Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: The Survivor in the Dark Forest
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A forest untouched by light.
While maintaining a steady distance from their pursuers, Cha Min-woo pulled water from his inventory and chugged it down.
"Puha, this is driving me insane, seriously."
Even taking a single sip required utmost vigilance. Enemies could spring out from anywhere at any moment.
Cha Min-woo glanced back at Hee-young, who was sticking close behind him.
"You sure you're okay not heading back?"
"What kind of wound is this? I'm fine."
"That's not just any wound."
Squeeze-.
Black, necrotic blood oozed from the gash on Hee-young's shoulder. Pressing down to staunch the bleeding did nothing.
It wasn't a normal injury.
"Fuck... those damn demon bastards..."
A crimson flame ignited in Cha Min-woo's eyes.
He'd hoped it wasn't true, but demons really lurked in this forest. They had attacked Cha Min-woo and Hee-young indiscriminately, along with the Blue Zone players who'd intruded.
Players and demons were beings who could never mix.
The fight had escalated, and the casualties had mounted. It was regrettable, but in a way, they were lucky it hadn't been worse.
"Maybe..."
As she slowly healed the wounded area with her skill, Hee-young stole a glance at Cha Min-woo.
"That rumor really is true."
"..."
Cha Min-woo said nothing.
He'd tried to deny it at first, but with things as they were, he couldn't anymore.
Maybe, just maybe.
There really was a Blue Eyes survivor here.
Crunch-.
Deeper into the forest.
They arrived at the one spot where light filtered through the trees.
"Hold up."
Cha Min-woo, leading the way, raised a hand to halt the group.
"...Stop."
"Why?"
"Just stop. Up ahead..."
"Up ahead? What's there?"
Hee-young poked her head out from behind Cha Min-woo's back to peer at what was hidden ahead.
In the middle of the empty forest.
Someone sat atop a felled tree.
'What the hell is that.'
Whoosh-.
It was as if that spot alone was a different color. Pitch-black aura swirled around the man, repelling anyone from drawing closer.
A demon?
It certainly gave off that vibe, but his instincts said no.
Then...
"You-."
Cha Min-woo, the group's leader, mustered his courage and took a step forward.
"Who are you?"
Swish-.
The man's head turned.
Long black hair and a bushy beard. Beneath his unkempt appearance gleamed a ferocious glint in his eyes.
'Suffocating.'
Even standing still was a struggle. Hee-young let out a labored breath as the oppressive aura tightened around her throat.
She wasn't the only one.
Everyone except Cha Min-woo showed the same symptoms.
Even without him doing anything special.
"Who I am?"
Swish-.
"Doesn't seem like something you should ask after barging into my turf."
He rose from his seat and turned his gaze toward Cha Min-woo.
The man tilted his head upon seeing Cha Min-woo's face.
"You... where do I know you from?"
"Me?"
"Ah, Cha Min-woo, right? The streamer who copied Soo-hyuk."
Soo-hyuk.
He referred to the legendary Lee Soo-hyuk with such casual familiarity. And somehow, he even knew about Cha Min-woo's old broadcasts where he'd done the Soo-hyuk concept.
Could they talk this out?
A faint spark of hope ignited. They had to resolve this through dialogue somehow.
If a fight broke out, annihilation was certain.
"Have you seen my stream before?"
"Yeah. Back in the day. Before you joined that damn guild."
Hostility dripped from the man's words.
"Come to think of it, that pisses me off."
Crackle-.
The surrounding leaves withered and twisted.
"Means those fuckers made it all the way here?"
"Guhk-."
"Krup-."
Several players behind clutched their throats, gasping for air. Their bodies shriveled, eyes bulging.
Cha Min-woo glared at the man before him.
He had finally turned hostile toward them.
'Do I fight?'
He knew he had to, but he couldn't step forward.
Death loomed right before his eyes.
The moment he gripped his sword tighter to overcome that sensation.
"Calm down a bit."
Fwoosh-!
The mana that had permeated the air vanished. As the Blue Zone guild members collapsed in relief, the man turned to the sudden interloper.
"You with these guys too?"
"Not friends exactly, but they are my subordinates."
"Subordinates?"
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Lee Won-jae, vice-guild master of Blue Zone."
Lee Won-jae.
He smiled brightly at the man. The man's brows furrowed at the greeting.
"Vice-guild master?"
"Yes. You're Hwang Gyu-seong, right?"
A glint flashed in the man's eyes.
At the same time, surprise crossed Cha Min-woo's face.
'Hwang Gyu-seong?'
He'd been a longtime fan of Lee Soo-hyuk. As such, he knew quite a bit about the members of Blue Eyes, the guild he belonged to.
Hwang Gyu-seong.
He was definitely one of Blue Eyes' eight members.
"You came knowing who I am?"
"Yes. Took quite some time to track you down."
"Then you came to the wrong place."
Swish-.
Hwang Gyu-seong's hand reached toward Lee Won-jae.
"Unless you're here to kill yourselves."
Fwoosh-!
Black aura lashed out, engulfing Lee Won-jae's body. Lee didn't dodge or draw his weapon; he simply crossed his arms.
Fizzle-.
Flame-like aura clung to Lee Won-jae's body. It didn't burn him away immediately, but the pain searing his skin twisted his expression.
"...What the hell are you doing right now?"
"We're not here to fight."
Pat pat. Brushing off the black aura clinging to him, Lee Won-jae met Hwang Gyu-seong's eyes.
"I'm here to make a proposal. I think you'll change your mind once you hear it."
Twitch-.
A vein wriggled across Hwang Gyu-seong's forehead like a worm. His brows furrowed in deep thought.
But only for a moment.
"I'll listen, thinking of it as your last words."
"It won't be last words."
His response brimmed with confidence.
"Because what I want is for you to kill Kim Il-su—the one you hate so much."
After finishing their meal.
Lee Soo-hyuk began moving alone in the divided rooms.
Unlike Viola, who was resting comfortably, Lee Soo-hyuk had felt a chill down his spine ever since entering Belheim's mansion.
As if he'd stepped right into the heart of a dungeon.
And he soon learned why.
'Not an illusion.'
If it were just a feeling, he wouldn't go this far.
He'd be out hunting demons instead of wandering the mansion.
The problem was.
'The Heart of Thunder is close.'
The Heart of Thunder, stolen by the demons, was emanating from somewhere in this very mansion.
From deep underground in the mansion, to be precise.
As he slowly made his way there.
A sudden donation message popped up.
It had been a while since the last one. A hefty amount, and from one of the big spenders in his stream.
No matter how much he was holding back on interaction.
"Smells fishy."
Lee Soo-hyuk eventually flipped on his mic to respond.
Was it because Lee Soo-hyuk was interacting after so long? As viewer numbers swelled, the chat scrolled at a blistering pace.
Viewership nearing 20,000.
This trial featured two Valkyries. Muspelheim demons were rare even in top-ranker trials.
The attention was inevitable.
He'd been too focused on the trial to monitor the stream, but thankfully, it was running smoothly.
Another big donation followed, and Lee Soo-hyuk shook his head.
"No. Not skipping entirely... just only if it doesn't interfere with the trial."
The mere word "mission" set the chat ablaze. This trial lacked prime opportunities for missions. The first stage ended too quickly because Vigo went down too easily, and the second hadn't even taken shape.
And as expected, that viewer returned.
Kill hundreds of demons? Another absurd mission. But who was the mission giver? Win rate: 0%. The Players channel's most nickname-defying viewer. Safe Asset. Still. "...This one's a bit tough." Even Lee Soo-hyuk was stumped by this mission. Whether hunting Wolf Warriors or giant tribe leaders. Every mission had at least a sliver of hope, but massacring hundreds of demons? No solution came to mind, no matter how he racked his brain.
What kind of mission was this now?
'Wants me to crash spectacularly.'
Safe Asset's goal seemed to be sabotaging his trial. Pulling that off here would doom it for sure.
"...This one's a no."
This mission lacked any real substance, surprisingly. Smacking his lips in disappointment, Lee Soo-hyuk continued down the stairs. Crunch-. After descending a few floors. "Huh?" "Vigo?" He ran into Vigo climbing up from the lower level. "Where you off to?" "And you?" "I asked first." It was hard to say he was checking the basement on suspicion of Belheim. Vigo would likely side with the Valkyrie. But unexpectedly, Vigo was thinking the same. "I was headed to Belheim." "To Belheim? Why?" "Why do you think? You didn't tell us everything earlier." An unforeseen response. Lee Soo-hyuk had assumed he'd trust Valkyrie Belheim unquestioningly, but Vigo was actually heeding his words. "It's not just today that something felt off." "Then?" "It's been a while. A long while. Unlike Elaine or Viola, who focus solely on their duties, Belheim lives like a real human." Like a real human. Lee Soo-hyuk sensed those words carried no compliment. It meant Belheim's interests lay more in personal desires than guarding the Throne of Thunder. "But I hesitated to suspect based on that alone—might be an insult to a Valkyrie..." "Repent later if needed." Swish-. Lee Soo-hyuk eyed the stairs leading underground. "For now, let's check it out."