Chapter 26: Be prepared

There were three options.

[A three-way path appears.]

[1. Seek where the crows dwell.]

[2. Follow the numerous footprints on the uphill path.]

[3. Enter the forest shrouded in darkness.]

Each corresponding to the right, left,
And straight ahead.

Yujin, eyes closed, contemplated the three choices endlessly.

Having options meant gaining one opportunity while losing others.

Hesitation and contemplation were distinctly different actions.

Time passed.

“Phew.”

Yujin sighed and uncrossed her arms. The viewers reacted.

-Finally over?
-That was long…
-I feel like I’ve ‘wasted’ time…

Yujin’s eyes moved.
Her gaze settled on the downhill path to the right.

She turned towards it and stared ahead. Not far away, crows cawed ominously in the sky.

-No way?
-She’s not going there, is she lol?
-Is she really a newbie lol?
-Meeting the witch in the forest to learn skills first is the standard; tsk tsk
-Nonsense, you have to get equipment from the Dawn Citadel first
-Anyway, only idiots go to the right path first ㅇㅇ

The viewers, with a mixture of disbelief and apprehension, watched Yujin’s actions intently.

Staring at the crows circling in the sky, Yujin thought,

‘…There’s a graveyard ahead.’

Closing her eyes again, she dredged up a distant memory.

Near the Sanctuary of Holy Fire, there were three notoriously challenging areas.

[Dawn Citadel], reached by following the uphill path to the left.

[Leria’s Forest], with its dense trees, straight ahead.

And lastly,

[Cemetery of Rest], where those who couldn’t sleep, who couldn’t dream, wandered restlessly.

‘I can do what I couldn’t do back then.’

Suddenly, she realized she was clenching her right hand tightly. Blinking, she murmured with a faint smile,

“…This time.”

The smile was both serene
And tinged with sorrow.
Instead of choosing a dialogue option,

[→Seek where the crows dwell.]

She started walking down the downhill path.

-This is making me dizzy lol;

Completely oblivious to the viewers’ churning stomachs.

[Cemetery of Rest]

[1. Enter? (Story Progression)]

[2. I have unfinished business.]

A wide hill enclosed by an impenetrable iron fence.

Shrouded in darkness, swept by a cool, eerie breeze, it was the resting place of countless souls.

Yujin arrived.
She gazed at the cemetery spread before her.

It was nighttime now.
She hadn’t encountered any enemies on the way, so it hadn’t taken long, but it seemed like a cinematic effect.

Under the dark, starless sky, something made its presence known.

Outside the cemetery, something was clawing at the iron fence, as if desperate to enter.

Something restless in its slumber, seeking a new place to lay its weary body.

No sound reached her ears.
They were deluded, thinking they were asleep.

-Arrived; Why would she come to the cemetery first??
-What does a newbie know lol
-Since it’s Lunatic, all sorts of things will pop out besides undead and wraiths;
-Gonna be like a horror movie lol Even the Hero will freak out seeing how those enemies look lol?
-She can’t even touch the wraiths without the ‘Holy Fire’ state;

The viewers expressed their varied reactions in the chat. Worry and anxiety mixed with mockery and predictions.

But all they could do was watch.

They hoped Yujin would move quickly, and unintentionally, she granted their wish.

The moment she took a step forward,

[1. Enter? (Story Progression)]

A gust of wind blew.
The first option was enveloped in black smoke and scattered away, automatically selected.

The wind whispered as it swept past her. It was a prelude to a story event.

[Those who cannot sleep.]

[Those who cannot dream.]

[And those who reject both wander here. A place where those who cannot find rest roam.]

[This is the Cemetery of Rest. But there is no resting place for them here.]

[Unable to lie down, they wander in search of peace.]

[Can you grant them rest?]

[Can you shoulder even their despair?]

With those words, Yujin regained her senses. It felt as if the words were etched into her mind.

“…Phew.”

She exhaled,
A mixture of slight anguish and hesitation escaping her lips. She purged the turmoil within her.

“Keliata…”

Her lips moved slightly.
As the viewers filled the chat with question marks at her murmur,

“…Prepare yourself.”

-What is she saying?
-What’s Keliata?
-Prepare yourself lol So cool;
-Here we go
-Just charging in blindly lol
-Yeah~ If she didn’t learn any skills, she’ll get wrecked by a single Banshee~

With those words, amidst the viewers’ mockery and anticipation, Yujin charged forward.

Her right hand radiating light. The Holy Sword fragment took shape according to her will.

The viewers gasped in awe.

-Wow, the Holy Sword fragment
-She really did clear Mobidik;
-Yeah~ But she can’t even hit wraiths since they’re intangible lol
-What’s she planning to do without any equipment?
-Does she think the Holy Sword fragment is a weapon lol?

Yujin ignored the viewers’ bewilderment. Her mind was preoccupied with other things.

Down the hill she ran.
The world was consumed by darkness, but a single being shone brightly within it.

Yujin.
Her white hair flowing, she held onto a beam of light that repelled the darkness.

And light awakens.
It was anathema to those seeking slumber. That’s why they blocked her path.

[Undead]

Neither living nor dead.

Distinct from the [Wraiths], who, lost in despair,
Had retained their sense of self while losing hope.

These simple corpses, groaning grotesquely, charged towards Yujin with speed that surpassed any human.

Their appearance was horrifying.
Decaying, mangled.
Flesh falling from their bones, bones protruding through their skin with each limping step.

Trailing entrails was commonplace, but the sight of eyeballs dangling from their sockets, bouncing against their cheeks, was even more gruesome.

But Yujin merely,

“…Tsk.”

Clicked her tongue in disgust. She raised her right hand, the shining Holy Sword fragment arcing behind her head.

Then,
Just as the countless undead hands were about to reach her,

Bang—!

A deafening roar erupted.
Simultaneously, the undead and the iron fence they had been clawing at were blown skyward.

-Holy sh*t
-What was that?
-Didn’t even flinch lol
-She cleared Mobidik, so that much is nothing ㅇㅇ;
-Seriously, is she sure she didn’t allocate any stat points?
-Even with high synchronization, her real-life physical abilities are that good lol?

Yujin’s strike was decisive.
White light drew countless lines in the air.

The fragment, scattering light in all directions, was a piece of the symbol of purification that incinerated all evil.

Therefore,
The viewers were awestruck.

-What the hell is that?
-You can use the Holy Sword fragment as a weapon?
-If the viewers are complaining, it means it’s going to be popular lol
-Purification (Physical) lol
-Even a fragment of the Holy Sword is super effective against cemetery enemies;
-Isn’t that a bug? Did she do that on purpose?
-Is this person really a newbie? No way, she’s definitely a veteran pretending to be one lol;

The Holy Sword fragment Yujin was wielding had certain restrictions.

Countless people had tried to lift them, using all sorts of bizarre methods, but no one had ever succeeded in using it as a weapon.

Thus, it was widely believed that the Holy Sword fragment was purely for aesthetics and for the Holy Sword completion event.

That’s why there hadn’t been much reaction when Yujin defeated Mobidik with it. The viewers assumed it was simply part of the event.

-What are the conditions?
-Idk; I bet even the Hero doesn’t know ㅇㅇ
-She’s using it so naturally lol
-The undead are just getting blown away; Is this really Lunatic?
-The wraiths will probably disintegrate just by touching it lol

As the viewers’ curiosity grew, Yujin continued cutting down enemies impassively.

Feeling the familiar, yet incomplete, sensation of the Holy Sword,

‘Easy. But, I can’t let my guard down.’

Yujin’s lips remained sealed.
It was a habit she had when focusing on battle. Silently and resolutely breaking through enemy lines was her specialty.

Nothing that stood in her way posed a true obstacle.

Corpses leaped and lunged.
Yujin swung her sword nonchalantly.

Long, vertical lines appeared on the faces of the corpses obscuring her vision, splitting them in two.

The corpses parted, and Yujin passed through unhindered. But she engraved each of their deaths in her memory.

She mourned for them,
Granting them peace.

-Is this really Lunatic?
-In Lunatic, doesn’t even touching those things cause decay?
-If she gets caught, she’s dead;
-They can’t even touch her lol That’s insane lol
-Doesn’t she get tired?

It was an overwhelming spectacle.
As the viewers expressed their amazement in the chat,

-Ashilis-nim! Please look at the chat!
-lol
-Lee Hae-min’s desperate lol
-Yeah~ She’s never going to listen lol

One person typed in the chat with a heavy heart, but like the others, their message didn’t reach Yujin.

With every flash of her sword, flesh and entrails splattered, and dark blood rained down from the black sky.

Amidst the carnage,

Bang—!

Yujin didn’t hesitate.
Unarmed undead were no match for her.

Decisiveness came from unwavering resolve. It wasn’t recklessness.

Breaking through the flimsy obstacles, Yujin found herself in the heart of the cemetery, surveying her surroundings.

‘Hmm.’

She didn’t even pause to catch her breath.
Her sharp gaze swept over the enemies like a honed blade.

-Wow, crazy;
-Impressive lineup lol Dullahans, Reapers;
-Keeeeeeeeeeeeek!
-That f*cking Banshee;
-Look how many there are;

Darkness flickered.
Wraiths, concealed within the shadows, flitted about.

Headless suits of armor approached,
Rotten flesh peeking through the gaps in their cracked plating.

Pale women with their faces covered by their hands wailed and cursed.

Grim Reapers, cloaked in robes, extended their scythes, aiming to claim Yujin’s head.

Monsters, unable to find a place to rest,
Dug up the graves where others slept, their gazes fixed on Yujin.

Everything in the cemetery radiated hostility.
But Yujin remained unfazed, even as a chilling sensation ran down her spine.

Instead, she continued to scan the approaching enemies, as if searching for something.

Then,

—Thud.

—Thud.

—Thud.

A thudding sound reached her ears.
It sounded like something was being dug up.

Yujin’s gaze found the source.
There was a [Wraith].

A worn and cracked cross,
Wrapped tightly in chains, rattled with each upward swing.

The [Wraith], continuously digging up graves with the blood-soaked, crimson cross, finally turned to look at Yujin.

[Graveyard Keeper of Madness]

[Tellurak]

-There it is;
-Field boss lol;
-It appeared already lol?
-This is where it gets tough, right?
-Its first phase is the hardest lol
-Party-wide buff, and on Lunatic lol;

—Raaaaaaaaaargh!

Tellurak, its red eyes gleaming, slammed the cross into the ground and roared.

Simultaneously, the hostility from all directions intensified, surging like a wave.

The Graveyard Keeper of the Cemetery of Rest, Tellurak’s first phase, had begun.

-Can she do it?
-People have cleared the cemetery on Lunatic, though ㅇㅇ
-They didn’t just charge in blindly from the start like her; Smells like a newbie lol
-Seriously; you’re supposed to get equipment and skills from the Citadel and Forest, and get blessed by Anastasia before you can even think about clearing it lol
-I believe in the Hero…
-It’s common sense that the Hero wins, right?
-But why is she just standing there?

Most viewers thought it would be difficult.
Impossible, even.

Even with exceptional individual skill, some things were simply insurmountable.

But those who had been watching since the beginning of Yujin’s stream held onto a sliver of hope.

And…

“Ha.”

Yujin chuckled.
The viewers collectively groaned.

Were they about to be subjected to another cringe-worthy line?

But then,

“How dare you… How dare you…!”

Unlike Yujin’s previous words, which tugged at the heartstrings, this was different.

-Nosebleed lol
-What is this? Her expression is terrifying
-Noona… I’m scared… Noona… I’m scared… Noona… I’m scared…
-I’m seriously getting scared of her lol Is she mentally ill or something?
-Did she get possessed by a wraith?
-Doesn’t look like it…

Their reactions were understandable.

Yujin’s face was contorted with a rage they’d never seen before.

Her hand gripping the Holy Sword fragment trembled so violently that the viewers, wondering if she was angry at their chat messages, momentarily stopped typing.

Then,

“Wait for me, Keliata…!”

Those words escaped Yujin’s lips. The viewers, confused and exasperated, quickly typed in the chat.
-So who the fck is that
-Holy sht, that scared me lol
-Breaking News) She’s actually scared sh*tless;

And those messages,
Immediately after, as Yujin tore through the surrounding enemies with a single blow,

-What did I just see?
-Are my eyes deceiving me;
-As expected of the Hero! I knew I could count on you!

Began to transform into messages of awe.