Chapter 113
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: The Victor
Players Chapter 113
Faster.
Even faster.
He cut through the space between fractured seconds. Just as a thunderous roar shattered the air, he was behind the Heavenly Dragon Emperor.
An afterimage of black flames belatedly chased after Kang-seok. It coalesced around his right arm, a fire that consumed everything in its path.
Nine seconds.
The miracle began. The power concentrated in the Black Sword Durandal surged forth, ready to shatter everything in its way.
He can't react. He shouldn't be able to.
Eight seconds.
The Heavenly Dragon Emperor turned. He hastily blocked the black sword as it descended like a thunderbolt. The sheer weight of the blow buckled his knees. The aura enveloping his arms was devoured by the flames. For the first time since the duel began, the Heavenly Dragon Emperor failed to deflect Kang-seok’s attack. He took a direct hit, forced to absorb the destructive power of its immense speed with his body.
Seven seconds. Six seconds.
He moved. Once again, the Heavenly Dragon Emperor couldn't read Kang-seok's movements. But he pursued the afterimage with his senses. He moved his body, a step too late.
Another thunderous roar echoed. Again, the Heavenly Dragon Emperor had no time to deflect or dodge. He desperately raised his gauntlets to block the sword, his body naturally stiffening. Kang-seok didn't miss the opening. He closed the distance. Following a low strike, an upward slash sent the Heavenly Dragon Emperor’s body flying. Pressing himself low to the ground, Kang-seok launched a powerful push kick toward the sky, aimed at the Emperor’s abdomen.
Five seconds.
The Heavenly Dragon Emperor’s body hung in mid-air. Before the shock from the blow to his abdomen could even register, he came face-to-face with Kang-seok, who had appeared right before his eyes.
A black storm.
That was all the Heavenly Dragon Emperor could see.
Four seconds. Three seconds. Two seconds.
The Heavenly Dragon Emperor endured the storm-like barrage. It was thanks to the Heavenly Demon's Adamantine Body, one of the seven secret arts of the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon, and his combat instincts that allowed him to react to attacks even his eyes couldn't follow.
But he had only endured. The relentless assault over those three seconds accumulated damage that would not be easily healed. The Heavenly Dragon Emperor couldn't even dream of a counterattack.
*CRASH!*
With a deafening boom, the Heavenly Dragon Emperor’s body plummeted to the earth. Kang-seok kicked off the air. The recoil from the Hybrid Dragon was greater than expected, enough to ravage his already battered body. But Kang-seok didn't look away. He saw the Heavenly Dragon Emperor, who had managed to break his fall instead of crashing messily to the ground. He watched him glare back, and he acknowledged him.
One second.
Kang-seok drew Durandal back in mid-air.
The Heavenly Dragon Emperor gathered every last bit of his strength into the fingertips of his right hand.
They would each unleash their ultimate technique. Nothing less could win this fight.
Kang-seok unleashed the sword of the absolute knight. Knight of Knights, evolved one step further by the power of Dragon Drive.
The Heavenly Dragon Emperor unleashed his concentrated power. The power of the Heavenly Demon, capable of shattering even the heavens, gathered as one to annihilate the enemy before him.
Knight of Knights: Emblem of Absolute Knights.
Secret Art of the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon, Heavenly Demon's Heaven-Annihilating Strike.
Black flames wreathed the sword of light. The head of a dragon, cloaked in pure white lightning, roared as it charged.
A deep green wave of energy condensed into a single point. It rushed forward with a piercing shriek.
They collided. The sound came a moment later. The tremendous flash of light from the impact stole the Players’ vision. The world trembled, and the protective barriers hastily erected by Salome and the other mage Players were shattered once more.
A thick cloud of dust rose. Evangeline found she couldn't speak. Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra were also speechless. In a tension so thick they could barely breathe, they stared at the gouged and broken dueling ground.
A wind blew. The dust scattered, revealing Kang-seok and the Heavenly Dragon Emperor standing, facing each other.
They were a mess.
Both Kang-seok and the Heavenly Dragon Emperor coughed up blood. Their attacks had canceled each other out, failing to tear into their opponent’s throat, but the shockwave alone was enough to leave them in tatters.
The Heavenly Dragon Emperor had suffered ten seconds of damage from Dragon Drive. The hastily activated Heaven-Annihilating Strike had left him with wounds that were difficult to bear.
His core was completely empty. The shock was so great that his sense of pain seemed to have been paralyzed; he felt nothing, but he no longer had the strength to move even a finger.
Kang-seok faced the Heavenly Dragon Emperor. He didn't look away from the monster who had withstood even his trump card, Dragon Drive, who had reacted to that impossible speed.
He was exhausted. His legs had no strength. The recoil from Dragon Drive had turned his insides to pulp.
But he couldn't collapse. He wouldn't allow it.
The Heavenly Dragon Emperor smiled. He looked like he wanted to say something to Kang-seok, but he couldn't part his lips. His knees buckled first, followed by his torso pitching forward.
The Heavenly Dragon Emperor collapsed. But the area remained shrouded in silence. The Players stared at Kang-seok, unable to even swallow their dry saliva.
Kang-seok closed his eyes. He barely managed to lift Durandal, which he was holding onto through sheer grit. He roared like a beast.
The outcome was decided. The winner and loser were clear. The Players could finally breathe again. As if to make up for their silence, they let out a thunderous cheer.
Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra shot up from their seats. Evangeline rushed to the Heavenly Dragon Emperor’s side, and Kim Kang-san burst into a triumphant laugh at the sight of Kang-seok, who had collapsed spread-eagled on the ground right after his roar.
He won. He was victorious. It was only by a few seconds, but Kang-seok had managed to win.
[Quest Cleared]
[Quest: Emerge victorious in the duel against the Heavenly Dragon Emperor.]
[Choi Kang-seok?! Choi Kang-seok?! Are you okay?!]
[You won! You won! I'm telling you, you won! Choi Kang-seok won!]
Iris shouted in excitement. Kang-seok couldn't answer. It was all he could do to catch his ragged breath.
He wanted to close his eyes right then and there. He just wanted to sleep. But Kang-seok held on a little longer. He heard the voices of Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra.
“Kang-seok!”
“Go Min-gu! Hurry!”
Seong Yu-jin sat by Kang-seok’s head and quickly cast a healing spell.
Choi Yu-ra held Kang-seok’s hand, not knowing what to do, and soon Go Min-gu ran over, planted a totem nearby, and began to sing. The power emanating from the Staff of the World Tree healed not only Kang-seok but the Heavenly Dragon Emperor as well.
Kang-seok exhaled. Blood trickled down his chin, but his chest felt strangely at ease. Choi Yu-ra's face came into his blurry vision. Kang-seok forced a smile.
“I couldn't crush him… but I won.”
At his seemingly out-of-place words, Choi Yu-ra smiled through her tears. She nodded repeatedly. After exchanging a final glance with Seong Yu-jin, Kang-seok closed his eyes. He gladly let go of consciousness.
***
“In terms of specs alone, the Heavenly Dragon Emperor is clearly stronger. But the one who won the match was the Dark Destiny Lord, I see.”
More than six hours had passed since the duel ended. Salome, the Guild Master of the Chosen Guild, murmured softly as she watched the evening sun paint the sky. Akita, a mage Player standing beside her and observing the impromptu festival in full swing, responded with a mumble of his own.
“In any case, the Heavenly Dragon Emperor lost, and I lost about half my fortune.”
“You’re not the only one. I lost mine, too.”
Most of the Players who had placed bets lost money. Only a few had bet on Kang-seok over the Heavenly Dragon Emperor, and even they had mostly wagered small amounts, so the number of people who had truly profited from the duel was extremely small.
“Only the Adamas Guild hit the jackpot. That woman, Choi Yu-ra, bet her entire fortune, you know.”
“And here I was, happy I’d found a sucker.”
Salome and Akita, the organizers of the betting duel, sighed in unison before turning their gazes forward again. An impromptu festival was unfolding against the backdrop of the sunset.
Countless Players were engaged in betting duels. Production-class Players had opened a market, and various foods and items were being actively traded.
Their blood was pumping.
There was no other way to describe it. Many Players who had watched the noon duel were filled with a competitive spirit and a desire to improve, and that energy had created the lively scene before them.
Salome raised her head a little higher. She looked at the silver airship cutting across the sky, which was beginning to be tinged with the colors of night.
“The Heavenly Dragon Emperor woke up, I hear? Though it seems he passed out again right after.”
“I heard he coolly handed over the MVP reward and left.”
“A friendly rivalry?”
“Sounds like you’ve been reading too many comics.”
Salome and Akita looked at each other and shared a wry smile almost simultaneously. Salome asked again.
“The Dark Destiny Lord is still out?”
“Probably.”
Akita replied, gesturing to his left. He pointed toward the coast where the Black Dragon was docked, and where the members of the Adamas Guild were in the middle of dinner.
***
“Heeheeheehee. I’m rich noooow. Eeheeheeheehee.”
Yang Jun-gyu, dazed from a single cup of fruit wine, giggled and muttered to himself. Sekhmet, sitting next to him, watched his bulging coin purse with a pleased smile.
Go Min-gu hadn't bet a significant amount on the Heavenly Dragon Emperor, so his losses were small, but the fact that every other member of the Adamas Guild had won money tormented him. The price for his betrayal-that-wasn't-a-betrayal was being the only one to lose, so it was no wonder he had a bitter taste in his mouth.
Seong Yu-jin, who had received the Key of Allocen from the Heavenly Dragon Emperor on Kang-seok's behalf, watched the Ascalon cut across the night sky.
An hour ago.
Despite his defeat, the Heavenly Dragon Emperor had looked refreshed.
*I want to become stronger. I will become stronger.*
She remembered that Edward Price, the Captain of the Knights Templar she had met in Wiesbaden, had worn a similar expression.
Evangeline tried her best to avoid Choi Yu-ra’s gaze, while Choi Yu-ra made every effort to get face-to-face with her.
Choi Yu-ra's actions were a bit mischievous, but Seong Yu-jin didn't bother to stop her.
Kang-seok had yet to wake up. His stamina must have been severely depleted, as Sekhmet had diagnosed that he wouldn't wake up until noon the next day at the earliest.
Seong Yu-jin tore her gaze from the Ascalon, which she presumed was carrying Evangeline and the Heavenly Dragon Emperor, and looked back down at the ground. She took a moment to look over each of the Adamas Guild members. Then, she tilted her head in confusion.
Choi Yu-ra was nowhere to be seen.
***
“You know it’s a crime to do weird things to an unconscious person, right?”
“I’m not going to do anything weird.”
Park Han-yeong, who was guarding the Black Dragon while cloaked, chided her. Choi Yu-ra, who had been sneaking aboard, pouted. She added, somewhat defensively.
“I just came to check on Kang-seok.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
Park Han-yeong rolled her eyes, and Choi Yu-ra growled.
Park Han-yeong chuckled and spoke again.
“Last I checked, he was sleeping soundly in his cabin. He looked really tired, so try not to wake him up.”
“I know. I told you, I just came to see him for a second.”
Grumbling, Choi Yu-ra walked past Park Han-yeong and entered the cabin. Standing on the deck, Park Han-yeong watched her go, shrugged once, and then cloaked herself again.
Moonlight streamed in through the cabin window. Quietly opening the door and stepping inside, Choi Yu-ra found herself pursing her lips.
As Park Han-yeong had said, Kang-seok was sound asleep. She had worried he might have a pained expression, but thankfully, his face was peaceful. It even looked like he was smiling faintly.
After a quick glance around, Choi Yu-ra sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at Kang-seok’s face. Foolishly, just seeing his sleeping face made her lips tremble. Her expression crumbled.
It was a relief that Kang-seok was asleep and couldn't see her face right now.
The Great Summoning.
A cruel event that had brought over 370,000 Players to this world and driven most of them to their deaths.
But Choi Yu-ra felt fortunate to have come to this world through the Great Summoning.
Without it, walking and running on her own two feet would have been impossible. Making friends in reality, not just online, would have remained in the realm of imagination.
And the best part of all.
Choi Yu-ra’s eyes shifted. She placed a short kiss on Kang-seok's forehead. Even that was embarrassing enough that she couldn't stay any longer. She tried to act nonchalant, but her earlobes were red, and the firm line of her lips kept threatening to break. The words Kang-seok had said right after winning the duel with the Heavenly Dragon Emperor echoed in her ears.
Moonlight poured in. Choi Yu-ra took one last look at Kang-seok, then stood up. She fought the urge to turn back again and left the cabin.
And on the afternoon of the next day.
The Adamas Guild's dungeon exploration began.