I temporarily made a party with the Taeguk Shield guild members. Everything was ready.
With our strength, killing those Orcanthropes without taking any losses was nearly impossible. On top of that, there was Kim Taechun. We couldn't just shoot him to death, since he was still a human. Though it was unclear why he was just standing there without attacking anyone, he would definitely start moving once we did. If we just fought him straight-on, we would lose more than we would gain.
'However—'
The current me was different. I took out an item.
[High Orc's Spell Scroll]
The High Orc reigns as the upper-ranking predator of the Orc race. This scroll is imbued with the abilities of a High Orc with a special bloodline that sets it apart even from other High Orcs. This item will have an outstanding effect on Orcs, and one of four possible abilities can be used.
Remaining uses: 1
Affects: Orcs
Spell of Super Strength
Spell of Illusion
Spell of Infatuation
Spell of Submission
I could pick one of four spells to use. The High Orc's Spell Scroll was a gift the 'Whispering Devil' secretly gave me, having already predicted this situation.
'From this alone… you can tell that the Whispering Devil is a Guardian with greater power and ability than the Ruler of the Plains.'
A Guardian who was almost always in the five limited slots for sending notices, and the item he sent me. This was the item I had relied on to draw out the current situation.
What caught my eye was the 'Spell of Submission'.
[Spell of Submission]
Using the powerful authority of the High Orc, invokes the power of forced submission on all Orcs lower in rank than the High Orc.
It was time to finish up the picture I had drawn based on this item.
[Using the High Orc's Spell Scroll.]
[Use the Spell of Submission?]
I lifted the scroll into the air, knowing that at least the Guardians would be watching me. Then, I intentionally uttered the incantation in a very quiet voice that was still loud enough to be streamed to the Guardians.
"Spell of Submission."
A powerful gravitational wave pulsed out. It wasn't visible to the eye, but my Observer's Eye showed me exactly how this spell unfurled. Countless invisible 'vertical lines' slammed down on the bodies of the Orcanthropes.
Thud!
One of the Orcanthropes fell to its knees, whimpering like an already defeated puppy.
'Some of them are resisting it.'
Some were resisting the Spell of Submission with growls, most likely because they weren't completely Orcs, but Orc-Lycanthrope hybrids.
'But even so…'
I was sure of it.
'None of them can escape the High Orc spell's influence.'
At most, they could only resist it, and only for a brief moment. Maybe a Great Orc Warrior-Lycanthrope hybrid might be capable of shaking off the spell, but these were regular Orcs fused with regular Lycanthropes. These early level 30 monsters could never hope to be free of this power of 'forced submission'.
'Observer's Eye… can see it.'
The countless vertically-descending black lines only I could see were hard to put a name on. A gravitational wave? No, it felt subtly different.
'Can I just see it as a wave imbued with some kind of powerful force that makes them kneel?'
I wasn't able to analyze the true nature of this power. While I was contemplating, the guild members of Taeguk Shield began to take action, slashing and piercing the kneeling or collapsed Orcanthropes at random.
'The spell has fully taken effect.'
Now, Taeguk Shield could just mop them up. I watched from the side, keeping Observer's Eye and Observer's Domain active.
[The 'Nameless Observer' respects your stance.]
[The 'Whispering Devil' feels a little regretful.]
Apparently, this wasn't the picture the Whispering Devil had wanted. He probably wanted me to do something like personally go out and slaughter the monsters or make some kind of big scene.
[EXP acquired.]
[EXP acquired.]
The EXP was building up without me lifting a finger. Right now, I was in the level 30 period that was called the Hell Phase, so my level didn't go up, but I was still getting pretty good EXP.
In the meantime, many reporters filmed Taeguk Shield's performance.
'By tomorrow, Taeguk Shield will have become heroes.'
Taeguk Shield, the guild that defeated the incredibly strong monsters that even the military and police couldn't subdue! Articles of that nature would plaster the front pages.
'As for Kim Taechun…'
I was amazed to see that he was still not moving. Was it simply because of a quest? He wasn't an Orc, so he shouldn't be affected by the High Orc's Spell Scroll. Why was he just standing there?
'Wait.'
It felt off. I thought back to the black lines that had appeared by the power of the High Orc's Spell Scroll.
'Those lines…'
They had evaded Kim Taechun in a strange way, almost like there was a round barrier or something around his body.
'No, that's not it. He didn't just block them.'
It was something far more intrinsic than that. He didn't just block the black lines—they weren't able to approach him altogether. They were extinguished.
The scroll imbued with the High Orc's power registered on everyone here. It was just that the actual effect only triggered on Orcs. The 'effect' didn't show up on regular humans, but the spell did affect them. Which meant… those black lines affected everyone here in the same way.
'But…'
Kim Taechun was different. That power wasn't able to approach him altogether.
'A power higher in grade than the High Orc's power…'
Upon closer inspection, I saw a shimmer around Kim Taechun's body, like his body was giving off some kind of heat. Something was weird about it.
[Eye of Perception perceives a strange energy.]
At the same time, I unknowingly groaned in pain.
"Gugh!"
I clutched my right eye as it throbbed in extreme agony. There was blood on my palm and it flowed from my eye and dripped through my fingers.
'It can't be.'
I thought I could guess what this phenomenon might be.
'Come to think of it…'
I didn't hear any notices from the Courageous Lion King, who was deeply involved in the current situation. If he knew I was hatching this kind of scheme, he would have definitely sent messages like 'The Courageous Lion King is sneering' or 'The Courageous Lion King snorts at your cowardice'.
'He's so occupied with something that he can't pay attention to me.'
Then there could only be one answer.
'It can't be.'
But that answer made no sense. We were only in the early game. That, in the early game? And from a Guardian like the Courageous Lion King, a pretty famous Guardian in his own right?
'Descent…?'
Descent.
In the dictionary, it meant a god coming down from the heavens to the human world.
Occasionally, some Guardians would invoke a 'descent'. It put an incredible burden on the Player's body, and there was no knowing what kind of side effects they would have afterwards. There were even cases where Players exploded, unable to bear the Guardian's authority and power.
'That fucking crazy courage-lover.'
He was borrowing Kim Taechun's body to try and invoke the power of 'descent'. It went without being said that the current Taechun wasn't capable of safely shouldering a descent.
'Though I don't know how much power he's putting into this descent…'
I wasn't clear on what kinds of descents there were, either. Even ten years from now, not much was known about it.
'In any case, Kim Taechun's done for.'
The Courageous Lion King might be a courage-addled addict, but he wasn't a complete idiot. I was sure he would use the perfect amount of force to have a fierce battle with me. After the fierce battle—basically, once the courage-lover was done with his tool—Kim Taechun would die.
'It might be dangerous for me, too.'
The situation was urgent. This was no time for me to be watching idly from the side.
[Using the special skill Flash Step.]
I closed in immediately, not stopping to think about the particulars. I took up position behind Taechun, who was still defenseless. There was no time to contemplate. My eyes flitted to the back of his neck, which I grabbed in a hasty choke. I squeezed his neck with all the strength I had, crouching down. From a 3rd party's perspective, I must have looked like a cicada clinging to a tree.
I didn't know how much time passed like that, maybe a few seconds. It was just that urgent.
Thud!
Kim Taechun's body slumped to the ground. The strange sensation surrounding him, the shimmering aura I had felt through Observer's Eye, disappeared. What would be a good way to describe it? God ki, maybe?
[The 'Nameless Observer' continues observing.]
[The 'True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain' is impressed by your quick judgment.]
[The 'Lady of the Scales' denounces the 'Courageous Lion King'.]
Seeing as our just Lady was publicly denouncing him, it seemed the courage-lover really was trying to invoke 'descent'.
'He's well and properly nuts, trying to pull a descent on a beginner Player's body.'
But if you considered it another way—
'It also means… that I've stimulated him so intensely that he couldn't resist the overwhelming itch.'
That was another possible interpretation. I had given him so much stimulus and fun that the courage-lover charged straight in, consequences be damned. So much fun that he completely flipped his lid.
'Nice.'
Of course, this incident would become famous among the Guardians, and that would definitely work out in my favor.
Having already finished off the Orcanthropes, Song Kiyeol approached me, eyeing the unconscious Kim Taechun.
"We're nearly finished here. Did you PVP just now?"
"Let's settle the payment next time," I responded. "I'm a little busy right now. I will answer your questions soon."
That would probably happen at the place I was predicting, the police station.
'For now, we'll get out of here.'
In order to bring the picture I'd been drawing to its completion, it was best to step aside for now. Taeguk Shield would take care of the rest.
"We will soon meet again." I wasn't sure how soon, but if my guess was correct, it would be very soon. However, I continued talking like I didn't know. "I think it would be best for me to step aside so you can sort things out over here."
As if he had wanted that in the first place, Song Kiyeol nodded immediately. "Understood. I will get in contact with you."
I quickly left the place that had come within an inch of becoming the site of a Guardian descent. No matter how I thought about it, the Courageous Lion King was seriously insane, considering he tried to use a descent that even high-level Players had a hard time handling.
"Let's call it quits for the day," I told my party members.
This was enough for today's Playing. Too much had happened in one go. I was also very tired from my continuous use of Eye of Perception and Observer's Eye. Both my ability to concentrate and my stamina were exhausted.
"Oppa… are you alright?"
"Boss Hyukjin! Is your eye alright? Who did that to you?!"
"Hyungnim!"
"Hyung… are you alright?"
"Goddammit. Just tell me who it was, and I'll burn 'em down."
I calmed down my overreacting party members. An injury of this level would go away with a cure potion.
"Get some rest. I'll contact you soon, so see you then."
Everyone seemed tired.
Yeonseo said, "There's a lot I want to ask our Boss Hyukjin…" She still looked worried. "But I'll ask you later. Boss Hyukjin, take care of yourself. Get well soon. When your eye's better, let's go get a meal together."
Her use of the possessive when referring to me slightly bothered me somehow, but I didn't comment on it and watched as she waved goodbye. Yoohyun and Sung-gu also left, leaving just me, Sunhwa, and Sunghyun.
"Sunhwa and I are gonna go by taxi."
"Alright, hyung. My house happens to be in the same direction."
Sunhwa was so tired that she was dozing off on her feet. Her sense of tension had left her, leaving her deflated. This little sister of mine had a real talent for sleeping on her feet.
My bleeding eye was throbbing, but it didn't bother me too much. I glanced at Sunghyun.
'Mm.'
He certainly had something to say to me. He was probably still debating whether he should say it or not. I decided to wait for him, since it wasn't a pressing issue.
The taxi came. The moment Sunhwa and I were about to get in, Sunghyun spoke up.
"Hyung. I have something to tell you."
After apologizing to the taxi driver, I closed the car door and turned around to face Sunghyun.
"I was waiting."
"...What?"
In the beginning, when we came down to the 1st floor and left the building and I was walking slowly, I said, "I'm waiting for something."
What I had been waiting for wasn't the Orcanthropes or my plan involving Taeguk Shield. I had been waiting for Jo Sunghyun to speak up.
"..."
He blinked, staring at me. Then, he said, "So you were saying that about me."
"Yeah. That's right."
"If I am not mistaken, it seems you already know what I am about to say."
Of course I did. I just didn't know if he was going to bring it up today, or later. I gave him a light nod, looking at him. Judging from his inability to hide his shocked expression, he seemed pretty darn surprised.
"Want me to guess what you're going to say?"
You're ten years too young to get the jump on me, kid.
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