Chapter 205: 38th Floor: The Round of 16
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 205: 38th Floor: The Round of 16
Only Dotamuk and Lee Woo-sik went into action, while Ilbon-do and I watched comfortably with our arms crossed.
“Hey, are you the ones who were harassing my wife?”
“How dare you harass the wife of Sir Byeon-gi Chan!”
Why is he saying ‘Byeon-gi’ and then pausing before ‘Chan’?
“……?”
For a moment, Dotamuk scratched his head, wondering if Lee Woo-sik was really on his side, but decided to play along anyway.
“Ahem, I hope you’re prepared.”
“You morons! Get ‘em, boys! Kill them!”
"You're asking to die, hehehe..."
“We’ll kill you, and then we’ll fuck the shit out of the woman in the back!”
Enraged by Dotamuk’s taunt and Lee Woo-sik’s mocking tone, the Mexican Awakeners charged.
Two were swordsmen, and two were gunslingers firing mana bullets.
Mana bullets.
They were fired from something that was essentially a gun, but not quite.
Instead of gunpowder, it consumed mana to fire. The more mana one had, the stronger the firepower, but it was ultimately a ranged weapon inferior to the bow due to various issues like the gun's durability, ammunition problems, and above all, its lack of versatility.
Of course, they were decent enough in the early stages, from around the 11th to the 20th floor, but they had no future. The story changed a bit past the 50th floor, but until then, it was considered the weakest weapon type.
How in the world did they make it this far...
The fight broke into two 2-on-1s, one close-range and one long-range.
Bang!
Rat-a-tat-tat!!
A volley of mana bullets rained down on Dotamuk, but he dodged them with a light roll to the side, nocking two arrows on his bowstring at once and letting them fly.
Arrows fired while rolling as if falling.
The enemy thought there was no way they would get hit by something like that, but…
Thwack!!
Thunk!
“Gack!”
“Ack!”
In an instant, the arrows pierced their necks and heads.
A single exchange.
With one move from Dotamuk, the two shooters were dead.
“What, how!”
“Dammit, get out of the way!!”
Seeing this, the two swordsmen tried desperately to break through Lee Woo-sik’s defense, but that wasn’t easy either.
[Deep-Rooted Great Tree]
[Fortress]
[Iron Guard]
He planted his feet firmly, holding his sturdy shield out in front of him.
If they tried to ignore him and go around, he would immediately shove them back with his shield.
[Shield Bash]
CRASH!
"Guah!"
"Fuck, what the hell is this..."
They stumbled and fell in front of the shield several times.
Lee Woo-sik’s god-like distance control.
Though there were two of them, Lee Woo-sik’s shield bashes and positioning made them stumble around like a single clumsy mass, repeatedly losing their balance and falling.
It was like a grown man toying with little kids. In a way, they looked pathetic, but it also felt like they were getting what they deserved.
“Woo-sik. Finish them now.”
“Yes, boss!”
The shield opened up.
CRACK!
CRUNCH!!!
Their heads were smashed by the mace that came from his other hand.
‘He was only using one hand this whole time?’
That was the Mexican gangsters' final thought. A futile end.
[The winner is Team 3.]
Swoosh!
*
“That was easy. Good job, guys.”
"This is the least we could do!"
“How can they even think of using guns past the 30th floor?”
Dotamuk had climbed solo for a while, so he was more than capable of pulling his own weight, and Lee Woo-sik also looked incredibly reliable compared to others on this floor.
Of course, this was all possible because my buffs had made them stronger.
- Oh...
- Is this Dotamuk?
- Woo-sik is strong.
- Dotamuk! Dotamuk! Dotamuk!
- And this is without their main powerhouse, Lee Do-hee, even stepping in lol
- The buffs must have an effect too.
- So it's not just his dick that's big!
I had also given them buffs before the match ended. Now everyone was at a 7-stack buff. The next match looked manageable, so I used my recovered divine power to apply an 8th stack in advance.
"You guys warm up. The match after next will be tough, no matter who comes up."
Soon, the match between Team 5 and Team 6 began.
It was almost certain that the winner of this match would face us in the semifinals.
Team 5, the Orc Party.
vs.
Team 6, the Giant Guild Party.
I hope those orc guys do well.
To be honest, I didn’t expect them to win.
The gear worn by the Giant Guild party members was decked out with stats and skills that could overwhelm most high-ranking Awakeners.
But even so, the orcs weren't completely without a chance.
The aura I felt from Kazaha when we shook hands. That guy alone meant they were by no means a weak team.
[The match will now begin.]
This map was a large, colosseum-style arena.
The moment the match started, the orcs began a ferocious charge.
The orc party’s composition was three orc warriors with greatswords and one orc shaman.
The orc shaman cast enhancement buffs on them and then charged forward himself, staff in hand.
In contrast, the Giant Guild party members were very calm.
They didn’t panic, even seeing the orcs rushing at them right from the start.
The Giant Guild party’s composition was two mages and two warriors.
One of them... is no ordinary mage.
The one wearing a black robe opened a grimoire and began muttering an incantation. Suddenly, two of the charging orcs grabbed their heads and collapsed.
The orc shaman grimaced, waving his staff in the air as if trying to do something, while the only unaffected orc warrior, Kazaha, checked on his comrades.
“Damn it, are you alright? Krosh, Kuhallak.”
“Ggguuuuhhhh…”
“D-die…”
They were writhing in too much pain to even answer.
“Dammit, you vile sorcerer! Urkash, can you do anything?” Kazaha asked the shaman.
“Grk, I want to… but I’m sorry, Kazaha. The best I can do is hold on.”
He wasn’t in a position to help either.
A shame. The others can’t support Kazaha.
If the other orcs were on Kazaha’s level, they might have won, but as it stood, it looked difficult.
They had all fallen for the same kind of mental attack magic that Baek Do-hyeon used to favor. It was especially effective, perhaps because orcs are so simple-minded.
“Dammit, such wicked deeds! You bastards, I will not forgive you!”
“Listen to him, hehehe.”
“I wonder if they’ll count it as an item drop if we skin the orcs here?”
The two warriors from the Giant Guild party approached leisurely.
One wielded a greatsword, the other a sword and shield.
The one with the sword and shield was none other than the famous prospect from the giant guild, Kwon Han-jun.
“You filthy bastards who know no honor!”
An enraged Kazaha shrouded his body in a red aura.
BOOM!!
He stomped the ground hard and shot forward with a whoosh.
Oh... he got even stronger?
It was a self-buff skill that looked similar to <Fury>, but he seemed to maintain his reason. Its performance was also quite high.
Is it... a Constellation Skill?
Kazaha’s physical abilities skyrocketed. He charged forward with a speed unbelievable for a 3-meter-tall orc.
“Block it!”
KRAAANG!!!
The greatsword user tried to block, but he was sent flying like a baseball hit by a bat. His body flew all the way to the spectator seats of the arena, where he landed upside down.
“What.”
“Huh?”
The Giant Guild party was stunned by Kazaha’s unexpected power. They had underestimated the orc race. A race whose base strength was three to five times that of a human. That didn't change even after becoming an Awakener.
“That’s as far as you go, orc…”
Kwon Han-jun, with his sword and shield, stepped forward and used every tanking skill he had to block Kazaha’s greatsword.
CRASH!!!
“Kugh!”
But the impact must have been considerable, as he took enough damage to nearly bring him to his knees.
“Duck! Flame… Spear!”
The fire mage launched his completed spell at Kazaha.
A massive spear of fire flew as if to pierce right through him.
However,
FWOOSH!!
With a swing of his sword, the spear of fire dissipated.
“Where do you think you’re looking!”
Stab!
Just then, Kwon Han-jun, who was in front, opened his shield guard and swiftly thrust his sword.
The blade pierced straight through Kazaha’s abdomen and came out the other side.
Damn... that sword. It’s a cheat, as expected. The shield, too...
If it weren't for his gear carry, we might have faced the orc party in the semifinals and had a heated match with Lee Do-hee's womb on the line. What a shame…
Huh?
With his stomach pierced, Kazaha swung his greatsword.
A startled Kwon Han-jun barely managed to block it with his shield.
KWAAANG!!
“You crazy bastard, stop struggling and die!”
He pulled out his sword to stab again, but…
“Grrrrrrr…”
Kazaha didn’t even flinch as he swung his greatsword.
KWAAANG!!! KRA-KRA-CRASH!!!
Kwon Han-jun struggled to hold on, bracing himself with his shield. No, he was just taking the hits with the shield. He was coughing up blood, one of his arms dislocated and dangling uselessly.
“Gah… his strength… is insane. Ivan, do something!”
Ivan.
A member of the Golden Dawn Society guild, and someone Baek Do-hyeon was putting considerable effort into raising. He was the one who had cast the mental attack on the orcs at the beginning.
Some called him a warlock, others a sorcerer, specializing in curse-type magic.
Baek Do-hyeon had strayed onto a slightly different path midway, but Ivan was a bit different.
‘The pinnacle of black magic is the Necromancer. I will show you. And I will be acknowledged by Sir Baek Do-hyeon!’
“Arise.”
Ssssss…
Ivan’s grimoire was consumed by a wicked black light, and from the nearby shadows, knights clad in jet-black armor rose up.
Clank.
“Kill him.”
The numerous black shadow knights that rose from all directions charged at Kazaha in unison.
“KWOOOOAAAAARRR!!!”
KRA-KA-BOOM!!
A chaotic battle erupted between the shadow knights and Kazaha.
With every sweep of his greatsword, the shadow knights were unsummoned one by one.
But there were too many of them.
An overwhelming number, enough to fill half the arena.
What’s more, each one was strong enough to be a threat, leaving deep, festering wounds all over Kazaha’s body.
“Hoo… It’s a shame to use my trump card here, but I have no choice.”
Kwon Han-jun clutched his dangling arm and retreated to watch the battle from a distance. A moment of carelessness had almost put him in real danger.
"It's fine. This is hardly our trump card."
The fire mage also continued to pepper Kazaha with spells, adding to his wounds.
They thought they had already won.
They believed that no matter how strong the orc warrior was, he couldn’t possibly defeat such a large number.
But they were mistaken.
BOOM!!
KRA-KRA-KRA-BOOM!!!
Countless shadow knights… were continuously swept away.
“Did you really think you could defeat me with trash like this?!”
Kazaha’s body was drenched in blood.
But his red eyes were shining more brightly than ever.
“What… Orc bastard, why won’t you fall!”
“Dammit, he’s a berserker type. The bastard got stronger.”
“KUWOOOOAAAAARRR!!!”
It felt as if Kazaha’s build and muscles had grown even larger.
Before him, the shadow knights were swept away like a swarm of ants. His wounds increased, but his recovery speed also quickened, allowing him to maintain his condition.
A berserker? Is that what this is?
The more he fought, the stronger he became.
I could feel the overwhelming spirit of a single orc warrior.
If this had been an ordinary party, they would have been defeated by Kazaha right then and there. But unfortunately for him, they were no ordinary party.
“We have to end this at once. I guess I’ll have to do it.”
“Han-jun, you don’t mean… that?”
Kwon Han-jun popped his dislocated shoulder back into place and spoke softly as he looked down at his one-handed sword.
“Unleash Silence.”
Vweeeee~ Clank. Clank, clank.
His one-handed sword, which had looked ordinary at a glance, split open and transformed into a crimson blade.
He set down his shield. Gripping the slightly larger one-handed sword with both hands, he raised it high into the sky.
Silence.
One of the Ohsung Guild Master's favorite swords.
As he raised the sword high, the sky darkened.
The black sky collapsed, swirling into his sword like a vortex.
Rumble-rumble-rumble…
The dark energy of the sky condensed into his crimson sword. It was a sight that seemed to contain the world itself.
Even my party members couldn’t tear their eyes away from the intense spectacle.
So, he’s finally unleashing it.
I had wondered if the Ohsung Guild Master might not have transferred ownership, but I was wrong.
Even just watching through the screen, a power far too great for a 38th-floor Awakener was being unleashed.
"KUWOOOOAAAAARRR!!!!"
Just as he finished slaughtering all the shadow knights, Kazaha charged.
He, too, could sense his impending death. But he didn’t give up, facing it head-on.
A red aura surged from Kazaha’s sword as well… but it looked like a man trying to face a giant tsunami.
“Go, Silence.
──────Silence them.”
The sword that had been held high in the sky was swung down.
FWOOOOOSH!!
Following the sword,
The world collapsed.
The world shone with a black light. Like a black hole, it glowed with darkness.
The charging Kazaha was instantly turned to ash and vanished.
Behind him, the other orcs and even the arena map itself were gone. Nothing remained in front of Kwon Han-jun.
The power to annihilate all matter.
The Sword of Annihilation, Silence.
A quiet silence fell over the arena, of which only half remained.
[The winner is Team 6.]
“……”
Silence fell over our waiting room as well.
- ???
- We're fucked, aren't we?
- Is this for real?
- The way it all just vanished so quietly is creepy;;
- What the fuck is that?
- Oh… chills.
- We're so fucked.
- Wait, isn't that the skill the Ohsung Guild Master uses?
- Fuck, isn't using a skill from a current 80th-floor guild master crossing the line?
- So fucking dirty.
- Wow… but that was awesome.
- Do-hee, let's just surrender…
The viewers were in an uproar over the unbelievable sight before them.
Actually, it’s not that big of a deal…
It was a skill with such a long casting time that it was practically useless in a real fight. Of course, I still had to be wary of it.
The orc party had done us a huge favor. Honestly, I hadn’t expected them to force him to unleash that sword.
The problem was, that wasn’t all.
There was the weapon and armor of the greatsword user who was sent flying after being caught off guard at the beginning. The fire mage who hadn’t revealed his true power yet.
And Kwon Han-jun had only unleashed the power of his sword.
He hadn’t even properly used the special skills of his accessories, shield, and armor.
Of course, they weren’t as powerful as the sword, but it meant he still had cards up his sleeve.
*
After that, the tournament proceeded without any major upsets.
There were no particularly noteworthy teams on the other side of the bracket. The only thing of note was that Damian Oswald’s team had won an overwhelming victory.
And so, the turn came back to us.
[The match between Team 2 and Team 3 will now begin.]
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
Swoosh!!
The map where our battle against the suicide bombers would take place was…
“Huh.”
“Hmm?”
A narrow mine shaft.
It was a cramped passage, only wide enough for about two people to pass through.
“Wait, fuck.”
Just as I was starting to feel a little panicked about what was to come,
Sure enough, their shouts echoed through the mine shaft.
“Allahu Akbar!!”
“Allahu Akbar!!!”
An explosion in an enclosed space? Could anything be more terrifying?
“Shit, hey, block it! Tanker!”
“Youngest!”
“Wh-why am I only the ‘youngest’ when it’s shit like this?!”