Damned System

Chapter 82. Laying the Foundation (7)

Ever since Kim Yul screamed, there had been someone lurking nearby.

On the map, the color was marked in red.

‘Monsters are in black, the Bihari in blue.’

And the red signified a player.

They couldn’t be seen with the naked eye, but the map merged with my Mana Detection showed it clearly.

It was obvious that they were following us, hiding their presence.

Initially, I thought about capturing them to give them a lesson but soon changed my mind.

That person might leave, or there could be even more of them around.

If it was the former, I’d let it go, and if the latter, I planned to clean it all up without leaving any lingering threat.

Actually, perhaps I was holding onto some hope.

‘I thought the humanity I know isn’t so weak.’

Even though we were in a world beyond the reach of the law, I didn’t think they were petty enough to immediately turn a sword on others.

Even after experiencing Han Changshik’s incident, I still held onto a sliver of hope for people.

Hence, I wished for the person lurking nearby to return instead of attacking us.

However, as always, reality wasn’t a beautiful story from a fairy tale.

There were nine people targeting not monsters but us.

It had only been a day since the servers connected, yet there were already nine people who decided to kill other players, not monsters.

My mouth tasted bitter, but I had no intention of taking it quietly.

‘Well, this is perfect.’

I intended to clean up everything at once.

Leaving them would only hinder ordinary players trying to grow.

I devised a plan to apprehend them all at once.

– K: Run back at my signal.
– Yokai: Are you crazy? You want me to walk into that group?
– K: I’m not forcing you. It’s your decision.
– K: But if you ignore my opinion, handle what follows on your own.
– K: Don’t blame me if you get surrounded and stripped by those folks.
– Kj: What if I follow your plan?
– K: At least I won’t let you die.
– Kj: …… When should I run?
– K: Now.
– K: Get on the red thing in front.

I turned off the chat window I had been using until a moment ago and spoke.

“You both listen well.”

Kim Yul and An Kijun, who came up before me, turned to look at me stiffly.

Them, as well as I, were standing on a horizontally positioned barrier.

The height was roughly 20 meters, similar to the 8th or 9th floor of an apartment building.

If the opponent was an ordinary human, I didn’t need to worry about them following us up here.

‘But they aren’t.’

A player could use the trees to jump up as much as they wanted.

‘They’re probably just flustered and watching like dogs chasing chickens.’

They might soon figure out a way to catch up.

‘Let’s hurry.’

I had no intention of letting them come up.

Of course, I wouldn’t just let them go, even if they gave up on us.

Fortunately, there was a way to get things done without lifting a finger.

An evolutionary species, which hadn’t made a move around the Messeo, detected the intruders and was running towards us at a terrifying speed.

The Mana I could read with Detection was around 600 or 700.

‘It’s bigger than the large crocodile I caught last time.’

Not only was its Mana large, but its physique seemed much bigger.

So, the trees in the direction it was coming from were shaking and collapsing wildly.

The silhouette that I caught glimpses of was comparable in size to a large bus.

Finally, something unexpected was noticed atop the head of the emerging evolutionary species.

Just as we bore a symbol representing outsiders, they too had something attached.

A black star the size of a human head.

“What, what is that…?”

As I was observing the evolutionary species, An Kijun asked in a trembling voice.

“Evolutionary species.”

Having briefly answered, I lowered myself on the horizontal barrier.

By then, the gazes of those who had been watching us from below shifted sideways.

They had recognized the approach of the evolutionary species.

I intended to gather information through their clash with the evolutionary species.

For that, I needed to prevent their escape.

Initially, I retrieved a sharp weapon about 15 cm long from the inventory and handed it to Kim Yul.

A weapon made of black wood that had been completed a couple of hours ago.

“I’ll lend you this, so stop anyone climbing the trees.”

“Huh?”

“And don’t interrupt me now.”

Without waiting for their response, I calmly started the Magic array.

It was the structure used for barriers, but its scale was unfathomably large compared to usual.

‘I can manage up to a 20-meter diameter.’

With what Mana I had, I could barely maintain it for about a minute.

‘Let’s make it ample.’

If I tried to save Mana and made it small, it would be troublesome if they managed to escape.

It took quite a bit of time to implement the barrier because of its larger scale compared to what I usually made.

“Run away!”

Of course, I wasn’t too late.

“What is this?!”

“No way!”

“Break it! Clear this thing right now!”

A dome with a 20-meter diameter that the evolutionary species entered.

At that moment, the barrier meant to block external shocks transformed into a prison trapping the sacrifices inside.

The players trapped within screamed.

Naturally, the evolutionary species trapped inside targeted the players.

“Huff, huff.”

I focused intensely, holding each bit of Mana to maintain the barrier.

Additionally, I had to maintain the platform we were standing on, which truly tested my limits.

Every time the evolutionary species slammed into the barrier, the array seemed on the brink of shattering.

However, it wasn’t beyond endurance.

It was akin to running in a dream, managing to barely endure with desperate effort.

‘A complete version is indeed stronger.’

The barrier formed from proper Magic arrays known through the store was about five times sturdier.

If I had blocked the evolutionary species with my barrier divided in shape and size as desired, it would have shattered by now.

Yet, without knowing the reason, there was no way to address this issue.

‘Self-study has its limits.’

Understanding how to apply Magic arrays through segmentation and manipulation from the store is clearly limited.

Should I seek guidance from Rashar?

‘No, her high rank is due to divinity.’

Her Mana is not natural but altered due to divine intervention.

Moreover, she isn’t a mage but a knight.

If I was to learn something from Rashar, it would likely be swordsmanship or spearmanship.

As my thoughts reached that point, the face of a mage I knew flickered in my mind.

‘I’d rather ask Rashar to introduce me to another mage than go to him.’

I clicked my tongue briefly, shaking off the orange hair I had seen even this morning from my mind.

“Ugh.”

Fortunately, the impact felt yet again didn’t allow my thoughts to linger.

Clenching my teeth, I looked down to see the scene within the barrier.

‘Already two.’

One victim was dangling while screaming, impaled by the horn protruding between the evolutionary species’ forehead and nose.

Another lay dead, crushed by the evolutionary species.

Including the two whom I paralyzed and confirmed kills with attribute mana while breaking their encirclement, a total of four became incapacitated or dead.

Seeing them not using attribute mana or magic, I surmised they were all Gamma-rank players.

‘Then the remaining five will die soon.’

I picked up a potion, ready to maintain the barrier for a little longer.

‘I should drink some potion.’

Despite downing three potions in quick succession, the depletion rate surpassed the recovery.

At best, I could endure for 2 to 3 minutes?

‘Still, it should suffice.’

While monitoring the massacre below after finishing off one more potion, Kim Yul’s rigid voice rang out.

“Do we… just keep doing this here?”

Glancing at him, I lightly mirrored the query.

“Then? Are you going down to help?”

Kim Yul’s fingertips twitched.

“Th-that’s not it….”

His words said otherwise, but his intentions were transparent.

Though cunning, he had lived within the bounds of normalcy.

Watching people die couldn’t possibly be enjoyable for him.

Just as it wasn’t for me.

Unlike Kim Yul, I felt no obligation to help or save them.

“I’m not some murder-crazed individual killing senselessly….”

I slowly got to my feet from where I had been crouched upon the barrier, continuing my words.

“But I’m not lenient enough to forgive bastards who aim for my neck.”

Those dying within my barrier plotted to consume our Mana by killing us.

I distinctly saw the intent to kill glinting in their eyes.

The metallic, nauseating stench that remained pronounced when they approached still lingered.

‘It wasn’t the scent of monsters’ blood covering them.’

A sour, damp, and spine-chilling stench.

It was undoubtedly the scent of human blood.

The exact metallic scent I detected the day I was drenched in Han Changshik’s blood.

Had those dying inside been merely passersby on a hunting ground, I would have rushed to help.

I have the capability and the capacity to extend such goodwill and consideration.

But they weren’t passersby who happened to cross paths; they were enemies who raised their swords against me.

Didn’t I make a resolution after killing Han Changshik?

Not to be swayed by trivial emotions before those who target my life.

I don’t lack aversion to killing or unease toward it.

Yet, I have no intention of nurturing useless guilt within me.

The moment they targeted my life, implicit consent was established.

It was natural for me to target their lives in return.

‘It’s as if we’ve agreed to kill or be killed.’

In that process, I succeeded, and they failed.

Just as others failed while they succeeded last night in Fran Forest.

Although there’s no outright evidence of their involvement, I’m nearly certain.

‘I doubt many would openly resort to PK within a day.’

Moreover, their demise was a consequence they brought upon themselves.

Although I confirmed the evolutionary species nearby and lured them, it was their choice to follow.

“So, if you wish to help those bastards, do so with your abilities. I’m not kind enough to stop you from being a pushover.”

After plainly drawing the line, Kim Yul added no more words.

The only sounds were the cries of the dying players and the roars of the evolutionary species.

Occasionally, the cracking of trees was audible.

Of course, it wasn’t a one-sided massacre from start to finish.

They too were players who crossed the novice phase.

When two more had died and only three remained, they thrust their blades into the evolutionary species with vicious determination.

Of course, it was futile resistance.

“Hey, lend me the spear.”

Expecting no resolve from them, I called for Kim Yul’s mass-produced spear and threw it down with all my might.

The spear, cutting through the air, embedded itself in the belly of the one most actively drawing the attention of the evolutionary species.

Once he collapsed, the remaining two didn’t last long.

Soon, all players, except for us, were either dead or on the brink of death and were scattered on the ground.

At that moment, I released the large barrier while drinking more potion.

‘Absorption, purification, and implementation, it’s chaotic.’

There’s a lot to consider during combat.

As I dissolved the barrier, the evolutionary species’ attention shifted to us, still alive.

Luckily, it didn’t attempt to jump up.

Instead, it began crashing tree debris toward our position.

As I deflected them with my spear, I assessed my recovered mana.

‘Though I gained much thanks to those PK perpetrators.’

Creating a large barrier consumed a significant amount.

Covering areas that didn’t need protection with the barrier wasted Mana.

In terms of efficiency or usability, dividing the barrier rather than creating it as a complete unit was more advantageous.

Should the stability issue be addressed, I could use it freely across various situations.

Organizing some problems, I glanced to my side.

An Kijun’s face was as pale as a sheet of paper.

‘It seems to have worked well.’

I went to the trouble of luring the PK perpetrators here and trapping them within the barrier just to witness that expression.

Thus far, things were progressing as intended.

So now, I needed to replenish my mana and prepare for the evolutionary species raid.

I calmed myself to keep my body from tensing due to stress.

I had once faced this evolutionary species, suffering considerable injuries.

‘But back then and now, the cards I hold differ greatly.’

I could divide the barrier now, and my attribute mana had increased.

Hence, it should be easier than before.

“It’s dangerous from now on, so stay back.”

“…… Huh?”

“Make sure the one who got hit by the spear isn’t escaping.”

As my Mana replenished to a certain degree, I took a deep breath and jumped down.

“Graaa!”

The evolutionary species roared ferociously at my approaching figure.

Thanks to that, my murmured words were completely drowned out.

“…… Wu.”

Murmuring my true name, the activation word of the mana accumulation tool, the ring surged with released Mana.

Upon concentrating it at the spear tip, an unusual white spark flickered.

Now it’s time to confirm the might of over 2,000 attribute mana points.