novelraw Chapter 68 : Catastrophe-Class Calamity (2)
Chapter 68 : Catastrophe-Class Calamity (2)
Chapter 68: Catastrophe-Class Calamity (2)
Gaslighting worked best when one was mentally cornered and exhausted.
Above all, it was most effective when the victim was trapped in a hellish place with no one to rely on.
Just like right now.
“Sniff… I—I only got this one message telling me not to let anyone find out, but I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do…. I don’t want to die. I don’t want that…. Sniff!”
“There, there.”
Yohan gently patted Lee Jaehwan on the shoulder.
He must have had it rough.
Having to hide his occupation and sell information to stronger people just to survive.
He no longer had to worry about that.
At least for Yohan, there was a creed — the life of one chosen to serve as a slave must always be protected.
“So, have you tried using your ability?”
After calming him down, Yohan asked carefully.
The revelations and prophecies received by the Heavenly Scribes were random.
Even they themselves didn’t know what they would record.
“Actually… there’s one thing I did receive.”
[Unique Ability ‘Future Diary’ is activated!]
As Lee Jaehwan spread his fingers, a golden book and a quill made from a white hawk’s feather appeared.
[Only the Saintess’s Sword can end the Gluttony of the Cursed Amusement Park. And the three sinners who hinder that holy will shall be judged. (359)]
That meant 359 Scribes had received the same prophecy.
‘Not all that rare, huh.’
As one’s proficiency improved, rarer and more precise prophecies would be granted.
The skilled ones received prophecies shared by fewer than twenty.
And the most exceptional Scribe would receive one-and-only prophecies.
Of course, finding a Scribe of that caliber in Episode (2) was practically impossible.
At best, there might be that one freak the Vatican had.
Ah, and perhaps that witch doctor somewhere in Africa too.
People’s greed truly knew no bounds.
‘And here I am talking big myself.’
After all, he was the only individual in this phase who had secured a Scribe.
Anyway.
Yohan’s eyes narrowed as he read the prophecy.
‘A Saintess, huh….’
Apparently, to finish off Gluttony, a Saintess’s strike was required — and the prophecy declared that anyone who obstructed her sacred will would be decapitated.
But he couldn’t just hand over Gluttony — that hunting prey — entirely to the Saintess either.
Things were getting troublesome.
“How long will it take until the next revelation?”
“T-that… even at the shortest, about three days. Maybe six hours more from now.”
So the cooldown was at least three days.
In a few more hours, he could get new information.
That was, at least, some good news amidst the bad.
Yeah. In this damn difficulty, there had to be something tolerable like this.
“For now, that helped a lot. Thanks.”
“Haha, I’m glad to hear that.”
Lee Jaehwan scratched his head bashfully.
Yohan decided he’d need to raise this one with care.
If he wanted to exert influence among the Scribes, he’d have to nurture him much further.
Just then—
“Ku-haha! Now this is living. Alright, shall we get going again? Time to crush some monster skulls with vigor and spirit!”
Having recovered after eating meat, Ragnar Lodbrok cracked his joints as he stood up.
Before they knew it, fifteen minutes had already passed.
＊＊＊
An hour later.
Yohan finally arrived at the entrance to O-World.
“Grrr….”
“Kwa-ru. Gruluk.”
Muscular Minotaurs.
The sentinels prowling about with halberds and massive hammers all radiated a fierce, intimidating aura.
Creatures that could easily serve as bosses in most dungeons — here, they were merely gatekeepers.
And along the walls, he saw carnivorous plants with green vines and vivid blossoms growing thick.
All of them were species blessed with the divinity of the Moon (月).
The situation was worse than expected.
It meant this whole area had already been completely turned into a stronghold.
‘And as if dealing with Gluttony, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, wasn’t bad enough… this is insane.’
Originally, Gluttony wasn’t even meant to be hunted this early.
It was more like a performance — a taste of the Apocalypse’s “spicy difficulty.”
Of course, there were a few broken monsters on their side too.
The problem was—
It was difficult to openly use Vivian.
Back in the Ice Cave, that vampire Kalard had set up tricks to conceal his presence.
And that place hadn’t particularly drawn much attention from the Administrators.
But here was different.
This was the nest of the boss monster — the very core of Episode (2).
Naturally, countless Administrators would be focused on everything happening here.
‘I do have a few trump cards prepared, but I’ll need some luck to pull this off.’
He couldn’t forget the restrictions of Great Misfortune, having to fight against an entity with the status of the 2nd Moon or higher.
Nor could he ignore the presence of Cain Belmaier, the priest of the Requiem Cult he had met on the train.
“Hm. Doesn’t look like there’s much of a weak point to break through?”
“Ku-haha! Lagertha, what are you saying? Wherever I tread becomes the path itself!”
Yohan grabbed Ragnar Lodbrok’s beard just as he tried to stand.
“Uwooooh! M-my glorious beard! It’s tearing! It’s really tearing off!”
“Sit still before I shave you clean and make you a smooth, shiny Viking warrior.”
Charging head-on there—was that something a sane person would suggest?
“Then what, are we just going to sit and watch? I’m no coward!”
Who said they’d just sit still?
It only meant they should think before they moved.
Not rush in like him and regret it later.
“Seriously… how did my life end up so twisted like this….”
Go Hanil, trembling from tension, smoked a strangely shaped cigarette off to one side.
About fifteen minutes passed as they analyzed the stronghold’s traits and weaknesses.
Then suddenly—
Rustle.
With the sound of grass being pushed aside, a group of people appeared.
“Huh?”
“People?”
A man and woman, both clearly flustered.
Unlike the looters they’d encountered on the way, these ones were properly equipped.
Judging by their matching insignias, they belonged to the same guild.
Two crossed swords — that was unmistakably…
‘Twinsword.’
So even a guild from America was participating in this episode, huh.
Their overall scale was just below that of a mid-tier guild — no particularly memorable rankers among them.
At best, their master was a somewhat known tank.
“Who the hell are you people!”
“Tch! Bandits?”
Ragnar Lodbrok and Lagertha immediately leveled their weapons forward.
“Please, calm down! We’re not here to side with the boss!”
The man in front quickly raised both hands.
Short blond hair, blue eyes.
A well-built man standing around 185 centimeters tall.
“I’m Samuel, raid leader of Twinsword. We’ve been scouting around O-World, looking for brave ones willing to fight the boss with us.”
“I am Ragnar Lodbrok of the Warhammer Guild! If you speak of courage, you cannot leave me out of it!”
Thud, thud!
He pounded his chest, flaunting his muscles.
Even though Samuel was quite large himself, he still looked a head shorter in front of Lodbrok.
“I’ve heard of the Warhammer Guild. Warriors composed of the elite among elites — the very ones who fought against the Dark Continent.”
“Khmm! Young man, you’ve got a keen eye. But if you’re trying to flatter me, I’ll say this in advance — a great warrior does not fall for such things.”
Yet, despite saying that, his face flushed and the corners of his mouth twitched.
If he’d had a tail, it would have been wagging wildly side to side.
“More importantly, about what you said — are you serious about fighting?”
Yohan stepped in.
“Of course. To leech off the boss and murder others to survive? No sane person would even consider such a thing.”
After thirty days, the second episode would end.
When their atrocities came to light, they’d be branded as enemies of the world and judged accordingly.
They were looking far beyond immediate hunger — to a much greater future.
“For now, let us discuss this among ourselves.”
“Please make it quick. We don’t have much time.”
Samuel stepped aside.
“I’m in favor!”
Ragnar Lodbrok raised his fist high.
Of course he was — just because someone called him a warrior.
Even if those people had been priests of the Requiem Cult wearing hoods, he’d still have agreed.
“I’m against it. Forcing coordination with people we don’t mesh with is worse than going on our own.”
Lagertha surprisingly voted against.
So not all Vikings were hot-headed and brainless after all.
“I think it’s better if we work together. Park Juhee also disappeared suddenly. The more allies we have, the better, don’t you think?”
Because of Go Hanil, one more vote was added to the approval side.
“Hehe.”
Vivian only gave a faint, enigmatic smile — practically an abstention.
The still-new Lee Jaehwan shyly withdrew to the back.
Naturally, democracy did not apply to this decision.
It was a system where the one person most capable of making a rational choice decided everything.
Yohan made his decision, guided by long experience and instinct.
“We’ll join them.”
To be honest, both options had pros and cons.
But this time, the potential return seemed far greater than the risk.
Not just in a good way, but also in a bad way.
“Well, fine. You’ve managed to get us through plenty of crises before, brother. I’m sure you’ve got a plan this time too.”
Lagertha nodded obediently.
Once the opinions aligned, Yohan summoned the Squirrel of the Reed Hill in Winter.
“Deliver this letter to that person. Don’t be late. You must hurry.”
“Squeak!”
The squirrel saluted with its tiny paw and quickly darted off into the forest.
Good.
That took care of the insurance.
Now, it was time to begin the main game.
Yohan approached Samuel, who had been waiting.
“You made the right call. Having capable people on our side is a relief.”
Samuel smiled as he gave a brief summary of the situation.
Currently, Twinsword’s raid team numbered eleven members in total. In addition, they had gathered several hunters from other guilds and solo players to form a coalition raid force.
“It’s not just us. On the opposite entrance, Hunter Jung Seongtae is also forming a raid team and preparing to enter.”
Jung Seongtae…
He was an A-rank ranger from the Monarch Guild.
He sure kept running into that guy often.
“The boss monster won’t be easy. There’ll be plenty of things trying to get in our way too.”
Yohan warned, recalling Gluttony.
“I’m well aware that our survival odds aren’t high. But it’s not like we can avoid this, right?”
That was true enough.
Still, it was reassuring that their new allies seemed dependable.
Yohan’s eyes scanned the equipment Samuel was wearing.
‘A set item, huh….’
Even if it was only B-grade, it was still a full set item.
Helmet, armor, wrist guards, and boots.
Four pieces in total.
How many hunters at this stage could boast such gear?
At most, not more than ten.
The rest of Twinsword’s raiders also seemed unusually well-equipped.
Right then—
Boom!
A red firework exploded in the sky about one kilometer away.
“That’s the signal!”
Samuel shouted.
Immediately, everyone moved in perfect coordination.
Their destination — the sewers.
While Jung Seongtae and the Monarch Guild, the strongest force, drew attention above, the rest of the raid would infiltrate deep into the heart of O-World through the sewers and side passages.
After that, they would use a large-scale teleportation to summon Jung Seongtae and the top-ranking elites for an all-out assault on the boss — that was the core of the plan.
In less than a minute, they reached the stairs leading underground.
Like the Ice Cave in the mart, this place too had been warped by its transformation into a stronghold.
“Most of the monsters are concentrated above, so this area should be relatively safe.”
That was intel brought back by Twinsword Guild’s rangers.
Though it was dark and half their bodies were submerged in water, they judged it safer than the alternative.
However—
‘With fifteen or more people in the sewers… that thing might appear.’
It could actually be even more dangerous than a frontal assault.
“Is it really wise for this many people to go into the sewers? It’s cramped — it’ll be hard to fight properly.”
“Eh? Ah, I understand your concern, but the monsters down here don’t have high status ranks. We’ll be moving quietly and stealthily, so there shouldn’t be much fighting anyway. Our rangers already mapped the route.”
Samuel spoke with confident assurance.
Yohan wanted to give a stronger warning, but that wasn’t an option.
He couldn’t exactly reveal he was a thousandth-run veteran. And if the rangers said it was fine, what grounds did he have to argue otherwise?
Speaking up needlessly would only make them suspicious.
Well… it’d probably be fine.
The odds of an encounter were less than three percent anyway.
[Lee Junghoo activates Lv1 ‘Luminous Firefly’!]
[A Vision Scroll has been used!]
Magic-type hunters used light spells.
Splash!
Tankers and warrior-type hunters took the lead.
Melee dealers and ranged dealers positioned themselves behind, with healers and supporters in the rear.
About thirty minutes passed as they cautiously explored the maze-like sewers.
Only the sound of water being gently disturbed echoed in the suffocating stillness.
Ssshh—
He really hated this kind of atmosphere.
It felt exactly like the moment right before a ghost or killer jumped out in a horror movie.
‘No way… It’s less than a three percent chance. There’s no way we’d actually trigger it, right?’
They called him an unlucky character, sure — but that would be crossing the line.
Still, in Hell Difficulty, even thoughts could take shape.
Ripple.
The surface of the water trembled faintly.
Splash!
The once calm waves suddenly grew violent.
“S-something’s in the water!”
Lee Jaehwan screamed — and at that same instant—
Shhhhhh!
Something massive burst out from beneath the water.
Damn it.
Didn’t he say so?
That sending fifteen or more people into these sewers was dangerous.