Overpowered Weapon

A gun is an overpowered weapon. No one could deny this. As humanity began to seriously use modern firearms, it firmly established itself as the apex predator of the food chain.

Bullets traveling faster than the speed of sound could hit even the swiftest tiger, and even if an elephant had tough skin, they would pierce through it mercilessly.

It was a Ranged Weapon that creatures living in nature could not possibly contend with.

And was it just guns? Humanity also had bombs, landmines, and missiles. Even if the Monsters that crossed through the Gate had a thin Barrier, Humanity had enough power to break through it.

Thanks to this, people had a certain conviction that they wouldn't be annihilated, despite some anxiety. They believed they would eventually reclaim their daily lives. No matter how much the Monsters rampaged, people would continue to live their lives.

This belief lasted for about three months, that is, until a Demon emerged through a fissure.

The creature looked different from a monster from the start. Black feathers covered its entire body. It had a gloomy, crow-like head and a humanoid torso that didn't match its appearance.

The place where it first appeared was the Province of Valoria, a northern territory of the Empire. It bordered the Frostlands, and thus had relatively good military defenses.

In fact, the creature appeared near a military base, so a dispatch was quickly made.

This was a Veteran Unit that had already closed several Gates. As such, a siege formation was quickly established. Hundreds of muzzles pointed at the Crow-Human, who was just over 2 meters tall.

True to its nature as a Demon, it remained calm throughout, unlike a Monster. It even showed interest in the muzzles.

use. I wondered how humans, who can't even properly use mana, could achieve such a civilization... Indeed, it's fascinating.

As if it were performing an analysis of the weapon before its eyes.

Fire!

Of course, the Soldiers weren't just going to stand by and watch.

Bang— Bang— Bang—! The noisy gunshots continued through the night. The Demon's response was simple. *Swoosh*, a massive Iron Shield formed as it extended its hand forward.

Its thickness seemed capable of blocking even a tank shell. The 5.56mm bullets fired by the Soldiers couldn't even scratch it.

“It's a shield made of Adamantium. Your weapons are interesting, but they only make me scoff.”

“What?”

A momentary ripple of unease spread among the Soldiers. But that unease didn't last long, because the Demon acted even faster.

Let's see... Is this how you use it?

And then, Bang—! A gunshot was heard. Simultaneously, one of the soldiers' heads vanished. Red brain matter streamed from the horribly shattered head.

...Uh.

It wasn't an illusion. The Demon had fired a gun.

How? It hadn't moved to snatch a gun. It had stood leisurely in place. Nor had someone's gun teleported to it. The soldiers all held their guns intact.

It had simply appeared in its hand at some point, as if responding to its gesture. A Soldier's bewildered voice, as if unable to accept reality, spilled out.

...Uh, uh? “My apologies. I can use any weapon I can get my hands on. You people call me a Weapon Master, don't you?”

Bang—! Bang—! Gunshots continued. The gunshots were coming from the Demon, not the Soldiers. As they were perhaps not expecting to be shot themselves, a deeper sense of terror spread among the Soldiers.

“Aaaargh!” “What is that! Save me!”

The gunshots continued for a long time until dawn. And hundreds of people lost their lives that day in the Province of Valoria.

*

Later, the Demon apparently stated its name itself.

Demons always reveal their names to people, as if it were an introduction.

In the past, I thought it was because all Demons were Attention Seekers... but now I vaguely understand the reason.

Perhaps to secure a medium.

As Basin said, the act itself would engrave an imprint in people's memories. The act of speaking one's name itself grants the World *gravitational pull*.

Anyway, the story was quite exciting, so I continued to listen.

“The 38th Rank, Halphas of Armament.” “Hal... what?” “Halphas. Halphas. Wow, the gallery is full of nothing but Halphas these days because of that guy!”

Indeed, as expected of a Demon, an absurd malice could be felt from its name. Ugly memories almost resurfaced, but I managed to suppress them with superhuman self-control.

Because of him, our world is in chaos these days. He uses almost all the weapons we've created! Weapons? Yes, from assault rifles to shotguns, machine guns, grenades, flamethrowers, and so on... Oh, if you don't know what they are, should I explain? Uh, um... No. I know what they are. Really? Other Otherworlders must have already told you. Anyway, it's not just that he uses them. Our attacks don't work on him at all. There was even a video released of him blocking a missile bombing with a shield.

This was another Strange Demon. A Demon in the World was using Modern Firearms. And it seemed, upon further inquiry, he could Summon anything, not just firearms, and use it.

He literally used all weapons, swords, spears, maces, etc. Naturally, his epithet came to mind.

'*Armament*.'

Simply put, he can use all weapons and equipment. If it's a weapon he can get his hands on, he can use it, no matter what it is. I guessed that was probably his ability.

From the perspective of the Otherworlders, he is an incredibly troublesome Demon. If he were just wielding a sword and doing Swordplay like a madman, that would be one thing. But he's holding a gun, and they can't even stop him.

This was practically like unleashing a terrorist in the middle of a city center. After hearing all the information about the demon, I asked her what I was curious about.

What about the Awakened Persons? Surely there are some powerful humans there now. Can't they stop him? Oh, the Players? Yes, there are. In fact, when Halphas was rampaging, the Players did step up to try to stop him. But since they all died or got injured, everyone is reluctant to go out anymore. ...Hmm.

Indeed, if it were just a game, it would be different. Now, they were fighting for their real lives. They too had to be careful with their bodies, unlike the situation here.

Moreover, their opponent was a demon. And from what I heard, it felt like a considerably strong demon. Even if the otherworlders had undergone Leveling Up, they were still somewhat insufficient to face a demon on their own. It was truly the worst-case scenario. I understood why the otherworlders' expressions were so grim.

It's a relief that the people I know are a bit far away...

It was quite regrettable that many people had died... but at the same time, I felt a sense of relief that they weren't my acquaintances. It might seem selfish, but I couldn't help it. My acquaintances were important to me, after all.

As I was thinking that, the Otherworlder in front of me spoke again.

There's a bigger problem. That Demon is now moving south towards the Central Lands. What?

This was information I couldn't easily dismiss.

What do you mean? Are you not from the Eastern Isles, or the Southern Kingdoms, or the Great Empire?

“I'm from the Central Lands.”

Then didn't that mean Chae-rin Yu, Haneul Im, and Hanbyeol Shin had a high chance of encountering that Demon?

No matter how much it surpassed the realm of common people, a Demon was literally a walking disaster.

News has already reported that Halphas crossed the Frostlands' border. They say the Frostlands are in a fight to the death..., but honestly, their combat power isn't that high. They don't have players like us either..."Ah, sorry to interrupt, but let's call him Demon H from now on instead of Halphas.""Huh, why?""...It's just a bit unpleasant to hear."

Anyway, our Frostlands are collapsing in real-time. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before they're breached. To reach the Central Lands from Valoria would take approximately...

If the Frostlands were to fall despite its “Fight to the Death”, 30 days was the time limit it had left. It wasn't an exact calculation. Perhaps it could take longer, or even be faster.

But what was certain was that if the Frostlands fell, they too would face disaster. Swords, spears, guns, bombs, bazookas, and landmines were among the equipment. The Worst Terrorist in History, armed with various equipment, was moving south.

It was uncertain if he could be stopped, and even if he were, they would suffer damage akin to a war.

With Gates appearing everywhere, suffering such severe damage would be tantamount to national annihilation in the situation.

Perhaps because the Otherworlder realized this, their already grim face looked even gloomier. Then, looking at me, they asked with eyes that seemed to plead slightly.

What should we do?

It was the moment when a time limit was placed on finding the fissure.