Chapter 313: Game
Chapter 313: Game
It happened in an instant. In the brief moment just before Victoria’s Glory struck its target.
Suddenly, a human-shaped mist leaped out, blocking the space between me and Baek Seoyeon. I was momentarily surprised.
Mistification?
If my memory served me right, this was a unique ability that temporarily transformed the user’s body into mist. It had the drawback of a short duration, but aside from that, it was quite a useful skill. It dramatically increased movement speed, effortlessly ignored physical force, and possessed high resistance to magic. It was a tricky ability to counter with conventional means, barring any elemental weaknesses.
Soon, the mist began to emit a hazy light before flowing like water to coil around my sword.
Come to think of it, this one becomes pretty famous too.
I vaguely remembered hearing about a Vagabond who used the Mistification ability once or twice. Offering a silent prayer for their soul, I put more speed into my downward slash.
Slice, slice!
“Kyaaak!”
The sensation that traveled up my arm was a strange mix. I felt the blade cut through soft flesh, then slice through empty air, then bite into flesh once more. I glanced down and saw that the mist, which had been white just moments ago, was now cleanly split in two and slowly turning red. Baek Seoyeon’s body was tilted slightly to the left. And her right arm was gone from the shoulder down.
Thump! Thud!
As the Mistification wore off, a body, neatly severed in half, slowly materialized on the ground. Next to it lay a smooth arm, still clutching a dagger. The two parts landed on the ground side by side, gushing blood in unison.
*
The faces of the Vagabonds were frozen, without a single exception. It was a truly desperate, life-or-death moment. Just as their leader and commander, Baek Seoyeon, was about to be struck down, one of them had shown quick thinking, using their unique ability, Mistification, to block the attack. But their relief was short-lived.
The Vagabond had certainly used their ability. They hadn’t just blocked the path; they had used some other skill to interfere with the sword’s trajectory. But the glowing blade had not only cut through the mist without hesitation, it had also severed Baek Seoyeon’s right arm.
It was the result of a fatal miscalculation. The Vagabond who used Mistification had assumed Kim Soohyun was using high-level cutting magic and had responded with their unique ability. Had they known about the Authority of a ‘Sword Specialist,’ one of the highest-ranking Secret Classes, they would never have charged in.
In other words, the Vagabond who had just been killed had essentially served up their own life on a platter.
But there was still so much the Vagabonds didn't know. This wasn't merely about Kim Soohyun’s Player Status. They didn't know that he had deliberately cut off Baek Seoyeon’s arm.
In any case, Baek Seoyeon’s reaction was swift. The fact that her arm was gone, that she had lost all her weapons, and that Mistification had been broken—all of it was secondary. Her mind was consumed with a single thought: she had to get away from Kim Soohyun, no matter what.
Her sense of balance was slightly off after losing her right arm, but she could still move. Firmly believing that the mist had saved her life, Baek Seoyeon braced herself to retreat.
Pow!
But there was no way Kim Soohyun would simply stand by and watch. The moment he sensed her intention to pull back, he lifted his right foot and slammed it into her abdomen. Her body hung in the air for a moment before crashing to the ground and rolling over and over.
One might have thought the fight was over by then, but Kim Soohyun didn’t stop.
As if to say that wasn't nearly enough, Kim Soohyun rapidly closed the distance to Baek Seoyeon and mounted her. He paid no mind to the fact that he was in the middle of a crowd of Vagabonds. His left arm drew back, then smashed violently into the fallen Baek Seoyeon’s face.
Thwack!
“Aargh!”
Baek Seoyeon, who had never screamed no matter the situation, finally let out a feminine shriek. Kim Soohyun’s Strength stat was 96 points. The force behind that blow was on a completely different level from a simple punch; it was truly immense. If her Durability hadn’t been decent, her head would have burst or her face would have caved in from that single strike.
The moment her scream echoed, the Vagabonds flinched as if their frozen bodies had finally thawed. In reality, only five or six seconds had passed, but the situation had changed far too drastically.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
“Ack! Aaargh! St-stop! Aaaaargh! Aaaaaaaargh!”
Another high-pitched scream rang out. The Vagabonds snapped to their senses and rushed toward Kim Soohyun. But he was not flustered. Kim Soohyun swept an aloof gaze around him, planted his blood-soaked left hand on the ground, and leaped high into the air.
Swoosh, swoosh!
Kim Soohyun’s body spun through the air in a graceful arc. At the same time, seven yellow beams shot toward him from every direction.
The archers’ aim was precise. They had accurately predicted where Kim Soohyun would leap.
But that was all. No matter how accurate their prediction, it was useless if they could not land a hit. The magic-infused arrows passed straight through Kim Soohyun and vanished into the distance along their original paths. The moment his form faded away in midair, another scream erupted from somewhere else.
Kim Soohyun had used Positional Exchange in midair; his foot was already planted on another Vagabond’s chest. A priest lay pinned to the ground beneath it. They had come forward to heal Baek Seoyeon, but Kim Soohyun had cut them off from the start.
Among the Vagabond pursuit team chasing the Users, only ten of the fifty were mages or priests. They had already lost nearly half of those in the initial ambush and preemptive strike. In fact, only one priest remained, and now even they had been caught by Kim Soohyun.
Without changing his stance, Kim Soohyun pressed his foot down firmly.
Crack!
“Kaaaaahk!”
The Vagabonds stared at Kim Soohyun as if they had seen a ghost. He scanned his surroundings, apparently searching for his next prey.
It was then.
“Everyone… fall… back…!”
A strained voice echoed faintly through the air. To everyone’s surprise, Baek Seoyeon had forced herself back up. One arm was missing and her face was a bloody mess, but she was standing again. She staggered heavily, seemingly trying to regain her balance, but her left knee gave way and she collapsed to the ground.
At that moment, a fierce wave of magic began to surge behind Kim Soohyun.
“Fire!”
As soon as Baek Seoyeon’s cry, which sounded almost like a sob, was heard, countless spells and arrows shot into the air.
They flew past Kim Soohyun and streaked toward another location—the direction of the other Users.
*
I see.
Watching the spells and arrows fly over my head, I understood what Baek Seoyeon had been planning. I had wondered why ten of them had split off; it seemed they were buying time up front to prepare a concentrated barrage. Their plan was likely to deal with the Users behind me first, then focus their tactics on me.
Kiiiiiiiiiiing!
For a moment, I considered rushing over there, but I stopped. From where the Users were, I could hear the chilling hum of Tyrfing, accompanied by an incredible surge of magic. The surrounding shadows were rapidly converging. I was a little worried, but I decided to trust Ko Yeonju and the other Users.
That left me with two options. I glanced at Baek Seoyeon, then back at the Vagabonds who had launched the barrage. It was surprising that she had managed to get up. Setting aside her arm and abdomen, her brain must have been rattled by the impact, yet she had stubbornly pushed herself to her feet.
I admired her mental fortitude, but that was all. She had already lost her ability to fight. Having lost her favorite weapons and an arm, it was impossible for her to display the same prowess as before.
With that thought, my mind was made up. Right now, dealing with the Concentrated Fire Formation was a higher priority than finishing off Baek Seoyeon and the Vagabonds around her.
I immediately charged toward them.
My first targets were the mages. My magic resistance was monstrous, but the firepower of skilled mages was not to be underestimated. I needed to take them out as quickly as possible to cut off any further support.
Seeing me charge, the Vagabonds immediately turned their attention to me. The mages took a few steps back and began chanting, while the archers took aim.
I could also feel the presence of melee fighters rushing at my back from the rear. They had formed a perfect encirclement, likely thinking I was alone. This, in its own way, could also be considered a Concentrated Fire Formation.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
I deflected the incoming arrows with perfect timing. The enemies in front of me were all archers or mages. In other words, if I could just close the distance, they would be easy pickings. Wanting to finish this quickly, I imbued Victoria’s Glory with magic and swung it in a wide arc.
Kwakwakwaka!
The fan-shaped wave I had previously shown in the plaza swept over the Vagabonds. A few at the far ends or those who had fallen back managed to retreat hastily, but those in the center were not so lucky. Instead, they leaped nimbly into the air, trying to escape the wave’s range. At that moment, I flicked my sword upward. The wave changed direction, instantly surging into the air.
Boom! Kaboom!
“Kuaaaargh!”
“Uwaaaaaaah!”
Sparks flew as some of them tried to resist with their own magic, but soon, every single person who had jumped had a part of their body severed. After dispatching them lightly, I was able to enter the center of the Concentrated Fire Formation.
I immediately swung my sword at the nearest Vagabond. Startled by my speed, the man’s face was frozen in confusion as a flash of light crossed it, followed by a bright red line drawn down the center of his face.
I took down two more Vagabonds within my reach before launching myself toward the mages.
They had scattered in all directions when I broke through, and I was wondering where to go first when I felt a searing flow of magic from both sides. Looking around, I saw two streams of fire converging on me. A moment later, just before the spells reached me, I flicked my sword left and right in a series of light, quick jabs.
Boom! Boom!
As the spells were sliced apart with a roar, I heard someone gasp. And that was the moment the Vagabonds who had been chasing me from behind finally caught up.
After sending a wave of energy toward each of the mages who had cast the spells, I immediately spun around. At the head of the group was a Vagabond wielding a giant mace covered in sharp iron spikes.
The moment he reached me, the Vagabond brought the blue-glowing mace down with all his might. I rotated my body to the left and simultaneously brushed his mace with my sword. The Vagabond’s descending elbow bent backward, and I watched as he smashed his own head in.
Then, using my left foot as a pivot, I used the rotational force to lash out with a kick into the air.
Thwack!
“Kugh!”
I felt a dull impact on the top of my foot. Though I couldn't see it, I swung my sword toward the direction I sensed. I felt it slice through something soft.
After another half-rotation, I finally managed to stop and catch my breath.
“Hoo.”
Lifting my head, I could see that the Concentrated Fire Formation had been completely dismantled.
I briefly glanced ahead. Baek Seoyeon lay on the ground as if dead, and in the distance, a patch of suddenly overgrown bushes caught my eye.
I tilted my head for a moment but decided not to worry about it. My Latent Ability, Blessing of the Battlefield, was telling me that my clan members were safe.
Out of 41 Vagabonds, 26, including Baek Seoyeon, had charged at me. Nearly thirty people had attacked, but now, the number of remaining Vagabonds was in the single digits. The tide of battle had completely turned. Most importantly, Baek Seoyeon had lost consciousness. The ones left were nothing but small fry.
I immediately expanded my Sensing to locate the remaining Vagabonds and swiftly flew toward the nearest one.
It was time to leave a few alive.
*
“Ko Yeonju. Are you alright?”
I took a cigarette from my pocket and spoke to Ko Yeonju, who was sitting on a rock. A faint trace of blood stained her lips. She slowly turned to look at me. When I offered her the cigarette, she shook her head and replied.
“I’m holding up, more or less. That Concentrated Fire Formation… I knew about it, but it’s truly terrifying. Are you okay, Soohyun?”
I nodded. Then I sat down next to her and put the cigarette in my mouth.
Flick, fsssh.
“Hah. What are the damages?”
“Three people. The clan members are all safe.”
“Three, huh. We did well.”
The battle with the pursuit team was over. The Vagabonds had 39 dead. 11 were injured or unconscious. The Users had only 3 dead. The battle between the Vagabonds and the Users had ended in a complete victory for the Users.
“If you only look at the results, yes. Honestly, we were almost hit hard by that concentrated fire, but thankfully, we were able to reduce the damage thanks to that man.”
The person Ko Yeonju pointed to was Jo Seungwoo. He was busy cleaning up the battlefield. The overgrown bushes I had seen must have been a spell he cast for defense.
“But Soohyun.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you leave 11 of the Vagabonds alive?”
“Because they’re worth keeping alive. We’re lacking information right now.”
“That’s true, but…”
Ko Yeonju’s expression was mostly agreeable, but I could see a faint hint of worry. I had a feeling I knew what she was worried about.
“So, even if we dispose of the bodies… what are you going to do with the unconscious Vagabonds?”
“I told them to gather them in one place. And, of course, we’ll have to strip them of all their clothes.”
“What? Oh, you mean their equipment?”
“Well, there’s that, but…”
“…But?”
Of course, I planned to take all their equipment. Anything damaged during the fight couldn't be helped, but the remaining items were worth looking forward to.
In any case, information and equipment were secondary issues. To get information, there was something that had to be done first.
I casually stubbed out my cigarette and stood up from the rock. Then, stretching slowly, I spoke.
“First, I plan to destroy their magic circuits.”