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Translator: uly
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Belloca City's Sanctuary
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"Don't worry. You just need to be a little careful at first. It won't take long."
= Isn't that first part the problem?
"Onbiroad is so vast. And there are tons of groups imitating our Dark Phoenix. Even if we wander around Onbiroad, they won't spot us easily."
= What? Imitating Dark Phoenix, of all things? You're saying there are people like that?
At Geon-woo's words, Ilryeong exuded a chilling aura.
Though it appeared as a small half-spirit, Ilryeong was no being to be taken lightly.
He'd meant it to reassure Ilryeong, but it seemed to have backfired.
"Calm down. They probably just picked up an abandoned name and ran with it."
The mercenary group led by Geon-woo was called Dark Phoenix, a name that rang out the loudest among the first wave of support forces who had crossed over from Earth to aid Onbiroad.
In other words, among the foreign heroes who came to help Onbiroad, it held the highest prestige.
As a result, users from the second and third waves of Ark Capsules often heard that name and its feats from Onbiroad's residents.
That led to many second- and third-wave users borrowing the Dark Phoenix name outright, or adopting names and concepts that evoked some connection to it.
So, even if Geon-woo resumed activities as Dark Phoenix, it was unlikely his identity would be exposed right away.
= We must track them down and hold them accountable.
Ilryeong apparently could not tolerate others using the Dark Phoenix name without permission.
"Well, I don't plan to go hunting for them, but if they get in my way, I'll deal with them."
Geon-woo yielded a bit in response to Ilryeong's intense reaction.
It was a sign that he'd take action if such people appeared before them.
When a valued subordinate wanted something like that, how could he refuse?
He saw no need to push back against it.
= My lord! This is no trivial matter to take so lightly.
Even that seemed insufficient to Ilryeong, but Geon-woo shook his head.
"We're not here to enjoy Onbiroad like other Healing Life users. Our goal is to build the strength to stop the dimensional invasion."
In short, it was no time to get hung up on minor issues.
= Understood, my lord. So you plan to return to the front lines once more?
With that clear goal stated, Ilryeong set aside the name-stealers for now and turned his attention to what lay ahead.
"Well, to properly hunt those demons, we'll have to enter their territory."
Geon-woo nodded.
= Understood, my lord. This Ilryeong shall follow you with my life.
"Alright, then let's get going. The last place we logged out was Belloca City, so we'll respawn at the sanctuary there."
Geon-woo checked his gear one more time, steeling himself for full immersion into Onbiroad.
Then, remembering something he'd nearly forgotten, he grabbed the smallest bag from the lower shelf and secured it to his belt.
It was a magic pouch with spatial expansion.
"Let's go."
With preparations complete, Geon-woo's gaze fell on the magic circle in one corner of the waiting room.
A magic circle that transferred a user's avatar from the waiting room to Onbiroad.
Geon-woo stepped toward it.
= You're not leaving me behind, are you, my lord?
At the sight, Ilryeong hurriedly flew through the air toward Geon-woo's shoulder, entering the magic circle's range alongside him.
The next instant, the circle flashed with light, transporting Geon-woo and Ilryeong to Onbiroad.
* * *
Murmur, murmur! Murmur, murmur!
After the magic circle lit up in the waiting room, the first thing Geon-woo sensed was the bustle of crowds.
= We have arrived in Onbiroad, my lord.
As Geon-woo scanned his surroundings, Ilryeong peered around from his shoulder and spoke.
More precisely, one of Onbiroad's many sanctuaries.
The sanctuary hall was a vast rectangular space reminiscent of a soccer field, with high ceilings and walls, floors, and ceilings all made of stone.
Flash! Flash!
Bright lights flickered frequently throughout the hall as user avatars materialized in various spots.
Those emerging with the light were all Ark Capsule users transferring from waiting rooms to Onbiroad.
They were either people who had logged out here in the sanctuary hall, or those whose avatars had died somewhere in Onbiroad and respawned from the waiting room.
If you logged out outside a sanctuary, you'd reconnect at the exact spot where you logged out.
However, unlike sanctuaries, your avatar would remain there defenseless, so it wasn't recommended unless it was a safe location.
In any case, among those appearing in the hall now, anyone in the default outfit given upon avatar creation was likely nine times out of ten respawning after death.
Or it was their very first login to Onbiroad.
Naturally, anything beyond default gear meant a simple reconnection.
'Ilryeong, over there, right?'
Geon-woo took in the hall briefly before directing his gaze to one side and asking Ilryeong.
Linked by soul, they could communicate without speaking aloud.
= Yes, my lord.
Ilryeong confirmed the direction of Geon-woo's gaze and nodded.
At the response, Geon-woo immediately headed toward his destination.
There were six exit doors on each of the hall's four walls, and no matter which one you took, you'd enter the surrounding corridor.
On the wall opposite the plaza in that corridor stood a row of small rooms.
Commonly called 'maintenance rooms.'
They were mainly used by users to check and sort loot before logging out from the hall after a trip.
Of course, some used them for a final gear check before setting out.
Hence the name 'maintenance room.'
'Here it is. Sixth maintenance room.'
Geon-woo spotted his target the moment he entered the corridor.
= Correct.
'Fortunately, it's empty.'
= If it weren't, any room left or right would do.
'True, but still.'
Geon-woo chatted with Ilryeong as he opened the maintenance room door and stepped inside.
A bare space just over one ping, furnished only with a stone table.
Users placed gear on the table for maintenance or sorted through loot.
But Geon-woo hadn't come for such ordinary reasons.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Right after closing the door, Geon-woo channeled mana to activate his unique ability.
When creating an avatar via Ark Capsule, it was granted special powers.
Usually one ability, but with luck, two or even three unique ones.
Users called these avatar unique abilities 'traits' or 'awakening skills.'
Geon-woo's was念地力, or Psychokinesis: Earth—a telekinetic subtype that manipulated the ground.
He was using it now to descend beneath the maintenance room floor.
Geon-woo stood rigidly as the ground beneath his feet sank, pulling him underground.
Rumble rumble! Crunch!
Once Geon-woo's form vanished below the floor, the hole constricted from both sides, restoring its original state.
The split stone floor pieced back together like a puzzle, pretending nothing had happened.
And in that time, Geon-woo had descended 50 meters from the maintenance room into a small stone chamber.
Fwoosh!
"Safe and sound. Good."
Geon-woo activated the magic lantern the moment he arrived and let out a relieved sigh.
It looked exactly as he'd left it.
= Who would ever guess Dark Phoenix had a hideout here?
Ilryeong nodded from Geon-woo's shoulder as if it were obvious.
"Belloca sees heavy user traffic, especially the sanctuary. It's natural to worry it might be discovered."
= A place my lord hid so perfectly—who could possibly find it? That's no easy feat.
Unlike Geon-woo, Ilryeong puffed out his chest proudly.
It was a familiar sight from the past, whenever Ilryeong boasted about Geon-woo, so he chuckled.
But the next moment, a flicker of tension crossed Geon-woo's face.
What came next was that important.
'To truly reclaim Onbiroad's former glory, these guys need to be intact. Rise!'
With that thought, Geon-woo proceeded with the final step to recover his past forces.
Onbiroad's strongest foreign mercenary group.
That undying band had originally numbered ten, and the remaining eight besides Geon-woo and Ilryeong lay in this underground stone chamber.
Grroooowl! Grroooowl!
As Geon-woo circulated his 9-star Thousand Brains Divided Heart Spirit Control Art, scraping sounds echoed from the eight stone coffins in the chamber.
The eight jiangshi linked to his soul pushed open their lids and raised their upper bodies on their own.
Whoooosh!
Terrifying auras poured from the bodies of the eight revealed jiangshi.
"Whoa! Worth soaking them in those drugs for seven years. They've absorbed it perfectly."
Geon-woo exclaimed involuntarily, sensing their auras stronger than expected.
= Indeed. Even better than hoped. This should make up for my lord not visiting for those seven years.
Ilryeong chimed in gleefully at Geon-woo's admiration.
The eight jiangshi rising from the coffins were the remaining members of the Dark Phoenix mercenary group.
Created via Lang family's secrets and commanded through their jiangshi spirit control heart method, the Thousand Brains Divided Heart Spirit Control Art—they were Geon-woo's limbs.
Of course they'd rejoice that these jiangshi had grown even stronger than anticipated.
"Yes, all of you are much stronger than before. Excellent. Perfect."
Geon-woo nodded, marveling once more.
* * *
Step. Step. Step.
"What the heck? Who are those guys?"
"Cosplay? Black knight theme? Looks cool, though."
"That's it—the old Dark Phoenix trend."
"Oh, right. People still do that these days?"
"Yeah. Not in Belloca, though, right?"
"From somewhere else?"
"Nah, if they entered the sanctuary, we'd have heard rumors."
"Seriously! No way something like that slips by without buzz."
Geon-woo's group drew every eye as they marched down the sanctuary corridor toward the exit.
Nine members in two columns, dominating the corridor with synchronized steps.
Four up front, four in back.
Geon-woo alone in the center.
Clearly, the front and rear were escorting him.
And all nine wore black outfits.
Hoods, helmets, bandages.
Every one hid their faces, whether in metal plate, leather armor, or robes—all black.
One even had black bandages wrapped around face and limbs.
Geon-woo himself wore a full-face helmet and one-piece black armor, utterly unlike his maintenance room entry.
With all nine clad head to toe in face-concealing black gear, they couldn't help but attract stares.