Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Full Moon Revelry
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Lee Soo-hyuk and Ox God Head first met during the early days of the Seronis community.
It was a game that even low-spec computers could run without issue, with no gacha mechanics or pay-to-win elements, and it hadn't gained much fame in the world.
Back then, brimming with hipster tendencies, Lee Soo-hyuk had scoured for a game that fit those exact criteria and stumbled upon Seronis.
Ox God Head and Cat Panties had taken a different path from Lee Soo-hyuk. Coming from a domestic indie game community, they dove into Seronis to tackle a trash game that was starting to buzz there.
At the time, Lee Soo-hyuk was cultivating an image as a solitary gaming expert. To maintain that persona, he never posted mindless drivel on the forums—only joining in on deep, game-related discussions.
For instance, if someone recommended a skill as top-tier, he'd meticulously counter with its fatal flaws.
If someone showed off their leveled character, he'd point out every minute mistake.
He'd personally test so-called guides, then leave lengthy impressions and feedback.
Those were the moments when comments like "Who do you think you are?" thrilled him the most. He'd respond with dozens of walls of text proving his genuine expertise and deep dive into the game.
[Seronis Physical Damage Skill Rankings.]
[Seronis Monster Level Rankings.]
[Strategy Board Best Recommended DPS Metrics.]
[Why THOR123's Lightning Magic Tree is Trash.]
[Why You Should Focus on Physical Damage, Not Magic Damage.]
.
.
.
[That Korean kid's character stats are faked, right?]
[Photoshopped stats?]
When refuting such smears, he didn't even need a translator.
[SHUT UP.]
[FUCK YOU.]
[YOUR MOTHER.]
That's how the three Koreans met in Seronis's foreign community, joined later by the nationality-unknown FUCKINGSEXY and USAUSAMI₍ᐢ.ˬ.ᐢ₎. Solitary gaming expert Lee Soo-hyuk found it utterly infuriating to be lumped in with those four pests, but fondness had crept in, so they exchanged chats.
A few years ago.
A stagnant community suddenly buzzed to life. A rotten regular named REDCOW had discovered the first hidden boss. Though REDCOW failed to clear it, he publicized the hidden route's entry method to revive the dying community.
Every lingering rotten regular still clinging to Seronis rushed the hidden route to challenge the boss named "God of Chaos."
News of the newly found hidden boss spread beyond the community.
Even the old-timers who'd bailed before it fully rotted returned to tackle it, newbies flooded in, and user ZEROMAN became the first to clear it, unlocking the Hall of Fame.
Lee Soo-hyuk and his four pests, challenging the hidden boss, now seriously aimed for the Hall of Fame too.
[How about we line up 1st to 5th among ourselves? owo]
Cat Panties, who came with Ox God Head from the domestic indie community, was infamous there as a netkama.
Whether Cat Panties was truly a she or a he remained unknown—but at the time, inspired by USAUSAMI₍ᐢ.ˬ.ᐢ₎'s concept, they aggressively mimicked it, spamming repulsive emoticons.
[I'll take 1st.]
FUCKINGSEXY, steadfastly posting thrice-daily jerk-off diaries alongside pretty boy photos and illustrations amid the buzzing community over hidden boss strats and the unlocked Hall of Fame, showed fierce determination and accepted Cat Panties' proposal.
It wasn't an offer worth refusing, so USAUSAMI₍ᐢ.ˬ.ᐢ₎, Lee Soo-hyuk, and Ox God Head joined the ranking pact too. But with no one yielding 1st among the five, they targeted a joint 1st by clearing at the "exact same time."
But things don't always go as planned.
[Bro's coming to Korea lolololololololololol]
Among Lee Soo-hyuk and the four pests aiming for joint 1st, Ox God Head bailed first. His beloved world-star soccer player's overseas team had a friendly against a Korean league all-star squad.
[Ticket secured lolololololololololololo]
An event match against an overseas team. A world-class star visiting Korea. With endless hype points, masses scrambled for tickets, and Ox God Head, snagging the priciest premium zone seat, spammed the community for hours.
[Going to see brooooo lololololololo]
By then, Ox God Head's mind had strayed far from their pact.
Soon after, he declared this shitty game unbearable—then claimed Hall of Fame 1st.
Before the friendly even happened.
*
"May I come along too?"
At the cautious question, Orca turned. She buttoned her vest, pondered briefly, then nodded readily.
"You're curious about the Limitless Sovereign's sparring match, huh. Full Moon Revelry's a total lunatic, but chances to witness a master like him don't come often."
"That's part of it, but I'm worried about Bakerd too."
"Ah, right. Kwon Rang came to Lutran partly for the duel with Full Moon Revelry."
Orca gazed at Yuri approvingly at that response.
"They say you received guidance almost daily for a month. Do you see Kwon Rang as a master now?"
"A little."
"Worrying makes sense. 6th Tier and 7th Tier are worlds apart."
Orca closed the opened space and strode forward. Click. The phonograph on the desk activated on its own, its brass horn swiveling toward Orca.
[Tower Lord?]
Rayshi's voice emanated from the horn.
[Did you call? Looks like the talk's done. Should I come up?]
"No need. I'm heading out with Yuri now."
[Uh...?]
"Tell Elena: Full Moon Revelry's at Lutran's east gate. I'm going with Yuri to see him. Nothing worrisome will happen, but if she's concerned, head to the east gate."
[Full Moon Revelry...? That crazy possessor showed up? But why take Yuri along?]
"Sightseeing."
Orca snapped her fingers. Zap! Noise crackled, silencing the phonograph.
"Is a 1-Tier gap that huge?"
Orca, approaching the window at the belated question, chuckled with a shrug.
"The higher the Tier, the starker the gap. True for martial artists or mages alike. Especially from 6th Tier up—the chasm to higher Tiers is immense."
Rumble. The grand window slid open on its own. Wind from the top floor billowed the curtains. Orca tied back her loosened black hair tightly with a cord and turned to Yuri.
"No matter how well Kwon Rang fights, he can't beat 7th Tier Full Moon Revelry. Lucky for Kwon Rang, though: the guy's insane but not a murderer. So even in defeat, he won't die."
During the month under Bakerd's guidance, Yuri had heard about "duels" several times. Bakerd had built his name on duel circuits long before reaching 6th Tier, suffering plenty of losses.
But this was his first against a 7th Tier Limitless Sovereign, he said. Just as Orca was certain, Bakerd was certain of his own defeat.
'What matters is what you gain from defeat.'
Bakerd had said that with a stoic face. Just days ago. Recalling Bakerd's expression then, Yuri unconsciously clenched a fist.
"Come closer."
Orca perched on the wide-open window ledge, beckoning Yuri with a finger.
"Count yourself lucky."
"No way."
"Way. You're about to experience Derusia Magic Tower Lord Heavenly Thunder Orca's unique magic, 'Thunder God Illusion.' Never thought I'd let a mere prospective disciple—non-mage at that—try it."
"Can't we just walk?"
"Feel honored and stick close."
Yuri had asked to tag along, but not imagining this form of travel. He swallowed hard and pressed close to Orca.
A month ago. Elena and Orca plummeting as lightning into the mansion garden flashed back. Elena had been tucked under Orca's arm like luggage.
'Me too?'
Not quite. Instead, Orca draped an arm over Yuri's shoulder.
"Here we go."
With the low murmur, vast mana surged. Yuri instantly focused his mind to sense the flow, hoping to grasp even a fragment of Orca's Thunder God Illusion.
'Ah.'
Impossible. No matter a possessor's mana aptitude, comprehending this was beyond reach. An immense volume of information, unbound by any spell formula, dazed his mind.
'This mana isn't purely natural.'
Mages wield ambient mana to cast. But archmages' unique magics differ. Having tempered magic over lifetimes, embedding mana into their very souls, they draw on that soul mana—their essence as mages, their life's history.
'Is this soulforce?'
The power clashing with high-Tier martial artists' intent. The unique mana an archmage amasses over a lifetime. Orca's soulforce resonated with other mana, manifesting Thunder God Illusion.
'Even grasping and understanding the formula, manifesting it as magic would require... a way to substitute the startup soulforce first.'
Unique magic isn't just knowing the formula. Like a martial artist interpreting a manual and embodying forms for new arts, mages need prolonged effort to claim another's unique magic as their own.
This experience gave Yuri vivid realization: It's no shallow study even possessors can instantly master.
—Crackle!
His body ceased being flesh. All components became lightning. Only his soul remained, merging with it. It felt like becoming willful lightning.
In truth, Yuri had now fused with Orca into one bolt.
Purple lightning streaked the sky. Derusia Magic Tower and Lutran cityscape vanished in an instant.
[Strange sensation, right?]
Not sound—Orca's will seeped into Yuri.
[Far slower than real lightning. Unavoidable. Even transforming flesh to electricity, souls can't match lightning's speed.]
Lightning clocks ~100,000 km/s. Absurd. Understandable that human souls and minds can't keep up.
[One slip, and your soul shatters outright or severs from body. Better dead than that state.]
Chuckles echoed. Orca was throttling speed now to spare Yuri that fate. Meaning—solo, she'd be far faster.
Hard to believe even she nearly died in a trap 15 years ago.
[We're here.]
—Crackle!
Lightning dispersed. As flesh reconstituted, soul resettled amid vertigo. Legs buckled; Yuri barely steadied himself. Now he understood why Orca had carried Elena like luggage then.
"Fun, right?"
The question mixed with chuckling hit, but nausea like seasickness prevented reply. Vision steadied at last.
They stood atop the ramparts. Yuri steadied his breath and looked up.
Beyond the parapet, Ox God Head hovered in the sky. He still bounced his madolido thump-thump underfoot, but unlike from the tower, wasn't approaching.
"Still with the flashy entrances."
Ox God Head spoke. A Limitless Sovereign versed in martial arts, yet he shunned Namgung Jin-style Chinese garb. White tee, black jacket, spiked short hair... Beyond clothes and features, his role model was blatantly obvious.
'And he calls others flashy after dropping like that?'
Orca's lightning descent was flashy too, but less so. He kept thumping the madolido, staring fixedly at Orca.
"Why stop here?"
"Poor reception."
"What?"
"I could enter anytime. But waltzing in feels underwhelming."
The madolido halted midair. Ox God Head sheathed his beloved weapon at his side with one hand, grinning.
"See? I show up, and even you rush here. But still lacking. Needs more fanfare."
So, this lunatic was lingering for more attention.
"You think Alfreon Ascard will come out personally?"
"No way the great Ascard Family head graces us directly."
Ox God Head kept his sparkling smile, staring at Orca.
"Mentioning that name means you knew why I'm in Lutran beforehand?"
"Didn't expect you'd take a gig with the Ascard Family, though."
"Elixirs as pay? I'd gladly handle odd jobs. But 'worker' stings. Call it business."
Ox God Head laughed heartily, then shifted gaze.
"But who's that guy?"
Black eyes fixed on Yuri.
'This isn't torture...'
First hearing of Ox God Head, seeing him in Orca's room, now face-to-face.
Through it all, his smile tormented Yuri most. He desperately stifled laughter, holding his expression.
Can't laugh at 'Ox God Head.' Reacting with laughter proves possessor status. Hangul? Yuri himself wielded an unlearned tongue fluently—language of names hardly mattered here.
Plus, this maniac was infamous as a villain since overseas community days. His 'Ox God Head' handle was Hangul, but users grasped its meaning.
Always posting soccer player memes, match commentary. And look at him. Any possessor would burst laughing at the blatant cues.
How many possessors had cracked at that sight and name—and what became of them? That madolido iron ball might've crushed not just demon heads, but countless possessor skulls too.
Yuri wanted no part of that iron ball smashing his.