Chapter 315 – The Price of Corruption (3)
Alberto looked immensely relieved. Since he had been alone, he could only focus on protecting the people outside from the two angels’ fight. Consequently, he couldn’t deal with the monsters terrorizing the people.
“Area Barrier,” Alberto had been using this skill nonstop. He would use the skill, empty his mana reserve, quickly refill it, and then execute the skill again. This cycle had pushed him to his limit. After all, the hardest thing for support players was providing support to players stronger than them.
So, when Alberto saw Tao Chen and the reinforcements, his face brightened. Just as Hamiel had promised, more help had arrived.
“I’m so relieved,” Alberto whispered when he heard the citizens' screams and the monsters’ roars decreasing. He didn’t know the details, but it was evident that some powerful players had arrived to help.
Kaboom!
Alberto looked up at the sky again. It appeared that the battle between Hamiel and Castro was also winding down. While Hamiel attacked relentlessly, Castro could only barely defend himself.
‘But why does he look so unhappy?’?Alberto wondered. Even though Hamiel was about to get his revenge, his face had a frown. Was he feeling guilty that he had to kill his kind?
‘No, that doesn’t make sense. Earlier, he was so furious at Castro.’?
Besides, Hamiel was going all out to kill his enemy. It was hard to believe he would be feeling guilty. But then, why did Hamiel look upset?
Alberto was curious, but he didn’t get much time to wonder because he sensed that someone had pierced his barrier and was approaching him.
‘Is it an ally or an enemy?’ Alberto shivered and reached out for the dagger in his inner pocket. He could buy Hamiel a bit of time if he used his skill. He wouldn’t make it out alive, but at least Hamiel would get to focus on just one enemy.
Alberto relaxed a bit as he sensed the intruder getting closer.
‘This familiar energy…’?He realized that whoever was approaching him was someone he knew. He was one of the greatest players in the support category, and his ability to detect energies was impeccable. Once he met someone, he never failed to recognize their energy later.
Alberto was relieved because things could have gone very badly if an enemy had arrived while Hamiel and Castro were still fighting.
“Long time no see!” a familiar voice greeted him from afar.
Alberto called out his name, “Heo Sung-Hoon!”
But perhaps Alberto shouldn’t have become so optimistic and excited.
Kaboom!
Castro’s attack worked for the first time, and Hamiel almost fell to the ground. Almost simultaneously, the monsters which Hamiel’s feathers had incapacitated were released.
“Kwerrrk!” the monsters roared.
“No!” Alberto screamed. The monsters rushed toward Heo Sung-Hoon, who seemingly had no time to defend himself. He was powerful, but the Heo Sung-Hoon Alberto knew wasn’t strong enough to handle these monsters.
Whoosh!
“Kierk!” several monsters shrieked in pain.
“What the hell…?” Alberto couldn’t hide his shock. He had just seen Heo Sung-Hoon pierce three monsters with his pike in one swing. Heo Sung-Hoon dealt with the freed monsters quickly before Hamiel’s feathers returned to bind them again.
Heo Sung-Hoon walked up to Alberto, who was still in shock. “Haa… Reinforcements are finally here.”
He didn’t even mention what he had just done, as if it was no big deal. “More help will arrive soon. You did well holding down the fort.”
“Ah… okay…”
“I don’t think I can help with that fight, though,” Heo Sung-Hoon said as he looked up.
Alberto, still looking confused, whispered, “When did you become so powerful…?”
Kaboom!
Alberto had many questions, but he never got the chance. A bright light engulfed the Colosseum, blinding all of them. Alberto didn’t panic, and instead, he used his skill. He yelled, “Vision!”
Their vision was restored, but the two men looked at the sky in shock instead of resuming their chat.
“What is that?!” Heo Sung-Hoon whispered.
Hamiel was now fighting a giant beast with horns.
***
“Strike!” With each strike of his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, Tao Chen killed several dozens of monsters in his way. He beheaded them all, not giving them a chance to regenerate.
‘Is this the power of a ruler?’?Tao Chen wondered. He wasn’t fully a ruler yet, but after the system had announced that he had met the necessary conditions, he felt himself becoming stronger with every bit of training. Tao Chen felt so much more powerful than before.
“But I’m still far from where I need to be,” Tao Chen muttered as he swung the Green Dragon Crescent Blade again. He was still too weak to help Gi-Gyu. He was still not strong enough to make a difference.
Slice.
With another swing, he killed all the monsters in his way.
“Haa…” While Tao Chen was taking a short break, another player was busy helping the evacuees.
“Please come this way!” Sun Won yelled in fluent Italian.
“Sun Won, thank you for your hard work,” Tao Chen said to him gratefully. Tao Chen’s compliment seemed to have cheered Sun Won, because he began working even harder.
Kaboom!
Sun Won wasn’t just helping the evacuees. After all, he had worked just as hard as everyone, and having a great teacher had certainly helped him grow.
“Welcome.” Sun Won and Tao Chen bowed deeply when a familiar figure arrived. The other players around them also showed their deep respect. Everyone acted as if the Chinese president had arrived; even the Italian evacuees stopped to stare.
“There is no need to be so polite. We’re in the middle of a battle, so please relax,” Bodhidharma announced.
The monk had been going back and forth between China and Korea to help the players become stronger. With his knowledge of ancient Chinese martial arts, he had helped the players train efficiently. Sun Won was the one who had benefited the most from his guidance.
Bodhidharma was leading Eden’s army in Sung-Hoon’s place. Looking around, he declared, “I think we must divide the army.”
Sun Won seemed confused, but Tao Chen looked at the monk with understanding.
The monk looked at the light beams and explained, “I can feel the situation changing.”
Thanks to Lou and Eden’s creatures, the light beams were disappearing; lamentably, the sky was seemingly raining light beams. It was almost midnight in Rome, but it was bright as if it were midday.
“Stronger enemies en route,” stated Tao Chen. Sun Won and the others tensed up, not because they were afraid, but because they were more determined than ever.
“We’ll get ready!” the players roared. The monsters were strong, but because they weren’t brilliant, they were easy targets. It was a perfect chance for the players to test their improved power.
Tao Chen continued, “This isn’t a game. All of your lives are important. You are precious soldiers of China, so do not underestimate your worth. Stay safe.”
Sun Won and the other players nodded, their excitement decreasing a little. But Tao Chen wasn’t trying to bring their morale down. He added, “But… it’s time to show off our country’s power! The white people have looked down on us for far too long! We have to show them what we can do!”
Tao Chen smiled. “We will save them to prove our power!”
“Yeah!” the Chinese players roared.
Bodhidharma smiled and said, “I’ll go over there now.”
Tao Chen nodded, realizing that a significant change had occurred nearby.
‘Beasts with horns…’?Tao Chen thought grimly when he saw those monsters appearing one after another.
***
Hamiel had been attacking Castro nonstop, and Castro didn’t look good.
Hamiel asked, “You still haven’t shown your true form, have you?”
Even though Hamiel was winning, there was a reason he looked upset. He screamed, “Show your real self!”
Some angels had two different forms. The top three classes of angels were true apostles of God. Although their Roots had changed, Hamiel and the two dead angels used to be God’s apostles, so Hamiel could see that Castro was a Cherub.
And the Cherubs made up one of the top three classes.
“If you insist on maintaining that form…” Hamiel’s eyes turned dark. Death, sorcerous energy, and the distorted form of his divine energy were all becoming thicker. He desperately wanted revenge, but Hamiel wanted to kill Castro when he was at his best. Hamiel wanted to make Castro feel the despair he had felt before.
However, Hamiel could only do one thing if Castro continued fighting in this form.
“I’ll have to just kill you now.” Hamiel’s speed increased. He could use more power, thanks to his evolution. And consequently, the number of Castro’s injuries increased every time Hamiel flapped his wings.
“It’s finally time,” Castro opened his lips for the first time.
Whoosh.
The sky was now filled with light beams. Hamiel’s power devoured as much as it could, but there was just too much divine power around.
Hamiel couldn't eat all the light beams.
“Ugh…” Hamiel groaned and took a step back. He seemed to be in pain, but he was excited. The situation was worsening, but Hamiel was excited because Castro was finally transforming.
“Let’s do this,” Hamiel whispered as he watched Castro turning into a beast with the protection of the light beam around him.
“Five horns…” Hamiel mumbled. Instead of wings, Castro’s new form had five horns on its forehead. There were different levels among the Cherubs, and this sight proved that Castro was among the highest-ranking angels.
“You’re definitely an important one,” Hamiel said in pleasure.
“...”
It was not only the Colosseum that experienced a significant change in the situation. The world outside the Colosseum was changing as well. In fact, the thick divine energy was changing the entirety of Rome.
Countless enemy angels transformed into their real forms and got ready to fight.
“Kwerrrk!”
From far away, the monsters’ roars rang. Along with the angels, the God’s Tears addicts were also transforming. Among the citizens, some weren’t completely addicted to God’s Tears. Now, even those citizens were transforming into monsters. As for those completely addicted to God’s Tears, they were changing into giant beasts, similar to the ones that had first attacked the Colosseum.
“Dammit,” Alberto cursed when he saw several building-sized monsters appearing all around Rome.
“Just give me a minute.” Hamiel turned away from Castro and toward Alberto and announced, “I’ll take care of him quickly and help you.”
Gi-Gyu had ordered him to destroy Castro, and Hamiel would do it no matter what. After all, it was his master and savior’s command. But Hamiel couldn’t do anything yet because Castro wasn’t done transforming. It was impossible to defeat a Cherub mid-transformation, although they could have perhaps done it if they had Gi-Gyu here. This was because while a Cherub transformed, the light beam gave it an immortal-like regeneration power.
‘I’ll kill him after the transformation is over.’?Hamiel promised himself. His black wings enveloped him. It looked like he was trying to protect himself from the light beam’s divine light, but that wasn’t true. Hamiel, now looking like a black egg, was exuding a giant amount of Death.
“Kwerrrk!” The beast, Castro, cried out. The entire Colosseum was shaking, and so was Castro’s energy.
At that time, Hamiel’s wings opened, revealing a completely different figure. His giant wings looked the same, but now, his temples had tiny wings covering his eyes.
Alberto stammered, “A-a demon…?”
Hamiel looked like a demon from Greek mythology. On one corner of his forehead, a long horn appeared as well.
“I have also been given…” Hamiel smirked in joy. “A new form.”
It was Hamiel who made the first move. One of his wings pierced the newly awakened beast’s shoulder.
‘This is the price of being a fallen angel.’?Hamiel thought. He had lost his identity as an angel, but he had no regrets.
Hamiel muttered, “I have made the choice willingly.”
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