Chapter 364
“Hey, Hyung-Seok! We still have some stuff to settle, right?” Yong Tae-Pung shouted.
What he meant by stuff to settle was none other than the mishap that had occurred during the Great Rift raid.
Chae Hyung-Seok had smeared his crossbow bolts with ghoul blood and stabbed the raid party members in the back to monopolize the rewards, but his atrocities didn't end there. He even went as far as smashing Yong Tae-Pung’s head without an ounce of hesitation when he started turning into a ghoul.
The last bit would not have been problematic as Yong Tae-Pung was the one who had asked him to do it for the sake of the raid party, but the problem was that Chae Hyung-Seok was snickering like a serial killer while smashing his head.
Chae Hyung-Seok's atrocities had also been brought to light by Siegfried, and Yong Tae-Pung was left gnashing his teeth in anger after learning what truly transpired that day.
However, Yong Tae-Pung couldn't immediately hunt Chae Hyung-Seok down. Chae Hyung-Seok was already wanted by the emperor by the time he learned the truth and was hiding like a rat, so it was quite difficult for Yong Tae-Pung to catch him.
That was until…
“Uncle.”
“Hmm? Oh! If it isn’t Siegfried!”
…Siegfried went to see Yong Tae-Pung.
“I have an offer you cannot resist! Do you want to hear me out?”
“Oh! An offer I can’t resist? I’m always welcome to whatever you have to say! Hoho!”
“I am sure you want to catch Hyung-Seok, right?”
“Hyung-Seok? Isn’t that obvious?”
“I will set the stage for you.”
“The stage?”
“That is…”
Yong Tae-Pung heard Siegfried’s offer and…
“Okay! I’m definitely taking you up on your offer! Bwahahaha!”
The living legend immediately accepted it. There was no reason for him to refuse, as Siegfried was offering Chae Hyung-Seok on a silver platter when he already wanted to get his hands on him. On top of that, Yong Tae-Pung greatly favored Siegfried, so he would have accepted whatever offer he made just to maintain good relations with him.
“Hyung-Seok.”
“…”
“Let’s have a chat, shall we?” Yong Tae-Pung said as he started walking forward.
Shockingly, the crowd standing in front of Chae Hyung-Seok parted like the Red Sea.
“Oh, please take your time.”
“I am not going to get involved, so feel free to do whatever you want, Tae-Pung hyung-nim!”
“I’m outta here! Have a nice day!”
The Genesis Guild members abandoned Chae Hyung-Seok and opened the path for the Mandate of Heaven Guild.
Why?
They didn't want to get labeled as Chae Hyung-Seok's conspirators and get beaten to death by the Mandate of Heaven guild.
They already knew that they would go back empty-handed from this excursion, and the last thing they wanted was to get on Yong Tae-Pung’s bad side and end up dying a meaningless death.
However, Yong Tae-Pung and the Mandate of Heaven guild had no plans to let them go scot-free.
“You should’ve known you’re not getting out of here as you wish. Sweep 'em up, boys!” Yong Tae-Pung shouted.
“You bastards!”
“Die!”
“What a bunch of scums…”
The Mandate of Heaven guild members massacred the Genesis Guild members who tried to leave.
“My beloved nephew asked me not to spare a single one of you. Haha!” Yong Tae-Pung said with a mischievous smirk.
Fwaaaah! Fwaaaaah!
Hwaryongdo was set ablaze like a flamethrower set on burning everything in its path, and the flames burned larger and larger until it reached one hundred meters in length.
A few seconds later…
“Kwuooooooh!”
The flames turned into a large dragon that unleashed a spine-chilling roar.
It was the unique skill of Yong Tae-Pung’s Hwaryongdo, the Descent of a Flame Dragon!
“Burn them down,” Yong Tae-Pung said curtly.
“KWUOOOH!”
The Flame Dragon roared once again before diving toward the Genesis Guild members.
***
“Fuck! I didn’t expect him to bring that old geezer in—“
Chae Hyung-Seok was not even able to finish speaking as he was abruptly called out.
“Hey! Chae Hyung-Seok!”
“I think we need to talk too.”
“You’re dead meat now, bastard!”
The high-ranking Adventurers who had suffered significant losses in the Great Rift raid appeared one by one and massacred the Genesis Guild members while calling out Chae Hyung-Seok.
Then, they finally made their appearance.
“Time to meet your maker!”
“Haha! I’ve waited for this day!”
“Time for a beating! You sons of bitches!”
The thousands of Head Crusher Guild members appeared and charged at the Genesis Guild members.
“Ah…” Chae Hyung-Seok despaired.
Yong Tae-Pung, the Mandate of Heaven Guild, the high-ranking Adventurers from the Great Rift raid, and now the Head Crusher Guild members.
Chae Hyung-Seok was armed to the brim, but it was nowhere near enough to withstand the incoming tsunami of enemies.
Revenge?
That ship had sailed a long time ago.
“I can’t accept this. I don’t accept this. Never. I will never…!” Chae Hyung-Seok gritted his teeth and growled. He didn't give up despite feeling despair pulling him down to the pits of the abyss.
Woooong!
Chae Hyung-Seok channeled as much mana as he could on his buff skill, and the Genesis Guild members that were getting massacred slowly started to fight back against their attackers.
“I can’t let it end like this… I won’t accept—“
Whoosh! Bam!
A rainbow-colored hammer flew out of nowhere and struck Chae Hyung-Seok on his waist.
“Kuheok!”
“Hey~ Hyung-Seok~”
“Han Tae-Sung!”
“Let’s have fun!” Siegfried shouted as he caught the hammer flying back to him.
Tak!
Then, he channeled his mana and placed down an enlarged Blaze Field.
Fwaaaaah!
“Ack!”
“B-Buffs! I need buffs!”
“Buff me!”
“Hey! Don’t slack off, asshole!”
The Genesis Guild members screamed at Chae Hyung-Seok.
They somehow managed to hold their ground thanks to the buff, but Siegfried’s debuff had canceled the buffs out.
Chae Hyung-Seok was a god on the battlefield who made the impossible possible with his buffs, but Siegfried was the god slayer capable of bringing down that god.
In other words, Chae Hyung-Seok's hard counter was Siegfried.
“Sit tight and wait for me! I’m coming for you!” Siegfried shouted as he swung his Vanquisher’s Grasp left and right to plow through the Genesis Guild members.
***
It was absolute chaos.
The Genesis Guild, Head Crusher Guild, Mandate of Heaven Guild, and the high-ranking Adventurers clashed against each other, and it was impossible to determine who was ally or foe in this mess.
‘I can’t use Irradiate or Splitting Heaven and Earth here,’ Siegfried felt it was a shame that he could not kill the Genesis Guild members in droves as even his allies could get caught up if he carelessly used his skills here.
“Kwuoooh!”
Yong Tae-Pung's Flame Dragon was already inflicting casualties on their allies, so he couldn't cast his debuffs carelessly, or it would be like adding fuel to the flames.
‘Oh well, I guess I have to fight normally,’ Siegfried shrugged and abandoned all thoughts of using his area of effect skills as he smashed the heads of the Genesis Guild members in his path.
“Wait for me, Hyung-Seok! I’m on my way!” he shouted.
“S-Shut up! Don’t come near me, asshole!” Chae Hyung-Seok screamed in response.
“What? You want me to hurry up? Anything for you~” Siegfried replied as he picked up the pace.
Chwak! Chwak!
It was then that a pair of chains as thick as an adult’s arm wrapped themselves around Siegfried’s ankles.
“Now’s our chance! Kill him!” a Genesis Guild member shouted.
“Smash his head open!”
Another Genesis Guild member holding a gigantic shotgun the size of a cannon appeared and aimed at him.
Siegfried was caught by Restrain, a crowd control skill.
The battlefield had various skills flying all over the place, so it was impossible to avoid every single skill.
“Kyu! You’re in danger, owner punk!” Hamchi cried out.
“Just stay behind me!” Siegfried shouted in response.
However, he seemed unconcerned even when he was about to get his brains blown off by the gigantic shotgun.
Woooong…!
The shotgun barrels started heating up.
Chwak!
And Horse Fly suddenly transformed…
Whiiing… Clack! Chwak! Chwak! Clack!
Horse Fly transformed almost in the blink of an eye and was no longer a hammer.
It had become a shield that protected Siegfried.
This was one of the abilities of the Vanquisher’s Grasp—Transform Weapon.
Kaboom!
The Genesis Guild member pulled the trigger of his gigantic shotgun.
Thud!
However, the shotgun shells failed to pierce through Horse Fly. It only pushed Siegfried backward by an inch.
“Wow! This is really good!” Siegfried exclaimed in awe of Horse Fly.
The Vanquisher’s Grasp was crafted with the Arachnid’s Leather, so it reacted to the thoughts of the user. Meanwhile, the Omnipotent Mechanical Gear allowed the weapon to change shape almost instantaneously, and the combination of these two was the secret behind Transform Weapon.
Siegfried no longer had to carry around multiple weapons as possessing Horse Fly alone made it possible for him to switch weapons like the Weapon Master, Shakiro.
“W-What the hell was that?!”
“Did his weapon just transform…?”
“Where the hell did that shield come from?!”
The Genesis Guild members were shocked.
Whiiing…!
Siegfried transformed Horse Fly back into a hammer and…
Whoosh!
He used Flying Sword to smash the heads of the Genesis Guild members who had attacked him just now. Of course, he was freed from Restraint after the Adventurer who had cast it had died, so he could now continue heading toward Chae Hyung-Seok.
‘The shield is quite useful,’ Siegfried thought as Horse Fly transformed into a shield once again and smacked the closest Genesis Guild member on his face.
Bam!
The Genesis Guild member did not even get to scream as he dropped dead.
Horse Fly dealt insane damage to its target, but it came at the cost of making a mess.
“Yikes! This is too gruesome!” Siegfried exclaimed after seeing the Genesis Guild member’s body on the ground that resembled a road kill struck by a truck.
“I probably shouldn’t hit people with this…” he muttered while looking at the mess he had made, but he suddenly came up with a brilliant idea. “Oh, what if I throw it instead?”
He said he was not going to beat people with it, but he never said he was not going to throw it at them. Siegfried wondered how effective it was going to be if he threw Horse Fly with Flying Sword while it was in its shield form.
Vroom!
Horse Fly cut through the air, and what happened next shocked Siegfried.
Sukeok! Sukeok! Sukeok!
The air was not the only thing that Horse Fly had cut through as it flew past five Genesis Guild members and slit their throats.
Shwaaaaa!
A fountain of blood spurted out from their throats.
Thud…! Thud…! Thud…!
And all five fell dead to the ground...
A ridiculous display of power!
Horse Fly had become an extremely lethal weapon thanks to Transform Weapon, and the bonus effect it provided to Siegfried, which was max weapon mastery to all weapons made it truly lived up to its name as the Vanquisher’s Grasp.
“Whoa… Look at that…” Siegfried muttered in awe after seeing what Horse Fly was capable of.
“Kill that fucker first! Go after him first!” Chae Hyung-Seok shouted at his guild members to kill Siegfried first before anyone else.
It wasn't that the Genesis Guild members wanted to listen to Chae Hyung-Seok. This was the end of the road for them, and they were probably not going to see each other after this, but they were still on the same side right now, so they had to listen to his commands on the battlefield.
Chae Hyung-Seok buffs were their only hope in surviving this one-sided massacre. However, Siegfried possessed the ability to nullify his buffs, and that was more than enough reason for them to focus him down first.
“Bring it on,” Siegfried said with a confident smirk, and then he added, “I wanted to try out how strong my new item is anyway.”
He welcomed the Genesis Guild members coming at him with open arms.
Sseuu…!
Then, a white circular field appeared underneath Siegfried’s feet and spread toward the incoming Genesis Guild members.
Flash!
The circular field suddenly unleashed a blinding flash of light.
“W-What?”
“What’s wrong with them?”
“Hey! Get a grip! What are you guys doing?!”
Exactly one second later…
The Genesis Guild members charging at Siegfried suddenly stopped in their tracks.
What does that mean?
They stopped in their tracks as if time had frozen for them after the blinding flash of light engulfed them. It was as if someone hit the pause button on a video and brought them to a standstill.
Chapter 364
“Hey, Hyung-Seok! We still have some stuff to settle, right?” Yong Tae-Pung shouted.
What he meant by stuff to settle was none other than the mishap that had occurred during the Great Rift raid.
Chae Hyung-Seok had smeared his crossbow bolts with ghoul blood and stabbed the raid party members in the back to monopolize the rewards, but his atrocities didn't end there. He even went as far as smashing Yong Tae-Pung’s head without an ounce of hesitation when he started turning into a ghoul.
The last bit would not have been problematic as Yong Tae-Pung was the one who had asked him to do it for the sake of the raid party, but the problem was that Chae Hyung-Seok was snickering like a serial killer while smashing his head.
Chae Hyung-Seok's atrocities had also been brought to light by Siegfried, and Yong Tae-Pung was left gnashing his teeth in anger after learning what truly transpired that day.
However, Yong Tae-Pung couldn't immediately hunt Chae Hyung-Seok down. Chae Hyung-Seok was already wanted by the emperor by the time he learned the truth and was hiding like a rat, so it was quite difficult for Yong Tae-Pung to catch him.
That was until…
“Uncle.”
“Hmm? Oh! If it isn’t Siegfried!”
…Siegfried went to see Yong Tae-Pung.
“I have an offer you cannot resist! Do you want to hear me out?”
“Oh! An offer I can’t resist? I’m always welcome to whatever you have to say! Hoho!”
“I am sure you want to catch Hyung-Seok, right?”
“Hyung-Seok? Isn’t that obvious?”
“I will set the stage for you.”
“The stage?”
“That is…”
Yong Tae-Pung heard Siegfried’s offer and…
“Okay! I’m definitely taking you up on your offer! Bwahahaha!”
The living legend immediately accepted it. There was no reason for him to refuse, as Siegfried was offering Chae Hyung-Seok on a silver platter when he already wanted to get his hands on him. On top of that, Yong Tae-Pung greatly favored Siegfried, so he would have accepted whatever offer he made just to maintain good relations with him.
“Hyung-Seok.”
“…”
“Let’s have a chat, shall we?” Yong Tae-Pung said as he started walking forward.
Shockingly, the crowd standing in front of Chae Hyung-Seok parted like the Red Sea.
“Oh, please take your time.”
“I am not going to get involved, so feel free to do whatever you want, Tae-Pung hyung-nim!”
“I’m outta here! Have a nice day!”
The Genesis Guild members abandoned Chae Hyung-Seok and opened the path for the Mandate of Heaven Guild.
Why?
They didn't want to get labeled as Chae Hyung-Seok's conspirators and get beaten to death by the Mandate of Heaven guild.
They already knew that they would go back empty-handed from this excursion, and the last thing they wanted was to get on Yong Tae-Pung’s bad side and end up dying a meaningless death.
However, Yong Tae-Pung and the Mandate of Heaven guild had no plans to let them go scot-free.
“You should’ve known you’re not getting out of here as you wish. Sweep 'em up, boys!” Yong Tae-Pung shouted.
“You bastards!”
“Die!”
“What a bunch of scums…”
The Mandate of Heaven guild members massacred the Genesis Guild members who tried to leave.
“My beloved nephew asked me not to spare a single one of you. Haha!” Yong Tae-Pung said with a mischievous smirk.
Fwaaaah! Fwaaaaah!
Hwaryongdo was set ablaze like a flamethrower set on burning everything in its path, and the flames burned larger and larger until it reached one hundred meters in length.
A few seconds later…
“Kwuooooooh!”
The flames turned into a large dragon that unleashed a spine-chilling roar.
It was the unique skill of Yong Tae-Pung’s Hwaryongdo, the Descent of a Flame Dragon!
“Burn them down,” Yong Tae-Pung said curtly.
“KWUOOOH!”
The Flame Dragon roared once again before diving toward the Genesis Guild members.
***
“Fuck! I didn’t expect him to bring that old geezer in—“
Chae Hyung-Seok was not even able to finish speaking as he was abruptly called out.
“Hey! Chae Hyung-Seok!”
“I think we need to talk too.”
“You’re dead meat now, bastard!”
The high-ranking Adventurers who had suffered significant losses in the Great Rift raid appeared one by one and massacred the Genesis Guild members while calling out Chae Hyung-Seok.
Then, they finally made their appearance.
“Time to meet your maker!”
“Haha! I’ve waited for this day!”
“Time for a beating! You sons of bitches!”
The thousands of Head Crusher Guild members appeared and charged at the Genesis Guild members.
“Ah…” Chae Hyung-Seok despaired.
Yong Tae-Pung, the Mandate of Heaven Guild, the high-ranking Adventurers from the Great Rift raid, and now the Head Crusher Guild members.
Chae Hyung-Seok was armed to the brim, but it was nowhere near enough to withstand the incoming tsunami of enemies.
Revenge?
That ship had sailed a long time ago.
“I can’t accept this. I don’t accept this. Never. I will never…!” Chae Hyung-Seok gritted his teeth and growled. He didn't give up despite feeling despair pulling him down to the pits of the abyss.
Woooong!
Chae Hyung-Seok channeled as much mana as he could on his buff skill, and the Genesis Guild members that were getting massacred slowly started to fight back against their attackers.
“I can’t let it end like this… I won’t accept—“
Whoosh! Bam!
A rainbow-colored hammer flew out of nowhere and struck Chae Hyung-Seok on his waist.
“Kuheok!”
“Hey~ Hyung-Seok~”
“Han Tae-Sung!”
“Let’s have fun!” Siegfried shouted as he caught the hammer flying back to him.
Tak!
Then, he channeled his mana and placed down an enlarged Blaze Field.
Fwaaaaah!
“Ack!”
“B-Buffs! I need buffs!”
“Buff me!”
“Hey! Don’t slack off, asshole!”
The Genesis Guild members screamed at Chae Hyung-Seok.
They somehow managed to hold their ground thanks to the buff, but Siegfried’s debuff had canceled the buffs out.
Chae Hyung-Seok was a god on the battlefield who made the impossible possible with his buffs, but Siegfried was the god slayer capable of bringing down that god.
In other words, Chae Hyung-Seok's hard counter was Siegfried.
“Sit tight and wait for me! I’m coming for you!” Siegfried shouted as he swung his Vanquisher’s Grasp left and right to plow through the Genesis Guild members.
***
It was absolute chaos.
The Genesis Guild, Head Crusher Guild, Mandate of Heaven Guild, and the high-ranking Adventurers clashed against each other, and it was impossible to determine who was ally or foe in this mess.
‘I can’t use Irradiate or Splitting Heaven and Earth here,’ Siegfried felt it was a shame that he could not kill the Genesis Guild members in droves as even his allies could get caught up if he carelessly used his skills here.
“Kwuoooh!”
Yong Tae-Pung's Flame Dragon was already inflicting casualties on their allies, so he couldn't cast his debuffs carelessly, or it would be like adding fuel to the flames.
‘Oh well, I guess I have to fight normally,’ Siegfried shrugged and abandoned all thoughts of using his area of effect skills as he smashed the heads of the Genesis Guild members in his path.
“Wait for me, Hyung-Seok! I’m on my way!” he shouted.
“S-Shut up! Don’t come near me, asshole!” Chae Hyung-Seok screamed in response.
“What? You want me to hurry up? Anything for you~” Siegfried replied as he picked up the pace.
Chwak! Chwak!
It was then that a pair of chains as thick as an adult’s arm wrapped themselves around Siegfried’s ankles.
“Now’s our chance! Kill him!” a Genesis Guild member shouted.
“Smash his head open!”
Another Genesis Guild member holding a gigantic shotgun the size of a cannon appeared and aimed at him.
Siegfried was caught by Restrain, a crowd control skill.
The battlefield had various skills flying all over the place, so it was impossible to avoid every single skill.
“Kyu! You’re in danger, owner punk!” Hamchi cried out.
“Just stay behind me!” Siegfried shouted in response.
However, he seemed unconcerned even when he was about to get his brains blown off by the gigantic shotgun.
Woooong…!
The shotgun barrels started heating up.
Chwak!
And Horse Fly suddenly transformed…
Whiiing… Clack! Chwak! Chwak! Clack!
Horse Fly transformed almost in the blink of an eye and was no longer a hammer.
It had become a shield that protected Siegfried.
This was one of the abilities of the Vanquisher’s Grasp—Transform Weapon.
Kaboom!
The Genesis Guild member pulled the trigger of his gigantic shotgun.
Thud!
However, the shotgun shells failed to pierce through Horse Fly. It only pushed Siegfried backward by an inch.
“Wow! This is really good!” Siegfried exclaimed in awe of Horse Fly.
The Vanquisher’s Grasp was crafted with the Arachnid’s Leather, so it reacted to the thoughts of the user. Meanwhile, the Omnipotent Mechanical Gear allowed the weapon to change shape almost instantaneously, and the combination of these two was the secret behind Transform Weapon.
Siegfried no longer had to carry around multiple weapons as possessing Horse Fly alone made it possible for him to switch weapons like the Weapon Master, Shakiro.
“W-What the hell was that?!”
“Did his weapon just transform…?”
“Where the hell did that shield come from?!”
The Genesis Guild members were shocked.
Whiiing…!
Siegfried transformed Horse Fly back into a hammer and…
Whoosh!
He used Flying Sword to smash the heads of the Genesis Guild members who had attacked him just now. Of course, he was freed from Restraint after the Adventurer who had cast it had died, so he could now continue heading toward Chae Hyung-Seok.
‘The shield is quite useful,’ Siegfried thought as Horse Fly transformed into a shield once again and smacked the closest Genesis Guild member on his face.
Bam!
The Genesis Guild member did not even get to scream as he dropped dead.
Horse Fly dealt insane damage to its target, but it came at the cost of making a mess.
“Yikes! This is too gruesome!” Siegfried exclaimed after seeing the Genesis Guild member’s body on the ground that resembled a road kill struck by a truck.
“I probably shouldn’t hit people with this…” he muttered while looking at the mess he had made, but he suddenly came up with a brilliant idea. “Oh, what if I throw it instead?”
He said he was not going to beat people with it, but he never said he was not going to throw it at them. Siegfried wondered how effective it was going to be if he threw Horse Fly with Flying Sword while it was in its shield form.
Vroom!
Horse Fly cut through the air, and what happened next shocked Siegfried.
Sukeok! Sukeok! Sukeok!
The air was not the only thing that Horse Fly had cut through as it flew past five Genesis Guild members and slit their throats.
Shwaaaaa!
A fountain of blood spurted out from their throats.
Thud…! Thud…! Thud…!
And all five fell dead to the ground...
A ridiculous display of power!
Horse Fly had become an extremely lethal weapon thanks to Transform Weapon, and the bonus effect it provided to Siegfried, which was max weapon mastery to all weapons made it truly lived up to its name as the Vanquisher’s Grasp.
“Whoa… Look at that…” Siegfried muttered in awe after seeing what Horse Fly was capable of.
“Kill that fucker first! Go after him first!” Chae Hyung-Seok shouted at his guild members to kill Siegfried first before anyone else.
It wasn't that the Genesis Guild members wanted to listen to Chae Hyung-Seok. This was the end of the road for them, and they were probably not going to see each other after this, but they were still on the same side right now, so they had to listen to his commands on the battlefield.
Chae Hyung-Seok buffs were their only hope in surviving this one-sided massacre. However, Siegfried possessed the ability to nullify his buffs, and that was more than enough reason for them to focus him down first.
“Bring it on,” Siegfried said with a confident smirk, and then he added, “I wanted to try out how strong my new item is anyway.”
He welcomed the Genesis Guild members coming at him with open arms.
Sseuu…!
Then, a white circular field appeared underneath Siegfried’s feet and spread toward the incoming Genesis Guild members.
Flash!
The circular field suddenly unleashed a blinding flash of light.
“W-What?”
“What’s wrong with them?”
“Hey! Get a grip! What are you guys doing?!”
Exactly one second later…
The Genesis Guild members charging at Siegfried suddenly stopped in their tracks.
What does that mean?
They stopped in their tracks as if time had frozen for them after the blinding flash of light engulfed them. It was as if someone hit the pause button on a video and brought them to a standstill.
