Chapter 746: He Simply Hadn’t

[Temple Guardian of Asbalon]

A gigantic giant descends from the sky.

A giant dozens of meters tall, with gray wings, brings down a gigantic golden spear.

“Insane......!”

“Everyone, avoid it!”

The unit members, flustered by the tremendous power contained in that spear, scatter.

But even so, it seemed impossible for everyone to avoid that attack.

However, at that moment.

“Hup!”

Far from avoiding that attack.

There was a man who charged directly toward the gigantic spear.

[Lv.44 Berserker of the Absolute Extreme]

BOOOOOM!

The gigantic spear and the huge-bodied soldier.

The two beings collide.

“Krrk.......”

Corporal Jeon Gwangil, who directly received the gigantic spear.

Dark-red energy rises from that body.

And soon.

“Get, lost......!”

The body of the giant holding the spear is forcibly lifted by the strength of Corporal Jeon Gwangil, who is much smaller than it.

BOOOOOM!

It is roughly thrown down onto the ground.

The giant’s body had been crushed by the spear it itself was holding.

FWAAAAASH......

At the same time.

In another part of the battlefield, a round sphere wrapped in gigantic wings was rampaging.

[Judge of Varka]

A being with an enormous amount of mana wrapped around its body.

That mana transformed into gigantic flames and was scattering in all directions.

A monster like a walking natural disaster itself.

But.

BAAAANG!!!

Soon, a tremendous noise was heard.

Together with it, the bullet that was fired pierced through that tremendous mana.

The flames of tremendous heat tried to melt that bullet, but.

[Lv.43 Cold-Blooded Marksman]

BANG!

A hole is pierced through its body.

The body of the sphere that had been giving off tremendous heat falls while frozen cold.

CRASH......

After colliding with the ground, it scattered into pieces of ice.

The fierce battle continues.

A fight continuing while retreating toward the Legion’s territory.

Against the resistance of the Legion members, even the enemies who had seemed powerful were falling one by one.

But.

'The wounded on our side are increasing too.'

Originally, the time when the greatest damage occurs in war is none other than during retreat.

It is unavoidable that showing your back and running away is more dangerous than facing each other head-on.

The unit’s healers were somehow managing the wounded that were appearing like that, but even that had a clear limit.

And every time the wounded increased like that.

CRRRRACK......

'Our light weakens.'

The original light of our world.

The blue light of the night sky, matching the current time, gradually decreases.

CRRRRRRACK!!!

And into it.

That golden light encroaches.

The light we emit is due to the Legion members who ate my cooking.

The more the strength of the Legion members weakens, the more that light also decreases.

And that encroachment comes closer.

Slide.

[You have touched the power of the otherworld!]

“Kgh......!”

“Already this far.”

Each time that blue light decreased.

The range in which we could move also decreased.

'The moment that golden light touches us too...... it’s over.'

What was fortunate, at least, was.

—Nos te abicimus.......

Several unit members muttered in an unidentified language.

BANG!

They fired one crossbow bolt into the middle of the enemy lines.

A crossbow bolt shot into that golden world beyond.

But even so, as if the movement of the crossbow bolt was not affected by the gravity of that world, it flew straight at a normal speed.

FLASH!

Soon.

That arrowhead emitted an intense light.

[Demon Hunter Secret Art]

[Arrow of Expulsion]

—......!

The light of the night sky spreads out around the light of that arrow.

The bodies of the enemies touched by that light stagger.

The greatly weakened monsters fell into the area where our night-sky light flowed.

It was not difficult to deal with the enemies that had fallen like that.

'Demon Hunters.'

They are specialists who oppose the power of otherworlds.

The level of each one of them was only barely at the average of the unit.

But right now, the combat power they were showing was superior even compared to the unit’s squad-leader-class awakened.

—Apage!!!

Especially their leader.

The performance shown by Choi Wonjun was at a tremendous level.

At the attack he swung while shouting, gigantic enemies continued to fall down.

To the point that I wondered if he was not stronger than the two team leaders.

And that was not all.

“......They are going ahead!”

“Are they trying to slow our advance?”

Enemies moving as if trying to seize our route in advance.

It would have been good if we could go ahead and intercept them first.

But since we, who would inevitably weaken the moment we touched that golden light, could not go outside this area of night sky.

Just when I thought we had no choice but to silently watch the enemies take the favorable high ground.

—Those who harmed the prince.......

—Will be punished.

PAK!

The beings who had been inside that blue light.

Some among them leaped outside.

“What!?”

Several unit members who saw that shouted in panic.

That light was the light of an otherworld.

Fighting inside that was no different from charging into an environment that was disadvantageous to oneself.

But unlike our expectations.

SHWAAAAK—

A gigantic red slash flashed.

And split in half, in one blow, the necks of the enemies protected by that golden light.

Despite the environment of the otherworld.

Those who were eliminating enemies as if they were not affected by it at all.

I stared blankly at that sight and thought.

'The zombies.'

Beings originally created on the premise of invading any world.

That was why.

Even in a world that would be hostile to us, they could display their full power.

'The damage is great, but if we go on like this, we can escape.'

Like that.

Thanks to the efforts of the Demon Hunters and the zombies, we were somehow able to advance.

The Legion’s barrier could be seen getting closer and closer.

'......Fortunately.'

And.

I glanced back and thought.

'The being that appeared in that city is not intervening directly.'

That golden light was certainly fatal, and the enemies were also powerful.

But compared to the being that had descended in that city, they were probably not a great threat.

However, for some reason, that being seemed to have no intention of moving directly.

'Maybe right after descending, it cannot exert its full power...... something like that.'

If even that being had moved, we would not have been able to handle it.

“......We’ve almost arrived!”

Like that.

We were somehow retreating, even while suffering fatal wounds.

“But.”

In the middle of that.

Several unit members opened their mouths with worried expressions.

“There should be zombies near the barrier.”

“Breaking through that while retreating and joining up with the Legion is.......”

Near the barrier of the Legion’s territory, an enormous number of zombies had gathered.

In a situation where the damage was already tremendous because we were retreating while fighting.

Breaking through that by force is impossible.

“That part is.......”

I looked at the zombies fighting together with us.

—We will go first.

Zombies follow the commands of higher evolved forms.

If it is them, they should somehow be able to control them and open a path, but.......

'......Even so, our speed will inevitably slow.'

I recalled when that goblin first came to the Legion.

The sight of that army of black corpses parting.

But, because their number was too great.

Even for them to part and open a path had taken quite a long time.

'Our light has to hold until then.'

But soon.

“......Huh?”

I was able to know that worry had been nothing but needless anxiety.

No, to be exact.

That worry was certainly needless anxiety, but.

I was able to know...... that it was a situation where I had to worry about something even bigger than that.

BOOOOOM......

The place where countless zombies clearly should have been blocking the road.

That enormous number of zombies.

—Our kin.......

—Are rising.

Caught by the power of that golden world.

They were beginning to rise into the sky.

***

The wave of corpses that I had expected would block our path.

Most of the zombies covering this North Korean land.

Their bodies.

BOOOOOM......

'Are rising into the sky.'

They floated into the air.

The zombies in midair were waving their arms and legs as if flustered.

But as if it did not care about their resistance at all.

The gravity beyond was pulling their bodies somewhere.

I looked in that direction and thought.

'The direction where that city is.'

It was not only the zombies in front of the Legion’s barrier.

The scenery visible far away.

Other black shapes somewhere in the distance also rose into the air and could be seen flying somewhere.

'It is...... gathering the zombies?'

The zombies all across this land.

Caught by the gravity of that golden world, were being dragged toward the direction where that city was.

'Why?'

I broke out in a cold sweat as I looked at that sight.

It meant the obstacle that could interfere with our path had disappeared.

But for some reason.

That sight seemed to mean a future more terrible than that.

However.......

“Sergeant Shin!”

“Now! Run!”

Even so.

It was not something where we could stop and stand still.

“......Kgh!”

I pushed the uneasy future that had come to mind to the back of my head.

And ran forward as fast as possible.

Thanks to the zombies that had blocked the path disappearing, there were no obstacles.

And even those invaders had not taken positions in the space where the zombies had originally been.

We were able to advance even faster than before.

'I do not know why it is gathering the zombies.'

But, whatever that reason is.

We would only be able to deal with it after first returning to the Legion.

And soon.

“......Look over there!”

The sight visible far away.

Coming from near the Legion’s barrier.

“It’s the Legion members!”

I could see the Legion members.

CRRRRZZZZT......

That golden light had encroached all the way to the front of the Legion’s territory.

But it had not been able to invade beyond that barrier.

And around the Legion members who were crossing the barrier and coming toward us, that night-sky light was also in place.

'The Legion’s spellcasters responded.'

Through a method similar to what I did.

The Legion members who had remained in the territory of the Republic of Korea must also be responding to that encroachment.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM......

“It’s fire support!”

“Good......!”

And.

The tremendous firepower fired by the Legion’s firearms passed over our heads.

BOOOOOM!!!

It was an enormous number of enemies, but.

The power of the Legion’s firearms was stronger than that.

The enemies who had been chasing us began to be pushed back by that tremendous firepower.

'It’s done.'

We had come this far, and even the Legion’s reinforcements had come out.

The light of “this world” created by the Legion members.

That light had come right in front of us.

'There are many things that bother me, but somehow.......'

Like that.

As I threw my body toward that light.

'We barely succeeded in escaping.......'

That was what I was about to think.

Just as I was about to let out a sigh of relief inside.......

{Are you going?}

At that very moment.

“......!!!!”

As if it were heard from directly behind my back.

There was a voice that stabbed into my mind.

***

The Legion members who had stayed in the Legion’s territory.

The light of “our world” that they had created.

The very moment I threw my body toward the light of that world.

{Are you going?}

Someone spoke to me from behind.

Calmly.

And yet, a sound that rang out so loudly it felt as if it would burst my head.

And.......

'It is here.'

At the same time, I felt it.

The presence of something.

'Absurdly gigantic.'

Yes.

'That was here right now.'

And on top of that.......

'Right behind me.'

A presence felt at a distance close enough for a hand to reach.

That gigantic something stood directly behind me.

And was looking at me, who was busily running away.

Cold sweat flowed.

My heart pounded as if it would burst.

{If I followed my heart, I would like to catch you, but.}

That moves.

At a distance where it could touch me if it stretched its hand even a little.

I clearly felt the presence.

Of it stretching out that hand and trying to grab my body.

The very short time in which I had thrown my body toward the Legion members.

The instant before the body that had kicked off the ground touched the ground again.

'Ah.'

But.

That short time felt to me as long as eternity.

{It seems the place is not good right now.}

The moment that thing’s hand touches me.

I would be unable to resist it at all and would have no choice but to be dragged away, but.......

{Let us look forward to the next meeting.}

With those words as the last.

The presence I had felt behind my back disappeared.

BOOOOOM!!!

And my body collapsed forward.

***

[You have come into contact with the Legion’s Secret Art!]

[Secret Art - Steel Dominion Territory]

[A barrier created through the cooperation of the Green Mane shamans and the Legion’s awakened.]

[It is a Steel Legion secret art that blocks the encroachment of the otherworld!]

BOOM!

The body I had thrown toward the Legion.

That body touches the ground.

“Is everyone all right!”

“Corporal Jeon Gwangil, and even Corporal Seo Suhyeok......!”

The golden aura approaching from beyond.

That aura was blocked by the light emitting from the direction of the Legion and could no longer approach.

“Damn it, there are many wounded!”

“Call the military doctors!”

The presence of a tremendous number of people running from over there.

I felt the Legion members coming out to meet us.

“Youngjun!”

“Legion Commander! Are you okay!?”

And familiar voices are heard.

Together with the shouts of Sergeant Lee Minjae and Team Leader Lee Sanga.

The Legion members approached me as I lay collapsed on the ground, supporting my body and lifting me up.

“......Youngjun?”

“.......”

“Legion Commander, Legion Commander......!”

And.

Even while I was raising my body with their support.

“Kuh...... hah.”

Without being able to answer properly.

I had no choice but to let out rough breaths.

“Youngjun...... the Legion Commander’s condition is strange!”

“Luca, military doctor!!!”

“Take the Legion Commander inside!”

With my eyes opened wide.

Panting roughly, I thought.

'It moved.'

The reason we had been able to escape.

I had thought it was because that thing had not moved.

Right now, when it had only just descended.

I thought there must be some reason that the bastard could not move.......

That was what I thought.

'It wasn’t.'

That there was some reason it could not move.

A ridiculous misconception.

The premise itself had been wrong from the start.

It was not that the bastard could not move because of some other reason.

'It could move from the very beginning......!'

It was not that it could not move.

It simply had not moved.

***

“Hmm.”

A world shining brilliantly with golden light.

A gigantic city beneath that world.

At the center of that city, countless followers were worshiping someone with their heads pressed to the ground.

And.

A man of beautiful appearance, accepting that worship with an attitude that was far too natural.

“Was that perhaps an unnecessary greeting?”

As if he had done something unnecessary.

He was scratching his chin with a troubled attitude.