Treasure Hunter Kim (6): The Overlord's Encirclement
Treasure Hunter Kim inhaled the incense, his consciousness blacked out, and he barely came to his senses.
Ow… fuck. My head. His head throbbed from the headache. It was because of a mild motion sickness.
In a way, it was similar to entering augmented reality. Yes. This was ancient China's version of augmented reality.
In reality, it was like inhaling a narcotic incense and falling into hallucinations, but whatever.
"Looks like you've entered the mindscape just fine."
At that moment, a voice came from right at his feet.
At his feet was a raccoon dog wearing a sedge hat. A talking raccoon dog.
"Heh. Don't make that surprised face. This is inside your imagination. A talking raccoon dog isn't strange here."
The raccoon dog chuckled as it spoke.
"I'm Zuozi. I've come to watch from the side to test if you're worthy of bearing the Gentleman's Sword."
The raccoon dog smiled with a puff.
Yeah. He knew this from clearing the quest.
So, he decided to enjoy what he wanted to enjoy.
Squish squish.
He started kneading the raccoon dog's soft belly. He'd always wanted to try this.
It was his dream: to have a pet and knead its body every day. But he gave up on that dream after realizing, once he grew up, that he couldn't even take care of himself.
"S-stop… pffft… stop that!!"
Zuozi wriggled, trying to escape his embrace.
Squeeze. Squeeze.
He let go only when the plump paw's claws started pricking him.
"Really… you topknotted yokels have no manners."
Zuozi backed away warily, keeping its distance, then cleared its throat.
"This mindscape right now is a reconstruction of real history based on your memories."
Zuozi began its explanation time.
"The worst enemy that the founding emperor of Han once faced. If you prove your worth through that memory, I'll acknowledge your qualification."
Zuozi spoke in a solemn, sage-like tone. Pretty full of itself.
Yeah. It's a quest they put a lot of effort into in this game.
You could glimpse past memories to gain power. That's how they hyped it up. They even put in scenes from trailers of dueling the Hegemon King Xiang Yu.
But honestly, actually doing it was underwhelming. And since game sales weren't great, it never really caught on. He used to write guides back when it was hot… but hardly anyone played deep enough to reach this section, so reactions were meh.
"Go on, then."
Zuozi awkwardly crossed its arms in raccoon form and nodded.
With his sword drawn, he slowly walked deeper into the battlefield.
Vmmm.
As he entered a specific area, a thick fog descended, obscuring the interior.
Right. That suspicious space at boss fight entrances in games. Once you enter, you fight until you win or die—no exiting the zone.
Vmmm.
When he touched the fog beyond, it dissipated, sucking his body in.
------
Claaaaang!! Clang!! Claaang!!
The bone-chilling clash of metal on metal echoed from all directions.
The battlefield spread out was several times more wretched than the one he'd seen.
Spluuurt!! Stab!!
It was filled with beasts snarling and struggling to survive across a sea of corpses.
"It's over!! There's the Hegemon King!!! Take him down and this chaos ends!! Charge!!"
Soldiers of Han pointed madly at a man charging on horseback.
"Get out of the way!!!"
The giant man on horseback wildly swung his sword, carving a path.
Arrows and blades riddled his body, yet his momentum didn't falter.
Kaboooom!!
Rather than a sword slash, it was like an explosion ripping through. The soldiers blocking ahead vanished in a spray.
"Hah… hah… cough."
Hegemon King Xiang Yu spat blood-mixed phlegm and looked at his horse.
"Wuzhui…."
Xiang Yu's beloved steed, Wuzhui, lacked his master's stamina. Riddled with arrows and drenched in blood, it collapsed to the ground.
Xiang Yu stood on the earth, glaring at him with murderous eyes.
"Well done pushing me this far, Liu Bang."
Xiang Yu laughed as he looked this way.
In this mindscape, he was Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang.
The final war between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, where Chu suffered utter defeat, even coining the idiom "surrounded on all four sides."
There, Han's greatest general Han Xin built an eight-layered encirclement to capture Xiang Yu.
Blocking every escape route, then piling on with all their might: Han all-stars Fan Kuai, King Ling, Yong Chi, Han Xin's detachment, Liu Bang's main force—a layered siege.
Any normal general would've died there, but astonishingly, Xiang Yu broke through solo with raw physical prowess. That's why Chinese history compares strong guys to the Hegemon King.
He could've escaped and plotted a comeback, but his own aides abandoning him broke his spirit completely. Pride shattered, he fell into despair.
His pride's too strong. That's this guy. A prideful, temperamental leader—that was Xiang Yu. The self-proclaimed world's strongest burned out from his fall.
"Hahaha. Driving me to this point… I'll give you that."
Xiang Yu stroked Wuzhui's fallen face, wiping tears from its eyes.
Shing.
Then, sword drawn, he faced him.
"Alright. Let's end it here."
Xiang Yu caressed a bloodied something on his saddle— the corpse of a beautiful woman.
Yu Mei…. In the end, he couldn't protect Yu Mei amid the melee. The game's unique interpretation. Canon has a tearful parting by the river, but here she was already dead. Realistically, yeah—that makes sense. Filming a dramatic scene protecting a woman in this chaos is more unrealistic.
Anyway.
I have to beat this Xiang Yu here. Only then could he get the Sword of the Participant from Zuozi.
This was the weakest Xiang Yu, battered by Han Xin's insane siege, but even now his specs could shred someone like Kim.
His level was too high to display.
Can't win head-on. HP at a whopping 550k. Scraping all day with a sword might shave off 10%. One hit from him, and Kim was done—unfair matchup.
So, exploit the gimmick.
A flame icon burned above Xiang Yu's nameplate. It vanished if you broke his stance and followed up. Clear them all, and Zuozi counted it as a win.
Prep was done. He'd broken the imperial seal for Immovable Mind, geared up with the Namun Sword—endgame stuff. Fight smart, and he'd win.
"Raaaaagh!!!"
With a thunderous shout, Xiang Yu charged, sword raised.
Whoooosh!!
A lightning-like slash crashed down like thunder.
Claaaaang!!
At the last second, he parried with Taiji Sword, draining stamina on perfect block unlike plain defense.
Kikikikit.
But the attack's sheer power drained his stamina massively too. He could feel it without checking the status window—like tanking a meteor. The kind of blow that'd make you blurt oh god.
Clang!! Clang!!
Heavy hits, yet sword speed was lightning-fast—broken. Slack off, and it'd cleave you; his mouth went dry.
Ching!! Claaang!!!!
He barely blocked the fourth.
"Ha!! Fun!!!"
Arrows in his flesh, yet Xiang Yu laughed, resetting stance instantly.
Shiiiiew!!!
Might be imagination, but wind swirled around Xiang Yu's body.
One of his bullshit patterns: Tyrant's Sword Gale, pure cheese.
Shishishishishiii!!
Swinging, blade-like winds assaulted from everywhere.
Claaaaang!!
He blocked the slash, but winds pierced through, coolly slicing skin.
Splurt!! Stab!!!
Hot blood poured from everywhere.
This was the cheese: penetrates defense for bleed DoT, 15 seconds, heavy damage—half HP gone by end. Bleed also debuffs base stats, weakening combat power. Even at full, it's iffy; debuffed, brutal.
Without Immovable Mind, DoT leaves you near-death, staggering into his follow-up for wipe.
But he'd glitched Immovable Mind from the seal—immune to DoT.
The flowing blood stopped, leaving only wound scars.
Claaaang!!
Blocking his big move shaved over half Xiang Yu's stamina gauge.
He bolted across the field.
Thud!!
As Xiang Yu footworked to pursue, he snatched a fallen sword.
Shoulder swing, hurled it instantly.
Whooooosh!!!!
Mountains and Rivers Sword technique: Bi Seok Tu. Thrown weapon damage amplified guaranteed.
This is a battlefield anyway. Weapons littered everywhere. Drain half stamina, then chuck for safe kiting—easy strat. If you learned Mountains and Rivers Sword, that is.
Claaaaang!!!
Xiang Yu blocked casually, but unexpected throw damage staggered him slightly.
Whoooosh! Claaaang!!
Spears, axes on the ground aplenty. He widened distance, spamming Bi Seok Tu like mad.
Claaaaaaaang!!!!
Chuck every weapon in sight, fighting dirty—but results came. On the nth throw, blocking his spear broke Xiang Yu's stance.
Stamina shattered. Chance finally here.
Wham!!!
Kicked off ground, dashed madly, sword raised, leaped.
As Xiang Yu struggled to rise, he slammed the blade into his neck.
Spluuuurt!!!!
Resistance like stabbing stone transmitted up the hilt.
Kikikikikikit!!! All strength into twisting, piercing through.
Splaaaash!!
Resistance eased; fountain of blood erupted from Xiang Yu's neck.
"…Yu'er. I'm coming to your side."
Xiang Yu's low mutter reached his ears briefly before he collapsed.
Encirclement on All Sides cleared.
The status window message hit, and strength drained from his body.
He did it.