ReLife Player

Chapter 149

[Windless Day (14)]

It was a day like this.

On the day of the invasion of Hwaseong City, the monsters killed as many people as they could.

Seung-hwan, only a child, witnessed his parents being devoured by monsters while trying to protect himself. He watched in tears, unable to do anything as they were torn apart, swallowing his tears.

Even as he roamed the streets alone.

Everywhere he looked, there were monsters, and everywhere he looked, there were dead people.

How many of them are there?

Of course, its different now.

The forces pressing on Uijeongbu Station were much larger and stronger than the hordes that had invaded Hwaseong City.

And the child who had been running from the monsters with tears in his eyes was now a player slaughtering them.

Lee seung-hwan wielded a scythe taller than he was, slicing through monsters.

He gritted his teeth.

The dead tried to crawl toward him, even though their bodies were split in half.

Behind the dead, more monsters were gathering, and the monsters born from the rift caused by the Siren Glider in the sky were raining down magic.

Charge!

Kang Cheol appeared from behind, his mechanical arm thrusting out.

Raising his mechanical arm, he unfurled a hemispherical barrier, deflecting the magic from the sky.

Lee seung-hwan returned the player device to its original form.

Grabbing his scythe, which had reverted to a metal rod, he leaped onto Cheols shoulders.

He infused the device with mana. The moment the metal rod transformed into a scythe larger than a full-grown man, he twisted his waist and tore through the creatures.

The flying ones are the problem, theyre getting annoying.

Cheol grunted as he smashed the fallen monsters with his mechanical arm.

The Rangers were currently engaged in a battle against the flying monsters.

The delay in their support was draining his stamina as he tried to hold the line.

Wheres Sublord Shin Seoyoung?

Shes busy running around, and shes the only one of the Twelve who can move, so Im going to ask her to come back.

Kang Cheol clicked his tongue.

Currently, Lee Do-jin was dealing with the Siren Glider flying in the citys airspace, and Park Hye-rim was busy fending off the undead army while treating the wounded, leaving no room for rest.

In the end, Shin Seoyoung was the one riding the wind alone, supporting the division that seemed on the verge of collapsing.

Im exhausted.

She must be more tired than us.

Yeah, probably Theyre coming.

They spent a grueling day.

As the day gradually brightened, the players eyes were bloodshot.

There was no time for rest.

Lee seung-hwan with his scythe-turned-metal rod, ran down the asphalt-stripped road.

A large monster blocking the intersection leapt at him.

He leapt lightly off the ground to avoid its flying fists. Landing on the creatures arm, he ran up to its face and swung his scythe, which glowed red.

Whew

There was no end to it.

After decapitating the creature, he deployed his sensory net to take on the nearest monster.

Endless screams and noises.

The city was filled with the cries and screams of monsters.

It reminded him of his past, covered in blood and tears, wandering aimlessly.

He ran as his body told him to.

Taking down monster after monster after monster.

He just ran. He ran through time, crossing between past and present.

The deeper he went into the past, the more his hatred for the monsters grew, and the loss of that day fueled his strength.

It was then.

As he was killing monsters indiscriminately, he saw a child crying in front of the clinic building.

And a monster hanging from the clinic.

The monster was crouched on the ground, its snout extended toward the sobbing child.

In-ho!

The moment Lee seung-hwan realized it was a child he knew, he unleashed an explosion of mana and ran.

Hey, Lee Seung-hwan, where are you going!

Cheol called from behind him.

Still, he ran with all his might to protect the child, to reach out to the tearful child who had lost his parents.

With a sweep of his scythe, he sliced off its slimy, quivering snout and pulled the child into his arms.

Hyung?

Youre not hurt?

With tears in his eyes, the child looked up at him, unable to comprehend what had happened.

Lee seung-hwan breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he was okay.

Or he tried to.

Uh?

A soundless gasp.

No sound came out.

He slowly rolled his eyes.

Something protruding from the childs body pierced through his lungs.

Inho?

Arent you too easily fooled?

The childs face melted into slime.

As the white slime dripped onto the floor, a mask that resembled a human face was half-revealed.

He should have been more careful.

The half-revealed mask moved the corners of its mouth.

You knew I was here.

Even though you knew. Did you deceive yourself?

Didnt you think it was strange?

In the middle of the road with monsters.

Why I was all alone.

The child giggled.

The half-covered mask laughed hysterically.

Then its entire face turned into a mask, and its tiny body twisted and swelled.

In an instant, the monster, now a giant slime, picked up its snout from the floor and raised the tentacle that had pierced him above its head.

Still, thank you.

Ah.

For giving me a name.

Ill make good use of it.

It spoke in an emotionless tone as one of the masks that covered its entire body morphed into a childs face.

Farewell,

Seung-hwan hyung.

The monster swallowed him up, making only colorful noises.

Fuck!

Seung-hwan was dead.

Cheol cursed and slammed his mechanical arm down on the hundreds of masked monsters.

The slimy creatures merely slithered, deflecting his attacks.

You dont look very appetizing.

But still, pickiness is bad.

The hundreds of masks attached to the shapeless body moved toward him laughing.

He poked his fist at it repeatedly, but the masks only crumpled for a moment before returning to their original form.

Dragons Roar Strike

It was then that Guyeounsu leaped from the roof of the medical center.

Raising his two-handed sword to the top, he slashed down, and a pure white light engulfed him.

Huh?

The masked creature, with hundreds of masks turned backward, split in half and collapsed with a clanging sound.

Is it over?

No, not yet.

The monsters body split open with one of its masks splintered.

Guyeounsu, who had sheathed his knife, watched the writhing slime without stopping.

When monsters are eliminated, their core stones, called magic stones, become the only remaining material, solidifying mana or coagulated substances.

Even though one magic stone had fallen, there was no loot to be found in the wriggling slime.

Guyeounsu, one of the original commanders of the second supply base, knew something about the creature.

That doesnt die.

Correct.

In response to his cool statement, the presence that answered was a monster that gathered back into a single slime before its masks disappeared.

I wont die.

Until my mask is gone.

Thats right. For each mask, there are hundreds of magic stones.

Is that even possible?

Cheol couldnt believe the confidence with which it spoke.

Monsters have only one core stone that makes up their bodies.

But it has as many as the number of masks it wears.

In other words, it had to kill as many masks as it could.

A monster of the third rank.

Kang Cheol Player, if you have a moment, Id like to ask for some cover.

Oh, sorry.

Kang Cheol, having regained his composure, ripped off the shield on the mechs arm.

The shield reacted to his mana and changed into a steel-like form.

Im coming.

Guyeounsu lowered his body toward the creature.

The Rangers, who had appeared on the rooftop of the building, attacked the creature, and casters chanted spells.

Hunters came from somewhere, shooting at close range to divert the creatures attention.

Have a taste of this!

Kang Cheol, using his body as a weapon, thrust the steel structure into the slime.

Hundreds of masks chased after him.

Bullets rained down from the sky, and casters unleashed indiscriminate magic.

The steel structure inserted by Kang Cheol absorbed the untargeted magic with a blue light.

The creature was bombarded with all kinds of spells.

Guyeounsu ran straight through the hail of bullets and magic.

Supporters hiding behind casters deployed a barrier centered around him, deflecting the attacks.

Dragons Roar Strike

He drew the sword halfway.

When the distance between him and the creature was short, he lowered the sheath with his left hand and drew the sword with his right hand in one smooth motion.

Huh? Whats this?

The creature voiced confusion for the first time.

Looking down at the sword that pierced through several masks, it stared at him with narrow eyes.

Dragons Swirl

Mana whirled around the hilt.

Starting from the hilt, the whirlwind that began to spin extended to the blade that penetrated the slime, followed by a surge of his mana.

Aaaaaah!

Several masks in succession shattered.

The creature, in an attempt to evade the swirling attack within its body, tried to break free.

What the hell!

Kang Cheol firmly held the trembling steel structure against him, immobilizing it.

Rangers and casters fired off spells without pause.

Supporters and guardians protected Kang Cheol and Guyeounsu.

Finally, unable to withstand the relentless assault, the creatures body crumbled.

It was not the end.

The scattered masks turned into limbless monsters and began to flee.

As the Hunters chased after the fleeing creatures, one of the masks running behind them looked back at them.

Dont underestimate me.

With a wave of its hand, the mask emitted a fiery glow.

The area it touched was engulfed in flames.

Some masks, transformed into small bodies, lifted up debris from the building and threw them at them.

We can do this, too.

Soon, dozens of masks emerged from the windows of the buildings at the crossroads.

The masks turned green in unison.

Run!

Shit!

Guyeounsu shouted, sensing something.

Kang Cheol transformed the fallen steel beam on the ground into the blade of a bulldozer.

He raised the massive blade and shouted, blocking the approaching beam of light.

Dont provoke us.

As masks in buildings to the left and right opened their mouths, mana gathered like bullets, flying endlessly.

Casters who were casting spells were captured by the masks crawling up the walls, and supporters who deployed barriers were crushed by bullets, collapsing one by one.

Ugh!

Kang Cheol was no exception.

The mass pressing against him made it difficult to maintain the barrier.

Nevertheless, he was desperate to protect the people.

Just then, the gathered wind between the buildings sent the attack soaring into the sky.

Monsters that had been flying in the morning sky unexpectedly hit the unexpected projectiles and fell.

Noona!

Sorry Im late. Is anyone hurt? Seung-hwan?

She, who had gracefully landed with the wind, shook the resonance communicator in various directions.

Kang Cheol couldnt hide his grim expression. He applied pressure to his side where the blood was starting to spread and explained the current situation.

Yes.

Lee Seung-hwan was dead.

Accepting his death, she tore off the mask that was trapped between the winds in unison.

Noona is quite strong.

But do I have to deal with her alone?

Kyarararara Kikikakaka

The siren glider, which shouted while shaking its head without being caught in the surging wind, rose into the air throughout the area, dodging falling lightning bolts.

As the monsters born of omnipresence overwhelmed the players, she found herself unable to deal with the scattered masks.

To make matters worse

[Message from Regulus Clan Cynthia Navigator, Uijeongbu Reclamation Division E!

Its currently 9:48 UTC, and weve confirmed the presence of Third Rank Ishimis forces in the direction of Uijeongbu Station.

The force is currently descending on Uijeongbu Station along the Peace Road.]

A third army was descending on Uijeongbu Station.

Players curses echoed throughout the city. Hysterical, they began to express their despair out loud, reaching the point of losing their minds.

Meanwhile, the scattered masks, and the Siren Glider disappeared into the clouds, dodging lightning strikes.

Hah.

Shin Seoyoung, who had deployed her sensors, saw Ishimis forces was approaching at a short distance.

She felt like going into hysterics. In her heart, she wanted to let go and lose her mind.

But she couldnt.

The moment she did, the retreating army would crumble, unable to hold its own.

She, a Twelve Seat, had to be the unshakable center.

Those who can move will take the wounded and return to the secondary supply base. We will regroup at Uijeongbu Station.

She was about to give instructions to those who had given up thinking and those who had let go.

Another telepathic message came through.

[Message from Regulus Clan Cynthia Navigator, Player Shin Seoyoung, the Changhae Clan, along with the clans including Dangun Clan, have begun to withdraw from Hwaryong Station.

Ahthe Tempest Clan too The clans that are left are refusing orders and withdrawing.

Shin Seoyoung Subloardas soon as the telepathy reaches you please return to Uijeongbu Station urgently.]

Hearing the telepathy, she crumpled her face in disbelief.

My oppa.

Unable to hide her rising anger, she called out to Gil Sungjoon.

She couldnt contain herself.

She felt like her heart would burst at any moment.

She took a deep breath and ordered her people in a voice as emotionless as possible.

Everyone, return to the second supply base and regroup. Clan Lord Guyeounsu, Ill ask you to follow behind.

Yes.

Shin Seoyoung swung her resonance communicator once. The wind that rose at the tip of the fan-shaped weapon enveloped her like a curtain.

When the wind dissipated, she was no longer here.