Chapter 157

Chapter 157 – Heard Fortress (2)

5 .

– What should we do?

Apollo asked the question again, but the answer had already crystallized in Sinclair’s head .

‘This is the golden opportunity to catch the Hahoe Mask . ‘

Hahoe Mask .

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say the Hahoe Mask was the single most valuable being one could kill in Warlord .

‘No . I have to catch him no matter what . ‘

He had to catch the Hahoe Mask before he became a bigger variable . He had to kill the Hahoe Mask even if it was an unreasonable task .

However, he was given a chance to catch the Hahoe Mask, so there was no reason why he should turn down this opportunity .

There was only one problem .

Would the Big Smiles guild really be able to kill the Hahoe Mask?

‘Finally, luck is with me . ‘

They wouldn’t be able catch the Hahoe Mask .

The situation was completely different from the time when Sinclair went out to face the Hahoe Mask at the Cursed Castle . At the time, the idea of the Hahoe Mask winning against Sinclair was laughable . His Skeleton Warriors weren’t even an annoyance against Sinclair .

What about the current Hahoe Mask?

It was useless to compare levels .

The difference in Item Setting was too large . This was beyond the Hahoe Mask slightly exceeding Sinclair in terms of Item Setting . Currently, no User could come close to the Item Setting possessed by the Hahoe Mask . He had the Deposed Prince’s Sword, Argardo’s Armor, Secret Society’s Token, Corrupted Arbiter’s Ring, Corrupted Destroyer’s Necklace… He was pretty much like an end-game boss .

What about the Skeletons possessed by the Hahoe Mask?

A Hahoe Mask fan broke down a battle footage released by the Hahoe Mask . The gear worn by a Skeleton Warrior on average was worth 23,300 gold .

However, this was an estimate from the time when he faced the Frost Knight . The Hahoe Mask hadn’t released the footage yet, but there was a rumor going around that he had summoned a Death Knight when facing the Skull Collector . The rumor was from a User that had passed through the Voodook’s Tunnel . The Hahoe Mask was much stronger than the time he faced the Frost Knight .

What would happen if the Big Smiles guild tried to hunt him down? If this was a regular hunting ground, they would have a chance of winning . However, this was the Black Continent . If one moved a large group of Users, it would just lead to a war of attrition with the Monsters .

Even with all these factors against them, Sinclair thought they would be able to catch the Hahoe Mask if luck was with them .

The reason being…

‘It is fortunate that the Clover Unit is nearby . ‘

The Poker team had pulled V&V guild into the ranks of the top guilds . One of the Poker team called the Clover unit was heading toward the Heard Fortress .

‘Apollo’s exploration team and the Clover unit can merge . There would be a total of 40 Users . Apollo’s team can be used as bait, then the Clover unit can step forward…’

He trusted the Clover team . Sinclair’s backers was the Hands guild, and they had put in a considerable effort in making the Clover unit .

At that moment, Sinclair thought about the final worry he had .

‘The Hahoe Mask and the Stormhunters guild must not meet . We have to prevent the two of them from teaming up at all cost . ‘

He worried about the worst possible outcome . After he worried about the possibility, Sinclair finally opened his mouth .

“Apollo . ”

– Yes .

Sinclair’s answer was late, since he had thought over his options . However, Apollo didn’t act impatient with Sinclair .

“Let’s kill him . Let’s use this opportunity to kill him . ”

– The Hahoe Mask?

Apollo seemed slightly surprised, so Sinclair immediately forged ahead with his words .

“It’ll be possible if you cooperate with one of the Poker team . The V&V guild’s Poker team is nearby you . ”

– I’ll do as you say .

His reaction couldn’t be seen, but Apollo had a big smile on his face at Sinclair’s answer . The flesh on his face bunched up together as he smiled .

Hyrkan’s secret weapons were beyond his expectation . They were great . The Mini Ogre Skeleton Warriors chased down the swift runaway Users, and they tormented the Users that were caught .

When their ankles were caught by the Mini Ogre Skeleton Warriors, the Hahoe Mask appeared, and the User would give up on running away .

“Fight me! Fuck . Let’s see who’ll win!”

These Users had played the game of Warlord for several years, and they had experienced the ups and downs of this game . The Users struggled fiercely against Hyrkan, and they showed a fiery spirit .

Of course, their fiery spirit was useless against Hyrkan’s summoned Skeleton Warriors and Knights . It was a pointless struggle .

He was a frightening predator .

This was the moment when a new mask appeared behind Hyrkan’s current mask .

“Whoa . ”

‘As expected of the 30 great guilds, they use expensive Items . ‘

Of course, it didn’t take long for this frightening predator to morph into a hyena that roamed around to find rotten meat . Hyrkan searched the bodies of the dead Users .

In Warlord, consumable Items had to be carried around on one’s body . Of course, when a User suffered a Game Over, the consumable Items on one’s body fell to the floor . Even when one revived 48 hours later, the consumable Items weren’t restored to the User . Only the stored Items inside the wristwatch was retained .

Normally, the consumable Items were treated as trash Items in PK . Everyone focused on the wristwatches . Hyrkan also followed this behavior .

However, it was a different story on the Black Continent .

‘These hunts feels different . ‘

Instead of the wristwatches, Hyrkan was taking the consumable Items first . He smiled when he noticed this .

Of course, Hyrkan also took the wristwatches .

Puhk, puhk!

The sword he held came down on the wrists of the Users, and he took their wristwatches .

‘The Deposed Prince’s Sword is awesome . It is great for dicing . ‘

Deposed Prince’s Sword… . It was a masterpiece forged by the Blacksmith Olf . It was given to heroes, who had defeated the Immoral Prince . It was meant to be used to save the world . If Blacksmith Olf saw his sword being praised for being a good butcher’s knife, Hyrkan’s stomach would be struck repeatedly by ‘Olf’s Hammer . ’

Of course, Blacksmith Olf wasn’t here now, so he didn’t have to worry about such a scenario .

‘Ok . ‘

Hyrkan had a smile as he looked at his full pouch . It was as if a hamster had stuffed its food into its cheek . This was one of the happiest smiles he had put on in the Black Continent .

However, the smile didn’t last long .

Koo-uh-uh!

When the Users disappeared, the monsters showed up to torment Hyrkan .

The role of pursuer and the pursued flipped constantly in this hunting ground . However, Hyrkan didn’t plan on bypassing these monsters .

Of course, the riled up monsters drew aggro from the only User left alive!

Hyrkan smiled as he saw the monsters run towards him without reserve .

‘This really is a fucked up game . ‘

6 .

Ahn-jaehyun’s eyes were open as he lay on his worn mattress . He kept staring at the old wallpaper on his ceiling .

‘Ah, I want to move to a different place . ‘

Recently, this phrase was never far from his mouth . After getting up, Ahn-jaehyun put on his cheap horn rimmed glasses . He reflexively turned on the Tablet PC that had been placed next to his glasses . However, it felt as if his Tablet PC was more sluggish than normal . He might be mistaken, but Ahn-jaehyun’s expression turned sullen .

In the end, a sigh came out from his mouth .

‘I can’t believe I’ve reached this point . ‘

Money .

The thing he had wanted the most was now in plenty supply . It was beyond plenty . He was overflowing with money .

However, he didn’t have the free time to spend his money . His days were scheduled into blocks, and he had to be constantly inside the game . He didn’t have the time to eat out or even order food .

In recent days, he was nervous most of the time as he went through his busy schedule . He had built up his tower through hard work, yet he was afraid a momentary mistake would make it the Leaning Tower of Pisa . He had to keep his schedule .

Maybe that was the reason?

Ahn-jaehyun was getting new influx of money from his paid videos and other miscellaneous earnings, yet it didn’t feel like his own money .

Maybe, if he was able to recklessly spend his money on the Items within the game, he might have felt differently . However, he hadn’t done that .

This was why he unconsciously turned away from the numbers that had excited him to no end before . He started searching for Warlord-related articles instead of looking at his his bank account .

The search words mainly focused on 5 guilds including V&V and Big Smiles guild .

His search turned out a lot of information .

The V&V, Big Smiles, Sweepers, Wul-gwahng and Blossoms guild were explicitly showing their desire to monopolize the Black Continent . The Black Continent was the stage of the Ruined Kingdom episode, so this became a hot issue . A hot issue always created a lot of content online .

As he went through the related articles, Ahn-jaehyun clicked his tongue .

‘Well, they obtained several ace cards they could use to attempt the monopoly . This could bring change to the final outcome . ‘

The topic that brought the most bitterness to Ahn-jaehyun’s mouth was the accomplishments of the Poker team . They were the V&V guild’s strongest force .

He read the articles related to the Poker team, and he watched the battle footage they had released in the Black Continent . He let out a bitter sneer .

‘I thought these bastards planned on breaking all the record times for the Raids… . . ‘

Until the Stormhunters guild caught the Blaze Slime Dragon, the Poker team was still systematically attacking the record time for the Raids . They centered their core contents around this concepts .

However, they were suddenly operating out of the Black Continent now .

In truth, this should be taken lightly by Ahn-jaehyun .

‘It is quite impressive . ‘

The 30 great guilds were able to move massive amount of money through the live channels . This wasn’t all their money . There were backers and investors . There were a lot of other people’s money sunk into their venture . Since the money didn’t belong to them, they couldn’t easily change directions .

However, the V&V guild had executed this change too easily . This was something he should be worried about .

In the end, the V&V guild would be on the opposite side of Ahn-jaehyun . They would never help him .

Recently, the Stormhunters guild was being quiet, but they had stepped onto the Black Continent first . They could suddenly become a variable that could torment Ahn-jaehyun in the future .

Ahn-jaehyun took off his glasses, and he covered his face with his two hands .

There was only one solution to this problem .

‘If they catch my tail, it is the end of me . ‘

He had to change this competition into a race .

He had to change it into a game where the person in first place was the victor . It didn’t matter if there were several hundred or several thousand Users behind him . He had to make it so that there would be only one User that could reach first place .

After taking away his hands from his face, Ahn-jaehyun put on his glasses as he got up from his seat . Ahn-jaehyun went to a sink nearby . The kitchen sink was worn and rusted . However, there was a high quality coffee machine atop the sink . It gave off an elegant atmosphere .

He had recently purchased this pod coffee machine .

He had spent a good amount of money to purchase this one . This machine brought home the fact that he had made a lot of money recently .

Moreover, this machine was worth its cost . He placed his stained coffee cup on the machine as he put in the classy-looking pod . Unlike his old acidic coffee, the new coffee was fragrant .

Still, Ahn-jaehyun dropped the oft used grape flavored candies into the coffee .

Afterwards, he brought the coffee to his mouth, and he nodded his head .

“Mmm . It’s good . ”

‘I feel like a New Yorker . I’m glad I bought it . ‘

7 .

Ravine .

There were enormous cliffs facing each other, and there was a forest in front of the ravine . Large stone pillars arose from between the forest, and there were remains of large buildings besides the pillars . Moreover, one could faintly see that a fortress had blocked the entry into the ravine in the past .

Hyrkan had saw this from far away, and he let out a big sigh .

As Hyrkan started breathing normally again, one could see 19 Skeleton Warriors and two Skeleton Knights lined up behind him . They were in their combat-ready stance . One could already see traces of battle on them, and it meant that a battle had been performed not too long ago . Moreover, it was a sign that more battles was in the near future .

This was why Hyrkan treasured this time where he would be able to take a brief breather .

‘As expected, things have change from what I know . ‘

Hyrkan searched through his memories, and he thought about the first base that had been formed in the Black Continent .

Before he came to the past, the first base hadn’t been located at a ravine . It had centered around a lake with black water .

The name wasn’t the only thing that had changed . Basically, the stage itself had changed .

He had held out hope that only the name had changed . Now he decisively quashed such sentiments .

‘Still, it feels as if I have seen this before······ . ‘

At that moment, he was looking at a stage that was different from what he remembered, but he kept having a sense of deja vu . He tilted his head in confusion .

‘An enormous ravine······ Which location had a ravine as its stage?’

However, he wasn’t given time to ruminate over his worries . His break didn’t last long either .

Hyrkan turned to look over his back .

Koo-uh-uh!

It was as if the monsters were letting out a roar for courtesy’s sake . The sound coaxed Hyrkan to move forward .

‘I have to avoid being in 2nd place . ‘

He had to avoid being in 2nd place at all cost . Before he could fully catch his breath, Hyrkan headed towards the Ruin of the Heard Fortress .

8 .

[You’ve entered the Ruins of the Heard Fortress . ]

[You’ve gained the Title ‘Heard Fortress Excavator . ’]

[You’ve gained the Title ‘Explorer of the Ruined Kingdom . ’]

[You’ve gained the Title ‘First Discoverer . ’]

The Heard Fortress was in a terrible state . However, Hyrkan was given an awe-inspiring gift for being the first visitor .

Hyrkan was finally able to smile when he received the Titles .

‘I avoided being in 2nd place . ‘

He had worried about the possibility of other Users coming here first . His worry melted away .

Hyrkan immediately checked the fruits of his labor .

[Heard Fortress Excavator]

Title Effect : All Stats +15

[Explorer of the Ruined Kingdom]

Title Effect : Magic Power +20

[First Discoverer]

Title Effect : Stamina +40, Magic Power +40

The Title Options were fantastic . Hyrkan glanced at his Stats Window after the Titles Effects were applied .

However, he didn’t sentimentalize over it . After he checked the rough estimates of his Stats, he immediately put the Wooden Conch to his ears . This wasn’t the end . He wanted the real treasure . This wasn’t the true reward given to the 1st place winner .

– Find our flag . Our flag… . .

The Wooden Conch once again pointed out the next path to Hyrkan . Hyrkan turned his head to look at his surrounding .

He searched his surrounding with the eyes of a hawk . Suddenly, Hyrkan’s eyes went out of focus for a little bit . He had been earnestly searching around his surrounding, but now his head was tilted in puzzlement .

‘I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this somewhere . ‘

Deja vu .

Something was bothering Hyrkan once again .

‘I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this place somewhere . I’m sure I saw it in a footage regarding the Ruined Kingdom Episode . ‘

However, Hyrkan’s questions disappeared when he saw a mound made out of rocks . The mound was as big as a farmhouse . Moreover, there was flag sticking out at the top… . The flag itself was decayed, and only the pole remained . Hyrkan rejoiced when he saw it . There was no sense of deja vu when he saw it .

When he was near the stone grave, Hyrkan once again placed the Wooden Conch to his ears . However, the Wooden Conch didn’t emit any sound . It basically meant the Wooden Conch had served its purpose . He threw the Wooden Conch over his shoulder .

Afterwards, Hyrkan unsheathed the sword on his waist to unearth the stone grave . His Strength Stat was so high that most rocks flew away like pebbles .

Choo-roong, choo-roong!

When he came across a large boulder, he used the Crying Sword to break it apart .

It was a grave meant for someone or something . However, Hyrkan didn’t hesitate in becoming a grave robber .

Hyrkan continued to dig through the stone grave, and he finally found a black box that was hidden below the stone grave .

‘It is the Black Treasure Box . As expected, it is a Transcendent Rank . ‘

Hyrkan used his sword to open the Black Treasure Box . It was as if the Items within the box had escaped the ravages of time . He saw three intact scrolls .

This was the ultimate reward given to the first person to arrive here .

Hyrkan picked up one of the Scrolls, and he untied the red string .

[Will you release the Ancient Power?]

Hyrkan immediately made his choice when he heard the System Announcement . Hyrkan didn’t hesitate .

‘Of course, I······ . ‘

It happened at that moment .

[The sleeping souls within the Heard Fortress is waking up . ]

The new System Announcement made Hyrkan pay sharp attention to his surrounding . He couldn’t feel any big disturbance . If one watched the movie, Indiana Jones, didn’t Harrison Ford face immediate danger when he found the treasure he had been searching for?

This was to be expected .

This was a natural order of events . He had to do this if he wanted to make the Heard Fortress into a base within the Black Continent . He had to face the Boss Monster that was protecting the Ruins of the Heard Fortress .

‘Whoever it is, come at me!’

The System was polite in giving the identity of Hyrkan’s enemy .

[Anugas is awakening . He is a giant that eats the sleeping souls within the Heard Fortress . ]

[The Quest ‘Recapture the Heard Fortress!’ has started . ]

“Huh?”

When he heard the announcement, Hyrkan’s mind blanked out . From a short distance away, there was an earthquake, and the ground started to split open . A one-eyed giant with four arms appeared .

“Fuck!”

Hyrkan finally knew where this place was .

‘This is the Bizult’s Ravine! This is Bizult’s Ravine where the Anugas appears!’

Hyrkan finally realized the reason behind the sense of deja vu he had felt .

9 .

‘Hahoe Mask . That asshole is really fast . ‘

Apollo’s mission was changed from exploration of the Heard Fortress to finding the Hahoe Mask . Every time he received a report Apollo shook his head .

This stage was overflowing with monsters, yet the Hahoe Mask was showing incredible hunting speed . Moreover, his swift hunting speed allowed him to travel at a rapid pace . In truth, there was a small voice inside his heart that had acknowledged this premise . The premise being it was impossible to chase down the Hahoe Mask… .

At that moment… .

The fact that a small portion of his heart had already accepted this as fact made him feel rage and irritation . It was ripping his insides apart .

At that moment, he received another report .

– We’ve found the Hahoe Mask!

The hunting party that was tracking the Hahoe Mask alerted Apollo . The Hahoe Mask had just appeared . Apollo asked in delight .

“Where is he?”

– The location… . Anyways, the Hahoe Mask just changed direction from his original path .

“So what?”

– It seems he is running away from something .

“Is he being chased by a monster?”

– I don’t see any monsters chasing after him .

When Apollo heard those words, he gave his orders .

“Do everything you can to block him! Even if you have to put your life on the line, don’t let him run away! You have impede his progress no matter what!”

– Yes .

His subordinate gave an immediate answer, yet Apollo hadn’t heard his answer . He had changed the Voice Talk channel before he heard the answer .

“Clover unit . Clover unit . This is Big Smiles . We’ve found the Hahoe Mask . We’ll buy you some time . He is located at… . ”

– This is the Clover unit . We’ll be moving towards the location you mentioned .

The conversation was short . When it ended, Apollo had a triumphant smile on his face .

‘This will be your funeral, Hahoe Mask . ‘