Chapter 117: Special Event, Survival (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 117: Special Event, Survival (2)
[Community: How many minutes did everyone last?]
[Pham Minh Duc (33rd Floor): 17 minutes.]
[Kang San (18th Floor): ...11 minutes.]
[Olivia Turner (51st Floor): 26 minutes...]
[Yoo Jin-ha (54th Floor): 31 minutes.]
[Pham Minh Duc (33rd Floor): Good grief. 31 minutes? As expected of Yoo Jin-ha.]
[Yoo Jin-ha (54th Floor): No, it’s nothing special. In fact, I’m disappointed I only managed that much. I did my best, so... please, take it easy on me.]
[Pham Minh Duc (33rd Floor): Yoo Jin-ha?]
[Yoo Jin-ha (54th Floor): No, it’s nothing. Ahem.]
[Olivia Turner (51st Floor): ...It seems no one lasted less than 8 minutes. I suppose we can assume the bottom 10% fell around that mark. A moment of silence for the fallen.]
[Kang San (18th Floor): So even for someone like Yoo Jin-ha, 31 minutes was the limit... Surviving for an hour. Is that actually possible?]
[Olivia Turner (51st Floor): Someone has already proven that it isn't impossible.]
[Kang San (18th Floor): Ah. Now that you mention it, that’s true. I wonder what on earth they did to manage it.]
* * *
[Special Event Start!]
With a cheerful system notification, Kang Jun-hyeok’s body was transported.
He found himself standing upon a vast expanse of scorched black earth. A sky the color of fresh blood cast a crimson hue over the world.
The terrain was flat and featureless. The only peculiarity was the lack of a horizon; the ground stretched out in a perfect line as far as the eye could see. It was a world of linear planes, not a sphere.
Floating in the sky was a timer.
[00:14]
[Survive here for as long as possible! That is the goal of this event!]
[Time Limit: 1 Hour]
[Special Event]
[Objective: Survive in this world for one hour!]
[Reward: The longer you survive, the better the reward!]
[Penalty: The bottom 10% will be eliminated.]
[Good luck, everyone!]
The objective was survival.
That meant something was going to attack. No sooner had the quest window closed than a frantic rattling sound erupted as monsters began to claw their way out of the earth.
They were skeletons.
Dozens of them emerged simultaneously, charging at Kang Jun-hyeok.
‘It’s exactly the same as my past life.’
Kang Jun-hyeok lightly lifted his greatsword.
Crunch!
The skeletons shattered into pieces.
A Special Event. Monsters appeared to hunt the players, and the goal was to endure the onslaught for as long as possible.
Crack. Shatter.
He swung the greatsword. With a simple flick of his wrist, the skeletons were crushed and sent flying like dry straw. They weren't strong—at most, they possessed the strength of monsters from the 2nd or 3rd Floor.
Their numbers might pose a threat to lower-level players, but to him, they were nothing. He could have cleared this in his sleep.
Of course, it wasn't going to stay this easy.
The timer reached the 10-minute mark. Simultaneously, the color of the skeletons shifted from bone-white to blood-red.
Clack! Clack!
Their movements changed drastically. The power behind their swings increased, and their speed surged.
This was the real challenge. The monsters grew stronger every 10 minutes. The difficulty spike was so steep that even top-tier players found it difficult to endure.
‘In my past life, Olivia lasted 22 minutes, I think.’
Yoo Jin-ha had barely managed 20 minutes back then.
Finally, the timer hit 20 minutes.
Rattle!
The red skeletons vanished, replaced by black skeletons. One rushed forward at high speed, its blade whistling through the air.
Clang!
The sound of the collision rang out. The shock traveled through the sword to Kang Jun-hyeok’s arms. He quickly recovered his stance and thrust at the creature's neck.
Crunch!
The headless skeleton collapsed into a heap.
‘So this is the level now.’
It was a considerable jump. Individually, they weren't a major issue, but there were far too many of them. With dozens charging at once, it was no wonder Yoo Jin-ha or Olivia couldn't hold out.
However, it wasn't a significant problem for Kang Jun-hyeok.
Crack! Crunch!
He was strong. Stronger than Olivia, stronger than Yoo Jin-ha—stronger beyond comparison.
Even with monsters of this caliber swarming him, he felt no pressure. He dodged, blocked, and smashed them to bits with practiced ease.
Then, the timer finally reached 30 minutes. He entered unknown territory—the realm where no information from his past life existed.
Clack. Rattle.
The skeletons changed again, shifting from black to a deep, ominous purple.
Snap.
A sword thrust forward. Kang Jun-hyeok parried.
Claaaaang!
A violent collision echoed. A heavy sensation traveled up his blade. Having successfully defended, he immediately counterattacked.
Screech!
His sword took the skeleton's head clean off.
But the skeleton didn't fall. Its staggering body thrust its sword again. Kang Jun-hyeok had to twist his body to dodge and strike a second time before it finally went down.
‘They don't go down in one hit.’
The purple skeletons were strong—strong enough to be a genuine threat. And dozens of them were charging at once.
Clang! Clang! Screech!
He swung his sword to parry, block, and counter. Heavy impacts followed one after another. Blades aimed at his blind spots rained down without pause.
Step.
He kicked off the ground to create distance. The skeletons closed the gap instantly, unleashing a flurry of attacks.
They were powerful, yes, but they weren't insurmountable yet. The real issue lay elsewhere.
‘I have to last an hour.’
The monsters grew stronger every 10 minutes. There was no telling what kind of horrors would appear at the 40 or 50-minute marks. He needed to conserve his strength.
"Whew."
Kang Jun-hyeok steadied his breathing. His tensed muscles relaxed.
Clack!
A skeleton lunged at his head. Kang Jun-hyeok, watching calmly, moved his sword with deliberate slowness.
Screech!
He deflected the skeleton's attack, then channeled that momentum into his own blade. He spun his body and struck.
BOOM!
With a thunderous roar, the skeleton’s body was sent flying.
‘Turning Adversity into Strength and Absorbing Force to Break Momentum.’
Accept the opponent's momentum and turn it into your own power; absorb the opponent's attack to shatter their rhythm. This was the first profound principle of the martial arts the Master of All Weapons had passed down to him.
Kang Jun-hyeok barely used his own strength. He utilized the force within the skeletons' attacks. The great martial art was being manifested in the world once again through his body. Eldiria murmured within his mind.
[That martial art of yours... It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it. I never imagined he would pass it on to another.]
[I could say the same to you, Eldiria. I never expected you to give your True Blood to another—especially a human.]
[We have both changed. It is not so bad.]
Clang! Screech!
He dodged, deflected, and counterattacked using their own strength. He held his ground while consuming almost no stamina and without using a single skill.
Nick.
Of course, it wasn't perfect. The enemies were numerous, and his mastery of the martial art wasn't yet high enough. Some of the attacks grazed his flesh.
But it didn't matter. His passive skill, Royal Blood, absorbed the blood of fallen enemies to restore his health. Even though these were mere skeletons, the skill activated without issue, replenishing his spent vitality.
And finally.
[30:00]
He reached the 30-minute mark.
This time, the skeletons didn't change. Instead, skeletons wearing robes and holding staves were added to the mix. Flames began to flicker at the tips of their staves.
Boom!
Fireballs came flying. Their power was significant—enough that even with his Fire Resistance, he wouldn't escape unscathed.
"Tsk."
Kang Jun-hyeok kicked off the ground and pulled out a spear.
[Spear Throw.]
Zip!
The spear flew and pierced the mage's head.
But there wasn't just one mage. Though fewer in number than the swordsmen, they began to appear one by one.
Bang! Boom!
Fireballs rained down in succession. Kang Jun-hyeok thought quickly.
‘Using Spear Throw to take out mages is a waste.’
The spear shaft could only store three spears at a time. The mages kept appearing; he couldn't kill them all that way, and it was a waste of skills.
What skills did he have that could be used without a high cost? The time it took for the monsters to strengthen was 10 minutes. He identified the skills in his arsenal with a cooldown of 10 minutes or less.
‘Stealth, Thrust, Air Jump, Rift Movement, Block.’
Five in total. These five could be used without much burden. Having made his decision, Kang Jun-hyeok moved immediately.
Dash.
He headed toward the far corner of the world. The monsters swarmed after him. As they converged, the scattered mages began to cluster in one area.
He waited for that moment and then kicked off the ground.
[Stealth.]
He hid his presence perfectly. The skeletons momentarily faltered, having lost their target. By the time he reappeared, he was right in front of the gathered mages.
KRA-BOOM!
He gripped his greatsword and swung it violently. The mages were smashed and sent flying.
Step.
Having dealt with the mages, Kang Jun-hyeok bolted toward another corner. He struck down the skeletons blocking his path and used that momentum to accelerate further. He herded the mages together again and activated another skill.
[Rift Movement.]
Flash.
He moved behind the mages and swung his greatsword once more, clearing them out. He repeated the process of herding the mages and using skills to wipe them out. Through quick judgment and action, he consumed nothing but physical stamina.
And finally.
[40:00]
He reached the 40-minute mark.
What appeared this time were knights clad in heavy armor. One lunged forward, thrusting its greatsword savagely at Kang Jun-hyeok.
CLANG!
"Ugh."
The intense impact pushed Kang Jun-hyeok back. It was an attack filled with immense power—enough to physically shove him.
Screech!
The purple skeletons swarmed in, swinging their blades.
Boom! Bang!
The mage skeletons raised their staves and launched fireballs.
Whoosh!
And the knight skeletons charged wildly, thrusting their greatswords. Attacks poured in relentlessly from all directions.
"Whew."
He regulated his breathing. His dormant internal energy surged, beginning to reinforce his physical body. He gripped his greatsword and swung it toward a charging knight.
CRACK!
The knight's greatsword shattered. Its body didn't just break; it turned into dust.
BOOM!
The debris erupted outward like shrapnel. In an instant, the skeletons in the vicinity were swept away.
Taking a step forward, he threw a punch. Purple bone fragments scattered in every direction. The entire area was cleared in a heartbeat.