Chapter 242: Chapter 242
Su-ho, as he had done before, passed through Dorasan Station on his way to Gaeseong.
Naturally, he had the assistance of Bulgasari, and the area around Dorasan Station was still teeming with Orcs.
But no Orc was able to capture Bulgasari.
If any of them even tried to impede his movement, Bulgasari would simply headbutt them away before Su-ho even had to swing his sword.
After running alongside the iron bridge for some time, Su-ho finally entered the border checkpoint.
Beyond the checkpoint, Panmun Station was visible.
But what caught Su-ho’s attention before the checkpoint or Panmun Station was the field monsters that had taken over the area from the very entrance.
The field monsters in Gaeseong weren’t Orcs.
At first glance, they looked like them.
However, their true identity was ‘Agu,’ a type of eternally starving ghost.
Their bodies were emaciated.
But despite their gaunt bodies, their bloated bellies stood out.
Their long arms and legs, along with their sunken eyes, made them resemble the ghosts of starving Agu.
Su-ho checked their name cards.
Usually, the further away a field monster was from the gate, the weaker it was.
This was because it had lost the survival competition.
But Agu were a bit different.
Agu were no ordinary monsters.
If anything, they were closer to undead.
And undead-type field monsters were not affected by the ecosystem's survival laws.
“Their theme is that they’re starving ghosts, after all.”
All that remained for them was a singular obsession: to eat.
However, that didn’t mean undead-type field monsters like Agu were completely unaffected.
They were still affected by magic.
Thus, the higher the gate level, the stronger the Agu that spawned.
And that’s why the term “earth-colored” was attached to them.
Agu weren’t a single type but several types.
Earth-colored Agu was the weakest among them.
Su-ho had seen it in the materials for the North Korean campaign.
“Blood-colored Agu and Black-colored Agu were the strongest.”
In his past life, Su-ho had also participated in the North Korean campaign.
But instead of being on the frontlines, he took care of the people in the rear.
The North Korean campaign in his previous life wasn’t led by the government; it was guild alliances that took the lead.
“I wasn’t strong enough to take the frontlines either.”
Most importantly, the higher-ups didn’t like it.
There were already directives not to sacrifice valuable association personnel in the North Korean campaign.
But this time would be different.
This time, the government would lead with Su-ho as the core, and the guild alliances would handle the aftermath.
Therefore, Su-ho had to always stay several steps ahead of everyone else.
That way, he could seize whatever had been discovered or missed in North Korea first.
Su-ho smiled as he watched the Agu flock toward him.
Considering the Earth-colored Agu were in the 160s, once he moved deeper, his level would soon surpass theirs.
But that didn’t mean he planned to hunt every field monster.
What mattered was efficiency.
After all, he needed to save something to showcase during the upcoming North Korean campaign.
Su-ho swung his sword.
[ You have defeated Earth-colored Agu. ]
[ You have defeated Earth-colored Agu. ]
[ You have defeated Earth-colored Agu. ]
[ You have defeated Earth-colored Agu. ]
Su-ho moved toward Panmun Station, casually slashing through the approaching monsters.
The first gate he was targeting in Gaeseong was located at Panmun Station.
Panmun Station was built in the shape of a glass palace, though it was shattered in places.
This was to be expected.
Since it had been built entirely of glass, it was inevitably vulnerable to damage.
“It’s strange that it’s still intact, considering the Agu must have been pounding on it day and night.”
No matter what it looked like, what mattered was that it was a subway station.
As Su-ho neared Panmun Station, the colors of the Agu began to shift.
The yellow-colored Agu, a bit brighter than the Earth-colored Agu.
Though there wasn’t a huge difference in color, their levels were slightly higher.
Su-ho called Bulgasari back and began swinging his sword in earnest.
Some places could be bypassed, but Panmun Station had to be cleared.
The subway stations in North Korea would later become very important strategic points.
As he cleaved through the yellow-colored Agu, he finally reached the spot where the gate portal was located.
“Nothing else, right?”
He looked around and saw that most of the yellow-colored Agu had already been dealt with.
Of course, he hadn’t killed them all, but the reinforcements would clean up the rest.
Su-ho headed straight for the gate portal.
[ Sealed Iron Horse ]
“How long have they left it untouched for the conditions to have increased this much?”
Most gates that had been left uncaptured for a long time would have higher entrance requirements.
“It also means the difficulty of clearing it has increased.”
That’s why gates shouldn’t be left alone for too long. If they were, they should be sealed like the Square.
[ Entering Sealed Iron Horse. ]
Upon entering the gate, the surroundings changed.
What Su-ho saw in front of him was a completely different landscape.
Instead of the Panmun Station he had just been standing at, there was a long railway track ahead of him.
At the end of the track, there was a large hill with a huge statue of a horse bound in iron chains. This was the Sealed Iron Horse, the namesake of the gate.
“Should I go check it out?”
It was still a level 1 gate, so there wouldn’t be much difficulty.
Just follow the path, defeat the boss monster, and clear the gate.
That was all there was to it.
The terrain was even, so there was no chance of getting lost.
Su-ho shifted his gaze to the closest enemies.
Obsessive Chain Disease.
Just as their name implied.
They were fully armored like Death Knights, but unlike the Death Knights whose heads were helmets, these monsters wore hooded executioner’s hoods from medieval times, with chains wrapped around their necks.
And as expected, they carried chains that acted as whips in their hands.
What was peculiar about them was that the chains and the armor they wore were all rusted.
And it was at that moment the Obsessive Chain Disease monsters recognized Su-ho.
The screeching sound of rusted metal could be heard as they moved.
“Should’ve brought earplugs if I knew this would happen.”
It couldn’t be helped.
The only option was to cut them down quickly and finish the gate.
Su-ho extended his right hand.
In an instant, Guiyeong Spear was summoned into his grasp.
Holding the spear like a javelin thrower, Su-ho aimed and threw it with all his strength toward the Iron Horse statue.
The spear, enhanced by throwing effects, soared far and fast.
The Obsessive Chain Disease monsters watched it fly by, dumbfounded.
They couldn’t even throw their chains at that distance, so they simply stared at it.
Just as the spear was about to fall to the ground, Su-ho activated Shadow Movement.
Su-ho appeared at the spot where the spear # Nоvеlight # had been, having summoned himself there.
The Obsessive Chain Disease monsters widened their eyes at Su-ho’s sudden appearance.
They quickly attempted to distance themselves, swinging their chains at him.
[ Lion’s Roar has been activated. ]
[ Nearby enemies are stunned. ]
Su-ho immediately used Lion’s Roar, freezing the Obsessive Chain Disease monsters in place.
He then swung his sword and cast his personal buffs.
[ Blessing has been activated. ]
[ Holy Enchant has been activated. ]
As his sword swung, Su-ho’s blood-red sword gleamed a bright white.
He continued swinging the sword without pause.
Although the Obsessive Chain Disease monsters had bodies made of rusted metal, it didn’t matter before Su-ho’s blade.
An overwhelming stat difference.
A blood sword created from that difference.
It worked miracles, turning the steel bodies in front of him into tofu in an instant.
[ You have defeated Obsessive Chain Disease. ]
[ You have defeated Obsessive Chain Disease. ]
[ You have defeated Obsessive Chain Disease. ]
[ You have defeated Obsessive Chain Disease. ]
No need for any other techniques.
Su-ho simply pushed through the enemy ranks, never giving them the chance to use their chain whips, slashing them down with his enhanced sword.
This was the strategy Su-ho was aiming for in this gate.
“Sealed Iron Horse is a difficult gate because the chain whips attack from a distance.”
But if he didn’t give them the distance, the hard point wouldn’t be a hard point anymore.
Of course, the Obsessive Chain Disease monsters weren’t stupid, and they tried to create some space in order to attack Su-ho.
But each time, Su-ho either used the corpses of the defeated monsters to block the chains or deliberately exposed his left arm for them to wrap their chains around.
Thanks to Dragon Skin and Iron Cannon Three.
[ You have defeated Obsessive Chain Disease. ]
[ You have defeated Obsessive Chain Disease. ]
[ You have defeated Obsessive Chain Disease. ]
[ You have defeated Obsessive Chain Disease. ]
Su-ho swung his sword like a madman.
There were no allies to worry about, and all around him were enemies, so there was no reason to hold back.
How much time had passed?
[ Your level has increased. ]
[ All stats have increased by 1. ]
[ You have gained 1 bonus stat. ]
He had accumulated quite a bit of experience from the Agu and Obsessive Chain Disease monsters.
By now, the Obsessive Chain Disease monsters were nearly cleared.
Su-ho wiped his sweat and looked toward the Iron Horse.
Now, only the boss monster remained.
But there was nothing visible in front of the Iron Horse.
Su-ho wiped off his sweat and summoned Guiyeong Spear again.
Then, he threw it toward the Iron Horse.
The spear, charging toward the Iron Horse.
It would reach the statue if this continued.
A large iron chain flew from somewhere.
It swatted away the spear, sending it flying far away.
Then, the system notification popped up.
[ The boss monster has appeared. ]
Just as he had expected.
The system’s notification about the boss monster appeared immediately.
A heavy sound shook the ground.
It was the sound of footsteps.
And before Su-ho’s eyes, the huge figure that hadn’t been visible moments ago now revealed itself.
It was the ruler of the Sealed Iron Horse gate.
A boss monster, so it was both large and powerful.
And unlike the normal Obsessive Chain Disease monsters, this one had thick chains in each hand, strong enough to bind even a dragon.
Its body design was the same, just larger, with the same rusted armor and executioner’s hood.
The monster, enraged, swung its arms toward Su-ho.
Two giant iron chains, like serpents, began to slam toward Su-ho.