Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Checkmate
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Lee Si-woo had meticulously orchestrated the stage to his advantage, luring Yuryung in, and he'd seen some success.
However, things in life rarely go exactly as planned.
The school of magic Yuryung used, which Lee Si-woo had failed to account for.
That was now becoming a variable.
*Clatter.*
Yuryung scattered pebbles on the floor.
The pebbles rolling across the floor seemed to move randomly, yet they also formed a shape, like a constellation in the night sky.
“A scythe?”
Yuryung's face hardened as he confirmed the pebbles had arranged themselves into the shape of a scythe.
1st Circle Mystery Magic, 'Divination'.
The very magic Harman had once used to track Lee Si-woo and tell his own fortune.
And Yuryung had an unusual, blind faith in this magic, whose accuracy depended on the user's skill.
Though the risk was considerable due to the chance of being wrong, for the simple-minded Yuryung, there were few signposts as useful as divination.
“Lee Si-woo. Dangerous. Will betray. Cannot trust.”
Trusting without a shred of doubt the results of the divination that had saved him from countless crises, Yuryung next took out his stone necklace.
This stone necklace, woven from his favorite stones handpicked over three days and nights by the seashore, was Yuryung's trusted guide and beacon.
As Yuryung operated the divination magic and gently shook the necklace, the tip of a pointed stone indicated west.
“North no good. West good. The stones speak. Deal with Lee Si-woo first.”
Yuryung bared his fangs and growled.
The beast, having chosen its prey, began to move.
***
Having moved from the bustling hall to a quiet bar to watch the live feed of the selection match, Mars, the president of Wasp, spoke, his pig-like nose flaring.
“That Yuryung... he’s at it again with his divination. Such a strange fellow. Didn't he kill all of our aces, whom we painstakingly sent in, just because of one strange divination result before?”
Rios gazed deeply at the golden liquid sloshing in his beer mug and said.
“It was quite a spectacle. Killing all his subordinate mages because of a single divination that said a comrade would betray him. But isn't it funny how things turned out? It seems that supposed traitor was Lee Si-woo all along. Tsk, tsk, just like the dimwit he is, he killed his comrades for nothing.”
Mars let out a dry laugh at Rios's composure, who seemed to be watching a neighbor's house burn down even though it was his own that was on fire.
“Well, I suppose it’s a relief that he won't be played by Lee Si-woo this time, thanks to his divination. Still... with everyone dead except Yuryung, our situation is no different from the Senior Magic Tower's.”
“Well, I suppose so.”
Rios didn't seem to mind that they had lost the advantageous position they had worked so hard to secure, all because of Yuryung's bizarre actions.
Displeased by this, Mars posed a petulant question.
“...Lord Rios, I know this is rude, but I'm so curious I can't stand it. Why on earth did you allocate a betting ticket to a guy like Yuryung?”
It was Rios who had singled out and brought Yuryung, so this resentment was bound to surface now that the situation was dire.
Rios replied in his usual relaxed and composed voice.
“Because he’s strong.”
“Pardon?”
“I recruited him because he's strong enough to overlook all those shortcomings, Mars. You know what the level cap for a 1st Circle Master is, don't you?”
“At most, it's 199, isn't it? 200 is the domain of 2nd Circle mages.”
“Yuryung is 200.”
Startled, Mars knocked over his glass.
A level of 200 meant Yuryung was at the 2nd Circle stage, and a 2nd Circle mage participating in the selection match was a clear violation of the rules.
Rios waved his hand as if to say, *it's not what you think.*
“Don't be so shocked, it's not a rule violation. Yuryung is simply a superior version of Lee Si-woo.”
“A superior version... Ah, so you're saying Yuryung is the same type of case as Lee Si-woo? Hmm, I see now. Just as Lee Si-woo, a 1st Circle Beginner, overwhelms other mages with that strange golden ability, Yuryung also….”
“Exactly. He's a monster whose physical abilities and Talent alone bring his prowess close to that of a 2nd Circle mage, regardless of his magic. He didn't inherit the blood of an ogre for nothing.”
Mars took out his smart pad and reviewed the data on Lee Si-woo provided by the management team.
“Looking at the accumulated data, Lee Si-woo's level is 199, the absolute limit for a 1st Circle Master. Of course, even this makes him skilled enough to contend with Kakan and Viridia, but his prowess is far from what you'd expect from level 200. Which means….”
“Exactly. The kid can't beat Yuryung. Absolutely not.”
Rios's voice was filled with conviction.
However, despite his confidence, a part of Rios felt uneasy.
He knew all too well that the outcome of a fight wasn't determined solely by skill level.
‘Just looking back at Lee Si-woo's cunning path so far, it's clear he's no pushover. And Yuryung, despite his skill, has his shortcomings... Ugh, no matter how I think about it, their matchup is bad. Tsk, this is why I wanted to deal with Lee Si-woo first....’
But what good would regrets do now?
The ship had already sailed.
With Kenyon watching like a hawk, all Rios could do was cheer for Yuryung.
***
When Yuryung came to the western area, Lee Si-woo realized his plan had gone awry, but he didn't panic.
Yuryung wasn't a programmed robot, after all; how could he have expected or been certain that he would move according to his will?
Therefore, this level of deviation was within Lee Si-woo's calculations, and he was prepared with a countermeasure.
Yes, except for one thing: Yuryung was stronger than Lee Si-woo had ever imagined.
*CRASH!*
Struck by Yuryung's blow, Lee Si-woo was slammed into a building wall like a fly swatted by a flyswatter.
A single blow.
And he hadn't even taken it head-on; he had properly guarded, yet his insides felt like they'd been violently shaken.
Forcibly swallowing the bile rising in his throat, Lee Si-woo's head spun.
‘He's strong.’
Yuryung shot forward like a bullet, aiming a kick at Lee Si-woo's side.
Spurred on by his danger sense, which was screaming alarms, Lee Si-woo twisted his body with all his might.
As Yuryung's foot tore through the air, grazing past his eyes, Lee Si-woo watched with a cold gaze and fired a Magic Arrow from his palm.
*Ting!*
Yuryung casually deflected the Magic Arrow with the back of his hand, which then shot toward Lee Si-woo's back.
His intention was to rip off the Wind Wings and neutralize Lee Si-woo's mobility.
Sensing Yuryung's intent, Lee Si-woo used his Wind Wings to soar into the sky.
“You. Cannot escape.”
Yuryung's hand lashed out like a whip and snatched Lee Si-woo's foot.
It was a situation where his foot could be crushed, or he could be slammed to the ground like a snake caught by the tail.
Lee Si-woo untied the rope from his waist and threw it at Yuryung.
*Fwoosh*, the rope flew and wrapped around Yuryung's entire body.
Normally, Lee Si-woo would have considered victory within his grasp at this point, but not now.
With an expression devoid of any leisure, he pounded his fist on Yuryung's hand that held his foot.
*Thwack! Thwack!*
Yuryung frowned at Lee Si-woo's full-powered punches and loosened his grip. Freed, Lee Si-woo flew up into the air.
A short exchange.
Was it because the tension he felt in that brief moment squeezed his lungs?
The breath he exhaled carried a distinctly sweet scent.
Lee Si-woo watched the rope-bound Yuryung and tried to make a calm assessment.
‘Did I get him? No, this won't hold him. If I, at level 199, am being pushed this hard, then that guy is probably….’
With a sharp grunt, *Hup!*, the rope binding Yuryung's body snapped powerlessly.
Seeing this, Lee Si-woo sighed in resignation.
Breaking free from a rope that not even a 1st Circle Master could escape meant that Yuryung's level was at 2nd Circle or higher.
‘I can't win alone.’
A calm and accurate judgment. Followed by a swift movement.
Lee Si-woo flapped his Wind Wings and rapidly departed the battlefield.
Seeing Lee Si-woo's retreating back, Yuryung roared and gave chase at a ferocious speed.
“Lee Si-woo! Cannot escape!”
As a descendant of ogre blood, Yuryung's physical abilities were formidable, but he had also inherited an ogre's dull intellect.
As he chased after Lee Si-woo, he didn't even realize he had left the western area and was now heading north.
It was the moment Yuryung's fatal flaw, his lack of thought, which Rios had worried about beforehand, was revealed.
*Swoooosh.*
Shooting forward like an arrow, Lee Si-woo reached the northern area in an instant.
Lee Si-woo glanced at the dozen or so mages waiting ahead and at Yuryung hot on his heels, a corner of his mouth twisting up.
‘Sorry, but you guys will have to play with this monster for a bit.’
And then, Lee Si-woo vanished mid-flight.
He had lured the enraged Yuryung to Kakan and Viridia before connecting to Barathrum.
As Lee Si-woo disappeared from the air before them, Kakan shouted in a booming voice.
“He used an invisibility ability and vanished! Stay on your guard! He'll reappear when we let our guard down!”
Standing beside Kakan, Viridia's eyes narrowed as she spoke.
“Careful, Lee Si-woo's ally, Yuryung, is coming from behind.”
Seeing Kakan and Viridia, Yuryung let out a low growl and charged.
The divination telling him to eliminate the western Lee Si-woo first had completely vanished from his mind, his reason paralyzed by excitement and rage.
“Give me Lee Si-woo--!”
Yuryung was no different from a wolf that had charged into a flock of sheep.
A mage struck by Yuryung's swinging arm had his neck twisted at a grotesque angle, and another hit by his leg was sent flying while vomiting blood.
Kakan was shocked by Yuryung's combat prowess, which shattered the Mana Shields and bodies of 1st Circle Masters alike.
As someone who prided himself on his own skills, he recognized Yuryung's level at a glance.
“2nd Circle? No. Don't tell me... is his level over 200?”
Viridia said as she summoned a Wood Spirit.
“Either way, it's unfortunate for us. Focus. If you don't want to die.”
A spirit resembling a wooden doll climbed onto Viridia's shoulder.
It was the trademark Wood Spirit of the Old Tree Magic Tower.
The Wood Spirit stretched out its hands, and wooden stems poured out from its palms, engulfing Yuryung.
The wooden stems, with a binding force comparable to the rope, wrapped around his entire body. Panicked for only a moment, Yuryung tore them apart with his brutish hands.
Although it didn't deal any significant damage to Yuryung, the brief two-second restraint was enough for the mages to regroup and prepare a counterattack.
“Unleash your magic!”
“No matter how strong he is, think of our numbers! He’s nothing!”
The mages encouraged each other and poured out all sorts of 1st Circle magic.
Elemental magic of water, fire, wind, and earth battered Yuryung's entire body.
But it was useless.
Yuryung's skin, derived from ogre genes, was so tough it could easily withstand 1st Circle magic even without a Mana Shield.
[1st Circle Elemental Magic: Swiftness]
Kakan, cloaked in currents of wind, reached Yuryung's face with lightning-fast movement.
“Hah!”
With a short cry, Kakan's knee struck Yuryung's face.
His temper soured by his throbbing nose, Yuryung swatted Kakan's torso with his palm.
*SMACK!*
With a sound like a rubber spatula hitting a slab of meat, Kakan's body spun several times in the air.
Yuryung delivered a high kick to Kakan's side, as if kicking the side of a spinning top.
His body bent like the letter 'V' on its side, Kakan let out a groan.
“Kugh... You crazy monster....”
Kakan rolled once on the ground and twisted his head to dodge Yuryung's fist aiming for his head.
As a member of the physically robust Lion Tribe, Kakan somehow endured, but he could feel the gap between him and Yuryung after just two blows.
In the end, Kakan changed his strategy, avoiding contact with Yuryung as much as possible.
He used the agility of his body enhanced by Swiftness to circle Yuryung like an out-boxer, aiming to accumulate damage.
“Tricky cat. Dodging is cheap. Take it like a man.”
“Who are you calling a cat, you mongrel beast!”
Yuryung continuously pressed Kakan, but he couldn't land a significant hit because of the constant support fire from the surrounding mages.
Behind Kakan, who was trading blows back and forth, Viridia stroked the Wood Spirit's head and said.
“Good boy. Give me a seed.”
The Wood Spirit spat out a black seed from its mouth.
Viridia carefully picked up the ominously colored seed with her thumb and forefinger. As she channeled her mana, the seed sprouted, producing a black thorn.
Spirit magic didn't belong to the five major schools, the main branches of magic, but that didn't mean it was an inferior field.
Unlike conventional magic based on mana pattern research, its foundation was contract magic based on affinity, which was why it was classified separately. Its usefulness, however, was no less than that of the five major schools.
[Lesser Wood Spirit's Art: Thorn of Pain]
The black thorn left Viridia's hand and drifted toward Yuryung on the wind, like a dandelion seed.
Perhaps due to the thorn's stealthy movement as it fluttered through the air?
Yuryung, failing to notice the thorn's presence, allowed it to embed itself in his back.
“Huh? Back hurts. Suddenly hurts.”
The pain that started in his back spread throughout his entire body via his spine.
The Thorn of Pain had neither physical force nor lethal power, but its strength lay in its ability to inflict pain that ignored the target's defenses.
As Yuryung thrashed about from the intense pain, unable to fight properly, Kakan seized the opportunity and drove his elbow into his solar plexus.
“Agh! It hurts! Stop it!”
Ignoring Yuryung's screams, Kakan relentlessly unleashed a barrage of attacks.
Kakan clawed Yuryung's chest and even kicked him in the groin.
The attacks were merciless, but Yuryung's body was so tough that he showed no signs of collapsing.
‘Hm?’
Kakan suddenly realized it had become too quiet around him.
And he soon understood why.
At some point, the support fire from his subordinate mages had completely stopped.
Just then, Viridia shouted in an urgent voice.
“Kakan! Watch your back! It's Lee Si-woo! It's Lee Si-woo! He's been assassinating the other mages and is now targeting us!”
The sight made Kakan’s blood run cold.
No matter how chaotic it was, how could he have forgotten?
The most dangerous person of all.
When Kakan turned his head, he saw Lee Si-woo flapping his Wind Wings, shooting toward him.
Five strange lights flickered at the tips of Lee Si-woo's right hand.
Flames of mana burning at the tips of his five fingers.
Kakan, who had heard of such a phenomenon before, widened his eyes.
“Fi-Five-Mage!”
Lee Si-woo's five fingers touched Kakan's body.
Seeing the mana flames leave a brand-like mark on Kakan's side, Lee Si-woo curled his lip.
“Checkmate.”