SWNOVELXO Chapter 151
Chapter 151 – Storm (1)
“It has been confirmed that the difficulty varies per user, meaning the strength of the bugs faced is undeniably different. But here’s the problem: do you know what it is, Representative?”
“…It means things are getting increasingly dangerous.”
“Exactly.”
When I communicated with Jun-Young, Lee So-Yeon was not actually in her office. She was sitting with government officials, smiling wryly at their questions.
However, the others’ moods were rather serious.
“Currently, there are two types of bugs appearing on Earth. Those that crawled out because users failed to defend, and those that have begun to generate right here on this planet. We don’t know who the user is that has made this Earth their stage, but shouldn’t we eliminate as much danger as possible?”
The government official speaking was surprisingly a young man. With his glasses glinting, he pressured Lee So-Yeon by listing the facts.
He was asking if it was safe for users, who could potentially become walking bombs, to mix freely within society.
In normal times, they were reassuring suppressors, but the moment they lost, they would turn into enemies’ dimensional gateways.
“That’s not entirely wrong, but Team Leader, it’s not like we can just move to space. Even if we gathered on a deserted island in the vast Pacific, I’m not assured that’s a foolproof solution.”
“Why not? Aren’t the bugs that have taken out all the guardians in the world on screen chasing after the users?”
“That’s not certain. Right now, I can monitor them on my home computer, the office computer, and the laptop I brought with me. If I were to die right here, from which computer would the bugs actually spring forth? And even if we set up some safety measures like that, how effective will they be against the bastards?”
For a user to lose meant opening a pathway to the real world for the bugs. Indeed, those who initially failed to defend left behind gateways in their homes.
However, as the bugs grew, they also developed the ability to remodel and manipulate those gateways as they pleased.
Bugs that had sufficiently grown from combat would surely move in erratic ways once a defense was breached.
“That’s a rather extreme assumption. Isn’t that too unfair to us? How many aspects do we need to care about?”
“This isn’t a game. There’s no operator to balance things out.”
Seeing his flustered expression, Lee So-Yeon calmly spoke up. It wasn’t a game. At this, everyone’s eyes focused on her.
“It’s a struggle.”
Lee So-Yeon slightly raised the corners of her lips at the sight.
Certainly, the more one looked closely, the harder it became to see this system represented by the Master Program as favorable to them.
‘There’s hope.’
Yet, unlike others, she did not lose hope or composure. Rather, that solid heart of hers held a conviction close to faith.
Though unfair and harsh, if one examined the current situation, it would reveal that someone’s contribution was extraordinarily significant.
The very person who first helped Lee So-Yeon. Though not yet known to the world for those achievements, he was likely at the forefront even at this moment.
Even if his identity was unknown to the world, he was already fiercely waging wars somewhere else.
Without the information and strategies imparted by that person who had experienced the situation first, it would have been impossible for Lee So-Yeon to establish the current system through her collaborations with various people, leading to more lives being lost to maintain that balance.
“I believe discussions and research like this should continue for all our sakes. However, I oppose this motion. I’ve already explained the reasons.”
“Ha, fine.”
In the end, the government official could not overturn her opinion. There were high-ranking officials present, but they merely shuffled about, unsure of what was happening.
“Did you hear? Looks like there’s trouble in Russia. A once highly regarded user has been defeated there.”
“…Not everything can go well.”
However, it wasn’t long before the bad news began to flow in. Among those who had been exemplary and served as a model for others, some had started to succumb to their burdens.
“They say his house is under surveillance, but there hasn’t been a gate there or anything. Your insight was correct, Representative. Those bastards are surely going to seep out through another hole.”
The one reporting the news to her continued gloomily. When one person falls, the burdens they carry ultimately have to be shared by others.
If it’s shared, it could be manageable, but there’s a limit.
‘That person must never fall.’
Captivated by that thought, she was focused solely on one individual. While others might consider him an ordinary young man, she recognized him as the most outstanding user and pioneer in this world.
Lee So-Yeon, his only acquaintance, was aware of the level of bugs he was facing at that moment.
They would suffer heavily as well, but if that leading figure were to fall, the aftermath would be beyond imagination.
*
“Hmm, do you need anything?”
While I was fully focused on the screen, feeling the tension rise, Lee So-Yeon sent a chat first.
I had no time to spare a moment ago, but now I was able to reply, glancing at her inquiry and chuckling softly. Asking if I needed anything all of a sudden.
It seemed she was in the mood to grant whatever wish I might have.
“Not really, not at the moment.”
Wants, desires, things I wanted to do—when I was just a rookie employee a while back, there was plenty of that, but now it was different.
What I desired now wasn’t of material nature. I only wished for victory; that was all. Perhaps if I had more leisure, it would have been less grim, but right now, I was fine.
I was living comfortably enough with the considerable sums I received periodically from handing over potions and items to her.
-If you need anything, just let me know anytime. By the way, how’s the war on your end? It seems challenging with a three-front war.
“Uh, what should I say? It’s more manageable than expected?”
I hesitated slightly in answering her question but just stated the truth as it was. It was no lie.
For all the tension, the war was proceeding somehow.
‘Riena has stepped in.’
For now, the Allied Forces managed to hold their ground against the enemies and even succeeded in pushing them back. Together with the elves holed up inside the castle, they drove the bugs back to their nests.
“—!”
In the process, Riena and the paladins played significant roles. Among the peculiar variants that kept evolving, there was a special one that began to mimic the Arin Tribe warriors.
Perhaps wary of the grand magic, they had come to snipe the exhausted Toa, only to be blocked by the rushing Riena and the paladins.
Surely, that one was strong. Displaying skills learned from observing us, it swung a sword entwined with black mana and lashed out with venomous stingers sprouting from its eight legs, knocking down those trying to stop it.
‘Strong. No, even more than that, it fights too well.’
Even several paladins joined forces from all sides, but they were being pushed back. Even Shura, who had grown into an exceptional warrior following Riena, struggled to hold his ground against the creature. One by one, the injured began to fall amidst such chaos.
I can assure you, if this dragged on, our side would have been the one to suffer.
[Light of Radiance, Judgment]
However, utilizing her allies aggressively, Riena charged into the gap with all her might, landing a clean strike that cleaved the creature in half.
She hadn’t been consistently progressing through chapters with me for nothing.
As the Dark Blood chapter continued, and as she eliminated the malevolent demon lords one by one, Riena continually grew stronger, receiving all the rewards and perks my character should have obtained.
She was transitioning from a mere game character to a true judge, existing within the game’s settings.
“I’ve saved my buffs… This is enough.”
Thanks to the allies fighting well, I was able to conserve my limited strength adequately.
Though seeing the injured suffering and the grim corpses made my face harden, I still had things to tend to.
Reassuring myself, I turned my attention back to the screen. While the Elf Tribe’s war had taken a breather, based on the sacrifices of the brave, others had begun to fight as well.
[Wind of Healing]
I unleashed my conserved power at the Northern Fortress. It was a wide-area buff to heal wounds and restore stamina.
“—? –!”
“—!”
In that spot where the kingdom’s artillery was stationed, soldiers were seen urging the shocked kingdom troops as they gaped in disbelief.
Powder-filled cannons were still firing amid the astounding firepower emanating from the defense turrets.
‘I intended for this, but I didn’t expect it to be to this extent.’
Seeing that sight, I let out a small sigh. When the kingdom troops had first joined us, I indeed wanted them to engage in combat with the bugs for their swift adaptation. After all, fighting together would make them friends.
But what I wanted were small-scale skirmishes. Contrary to that hope, this was not a simple fight; it was a large-scale war on the threshold of life and death.
The bugs were determined to crush us with this offensive, relentlessly pressing forward, unphased as their forces perished to magic and shells, using the corpses of their kind as stepping stones.
‘My help is needed here even more.’
Though I moved my mouse without pause, the clash of thousands of forces was like the fall of a massive hammer from the sky or a chainsaw in the hands of a cat.
[Wind of Vitality]
So, I spent some points to buy another buff I had been putting off. It felt a bit regrettable, but if such grand wars were to occur frequently in the future, the overall area assistance would be incomparable.
After all, the points would accumulate well through the course of the war.
“—!”
The effects manifested instantly. Mages and warriors, who had been completely drained, were rejuvenated by the wind that restored their mana, recovering their strength to continue attacking.
With wide eyes in disbelief, they plunged into assault without hesitation. If they didn’t tire, we would surely win.
“Here too, huh? A special variant.”
But the enemies were not just going to sit back either; as our firepower exceeded the imagination, certain creatures began to emerge, as if they intended to do something about it.
Focusing in, I frowned. The warriors, including Rakum, rushed to the front line, but those creatures seemed to be working hard to destroy the defense turrets.
The only thing I could do upon seeing that was perhaps prepare to rebuild the defense tower immediately after it got destroyed and level it up while designating regular soldiers to clear the debris, providing space for the warriors to fight.