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Chapter 166: Star, Level 50 (5)

Considering it took at least a year to build one mask, Czestochowa was suffering a tremendous loss. She had not experienced this kind of humiliation since her battle against the Immortal Overlord, and to make things worse, she still couldn’t end the fight even though she had already used up so many masks.

[The Celestial ‘Big Sick Bug’ frowns, discontented.]

Even Xue Yong, her Guardian, seemed unhappy with the current situation. Unable to defeat Hyeon-Ryong and having lost the cryptical book, she had nothing but spite now.

“It looks seems all my Ring and Little Finger assassins have died… I didn’t think things would turn out this way.” Czestochowa wiped her face with her hands as her eyes gleamed. Although she was definitely smiling, she looked colder than ever.

She thought it wouldn’t be easy to kidnap the Child of the Prophecy because the French volunteer Players could interfere, but she never expected a young Asian man would be the one getting in her way, much less that young Asian man being her assassination target…

“I’ll kill you!” Czestochowa growled, planning to assassinate Chang-Sun at all costs. As the emperor of the criminal underworld, she couldn’t just walk away after being humiliated by her target. If this incident became public, it could affect the entire Crna Ruka Clan.

“I didn’t want to use this, but… I have no other choice,” Czestochowa murmured.

She picked the darkest of the many masks floating around her, which was grimacing so hard that it was hard to tell if it was angry, crying, or holding back laughter. It also had a burgundy-colored horn shining near the left part of the mask’s forehead.

[Equipped the ‘Grimacing Doggaebi Mask’!]

Hellbent on killing the Immortal Overlord for humiliating her, Czestochowa ceaselessly whipped herself for the past ten years to build this mask—no, persona. She didn’t plan on using it because her ego could crumble down once she put it on, but now was not the time to worry about that. She needed a weapon strong enough to kill not only Chang-Sun but also Hyeon-Ryong, the other White Tiger Clan Players, and the French volunteer Players.

“… Phew!” Czestochowa inhaled and exhaled for a moment, then put on the Doggaebi mask.

Click!

With a click, the mask perfectly fit her face.

Woosh!

Her dark eyes started to emit dark light as demonic energy twirled around her body, making her look like the Doggaebi king, which was born from darkness.

Pzzz―!

Swoosh…

Czestochowa soon disappeared into the wind as if she was never there in the first place.

* * *

“Arggh!”

“Urgh…!”

“H-how is he this str—!”

After defeating Ludovico with one strike, Chang-Sun overpowered all the French Players that resisted using [Tiger Kill] and [Tiger Chaos]. Perhaps it was because they were inside a narrow train compartment, but Chang-Sun didn’t have any difficulties subduing the Players. They helplessly collapsed to the floor with each swing of his whip before they could even find an opportunity to counterattack. Afterward, he tied their legs up with his whip to make them fall down on their faces and struck their wrists to make them drop their weapons.

[The ‘Nameless Hatchet’ is flying toward you!]

[The ‘Scorched Dagger’ is flying toward you!]

……

Smack, smack, smack!

The Players’ jaws dropped. They tried to subdue Chang-Sun by coming at him from his blind spots, but they were flung back when he hit their chests with projectiles. Swords, spears, whips, projectiles… it looked as if there was no weapon that Chang-Sun couldn’t handle. Moreover, they weren’t even sure how Chang-Sun could move as freely as the wind in a crowded, narrow train compartment.

“Arggh! My arm! My aaaarm!!”

“Ahhhh!”

“Urgh, uh…!”

Still down on the train floor, the Players threw up their breakfast or screamed in pain as they held their broken limbs. It was amazing no one had died, considering Chang-Sun mercilessly beat them all up.

Swoosh―!

Chang-Sun quickly passed by the Players and came up to Grizman ‘Iron Mask’ Adelie, whose arms were crossed.

Clang!

The sound of metals colliding echoed throughout the compartment when Chang-Sun thrust the [Yuchang Sword]. Grizman’s iron mask, which he was holding up like a shield, had blocked Chang-Sun’s attack. That was the first time his offensive was stopped since he boarded the train. The mask was ordinary, having holes for his eyes and mouth, except for the fact that it was made of iron. However, not only did it serve as Grizman’s trademark, but it was also what made him a renowned ‘Duke-Class’ high ranker that represented France.

With an expressionless face, he said, “I think you’ve blown off enough steam and that our Players have paid for their loose lips, so why don’t you cut it out? Considering our current situation, we can’t keep causing a ruckus like this anymore.”

Still not satisfied, Chang-Sun raised one of his eyebrows and scowled at Grizman. Everyone held their breath as they watched the two. One of them was a super rookie and was surely as powerful as a ranker, and the other was a high ranker that played an active role in the French Player society despite his past as a demonic being. Their clash would certainly cause incomparably severe damage.

This desert train was already unstable, so it could derail or overturn if they fought… If it did, all the Players here would be stranded in this Dungeon, which would make them good as dead. Hence, they couldn’t help but nervously hold their breath.

“I’ll take the back, so you take the front,” Chang-Sun concisely replied after withdrawing the [Yuchang Sword].

Grizman lowered his iron mask and politely bowed. “Thank you for your understanding.”

“…?”

“…?”

“…?”

Completely confused about what was going on, the other Players just blinked. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun and Grizman turned away from each other and headed in the direction that they had come from, just like they had agreed on. Looking back at the French Players blankly staring at him, Grizman said, “What are you all doing? Tend to the wounded and get to the front compartment. Do you want the train to overturn?”

The volunteer Players turned their attention outside the windows, finally comprehending what was going on.

Kiyeeeh!

Kyah! Kyaaah!

[A group of ‘Fire Pterosaurs’ has appeared!]

[A group of ‘Burned-up Wild Beasts’ is going after the desert train!]

…

[A significant number of monsters have found the desert train.]

[The hungry monsters have smelled prey.]

[A monster wave has begun. Protect the desert train from the monsters’ attacks.]

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

Countless giant birds resembling the archaeopteryx showed up in the sky as thousands of wild beasts ran toward the train. The monsters were always hungry since the rough terrain of the ‘Wuthering Stone Desert’ made it difficult to find food. The desert trains usually had humans inside them, however, so they instinctively considered them as feed buckets. That was why there was no way these monsters would miss this golden opportunity.

It didn’t matter how strong the Players inside the train were. The monsters were either going to starve to death or get killed in the middle of a hunt anyway, finding the train drove them crazy. These monsters were also the reason why the French Players were very reluctant to join the team that was going to clear the ‘Wuthering Stone Desert.’

“What are you all doing?!”

“Move to your locations! Hurry!”

“Wizards, buff the Players! Close-range combatants, get to the roof! Come on!”

The French Players hastily moved to the front compartment, and the White Tiger Clan Players moved to the back. this was what Chang-Sun wanted.

[The monsters have been overwhelmed with madness!]

[All the nearby monsters’ overall abilities have been increased by 20%.]

The situation turned tense.

* * *

[The monster wave has ended.]

[You have successfully thrown the monsters off the track, passing the first obstacle.]

[Additional rewards will be given in accordance with your contribution.]

[Biggest Contributor: Lee Chang-Sun]

…

“Ah… Fuck!”

“I almost died before I could even experience dating.”

When Shin Eun-Seo and Shin Geum-Gyu loosened up, their legs turned into jelly, causing them to fall to the ground. They were soaked in sweat, and their mouths had dried up completely.

Trying to fill up their stomach as much as possible, the monsters flew at them with bloodshot eyes like Undeads. Their behavior forced the Shin siblings to fight with all they had, making them curse constantly.

Woo Hye-Bin and Baek Gyeo-Ul had to fight fiercely as well on top of the moving train, exhausting them so much that they were so close to nodding off while leaning against the wall.

The monsters dealt significant damage to the French Players. Some of them disappeared to the sky, kidnapped by Fire Pterosaurs, while some were bitten on the neck and dragged outside the train.

It was mayhem. Even the Team L members could have gotten into danger several times… Imagining what could have happened if Chang-Sun didn’t help them made them instinctively shiver. However, the Shin siblings frowned, unable to rest even though the monster wave had come to an end.

“My, my, my, how can that short monster wave tire them out already? Tsk, tsk, what’s wrong with those young people?”

“When we were their age, we could fight for three straight days and still be fine. Tsk!”

The Council of Elders’ old monsters—the ‘Great Rotting Skull Devil’ Bu Yeong-Jin and ‘Red Goliath’ Tae Hong-Gak—unhappily shook their heads as they looked at the Team L members. Clenching her teeth, Eun-Seo was about to snap back in anger, but Geum-Gyu quickly grabbed her arm and shook his head, signaling her not to do it.

The two elders didn’t even help during the monster wave. Rather, Yeong-Jin even opened a potato chip bag, saying it was fun to watch it. This wasn’t the first time that the two elders sat on their hands. During the chaotic terror attack on the Safe Zone and the staredown between the White Tiger Clan Players and the French Players on the train, they acted as if they had nothing to do with it.

Those two were in charge during this business trip, so they should have protected the Team L members from the problems that they had gone through. The Team L members couldn’t say anything about their lack of action, though, since no one in the Clan could control the elders aside from the White Tiger Clan leader. That was why Geum-Gyu knew complaining about it was futile. Instead, the Team L members all turned their heads toward Chang-Sun.

As the biggest contributor, Chang-Sun was smeared with monster blood, but his eyes were gleaming coldly. He pulled out something from his inventory and threw it toward Yeong-Jin and Hong-Gak.

Yeong-Jin caught the paper with incomprehensible letters written on it. He looked at Chang-Sun in confusion, wondering what this was.

“That’s the copy of the cryptical book that Mireille Aliano had,” Chang-Sun said.

“…!”

“What…? You have already retrieved it?”

Yeong-Jin and Hong-Gak looked at Chang-Sun with shock, wondering how he got the cryptical book so quickly. The Team L members just blankly blinked. Although unsure of what was going on, they didn’t interrupt the conversation because they thought Chang-Sun and the elders were talking about something important.

『Haha, you’re using that here? You want to get rid of unnecessary tails, huh?』

Jin’s voice echoed in Chang-Sun’s head. It was Jin and the other subordinates who had made a copy of the cryptical book under Chang-Sun’s orders. The <Decryption> was completed after clearing ‘Wind Hell,’ making it easy to create a copy of it.

Chang-Sun had already absorbed the power in the cryptical book, though, so the White Tiger Clan members wouldn’t get anything out of it anymore no matter how hard they tried to decrypt it. They wouldn’t think that Chang-Sun had completed decrypting the book in such a short amount of time either.

‘It would take at least years to decrypt the cryptical book, so it would take a while to realize that.’?Chang-Sun assumed.

If things went in accordance with his plan, he would already have dismantled the White Tiger Clan and sealed Heoju by then.

‘With the first monster wave over, we should arrive at the first station soon. I can’t let them follow and bother me there,’?Chang-Sun thought.

“Did you say Rhaegaren? Anyhow, where exactly is Laevateinn stored?” Chang-Sun asked.

“It’s at the first station you’ll arrive at once you board the train. Find the entrance to the underground floor of that station,” Thanatos explained.?

“Underground floor?” Chang-Sun repeated.?

“Yes. that’s where Surtr’s main artery starts.” Thanatos nodded.?

Chang-Sun planned to act alone in the ‘Boiling Hell’ station. If the elders tried to follow him, things would become troublesome.

‘They’re not useful anyway,’?Chang-Sun thought.

Since they were only burdens to the Team L members, he decided to just get rid of them.

“How can I be sure you got the right item?” Yeong-Jin asked distrustfully and narrowed his eyes in contrast to the dumbstruck Hong-Gak, but Yeong-Jin’s reaction was understandable.

“Take a photo of that and send it to Korea. Won’t you be able to find out then?” Chang-Sun suggested.

“Hmm!” Yeong-Jin momentarily murmured. Chang-Sun was right. With his eyes still narrowed, he continued. “Well, you’re right, but I’ll rip you to shreds if I find out you lied to me. Why are you giving this to me now, though?”

The rotting-corpse smell that Yeong-Jin emitted seemed to thicken as he smiled crookedly. “You’re not telling us to get lost since we already got what we wanted, are you?”

“I am,” Chang-Sun nonchalantly replied.

Yeong-Jin and Hong-Gak froze up. “What did you just say?”

“Take that and get lost. Stop getting on my nerves,” Chang-Sun said.

Choo―!

The train whistle loudly blew, signaling that the train was about to stop.

[The desert train ‘ANG’ has arrived at the ‘Boiling Hell’ station.]

[The passengers who wish to disembark are advised to start preparing now.]