Chapter 417

Here is the English translation of the provided novel text, adhering to the given glossary:

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Kings #3

That encounter was inevitable.

I had always known that one day, they would come looking for me.

The moment I saw the fanatical obsession in their gaze, I knew I wouldn’t be free from those shackles until either I died or they did.

The only question was time.

When, at what moment, in what place would that reunion take place?

”I have descended—!”

But I had hoped, at the very least, not today.

Of all days, on the most critical occasion, they had to fall from the sky and reduce everything to dust.

Pssshhh—

From the settling dust emerged the figure of a Samaritan girl wrapped in a large raccoon pelt.

Clench—

Finally, with both fists tightly balled, she raised her arms high into the air, spread her mouth wide, and roared:

”I, the daughter of thunder, the legendary hero Gloria, have descended upon this land—!”

Her voice was so thunderous it felt like lightning had struck right in front of me.

”I am the unstoppable, the unfathomable incarnation of power—! You foolish idiots—! Turn your backs on me and scram—!”

Even covering my ears couldn’t block out that deafening roar.

What—what just appeared?! R-run!

Is it a Cultist attack?! A Monster?!

The crowd that had gathered to watch the nymphs’ performance began screaming and scattering in all directions.

Their chaotic, panicked retreat was nothing short of a complete mess.

Of course, not everyone fled at the sudden appearance of this intruder.

Clank, shhhhk—

A group of knights in silver armor drew the weapons strapped to their waists and backs—spears, swords, hammers, bows—and ignited their fighting spirit.

”Gloria—.”

The first to growl was Hippolyte, who drew the Longsword of Jealousy from her hip. The blade glowed ominously, dripping with purple energy.

”Do you intend to cause havoc knowing full well this is the king’s court?”

Hippolyte’s eyes flickered slightly, as if glancing behind her. There, an old king exhaled deeply under the knights’ protection.

”What in the world is happening—?”

He seemed unable to believe that Gloria had descended upon him like a bolt of lightning.

His pupils were dilated, his breathing ragged—likely in mild shock.

Glance—

I raised my head. Far above in the sky, I could see a four-legged Beast flapping its wings, letting out a prrrrr cry.

Was that the griffin the dragon knight Natatos had mentioned earlier? It seemed both Gloria and Natatos had ridden it before making their vertical descent.

Twirl, twirl—

Gloria rolled her neck and shoulders.

”Do I know this is the king’s presence? Of course I do.”

Then she began pointing at people one by one.

”Because it’s the king’s presence, of course there’d be these Shrine Knights bureaucrats and that idiot Hippolyte here. Where’s Actaeon?”

Despite knowing she stood before the most powerful figure in the land, and despite the many strong warriors gathered to protect him, Gloria acted as if she owned the place.

Whoooosh—

A gust of wind blew in from somewhere, plunging the crowd into silence.

Gloria pulled out a club from her waist—shaped like a chicken drumstick—and growled low.

”So what? If you’ve got a problem, try arresting me. Not that you can.”

Six members of the Shrine Knights were present.

And facing them, along with the even stronger Gold Tier Adventurer Hippolyte, Gloria showed not an ounce of fear.

Not only was she unafraid—she was outright provoking them.

I had sensed it from the moment we first met, but Gloria’s frontal lobe—the part that governs reason—must have been severely damaged.

No normal person could be this brazen.

Shhhhk—

The tension was thick enough that a fight could break out any second. But Gloria, as if losing interest, sheathed her club back at her waist.

”But I didn’t come here for you guys. I came to see my family.”

Her dark eyes swept over the nervous crowd before locking onto me—the most tense person here.

My vision spun for a second.

”Oppa, I missed you!”

Fwoosh—

Gloria vanished from my sight in an instant.

By the time I blinked, she was already in front of me, arms spread wide.

Her arms felt like massive industrial cutters. If those grabbed me, an average person’s body would be crushed instantly.

”Ever since then, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. While sleeping, eating, even when slaying Monsters—I pictured you in my head. How do I break the unbreakable—?”

”What the—”

”This is a first for me. But I’m not stupid—I know what this feeling is. It’s love. Right?”

Her arms lunged for me.

But if I let her grab me, if I let her hug me, I’d be shattered in more ways than one.

So I reached out my hands toward hers. Our palms met, resulting in a contest of strength.

”Holding hands first? Surprisingly old-fashioned.”

Creeeaaak—

A battle of strength, hands locked. I gritted my teeth, pushing with all my might, but Gloria just smiled, amused by the situation.

”Oppa, you seem weaker than last time?”

”Grrk—!”

Gloria’s assessment was spot-on. My body had been forcibly downgraded to level 30.

I hadn’t had time to undo the seal on myself before her sudden appearance.

If only I’d had a little more time…

But this wild Beast wouldn’t let me go.

”What’s this? Use more strength. Why are you so weak now? Or did I get stronger?”

Had Gloria noticed my anomaly? Her face, once grinning with excitement, twisted in an instant.

That demonic expression sent shivers down my spine—I wanted to run, but Gloria’s grip on my hands wouldn’t allow it.

Vwoom—

Suddenly, my body was lifted into the air.

Had I unlocked the secret of levitation?

Of course not. Gloria had simply hoisted me up like a ragdoll.

”If you were really my Oppa, you wouldn’t be this weak. The man who dodged my full-powered strike and counterattacked!”

The tingling at the back of my neck told me this was bad.

”I get it. You’re a fake. How dare you take Oppa’s form? A trick? Unforgivable.”

”Urgh—!”

My body was slammed downward. Like wet laundry being wrung out, I was flung toward the ground.

If I hit the floor like this, my body would shatter like glass against steel.

But with Gloria gripping my hands, escape was impossible.

”Uwaaah—!”

Was I about to become flattened Hassan? As I squeezed my eyes shut—Swish!—the sound of slicing wind rang out.

”Hassan! I’ll help!”

It was Luna. My hyper-focused insight caught her drawing an obsidian dagger from her waist and hurling it at Gloria.

”Tch, who’d fall for that?”

But Gloria dodged effortlessly. The dagger grazed her inner thigh before embedding itself deep into the sand.

A futile attack.

But Luna’s real aim wasn’t hitting Gloria with the dagger.

”Enhanced Shadow Bind—!”

”Ah—?!”

Gloria froze mid-motion, like a buffering video.

”How’s that? The Voodoo of the Small Yard Tribe—!”

”Ideope’s ancient sorcery? Got it. You’re that weird pink-haired brat from the beach. You think this can stop me?”

”Hassan, run! The thrown dagger won’t hold her long!”

”Thanks, Luna!”

Seizing the moment, I kicked Gloria square in the stomach. Of course, her abs were steel-hard despite her soft appearance—my foot throbbed in pain.

”Oof—!”

The unexpected blow to her diaphragm forced her to release my hands.

Using the momentum, I leaped back to create distance.

Unfortunately, the Shadow Bind restraining Gloria also broke in the process.

”Grrk—! You fakes teaming up to mess with me? You’re all in this together? You set a trap to steal Oppa from me? Like last time—I won’t fall for this trick—!”

Her black eyes burned with fury.

At the same time, the fur on the raccoon pelt draped over her head bristled.

Ssk, sssk—

A clear bad omen.

If this were a boss fight, Phase 2 had officially begun. Staying here meant certain defeat.

I raised my thumb and began unlocking the gates of my body’s energy flow.

First, the Heavenly Collapse at my neck.

”Don’t even think about leaving alive—!”

The Danjung at my chest.

”Gloria’s gone berserk! Evacuate the people, protect Thunderblade—!”

The Middle Core at my solar plexus.

”Get lost—!”

The Divine Void below my navel.

”Y-Your Majesty—!”

And finally, the Danwon point near my lower abdomen.

As my thumb pressed each point, I felt my bl**d boil.

I saw Gloria, club in hand, darting through the knights like a fantasy star.

They flailed, trying to stop her, but their efforts were futile against her enraged might.

Her raised club was about to come down on Thunderblade, who lay sprawled on the ground.

But then—the old king grabbed the back of a young nymph’s neck beside him, his arm tensing.

Was he planning to use the nymph as a shield in this crisis?

”Hup—!”

Instead, he hurled the nymph away with unexpected strength for his frail arms.

He had risked his own life to save the nymph.

That shocked me.

”Grahh—!”

Gloria’s club came down hard on the old king’s head.

But the blow never landed.

Because my Terror Crusher intercepted it a split second before.

KWAANG—!!!

The clash of forces sent a shockwave rippling outward, shaking the surroundings.

”…!”

Gloria’s furious expression faltered for a moment—she hadn’t expected anyone to block her attack.

Zzzt, zzzt—

Of course, my arm felt like it would shatter from the impact. Maybe even a bone fracture.

But I held on better than expected.

No—right now, I might even have the upper hand.

Gloria’s strength stat was likely around 15.

But mine, enhanced by nectar, was 16.

Now, I could beat her.

”Gloria, pick on someone your own size… me!”

Grrind—

I clenched my teeth and pushed with all my might.

Every muscle in my body tensed, my feet digging into the ground like anchors.

”Ughh—!”

Gloria groaned too—she was straining with everything she had.

But slowly, surely, she was being pushed back. Finally, my club pressed her down onto the ground—

”W-what is this—?”

Just as she tried to speak in disbelief, countless presences closed in.

Shhk, shhhk—

Spears, swords, scythes—an arsenal of weapons.

Sharp blades formed a cage around Gloria’s neck, sides, and legs.

The Shrine Knights, who had failed to counter her speed and raw power earlier, had now regrouped and surrounded her.

”Grrk, ughh—!”

Gloria, drooling like a rabid beast, was pinned to the ground by the weapons and hands of the knights.

No matter how strong she was, she couldn’t withstand a dogpile from warriors over level 40.

”Graaah—!”

She looked like a wild Beast slowly succumbing to tranquilizers.

Rabies.

She was far from normal.

A case of pent-up rage?

Her chest and head seethed with fury like molten lava—so pure it could be called the incarnation of wrath itself.

Even I felt a chill.

”Haaah—.”

But as she lay restrained, tears welled in her eyes.

That turbulent mix of rage and sorrow strangely calmed me.

I moved my hand slightly—

Just as I was about to check her pulse by gripping her wrist—

The golden-armored dragon knight, Natatos, clamped a strange shackle around Gloria’s neck and yanked her back.

”Gloria, suppression complete.”

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[Afterword]

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Thank you so much for the support coupons…!

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In that spirit, today’s November 11th Pepero Day Voodoo is for you…!!!

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8-10 minutes

Kings

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(Note: The translation maintains the original tone, glossary terms, and stylistic elements while ensuring natural English flow.)

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