Chapter 147. Khatz
Compared to empires where magic and culture were highly developed, the Sisil tribe maintained a unique culture based on nature rather than magic.
The Empire viewed them as savages or uncivilized people. Yet, thanks to the immense strength of the mighty Sisil warriors, they were never conquered by mighty empires. They were a warrior tribe who considered dying in battle an honor.
A group of over 60 Sisil warriors engaged in a fierce battle with a guild of around 60. A middle-aged man, holding a long staff that hung over his head, struck the staff on the ground, sending out a powerful shockwave that enveloped the warriors and empowered them.
Kwaaah!
"Stop them!"
The Sisil warriors charged forward relentlessly, pushing the guild of 60 back.
"Kwaaah!"
While the Empire's knights defended themselves with thick armor, the Sisil warriors, wearing almost no armor, relied on their weapons to defend themselves. Despite this, their offensive power was superior to that of most knights.
Kwaaah!
With each strike of their crude yet unique weapons, a wide-area attack enveloped the guild members, squeezing their positions.
Amidst the chaos, three dark shadows quickly approached the middle-aged mage who was healing and energizing the warriors from behind. With swift movements, the three assassins targeted him, closing in from both sides and the front.
But the shaman charged forward without hesitation.
"Kaang!"
He charged forward without hesitation, slamming into the enemy in front of him, knocking back one assassin with a wave of his staff. Then, he turned to the two returning assassins.
"Damn! What kind of power is this?"
"He's just a shaman! Finish him off quickly!"
Despite being a Sisil shaman, he was as physically fit as any warrior, and as he fought the assassins, red lines appeared on his body, and the amount of blood flowing from his wounds was increasing.
Despite this, he was able to block all the fatal blows, but defeating all three alone was impossible. Even in a situation where defeat was inevitable, the shaman showed no sign of apprehension. His clenched teeth and glowing eyes showed his determination to take at least one of them with him.
Sshh!
The moment one of the assassins grabbed the shaman's back, he swung the sword attached to his wrist at the shaman's back, and his vision was completely destroyed. The assassin had no idea why the shaman's back was in that position. Falling to the ground, Seo-woon instantly finished off the two assassins who were challenging the shaman.
"Bronze Wing."
After squaring off a few times, he could roughly estimate their abilities. No, he could tell just from their positions and the power of their attacks.
"Who are you?"
Seeing Seo-woon suddenly appear and kill three enemies in an instant, the sorcerer hesitated but still remained alert and asked.
"Those who don't kill ordinary people... Right?"
When Seo-woon responded with a question, the sorcerer pounded his chest.
"Sisil would never raise a hand against powerless civilians."
"I like that."
As Seo-woon finished speaking and rushed forward, Juriell and Ki-chan appeared out of nowhere and began casting spells alongside the middle-aged man. Lilingwei, who had been following Seo-woon, had begun to turn black.
"What's this...?"
The knight, who had suddenly rushed in and was rushing towards Li Ling-wi, who was flailing her hands wildly, collapsed to the ground, clutching her throat before she could finish her sentence. Suddenly, the four players around her reacted in kind, their faces gradually darkening.
One of the sorcerers shouted loudly.
"This is poison! Don't approach them!"
This was an impossible order. There was no way to approach the frantically charging and attacking enemy unless they fled. By the time everyone's attention focused on Lingwei, Seo-woon had already broken through the knights' front line and completely surrounded the mages in the rear.
The dismembered corpses of the mages littered the ground wherever he passed. The foursome's intervention shifted the balance of power dramatically, and the Sisil's warriors were able to destroy the enemy in an instant.
"WE've received help. What's your name?"
Seo-woon responded to the man, who had a long sword wound across his shoulder and chest, was covered in blood, and was holding a large axe.
"Jin Seo-woon."
"Ah! An epic beast."
Seo-woon couldn't help but smile at the man's simple response.
"Exactly. I'm Jin Seo-woon, an epic beast."
"They said they'd give me 1,200 coins if I caught you. They also mentioned an ego weapon as a reward."
"Sounds tempting. Why don't you try it?"
The man's smile deepened at Seo-woon's words.
"Is that the confidence of a warrior? I wish I could, but the Sisil tribe wouldn't backstab their benefactors. You're only protecting the people of your own world. You're not a monster."
Seo-woon nodded at the man's sharp reasoning.
"Do you Quads act independently?"
"Exactly. I smelled Khatz, so I was trying to infiltrate, but they came right at me."
The moment the man finished speaking, Juriell approached them and frowned.
"Did you say Khatz?"
Seo-woon, already curious, became even more curious when he saw his reaction.
"What is Khatz?"
He frowned for a moment, lost in thought, then opened his mouth with a serious expression.
"Khatz, simply put, is a type of magic. It was created by a wizard named Khatz De Gray. For example, it allows multiple wizards to combine their powers to perform high-level magic that a single person couldn't use. However, because the side effects are so severe, all empires have banned its use."
"Side effects?" Ki-chan asked this time.
"It's a method with a fairly high success rate and can cast high-level spells, but there's a high probability that the mage's mana ring will be damaged, and if you're unlucky, it could even cost you your life."
"Why would anyone use such a spell if it's forbidden? You could lose your magical abilities, or even lose your life if you're unlucky. People would have stopped using it on their own anyway."
He nodded slightly in response.
"Human evil desire often disregards personal instincts. When the Khatz method first emerged, it was during the peak of the Imperial Wars. Back then, many battles were turned using Khatz magic. During that time, 3,000 mages from the 3rd and 4th circles lost their lives trying to summon a meteor that destroyed an entire palace."
"Giga Meteor?"
"A spell that displayed the destructive power of the strongest 9th circle. It shredded the palace's powerful defensive magic like paper and plunged the Teigan Empire into ruin. Of course, the enemy nation that perpetrated such an act, the Carcian Empire, also suffered severe national weakness and was forced to close its borders."
After finishing his explanation, he shifted his gaze to the man and asked.
"How do you suspect Khatz?"
It wasn't the man who answered him, but the mage standing behind him.
"I saw it with my own eyes in Smoke Vision."
His expression softened a bit at the mention of Smoke Vision. Just as Seo-woon was about to ask what Smoke Vision was, Team Voice came into his earpiece.
"Smoke Vision is a traditional culture of the Sisil tribe. They dry a hallucinogenic plant called Marina, burn it, and inhale its smoke, becoming one with nature, which they call their mother, and communicating with the nature gods.
By believing this, they believe they can receive prophecies and see the future direction for themselves and their tribe."
His voice sounded like he didn't believe in Smoke Vision at all.
-You said before that priests can see the future. Juriell doesn't seem to believe it.
"No. Priests' prophecies and this native culture are completely different. Priests receive answers from the gods through prayer and obtain oracles to see the future, but these people just experience hallucinations and think it's communication with nature."
From Seo-woon's perspective, there didn't seem to be much difference between the two, but he didn't want to argue about it.
"You don't seem to have much confidence in yourself"
"Not exactly. I've just never experienced such a clear vision before."
The middle-aged man frowned, indicating that he didn't care for his words.
"I've never seen such a clear vision before."
Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.
"I saw five wizards perform Khatz. I also saw them summon three meteors here, spitting out blood and dying. I clearly saw the meteors reduce this place to ash and countless people perish."
Seo-woon's expression distorted as he gestured with his staff, confirming the locations his abilities had projected onto the ground. Connecting the five locations centered around Beverly Hills formed a complete pentagram.
"What I saw was that the mother of this world had shown me her desire to save the people of this world from a great disaster…"
He didn't believe everything he said, but he was certain that if his prediction came true, there would be an unimaginable number of casualties.
Even though they were in LA, there was a restricted special area on the map. Seo-woon knew that many civilians were hiding there to avoid being caught by the players.
According to the briefing he'd heard in the car on the way here, he'd heard that approximately 200,000 people had been evacuated to Beverly Hills. If a meteor hit there… Those who initiated it would receive a massive amount of tokens, but it would be a massacre that would go down in history.
"Are you sure about this location?"
"Precisely. The fact that more players suddenly blocked our way when we entered here is proof of that."
The shaman spoke confidently, while Juriell looked skeptical. Seo-woon marked the five locations the shaman had pointed out on the map with pins, his expression serious.
"If Khatz is correct, how much time do we have before they cast their spells?"
"From what I see, it's three days from now, in the morning."
"Thanks for the information. We'll be leaving now."
Seo-woon quickly bid them farewell and headed towards the nearest marker on the map.
"Don't worry too much. It's probably just a hallucination."
Seo-woon hoped Juriell was right. Ki-chan looked around with a stern expression and reported.
"There was a loud fight, but there were no other players around."
"Which means…"
Seo-woon interrupted, and Juriell continued for him.
"Which means there's a high probability that the people we just killed occupied this place."
Those who hunted civilians for money had no reason to occupy a particular area. Only then did Juriell begin to think that the illusion the sorcerer had seen might actually be a premonition.
Come to think of it, there were no better conditions for using Khatz than the Cloyd Game.
If the circle carved into the heart failed, the person would lose their life, but if the spell succeeded and the goal was achieved, the side effects would completely disappear, and they could return to a normal body after the game ended.
It was obvious that the guild members would see this as an opportunity for rapid growth, as they could collect their share of the money in the waiting room.
-This is a warning spell!
Seo-woon was stopped on the ground and raised his hand in Hamit's warning. Warning spells were spreading in all directions from a point about two kilometers away from their target.
"Players are hiding everywhere up ahead."
It was still daytime, and the sun hadn't set yet. But it was certainly strange that players were hiding in various parts of the building. Whether they were trying to protect something or kill someone, there was no reason for so many players to hang out on a map where they couldn't farm. If there was a reason, it was only one.
"This place…"
- They're protecting this place.
Seo-woon finished Juriell's sentence. It was clear now. Khatz or not, a group of people were up to something and were planning to massacre civilians.
- How many mages would be needed to summon three meteors?
Juriell thought for a moment before answering Seo-woon's question.
- It depends on their level, but if they're around Wing Rank, you'll need at least 200. Dividing 200 by five means there are at least 40 mages in each location.
"If we eliminate one or two of the five locations, will we be able to stop Khatz?"
"That depends on how far the spell has progressed. If it's more than 70% complete, one or two locations won't be enough. We need to neutralize at least four locations before the remaining locations can withstand reinforcements and the spell fails."
As soon as he finished speaking, Seo-woon sprang into action. As soon as the warning spell passed, enemies emerged from various parts of the building.
Shu-kwa-gak!
As if waiting for this moment, Seo-woon's new form quickly destroyed the ice spears flying at him and climbed up one side of the building.
Lilingwei also began climbing the outer wall of another building, targeting the attacking players from the rooftops. Juriell and Ki-chan supported the two with magic from where they stood.
Their strategy of defending the area by establishing guerrilla formations in the city proved ineffective against Seo-woon's team. If they had concentrated their forces in one place, they would have been able to resist better.
There was no way they could hide their bodies and survive. In fact, even if players of this caliber gathered and fought with their numbers, it would be difficult to exert much power against Seo-woon.
Stronger players were needed to defeat Seo-woon, whose sword could cut through a knight's thick armor like tofu. With an Eight Quads defeated in an instant, Ki-chan gave a briefing.
"The enemy is coming!"
Shortly after his briefing, they saw about 100 players rushing towards them. The knight leading the players in the front line, huddled together and positioned, looked unusual.
"They're not just Wing-level players."
"They're at least sword-level players among the shields."
Seo-woon had no choice but to join Lee-ring-wi and Ki-chan. Facing the enemy he came to fight in LA, Seo-woon prepared for battle and ruffled his hair.
"We have to kill them as quickly as possible. If we get caught here, who knows how many more will come."
Seo-woon gave an order and, trying to instill fear, rushed towards the charging enemies, just then, a group of enemies rushed out in front of them.
"I've finally found you! You rats!"
"I'll wipe you all out at once!"
The two knights in red and blue armor, leading the group with loud shouts and raising the team's morale, noticed Seo-woon standing in place a second too late.
"You!"
"Jinseon!"
Even if she had opened the map, she would have known where she was, but the enemy seemed to have sensed her presence and rushed in. Seeing her two siblings looking at her, Seo-woon waved her hand.
"Hello?"
She wasn't trying to antagonize them. She couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Would you say hello?!"
She shouted excitedly, and spells flew towards Berus, turning the ground upside down. Dozens of spells flew at once, shattering multiple barriers and overwhelming Berus, who had lost his concentration.
-Wheeze!
At that moment, Berus thrust the sword he was holding into the ground and fell to one knee. A powerful golden defensive wall rose up, blocking all the spells flying in his direction. Seo-woon, passing by Berus, whispered softly.
"We'll deal with this later."
While Lilingwei and Ki-chan followed Seo-woon, Juriell positioned herself next to the mages between Skers and the group Berus had brought, and launched a barrage of attack spells. Initially, the battle seemed fairly even, but the tide soon turned.
"Damn! There are so many Crown Ranks!"
Those who had achieved Crown Rank were always listed with their ranks in the waiting room for all to see. Most of them were famous in their own worlds. It was impossible not to recognize these Crown Ranks.
The fact that Jin Seo-woon and his team, the brothers protecting Gwanggun, were all Crown Ranks had already caught the attention of all the high-ranking players. The reason they were able to defeat more than twice their number of enemies with less than 40 men was thanks to the superior performance of the Crown Ranks.
Berus, who brought out his Sword Aura and unleashed area-of-effect skills, and Skers, who focused solely on the knights while protecting the mages behind him. And Lilingwei, who moved like a fish swimming in water, emitting poison and preventing enemies from entering a certain radius, clearly demonstrated her skill as she continued her attacks.
However, no one could match Seo-woon's presence, who wielded ten sharp claws like long nails, deflecting spells with her bare hands, and swiftly disposing of swarming players with a single blow. Faced with that overwhelming display, even the most powerful knights hesitated to attack Seo-woon.