Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Stage 5: Survival
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For a while, the chat window was plastered with question marks.
That was how extraordinary this reward was.
All the rewards from the skipped stages had come at once.
Soo-hyuk smiled and selected option 1.
He had no intention of stopping here.
In response to Soo-hyuk's choice, the chat window erupted once more.
The 5th stage was considered fairly high difficulty.
It was a rare trial, one you didn't see often.
No matter how low a floor this was, at this level, it was bound to draw interest.
Soo-hyuk felt great too.
'The settlement is thorough.'
Trials skipped all the way up to the one where the Fragment of the Giant Tribe appeared.
When the trial began, that had worried Soo-hyuk first.
He wondered if skipping trials meant missing out, and if killing the Wolf Warrior had backfired.
But contrary to his fears, the system wasn't so sloppy.
'This works out even better. Skipped the tedious parts.'
Not only achievement points, but items and experience from rewards came all at once.
1,000 points per stage exactly—4,000 total. Every stage had been scored perfectly.
It meant the trial up to the Wolf Warrior was meaningless for the player who slew it.
'The reward items—'
"Y-you..."
The moment he tried to check the items he'd happily received as rewards.
"Wh-what is it?"
The knight who had just blocked the giant approached Soo-hyuk.
A voice laced with wariness.
With three stages skipped, he needed to introduce himself properly here.
What would be the best response?
After a moment's thought, Soo-hyuk explained himself to the knight—Falcon—who had questioned him.
"I've come to hunt the giant."
The Lightning Trial's main stage pitted giants against humans.
Sudden giant appearances. Villages suffering from them.
The player's role was to fight for the village.
"Please wait here a moment."
Falcon provided Soo-hyuk with lodging.
A small house's living room, with a cramped single room attached.
Not exactly grand treatment for the hero who saved the village.
Then again.
'At this point in the story, the Giant Tribe made life tough enough as is.'
Still, they served him tea as a guest.
He didn't touch it. Something else piqued his interest more.
Time to check the settled rewards.
"Got it."
Soo-hyuk pulled out the two items from his inventory.
"Let's all take a look."
"Oh..."
Soo-hyuk's eyes sparkled as he checked the two rewards.
The first to catch his eye was the Giant's Heart. He liked its form and effects.
'Ring items are rare. And a stat option—health, no less.'
Health was Soo-hyuk's most vital stat.
Items that boosted base stats were precious. Rings were especially convenient to equip.
It'd fetch a high price on the market.
But with the health option, better to use it long-term.
'Perfect timing for defense gear too.'
Plus, his level rose by 3.
The rewards pleased him greatly. Selfish Sacrifice had drained his points, making gear hard to get—but now it worked out.
Appraisals of the items continued for a while.
Growing awkward on stream, Soo-hyuk fiddled with his teacup in the meantime.
'Can't drink this.'
Impossible with a mask on.
Right on cue, a question came in.
Soo-hyuk lifted his mask slightly, took a sip of the tea Falcon brought, and answered.
"Yes. I will."
An obvious question.
Soo-hyuk had planned to acquire Lightning as the baseline for this trial.
The issue was what came after.
'Lightning is a given.'
He never doubted he'd get what he had before.
The question was reaching the end.
But that was just Soo-hyuk's standard.
The topic of Lightning heated the chat hotter than ever.
Opinions split: he'll get it / he won't.
Main sentiment: hopeful but doubtful.
'Everyone's expecting Lightning?'
Most viewers drawn to his stream loved the name "Lee Soo-hyuk" and his concept.
That name, concept, tied to the Lightning Trial.
Anyone nostalgic for the past naturally craved Lightning again.
And sure enough.
A Lightning-related mission.
A hefty sum too.
'5k?'
Soo-hyuk's eyes lit up at the substantial amount.
And it didn't stop at one.
Missions piled up one after another.
All hefty sums. Some mixed in safe bets, assuming failure.
'They really wanna see it.'
Over 300 viewers.
Likely many were true fans of the original Lee Soo-hyuk.
In that case.
"Yes. Understood."
As a streamer, not just a player.
"I'll make sure to show you."
Showing what they craved was his role.
Falcon returned after a while, with a noisy group in tow.
"Sorry to keep you waiting so long."
"It's fine."
Falcon had come seeking Soo-hyuk with one knight.
A knight in battered armor.
He thanked Soo-hyuk first.
"I heard you saved the village while I was away. Thank you on everyone's behalf."
"No need."
Soo-hyuk eyed the tanned-skin knight with Falcon.
Pelius.
Village leader and one of the knights fighting the Giant Tribe.
"Forgive my rudeness, but one question."
Before even sitting.
Urgent, he cut straight to it.
"I heard you're fighting the giants. Is that right?"
Precisely, he'd said he came to hunt giants—but close enough.
Soo-hyuk nodded.
"Yes. That's correct."
"We intend to settle things with them."
Settle?
The village's forces were too weak for such words.
Many giants, and they hadn't even grasped full enemy strength.
Yet the grim tone had one reason.
'They're resolved to die.'
Indeed, Pelius dies in the next stage.
That was certain.
This resolve stemmed from his determination.
"In our last scout, we found the giants' leader."
The trial goal was simple.
Eliminate the Giant Tribe leader.
On surface, yes.
"Help us. Please."
Swoosh—.
Pelius shed knightly pride and bowed low.
And that plea was.
The trigger for this stage.
"...Understood."
The fifth stage, 'Survival,' had begun.
"Let's do this together."
The march began immediately.
Silent mountain trek. After two hours, Soo-hyuk stayed quiet.
Pelius and soldiers totaled about fifty.
This force prepared to take the Giant Tribe leader.
The chat was chaos.
Viewers who knew the future clashed with those avoiding spoilers.
A surge in viewers caused it.
'Need a manager?'
Bored during the march, Soo-hyuk eyed the chat and felt the need.
'Look into it after the trial.'
End of the two-hour march.
Leading Pelius raised a hand to signal.
"Halt."
Soo-hyuk, close behind, stopped with the soldiers, holding breath.
Pelius whispered, pointing.
"That's him. The Giant Tribe leader."
Far off.
A giant slept amid the brush.
Snort— huff— snort—.
Loud snoring.
Bigger than the Fragment of the Giant Tribe. Using trees as bed, over 5 meters tall.
"I'll take point."
Swoosh—.
Pelius drew shield, stepping forward.
"I'll draw its attention first, so Soo-hyuk, target its rear..."
The moment Pelius advanced on the leader.
"You can't go."
Grip—.
Soo-hyuk grabbed his shoulder.
"That one—"
As Soo-hyuk spoke, chat exploded.
"Isn't alone."
Rustle—.
Crack—, thud—.
Sounds of brush parting and trees snapping from all sides.
As sleeping giants awoke.
Stage 5.
'Survival' began.