Chapter 54: The Neutral Zone Part 12

** Seol Jihu (POV) **

María and I stepped out of the basic training room and reappeared in front of the mission board. Since all the Survival Point missions had been completed, hardly anyone comes here for missions anymore. Only a few people like to take basic missions for training.

As we exited, there was no one around the mission board. María sighed in relief and extended her hand. I obviously knew she was charging me, but instead of paying her, I took her hand as if she were offering a handshake.

"Thank you very much for your help Maria," I said. She stared at me as if I were some mutant extraterrestrial who had killed her entire family.

"What thanks?" María snapped. "Pay up you son of a bitch! And stay 1000 meters away from me. After today, we don't know each other."

Seeing that she was genuinely angry, I decided to pay her and said, "I see. It's a shame you no longer want to make deals with me and want to keep me away from you. I was just about to invite you to tomorrow's celebration for completing the training and the Neutral Zone. I'll even be cooking, but since you don't want me to offer anything or get close to you, I suppose I won't be able to invite you to the celebration." I said this with a hint of regret.

María remained silent for a few seconds, as if her brain was processing all my words. Then she reacted immediately. She grabbed my arm and said very animatedly and intimately, "Come on, Oppa. You know it was all just jokes on my part. You're aware that my brain can't filter my thoughts when I speak. Don't take it the wrong way. You also know I'd never turn down one of your invitations, especially not to a meal you personally prepared. Don't worry; I'll definitely be there tomorrow." With that, she ran off before I could respond.

I chuckled at her change of mood and her quick escape. Then I turned my gaze with the [Nine Eyes] activated to something I had not payed much attention to since entering the Neutral Zone. The 'Impossible Mission' scroll. The only time I'd seen it was on the day I entered the Neutral Zone. Back then, its Color was Yellow, representing a mild danger that could escalate to mortal danger if not handled carefully.

But now its Color was Green. It was no longer a threat to my safety unless I allowed it. The question now is whether I can bring others with me and ensure their safety. If I can do that, I'll be able to purchase all the remaining items from the VIP store.

With that idea in mind, I walked toward my room. I know the group members use it as a resting center during the day, as they train with Claire in the Neutral Zone gyms whenever possible. Apparently, they started training more seriously after seeing my condition following my training. For the past few weeks, my clothes have always been torn and soaked in blood from the self-inflicted injuries during training.

I entered my room, and inside were Sungjin, Seol-Ah, Seora, and Odelette. They were playing poker, and as I walked in, I overheard them complaining that Seol-Ah had beaten them for the fifth time in a row. They were so focused that they did not even realize I had entered the room.

"It's obvious she'd have an advantage in a game of chance," I said, laughing a little at their reactions when they finally noticed I was there. "To be chosen for the Priest Class, you need a certain amount of Luck minimum, and Seol-Ah actually has quite a bit of it. So beating her in a fair game of chance would be difficult." I said.

""Oppa/Hyung/Orabeoni-nim/Mr. Jihu,"" Seora, Sunjin, Seol-Ah, and Odelette said simultaneously. Despite the fact that we are dating, she always addresses me as 'Mr. Jihu' instead of just by my name. When I asked her why she does this, she laughed and said it was to enjoy the adventure and romance of dating someone much older than herself.

"I see you're quite unoccupied to end up playing cards," I said, laughing, and they seemed embarrassed to see that they were quite free and wasting time instead of doing something productive. But seeing them embarrassed made me feel bad; they are the youngest of the group.

"Come on, I didn't say it reproachfully. I also love to waste time and have fun. It's just that lately, I haven't been able to because of training. But today, I finally finished training and thought we could have a big celebration party among ourselves tomorrow, just our group along with Claire, Cinzia, and María," I said, and they were immediately cheered up.

"Why wait until tomorrow? We can start celebrating today," Odelette said, more animated.

"Sorry, I finished training, but there's still one thing I must do. I don't know if any of you are up for a little adventure. Well, you won't be able to participate directly, but you can join as spectators and see some high-level action live," I said, and Odelette was quite discouraged at first, but when she heard the reason, her adventurous spirit was immediately aroused.

"Well, the plan is to go for the 'Impossible Mission', but that mission is not a game; the threat is real. If it's me after my training, I'm sure I can complete it alone, but I need to take some companions so they can get the extra coupons for overcoming the mission. The reward grants one coupon per participant, and with that, I'll be able to buy all the items left in the VIP store," I said.

When they heard that the adventure plan is the impossible mission, everyone showed seriousness. They have already completed all the missions of 'Somewhat Difficult' and 'Difficult' difficulty, and just with that, they have an idea of how difficult the 'Very Difficult' category missions that I completed in the past can be, not to mention how difficult an Impossible categorized mission would be.

"If you say we'll be safe under your care, I'm in," Odelette said without any doubt.

"If Orabeo-nim protects us, then I also have confidence that everything will go well," Seol-Ah said.

"Let's go, Hyung. I want to see how difficult an Impossible Mission is and how you complete it. I'll make sure not to be an obstacle," Sungjin said.

"I also want to see how strong Oppa has become," Seora said.

"Alright, we'll go to the equipment store. We need to buy some defensive gear and shields for protection. Then I'll check if it's safe for you to join. If I see risks, then I'll cancel the idea of taking you along and just go alone," I said.

At this moment, I'm looking at them with the [Nine Eyes], and the Color Yellow enveloped them when they were ready to join the mission. That's how I know there's danger for them, and that's why it occurred to me that if I prepare them with defensive equipment, maybe I can turn the Yellow Color to Green. After all, I only need them to protect themselves and endure long enough for me to eliminate the threats.

We went to the equipment store, and I began to give them armors and shields that are based on pure protection, whilst also evaluating if their Colors turn Green. To my relief, it worked when we looked for the best defensive equipment in the store. They are somewhat expensive, but since they have completed the 'Somewhat Difficult' and 'Difficult' missions, they have plenty of points accumulated. As for me, the number of points I have left after all my expenses is less than 30,000. It's still an amount that could be considered a great fortune for normal survivors, but for me, it feels like I'm poor.

Seeing that their Colors indicated they would be safe, I felt relieved. We bought the equipment and headed to the mission board.

"Remember, you're just spectators. Once we enter, get into a defensive formation, cover yourselves with your [Mana Cloaking] at all times, and make sure to protect Seol-Ah," I instructed seriously.

I was about to take the mission scroll when I saw Claire running towards us from a distance. As she was coming at high speed, it only took her a few seconds to arrive.

"Are you really going to undertake that mission? If it's you, I'm sure you can do it, but I don't think it's a good idea to take others with you; it could be very dangerous for them," said Claire, quite distressed.

"You forget my ability. I've already told you and Taciana, I can perceive the level of risk for me and my allies in any situation we face. In this case, I've already assessed the situation; everything will be fine. If you want, you can join Taciana in the monitoring room to see how everything goes. After all, you missed the spectacle when I completed all the 'Very Difficult' missions. I don't think you would want to miss the Impossible mission," I said.

Claire hesitated for a moment but finally sighed resignedly and said, "Alright, don't start yet. Give me 10 minutes to find Don Cinzia and go to the monitoring room. Since all the missions ended and almost no one does anything important, we stopped watching everyone from the monitoring room," said Claire, and she ran off to find Taciana.

We waited a while, and when the 10 minutes were up, I finally took the Impossible mission scroll.

[Siege (remaining number of attempts: 1/1)

- Mission Objective: Within 48 hours, annihilate the race of Guardians protecting the "Sanctuary" and destroy their impregnable fortress!

- Difficulty: Impossible

- Reward: +172,800 PS, a one-time use VIP store coupon (1 per person) if successful

- Penalty: Death if unsuccessful

- Possible cooperation: up to 6 people]

With everyone holding hands so that we would count as a group, I tore the scroll, and we were immediately transported.

The place we were teleported to was in the middle of a dense forest.

I studied my surroundings and saw that there was no threat nearby; we were in a relatively safe place. But I know from the novel that very close to here, there are patrols that constantly monitor the area, and we will soon encounter one.

I also looked at the group members. It seems that the training with Claire and the experience from the 'Somewhat Difficult' and 'Difficult' missions have served them well. As soon as we were transported, they got into formation with Sungjin and Seora on both sides holding shields to protect Odelette and Seol-Ah in the center. Odelette is also using defensive gear and a shield, and she is protecting Seol-Ah. It can be said that if they were attacked, the last person to receive damage would be Seol-Ah, as she is the team's healer. That's how it should be.

No matter if the others get injured, the healer must remain well because she can heal and keep the others alive.

Now, seeing that the group is well-formed and prepared, my attention turned to the distance. I contemplated the majestic view of a magnificent but absolutely enormous mountain range. The cliffs seem imposing and enduring as if they had been cut and shaped by a deity of masonry; the highest peak is so high that it can't even be seen, as it is enveloped by thick clouds.

But the grandeur of the mountain range does not end there.

I can also see countless structures and defensive walls built within and around the mountain range, and they all seem to have been created for the sole purpose of resisting any attack or invasion, living up to the name of the impregnable fortress given by the mission. Seeing this fortress reminds me of the one in the movie "The Great Wall." Now that my mission is to conquer this fortress and kill all its occupants, I somewhat feel like a Tao Tei.

Certainly, a group of 6 survivors, no matter how powerful they are, would not be able to complete this mission in 48 hours. Perhaps if they were an expert group of assassins who were trained their whole lives and had the best resources in the Neutral Zone at their disposal, and if they had a couple of months of mission time instead of 48 hours, they might achieve it.

But otherwise, I don't think any normal group stands a chance. This mission was designed to be completed with the necessary talisman given to Gold-Marked guests or by beings blessed to the hilt and who have trained their whole lives like me.

"Goodness, it's madness. How could they include such a mission? Clearly, this is impossible to accomplish," said Odelette, quite surprised.

"Definitely, it's something no group could handle. I'm sure Mr. Hao's group and ours are among the best groups ever formed in the Neutral Zone, and even if all 9 of us were together, we would not have a chance of completing this mission," Seora said with frustration in her voice.

"Orabeo-nim, what should we do?" Seol-Ah asked, quite worried.

"Hyung, I think it's better to hide and wait for the mission time to pass so that we're transported out," Sungjin suggested.

"Indeed, it's an impressive sight, isn't it? Don't worry; you just need to stay hidden here while I take care of everything. Once I start attacking, the patrols will surely return as reinforcements to the fortress, and you won't have anything to worry about. Just enjoy the show," I said. I approached a large rock and began sculpting it into a humanoid shape. Instead of hands, I created two large shield-shaped plates. Once the form was complete, I carved channels throughout the sculpture. Then, I injured my hand and began filling the channels with my mana-saturated blood. A few seconds after the channels were completely filled, the humanoid statue began to vibrate and finally move.

This is the method Eun Yuri came up with to animate objects: carve channels in them, emulating a human mana circuit, and fill them with a mana-charged substance. In Eun Yuri's case, she started with water charged with her mana. The problem was that objects animated using that method did not follow orders and acted entirely on their own, causing disasters. Later, we discovered that if we used our mana-charged blood instead of water, the animated objects responded to our commands. However, since we have not perfected the technique, they don't respond well to complex orders. In this case, I simply ordered it to protect the group, and the Golem immediately positioned itself in front of them and sat down, waiting.

The amount of mana in my blood is sufficient to keep the Golem active for 48 hours. Finally, to ensure it's not easily destroyed, I used my new ability, [Mana Construct] to create a complete armor over the Golem for protection.

The reason I did not cover the entire group with individual mana armors is that each 'Mana Construct' requires a certain amount of concentration, and the further away I am from the Construct, the more that amount increases. Therefore, instead of giving each one a mana armor and increasing my mental load, I created only one and gave it to the Golem to serve as a shield for them.

"What is that thing?" Odelette asked, her eyes sparkling as if she were a child entering a toy store for the first time. The others said nothing but had the same look of curiosity as Odelette.

"This is an animated object, or as I like to call it, a 'Golem'. To animate it, it is necessary to correctly carve a mana circuit on its entire surface and then fill the carved circuit with any liquid charged with mana. In this case, I used my blood because otherwise, it would not obey my commands. However, I don't recommend trying to do it unless you know well what a correctly carved mana circuit looks like and are very precise in carving it. If you make a mistake, when you fill the carved circuit, the parts with errors might explode," I explained simply. I still remember Eun Yuri making some things explode in her first attempts. At that time, I thought she was just playing; I never imagined she could achieve something so crazy and impressive. But later, when she improved her carving with practice, the first objects she animated were created. However, in those days, she still used water as a catalyst, and the objects did not obey orders and caused disasters.

"It's cool," said Sungjin, and the others agreed.

I just laughed and told them to stay here waiting, that I would go take care of the mission.

I advanced for a while and soon encountered a patrol. Using Observation, I could see that they are divine constructs, just like the living beings in other missions. Fortunately, part of their descriptions say they are of the guardian race, one of the mission's objectives is to finish them all. They look like normal humans, only their skins look like polished brown rock, which is quite strange.

"Human, this is as far as you will go. The penalty for entering our territory is death. Blame your gods for allowing you to stray from your path," one of them said and took an arrow from his quiver and aimed at me with his bow. The shot was powerful, but even without my [Mana Cloaking] or [Physical Reinforcement], the arrow was not able to penetrate my skin. After my training, the durability of my skin increased much more than before.

The arrow bounced off me and fell to the ground. The guardians were very surprised. Then another one wielded his spear and lunged at me, but I stopped his attack by catching his spear with my hands and hit him. I intended to take his weapon to inspect it, but I didn't expect it to be more fragile than I thought, and it broke as if it were a statue. I immediately realized why their skins look like polished stone; they seem to be made of minerals. When I broke the guardian, I saw that instead of blood, what ran through his body was a substance similar to tar.

The other guardians were scared but began to attack me immediately. Unfortunately for them, the difference in power is very great, and I had no problems eliminating them. I observed their weapons and saw that they are made of very dense stone. I'm not sure, but I think they are even better than the best weapons in the stores of the Neutral Zone. That alone makes it clear that the guardians' equipment is superior to any equipment that a group of novices could bring here.

With the [Mana Cloaking] protecting the newly purchased defensive gear, I'm confident that these weapons won't be able to breach the defense, let alone that of the Golem with the mana construct armor I created. After verifying this, I felt relieved to leave the youngsters behind while I take care of eliminating the guardians and their fortress.

**

** Taciana Cinzia and Claire Agnes (POV) **

In the manager's room of the Neutral Zone, Taciana Cinzia and her right-hand Claire Agnes watched Seol Jihu and his group tear the scroll and enter the special area where the Impossible mission takes place.

Over the years, this mission has become a topic of much debate and curiosity among Earthlings. The reason is that no group that has entered has returned alive from the mission, with one exception, an irregular who entered Paradise with a Gold Invitation. That irregular is Sung Sihyun, but the problem is that it's a secret of his and Sinyoung's how he achieved it. No one else knows.

And now they will be able to see firsthand the impossible mission and someone attempting it.

When they were transported, the screens immediately changed to the mission area. Agnes and Cinzia were clearly surprised by the sight before them, a Fortress that made use of the natural structure of a mountain range and added to it the power of advanced architecture and engineering.

Such a structure would definitely be difficult to conquer even for a well-armed level 4 group, due to a fundamental problem; time. They only have 48 hours, and that would be taking into account how strong the occupants of the fortress are, depending on that, the difficulty can increase much more.

"What do you think, Agnes?" Cinzia asked her right-hand.

"I think if it's just about destroying the fortress, it's quite possible if good explosives are used. I would just have to make sure to open some strategic holes to place the explosives and weaken the structure so that it collapses on its own. But that depends on how strong the defenders are. If they are very strong, they would not let me do that, and instead, I would have to focus on infiltrating and eliminating them first, which can also be problematic if their numbers or forces are many. The biggest problem is definitely the very limited time of the mission," Agnes replied with her analysis.

"Yes, depending on the defenders, not even a well-armed level 4 group might be able to overcome this trial. It would have to be a level 5 group at a minimum," Cinzia responded.

Then they continued to watch Seol Jihu's actions. They were disconcerted to see him sculpt a huge rock into a humanoid shape, but what happened next truly surprised them when they saw the rock come to life and be completely covered by a kind of semi-transparent blue 'Mana Cloth'.

When they heard the explanation through the room's speakers, they understood the mechanics behind the animation of the rock, now known as the Golem. But seeing the complexity of the carvings, they discarded any idea of trying to replicate it. They would need to know the design of the carvings well to replicate something like that without the risk of it exploding, as Seol Jihu mentioned.

After creating the Golem, Seol Jihu moved away from the group and began to advance. It took him no more than a few minutes to encounter a patrol of what appeared to be Stone Men, and he quickly defeated them. Judging by the performance of the Stone Men, Cinzia and Agnes realized they are at the power level of well-armed level 3s, but that makes the difficulty of the mission possible for a well-armed level 4 group, well, that is if inside the fortress or on the walls there are no more powerful entities.

Seol Jihu continued to advance towards the fortress without any apparent hurry, which caused some desperation for Cinzia and Agnes, knowing that time was one of the most critical factors in this mission. However, they had no choice but to endure and wait for him to reach the fortress and start taking action.

After 20 minutes of walking at a normal pace and eliminating a few more patrols, he finally came within reach of the fortress. The distance between them was no more than one kilometer, which was more than enough to see the imposing structure perfectly and, at the same time, for the fortress's defenders to see him.

It seemed that upon seeing him alone, they took him for a lucky fool who had arrived without encountering any patrols and began to use him for target practice instead of attacking him with all their might directly, which was a grave mistake.

Cinzia and Agnes watched Seol Jihu begin to count rapidly. The numbers were ascending, not one by one, but in hundreds, and he finally stopped at the astonishing number of 5637.

When he reached that number, they saw something absurd; they saw him sit down in meditation, as they had seen him do over the past few months during his training. While they were wondering why he was doing such madness and were about to express their thoughts aloud, they were left completely speechless to see what appeared to be hundreds of blue spheres the size of marbles forming above him.

Then, the spheres elongated into arrow shapes and began to spin at high speed before finally moving towards the top of the fortress from where they had been attacking him shortly before. The speed at which they moved was impressive, possibly almost as fast as bullets from guns on Earth, and they quickly began to strike the fortress's defenders.

The arrows did not miss a single target, not because the aim was perfect or because the defenders did not try to hide, dodge, or defend themselves, but because the arrows seemed to change direction, following them and penetrating any defenses they had.

In just under 30 seconds, the rain of magical arrows ended, and afterward, the screen showed that Seol Jihu did not receive any retaliatory attacks, proving that he had either eliminated all the enemies or had killed so many that those who remained were horrified and unwilling to show themselves to attack.

But the words that came from Seol Jihu's mouth gave them the answer to their doubt: "5637 out of 5637, being a Mage was definitely the right choice."

Those simple words caused Cinzia and Agnes to feel a chill run down their spines.

After that, it was shown how Seol Jihu began to create platforms under his feet with each step he took, thus beginning to walk in the air, quickly ascending to the top of the fortress. From there, what Cinzia and Agnes saw was only massacre and destruction. For a moment, they understood that in the face of overwhelming power, numbers do not matter much, and it reminded them of how many times they had to sacrifice thousands of lives just to contain the Parasite Commanders for a few hours to allow the effects of their free divinities to pass...

**

** Seol Jihu (POV) **

After a few hours of hunting the guardians and destroying the fortress, which took the most time, I finally saw the announcement appear.

[Your group has successfully completed the 'Impossible' difficulty mission.]

[Each participant has received a one-time use VIP coupon.]

[172,800 Survival Points have been credited to each participant.]