The Counterattack Begins
Lee Hyunseung walked toward Yoo Heeyeon, replaying the events that had just unfolded in his mind. The Spear of Longinus was definitely flying toward me. At first I thought it was aimed at Jeong Eunseo, but that wasn’t it.
Han Seonggil possessed the innate physical ability and mental strength to endure the Berserker Trait. On top of that, the trait had already been active from the previous fight, so he could withstand the damage. Lee Hyunseung, however, was different. If the Spear of Longinus had struck him, the massive mental damage would have turned him into a vegetable without question.
The goal was evidence destruction…
Between the Mana Trace analysis and the Mana Database probe, the Hilleon bastards had more than enough reason to target him. Once it came out that the stalking of Yoo Heeyeon had never been his doing, everything they had done would be exposed. But if Lee Hyunseung became a vegetable or simply died, their worries would vanish. Investigations into someone who could no longer speak or was already dead never proceeded normally, and even if they did, pinning the blame on a corpse was child’s play.
Grind. Damn bastards. Framing an innocent man as a criminal wasn’t enough—they were after his life now.
I absolutely refuse to die like this.
Shiver.
He had reached Yoo Heeyeon. When he looked at her, she was trembling violently, terrified.
“W-why… why isn’t the elimination message appearing…?”
Even though the monster Shin Junho had become was slaughtering people left and right, the announcement that anyone had been eliminated never sounded. Lee Hyunseung spoke calmly.
“I surrender.”
System error. External transmission unavailable. Surrender request canceled.
Yoo Heeyeon stared at him blankly. Lee Hyunseung continued as if he had expected it.
“We’re trapped.”
“W-what are you saying right now?”
“I said we’re trapped inside this damn space.”
“Excuse me?”
Yoo Heeyeon looked at him with clear annoyance. Lee Hyunseung explained the situation simply.
“I don’t know the reason. It could be external interference, a glitch in the stage’s internal system caused by the demonic energy Shin Junho is wielding, or some other factor we’re unaware of. But that isn’t what matters. Stop standing there like an idiot with your eyes wide open and start thinking about what we do next.”
“W-what do you—?”
Lee Hyunseung’s expression grew increasingly irritated as he snapped at her.
“The fact that we aren’t being transmitted outside the stage means that if we die here, we could actually die for real. Even if we’re lucky enough to be sent out alive, there’s no telling what complications might arise. Are you following? This isn’t a match anymore. We can really die.”
Only then did Yoo Heeyeon speak, her whole body shaking.
“H-how do we deal with that monster? D-do you have a plan?”
Lee Hyunseung looked down at his hand. A small orb rested in his palm.
◈ Sphere containing the lingering grudge of the man who first reached the Sword Saint realm.
◈ While carrying the artifact, the user can maintain full sanity even during Berserker activation.
◈ Additional Effect: Sealed
“Yeah. I need to get this artifact to Han Seonggil. Right now, the only one who can fight the demonic monster Shin Junho has become is Han Seonggil with his Berserker trait active.”
“I’m an Epic-grade mage too! Something like that is nothing—!”
“You plan to kill that thing with a basic weapon?”
Only then did Yoo Heeyeon look at the pathetic basic artifact in her own hand.
“....”
“If you want to live, shut your mouth and listen to exactly what I say. I need time. Once I hand this newly crafted artifact to Han Seonggil, we’ll have a real chance.”
“B-but… it looks like he’s getting completely overwhelmed…?”
Beyond the bushes, Han Seonggil and Shin Junho were locked in brutal combat.
Boom—!
“Uaaaaaaaah—!”
Boom—!
Han Seonggil was being knocked around again and again. Lee Hyunseung pointed at him.
“He’s losing because he isn’t in his right mind. If he regains his sanity and fully controls the power of his activated Berserker trait, the situation will flip. We need to buy time. Draw Shin Junho’s attention. Give me even a few seconds and I’ll deliver this artifact to Han Seonggil. With the artifact I made, he’ll be able to control the Berserker trait.”
Teaming up with Yoo Heeyeon left a bad taste in his mouth, but Jeong Eunseo and Han Seonggil were still inside the stage. If they failed to stop Shin Junho, everyone could die here. They needed every ounce of fighting strength available.
“W-why should I listen to the likes of you?”
Grind.
Lee Hyunseung glared at her, then walked straight over. He drew his pistol.
“Looks like words won’t work after all. I tried to keep things civil, but there’s no need for that anymore.”
“Have you lost your mind?! We just agreed we need to work together—!”
Bang—!
Paralysis Bullet has struck the target. The opponent will be paralyzed for a short duration.
“W-what…”
Staring at Yoo Heeyeon whose body had gone rigid, Lee Hyunseung swapped magazines.
Click.
Impact Round loaded.
An Impact Round. A bullet that sent the first living being or object it struck flying a great distance. Originally meant to keep enemies at bay, it also worked perfectly as a makeshift cannon.
Seeing Lee Hyunseung aim the gun at her, Yoo Heeyeon trembled and muttered.
“W-wait, calm down… I’m a mage, remember…? You’re not seriously going to launch me over there, are you? S-stop joking! I’ll die…?”
Lee Hyunseung shook his head.
“People don’t die that easily. The paralysis will wear off in exactly five seconds. If you want to live, use whatever magic you can scrape together.”
“W-wait—!”
Lee Hyunseung paused, then smiled.
“Besides, if you do die, wouldn’t that just be your own karma catching up?”
The gunshot rang out.
Bang—!
The bullet slammed into Yoo Heeyeon’s back.
Boooom—!
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaah—!”
Yoo Heeyeon shot forward like a cannonball, hurtling straight toward Shin Junho.
Whooooosh—!
“Effect confirmed.”
Watching her fly, Lee Hyunseung immediately sprinted toward Han Seonggil.
***
“Kyaaaaah—!”
Yoo Heeyeon screamed in mid-air. Her body refused to move properly; the paralysis bullet’s effect still lingered. She could barely do anything except scream.
Thud—!
The instant she flew in, Shin Junho slammed the clinging Han Seonggil into the ground to deal with the incoming projectile.
Boooom—!
He lifted the pinned Han Seonggil and hurled him with all his monstrous strength.
Craaaash—!
Han Seonggil flew, smashing through dozens of trees.
“Kuaaaaaaaaah—!”
The fallen Han Seonggil roared. It wasn’t from pain—it was pure rage. Rage toward an opponent he could neither reach nor topple no matter how fiercely he charged. Because he couldn’t use his power properly, he was little more than a oversized child swinging wildly. No matter how hard the blow, it meant nothing if it never landed.
Using the Berserker trait in a state where strategic thought was impossible was like trying to cut objects with your eyes closed. Still, the fact that he could even stand against Shin Junho—now a demonic monster thanks to the Demonic Orb—was astonishing. Relying on nothing but raw instinct, he had fought on equal footing even after taking a critical wound from the Spear of Longinus.
Crunch… crunch…
At the spot where Han Seonggil had fallen, the sound of movement approached.
Dash—!
Han Seonggil shot to his feet and charged the source of the noise. The sanity-lost Berserker attacked everything in sight.
“Kuaaaaaaaaah—!”
Whoosh—!
Han Seonggil swung his arm toward the bushes with all his might. The wind pressure alone was enough to freeze the blood. At that moment—
Swish—!
Lee Hyunseung, hidden in the foliage, hurled the item in his hand toward Han Seonggil.
◈ Sphere containing the grudge of the man who first reached the Sword Saint realm.
◈ While possessing this artifact, the user can maintain perfect sanity even when the Berserker trait is active.
◈ Additional Effect: Sealed
The moment the artifact touched Han Seonggil’s body, he began looking around in confusion.
“What… what just happened…?”
Lee Hyunseung quickly approached him.
“Han Seonggil. No time to explain. We have to take that damn monster down first. The longer this drags on, the more berserk and powerful he becomes.”
Han Seonggil roughly pieced the situation together. He had taken massive damage from an unknown skill, lost his mind, and had only just regained consciousness.
“The fact that I’ve come to my senses means the Berserker trait’s duration is over. Once it ends, the trait causes total exhaustion. Even if I want to fight, I can’t. I’d only be dead weight.”
Grabbing Han Seonggil’s shoulder, Lee Hyunseung forced his face toward a nearby puddle.
“Look.”
The eyes reflected in the water were still blood-red. Clear proof that the Berserker trait remained active.
“How is this possible…?”
Han Seonggil stared at the small orb in his hand and muttered, “Is it because of this artifact…? What the hell is it? Just what kind of—!”
To the rapidly speaking Han Seonggil, Lee Hyunseung replied, “The situation is too urgent for a full explanation. Just help me without asking questions. Once we get out, I’ll explain everything. First we have to deal with that Shin Junho bastard.”
“....”
Han Seonggil stared at him for a moment, scratched his head several times, then picked up the sword lying on the ground.
“Don’t order me around. I was planning to get revenge anyway. Can’t let the bastard who came at me walk free.”
He immediately strode forward. Lee Hyunseung called after his back.
“Can you win? It’ll be tough alone. I’ll support you from behind. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
The way Han Seonggil looked back at him—with genuine worry in his eyes—overlapped with the image of Pung Geonho. Their physiques, personalities, and even professions were completely different, yet the two kept blending together in his mind. The only real connection was how genuinely happy Pung Geonho had looked while studying magic.
“I must be losing it too,” Han Seonggil muttered.
He turned his gaze toward the distant Shin Junho. The creature was gigantic, demonic energy pouring off its body. It reminded him of the day he had faced the Giant Skeleton in the Labyrinth.
Last time I abandoned him and ran… but not this time.
Grip.
Han Seonggil tightened his hold on the sword. Lee Hyunseung shouted at him as he stared blankly at Shin Junho.
“Han Seonggil. Did you hear what I said? There’s a problem inside the stage right now. If you die here, you might really die. Just buy time. Shin Junho is burning through his life force and part of the mana he stole from dozens of A-class students. We only have basic weapons. We’re naturally at a disadvantage, so don’t overdo it and risk—!”
Whoosh—!
Han Seonggil swung his sword once through the air, then lowered his stance, preparing to charge.
“Shut up. If I was scared of dying, I wouldn’t have picked up the sword in the first place.”
With that, he charged straight at Shin Junho.
