Chapter 161

Chapter 161

A phenomenon Cha Jin-Hyeok had never seen unfolded before him. The swirling iron particles came together to form a cannon.

‘Is the visual effect different from that of the Tier-3 form from before my regression?’

Streamer Jin-Hyeok was more excited by this cool and curious sight than the fact that the Artillery of Nemesis had automatically evolved to Tier 3.

‘It’s complete.’

The ultimate weapon that Shin Yu-Ri had once wielded, a mobile siege weapon called the Babylon Cannon, revealed itself. Jin-Hyeok managed to contain his pounding heart.

‘When Yu-Ri used it, her entire body would transform.’

Jin-Hyeok remembered that before his regression, Yu-Ri’s entire body would transform into a massive cannon when she used this Skill. However, this time, a standalone cannon akin to a colossal tank had been formed.

‘This is way cooler!’ New novel chapters are published on

His excitement elevated the tension of the livestream. He began to speak faster. “This is the third tier of the cannon I briefly showed you before.”

He received a secret message from Wang Yu-Mi at that moment. She had sent him the old data and videos he had been searching for, organized chronologically and categorically.

‘Trust Yu-Mi to get it right.’

With how neatly everything was organized, it was clear that former NIS member Ahn Ji-Won had joined the team. Just the file names and formats were enough to tell Jin-Hyeok that Ji-Won had a hand in organizing them.

“The cannon I showed you back then was smaller and lacked many features.” Jin-Hyeok’s excitement grew higher and higher. “Also, I had difficulty handling the Babylon Cannon at that time, so I had no choice but to use my defensive Mystery.”

The corresponding video was also well organized, so Jin-Hyeok immediately displayed it on the screen. Once the data was up on the screen, links were automatically generated, making it convenient for the viewers to access them. Jin-Hyeok relished the joy of harmonizing with his team, and his heart throbbed.

“But this time, it is going to be a bit different.” He decided to show the viewers just how much stronger he had become.

? ? ?

Erin sensed something was off.

‘There are no corpses.’

Nowon-gu was far from what she had envisioned. She had thought she would find a city in ruins, children crying over their lost parents. However, the area was surprisingly intact.

‘It feels like a ghost town.’

Everyone seemed to have evacuated in advance. Erin felt as if her understanding of the world had shattered.

‘How is this possible?’

Great Britain had also experienced invasions from another Server. The Scanorbian warriors had wreaked havoc across the British Region, damaging the city and destroying even human dignity.

‘The British government did recommend evacuation, but people didn’t listen well.’

Managing a crowd in a crisis was never easy. Riots would break out, hoardings would take place, protests would be organized, and demagogues would lead people astray. Society would plunge into chaos.

‘But... something is weird about the Korean Region.’

The absence of people on the streets meant only one thing: everyone had evacuated. There was no other explanation.

‘How could this happen?’

Erin was not well-acquainted with the situation in Korea and Seoul. Nowon-gu was an area rich in apartment buildings and underground parking lots, which served as makeshift bunkers. With additional help from a few Barrier Manipulators dispatched by the NIS, most civilians had already finished evacuating.

NIS, which had been proactively participating in the Play led by Maria, had now shifted its role to providing support. This was because all the top-tier Players affiliated with Maria had transferred to the MK Foundation.

Interestingly, the NIS preferred and excelled in civilian support rather than direct intervention in Play. The agency and its affiliated Players skillfully evacuated civilians, who complied well, minimizing damage and preventing societal chaos like riots.

-I hate excessive nationalism. Still, I can’t help but acknowledge this.

-Wow, this is the epitome of civic consciousness!

“The fools shall meet their death.”

The Phantom Swordswoman asked, “Who is the target of annihilation, my Master?”

At the same time, heroic music played in the background. Jin-Hyeok had regretted not having background music for this moment the last time.

‘I succeeded in adding background music this time.’

He could feel that he had grown since then, thanks to Ji-Won’s list of potentially helpful BGM files.

‘I need to say something cooler than before to move the audience.’

Being merely strong was not enough; he had to be creative too. “I shall teach these fools who dare encroach upon my domain.”

He also received an apt suggestion from Yu-Mi.

[Using words like protect or defend would be effective. >_<]

Jin-Hyeok agreed with her. The Phantom Swordswoman was a defensive Mystery, after all. It was wise for Jin-Hyeok to give orders that fit her role. “Let them understand the true meaning of protection.”

The defensive Mystery Phantom Swordswoman took to the sky. Fused with the Babylon Cannon, she displayed her divine powers, slaying the remaining invaders without a trace.

‘Keuk.’

Activating the Phantom Swordswoman for such an extended period had taken a toll on Jin-Hyeok. Unintentionally, he coughed up blood.

‘When did I overexert myself this much?’

He was used to pushing himself to the limits, so even a slight overexertion led to side effects like this.

Alarmed, Yu-Ri quickly supported him. “A-Are you okay, Master?”

“One who wishes to protect must bear the weight of that responsibility.”

“B-But you have pushed yourself too hard.”

“Protection comes at a great cost.”

Jin-Hyeok pondered his next actions for a moment.

‘Should I faint right now, or not?’

Truthfully, he was not at the point of fainting, so faking it would be like putting on an act.

‘Egan Paul can put on a good fake show, but so can I.’

However, as a Streamer, his last shred of pride rejected the idea of faking it. Cheating was not an option.

‘Ah! Holding my breath should do it. I just need to let myself faint.’

He held his breath forcefully, and ultimately, he did faint. His heroic image was captured on video. Moreover, despite him losing consciousness, his livestream continued uninterrupted.

After a little while, a voice reached Jin-Hyeok’s ears.

-“Master, someone was unable to evacuate. I was too busy to protect them.”

A death had occurred in Nowon-gu. It was presumed they had died, swept away by the fearsome force of the Babylon Cannon. The victim was an unidentified British woman who had ignored the evacuation order and hidden in a building.

-“Master, this could be somewhat dangerous.”

The Guardian Tree spoke hurriedly.

-“A madman wielding dual axes had appeared! This smells really dangerous!”

In his urgency, he even forgot to use his antiquated tone and yelled.

-“W-Who the hell is that guy?! He is trying to cut me down!”

Just when the forces in Korea, including Jin-Hyeok, were spread thin, the Scenario Lumberjack named Rumbol arrived in Yeonhui-dong, accompanied by Egan Paul, the top-ranked Streamer from the United States.