How A Mythical Holy Knight Lives As A Villain (Novel) - Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Discord
“What! This is our territory!”
Kim Cheon-seok, the guild leader of Shield Guild operating in Buyeo, shouted roughly.
“No, Guild Master.”
“Are you kidding me! They only give us missions when it’s convenient for them. And when there’s good money involved, we should get lost?”
The thirty or so Shield Guild members looked ready for a physical confrontation.
“…”
Yu-baek frowned at the sight.
“Shield is a guild operating in the Buyeo area. This area originally belongs to them.”
It made sense.
“As you know, Black Gates aren’t exactly a gold mine.”
“It is a gold mine! They say legendary items appear!”
Looking at Shield Guild’s equipped items, their level didn’t seem particularly high.
They were perhaps ranked at the bottom of the top hundred guilds.
In fact, in South Korea, anything below the top hundred guilds was more accurately considered a party or raid group rather than a guild.
“Haven’t you seen? Those items can’t even be sold.”
“Enough! I’m going in. Keep talking like that and I might have to report this up the chain.”
“What?”
“You took money from our Shield…!”
It seemed the association’s decision to assign the Black Gate to Yu-baek’s Baekgang Guild, the best in Buyeo, was the root of the problem.
The alliance of several guilds including Baekgang, and the small minority Shield.
“I’ll handle this. I apologize for the unseemly display.”
Yu-baek was trembling as if something shameful had been exposed when he spoke to Go Johan.
“…Some things can’t be helped.”
With those words, Go Johan walked toward the commotion before Yu-baek.
“Who are you… Ah? Isn’t that guy?”
Shield’s Kim Cheon-seok shouted as if recognizing Go Johan.
“That white guy! Shinsung! Shinsung!”
Behind them, Yu-baek’s face twisted like that of a demon.
“What brings the Shinsung all the way here?”
Kim Cheon-seok spoke to Go Johan as if he had figured something out.
That’s when it happened.
“Player Go Johan will enter the Black Gate with our Baekgang.”
Yu-baek, who had hurried over, spoke to the association members.
Even the association members seemed puzzled by this.
“What connection does Baekgang have with Shinsung?”
“Who exactly is Go Johan?”
It was natural since there had only been rumors about Go Johan, with no confirmation of his actual identity.
Moreover, the association couldn’t really question Baekgang’s rights.
“Understood.”
“Hey! We said we’re going in! Yu, are you really going to do this?”
“Hah… Brother.”
Yu-baek said while holding his head.
“Please don’t do this.”
Being active in the small area of Buyeo, they seemed to know each other.
“This isn’t what you think it is, Brother. This is really serious.”
“Who doesn’t know that? We’re here for something big, and big trouble is Shield not being able to pay its employees properly!”
Kim Cheon-seok approached Yu-baek and said.
“Please. You know our situation. Gates don’t appear often in this small area, and if we can’t clear this one too, we’ll all starve.”
It wasn’t just greed after all.
“Hah…”
They seemed to have their own circumstances.
“What’s inside is definitely different from what you think.”
Go Johan approached and spoke.
“Allowing Shield to enter would be equivalent to becoming a murderer who caused Shield’s annihilation.”
“Who are you to butt in?”
Kim Cheon-seok frowned as he spoke, but noticing that Yu-baek was being mindful of Go Johan, he said.
“We… have no choice. We make our living risking our lives anyway, so we’re willing to bet our lives on this.”
Kim Cheon-seok was truly a man who didn’t know how to give up.
“Then let’s go in.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
“Experience it firsthand. How precious those lives are.”
And then.
“Let’s do it.”
Finally, Yu-baek’s permission was given.
*
*
*
Whoosh!
Upon entering the gate, they felt an intense energy that made their blood boil and gave them goosebumps.
“…”
Both Baekgang and Shield felt the same.
Their player instincts told them that this place was different from anything they had experienced before.
Meanwhile.
‘The connection isn’t complete yet.’
Go Johan was examining the gate as soon as they entered.
It seemed that opening too many gates at once was burdensome even for the demons, as all the gates in South Korea were still in the process of connecting into one.
Therefore.
“It’s, it’s nothing special.”
Even the debuff that all players had experienced when entering Black Gates wasn’t being applied.
“Fortunately, it seems we still have some time.”
“Is that so?”
Yu-baek’s face brightened at Go Johan’s words.
Although Yu-baek prided himself on his numerous experiences, he could barely control his trembling legs.
“Yes. Let’s move.”
At Go Johan’s words, Baekgang began to move.
“What about us…”
Shield’s Kim Cheon-seok.
“What should we do?”
He carefully asked Go Johan.
As a guild master, he seemed to realize that all decision-making and command authority lay with Go Johan.
And this behavior was unexpected.
“I thought you would move separately?”
Since they had entered with money as their goal, he expected them to act independently out of greed.
And if they did so.
“…”
Unlike with Travania, he wasn’t going to stop them.
He knew he couldn’t save everyone.
“Just entering here will get us the life compensation anyway. So without being too greedy, we need to earn our keep. Tell us what to do. I heard you’ve cleared this place once.”
Many might have dismissed it as a baseless rumor.
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Besides, being from a great place like Shinsung, you must have some tricks up your sleeve. Anyway, just tell us what to do. As our name Shield suggests, we’re confident in taking hits.”
At this sight.
Snicker.
Go Johan laughed slightly.
Perhaps due to Go Johan’s appearance, even though it might have seemed like mockery, Kim Cheon-seok didn’t say anything.
“You won’t be able to step forward later anyway.”
Go Johan said.
“Experience it with Baekgang.”
“Alright.”
And soon they encountered monsters.
“Everyone prepare for battle!”
“Ready!”
Thump! Thump!
Those that shook the earth were.
“What, this is nothing.”
Ogres and trolls known as B-rank monsters.
And so the battle began.
Baekgang clearly possessed skills worthy of the Holy Sanctuary Alliance.
‘Holy medicine.’
There was a clear difference in basic stats, and Greed’s support seemed to shine.
Among them, Yu-baek’s skill was exceptional even among their ranks.
Clang!
In contrast.
Bang!
“Wh-why are these guys like this?”
Shield was lacking.
These weren’t just ordinary ogres or trolls.
They had become a kind of magical beast influenced by the demon realm.
Kwaaang!
While there would be an overwhelming difference in their power and regeneration…
“Brother, please be careful.”
Yu-baek helped Kim Cheon-seok when he saw an opening.
“Th-thanks.”
They were fighting persistently and stubbornly in their own way.
*
*
*
Several battles had ended.
While Baekgang was as expected, Shield was the surprise.
“Haa, haa. This is killing me.”
If Baekgang were knights, these were veteran soldiers.
That experience allowed them to hunt monsters above their level.
Skills that showed wisdom and experience rather than just stubbornness.
“Yu.”
Kim Cheon-seok carefully called out to Yu-baek who was resting.
“Yes, Brother.”
“But what’s really going on over there? No matter how Divine they are, there’s no reason for Baekgang to bow to your son. Plus, I heard he’s not even affiliated with Shinsung.”
“…That’s.”
“If you can’t say, that’s fine. But we’re earning our keep, so don’t worry.”
The monsters they had encountered so far were ogres and trolls.
While not monsters to be taken lightly, it was different from how they had talked as if the world was ending.
That’s when.
Swoosh.
Go Johan, who had been quiet until now, stood up.
Following him, Baekgang stood up, and Shield also got up after reading the atmosphere.
“Is something there?”
“It’s beginning.”
Along with Go Johan’s words.
Thump!
Everyone’s hearts seemed to sink.
[You have entered the Black Orc’s Holy Ground, the Dark Land.]
The system voice rang out to everyone.
[All abilities will be decreased.]
[Skill power will be reduced.]
It felt like iron weights were attached to their bodies.
[The curse of Evil God Ograk rules the land.]
[Additionally, all abilities will be decreased.]
[Additionally, all skill power will be reduced.]
Now it felt like being submerged in deep water, their bodies wouldn’t listen.
[The curse of frenzy seeps in.]
At that moment.
“Kuuuk!”
The players’ eyes turned blood-red, as if bloody tears were flowing.
“Kill… Must kill…”
Players shouting as if possessed by something.
“Get a hold of yourselves!”
Yu-baek shouted.
“Aaaagh! Get your minds straight!”
Kim Cheon-seok shouted.
But it wasn’t easy to overcome the curse.
[The hierarchy of sin activates.]
[The hierarchy of curse activates.]
[Great curse, anger counteracts the frenzy.]
“Kuheouk!”
The players who suddenly came to their senses exhaled rough breaths.
Tremble.
Yu-baek touched his pocket with shaking hands.
The accessory received when becoming a believer and part of the Holy Sanctuary Alliance.
If not for this, he too might have been consumed by the curse in an instant.
And its owner.
Step.
Was walking alone.
“…Together…”
“Let’s go together.”
Both Baekgang and Shield tried to follow but unconsciously stopped their feet.
Kwaaaaaah!
It was like a red wave was rushing in.
No.
“…Orcs?”
Those that looked like waves were orcs with red skin.
Those that should be mere C-rank monsters.
Kuwoooooo!
They were charging in like an army of ogres.
“Run…”
As Kim Cheon-seok was about to say they should run.
However, Go Johan who had seemed possessed by the curse earlier was walking ahead.
“Yu-baek’s brother, I’ll go save him. Take our Shield members and run. I’ll try to save him somehow.”
That’s when.
Tremble.
Yu-baek, standing beside him, shook once and said.
“…That won’t be necessary.”
That’s when.
Crack!
The sound of space being torn echoed.