Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

Justin's eyes shook violently as he looked at the armor. Full plate armor was a legendary piece of equipment. Before the invention of firearms, trained knights who wore it became walking tanks, able to sweep through enemy lines. No matter how much they were stabbed or struck, they would keep swinging their swords, slaughtering infantry, who saw such armor as their worst nightmare. Even weapons like longbows and large crossbows, unless fired from close range, often bounced off the armor.

'But to have full plate armor in this world...' Justin thought, stunned. In this world, firearms hadn't even been invented. While magic existed, very few spells had the raw piercing power of a large crossbow. And with most weapons being melee, this armor was practically invincible.

"Rachel, is that really...?" Justin trailed off, still unsure.

"Take a look for yourself," Rachel said with a smile, holding the helmet out to him.

Justin quickly took the helmet and focused his gaze on it. A brief item description popped up:

〈Valkyrie's Full Plate Armor – Helmet〉

Type: Einherjar exclusive equipment Grade: Epic Details: A full plate armor forged from star iron. It provides high defense and resistance to magic. Though it's just tough armor, its durability will strike fear into the hearts of enemies. Additional: If attacked by a weapon of rare grade or lower, its durability does not decrease.

"..."

What was this? Justin blinked, pressing his fingers against his eyes, thinking he might have read it wrong. But no, the item description stayed the same.

"What is this?" Justin murmured aloud, his shock slipping into his voice. Rachel's armor specs were unbelievable. No durability loss from rare-grade weapons or lower? That practically meant the armor wouldn't even get scratched.

If this was true, then even Derek Thunder Hammer wouldn't leave a dent in the armor. Of course, internal shock was a separate issue, but even accounting for that, this was extraordinary.

A second-class warrior's physicality could already be classified as superhuman. And if the armor could reduce blunt-force impacts, Rachel could likely withstand most attacks without breaking a sweat. Even blunt weapons might struggle, and swords, which relied on cutting, were no contest.

Handing the helmet back, Justin said seriously, "Ha-eun, I'm counting on you to lead the frontlines from now on."

"That's always been my job," Rachel replied with a light laugh, unfazed by the increased responsibility. It was as if her new role wasn't surprising—just a continuation of her usual duties.

"And Zachary... you still haven't hit your second class change yet, huh?"

"Ugh..." Zachary groaned as he shook his newly received equipment, which was nothing but a standard mass-produced leather armor. Checking its options, he found that, unsurprisingly, they were nothing special.

"I should've leveled up harder when I had the chance. If I'd hit level 25 and completed my second class change, I could've had something decent by now..."

Seeing his plain armor, Zachary couldn't help but sigh in regret. He should've worked harder.

Clicking his tongue, Justin opened his own inventory. Now that he'd checked on Nathan and Rachel, he was the last second-class pioneer left to review. Judging by the pattern, it seemed only second-class pioneers were receiving class-specific gear.

'So, what kind of equipment will I, as the Apostle of Eternity, receive?' Justin wondered, feeling both excited and nervous as he pulled out the item from his inventory.

What came out was an elegant, jet-black robe. Unlike the rugged robe he had been wearing until now, this one was adorned with intricate patterns and embellishments. But what mattered wasn't its appearance; it was the stats.

Justin immediately checked the item description.

〈Robe of the Abyss〉

Type: Apostle of Eternity exclusive equipment Grade: Epic Details: A robe soaked in demon blood and scorched by the flames of hell. It grants the wearer complete immunity to all poisons and flames. Poison and fire have long been symbols of pain, but the Apostle of Eternity passes on pain, never receives it.

"...!"

Justin's eyes widened as he read the description. It might seem underwhelming compared to the previous two pieces of gear, but the effect was far more valuable. The key phrase was "complete immunity to all poisons and flames." The word "all" made Justin's heart race.

In World Breaker, whenever the word "all" was used, it implied even special cases were covered.

'So this means it can block a dragon's flames and even a hydra's poison,' Justin thought, a grin spreading across his face. It might not seem useful right now, but once dragons began to appear, this robe would be worth more than any other piece of equipment, even more than Nathan's cloak or Rachel's armor.

"You received a good reward, I see," Damian said, approaching Justin while examining his new clothes, which had changed into a light set of armor.

Glancing to the side, Justin noticed Zeal had also changed into a much fancier white robe, smiling as always. While their equipment didn't look very defensive, there were likely powerful secondary effects at play.

'As much as I want to ask what their effects are... even in an alliance, there are limits.' Justin knew asking about the specifics of their gear would be too much. It would be like asking them to reveal their trump cards, and that wasn't something he was willing to do either.

Smiling, Justin said, "Yeah, I'm pretty satisfied with mine. Yours looks good, too."

"I'm pleased with it," Damian replied with a nod.

"Great. I'll be looking forward to seeing you in action during the next quest."

"If there's combat, I'll be sure to show you."

Justin didn't need to know the specifics. Whatever power they had gained would be enough to help in the quest. As the excitement over their new rewards began to die down, Justin prepared to give the signal to move.

But just as he was about to speak, a sudden shout rang out.

"Damn it! What the hell is this!?"

"If this was what they were going to give us, why did we even bother...!"

From afar, the sound of the pioneers' shocked shouts echoed. It was a clear sign that something unusual had occurred. After exchanging brief glances with his allies, Justin shouted toward the pioneers.

"Let's go!"

No further explanation was needed for either the pioneers or the allies under Justin's command. In perfect unison, more than sixty pioneers followed behind him, as if they were a pack of beasts naturally following their leader.

"Ha."

Upon reaching the location where the cries and screams resonated, a hollow laugh escaped Justin's mouth. The sight before his eyes left him speechless for a moment.

"Just one door?"

After three days of waiting, only one new door had appeared. This meant that everyone left would have to enter through that single massive door. Though the numbers would surely dwindle, Justin had expected at least three doors to appear. He felt as if he'd been struck from behind. The recently updated quest only stated, "Proceed through the door and face the final trial."

"What in the world are they thinking with this...!"

"Damn it... Ahem, God help us." Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

Damian and the cultist who had followed behind Justin reacted similarly. After all, the past three days had been filled with alliances, betrayals, refusals, and insults, leaving a deep tension between everyone. And now, all the pioneers were being herded into one place? The moment someone voiced their discontent over a trivial issue, a bloodbath could easily break out.

"The system is really screwing us over more and more," Justin remarked.

"Kak, ptooey!"

Even Lucian and Kane, who had arrived earlier, frowned in displeasure. Both had changed their gear, but their faces showed no joy, likely because they too felt betrayed by the system. However, unlike the others, Kane quickly regained his composure and muttered, "As annoying as it is to feel like we're being played, this might actually be better. At least this way, we're not risking losing a lot of strength in separate trials only to face each other again later."

"...?"

Justin felt a strange sense of unease at Kane's words. If they'd faced separate trials, the difficulty would have likely been the same, just with different doors. Naturally, Kane, having the smallest group, would have suffered the greatest losses. So from his perspective, this situation—facing competitors while weakened from trials—could seem preferable... but there was something off.

'That is, unless he's not even considering that Lucian and I might team up against him?'

In typical warlord conflicts, the weakest faction is usually eliminated first. In a situation like this, where reducing the numbers of survivors to share the final reward was crucial, Kane's lack of concern seemed suspicious. And yet, he acted as though everything would go smoothly if they just worked together.

"You're right, if we all stick together, the casualties might be minimized. Although the rewards will decrease, it's better than losing allies," Lucian chimed in.

Lucian's behavior was equally perplexing. The man who should have been suggesting reducing numbers first was now proposing cooperation without hesitation, even wearing a soft smile, as if he had always been this kind-hearted.

"Let's decide on the order. I'll take the front, Justin can be in the middle, and Kane will guard the rear. How does that sound?"

"...."

Justin frowned at Lucian's proactive suggestion. The order seemed well thought out. The rear was the most dangerous position, as it was vulnerable to attacks. If someone stronger than you was positioned behind, it would be hard to feel secure. On the surface, it looked like Lucian was sacrificing himself by taking the front, prioritizing fairness.

'This guy putting fairness above his own advantage? I don't buy it.'

Over the past three days, Lucian had consistently shown that he prioritized his own gain above all else. No matter how brightly he smiled and spoke, his true intentions seemed darker than ever.

"Justin? Why aren't you answering? Is there a problem with the arrangement...?"

"No."

"Sorry?"

"No, we're taking the rear. You can decide between yourselves who takes the middle and front, but if anyone tries to stand behind us, we'll attack immediately."

"...!"

The surrounding atmosphere froze at Justin's declaration, which was little more than a demand. Not only the competitors but even his own allies were shocked. In this situation, Justin's group could easily become isolated and attacked from both sides.

"Justin, wait a moment...!"

"Has he lost his mind!?"

Damian's frantic voice overlapped with Kane's growl, but Justin remained unshaken by the protests from both his allies and his enemies. He simply awaited Lucian's response, knowing that his answer was the most important.

"...."

"...."

Lucian locked eyes with Justin, the tension palpable between them. There was a subtle glint of murderous intent in Lucian's gaze, but Justin had no intention of backing down. About a minute passed before Lucian finally nodded heavily.

"Fine. We'll do it your way."

"...!?"

The pioneers widened their eyes at Lucian's concession.

In the end, the final arrangement had Kane in front, Lucian in the middle, and Justin's group in the rear. With Justin's insistence, this was the only outcome.

'If we had left the weakest group, Kane's, in the middle, we could strike at any moment, and they'd suffer immense losses,' Justin reasoned.

Lucian's group might not fare much better against a surprise attack, but unlike Kane, they could at least muster a counterattack before being wiped out. Kane, on the other hand, would be finished. Knowing this, Kane wouldn't dare place himself in front of Justin's group.

In the end, if they wanted to proceed without causing trouble, they had no choice but to accept Justin's demands.

"It seems everything is settled," Lucian remarked. His usual smile had long vanished, his cold eyes glaring at Justin. "I hope you're satisfied with this. If you're still not content, then I—"

"Oh, I'm very satisfied. Completely thrilled. Let's get going."

Lucian's brow twitched as Justin cut him off before he could finish his veiled threat. It seemed as though the thought of killing Justin was hovering just on the edge of his mind, but he restrained himself. Realizing that further conversation would only cause him more frustration, Lucian quickly moved toward the door.

"Then, I'll open it now."

Rumble.

Without waiting for a response, Lucian forcefully pushed open the door. A loud rumbling accompanied the opening of the final trial's door. What lay beyond? The anxious pioneers stared blankly at the sight before them and mumbled in disbelief.

"Stairs?"

Beyond the door was a stairway leading to the top of a temple.