Chapter 82: Spring of Rudera (3)

The students of the academy, caught in a wave of confusion, hurriedly fled their lecture rooms and rushed outside.

Albus, stepping out of the classroom, saw the massive crowd pushing their way out.

“What… What is that…?”

“Is it night? No, it’s not. I can’t see the moon or the stars. Something is blocking the sky!”

All the students who had made it outside stood frozen, staring up at the pitch-black dome covering the sky.

It was as if a dark curtain had descended over the academy, isolating it completely from the outside world.

“Professor Lauf! Can you reach the security office?”

“No, I can’t! What about you, Head of Department?”

The professors, trying to assess the situation, took out their communication devices from their pockets to contact the security office, but no one answered.

“The Chancellor isn’t responding either.”

“It seems this is no ordinary matter.”

Realizing something serious was happening, the faculty members began moving urgently.

“The communication devices are down!”

“Mom…!”

The students, with their devices, attempted to reach the outside, but the curtain seemed to block all forms of communication.

Chaos slowly spread throughout the academy.

Albus, too, tried to contact Carthesia, but his communication magic failed.

“Guide,” he muttered softly, covering his mouth with his hand, just in case.

“You called, Master.”

A sigh of relief escaped Albus as he heard the guide’s voice.

“Guide, can you analyze the current situation?”

“Please wait a moment, Master.”

After a brief pause, the guide spoke again.

“Master, the entire Lichten Academy grounds have been altered.”

“Altered?”

“The space has changed to one identical in nature to Rudera, not a typical part of the continent.”

Reality has turned into Rudera?

The shocking news left Albus momentarily stunned.

Come to think of it, the other students mentioned that status windows appeared.

And I, too, have been able to open a command window.

But… How is this even possible?

“Everyone, stop moving!”

A commanding voice echoed over the confused crowd of academy students.

Whoosh.

A pinkish energy descended from above, spreading across the ground.

Gulping for air, the students tried to speak, but those struck by the pink energy couldn’t make a sound.

“I apologize for interrupting your classes so abruptly.”

A shadowy figure descended, lowering its altitude.

Unlike the students on the ground, this figure spoke with a clear voice.

“But it was necessary for our grand purpose. Once you hear of this great cause, you too will understand.”

Preaching like a zealot of some fanatical cult, the mysterious intruder left the students realizing the academy was under attack by terrorists.

Lichten Academy, which had never once allowed external intrusion, had been breached.

Whoosh.

Bang!

How dare you…!

This is the sacred place of learning, Lichten!

Then, several beams of light shot up from the ground, flying toward the shadowy figure.

The academy’s professors had launched their attack.

“Hmph.”

Boom! 

Boom!

However, shadows erupted from the ground, intercepting and neutralizing the attacks.

“Unfortunately, within this space, we are invincible. As long as the curtain is drawn, we cannot be defeated.”

The shadowy figure casually flicked a finger.

“Gasp!”

“Ahh!”

From behind each professor, shadows emerged and began choking them, silencing their attempts to cry out.

One by one, the professors lost consciousness and collapsed. 

Even the professor who was once a knight couldn’t escape the shadows’ grip and fell.

The equipment connected to Rudera’s barrier granted the terrorists’ abilities a massive boost, leaving the professors unable to stand against them.

“Graaah!”

The last remaining swordsmanship professor, his aura flaring, slashed at the shadows, resisting as best he could, but the endless waves of shadows soon forced him to his knees.

“Once the Chancellor arrives, all of you will be dead men!”

But before he could finish, even the last professor was subdued, unable to make another sound. The students lost all will to resist.

Beep.

“All professors have been subdued.”

A shadow restrained the Chancellor, lying him flat on a chair, and picked up a communicator.

“It’s done on this end too. Move all students and faculty to the grand hall.”

“Understood.”

The greatest obstacle, the Chancellor, had fallen. 

Now, no one in this academy remained who could stand against him and his allies—or so the intruders thought.

“Everyone, move to the grand hall!”

The shadowy agents began dragging the students toward the grand hall.

Albus, having made himself invisible and erased all traces of his presence, watched the scene from a distance.

Fortunately, the commands he had written in the command window were still effective in reality, allowing him to use his power to remain hidden.

“So… they transformed the academy’s environment into Rudera and attacked it?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“This is… unbelievable.”

Who could have imagined that the Rudera he had created for fun would become a tool for terrorists?

Though he had seen instances where Rudera’s events affected reality, bringing Rudera directly into the real world was an entirely different matter.

“How could something like this even be possible?”

A device that enabled him to use his omnipotent authority not only within Rudera but also in reality…

It was too shocking to comprehend in such a short time.

“No, stop. I can think about ‘how’ and ‘why’ later.”

Albus saw his friends, Perizit and Balt, being dragged into the grand hall. 

They, too, had grown significantly stronger with Rudera’s power but were still no match for the terrorists.

“I have to stop this before something worse happens.”

Fortunately, no casualties had occurred yet, but he couldn’t leave these malevolent intruders unchecked.

A command window appeared before Albus.

“Create.”

He had never properly fought in reality.

Moreover, Dua had gone to her domain this morning, so he couldn’t count on her help.

He had to resolve this situation alone.

But with the omnipotent power he had in Rudera, there was nothing to fear.

“Please enter the name of the object.”

“A name… a name…”

Albus muttered as he looked at the avatar he had created anew.

“An angel. Yes, let’s call it Angel.”

Thus, the angel, his proxy to carry out his will, was born.

On the stage of the grand hall, Yeomhwang entered.

“Are they all gathered?”

Receiving a coat from a subordinate, the leader of the shadow manipulators asked.

“Yes. We have gathered every student and staff member detected within the academy.”

“Good. Start the broadcast.”

Straightening his attire, Yeomhwang ascended to the podium on the stage.

Behind him, his comrades activated Rudera’s broadcasting system, and the broadcast began.

Simultaneously, hundreds of accounts spread the news in the community, drawing viewers in.

Standing on the podium, Yeomhwang shouted.

“Attention!”

Under the spell of silence, unable to speak properly, all the students looked up at him.

“I am Pophrus, also known as Yeomhwang.”

The students looked confused, unsure of what he was talking about.

“I understand. I was originally a woman. So you wouldn’t think this transformed body is mine… But I have been reborn. I have discarded my old body and been reborn in this new one!”

Yeomhwang raised a clenched fist in the air.

“It was all possible because of Rudera. Rudera made it possible!”

Madness flickered in her eyes.

“But everyone says this: Rudera is a blessing from God. Thanks to the GM, we can enjoy it. No.”

Whoosh.

“Forget all that nonsense.”

His entire body was engulfed in flames.

“Rudera does not belong to him. It must belong to all of us. He must not monopolize Rudera!”

A steely resolve was etched across his face.

“We will reclaim Rudera from the tyrant god. We will liberate Rudera! Free Rudera!”

“What is he saying? Is he mad?”

“Just a foolish unbeliever’s nonsense.”

“Wait, isn’t that Lichten Academy?”

“They’re broadcasting from the academy? How? They shouldn’t be able to broadcast in reality.”

“Someone contact Lichten Academy to see if this is real!”

“Heh.”

Yeomhwang chuckled, watching the chat reactions.

“We will free Rudera and make it everyone’s. And the blessings of Rudera will extend to the continent in reality, so that none shall be denied the blessing!”

The power to bring Rudera into reality…

The fearsome blessing captivated the audience.

As the viewers became enthralled by Yeomhwang, suddenly—

Bang!

A beam of light pierced the ceiling of the grand hall, descending to the ground.

“What is this?”

Yeomhwang looked bewildered, the situation entirely different from what he had planned.

The sky was covered by a curtain.

There should be no light source that could shine so brightly!

Then, from the hole in the sky, something slowly descended, carried by the beam of light.

“No way…”

Everyone who looked up at the sky had wide eyes.

A human figure with two pristine white wings spread wide.

A divine representative, shrouded in holy light.

“The GM has sent an angel!”

“He is here to judge the wicked!”

The chat exploded with excitement.

Thud.

An intangible aura emanated from the angel.

“Ugh!”

Everyone present fell to their knees, unable to resist.

The angel slowly opened his mouth.

“Listen, all of you.”

“Aaaah!”

The voice coming from the angel was so intense and strange that the intruders grabbed their ears and collapsed.

In contrast, the students did not feel any pain.

“The Almighty and Great One has spoken.”

“An… angel?”

Yeomhwang, with blood streaming from both ears, struggled to stand, but his legs felt as if they were glued to the ground.

“This is the light of salvation, bestowed upon you from His love for all of you.”

Brrrring.

A bright light radiated from the angel, enveloping the entire grand hall.

This event would later be recorded in the scriptures as the [First Descent of the GM’s Angel].