Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Two Methods to Catch Him
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The two methods I had thought up to catch the bastard.
I executed one of them.
“Trade request.”
-…….
Lucifer’s fist halted right before it hit my face.
[System Message]
[Player ‘Kim Cheonjae’ has requested a trade with ‘Kim Dusic.’]
Did it work?
------------------
[Accept the trade?]
[YES] or [NO]
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‘Jackpot.’
It was a technique only those who fully understood this system could pull off—one that worked solely on players.
[Moving Stop]
A kind of bug exploiting the system.
While the trade window was open, both the opponent’s movements and mine came to a halt.
Until the [NO] button was pressed to close it.
Temporary, but frozen solid.
Whether they hit YES.
Or NO.
The game was already over.
-NO
The instant Lucifer hit NO, I wrapped my arms around him.
Thwack!
-Wh-what the hell are you doing!
“Kill this bastard. Vampire!”
The Vampire scooped up the kitchen knife from the floor and charged at us full tilt.
Thud thud thud thud thud thud!
-N-No!
He thrashed with all his strength in my arms, and my grip began to loosen bit by bit.
But only for a moment.
Crunch.
The kitchen knife plunged into his heart.
-Kraaaaaagh!!!!
His scream blasted the Vampire and me backward. The shock left a ringing in my ears, a high-pitched whine.
I pushed myself up and looked at him.
Black smoke poured from the knife embedded in his heart.
-Damn it!! Damn it!!
Seeing his rage-twisted face made my hands tremble. I tried to backpedal away, but my body was locked up, refusing to move.
Step. Step. Step. Step!
He was walking toward me. Blood streamed from his eyes and mouth.
For a tutorial boss, he radiated insane terror.
Scary….
Terrifying. Insanely terrifying!
As expected from a boss monster—one-shotting him was impossible.
“G-Get…. Get, get lost!”
-A mere human…. How dare you….
“Vampire! Block this bastard!”
The Vampire’s body creaked like it wasn’t obeying him either.
Still, unlike me, he could move it.
His willpower outstripped mine, at least.
“Hurry!”
The Vampire staggered forward on creaking limbs. Lucifer noticed and whirled around.
His rage-filled face uttered a low, icy voice.
-Vanish.
Thwack!
What the—?
Just a hand chop through empty air.
Yet the Vampire’s head spun off into the sky.
His nails weren’t particularly sharp.
No blade in hand.
‘Ki manipulation?’
The Vampire’s head hit the floor.
Unlike in movies, the body didn’t crumple.
It stood rigid, like a tree.
As if rooted there.
“……”
In that brief instant, the word “despair” seared into my mind.
Why haven’t Jeongwoo and Michael shown up yet?
Why the hell not?
Lucifer shook the blood from his hand and turned to me.
-Your turn now.
My heart pounded wildly.
Breath came in gasps. Adrenaline surged, letting me regain a sliver of control over my body.
A glance at his health bar: barely a tenth left.
If I could stall just a little longer, I could win.
I rolled my eyes toward the knife’s position. That’s when the severed Vampire head entered my view.
“…….”
A chuckle escaped me.
‘Thanks to Bloodsuck, huh.’
Lucifer tilted his head.
-Crazy bastard.
“……Nah. Just pondering how to kill you.”
-Final struggle?
“You bet. It’s your turn now. Your body’s not moving right, is it?”
-What?
“That knife I stabbed you with? It was coated in Vampire blood. Bet it’s paralyzing you slowly.”
Lucifer clenched and unclenched his fist repeatedly.
He scowled, confirming my words.
-……So? What can you do right now?
“Nothing.”
I flashed a grin.
Then quietly added,
“It’s over.”
-Over?
Slash—
Lucifer’s head, glaring daggers at me, began sliding horizontally from his neck.
Realizing the screen was tilting downward, he rolled his eyes.
-What the—
His head thudded to the ground.
Thump.
Lucifer’s face, hitting the floor, stared at the Vampire standing behind him.
Black blood dripped from the Vampire’s claws.
Lucifer asked me.
-H-How…. That guy….
“Hoo…. That guy? He’s my summon.”
-……What… nonsense….
“He was already dead. Non-players keep moving on my orders until their health hits zero.”
A health bar hovered over the Vampire’s head.
Inside the long red bar, a sliver remained—like a nail clipping.
Health recovery from Bloodsuck.
Insanely lucky.
-……Damn.
I stood, walking over to Lucifer’s severed head.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
“Any last words?”
-……Someday. I’ll kill you with my own hands.
“Sounds good. Next time, I’ll come find you myself.”
-Know where I am?
“Of course. Polish your horns till the final battle.”
I picked up the kitchen knife from the floor.
And drove it into his skull with everything I had.
Whoosh—
Crunch.
* * * * *
A system window popped up before every player in the building.
[Tutorial Complete]
[First Round Cleared]
[Great job, everyone.]
-As a reward, bonus EXP has been granted.
Ding!
Golden light swirled around my head.
[Acquired the title ‘Successor of the Unconquerable Zone!’]
[Summon Level +1!]
[Summon Level ‘4’ Achieved]
[Minions’ attack power, defense, and stamina slightly increased.]
-Phew.
Red and black fluids from the Vampire and Kim Dusic soaked the hallway.
Countless blood droplets speckled the white wallpaper like stars in the night sky.
Proof the fight had been no joke.
I let out a sigh of relief and pulled a cigarette pack from my pocket.
“Damn.”
Lit it up.
Sizzle. Sssizzle.
Inhale.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
Jeongwoo and Michael raced up the stairs.
“Kim Cheonjae!”
“Genius Kim!”
Fast as hell.
Puff—.
A wry smile crossed my lips.
“Why’d you take so damn long.”
“Huh?”
Jeongwoo spotted the Vampire and Kim Dusic on the floor and sighed.
“What happened?”
“What do you think?”
“That bastard….”
“Demon possessed that guy’s body and went wild.”
“Lucifer?!”
Jeongwoo double-checked the head on the floor.
“Yeah. Horns and all. You took him solo?”
“Who else?”
“……You beat a demon in the tutorial? Never even heard of that on the official forums.”
Come to think of it.
Recalling the demon fight sent chills down my spine.
“Wouldn’t be surprised. Who the hell fights a demon in the tutorial? Sacrifice another player, and it’s easy.”
Jeongwoo grinned wide and patted my cheek.
“No way…. Kim Cheonjae. You mad bastard, you’re the real deal.”
“Ow, asshole. Anyway, you guys were too late. Didn’t hear the radio?”
“Radio?”
“Yeah.”
“……No radio came through?”
“What?”
I pressed the button on the radio at my waist.
Beep.
“One, two, three, four. What the—really no signal.”
“Huh? Battery dead?”
“No way. Red light’s on.”
Michael glanced at his radio and scratched his head.
“Genius Kim, sorry. Radio channels weren’t synced. Mine’s 4. His is 7.”
“Ah, you idiots….”
Legs went weak from sheer absurdity.
Jeongwoo shook his head.
“Sorry. Sorry.”
“Sorry fixes everything, huh…. Ugh….”
Michael clasped his hands, bowing sincerely as I fumed.
“Sorry. My bad. I repent.”
“Repent, yeah.”
Suddenly, fireworks exploded over Michael’s head.
Bang! Bang bang bang!
What?
“Wha-wha-what’s this?!”
……Job change?
A job change out of nowhere?
A job change signal flared over Michael’s head, but I had no clue why.
Jeongwoo shot me a startled look. Neither of us knew.
Me and Jeongwoo, veterans of this game, clueless on some special job change?
“Genius, what is it?”
“……No idea.”
Job changes trigger only if you meet the exact conditions for that class.
No way this happened by accident without effort.
“G-Genius Kim.”
“Michael. See your status window?”
“Status window?”
Status window in English?
“State? Info?”
“Oh, Info! Got it.”
“What’s your job say? Job. Your class.”
Michael rolled his eyes.
“Job…. Priest, Priest. System message just said Priest too—”
Priest?
Unbelievable.
Why the sudden Priest job change?
“……”
No way.
A hollow laugh escaped.
“Ha…. So that’s it….”
I took a deep drag.
Inhale—
Puff—.
Jeongwoo asked,
“What? You know why he job-changed?”
“Jeongwoo. What’s the Priest job change condition?”
“Level 5.”
“And?”
“Clasp hands, pray, input the keyword.”
“What keyword?”
“‘Priest,’ duh.”
I forced a grin.
Jeongwoo caught on and slowly closed his eyes.
“No way that just now?”
“Yeah. That.”
Michael tilted his head.
“What’s that mean?”
“Michael, you go to church or anything?”
“Church?”
“Catholic? Christian?”
I asked for one reason.
In the old Land of Ruin, Priests boosted mana regen by typing prayers.
If Michael knew prayers, no need for mana pots.
“No! I’m ‘Buddhist.’”
“……You’re Buddhist? Bodhisattva?”
“Yes.”
The first Buddhist Priest in Land of Ruin history was born.
‘No prayers, then.’
I sighed.
Even if he didn’t know prayers, no big deal. Find a Bible, give it to him.
But one huge problem arose.
Necromancer’s party member: Priest.
Absurd. Speechless.
“……”
“Genius Kim. You look pale.”
Jeongwoo added,
“Michael, you look worse.”
I snapped again.
“Think for a sec, both of you shut up!”
“Shut up again? Okay.”
Leaning against the wall, I slid down. Yoo Sora came rushing up from below.
“Uwaaaaaah!!”
Her face ashen, eyes met mine.
“Wh-what. Sora, what’s wrong?”
“Z-Zombies. Zombies!”
Office worker zombies swarmed up behind her.
Their running form—tutorial end must’ve boosted their stats.
Jeongwoo patted my cheek, grinning brightly.
“Good work. Leave the rest to us.”
“Ha…. Can I rest a bit?”
“Rest all you want. Tutorial’s done anyway.”
“……True.”
“Hey, Michael! Let’s go.”
Michael loaded his pistol with a meaningful look.
Click.
“Okay.”
* * * * *
Bang!
A yellow laser-like beam shot from Michael’s pistol.
He’d loaded it with the Priest heal spell ‘Heal.’
“Attain enlightenment.”
That finished off the last zombies in the building.
Before heading out, I re-explained the game to Yoo Sora and Michael.
Our goal: survival.
Until the late game, never stand out.
Michael and Yoo Sora nodded.
All prepped, we slowly walked the hall toward the exit.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
The stench of rot and blood clogged our noses the whole way.
On the way down, we saw Jang Dongtak—dead, overcome by the virus.
Even in death, no zombie transformation.
Z-Virus immune type.
Rare players like that existed—reason unknown. They just died without turning.
At the first floor, I gripped the handle of the glass door to outside.
“Here we go. Everyone, stay sharp. No telling what’s waiting.”
The glass door, unyielding to axe swings before, swung open with a light push.
Creeeak—
Click.
[System Message]
[Second Round Begins.]
Rumble rumble rumble—
A tank rolled past us.
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