Episode 158

4.

It was confirmed that the countless monsters pouring out of the Catastrophe Gate each had their own levels. Just as Fly had said, the Flame Death Knight was at least 7-star, the knightly order guarding it was 5-star and above, and the miscellaneous monsters beneath them ranged from 2-star to 4-star.

Many argued that some were only 1-star, but considering the inherent penalties and the nature of the event, the current consensus was that the Catastrophe Monsters were distributed roughly at that level.

Naturally, looked at this way, they didn't seem all that threatening. A 7-star monster was only in the level 60 range, and if you gathered the hundreds of top rankers scattered around the world, they wouldn't be pushed back even in a war against a massive monster army.

If that simple, efficient, and mutually beneficial method could have been put into practice, Buja wouldn't have had to agonize over Fly's offer. No, Fly would never have flown all the way to Korea to make that offer to him in the first place. They would have just gathered all the participating players on China's vast land and marched forward.

But the world didn't run on such convenient, efficient, and altruistic logic. China had already declared it would monopolize the event gate, and the major powers had tacitly supported that declaration and lined up behind it.

In a way, it was happening because it looked doable. Because the word "Catastrophe" had appeared at a level that current players could face—had faced before—and because the word "event" had softened it.

There was no going back. Before it was a Catastrophe, it was just another dungeon entangled in countless interests, and the parties involved had already reached an agreement according to the logic of power.

What Buja had to worry about was not whether the Earth would be destroyed if they failed to stop the Catastrophe.

'If I go there, can I pull my weight?'

At the very least, he believed Fly could. If Fly were alone, it might be different, but behind him stood a guild that provided massive support and the full backing of the United States as a nation. Adding one more spoon to that table was nothing.

That was why he had answered without hesitation when Fly asked if he would come. He didn't care what Fly wanted or how blatant his intentions were. He had already revealed, at least a little, that he had a Legendary class and was a Gold Maker, so what was the point of hiding his strength now?

How far could he go at level 14?

The Flame Death Knight.

Even if he couldn't reach that far, what about the knightly order guarding it? Could he at least climb to that level?

He was curious, so he stepped forward.

If he hadn't unsealed Gnawing Soul, he probably wouldn't have thought this way. Even if Fly had set the stage, he would have gone planning to play it safe, hugging the back line and using Gold Shop items to scrape together some contribution.

But now, it was different.

'It's about time I started climbing.'

The restrictions were considerable, but from what he had seen, the payoff was just as great—beyond even the Legendary grade. Used properly, it could be a solid stepping stone for growth, a way to close the gap with the other top-tier players.

This would be his chance to prove that.

"Then let me know."

Of course, all of this only applied if China failed.

He was genuinely looking forward to China's first official Catastrophe raid—or unofficially, its second.

* * *

An army of players, so vast it could only be described as overkill, was lined up at the entrance to the mountain range.

At least a hundred thousand.

Compared to the first raid, the numbers were on a completely different scale. It meant they were judging the monsters from the Catastrophe Gate to be at least on par with the statues, and assuming the boss monster would be even stronger.

Monsters were still pouring endlessly out of the gate, but compared to the number of players, they were still vastly outnumbered.

The plan was to hit them all at once and finish it early.

Looking at the ratio of top rankers, China didn't have many players at the very highest levels, but in sheer numbers, they were by no means lacking. And unlike the first raid, which had only gathered the very elite, this time they had plenty of players willing to throw their bodies in as sacrifices.

Even to Buja, it felt excessive. Watching the army march out without hesitation, he even started to think that maybe there really wouldn't be an opportunity for him this time.

Of course, he couldn't be sure. The combat power of the monsters from the Catastrophe Gate was, in the end, just a rough estimate based on dungeon data players had accumulated so far. If they turned out to be monsters on a completely different level of difficulty, like that unknown statue dog, then even that many players could end up being nothing but hollow shells.

He watched quietly. Even just watching, he could feel the tension, almost as if he were there on the ground. In that moment, he finally understood why people would burn vacation days to watch player events and major happenings.

They entered the true Catastrophe region.

It had already been a remote, rugged area where it was hard for people to set foot, but in less than two days since the Catastrophe Gate opened, the region had become so gloomy and eerie that one would hesitate to step inside. The grass and trees had grown so thick that even with nearly a hundred thousand players moving forward, it was hard to carve out a path.

The ground squelched underfoot.

The absence of visible monsters only added a darker, more ominous layer to the atmosphere.

Even so, the players walked with confidence.

"Looks like the monsters chickened out."

"Did they all run away? What happens then?"

"Running won't help. We can see their positions through spectating anyway."

They had every reason to be confident.

This was precisely why people built armies. In war, numbers were paramount.

It was only after a long while that the players pushing forward noticed something was wrong.

"Missing persons report!"

"Six missing from the rear!"

"Three players were dragged off by monsters!"

Bit by bit, the monsters were cunningly whittling down the massive horde.

They had not fled.

The monsters behind the catastrophe would never recklessly abandon a battlefield where they held such a clear advantage.

A hundred thousand humans.

They were certainly a threat, but the monsters felt no fear.

Instead, they calmly demonstrated how a small force could effectively fight a larger one.

For a moment, the players' advance came to a halt.

The collective silence of so many people only amplified the fear, sending a chill down their spines.

The players' advantage hadn't disappeared.

They still had 100,000 people.

Against such numbers, the monsters should have been swept away like dead leaves in an autumn wind.

Even so, the monsters didn't cower. Instead, they steadily exploited their own advantages to harass the players.

It wasn't the monsters' meticulousness or strength that frightened them.

In the grand scheme of things, the damage wasn't even that significant.

While the players had been caught off guard at first, once the reports came in, they began killing more monsters than they were losing.

The reason the players were startled, the reason they fell silent, was something else entirely.

"The monsters are moving as a group?"

"It's like they're following someone's orders..."

It wasn't unheard of for monsters to live in packs and act collectively.

However, this went far beyond that.

It felt as if monsters that should have moved purely on instinct were instead operating with meticulous precision under a commander's orders.

Even if they weren't as intelligent as humans, the fact that these physically superior monsters had a command structure would be a major variable in this war.

The moment had come to make a decision.

"We push forward to the Catastrophe Gate as fast as possible!"

China opted for a full-frontal assault.

* * *

It really was like watching a movie—a catastrophe invading Earth with all of humanity gathered to stop it.

In reality, it was more like a Chinese blockbuster—all Chinese actors speaking loud Mandarin—but if you hit mute, the spectacle of aliens versus superhumans was still satisfying.

On top of that, the sight of a hundred thousand troops charging at full power through the blighted land was undeniably impressive.

Even though their formation was split into lines by level, those long columns became a psychological trap, exerting immense pressure on the monsters.

"Battle formation!"

Soon, the Catastrophe Gate and the Flame Death Knight's army came into view on the screen.

The human army charged without hesitation, colliding with the legion of flame.

It was a magnificent sight.

While that spectacle played out in the background, Fly contacted him again.

"We're heading out now."

"Huh? Already?"

"They told us to come and stand by. I guess that means they're confident."

It was hard to blame them for that attitude.

The enemy didn't seem to possess the overwhelming brute force of that stone guardian; if this was just a catastrophe involving a large number of monsters, then China had no reason to back down.

'This is likely their way of quickly putting the people they'd promised a piece of the action in their debt,' Buja thought.

Once the top-ranked players from each country gathered, the world's attention would focus even more on China. They could then proudly boast about monopolizing the event in front of those elites for a long time.

Even if things went south, they could still claim they had generously allowed others to participate and chip in at the end, giving themselves a convenient excuse.

Whatever the case, the chance to be on-site was a temptation no one could refuse.

Fly understood that, which was why he was leaving immediately.

Kim Buja rose from his seat.

"Make sure you get plenty of screen time," Jeong Seora cheered him on.

"We have to keep this a secret from the Guildmaster."

"Shouldn't you have kept it a secret from me, too?"

This was no different from acting as a mercenary for another guild, and for an event this important, no less.

In a way, he was being shameless, trying to profit on his own.

Even so, Jeong Seora only wore a playful expression, without a hint of being hurt.

Because she understood.

She knew Buja was only going with Fly because it was profitable.

She also knew that their relationship with the Jeong Cheol Guild was no longer at a level where a contract could bind them.

Above all, to her, Kim Buja was less a guild member she had to manage and more a fan she rooted for—and her boyfriend.

Smooch.

With a light kiss, he set off.

Toward the heart of the catastrophe.

The stunning private jet took off for China, flying faster than ever before.

He couldn't help but worry that the catastrophe might end before they even got there.

The quiet airport slowly began to fill with players from various countries.

Looking around, he could spot quite a few well-known, top-ranked players.

Just as the Fly Guild finished assembling and began to move, the news everyone had been dying to hear finally came.

"The Flame Death Knight has entered Phase 2. The new pattern is..."

Everyone pricked up their ears.

"...Berserk and Evolution."

"Ah!"

Their steps toward the source of the catastrophe quickened.

No one said it out loud, but they all thought the same thing.

'I hope they soften it up a bit and then fail.'

And while everyone else kept that thought to themselves, Kim Buja casually voiced it as he fiddled with his ring.

* * *

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