Everyone had climbed onto the walls and was waiting with anxious hearts.
“Mister. You said you’d make throwing weapons?”
Sinhyeok, who had climbed the wall, found his gaze drawn to the scenery slowly merging with the outside.
“Ah, I’ll make them right away.”
Sinhyeok immediately pulled up the spare stones left over and enchanted them.
[Commencing material and magic fusion.]
[Enchanting Wind & Haste & Fire.]
[Magic is enchanted onto the Hard Stone Spheres.]
Baek Arin gathered the finished stone spheres and distributed them to the residents.
“Take one each! If they get close, drop them down below!”
[Commencing material and magic fusion.]
[Enchanting Wind & Haste & Fire.]
[Magic is enchanted onto the Hard Stone Spheres.]
Sinhyeok checked the outside while his hands continued to make stones for throwing.
“Right. You need mana to use these.”
Sinhyeok hurriedly checked the residents.
Baek Arin understood Sinhyeok’s meaning and waved her hand to reassure him.
“Everyone’s awakened, so they can use at least a bit of mana. We don’t need magic crystals.”
“Ah, okay.”
Relieved, Sinhyeok continued making them.
Ichan checked the World Tree and shouted toward the walls.
“Ten minutes remaining! We’ll soon enter the material realm!”
At his urgent shout, the residents tensed.
As Ichan said, the World Tree of Night was slowly entering the material realm to bask in light.
Slowly, the boundary crumbled, and the foul things that had lingered at that boundary were waiting.
Grrrrrr.
Kraaaaack.
Grrrrrl.
Every scenery that met the eyes was filled with writhing black dots.
At this overwhelming sight, both the residents and Sinhyeok were left speechless.
“Why are there so many?”
Namgung Jincheon gripped his scabbard tightly at the endless wave of undead.
“Heh heh heh, Hyung-nim, this is what an apocalyptic realm is like. It is still too early to be surprised.”
Jegal Seun pulled out a steel wire and gripped it tightly, gradually tensing up.
“It’s already enough. I wish to stop being surprised now.”
Namgung Jincheon turned around and looked toward the inner fortress.
There, built high, was his one and only granddaughter.
She was leaning against the window, waving her hand.
“Don’t come out! Hurry and go inside!”
“Yes!”
Namgung Sohye smiled cutely and then shouted toward everyone.
“Everyone, cheer up!!”
Everyone smiled and took their positions.
“Phew.”
Sinhyeok’s hands never stopped moving.
The boundary had completely crumbled.
At that moment, Ichan shouted.
“Entering the material realm!”
* * *
[The World Tree of Night, Notdrasil, enters the material realm to conduct photosynthesis.]
Immediately, Sinhyeok spoke to Jegal Seun.
“Please activate them all.”
“I shall.”
Jegal Seun activated the central axis of the formation he had prepared in advance.
“Come, you insects……”
Two iron rods infused with magic crystals whistled through the air.
The iron rods struck the ground fiercely and sank deep.
Hiiiiing.
It sounded like a horse screaming, or like a fierce wind brushing past.
Soon, thick fog formed around them.
“How ominous.”
Namgung Jincheon heightened his vigilance at the chilling flow surrounding them.
When he looked down, it was quite dizzying.
“Young friend, they’re coming.”
Namgung Jincheon alerted them to the enemy’s approach with his combat aura and keen senses.
Sinhyeok confirmed this while his hands continued making throwing stone spheres.
[Initiating Mapping.]
His vision spread out in all directions.
The undead flooding in like undercurrents could be felt by Sinhyeok as well.
“They’re here.”
Before anyone knew it, Ichan had nimbly climbed the wall and arrived.
Ichan was clutching a leaf of Notdrasil tightly in his hand.
“Hyung, do you have any Soul Crystals left?”
“Yeah. Here.”
Sinhyeok hurriedly took them out from his inventory and handed them over.
Ichan received them, crushed them in his hand, and looked ahead.
“Father. I borrow your strength.”
He closed his eyes tightly, rubbed his hands together, and slowly scattered them into the air.
Then everyone flinched and looked around.
Because they felt an inexplicable chill and coldness.
Sinhyeok took out the one remaining drop of Spectral Water from his inventory and grasped it.
The sight he beheld after forcibly opening his Spiritual Eyes was magnificent.
A swarm of stars in the night sky was painting the Milky Way.
The Milky Way from the heavens had descended to the ground and was enveloping the surroundings.
Ichan was controlling that Milky Way.
“Manifest.”
Sinhyeok let out a hollow laugh at this absurd sight.
“You crazy bastard.”
Ichan turned to the side and leisurely raised his thumb.
“This is me.”
Baek Arin almost hit him but held back.
“Focus. If even one crawls up, I’ll throw you over there.”
“Hmph!”
Sinhyeok concentrated and checked beyond the fog.
“They’re stopping.”
The horde surging forth like waves became disordered.
Beyond the thick fog, their movements began to be visible.
“They’ve stopped! Open the Five Elements Formation!”
Jegal Seun immediately threw the second iron rod.
As it struck the predetermined central axis, scorching heat welled up from beneath the fog.
Fwoosh.
Flames filled the earth and spread out.
The heat settled beneath the fog, thoroughly drying up the moisture.
The sight of the ground like Hell was revealed.
Zombies and skeletons were dancing atop the burning land.
The undead that had been forcibly conjured were rampaging like mad.
Namgung Jincheon spun around once at the overwhelming sight and shouted.
“It’s working, it’s working! We can hold out at this rate!”
Sinhyeok paused his hands for a moment and watched.
“That’s a relief.”
He leaned against the wall in relief.
However, he gazed at the overflowing undead on the ground.
*There are way more than expected.*
He raised his head to find the end of this wave, but it couldn’t be seen.
“Ichan, when does it go back in?”
Hong Ichan answered while controlling the spectral Milky Way.
“Twelve hours! It needs to get enough light!”
At those words, he looked up at the sky.
“That damned sunlight…”
He wanted to shake off this anxiety quickly.
“I feel like dragging a sun over here and planting it in place.”
Baek Arin circled the walls, checking the battlefield.
“Urk, we’re being pushed back.”
The front and rear of this wave were in different situations.
The front was stalled in confusion, while the rear was blindly charging forward.
“Mister! They’re burning too slowly!”
At those words, Sinhyeok braced himself against the wall and stood up.
The wave of undead was being forcibly pressed and pushed forward.
“Damn it.”
Slowly but steadily, they were pushing forward.
“Ichan……”
Hong Ichan was breaking out in cold sweat.
He didn’t have the slightest gap to respond.
“No, don’t say it. Keep doing what you’re doing.”
Sinhyeok surveyed the situation and circled the walls.
*I built it wrong. It was made to cover all directions.*
It was built in a circle to cover every direction.
Sinhyeok checked the situation where they were being pushed back and spoke to Ichan.
“Ichan, don’t talk. If it’s right, just flick your hand.”
Ichan flicked his hand.
“If we keep getting pushed back like this, the time we can hold out is under thirty minutes?”
His hand flicked immediately.
“Got it. Just hold out as long as you can for now.”
Sinhyeok’s gaze turned toward the throwing stone spheres he had made.
*It’s not enough. We need to change the terrain at least.*
Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind.
He looked around and found Jegal Seun.
“What is it?”
Jegal Seun had been watching the formation with a serious expression, but welcomed Sinhyeok who had suddenly come to find him.
“What is the bottom here?”
“What else would it be? Just the ground.”
“So is that ground like that cosmic space?”
“Probably, huh?”
Jegal Seun read Sinhyeok’s thoughts.
“Will it work?”
“I don’t know.”
At that moment, Ichan, who had been holding on, urgently opened his mouth.
“Hyung! I’m being breached! There are too many!”
At his urgent words, Sinhyeok called out to Opsireu.
“Go straight down underground. Check how deep it is.”
*Yes.*
Seeing Sinhyeok trying something different, Namgung Jincheon urgently asked.
“Young friend, what are you trying to do?”
“I’m going to make a moat. So they can’t cross easily.”
Baek Arin looked at the World Tree while watching the rapidly flowing situation.
“Mister… I’ll try to speed it up.”
She leaped off the wall in a flash.
Sinhyeok watched her heading toward the World Tree, then fixed his gaze forward.
“She…… shouldn’t have much holy power left.”
Sinhyeok was also aware that she couldn’t replenish her holy power.
*Depth measurement complete. After approximately 300 meters, a void (無) appears.*
“Good.”
Sinhyeok let out a hollow laugh and looked down.
“Tsk, it’s damn high.”
Namgung Jincheon approached from the side and asked.
“Shall we go together?”
“Yes.”
The two immediately jumped off the wall.
Sinhyeok shouted to those remaining.
“Hold out somehow!”
“Captain!!!!”
The old knight and Malakai’s eyes went wide.
[Magic Fusion – Fly]
They floated safely through the air and arrived at the ground.
Sinhyeok made an opening in the wall so they could comfortably pass through.
“Sir Jincheon, I ask for your protection.”
Namgung Jincheon drew his sword and blocked the front.
“Work at ease. They won’t be able to touch a single hair.”
Soon after, someone else fell down.
“Uwaaah! Hyung! Hyung! I don’t have that!”
At someone’s urgent shout, Sinhyeok clicked his tongue and stretched out his hand again.
[Magic Fusion – Fly]
“Phew.”
Ichan arrived at the ground.
“Use the stairs.”
“That would take too long!”
Hong Ichan grinned and stepped forward together.
“I set the Ghost Gate Formation to auto.”
“Hm?”
“Since it’s already been breached.”
“Tsk, damn it……”
His refreshing laughter was incredibly annoying.
“You’re really doing all sorts of things.”
“Haha. I’ll lend a helping hand here too. I may not look it, but I’m quite good at necromancy. Haha.”
Hong Ichan stretched out his hand and exerted his will over the dominated specters.
“Block them.”
The behavior of a portion of the undead changed.
Sinhyeok smirked and placed his hand on the ground.
“Good. Let’s dig through.”
[Partial Fusion – Initiating Melting.]
Namgung Jincheon stepped forward and urged Ichan.
“If this old man happens to fall, take good care of him.”
“Yes!”
He smiled faintly and loosened his shoulders.
“Come. Lost spirits who have lost your way.”
He swung his sword like lightning.
Thunder roared and dominated the area.
“Oh, shit.”
Hong Ichan watched his fierce sword strikes with a fascinated expression, admiring them.
“That martial art is killer.”
“Hah!”
Namgung Jincheon skillfully cleared away only the undead that approached dangerously close.
“You bastards! Get lost!”
* * *
“Tree. Tree.”
Baek Arin hurriedly headed toward Notdrasil, the World Tree of Night.
She tapped the tree, which had grown as tall as a giraffe.
“Sorry, but could you hurry? Everyone is anxious.”
She placed her hand on the bark.
Slowly sending out holy power, she circulated the Sacred Jade Heart Scripture.
*I need to hide again quickly.*
[Circulating the Sacred Jade Heart Scripture.]
[Holy power recovers by 0.0006%.]
[The World Tree of Night, Notdrasil, absorbs 0.0006% holy power.]
“……I’ll give it all. So please hurry.”
[The World Tree of Night, Notdrasil, receives the warm solar holy power.]
Baek Arin gazed at the World Tree receiving the warmth.
The tree began to emit a faint but brilliant light.
“Please.”
Her heart grew anxious.
She turned around and looked at Sinhyeok.
“I’m going crazy.”
The undead that had been pushed back were surging in like waves.
Hong Ichan and Namgung Jincheon were blocking them.
“Hurry!”
* * *
The old knight and Malakai on the wall focused on the surging undead.
“This won’t do.”
Malakai rolled up his sleeves with a stern face.
He took out cracked magic crystals from his bosom.
“Burst.”
He threw them.
The fallen magic crystal shards arrived in front of Namgung Jincheon, who was panting.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
At the powerful explosions bursting in succession, Namgung Jincheon ducked his body to avoid them.
“I survived.”
Namgung Jincheon looked up at the helping hand that had flown from above.
The residents, the old knight, and Malakai were cheering him on.
“Rest up a bit! I’ll step in here!”
Namgung Jincheon nodded.
He immediately went back and sat down to begin circulating his energy.
“Fuwoo.”
[Circulating the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art (天雷帝王神功).]
He frowned at the grating message.
*I refuse. Get lost.*
[System rejected.]
[Halting all records.]
[System functions will also cease.]
As the system shut down in succession, he calmly continued circulating his energy.
Zzt.
Each time he completed a cycle through the meridians, internal energy laced with lightning energy permeated his entire body, stinging and hurting.
He finished circulating with difficulty and opened his eyes.
“Fuwoo.”
Taking a deep breath and opening his eyes, he saw a system window that still looked rather reluctant to leave.
[Status Window]
Name: Namgung Jincheon (Lv. 1)
Class: Martial Artist (Peak)
Strength: 127
Agility: 145
Stamina: 178
Internal Energy: 105 years
Trait: Thunder Poison Encroachment (雷毒侵身)
[Skills Possessed]
=====================
[Main]
Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art (天雷帝王神功) (Lv. 49)
Heavenly Thunder Qi (天雷氣) (Lv. 9)
Heavenly Wind Divine Steps (天風身法) (Lv. 79)
=====================
[Warning]
[Trait: Thunder Poison Encroachment (雷毒侵身)]
======================
Body is being eroded by powerful lightning energy.
Continuous damage and stat reduction occurs.
======================
[This must be resolved swiftly.]
Namgung Jincheon rose to his feet with difficulty, supporting himself on his knees.
“I know too, you bastard.”
Checking that Sinhyeok’s work was still unfinished, he stepped forward.
“I will resolve this myself. So you get lost.”
[…….]