Chapter #118
Halla Landing Operation (3):
Swoooosh──
The spray of water exploded against the sheer cliffside, scattering in every direction.
The sunlight dancing across the blue sea shimmered, dazzlingly beautiful.
It was at that moment.
KABOOM──!!!!
A tremendous roar shattered the peaceful scene.
But the massive wave that followed quickly drowned out the sound.
By the time the water calmed and the surface returned to tranquility:
“Puhah──!!”
“Thought we were done for.”
Three figures emerged from the water.
“Watch your aim next time.”
“I aimed just fine. Thanks to that, we weren’t spotted.”
They’d swallowed some water, but that splash had hidden them well enough to reach directly beneath their target.
Sehyun looked up at Halla’s stronghold and grinned.
“Just as expected.”
Only two guards were stationed at the entrance.
They were barely paying attention.
Most of their forces were busy raiding other communities—they probably wouldn’t even expect anyone to attack them here.
“Alright, hold tight.”
“Huh?”
Sehyun swung a whip of blue energy, anchoring it to the cliff, and with the other two, scaled the wall in one swift motion.
The guards spotted them and shouted:
“Stop! Who are you?”
Rachel shook her head, brushing water from her hair, speaking casually:
“We’re Foundation. Surrender quietly, and you’ll just get a hearing summons.”
“Wh-what…!”
“E-Emergency! Call the others!”
One guard radioed in, and instantly, the entire base erupted into chaos.
Soon, Halla’s fighters surrounded the three intruders.
“Ha! All that fuss, and it’s just three of you? Totally insane.”
At first, they were caught off guard, but seeing no other reinforcements, their confidence surged.
They probably assumed it’d be easy once the three were dealt with.
At that moment, Seongcheol stepped forward.
“Annoying. Take your punishment.”
“What?”
“And three of you are more than enough.”
Seongcheol enveloped his fist in flames and slammed it onto the ground.
[Blazing Pillar Ascension]
KRAKAKAKAKA──!!!!!
The earth shook, then cracked as a column of fire, writhing like a dragon, erupted.
“Argh!!!”
“What is that!!!”
It wasn’t just a pillar of fire.
It twisted and writhed like a living creature, devouring everything in its path.
It was as if an entire horde of dragons was rampaging through flames.
Wow… stronger than before or just scarier? At this level, it’s practically stellar-class.
Sehyun had equipped him with the [Forge] to refine its power.
Then, with the upgraded [Golem Arm], they intended to emulate some of its former glory.
Now, a planetary-level ability had been elevated to a stellar-class one thanks to these artifacts.
“Monsters…!!!”
“Unreal…”
But it didn’t end there.
After the firestorm swept through, Rachel extended her hand and murmured:
“Synchronic Wave.”
Whoooooosh──
An invisible wave reverberated along the ground, shaking everything in its path.
Kugugugugu──!!!!!
The flames’ momentum combined with Rachel’s wave, amplifying the destruction and shaking the entire base.
“What, what now!!!”
“Damn it! Don’t panic! It’s only three of them!!”
Rachel slashed into the confused ranks.
Tsh─!
She ducked, then landed a hook to the abdomen.
Whack─!
“Ugh!!”
The impact triggered the wave.
“Wow, that really hurts.”
Sehyun had experienced this firsthand back in London; the internal organs were violently shaken, leaving one barely able to focus.
Seeing Rachel ruthlessly take down enemy after enemy, their confidence began to waver.
“Ah, it’s no use! Deploy it!”
“We were instructed to only use it on land…!”
“Damn it! When else are we supposed to use it?! We need to survive first!!”
The soldiers pulled out bronze mirrors from their packs.
Fshaa──!!!
A red barrier consumed the sky, forming a hemispherical dome.
“Kk… this is…!”
“……Hmph.”
Within the barrier, Rachel and Seongcheol faltered, knees buckling.
The masked soldiers’ eyes curved into crescent shapes.
“Ha! Just this one item solves everything!”
For a moment, it seemed over.
Ssss──
Halla’s fighters melted into shadows like smoke, hovering around the perimeter, taunting:
“This barrier cannot be broken.”
“Regret coming here alone.”
“May you meet a cold death in the darkness.”
Eerie voices echoed, and silver blades glimmered within the shadowy smoke.
As a blade aimed for Rachel’s neck:
Thak─!
Sehyun grabbed the attacker’s wrist.
“Ugh, how…! All stellar power should’ve been nullified…!”
“Guess your abilities weren’t enough.”
The chain bracelet blocked the absorption—no further explanation needed.
Swish… Thud─!
Sehyun threw the attacker to the ground and picked up the artifacts that had fallen.
“What did you think you were doing?”
Alongside the [Yata Mirror] seen at the meeting, they were wielding the [Goblin Hat] and the [Silver Dagger].
The Yata Mirror created a barrier, the Goblin Hat allowed hiding in shadows, and the Silver Dagger could strike with absorbed stellar power.
A carefully planned combination, designed to overwhelm.
I see—they hid in the barrier using the Goblin Hat, then struck with the Silver Dagger.
Communities could barely defend against this setup.
But nothing is perfect.
Without the barrier, the combination was useless.
And anyone with the right artifacts could easily dismantle it.
Sehyun frowned at the artifact inscriptions—they had blindly followed the texts without adaptation.
He re-engraved the myths, embedding his blue mark:
“Use the hat; hide the form, scatter the gaze in shadows.”
“The shining silver blade cuts through both darkness and moonlight.”
The inscriptions glowed blue as he traced them.
“Now that’s usable.”
Shlash─!
Sehyun sliced through the barrier with the Silver Dagger, disappearing into shadows.
“What…!!”
Before the enemy could react, he decapitated one, hidden in black smoke.
With the barrier gone, Seongcheol and Rachel rose, energy restored.
“You seriously can’t do anything without me.”
Rachel, still shaking water from her clothes, received a potion from Sehyun.
“Drink. It’s good.”
“Another strange thing…”
Suspicious liquid, yet Rachel drank it without question.
Her depleted stellar power immediately surged.
Meanwhile, Sehyun’s upgraded Yata Mirror dimmed their vision.
“Alright, my turn.”
A blue curtain enveloped the area; all noise ceased.
But it didn’t end there.
“Where… are you! Everyone!”
“Damn it! What trick is this?!”
Nothing major—just a slightly upgraded early-stage barrier.
It isolated individuals, leaving them alone to feel fear.
Ssss──
Sehyun merged into black smoke, delivering silver blades to the trapped enemies.
Shsh─ Sshaaak─!
The masked soldiers fell one by one, powerless.
Finally, the last neck was struck, and silence fell.
“All… dealt with?”
A dangerous line, yet no more enemies emerged.
“Dealt with.”
Sehyun grinned and loaded the large bazooka, the [Rocket Jumper].
“Then let’s go catch the big fish.”
Halla Community Headquarters, Central Command Building.
The representative’s expression was twisted with anxiety.
The battlefield displayed on the monitor was going completely against expectations.
“Progress is slowing. With Baekwoon and Foundation joining, the situation is completely…!”
Thud─!
He slammed his desk. Everything was set; they just needed to seal the operation.
The strategy had been flawless.
By detaining all community leaders using the meeting as a pretext and using artifacts to block communications, the communities could be neutralized.
But things weren’t going smoothly.
At this moment, Haila-hwan called.
“Representative! How’s it going?”
“Sorry. We’ve hit a slight complication.”
-
“Explain the situation.”
The representative described how the operation was proceeding: they had assassinated branch heads, detained community leaders, and used artifacts to block communication. Initial attacks went smoothly, but early release of community leaders disrupted everything.
-
“There’s no perfect operation. Variables are part of the plan.”
Despite setbacks, Haila-hwan remained calm.
The representative’s face brightened.
-
“It’s just the right moment to move to the next stage.”
He must have anticipated a crisis like this.
-
“Many support my plan. Even now, people are rushing to assist.”
“Thank you! This favor…!” -
“But not this time.”
“…What?” -
“No reason to change the situation. It was predicted. Your chances of success existed, but only to a point.”
“….” -
“No need for disappointment. Anyway, good luck.”
Click─!
When the hunt is over, the dog is cooked.
The Halla representative, realizing he was the dog in the proverb, could only stare dumbfounded.
Before he had time to process,
KABOOM──!!!!!
The ceiling of the command center exploded, collapsing down.
Amid the chaos, three silhouettes appeared.
A man in work clothes smiled, smoke billowing from the muzzle of a rocket launcher.
“Ready to meet your end?”
