The Apocalypse Has Been Downloaded – Chapter 43

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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(T/N – It threw me for a loop, but yes, this chapter is in third person, unlike the usual. Enjoy!)

It took only five minutes for everyone on the rooftop to prepare for battle.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Meanwhile, the good gods’ champions, having killed all the Abyssal Roach hatchlings, arrived at the supermarket, smashed the barricade at the entrance, and entered the building.

They had realized, thanks to the warning from Priest Park Gi-hoon’s god, the God of Order, that the Abyssal Roach was an enemy summon. They also understood that their presence had already been detected by the enemy when the summon died.

Therefore, they abandoned their initial plan of a surprise attack and charged in relentlessly.

To prevent the enemy from having time to react.

“He’s… he’s above us!”

Park Gi-hoon shouted while illuminating the dark interior of the supermarket with light.

The lights in the supermarket had been intentionally turned off.

“Block the entrance again.”

At Kang Chan-seok’s command, the three remaining Believers reassembled the broken barricade, sealing the entrance.

If zombies were to swarm in as well, it would become a chaotic free-for-all. They didn’t want that.

Having already lost one member to the roaches, the seven of them had confirmed that the enemy could also utilize zombies.

They had all witnessed the shocking scene of the Abyssal Roach laying eggs inside a zombie.

They wanted to minimize variables as much as possible. They didn’t know what other monsters might be lurking inside the supermarket, and if they had to deal with zombies swarming in from behind as well, they might be caught in a pincer attack.

After blocking the entrance, they quickly buffed themselves and jumped up to the upper floor.

Meanwhile, Jang Jo-joon, heading down from the rooftop, tried to summon the Abyssal Roach again.

“There’s a penalty…”

Unfortunately, he couldn’t resummon the Abyssal Roach right away.

‘It’s a relief that I at least knew they were coming. If it weren’t for Indikron’s warning, we might have been caught by surprise.’

Jang Jo-joon felt a chill run down his spine as he imagined what would have happened if they had been attacked while sleeping.

The good gods’ champions had arrived almost immediately after Indikron’s warning, which was terrifying to him.

“Ha-rin.”

“Yes. Seven.”

“Hmm… Not that many.”

As soon as Jang Jo-joon spoke, Ha-rin, who had been prepared to answer, told him the number of enemies.

Thanks to her Heartbeat Tracking.

‘A total of seven. There are more than ten Awakened people here…’

Jang Jo-joon had left the non-Awakened on the rooftop. In a battle between Awakened individuals with superhuman stats and powerful skills, the non-Awakened were difficult to utilize beyond simple labor. Unless they had guns, they were more likely to die if caught in the crossfire.

‘If they have firearms… I think I can dodge to some extent, but the others will have a hard time.’

Jang Jo-joon, whose physical abilities had increased as a side effect of his increased Magic, was confident that he could even dodge bullets, but the others couldn’t.

‘Honestly, if they come in with guns… I’ll have to use Twisted Carapace to defend as much as possible and wait for them to run out of ammo.’

He could also pull some cars with his tentacles and use them as shields. Jang Jo-joon had a rough idea of how to deal with firearms. If all else failed, he would summon the Abyssal Weaver and have it waste their ammo.

“Hmm… A disgusting smell… Repulsive.”

Just then, Kang Ha-young wrinkled her nose and drew her Bloodstained Dagger while muttering about the foul smell.

“Light… It’s light.”

As they went down to the third floor, light shone from the second floor.

The battle took place in the third-floor parking lot.

Eun-ji immediately hid in the shadows, and Ha-rin and the other slaves who had followed also began preparing to fight the intruders.

Kim Ye-won, who was at the forefront of the good gods’ champions, used her skill, Light’s Pursuit, on Jang Jo-joon.

“Oh, Light—!!”

She raised her mace high towards Jang Jo-joon, finished her prepared chant, and fired a beam of light. Three orbs of light flew towards the spot where Jang Jo-joon had been standing just moments ago.

As soon as the woman with the mace appeared, the other players from the good gods’ side also arrived on the third floor.

“La-Sie-Ria!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Jang Jo-joon immediately used Twisted Carapace, deploying a protective barrier that looked like an insect’s carapace. The orbs of light struck the barrier, and shockwaves rippled outwards.

“Ugh!!”

The impact pushed the nearby cars aside, shattering the barrier, and the others who had been heading towards the enemies stumbled and lost their balance.

Jang Jo-joon rolled to the side and unleashed Abyssal Maw at Kim Ye-won.

The shadow of the Abyss, extending from his hand, coalesced beside Kim Ye-won’s right shoulder, where she held her mace, and opened its maw wide, attempting to rip off her arm.

“Not so fast!!”

Just as the abyssal maw was about to bite Kim Ye-won’s right arm off, a man enveloped in white light appeared beside her and severed the shadow with his holy flame-wreathed sword.

The light emanating from the man’s body gave him the power to cut through the Abyss. Jang Jo-joon felt intense disgust, hatred, and fear upon seeing that light.

‘It can be cut…? So easily?’

Taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, Jang Jo-joon unleashed his tentacles to keep the man in check. He also grabbed and threw cars to block the approaching enemies.

The building shook as the cars crashed, and cracks appeared on the outer walls, accompanied by a jarring sound. The good gods’ champions quickly retreated, dodging the attack.

‘If the building collapses, we’re all done for… But that swordsman… he’s my natural enemy. His light is especially dangerous. It feels like a power that’s the complete opposite of the Abyss.’

As Jang Jo-joon was wary of the light emanating from the man, Indikron muttered.

[Ha. That’s the light of that damned whore of optimism.]

“Whore of optimism…?”

[Yes. In simpler terms, the Goddess of Hope. She’s my polar opposite. But it’s just a fleeting hope.]

Indikron, the Master of Despair, scoffed, filled with mockery.

[Capture and corrupt him. I want to see that damned goddess’ crying face.]

“Uh, I’ll try my best.”

Jang Jo-joon replied vaguely while thinking to himself.

Even if Indikron was his master, it would be disastrous if he tried to capture that guy and got his head chopped off instead. So, he decided to capture him if the opportunity arose, and if not, kill him.

Just then, the tentacles he had launched were deflected by the bald man’s punch.

‘The bald man, the woman with the mace, that lunatic with flames… and the one in the tattered suit… A priest? The other three are similar to ordinary Awakened individuals. But those four are quite powerful.’

However, Jang Jo-joon judged that they weren’t unbeatable. If he could just handle the man enveloped in light, his companions should be able to deal with the rest.

“Phew…”

He let out a sigh before the battle began, and he sensed Indikron’s intense desire, along with Kashnax’s increasing pressure. Jang Jo-joon frowned.

[That… shiny thing looks delicious.]

[That’s mine. Get lost, Kashnax.]

[Huh… I’m hungry…]

The crazy gods were fighting over who would devour him.

Hearing the insane voices of the evil gods in his head, he felt a sense of absurdity and fell into contemplation.

‘Should I summon it now?’

He was talking about summoning the Abyssal Weaver.

‘The good gods might be watching. Is it right to summon it now?’

The reason for his hesitation was simple. Just as Indikron and Kashnax were watching this battle, the good gods should also be watching.

So, he wondered if it was right to reveal all his power now.

‘I don’t think I’ll lose this battle. But…’

The problem was the next group that would come. There was no way the good gods’ attacks would end with this. They might continue sending followers until Jang Jo-joon was dead.

‘If I summon the Abyssal Weaver now, the battle will probably end immediately.’

The Abyssal Weaver was a monster that originally required him to be level 50 and have 1000 Magic if it weren’t for the Favor of the Myriad Demons. It would be a perfect trump card in this situation.

It was such a powerful monster that the good gods’ champions might lose their will to fight the moment it was summoned.

‘It’s literally a hidden card. None of them seem to be above level 20. Summoning the Abyssal Weaver now would be overkill…’

While fighting with all his might was important, he also needed to save his strength for the future. Thinking that, Jang Jo-joon faced the man who had approached him.

“There you are.”

“I wasn’t hiding. I was waiting, you idiot.”

The man had come running, targeting only Jang Jo-joon while ignoring everyone else.

Holy Knight Lee Han-seok. Jang Jo-joon met his gaze that was filled with intense fighting spirit and desire.

“Fuck. Being popular with men isn’t a good thing.”

“Cut the crap and die.”

“You die! R’lyeh!”

Spear-like, twisted tentacles shot out from Jang Jo-joon’s hands, targeting the man.

Bang!!!

He dodged one and cut down the other. Jang Jo-joon continued to pressure the man, unleashing his skills one after another.

‘Before my Magic falls below 500…’

If he couldn’t subdue the man before then, he would summon the Abyssal Weaver.

Even though his stats were overwhelmingly higher, those flames were bothersome. Jang Jo-joon didn’t want to get close to an enemy with such creepy flames.

“Graaa!!!”

Lee Han-seok let out a roar, somewhere between a scream and a battle cry.

He was flustered, facing the relentless barrage of skills.

‘Just how… much Magic does he have?’

It seemed like he was mindlessly spamming skills without any regard for Magic consumption.

The problem was that it was incredibly dangerous.

‘Damn it… If the holy flames disappear… I have no way to block his attacks.’

Lee Han-seok roared and moved closer.

He couldn’t retreat.

She was waiting for him in that dark, suffocating house.

“Hee-sun…!”

Muttering his beloved’s name, he miraculously dodged the tentacles and charged forward.

“Ha!!!”

Reaching Jang Jo-joon, he swung his sword, aiming for his neck.

“What…?”

Then he was taken aback.

He saw Jang Jo-joon flapping his wings and taking to the air.

“Ugh…!”

Jang Jo-joon, having used Imperfect Membrane, screamed in pain as the wings ripped through his back.

‘Crazy… I didn’t know it would hurt this much…!’

It was strangely more painful to use his own skill than to be attacked by the enemy.

But he didn’t have time to be in pain. Jang Jo-joon immediately attacked Lee Han-seok.

“No way!!!”

Meanwhile, Lee Han-seok didn’t stop moving even while being hit by the tentacles.

He dodged the tentacles flying at him from the air and threw the daggers he had been carrying.

He also ignited a ‘Holy Bomb,’ a reward he had received from an achievement, with holy flames and threw it at Jang Jo-joon.

The Holy Bomb was an item that dealt critical damage to servants of evil gods and those favored by myriad demons.

It was a reward he had specifically obtained for this battle. Even Jang Jo-joon would have a hard time surviving a direct hit.

[That’s… dangerous.]

“Not a chance!!!”

At Kashnax’s warning, Jang Jo-joon widened his eyes and caught the bomb with a tentacle before it could get any closer.

He focused all his attention on the round bomb flying towards him, so he didn’t have time to block the daggers.

“Ugh…!”

The daggers grazed Jang Jo-joon’s shoulder and leg. It would have been a disaster if they had been poisoned, but he didn’t have time to think about that.

Just as his face contorted in pain from the daggers, the bomb, caught and wrapped tightly by the tentacle, exploded.

“Gah…! La-Sie-Ria!”

He hurriedly deployed a barrier, which blocked the wave of holy power.

Crash!!!

But it shattered. The power of the Holy Bomb, an achievement reward, was tremendous.

“Ugh…”

Jang Jo-joon fell, his membrane wings dissipating from the impact.

“Cough…”

He lay motionless on the ground, only letting out pained groans.

Lee Han-seok approached the writhing Jang Jo-joon with a triumphant smile.

He thought Jang Jo-joon had finally run out of Magic. He had used powerful skills several times in a row, so he must be out of Magic by now.

The holy flames surrounding Lee Han-seok disappeared. He was the one who was almost out of Magic.

“Sigh…”

Lee Han-seok smiled victoriously and was about to stab Jang Jo-joon’s heart with his sword.

That’s when he made a mistake that should never be made in the ruined world.

He let his guard down.

“You… funny… idiot.”

Lee Han-seok, stunned by Jang Jo-joon’s sudden smile and taunt, asked foolishly.

“What?”

Jang Jo-joon swiftly tripped him and jumped to his feet. He then reached out towards Lee Han-seok, whose stance was broken.

Sizzle!!!!

“Argh!!!!”

Thanks to the Black Serpent’s Core and Twisted Core he had consumed, Jang Jo-joon’s other stats had also increased along with his Magic.

Far beyond the reach of a mere level 15.

Jang Jo-joon tripped Lee Han-seok and grabbed his sword-wielding wrist, melting it with Unholy Touch.

He had been waiting for the holy flames to disappear.

And the moment those creepy flames vanished, Jang Jo-joon knew he had won. Lee Han-seok had been completely fooled by his act.

In fact, Jang Jo-joon had been planning to summon the Abyssal Weaver if Lee Han-seok had continued attacking him with all his might without extinguishing the holy flames.

“You shouldn’t have let your guard down.”

Lee Han-seok, who belatedly tried to use his skills, lost his balance as Jang Jo-joon’s fists pummeled his jaw.

Jang Jo-joon quickly kicked his groin, crushing it. He then grabbed Lee Han-seok’s left elbow and melted it without hesitation.

“I win, don’t I?”

Jang Jo-joon smiled, thinking that the good gods probably hadn’t noticed the Abyssal Weaver’s existence yet.

As he had thought, the good gods hadn’t noticed the Abyssal Weaver, which hadn’t appeared in this battle. They had only confirmed that he could summon beings from the Abyss.

The good gods were planning to exclude their weaker members and send their strongest combination next time, prepared for the Abyssal Roach.

Indeed, the moment they sensed Lee Han-seok’s defeat, the good gods had concluded that they couldn’t defeat that monstrous being with the remaining members.

The good gods, who had been watching the battle through their followers’ eyes, quickly retreated.

Only the Goddess of Hope remained, clinging to a sliver of hope and shedding tears as she watched Lee Han-seok fall.

Indikron was laughing, delighted. His favorability naturally increased. How could he not be happy, seeing his enemy’s follower being defeated by his own servant?

“Argh!!!”

“Huh. You’re not submitting even after having your arm ripped off?”

“Argh!!!! Fuck!!!!”

Had he heard something from the gods?

Lee Han-seok didn’t submit, even with his eyes bloodshot from the excruciating pain.

“Huh.”

It was superhuman willpower in a sense.

The fact that he didn’t immediately submit despite such pain meant that it would be difficult to corrupt Lee Han-seok.

‘What made him so stubborn?’

Jang Jo-joon didn’t yet know that he was fighting for his precious wife.

Therefore, he couldn’t understand his desperate resistance. Jang Jo-joon threw away his severed arm and healed the bleeding wound with Surging Flesh.

“Gah!!! Argh!!!!!!”

“Hey. Surrender. Submit.”

“Groan…”

He still didn’t submit, only lowering his head and drooling blood and saliva. Jang Jo-joon frowned. Then he poked his thigh with a finger imbued with Unholy Touch.

“Ugh…!!!!!”

“Hey. I can use healing magic. I can torture you all day long. Just surrender.”

“P-please… stop…”

In the end, humans were powerless against pain.

Lee Han-seok fainted as soon as he submitted.

Jang Jo-joon immediately branded his forehead with the Slave Brand.

Then he slapped the unconscious Lee Han-seok until he woke up.

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

“Ugh…”

“Hey. Listen carefully… These are my orders…”

Lee Han-seok nodded blankly at Jang Jo-joon’s commands: no self-harm, no betrayal, no infighting or attacks between team members.

Seeing that, the Goddess of Hope abandoned him, her last remaining hope extinguished.

“Hey. And you guys killed a man.”

“A… man…?”

“Yeah. Han Tae-yang. You guys killed Han Tae-yang. Got it? Answer correctly when I ask you later.”

“Ugh… Understood…”

Then Lee Han-seok completely lost consciousness. Indikron spoke in a very satisfied and gentle voice.

[Sigh. Truly magnificent. But it’s not enough yet. You know that, right?]

“I understand, Lord Indikron.”

[Yes. I have high hopes for you, my child. Break that fool completely.]

“Yes. Understood.”

Jang Jo-joon nodded.

He thought about how to completely break Lee Han-seok.

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T/N – Sorry for the late unlock, guys. I got a high fever last night that put me out of commission. I’m alright now though and I should be able to unlock on schedule this week.

Awww, no spider. I mean, I understand why he hid it, but still, I’m kinda disappointed that he hadn’t used the spider summon yet. Well, maybe in the next attack.

I’m also disappointed that Lee Han-seok broke so easily. I mean, the author set him up as this incredibly determined man. The only way I see him submitting is when his wife is involved. But I guess they’re saving that for the mind break. Still, the ending’s a bit lackluster.

If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.