Chapter 164

Chapter 164
## Chapter 164: Specter in the Republic of Korea

The archetypes for every class wielded by the sinners are rooted in original forms. For instance, the specific class belonging to the Sword Saint was merely an imitation of Riley. However, the individual responsible for maintaining this incredibly high-level guardian barrier undoubtedly possessed a class far removed from that of the Sword Saint. He was certain of it.

It was highly probable that this person held the exact ‘class’ he had been scouring the world for. Because of this, he hesitated.

“Should we pause and observe?”

While he possessed the strength to breach the perimeter by force, there was little point in a violent demolition. In a matter of seconds, the defensive shell would dissipate on its own. He simply needed to be patient and confront the master of the barrier once it vanished.

It was in that precise second that things changed.

*Snap! Crackle!*

Union’s gaze sharpened and his jaw tightened. It appeared he no longer had the luxury of waiting for the barrier to time out. Across the globe, the chaotic echoes of a systematic collapse were resonating as the Great Invasion commenced. Amidst the cacophony, the distinct, haunting resonance of the ‘Guardian of Balance’ reached his senses.

*‘Tsk. It seems reaching a higher level made that thing track me down like a restless spirit.’*

As he replenished his internal reserves using his stockpiled experience points, the ‘Guardian of Balance’ began to stir in response. The dimensional ripples from his recent crossing had not yet settled.

*‘Just stay put for now.’*

It seemed a confrontation with the barrier’s architect would have to be postponed. Despite the interruption, a predatory grin spread across Union’s face. Regardless of the delay, he had successfully identified the location of the most exquisite prize. He could return to claim it whenever he saw fit.

“Access Inventory. Infinite Teleport Book.”

*Hummmm!*

With an air of unhurried confidence, Union stepped through the shimmering threshold of the portal.

—

The brief skirmish had ended, but Gracia could still feel her pulse thundering in her chest.

“That absolute lunatic…!”

Even during her time in Pangeniar, she had never encountered an individual of that caliber. He was a madman capable of pulling meteors from the sky. He had systematically dismantled her heavenly sword and neutralized her ultimate technique without breaking a sweat. And he had done it using a bizarre set of scissors and a buckler she had never laid eyes on before. It appeared as though he could manifest any tool he required at a moment’s notice.

Even more unsettling was the fact that the artifacts he summoned seemed more terrifyingly potent than the man himself. Was such a creature truly a demon? He behaved much more like a high-ranking player.

“…I can sense it. The ‘youth’ I was robbed of is definitely hidden somewhere in this territory.”

Anxiety began to gnaw at Gracia’s composure.

—

When my vision cleared, I found myself back at my residence. Eunpyeong-gu. My own room looked back at me, noticeably cleaner than the disheveled state I’d left it in. I had managed to slip back to Earth only after covertly summoning Hydragon to mask my movements and forcing Hudson to log out.

Immediately upon my return, I activated Golden Rule to survey the area, but I found nothing but confused civilians; there were no hostiles in sight.

*‘This second wave is operating on a completely different magnitude compared to the first.’*

I had been able to intercept Necrolord Ahram before his forces could fully manifest. But this time was different. The enemy had orchestrated an invasion from a blind spot I couldn’t monitor, accelerating the world’s erosion rate to launch their assault. This architect was far more calculated and precise than Ahram. One specific name from the depths of hell came to mind.

*‘If Isera is the one leading this, it’s going to be a bloodbath.’*

The Mongrel Isera. That wretch had clearly made landfall on Earth. A grueling, deceptive conflict was on the horizon.

*‘Wait a second.’*

I tilted my head in confusion. I had received a direct system notification that my guardian barrier was under fire, yet the street was empty. I scanned the horizon carefully.

*‘Did the intruder flee using a warp?’*

Only the fading spatial signatures of a few warps lingered in the air. Perhaps the attacker realized they couldn’t pierce the shield and decided to retreat.

*‘Probably just some minor pest making a scene,’* I thought, shrugging it off. Whoever had knocked on my barrier wasn’t significant enough to worry about right now. If our paths crossed again, I’d simply eliminate them.

As I performed a slow sweep of the neighborhood, I was relieved to see that there hadn’t been any significant loss of life. Then, my eyes caught a figure suspended in the distant clouds.

*‘Is that Gracia?’*

…What on earth was that man doing back in Korea?

—

### The Sovereign of the Bloodline

Park Taewoo, the commander of the Hero Alliance, stood paralyzed as he stared at the firmament. A literal deluge of meteors was screaming toward the earth. A direct impact from that barrage would have wiped South Korea off the map entirely. His team was doing their best to shoot them down, but their efforts were like trying to stop a flood with a sieve. Even with Gracia intervening, the sheer volume of the celestial bombardment was overwhelming.

*‘What is that?’*

Just as the weight of total annihilation settled in his gut, a colossal, luminous veil stretched across the entire sky. The moment he laid eyes on it, Park Taewoo’s instincts screamed the answer.

*‘A guardian barrier!’*

It was an ability shared by almost every player, and this shimmering curtain fit the description perfectly—right down to the way it dissolved after exactly thirty seconds. It had been triggered automatically by a proximity threat. That realization led to a staggering conclusion.

*‘The individual owning a barrier of that scale is currently in Korea.’*

Right here. On this soil. He likely wasn’t the only witness to put the pieces together. But the question remained: who could it be?

*‘The standard cap for a guardian barrier is Level 10, which is granted to the top rank in the Honor Hall. You can technically purchase higher tiers at the Merit Shop, but…’*

The cost was astronomical. Merit points were only distributed for world-shaking feats or the completion of primary scenarios, and even then, they were granted sparingly.

*‘That has to be at least Level 13. Maybe even higher.’*

The magical onslaught from that sorcerer carried the destructive weight of a Level 13 threat, and this barrier had absorbed it completely. Furthermore, the area of effect was unprecedented. No one in recorded history had ever deployed a guardian barrier large enough to encompass the entire Korean Peninsula.

“C-commander, what did we just witness?”

“Did that mage actually retreat?”

The members of the Alliance were whispering, their gazes fixed on the empty sky. But Park Taewoo remained stone-faced. Players who possessed a Level 10 or higher barrier could be counted on one hand. And among that elite group, only one person was capable of manifesting something of this magnitude.

The man who had usurped the Honor Hall. The pinnacle entity who was currently shattering every known record!

“…Phantom has arrived in Korea.”

Phantom was here. Right in their backyard.

—

Following the mysterious events at Jeju Island, I had transitioned back to my home base. Given my circumstances, I didn’t require the life support systems that made long-term immersion a necessity for people like Hudson. I could remain synchronized with the system for extended periods without physical strain.

*‘The priority is this second invasion.’*

The threat was looming too large for me to remain in the UK indefinitely. After touching down in Korea, I had re-established myself in Eunpyeong-gu.

*‘That Golden Rule sorcerer. He was definitely utilizing an inventory.’*

Now, even though we hadn’t met face-to-face, I was starting to compile a profile on the individual who had tried to level Korea with meteors. Multiple accounts mentioned the mage explicitly using the command ‘inventory.’

*‘No player in the current era has access to the Meteor spell.’*

The crux of the issue was that Meteor was a “deleted” skill. It was one of the many powers the goddess had purged from the system because they were deemed too cataclysmic for the game’s balance. Therefore, this wasn’t a modern player.

*‘He’s from the past.’*

…But if there were survivors or entities from the ancient eras of the game, they would certainly have access to both Meteor and the inventory system.

*‘He isn’t a demon. He’s a player—or at least a former one—who is intimately familiar with high-tier mechanics.’*

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. Normally, only Isera and his demonic cohorts could traverse the invasion warps. Yet, a human—or something that looked like one—had hitched a ride.

*‘Isera granted him passage.’*

That paranoid bastard wouldn’t just let anyone through his gates. If Isera allowed the Golden Rule mage to use the warp to Earth, it implied a partnership.

Aligned interests. And in this context, that meant…

*‘The total destruction of Earth.’*

He shared the demons’ goal of wiping out humanity. I nodded to myself as the logic clicked into place.

*‘A player who harbors a deep-seated vendetta against his own kind. That’s who this Golden Rule mage is.’*

He had come to Earth under Isera’s banner to act as a judge for the “sinners”—the current players. He might even be an operative for the Death God Church. Actually, it went deeper than that.

*‘The Empire and the Death God Church couldn’t possibly be in the dark about a guy like that.’*

They weren’t just allies; those organizations might have been the ones to deploy him in the first place. And if my hypothesis held water…

“I think I can find a use for this.”

*-Kyaa?*

With a quick summon, Hell manifested from a tear in space, tilting its small head curiously.

“Hell. Are you capable of tracking the destination of that specific warp?”

*-Kyakyakya!*

The Golden Rule mage had disappeared using a Teleport Book. Hell, having grown more powerful from recent experience gains, now possessed the ability to sniff out spatial trails. Excellent. I had his location pinned.

*‘Now, I just have to worry about Isera.’*

I stared out at the city through my window. Korea was currently bathed in an eerie silence. But I knew this was merely the prelude to the real disaster. Isera was my opponent, and his silence was more dangerous than a direct shout.

*‘Isera, the Sovereign of the Superheated Hell.’*

Isera was a specialist in psychological and attrition-based warfare. As the second ruler of the Superheated Hell, he was a hybrid—half-man, half-dragon, characterized by his curved horns and crimson human form. He was an undying entity; no matter how many times you struck him down, he would return. He was easily one of the three most frustrating enemies to face, although his sister had been the true nightmare of the family.

*‘To take him down, I need to be over-prepared.’*

Step one was Necrolord Ahram. Step two was Isera. I had managed to trap Ahram using Gingoa, but those kinds of parlor tricks wouldn’t work on someone as seasoned as Isera. However, I possessed a hidden advantage that the demon king was unaware of.

“Ahram. Do you enjoy the taste of fresh air after all this time?”

*-Kraaaaa! You miserable wretch! You absolute piece of filth!*

I pulled out the enchanted hair and—*pop!*—it expanded, manifesting a miniature version of Ahram. The Necrolord was tiny, with the golden hoop of Gingoa firmly squeezed around his head. He was squirming and hurling every insult in his vocabulary.

“Do what I ask, and I’ll take that hoop off your head.”

*-Lies! All lies! Kraaaaa!*

“Don’t you want an end to the agony?”

The pain inflicted by Gingoa was incomprehensible. The more malicious Ahram’s intent, the more the hoop tightened. Since he was still screaming, it was clear he hadn’t given up his spite yet.

*-Kuhuhuk! F-fine… talk. I’m listening.*

“What is the current designated weakness Isera has set for himself?”

Isera had the unique ability to cycle through specific weaknesses periodically. Only the other hell lords or the demon kings were privy to that information. Given the massive loss of life it took to discover his weakness in the past, getting the answer now was the smarter move.

*-You actually think I’d betray that information to yoooou?! Kraaa! Make it stop!*

“You don’t believe me? I gave you my word I’d set you free.”

*-Is that the truth?*

“I put everything on the line. I will release Gingoa.”

*-How can I trust a single word out of your mouth?! It burns! It burns!!*

Ahram eventually slumped, his spirit momentarily crushed. I wondered just how excruciating the pain had to be for a king of hell to weep like a child. Perhaps the constant pressure had finally snapped his mind. Regardless, he was being much more cooperative than before.

*-S-suicide!*

“Suicide?”

*-I can’t reveal anything else!*

Suicide. That meant Isera’s weakness involved enemies rushing in and detonating themselves. Another frustrating mechanic. Ahram shrieked at me.

*-Keep your end of the deal! Release me!*

“Of course.”

*Shiiing, pop!*

*-You cheating piece of—!*

Gingoa snapped back into its hair form, pulling the Necrolord back into his prison. Ahram’s final curses faded as he was resealed. It wasn’t my concern.

Tch. How naive. Who actually expects a human to keep a promise to a lord of hell?

*‘Suicide, huh.’*

To effectively counter Isera, I needed a supply of lives that could be utilized as living explosives. And as it turned out, I had the perfect candidates for the job.

I looked down at the dark silhouette on the floor. Within my shadow, hidden from the rest of the world, thousands of ‘eyes’ were watching.

…My vampire legion. Sacrifice-based skills were, by definition, suicide tactics.

**【Vampire Clan Population: 512】**

The number had been slashed in half following my last major engagement.

*‘I need to bolster my forces.’*

If I wanted to stand a chance against Isera, I would need to significantly expand the size of my vampire clan. And to subjugate more of them, I needed to start climbing the Rift Tower again.