Seong, having retreated to some distance, glanced up at the sky absentmindedly.
[The large-scale event "Legion of Calamity" will conclude once all Legion forces are defeated.]
"Ah." He had completely forgotten about that.
This wasn't the time to be idling.
Perhaps he could test the Knights of Ruin against the forces there.
"I should head back."
As soon as Seong uttered those words, Leonic shouted,
"Back to the battlefield!!!"
The Knights of Ruin immediately echoed his cry in unison.
"Ruuuuuuuuuinnnnnnnn!!!"
With excessive enthusiasm, the knights mounted their ghostly steeds in perfect synchronization, the spectacle resembling a scene straight out of a movie.
However, one knight stood idly by, not mounting his steed.
Why isn’t that one getting on?
Seong glanced at the knight, quickly recognizing him—it was the same one who had spoken rudely to Leonic earlier.
Looking between the ghostly steeds and the knights, Seong suddenly noticed something.
"Oh."
He spotted Leonic mounted among the knights.
"My lord! Allow me to escort you!" Leonic declared, looking back at him.
"Ah, well... sure."
Seong climbed onto the ghostly steed with Leonic. Without missing a beat, Leonic turned the horse and commanded,
"Knights of Ruin! Advance!!! Target: Legion of Calamity!"
"Target: Legion of Calamityyyyyyy!!!"
The knights roared in response, spurring their ghostly mounts forward with tremendous momentum.
The sound of galloping hooves thundered through the surroundings as the Knights of Ruin charged ahead.
The speed was astonishing—on par with Anemore’s capabilities, far faster than Seong could fly. He nodded in pure admiration, thinking they’d reach their destination in no time.
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Less than three minutes, maybe?
He had worried that the skill’s duration would run out before they arrived, but that seemed unlikely now.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
What about the knight without a steed?
Seong glanced back and immediately saw the knight sprinting furiously, gasping for breath.
"Haaaahhh!!! Haaahhh!!! Heeeaaaahh!!!"
The knight’s desperate wheezing sounded like he was on the verge of collapse. Feeling sorry for him, Seong briefly considered asking someone to share their mount. But it was clear everyone was intentionally ignoring the knight.
Why?
Because he was the one who had dared to act insolent toward Leonic earlier.
Rank matters, Seong thought, turning his head away with a pang of guilt.
"Haaaahhh!!! Haaaahhh!!!"
The sound of labored breathing continued behind them, but Seong, like the other knights, pretended not to notice.
2.
The large-scale event had escalated into an all-out war.
The sheer number of players and Legion forces made the battle resemble something straight out of a movie. However, the further the event progressed, the more it felt like grim reality rather than cinematic fiction.
"Arghhh!"
"Move the injured!"
"Forget moving them! Force a logout!"
"Shit! More are coming!!!"
The battlefield was a chaotic frenzy, eerily reminiscent of a real war. This was what war truly entailed.
Yet, amidst the chaos, certain individuals shone brightly—heroes who stood out even in the pandemonium.
Mayrin from Eclipse Order, Kurosawa Ren from Tempest Wing, and Junhyuk from Sig Brothers were among them.
"Follow Mayrin!"
"Clear the path Ren opened!"
"Junhyuk is moving out!!!"
These three acted as vanguard commanders, their presence radiating authority and strength.
However, elsewhere on the battlefield, another group dominated with an entirely different energy.
Unlike the heroes, this group exuded an aura of death, embodying victory at all costs.
Valtar, Fiora, Barfur, and Noctrynnium—this quartet tore through the Legion of Calamity, their movements precise and unyielding. They crushed all opposition, reigning supreme on the battlefield.
For these four, what others saw as a fierce battle was nothing more than pest control. It wasn’t even a fight in their eyes.
"Let’s not go near them."
"Will we die too?"
"Well, judging by the Demon King’s live stream, that probably won’t happen, but..."
No one dared to voice the unspoken fear aloud.
The Death Legion retained their autonomy, listening intently but refraining from action without direct orders.
The quartet, meanwhile, gathered to exchange observations.
"Hmm, we’ve taken out quite a few, but something feels off," said Noctrynnium, scanning the surroundings.
"Heh, some impudent humans are around," Barfur grumbled.
"Hahaha! Looks like an opportunity to present something new to our lord," Valtar chuckled.
"Do not act recklessly," Noctrynnium warned. "Everything follows our lord’s will. He will arrive soon."
Although they remained still, the tense atmosphere hinted at impending conflict.
This unease wasn’t limited to Seong’s subordinates.
"Hmm, something feels wrong. The atmosphere is strange," Mayrin muttered.
"I felt it too," Junhyuk agreed.
"Yeah, every guild seems hesitant," Ren added.
Though Mayrin laughed outwardly, her expression grew colder. The three sensed that something was being plotted in secret, which displeased them immensely.
Then, another realization struck.
"Come to think of it, where is Echo Willow? They said they’d participate, but they’re nowhere to be seen."
"Hahaha! I’d love to say they tucked their tails and ran."
"But that’s unlikely," Ren replied.
The lawless nature of Dune Wild Trail made it a haven for villain guilds like Echo Willow. Yet neither they nor any other villain guilds had appeared at this event, which was strange.
As they puzzled over this, a plume of dust rose from the western edge of the battlefield, where the Legion forces had been concentrated.
Something was rapidly approaching.
Rather than tense up, Mayrin grinned broadly.
"Hahaha! Looks like they’re coming!"
"I caught part of the live stream—figured he’d head straight back," Junhyuk said.
"Doesn’t make things easier," Ren added.
As they turned toward the dust cloud, they saw the approaching figures of the Knights of Ruin, led by their vanguard. Behind them, riding at the center, was a single player—the very protagonist of this event.
Seong was making his entrance.
And at that moment...
Mayrin tilted her head in confusion as she read the message from her guild executives.
[Ranknu-Mayrin, stop acting recklessly and return to the guild.]
“...???”
“What’s this about?”
Kurosawa Ren, standing nearby, seemed equally perplexed.
“Did your guild also tell you to come back?”
“...Looks like something’s up.”
Mayrin’s boisterous smile faded into a grim expression, and Ren’s demeanor mirrored hers. Meanwhile, Junhyuk remarked,
“I got a message too. It seems like both of your guilds have made some kind of deal with Echo Willow.”
Junhyuk’s words made Mayrin and Ren flush with embarrassment.
They had contracts with their guilds, so disobeying orders wasn’t an option. But to think their guilds had sided with Echo Willow—their intentions were obvious.
“Damn it!”
“It’s frustrating, but there’s nothing we can do. No matter how powerful the Demon King is, could he really handle Echo Willow alone?”
Mayrin’s concern was understandable.
The Demon King was impressive, no doubt about it. He had defeated this event’s boss and left a lasting impact. But to face Echo Willow on top of all that? Could he truly win?
Her worries weren’t unwarranted.
“What about your guild, Junhyuk?”
“Well...” Junhyuk scratched his head awkwardly.
“My guild apparently contacted Rapid Guild.”
“Oh, so they’re sending reinforcements?”
“Well, if it’s Rapid Guild, that’s reassuring,” Mayrin and Ren said, perking up slightly.
Junhyuk gave an uncomfortable laugh.
“No, they said the Demon King would handle it himself, so just leave him be.”
“...???”
“...???”
Had Rapid Guild abandoned the Demon King? Without support, even he would struggle against Echo Willow.
The trio exchanged uneasy glances as they turned their attention to the Echo Willow forces advancing toward them. The group was massive, numbering in the hundreds.
It didn’t seem like something anyone could handle alone. Even with Seong’s Death Legion, his mana wasn’t infinite. Could he really hold out?
Had Rapid Guild truly left him to fend for himself?
Uncertain of the situation, the trio stood frozen, watching the approaching army.
3.
Seong had always been quick to read the atmosphere, and this time was no exception.
Sensing the tension, he dismounted from behind Leonic and used his flight skill to rise into the air.
From his vantage point, he saw several players herding the remnants of the Legion of Calamity away while others were closing in, surrounding him and his Death Legion.
Though the situation seemed odd, their red-flashing usernames and guild emblems gave them away.
Echo Willow?
He had encountered them before.
As they tightened their encirclement, other players wisely withdrew from the area.
Looks like they want to capture me.
Seong’s suspicions were confirmed when he received a message from Rapid Guild.
[Rapid - Looks like Echo Willow wants revenge. Do you need help?]
The slightly worried tone of the message made Seong chuckle.
The enemy numbered close to a thousand. For an ordinary player, taking on a thousand enemies would be impossible.
Would it be the same for other Almighty-tier classes?
Perhaps they could manage in normal circumstances, but after a large-scale event like this? Probably not.
But Seong wasn’t just any Almighty-tier class; he was an Overlord, standing at the pinnacle.
He wasn’t worried.
[Seong - Not at all. I’ll record this, too.]
After sending a brief reply, Seong hit the record button and stepped forward.
From Echo Willow’s side, a representative emerged to negotiate—or so it seemed.
Curious, Seong decided to hear them out.
The first words out of their mouth were atrocious.
“Surrender peacefully and hand over all your items.”
It wasn’t even worth responding to.
Amused, Seong shook his head and snapped his fingers.
"Knights of Ruin! Crush those arrogant fools!"
"Ruuuuuuuuinnnnnnnn!!!"
The highly disciplined Knights of Ruin surged forward, their ghostly steeds thundering as they charged into battle.