00562 Becoming a Storm
The moment I reached the top of the large hill, the rugged hills that had crowded my entire view suddenly vanished. In their place, about 500 meters away across the way, another hill emerged.
No, calling it a hill was a stretch. Even as we climbed this hill, there had been whispers that it might actually be a mountain. The hill across from us was just as massive.
But it wasn’t just one hill. From the central hill, similar-sized hills stretched endlessly to the left and right. Looking at the landscape lined up horizontally, it felt like a wall made entirely of hills.
Yes. This was it. Passing through the shadowed zone of these hills, we had finally reached their main territory. Once we crossed this wall of hills, their stronghold would be right there.
But that wasn’t the real problem.
Between the hill we stood on and the one across from us was a vast hollowed-out terrain. And in that hollow… there were… too many to count.
In the valley below, hundreds—maybe even over a thousand—monsters swarmed in a dense mass. Not a single one of them failed to look directly up at the hills, as if they had been waiting for us.
“Brother… that is…” Jinsu-hyun’s voice was dazed, almost speechless. I began spinning the unsheathed sword in my hand, loosening up. I considered drawing Victoria’s Glory as well, but decided it was better to start with one hand. I wasn’t incapable of wielding two swords, but I was more comfortable with one.
“Are you… going to fight?”
A startled voice asked. I replied simply, “Of course,” then slowly turned to survey the surroundings.
Everyone’s faces were blank with disbelief. Seeing the number of monsters—almost three or four times what we faced during the last attack—they looked completely stunned.
I spoke quietly.
“From now on, our vanguard will break straight through the valley. Everyone, prepare yourselves thoroughly.”
“B-brother! Really?”
“Why? Are you scared?”
“No, it’s not fear… I just can’t believe you’re really going to charge head-on.”
“That’s surprising. Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?”
“…”
Jinsu-hyun fell silent immediately. Just then, several users came rushing over in a panic. They were the clan lords assigned to the vanguard.
They hadn’t been called, so they must have heard about the monster outbreak. The clan lords looked down anxiously, then exchanged grim looks as they scanned the area.
By now, the clan members had already formed a spearhead formation, following my orders.
“Mercenary Lord, are you seriously planning to break through the valley head-on?”
The first to regain composure was a neat-looking man—was he the Light Lord?
“Yes. That’s the plan.”
“Mercenary Lord, I don’t think that’s a wise choice. We’re on the hill, and the monsters are gathered in the valley below. Wouldn’t it be better to use the terrain advantage and rain arrows or magic down from here?”
“They won’t just sit still and take it.”
“B-but!”
The Light Lord started to protest but stopped himself after I shook my head. He still looked puzzled, clearly unable to understand the head-on charge.
Honestly, his opinion was the logical one. Using the terrain advantage to attack from a distance made perfect sense.
But I didn’t want to do that. To be more precise, neither I, the mercenaries, nor the Southern Expeditionary Force wanted to. We wanted to test the full strength of the Northern Continent just this once.
Because not only the Steel Mountain Range but many other monsters would appear later, and compared to those, the monsters before us weren’t particularly strong.
So no matter what tricks they pulled, I wanted to see if we had the power to break through head-on.
Of course, this wasn’t just reckless bravado.
It was the same as the first time. I had stood here before, seen the exact same scene. There was no guarantee the outcome would be the same, but the odds were high. There were nearly a thousand monsters swarming, but only monsters were visible.
Despite all the hunting so far, not a single evolved human had appeared. So…
“Let me explain the breakthrough plan briefly.”
All eyes turned to me instantly. I continued.
“First, only the mercenary clan will charge forward. Our role is to disrupt and sow chaos in the monsters’ formation below.”
“W-what? Are you out of your mind…!”
“And the remaining forces will be commanded by the Martial Lord.”
“Uh… uh-hmm?”
At that, Go Oh-hwan, who was about to shout, suddenly widened his eyes. Of course, he’d be happy—this was the command he’d long desired.
“The Martial Lord will watch for openings here, and when the chaos reaches a certain point, strike down immediately. That’s the plan. Simple, right?”
“Mercenary Lord! Please reconsider. Even if the monster army is strong, this is too disadvantageous.”
“I won’t entertain any more objections.”
“Then at least coordinate with the central forces…!”
That was absolutely out of the question. If my prediction was right, that would be the worst move. Better to hold the hill like a fortress.
All preparations were complete.
Just before ordering the charge, a sudden thought struck me, and I called over four clan members separately. I needed at least some insurance. Kim Han-byul, Park Da-som, Vivian, and Seon Yu-un came one by one, and I quickly explained my plan.
After hearing everything, Seon Yu-un nodded gravely.
“I understand. Then…”
“Yes. Please relay this to Istantel Low Lord, and the rest…”
Seon Yu-un looked at me intently for a moment, then quickly turned and disappeared into the crowd.
When I glanced at the three women standing with worried expressions, Vivian suddenly raised her hand high. In it was the Order of Order, glowing brightly.
“Aura! Manubamb! Self-destructive Bombers of the Fifth Legion, obey!”
Dark mist spread around us for a moment, then cleared to reveal a new legion of beasts.
Kik, kikik!
Kelkelkel, kelkelkelkel!
At first glance, they looked like the skeleton troops of the Blue Mountain Range, but their loose robes covering almost their entire bodies and the large, sharp horns protruding from their backs were distinctive. Inside the robes, two glowing red orbs radiated the ominous aura typical of beasts.
“Sorry. I wanted to send the Fourth Legion originally, but as you said, it’s better to save them. If confusion is the goal, the Fifth Legion will do.”
Vivian’s apologetic tone was uncharacteristic.
I shrugged, unconcerned, and stepped forward. Then I quietly addressed the silent clan members.
“Let’s go.”
Was there any need to say more?
I didn’t think we would lose. The monsters had abandoned their greatest advantage by revealing themselves. Of course, they were cunning, so they must have some trick up their sleeves—but I was confident we could counter it. No, I would.
“And let’s show them.”
With that, I spun around and began sprinting down the hill at full speed.
Behind me, I could feel the clan members and beasts surging forward.
The monsters were silent. Not a twitch. The slight writhing stopped as soon as we started descending. It was as if they were waiting quietly to be caught in a trap.
Running at full speed, I quickly descended the hill.
The distance to the monsters closed rapidly. They all stared at me.
When the distance was just right—
“Hup.”
I pushed off the ground with all my strength and leapt into the air.
The wind brushed past my hair.
A grotesque scream pierced my ears. The monsters finally moved, dozens, hundreds of tentacles rising to strike at me in unison.
Exactly what I had been waiting for.
I immediately used the Transformed Phantom Strike, aiming for the densely packed center of the monsters.
As the ground came into view, I drew up all my magic and plunged the unsheathed sword deep into the earth without hesitation. Using the sword as a conduit, I poured all the gathered magic into the ground—a magical explosion targeted at the terrain.
One second.
For one second, nothing happened. Then, finally, a reaction.
Crack! Crackle! Crack-crack-crack!
Amidst the swirling dust, the earth split open like a parched field in drought. Eventually, the ground within a 30-meter radius heaved violently.
It still wasn’t enough. As the new form in midair faded away, I felt their gazes locking onto me one by one. Gritting my teeth, I summoned every last ounce of strength I had, pouring my magic in even more fiercely. The mana that had filled my circuits drained away like a receding tide, and an equally massive surge of energy flowed into the ground.
Boom!
Suddenly, the earth rippled in waves. At the same time, a dazzling blue light began to pour out from the cracks that had formed. I took a deep breath, then with a forceful exhale, unleashed the final surge of my magic.
Rumble!
An even larger wave.
Kukukukukuku!
And finally, the intensified glow exploded upward, flooding the barren land with brilliant light.
Kim Suhyun hovered in the air as countless tentacles surged toward the sky. The users standing on the hill screamed.
“Wha-what is that?!”
But their fears were unfounded. Using his Otherworldly Shift, Kim Suhyun passed through the tentacles unharmed and landed safely on the ground. Of course, none of the other users realized this.
Thud!
Moments later, a massive explosion echoed from beneath the earth, shaking the valley nearby. What on earth was that sound? The users’ eyes widened in shock.
Then—
Krakakakakaka!
The cracked ground suddenly lit up, and a surge of bluish light shot up powerfully. From the spot where Kim Suhyun stood, the glowing wave spread outward in a circle, crashing down on the surrounding monsters.
It was like a single, furious tidal wave.
One, two, three, five, eight, thirteen…
The blue mana rising from the earth swept through everything like an angry sea, devouring all in its path and expanding its reach. Monsters touched by the wave spewed fluids and collapsed like fragile straws. As the densely packed creatures scattered, chaos erupted in every direction.
In the blink of an eye, the vanguard had collapsed.
All the users stood there, mouths agape. They had seen magic of similar power before, but never a spell that shattered the earth itself with such overwhelming mana.
No, wait. Wasn’t that user a swordsman?
That thought struck me just then.
“G-go! Move in! Archers, mages! Prepare to provide covering fire!”
Someone shouted. Move in on what?
The reason Kim Suhyun had charged ahead alone was to carve a path for the clan members following behind. Of course, it also gave the demon army more room to rampage.
The results were immediate.
The second wave crashed down on the panicked monsters.
No, the Fifth Legion was more than living up to Kim Suhyun’s expectations.
First, Manubamb, who had slipped through the monsters, laughed wildly. Tentacles wrapped around his body, sharp teeth bit into him—he didn’t care at all. He simply raised both arms with vigor, and before long, the red glow inside his robe flared brightly.
Following his lead, the demon troops that had infiltrated from all sides raised their arms high.
A mad, triumphant laughter from the demons, as if signaling the end.
And shortly after—
Flash!
Brilliant explosions erupted everywhere, bathing the valley in a crimson glow.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
On second thought, this afterword is too embarrassing—I’m deleting it.