At that moment.
On the black earth of Plaka, after Se-un had left, the battle between Outer and the Diablo Guild—no, between Outer and the players—continued.
“Krrrr-”
The Outer forces had increased two or even three times more than during the initial surprise attack.
As the Black Wing’s herald had conveyed, the Outer had developed intelligence and strategy.
Realizing that Plaka’s counterattack was fiercer than expected, they quickly increased their forces and sent additional attack squads.
“They’re disgustingly tough! Why won’t they die!”
“Never make contact! If you do, cut off the affected area before you’re consumed!”
“That’s too cruel! Keuk!”
A difficult battle ensued.
Even in Plaka, most players were close-combat types.
In such a situation, being told to fight without making contact with the enemy…
If the opponent were weak, it might be manageable, but fighting a stronger opponent than a typical monster without contact was a nightmare in itself.
“What’s with that guild?”
“Diablo Guild. Haven’t you heard? You must be living under a rock.”
“Are they famous?”
“They just arrived recently.”
“How would I know!”
“They’re an allied guild of the high and mighty Valhalla. Plus, they defeated Black Wing as soon as they arrived in Plaka.”
“……That’s somewhat impressive.”
In contrast, the Diablo Guild’s battle was completely different.
Crack!
Tssssss-
“Krrrr!”
Outer died, spewing black smoke with each attack.
It almost seemed easier than fighting the original monsters that hadn’t been consumed by Outer.
“Everyone, please stand behind us and provide support! If you stand on the front lines and get consumed by Outer, the battle will become even more difficult!”
“Fresh rookies…….”
“It can’t be helped. To survive here, we have to help them.”
“Tch.”
“Besides, judging by their skills alone, they’re on par with us who have been staying in Plaka… or maybe even better.”
“It’s frustrating, but I can’t afford to die here worrying about my reputation.”
Plaka’s players all had high pride. After all, they were all strong individuals who had overcome the trials up to the 80th floor and reached Plaka.
However, that’s why they didn’t hold onto their pride and stuck behind the Diablo Guild.
Having come this far, they knew how useless pride was.
“So, this is the power the Guild Master used.”
“I’ve seen it since he was slicing through Outer alone, but it’s an amazing power.”
“More are coming! Let’s focus!”
The problem was that the number of Diablo Guild members was too small compared to the number of Outer.
Just the Outer flying in from the distance numbered in the hundreds, but the Diablo Guild only had about forty or fifty members.
The only saving grace was…
“Finally, it’s time for real combat! It’s time to prove your strength, everyone!”
Baek-hyun’s undead were proving to be a great help against Outer.
Undead with meteorites embedded in their bodies, or meteorite claws and teeth.
They were all dealing significant damage without being consumed by Outer.
If Baek-hyun had been absent, the battlefield would have faltered greatly.
At that moment, not from the Diablo Guild, but from elsewhere.
“Krrr!”
Boom!
An Outer exploded like a bomb.
Standing in front of it was a man with a huge build, holding a rough hammer.
Valhalla’s leader, Brinn Jarr.
“Hahaha! Amazing! The attacks are really effective!”
In his hand was a battle hammer made of meteorite.
Thanks to Go Chang-seok making his equipment first, as Se-un had requested.
As you could tell from the size alone, it took quite a lot of meteorite to make, but it was well worth it.
From the moment he held the meteorite weapon, Brinn Jarr began to blow up Outer.
“Hehe, everyone’s getting a little used to it now.”
“The next weapon is complete! You can receive supplies as announced in advance!”
Go Chang-seok and the Cheonghae Guild.
With all the blacksmiths sent by each guild working together after receiving the notice, meteorite equipment began to be mass-produced in no time.
Not equipment tailored to individuals like Go Chang-seok usually made, but equipment closer to mass-produced goods.
Most of the types were common weapons like swords or spears, and there was a lot of armor for close combat.
Even so, there was a very big difference before and after the equipment was supplied.
“Finally!”
“Now I can deal with those things!”
“I was dying of itchiness!”
“Everyone, stay alert! Even if you have weapons and armor, those things are still dangerous.”
“You saw the demons being consumed, right? Don’t trust your armor and try to avoid contact as much as possible!”
Players were still supporting the Diablo Guild, but instead of just holding the line, they began to inflict real damage on Outer.
The player side, which had barely maintained its formation, regained its momentum.
However, their confidence was short-lived.
“More are coming!”
“Damn it, it never ends!”
“This is going to be difficult! We need to come up with a plan!”
If the fight dragged on, the players would eventually get tired.
On the other hand, Outer didn’t tire and continued to send additional reinforcements.
They might be able to hold out well for now, but eventually, they would have no choice but to lose.
As people panicked, Harry’s voice, who was moving around the battlefield, was heard.
“A plan is already in progress.”
“What plan! We haven’t heard anything…….”
“Three key members of our Diablo Guild, including the Vice Guild Master, have headed to Outer’s base.”
“……What? So, we’ve been fighting with them missing all this time?”
“As you said, we’ll only get tired and lose if we continue like this. So, we’ve been executing the plan from the beginning.”
“Oh my…….”
The mouths of those who were listening opened wide.
The Diablo Guild was already strong.
Even if it was thanks to the power of Destruction, their *modus operandi* [way of fighting] against Outer was similar to or better than their own level.
And that was from a guild that had just entered Plaka.
But three key members were missing?
It was only natural to be flustered.
“Then, how long do we have to hold out!”
“Probably…….”
Harry looked beyond where Outer was approaching.
Even Grado, who had received the authority of Ose, couldn’t see that far, but he could roughly guess.
“They should have arrived at the enemy’s camp by now.”
Bang!!
As if in response to Harry’s words, an explosion and black smoke rose from the spawning grounds beyond.
* * *
“Mr. Kang-cheol! I told you the strategy!”
“Isn’t a plan meaningless if there are no gaps in the defenses? It’s best to go straight in rather than drag it out.”
Meanwhile, at the spawning grounds.
The first explosion that occurred there was completely different from Yoo Seo-ah’s plan.
Originally, she was going to use the power of Arcana to stealthily go as deep as possible.
If possible, she was going to smash the Queen right away, or at least break in to the point where she could directly reach the Queen.
Outer’s defenses were better than expected. It was hard to break through even with Arcana’s abilities.
As Yoo Seo-ah was about to revise her plan, Kang Han-cheol suddenly got up and abruptly punched the spawning grounds.
“What’s wrong with that~ Look over there, it’s creating gaps instead, right?”
As Arcana said.
Perhaps due to Outer’s unique shared consciousness, or the instinct for collective action possessed by the monsters consumed by Outer, all the monsters in the spawning grounds gathered.
Gaps in the defenses that were initially planned were now appearing from all directions.
“Then, Mr. Han-cheol. Can you draw some attention?”
“Hurry up and go. I’ll take care of this side.”
“Please.”
Now that it had come to this, there was no choice.
Yoo Seo-ah quickly revised her plan and moved past Kang Han-cheol.
Thanks to Arcana’s skills, the excited Outer didn’t notice them, and they were able to quickly move to the center of the spawning grounds.
“I’ll take on Mr. Han-cheol’s role as well. Ms. Ana, please block the Queen as planned.”
“Oh my, are you calling me Ana now?”
“……The situation is urgent. Is that okay?”
“Of course~”
Originally, Kang Han-cheol’s role was to destroy the spawning grounds.
Not to destroy this vast site entirely, but to destroy all the eggs laid by the Queen.
But since Kang Han-cheol wasn’t there, she had no choice but to take on the role instead.
‘I can do it.’
She had thought of a way. She wasn’t the type to say she could do something impossible out of bravado.
As she quickly approached the huge spawning grounds that could be seen beyond the trees, she could find Outer guarding the eggs.
“Krrrr-”
Even though an intruder had appeared at the entrance, only those guys didn’t waver.
They calmly guarded their positions and patrolled the surroundings, and soon made eye contact with Yoo Seo-ah.
– Player Yoo Seo-ah accepts ‘Baal’s Crown’.
There’s no time.
Accepting Baal’s divinity, she immediately ran towards Outer.
As they were guarding the eggs, the Outer here were far stronger than the Outer that had attacked Plaka or the Outer at the entrance.
Before she could even get close to Outer, dozens of poisoned needles were fired at her.
Poobubut!
The poisoned needles flying with poison scattered around seemed impossible to avoid, but.
Tadat!
– The constellation, ‘Spider Wearing a Crown,’ scoffs at Outer, saying that attacks like this are nothing more than child’s play.
Yoo Seo-ah’s movements were beyond imagination.
Not a single poisoned needle or drop of poison touched her as she moved at high speed, even leaving afterimages in the air.
“Krrrr-”
Outer swung its arm at Yoo Seo-ah, who had quickly approached right in front of it, but it didn’t reach.
Rather.
Papat!
Her twin swords quickly slashed through Outer’s body like the wind.
The wound was so shallow that Outer didn’t even seem to care, but.
Chiik-
The result was enormous.
Yoo Seo-ah had always wielded her sword with Baal’s venom, and now it was imbued with the authority of Destruction that Se-un had left behind.
The Outer touched by her sword writhed in agony, screaming in pain.
However, it wasn’t enough to kill them all in one blow, and Yoo Seo-ah didn’t bother to look back at the Outer she had passed.
‘There’s no time.’
Her goal wasn’t the Outer in front of her.
The huge egg sac they were guarding.
Yoo Seo-ah quickly arrived in front of it and concentrated her power while holding her twin swords.
‘The power that Se-un showed me back then.’
She recalled Scavenger’s battle.
Se-un, who was possessed by Leviathan in an emergency and wielded a huge tail.
In particular, the attack that pushed away the opponent’s poison and applied the scorpion’s poison mixed with Outer to infuse the power of Destruction into her own poison was very impressive to her.
‘I can do it too.’
Baal’s venom was contained in her sword.
She pushed the power of Destruction that Se-un had left behind into it.
She forgets all the surrounding circumstances.
She ignores the Outer who are cutting off their bodies infected with Baal’s venom and running for revenge from behind, and the Outer who are rushing to fly from above to protect the egg sac.
She concentrates only on the twin swords in her hands, Baal’s venom, and the power of Destruction.
The moment the three elements come together and her own ‘poisonous fangs’ are completed.
Pook!
– The constellation, ‘Spider Wearing a Crown,’ smiles contentedly as it watches its contractor’s well-honed poisonous fangs.
The twin swords dig into the egg sac.
Baal’s venom spreads out from the twin swords, which penetrate deeply almost to the handle, and is absorbed into the egg sac.
“Kueuk—”
“Kueuk—”
The entire huge egg sac is dyed green.
The Outer, who were waiting to be born inside, helplessly lose their lives and turn into black smoke.
The harmony of Baal’s venom and the power of Destruction.
That power was truly enormous.
The Queen’s best efforts to produce the reserve Outer were all killed in an instant.
At that very moment.
“Kureureureureureuk-!”
The tree next to it collapsed, and a huge Outer revealed itself.
More than half of its body was made up of a thick tail, and while its entire body was surrounded by Outer, its compound eyes, unique to insects, shone brightly.
As if to prove that it was the Queen, dozens of guardians, no, guardian insects, were flying around it vigorously.
“Sorry~ I tried to block it as much as possible, but it didn’t even look at me and ran this way~”
Arcana appeared behind it.
She had tried to block the Queen as planned, but the Queen, realizing that an intruder had reached the egg sac, ignored her and moved.
“But it looks like the plan was successful?”
However, the egg sac was already stained with Baal’s venom. The Outer, who were devouring the eggs and larvae inside, were also annihilated.
Seeing this, the Queen let out a loud cry that seemed to tear her ears.
Kwaaaang!!
However, even that cry was swallowed up by an explosion created by someone.
Kang Han-cheol.
With Outer’s poisoned needles stuck all over his body, he endured Outer with the power of Destruction, endured the poison with his strong body, and finally arrived at this place.
“I can’t miss a strong enemy.”
“Let’s finish this soon.”
“Okay~”
Unlike Se-un’s worries, the Outer of Plaka were also being quickly cleaned up.
Chapter 586