"Kwa-ma-ma-a-mang!"
"Please, Kehok...!"
A dull thud exploded, followed by a scream full of pain.The sound of flesh tearing, and the grotesque crack of bones breaking.All of it was coming from Logan.
"Kuhk, kuh-hyuk! You bas... kwa-ma-ma-ma-ak!"
Logan couldn't even begin to gather his senses.From the start, he hadn't been given a moment to recover.Han Yuseong was launching a relentless barrage without pause, without a single wasted move.His face was crushed, and the arms and hands that tried to block it were broken.Just as he tried to retreat, a shadow shot up and grabbed his legs.What followed immediately was a compressed bloodstorm, bursting forth—
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwak!
"Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ak!"
In an instant, Logan's entire body was battered beyond recognition.That didn't mean he was just taking it, though. He tried to fight back somehow, looking for an opportunity to turn the tide of the battle.But it was meaningless.
"Th-this can't be happening..."
Logan's attacks didn't even graze Han Yuseong.Even before Han Yuseong had activated his buffs, it had been that way.Now, with his abilities drastically enhanced from the buffs, landing a hit was practically impossible.
A fist slammed into Logan's face, snapping his head back violently.His mind was spinning, but a single thought surfaced.
'Why? How... How could there be such a difference...?'
Han Yuseong's stats had certainly increased thanks to the buffs.But not to the extent that he should be completely overwhelming—if anything, Logan believed he was still the stronger one.
And yet, the way this battle was unfolding was nothing short of a one-sided beating.Where was this difference coming from?
Kwa-jijijijik! (a shattering/crackling sound)
Logan couldn't understand.And it seemed he wouldn't be given the chance to.He watched as the arm holding his spear was flung far away.
Terror gripped him.A creeping fear of death settled in.
["In the end, you disappoint us..."]
"N-no…!"
A message from the Lords' Alliance appeared.A message thick with disappointment. Logan felt his heart sink.
["After all the support we've given you, and you can't even subdue a single human… There's nothing more to expect from you."]
"L-Lord! No, please! Just give me power one more time—!"
["You want power? Then I shall grant it…"]
The words from the message began to flow down,like drops—drip, drip—falling like ink.Logan took a deep breath.Something inside him began to stir violently.
["Even if it's not in the form you desired..."]
"Ugh, Khaak, Kuaaaagh...!"
A grotesque sound erupted from Logan's fallen body.The body that had, until now, resembled a human was transforming.Twisting into the form of a horrifying creature—no longer anything one could call human.The overwhelming support had begun to destroy him.
Kwa-ma-ma-ma-aack!
A powerful shockwave burst out from Logan.Han Yuseong clicked his tongue and retreated, closely watching the situation.
There are limits to the support a Lord can grant a player.More precisely, there are limits to what a player can withstand.Once that limit is exceeded, the player's body begins to collapse.
"He might gain power for a short while..."But the cost is death.
Yet transformation takes time.And most of all, during the transformation, the body becomes immobile—completely vulnerable to attack.Logan's condition was already on the verge of death.If the distance could be closed, he could be finished in one strike.
["Bind his limbs..."]
And that's something the Lords' Alliance knew all too well.
Soldiers swarmed in from all directions, surrounding Han Yuseong.For the current Han Yuseong, dealing with them wasn't particularly difficult—but there were simply too many of them.If he took the time to eliminate them all, Logan would finish his transformation in the meantime.
"Then I'll just clear the path in one go."
Han Yuseong gripped his sword tightly.The soldiers charged at him. His entire field of vision was filled with enemies.Staying calm, he drew in mana and focused all his power into his sword.What gathered at the tip was a savage force.He took a deep breath—
—BOOM!
—and slammed the ground with all his strength.For a moment, silence fell. But only for a moment.
As the savage force burrowed into the earth, it began to spread forward—
Kwa-ma-ma-ma-ma-ang!
This marked the beginning of Earth Shatter.The ground before Han Yuseong cracked wide open, and from the fissures, a scorching wave of destruction erupted.Simultaneously, a massive explosion occurred, sending countless shards flying mercilessly into the crowd of soldiers.Agonized screams rang out as the soldiers were torn apart.
"W-What the hell is that...?""He's using a skill with that level of power... that fast?"
Even the surviving players were in shock.It was a wide-area attack skill, yet it lacked nothing in destructive force.And the casting speed—it had been almost instantaneous.
Normally, skills like that required a moment of focused preparation.
It was a skill with a long cooldown—something one normally wouldn't dare use so freely.But there was a simple reason Han Yuseong could do just that.
"Quite a useful passive."
Once per day, the
Whoooosh-BAM!
[Kk-ugh, kuhk... y-you...!]
Logan, mid-transformation into a monster, locked eyes with Han Yuseong.What filled those eyes was fury, resentment—and unmistakable fear.
Han Yuseong stomped down on Logan's solar plexus and pulled both arms back.A storm of blood gathered in his grasp.
"You're no different from a beast."[W-what... kuhaaaaagh!]
A single, disappointed remark.Before Logan could even respond in confusion, Bloodstorm Chains pierced his heart—and Blood Dragon Wrath swallowed his head whole.
[N-no, this... this can't be…]
That was his final will.
Logan gave one last violent shudder—and then collapsed.
Kuuuu-boom!
But the incident wasn't truly over yet.Han Yuseong stood with clenched fists in front of a massive gate.
[I can sense a presence beyond the gate. Hmph… the Lords' Alliance? For a bunch of nameless stragglers, this is…]"Too large in scale."
It was a suspicion he had held since his previous life.For a group of Lords without titles to unite and pull this off—wasn't it all just… too massive?
Naturally, a question followed:
[There may be someone behind this.]
But that wasn't something Han Yuseong needed to concern himself with.That was for the Lord of Ecstasy and their Vowbound to deal with.What he had to do right now was—
Fwoooosh!
—destroy the gate.
Han Yuseong ignited a flame on the
["A human... dares interfere with us..."]["Unforgivable. You, and the Lord of Ecstasy as well..."]["We will return. No matter what it takes..."]
Even as the gate burned away, the overwhelming presence of the Lords could be felt beyond it.
Han Yuseong clicked his tongue.
"Instead of cursing me, you'd do better worrying about your future. You don't actually think the Lord of Ecstasy is going to let this slide, do you?"
["Silence! All of you will—"]
Slash!
Han Yuseong cut through the gate.The burning gate split cleanly in two and vanished.The overwhelming presence beyond it dissipated.The oppressive aura that had filled the area vanished as well—along with the soldiers that had surrounded him.
[The gate has been destroyed.][Destruction rate: 25%. The Lords' Alliance's incursion has been halted.]
A message appeared before Han Yuseong's eyes—confirmation that this incident was truly over.
The crisis was over.Logan was dead.The gate was destroyed.The soldiers who had once filled the area were gone.All that remained was cleanup.
[Purging the corrupted area will be a challenge for some time. That's what worries me—whether that lunatic will handle it well…]
Everyone else in the corrupted zone was gone.More accurately, they'd been forced out—the Lord of Ecstasy had handed out their rewards and kicked them all out.Now, Han Yuseong was the only one remaining in the corrupted zone.
He looked over the messages appearing before his eyes.
[Level has increased to 5.][Strength +5, Agility +5, Stamina +5.][Due to the effect of 'Warlord', Strength +3 and Agility +2 have been further increased!][Devour has been used. Devour Stack: 2/15.]
A message announcing the level-up and use of Devour appeared.And then—
[You have successfully defeated a unique powerful foe.][You have fulfilled the activation conditions for your unique ability, 'Warlord.'][Additional rewards will be granted.][Skill acquired: 'Spear of the Abyss (A)'.][Additionally, Willpower +10 has increased!]
A message indicating the activation of the Warlord ability.Since Logan was considered a named monster, rewards were given.This time, it came in the form of a skill.
[Spear of the Abyss (A)]
Type: Active
Creates a spear of the abyss from deep darkness.
The darker the surrounding environment, the stronger the damage.
It was a skill similar to the spear Logan had used.Although it was an A-rank skill, the fact that its power increased with the level of surrounding darkness made it unique.
"If I combine it with shadow-based tactics, it could be quite useful."
Han Yuseong closed the message window.
And at that moment, another barrage of messages rained down like a storm.
["I'm satisfied! I can't remember the last time I was this satisfied!"]["I want to record this moment! Is that okay? It's okay, right? I'll store this scene in my collection for all eternity!"]
"Just watching this makes my ears hurt..."
They were frantic messages from the Lord of Ecstasy, almost as if in a fit of euphoric madness.It seemed the recent events had deeply pleased them.Han Yuseong clicked his tongue, visibly exasperated.The thought occurred to him instinctively—Just imagining a contract with a Lord like that makes every day feel like a nightmare.
["Hey! Human! Let's form a contract, yeah? Do you already have one? No matter! That weakling Lord you're with? Ditch them. Pick me—"]["Y-you lunatic! Do not covet my Vowbound!"]["I'm serious, human!"]["Kyaaagh!!"]
Kakasha hissed like an angry cat.The Lord of Ecstasy, however, wasn't fazed in the slightest—they just kept spamming messages with glee.It was oddly amusing—like watching an overexcited child throwing a tantrum.
["I'll say it again!"]["Amazing! Truly amazing! An unbelievable feat!"]["You've achieved the impossible!"]
The Lord of Ecstasy was practically screaming in delight.Han Yuseong, with a deadpan expression, stared at the message window.
"Never mind the praise—I'd rather just get the reward I was promised."
["Reward! Ah, right! I, the great Lord of Ecstasy, never go back on a deal! When I've enjoyed such satisfying ecstasy, it's only right to give a worthy reward!"]["My Vowbound… my poor ears are ringing…"]
Han Yuseong shared the same sentiment as Kakasha.Even though it was just text, not sound, it felt like his ears were hurting.Being that noisy—maybe that was a talent in its own right.
["I'll give you a reward worthy of you—and worthy of the name Ecstasy!"]
[The Lord of Ecstasy is in awe of your performance. The Vault of Ecstasy, filled with countless treasures, has been opened. A reward is granted!]
As annoying as all the chatter was, it had been worth enduring.Because when the Lord of Ecstasy gave, they gave well—and the reward now appeared before Han Yuseong's eyes.
[You have obtained: Mask of Chaos (Mythic)!]
A Mythic-grade item—the kind of reward that could shift the balance of power entirely.
Han Yuseong saw the notification and a deep smile formed at the corners of his lips.