Chapter 32 - Disciplinary Action (2)
As I was blankly looking up at the reddened sky, a pitch-black ‘wall’ was created around me.
It was a phenomenon that served as a prelude to the start of the Disciplinary Action event.
The black energy writhing and flowing gave off a feeling that something bad would happen just by touching it.
In fact, the other Climbers who were nearby also seemed to flinch and retreat upon seeing it.
“Huh? Oh? Someone’s trapped in there!”
“Shouldn’t we help them?”
Such murmurs flowed from the surroundings.
Well, they were pretty good people.
To think of helping first rather than running away upon seeing it.
It was impossible anyway.
Disciplinary Action was a phenomenon that applied only to a single target, so it was a problem I had to solve on my own anyway.
And, even without such a systemic restriction.
The phenomenon of Disciplinary Action itself was a suicide act for the low-rank Climbers around here to get involved in.
-!
A spatial rift formed within the quarantine zone made of black walls.
That was a phenomenon that all Climbers would know.
It was a ‘Gate’ that opened at regular intervals to spawn demonic beasts in dungeons and Fields.
“A Gate? But there’s still a lot of time left until the Field’s regular spawn time…!”
Well, it wasn't an ordinary Gate in the first place.
Hearing someone's voice say that, I prepared the weapons I had brought.
As always, they weren't anything grand.
Although they had gone through Ironclad’s hands once, their origins were off-the-shelf products, so it was difficult for them to exert great power.
Seo Ah-in and Yoo Ho-jun, who had struggled for days to make these, would have thrown a fit if they heard this, but the truth was the truth.
But they were items suitable for dealing with ‘multiple enemies’.
And while the Gate was beginning to emit mana in earnest, I casually threw them onto the ground.
-!!!
-!!!!
By the time I had laid them all out on the ground, the Gate was beginning to emit streams of black mana.
Those who would run away after seeing this would have already run, and it was the time when even the most clueless Climber would notice that something was going very wrong.
The wall erected around me was one thing, but that condensed abyss-like mana was scattering a sinister feeling that seemed twice as dangerous.
“What is that?!”
“Damn it! It looks like something dangerous is about to pop out! Request backup!”
“Wh-what about that person?”
“…We can’t help it! We can’t help him!”
Hearing people murmuring like that, I first plopped down on the spot.
Right. It was more comfortable without people around.
That way, it was easier to calculate a ‘safe zone’ where those people wouldn't be swept away.
Separate from the urgent situation nearby, the flow of my thoughts was extremely leisurely.
‘Surely…’
The ‘Disciplinary Action’ issued by the Guardian of the Tower was a system that every player who had delved deep into Conqueror dreaded.
I was one of them.
‘The progression itself…’
The Guardian of the Tower would assess the player's specs on its own and automatically summon an opponent that was ‘absolutely unbeatable’.
Those guys were the Guardian’s direct subordinates, called the ‘Round Table’.
And each of the members belonging to the Round Table boasted a strength that could grind even a well-grown character to dust in an instant.
In other words, the conclusion was one.
This thing called Disciplinary Action.
In my current situation, it was impossible to survive.
It wasn't a system made to be cleared in the first place.
“…”
Certainly.
Theoretically, that was correct.
If you excluded the fact that I, who had rushed to finally clear this event that made most users scream and run away just by seeing the appearance condition, eventually saw ‘results’.
For example.
[ A low-ranking squire of the Round Table, ‘Adelbach’, appears. ]
[ The time limit is 5 minutes. Do your best to survive. ]
I knew clearly what kind of person was appearing now.
And what method I could use to repel her.
-….
The black mana flowing from the Gate took shape one by one, and soon, it continuously created enough demonic beasts to fill the quarantine zone spread around me.
‘That’s a lot.’
It was a number so staggering that such a thought came to mind.
The combat power of each individual entity might not be outstanding, but in a fight, numbers are violence.
Perhaps not an F-rank Climber like me, but even a fairly veteran C-rank Climber would first think they were dead upon seeing that number.
“Climber.”
And in the center, a girl wearing a black robe and a mask.
Her standing amidst the swarm of demonic beasts so overwhelming that it completely blocked the view was an eloquent indication that she was the commander controlling them.
In a way, it was a majestic sight.
“The price for ignoring the warning will be harsh. Are you prepared?”
Such a sentence flew at me in a solemn voice.
But whatever, I was just rummaging through my pockets while fidgeting in my seat.
Ah, where did it go.
I definitely put it in here.
“…Are you too scared to even answer? But, that won’t bring you any mercy-”
“Oh. Found it.”
While Adelbach was saying something, I took out the item I was looking for from my pocket.
A palm-length metal stick. On top, there was a red switch.
“…Climber. Do you not understand the gravity of the situation?”
“Huh?”
As a voice boiling with anger flew over my head, I finally raised my head and stared blankly at Adelbach.
“Gravity of the situation?”
“…I am a member of the Round Table that protects the balance, and an instrument of the end that realizes the great will. I am not a being to be ignored by a mere mortal like you.”
“What’s with all the fuss, you’re just a grunt at best.”
“…”
Adelbach immediately shut her mouth at the fact I pointed out.
Well, it's good to have pride.
I don’t know about your superiors, but it’s a bit much for you to use such a grand title.
“How dare a mere mortal defy this great one!”
“Yup.”
Nodding my head, I pressed the switch I had just taken out.
Simultaneously.
The ‘explosives’ I had installed around me detonated all at once.
And not just simply detonating them.
[ Double Pulse ]
Mixed with a cheat skill that had a minimum damage multiplier of 8x.
Those explosives were items that Ironclad had synchronized with my mana wavelength at my request.
Meaning that whatever skill I used would be applied normally.
-BOOM!
A massive explosion that could shake the earth and make the heavens ring swept through the surroundings.
Everything except for the position I was sitting in was swept away by metal fragments and flames.
The sound of the air tearing deafened my eardrums, and the body parts of the demonic beasts, which had become chunks of meat without even being able to scream, flew merrily through the sky.
With so many packed into a small space, there was no way to escape.
“…”
And after the roar of the explosion subsided.
The once majestic swarm of demonic beasts was nowhere to be seen, and only shattered and heavily scorched chunks of meat filled the surroundings.
“So.”
Picking my ear, I spoke to the dumbfounded Adelbach.
Even a rotten fish is still a fish, so compared to the annihilated demonic beasts, she looked relatively fine.
“What was that about the situation?”
“…”
I smirked at the girl who had become a mute who couldn't even budge.
If another executioner had come out instead of this one, I would have died without a chance, but this one's specialty was pushing with numbers.
In a situation like this where all her subordinates' heads were blown off, her own combat power was so low that it could be said she had unconditionally lost.
“D-don’t think it’s over with just this!”
As she said that, the inside of the Gate shimmered again.
“Huhu. These guys will be different from before. The powerful homunculi I raised myself…!”
I took out another detonation switch and pressed it.
The flames of the explosion soared again, and chunks of meat flew around.
After blankly looking up at the corpses raining down around me, I turned my gaze back to Adelbach.
“Different from before, what?”
“…Th-this…!”
The Gate shimmered again, and other demonic beasts poured out.
“These guys are ones I made myself…!”
I pressed the switch.
Boom. Patter.
“These guys are the invincible… that can conquer any fortress!”
I pressed the switch.
Boom. Patter.
After this process was repeated several times, the attitude of the person who had been spouting something in a majestic voice had changed quite a bit.
“Th-this one… is the first one I ever tamed…”
Hmm.
At least explain properly.
Adelbach’s voice, holding a small and fragile rabbit that was embarrassing to even call a demonic beast in her arms, was almost at a sobbing level.
It seemed that was all she had left.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and send it out so I can kill it.”
When I said that and shook the remaining detonation switch, Adelbach screamed as she looked at me with a gaze as if she were seeing a devil.
“N-not this one! You scum!”
“…”
No.
Anyone would think I was the bad guy.
‘But, well…’
At this point, it should be fine to talk to her a bit.
I beckoned to the girl who was trembling while hugging the rabbit.
It was a gesture to sit in front of me.
“Come and sit here.”
“Wh-what?”
“I said sit. Let’s talk for a bit.”
When I said that with a big smile, the trembling Adelbach opened her mouth in a feigned angry voice.
But, the overall atmosphere was one of someone who was clearly terrified.
“I… I…! Will not listen to the request of a mortal…!”
However, the overall atmosphere was one of someone who was clearly terrified.
“Hey.”
The smile on my lips grew even wider.
“Does that sound like a request?”
“…”
I smirked again at Adelbach, who had shut her mouth and was slowly approaching me, and checked the quest window at the corner of my vision.
[! Emergency Quest ! ]
[ Survive. ]
[ Remaining Time - 2:12 ]
Two minutes.
That’s a good amount of time.
It’s enough time to strip an enemy who has no means of resisting me of everything they have.
***
It would be extremely difficult to properly define who she was.
The Supreme Guardian of the Tower. Master of the Round Table. Great Sage. The Regulator. Etc. Etc.
There were as many titles as the great deeds she had accomplished throughout her long years.
But, if there was one thing that was certain amidst all that.
She was a person whose emotions were rarely moved easily.
-…
So, this situation was undoubtedly close to a miracle.
She was surprised.
Especially if the subject of that surprise was such a seemingly insignificant ‘human’.
“So, you can’t give me the robe and the mask?”
“Th-this was personally bestowed by the Guardian… I can give you anything else, but not this…”
Beyond her vision, one of the subordinates she had personally taken in was sobbing while being stripped of all her belongings.
In a way, it was a pathetic sight, but the Guardian of the Tower was too preoccupied with another matter to pay it any mind.
She.
Was astonished by the fact that such a result had come about.
-Was I… wrong?
Her calculations had been off.
The man who was gleefully stripping away the items had deceived her.
The eyes of a transcendent being who could see through all of creation and easily cross even the veil of truth.
-How could such a thing…
Originally, her subordinate who was dispatched this time should not have been able to win even if dozens of those humans were gathered.
That was the natural result.
But.
That man had twisted it.
As if he knew in advance what would happen, with a perfectly prepared countermeasure, far too easily.
How was such a thing possible?
Unless he knew the future, there was no way such a thing was possible.
And even for the Guardian of the Tower, who could easily derive answers to almost every conceivable problem, perfectly predicting the future was an impossible realm.
What on earth was this man?
A human? Or ‘another’ being wearing that skin?
She didn't know.
-…
Either way, one thing was certain.
This man was an interesting subject.
“Hey, hey! You gangster! I keep telling you that was given by the Guardian herself…!”
“Tough luck. Ask your Guardian to buy you a new one.”
Watching her subordinate being stripped of even the robe and mask she was desperately trying to protect, the Guardian of the Tower couldn't help but chuckle.
Well.
What's surprising is surprising.
For some reason, this man gave off… a ‘familiar’ feeling.
Especially in his speech and actions.
She didn't know from what memory that feeling was coming from, but the sensation itself was palpable enough to be felt on her skin.
-System. Zoom in here.
With her command, the focus of her vision was fixed on the small name tag hanging on the man’s chest.
F-rank Climber. Affiliation: Renegade. Name: Kim Gyu-sik.
-Kim Gyu-sik.
That name, she remembered it.
She would have to keep watching him in the future.
The Guardian of the Tower, without even thinking of hiding the smile that unknowingly appeared on her lips, rested her chin on her knee.