I haven't seen it, but! M-My comrades, on reconnaissance, saw a strange house at the end of Baotree! But they said it was too high to catch!"

Yeonwoo's eyes under the mask lit up.

'Found it!'

The guide and helper who could lead him to the Hidden Piece, Akasha's Serpent.

"Where is it?"

The orc, realizing the blade had stopped piercing his skin, quickly continued.

"B-Baotree is n-north from here, about two meals' walk!"

'Northeast. About half a day's journey from here?'

The orc shouted desperately.

"N-Now, please spare me… Gag!"

He couldn't finish his sentence.

The blade cut through his carotid artery in one swift motion.

"W-Why…?"

The orc, with fading eyes, asked weakly, filled with resentment for being killed despite giving the answer.

"I only said I'd ask. I never said I wouldn't kill you."

Yeonwoo's cold response left the orc's mouth gaping like a goldfish before he died.

Yeonwoo immediately pulled out a large butchering knife and began to cut open the dead orcs' bellies.

To extract their ribs.

Orc bones were known for their incredible density, making them perfect for crafting various artifacts.

Yeonwoo carefully butchered the orcs while organizing his plan.

'Akasha's Serpent only appears under specific conditions and environments. Without that person's help, I can't see it.'

Akasha's Serpent was a monster that roamed deep underground in the eastern rock mountain region. However, it was far from a simple snake.

It was a predator that devoured everything and tried to swallow everything.

Yeonwoo's brother had recorded the details of Akasha's Serpent in his diary multiple times.

The shock of encountering Akasha's Serpent was immense.

That experience was the biggest catalyst for Artia's creation.

Yeonwoo intended to capture this creature alone.

It was larger than several rock mountains combined and of indeterminate length.

The thought of such a creature existing in the tutorial was almost unbelievable.

Akasha's Serpent occasionally emerged to breathe and to satisfy its ravenous hunger.

They had tried to capture such a creature without knowing, and when they faced danger, they met that person.

The benefactor who saved his brother and Artia from danger.

His first teacher, Galliard.

'Snake Hunter, Galliard.'

Yeonwoo murmured the name of the person he needed to meet.

If Galliard knew that he was called a teacher or something similar, he would have come to capture Yeonwoo immediately.

He was that kind of person.

Limitlessly free, yet bound by his past, like a restless spirit.

That's why he had been a hunter chasing Akasha's Serpent for decades.

Galliard had a unique background.

He was a player.

But he had never entered the Tower and had stayed in the tutorial, which reset every cycle, for decades.

Despite this, he was far from weak.

When his brother, now a ranker, looked back, Galliard had the skills to be a top-tier ranker.

If he had left the tutorial and focused on the Tower's conquest, he might have been even higher than his brother.

His brother regretted that such talent was wasted in the tutorial.

Though his reputation was unknown, he knew Galliard best.

He had tried to recruit him multiple times with tickets, but Galliard always firmly refused.

When asked why, he never gave a proper answer.

The only thing he could guess was that Galliard had some lingering attachment to the tutorial.

And that attachment was Akasha's Serpent.

'Jungwoo could meet Akasha's Serpent with the help of his comrades. But I don't have the time to prepare, so I need to meet Galliard and get his help immediately.'

Though his brother valued their relationship, Yeonwoo didn't have much interest in it.

He just needed to get what he wanted.

'And if possible, his skills as well.'

The white mask turned northeast.

'If I can't, I'll steal them.'