Chapter 160: Needed to be stopped

Meanwhile, on the rooftop far from the battlefield, Song Woo-Ji's breath came in harsh gasps, his entire body trembling, drenched in cold sweat.It had taken every ounce of his strength to keep his gaze locked on Volk's monstrous form from afar, the terrible power he'd witnessed making his stomach twist with dread.

Finally catching his breath, he looked at his master with pleading eyes. "Master, we need to go. Let's leave now. I made that monster occupied for the moment… let's use this chance to escape."

But his words only met with the stubborn, unyielding stare of the middle-aged woman, her face sharp and calculating as she kept her focus trained on Volk's distant silhouette.

She gave her head a slight shake. "No, Song Woo-Ji. We cannot leave this battlefield just yet."

Her tone was firm, carrying a weight of experience that was impossible to question.

"I saw the true nature of the monster's attack… the more targets it hits, the more powerful it becomes."

Her voice grew grave, her gaze darkening as she continued, "And now that he's achieved SSS-Class status… if we don't stop him here, he'll tear through everything. Imagine him coming down on a city—a comet of destruction hitting a crowd of people.

"It would only amplify his power, multiplying the devastation tenfold. Even if all of SSS rankers in this world came together, all of us would be turned to this if attacked us while we are among the majority…"

The thought seemed to momentarily stun both Bong Me-Eon and Song Woo-Ji, each of them picturing the unimaginable carnage monster horde leader could unleash if he reached civilian areas.

She clenched her fists, her expression hardening. "We have to make our stand here, even it mean sacrificing my life."

Then, turning to Song Woo-Ji, she spoke with a commanding resolve.

"You, however, must leave."

She nodded at Bong Me-Eon, who was already weaving a spell, forming a portal that shimmered with a swirling, blue energy.

The middle-aged woman continued, "Go, Song Woo-Ji. Report what you've seen to the other SSS-Class rankers. They need to know exactly what we're dealing with."

Bong Me-Eon's face softened, yet his tone left no room for argument. "Go, disciple. Grandmaster has opened the portal for you. This information is crucial."

Song Woo-Ji opened his mouth, almost as if to protest, but the words died on his lips as he met their resolute stares.

The moment was surreal.

His heart thundered in his chest, a feeling of foreboding swelling within him as he took a shaky step backward, his gaze lingering on his master and grandmaster.

And then, in a flash of blue light, they were gone, disappearing into the chaos, leaving him staring in stunned silence at the empty space where they had stood.

…

As they pressed forward across the vast, blood-soaked battlefield, the middle-aged woman moved with swift, measured steps, her every move filled with a sense of practiced control.

Her sharp eyes swept across the battlefield, analyzing the landscape, assessing the scattered ranks of Orcs and Ogres that dotted the terrain.

The battlefield was thick with the scent of blood and ash, a haze of smoke rising from scorched earth where remnants of fallen warriors lay silent.

Bong Me-Eon kept close at her side, his eyes darting warily from one dark figure to the next.

"Alright, we need a clear plan," she muttered, voice calm but tense as her eyes stayed focused on the distant shape of Volk towering over the remnants of the battlefield.

"That monster horde leader... we'll need to account for his strength, speed, and that Echo Bomb ability of his. One wrong step, and we'll be among the fallen. But I have three ways to approach this…"

"Three approaches?" Bong Me-Eon suggested, his gaze sharp as he waited for her thoughts. "We can devise three strategies and test his responses as we go."

The middle-aged woman gave a curt nod. "Yes. I have three approaches in mind, though each one has its risks." She took a steadying breath, mind already working through the calculations.

"First," she began, "we focus on containment. We surround Volk and his elite warriors, isolate him from the main horde, and force him into a smaller battlefield. This minimizes the damage his Echo Bomb can inflict on others."

Her fingers tightened into a fist as she spoke. "But there's a risk: if he breaks through our perimeter before we're ready, he could unleash chaos within our own ranks."

Bong Me-Eon nodded thoughtfully. "We'd need an advanced barrier spell, something large and flexible enough to encircle him but strong enough to absorb any blast."

She pursed her lips. "Exactly. It would drain an immense amount of mana, but if we manage it right, it might give us the edge we need to keep his power focused in one direction, not on the masses."

She paused, considering. "Second approach: We split the horde's attention. If we divide his forces, sending a small group of elite rankers to strike key points within the Orc and Ogre lines, we might be able to weaken their morale. If his warriors are distracted and scattered, the monster horde leader himself might become vulnerable."

Bong Me-Eon's brow furrowed as he considered this. "So a feint? Draw him out while we divide his focus?"

She nodded, a faint smile appearing. "Exactly. It would take precision, careful coordination, but if the monster horde leader is anything like other leaders of his kind, he'll want to personally crush anyone who dares disrupt his ranks."

Her voice hardened. "That way, we pull him into a position where his attacks become predictable, and we cut down his range of destruction."

After a thoughtful pause, Bong Me-Eon chimed in. "What about a direct assault, a high-powered, concentrated blast at his exact location?"

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The middle-aged woman's eyes gleamed, her lips tightening with grim resolve.

"That's our third approach." She folded her arms, her expression like stone.

"A large-scale magical attack, something that would break his defenses and perhaps even slow him down. But here's the challenge: it will require perfect timing and an intense, concentrated amount of magic. seaʀᴄh thё Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"One miscalculation, and the spell could lose effectiveness, or worse, it could backfire and send chaos into our own forces."

Bong Me-Eon nodded slowly, absorbing her words. "So the idea is to force him into one position with the first two approaches, and then strike with the final blow?"

"Exactly," she replied, her voice colder than the winds blowing across the battlefield. "We'll need to work quickly and without hesitation. Containment, distraction, and finally… total annihilation."

They traveled in tense silence for a moment, each processing the complexity of the tactics they were about to implement.

Around them, the battlefield stretched wide, a vast expanse filled with the remnants of prior battles, the air thick with the lingering scent of smoke and metal.

The distant cries of Orcs and Ogres filled the air, along with the faint roars of the lingering human rankers desperately holding their ground.

In this grim scene, Volk's towering figure loomed ahead, a dark shape radiating menace and raw power.

"Bong Me-Eon," she murmured, eyes narrowing as she began to gather mana, the air around her sparking with faint traces of energy. "Prepare the large-scale spell for when we're ready. I'll take care of the horde leader if you can manage the main force."

Bong Me-Eon nodded, his expression steady, though his eyes were alight with the spark of battle. "Understood, Grandmaster." His hands moved, tracing the intricate patterns of spell-casting, his face set with a steely resolve.

But just then, Volk's hulking form shifted, his head turning slowly, as if he could sense their presence.

In an instant, his eyes zeroed in on them across the battlefield.

The middle-aged woman's expression turned grim. "He sensed us," she muttered. Her hand flexed, a surge of magical ranker power pooling at her fingertips.

Volk's enormous frame began to approach, his strides purposeful and deliberate, cutting through the battlefield like a juggernaut.

The ground trembled beneath each step he took, and the Orcs and Ogres quickly fell back to make way, eyes widening in awe as they watched their Warchief charge.

For what seemed an eternity, Volk bore down on them, and the woman and Bong Me-Eon prepared themselves, drawing in deep breaths, readying their attacks as his monstrous figure approached.

Her mind raced, her senses heightened as she readied herself to strike with everything she had.

Every plan, every strategy, was measured, calculated to take him down at the first moment he was close enough to hit.

But then, when Volk was just strides away, towering over them with an aura that made the very air seem to hum with energy, he… swept past them, and they noticed that his eyes were fixed on something—or someone—else.

They stood frozen, blinking in disbelief as he passed by, seemingly oblivious to their presence, his massive form cutting through the battlefield like a storm with a purpose they hadn't anticipated.

In a booming voice that echoed across the field, Volk's words cut through the clamor of the battlefield: "SYSTEM USER, HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?!"