Chapter 254

Chapter 254. Age of Turmoil (4)

Visibly diminished than at the beginning, the granite formed between the fading chaos and solidifying magma.

Right on that granite, there stood the nemesis-rank forcibly exposed to violence and a lone human relentlessly beating it.

The surreal spectacle left those who witnessed it utterly speechless.

Crash. Boom.

Sparks erupted from the ground, ensnaring the nemesis-rank as it twisted in defiance.

Responding in kind, black spines jutted out of its body.

Dozens of Kerak hurled themselves at K but were intercepted and split in half before reaching him.

On closer inspection, a red glow swirled around K.

Yang Hyewon let out a wry smile.

“Using attribute mana and ordinary mana simultaneously?”

How is that even possible?

Everything K did defied the average norm.

It dawned on everyone how pointless the many community posts comparing K with others had been.

As K captivated the onlookers, twisting his body midair.

Suddenly, a fiery orb lunged at him.

Boom!

As soon as K was repelled, Yang Hyewon instinctively prepared to use magic.

Superior maneuverability in the air is the greatest asset for wind attribute mana users.

She intended to catch K before he flew away.

But K didn’t need her help.

He, too, could utilize the wind element, albeit simply.

Stopping midair on his own, he stepped onto a red platform and raised his spear.

Simultaneously, K’s body bent with exquisite flexibility like a bow.

Crackle!

The sparks converging on the spear were so intense that it was hard to keep one’s eyes open.

One had to instinctively shield their face with an arm.

Immediately after, whoosh.

A light sound like an arrow rushing past signaled an explosion.

As if lightning had struck, those nearby were thrown back.

Everything around was caught up in the blast.

“Argh!”

“Catch them!”

Silver rank individuals stumbled over themselves and crashed down, while drones and helicopters in the air were tossed aside like toys.

Yang Hyewon urgently reached towards the helicopter.

Her summoned wind successfully stopped the descending helicopter from crashing.

While it balanced, Yang Hyewon checked the location of the nemesis-rank.

She had kept her eyes wide open throughout every unfolding moment.

Perhaps, she was the only witness to where K’s thrown spear had gone.

As soon as K’s spear left his hand, an immense surge of mana erupted from the nemesis-rank.

There was no time to cast a magic, and the mana was bluntly forced out.

K’s mana collided with the nemesis-rank’s mana accumulated in the spear.

It seemed that two different types of mana couldn’t mix, forming a massive vortex.

‘It pierced through…’

In a fleeting clash, K’s mana overwhelmed and pierced the nemesis-rank’s mana and body in one swift strike.

As evidence, the slowly crumbling corpse of the nemesis-rank toppled over with a thud.

The flames that had engulfed his body gradually diminished and finally extinguished completely.

Yang Hyewon swallowed hard.

The one who singlehandedly took down the monstrosity, a catastrophe by any definition, was now standing firmly on the ground.

Having returned to the ground, K swiftly dragged the nemesis-rank’s corpse aside.

Then, he descended into the opening below with a whoosh.

After retrieving the spear and returning to the surface, he scanned the vicinity.

Spotting a fist-sized orb nearby, he picked it up.

‘Attribute Manastone…’

As he lightly tossed it into the air and caught it, a satisfied smile crept onto K’s lips.

“It’s… over?”

When someone mumbled quietly amidst the tranquil silence, K leaped into the air, launching himself skyward with a stomp.

Yang Hyewon watched him, drawing closer to her direction on fiery platforms, and thought,

‘If one were to find hope in this tragedy,’ she mused, surely it would be in that man.

* * *

When I decided to travel back to Earth, I didn’t leave the suddenly increased mana accumulation tools idle.

I extracted mana from what Irel possessed that was unnecessary to me, and filled the emptied accumulation tools with my attribute mana.

Mana which proved highly adaptable in any situation.

‘All that gathered mana amounts to about 88,000.’

Including the initial attribute mana I possessed, it totaled a little over 180,000.

Even without the fickle support of Kerak, implementing a Flame Strike was more than feasible.

The remaining mana sufficed to sustain extended combat.

Moreover, hadn’t I recently advanced to the Platinum rank before coming back to Earth?

I tossed the attribute manastone left by the nemesis-rank into the air and caught it with a satisfied grin.

‘Having faced Irel, it certainly was worthwhile preparation.’

Witnessing magics cast slowly over several seconds, it was a confrontation I instinctively felt assured of winning.

Any past disgrace under a nemesis-rank during the incident in Santorna was precisely that—past.

Once I confirmed that the mana and status from the nemesis-rank were thoroughly absorbed, I proceeded to where Yang Hyewon awaited.

‘Given the emergence of a nemesis-rank, infection is unavoidable.’

Not just an issue isolated to Korea.

There were already three mentions of nemesis-rank in the community.

This prompted a message from Lily as well.

– Lily: Should you visit in person to purify, it would significantly boost morale.

Regrettably, I had no intention to vacate the spot for the moment.

Considering my ultimate mission, securing the entire Earth is vital.

Yet, if one must prioritize, naturally, it would be Korea.

The land shielding my family and people.

I would not wander elsewhere until this place’s safety was affirmed.

‘For now, I must await the system’s return.’

If they couldn’t wait, then those requiring purification should come by themselves.

‘Or they could locate another potential Alpha somewhere.’

Although there was no guarantee that any subsequent Alpha would have raised their purification level to 4.

‘I can’t remain tethered to Korea indefinitely, but not now.’

Promptly informing Lily of my stance, I shortly thereafter arrived in front of Yang Hyewon.

Perched on a rooftop, her expression was quite complex.

Confronted with this same situation, someone else might have asked her, why she seemed that way.

Others striving to comprehend Yang Hyewon’s thoughts or emotions might put in the effort.

‘That someone wouldn’t be me, though.’

Empathizing or understanding Yang Hyewon’s feelings does nothing to resolve the crisis.

Thus, what escaped my lips was neither a question nor an inquiry—it was an instruction.

“Gather the infected in one place. Have them stay within a 300-meter radius of me.”

Yang Hyewon gulped and questioned cautiously.

“Staying close… I mean, will you be alright with that?”

Judging by that question, she already knew the reason behind my command.

“Once word spreads, you’ll surely draw attention…”

I responded more resolutely.

“I’m not concerned about such matters in this situation.”

The chaos from the pathogens will deter many from joining the fight.

This would add no value to resolving what is dubbed an emergency defensive battle.

Rather, it would be seen as an obstruction or a hindrance.

‘Therefore, it must be eradicated as a priority.’

Any accompanying issues should be paused for now.

Reiterating my point, Yang Hyewon didn’t question me twice.

“…… I will give the order immediately.”

On descending the building behind Yang Hyewon, several gazes converged onto me.

I cast a glance over them, and they dispersed.

As if in almost perfect unison, they hurried to lower their gaze.

Murmur.

I felt everyone cautiously watching my reactions.

Yet even that caution was fleeting.

“All infected individuals, please come this way!”

The players affiliated with the association, under Yang Hyewon’s directive, began assembling the infected.

“Why are only the infected being gathered separately?”

“Is there a solution to the pathogen?”

“Could it be, are we being rounded up to be eliminated?!”

Just by opening their mouths, a market-like commotion erupted in the surrounding area.

This disbursed some of the attention initially directed at me, which was a welcome distraction.

In that brief moment, a decent number of players had gathered.

Even amidst suspicion and caution, it’s clear some held onto hope.

‘Roughly 20 individuals.’

Estimating the count visually led to a sigh.

Being surrounded by unknown individuals was unnerving, but for the moment, with Yang Hyewon nearby, security concerns were shelved.

Upon checking with her, she stayed and dismissed the others while standing by my side.

With a debt to me and no apparent reason or background for betrayal,

“Phew.”

I took a deep breath and attempted purification.

This time, the message was slightly different.

「The Alpha declares a domain!」

Having raised the purification trait by a step in Orkal Canyon, securing the special effect of remote purification,

* * *

「Title: What a Mess is This(93) – Author: Yamamoto」

「Title: What’s on the News? Is This Hidden Mission Real? Invasion?(66) – Author: Husk」

「Title: Monsters can Invade Here Too?(184) – Author: AlmondMilk」

The community boards were updated relentlessly.

With millions of users, the platform’s traffic levels became overwhelming.

Even before finishing existing posts, new ones appeared, shifting to the next page.

The rate of comment accumulation was also faster than usual.

This reflected everyone’s heightened alertness to the situation.

It wasn’t just those battling at the newly-opened Hole’s vicinity.

Even those relatively safe, informed through news and online communities, and those who’ve paused their hunts in Bihar to receive distressing news from their homeland, were equally shaken.

No one was left unaffected, all stunned by the monstrous emergence in their home nation.

Meanwhile, the association did not leave this unrest unchecked.

「Title: Official Statement on Emergency Defensive Battle 5(1) – Author: Persona Content: Greetings, players. This is Persona, the Spokesperson for the Player Association.」

The association is dedicating its full effort to containing the crisis unfolding on Earth.

Nevertheless, the speed at which Holes are appearing and the ingress of monsters is accelerating globally.

As such, we recommend players to actively participate.

Do not hesitate to protect your homeland and people from incoming monsters.

(snipped)

Additionally, we are aware of your concerns regarding injuries sustained during combat.

The association has also secured a method to counter the unknown pathogen.

If a forced shutdown timer appears, immediately consume a potion.

Manage the timer and await the sequential attempt of purification of the pathogen.

Therefore, players are advised not to panic…… (snipped).

– Comments on this post are disabled.

This announcement, repeated numerous times, attested to their sincerity.

Under orders from section heads, association members were indeed counteracting the monsters.

Of course, for a man skimming the community from a Bihar inn, the matter was largely irrelevant.

“Can pathogen purification really be feasible?”

More than expected, a heated debate had erupted among players over this issue.

Even after claiming there was a solution, the specifics of the method remained opaque.

Right as controversy brewed, a post likely to quell it emerged.

「Title: Pathogen Purification Truly Achievable – Author: VitaC1000」

While squinting, comments rapidly accumulated.

The man promptly clicked on the post.

「Title: Pathogen Purification Truly Achievable(19) – Author: VitaC1000

Content: I am living proof. I directly experienced purification from K.

A message declaring the Alpha’s domain appeared, then all corrupted mana and pathogens were purified.

When the forced shutdown timer first appeared, I was genuinely scared out of my wits, but now, being Korean like K makes me ecstatic.」

Damned System