Chapter 267 - Festival Under The Moonlight

Under the dark sky stretched the cities of the Republic of Korea.

It was like a scene from a painting of hell.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaah!"

Between the dark skies, numerous gates were clearly visible, floating and emitting bizarre lights.

And from them poured hundreds of monsters.

Their types ranged from those resembling wild beasts to those flying through the sky like birds.

The sight of hundreds of these beasts moving in packs, smashing buildings on the ground and setting the sky ablaze.

To anyone watching, it looked like true apocalypse unfolding.

...Yes, that's how it appeared on the surface.

Until you looked closer.

*

[Like this post if you feel like you're screwed in real-time lol]

I mean, fuck, if it was just our country that would be one thing, but other countries are going through this shit too lolololol

Just like this post if you feel like your life is over lolol

=[Comments]=

[Liked (while crying)]

[Like if you're trembling with your family in an underground bunker lol. Damn, the sounds from above are scary as hell lol]

[For real, this isn't funny anymore lol. I mean, what is this, a fantasy movie? Monsters pouring from the sky? lol]

ㄴ[Seriously T_T]

[Hey, watch the news. Looking at the situation outside, there are hardly any people. What's going on?]

ㄴ[Maybe they all got eaten and died?]

ㄴ[No, it's too empty for that...?]

*

Right.

So there were fewer people than expected.

Despite the sudden calamity, there weren't many people in the city.

*

[Are you all in the Association's underground bunkers?]

ㄴ[Yeah]

ㄴ[Yeah, as soon as those gates appeared, the Association broadcast a warning and we ran]

ㄴ[Seems like it. There are tons of people here lol]

*

And the reason was obvious—most had fled underground.

Thanks to the underground bunkers that the Association had, quite coincidentally, been frantically building across the country this year in preparation for disasters.

But even so, it was too early to feel relieved.

Because...

This was just the beginning...!

"What a mess, what a mess."

On the rooftop of a tall building.

Under a coal-black sky that seemed to herald the end of the world.

In stark contrast, gates floating in pink and purple hues were spewing out monsters. Looking at this sight, I sighed.

...Indeed, despite having seen this scene in comics before, it was an eerie sight that gave me goosebumps.

"Sigh, what's all this commotion about."

I said that while tossing bombs down the building one after another.

Bang. Bang.

[Kyaaaaaaaaaah!]

The monsters collapsed after being hit precisely by bombs controlled by psychokinesis.

As expected, since it's still the early wave, they can be subdued with firearms and chemical weapons.

So far, they're just numerous but quite weak monsters.

And the proof of this was visible through the video feed on my mask.

*

[Take that! Die, all of you, die!]

[Kuhahahahaha! Now is the hour of death!!]

[In a line... fire!]

*

Floating before my eyes, the images of our Ego-stream members and the news.

While they were dealing with the monster wave, I was here at the field control center giving instructions and protecting Eun-wol behind me.

Thanks to the drones I had deployed in the sky beforehand, I could see at a glance how the Republic of Korea was faring.

So far, since the monsters were relatively weak, everyone seemed to be holding up well.

But the real problem would be what comes next.

"...Soon, the second wave will begin, I guess."

I muttered.

Gates floating in the dark city. This isn't the end.

Very soon, the second wave will come.

That is, more boss-level monsters will start appearing in most areas, especially in Seoul.

Larger than other monsters, much tougher and more powerful.

Their characteristic is that unlike other gates, they emerge from large black gates.

Yes, like those black gates visible over there...

"...Wait a minute."

I muttered, hurriedly throwing the remaining bombs down.

The miscellaneous beasts dying with screeching sounds.

I shouted to Eun-wol behind me, who was surrounded by all sorts of magic circles with her eyes closed, doing something.

"Eun-wol! Not yet?"

"...No."

"Got it."

I guess it doesn't happen right away.

Thinking that, I straightened up again.

My cape fluttering in the cold wind.

I checked my plan once more.

Moonlight Bridge Gate.

The calamity where the Moonlight Church Leader opened gates, summoning monsters.

The biggest problem with this is that gates appear in proportion to population density. Many appear in big cities, but almost none in places like the ocean.

The issue is that even if the Moonlight Church Leader dies, these gates will remain forever. They'll continue to pour out monsters until the end.

...So, at first glance, what I'm doing might seem futile. Yes, evacuating people to underground bunkers in advance. But there's no stockpile of food there, and eventually people will have to go outside. Where monsters will be swarming?

No matter how hard heroes fight, they can't battle 24/7. Eventually, the supply of monsters will exceed heroes' ability to eliminate them.

Ultimately, a massacre will occur on Earth.

...Therefore.

I thought.

If we can't block the gates from the beginning, and if it's fate that these monsters will keep coming through.

'Since the Moonlight Church's gate generation mechanism creates gates in proportion to population density...'

Why not make gates appear only in areas with no people, in inverse proportion to population?

Yes.

That's how my entire plan was born.

Where are areas without people? Mainly mountains and such, but the widest area is obviously the ocean.

In other words, if we could somehow twist the gate generation mechanism to make them appear only far out at sea.

Sorry to Atlas, but wouldn't the land be okay then? I've already gotten permission.

"....."

Yes.

This was the idea I came up with shortly after falling into this world.

This seemingly unrealistic plan.

Meeting Eun-wol, the priestess of the Moonlight Church.

Researching together, discussing methods.

Gradually taking shape until we reached this point.

"....Phew."

That's why I was now protecting Eun-wol, who was manipulating magic circles in front of me, sweating.

That's also why we traveled around the country laying down magic circles.

To hack the Moonlight Church's magic system with Eun-wol's power and change the gate generation mechanism. The magic circles themselves are full of all kinds of formulas that interfere with the Moonlight Church's techniques.

...Of course, this method had its problems too.

Namely, hacking is only possible after the Moonlight Church opens the gates.

And it takes considerable time.

That's why I herded people into underground bunkers to hold out. Just connecting food supplies and communication lines for now.

The current monsters can be handled by heroes and myself. If we cut off additional supply, other countries will manage somehow too.

However.

"That's... a bit troublesome."

Standing on the rooftop, I clicked my tongue looking at several ominous black gates floating in the void.

[......]

As expected, unlike other gates, they looked much larger and more ominous.

And unlike others that continuously spewed out monsters, these were quite quiet.

At fairly long intervals, especially powerful boss-level monsters emerge, so that's natural.

And finally.

[Grrrrrrrrrr Aaaaaaah-]

Seeing the appearance of a giant with a black body and red eyes.

I clicked my tongue and immediately contacted Lee Seol-ah.

[Yes? Da-in, what is it?]

The sound of bombardment beside her.

Seems she's also in the midst of chaos.

Anyway, I got straight to the point.

"That thing you mentioned, is it ready?"

[The soldiers? Yes! They've already been dispatched to all provincial areas.]

"Okay. We're redirecting all our people to Seoul now."

[Hah! Ha, ha. Yes!]

After ending the call with the busy-sounding Lee Seol-ah, I immediately summoned all our Ego-stream members.

[Back to Seoul? Got it!]

[Hm. Ha, ha. Okay, I'm coming now~]

[Yes, oppa! This is the right way, right?]

[...I understand. I'll take the east.]

[Yes. All four of us will head that way.]

Everyone had been farming monsters in provincial areas and was now returning to Seoul.

Of course, this was a pre-arranged action.

The creatures emerging from those black gates were variants that took no damage from conventional weapons.

They could only be defeated with supernatural abilities, and even then it wasn't easy because they were so strong.

And their number.

"Quite a lot..."

I muttered, looking around.

Black gates were quite mixed in among the purple gates.

Those can't be stopped unless ability users cooperate. They're also the number one contributors to doom. As explained at Kathedal.

Anyway, since the Moonlight Church Leader is in Seoul, they all appear in Seoul at this time. That's why I was calling Ego-stream back to Seoul to stop them.

This should be enough for now.

With that thought.

"..."

I finally turned my attention to Stardust visible on the screen.

"...Fighting well."

As expected, she was flying solo on the other side of Seoul, near where the Moonlight Church Leader was, performing feats of valor.

...I should join her soon.

As I was thinking that.

"...Da-in oppa! It's all done!"

"Really?"

I turned my head at Eun-wol's urgent call from behind.

"Now, ha. Ha. Just the final operation left."

Eun-wol said, breathing heavily.

...Yes, only the final operation remains.

Dealing directly with the Moonlight Church Leader.

...The end is in sight.

With that thought, I said to Eun-wol.

"Alright, Eun-wol. Let's go!"

"Yes!"

I ran out with Eun-wol.

To confront the Moonlight Church Leader.

And... to see Stardust.

Ah, before that.

This is the final part, so I should turn it on.

With that thought, I turned on the camera I had prepared in advance.

Good. Has it started?

*

[?????]

[Huh?]

[Broadcast ON lololololol]

[Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick!]

*

The chat already filling up.

Realizing the broadcast was on, I grinned at the camera and said.

"Hello everyone. This is Egostic!"

The broadcast begins, you bastard.

Let's livestream you dying today.

And.

"Does anyone know where Stardust is?"

Let's find Stardust first. Yeah.

***

[Ms. Stardust!]

"Huff, huff. What is it?"

Downtown.

In the middle of a bizarre downtown filled with pink air, Stardust, who was catching another monster, answered breathlessly to the Association agent's voice in her ear.

After listening to what the agent said.

"...I understand. Yes."

She ended the call.

"...Ha."

With her first brief smile of the day, she blasted away another monster's face.

"Egostic..."

He was coming, they said.

As he always did.