The number of enemies in the square was too great to count.
There were at least several hundred—if reinforcements were to arrive, the number might even exceed a thousand.
Just a while ago, Han Yuseong had taken down over a hundred poisoners in the Northern Island.
But the situation now was different from back then.
"Fighting in the limited space of the Northern Island was advantageous for me."
It forced the enemies to cluster together and restricted their movement.
On top of that, Han Yuseong had skills well-suited for attacking large groups.
Especially skills that became even more useful in confined spaces.
So breaking through the Northern Island had been easier than expected.
But the square was a different story altogether.
"Taking care of everyone here before leaving..."
[Wouldn't that be hard even for you to finish?]
"True."
It wasn't easy—in fact, it was difficult.
And that's when something suddenly piqued his interest.
Kakasha, who had been watching Han Yuseong, sensed something ominous.
[T-That expression... what is that look, O Sworn One? Why are you making that face...?]
"I think it might actually be fun to take care of them all before I leave."
[No! It's 100,000 coins, you know! 100,000 coins! Even for the sake of the coins, or—no—for my sake, please act rationally!]
"Rationally, huh..."
Kakasha hurriedly tried to stop Han Yuseong.
Fighting countless enemies with no hesitation—
this was the kind of situation Han Yuseong actually enjoyed.
To the point where he wanted to charge into the swarm of poisoners right that instant.
But reason barely managed to hold him back.
"Yeah, now's not the time for that."
[Phewww…]
Maezato Moju was still around, and there was also the boss monster of the ruins.
This was the time to act rationally.
Han Yuseong began to walk forward.
"Just take out the key ones and push through quickly."
[I've always believed in you…!]
And so, Han Yuseong stepped into the poison-filled cavern.
The moment he did, all the poisoners crowding the space turned their gazes to him.
They hissed, flicking out snake-like tongues, baring their hostility.
[Shiiiii... No one may pass through this place.]
[Those who interfere with the Lord shall perish...]
[Kill the intruder!]
Hundreds of poisoners bared their fangs and charged, spewing poison as they came.
It was the kind of scene that would paralyze a lesser player with fear.
But Han Yuseong remained calm, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Waiting for the poisoners to cluster together in one spot.
He didn't have to wait long.
[Shiamamamark!]
Flammm!
Countless enemies surged right up to his face.
Han Yuseong activated the effect of
He could feel a ferocious power gathering in his grip.
[Activating the effect of the 'Warlord' skill.]
[The casting speed of the next skill will be greatly increased.]
And Han Yuseong didn't hold that power back.
KWA-BOOOOM!
The blade crashed down on the ground.
With a thunderous quake, the earth split open, and fissures spread forward.
From within, searing energy burst upward, triggering a violent explosion.
[K-Khamaaargh?!]
[Urgh, Kuuhek…!]
The poisoners that had filled the front collapsed or were blown away.
Without missing a beat, Han Yuseong unleashed Gale Step, expanding his senses.
He was searching for that heavily armored poisoner—Il-Dok, who he had seen moments before.
Locating the presence wasn't difficult.
[Stop that one! Can't you see the path has opened?!]
"So that's where you were."
Amidst the poisoners, one figure let out a sharp command.
Once again, the poisoners surged forward, trying to block Han Yuseong's path.
Han Yuseong kept moving with Gale Step, never slowing, as he began to weave a spell.
And at that moment, a thought rose up—sudden and clear.
'This might be the perfect time to test it.'
The newly acquired
Han Yuseong brushed a hand over the mask and activated its option:
Just then, a delighted giggle echoed from the mask.
And it wasn't just his imagination.
[The Mask of Chaos is laughing.]
[A random effect will be added to your next spell…]
[Euphoria fulfilled — luck has been favorably adjusted!]
An unexpected message appeared.
The power that poured from the mask surged into Han Yuseong, and the additional effect revealed itself.
[Additional Effect: Fatal Strike.]
[Your next spell will trigger a guaranteed critical hit!]
Magic Critical Hit.
Unlike physical skills, magic rarely inherits critical hit rates—
which is exactly why this effect was so powerful.
And now, that power was his.
'As expected of the Lord of Euphoria.'
Han Yuseong let out a small chuckle.
It was an artifact truly worthy of the Lord of Euphoria's name—and he liked it.
He summoned his mana once more, and the surrounding shadows surged upward.
The shadows transformed into a variety of weapons.
Clatterrrrr!
They began attacking the poisoners in front of him like frenzied beasts.
Poisoners were slashed, pierced, and crushed as they collapsed one after another.
The shadow weapons moved with greater force and ferocity than usual.
Because 'Critical Strike' was in effect.
[Annoying… you damn pest!]
The path to Il-Dok was now wide open.
Without stopping his advance, Han Yuseong extended his hand toward the ground.
Rumble…!
A sinister spear burst forth from the darkness.
He pulled his arm back—muscles swelling as though about to burst.
And just as he reached the limit—
Shooooom!
The Abyssal Spear launched.
It tore through the darkness like a flash of light, piercing through the space between the attacking shadow weapons and shooting straight toward its target.
[K-Kuhek…?!]
The spear flew straight toward Il-Dok.
He had been busy fending off the barrage of shadow weapons, and failed to notice the spear in time.
That mistake cost him dearly.
The spear pierced straight through his chest, and Il-Dok's movement came to an abrupt halt.
[Y-You bastard…!]
Han Yuseong arrived before him.
Il-Dok's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the man standing directly in front of him.
Fast. Too fast.
When? How?
He tried to raise his arms to defend himself—
but the spear lodged in his chest prevented him from reacting in time.
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!
Han Yuseong's right fist shot forward.
Bloodburst Fist struck Il-Dok's heart with explosive force, and a savage red light tore into his skull.
Moments later, the unleashed Bloodstorm engulfed his entire body.
Wracked with agonizing pain, Il-Dok tried to summon his poison one last time.
'At the very least… I'll poison him… a fatal dose…'
But just as that thought formed, his vision tilted.
Only then did he realize—
a dark-glinting blade, fired who knows when, had cleanly severed his neck.
Il-Dok's unfocused eyes fell,
and so did his head.
His body collapsed with it.
[I-Il-Dok is dead?!]
[What the hell is this nonsense…?!]
The poisoners, witnessing the entire sequence of events, were thrown into chaos.
Il-Dok had been the one assigned to lead them—
a poisoner of considerable strength and authority—
and yet, he had died without accomplishing anything, in a truly pitiful manner.
That sight dealt a heavy blow to their morale.
[You have completed a quest related to the Marked Ones.]
[You have received 600 Snake Marks!]
Of course, that wasn't something Han Yuseong particularly cared about.
He simply kicked aside Il-Dok's corpse and retrieved the core he had dropped.
[Il-Dok's Core (Unique)]
A powerful and massive core from a poisoner corrupted into a monster.
When consumed, grants 30% poison resistance for a certain period and gradually detoxifies accumulated poisons in the body.
However, severe side effects may follow once the effect ends.
As expected from a figure with a title, the core's effect was fairly decent.
The warning about "severe side effects" was a bit concerning,
but with the right items from the Star Store, it seemed manageable.
Han Yuseong lifted his head.
[Shiiiiik…]
The poisoners were now watching him with visible caution.
Just moments ago, they had attacked him without fear,
but with Il-Dok's death, their momentum had completely collapsed.
[Kuhuhuhu! This makes things so much easier!]
"Should I just head straight to the boss monster?"
Han Yuseong stomped the ground.
There were no longer any enemies who could stand in his way.
"Kuhahhh!"
A scream echoed across the vast Northern Island.
A player collapsed, his entire body horribly slashed.
Around him lay others in similar states—players with deep wounds carved across their bodies.
Among them was even one considered a top contender for ascension.
"Damn it… that bastard, that lunatic…"
It was Kim Junghwi, a Korean player.
He was sprawled across the ground, limbs slashed and mangled.
He tried desperately to summon mana, but his body had already reached its limit.
A sword, dripping with blood, lifted his chin.
"I expected more from someone said to be a top contender. Is this all you've got?"
"You lunatic… murderer!"
"To think this is the level of the brightest prospect from the nation that cleared the Trial the fastest…"
Kim Junghwi growled in fury, spitting out his rage.
But his enemy only smirked, as if finding him utterly pitiful.
"Now I understand why Korean players are so pathetically weak."
"You son of a—!"
Slash!
A flash of sword energy severed Kim Junghwi's throat.
And the rest of the fallen players behind him—every last one of them—
[You have stolen the Marks held by the players.]
[You have obtained 60 Snake Marks.]
It was anyone's guess how many Marks he had stolen by now.
As the Marks transferred to him, the players' bodies dissolved into light and vanished.
"Tch. For such a pathetic country to be the first to clear the Trial… They must've just been lucky, huh? There's no other explanation…"
The strength Kim Junghwi had shown in direct combat was abysmal.
So much so that even the faint expectations he had held now felt laughable.
He almost regretted not killing Felix Morgan instead—
that might've at least been more entertaining.
'Still, the sheep will love this.'
Killing one of Korea's most promising prospects in such a brutal fashion would surely thrill the masses.
His plan to sway public opinion by participating in this event was proceeding smoothly.
With a flick, he shook the blood off his sword and turned around.
"Find the path."
"Y-Yes, sir! R-right away!"
Behind him were several players, visibly terrified.
They were players from the Thieves' Class—
spared for now only because they were useful for navigation.
In a panic, they began activating every detection skill they had to scout the way forward.
'This maze is annoyingly complex.'
The ruins weren't just a matter of clearing one maze.
Once a maze was completed, a new corridor would appear,
and players from different routes would merge into a shared path,
which would then lead into yet another maze to conquer.
The only exception to this structure was Route 10.
But it didn't really matter much.
'There's no need to rush anyway.'
That was Oju's assessment.
The only one worth keeping an eye on was another top contender—Felix Morgan.
It was possible that they had gotten ahead of him.
But even that didn't concern him.
It wasn't like he was particularly slow, either.
The difference couldn't be that significant.
'If someone else kills the boss monster first, I'll just kill them and take it.'
Given the environment, the boss monster here was likely to use poison as well.
Poison users were always a hassle—rarely easy to deal with.
It would definitely take time to bring it down,
and that delay was all he needed to exploit.
With that judgment, Oju continued moving.
And indeed—his prediction was right.
[Someone has reached the innermost chamber of the ruins.]
[The Ruins' Overlord is currently engaged in combat.]
If only something completely unexpected hadn't happened…
"…What?"
Oju blinked in disbelief.
The dungeon raid had barely even begun.
And already—someone had reached the deepest part of the ruins?
"Who the hell could've…?"
Was that even possible?
Oju felt a cold, rising fury welling up inside him.
Someone had dared—dared to reach the inner sanctum before him.
Someone had the audacity to try and steal his reward.
"Move. If you fail to find the path, I'll cut you all down. Don't forget—it wouldn't take me a second to find you again back on Earth."
"K-Kuhek…!"
"H-Hiiik! Y-Yes! It's this way!"
Oju, now enraged, slashed down a player mid-sentence to drive the others forward.
The terrified players sprinted without even caring for their lives,
and Oju followed close behind, his blood-dripping sword gripped tightly.
'I don't know who you are… but if I see you, I'll carve your limbs off.'
He couldn't afford to let the boss monster be taken.
And Oju wasn't the only one who thought that way—
other top contenders, upon seeing the same message, also began urgently pushing through their routes.
And meanwhile…
[W-What…?]
[What is even… happening…?]
A vast chamber where one could view the entire Ruins of the Serpent.
There, gathered to spectate the event, were the Lords of the Stars—
but now, they could only stare at the massive screen in speechless astonishment.
KWA-BOOOOM!
[Kyahahah! Shiiiiiiiik…!]
A player in a black mask stood in the middle of it all.
The sight of Han Yuseong relentlessly attacking the boss monster—
in a space so saturated with poison that most players would struggle just to stay conscious—
yet he didn't seem to care about the venom at all.
[What in the world… are we even watching right now?]
One of the star lords muttered in disbelief.
But to that question—
no one could offer an answer.