Duo. The Iron Demon Appears.
The last of the tunnel collapsed completely, and the surrounding area filled with dust clouds. From within them, the thunderous sounds of battle and the monstrous roars continued to ring out.
—Kuaaaarghhhhhh!
The mechanical overtone that accompanied the roar made Seowoon frown.
"That sounded like a damn dinosaur…"
As that thought crossed his mind, a strong gust scattered the dust, revealing the battlefield.
"No way, not like this!"
As if on cue, Namsagwang asked,
"Do creatures like that exist in your world?"
Through the torn and flayed skin of the monster, a metal frame was visible, and red light glowed from its missing eyes—undeniably reminiscent of a cyborg straight out of a sci-fi movie.
"Of course not. If anything, maybe in a dream or a fantasy…"
Seowoon's voice trailed off.
As he spoke, he was reminded of the last time he faced the Monkey King.
Namsagwang briefly glanced at Seowoon, then turned back to the battlefield.
A knight with a short arrow stuck in his shoulder dangled one arm limply while gripping a sword in his other hand, gasping for breath—ripe for a backstab.
The warrior's condition wasn't any better. It seemed like the perfect timing for a steal, and Namsagwang's impatience began to show.
But Seowoon spoke up.
"Wait. Judging by the state of that monster, there's going to be another phase."
As if waiting for Seowoon's words, the monster's skin began to peel off, and sharp horns sprouted from its back—firing toward the players.
—Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Each projectile hit with such force that nothing remained where it landed.
As the two players barely dodged the barrage, eight missiles launched from the monster's abdomen.
"It's firing missiles now?!"
Seowoon shook his head at the now transformed buff monster with an entirely new attack pattern.
He was losing his cool in the face of a mechanized dinosaur using every form of sci-fi tech imaginable. On Earth's otherwise realistic map, the absurdity felt jarringly surreal.
Honestly, beating up monkeys on flying clouds seemed more realistic than this.
—KRA-KOOM!
The eight missiles twisted through the air and exploded near the players the moment the dust cleared.
—Kyaaaaaah!
Amid flames and smoke, the monster opened its maw and belched out a stream of fire.
As the sun began to set, the two injured players—unable to flee and limping—charged through the flames toward the monster.
—Crackle! Sizzle!
—BOOM!
Sparks flew and small explosions burst out every time their swords struck the monster's limbs and body.
The battle between the players and the monster, which now leaked brown oil instead of red blood, was reaching its climax.
As the two focused solely on the buff monster, ignoring all other threats, Seowoon spoke.
"Now."
Namsagwang, who had been itching to act, grinned.
He threw on a black cloak and leapt down under the trees. Their forms blended seamlessly into the descending darkness.
—Clang!
—Kuaaarghhhh!
—BOOM!
The knight's glowing golden aura faded as the monster finally toppled.
Just then, the warrior's blade—slightly charged with energy—aimed for the exposed energy core in the monster's belly. But he flinched.
Before he could react, a whip coiled around his waist.
Dragged right in front of Seowoon, the warrior's neck was instantly cleaved upward by Namsagwang's blade.
—Thud.
The lifeless body collapsed to the ground, and the knight screamed.
"You damn bastards!!!"
From his perspective, cursing them a hundred—no, a thousand times—wasn't enough.
"You should've backed off when you had the chance. Greedy to the end."
The knight, charging in with a burning aura blade in his left hand, couldn't even scratch Namsagwang. His head was lopped off without resistance.
"Seowoon!"
As Namsagwang called out, Seowoon had already nocked an arrow.
The arrow flew straight into the monster's glowing core just as it began to rise again.
—BOOM!
The arrow exploded with a red flash, the monster's belly swelled, and then it erupted in a fiery explosion that painted the night sky red.
—Ding! Namsagwang – Killed Doyeomuchi (with Qi Blade). 94/150
—Ding! Namsagwang – Killed Klai (with Qi Blade). 93/150
—Ding! Buff Monster "Mecha Dinosaur" has been hunted. Glory to Player Jin Seowoon!
[Mechanica's Buff: For ten days, your skin becomes hard as steel, quadrupling your defense. You also gain full control over all electronic devices on the map.]
Hearing the dual buff messages, Namsagwang shouted,
"We need to move!"
Even without his warning, Seowoon could feel the surge of hostile energy approaching. He sprang into action.
He could sense mana fluctuations and the movement of players preparing for battle.
"Unless they have Carmen's Eye, they'll miss us."
As he ran, Seowoon's eyes turned toward the parking lot full of cars.
—Vroom! Vrooooom!
—BEEEEP! HOOOONK!
As his gaze swept over them, the parked cars roared to life, engines revving wildly, horns blaring.
The vehicles shot out in every direction like wild beasts, creating chaos and distractions for the incoming enemies.
"Is this the buff's power?" Namsagwang asked.
"Yeah. This one's actually pretty useful."
Even as he replied, Seowoon kept his eyes fixed on the map he'd just activated.
He already seemed to have a destination in mind, and Namsagwang asked curiously,
"You're planning something again, aren't you?"
"A fun idea came to me."
Whenever Seowoon said that, something outrageous usually followed.
"What are you thinking?"
"First… let's head to Incheon Airport."
—VROOOOOM!
Several large trucks now surrounded the Porsche carrying Seowoon and Namsagwang.
"This is a car?"
"Yeah. It's nothing fancy where I come from—just a common item."
Namsagwang examined the speeding Porsche with awe.
"Incredible. It's faster than most horses."
"If not for the trucks, it could go nearly three times faster."
"What?!"
His eyes widened at the idea that this vehicle could outpace even master-level martial arts footwork.
"But why bring those bulky-looking trucks along?"
"Just in case. If someone attacks with magic, we might need to smash through a door and jump out."
At those words, Namsagwang nodded.
After a while of driving, the salty scent of the sea began to waft in, and before long, a dazzling airport lit with brilliant lights came into view.
The moment they switched lanes toward the departure gate, the expressions of the two people in the car suddenly twisted.
—Fwoooosh! KABOOM!
A flaming boulder came flying in, instantly flipping the truck on its side and crumpling the hood of the Porsche, which then flipped over as well.
Watching the Porsche explode into flames, Seowoon clicked his tongue.
"Tsk tsk. That was a pretty expensive ride."
"So that's what cars are like—terrible magic resistance. To get wrecked by a spell like that."
"Well, there was no need for magic resistance in the modern world I lived in. There wasn't any magic in the first place."
At those words, Namsagwang nodded and straightened up from atop the streetlight.
Seowoon, too, stood upright and fixed his gaze on a distant figure visible far off from the streetlight.
"So there was a player stationed near the airport. I figured since it was far from the objective, no serious players would be around."
He had assumed there would be, at most, a cowardly camper.
"Even if they're not strong, they must be holding the Crown."
With that, Namsagwang kicked off the streetlight and charged toward the enemy.
—'100, 190. Two more.'
With Hammit's briefing, Seowoon curled his lips into a smirk.
Trying to bait us with the mage, huh?
He'd been both victim and perpetrator of such teaming tactics many times before. Ever since becoming a permanent player, all he'd done was team play—he could see through shallow strategies like this in a heartbeat.
Seowoon drew his bow and started moving.
—BAM! BAM!
Blending into the darkness, he fired arrows at the two hidden enemies. The moment the arrows flew, the two burst out of hiding and charged at Namsagwang.
Smart call. Rather than deal with an unseen enemy, they chose to focus on the visible one?
A good split-second decision—but they'd missed one critical piece of information.
The opponent they were focusing on was Namsagwang.
Wielding his Sugang in both hands, he cleaved through incoming spells and pushed forward, his overwhelming martial might shocking the eyes of the two enemy warriors.
Falling back to defend the mage, the two warriors struggled to hold off Namsagwang's onslaught. Then, at some point, the tide of battle began to shift further against them.
The mage, who had been supporting them intermittently with spells, had suddenly stopped casting altogether.
Realizing too late they'd lost track in the heat of battle, they widened their field of view—just in time for a notification to ring out:
—Ding! Jin Seowoon – Jaylen (Kill with ki blade). 88/150
At that exact moment, the two players looked at each other in shock.
When had their ally been taken out? Why was he lying dead so far away?
Fear began to creep in.
But there was no escaping.
Their two enemies had already closed in. There was no way out.
—CRACK!
—SLASH!
With simultaneous strikes, the two warriors were killed. Without a word, Seowoon and Namsagwang looked at each other as the kill notification faded.
"If only it were always this easy, we wouldn't have anything to complain about."
At Seowoon's remark, Namsagwang shook his head.
"Guys like that aren't common. Look at their loot—what a mess. Probably got lucky hiding and stumbled into the upper ranks. No wonder their gear's crap."
Nothing Namsagwang said was wrong, so Seowoon nodded in agreement.
At best, they were Black Sword-tier—nothing to write home about.
"Is that the airport?"
"Yeah. Let's check it out."
Compared to the pitch-black areas they'd passed since blowing up Korea Electric Power, the brightly lit airport made Namsagwang gape in awe.
Looking at the giant airplanes lined up on the runway, he drew his Sugang—his fighting spirit clearly shaken.
"What kind of monster is that?!"
"That's not a monster. It's called an airplane. A fancy mode of transportation."
"We're going to ride that? It's way bigger than that road we came in on."
"That thing flies through the sky."
"What?!"
Flying through the sky wasn't something that shocked Namsagwang—but that such a massive hunk of metal could fly was too much to comprehend.
"Hurry up. I thought of something fun, remember?"
—VROOOOOM!
Before Seowoon could even finish speaking, the planes began to move, accelerating down the runway and soaring into the sky.
"Holy crap… It's really flying!"
Staring dumbfounded as the giant aircraft lifted into the air, Namsagwang finally realized Seowoon hadn't been spouting nonsense.
"Enough gawking, let's get on."
The door to one of the planes ahead opened, and Seowoon leapt toward it.
With a powerful kick, he jumped several meters and landed inside the plane in one go. Not wanting to be left behind, Namsagwang quickly followed.
As soon as he was inside, the airplane door shut, and Seowoon laid down comfortably in a first-class seat.
"Let's rest a bit."
"Huh? We're not flying yet?"
Namsagwang looked disappointed, clearly having hoped for more.
Seowoon gave a small smile.
"Neither of us has slept properly in a while. Gotta restore stamina. Oh, the in-flight meals…"
Trailing off, he rummaged around and heated up the meals, handing two to Namsagwang.
"Let me know if you need more."
He grabbed some curry and pasta for himself and began eating.
After a good meal and some deep rest, the airplane began to move.
"Ugh…"
Namsagwang grimaced at the unfamiliar sensation.
It was Seowoon's first time on a plane too, but he exaggerated a calm expression like he was a seasoned flyer.
When the plane finally lifted off with a mighty roar, Namsagwang pressed his face to the window, unable to look away.
"Never been to the Sky Realm map? There's one where you ride clouds and fly around."
Seowoon knew Namsagwang had caught the Monkey King and learned fairy arts in the Sky Realm, but Namsagwang shook his head.
"I've been to the Undersea map, but not that one. I never thought I'd actually get to fly through the sky like this."
As the plane leveled out at cruising altitude, Seowoon spoke up.
"If we jumped out now, would we survive?"
Namsagwang stared at the dark earth far below and nodded.
"We wouldn't be hurt too badly. But it'd take a lot of energy. I'd have to glide."
"Glide?"
"You don't know? It's a technique where you pour internal energy into your Yongcheon Point to slow your fall."
"That's a thing? I was worried about parachutes. Teach me that."
After getting a rough lesson in the gliding technique from Namsagwang, Seowoon looked at him.
"Now you can tell me—what exactly are you planning, flying through the sky like this?"
"Oh, nothing too crazy. I rigged every power plant in Incheon so that all the planes will crash at the exact right time. This plane and two others will circle above and assist us at the decisive moment. Who says only mages can call down meteorites from the sky? I'll summon planes when I need to smash something. Of course, the fuel is going to be a problem…"
"We can't stay in the air for too long anyway."
At Seowoon's words, Namsagwang imagined the massive airplane nose diving from the sky and crashing to the ground.
"Horrifying. Not even the greatest warrior could endure an attack like that easily."
"Let's try jumping now."
As soon as the emergency hatch of the lowered airplane was opened, Seowoon and Namsagwang threw themselves out into the sky.
They were briefly swept by the air currents like kites with their strings cut, but quickly regained balance and began descending in control.
—That massive thing flying past will definitely draw attention, won't it?
—For now. Which works in our favor.
Growing more accustomed to the sensation of gliding with energy poured into his Yongcheon Acupoint, Seowoon and Namsagwang landed atop a tall building just as the airplane they'd exited began rising again into the sky.
"Hearing it from outside, the noise is even louder."
Mana ripples could be sensed near the aircraft soaring above—several players must've mistaken it for a monster.
"Did you arrive on that thing? Impressive."
The calm voice came from behind, without even the slightest sign of presence, sending chills down both men's spines.
They spun around quickly—and saw a long-haired man casually sitting crookedly on the ledge of a rooftop, holding a bottle of wine in one hand.
Though his posture seemed relaxed and full of openings, just seeing the man made their chests tighten and their energy churn.
"Are you not going to answer?"
"…Cheonma." (Heavenly Demon)
Without even realizing it, Seowoon spoke the man's name. Cheonma looked at him with an indifferent expression and opened his mouth.
"That's not an answer."
—Sagwang, how long can you hold out?
Already having drawn his twin blades and taken a battle stance, Namsagwang shook his head.
—Three minutes, if I'm lucky. Thirty seconds, if not.
—You've got a teleport scroll, right?
—I do.
—When I give the signal, don't look back. Use it. Let's regroup at Munhak Sports Complex Station.
Under normal circumstances, Seowoon might not have believed that someone like Namsagwang could only hold out that long. He would've thought he was exaggerating.
But now, having looked directly at Cheonma, Seowoon couldn't be sure Namsagwang would even last that long.
"Yeah, we came on that plane. Now let me ask something. Why are you playing this game?"
At Seowoon's question, Cheonma downed the bottle of wine and responded.
"The same reason as you. I want something. You seem to be from Earth… maybe you'll be of use to me."
As he finished his sentence and reached his hand toward Seowoon, Seowoon's body was pulled forward as if being sucked into Cheonma's grasp.
—Whoosh!
If Namsagwang hadn't jumped in and slashed between them with his blades, Seowoon would've surely been caught.
"Tsk tsk. Still sticking your nose in others' business? I thought you were punished with that cursed body the last time you made that mistake."
"Shut it, you demonic bastard!"
With a burst of rage, Namsagwang charged at Cheonma swinging his blades. But from Cheonma's body, a black shadow—an Original Spirit Form—emerged like a soul tearing free and shot toward Namsagwang.
—Kakang!
Within just a few exchanges, the Original Spirit cut through Namsagwang's blades, forcing him to retreat.
—How much longer?
—Not yet. Just a little more.
Finishing his reply, Seowoon joined the fight beside Namsagwang.
Cheonma's Original Spirit faced the two as if they were nothing—keeping one hand behind its back and leisurely fending them off with just the other. The sight made Namsagwang's face twist in frustration.
Perhaps in all the three realms, only Cheonma could afford to treat them like this.
Thanks to the Original Spirit toying with them, the two managed to hold on for a bit. Then, Cheonma—still seated in the distance sipping wine—spoke again.
"So this is why you were stalling?"
Though the clouds obscured it, the growing rumble in the sky hinted at what was coming. Cheonma pointed upward.
A smirk twisted Seowoon's lips.
"Who knows? You think that's my only trick?"
Amusement glinted in Cheonma's eyes.
"You're a fun one. Fine. Do what you want. I'll let you live until I get bored."
"You'll regret it."
"Hmm… I can't say I've ever felt that emotion."
—SHUUAAAAA!
Finally, a massive aircraft broke through the clouds and appeared overhead. Seowoon shouted:
"Now!"
Namsagwang immediately backed off, tore his teleport scroll, and vanished beyond space.
"Running away? How boring."
"Who said I'm done?!"
With one final retort, Seowoon blinked behind Cheonma's Original Spirit and reached out his hand.
The Spirit ignored the motion, too focused on the descending airplane to care. But as Seowoon's hand made contact with the Spirit's back—
Cheonma's eyes flew wide open.
And the Original Spirit flinched violently, as if struck by a jolt of realization.
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