Chapter 101

Psssshh……

The subterranean entryway collapsed into ruins following the detonation.

Uproar broke out instantly on all sides.

The crowd was thrown into a complete frenzy.

Baek Jinwoo instinctively called forth his own entities as well.

However.

[Players cannot use summons for combat purposes outside!]

Engaging in battle with them was strictly prohibited.

The absolute limit of their utility was providing a protective shield.

• ……

Ramba, Drill Sarge, Stormy, and the rest of the entities maintained a strict silence due to the massive gathering of onlookers, focusing instead on establishing a defensive perimeter around their master, Baek Jinwoo.

“What exactly is happening?”

He questioned Xenos, hoping for some insight, but the man’s expression was incredibly tense.

“I have no clue. We need to investigate.”

Heavy plumes of gray dust swirled near the wrecked doorway, and shards of shattered marble littered the ground.

The occupants of the VIP chamber were visibly panicked, all migrating together toward the main rotunda.

“What is going on?!”

“An explosive? Did someone just detonate a bomb? The exit is completely blocked off!”

“Where is the manager? Show yourself! What kind of VIP room management allows a disaster like this to occur?!”

“We can still find a way out, right? Surely the entire structure isn’t going to cave in?”

Out of all possible targets, the blast had detonated directly where the lift was positioned.

Furthermore, no member of management appeared to address the growing hysteria.

Hmm.

Something felt deeply unsettling.

No matter how one analyzed it, this did not resemble an ordinary mishap.

An explosive planted within the grandest casino on Earth, specifically targeting a hall filled to the brim with elite VIPs?

It was unmistakably a calculated act of terror.

It was at that moment that Xenos, who had already materialized a summon, stepped forward with total fearlessness.

Just as he attempted to evaluate the wreckage through the dense, drifting smoke—

Swoosh!

A figure burst aggressively through the haze.

A towering individual, packed with dense muscle, with intricate body art covering every square inch of his exposed flesh.

In that very fraction of a second.

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

[An unknown player has used the item ‘Barrier Nullification’ (A-rank).]

[For the next 3 hours, all player barriers within a certain range will be forcibly deactivated!]

The systemic alert flashed directly before his eyes.

“Wh-What?!”

“My defensive aura is gone!”

“What in the world! Who is responsible for this?!”

…Ssshhh!

The radiant golden glow that had been protecting their bodies began to dissolve into nothingness.

Simultaneously—

WHAM!

The muscular giant slammed his boot directly into Xenos’s midsection.

“Gakh!”

The impact of the strike was horrific. Xenos was lifted completely off his feet, launched backward through the air, and sent rolling violently across the floor like a discarded doll.

Holy shit.

Baek Jinwoo was utterly stunned.

Defensive auras could just… be turned off?

He had absolutely no inkling such a thing was possible.

The entire concept of personal barriers had never even been a feature within Battle of Summoners from the very start.

So an artifact of that nature actually existed.

Regardless.

Witnessing Xenos—the very individual who had just been projecting such an intimidating aura—get sent tumbling across the ground like a kicked ball? The entire situation was rapidly devolving into something incredibly perilous.

Baek Jinwoo crouched low to the floor and immediately navigated his way toward where his comrades were gathered.

The gargantuan adversary who had shown himself was a heavily built Black man, possessing a physique that seemed heavily aided by synthetic enhancements, with a cloth bandana tied around his crown.

He was also wielding a firearm.

With no active barriers.

If an act of violence like this was executed under these conditions, actual fatalities could occur.

“Listen closely.”

A coarse, unfamiliar tone echoed through the vast space.

“Every single one of you hit the deck. Unless you’re eager to die today.”

CLICK-CLACK!

The armed colossus was far from solitary.

Through the lingering clouds of debris, additional silhouettes materialized one after the other.

That was only the beginning.

The entire security detail had been compromised. The sentries who had been positioned on the upper levels had discarded their official attire and replaced it with bandanas.

Dozens of gun barrels were suddenly aimed directly at the crowd.

Wow.

This settled any doubts.

An incredibly organized ambush.

A quick mental tally suggested their forces numbered roughly fifty men.

“Are you deaf?”

CLICK!

The towering man who appeared to command the group pointed his weapon toward the overhead architecture.

BRATATATATATA!

He switched the mechanism to automatic and opened fire ruthlessly.

Holy fucking shit.

How could an event like this take place in the modern era?

England, a nation widely celebrated as an absolute powerhouse of summoning magic, possessed security measures that were this easily compromised?

“KYAAAH!”

“G-Get down on the floor!”

“AAAAAGH!”

Total bedlam broke out instantly, and Drill Sarge forcefully pushed Baek Jinwoo flat against the ground.

Then, the entity murmured.

• My liege, there appears to be no path of retreat on this occasion. I desire nothing more than to annihilate these worthless miscreants this very instant and discipline them utilizing our most agonizing, bone-shattering techniques, but the current restrictions simply prevent it.

Well.

There actually was a single method of evasion.

He could retrieve his cellular device and invoke a summon directly from Baek Ajin.

The specialized ability Desperate Call possessed no restrictions regarding geographical distance.

But that was out of the question.

He could not simply desert Yu Jia along with the rest of his organization and flee to safety.

“Wh-What are we supposed to do?”

Yu Jia questioned, her tone vibrating with absolute terror.

“Just wait a moment.”

Defensive positioning first!

The system declared that entities could not be deployed for offensive engagements, but utilizing them strictly as physical blockades should still be permissible, right?

Baek Jinwoo commanded a fair number of incredibly durable defensive units within his arsenal.

LG, Dhampir, and the Titanium Golem.

Yet, someone had already anticipated that strategy. Xenos.

His features contorted from the residual agony, he extended his arm forward and invoked an entity.

That particular one is…

Baek Jinwoo’s eyes grew wide with recognition.

Low-slung and stocky, sporting an oversized cap and gripping a metallic cylinder. An Alchemic Transmuter (A-rank).

So he had managed to acquire that specific asset.

If his recollection was accurate, that entity was considered fundamentally overpowered.

Completely distinct from the Combat Alchemist (A-rank), the Transmuter possessed the capability to alter, merge, and break down various metallic elements, and could even synthesize biological amalgams if his memory served him right……

“You actually had the audacity to strike me? You’ve got quite the nerve.”

VWOOOOM!

The cylinder held by the Alchemic Transmuter erupted with a brilliant radiance.

Following that—

KRAKAKAKAKA!

Every single rifle gripped by the towering subversives was violently wrenched from their hands and launched toward the head of the alchemist, binding together precisely like metal fragments drawn to a powerful magnetic force.

“Ngh!”

“Wh-What is this—!”

“Why are our weapons—!”

The sheer force of the magnetic attraction was so immense that the raiders were left with no choice but to release their grip or risk being dragged along alongside their firearms.

CRUNCH, CR-CR-CRUNCH!

It required less than sixty seconds for every single firearm and piece of ammunition to be crushed into a solitary, compressed metallic mass.

Wow.

Baek Jinwoo found himself genuinely awed.

Xenos truly earned his reputation as one of the legendary Five Emperors, without a shadow of a doubt.

Neutralizing the armaments of fifty adversaries in such a brief window of time.

Altering the properties of metal did not qualify as direct combat, meaning the system permitted its full deployment.

“……Xenos.”

The towering leader identified him immediately.

And.

“It’s Xenos!”

“The great Xenos from the United States!”

“WOOAAH!”

The surrounding hostages recognized him as well.

A collective wave of relief swept across the gathered crowd.

The individual ranked third globally was standing right there beside them.

The VIP chamber contained approximately two hundred individuals. The hostiles numbered roughly fifty.

The two factions glared at one another, an intense anxiety vibrating through the atmosphere.

“Very well.”

The giant who commanded the hostile forces offered a deliberate nod of his head.

“Reducing our firearms to mere junk? I must concede that was quite an exploit. But what does it change? Stripped of your weapons, what precisely do you intend to accomplish?”

THWACK!

He drove his balled fist directly into his opposite palm.

It appeared to be a minor gesture, yet the sonic boom of the impact reverberated through the entirety of the grand hall.

Just how immense was this individual’s physical power?

“Deprived of your summoned entities, all of you are nothing more than helpless, fragile insects.”

The massive man sneered, scanning his eyes across the terrified audience.

Step.

Xenos marched out directly into the open to confront him.

Despite the obvious physical distress he was under, his posture remained perfectly upright.

Indeed.

He carried the immense reputation of one of the Five Emperors to maintain. He could hardly allow himself to grovel or show weakness.

“What are your demands?”

He spoke up on behalf of the entire gathering.

Every coordinated strike of this magnitude possessed a distinct motive.

Those heavily built men had refrained from executing the hostages. They had intentionally discharged their weapons into the ceiling.

Which indicated?

They were seeking a specific concession.

Regrettably, the hostile forces held a distinct advantage for the moment.

Under the regulations of the Day of Peace, summoned beasts were rendered useless for fighting, and regarding raw muscular capability, those operatives possessed an undeniable upper hand.

They had even successfully compromised the global defense barriers.

A single miscalculation could result in genuine casualties.

“Heh heh, a rational individual. Splendid, that means we have room for a transaction.”

“State your terms first.”

“It’s quite straightforward.”

The massive leader’s gaze narrowed into thin, predatory slits.

“You, along with every other delegate of the Five Emperors who has set foot inside this establishment, will surrender fifteen of your hallmark summons each. Compliance guarantees the survival of every hostage in this room.”

“What did you say?”

Xenos’s brow knit together in deep frustration.

This represented the absolute worst turn of events.

Of all imaginable targets, their objective was explicitly the Five Emperors.

I put myself through so much secrecy just to infiltrate this location undetected, too.

The remaining four global elites were currently concealed within the restricted VVIP chamber, remaining perfectly still.

The VVIP sector was located directly one level below, entirely reachable should they choose to move.

Confound it.

Under normal circumstances, the Five Emperors would never assemble carelessly during the observed Day of Peace.

From the period preceding the tournaments until their final conclusion, they remained under strict governmental protection.

Yet this occasion deviated from the norm.

They had caught wind of the rumor that Baek Jinwoo—the individual suspected of being the mythical JinuGod—had paid a visit to this specific casino’s VIP room, and they had gathered instantaneously.

Somehow, that confidential intelligence had been leaked to these terrorists.

“Do not attempt any deceptive maneuvers.”

The giant smirked.

“We possess absolute confirmation that every single Emperor stepped into this building. If you refuse to surrender the entities, well, what alternatives do we have? We terminate every individual present…… and even if time runs out before we can finish, we merely need to ensure none of you are capable of appearing at the tournament.”

The primary motivation of the raiders was now entirely transparent.

Disrupt and neutralize the Five Emperors by any strategy available.

Plunder their primary summons, or trap them within this subterranean chamber until the official league commencement time had elapsed.

Who on earth could these operatives be working for?

This displays all the hallmarks of a state-backed operation. The intelligence gathering, the flawless execution—everything about this scenario is far too advanced for common criminals.

Even the captured onlookers could only stare in absolute bewilderment.

Not even the illustrious Xenos appeared to possess a viable countermeasure. He remained frozen in place, offering no immediate reply.

“Sixty seconds.”

However, the towering commander possessed zero tolerance for delay.

“If you fail to reach a conclusion within sixty seconds, I will personally slaughter every single person in this room. Your precious assets versus the survival of everyone gathered here. Make your choice.”

Perhaps due to the reality that the crisis had progressed to this critical juncture—

GRRRRRR!

A concealed rotating partition in the far edge of the underground space swung open.

The four figures who stepped through into the light were none other than—

“L-Look over there! It’s the Five Emperors!”

The absolute pinnacle of power across the globe.

A ripple of low whispers spread across the terrified audience.

“Good grief, Rachel is here……”

“Japan’s representative Hikaru and Russia’s elite Beskoff are present as well.”

Alexandr Beskoff.

That was the authentic identity of the individual known online as MoscowMan.

And the final figure to appear, walking into the room with a thunderous, jovial chuckle, was an elder well past his sixtieth year.

“Hahaha! Well now, this truly is a wonderfully grim predicament we find ourselves in!”

Moniker: Baekcheon.

China’s legendary Zhuo Longtai.

Baek Jinwoo observed the arrivals with intense curiosity.

This marked the very first occasion he was witnessing their countenances from such close quarters in real life.

Step, step.

They advanced into the space with absolute presence.

Rachel, positioned at the vanguard of the group, cast a swift look toward Baek Jinwoo and offered a subtle movement of her head.

Then she walked past his position and stood face-to-face with the towering mercenary.

Despite being a female, her aura was so intensely suffocating that even the massive leader visibly recoiled slightly.

“Let us assume for a moment that we agree to surrender our entities.”

“……”

“What assurances do we have that you will permit all of these civilians to depart unharmed?”

“Wait a moment.”

The massive leader redirected his attention, and an operative came forward dragging a hostage along.

Assessing the attire, it was evidently one of the primary VIP room supervisors.

“The precise census of this entire hall. Give me the number.”

“T-Two hundred and twelve people!”

The terrified supervisor handed over the official register and revealed every detail instantly.

“Two hundred twelve?”

The towering leader bared his teeth in a grin directly at Rachel.

“Forty individuals per Emperor. We release them to the surface. Does that arrangement satisfy you?”

He met her intense gaze without showing an ounce of intimidation.

Meanwhile, a persistent question was occupying Baek Jinwoo’s thoughts.

In contrast to the vast majority of players, he had consistently placed an immense emphasis on physical workouts and stamina training.

Consequently, his attributes in strength, vitality, and general bodily performance had soared far beyond standard mortal thresholds.

Could I potentially overpower these adversaries?

Against active firearms, he would undeniably face defeat. However, at this very moment, all firearms had been neutralized.

“Drill Sarge.”

• I am listening, my liege.

Drill Sarge replied in a hushed tone.

“Do you believe I could defeat them?”

“Wh-What on earth are you implying……!”

Yu Jia gripped his forearm with immense force.

Do not even contemplate anything reckless. Simply remain patient.

“Jinwoo, your entire regimen has consisted solely of physical conditioning and breath control. You have never received proper instruction in actual combat disciplines.”

“That may be accurate, but……”

“Therefore, you must stay completely still. It is irrelevant how capable your hands might be. Lacking a precise culinary guide and possessing zero actual kitchen experience, how is an individual supposed to prepare a meal?”

“Hmm.”

Is that truly the case?

Her rationale was certainly difficult to dispute.

Even so, it felt deeply frustrating to simply sit idly by and accept this subjugation.

• Then again, the outcome is never entirely certain.

That was the moment Drill Sarge offered an alternative perspective.

“Oh?”

• Lacking a culinary guide and holding zero kitchen experience is granted, certainly. However, what can be said for an individual who has observed masters preparing meals until they grew completely weary of watching? Would that scenario not yield an entirely different conclusion?

“Do you really think so?”

Even a common animal living near a sanctuary learns to mimic the chants after a few years.

Was that the principle he was referring to?

• Most notably for a prodigy of your immense caliber, my liege…… a genuine window of opportunity may very well present itself.

Oh.

Is that so?

For what reason was it?

Hearing those specific words brought an unexpected sense of calm over him.

Drill Sarge’s analytical capabilities were truly exceptional, after all.

He would never utter a sentiment he did not fully believe to be true.