Chapter 57
Chapter 57
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: 57화
-----------------------------------------------------------------
```html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Tournament Champion
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Kwarung-!
In an instant, a yellow flash lit up the center of the arena.
The massive thunderclap devoured all the smaller sounds. Participants who had been holding back, eyeing each other warily, and those just starting to clash—all whipped their heads toward the sound and light.
Lee Soo-hyuk and Schneider had collided. Nine times out of ten, the winner here would decide the tournament champion.
Most had picked Schneider at the start.
But no one was confident now.
'Please be Schneider.'
'I went all-in on you. Wrong again and I'm done for!'
'Upset incoming?'
In the spectator stands, bettors clasped their hands in prayer.
'Whoever wins, just trash both of them.'
'HP drops, my shot opens up.'
'For that fisherman's profit...'
Participants fixated on the duel held their breath, hoping for sloppy seconds.
Just as everyone wondered about the outcome.
One spot.
Already knew the result. Partying hard.
-He really wins this one ㅋㅋㅋ
-Kinda anticlimactic
-Yeah, expected more intensity
-Provoke worked big time
-Straight clash, he was getting pushed tbh
The stream screen showed the result before the arena feeds.
Chijijit-.
A massive hole pierced his body. Blood trickled from his mouth as he collapsed to the ground.
The zone acquisition alert chimed. Clearer proof than any that Schneider was down.
But his eyes stayed open.
Schneider glared at Soo-hyuk till the end, eyes unclosing.
Soo-hyuk clicked his tongue.
'Mental game's top-tier.'
What forged him. Death-glare persisting.
All from sheer willpower.
Soo-hyuk eyed the hole in Schneider.
That spear's power should've ended him instantly.
Yet he dragged to Soo-hyuk's nose like that.
Stamina holding post-wound. Will thrusting despite.
Mock a 3rd-floor greenhorn? Nah, solid player.
'See you soon.'
Beyond tourney.
'Thunder Cave.'
Clashes pending.
Provokes won't land next. Solo here; team there.
Chijit-, chi-.
Time passed. Arena cams panned to them.
Shock rippled. Gazes locked on Soo-hyuk.
"Lee Soo-hyuk..."
"He really won?"
Omar Schneider. No less.
Thunder Cave conqueror-near. 10-year 3rd-floor vet.
Not wall-blocked like others. Qualified higher, stayed. Grew limits-pushing for Cave.
Schneider: ecosystem wrecker.
This outcome?
Gulp-.
Nearby participant clocked Soo-hyuk's 82 zones.
Holder = champ. Obvious.
Disruptors: two to one.
'Winnable?'
'Wounded. Self-skill.'
'Lightning guzzles stamina. Fight drained HP maybe.'
Participants eyed prey-mode.
"Ah, right. Mission."
Breather at Schneider's corpse. Time check.
59 minutes left.
Half till end.
"Time's tight. Gotta hustle."
Win locked.
300P-per-kill mission left.
Kkirik-.
Rocking chair slammed back. Si-woo bolted up from stream, stood mumbling.
"This mad..."
Pasasasak-.
Jjeok, jjeojeok-.
Freeze spread from feet.
Blizzard flash-froze house white.
Oblivious.
"Possible...?"
Si-woo gawked at screen.
Streamer dropping Schneider, chaining kills.
Lee Soo-hyuk.
'That spear...'
Lightning spear by streamer Soo-hyuk.
Form/power new even to lightning-pro Si-woo.
'Not his style.'
Si-woo's Soo-hyuk speared too.
Difference: basic.
Pure power pack. Simple, kingly.
Streamer's: precise.
Like...
'Player-crafted item.'
Blood dripped hand. Sword-tip shook at foes.
Acting fine, but stamina spent heavy.
Schneider-finisher spear: huge cost.
Skeuk-.
Another falls to Soo-hyuk.
Win-certain viewers.
Si-woo, knowing streamer best, no assumptions.
"Hold up?"
Now: Soo-hyuk vs Soo-hyuk. Endurance test.
'Holds? Then...'
Min-jae's item to him.
Ye-ryeong moves then.
"Ye-ryeong wasn't this stream's fan-."
Checks her empty spot.
"Huh?"
Now spots ice-ground, iced house.
Freeze expert. Thaw? Nope.
"...Screwed."
Skeot-.
Iron shield shears sharp.
Armored shieldman topples indignant.
Time ticking: multi-zone holders rose.
Kills first, then zones midway.
New mission type.
Eyes snapped wide. Soo-hyuk scanned zone-hoarders.
4 finals missions. Win one: 5 whales.
Small-stream impossible.
Soo-hyuk's viewers: past newbie.
10k+, nearing 13k. Mid-tier corp status.
Hunted zone-rich. Time check.
'20 minutes.'
Huwook-, hu-.
Breath ragged.
Hard breathing old news; visible now.
"Guy's gasping?"
"Explains post-kill pauses!"
"Tired! Like us!"
Lightning weakness: public knowledge.
Forgot energetic Soo-hyuk; exposed now, pile-on time.
"No breather!"
"Now or never! Swarm!"
Foes incoming first.
Soo-hyuk halts. To viewers:
"Quick on uptake. Yeah?"
Mask obsession reasons: this too.
Hid heavy breath.
Earlier notice, no rest?
'Real trouble then.'
Viewers duped same.
Mask veiled breath/face. Proactive hunts seemed fresh.
Who guesses?
Wolf amid sheep: wounded, weary inside.
"Grab him-!"
Charged relentless.
Rest = loss. Tiny odds: fatigue-target.
~1 minute left.
Near-final foe.
"Lee Soo-hyuk-!"
Schneider's teammate Don Chao spears in.
Long duo? Copied moves?
Spear Schneider-like.
But.
"...Amateur hour."
Ape level.
Pajit-.
Yellow current fingertip-left. Times Chao's tip, sword swings.
Deung-!
Spear arcs high.
Chao's eyes bulge.
'Demon Sword?'
Soo-hyuk blade: red aura.
Instant-activated.
Next.
Pajijit-!
Fingertip zap shocks Chao's grip.
"Krgh!"
Hand slack. Shock defies will: limp.
Chaengkang-.
Spear drops natural.
Weaponless instant: neck severs.
Skeuk-.
Last one.
No more rushers.
"Hua-."
Time upglance.
Sweat-soaked hair.
Fatigue-refresh mix: grin.
"Brutal."
```