[Kieeeeeeeeeeeek!]
Beru's roar shook the heavens and the earth. That sound was no simple cry. It was the elation of a loyal subject reconnecting with his beloved master across distant dimensions, and the most ferocious declaration of war upon the god before him.
Suho grinned. Watching Beru, who had swelled to his full size and regained his original majesty, soar high into the sky. Behind him, the colossal form of the Shadow Monarch, like death itself casting a long shadow, seemed to flicker.
"Yes, this is it."
Ruuuumble!
The eye of the wounded Outer God burned with an explosive rage.
[How dare you!]
How dare a mere creature! The fact that it had wounded his eye was an unbearable shame for a god.
[Thou shalt be extinguished!]
The wrath of the god who created and ruled this dimension! It was not a simple expression of emotion. The 'will' of the 'god', harboring absolute killing intent, became reality.
Kurururururung—!
The blood and hatred that flowed out from the Itarim's torn eye, coalesced in the air, beginning to transform into creatures of horrific form. A divine army born for the sole purpose of 'annihilation.'
[Apostles of Annihilation]
Graaaaaaaaah!
Kiaaaaaaaah!
Hundreds, thousands, no, an innumerable number of Apostles of Annihilation were born screaming, surging towards Beru like a tidal wave. Their eyes glinted only with the instinct for destruction and slaughter. The cursed legion, acting as the god's will, covered the entire dimension to erase Beru and all of humanity standing behind him. But before that overwhelming spectacle of despair, Beru did not retreat a single step. Instead, the eyes of that loyal shadow army Marshal were filled with ecstasy.
[This is not Earth!]
This place was not a fragile dimension that would break if he unleashed all his power. This was the enemy's heartland. The main base of the enemy of the great master he served.
Beru, with all his power completely restored, was no longer an ordinary Shadow Soldier. The terrifying Outer God, trembling with rage before him right now! The one who had waged war alone against not one, but many such beings, was the most great and radiant king of death, the Shadow Monarch Sung Jinwoo. And the one who had crossed countless lines of death on the front lines of the Outer God war alongside him, the strongest Marshal, was none other than Beru…!
[Behold! Oh, King! Thy humble servant, Beru!]
Ruuuumble!
[Shall conquer this land and offer it unto thee!]
Beru roared, erupting with black mana from his entire body like a storm. The Unwithering Spring! Infinite mana, flowing from Sung Jinwoo across dimensions, poured out from Beru's body in all directions.
Charrrrrrrrk!
Claws forged from jet-black mana unfolded from both of Beru's hands, exuding an ominous energy as if they could sever space itself.
[I shall have thy head! You damned false god!]
Shweeeeeeeeeeeek—
Without delay, Beru leaped into the legion of the Apostles of Annihilation. Becoming a single black meteor.
Zap! Kwajijijik!
Wherever Beru's trajectory passed, the Apostles of Annihilation were torn apart and exploded. The battle of frenzy, where his suppressed instinct for slaughter ran wild infinitely! That was the true form of Beru!
Kyaaak!
Kiiiiiiiii…!
The apostles' death screams sounded like a delightful symphony to Beru's ears.
[Kihyaaaaaa!]
Beru danced within, ravaging the enemy lines. Unfurling black wings, he followed his instincts, charging chaotically without any set pattern, slaughtering everything. He tore, slashed, and devoured whatever came into his sight. Thus, Beru became a black whirlwind, grinding the Outer God's army to dust. The sight was truly overwhelming! Today's Beru was the very image of a predator that had leaped into a flock of sheep!
[How dare you!]
The Itarim, enraged by the futile resistance of its creations, finally intervened directly. Above its torn eye, the blood-veined membrane covering the dimensional sky split apart. And from beyond, an energy of destruction, filled with a heinous aura, poured down towards Beru like a waterfall.
The Light of Godly Annihilation, a light that distorts the very laws of the universe to extinguish its target.
――――――!
The pincer attack of the apostles filling all of vision, and the Outer God's attack that seemed to tear the dimension itself apart. Yet Beru merely laughed madly. How could he not be joyous? For as much power as he used, an even greater power was flowing into him from his master far away!
Truly, the 'Unwithering Spring'!
[I am filled with gratitude! Oh, Master! This loyal servant Beru! Shall run even more rampant!]
Kuwraaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!
Beru confronted the Light of Godly Annihilation head-on. Instantly, space-time screamed. The shockwave generated from the mingling of the Outer God's light and Beru's darkness split the earth and tore the sky. The slime-covered ground crumpled like paper, and the river of filth flowed backwards, soaring into the sky. The entire dimension writhed to the symphony of destruction created by the clash of the two beings.
[Kieeeeeeeeeeeek!]
At the center of that destruction, Beru felt a thrill, pouring out his power even more fiercely. Unrestrained, as if being compensated for all the time he had been suppressed due to power depletion. Simultaneously, Beru used not only the Unwithering Spring but also another ability he had 'devoured' from Yuri Orlov.
'Barrier.'
Fwaaaaaaah!
A massive dome formed behind Beru as he confronted the Outer God. It was a powerful umbrella, separating the wrath of god pouring down from the sky like a waterfall from Suho and all the humans of Earth. A powerful dimensional barrier, crafted based on the infinite mana sent by Sung Jinwoo through the Unwithering Spring.
Ruuuumble!
Thus blocked by the sturdy shield, the god's wrath could not reach the ground. However, separate from that, another hell was unfolding on the surface.
Ruuuumble!
Looking up at the spectacle of Beru, who had regained all his strength, clashing with the Outer God Itarim with all his might, Suho grinned wickedly.
"Thank you, Orlov. Your plan will be put to good use for humanity."
Yuri Orlov. He was a traitor to humanity who had tried to sell out the Earth to alien invaders for his own ambition. But based on Madam Norma Selner's prophecy and the information gathered by the World Hunter Association, and all of Orlov's plans discovered by directly invading the Arctic base, Suho had formulated a plan.
The eye of Itarim.
The dimensional tunnel piercing deep enough for Itarim itself to cross over.
And beyond it, right here, the Outer God's stronghold and all of Orlov's abilities…
Suho's grand picture, drawn by gathering all these ingredients, was at this very moment, complete.
[Young Master! I shall block this wounded Outer God! In the meantime, the ground-level scoundrels…!]
"Reliable."
Suho nodded at the words of Beru, who was boldly blocking the Outer God single-handedly. And as he finally turned his head to look around… only then did Suho, and all of humanity who had arrived in this unidentified dimension with their souls possessing game avatars… finally face what kind of hell they had arrived in.
This place was a living hell, itself…
Swaaaaaaa—
Black rain. The pungent smell was not a simple stench of decay. The smell of rotting corpses and the metallic tang of blood. And the nauseating odor of something not of this world mixed in, a bizarre land that churned the brain. This land was covered in hideous slime. And beneath it, a river of blackish-purple filth flowed.
That filth itself pulsed with disgusting vibrations, as if it were something alive. And the sky seen above it was covered with a membrane that showed veins, like bruised flesh. At its center, the wounded eye of the Outer God Itarim, which they had just pierced through, was burning like a red sun, shedding tears of blood.
Krrrrrrrr…
It wasn't just the environment that was bizarre. The things growing on this contaminated land were not sane either. Trees stretched towards the sky in the shape of twisted masses of flesh. And at the ends of their branches hung maws with sharp teeth, gaping open. As if to bite and tear everything that passed by, filled with killing intent. In this dimension, every single blade of grass covering the ground was a sharp blade. And some, like writhing tentacles, moved, aiming for the feet. This place was truly a Demonic Grotto. The embodiment of a nightmare, where everything was a living predator.
Graaaah!
Kreeeeeeek!
And the residents wandering this demonic landscape were even more horrific.
A creature crawling with limbs that tangled chaotically.
A creature shrieking with only a mouth on its face.
Magical beasts in which hard carapaces and slimy flesh were bizarrely fused.
Separate from the wrath of god unfolding beyond the sky, the ground too was teeming with bizarre and hideous apostles of the Outer God. And they were biting and eating each other, waging a struggle for survival even at this very moment.
Chomp!
Waduk! Kwaduk!
A giant apostle tore apart a smaller demon, and another swarm of magical beasts rushed in to devour its entrails – a pandemonium of the law of the jungle. All the hell that had been seen beyond the torn sky of Earth was now unfolding right before humanity's eyes.
"…"
The cheers of the players who had arrived here, riding their avatars with high spirits, had long since lost their momentum and faded away. The scenery of this place was an overwhelming terror and revulsion that could never be expressed through a mere game. Just then…
[New prey.]
The natives of this hell finally noticed them. Billions of hideous eyes simultaneously turned their heads, facing one direction. Towards the uninvited guests who had suddenly appeared in their world, the humanity from Earth.
[What do they taste like….]
Kiririk—
Greedy saliva dripped from between their teeth. And without hesitation, all those predators began to swarm, surrounding humanity.
Kyaoooooo!
Kihihihiiiiii—!
"…!"
The horrific killing intent they radiated was accompanied by a nauseating smell of blood. The stench of corpses rising from their mouths made one instinctively hold their breath, a fundamental terror itself. In that threatening encirclement, all of humanity, who had followed Suho, couldn't help but flinch and step back. It was then…
"Is it my time to step up?"
'…?!'
Among the fear-stricken players, a low yet arrogant voice echoed. Thomas Andre, has returned to his original form. The King of Giants, Monarch of Conquest, stepped forward.
"Giant Transformation."
A single step.
[The King of Giants, Monarch of Conquest uses Authority: 'Giant Transformation'.]
The moment he stepped forward, the body of the white-haired veteran, Thomas Andre, began to grow explosively.
Udu-duduk! Kwaaaaaa!
His body began to swell, muscles rose like mountain ranges, and his skeleton grew, shaking the earth. Instantly transforming into a colossal King of Giants, hundreds of meters tall, Thomas Andre stood up, shaking the ground. His appearance was disaster itself. And the giant's foot cast a massive shadow over the heads of the magical beasts that were rushing towards humanity.
Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuung—!
The giant's foot mercilessly stomped the ground. A single footstep. With just that, hundreds, thousands of magical beasts and apostles exploded without a trace, turning into blackish-purple filth. An overwhelming display of power. It was the drumbeat of war, announcing its beginning.
Kuhahahahaha!
[The King of Giants, Monarch of Conquest declares a war of conquest!]
Along with Thomas Andre's thundering laughter…
Ting!
As if waiting, a global announcement was suddenly transmitted before the eyes of all players. It was an announcement sent from Earth by 'Yoo Jinho.' And the content itself was not extraordinary. It was merely a game announcement, completely unbefitting this urgent and terrifying situation. But… The effect was astonishing.
[A new server has opened.]
[Server: 'Outer Universe Dimension-1' will have a 200% experience gain applied.]
'A 2x EXP event?!'
That unrealistic system message became a catalyst, making them forget the terror of reality. An avatar that can revive even if it dies. The moment this hellish real battle was perceived as a hunting ground offering the best experience points. One of the many players bearing the name of Sung Jinwoo overcame his fear and readjusted his grip on his sword.
"Well, anyway… we can't really die, right?"
That single phrase was the fuse.
"R-right! It's 2x experience!"
"Let's catch all those disgusting things!"
"If we die, we just have to log back in!"
Fear had transformed into crazed fighting spirit. They were no longer civilians trembling in fear. They were trained players who had climbed the Tower of Trials, dying and reviving countless times!
[Solo Leveling: Ragnarok]
The moment the game's logo appeared before their eyes.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The roar of humanity, having regained its courage, shook hell itself. They were no longer the apostles' prey. They were hunters who had walked into hell by their own will!
Thus, all humans, proclaiming themselves 'hunters', began to charge bravely towards the monsters rushing in from all directions. Following behind the first and strongest player, the Monarch of Conquest, Thomas Andre. Seeing their reliable backs from behind, a wicked smile appeared on Suho's lips.
"Shall we get started too?"
Suho's eyes shone coolly. Then, Esil Radiru, who had returned to her original form just like Thomas, raised one hand high as if waiting and shouted.
"All listen! I am Esil, the eldest daughter of the Radiru family! I, Esil Radiru, King of Demons and Monarch of Gluttony, command…!"
[The King of Demons, Monarch of Gluttony uses Authority: 'Hell's Army'.]
"All demons! Gather before me! Your king is here!"
Hell's Army. This was an authority to gather the demons that served her to wherever the Demon King was, regardless of their location.
Pababababat!
Dozens of magic circles formed above Esil's head. They forcibly twisted the dimensional rifts to summon the demons towards the dimensional coordinates of this place where the King of Demons now stood. From beyond the numerous dimensional gates that formed in the sky, the grand demon fleet 'Alfheim' majestically revealed itself. Along with the roar of countless demons in battle stance on the ships.
Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Thus, while all forces were crossing over to the enemy's stronghold, the dimension of the Outer God. At the center of it all, Suho finally raised his head. He looked at the Outer God that Beru was fighting with all his might and opened his mouth…
Unleashing all the power he harbored.
"Arise."
Fwaaaaaaah—!