Chapter 102
“Over there!” Enrique shouted.
Seong-Hwi and the others turned a corner and looked in the direction Enrique pointed. It was a room labeled Gymnasium with a green plastic sign. They could hear the sounds of battle inside.
“What kind of research institute has such a large gymnasium?” Gardner mumbled as he stared at the Chaos and undead fighting in a gymnasium the size of a sports stadium.
“Are those... Bodies?” Khanh asked as she stared at the rampaging Chaos.
They resembled a Body, an Invasive Chaos formed from Chaos Mana corrupting a human. An Akasha Message answered her question.
[Failure Body of the race Chaos, discovered.]
“Failure Body?” Seong-Hwi mumbled.
Is this a research institute for creating Chaos? If there are failures... does that mean there are successes? What deems them a failure?
As Seong-Hwi analyzed the information given, Yuki ordered, “Switch to a 1-2-3-4 reverse pyramid formation. Volante, move to the rear and keep watch behind us. The rest, focus on attacking.”
“To what extent?” Seong-Hwi asked.
Yuki stared at him and answered, “Not your best. Only up to the point that the undead would feel gratitude—”
Yuri Nazakov, the Mad Dog of Moscow, charged before Yuki finished her sentence. “Gahahaha! This place is filled with goddamn Chaos! I’ll devour every last one of you!”
Filled with resentment for the Chaos after losing his lover to Black Dogs during the mandatory quest, he summoned his D Weapon. Black smoke gathered, forming a malnourished, diseased-looking black dog.
Ruff! Ruff!
[Black Dog of Grievance (Destiny Weapon)
Rank: B(99)
Description: The manifestation of a man’s desire for vengeance after pledging to forever hold a requiem for his deceased lover. It takes the form of a Black Dog, the man’s mortal enemy. The more Chaos killed, the more it drastically boosts frenzy and wildness.
Unique Skills: (4)]
Yuri Nazakov did not even remember what his D Weapon used to be. He simply wanted to use his D Weapon, which had changed into the Black Dog of Grievance via D Conversion, to kill as many Chaos as possible.
[Activating Unique Skill: Mythical Beastification.]
[Black Dog of Grievance.]
The mythical beast turned into black smoke and entered Yuri through his nose, transforming him. He became much taller, his mouth elongated, his teeth turned sharper, his legs turned into those of a dog, he grew a tail, and he was covered in black fur apart from his white hair. However, his abdomen was so slender that it curved inward, and his ribs bulged from his thorax.
“Grrr! I’m hungry! I’m going ahead!” he shouted.
His legs bent like springs, and he leaped toward the gymnasium.
“Hah! I’d expect nothing less from a crack attacker. He’s half-insane.” Gardner chuckled as he stared at Yuri jump into the middle of the Chaos horde without hesitation.
Yuri was injured several times in just a moment, but continued to attack the Chaos as he laughed crazily.
“Well, I guess I have no choice. Even if he’s insane, he’s still a teammate,” Gardner remarked as he rolled up his sleeves and summoned his D Weapon.
[Broadway Spotlights (Destiny Weapon)
Rank: B(54)
Description: The spotlights that once illuminated the emotions of Broadway stars. Applied effects depend on the type of spotlight.
Unique Skills: (6)]
Cylindrical spotlights were summoned in midair as Gardner activated a skill.
[Activating Unique Skill: Healing Spotlight.]
A white light from one of the spotlights illuminated Yuri and followed his movements, making his bloodshed look like a performance. The Healing Spotlight rapidly healed Yuri’s injuries.
“Why was he against the reinforcement when he’s enjoying it that much? I don’t understand him at all,” Enrique mumbled confusedly.
Seong-Hwi smirked and turned to Yuki to say, “I don’t think the concept of not doing your best... applies to that beast.”
Yuki clicked her tongue.
***
“Haaah!” Krypta, a Death Knight and second in the undead ranking, shouted as he activated a skill.
[Activating Race Skill: Death Compression.]
The Failure Bodies within a ten-meter radius became mush after succumbing to the intense downward pressure from a dark aura. However, the battle was not going well. The wave of Chaos was endless, and they were far stronger than ordinary Bodies.
“Dammit! There’s no end to them!”
As one would expect from Chaos born from humans, an inferior race, Bodies were nothing but scarecrows with weak attack and defense. However, the skin of the Failure Bodies was as thick as an orc’s, and they were as physically strong as a beastfolk. Above all, most of them were Lapang-rank Chaos that could use Chaos Mana.
“Honor Knights, hear me! Assume a cartwheel formation and tire out the enemies one by one!”
The Honor Knights were a clan consisting only of Death Knights, a rare species among the undead. The power of each Death Knight was above that of the Failure Bodies, but they were outnumbered three-to-one.
I can’t believe we’re wasting time so early! At this rate, we’ll fall behind those deplorable birdfolk! Krypta shouted inwardly.
He did not doubt the Honor Knights’ victory but was worried that the birdfolk would reach the boss before them.
This is my opportunity to reach number one in the undead ranking! We absolutely must clear the quest first!
A red light flashed from inside Krypta’s black helmet. The number one in the undead ranking was allowed to become a demon through the Second Fiend, Curiositas.
Krypta’s ambitions did not stop at merely becoming a High Ranker of an inferior race. He wanted to become a World Ranker with the help of Curiositas, just like Doom, the first undead who became a demon, and Gula, who became a World Ranker in just ten years after becoming a demon.
The cartwheel formation strategy will take time. We need a gap to take advantage of! I didn’t want to use it so soon, but I have no choice!
Krypta gripped his giant greatsword with both hands, and a thick green aura gathered around it along with the wails of ghosts. Wraith Force, the secondary force of the undead, was filled to the brim.
As Krypta was about to activate a skill to create a gap in the horde of Failure Bodies, a man covered in black fur, resembling a beastfolk, fell into the middle of the horde.
“Ahaha! Time for a feast!” the man shouted.
Moments later, a white spotlight in the air lit the man. It was a one-man play, only for Yuri Nazakov.
“Damn Chaos! Gahaha! I’ll devour you all!” he shouted as he activated his trait and skill.
[Activating Trait: Chaos Hunter.]
[Boosting attack by 20%.]
[Activating Unique Skill: Grieving Spirit Binge.]
Yuri ran wild after activating the Chaos Hunter trait, each swing of his fist bursting a Failure Body’s head like a watermelon. He kept his word and devoured the Failure Bodies’ flesh. The more he binged, the more flesh, muscles, and mana he gained, and a crack formed in the wall of Failure Bodies.
A gap! Krypta shouted inwardly.
He was not stupid enough to miss that chance, shouting, “Honor Knights! Horseback!”
All members of the Honor Knights activated a skill at Krypta’s command.
[Activating Race Skill: Phantom Steed.]
Neigh—!
Translucent green phantom steeds were summoned, and the Death Knights mounted them.
“Ready your spears!” Krypta shouted.
The Death Knights wielded jet-black spears and tightly fixed them close to their flank.
“Point charge!”
A thousand knights on horseback charged through the crack made by Yuri like a spearfish splitting the water.
***
Five beautiful wings appeared behind Seong-Hwi’s back.
[Operating Wings of Evolution.]
[Five Wings.]
Seong-Hwi rapidly flew into the horde of Chaos and reached Yuri, running wild in the middle of the horde.
“Grrr! Gahahaha!”
He clicked his tongue as he stared at Yuri, covered in blood. “Then and now, you’re always so hell-bent on dying.”
He had not been particularly close to Yuri in his past life. He only met him a few times while hunting in dungeons because Yuri despised the Chaos more than anyone.
Half of the blood on Yuri was his. Even if he had Gardner’s Healing Spotlight on him, he got reinjured so quickly that the spotlight couldn’t heal him fast enough.
“I’m grateful to you. I obtained Rust of Ruin thanks to the Pursuer of Chaos quest chain,” Seong-Hwi whispered.
“Gahaha! Ahahahaha!”
Seong-Hwi grabbed the back of Yuri’s head.
“Grrr! Die!”
Yuri immediately swung his fist behind him, but Seong-Hwi easily dodged it and lifted him into the air.
“Grrr?”
“Come to your senses, Mad Dog. Your job is done. You’ve formed a crack.”
Seong-Hwi’s wings flashed, and he returned to the rearguard with Yuri. He threw Yuri in front of Gardner.
“Kurgh! Dammit, Cheon Seong-Hwi! What the hell?!” Yuri shouted once he returned to his senses.
Seong-Hwi glanced behind Yuri and smiled, saying, “I’ve heard a beating is best to calm a mad dog.”
“What? What the hell are you talking—Kurgh!”
Yuki punched Yuri’s solar plexus with her fist enveloped with mana. Yuri groaned and fainted.
“Heal him, Gardner,” Yuki said.
Gardner sighed and illuminated Yuri with Healing Spotlight. “Huuu... I’ve never met an attacker who drains my mana this much.”
“Yahoo! Looks like I’m gonna win, Sonya!” Khanh said as she repeatedly loaded her bolt-action M1903 Springfield.
Sonya, the complete magic attacker, blew on a colorful pinwheel. It spun rapidly, and the wind it generated became a small hurricane that sucked the Failure Bodies like a vacuum.
She stared at the torn bits of Failure Bodies falling like hail and said shyly, “Looks like... I’ll win.”
“This is a scam! I’m a one-shot-one-kill raumdeuter! Using large-scale skills like that is unfair!”
“I’m... a complete attacker. I can... deal melee, ranged, burst damage... and whatever else.”
As the two ranged attackers displayed their abilities, Nakivarro, the damage-dealing sweeper, and Leo, the stopper, blocked the Bodies from approaching their teammates.
“Whoa! That’s impressive, Leo! What’s with that lion?”
“Nakivarro, it’s Le-Yeyo. Please get people’s names right.”
“Haha! I guess it’s become a habit since Seong-Hwi always calls you Leo!”
“Huuu... I’ve got to do something about him.”
Enrique controlled his drones as he told Yuki, “The horde should be cleaned up within fifteen minutes, Commander.”
“Maintain your positions. We’re not obligated to shed blood for the undead,” Yuki remarked.
“Che, why does it feel like I’m the only one not doing what I was paid for?” Frank mumbled as he fiddled with his sword.
He and Yuki were the only ones doing nothing. However, Yuki was at least relaying orders as the commander; Frank was just standing there. Just then, he noticed Seong-Hwi approaching the battlefield.
He shouted, “Hey, Seong-Hwi! Where are you going?!”
“This place is riddled with prey. It’d be a waste not to farm Karma,” Seong-Hwi replied.
“Ahaha! Nice! Can I join you?”
“I don’t mind, but... You won’t be getting much.”
“What? Huh?” Frank asked in confusion, but he suddenly felt the air around Seong-Hwi change to one far sharper, stronger, and colder.
It did not make sense, but Frank thought Seong-Hwi resembled a sword.
[Activating Unique Skill: Borrowing Destiny.]
[Chok Chun-Gyong the Unfortunate Martial God]
“I have some stuff to test out,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
His eyes were the same as those of Chok Chun-Gyong, the greatest warrior of Goryeo. A pair of ghostly will-o'-the-wisps flashed from them.