[Translator Zain]
* * *
Kuwoong!
A massive monster as big as a mountain collapsed.
One by one, all the nations on Earth had fallen.
The apocalyptic monster summoned in the United States, one of the last remaining ten nations, was finally subdued.
…Good.
A blonde Caucasian man watching that spectacle smiled with satisfaction.
He was Barren, American First guildmaster, which was the biggest guild in the world, and he was also ranked 1st in the whole world.
Thud-
And then.
Beside the fallen monster, a dark-haired man fell down.
His left arm severed, his body charred and burnt.
The mighty Martial Saint, ranked 7th, Seong Jihan.
Barren threw a short word.
Well done.
…
Seong Jihan was a pawn for him.
To Barren, Seong Jihan from Korea was a useful hunting dog.
And today, the hunting dog had fulfilled its mission excellently.
Though he was greatly injured.
Regeneration!
Ranked 3rd, the priestess dashed forward in a hurry, spreading healing magic.
But as time passed, her expression stiffened.
No…!
Normally, with her power, she could instantly heal burns and the like, but the burns sustained while facing the apocalyptic monster were unusually severe.
Jihan! Just a bit, hold on. Please… Great Heal! Great…
Tears streamed down the priestess s face as she spread healing magic.
Seeing her pour all her energy and life into it, Barren frowned for a moment, then turned his gaze to the monster s corpse.
The apocalyptic monster, Behemoth.
From its body, a sinister aura oozed out, enough to send shivers down one s spine.
It s difficult to endure even from here, I wonder how he endured it up close.
Once again amazed at Seong Jihan s strength from a distance, Barren s eyes lit up for a moment.
Whoosh-
From the fallen Behemoth s remains, a bright white light surged.
That s… the boss battle reward!
Rare Treasure Chest from the Boss Monster.
Whenever it appeared, the bright white light would burst forth from the center of the monster.
Everyone, step back!
Yes.
As Barren raised his hand, dozens of American First guild members stepped back, guarding the surroundings.
A special reward from Behemoth, the monster known as the apocalypse.
Though they might have been tempted by it, they couldn t defy the stern command of Barren, ranked 1st in the world.
And as Barren surveyed his guild members, he chose those who would receive the reward: the priestess, along with the 4th and 5th ranked members of American First.
…What about Jihan?
He s not an American. He s just a hunting dog.
Seong Jihan, who played the biggest role in bringing down Behemoth, was naturally excluded from the conversation as if it were a matter of course.
But he s also an American now! He sought asylum here!
You know very well what I mean by American .
But the apocalypse monster is…
Argh…
Listening silently to the conversation, Seong Jihan smirked.
Such rewards weren t expected from Barren.
Slowly, Seong Jihan spoke up.
Just go. It s alright.
…Sorry. I ll be there soon.
Okay.
As the priestess got up, Barren seemed relieved.
The Korean hunting dog.
Yet he knows the subject.
Go, Barren.
Of course. Fly!
Through Barren s flight magic, the three flew over Behemoth.
Seong Jihan watched their departure with cloudy eyes. He lost his country and became an exile.
And the three players of the superpower, the United States. Though the difference in rank wasn t great, their positions in the guild were worlds apart.
What reward will come from Behemoth?
Looking at the corpse of the monster he had brought down with his own hands, Seong Jihan pondered.
Even if it was a monster from a demotion match, it was still the final boss, so it was sure to be something good.
…It s fine. It wasn t mine to begin with. I should focus on regenerating my lost left arm.
In that moment of calmly facing reality and adjusting himself, the ground suddenly shook, and a message window appeared before everyone s eyes.
[Space League Bronze League Demotion Match Results Announcement.]
A sense of foreboding hung in the air.
[Game Category Defense.]
[USA Success.]
[China Success.]
[Russia Failure.]
[Japan Failure.]
…
While the USA and China succeeded, From Russia and below, all had failed.
Seong Jihan s face stiffened when he heard that out of the final 10 countries, only two succeeded.
This is…
[NO. 4212 Humanity has failed the demotion match.]
[With NO. 4773 Orc , will participate in the final demotion match.]
[The battle will take place immediately.]
Zing-
The message window expanded, displaying a single screen.
Within it, a grand stage was unveiled.
Gu-Guildmaster…
And there.
On the screen stood Barren and his team who had gone to claim Behemoth s reward, their expressions stern.
And a player from China is there. A total of five.
Five players ranked higher than Seong Jihan.
With them, no more players were summoned.
On the other side of the stage, Five members of the Orc race, with green skin and features resembling pigs, stood.
[The battle begins.]
A 5 vs 5 battle.
The losing side here would face demotion.
Please…
A guild member clasped their hands together to pray.
Of all opponents, it had to be the Orcs!
Jihan should ve been summoned too!
Some lamented while glancing towards Seong Jihan.
Despite selecting five members, Jihan, ranked 7th, couldn t be summoned due to his lower rank.
But the guild members knew.
Seong Jihan was truly the powerhouse of American First… no, the world s strongest player.
Even if he had lost an arm, they would have felt more reassured if he had been summoned.
Hahaha! What a joke. That monster isn t here!
Orc, who was at the forefront, looked around at the Earthlings and burst into mocking laughter.
Seong Jihan was well acquainted with that Orc.
That s the one who ran away in the previous battle.
[Translator Zain]
Read ahead on our Patreon!