Chapter 10: Intermission

The world was in turmoil after the solar eclipse.  

More so than when everyone had turned into VR characters.  

Even more so than when the meteor had fallen in East Asia.  

[As of 12 PM, all 38 OECD countries declared a state of emergency. Most have been lifted, but a few remain…]  

[A joint statement from national associations: The 7 Bosses are a more certain threat than the 7 Calamities. As for countermeasures…]  

“Wait, this feels a bit unfair…”  

Sure, I might have caused a bit of a mess, but still.  

The VR thing was understandable since it was used as an ID substitute, but saying it’s more dangerous than a meteor? 

Isn’t that a bit much?  

The 7 Bosses would feel hurt hearing this.  

No one actually died, after all.  

[Eclipse Damage Report]  

(A photo of ruins in central Germany)  

The German association was there… until it wasn’t. 

It got wiped out.  

(A photo of the half-destroyed American association)  

The American association managed to save half, thanks to the legal and SF tech folks banding together.  

The Chinese Triad and Mexican cartels were obliterated.  

As for Korea…  

(A meme of Gigantes disappearing without a trace)  

Looks like things actually improved?  

(A meme of Eclipse covering its mouth and smiling slyly)  

Come here!

I’ll give you a hug!  

“If the Korean association gets half-destroyed, it’s probably because of this guy.”

“You’ll die trying to hug him.”

“Not just Korea, but China and the US are also in a better situation now.”

The Triad and cartels were troublemakers, and now they’re gone.  

“But what was the criteria for destruction?”

“Looking at Gigantes disappearing, maybe it was placed with fragments?”

“But there aren’t any fragments here?”

“Then I don’t know.”

There’s a bit of damage, sure.  

But those two countries can rebuild quickly, so it’s not much different from not being destroyed at all.  

The US even took care of the gangs in the lower states, so it feels like I actually helped them out?  

Though, to be honest, I only destroyed buildings—it’s the criminals who got scared and ran away.  

[Eclipse Activity Range Prediction]  

The solar eclipse happened worldwide, but Eclipse itself hasn’t shown up at all.  

News channels have made some speculations about this, so I’ll share them here.  

Below is an expert’s response:  

(Expert: “First, Eclipse is likely to be in areas where the solar eclipse occurred during the day.”)  

(“However, given the unknown mechanics of VR, we can’t rule out the possibility of it being in areas where it was night.”)  

(“Lastly, considering testimonies that even stars were invisible, it might be watching us from space.”)  

Everyone, please be cautious.  

“?” 

“The range hasn’t narrowed at all?” 

“I’ll try predicting its location too. It could be in the sky, on the ground, or in the ocean. LOL”

“Anyway, if the eclipse happens, we’re all dead.” 

“What does “please be cautious” even mean?”

“They just added it to sound smart.”

“For real?”

…How did they not figure it out?  

I was already half-giving up on that part.  

I was even thinking of having a backup plan ready.  

‘Cutting off an arm with a shadow is one thing.’  

That could easily be mistaken for a sword aura.  

Sure, the black color was a bit unusual, but sword auras can vary in color depending on the person.  

‘…But flying into the sky?’  

The answer was easy to find.  

[Now in the sky, our hero.]  

(A meme of a hunter luring Gigantes)  

We worship you, GOAT.  

Be happy in the sky.  

“Wow” 

“He was a true hero.”  

“How did they even think of luring it like that?”  

“It was a close call with the eclipse, but they couldn’t hold out a bit longer.”  

[Who’s the hunter?]  

Aren’t they going to erect a memorial or something?  

They’re practically the number one contributor to minimizing Gigantes’ damage.  

“Did no one see them?”  

“With the radius of tens of kilometers rising into mountains, how could anyone see?”  

“Gigantes was too big to get a clear view anyway.” 

“Can’t they check with satellites?”  

“How do you observe someone less than 2 meters tall flying around so fast?” 

“Satellites also went haywire during the eclipse.” 

“Someone should cross-reference the black sword aura-like thing they were using.”  

‘I’m not dead.’  

Is this how Nobel felt when he saw his own false obituary?  

Though, unlike Alfred Nobel, who was called the “Merchant of Death,” this is in a good way.  

‘Wait, is it similar?’  

I’m also being called the final boss among the 7 Bosses.  

Hmm, maybe I should establish an Eclipse Prize instead of a Nobel Prize?  

Though it sounds like everyone would run away from it.  

After reviewing everything that happened while I was asleep.  

‘Should I head out now?’  

I peeked out the window to see the dawn breaking.  

The land, still a mess from Gigantes’ rampage, came into view.  

Where should I go next?  

I’ll figure it out while walking.  

I left some money on the table as thanks for the unauthorized stay.  

Wrapping my mouth with a black cloth, I jumped out the window.  

‘This feels a bit guilty.’  

But if I leave like this, it’s the perfect crime.  

“Hey! You’re there!”  

“Wha—?!”  

***  

“Hmm… who should I take with me?”  

The morning dew glistened under the slanting sunlight.  

Her two-toned golden hair, reflecting a reddish hue, swayed gently as Helena walked, lost in thought.  

The location was a city devastated by Gigantes.  

The chaotic mix of buildings and land seemed to mirror Helena’s own turbulent emotions.  

‘This is something that should be done leisurely.’  

Thinking this, Helena adjusted her witch’s hat and sighed.  

At the recent international summit, one decision had been unanimously agreed upon:  

‘Prioritize the search for the 7 Bosses above all else. Locate, isolate, and if possible, eliminate them.’  

Normally, such discussions would take days, followed by days of action from each association.

But this time, things had progressed unexpectedly quickly.  

The summit had concluded in less than a day, and the associations had already begun to act.  

Helena had a vague idea of why this had happened.  

And anyone who knew about the summit could guess the reason.  

‘The Eclipse.’  

The worldwide solar eclipse that occurred just yesterday.  

Half the Earth, even the side that was at night, had been plunged into a darkness so deep that not even stars were visible. 

It was enough to bring the summit to a swift conclusion.  

Even if your roommate is annoying and you don’t get along, if a knife is held to your throat, you’ll eventually work together.  

Under the calamity of Eclipse, the nations of the world had begun to unite.  

Moreover, the representatives were top-tier players.  

They might be aggressive, but they weren’t fools who couldn’t assess the situation.  

And so, concrete plans were quickly made.  

“70% of available personnel will search for the remaining 7 Bosses, 29% will deal with the currently discovered 7 Bosses, and the remaining 1% will search for artifacts in the Dungeon of Impossibility to use against the bosses.”  

The ratio was a bit… no, heavily skewed, but Association Head Baek Ayun explained it like this:  

“There’s no other choice. With the eclipse happening, Eclipse’s existence is certain. This time, we managed to get by, but there’s no guarantee we’ll be so lucky next time. We need to find and deal with Eclipse as quickly as possible.”  

“The currently discovered 7 Boss, Evil Drasil, is the same. It seems to have been provoked by something and is rapidly expanding its territory northward. We need to gather forces to stop it.”  

And finally.  

“The Dungeon of Impossibility… there’s a chance we might find something useful. Since rewards in games were random, we couldn’t allocate too much to such uncertainty.”  

So, with a simple “Good luck,” Helena, unfortunately, ended up with the remaining 1%.  

“Isul is busy searching for the 7 Bosses, and that damn association head… probably won’t help.”  

All the capable hunters had already been assigned to the other 99.9%,

So Helena had no choice but to scour the streets for any unregistered awakened individuals.  

‘I’m the world’s 5th-ranked mage who helped stop the meteor, you know…’  

How did I end up in this position, running around like this?  

‘Maybe a skilled awakened individual will fall from the sky.’  

At dawn.  

As Helena trudged through the empty streets, that thought crossed her mind.  

Whoosh.  

A black shadow falling from the sky.  

A movement too extraordinary to follow casually.  

Helena’s eyes widened, and she shouted.  

“Hey! You’re there!”  

“Wha—?!”  

Though the startled voice sounded a bit shrill.  

Helena’s eyes sparkled.  

“So, do you want to go to the pyramid with me? You’ve never been to a pyramid, right? I’ll take care of your lodging and food. You won’t have any discomfort. Just trust me!”  

Silky black hair.  

Pale skin that looked like it had never seen sunlight.  

Though her face was partially covered by cloth, she was still an adorable girl.  

And.  

“You know there’s a lot of treasure in the pyramid, right? If you come with me, we can legally excavate it. Doesn’t treasure hunting sound fun?”  

Staring into the girl’s round, amber eyes, Helena smiled brightly.  

‘A high-rank hunter, I must take her with me!’  

Helena’s right eye glowed gold.  

The magical eye that allowed her to see the flow of mana, the reason she held the title of the world’s 5th-ranked mage.  

And when she observed the girl’s mana with that eye, she couldn’t get a clear reading.  

This meant…  

‘Her mana is either far greater than mine, or it has a special property.’  

Either way, it was a sign of a high-tier player.  

At this level, she wouldn’t be inferior to any hunter in the association, not even Isul or herself.  

Cute and strong enough to rival other hunters.  

To Helena, who couldn’t resist cuteness, this strong and adorable girl was like a gift to her unfortunate self.  

Helena continued to explain, or rather, sell the idea.  

“Actually, this is a secret, but in the 7 Dungeons of Impossibility, there are artifacts that can lead to the 7 Bosses. And the pyramid is one of those dungeons.”  

The words spilled out in a rush.  

At one of them, the girl’s eyes, which had been indifferent until now, lit up.  

‘Got her.’  

Similarly, Helena’s eyes also gleamed.  

Interested in the 7 Bosses, huh?  

Like waving bait in front of a cat, Helena continued.  

“If we find any treasure, you can keep it. Hunters from other countries are coming too, so it won’t be too dangerous.”  

The girl thought for a moment, then nodded.  

Helena cheered internally.  

‘Now that I think about it…’  

Isul said she’d be searching for the 7 Bosses around here.  

There’s a high chance Eclipse is near where Gigantes appeared.  

But then she left this task to me, saying she’d search for the 7 Bosses herself.  

‘Go ahead and fail. You don’t have someone like this, do you?’  

Having recruited a high-tier individual, Helena whistled and sent a playful smile to Isul.  

“Let’s go! Before the others arrive!”