"When Han Yuseong brought down Dokrongmol, the tide of the battlefield shifted."
The Shadow's True Name, which had been getting pushed back one-sidedly, used Dokrong to repel the enemies and began hunting down the retreating Vowkeepers of the Dead.
Of course, the Faction of the Dead didn't just sit there and take it.
[Epic Monster from the Faction of the Dead, 'Goblin King', has been defeated.]
['Goblin King' is summoned to the Faction of the Dead!]
They too had taken down an epic monster around the same time and turned it into one of their own. Plus, the many monsters they defeated with their undead army.
But the matchup was terrible for them.
Fwoooosh!!
"Damn it, we can't hold on because of the poison!"
"The goblins are all collapsing from poisoning!"
The monsters belonging to the Dead's True Name fell to Dokrong's poison.
The goblins summoned alongside the Goblin King suffered the same fate.
At least the Goblin King endured the poison and attacked Dokrong, but that was it.
There was a clear gap in class.
Not all epic monsters are equal in strength.
[All units except the hunting party, retreat to the main base. This monster is too difficult to deal with on the battlefield. Handle it using the tower.]
"It's a command from that bastard Shaytan! Retreat quickly!"
"Throw the undead at it as bait and fall back!"
The commander leading the Faction of the Dead, Shaytan, issued an urgent order.
The Vowkeepers of the Dead retreated while blocking Dokrong's advance with summoned undead.
Shaytan, stationed at the main base, continued to issue commands to his subordinates.
"Summon Skeleton Warriors and Dullahans. Deploy them in front of the barrier. Use the decaying undead as shields to block Dokrong. Understood?"
"Yes, Lord Shaytan."
"Summon the undead!"
Dokrong was far too formidable to be stopped by conventional means.
A being that could potentially be killed at any moment—yet must not be.
To stop him, they had to rely on the offensive power of the tower.
The one fortunate aspect: Dokrong's massive size.
If they could lure him close enough, even the rear towers might be able to attack him.
"Even if Dokrong is overwhelmingly strong, he can't take the main base alone."
No epic monster could solo a main base.
Even if the Shadow Vowkeepers attacked the base alongside Dokrong, it wouldn't change much.
After all, they too weren't fully equipped yet.
Unless, of course, they added another epic monster into the mix.
"Hunting party, report any movement from the Shadow faction."
[After we retreated, they've been hunting monsters. They're moving east—it might be that they're targeting another epic monster...]
"Are they after the Guardian of the King?"
They were buying time with Dokrong in order to hunt yet another epic monster.
That was the Shadow's True Name's strategy—precise, and likely the most effective approach.
If the situation were reversed, Shaytan would have done the same.
"Which is exactly why we must stop them."
They could not be allowed to act freely.
The enemy had to be stopped from defeating another epic monster—or at the very least, delayed until Dokrong could be eliminated.
Shaytan made a swift decision.
"Hwang Jae-woo, take half the mercenaries and join the hunting party."
"Will you be alright? Dokrong is approaching."
"If we make full use of the undead and the tower, we can hold him off. Your job is to stop the Shadow faction from hunting that epic monster."
"Understood."
Hwang Jae-woo and the other Vowkeepers departed with the mercenaries.
Dokrong was drawing near.
After confirming the undead formation in front of the barrier, Shaytan gave new orders to the base's forces.
"All defense units, gather at the front! Focus all firepower on Dokrong with support from the tower! We must bring him down as fast as possible!"
The Vowkeepers and mercenaries of the Dead faction assembled at the base's front lines.
The only enemies advancing on the main base were Dokrong, his minions, and some monsters.
They were all approaching from the front; there were no threats from other directions.
And even if there were, they could respond appropriately with reports and small defenses.
Thus, concentrating all forces to the front was the right call—
A judgment Shaytan made swiftly and accurately.
—Shhhrrrrrrrrrk!
"Shaytan! Dokrong has reached the front!"
"Everyone, ready your skills and wait for my command!"
Dokrong had reached the heart of the Dead's main base.
A monstrous figure clad entirely in an armor-like carapace made of venom.
A terrifying beast radiating a noxious miasma of poison, now locking eyes on the undead guarding the barrier.
In its gaze burned fury—
And in its mouth, venom churned and frothed with lethal intent.
Kiiiimeeeiiing!
At that moment, the tower sensed the enemy's approach and began to radiate magical energy.
Mana gathered within the massive crystal orb at its core.
The players on the side of the Dead faction prepared their skills, waiting for Shaytan's signal.
KWAMAMAMAAANG!
—Guuuuuuugh!
—Grrmmm…!
Suddenly, Dokrong unleashed a breath laced with deadly poison.
His toxic breath swept across the undead.
Their bodies melted instantly, and the grass-covered ground turned rotten and blackened in the blink of an eye.
At that exact moment, the tower completed its mana charge.
KWA-MAAANG!
"Commence attack!"
Mana-forged cannonballs fired in unison.
The shells struck Dokrong squarely, triggering a violent explosion.
Immediately after, the players of the Dead faction unleashed their own barrage of skills.
A relentless storm of attacks rained down on Dokrong.
—KII-HAAAMAAAAAH…!
Dokrong let out a howl of agony.
His poisonous carapace shattered, and his venom-infused blood splattered.
As he prepared to charge in a rage, the undead forces stood firm to block his path.
"Just as planned."
That was Shaytan's assessment.
It hadn't dealt devastating damage, but the attack had been significant enough.
If they could just keep repeating this until Dokrong fell, they would win.
With the tower's firepower, it shouldn't take too long.
"Keep raising the undead! Dokrong must be stopped!"
"Rise, O dead! Obey my command!"
"To decaying flesh, I breathe life once more…!"
All of the Dead faction's players were now entirely focused on Dokrong.
The same was true for Shaytan, who was leading them.
He watched as the tower recharged its mana once again, waiting for the right moment to issue another attack order.
And so, no one noticed.
"Just as planned."
At the rear of the Dead faction's base.
With every soldier focused on the front line, no one was paying attention to the back.
From a shadow stretching across the base's rear, Han Yuseong emerged—unnoticed.
"Let's get started."
Han Yuseong struck the ground with his foot.
His powerful leap carried magic energy, and that energy turned into a violent gust as he launched himself forward, riding the current up the wall of the base at incredible speed.
Under normal circumstances, the defenders would have stopped him.
But now—there was no one guarding the rear.
Not even the tower.
KIIIIIMEIIIIING!
The tower possessed immense firepower.
Its cannonballs were guided by tracking magic, and exploded the instant they hit.
If a target was struck directly, the damage was enough to kill them outright.
However, the tower had a cooldown period between attacks.
Once it fired, it needed time to recharge before it could shoot again.
That was exactly what Han Yuseong was aiming for.
FWOOM!
In the blink of an eye, Han Yuseong reached the top of the wall.
He slammed the ground again with force—
and his soaring form landed right on top of the tower, at its highest point,
where the massive mana crystal was embedded.
"Wait, what…?!"
"Wh-What is that?! Shaytan! Behind us—!"
That was the moment the players of the Dead faction finally realized what was happening.
Shaytan hastily turned his head.
An enemy… in the rear? How?!
When he looked back, shock spread across his face.
And rightfully so.
"It's just one guy?!"
What he saw was a single player.
Not a group. Just one person trying to destroy the tower.
Shaytan let out an incredulous laugh.
So did the others around him.
"Alone? Has he completely lost his mind?"
"Idiot. Must be his first time participating. The tower's crystal orb isn't so fragile that a few sword slashes will destroy it."
If the crystal orb at the top is destroyed, the tower becomes powerless.
The same goes for the barrier the tower has erected.
However, destroying the orb is an incredibly difficult task.
And the reason is very simple—
It's because the orb has extremely high durability.
On top of that, there's a protective shield guarding the orb, which must be pierced first.
It's only possible if multiple enemies focus all their fire on it at once.
"That guy can't do it alone. Absolutely not."
Shemitt was sure of it.
There was no need to panic.
The tower, once finished charging and having blocked the attack, would definitely kill that fool.
Still, it's always best to be thorough.
After giving his subordinates the order to take care of that idiot, he turned his attention back to Doklong.
Or rather, he tried to.
Fwoooosh!
"Fire? What the hell is that…?"
At that moment, searing flames erupted from Han Yooseong's body.
It was the 'Crimson Flame'—a fire that never extinguishes, felt only in deadly wars.
[The Crimson Flame of War has been invoked.]
[Buff effects are increased by 1.5x due to the heat of war.]
A special skill usable only by Apostles of War.
As the flames surged, a powerful aura engulfed Han Yooseong's entire body.
With burning breath, he unleashed his swordsmanship.
[Hallyeon Style Swordsmanship, Form 1: 'Crush'.]
A barrage of slashes imbued with powerful sword energy swept forward.
Its target: the crystal orb.
The relentless strikes, packed with destructive force, crashed into the orb, followed closely by a surge of fierce flames trailing along the path of the blade.
"It's pointless. I don't know what that flame is, but…"
Not just Shemitt—everyone thought the same.
They didn't know what the flame swirling around that man's body was,
but it didn't matter. The crystal orb could not be destroyed.
At this point, destroying the orb alone was impossible.
He probably couldn't even break through the shield.
CRAAAAACK!
"…What…!"
That thought was violently shattered.
The barrage of strikes slammed into the orb, and the powerful sword energy cut through the protective barrier.
And that wasn't all—the energy pierced straight into the core of the crystal orb itself.
Shemitt was stunned by the unbelievable sight.
"N-No! Fall back! Move back now!"
This was dangerous—his instincts screamed it.
Realizing this, Shemitt ran along the top of the barrier with his subordinates, retreating to the rear.
But it was too late.
Han Yooseong swung the Moonshadow Blade far behind him.
Magical energy gathered at the tip of the blade.
"In one strike."
The magic that had gathered continued to condense—
compressed over and over without end.
And when that endlessly condensed magic finally reached its limit—
"I cut."
Han Yooseong brought his sword down.
Like a thunderbolt, the strike crashed down, slicing deep into the tower's crystal orb.
And then—
KWA-BA-BA-BOOOM!
The compressed magic exploded along with the slash.
Hallyeon Style Swordsmanship, Form 4: 'Annihilation Collapse (Myeoltwe)'.
From the point where the blade split the orb, a massive blast surged outward, engulfing the orb from within.
—Fsssss…
The crystal orb broke apart,
splintering into pieces, then crumbling into dust.
The tower, having lost its power source, came to a halt.
The rear barrier connected to the tower also collapsed.
An orb once thought indestructible—was destroyed.
By a single player.
"N-No, this can't be! He's moving again! We have to kill him now!"
"There's an intruder in the rear! Take care of the intruder first—!"
"Sh-Shemitt Lord! Doklong—!"
Even witnessing it with their own eyes, no one could believe what had just happened.
Everyone's attention naturally shifted to the rear.
That was the mistake.
They forgot—
At the front,
stood a monster that should never be ignored.
—KIIIIIIEEEEEHHH!
"UWAAARGHH!!"
Doklong Rumikas.
Crushing the undead that blocked his path, Doklong charged forward and unleashed a breath of deadly poison at the barrier.
Poisoned players screamed in agony.
"Doklong… no, that intruder… urggh! What do we… how do we stop them…!"
They had to stop Doklong.
That was clear.
At that moment, Han Yooseong vanished into the shadows—
to avoid becoming the target of the tower, which had just finished charging.
Now without a target, the towers had no choice but to redirect their attacks toward Doklong.
And just as the towers began to strike Doklong—
"S-Stop him! Stop that bastard!!"
Han Yooseong reappeared, once again aiming for the towers.
Another one would fall.
They had to stop him before that happened.
But then—Doklong.
"T-There! Enemies are coming!"
"Monsters… and shadow creatures!"
From beyond the horizon,
a massive force was marching toward them.
They weren't going to just stand by.
Shadowbound oath-takers, mercenaries—
and the monsters they had hunted.
Shemitt stared at the scene, stunned and hollow.
'The ones who went out to hunt Epic Monsters… why are they here…?'
Were we deceived?
No… That's impossible.
Then does that mean they knew this would happen?
That they actually prepared for it, believing a single player could destroy a tower?
That's… absurd…
And yet—it was happening right before their eyes.
To somehow turn the tide, Shemitt clenched his teeth, raising undead hordes and unleashing skill after skill.
He overexerted himself to the point of coughing up blood.
But even he knew deep down—
"We must stop the intruders! Do not give up!"
—that they had already lost the war.
Desperately trying to maintain command, Shemitt lifted his head.
And what he saw was a deadly breath of poison falling from above.
Realizing his fate was sealed, Shemitt let out a final scream:
"Stop that ba—KRAAAAGHHH!!"
A scream—
both desperate and final,
marking the end of the war.