Chapter 150: The Final Test (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 150: The Final Test (4)
“Wait…!”
Her face drained of color as she desperately raised her weapon. Kang Jun-hyeok suppressed her with ease, driving his sword straight into her heart.
[Kang Jun-hyeok has eliminated Remilia Schofield.]
“Next.”
He expanded his senses. The Ears That Hear Many Things filtered the cacophony of the battlefield, relaying every movement to him. He immediately pinpointed the nearest player and moved.
“Hello.”
“Wh-Why you…!”
The man gritted his teeth and lunged with his spear.
[Piercing.]
Piercing—a mid-rank skill and the direct evolution of the basic Thrust.
Players at this stage usually possessed at least one mid-rank skill. After watching the strike for a split second, Kang Jun-hyeok sheathed his sword and drew a spear. The man’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
Switching weapons in the heat of a fight?
But his shock turned into a scream at what happened next.
“That’s impossible!”
Clang!
Spear tip met spear tip, locking them in a brutal stalemate. Kang Jun-hyeok drove his weight forward. The opponent was ruthlessly pushed back, his footing giving way. Finally, the man's spear was swiped aside, and Jun-hyeok’s blade plunged through his chest.
How can he do this with raw strength alone, without even using a skill…
That was his final thought before his body was forcibly transported away. Kang Jun-hyeok lightly flicked the blood off his spear.
These players were mostly in the late 40th to early 50th Floor range. Their stats likely hovered around 50.
There was nearly a twofold difference between them and him. In this world, stat efficiency scaled exponentially; no matter how many skills they threw at him, it wasn't a gap that could be bridged.
Crunch.
[Kang Jun-hyeok has eliminated Miguel Idara.]
[Kang Jun-hyeok has eliminated Diego Lura.]
In an instant, over ten players fell.
The realization finally dawned on everyone. Kang Jun-hyeok intended to eliminate every single one of them.
“Hieeeek!”
Yoo Jin-ha let out a strangled scream and collapsed into a crouch. Trey Dice’s pupils trembled as he watched the slaughter.
“This is… this is just…”
He had thought Kang Jun-hyeok was a coward. He had judged him as someone unworthy of the title of "Perfect Player."
But this?
…Could I even do that?
Could he take them all down? No. It was impossible. At most, he could handle three, maybe four at once. This was quite literally a different league.
Trey let out a low, guttural groan.
The remaining players were too terrified to move, choosing to hide instead. That was exactly what Kang Jun-hyeok had intended.
If they move around pointlessly and start fighting each other, my prey will decrease.
Crunch.
He hunted them down one by one. In less than ten minutes, twenty more players were eliminated. Kang Jun-hyeok finally slowed his pace as he found his next opponent.
“It’s you.”
“Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok.”
Olivia was waiting for him, her eyes wavering with uncertainty.
“…I suppose you have every right to call us weak.”
She hadn't imagined the gap would be this vast. Olivia tightened her grip on her rapier, her knuckles white.
“But even so, I won’t go down without a fight!”
Olivia lunged, her rapier blurring as she pulled back for a strike.
[Multiple Stabs.]
Swish-sh-sh-sh!
The tip of the rapier split into dozens of overlapping strikes. Each one was a tangible, lethal attack. It was a powerful high-rank skill—the kind of technique a player of her caliber was expected to possess.
However.
“That won’t be enough.”
Kang Jun-hyeok lightly twisted his body and thrust his sword.
[Thrust.]
Clang-cl-cl-cl!
Olivia’s eyes widened in horror.
Kang Jun-hyeok’s sword moved with surgical precision, dismantling and deflecting her countless stabs with a single line of attack.
Clang!
He had neutralized a high-rank skill using nothing but a basic, low-rank one.
“How…?”
“No matter how high-rank a skill is, it amounts to nothing if you use it like that. You are weak. Your talent, your understanding, your application—all of it.”
Thump!
“Gah!”
A fist slammed into her solar plexus. Olivia let out a pained cry, doubling over.
“You don’t have the luxury of worrying about others. You need to grow. I hope you realize that.”
[Kang Jun-hyeok has eliminated Olivia Turner.]
The next person he encountered was Yoo Jin-ha. As soon as he saw Kang Jun-hyeok, the boy screamed like a character in a horror movie facing a monster.
“Hieeeek!”
“You said you were taking the test, right? Fight with everything you’ve got. If you half-ass it, I’ll crush you.”
“Ugh!”
Yoo Jin-ha gripped his sword, tears welling in his eyes.
Clash! Clang!
Contrary to his pathetic attitude, his sword moved gracefully. It was worlds apart from their previous encounter. Such a feat was impossible without overwhelming natural talent.
He can do it when he’s pushed.
Clang! Clash!
Yoo Jin-ha’s sword strikes became a blur of steel. Kang Jun-hyeok parried them all and countered with a thrust.
In that split second, Yoo Jin-ha threw his body backward. The tip of the sword narrowly grazed his cheek. Using the momentum, he charged straight back at Kang Jun-hyeok.
[Charge.]
[Single Point Penetration.]
BOOM!
A powerful shockwave erupted. Yoo Jin-ha’s eyes went wide.
“Wh-What?”
It was his strongest strike, perfectly aimed at a perceived opening. And Kang Jun-hyeok had blocked it effortlessly. Looking at the boy’s bewildered eyes, Kang Jun-hyeok thought:
He really is useful.
His proficiency with the sword, his ability to spot an opening in a superior foe, and his timing with skills—his level of understanding was second to none.
“You obtained Single Point Penetration? It’s a good skill. Linking it with Charge to aim for a gap—good judgment.”
“W-Wait a second.”
[Single Point Penetration.]
Kang Jun-hyeok’s spear lunged forward. Yoo Jin-ha hurriedly raised his sword, but the spear had already pierced his throat.
Crash!
“This is a passing grade. I’ll let it slide this time.”
“Thank… you…”
Yoo Jin-ha dropped his head with a look of pure relief.
[Kang Jun-hyeok has eliminated Yoo Jin-ha.]
The next person he met was Kim Ha-young. The man smiled thinly and gripped his sword.
“Good to see you, Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok. I’d like to step aside, but Lord Yulsir told me to do my best. So, please excuse me.”
Kang Jun-hyeok nodded. Kim Ha-young quickly raised a finger and pointed at him.
[Compulsion of Law.]
“Mm.”
Kang Jun-hyeok let out a short groan. A heavy burden settled over his body, as if the air itself had turned to lead. All his stats were cut in half. Kim Ha-young quickly shifted into a strange stance.
[Law Enforcement.]
It was almost like a ritual. Having completed the stance, Kim Ha-young lunged. The distance closed in an instant. He possessed greater strength and speed than any player Jun-hyeok had seen so far.
Kang Jun-hyeok was genuinely impressed.
No wonder Yulsir favors him.
To reach this level so soon after becoming a believer was exceptional, even on a universal scale. Yulsir’s Authority was very peculiar; without prior knowledge, it was nearly impossible to counter, making Kim Ha-young a match for almost any player.
“Whew.”
Kang Jun-hyeok exhaled and shifted into a specific, strange posture. It was the ritual of etiquette for Yulsir.
The burden on his body vanished instantly. Kim Ha-young’s eyes widened.
Boom!
Before he could react, his body was slammed into a wall. Kang Jun-hyeok lightly shook out his arm.
“The Compulsion of Law imposes a massive penalty until the Law of Yulsir is fulfilled. Unfortunately for you, I happen to know a thing or two about those Laws.”
It didn't work on him. Despite his defeat, Kim Ha-young looked pleased.
“As expected… you truly are something else, Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok. I will look forward to the day we serve Lord Yulsir together.”
“That’s unlikely to happen.”
“How unfortunate…”
[Kang Jun-hyeok has eliminated Kim Ha-young.]
He continued to strike down players after that. Then, Kang Jun-hyeok paused as he encountered the next figure.
“…High Priest Milarepa.”
“Ho ho. You have finally arrived. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
The old monk greeted him with a smile of pure enlightenment.
* * *
The reactions of the players who encountered Kang Jun-hyeok were varied. Some cowered in fear, while others showed a fierce competitive spirit. Some tried to win him over, while others denied his strength entirely.
Though their reactions differed, they all ultimately displayed intense emotions toward him.
But the High Priest Milarepa before him was different. There was no emotion in the eyes that looked at Kang Jun-hyeok. It was as if he were looking at a stone on the side of the road.
A state of no-thought and no-conception.
[Ho.]
The Master of All Weapons spoke up, sounding interested for the first time.
[This one is decent. He has reached a high level mentally.]
[This is quite surprising. To think a practitioner of this caliber exists on such a backwater planet.]
Eldiria also murmured in surprise. Kang Jun-hyeok smiled inwardly at the empty gaze fixed upon him.
Right. This is the kind of person he was.
High Priest Milarepa had maintained an empty heart even when the world was breaking and collapsing, when his friends were dying, and even when he was victorious. He placed no value on the things of the world and lived like a rolling stone. He laughed, grieved, and felt pity, but deep within his heart, it was always perfectly still.
There was only one time that man had shown genuine emotion.
— I shall reach the state of Nirvana. This object is of no use to me now.
— Therefore, I give it to you.
— Please, this time, do not make a choice you will regret.
Milarepa had given him the Returning Gem. At that time, he had shown firm belief in him—a hope and faith that welled up from the depths of his heart.
Kang Jun-hyeok gripped his sword. High Priest Milarepa raised his staff. Sword and staff began to clash.
Clang! Clash!
Milarepa was certainly strong, but that was all. He responded with an unwavering mind, but he could not overcome the pure difference in skill and stats. Soon, his chest was pierced by the sword.
Stab.
“You truly are magnificent. This unworthy body is no match for you.”
“Consider this a brief rest.”
Kang Jun-hyeok’s movements were exceptionally polite, unlike before. He showed respect as he withdrew the sword from Milarepa’s chest. A hint of wonder appeared in the monk's eyes.
“…You?”
Kang Jun-hyeok stared at Milarepa for a moment before asking.
“Have you reached the state of Nirvana?”
Milarepa’s eyes widened. Before he could answer, his body vanished.
[Kang Jun-hyeok has eliminated Milarepa.]
Kang Jun-hyeok stood in silence for a moment. Eldiria asked:
[Do you know him?]
“No.”
Kang Jun-hyeok shook his head and began to move again. He continued to eliminate the players. They tried to stop him with various techniques and skills, but nothing worked.
In total, 98 players were eliminated by Kang Jun-hyeok’s hand.
And finally, only one person remained. Kang Jun-hyeok smiled thinly.
“Hello.”
“…Kang Jun-hyeok.”
Trey Dice, Earth’s strongest player, was waiting for him with a grim face.
“I told you. You’re laboring under a massive delusion. From now on, I’ll show you exactly what you were wrong about.”
Kang Jun-hyeok spoke with cold amusement.