Chapter 171
Chapter 171
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: The Ultimate Weapon
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"Why don't you use a weapon?"
How many floors had it been?
I'd been wondering about something I'd taken for granted for a while now, so I finally asked. Hwang Gyu-seong hadn't used a weapon once since we first met.
I could understand using his fists, but he didn't even use common gauntlets.
"'Cause it's cool."
"That's it?"
"That, and..."
The first reason was absurd, and the next one was utterly ridiculous.
"My body will become the ultimate weapon. To do that, I can't start using weapons in the first place."
A body superior to any weapon.
His ideals reached higher than himself.
Soo-hyuk grinned at his words. He didn't bother with the mask when he was with his comrades.
"Coming up with fancy excuses."
"Oops, you caught me?"
"It's obvious. What do you have left if you drop the bravado?"
"What do I have? Manliness."
Saying that, Hwang Gyu-seong held up his fist, which was much larger than most people's.
His fist did look manly. Soo-hyuk's hands weren't small, but Hwang's fingers were nearly a knuckle longer.
After showing off, Hwang Gyu-seong looked up at the sky.
Late into the early morning hours. The comrades were all asleep, leaving just the two of them awake.
"Why aren't you sleeping yet?"
Soo-hyuk broke the brief silence.
"Gotta tear my pants if I wanna keep up with my talented friend. What can you do?"
"Who?"
"You, obviously. You asking 'cause you don't know? You annoying bastard."
"I knew and asked anyway."
Hwang Gyu-seong chuckled in exasperation at Soo-hyuk's teasing.
"Fine for me, but why aren't you sleeping? No need to tear your pants."
"Just... feeling uneasy."
"About what?"
"'The event that will someday begin.'"
It was the message imprinted on every player when they received the Tower's call.
"When will it happen? What will occur? That kind of anxiety."
"The better the player, the greater the anxiety about that day. Maybe it's like a curse."
Perhaps loosened by the late-night hour, the two revealed depths they rarely showed.
"Learning more about this world makes me think: What are they trying to make us do by giving us this power?"
"Don't overthink it. Whatever it is, you won't handle it alone."
"I won't be alone. Still..."
Squeezing and unclenching his fist tensely, Soo-hyuk voiced a resolve he'd kept buried deep for so long.
"Whatever it is, I'll be at the front."
"......Yeah?"
He knew it wasn't said lightly.
He wanted to laugh and ask why Soo-hyuk thought he'd be the one at the front that day.
But he couldn't.
Hwang Gyu-seong was certain.
No matter what happened on the foretold day, Lee Soo-hyuk would represent every player in this world.
"I can't take the lead for you, but..."
That was why Hwang Gyu-seong could only say this.
"If you die, I'll avenge you."
'Fucking idiot.'
A mix of resentment and gratitude brought a curse to mind first.
He recalled why Hwang Gyu-seong was going this far. Though it wasn't the foretold day, the guy was keeping his promise.
Crackle-
Boom-!
A bolt of blue lightning struck the ground where participants who'd been watching Soo-hyuk's lightning were gathered.
An ironclad barrier formed by several players shattered in an instant. The thunder roared louder, with far greater power, smashing several buildings along with them.
This wiped out most of the attackers from afar.
Soo-hyuk checked the remaining participants.
'100 to go.'
About 200 left.
Just 100 more to eliminate. Then the trial would end, and he could leave.
Blur-.
Suddenly, his vision flashed white, strength draining from his body.
No matter the weather's aid, he'd overused lightning.
Bathed in Asgard's holy water, fed leaves from the World Tree, drank from Mimir's Spring. Even with all those blessings, this was his limit.
No.
Precisely because of them, he'd reached this point.
The mission was already cleared. An impossible mission meant for flexing—he'd done it.
And it wasn't over yet.
A non-ranker reaching the finals was a miracle. Like a fledgling crossing the ocean.
Yet Soo-hyuk wasn't just reaching finals—he was dominating the entire trial alone.
Viewers weren't many compared to his feats.
No matter his prelim showings, something even bigger was happening outside.
Whoosh-.
A group climbed the spire's wall.
Participants closing in, dodging or blocking his precise lightning.
'They're here.'
He steeled himself for the last time.
Stopping them was the trial's final task.
They could fully block distant lightning—each a formidable foe.
And now, he'd squeezed every last drop of stamina.
'I don't need to take out all 100 myself.'
No need to rush.
Survivors were dwindling even now.
A phenomenon as trials neared end.
Fissures formed naturally in hastily made teams.
"What about you guys?"
Probably the same over there.
Soo-hyuk stopped launching lightning, focusing below the spire.
The fast-approaching group fanned out. About twenty.
"That mask..."
"Is that really Lee Soo-hyuk?"
"Knew it..."
The quick ones confirmed him up close and clicked their tongues.
Streamer Lee Soo-hyuk's name was known to many players now.
Not just "new lightning wielder"—his rapid Tower climb.
Post-trial, his fame would skyrocket.
"Ten of them."
"What?"
"Here. Ten can advance to finals."
The fanned participants flinched at Soo-hyuk's words.
Finals.
The goal every participant craved.
"Stab the guy next to you. No need to think of them as allies. You all just met today, right?"
Meanwhile, another participant dropped.
"Don't think it's shallow. Better odds than fighting me."
Crackle-!
Boom-!
Lightning burst from his fingertips, shooting skyward.
Some hesitated, stepping back.
But briefly.
"That guy's exhausted!"
"Yeah, mana ain't infinite. Can't be fine."
"Lightning drains stamina huge! Rush him!"
Some among them judged right.
Regrettable, but fine.
Instilling anxiety was enough.
Twenty skilled players' joint assault was threatening. Especially close-range, fatigued.
But if uncoordinated?
Suspicion scattered focus, halving power.
Screech-.
A long sword slash grazed underfoot.
Stepping back saved his foot.
Then, overhead, a participant dove with a building-sized hammer.
Whoosh-.
Bang-!
The spire's top shook. Unlike others, it was sturdy, unyielding.
"What?"
"Where'd he go?"
For a moment, they lost Soo-hyuk. Vanished completely.
The hammer wielder spotted first.
"My hammer-"
Flash-.
Light flashed; words cut. Hammer and neck severed, blood fountaining.
Soo-hyuk stood atop the hammer.
So natural, others thought he'd vanished.
"Huff, haa-."
Brief exertion made breathing ragged beyond endurance. His state was rock bottom.
'Not till the 101st.'
He could be the 101st death. Priority: end trial fast.
Soo-hyuk kept moving.
Though lungs burned, muscles screamed.
Move now.
'No need to keep promises.'
No vengeance wanted. That was his burden now.
Just survive.
"He's tired too!"
"Knew it!"
"Keep attacking-"
Splurch-.
He stabbed a tensed foe's throat. Half-eyed, he fought sword-only.
Fatigue over 90. Recalled Hydra fight.
Same squeeze of all strength, will.
"One more..."
Stab-.
Pulling heart-piercing sword, eyes scanned next.
"-"
Thud-!
Back impact. Spine-crushing pain blurred mind.
Willpower gripped him.
Grit-, clenched teeth held vision. Hand braced knee, body upright.
Thus, body spun full circle.
Spray-.
Slash-.
Sword trail severed hammer and neck.
Eyes rolled back, Soo-hyuk charged survivors.
Splurch, crunch-.
Splatter-!
Heart pierced, neck snapped. Blood from wounds soaked Soo-hyuk.
Survivors fled berserk Soo-hyuk.
He didn't pursue.
Couldn't. Legs buckled.
130 left.
30 more, trial ends.
Besides...
"...Right."
Wherever they fled, without dragging him down, result unchanged.
Crackle-!
'Lightning' activates. 'Thunder' activates.
'Heart of Lightning'...
'Selfish Sacrifice Lv8'...
"Go ahead, run."
Lightning and thunder surged from his hand to sky.
Body screamed. Stop now.
Soo-hyuk told his limit body: Last one.
Throw, die—no issue. Even if disqualified faster, trial ends.
Flash-!
Soo-hyuk hurled the spear.
Toward far-fleeing participants.
And below, toward last struggling survivors.
He split lightning and thunder into dozens, hurling all power.
Rumble-!