Chapter 366: New World (1)

The temple of the Church of Muldine located in the Dark Zone was an extremely old place with no modern facilities like mana lamps. If the torches hanging in the halls or rooms were extinguished, everything would be swallowed in pitch-black darkness. Additionally, the air smelled damp and musty likely because bugs constantly crawled around.

“

Hm-hmm.

”

A man hummed a tune in the temple’s hallway, which could hardly be called pleasant even as a joke. He waved his fingers while watching those crawling at his feet. It was a graceful and refined motion, like a maestro conducting a symphony.

“Please...”

“Sp-spare me...”

The bodies of those begging for their lives were torn to pieces by magic. The man who had caused it with just a playful wave of his fingers began to calculate.

“That makes fifty-six. I guess I need to kill about thirty more.”

It was Sting, the Archmage of Ruin. After failing to gather other sacrifices due to interference from Kai and Yoo Ha-Rin, he had broken the alliance. He was fairly satisfied with the result now.

Cleaning up all the ones I hated always feels like cleaning up trash.

Of course, he still didn’t like the situation itself.

Goliath. If that idiot had just done his job properly.

Then they would have already gathered all the sacrifices and started the New World project. However, there was nothing that could be done about water that was already spilled.

Sting quickly moved through the temple’s interior.

***

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

Yoo Ha-Rin ran forward and diagonally slashed the chest of an approaching Dark Knight.

While she created a brief opening, Kai identified the enemy locations and snapped his fingers while running from behind.

“Four Spears.”

As he cast the skill, four spears formed from holy power were summoned behind his back. They were at least two hand spans longer and thicker than normal spears.

At the same time, Kai’s eyes darted around as he designated targets one by one, and the spears began to move. The four spears moved with incredible speed and felt like living creatures. They spun smoothly and curved through the air, piercing the enemies’ hearts and heads. Of course, there was also a penalty with such absurd effectiveness.

These are harder to manage than I thought.

He had to keep controlling the spears’ positions constantly. But there was no time to complain.

We need to break through as much as we can while the Warriors hold the line.

Members of the Warriors guild were currently positioned to the left and right of Kai and Yoo Ha-Rin. They became a wall that blocked the swarming Dark Knights and Inquisitors. Yet some Dark Knights still managed to slip through.

They must easily number over a thousand altogether.

He had made a promise with Vulcan before the mission began.

“If you feel you’ve hit your limit, you can retreat. You don’t need to die just to repay a favor.”

“Thanks. We’ll support you as much as we can. I’ll give a signal if we reach our limit.”

Kai looked at the number of enemies swarming around and said, “Ha-Rin, judging by their numbers, the Warriors are at their limit. They’ll probably pull out soon.”

“It’s fine. We’re almost there now.”

The location they received from Cha-Or was right in front of them. Perhaps because of that, the barrier of Dark Knights had grown even thicker.

“

Argh

, hey Unknown! This is as far as we go!”

“We can’t hold on any longer!”

The Warriors guild members who had held their flanks shouted with their bodies covered in wounds.

Kai shouted back without even turning, “That’s enough! Fall back now!”

“Good luck out there!” Vulcan gave his final support and gradually slowed down as he led his guild members.

They disappeared into the distance within seconds.

Watching them vanish, Yoo Ha-Rin hurriedly shouted, “Oh no, Kai! Thirty more incoming ahead!”

“

Tsk

. It never ends, does it.”

They now fully felt the absence of the Warriors guild. The moment the ones who had blocked their flanks disappeared, every attack focused entirely on them.

“Ha-Rin, give me a lift!”

At Kai’s request, Yoo Ha-Rin spun around. She tilted her greatsword sideways into a perfect position for stepping. Kai kicked off the ground without hesitation and launched into the air using her sword as a springboard. At the same time, sparks flew from Zatan’s Gravity Gloves he wore.

“Gravity field!”

As a significant amount of mana drained like a receding tide, thirty Dark Knights floated high into the sky. A powerful current flowed through the gravity field, causing damage every second. However, that wasn’t the main reason Kai lifted them.

If they’re not moving...

It was easier to lock onto them. Kai scanned all enemy positions by looking around and launched the spears. The four spears tore through the air, pierced through the floating enemies, and returned to him.

“

Whew

.”

As Kai landed safely on the ground, the corpses of the Dark Knights dropped behind him.

Thud! Thud!

Exactly thirty-two thuds were heard.

“

Wow

... that was pretty cool just now,” Yoo Ha-Rin gave a thumbs up and admired him.

Taking out thirty Dark Knights with an average level over 400 that easily motivated her to do better.

She turned her head and looked ahead. “We finally made it.”

The old temple came into view. Its outer appearance resembled the temples of Angkor Wat. The surface of the ancient stones was overgrown with moss and weeds.

“Do you think Atroc’s Soul Vessel is really in there?”

“Who knows. But there must be something with this many troops around.”

Their persistent enemies surrounded them once more as they talked.

Yoo Ha-Rin gripped her sword tightly and her eyes gleamed. “This time, I’ll break through.”

***

Sting’s movements became busy.

“Those damn monsters... How did they break through all that force in such a short time!”

Over two thousand troops had been deployed in the Dark Zone by Goliath. Naturally, Sting expected Kai and Yoo Ha-Rin to take at least two days to reach the temple, but it had only taken them eight hours.

His Adam’s apple bobbed nervously as cold sweat began to form on his back. He still remembered the day that persistently appeared in his nightmares.

That battle took place in a forest too.

It was the day Black Bee had lost to Kai and the Cheonhwa guild. Unknown’s mere presence was terrifying back then as his guild members deployed across the forest had died by the minute.

Whew. Calm down. Panicking won’t help.

Pulling himself together, Sting worked on the final part of his plan in the giant chamber underground.

“Damn it. There’s too much to do alone with no one to help.”

Progress would have been much faster if he had even a few subordinates to handle the simple tasks. However, he had already killed all the priests he usually had Goliath order around. As a result, there was no one left in the temple to command.

This plan must succeed no matter what.

The New World plan had been in the making for years by the worshippers of the Demon King, and Sting believed this was the only way to surpass Kai.

That stupid Goliath. I told him from the start that we’re far past the point of catching up to Kai by just grinding.

He didn’t know how, but Kai had obtained a Mythic-class very early. Naturally, his accumulated stats would be significant by now with a level over 500.

Even if ranks two to five, no, even up to ten teamed up, they might still lose to him.

Just the thought of trying to kill such a monster was delusional and arrogant.

Monsters should only fight other monsters.

That was what the New World Project was for. It was a plan to summon a demon from the demon realm, the cursed dimension.

If by any chance a great demon is summoned... Sorry Pegasus Corp, but this game will be mine to control.

A thrill like spinning a roulette in a mobile game surged through Sting’s heart.

“

Whew

.”

In the underground chamber of the Church of Muldine’s temple was a massive gate. It was the hellgate used by demons from ancient times to cross into this land. Made from 666 human sacrifices, just looking at it chipped away at one’s sanity.

Everything is ready now.

Honestly speaking, he was a little short on sacrifices. However, there was no other way left.

I could go outside myself and gather more sacrifices...

But that was far too risky. No one knew when those two monsters roaming the Dark Zone might arrive at the temple.

Sting eventually began to channel magic into the giant magic circle drawn on the floor.

Whoooom!

Soon the glowing blue magic circle faintly illuminated the dark space. That light began to seep into the rusted hellgate.

Now’s the time.

Sting snapped and poured the pre-prepared corpses and blood over the magic circle. Beginning its feast after a long time, the magic circle devoured the blood and flesh with greed. After a short while, the hellgate, which hadn’t opened once in countless years, let out a scream.

That’s the signal that the magic circle has activated successfully.

Even Sting had no idea what kind of being would be beyond the hellgate. He clenched both fists tightly and prayed again and again that a powerful demon would be summoned.

The handle of the hellgate began to rattle more and more violently. The demon on the other side must have been quite impatient. Then finally, the hellgate creaked and opened just enough for a finger to slip through.

F-finally...!

The moment Sting stared at the hellgate with his eyes widened, the ceiling collapsed.

***

Kai and Yoo Ha-Rin broke through hundreds of Dark Knights and entered the temple. Of course, they hadn’t killed them all.

—The Church of Muldine... Those cursed bastards!

—

Hm

. A forest without a single ray of light. Quite a pleasing place.

Harley and Desmond were dealing with them outside the temple. While they distracted the enemies, the two went inside the temple and moved quickly through the interior.

Yoo Ha-Rin, who had only focused on getting inside and didn’t know what to do next, asked, “So, what now?”

“

Hmm

. First...”

Of course, Kai didn’t know either. But there was one thing that made him different from Yoo Ha-Rin.

Ding!

[The Treasure Hunter effect has activated. A cursed relic exists below.]

The special title, Treasure Hunter, was activated after a long while. And the target it pointed to was very suspicious.

Wait, if it’s a cursed relic... Could it be the Soul Vessel?

Kai’s eyes shined as he said, “Ha-Rin, it looks like we’ll need to go down.”

“Down? Then we need to find some stairs.”

The two carefully searched the area, but they couldn’t find any stairs leading downward.

“Maybe there’s no basement?”

“

Hmm

. That shouldn’t be the case...”

There was no way the Treasure Hunter would lie. In fact, he had found a well-hidden secret room at the lair of the Death Dragon in the past.

That must mean...

There was probably a hidden passage. However, finding a hidden passage now was too inefficient.

No one knows how long Harley and Desmond can hold out.

Eventually, Kai reached toward the floor.

Seeing that, Yoo Ha-Rin asked in surprise, “K-Kai. Y-you’re not going to destroy the floor, are you?”

“I am. We don’t have another way.”

“Then I’ll cover my ears.”

Standing far back, Yoo Ha-Rin plugged her ears and closed her eyes.

After confirming that, Kai slowly said, “Solar Photon Cannon.”

Boom!

A beam far beyond comparison with Holy Explosion collapsed all four underground levels of the temple.