Chapter 171

“No, we have another path.”

Kang Yuseong, however, smiled coldly.

Fyodor stiffened, watching him.

Kang Yuseong slowly approached him.

“For example.”

Gulp—

Fyodor swallowed hard.

“I’ll claim Russia for myself. Then, I’ll lead its forces and advance into Europe. How about that? Doesn’t that sound better?”

Fyodor frowned and spoke.

“Do you think that would be easy? Even if you kill me here…”

“No, I won’t kill you, Fyodor.”

Kang Yuseong cut off Fyodor’s words.

He stared at Fyodor and continued.

“I’m going to use you. And I’ll do it thoroughly.”

“What…?”

At that moment, Fyodor shuddered as he saw Kang Yuseong’s expression.

Kang Yuseong was smiling.

“Just watch. See what becomes of your homeland, Russia.”

Kang Yuseong stepped closer to him.

“Don’t come any closer!”

Fyodor frantically cried out, waving his hands.

Fyodor was a Hunter of considerable skill.

But he was no match for Kang Yuseong.

As soon as he heard the news that Kang Yuseong had entered the Kremlin Palace, his carefully laid plans fell apart, and he was completely flustered.

To disregard even these conditions.

“Even if you kill me… the Russian army will never follow you. So, don’t even think about it!”

“Fyodor. Have you not studied me at all?”

“What?”

“My abilities, I mean. One of my abilities does something quite interesting. Just like now.”

Flash—

At that moment, Kang Yuseong extended his hand, and a blinding flash of light erupted from it.

“Agh!”

Fyodor instantly bent backward, covering his eyes.

At the same time, countless thoughts flooded his mind.

“Aaaargh!”

Mind Control.

Before that immense technique, he was merely a helpless human.

Kang Yuseong stood before him, smiling.

Fyodor was slowly being consumed.

Boom!

Moscow, Russia.

The city was crumbling under overwhelming firepower.

At the hands of a single man, Kim Do-jin, the strongest Magic User.

WEEEEEOOOOW—

And the blare of a siren from the Kremlin Palace echoed throughout Moscow.

—Orders are being issued. All forces are to lay down their weapons and surrender. Repeat, all forces are to lay down their weapons and surrender!

It was Fyodor’s voice, the man who had held Russia firmly in his grasp with his powerful might.

“What?”

“This can’t be!”

The Russian people stood with expressions of utter disbelief at the broadcast.

Moscow, which they had defended until now, had been conquered in an instant.

—Repeat…

They didn’t want to believe it, but it was unmistakably Fyodor’s voice, declaring surrender.

“Ugh…!”

“This humiliation…!”

The Moscow security forces shuddered with indignation upon hearing the broadcast.

The Russian people were extremely proud and highly belligerent.

Though they had been under Fyodor’s authoritarian rule, it was only natural for resentment to boil over in this situation.

“I won’t follow such an order!”

“Let’s storm the Kremlin Palace!”

Several units disobeyed the order, armed themselves, and turned their weapons towards the Kremlin Palace.

But that lasted only for a moment.

March, march, march—

Numerous security guards surrounded them.

They were Fyodor’s direct guard unit.

The security officers, encircled by their own comrades, gritted their teeth with uncontainable fury.

“Damn it!”

This was unbelievable.

How could such a thing happen?

But the tide had already turned.

Moscow had completely fallen to one man and the forces he led, and even their leader had declared surrender.

And now, this humiliating situation, surrounded by their own allies.

Bang—

At that moment, a single gunshot rang out.

“Kill them all!”

“Waaah!”

That single gunshot signaled the start of a civil war in Moscow.

The units, deeply wounded in their pride, charged at the security guards who had surrounded them, and the guards opened fire without a moment’s hesitation.

Tatata-tang!

“Agh!”

“Ugh!”

Countless unit members fell.

And so, Moscow was awash in blood.

Meanwhile, the Red Army, positioned near Europe as a contingency, began to move.

They were heading behind the European Alliance, which was advancing towards China.

***

“Aaaaargh!”

Crash!

Gil Hyeok-jun displayed immense valor, sending enemy soldiers flying.

His blood-soaked appearance struck fear into the enemy and instilled courage in his allies.

His steadfast presence at the very front gave them deep trust that they would never fall.

“All forces, charge!”

At Gil Hyeok-jun’s fierce shout, the Korean defense forces moved.

The battle against the European Alliance continued relentlessly, with neither side gaining a decisive advantage.

It was a protracted, indecisive battle, where one side pushed, then the other.

In truth, this was only possible due to Gil Ji-yeon’s significant contributions in the early stages of the war.

Her Mind Control ability was tremendous, allowing them to counter the powerful initial advance of the European Alliance forces.

However, due to their numerical inferiority, they couldn’t maintain their initial advantage for long.

The fact that they had managed to create a stalemate like this was already a remarkable feat.

Gil Ji-yeon had expended an enormous amount of energy at once and was on the verge of collapse from exhaustion, so she needed more time before she could use her power again.

But Gil Hyeok-jun admirably filled that void, bringing the situation to a stalemate.

Crash—

Another fierce battle erupted.

Crunch, crunch!

Swords were plunged into chests, maces were swung…

An incredible spectacle of powerful forces clashing occurred repeatedly.

Yet, once again, the outcome of the struggle was not quickly decided.

This was because the European Alliance had a numerical advantage, while the Korean defense forces had a qualitative superiority.

“Hyaah!”

Crunch!

Bang!

Gil Hyeok-jun’s prowess, especially at the forefront, was extraordinary.

No one knew how many heads he had already severed.

One of his battle axes was already broken and discarded.

European Alliance soldiers trembled at his attacks, as he picked up an unfamiliar axe from the ground and swung it like a madman.

His martial prowess was that immense.

Prominent individuals from the European Alliance challenged him, but they often ended up decapitated or split through the chest in an instant.

Some had their waists shattered and ribs broken, while others died with limbs torn off.

Behind him, the most renowned Hunters from Korea provided support.

They, too, were seasoned veterans with extensive combat experience.

The Stardust Guild.

Acting as Gil Hyeok-jun’s escort unit, they protected him perfectly, making it even more impossible for the European Alliance to approach him.

Thus, the front lines were becoming entrenched.

However, as time passed, the Korean Alliance forces were at a disadvantage.

Since the battlefield was in former Chinese territory, troop replenishment was extremely slow, and they were already numerically inferior.

Moreover, perhaps provoked by the European Alliance’s attack, intelligence reports even suggested signs of rebellion brewing within mainland China.

If a rebellion broke out on the mainland and their rear was cut off, the Korean defense forces would face an immense crisis.

Therefore, they also needed to end the war quickly.

But the European Alliance also had its own justifications, so the battle did not end quickly.

Just then, shocking news reached both sides simultaneously.

—Russia’s Red Army is moving south!

The same news.

At first, the European Alliance soldiers smiled at this news, while a sense of gravity permeated the Korean defense forces. The movement of Russia seemed, by all accounts, to be an obvious intention to side with Europe.

But the news that followed immediately after reversed it entirely.

—Russia’s Red Army is moving west!

“What?!”

Elizabeth III, the commander-in-chief of the European Alliance, was so shocked by the news that she sprang to her feet.

They had already devised a plan to crush the Korean defense forces.

Inciting the remnants within China was also their doing.

It was clear that if their rear was cut off, they wouldn’t last long.

Furthermore, they had planned to detach a portion of their troops for a surprise attack on the enemy’s headquarters.

After all, a prolonged frontal assault would only result in a war of attrition, with no significant benefit to either side.

In this situation, they had believed Russia’s southward movement clearly favored the European Alliance.

Because, after all, it was Russia that had orchestrated this whole affair.

They thought Fyodor had read the cards and chosen his side.

But…

—Moscow has fallen. Fyodor has changed sides. All Russian forces are moving west to aid the main Korean forces!

An unexpected and astounding urgent report had arrived.

Elizabeth III, who now realized that Kang Yuseong had completely overturned the board, bit her lip.

“Adam, devise a countermeasure to stop the Russian army! And William! Proceed with the plan as intended. If a rebellion breaks out in China, they won’t last long either.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Robin, send a minister to Russia. We must demand an explanation from Fyodor as to why he has done this.”

She had heard that Moscow was occupied.

But it was incomprehensible that all Russian forces had turned simply because the Kremlin Palace had fallen.

Something was amiss.

Elizabeth III made that judgment.

“Move quickly!”

Those who received Elizabeth’s orders moved swiftly.

“Commander Mir. What about the support from our homeland?”

Elizabeth III asked Mir, the German Hunter representative.

“Reinforcements are scheduled to arrive within ten days.”

“And the scale?”

“Three thousand Hunters, two mechanized divisions, five infantry divisions, and air forces are set to deploy.”

Elizabeth’s eyes gleamed.

“That means air strikes are now possible, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. The organizational structure is in place, and we can now unleash artillery on the enemy’s heads.”

“Good. Mobilize all firepower. We must push them back. We cannot retreat after coming this far!”

“Indeed, Your Majesty. Furthermore, additional reinforcements are being organized and are expected to arrive within two weeks, so do not worry too much.”

“For now, it would be wise to also look for ways to push back the defense forces with our current troops. Especially their vanguard… that man, Gil Hyeok-jun.”

Mir nodded.

“I will do my best.”

Russia’s unexpected choice to advance west caused unforeseen chaos on both sides.

The European Alliance, and the Korean defense forces, each had a frantic day.

“Tsk, I thought I’d get to fight the Russians for once.”

However, Gil Hyeok-jun seemed genuinely disappointed at not being able to fight the Russian army.

The two forces thus fell into a standoff once more.

But this time, the meaning of the standoff was different.

It was a suffocating standoff, where both sides bared their fangs and unsheathed their claws, poised to tear out the enemy’s heart.

Everything would be decided soon.