The Final Boss Has Returned
Chapter 144
Monsters and players.
The sight of nearly all combat forces from both sides gathered in equal measure was truly a spectacle.
It was only natural that all players' attention was focused on the raid on the Valley of Origin.
“Today, together with Sir Drakan, I will conquer the Valley of Origin, and furthermore, cut off the Hive Mind’s breath atop the Primordial Plateau. I shall bring peace to Ard World, an end to Phase 2, and I shall do it together with all of you, the players.”
Players had gathered endlessly, enough to cover beyond the horizon!
With the news that two heavyweights, Yujin and Drakan, had joined hands, both sides’ fandoms as well as ordinary players had assembled, and standing on the podium, Yujin spoke.
As soon as Yujin finished speaking, the players on the Holy Alliance side let out cheers.
Yujin looked at the scene, smiled, and stepped aside.
And in that spot stood Drakan.
Unlike Yujin, who wore armor mixed with silver and gold, Drakan wore black armor and looked down at the players as he spoke.
“I won’t say much. This time as well, I will win together with all of you.”
The moment Drakan finished speaking, the Dark Alliance side roared with cheers that seemed to shake the heavens.
Drakan turned his back to that sight.
There, a massive fortress made of flesh and membranes writhed dynamically as if alive.
“Solar Manifestation.”
As Yujin muttered softly, the sky—which was always thick with dark clouds—was dyed pure white with light, and soon a brilliant sun revealed itself.
A sun of light made of golden radiance!
It was Solar Manifestation, a Mythic-grade skill and Yujin’s Awakening ability.
[OMG LOL it's actually the sun LOL]
[Wow, isn't this the first time he's using it in a real fight?]
[Fr the skill name is sick af;; Solar Manifestation;;]
[As expected of Top Ranker Yujin. Shook.]
The chat window exploded the moment Yujin’s Awakening skill, Solar Manifestation, appeared.
Just as the chat said, this was the first time Yujin had used Solar Manifestation in actual combat.
That was because there had never been a situation serious enough for Yujin to use an ultimate skill.
Top ranker.
It was safe to say that almost nothing could threaten Yujin, who possessed the greatest power and the strongest items in Ard World.
Drakan looked at Yujin and thought,
‘So this is the level of force needed to draw out his ultimate skill.’
Yujin.
Drakan was closely observing the amount of force needed to draw out his ultimate skill.
‘As expected, it's still not enough.’
Drakan looked at the Dark Alliance, including Jeil E&M, and thought,
The mountain peak, its summit had come into sight, but that didn't mean they could ascend it immediately.
The path toward the summit was still long and treacherous.
[All stats have temporarily increased by 100%.]
[Attack Power has temporarily increased by 100%.]
[Defense has temporarily increased by 100%.]
The moment the sun fully revealed itself and emitted brilliant light.
Notification windows rose before the eyes of every player present, including Drakan.
They were buff notifications.
Meanwhile, bizarre screams flowed from the Valley of Origin.
[Kieeeeek!]
[Kiiiik!]
The Hive Mind’s kin shrieked!
The abominations, unable to endure the debuff pouring down from the sun of light that had appeared between the dark clouds through the power of Solar Manifestation, began to rampage.
Yujin watched that sight and quietly pointed a finger at the valley.
In that instant.
Flash.
As if lightning had struck, a single beam of light stretched out from the sun and struck the enemy lines directly.
BOOM!
Immediately after, the earth exploded with a thunderous roar that shook the ground, sending the abominations’ flesh scattering and blood spraying into the air.
People fell silent watching that scene.
Yujin.
Ard World’s top ranker.
The moment his true power, having risen to the seat of the apex, was finally revealed to all under heaven, everyone trembled.
Until now, Yujin had never once properly used an ultimate skill.
Of course, he had revealed it through demonstration videos and such, but only a handful of rankers, including Drakan, recognized its true value.
Yujin had conquered most monsters and dungeons, and completed quests using only normal skills.
Because of this, there had been public opinion among ordinary players belittling Yujin’s ultimate skill as nothing special, but such opinions met their end today.
[Damn, that laser is insane lol]
[Is this fantasy or sci-fi lol]
[This is crazy;]
[What is this?]
[What did he just do?]
[Is he a mage or a swordsman?]
[Isn't Yujin totally a broken character?]
The chat window's reaction went beyond explosive to near astonishment!
Looking at the ground that had been blown away as if bombed, and the enemy corpses grotesquely flattened without even having screamed, Drakan thought,
‘As expected, I'll need the Tyrant’s Sword.’
Tyrant’s Sword.
Unless it was that Mythic-grade skill that had literally made him a tyrant in the previous game, he could not face Yujin’s ultimate skill.
As Drakan was once again confirming the conclusion he had reached, Yujin’s voice reached his ears.
“Next is your turn, Sir Drakan.”
Hearing those words, Drakan stepped forward and raised the Bloodiron Executor toward the sky.
“Rain of Steel.”
Rain of Steel!
That ultimate skill, which had now become a signature skill symbolizing Drakan, unfolded.
A dark red aura soared from the Bloodiron Executor and struck the dark clouds, and soon a rain of red aura dropped like lightning from the clouds, ruthlessly piercing the earth.
The Rain of Steel began mercilessly hammering the abominations’ front lines, which had already been shaken by the solar bombardment.
Flash!
Amidst it all, the solar bombardment struck down once more!
The sight of red and gold intertwining to collapse an entire enemy front line—the landscape created by Drakan and Yujin’s combined power—the moment it was revealed, the chat began refreshing every second again.
[A collaboration for the ages.......]
[Fr it's fire from the start lol]
[So satisfying]
[This is exactly why I watch stomp streams, fr]
[Aren't these two actually close?]
[Ah, to think I'd see this combo again LOL]
The chat rose endlessly!
Watching that chat, Yujin raised the Holy Sword.
Receiving the light of the artificial sun floating in the sky, it sparkled with brilliant golden light—the Holy Sword, the most famous and powerful Mythic-grade item in Ard World.
Yujin, holding that Holy Sword, spoke.
“Everyone, attack the enemy. Sir Drakan and I will protect you!”
The moment they heard Yujin’s words, the players let out battle cries and began charging into the valley.
“Waaaaah!”
“Kill them all!”
“Sir Yujin has commanded it!”
“For the Holy Alliance!”
“For the Dark Alliance!”
“Sir Drakan is watching!”
Yujin.
No matter what anyone said, he was still the apex of Ard World, and the players felt a sense of security and excitement at the fact that an existence with power befitting that apex had declared he would protect them, so they immediately charged ruthlessly toward the enemy lines.
The fact that they were together with Yujin and Drakan—the two most famous players in Ard World—and the fact that they were sharing this historic moment of the Ard Saga Second main story, was arousing a sense of elation in the players standing on the battlefield.
To write a page of history with my own hand!
Players harboring such desires took the lead of the front lines without hesitation and attacked the abominations.
[Kiiik!]
[Kik!]
And having been weakened by various debuff skills from the black mages Drakan had brought, including Solar Manifestation, the abominations could not withstand the attacks of the players whose morale soared to the sky.
[You vermin!]
Tair, the named Alpha Mind individual overseeing all entities in the Valley of Origin, let out a sigh as it watched its kin being slaughtered mercilessly.
Otherworlders from the dimension called Ard World.
Tair had not paid them much mind when they first entered the Broken World.
In the early days they had been quite spirited, but they soon became divided and constantly checked each other, unable to set foot on the Primordial Plateau.
Tair had mocked the otherworlders to its heart's content, who made such inefficient and pitiful decisions, incomparably different from itself, which united in perfect order under the directives of the Hive Mind, the great will of unification.
‘As expected, a spiritually inferior race.’
The Will of Unification!
It was a notion possible only for the Hive Mind race, which prided itself on having all species fused into a single will, ascending to the most advanced spiritual level.
This was hardly surprising.
While invading countless dimensions.
Above all, even during this, the return of the expeditionary forces was proceeding with every passing moment.
And as they fought each other—
When their forces, which had been thought of as nothing special, combined into one, their might far surpassed Tair's expectations.
Light and darkness.
The sight of black and white, opposing forces of light and dark, being wielded simultaneously on the battlefield was a spectacle for the beholders, but for the Hive Mind’s kin who were on the receiving end, it was a scenery no different from hell.
In that moment.
[My children.]
A clear voice resonated across the entire battlefield.
The Hive Mind, Lord of Conquest.
The Will of Unification that commanded the massive army of abominations scattered across all dimensions, including the Broken World, had finally revealed its presence.
[Go forth and fight. Trample every last one of the otherworld vermin.]
The very moment the Hive Mind’s words fell.
[The Hive Mind reveals its presence.]
[The Hive Mind's overwhelming mental wave spreads.]
[Resistance failed!]
[All stats have temporarily decreased by 100%.]
[Attack Power has temporarily decreased by 50%.]
[Accuracy has temporarily decreased by 30%.]
[Defense has temporarily decreased by 30%.]
Debuff windows appeared endlessly before the players' eyes.
Hive Mind.
The moment its power—which could lower players' stats simply by projecting its will—was finally being unveiled on the battlefield for the first time.
Of course, rankers and above succeeded in resisting the mental wave the Hive Mind emitted and could dispel the debuffs, but players who had not become rankers had no choice but to be inflicted with the debuffs without exception.
Fortunately, buffers brought by both sides, including Yujin and Drakan, used buff skills to neutralize the Hive Mind's debuffs, but despite its brief appearance, it succeeded in leaving an extraordinary impression.
That wasn't all.
[Ooh, great Will, lead your faithful servants.]
The Hive Mind's kin!
The debuffs on the abominations that had been helplessly dying before the overwhelming power of Ard World's elite dream team were lifted, and strength began to return to their bodies.
It was a change brought about by the Hive Mind's great will.
[Holy shit, insane lol]
[Look at it applying a debuff with a single voice;]
[How do you even beat this?]
[Isn't this final boss-tier from the previous game?;;]
[How do you win, lol]
An amount of presence that astonished even the viewers watching that scene!
But the commotion on site was not very great.
Yujin and Drakan.
It was because the two players were holding the front line.
The raid was only beginning now.