CHAPTER 117……………………………………….
“Close-range DPS, everyone move forward as planned. Squeeze out all your power until the Mana Barrel is empty.”
The members of the Chaos Guild lined up sharply at Kang Gwonhoo’s command. Pride shone on their faces.
“Frontline team, step forward.”
The Dohwawon members, who usually stood at the front, moved forward even before Baek Sohyeok called them. Their trust in one another was so deep that they could still smile even in this tense atmosphere.
Although the two guilds had vastly different tendencies—like heaven and earth—being on the same side now felt reassuring.
“Buffers in the center will provide support, and the ranged DPS hunters will conserve their energy. There aren’t many buffers, so you need to give it your all.”
“Yes!”
“Understood.”
The mix of precise, disciplined replies and free-spirited responses created a strange harmony.
“Let’s begin!”
The timer started moving. It would take ten minutes from the first attack for the King to awaken from the cocoon. The King inside the cocoon couldn’t be killed, but if the cocoon itself took significant damage, the King’s power would be greatly reduced.
‘The threads making up this cocoon are tougher than most S-grade armor. Even causing a crack is difficult.’
Still, with this many people attacking, it would be impossible for the cocoon to remain completely unscathed.
“One, two, three!”
The hunters surged toward the cocoon, following Baek Sohyeok at the front. His rapier shone brilliantly, as if it were a sun itself, piercing into the cocoon.
‘Even Baek Sohyeok can’t break it in one strike.’
It was expected, yet seeing it in reality weighed heavily on my mind.
“Focus on the areas Baek Sohyeok attacked! Don’t spread out—aim to break one side’s balance!”
The hunters concentrated their attacks on the structurally weakest parts of the cocoon.
“Wow, something’s appearing.”
One of the Dohwawon members waiting nearby pointed at the top of the cocoon. As he said, the cocoon displayed a ‘contribution’ in real time. The order and chaos stats were rising rapidly.
‘Roughly, it’s about 6 to 4. Even with adjustments, balancing it perfectly 5 to 5 isn’t easy.’
Whether the numbers ended up as I wanted depended on me. The moment of finishing required careful application of power.
Ping, pipik!
There was only a brief moment to analyze. Less than 30 seconds after the timer started, weak attacks bounced off the cocoon.
Whiiing!
I raised my sword to block an attack flying toward Kim Jun. ‘Weak’ was relative—by the cocoon’s standards, these attacks were still dangerously strong against bare skin.
Even where buffers stood, the situation didn’t differ, and the formation threatened to falter.
Bang!
Kang Gwonhoo’s shield stopped it. Simply knowing he held the line steadied the others.
“Defensive units, take position in front of the buffers. Dohwawon members, no exceptions—move forward.”
While Baek Sohyeok was busy leading the frontlines with his sword, Kang Gwonhoo issued orders to the defense hunters. Dohwawon members, not ones to let personal feelings get in the way in critical moments, stepped forward without hesitation.
“The back right section is especially weak! Keep hitting there!”
Someone with a tracking skill shouted loud enough for the frontlines to hear. To the naked eye, nothing seemed different, but subtle changes were occurring.
Yet, even after pouring power in for about five minutes, no cracks appeared. Gradually, as fatigue set in, more attacks bounced off the cocoon.
‘Running at full power like this wears you out naturally.’
I understood, but maintaining strength—even without visible effect—was crucial.
“Woosin, is it really possible to destroy that? I mean, if you say so, it must be, but after all these attacks, nothing’s budged. It feels strange.”
Kim Jun’s voice lowered as he asked, probably reflecting everyone’s concern.
“A fortress doesn’t react to the first 999 attacks, but the thousandth might crack it. Once a crack appears, collapse is instantaneous. If you can’t wait patiently for that thousandth strike, all the effort up to now will be wasted. Keep holding out.”
Unlike Kim Jun, I intentionally raised my voice. I wanted the anxious to hear and refocus. We had to endure with every ounce of strength. The battle had only just begun.
‘Doubting whether it’ll work only eats you from the inside.’
I repeated this to myself. I spoke rhetorically to the others, but deep down, I shared the same worry—what if our plan failed?
Guuuuhng!
Baek Sohyeok, almost the only one in the front attacking tirelessly with consistent strength, raised his left arm. A thick sword appeared—one he had briefly drawn earlier.
‘Two swords? That would throw off balance if he swings both.’
My doubt vanished quickly. He maintained the rapier’s power while using the other sword to warp space.
‘Both must consume massive amounts of mana.’
Sunlight poured from the rapier in his right hand, and darkness from the spatial distortion of the left sword. Contrasting energies filled the space without compromise, naturally elevating the morale of onlookers.
It was easy to notice Baek Sohyeok squeezing out even more power at the hardest moment rather than weakening.
“Yaaah!”
“Let’s push harder!”
Inspired by Baek Sohyeok, the Dohwawon members raised their power again, shouting in unison. He truly had a natural talent for silently motivating others.
“You’re looking at your younger brother with pride, aren’t you?”
Kang Gwonhoo, issuing detailed orders as he moved around, passed by me and muttered this. I tried to reply, but he was already far ahead.
Whiiing, whiiing.
When the timer approached nine minutes, metallic ringing sounded—the cocoon had begun to crack. Considering its size, the fissure was minor, but once broken, it wouldn’t disappear. Repeatedly hitting the crack could inflict major damage.
Seeing hope, everyone pushed their last ounce of strength, and the tiny fissure slowly widened.
Thump, thump, krugung, thump!
A massive lifeform stirred inside the cocoon—preparing to emerge.
“Thirty seconds until the King exits the cocoon! Frontline, retreat ten seconds before!”
Kang Gwonhoo led the countdown, with three loud buffers voicing it. Sometimes, attackers who didn’t notice the time would retreat late and get injured; this prevented that.
“Defensive stance!”
At the short command, the central defensive units moved forward in perfect cohesion.
Thud! Krawaang! Kwang!
The previous minor sounds were nothing compared to the cocoon now, which vibrated loudly, unsettling the entire room.
“Wear protective gear immediately if you have any.”
The threads holding the cocoon to the wall began snapping one by one. Each was heavy, denting the floor, while the main body of the cocoon collapsed inward.
‘It’s being absorbed.’
The cocoon melted into the King. A musty stench filled the room, making it hard to suppress nausea.
“It’s getting colder, isn’t it?”
Indeed, the room’s temperature dropped further.
“Did it kill my subordinates?”
A gloomy voice echoed. The King of the Planarients, having fully emerged from the cocoon, revealed his form.
“Is that really a different species?”
The Planarient King had no definite shape—somewhere between liquid and gas. Attacking him in this form would be useless.
‘Being between liquid and gas, he can become anything.’
We had to wait until he formed a solid shape to deliver the first attack. Our plan was to pour everything into the first five attacks. Cutting off his power before he fully adapted to this world was crucial.
