Chapter 89: The Second Test (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 89: The Second Test (4)
"Now. Give it everything you’ve got."
Kang Jun-hyeok shoved Yoo Jin-ha toward the encroaching monsters. Yoo Jin-ha trembled, his body convulsing in a near-seizure of terror.
"Y-you said you’d help me!"
"That’s exactly what I’m doing, isn't it?"
He was giving a coward who couldn't take a single step forward a much-needed push. If this wasn't help, what was? Yoo Jin-ha shook his head frantically.
"N-no! I don't want to fight! I don't want to die!"
"Is that so? Then die by my hand instead."
[Instant Acceleration]
In a flash, Jun-hyeok seized Yoo Jin-ha by the throat. He twisted the man's arm, tripped him, and slammed his greatsword down with bone-shattering force.
BOOM!
The massive blade embedded itself in the ground, inches from Yoo Jin-ha’s head.
Throughout the entire exchange, Yoo Jin-ha hadn't been able to react. He had been suppressed as helplessly as a child. Horror struck him like a physical blow.
Wh... what?!
Kang Jun-hyeok was in an entirely different league. He felt that reality with every fiber of his being.
"Killing you here won't change much. It’ll be a bit more annoying to defend the tower alone... but that’s about it."
Along with the low, cold voice, a suffocating wave of killing intent washed over Yoo Jin-ha.
Kang Jun-hyeok could truly kill him. Yoo Jin-ha’s body shook like a leaf in a gale.
"After I kill you, I’ll go outside and tell everyone that Yoo Jin-ha died heroically fighting monsters. They’ll be sad, but they won't suspect a thing. They’ll use your death as a stepping stone to move forward. That wouldn't be so bad, would it? Shall we go with that?"
"N-no. No, sir!"
Yoo Jin-ha screamed in a frenzy. Somewhere in his panic, his speech had shifted to formal honorifics. Kang Jun-hyeok smirked.
"Go. Fight for your life."
"Aaaaahhhhh!"
Yoo Jin-ha charged forward with a cry that was half-sob, half-war cry. After watching him for a moment, Kang Jun-hyeok stepped forward as well.
[Kieeeeeek!]
A spider monster lunged. The greatsword swung in a light arc. The spider was sliced clean in half.
* * *
The invasion continued.
As a result of the Administrator's intervention, the monsters were significantly stronger than they had been in Jun-hyeok's previous life. Players from other towers fought with everything they had, but they were beginning to reach their limits. The front lines crumbled, and casualties began to mount.
Surprisingly, Yoo Jin-ha was holding out better than expected.
"Huff... Huff... Huff..."
Yoo Jin-ha gasped for air, standing amidst a field of monster corpses.
Even as the monsters grew stronger, Yoo Jin-ha was somehow managing to put them down. This was unexpected even for Kang Jun-hyeok.
I didn't think he'd be able to hold out this long.
Jun-hyeok didn't particularly care whether Yoo Jin-ha lived or died. If he died, he died; if he survived, he survived. That was the mindset with which he had thrown him into the fray.
However, Yoo Jin-ha’s movements were becoming increasingly sharp and precise.
This was a side of him Jun-hyeok had never seen in his past life. After a moment of reflection, Jun-hyeok realized why.
In his past life, Yoo Jin-ha was a coward through and through. If he felt even a hint of danger or judged an opponent too difficult, he would flee and dump the burden on Kang Jun-hyeok. And Jun-hyeok, in his foolishness, had accepted it all.
As a result, Yoo Jin-ha never grew. He never engaged in life-or-death combat; he lived as a coward and died as a coward.
But now, Jun-hyeok had forcibly dragged the coward onto the battlefield. To survive, the coward was fighting with everything he had—and he was evolving.
Yoo Jin-ha certainly had talent. Especially when it came to the sword, he had far more potential than most.
And that made Jun-hyeok even more annoyed.
You could've done it all along, you bastard.
Kang Jun-hyeok kicked Yoo Jin-ha in the backside. Yoo Jin-ha stumbled forward with a yelp.
"W-why did you do that?"
"Just because. I’m annoyed."
"..."
Yoo Jin-ha looked wronged, but he didn't dare argue. The "Great" Yoo Jin-ha was being kicked around by Kang Jun-hyeok without a word of protest. Anyone else seeing this would have doubted their own eyes. A perfect hierarchy had been established.
Watching this, the Master of All Weapons muttered.
[How merciful of you.]
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
[You could have ignored and abandoned him. Or you could have executed him with your own hands. Instead, you gave him a chance to grow. If that is not mercy, what is?]
Kang Jun-hyeok shook his head.
"That’s not the reason."
He was simply doing it because he was irritated. It was a form of stress relief. Since he couldn't even gain proficiency unless he fought the strongest monsters, he wasn't losing anything by using Jin-ha as a meat shield for the weaker ones.
Rumble.
After a brief rest, more monsters appeared. Yoo Jin-ha let out a pathetic squeak. Kang Jun-hyeok drew his weapon.
"Get up. Unless you want to die by my hand."
"Y-yes, sir!"
Yoo Jin-ha scrambled to his feet, standing like a soldier at attention.
Kang Jun-hyeok engaged the lunging monsters. As he blocked a swinging attack, he felt a heavy impact.
[Skreeeeee!]
This wasn't an easy opponent; he had to take it seriously. Against an opponent of this caliber, it was possible to increase his proficiency. Jun-hyeok’s eyes grew sharp. By systematically taking them down, he began to hone his skills.
Slowly, the results began to show.
[Axe Technique proficiency has increased from E to D.]
[Hand-to-Hand Combat proficiency has increased from E to D.]
[Dagger Technique proficiency has increased from E to D.]
[Shock proficiency has increased from F to E.]
[Active Skill: Shock]
Rank: Low-Rank
Proficiency: E
Cooldown: 30 minutes
Effect: Applies a powerful impact to anything in contact with your weapon or body.
While it was impossible to gain experience points during the test, raising proficiency was possible. It was a meaningful achievement.
Time passed, and the progress gauge finally reached 90%.
At that moment, space itself seemed to crack.
Creeeeeak.
A White Knight wielding a rapier and a Black Knight wielding a greatsword appeared.
"Ho."
A strange light flickered in Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes. He knew instinctively: these were the final opponents of the test.
"You take the white one."
"Ugh, blegh..."
Yoo Jin-ha gagged in fear but gripped his sword tight. Kang Jun-hyeok drew his weapon.
BOOM!
The Black Knight, who had been observing him, stomped the ground. The distance closed in an instant as the greatsword whistled toward Jun-hyeok’s neck. Jun-hyeok quickly swung his weapon to parry.
CLANG!
A heavy metallic ring echoed. Jun-hyeok’s body was pushed back by the sheer force.
He's strong.
Thump!
The Black Knight stepped forward. The greatsword immediately sought to cleave Jun-hyeok’s chest.
[Block]
Only by activating the skill did he barely manage to defend.
He's fast.
Screeeech!
The Black Knight’s greatsword traced a bizarre trajectory. It twisted past Jun-hyeok’s defense, aiming for his heart. Jun-hyeok kicked off the ground to retreat, but the tip of the blade still grazed his chest.
It was eerie swordsmanship, belonging to a realm that was difficult to comprehend. In terms of proficiency, it had to be at least B-rank. It was two levels above Jun-hyeok—a level of mastery that an ordinary player wouldn't reach even if they made it to the top of the tower.
Whoosh!
The knight lunged and brought the greatsword down. Jun-hyeok blocked. The knight twisted his arm and slammed the pommel into Jun-hyeok’s head. Jun-hyeok staggered as he was pushed back.
Fast, strong, and exceptionally skilled. His body was also protected by thick, enchanted armor. He was powerful—powerful enough that Jun-hyeok had to put his life on the line.
That was why Jun-hyeok smiled. The stronger the opponent, the more he could gain.
You've given me a good opponent, Administrator.
He steadied his breathing. He stepped forward, strengthening his body through the mental method of the Master of All Weapons.
[Judgment of the Law]
CLANG!
Sword and greatsword collided. The knight’s swordsmanship was clearly superior to Jun-hyeok’s. However, Jun-hyeok possessed more than just simple swordsmanship.
Grind!
As the blades scraped against each other, the direction of the force shifted. He manipulated his internal energy to control the redirected power.
BOOM!
A powerful collision rang out. The great divine art of the Master of All Weapons unfolded in Jun-hyeok’s hands.
But the knight did not retreat easily. He moved the greatsword as if it were an extension of his own limbs, perfectly neutralizing the force. If anything, he began to overwhelm Jun-hyeok.
The knight’s Greatsword Technique proficiency was B. That was a realm where the sword and the body became one. Even with the divine art of the Master of All Weapons, it was difficult to counter with immature proficiency.
Therefore, he had to use the techniques only he possessed.
Kang Jun-hyeok stepped forward.
* * *
"Huff! Huff!"
"Gasp!"
"Die!"
At that same time, the battles at the other towers were nearing their end.
Due to the Administrator's intervention, the monsters had become significantly stronger. However, the players had also grown stronger thanks to Kang Jun-hyeok’s earlier interference. Though there were many casualties, they had succeeded in protecting the towers.
"Phew!"
"We won!"
People who had defended their respective towers caught their breath, cheering and celebrating their victory. The White Tower, the Yellow Tower, and the Red Tower had all succeeded in their defense.
But the quest was not over.
The survivors gathered in the center, murmuring. Naturally, their eyes turned toward the interior of the Black Tower.
"...Wh-what the."
"Crazy."
They gasped.
The White Knight and the Black Knight attacking the Black Tower were terrifyingly strong. It was difficult even to track their movements with the naked eye. Even those who prided themselves on being top-tier players would have fallen within ten seconds against those knights.
If even one of those knights had come to the other towers, they would all be dead.
Yoo Jin-ha was fighting one of those monsters, the White Knight, all by himself. He was displaying movements and swordsmanship that were incomprehensible—veritable miracles.
"Hieee! Hiek!"
Although Yoo Jin-ha was letting out high-pitched screams of mortal terror in real-time, those sounds didn't reach the observers. They were simply marvelling at Yoo Jin-ha’s power.
But the truly shocking one wasn't Yoo Jin-ha.
BOOM!
Every time the Black Knight’s greatsword swung, the sound of air exploding echoed. It was a literal storm of strikes, slicing through space relentlessly and viciously.
Kang Jun-hyeok squeezed through the gaps in that shredded space. He dodged the greatsword and thrust his sword. The Black Knight moved his gauntlet to block it.
KABOOM!
The sound of the collision erupted. The Black Knight stepped forward, charging like a bull and attempting to ram his shoulder into Jun-hyeok’s chest. Jun-hyeok kicked him away.
THUD!
Another roar echoed. The observers flinched reflexively.
The White Knight and Yoo Jin-ha were strong. Their power, speed, and movements were so admirable that the observers couldn't even imagine trying to counter them.
But the Black Knight and Kang Jun-hyeok were different. Their movements couldn't even be understood. One moment they were there, and the next they had vanished, only to reappear elsewhere. Roars erupted as the wind was torn apart.
Everyone watched the battle at the Black Tower with their mouths agape.
"I knew Yoo Jin-ha was strong... but who is that other guy?"
"No. From what I can see, he looks even stronger than Yoo Jin-ha."
A Korean player stronger than Yoo Jin-ha? There was only one person who could possibly fit that description.
"...No way. Is he the one? The player who caused that stir a few months ago, the one who got a Perfect Clear on the 0th Floor?"
"The one who got Perfect Clears all the way to the 15th Floor, triggering all those announcements... is that him?"
"I did hear he was Korean."
Whispers broke out. The rumors quickly spread among the crowd. Kim Tae-yeon whispered cautiously to Baekdusan.
"It looks like everyone’s going to find out."
"What’s the point of hiding it at this stage?"
"I suppose you're right."
"Still. Wow. Just... wow."
Baekdusan let out a hollow laugh. He was someone who had a fair amount of confidence in his own strength, but he was certain of one thing: if it were the White Knight, he could fight it, but he wouldn't last long. He would probably lose after holding out for about a minute.
But against the Black Knight, even that was impossible. He would be turned into a pulp after just a few swings of that greatsword.
Kang Jun-hyeok was facing such a formidable foe head-on with dignity.
"...So that’s the player who cleared the 15th Floor. Maybe I should focus more on raising my own clear rates."
"Didn't you already try that and fail?"
"Shut up."
Baekdusan grumbled. Even so, his eyes remained glued to Kang Jun-hyeok’s battle. It wasn't just him. Every surviving player watched the fight without so much as blinking.
I wonder which one of them is the real monster.
Baekdusan thought to himself.