Sang-hyeok selected entry immediately.
[Public Name: Private]
[Protected Appearance: Black Mask]
A black mask covered Sang-hyeok’s face.
「Beginning matchmaking for Lv.15 Limited Cooperative Battlefield.」
「Moving to Cooperative Battlefield waiting area.」
FLASH!
When the light faded, Sang-hyeok stood in the middle of a circular stone chamber.
The three people waiting for their final party member all turned at once and examined the newly arrived Sang-hyeok.
At the same time, their public information appeared before him one after another.
A sturdy man holding a red spear.
[China / Lv.15]
[Public Name: Ironblood Spear]
A short-haired woman with silver twin swords at her waist.
[Japan / Lv.15]
[Public Name: Shirogane]
A Korean man holding a staff embedded with a blue jewel.
[Republic of Korea / Lv.15]
[Public Name: Keep Spells Short]
Sang-hyeok’s information appeared in the fourth slot.
[Republic of Korea / Lv.15]
[Public Name: Private]
In the Lv.15 Cooperative Battlefield, where each person normally handled one Command Point, it was an unwritten custom for a completed party to introduce their names and roles first.
After confirming that the final member was also Korean, Keep Spells Short held his staff upright before his chest and spoke first.
“The last member is Korean too. I’m Keep Spells Short. I’ll provide fire support from the rear.”
Ironblood Spear gave a short nod and planted the shaft of his red spear against the floor.
“Ironblood Spear. I’ll take the front line.”
Shirogane looked at Sang-hyeok’s black mask for a moment before lightly bowing.
“I’m Shirogane. I’ll handle fast enemies and anything that slips through the formation.”
All three looked toward Sang-hyeok.
“Private. I’m close-range too.”
Ironblood Spear’s gaze settled on Sang-hyeok’s empty hands.
“Your weapon?”
“Bare hands.”
Ironblood Spear’s eyebrow rose slightly, but he asked nothing more.
After the brief introductions, Keep Spells Short looked over the four members.
“Two front-liners, one mobile skirmisher, and one rear support. The composition is decent.”
Ding.
「4-person matching complete.」
「Entering Lv.15 Limited Cooperative Battlefield <Ownerless Legion>.」
FLASH!
Black light swallowed the four of them.
A moment later, Sang-hyeok’s feet touched solid ground.
When the light faded, a gigantic underground barracks appeared.
At the eastern, western, southern, and northern ends stood one Command Point each, containing a red crystal.
At the center rose an enormous monument shaped like a sharpened black spear.
[Battlefield Command Core]
[Current Master: None]
[Legion Control: Active]
Hundreds of legion soldiers in black armor stood packed between the four points and the Central Command Core.
Curved horns protruded from both sides of their helmets, and sharp teeth could be seen through their face guards.
[Demonic Legion Soldier]
[Lv.15]
The legion soldiers stood with their heads lowered, not moving at all.
Ironblood Spear raised his red spear.
“When it starts, each of us takes the nearest point.”
Keep Spells Short and Shirogane readjusted their weapons.
Sang-hyeok looked toward the Central Command Core.
At that moment.
THUD.
The Heart of the Apocalyptic Demon Dragon beat heavily.
VMMMM!
The red light surrounding the Command Core shook violently.
The bodies of the legion soldiers standing with lowered heads twitched in unison.
At the same time, a system message appeared before Sang-hyeok.
「Battlefield Command Core has detected the authority of a superior ruler.」
[Detected Source: <Heart of the Apocalyptic Demon Dragon>]
Clack.
One legion soldier in the front row raised its head.
Clack.
Clack-clack-clack.
The same movement spread through the barracks.
Hundreds of pairs of red eyes fixed on Sang-hyeok at once.
The other three party members followed the legion soldiers’ gazes and turned toward the man in the black mask.
Even Ironblood Spear could not hide his confusion.
“What is this……?”
He looked between the soldiers and Sang-hyeok, then held his red spear diagonally and stepped in front of Sang-hyeok.
“I don’t know why, but they’re all looking only at you. Get back for now.”
At that exact moment, a legion soldier in the front row slowly lowered its spear tip.
It took a step toward Sang-hyeok and tried to kneel on one knee.
The red light of the Command Core flashed brightly.
The legion soldier’s body jerked.
Its knee, which had almost touched the floor, was forced straight again.
The lowered spear tip also rose and aimed at Sang-hyeok.
But the arm holding the spear was still trembling faintly.
[Battlefield Command Core increases control output.]
[Legion command orders are conflicting.]
“The legion soldiers are acting strangely.”
Keep Spells Short muttered in surprise.
He had cleared this battlefield many times for farming, but this was the first time he had ever seen the legion soldiers resist the Command Core’s orders.
Just as he tried to guess the cause, the Central Command Core released a fierce red light.
RUMBLE!
「Lv.15 Limited Cooperative Battlefield <Ownerless Legion> begins.」
[Command Points Occupied: 0/4]
[Central Command Core Barrier: Active]
[Battlefield Command Core has detected a control intruder.]
[Priority Elimination Target: Republic of Korea / Public Name Private]
THUD!
Hundreds of legion soldiers kicked off the floor at once in response to the Command Core’s order.
They ignored the other three entirely and rushed only toward Sang-hyeok.
“Are they insane? Why are all of them targeting one person?”
Ironblood Spear tightened his grip on the red spear while standing in front of Sang-hyeok.
Shirogane also drew both swords and stared at the legion with a hardened expression.
“This battlefield is wrong. I’ve never seen them move like this.”
Then Sang-hyeok spoke.
“You three go to the points.”
Unlike the confused party members, his voice remained calm.
Ironblood Spear turned around as though he had misheard.
“What do you mean?”
“They’re only targeting me right now. I’ll kite them, so you occupy the empty points.”
Because every legion soldier had gathered toward Sang-hyeok, the routes to three Command Points were completely empty.
Sang-hyeok pointed toward them in order.
“Ironblood Spear, take the east. Keep Spells Short, take the south.”
Finally, he looked at the fastest member, Shirogane.
“Shirogane, occupy the west and immediately move to the north.”
Shirogane stared at Sang-hyeok.
“Two points by myself?”
“Yeah. As long as every one of them keeps chasing me, you can occupy them one after the other.”
Shirogane was momentarily speechless.
Ironblood Spear swept his gaze over the legion already closing in, then turned back to Sang-hyeok.
“You seriously plan to kite all of that alone?”
“Yeah.”
Ironblood Spear still thought Sang-hyeok might simply be acting reckless.
But there was no bravado or tension in Sang-hyeok.
Even with hundreds of legion soldiers almost upon him, he looked as calm as someone who had already finished every calculation.
Ironblood Spear’s throat moved once.
The objection he had been about to make never came out.
Sang-hyeok’s composure crushed the other three’s agitation at once.
Ironblood Spear turned his spear first.
“Just don’t die.”
The three party members scattered toward the eastern, western, and southern Command Points.
Under the original plan, Sang-hyeok should also have occupied one point before heading toward the center.
But if the entire legion chased only him, there was no need.
He only had to keep the legion occupied while the other three took the four points one after another.
Sang-hyeok immediately began running along the outer edge of the barracks.
RUMBLE!
Hundreds of legion soldiers followed behind him like an enormous wave.
Not a single one broke formation to chase the other party members.
Whenever the front ranks began catching up, Sang-hyeok increased his speed.
Whenever the formation started spreading out, he slowed down again.
The longer he maintained a distance that seemed just within reach, the more violently the legion soldiers roared and chased him.
Like that, the entire legion remained packed into one mass and moved farther and farther from the four Command Points.
By the time Sang-hyeok had led the legion one full lap around the barracks.
Ding.
[East Command Point occupied.]
[Command Points Occupied: 1/4]
[South Command Point occupied.]
[Command Points Occupied: 2/4]
[West Command Point occupied.]
[Command Points Occupied: 3/4]
[Central Command Core Barrier Output: 25%]
Shirogane removed her hand from the western point and immediately ran toward the north.
The legion soldiers who should have gone to recapture the undefended western point continued chasing only Sang-hyeok.
A moment later, the final notification appeared.
[North Command Point occupied.]
[Command Points Occupied: 4/4]
[Central Command Core Barrier Output: 0%]
[Occupation Maintenance Time: 03:00]
RUMBLE!
Blue light rose from all four Command Points and surrounded the Central Command Core.
Large cracks spread across the red barrier before it shattered.
CRASH!
[Central Command Core barrier is released.]
Ironblood Spear’s voice came through party communication.
“We only need to defend them for three minutes now. Then the basic clear is done.”
“All three of you go to the center.”
Sang-hyeok pointed toward the Command Core.
“Attack it while the barrier is gone.”
“Is it all right to leave the points?”
At Keep Spells Short’s question, Sang-hyeok glanced back at the legion chasing him.
“They don’t care about the points.”
The three had already confirmed it themselves.
All four Command Points stood empty, yet the legion soldiers did not even look at them.
They only chased Sang-hyeok’s back.
Keep Spells Short let out an incredulous laugh.
“What are you, the Pied Piper? How did you get the entire legion to follow only you?”
At that moment, Shirogane checked Sang-hyeok’s public information again and her eyes widened.
“Wait. A Republic of Korea Private player who reached Lv.15 today…….”
She looked toward the black mask running around the edge of the barracks.
“Are you the Impossible One?”
Ironblood Spear snorted.
“Come on. The conditions just happen to match. What are the chances the Impossible One actually ended up in our—”
Instead of answering, Sang-hyeok gave a short laugh.
Ironblood Spear’s voice trailed off.
“……What? Seriously?”
“Break the Command Core.”
It was neither confirmation nor denial.
But that was enough for all three.
Ironblood Spear stared at Sang-hyeok for a moment, then burst into a hearty laugh.
“Ha! I knew there was something unusual about you. To think I’d end up in the same party as the Impossible One. What an honor!”
He pointed his red spear toward the center.
“Fine. Leave the Command Core to us!”
Ironblood Spear, Shirogane, and Keep Spells Short all ran toward the center.
Sang-hyeok continued circling the outside of the barracks and kept the legion occupied.
The situation actually looked better than the plan he had made before entering.
In the public video, the four players had barely been able to attack the Command Core because they were busy stopping legion soldiers.
Now, the other three could pour all of their firepower into the core for the entire remaining period without any interference.
At this rate, perhaps Sang-hyeok would not even need to go to the center himself.
The instant the three party members reached the Command Core.
“Here we go!”
Keep Spells Short thrust out his staff.
Blue mana projectiles hammered the front of the Command Core, while red spear strikes and silver sword light struck repeatedly from both sides.
KRA-KRA-KRA-BOOM!
Stone fragments flew from the surface of the black monument with every explosion.
The three continued attacking without pause.
But after thirty seconds, the result was far worse than expected.
[Time Remaining: 02:30]
[Central Command Core Durability: 98%]
“Only two percent?”
Ironblood Spear’s expression hardened.
Keep Spells Short also quickly calculated the time remaining.
“This won’t work. At this rate, even if we attack until the end, we won’t reduce its durability by twenty percent.”
The party in the public video that had reduced the Command Core to seventy-one percent had been made up of the best super rookies major Eastern Channel guilds could gather for a complete-clear attempt.
Sang-hyeok knew their skill had been exceptional.
Even so, he had judged that these three should be able to destroy the Command Core if they had the full three minutes to attack without interference.
The actual gap was greater than he expected.
Ironblood Spear, Shirogane, and Keep Spells Short were not weak.
The four players in the video had simply been unusually powerful even among others of the same level.
Shirogane clenched her teeth and brought down both swords again.
CLANG!
One more shallow scratch appeared on the Command Core.
It did not even change the durability value.
“This… can’t be broken.”
Sang-hyeok checked the Command Core’s durability and then the legion pursuing him.
If he was satisfied with the basic clear, all he had to do was keep running until the timer ended.
But he had no intention of giving up the complete-clear reward with an Authority Factor attached to it.
‘I have to go after all.’
Sang-hyeok changed direction and ran toward the center.
“You three, get away from the Command Core.”
“Are you coming here yourself?”
“I’ll break it.”
Before Ironblood Spear could answer, Sang-hyeok accelerated toward the center.
Because he had changed direction several times while leading the legion around the outer edge, part of the long formation now blocked the shortest path toward the center.
Going around them would only reduce the time available to attack the Command Core.
Sang-hyeok chose the shortest route and charged directly into the legion soldiers.
GRAAAH!
Swords and spears poured toward him from every direction.
Sang-hyeok spread <Extinction Devouring> as widely as he could over his right hand.
FLASH!
The black energy spread in a fan shape and completely erased the weapons and bodies of the legion soldiers blocking his path.
Black sand poured down, opening a route for a moment.
Dozens of soldiers behind them immediately filled the empty space.
<Extinction Devouring> erased anything it touched without fail.
But there was a limit to how wide an area it could cover at once.
‘If I had the power to sweep away that entire formation in one attack.’
What Sang-hyeok currently lacked became painfully clear.
But he could not stop and regret a power he did not yet possess.
‘For now, I break through with what I have.’
At that moment.
THUD!
The Heart of the Apocalyptic Demon Dragon beat powerfully, as though responding to his will.
The swords and spears pouring toward Sang-hyeok froze in midair for an instant.
Sang-hyeok did not waste the brief opening.
He drove deep into the legion’s formation.
HISSSS!
Every sweep of his right hand turned the legion soldiers blocking him into black sand.
When those behind them filled the gap, he opened the path again with <Extinction Devouring>.
Like that, Sang-hyeok broke straight through the legion and drew closer to the center.
The three party members in front of the Command Core watched the entire scene.
Wherever Sang-hyeok’s hands passed, weapons and armor vanished without a trace.
So did the bodies inside them.
The mana projectile in front of Keep Spells Short’s staff wavered.
“That… is the Impossible One’s Authority.”
Only then did the three understand why Sang-hyeok had said he fought barehanded.
It was not that he lacked a weapon.
He simply had no need for one.
Sang-hyeok opened party communication.
“I’ll destroy the Command Core. Cover my back.”
A moment earlier, they would not have believed someone claiming they could erase the Command Core barehanded.
This time, no one questioned him.
Ironblood Spear was the first to run toward Sang-hyeok.
“You heard him! Hold the pursuit until the Impossible One reaches the Command Core!”
Shirogane and Keep Spells Short followed immediately.
Ironblood Spear swung his red spear and knocked back the leading pursuers.
Shirogane’s twin swords cut the legs from legion soldiers pushing in from both sides.
Blue mana projectiles from Keep Spells Short exploded repeatedly between them.
While the three party members held the pursuit back, Sang-hyeok erased the final soldiers blocking him with <Extinction Devouring> and reached the Central Command Core.
[Time Remaining: 02:11]
[Central Command Core Durability: 98%]
Sang-hyeok placed his right hand on the black monument.
‘<Extinction Devouring>.’
HISSSS!
Black energy blooming beneath his palm dug into the Command Core.
The monument the other three had attacked for dozens of seconds without leaving more than scratches began crumbling into black sand from the point Sang-hyeok touched.
[Central Command Core Durability: 63%]
[Central Command Core Durability: 17%]
VMMMMMM!
The Command Core shook violently and poured out red light.
Sang-hyeok did not remove his right hand.
He pushed even more mana into <Extinction Devouring>.
FSSSSSS!
At last, black energy swallowed the entire Command Core.
[Central Command Core Durability: 0%]
「Battlefield Command Core has been destroyed.」
「Forced control applied to the demonic legion ends.」
The enormous monument rising like a black spear collapsed into black sand from its base.
The legion soldiers, having lost their control source, all stopped moving at once.
The red lights inside their helmets flickered unstably, but their weapons remained in their hands.
Then.
THUD.
The Heart of the Apocalyptic Demon Dragon beat powerfully once more.
[Low-ranking demonic legion that has lost its ruler detects the authority of a superior ruler.]
[Detected Source: <Heart of the Apocalyptic Demon Dragon>]
[Temporary Battlefield-Limited Command Authority acquired.]
Clack.
Hundreds of legion soldiers turned toward Sang-hyeok at once.
It was the same sight as when the battlefield began.
But this time, they were not looking at him in order to kill him.
They were waiting for the command of their new master.