NOVEL NEXT Chapter 287
Zone 6 – A Land Touched by Death (2)
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<The Room of the Deserter> Base Camp.
Here, a joint headquarters was established, collaborating with the Korean Holder Association, major domestic clans, and the <Evil Hunter> clan.
The headquarters’ role is to oversee the overall dungeon strategy, coordinate area-specific strategies with clans, and share and analyze information about the Ludenark School obtained during the operation.
While the fiercest battles are fought on the frontlines inside the dungeon, the headquarters is also gathering all available information to find ways to eliminate the threat.
“Now, we’ll begin the 4th strategy meeting for the Deserter’s Room operation.”
The man in the center of the makeshift tent quietly declares.
He is Kwon Young-hoon, the president of the Korean Holder Association.
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, he personally came to the field as the leader of the association.“……”
It’s not just the headquarters chief.
The joint headquarters is filled with stellar Holders.
Professor Tak Won-ho, who effectively leads the Academy, Kang Woo-hyun of the <Judgment of Fire> clan, Hwang Geon-wook of the <Royal> clan, Song Do-hyuk of the <Dragon Sword> clan, and others…
All the major figures representing the domestic Holder community are present.
Moreover, with Yoo Eun-seol from <Evil Hunter> who left for the 6th zone operation, and Ryu Ji-hyuk who revealed his real name as Park Ji-hwan… This was a large-scale operation attended by all five S-grade Holders existing in the country.
This showed just how significant this matter was.
“Evil Hunter will report first.”
Han Sang-jin, the temporary planning team leader of <Evil Hunter>, stood up holding a report from one side of the tent.
“As we’ve already reported to the Association President, it’s our opinion that the desertion of the Ludenark School’s master has already been completed.”
“What?”
“……!!”
“No, how already……”
Unlike Association President Kwon Young-hoon who had heard the report in advance, most of the Holders hearing this for the first time wore surprised expressions.
The school master’s desertion was already complete.
This meant that the plan Ludenark had been frantically preparing for all this time had essentially succeeded.
“Firstly, we obtained information through interrogation of a mage at the dungeon entrance, and secondly, we have testimony from Choi Arin, a Holder who was a kidnapping victim. We at Evil Hunter believe that the kidnapping victims who haven’t regained consciousness were sacrificed for the school master’s desertion.”
-She’s a girl with excellent magic, she’ll be of great help to the School master who has completed the desertion.
The words of the mage Aquilen, who was killed by Do Jae-hyun, referring to Choi Arin.
This meant that the school master’s desertion had already ended, and it also implied that the joint headquarters’ strategy should become more aggressive.
“Therefore, we plan to depart for the next operation after only minimal rest.”
Association President Kwon Young-hoon continued.
Currently, <Evil Hunter> has departed for the 6th zone operation.
Following this, other clans will also immediately begin operations in new zones.
It was a strategy to push hard against the Ludenark School, which had used all its strength for the school master’s desertion, without giving them time to recover.
“But if we push so hard, who will protect reality?”
Kang Woo-hyun, the master of the <Judgment of Fire> clan, raised his hand and asked.
Currently, the domestic Holder community is pouring almost all of its strength into <The Room of the Deserter>.
Given the unprecedented situation where Holders are being kidnapped and attacked by a specific group, all clan activities have been stopped to focus on eliminating them.
It was a process similar to the <Villain> elimination.
But as they pour in so much, gaps are created in reality.
Since it has already been revealed that ‘deserters’ can freely move in and out of the dungeon, the Holders and ordinary people in the current world cannot be said to be completely safe.
“That’s……”
In response to this valid point, Kwon Young-hoon takes out a crystal ball.
[Record Crystal Ball].
An item that can view recordings captured through magic.
Of course, being a special item, it can be viewed even inside the dungeon.
Kwon Young-hoon smiles slightly and plays the video inside the crystal ball.
And in it…
The face of an amazing figure that all the Holders gathered here recognize appears.
-Greetings, Korean Rune Holders. I am Liam Hendricks, a Rune Holder leading the Wings of Freedom clan in the United States.
“L-Liam Hendricks?”
“What is this……”
“Wow……”
Liam Hendricks.
America’s pride, a super S-grade Holder.
The first to reach S-grade as a warrior-type Holder, and also called the strongest Holder in current human history.
And the clan master of <Wings of Freedom>, the world’s largest clan.
This celebrity of all Holders…
Was appearing in the video inside the crystal ball.
-I, too, am very regretful about this incident. The kidnapping and experimentation of Holders and ordinary people… It’s something that should never happen in modern society, and I believe that any organization committing such acts must be rooted out.
This is not a simple kidnapping.
They are conducting human experiments to turn the kidnapped people into chimeras, and bestowing an unknown magic under the pretext of ‘desertion’.
The fact that such horrific acts were being committed…
It was already being reported and made known to the international community.
-Therefore, I, Liam Hendricks, and the <Wings of Freedom> clan have decided to dispatch to Korea to punish these evil groups. This decision has a just cause, made at the request of the Korean Holder Association, in cooperation with the American Holder Association, and mediated by the International Holder Association. Well then, I’ll see you in Korea.
After delivering his message clearly, the video ends abruptly.
Kwon Young-hoon put the crystal ball back in his pocket and said to the Holders,
“A reliable ally has arrived on the reality side, so you don’t need to worry. If necessary, there’s a possibility they’ll jointly participate in dungeon conquest. I hope everyone keeps this in mind as we proceed with the operation.”
Conquering the <Room of the Deserters> and national defense.
It was the moment when the world’s strongest Holder and the best clan joined…
In this multinational operation.
***
Ippotranslation
***
<Land Touched by Death> smelled of death from the entrance, true to its name.
“I sense the aura of necromancy, Master.”
“It seems the main monsters in this area are likely undead.”
The archers in charge of scouting unanimously acknowledged the presence of ‘necromancy’.
It was no wonder, as the land within the area was rotting like ruins, and bones of unknown species were scattered everywhere.
Even without using exploration-type runes, one could notice an unpleasant feeling permeating this area.
“…Master, over there.”
Finally, after 10 minutes of entering the area, monsters appeared.
In the direction pointed by Kim A-reum, the leader of Team 4, a legion of skeletal soldiers could be seen in the distance.
Skeletons, Dullahans, Ghouls…
There were even monsters presumed to be Death Knights, and Specters and Wraiths floating in the air.
It was truly a comprehensive set of undead creatures.
“……”
“This is… Insane.”
The expressions of the clan members hardened as they confirmed the scale of the army.
It was literally a ‘legion’.
An unreasonable number, almost impossible to count with the naked eye, decorated the view before them.
Hundreds? No, thousands?
The number of undead far exceeded the number of chimeras encountered at the entrance of <Abandoned Laboratory>.
On the other hand, our clan’s forces numbered around 80.
The difference in manpower was embarrassingly large.
‘If we lack quantity, we’ll overwhelm with quality.’
However, if quantity is lacking, we can make up for it with quality.
Our clan, formed as a temporary hunting team, consisted mostly of C-grade or higher members.
Many B-grade and A-grade Holders were among them, and there were even two S-grade Holders.
No matter how many C-grade monster skeletons gathered, they couldn’t overcome this difference.
Of course, if the number of A-grade to S-grade monsters like Death Knights and Liches were also high, the situation would be different.
“I’ll depart first.”
“…Master!!”
The team leaders protested against my reckless order.
They were shocked that I was going alone ‘again’, following the previous incident at the laboratory.
But for me, it was an unavoidable choice.
“We need to disrupt the enemy’s formation as much as possible at the start of the battle. And I’m the only clan member with enough mobility to do that.”
In fact, it’s very rare for a Tamer-type Holder to fight by directly riding their contracted beast.
Especially in high-level situations like this, it’s only possible for those with top-tier direct combat abilities as well.
Such multi-talented Holders are hard to find not only in our clan but in the entire domestic Holder community.
Essentially, there was no suitable candidate other than myself.
“In return, please engage as quickly as possible. I’m even a bit scared of that scale. I’ll leave the overall command to the Vice Master.”
“Hah….”
“…Understood.”
The clan members seemed to understand that there was no other choice, quickly agreeing.
‘Call of the Contract.’
Thanks to this, I was able to quickly summon my contracted beast and depart.
The contracted beast I summoned was Jaten.
A wolf that excels in melee combat more than anyone else.
I quickly explained the battle plan to Jaten.
‘Jaten. This battle needs to be swift and decisive. It’s more important to break the enemy’s formation than to take them down.’
-Understood.
Fortunately, Jaten was a brilliant contractor when it came to combat.
The distance until our clan members’ attacks could reach.
To buy that time, Jaten and I began a relentless charge towards the enemy legion.
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