Chapter 123
Chapter 123
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Full Strength (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
For a moment, I couldn't help but doubt my ears, wondering if I'd heard him wrong.
It wasn't like she failed to pay taxes. A death sentence for losing a martial arts tournament?
Is he even human?
He's a Summoner himself, yet he's making such an absurd demand...
“It's not set in stone yet.”
“What?”
“He said he'd call it off if I win against either you, Hyeon-ung, or Misha...”
He's completely arbitrary.
Toying with someone's life...
“I obviously have no ill will towards you, Hyeon-ung... but that's how the situation has turned out.”
“What? Ah...”
“According to the bracket, if you win all your matches today, you'll face me in the quarterfinals.”
So I'm fighting him.
I don't know whether to call this fortunate or unfortunate.
“I sincerely hope you win all your matches today.”
“You too, Shin-uk.”
I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
Because, whether it was today or tomorrow, Shin-uk couldn't beat me.
Maybe Shin-uk, too...
No, even so, they wouldn't execute a Pioneer...
The image of a worried Ji-seon lingered in my mind, weighing heavily on my heart.
I wondered if I should have a talk with Lord Almondeu.
Of course, Ji-seon wasn't a Summoner from Kramis, so it wasn't likely Lord Almondeu would have a clever solution...
“It's time. The first three contestants, come forward.”
My thoughts were troubled, but the duel came first.
“If anyone needs to use the restroom, go quickly.”
“I'm fine.”
The other contestants also said they were fine, so we left the waiting room and walked down the dark corridor.
“You're Oh Hyeon-ung from Kramis?”
“Yes.”
“Go out as soon as the referee calls your name.”
I was watching the still-empty arena when, a moment later, the referee stepped onto the stage.
“The first match of the Carteia Empire Martial Arts Tournament's Round of 32! Summoner Kim Yoon-jeong from the Aurelian Sea of Trees! And Summoner Oh Hyeon-ung from Kramis!”
I headed to the stage at the referee's energetic shout.
Kim Yoon-jeong was walking from the opposite side, her expression calmer than I'd expected.
Not that it would change the outcome.
I stepped onto the stage, gave a slight bow toward the emperor, and glanced around. The stands were packed again today.
I could see our Lord Almondeu and Rachel in the VIP seats next to the emperor.
“The rules have been announced beforehand, so I won't explain them again. Take your positions.”
Following the referee's instruction, I created some distance just like yesterday, but huh?
This time, Kim Yoon-jeong wasn't holding a weapon at all.
She had won her previous matches with explosions, but she'd been holding a sword...
Sang-yoon's warning from earlier flashed through my mind.
That Rachel had lent her an item...
Well, she could handle her own affairs.
“Are you both ready?”
I nodded, and Kim Yoon-jeong nodded as well.
A few seconds later, a small flame erupted from the referee's hand.
I wasn't in the best condition, and my mind was cluttered after hearing Ji-seon's story. I needed to end this quickly.
I was about to use my Will... but I was taken aback.
The moment the match began, an orb the size of a child's head appeared in front of Kim Yoon-jeong.
It looked like an orb, and it wasn't like I hadn't seen monsters use them before.
But the reason I was surprised was the orb's color.
It was emitting the same faint purple glow as when I'd obtained Bio's card.
I thought Rachel would have lent her a Legendary item at most, but a Mythic one...
Unfortunately for her, orbs are a bad matchup for me.
Monsters that use orbs like that mainly cast curses.
But my status effect resistance is second to none.
Still, just in case, I quickly deployed my Will, forming a barrier around myself.
[You have been targeted by the Orb of Kerkes, God of Curses.]
[With your overwhelming status effect resistance, you have partiall... By the effect of the Orb of Kerkes, your status effect resistance is fixed at 0. Resistance failed.]
My status effect resistance doesn't work?
A Mythic item is a Mythic item, after all.
[All stats decreased by 20%.]
[Physical Defense decreased by 50%.]
[Magic Resistance decreased by 50%.]
Just as the notifications said, my body felt slightly heavier.
Kim Yoon-jeong walked towards me with a meaningful expression and waved her hand.
*Boom- Boom- Boom-*
Just like in her previous matches, explosions began to erupt from thin air.
A chain of explosions rapidly approached me.
They reached me in the blink of an eye, but unfortunately for her, the explosions stopped.
It felt a little warm, but not a single thread of my clothing was touched.
“Toasty.”
“N... No way... How...”
She looked utterly bewildered.
No matter how much my stats dropped, or how much my defense and magic resistance decreased, Will isn't used with stats.
“If this is all you've got, I'm disappointed.”
As I spoke, I sent a blade of Will flying toward Kim Yoon-jeong's arm...
[Special effect of the Orb of Kerkes, Damage Return, has been activated.]
*Swish-*
I quickly twisted my body to the left to dodge, but the hem of my clothes was slightly cut.
I was shocked.
The Will I had just launched was aimed at me.
It had sliced through the Will I'd deployed for defense and tried to sever my arm.
So it wasn't just curses.
That snapped me to attention.
If my reaction had been any slower, I would have lost an arm.
*Ting-*
Kim Yoon-jeong had suddenly drawn a pure white sword and aimed for me, but it failed to pierce my barrier of Will and bounced off.
I immediately patched the part that my own Will had pierced a moment ago.
The only thing that can break through Will is stronger Will.
*Ting- Ting- Ting-*
She repeatedly stabbed and slashed at me with her sword, but it was useless.
“You can't break my defense like that.”
“Hmph! The same goes for you, doesn't it? You can't attack either.”
Is she aiming for a win by decision...
If this continues, I'll definitely be at a disadvantage.
But I have no intention of letting it continue.
I was a bit surprised, but solutions immediately came to mind.
I drew my sword to try the simplest one first.
The first time in the tournament... no, that's not right.
I used the Sword of Life against Kang Ji-seon.
But this is the first time I'm using it to attack.
“That sword... don't tell me...”
Kim Yoon-jeong had a look of utter surprise.
It seems she recognized it at a glance because of its color.
“You're not the only one with a Mythic item.”
I'd stored the Boots of Reinforcement in my inventory before coming to the capital, worried they might cause problems, but I was still using my other gear.
My Kalisina's Darkness was also emitting a faint purple glow, proof that it was a Mythic item.
I rushed toward the tense-faced Kim Yoon-jeong as she tried to back away and swung my sword.
First solution.
Direct attack.
The Will I launched earlier was, strictly speaking, a ranged attack.
I figured it couldn't return the damage if I attacked directly with my sword.
No matter how powerful a Mythic item is, it shouldn't be able to control my body and make me cut off my own arm.
*Swish-*
My prediction was correct.
My sword sliced through Kim Yoon-jeong's blade as smoothly as cutting tofu, but I felt no twisting in my arm or any sense of interference.
I pressed the sword to the tip of her chin, but huh?
Kim Yoon-jeong scattered into smoke and reappeared in the distance.
Oh, this is fun.
The feeling of swinging a sword myself for the first time in a while isn't as bad as I thought.
I could press my advantage and end it now, but since I'm already moving, I might as well test my second theory.
I sped up and rushed toward Kim Yoon-jeong.
Just as I was about to reach her, her form scattered again.
She'd drawn a new weapon, but it seemed she'd judged it would be difficult to face me head-on.
An excellent judgment call.
But that disappearing technique.
I don't know if it's a trait or a skill, but it's a pretty annoying type.
But it doesn't matter.
Even if Kim Yoon-jeong disappeared, the orb spewing black smoke in mid-air was still there.
My target was never Kim Yoon-jeong, but the orb.
Second solution.
If the curse is holding me back, destroy the medium of the curse.
I leaped lightly into the air and swung Kalisina's Darkness vertically, striking the orb.
*Clang-*
The recoil was so strong it felt like my grip would tear.
As expected of a Mythic item, it's ridiculously tough.
Of course... huh?
*Ting-*
The moment I landed, Kim Yoon-jeong aimed for my abdomen, but my Will was still intact, so her attack was deflected.
“What are you doing?”
“Hmph! We're even, aren't we? I expected you to go for the orb.”
“It is tough.”
“You think you can cut through anything just because it's a Mythic item? The Orb of Kerkes has an Indestructible option!”
She looked so confident, after just running away and landing a single surprise attack.
Her spirits have certainly lifted.
And what?
Indestructible option?
Instead of answering, I grinned and leaped again.
I aimed for the orb and swung my sword just like before, but this time, I imbued the blade with my Will.
A strong will to break and destroy anything.
It wasn't as smooth as cutting her sword, and I felt some resistance, but I put my strength into it and split it in two.
*Crack- Tuduk. Tuduk.*
The Orb of Kerkes, split in half, falls to the ground.
“N... No way! It has an Indestructible option...”
“An Indestructible option isn't invincibility.”
Bio showed me that himself a long time ago.
[You have achieved the feat of inflicting fatal damage to the Orb of Kerkes, God of Curses.]
[With your overwhelming status effect resistance, you have successfully resisted all curse effects of the Orb of Kerkes.]
My body felt light again. Seeing it was 'fatal damage,' I suppose I didn't destroy it completely.
Did it have a self-repair option too?
If I'd shattered it to pieces, I doubt even the most advanced self-repair option would have worked...
But it's not even hers, she borrowed it, so there's no need to go that far.
Plus, she's one of Sang-yoon's guild members.
The debuff is gone, anyway.
While I was thinking, Kim Yoon-jeong backed away hastily with a crestfallen look on her face, but it was a pointless action.
*Slice- Slice- Thud-*
I used my Will to sever both her legs, and she collapsed.
I felt her energy start to disperse again mid-fall, but no trait or skill can be faster than Will.
I slowly approached and pressed my sword to her neck.
“Stop! Stop! The duel is over!”
The referee rushed over and stood in front of me.
“Summoner Kim Yoon-jeong, do you concede defeat?”
After confirming her weak nod, I swung my sword once more and used the Sword of Life.
As her severed legs reattached, I extended my hand to Kim Yoon-jeong, who wore the same fascinated expression Kang Ji-seon had.
“Ah, th... thank you.”
“Well, it was a little tense, at least. And don't forget to take that Ker-whatever orb. It'll reattach if you leave it.”
“Yes.”
“If you're done talking, come over here.”
I approached at the referee's call, and he raised my hand high.
“The winner of the first match of the Carteia Martial Arts Tournament's Round of 32 is Oh Hyeon-ung of Kramis!”
I felt a bit embarrassed since I wasn't used to this, but the roaring cheers and applause blew that feeling away.
It's not like I hate the attention, after all.
I gave a slight bow to the emperor and stepped down from the stage.
Thanks to the Mythic item, there was a bit of tension, but I want to fight a more proper opponent.
Someone who uses Will, at the very least.
Looking at the bracket, my opponent in the Round of 16 isn't even a Summoner...
On my way back to the waiting room, I ran into Jeon Shin-uk, who was heading toward the arena.
He'd said we were scheduled to fight in the quarterfinals, so he must have been fourth in the Round of 32.
“I watched your duel. Congratulations.”
They were words of congratulations, but his expression was anything but.
Incredibly grim...
It must be because of Kang Ji-seon...
“Thank you.”
I'm worried about Ji-seon, but I'm eager to face Jeon Shin-uk.
As a Pioneer, he should be different from the riffraff.
When I returned to the waiting room, all eyes were on me.
From within the crowd, Misha saw me, smiled brightly, and approached.
“You moved around quite a bit this time, didn't you?”
“My opponent brought a Mythic item.”
“You used a Mythic item too, Hyeon-ung.”
Who said I didn't?
“And that's why I won, right?”
“You won't be able to beat me by relying on equipment.”
“Yeah. No.”
While we were bickering, I looked at the screen. The duels were progressing, but it was still the second person who had gone out with me.
It's taking longer than I thought.
Watching the matches, many of them went to a decision.
The third one, too.
Finally, it was the fourth match, Jeon Shin-uk's turn.
The moment the referee shot the flame signaling the start of the duel, everyone watching in the waiting room was left speechless.
Because a ring-out, something Misha had sworn wouldn't happen, had just occurred.
I hadn't expected a ring-out either.
There were five layers of barriers operating outside the arena, after all.
As soon as the referee shot the flame, Jeon Shin-uk lightly swung his greatsword.
*Whoosh-*
A massive gust of wind sent not only Jeon Shin-uk's opponent but also the referee flying into the barrier.
Both tried to regain their footing, but Jeon Shin-uk swung his sword once more. The section of the barrier where his opponent was shattered completely, sending both the opponent and the referee tumbling out of the arena.
The referee, who had climbed back up, approached Jeon Shin-uk with a scowl.
“Th... The winner is Summoner Jeon Shin-uk from the Aurelian Sea of Trees!”
“What... did he just do?”
“He's insane!”
It was the fastest record in the Round of 32.
Of course, only four matches had passed, and Misha hadn't fought yet...
It seems this is Jeon Shin-uk's full-strength mode.
“So there was someone decent after all? He's the fourth contestant, so if you make it to the quarterfinals, you'll fight him. You think you'll be okay?”
“No problem.”
In fact, I'm looking forward to it.