C.S.O.

Chapter 35

C.S.O - Chapter 35 [Never Give Up]

Two hours have passed since the battle between Liber and the Demon God who sought to rise. The casualties have reached 5 million Liber with the same cause: they died while attacking the increasingly expanding strong miasma.

This is an endless battle. Many have started to think that everything they do will be in vain. But many find this mission more challenging and intriguing. One Liber who thinks that way is Yamato, the leader of one of the largest guilds in CSO, Blue Crown.

Blue Crown consists of over 100,000 Liber divided into several divisions and specialties. And among them, there is a group called the Executive Dukes.

This group consists of resilient Liber who become leaders in missions and operations. It can be said that Blue Crown operates like a large kingdom.

For Yamato, however, every mission is like a game of chess.

"The miasma has become an automated defense that annihilates weak Liber. Although it seems eternal, thanks to those two Valkyrie Maidens, we know its weakness."

A young man with golden armor nodded. He is one of the Dukes in Blue Crown.

"Yes, it seems that even though we are facing the final boss, the magic system in CSO hasn't changed. In other words, it's very easy. Unfortunately, accomplishing it is the difficult part."

Yamato thought the same thing.

"Can our entire Holy Soldier forces penetrate the miasma?"

"That will be difficult."

An elderly character answered. He used a staff as a walking aid. Of course, he was just a character, not a real person.

"Hmm..."

"By using all holy elemental skills simultaneously, we might be able to penetrate it, but considering its regeneration speed, it will only have an impact for... 5 seconds. If we want to make a significant impact, we have no choice but to..."

He didn't continue. Nevertheless, Yamato already knew what the old man meant.

But as a large guild, they have their own pride. And that means it is difficult for them to cooperate with other guilds.

"Of course, we have many options besides waiting for another guild to launch a strong enough attack to penetrate it. We can also wait for an opportunity and attack at the right moment, but unfortunately, both options are not ideal."

They don't have much time. The miasma is growing larger and devouring everything. Compared to two hours ago, this miasma is twice as big and will continue to grow. If it keeps expanding, penetrating it will become even more difficult.

It's like forcing Liber to make a decision and take action immediately.

Yamato understands this. And he is not the type of person who likes to wait and rely on the power of others to pave the way. But he also can't sacrifice his members for something uncertain.

"Summon Diego, I will send a message to other guilds."

"Understood."

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Tera and the members of the Ouroboros guild still haven't taken action and are observing the progress of the battle. Of course, she hasn't forgotten to send a small group of her members to assist Anastasia and Astrea in their battle against the Demon God.

Long-lasting battles are indeed detrimental, but seeing the two Valkyrie Maidens continue to attack and fight, motivates the Liber near them to join in, even if their attacks don't have a significant impact.

Goddesses in war. That is the existence of the two Valkyrie Maidens.

"We must do something immediately. Otherwise, we will never be able to pass through this."

"I know that, Albor. But we only have a small number of Liber with holy elemental powers. It's essentially a suicide mission."

Tera grits her teeth and strikes a tree trunk until it shatters.

She wants to fight, but as a leader, she cannot make the wrong decision.

The mission they are currently undertaking is different from their usual in-game missions. This is a war. Their current situation is like a group of ants fighting against an elephant. In fairy tales, the ants would win, but the reality is quite different. Especially now that they consist of different ant groups with different goals.

This is the greatest challenge in life, both as a human and as a game player.

"But it's strange, a mission like this should bring forth all the Valkyrie Maidens, but we only see two of them. Where are the others?"

"... I don't know."

At that moment, one of their members approached.

"What's going on?"

"I brought a Liber who wants to meet you. He is an envoy from Blue Crown guild."

Tera looks at the Liber who resembles a thief.

"I'm Tri, one of the members of the Black Root group. I want to meet the leader of the Ouroboros guild because Yamato-sama wants to discuss something."

Tera is not surprised by the use of their leader's name. Blue Crown is known for its organization resembling a grand kingdom.

"I am the leader of the Ouroboros guild. What does your leader want to discuss?"

After that, the envoy brought out an intriguing item—a sort of intricate-patterned sphere. When they threw it to the ground, the sphere emitted light, functioning like a projector.

Of course, no one was surprised, as such items are easily obtainable in CSO.

Soon after, Yamato appeared alongside hundreds of other figures.

"They are..."

"We've also contacted the leaders of other major guilds. Currently, only a few guilds remain unconnected. It might just be a matter of time."

Tera nodded in understanding, then focused on the projector.

"This is something entirely new..."

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"I don't think I need to explain in great detail, so I'm asking us to form a temporary alliance," Yamato said straightforwardly and without courtesy. However, he ignored the disapproval and continued.

"We are in a situation that has never happened before. To solve this problem, I think we need to unite, even if it's only temporary."

A moment of silence ensued.

The first to speak was Orochi, the leader of the Skull Viper guild.

"You make sense, but it's a foolish act."

Some nodded in agreement.

"We're here to play and compete. How many times have we fought each other over trivial reasons?"

Guild wars occurred quite frequently, with rules and punishments for the losers. Severe punishment was that all the treasure and money would belong to the winner. Although it sounded common in games, it created resentment and dissatisfaction among the guilds.

That was just a small part of why it was difficult for large guilds to unite.

"I know that, and don't act like I don't understand why you reject the alliance," Yamato responded.

"..."

"But we need to prioritize this mission over our pride. This mission is incredibly complex and unusual. You should have seen it with your own eyes. But what worries me now is what is happening in the real world."

"What do you mean?" one of the leaders asked.

"I received information that all connections to the real world have been severed. In other words, everything happening right now cannot be seen by anyone else. Isn't that too strange?"

After hearing this, everyone began to think the same thing.

Special missions were usually broadcasted through the internet. This was one of the attractions of CSO because even without playing, others could watch the battles.

This was how CSO continued to attract more Liber every day. But of course, that wasn't the only attraction of CSO.

"We also don't know what happened to those who failed this mission. What's even more interesting is that we can't log out of CSO."

"!!!!"

"Why are you all surprised? If you don't believe me, check for yourselves."

Tera and the others brought up the menu and found that the "log out" command had turned gray. When they pressed the command, they only received a notification.

"Liber cannot log out during the mission."

"This is bad..."

Tera immediately thought that what they were experiencing was somewhat similar to a famous novel. They tried to stay positive because they were using a safety device.

But deep down, they couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling. Especially since this mission was too strange.

"Indeed, we thought that was the worst-case scenario, but we also have to think positively and consider it as a trap that usually occurs when fighting boss monsters. So, what do we do?"

Not only Tera but almost all guild leaders were hesitant, but eventually, they answered.

Out of the 136 large guilds, 45 of them refused the temporary alliance. The rest formed an alliance called the God Slayer Alliance. All guild leaders held equal positions, and although they were allied, they would prioritize their own guild members.

The complicated process took nearly an hour.

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"They're starting to think, huh... I thought their bird brains have gone."

"Astrea, that's not good. I've told you many times to watch your mouth."

Anastasia smiled, but it was a frightening smile.

"We've been fighting for over two hours. It's time for us to recover. We can leave them for a while."

"Finally, I can rest. In that case, let's go."

Suddenly, the two Valkyrie Maidens engaged in a fierce battle vanished from the fight. This event shocked and panicked everyone, but a notification appeared with a sound signal shot into the sky.

It was an announcement from the God Slayer Alliance.

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To break through the miasma barrier, it was estimated that it would require at least a massive attack consisting of 500,000 Liber simultaneously or continuously. That was the minimum number considering that the miasma had already spread to a diameter of 10 kilometers.

It wasn't a significantly large number considering the large number of Liber still fighting, but Liber with holy elements didn't dominate.

But the number was cumbersome, like creating a united human sea with a single attack. Thankfully, the CSO game system made it easier.

Then, out of the 91 guilds that joined the alliance, they formed a group of up to 570,000 Liber to launch the attack.

Their plan was to focus on attacking from four different points simultaneously. However, many suggested attacking a single point for a more effective strike.

But once again, the number became an issue. It wasn't easy to execute the attack because Liber's attacks had a limited range. Eventually, the strategy of attacking from four directions became the choice.

With one person as the group leader, they initiated the attack.

One by one, holy element attacks were unleashed on their respective targets. The darkness that had been spreading slowly began to disappear under the light emitted by over 500,000 Liber.

Of course, the miasma continued to regenerate and refused to yield to their attacks. But when the attacks started to succeed, it became a sign.

A sign to unleash everything they had.

The first wave of attacks destroyed the miasma up to a kilometer. It was still a small victory, and Liber launched an even larger attack. With that, the miasma vanished, shrinking to a size of 5 kilometers.

Only halfway to go. That's when a change occurred. The miasma, unable to resist, transformed into a miasma with long tentacles, resembling a whip. And it attacked all Liber.

Of course, this had been anticipated, and Liber with elements other than holy attacked the miasma's whip. They served as meat shields to ensure that the holy element Liber could continue fighting.

This strategy proved effective and enabled them to eliminate the miasma down to 4 kilometers.

Just a little bit more. Then the third wave of attacks was unleashed.

Liber who participated in the attacks started running out of MP, and that's when support-type mages stepped in to replenish and strengthen the Liber. Not only that, but most high-level Liber also used their strongest attacks. The results were evident. The miasma now shrank to a diameter of 1 kilometer.

They had achieved it.

With the visible progress, they continued their relentless attacks until the miasma shrank to a diameter of 500 meters.

That's when another change occurred.

The miasma suddenly solidified, rapidly increasing its defensive status. None of Liber's attacks could penetrate the miasma, but at the same time, the miasma didn't launch any attacks and remained motionless.

After a short while, the miasma began transforming into various figures. Liber tried to attack them before the transformation was complete, but an invisible shield blocked all their attacks.

Then, after about 10 minutes, the 500-meter miasma transformed into creatures commonly found in CSO, but they were pitch-black with a menacing aura emanating from their bodies.

Not only that, but they all bore the same mark.

Level 666+

For those with high Appraisal skills, they gained additional information.

Special Skill:

Effect:

[Attack increased sixfold]

[Defense increased sixfold]

[Speed increased sixfold]

Effect:

[Instantly kills lower-level opponents with a single attack]

Effect:

[Recovers 10% HP and MP every 30 seconds]

6666 Demon Beasts were created from the miasma, varying in size and type. The smallest was a monster called <Snake Spear>, and the largest was a three-headed dragon, <Cerdragon>.

In the center of the monsters, a black crystal with chains was visible. It was the <Demon God Egg>, where Kuro was trying to awaken his true self.

A loud roar echoed from the Demon Beasts. Just the roar alone sent the nearby Liber flying and filled them with fear.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the heads of Liber floated in the air one by one, like puppets.

This signaled the start of a new stage of battle.

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Meanwhile, in the forest near Flamia's house, a loud explosion occurred, turning the once tranquil forest into chaos. Trees fell and crumbled, and the earth was thrown into the air as if a massive earthquake had struck the place. Not only that, but flames spread like a large serpent, scorching everything in its path.

Within the forest, two shadowy girls were engaged in a fierce battle, unleashing their strongest attacks against each other.

"Surrender, Flamia. You're no match for me, even if you're wielding Misteltein."

Unlike Flamia, who wielded Misteltein, Mea only used her claws. Even so, Mea's claws could withstand all weapon attacks and were known as one of the God Slayers.

"Hmph... I didn't expect you to be this strong."

Mea loosened her defense and delivered a kick. Flamia was pushed back, but she held her ground. Then Mea launched a blind attack.

Flamia defended herself, but little by little, her HP bar decreased.

"I may be just a human, but I inherited the power of my Succubus ancestors. You should know the source of our power and how we obtain it."

"!?"

Mea smiled and took the opportunity to attack Flamia. Even a momentary lapse could be fatal, and Flamia made that mistake.

Flamia's body soared and came to a stop after destroying two large trees. Shortly after, Mea approached and delivered a punch.

The trees crumbled, but Flamia was no longer there. She flew through the air and attacked using <Flame Lance>. Unfortunately, Mea easily dodged it.

"Hehe... That's right. While you were searching for us, I kept increasing my power by absorbing energy from Kuro. Surely, you know how I do it. I might be the first one to bear Kuro's child... Hehe..."

With a sly smile, Mea caressed her womb as if an expectant mother.

As a married person, Flamia wasn't easily provoked by such things, but there was a different emotion when hearing it from Mea's mouth.

"If you bear Kuro's child first, then I will congratulate you. But before that, quickly give me the fragment of Longinus Light. With it, we can restore our family."

Flamia created a fireball, and the forest exploded in various places. However, it had no significant impact on Mea. She didn't even need to run away from it.

The reason being...

"If you want it, fight seriously. It will only lead to an endless fight. Do you want to wait for Ruko and Chiaki to come and help you?"

Flamia didn't take the bait.

"No. Even if they return, I won't let them interfere in this fight. Regardless, this is my battle."

"I see..."

A black aura emanated from Mea. Flamia had a bad feeling. Then, instinctively, she moved to the side.

The spot she was in suddenly split apart. Trees in the path were cut into pieces as if sliced by a sharp object.

Luckily, her instinct warned her, or else she would have suffered the same fate as the trees.

"You managed to dodge, huh..."

Flamia broke out in a cold sweat. Mea's claws could withstand Misteltein, in other words, Mea's claws possessed power equal to a God Slayer. But it wasn't that which frightened Flamia; it was Mea's movements that she couldn't see.

"The next attack won't fail..."

Mea's gaze turned cold and dark. Her claws glowed, and at that moment, Flamia felt a burning sensation throughout her body. Along with it, her HP bar decreased to 50 percent.

"What!?"

Flamia quickly moved away from that spot. She leaped into the air, using her fire wings.

Flamia flew while clutching her stomach. Her face was distorted with pain she had never felt before.

Then she saw a shadow in the sky. It was Mea, who had flown above her. Once again, Mea assumed a pose to attack.

Instinctively, Flamia used the wide side of Misteltein as a shield. Then, once again, she felt a powerful impact that sent her body crashing to the ground like a meteor.

"Ugh... Gah... Why...?"

Mea landed near her.

Flamia tried to rise, but her body was difficult to move. It wasn't the effect of her HP bar being reduced to 24 percent; it was the pain that attacked her entire body. After all, they were currently inside a game, so attacks would only reduce HP. But this time, that rule didn't apply.

Then, Flamia remembered that Kuro had once performed a similar attack.

Did Mea acquire that power from Kuro?

"It's simple. The Liber in the CSO is a part of the character, driven by transferring a small portion of a person's soul from Earth. With that, you can use the game system without worrying about the person's life. But what if my attacks not only affect the character's body but also their inner self?"

"!?"

"That's right. Direct attacks on the soul. You can't use that power because you're bound to this world, but I, Kuro, and Ruko can use power beyond the system."

"..."

Flamia realized that her chances of winning were very slim. If she didn't fight seriously, she would die. But she still didn't understand why Mea went this far. Only a fool would ask directly.

Unfortunately, Flamia was one of them.

"...Mea, why are you going this far? This isn't you."

In Flamia's eyes, Mea was a girl with mature and adult thoughts. She might be a bit cunning, using seduction she had never seen before. But above all, Mea was a good person.

Mea wasn't someone who could watch others get hurt or hurt others.

"Hehe... Maybe you've only seen a certain side of me until now. You know, everyone wears a mask to appear good in the eyes of others. It's the nature of humans, and nothing can change that."

"..."

"Well... I'm actually a demon by race, so none of that matters to me. Now, can you start taking this seriously? Kuro's resurrection is approaching. You probably have about... 45 minutes."

That was too fast. Whatever they did, they didn't have much time.

"..."

It was at that moment that Flamia remembered why she was fighting.

She wanted the fragments of Longinus not to kill Kuro, but to restore the life they had always lived together.

She didn't want all those beautiful memories to disappear because of a foolish fight.

Then she stood up. She still felt tremendous pain, but she rose anyway. An unknown power compelled her to rise.

She couldn't give up.

But how could she defeat Mea?

"...kukuku..."

Flamia rise again, Mea smiled, happy that she could continue the fight.

But that smile suddenly vanished when she witnessed something unexpected.

Flamia threw her sword to the ground and raised both hands.