Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Facing Schneider
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Pfft-.
His throat was softly slit.
The mana infused in the spear tip had taken the place of a blade. Leveraging the long reach of the spear, Schneider fought as if his arm were extending.
'Clean.'
The fight even captured Unhyang's attention.
On the massive screen encircling the Colosseum.
Schneider's battle against dozens of players was being broadcast there.
'Handles the spear well. Movements are fluid. And above all-.'
"Arghhh-!"
"Hey, don't run!"
"It's just a test! Don't chicken out!"
"Even so, this matchup is way too one-sided-."
Puk-!
Another hole punched through a player's head.
For Soo-hyuk's sake, Unhyang had once looked into Schneider quite thoroughly.
Famous players had plenty of info out there. Schneider was no exception.
His main skills. His preferred fighting style.
To Unhyang, who knew all that, it didn't look like Schneider was going all out right now.
'A massacre.'
Squeak-.
With a soft sound, the spear bisected another player's chest.
A spear was fundamentally a thrusting weapon, specialized for stabbing over slashing.
Yet his spear wielded power reminiscent of a long sword.
"Well played. I admit it."
Unhyang nodded.
In her line of work, she'd watched countless streams, including those from players who'd made names for themselves with their skills.
She'd also seen plenty of rookie fights uploaded to Players, even though she wasn't a streamer herself.
Yet the number of players she'd truly acknowledged could be counted on one hand.
"Well... same goes for this side."
Soo-hyuk's stream screen.
Soo-hyuk had just taken down his twenty-fourth player on the road and was moving to find the next target.
It was a battle royale, but most players moved in teams. Two or three, up to five at most.
But as if he couldn't care less.
"Next time, it'd be nice if they're clumped up more..."
Soo-hyuk was actually hoping to run into even more players.
And this freakish situation was exactly what the viewers craved most.
Unhyang gauged the stream's vibe before checking the viewer count.
Viewers were climbing steeply. Hitting 10k was only a matter of time at this rate.
And that tipping point would probably be.
"When those two clash, it'll make for a pretty picture."
The moment Schneider and Soo-hyuk faced off.
Soo-hyuk checked the remaining survivors.
They were dropping faster than expected. No wonder he'd run into so many players—it wasn't coincidence.
"Field must not be that big."
He wished more had stuck around.
200 points per kill. Once prelims ended, this sweet mission would too.
"How many kills do I have right now?"
98.
The number of players Soo-hyuk had killed in these prelims.
Meaning he'd faced that many.
It was inevitable.
Pffft-.
Not far off.
The ground caved in, sinking into the earth. The terrain was steadily vanishing.
A mechanism to keep players from hiding in one spot.
The system was herding everyone toward a single point.
Probably until 1,000 remained.
"Wonder where to go to run into some."
In the shrinking arena, Soo-hyuk didn't blindly head for the center.
Swish-.
He examined the ground. Footprints from recent passersby, grass trampled flat.
'Moving in droves. At least ten... no, more?'
As time passed, parties were growing larger. With only 1,000 spots for survival, they were banding together for protection.
But Soo-hyuk didn't mind those movements.
No.
He welcomed them.
"That way."
Direction set.
Crunch-.
Soo-hyuk followed the tracks carefully.
Time was short.
Prelims ended the instant survivors hit 1,000.
This group of about ten players would likely be the final prey of the prelims.
Or maybe.
'An even bigger fish might hook.'
The tracks grew chaotic.
Only one thing that meant.
'Ran into something. And then...'
Sching-.
He drew the sword from its sheath.
The next instant, he slashed through the bushes blocking his view.
Then.
Rustle-.
His vision cleared, revealing a long spear—and the player impaled on it.
Drip-, drip-.
Blood trickled down the shaft to the ground. Over a dozen player corpses littered the area.
And the one who'd done it: a single man.
Omar Schneider.
"We finally meet."
Thud-.
Schneider tossed the player off his spear onto the ground.
Not even winded after fighting over ten.
And facing such a Schneider.
"A 10k-pointer, huh."
Soo-hyuk thought of the mission first.
"10k points?"
Close enough to hear. Schneider looked puzzled.
"Yeah. Got a mission."
"What mission?"
"Says 10k for taking you down."
"10k...?"
Schneider's face twisted.
"Only?"
10k wasn't chump change.
But as payment for downing Schneider on the third floor? Laughably low.
Of course, to a streamer, it was big money.
"You keep trampling my pride."
From Schneider's view, it was no different from dismissing his decade of work.
Shing-.
The bloodied spear tip swung toward Soo-hyuk.
He checked the survivor count and muttered.
"150 left..."
Not much time till prelims ended.
Crunch-.
And now, the crumbling ground sounded dangerously close.
"Should be plenty of time."
Schneider grinned.
And the next moment.
Boom-!
Something exploded past Soo-hyuk's head.
'Skill?'
He'd tilted his head aside to dodge. His eyes narrowed.
Schneider, after one spear motion, prepared another thrust.
'No. Just a thrust.'
Not a skill or anything.
Mana loaded into the tip, released on the stab.
Less a Skill than a technique.
Well-deserved reputation.
But.
'The real deal comes next.'
Soo-hyuk's gaze locked on Schneider's spear tip.
Couldn't miss it. The spear's reach exceeded what eyes saw.
Watch the direction first, not distance.
Kwaaaah-!
Following the spear's swing, a slashing wave tore the ground.
Spear power outmatched a sword. Clashing head-on was amateur hour.
'Nameless Demon Sword' absorbs the user's HP.
All stats rise proportional to HP consumed.
'Selfish Sacrifice Lv4' resists damage from 'Nameless Demon Sword'.
Red impact burst from Soo-hyuk's blade.
The demon sword activated, stats surging in an instant.
Kwangkwang-.
The incoming slash clashed with his sword. Schneider's spear didn't stop.
Bang, bangbang-!
Dodging and blocking vitals-targeted thrusts. Like pulling off a stunt show, Soo-hyuk evaded the spear while closing in.
Once distance narrowed enough, the spear halted.
Schneider had allowed the approach.
And that moment.
Flash-.
Soo-hyuk charged straight at Schneider.
Red impact trailed his path.
The activated demon sword spread through his body, stats skyrocketing.
Distance closed in a blink.
Inside spear range, his sword flew at Schneider's neck.
Clanggg-!
Spark-.
Weapons collided, tiny embers flying.
Up close now, Soo-hyuk glared at Schneider. In a neck-for-neck duel, you saw your foe clearest.
"Quick movements."
Genuine admiration.
Schneider looked dissatisfied somewhere.
"Why no Lightning?"
Schneider awaited Lightning.
The reason many knew him. Soo-hyuk's signature skill.
Only then would this fight have worth.
But.
"Wasteful."
"Wasteful?"
"Showing it now would just be a teaser, right? Still prelims."
"What do you-."
A sudden realization hit.
Survivors.
This fight had a time limit.
Just 12 left.
Survivors dropping way faster than expected.
Why?
As that question lodged in Schneider's mind.
"Alliances lose meaning as survivors near the goal."
Soo-hyuk supplied the answer.
Prelims were individual.
But after some time, players who'd grasped the test started teaming up.
Groups boosted survival. Common sense.
But the goal was just passing prelims.
No need for teams near the 1,000 cutoff.
That was why.
Why survivor numbers plummeted.
'No way this guy...'
Schneider's eyes wavered.
'Was checking the count while dodging?'
Hair's breadth. Dodges so close a single slip would've pierced vitals.
Or so he'd thought.
But no.
All while watching the count drop, saving Lightning.
'Possible?'
Moments later.
Wooo-.
The scenery blurred. Surviving players faded to mist, signaling prelims' close.
Soo-hyuk, blades locked right in front of him, mouthed words.
'See you later, 10k points.'
With that, he vanished.
Schneider stared at his own fading form, mouth agape in disbelief.
"Ha, ha... unbelievable..."
He'd considered they might meet in prelims.
But not that it'd end like this.
'Underestimated him.'
Schneider replayed Soo-hyuk's movements briefly.
'Not some Lightning-spamming hothead.'
Smirk-.
Schneider's lip curled up.
Liked it.
Yeah. Guy had reason for that confidence.
"Right. Just prelims."
No rush.
Only he could take that guy down anyway.
Head slowly to the finals.
Before long, they'd meet again.