Chapter 37: Crushing the Duo
Zien leisurely picked up the items scattered on the floor, enemy or no enemy.
A drink that boosts strength stats for 10 minutes. Just chug it, and you'll feel power like a raging bull surging through you!
※ Store-bought versions are just ordinary energy drinks.
'This is straight-up indirect product placement.'
Forget drinking potions! It's the era of apply potions now. Just rub it on, and minor wounds will heal right up!
'This one's actually useful. Hospital theme means it's all meds.'
That's when footsteps approached, and two men entered.
"Hello. I'm Shiro. This here's Coolin."
"Dude, why greet the guy you're fighting?"
"C'mon, it's not a real fight—it's a game. Imagine scrapping bloody and then bumping into each other shopping in town. Super awkward, right?"
Shiro shrugged and eyed Zien.
"Not fazed we're two? We're from the same school, actually. Parties crossing paths like this? Rare stuff, huh?"
Chatty guy, no whiff of danger. But Amy thought otherwise.
Still, their mana and skills felt average by Zien's standards.
'That dangerous?'
As if answering his doubt, another message from Amy popped up.
Amy could match Shiro's chattiness, no problem.
'Stick 'em together, and it'd be a show.'
Zien calmly summoned his sword.
"Zien."
They showed courtesy; he'd return it. Shiro grinned and replied.
"Nice to meet ya."
Flash!
Shiro and Coolin's figures vanished. In the next split-second, their combo attack landed.
Shiro's sword aimed for the gut, Coolin's spear for the throat.
'This the best they've got?'
Since regaining his memories, Zien's first foe was the academy's top genius, the Crimson Flame Witch.
Second was the mountain lord monster, Hyferus.
The peak? The bloody clash at the mage tower. Though he escaped, Zien held his own against Illusion, a 6th-rank Saber and Desire executive.
Zien always pushed limits.
Result? Even top students were no match.
Whoosh!
Zien's sword traced a perfect diagonal crescent. The ideal path among all possibilities.
One slash twisted both sword and spear trajectories.
"Hup!"
"Ngh!"
The duo's stances crumbled.
But the assault didn't end. With senses maxed, time crawled for Zien. The instant they realized failure felt eternal to him.
"Can't block this one."
Zien smirked.
Sword back to his chest, then whipped out at blinding speed.
Screech—
Another flawless arc, measured to perfection.
No blades to parry this time.
Slice.
A chilling sound as his sword cleaved through. Overwhelming power. Overwhelming skill. Zien was the irregular shattering the tournament's balance.
"Insane!"
Coolin yelled.
A plain sword strike—not even a magic art—left them wide open. In reality, that hit would've killed them.
"Y-You're... way too strong!"
Shiro's cheerful face turned hollow. Zien, who seemed equal moments ago, now loomed like a massive wall.
"Coolin! Sh-Should we just use that?"
Terrified Shiro glanced at Coolin.
"Yeah. Full throttle."
Coolin agreed.
Even 2v1, no holding back against this guy. They knew it now.
"Hah!"
Shiro started, sticking tight to Zien in a defensive stance, trying to lock his movement.
Then Coolin, the plan's core.
Magic tool now? Too risky. But Coolin had a loophole exploit: chugging Shiro's energy drink. Restored 1000 MP, and it shone now.
"Bend!!"
Coolin's stigma glowed; his spear rocketed toward Shiro's back at ferocious speed. But just before impact—
Snap!
The spear bent at right angles.
Extending, twisting repeatedly. Naturally, its tip targeted Zien.
'Nailed it.'
Victory in sight, Shiro smiled. They didn't know: skill gaps stemmed from experience and instinct.
'To drop me, only one spot to hit.'
As Coolin thrust, Zien ducked. Past-life instinct plus maxed senses—a divine technique.
50 MP consumed.
Zien even spent mana to drop lower.
Whoosh!
The spear pierced empty air where his heart had been.
"Impressive."
Crouched low, Zien praised Shiro honestly. No sarcasm. Their combo was solid. Just outclassed.
Slice!
Kicking off the ground, Zien slashed through both. Shiro and Coolin dissolved into particles, leaving only items behind.
"Yes! Knew you had it!!"
Amy whooped like a hooligan from the booth. Crowd matched her energy.
Hero's second lap was that dominant. Transcending student level—higher-dimensional feats. In combat, Zien's senses bordered on foresight or precognition.
Viewers freaking out? Natural. Amy amped it up.
"You see that? Under a minute! Nah, like 10 seconds?"
That last "[I know that guy!]" was Marceline. She owed Zien her life from slaying Hyferus on Eves Mountain.
Proud of Zien's feats, Marceline chatted like an insider.
But...
Results? Dismal.
Chat didn't buy it. Marceline doubled down.
To Zien's fans, she was just another attention-seeker.
'Aggro's high today.'
Amy personally muted Marceline for 30 minutes. Then flashed her sales smile.
"Viewers, you saw that, right? Winner's Arcana's A-class, you know it!"
"Whoa, 300k coins! Eek! No donations! Even if you do, it's not my money!!"
As Amy said, Battle Survival donations went straight to G Channel.
Streamers could buy party gifts with viewer donations, though.
"N-Next time! No... stop donating! Not mine!!"
The more Amy overreacted, donations poured. Her flustered face? Calculated to poke contrarian viewers.
'Hitting 5 mil soon. Great momentum from the start~'
Amy was Saber and streamer. Handling crowds was her forte.
Recovering 500 MP.
Zien's trait restored 1000 MP total. Half his max refilled right off the bat.
'Skills and magic tools are good now.'
Zien eyed the floor.
'Pocket drops one-third of holder's items. Hope for goodies.'
Losers' pockets littered drops. Zien pocketed them one by one.
"All basics, as expected. Most unique one's..."
Following Amy's tip, he narrated aloud.
"Pocket."
Pocket Inventory
1 - Biscuits [Qty: 6]
2 - Bottled Water [Qty: 4]
3 - Mana Drink x50 [Qty: 1]
4 - Bandages [Qty: 2]
5 - Glowmoth's Glow Powder
6 - Apply Potion [Qty: 1]
'Glowmoth.'
Glowmoths appeared occasionally clearing 3-zone gates.
Oddly, their wings glowed at night from luminous powder. Usually junk, but Zien saw potential.
'Depends on use.'
Items here were limited anyway. Artifacts? Bosses or airdrops.
'Time to move. Link with party.'
No group wipe if leader Zien stayed. But linking fast was advantageous. Common sense.
Zien finally exited the abandoned hospital.
Unlike the gloomy interior, harsh sunlight outside blinded him.
Ding.
'She uses formal in chat.'
Minor detail. Content was wild. Tried spoiling enemy info, but censored.
'First target? Boss maybe?'
Party link or airdrop? Luck-based. Bosses spawned fixed spots.
'Nearest boss respawns from hospital: sea, school, military base, cave.'
Four options. Sea out—Sea Serpent needed range attacks.
'School solo's impossible.'
School boss Witch countered sword magic tools like Zien's worst.
Of the rest, Zien picked the factory.
'Good matchup.'
Full name: Knight's Cave.
Event-exclusive zone with the sole sword-wielding boss among varieties.
A boss guarding solo, prizing chivalry and honor.
'Target set.'
Zien calculated bearings via terrain.
'Ridge is right.'
"Current MP."
Current MP: 1923 / 3300
Getting handy with the system. Zien swiped the hologram away, smiled at empty air.
"Shall we thin the competition?"
Proven skill plus hype line? Viewers surged.
Zien chuckled at Amy's cute message.
'Messages and speech don't match at all.'
Zien headed for the mountain peak.
Karsen's left: Romina raging at the screen.
"Argh! What's main cam doing? Why only Celia? Where's our Zien?!"
"Calm down. And who said 'our' Zien?"
"Biased broadcast? What?!"
G Channel's main cam was one per official screen. Hard to divvy screen time evenly.
"Can't help it. Celia's still viewer #1 by a hair."
Zien's hospital rampage boosted Arcana viewers, but Celia edged ahead.
"Even so, too much! How's #2 never shown?"
Romina grumbled.
From Karsen's right, Timothy snickered.
"Still hot-headed? Game just started. That Zien or whatever does well, they'll switch."
"Oops. Sorry. Saying that to empty Croa viewers? Sounded whiny."
"Oh? Viewers matter? Winning does."
"You think Croa wins?"
"Problem? Yeah, we do."
Romina and Timothy smiled, eyes cold. Tense staredown. Karsen sighed.
"Still act like students? Teachers, act age."
Karsen frowned; Timothy crossed arms, clung sweetly.
"Sowwy~ Don't be mad Karsen~ Romina's too loud?"
Timothy cooed at Karsen. He refocused on screen; she smirked at Romina. Total loss. Romina's lips twitched.
'Zien. Beat Croa for sure...'
Romina glared at Timothy, fists shaking.