Chapter 526: Corrupt Star (3)

"Hah..." Digor groaned while looking at the map. It had already been a month since General Ceylonso's siege failed, and the empire had only managed to capture six Players over the past month.

"It's definitely difficult."

He tapped on the desk. The empire’s issue was the size of the continent.

'The empire is large…'

Digor couldn’t have known that the size of the empire, which had always been the source of their pride, would hold them down like this one day.

There were only a hundred people hiding throughout the vast empire.

“If they really want to hide, then there’s no way we can find them."

Archmage Kodone was working on a method to find them, but it was uncertain when he would be done with his research.

'And the enemies are quick…’

They could attack from anywhere.

In fact, they had been causing chaos throughout the empire over the past month.

'What they want is likely information.'

They had been raiding villages and the cities on the outskirts. They had been robbing houses to steal sources of information such as books. They had to have thought that they needed more information about the empire.

Digor sighed deeply and leaned against his seat.

"We have no choice but to be at their mercy for the time being..."

The Players were hiding, so chasing after them would be futile.

However, the empire also got lucky.

'They couldn’t deal that much damage to us.’

They were landing steady jabs, but there had been no heavy damage so far.

Digor had no choice but to overlook the minor damage and aim for an opportunity.

'Once Kodone finishes his research, the tides will turn...’

After all, time was on the side of the empire—the master and owner of this continent.

Digor was convinced that they could never be defeated.

"Y-your Highness…!"

The door was flung open, and an imperial guard rushed into the office.

Digor frowned. "How rude. What's going on? Why didn’t you even knock?"

"T-the human has attacked us once again!"

"Ha... again?" As usual, Digor expected nothing but minor damage. He looked at the map and asked, "Where is it this time? I’m sure they attacked one of the towns on the periphery. Was it Gardin? Sovia? Or was it Nargo?"

The imperial guard shook his head and replied, "Gulat. They attacked Gulat."

"What?"

Digor’s expression turned strange.

Gulat was one of the three most important cities in the empire, considering its population and economy.

‘And that is why it's hard to attack it with guerilla tactics...’

The demons from beyond the Gate were strong, but the Platinum Knights Order under Duke Schalke was strong as well. In addition, Gulat itself had a population of more than ten thousand Overminds.

"Ha… those madmen. I guess they’ve finally lost their minds.”

The enemies finally got tired of waiting for an opportunity, so they decided to create one for themselves. Digor reckoned that it was the case.

"How’s the damage? No, I guess it’ll be faster to ask how many did they capture?"

"That's..."

The imperial guard didn’t reply. He even started trembling as if he had made a huge mistake.

Digor felt that something was strange.

"Why won’t you answer? I just asked you a question.”

"It's…"

"I can't hear you well—speak louder."

"At least three thousand...”

Digor was momentarily confused.

‘3,000 people?’

Their enemies were only a hundred people, so what the hell did that number mean?

The answer quickly became clear to Digor.

"Are you saying that we lost three thousand of our troops?"

“Yes, that is correct…” the imperial guard answered grimly as he finally let out the breath that he had been holding in his lungs.

Speechless, Digor slumped into his chair. "Were they poisoned?”

The imperial guard closed his eyes tightly. "No… The three thousand are just the casualties…"

"How…!"

Bang!

Digor slammed his palm into his desk.

"How could that be? What the hell were Duke Schalke and the Platinum Knights Order doing?!"

“…” The imperial guard remained silent, which made it even more frightening.

"Why…. why are you silent—Wait, no way...”

"The entire Platinum Knights Order and Duke Schalke were silenced."

Silenced…

It was an euphemism that meant that they could never open their mouths again.

In other words, they had perished.

"Haha, hahaha." Digor chuckled hollowly.

‘Does that even make sense?’

There were only a hundred people—no, Digor was sure that their camp didn’t have even a hundred people right now after being scattered all over the continent. There could only be dozens of them at most. However, mere dozens of Players actually killed three thousand Overminds, including the elites of the empire?

"What the hell happened? Tell me..."

"According to the message we have received, it seems that the demons from beyond the Gate had set off some kind of bomb."

"A bomb?" Digor's eyebrows frowned.

He knew what a bomb was, but the bomb he knew could never produce such power.

“…”

It seemed that the humans from beyond the Gate had a more advanced civilization compared to the Overminds.

Digor sprang up from his seat.

"What did His Majesty say?"

"His Majesty has ordered the mobilization of the Capital Defense Guards."

The mobilization order of the Capital Defense Guards meant that the empire was in a dire situation.

Digor hurriedly put on his overcoat.

"I'll come with you."

"His Majesty has left you a message." The imperial guard gulped and said, "He said that Your Highness should keep the palace safe."

"…What?"

Digor was baffled. Did the emperor really send that kind of order? The same emperor who had always loved to use Digor?

‘But this time, why is he…’ Digor trailed off, and his eyes deepened.

"I will see His Majesty."

***

Constant screams and wails filled the surroundings.

The Players frowned at the pandemonium in front of them.

"M-mom... Mom…!”

"Dream…. This must be a dream...”

"Why? Why…?”

The Players saw Overminds hugging their parents, brothers, and lovers while crying.

They couldn’t help but think that the Overminds were human-like.

"Don't falter…" Nilbas Perry made the first move.

Slice!

The head of a crying father hugging his son’s corpse rolled on the floor.

“Do we really have time to sympathize with these things?"

The Players bit their lips at Nilbas’ scathing reprimand.

"…That's right, they started it first.”

"We're just paying them back in their own coin.”

One by one, the Players drew their weapons and started hunting the Overminds down.

And it was then that they finally realized…

"Human beings! You bastards! How dare you!"

"I'll kill you. I'll kill you!"

They finally realized that the beings in front of them were just monsters imitating humans. The Overminds transformed into many different types of monsters before rushing at them while crying tears of blood.

"Kill as many of them as you can!"

"Spare even a droplet of sweat, and your comrade will spill a bucket of blood!"

"Don't be deceived by their appearances! They’re monsters in human skin!"

The Players who had the upper hand. The Overminds were strong, but only those who had been training their entire lives could stand toe-to-toe against the Players.

Those who had been enjoying their lives as ordinary citizens and couldn’t handle the swords of the trained Players.

"The eastern sector has been cleared!"

“We’re going north!"

The best Players moved neatly as if they had been working together for years. The fleeing Overminds, the fighting Overminds, and the scared stiff Overminds—the blood of the Overminds and their screams pervaded the streets.

"Wheeew…” Kim Woo-Joong looked down, seemingly dissatisfied. His sword felt heavy, as if it were a cotton ball soaked in water.

"That’s why I told you that you should rest for today," Son Chae-Won said next to him. "You're still a patient, you know?"

"…I know, but I have to buy time."

Seo Jun-Ho was in much more danger than them, considering that he would be going to the capital of the empire to rescue Rahmadat. The Players were here to distract the Overminds while Seo Jun-Ho was in the middle of his mission.

"Oh? Woo-Joong."

"I can see it, too."

Kim Woo-Joong's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Reinforcements."

Dense columns of light descend all over the city.

As expected, the enemy reinforcements appeared to defend the city.

"R-reinforcements…!"

"His Majesty has sent reinforcements!"

"Kill the demons—kill the demons from beyond the Gate!"

The Overminds cheered and started their counterattack.

"You guys aren’t the only ones with reinforcements,” Kim Woo-Joong muttered while looking in the direction of the Gate.

***

Tap, tap, tap…

"Who’s there?!"

A guard pointed his spearhead toward where the noise had come from.

"What's wrong?"

"No, I heard something, so I looked, but...”

"It’s just a leaf? Come on, man, your ears are so sensitive."

The guard stared at the swaying leaf and turned away awkwardly. If he had a more meticulous mind, then he would have thought about why there was a swaying leaf in mid-air when there was no wind here.

‘Great.’

Seo Jun-Ho had snuck in by moving between the shadows.

The shadows coalesced to form a person in a back alley.

Seo Jun-Ho had successfully infiltrated the capital.

'But this is just the beginning...’

After all, he had no idea where Rahmadat was held captive.

Seo Jun-Ho took a glass vial out of his Inventory.

"I hope this works…”

The glass vial contained a potion that Skaya had made herself.

It had the effect of temporarily increasing his ability to detect magic.

Unfortunately, he had to pay a great price upon consuming the potion.

‘Skaya said that I could lose a few magic stat points once the potion wears off…’

However, it didn’t really matter to Seo Jun-Ho.

The Black Moon Heart Method had quenched his thirst for magic.

Click, gulp, gulp.

He downed the potion, and his magic circuits turned hot.

‘Where are you?’

Seo Jun-Ho closed his eyes.

A thread of magic enveloped the capital like a web.

- Hey, can you get in touch with Gulat? The line’s been dead all day.

- Hmm, the knights at the pub paid their bills and rushed out without even finishing their meals. Do you think that it has something to do with what’s going on at Gulat?

- The weather is so nice today. Shall we go to West Park for tea?

- Kodone-nim will be going to Gulat soon. We're about to move as well, so everyone should be prepared to move as soon as possible.

The web of magic allowed Seo Jun-Ho to hear all sorts of conversations throughout the city.

'There are so many useless conversations...’

He decided to ignore every noise outside the palace.

- The palace is busy today. Is there something wrong?

- What? You still haven’t heard yet? Gulat is in chaos right now.

- It’s really scary. Listen, the demons from beyond the Gate...

He ignored every sound from above ground.

Sweat flowed down Seo Jun-Ho's face like rain. It was extremely difficult to accurately maneuver and maintain a web of magic throughout the capital.

'To a deeper place… to a place of greater darkness… to a deserted place...'

Seo Jun-Ho’s magic penetrated the basement of the Imperial Palace, and it went down for a long time until his ears finally picked up the noise that he had been looking for this whole time.

- Cough…!

There was a cough followed by the grotesque noise of liquid hitting the floor. It seemed that the individual had just coughed a mouthful of blood. The cough sounded extremely familiar to Seo Jun-Ho’s ears, and his eyes opened wide.

"...Found you."

The cough definitely came from Rahmadat.

There was no way he was mistaken.

After all, he had spent many years with Rahmadat.

'The innermost cell on the basement’s 11th floor...'

Seo Jun-Ho looked at his Vita.

"I’m sure the emperor has already noticed my presence..."

He didn’t bother hiding his thread of mana when he was poking around the palace, so the magic detectors of the empire’s archmage had definitely detected his presence.

'I have no other choice; I have to find Rahmadat as soon as possible.’

Seo Jun-Ho left the back alley and stared at the Imperial Palace. He couldn’t see through obstacles, but he could guess what was going on in the Imperial Palace right now.

'The troops stationed at the Imperial Palace are probably going down to the 11th floor right now…’

There was one surefire method to defeat a multitude of enemies, and it was a method that had endured the passage of time.

"And it’s to make them dance in the palm of my hand…”

They had already succeeded in executing the very first step of the plan.