Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Giant's Seed
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Puuk-.
The tip of the sword pierced through the back of the Giant Tribe leader's neck.
The blade shot out the other side, penetrating the uvula.
The chat was in utter chaos.
It was more than justified.
It was different from the Wolf Warrior.
Both weren't meant to be killed, but the apparent difficulty was worlds apart.
The Wolf Warrior was a boss everyone had challenged at least once.
Players had all pointed their swords and weapons at the Wolf Warrior, and skilled ones had even left scars.
But the Giant Tribe leader was different.
Not just killing it—even approaching was impossible.
That was the Giant Tribe leader.
Grraaaaaah-!
The Giant Tribe leader, its neck pierced, squeezed out its remaining strength to scream. The forest-shaking roar quickly faded the effect of Thunderclap.
And soon.
Grrr-?
Grraaaaaah-!
The giants, momentarily deafened by Thunderclap, regained their senses.
『 Hu... man...! 』
Was this guy a boss-grade monster like the Wolf Warrior?
The language spilling from the Giant Tribe leader's mouth lodged in his ears.
Crack-!
Whoosh-.
The Giant Tribe leader, sword still lodged in its neck, snapped a nearby tree and swung it.
The resistance was fierce.
As expected from its size, its power was on another level compared to the other giants.
For a moment, his grip on the sword loosened, nearly sending him flying.
Troublesome.
Dying, yet burning its last embers.
Grip-.
In case it slipped, he poured more strength into his sword hand.
Ignorant chatter.
If I'd tried to slash, the sword wouldn't have gone in.
It had taken considerable force just to pierce the neck.
For the same force, concentration yields more destructive power. Slashing might be surer if possible, but Soo-hyuk instinctively judged it impossible.
Thanks to that judgment, he pierced the neck, and now the thing was thrashing in its death throes.
Grraaaaaah-!
Grrr-.
Below the Giant Tribe leader.
Relatively smaller giants littered everywhere. The moment he fell, their clubs would smash him to bits.
『 Hu-man...!!! 』
Left alone, it'd survive a while.
The viewers were spot-on: due to its size, the pierced area was thin.
In that case.
"Stop clinging so annoyingly—."
Quaddud-.
No choice but to twist the sword and widen the wound.
"Just die already!"
Soo-hyuk twisted the sword embedded in its neck. Right now, severing its breath as fast as possible was all he could do.
Stage 5's goal is survival. This guy's the stage boss.
Zeeeek-.
The neck wound expanded.
Gradually reaching fatal levels even for a giant.
This thing dies, stage ends.
『 Kaaak-, Kek...! 』
The Giant Tribe leader screamed. The cry from its 5-meter frame rattled Soo-hyuk's ears.
Last gasp glow?
In its final moments, the Giant Tribe leader resisted even more violently.
As if trying to shake Soo-hyuk off its back.
And the next instant.
Whoosh-.
Crack-!
"......!"
Soo-hyuk's body, hanging from its neck, flew off.
The Giant Tribe leader had swung its fist toward its own neck.
Unstable position meant the fist lacked full power, but the force from its bulk was no joke.
Kwajik-!
"Kuhp......"
The impact dizzied his head. Simultaneously, a thud echoed.
The Giant Tribe leader had collapsed to the ground.
Whoosh-.
Clubs flying in simultaneously.
Crack-!
The tree club slamming the ground splintered, shards flying. Soo-hyuk urgently rolled aside to dodge, his eyes scanning everywhere.
Without the armor, that would've been dangerous.
Rare-grade armor, Thunderclap.
Thanks to the layered defense inside his clothes, he endured one hit.
No.
Whoosh-
Dodging yet another club, Soo-hyuk rolled his eyes.
Not over yet.
He took one hit, but the outcome hadn't changed.
He'd reached the Giant Tribe leader as planned and successfully stabbed its neck.
In fact.
Gruk, grr-.
The twitching Giant Tribe leader on the ground breathed its last.
+ Strength +1
+ Agility +2
+ Stamina +2
+ Magic Power +1
Messages popped up in sequence.
Stamina up by 2.
Vitality surged into his body, which had been hitting bottom.
Good.
The stage boss. One not meant to be killed.
Level up and rising stats—he'd planned around that baseline.
A bit of vitality returned to his body.
But this wasn't enough to confidently break the giants' encirclement and escape.
Please come out.
The message window wasn't over yet.
Surrounded by giants, dodging clubs, Soo-hyuk prayed inwardly.
Something to escape this. A good skill or item.
Time seemed to crawl.
The reward for slaying the so-called Giant Tribe leader, 'Giant's Seed', appeared.
Kwarung-!
A streak of yellow lightning crashed down from the sky.
Grk-?
Grraaaaaah-!
The giants swinging clubs at Soo-hyuk hesitated and backed off.
Chijijik-.
The reward before his eyes drew a startled sound from Soo-hyuk.
"......Huh?"
Seeing wrong?
But the message floating there didn't change.
Why's this out already?
Chirp, chirp chirp-.
In the forest heart filled with birdsong.
A woman fiddled with her kit in front of a small cabin, rocking chair placed out front.
Creeeak-.
The weathered door opened, and a cold-faced man stepped out of the cabin.
Kim Si-woo.
He approached Kim Ye-ryeong, who was killing time rocking and staring at her kit.
"What're you doing outside?"
"Birdsong's nice. Weather's good too."
"Save it for after you put that kit away."
Swoosh-.
Si-woo sat on the stack of firewood beside the rocker.
Weather was indeed nice. No wonder Ye-ryeong came out here.
Ye-ryeong, gazing at her kit in the rocker, asked blankly.
"Soon, right?"
Omitted subject.
But obvious what she meant.
"Yeah. At most a year......"
"My life's ending there too. Lived long enough."
"Don't joke. Not funny."
"Obviously. Wasn't said for laughs."
Even saying that, Ye-ryeong kept staring at the kit screen.
Always glued to her kit, but this time it was worse.
She'd come outside on purpose, yet hadn't glanced away once.
"Quit the kit already. Not bored?"
"In this dull place, what's left besides this?"
"Drink tea, meditate......"
"You do it, old man."
Retorting, yet eyes fixed on the kit.
Si-woo stared straight into her eyes.
Something felt off from usual.
"Something fun on?"
"Ah, this......"
Ye-ryeong turned her kit screen to show Si-woo.
"Lee Soo-hyuk. Found a fun guy down below."
"Soo-hyuk? No way—"
"Not that one. Kid with same name. New streamer taking tutorial exam on floor 2."
"Ah, floor 2... streamer......"
Si-woo, half-risen in excitement, sat back down.
The real Lee Soo-hyuk couldn't be taking floor 2 exams. And he wasn't the type for streams, even as a joke.
Bitter disappointment.
Ye-ryeong sighed at Si-woo's crestfallen face.
Every year, Kim Si-woo visited Soo-hyuk's memorial to leave flowers she'd made. Worried he'd hold false hope, she repeated.
"Let's let go now."
"That again?"
"You know. If Soo-hyuk were alive, Kim Il-su and that Blue Zone scum wouldn't be."
Si-woo nodded.
True.
Their friend Lee Soo-hyuk's skill was unparalleled.
Lee Soo-hyuk who Feather Fanned them to save and stayed alone.
If he'd survived, Blue Zone including Kim Il-su wouldn't have a name left in this tower by now.
"Soo-hyuk's dead."
"......I know."
"No, you don't. How long under his shadow? Let go already—please."
"And you?"
Thud-.
Silent Si-woo snatched Ye-ryeong's kit.
"Why're you watching this then?"
"Hey, just for fun—"
"You watched Cha Min-woo's stream too. Stopped after hearing he joined Blue Zone."
"......"
Ye-ryeong bit her lip.
Thought it was just fun at first.
But Si-woo beside her noticed before she did.
"Caught all the masked streams imitating Soo-hyuk?"
The reason she watched streams related to Lee Soo-hyuk.
"You and me, same. Squirming in that bastard Lee Soo-hyuk's shadow."
With that, Si-woo handed back Ye-ryeong's kit streaming Lee Soo-hyuk.
Grip-.
Gripping the kit hard enough to crush, Ye-ryeong bowed her head.
She missed them.
Comrades together until 20 years ago.
Stubbornly Feather Fanning to save them, staying alone: Lee Soo-hyuk.
Missing them so much—
"Hic......"
—day by day was hard to bear.
Drip-.
Head drooped fully, Ye-ryeong burst into sobs.
"Haa-."
Si-woo sighed, moved beside her, patted her shoulder.
Snapped momentarily, said needless words.
This is why I didn't wanna say it.
He'd known for a while.
Why Ye-ryeong watched Cha Min-woo and Soo-hyuk imitator streamers.
She seemed unaware, so he hadn't mentioned.
Yeah. Same. Her, me—we're trapped in his shadow.
No position to blame.
With that thought, Si-woo reached to pick up the kit Ye-ryeong dropped.
But.
What's that?
On the dropped kit.
Streamer Lee Soo-hyuk's exam reward displayed.
'Lightning'?
Reincarnator's Streaming