Thanks to Kim Suhyun, the Northern Continent’s relief forces crossed over without any interference. Starting with the Mercenaries and Reverse Clan, nearly three thousand had already made it across. Because they were warned to be fully prepared—since the battlefield would be visible as soon as they crossed—the Northern Continent users didn’t panic and immediately took their positions. The time for a counterattack had finally come.
“We’re heading east! Groups of fifty! Move into the city and wipe them out completely!”
“Yes, sir!”
At Kim Deokpil’s shout, the Reverse Clan members responded loudly and clearly. They gathered with their pre-assigned squads, and once confirmed, scattered in all directions. Their movements were perfectly coordinated. Without hesitation, they charged at the Southern Continent users who were still wandering around, unaware of the situation.
Naturally, the Southern Continent users—already convinced they had won—were caught off guard. The moment they sensed something was wrong and turned around, a spear swung mercilessly, severing a neck or piercing a belly. When thirty or forty fell helplessly without even a chance to react, the rest finally snapped out of their daze.
“Who are you?!”
“W-what is this?!”
The Southern Continent users scattered across the area quickly regrouped, forming clusters. Though this was only the vanguard, the sheer number of Northern forces meant fifty or sixty gathered in an instant—a formidable number in such chaotic combat.
But the Northern users didn’t hesitate or falter. They briefly scanned their surroundings, then the mages among them simultaneously raised their staffs.
“────! ────!”
Flashes of fire magic shot out, striking the nearby buildings with pinpoint accuracy.
Crash! Crash!
In the next moment, huge holes appeared where the spells hit, and massive stones began tumbling down the slopes. Of course, the Southern users were gathered right below. They became easy prey, crushed beneath the falling debris.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Boom!
“Ahhh!”
When the heavy stones struck their heads, blood burst out instantly. Those hit directly died on the spot. A few tried to dodge or raise shields reflexively, but it was futile. Because as soon as the debris stopped falling, the melee fighters pounced without mercy.
Kicking enemies in confusion, stabbing throats with spears—the Northern users who had appeared in this city showed no hesitation in killing. They knew all too well that showing even a shred of mercy meant their own death.
Then—
Ping!
While dispatching dozens more in an instant, a sharp, piercing sound tore through the air. At the same time, a mage chanting a new spell collapsed, blood spurting from his chest. The Reverse Clan members snapped to attention. The melee fighters hurried to block the attack’s origin, while priests cast healing spells on the fallen.
As they quickly formed a defensive perimeter, countless shadows began to emerge through the thick smoke. Kim Deokpil’s eyes narrowed, and a rough curse slipped out.
“Damn it. How many of them are there?”
More than a hundred enemies were clearly advancing. Though they had just pulled off a brilliant combo using the terrain, the flashy attack had drawn nearby foes to converge.
“This could go south fast. Should we call for backup from the other squads?”
A subordinate behind him muttered, but Kim Deokpil slowly shook his head.
“No. More importantly, has the Tower of Magic crossed over yet?”
“Probably. We’re next in line.”
“Contact them.”
“Understood.”
The man nodded and pulled out a crystal from his pocket. Other mages and priests immediately layered their protective shields, and the subordinate quickly relayed the situation once the communication connected. Meanwhile, a few spells and dozens of arrows flew randomly but were blocked by the barriers, causing no further casualties.
“Yes, yes… Requesting concentrated fire… No, not fire magic due to risk of friendly fire… Target coordinates are… Understood. Thank you.”
Moments later—
Whoooooosh!
With a refreshing sound, large chunks of water soared through the sky in a cluster. They arced gently before descending precisely on the coordinates the man had given.
“W-what’s that?”
“Wh-what is that thing?”
The Southern users gaped as the water rained down, covering them completely. They hadn’t expected magic to come from an unseen direction and couldn’t react in time. Some struck the ground, but most were drenched and thrown off balance. That was the moment.
Soaked and staggering to their feet, the enemies suddenly paled. Because the opposing mages had already raised their staffs, aiming directly at them.
“────. ────. Lightning!”
A jagged yellow bolt zigzagged forward. When it struck the lead user, a spectacular chain reaction erupted.
Crackle, crackle!
Electricity surged through their bodies, burning flesh to a crisp—first red, then blackened and charred. Before long, every single person soaked in water was reduced to a pile of scorched charcoal.
Those who barely survived staggered out, only to be skewered by a barrage of arrows that followed.
“Tch, tch… What is this? These guys are worse than vagrants.”
Kim Deokpil clicked his tongue and shook his head, while his subordinate nodded calmly.
“Yeah. Honestly, I was a bit nervous, but this is ridiculous… Hey, clan lord? I see one with black hair among them.”
“Huh? You’re right.”
“See?”
“Hey! There’s one right next to me too!”
The subordinate immediately fell silent. Growling, Kim Deokpil’s eyes flashed as he led his group toward the new prey.
The tide of battle was slowly turning. In fact, less than thirty minutes after the Northern forces arrived, they were already slaughtering the Southern users almost mercilessly.
Of course, the Southern users weren’t fools or weak. But the reason for this situation was the combination of the current chaos and the Northern Continent’s unique traits.
First, the chaotic melee. Inside the city, there was no grand strategy or tactical maneuvering—just a messy brawl with friend and foe tangled together. The Southern Continent, used to overwhelming force to break walls and invade, was unaccustomed to this kind of fight.
In contrast, the Northern users were masters of chaos. Ironically, thanks to the vagrants.
Though now wiped out, just a few years ago, vagrants plagued the Northern Continent like a cancer. They hid in rugged terrain, constantly on the run, forcing the North to fight thousands of battles tracking them down. Over time, they became experts in ambushes, small-unit disruption, and sabotage.
Think about it: which is easier to fight—vagrants who hide and strike guerrilla-style, or Southern users who roam openly, shouting “Catch me if you can!”?
That’s why the Northern Continent’s combat power was currently so overwhelming.
So then—
If they were outmatched in organization, the Southern Continent had only one option: bring out powerful individuals to push through with sheer force.
The problem was, even on an individual level, they were at a disadvantage.
Meanwhile, at the same time—
Some on the Southern Continent still hadn’t grasped the situation despite the Northern invasion.
More precisely, those who had deliberately secluded themselves in a corner, engrossed in their acts of rape, remained oblivious. Though the woman’s suffering continued, she had seemingly given up, her body slack and eyes glazed, staring blankly at the sky.
Then, a dark shadow suddenly rose above the gray buildings. Watching absentmindedly, a man frowned deeply as he looked down. His blue robe fluttered slightly, a red belt tied around his waist. Their eyes met briefly, and the woman’s eyelids fluttered open just a bit.
“Whoosh.”
Suddenly, the man leapt down from the building, swinging his sword fiercely as he charged forward.
Swish, swish!
Thud, tumble…
The woman, who had been swaying back and forth, suddenly froze. Moments later, a flicker of shock crossed her eyes as she looked down. Instead of the man’s head grinning like a beast just moments ago, all she saw was a bloodied stump.
“Thomas? Thomas!”
“What… what is this?!”
Several men who had been laughing and watching were now terrified. Understandably so—they had been moving eagerly, only to have their leader’s head severed in an instant. But before they could recover, the deadly blade flashed again.
Sssiiing!
Thud, thud!
The moment the cold wind brushed past, two more heads dropped. They crumpled silently, unable even to let out a sound. The woman, drenched in warm blood, screamed out, and only then did the others turn their eyes toward their attacker.
A young man wielding a knife was stalking forward with a fierce glare. Approaching with a face twisted in rage was none other than Jinsu-hyun, the infamous “Spell Sniper.”
“You damn bastards…”
Jinsu-hyun spat the words through clenched teeth, tightening his grip on the knife’s hilt. The murderous intent radiating from him surged like a dam breaking, flooding the air with lethal energy.
Crushed beneath that savage aura, the men didn’t even think to resist—they stumbled backward, hesitant and defeated. After all, Jinsu-hyun was an A-rank user, even recognized as such by mercenaries. No mere trash like them could hope to stand against him.
“D-damn it. Why is he so angry? Even if they’re enemies…!”
“C-could she be his girlfriend or something?”
The men, jumping to conclusions, quickly dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender.
“Stop! Stop!”
“Surren, Ah, Hey? GG! GG! Good Game!”
They backed away, using every gesture they could to signal surrender. It was, in its own way, a smart move.
But Jinsu-hyun didn’t stop. The one thing these men from the southern continent misunderstood was that he had no relationship with the woman. No, he wasn’t even angry because he’d witnessed a rape.
“It’s because of you…”
Suddenly, Jinsu-hyun bowed his head, his voice boiling with rage. He bit down so hard on his lip it bled, his face twisted with bitter fury.
“It’s because of you…”
Memories from just a few hours ago flashed through his mind.
“Unni, why were you laughing earlier?”
Insol, asking innocently.
“Hmm? Oh, it was because of the red bean paste and that ‘Jinhangae’ thing.”
Jegal Haesol had explained calmly, smiling.
Only days ago, Jinsu-hyun had thought of himself as a noble “Mage Hunter.” No matter how others saw him, that was how he saw himself. But then… then…
“Those two words are actually mistranslations of ‘Aaang’ and ‘Kono Yatsu’ from Japanese.”
“Yes.”
“But they mostly appear in… well, adult games.”
“Huh?!”
“Like in bishoujo dating sims—‘miyen-shi’ for short. So… you can guess how I learned all this.”
“Eek! Otaku!”
Since then, every time he turned his back, whispers followed him, strange looks burned into him.
“If it weren’t for you…”
Gnash!
The sound of his teeth grinding escaped Jinsu-hyun’s mouth.
There’s a saying: getting slapped in Jongno and then taking it out at the Han River.
“If you hadn’t come crashing in here…!”
Faced with the indirect cause of his torment, his fury exploded uncontrollably.
“Give me back my image, you damn bastards!”
With that shout, Jinsu-hyun lunged forward like a wild beast, knife clenched tight. All the shame and rage he’d bottled up poured into that single, violent motion.
Even as the blade pierced their throats, the men never understood the true reason behind Jinsu-hyun’s wrath.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
As many of you know, “GG” was once a common chat phrase in StarCraft, often typed just before leaving a game—basically a way of conceding defeat.
So, the southern continent guy shouting “GG” was actually a promising young boy who dreamed of becoming a pro StarCraft player in modern times. He often logged into the Asian server, a powerhouse in StarCraft, which is how he knew the term “GG.”
Anyway, I’d be very grateful if you could keep that in mind! :)