Reunion (5)
‘No way…….’
Yongwol felt fear for the first time because Hyun-soo's HP, which had been whittled down to 40%, had recovered to over 90%.
‘A recovery skill like that is incredibly valuable.’
In truth, the worth of a power that restored the flesh of melee users who weren't priests was astronomical.
Potions ultimately had a cooldown after use, so in moments of crisis, a supplementary recovery ability was essential.
Recovery skills applicable to melee users—without relying on priestly prayers or heals—were exceedingly rare.
Even restoring just 10% HP would have high-rankers rushing over with bundles of cash.
‘That much recovery……? Does something capable of that even exist? Recovery artifacts and skills mostly drop from boss monsters…… Huh?’
He is the first user to hunt a demon.
Yongwol panicked.
It was because she suddenly recalled a world message from a few months ago.
At the time, like everyone else, Yongwol had thought:
‘The blacksmith Hyun hunting a demon? Demons are named monsters that have never been hunted before. He must've crafted an artifact for someone, set a condition: if the hunt succeeds, put my name on it.’
It was entirely possible. That was the trap in world messages.
But it could also not be a trap.
Unless in exceptional cases, users wouldn't put someone else's name over their own.
‘He really hunted a demon……?’
What Yongwol had said about logging Hyun out in 20 seconds stemmed from her confidence in the boss monsters she'd hunted.
‘Fighting like a blacksmith and hunting a demon?’
That was an achievement she couldn't even dream of comparing herself to.
No, no one in the world could.
An overwhelming fear surged over her.
Fear applied.
Her face drained of color as she faced her final terror.
Turning her head, she gasped at the damage popping up over the 21 users.
The damage numbers floating above heads were indicators that revealed the attacker's power.
-217,513 HP
Cutting power was akin to sword attack power.
When activated via skills, cutting power dramatically increased actual sword attack power.
And being cut itself inflicted additional damage on the level of a critical hit.
The user who'd taken 200k damage that Yongwol glanced at was a mage.
The assassins, archers, and all other classes shared one trait.
‘They have the lowest defense and HP pools…….’
-173,741 HP
-185,319 HP
-199,991 HP
Swaaaaa—
Eighteen users whose bodies were sliced horizontally turned to ash and scattered at once.
The key to fighting like a blacksmith.
‘Artifacts…….’
Hyun-soo, wielding such artifacts, had said:
“……The Twin Dragon Swords still have much more power left.”
He understood his own strengths and knew how to subdue enemies most efficiently.
‘Can't let my guard down. I have to tell them……!’
That he'd hunted a demon.
Yongwol, her abdomen half-sliced, opened her mouth to speak.
But Hyun-soo was a step faster.
Puk—
Even Yongwol, who had endured thanks to her high level and skills, began to scatter away.
‘I said 20 seconds, and I got taken out in 5?’
She was one of the top assassins in the world.
Her forced logout in a mere 5 seconds would shock the world.
And Hyun-soo didn't stop.
The remaining three each took one strike, slammed into the wall, and scattered.
The Chinese users gulped.
‘Still a lot left?’
‘The power of a Transcendent grade……?’
They could feel it wasn't a lie. Higher-grade artifacts held greater effects and skill power.
That single line overwhelmed the surviving Chinese users.
And also.
‘That bastard……!’
Fond could feel it clearly.
He was piercing and exploiting their weaknesses.
Their melee users were on cooldown, and moreover, all their artifacts had been shattered by the Twin Dragon Swords skill.
Their damage output was weakened by about 20% from normal.
On the other hand, Hyun-soo had few skills on cooldown.
Plus, the Chinese users were fatigued from fighting Korean users.
That was the problem.
Chinese viewers held their tongues.
On the contrary, Korean viewers were different.
Hardened by all sorts of communities, they didn't hold back.
No matter the circumstances, it looked like Hyun-soo was overwhelming the Chinese users.
Fond couldn't see the viewer comments, but he already felt it.
‘We look like we're being overwhelmed?’
Moreover, MVP wasn't just given for victory.
‘It's awarded to the one with the highest contribution and greatest impact.’
Viewer reactions were thus very important.
‘Even if we win, if it's like this……?’
At that moment.
Riu nodded slightly.
The Poison King Riu served the divine beast Hydra.
What he summoned wasn't the true Hydra.
It was a child sired by the divine beast Hydra, identical in appearance.
Not the real thing, but still incredibly strong.
One famous tale from the Chinese continent was how it razed a territory in half a day.
Also counted among China's legendary monsters, Riu could only summon it for about 10 seconds.
‘Still strong. Especially…….’
The poison it spewed while attacking weakened foes.
In that weakened state, Fond could toy with Hyun-soo.
Fond was known as the man closest to the Chinese emperor.
With the emperor's trust, he was also the master of China's strongest guild.
At this moment, China's two top rankers joined hands.
The Chinese users had indeed flinched at Hyun-soo's display moments ago.
But no matter what, one undeniable fact remained.
“Just one guy……!”
“We can take him down hitting once each.”
“Beat his ass!”
The lead user boldly thrust his spear into Hyun-soo's abdomen, succeeding.
‘This guy's control sucks!’
They were top rankers.
With godlike control, they were the pride of China's over 1 billion users.
That user soon panicked.
-20,319 HP
‘Why only this much damage……?’
It was interaction.
His weapon was weakened, Hyun-soo had received various stat buffs from becoming a legend, and his Calamity Armor was intact.
Moreover.
Hyun-soo had not only Sword Cry but other powers too.
Surging Sword
A power that dealt extra damage on vital hits.
Normally 150% extra, 200% on vital success.
But for the wielder of the Twin Dragon Swords, and against foes whose armor was nearly 40% shattered, both amplified further.
Take one move, return one.
Seogeuk—
Vital hit!
-129,301 HP
That user's HP was at 53%.
It dropped below 15% in one go.
In the stunned daze from the status effect, he was slashed again.
Seogeuk—
Hwaaaaa—
One user scattered. But Hyun-soo knew he was facing numbers.
Thirty Chinese users remained, and if he let each—or even fifteen—land one hit, he'd die.
Hyun-soo's mind raced.
This fight wasn't a sprint.
Facing multiples, he couldn't recklessly spam skills here.
‘Do that, and I'll lose.’
For now, maintain steady breathing and avoid encirclement.
The problem: the encirclement seekers and Hyun-soo's frantic evasion were rapidly draining his HP.
“No you don't!”
“You bastard!”
When he tried to attack, enemy allies interfered to protect their own.
In that exchange.
The Chinese users unleashed far more power than Hyun-soo expected.
‘No choice, gotta break through…….’
Right then.
Hyun-soo suddenly felt an immense pressure.
“……!?”
Conversely, the Chinese users cheered at the massive shadow appearing amid their allies.
The Poison King Riu's spear, the Hydra's offspring.
They felt secure seeing the entity descend swiftly like spewing poison.
The Chinese users marveled, while Hyun-soo's face twisted.
The first reason for their cheers: legendary monsters.
Powerful monsters inflicted deadly status effects on recognized enemies upon appearance.
Fear, stun, fainting—could be any.
For Hydra, it was stun.
Hydra's Wrath
Enemies lose momentum before a legendary monster and freeze.
Stunned for 2 seconds; poison fills the body, blood flows from eyes, ears, nose, mouth.
Riu smirked.
Intoxicated by the thrill seeing Hyun-soo's eyes waver.
The Lv. 511 Hydra's emergence dominated the battlefield, drawing cheers from the Chinese users.
And Riu anticipated the blood soon pouring from that arrogant Hyun-soo.
But the sight that followed left Riu flustered.
He unwittingly stepped back.
‘W-what is this……?’
He couldn't comprehend what he'd seen.
Hyun-soo wasn't affected by Hydra's Wrath.
Even more baffling:
The nine-headed Hydras.
About to breathe on Hyun-soo, they acted aberrantly.
‘Why is the Hydra…… my summon……!’
The heads poised to poison Hyun-soo suddenly turned and blasted their breath at the Chinese users instead.
Puhwaaaaaak—!
“K-khaaack!”
“W-what!?”
“U-uwaaa! M-meltinggg!”
Chiiiiiik—
Their bodies melted under the breath.
Hyun-soo, smiling coldly at Riu, held an unidentified necklace in one hand.
‘What the hell is that necklace……!?’
Hyun-soo, who caused the upheaval, spoke words reaching viewers worldwide.
“An artifact.”
Fitting words for a master craftsman.
“Isn't something you just use—it's something you exploit.”
The identity of the necklace in his hand.
Grade: Legend
Durability: 3,000/3,000 | Defense: 108
Restrictions: Lv. 300+
Special Abilities:
· Attack power +30% vs. Evil.
· Defense +30% vs. Evil.
· Active: Calamity Leap
· Active: Absolute Domination
· Passive: Damage x2
· All effects +5% with additional Calamity artifacts equipped.
Description: Artifact symbolizing the Fourth Calamity, Ronso.
This necklace held the special power Absolute Domination, which he exploited to dominate the battlefield.