CHAPTER 125: CHAPTER 125 - THE SEALED PATH

Chapter 125 - The Sealed Path

[Skill ’Spirit Eye (A)’ activated.]

Extracting the spirits tucked deep within his goblin headdress and returning them to the children’s original bodies was not difficult.

Two items—both engraved with soul-binding marks. At this point, Jhin could handle spirits better than most goblins.

"T-thank... y-you... so much..."

"...Just rest here for now."

"Y-yes..."

With Tomas—still speaking in a stuttering voice—and the other children restored, Jhin took a moment to scan them all.

But there was no time to linger. The issue at hand was far more pressing than the mission that had brought them here in the first place.

He approached Pete .

"How’s it looking?"

"...We can’t go any further."

After stepping off the train, Jhin looked ahead at the massive pile of wreckage.

An entire building had collapsed onto the train tracks, completely blocking their path.

Jhin turned to the group.

"From here on, we move on foot."

He instructed Tomas and Pete to remain on the train. They needed someone to look after the evacuated refugees—and besides, he had a task for Pete .

"While we’re gone, clear the tracks. We might need your strength."

"Don’t worry. If I ask the goblins, they’ll get it done in no time."

Pete nodded, then added with a meaningful glance,

"Hyung, when you get to Ark—make sure to pass on a message. No matter how much food I stockpile, I can’t keep this many people alive for long."

"I got it."

"And maybe tell them to pay up while you’re at it—"

Jhin walked away before he finished the sentence, heading toward Ark.

The scenery on the way could only be described as utter devastation—like a typhoon had swept through and left nothing behind.

So the Lizardmen really had launched a massive invasion.

"...This is brutal."

Corpses littered the ground like dirty laundry scattered in the wind.

Human and Lizardman alike, tangled together in death—the aftermath of an unimaginably fierce battle.

Jhin forced himself to ignore the stench of blood still hanging in the air as he marched down the boulevard. He kept his Spirit Eye open, constantly scanning for threats—but there was no sign of any Lizardmen nearby.

Even Kimmy, who peeked its head out from his pocket, seemed disappointed.

[’Kimmy’ complains there’s nothing tasty around here.]

[’Kimmy’ smiles slyly, saying there’s ’fresh food’ somewhere in the distance.]

Now completely transitioned out of item form and fully operating as a pet, Kimmy had become much more expressive.

Ever since consuming Arman , it had grown even pickier—refusing to touch anything that didn’t meet its gourmet standards.

So... nothing tasty means no monsters nearby.

Not exactly good news.

They’d already reached the area shown in the video from the train—and there still wasn’t a single Lizardman in sight.

Which could only mean one thing: the monsters had moved even closer to Ark’s core.

Jhin quickened his pace and called out to Adonis.

"How far is Ark from here?"

Adonis was coordinating his squad while inspecting the bodies around them. Just then, a scout he’d sent ahead came running back.

He replied,

"Depends on the zone. But we’re right near Sector 3. Given the circumstances, the Lizardmen may have already breached the residential districts."

He turned to the scout and listened to the report. A grimace crossed his face.

"Just as I feared... the perimeter’s breached. Lizardmen have already entered Sector 3."

As they continued walking, they finally reached the partially destroyed outer boundary of the zone.

Ark had erected sturdy walls to prevent monster intrusion.

Now, those walls had collapsed entirely.

Giant Horned Lizard...

There weren’t many monsters capable of this kind of destruction.

A Lizardman spear wouldn’t even scratch this wall.

To tear it down... would require immense destructive power.

If it was the same monster that had casually smashed buildings with its tail—it made sense.

Jhin narrowed his eyes and stepped into Sector 3.

Inside, muffled explosions could be heard—faint, but persistent.

Then, messages flashed before his eyes.

[You have entered Player Stronghold: Ark – Sector 3.]

[Sound barrier activated. All external noise is suppressed.]

That explained the eerie silence from outside. No Lizardman cries—no chaos.

Jhin exhaled slowly as the sound returned: the low, guttural shrieks of monsters.

So they’re all in here.

And the name—’Player Stronghold’—caught his attention.

So Ark wasn’t just a survivor camp cobbled together by players.

It had been officially recognized by the system. A true stronghold.

Like the NPC villages from classic games.

That would explain why players naturally gathered here, why the region had become a refuge.

This is New Capital’s only true safe zone.

In Exodia, strongholds were the only areas immune to Dungeonization.

These sanctuaries became natural hubs for the living, places where survivors clung to existence.

Even the name "Ark" wasn’t a coincidence.

As he entered Sector 3, Jhin activated his Spirit Eye once more.

Magical energy trembled everywhere—unstable, chaotic.

Then, everyone’s phones began vibrating at once.

Bzzzzt.

"...Captain Adonis, it’s a lockdown notice."

"What? When?"

"It says... it was issued three hours ago."

The alert was a mass emergency broadcast, sent by Ark.

And the moment they entered Sector 3, whatever interference had blocked signals before suddenly cleared.

Adonis sighed, staring at Jhin.

"...We’re too late."

"What do you mean?"

"This place is already sealed off. Ark has contingency protocols. When things get too dangerous, they shut down entire zones to stop monster incursions."

Ark was built in concentric layers:

Sector 1 at the core

Surrounded by Sector 2

Surrounded again by Sector 3

If a lockdown had been issued after Sector 3 was breached, that meant every passage from Sector 3 to Sector 2 had already been closed off.

In other words—they had no way in.

"...What now? We can’t get into Ark like this."

Adonis frowned, scratching his chin as he tried dialing his phone.

But the signal had only been momentary. It was already gone again.

The line was dead.

"...Damned piece of junk..."

Everyone else tried their phones too—but with the same result.

Rumor had it that smartphones often stopped working in areas flooded with monster activity.

Because the signals ran on magical interference.

Ark had begun rolling out upgraded versions of its tech, tuned to withstand such zones—but Adonis’s squad hadn’t received theirs yet.

Jhin turned to the group.

"Still, we should make our way toward Sector 2. There might be an unsealed gate left somewhere."