Book 2: Chapter 498
“Kuk…!”
It wasn’t fatal.
Dok Go-yun stumbled heavily, but he managed to remain standing instead of collapsing. It was dangerous. If he hadn’t managed to control his body at that moment, it might have really been over for him.
‘What kind of attack was that?’
Just now, Dok Go-yun had used his body protecting ki guard*. (*: 호신강기- I’m sure there is a better name for this in english, I couldn’t think of/find it)
Even if it was hit by an anti-tank missile, it would probably be able to endure it without taking any damage. But the unknown projectile tore Dok Go-yun’s best and last form of defence apart like a piece of paper.
“From the hotel…!”
“I know. Control the bleeding first.”
“Kuk. Yes!”
Dok Go-yun pressed on the wounded area that had been pierced.
In the meantime, Lukas’ gaze quickly scanned the hotel. It quickly became clear to him where the projectile came from.
Because a green light flashed on the roof again.
‘It’s coming again.’
This time, it wasn’t one shot but a series.
There were a total of five flashes of light, three of which were aiming for Dok Go-yun.
It was an underhanded but correct judgment. Lukas clenched his teeth. If his barrier didn’t work, then it would be difficult for him to stop the projectile with most magic.
Lukas grabbed Dok Go-yun by the scruff of his neck and tried to space leap. Dok Go-yun calmly stopped the bleeding even as his body fluttered like cloth hanging from a laundry pole.
Piht-
But the projectiles that missed didn’t continue travelling in a straight line, and instead turned around and rushed towards Lukas again.
There was no superfluousness in their movements, to the extent that Lukas couldn’t help but feel that they weren’t bullets but actual living beings with wills.
Of course, there was no time to comfortably analyse them.
Waving his hand, Lukas imbued his mana into the air. The surrounding air shook violently, swirling in every direction.
Bababang!
Three of the five bullets exploded.
Lukas took this chance to inspect the internal structure of the bullets through the flow of the air he spread. They weren’t living beings.
The bullets were very small, but they were machines that contained a surprising amount of technology. The bullets, which were smaller than a fingernail, were constructed with a more complex and precise structure than fighter jets.
Therefore it was natural for him to mistake them as living beings.
The essence of the technology contained in a single bullet was already close to the level of magic.
‘The person who fired the bullets is also amazing.’
They were definitely a marksman capable of demolishing a castle even if they didn’t have any equipment.
“I’m fine…!”
Dok Go-yun grasped the situation quickly.
He’d become powerless after receiving the first attack, so at that moment, his very existence could only be called a burden for Lukas.
His face was flushed with shame.
“Go intercept the enemy, don’t worry about me! Don’t get swept up by the enemy anymore…”
No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t an easy problem.
The opponent was a sniper.
If there was one difference from a normal sniper.
It was the fact that they had no intention of hiding their presence.
‘It’s natural.’
The place that guy was, the Lake Hotel, was like an impenetrable fortress.
If he were to recklessly attack in this situation, when it was still unclear as to how many absolute level powerhouses were hiding there, the situation might become dozens of times worse than it was at that time.
In other words, the best decision to make in this current situation would be to run away, but he would not be able to cross a long distance with an already injured Dok Go-yun. If he did that, Dok Go-yun’s body would probably not be able to withstand it and would shatter directly.
Pipipit-
The light flashed again. This time, there were dozens.
Lukas made up his mind.
Since it had already come to this, he couldn’t justify saving void-
“I would like to talk.”
Lukas and Dok Go-yun exchanged glances. Of course, it wasn’t one of their voices.
The voice was clear as if the speaker was whispering right beside them, but it carried a gloominess that they had never heard before.
Lukas realised who the voice had come from.
It was the voice of the sniper who was aiming at them from the roof of the hotel.
“Then you should have given a more gentlemanly first greeting.”
Lukas spoke sarcastically, but the response that came back was in the same blunt tone.
“I didn’t cause you any harm. And your subordinate wasn’t fatally wounded.”
“…so you say.”
“If I had wanted to, he would have been torn apart in the first attack. Are you going to deny that?”
“…”
Although he knew it wasn’t a lie, Dok Go-yun couldn’t help but feel humiliation and fear at the same time.
Lukas tried to think as rationally as possible.
Right. What this rude sniper had said was not wrong. Without a doubt, if his goal had been to kill Lukas or Dok Go-yun, he would have used more certain methods.
For example, working together with someone else in the hotel to launch a pincer attack.
“What do you want to talk about?”
“Mm. I’m not the one who wants to talk.”
“Then who does?”
“Diablo.”
The corners of his mouth rose unconsciously.
“I already saw that guy a while ago. We have nothing more to talk about.”
“I don’t know what’s going on between you two. I don’t care. All I know is that he wants to talk to you urgently.”
“What is your relationship with Diablo?”
“Collaborators.”
Did that mean that this person also agreed with Diablo’s ideals? Lukas couldn’t understand.
Without a doubt, the sniper was powerful. At the very least, he was on the level of an Absolute, and even Lukas was unable to precisely gauge his strength from this distance.
In other words, he was much stronger than Diablo.
It wasn’t possible that his thought processes were being affected by fear, which meant that he actually agreed with Diablo’s absurd ideals.
“There is no time, you have to hurry.”
“It seems that you don’t want the other guys in the hotel to know.”
“There’s a reason for that, but it will soon be dawn.”
“…?”
At those words, he looked up to the sky.
It took him a while to notice since the artificial island covered most of the sky, but scarlet rays of light were slowly overflowing the cloudy sky.
As the sniper said, dawn was soon approaching.
However…
[Our relationship has nothing to do with the current situation.]
He heard a familiar voice.
It was Diablo’s.
[I’m sure that’s what you’re thinking. To put it shortly, the First Wave will occur right after the sun rises.]
“The First Wave?”
[It is the first screening process. Very few members in VIP are privy to this information.]
“…”
[You must have made a decision by now. I think the past week was enough time for you to think about it deeply. So I would now like to hear your answer.]
“What answer are you talking about?”
[That…]
Diablo’s voice paused for a moment.
Then, he spoke in a perplexed tone.
[Could it be that you didn’t hear anything from Iris Peacefinder?]
“What?”
[That woman, what ulterior motive does she have…]
Diablo muttered to himself before asking again.
[Then what did you two talk about in the Akashic Records?]
“We didn’t talk about much…”
Suddenly.
Feeling something strange, Lukas and Dok Go-yun looked up at the sky at the same time.
[It seems the plan was pushed forward a bit. I was a step behind.]
They heard Diablo groan.
[The screening has begun. We’ll continue our conversation later. If it’s you, I’m certain you can easily survive the First Wave…]
Diablo’s voice faded more and more until it eventually disappeared completely. The sniper on the roof had also hidden his presence.
But Lukas wasn’t paying any attention to that.
At the bottom of the artificial island, the smooth metal surface overturned, revealing something.
“…that’s…”
Dok Go-yun let out a soft exclamation.
Plasma could be seen gathering at the tips of countless warship guns.
Dok Go-yun knew a lot about the technological capabilities of the Great Galactic Alliance.
And for the first time, he felt like he could see the truth about the ‘Next Stage’.
‘It’s not an artificial island.’
It was an enormous warship that was big enough to be mistaken for an island.
Flash-
A scene of destruction was reflected in Dok Go-yun’s eyes.
Plasma, bombs, and missiles fell from the sky like meteors.
An unprecedented bombardment had begun.
* * *
“I didn’t prepare many waves.”
A creature with a bizarre appearance.
Its body was basically composed of mechanical parts, but it had a face similar to that of a living being. It had no eyes or ears. Instead, what stood out was a wide mouth and extremely large nostrils.
The centre of its forehead and the back of its head were made of glass, and inside of it, a yellow brain could be clearly seen.
On the topic of appearance, its clothes were similar to those worn by a priest.
It looked like something you’d get if you mixed a monster, a machine and a priest together.
“At most, there are seven.”
Its voice was very calm and clear, so it matched well with its outfit. It sounded like a spell that made the minds of all those who listened feel at ease.
Its murmur continued in the solitary space.
“I’ve looked at the [Great Game] a few times. It is impressive, but it is too mild. In my opinion, it is unlikely to produce any significant results. Don’t you think the time we have left is too short to wait for the development of a [possible one]?”
…
“All of the Rulers of old were birthed by fate. So I intend to change that to a more defined test.”
It stretched out its arm.
The ungraceful arm quivered slightly as if bits of metal had been added to it again and again.
“I have seen the future. I am able to predict every situation. So I hereby declare. That the fifth Ruler will be born within a year.”
Kiel Marlgol, the Admiral of the Great Galactic Alliance and the Founder of VIP, continued.
“You’ve suddenly gone quiet, Sun God. I do not have a habit of talking to myself.”
At that moment, an imposing voice resounded.
[A variable that you couldn’t predict has already occurred.]
“What do you mean?”
He didn’t receive an answer.
Kiel shifted his head downward.
The bombardment of the city had ended, but the city still maintained its original form. This was intentional.
The built-in weapons on the ‘Next Stage’ were enough to wipe a small city off the face of the world, but the purpose of the bombardment was extermination, not destruction.
“…a variable I couldn’t predict.”
An unpredictable variable.
Kiel tried to remember beings capable of escaping his calculations.
* * *
Creak-
The blackened door swung open, revealing Pale.
She put down the bundle she was carrying. Tuduk, tuk. All kinds of foods, canned drinks and fruits fell out of the perforated bags and rolled across the floor.
Not paying them any mind, which was rare, Pale rummaged through the bundle. Finally, she pulled out a pizza box.
“…it’s a bit cold.”
It didn’t taste very good when it was cold.
As she thought that, Pale looked at the bed.
On top of it,
Butterfly slept.
She must be really tired, because she was sleeping as if she was dead, without moving a muscle.
“…”
“Ki-, kiki… kuha, hahaha, hahahaha!”
The sound of laughter was heard, gradually becoming crazier and crazier.
As if she was about to cry, Pale grabbed her face as she laughed crazily.
Pale’s madness consumed the hotel room, which was covered in acrid smoke, the smell of blood, and scattered pieces of flesh.
(TL: Oh no! Butterfly!)