Chapter 280: Chapter 280

Chapter 280: Turbulent Situation (2)

The office submerged in darkness.

The High Priest of the Shadows, Persen, stared at the large screen filling the wall.

Breaking news pouring out simultaneously from dozens of news channels blurred colorfully over his pale face.

[Breaking News]: Suspected S-rank Gate appears in Kinshasa, capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo

[Breaking News]: Nigeria, Lagos, cause-unknown mana rampage phenomenon occurs

[Breaking News]: Simultaneous gate explosions in 3 inland provinces of China—

The anchors' urgent voices overlapped and rang out.

Cities on the screen burned, and people screamed and fled.

It was a scene no different from a hellscape.

However, a bright smile was spreading on Persen's lips.

“Magenta, for the end of a foolish daughter—”

He snapped his fingers lightly.

Black smoke rose in the empty air, and a globe harboring blue light slowly took shape.

Red dots flickered like a pulse on the planet projected as a hologram.

“It was sufficiently useful.”

The Chinese continent was dyed in an exceptionally deep blood color.

The wave of mana that spread out centered on Shanghai was penetrating deep inland, eroding the earth like cancer cells.

Magenta’s blood and flesh, bones, and even soul.

It must be because all of that melted down while caught in Earth's bind.

Persen’s black eyes scanned the globe.

African continent, five red dots.

Southeast Asia, three.

South America inland, two.

As his finger cut through the air, the globe zoomed in. Numerical data flowed down.

Mana concentration, dimensional boundary stability, gate occurrence frequency, etc. All indicators were drawing a steep upward curve.

“The door is widening.”

Persen placed the globe on his palm.

Like a child playing with a toy, the planet slowly rotated at his fingertips.

“Ascension will begin before long.”

Fine wrinkles deepened around his eyes. It was a gentle smile. A benevolent expression, like a grandfather looking at his grandchild.

But deep within those black pupils, madness thicker than the abyss was rippling.

“This old servant shall surely prepare Your throne…….”

A shadow cast over the hologram globe.

The shape of a giant spider was slowly, yet surely, encroaching upon the world as if embracing the planet.

Seo Yerim stopped walking.

In the middle of Myeongdong.

The streets that used to be familiar felt strange.

No, it wasn't just strange.

It was a completely different world.

The news headlines seen on the mobile phone.

Gate explosions, mana rampages, simultaneous disasters.

That alone was shocking enough.

The scene unfolded before her eyes was on a different dimension.

One street signboard caught her eye.

Muscular green skin, sharp fangs. And a massive muscular Orc posing for bodybuilding while wearing only briefs.

『I take responsibility for your stamina! PT Expert Kim Orc!』

『Steel stamina completed in a month with Orc-style training!』

Seo Yerim’s eyes widened.

The Orc in the signboard was giving a thumbs up while grinning, revealing his teeth.

Below that, student reviews were packed.

‘Thanks to the teacher, I solo cleared an E-rank gate TT’

‘Thought I’d die from Orc-style squats, but the effect is crazy!’

Her gaze moved to the side.

It was a flower shop.

But it was no ordinary flower shop.

Pointy ears. Long hair shining silver. A beautiful face far transcending human standards of beauty.

An Elf woman was skillfully making bouquets, and a line stretched endlessly in front of the shop.

Even the employee handing out waiting number plates was flustered.

“Excuse me, what number is the wait?”

Despite grumbling, no one left the line.

A bouquet made by an Elf.

That scarcity alone made it worth enough.

Seo Yerim’s head turned to the opposite side.

It was a Dwarf workshop.

A Dwarf, short but with forearms as thick as thighs, was striking with a hammer, and Awakened holding weapons and armor were lined up in front of the shop.

“Mister, how long will this repair take?”

“Hmm. With a crack of this level, it’ll take three days!”

“Three days?! But I have to enter a gate tomorrow?”

“Then the express fee is triple. What will you do?”

The Awakened opened his wallet with a crying face.

“Kuhahaha! Let’s have an exciting run today too!”

A massive Barbarian laughing heartily was seen mingling with human Awakened and entering a gate.

The world had completely flipped while she was away at the Heavenly City.

“Crazy. What is all this?”

A soft laugh was heard from the side.

“Surprising, isn't it?”

“It's not just surprising, I think I'm going to lose my mind?!”

Seo Yerim clutched her head with both hands.

Han Siah smiled serenely.

“All of this is due to Mr. Minwoo’s grace.”

“Have you heard of the Planetary Alliance? Thanks to the treaty concluded by Mr. Minwoo, non-human races can freely travel to and from Earth.”

Seo Yerim’s eyes grew wide.

Han Siah continued speaking while looking out the window.

“Yes. It is all a landscape created by Mr. Minwoo.”

A holy light rippled deep within her black pupils.

Like a priest talking about a god.

Seo Yerim looked around the street once again.

Orc PT Trainer. Elf Flower Shop. Dwarf Smithy. Barbarian Gate Party.

She had seen similar landscapes in the Heavenly City, but this was Earth.

It was the middle of Seoul where she was born and raised.

‘Just what did Brother do?’

The moment she tried to organize her confused mind.

Seo Yerim’s gaze turned toward the sky.

A massive shadow cutting across the sky above Myeongdong.

The shape of a dragon made only of bones was leisurely spreading its wings and circling above the city center.

Blue ghost fire blazed in its empty eye sockets, and the street trees swayed in the wind caused by its massive wing flaps.

And it wasn't just one.

As she broadened her view, she spotted skeletal dragons flying as if patrolling all over the Seoul sky.

Like gargoyles guarding a medieval lord's castle, they were silently looking down at the city.

Seo Yerim trailed off.

“Yes. They are Mr. Minwoo’s undead.”

“No, I get that. But why are so many floating up there?”

“Because the frequency of gate occurrences has increased tremendously.”

Han Siah’s voice continued calmly.

“Since the Shanghai incident, gates have exploded exponentially worldwide. Seoul is no exception. Because there are many cases where they burst simultaneously, those Bone Dragons are patrolling 24 hours a day. So they can respond immediately if a gate bursts.”

Seo Yerim looked up at the sky again.

Sunlight shattered between the wing flaps of the skeletal dragons.

It was a grotesque yet somehow magnificent sight.

Han Siah smiled softly.

“You will also become very busy from now on. Just like the other Awakened.”

Kim Minwoo looked into the mirror.

Conditions 1, 2, and 3 of the Demon Eye were all achieved.

As he contemplated himself, new conditions appeared on the Path of Growth.

[4. Go to the Demon Realm and undergo the Ranking Battle.]

[5. Meet Medea in the Heavenly City.]

[6. Use the ‘Old Key’.]

First, the Demon Realm.

‘The Demon God’s trial was waiting.’

It takes place a total of three times, and the first trial covers the Lords from rank 72 to 49.

Currently, he was the proxy of Vulcan, who occupied the seat of the 72nd Demon Lord.

It was said to open in a month in Demon Realm time, and that deadline was slowly approaching.

‘Medea of the Heavenly City is…….’

One of the Seven Lords, the rulers of the city.

Expelled from the Eastern Witch Coven, she was said to be performing a specific mission in the Heavenly City.

Because of the covenant made with Ananke, she said she could grant three requests.

‘Though that scope wasn't unlimited wish tickets.’

Since she said Medea would come to find him if he moved to the Heavenly City, he could meet her then.

The Old Key seen last was an item obtained from the past Super Rookie Selection Match.

A nuclear bomb was 10 million points.

But a single small key was a whopping 5 million points.

‘It means finding where it opens is a jackpot…….’

He still didn't know where that was.

What he had to do first was decided.

‘First, I should undergo the Ranking Battle.’

〈Everything has meaning only if you survive.〉

〈A stage shall be given.〉

〈It will be the coldest, the hottest, food will be woefully insufficient, and the mind will always be weary.〉

〈The given environment will lead you to death, but…….〉

〈Survive nonetheless. Longest, and enduringly.〉

〈Thus, the theme is decided, and it is ‘Survival’.〉

The Demon God’s theme is precisely survival.

The theme is simple, but the subject of the trial was the Demon God.

‘Then clumsy tricks won’t work at all, right?’

Like packing food in the inventory, drinking potions, using items, etc.

It feels like most things will be blocked.

“Well, if it really doesn't work, I can just endure with guts. Preparation is all done too…….”

He had asked the guild members about the Korean side.

Plus, since the elders were there, there wouldn't be big problems.

If there was one thing weighing on his mind, it was the Shadows.

‘I won’t be able to find him right now.’

From the start, the guy called the High Priest was an existence that didn't exist in the Stage 5 setting. If such a guy decided to hide, how could he be found? He had attempted to search in his own way, but no meaningful information was caught.

It was just that gates were exploding frequently.

If they were plotting something, it was enough to simply raise the power to strike back eventually.

The moment he used the invitation Andromalius gave him.

―You’ve arrived. You were almost late.

“Sorry. Something came up.”

―It is fine. I merely extended the invitation's validity period a little, that’s all. Let us go.

Andromalius gestured.

The empty air tore open, revealing a dark red dimensional gate, and three existences were sucked into it.

The place they arrived at was a circular arena of a scale transcending imagination. Spectator seats carved from black granite soared to the ends of the sky, and blood-colored clouds swirled at the peak.

In the training ground at the center of the arena, hundreds of all kinds of non-human races were gathered.

Demons, Majins, Corrupted Spirits, Androids, and even lifeforms appearing to be Yokai.

The proxies summoned by the Demon Lords flashed their eyes, each harboring killing intent, wary of one another.

However, the true intimidation lay elsewhere.

On the massive terraced seats overlooking the arena, all 72 Demon Lords were seated.

Seated on the golden throne at the highest point was the Emperor of the Demon Realm, Baal.

His mere existence crushed the atmosphere, and a single gaze froze the air of the training ground.

And at the lowest seat.

Vulcan took his place on the 72nd throne.

〈Everyone has gathered.〉

The Demon God’s voice rang through the world.

It was not heard with ears. It was the language of an Absolute being directly engraved onto the soul.

〈The time to undergo the Ranking Battle has arrived.〉

Kim Minwoo raised his head.

72 gazes from the platform poured down toward the training ground. Greed, contempt, curiosity. Amidst gazes mixed with all sorts of emotions, Kim Minwoo did not blink an eye.

〈Then, I shall begin the first Ranking Battle.〉

In an instant, the world flipped.

The thousands of existences filling the training ground vanished like smoke. When Kim Minwoo’s vision went dark and then brightened again.

He was standing in a completely different place.