Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Pelius
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Pelius.
It had been less than half a year since he first heard that name.
A name the Knight of Thunder had taught him, as a sign of respect to a warrior who had reached a certain realm.
And ironically, he heard it again in an edited clip of Lee Soo-hyuk's broadcast uploaded to Players.
"Please help us. I beg you."
"Benefactor! You've awakened!"
"Yes, ask me anything!"
He couldn't believe it even after seeing it with his own eyes.
Was this really the same person?
The Knight of Thunder he had seen and the Pelius from Lee Soo-hyuk's broadcast didn't seem like the same person at all.
But.
'It's not a common name either. And it's too coincidental to dismiss as chance—especially since it came up in trials of a similar type.'
The two Pelius might be the same person.
No, they probably were, nine times out of ten.
So that day in the tavern, Schneider asked Soo-hyuk if he remembered a knight named Pelius.
"Peli… Ah, Jjerius?"
"Jjerius?"
"That's what we called him in our broadcast. But why him?"
"That monster-like guy gets called Jjerius there…"
It was so funny that his buzz flew away in an instant. The guy who had been like despair incarnate to him was treated like a mere scrub in streamer Lee Soo-hyuk's broadcast.
He chuckled for a while, then downed more drinks to chase away the lost buzz. Only after emptying the rest did he explain about the Knight of Thunder.
"…And that guy introduced himself as Pelius."
"Same name… Unlikely. No, better not to think that way."
"Right. Both trials involve lightning, after all. It's safer to assume it's the same person."
Soo-hyuk was somewhat surprised by that.
"So that guy's the final boss there…"
"Not sure if he's the final boss. No idea what his story is."
"But why bring it up now? You're not the only one who knows Pelius."
Originally, Pelius appeared in the mid-game of the Lightning Trial.
Even Soo-hyuk's viewers had spoiled that he was the one who ultimately died, acting like they knew the trial inside out.
"Lots of players have met Pelius, but I'm the only one who knows the Knight of Thunder's name. And unfortunately, I didn't know his name was Pelius."
The Knight of Thunder revealed his name only after the raid party was wiped out and Schneider was left alone.
And Schneider had kept that name to himself, never telling anyone.
"Anyway, this Knight of Thunder and the lightning skill you have are definitely connected somehow. So…"
'It should be that guy here, not me.'
Schneider frowned as the Knight of Thunder appeared before him.
He must have cleared Room 1's trial before them, so why wasn't he here?
'Did he drop? Right after passing the trial?'
If he could watch the broadcast, he might resolve his curiosity.
But he was in the middle of his own trial, so watching was impossible.
Thud.
Pelius approached Schneider and the others.
He addressed Schneider, who stood at the front.
"I figured you'd come again this time."
Schneider had challenged the Thunder Cave countless times already.
How many of those ended in clashes with Pelius? And all of them were Schneider's defeats.
But the Knight of Thunder seemed convinced Schneider wouldn't give up that easily.
"The result won't change, though. You can't pass just by showing up."
"I know. I'm not the one you're waiting for, right?"
"You remember well."
Those words had once filled Schneider with despair.
"No matter how many times you challenge me, it's pointless. Because you're not the one I'm waiting for."
Schneider had felt an indescribable emptiness at those words.
He had been obsessed with the Thunder Cave to the point of thinking it was fate. Perhaps he even felt like the cave was calling him.
But.
If Pelius was right, then the Thunder Cave wasn't waiting for him.
He didn't know what story the knight had or who he was waiting for. But it wasn't him—and that was why he couldn't get past this point.
"So, has the one you've been waiting for still not come?"
"Not yet."
"…I see."
Schneider closed his eyes.
He had held out a sliver of hope, but Lee Soo-hyuk apparently hadn't come after all.
'Nothing's changed.'
He had wondered after seeing the vanished dragon mural.
Click.
Opening his eyes again, Schneider pointed his spear tip forward.
'In that case…'
He would just challenge with all he had again.
And at that moment.
"Surround him, all of you!"
With Paul Lemen's shout, about ten players began encircling Pelius.
It was the most basic tactic for hunting a single player.
But sometimes.
There are opponents tactics don't work on.
"Wait! If you push forward like that first—"
No sooner had the words left his mouth.
Flash!
Pelius's rusted sword flashed, drawing a yellow line.
Boom!
With a thunderclap, the sword swung. In the blink of an eye, a hole was punched through the formation surrounding Pelius.
A wave of lightning from the blade swept over three players. Next, Pelius's sword targeted Paul Lemen at the formation's center.
Paul Lemen reflexively activated his skill. The sword in his hand grew massive, gaining weight.
A sword at least three times Paul Lemen's size clashed with Pelius's rusted, chipped one.
Clang!
A heavy, clear ring echoed everywhere. The sound of a greatsword over five meters long colliding with a chipped blade.
And the result was.
Crack, craaack.
Cracks rapidly spread across Paul Lemen's sword.
"A bit better than those three just now."
'A bit?'
Paul Lemen's eyes went wide.
Who was he? Blue Zone's hidden card, sent to conquer the Thunder Cave in Schneider's place.
And now, he was only 'a bit' better than the previous three?
In the brief moment Paul Lemen was shocked by Pelius's words.
Shatter!
Paul Lemen's sword finally broke, and Pelius's blade flew toward his neck.
'I'm gonna die…'
Clang!
Contrary to expectations of his head flying, sparks flew before his eyes.
A spear had intervened midway. Schneider blocked Pelius's sword, blue smoke rising from it.
And as if by prior agreement.
Clang, craaang!
Crackle!
Forgetting Paul Lemen entirely, they began clashing spear against sword.
Clang!
Schneider's spear traced countless lines in rapid motion. Pelius's sword, spewing golden lightning, intertwined with it.
It had only been a few seconds, but Paul Lemen alternated between his broken sword and their fight, feeling utter powerlessness for the first time.
'This is… Omar Schneider?'
He had only heard rumors.
Schneider hadn't even participated in the 3rd floor tournament, so he'd never seen his skills firsthand.
Perhaps deep down, he had thought something like this.
That he was just a loser struggling on the 3rd floor, after all.
But.
"Did you think the guild didn't trust the team leader and sent you because of that?"
Paul Lemen knew from the start why he had joined the team.
"No. You were just a stimulant. To provoke the team leader's pride and raise his tension."
"I was… a stimulant?"
"Did you think you were something more?"
His pride was wounded.
But he couldn't retort, because of the spectacle unfolding before him.
Schneider and Pelius.
Their fight felt like it was happening in another dimension entirely.
Boom!
Whoosh, craaash!
His eyes hurt from the yellow lightning clashing against the spear. Stepping into that space even for a moment would tear him apart.
It was on another level.
He doubted they were both 3rd floor players—or that this was a 3rd floor boss.
Watching the fight he couldn't even dream of approaching.
Paul Lemen thought of one other person on their level.
'And Lee Soo-hyuk beat a monster like that?'
Lee Soo-hyuk.
The streamer who had suddenly appeared one day and started making a name for himself.
What kind of monster was he?
Boom!
Lightning burst from Pelius's sword tip once more.
Craaackle!
The bolt crumbled the cave wall, pushing Schneider back. Frowning from the impact, he flew backward with his spear.
"Kuh…"
It throbbed.
His spear hand trembled. Even protecting his body with mana, Pelius's lightning made it go numb.
He could somehow keep up with the speed, but the destructive power was worlds apart.
'How many more minutes can I last?'
The fight had barely started three minutes ago.
Last time, he had collapsed right around then. The reason he was lasting a bit longer now was because he hadn't used much stamina in Room 1.
'Another three minutes? Or two?'
Whoosh.
He saw Pelius's sword drawing a diagonal line.
This time, it wasn't toward him—but his other comrades.
"You crazy bastard—"
The curse slipped out for a simple reason.
His body reacted too late.
Boom!
Another comrade was swept away by Pelius's lightning swing.
He couldn't dodge or block it. They had tried attacking Pelius to help Schneider.
Of course.
Thanks to that, Schneider's spear got a little closer to Pelius.
Whoosh.
Clang!
When had he turned?
Pelius's sword tip clashed with the spear. Then, it slid smoothly along the shaft toward him.
"Gasp!"
He gulped air and flipped backward. He avoided the strike, but his stance crumbled.
Clang, clang, craaash!
Sword met spear. The spear wobbled precariously, and his gripping hand shook violently.
'What kind of strength…'
If he relaxed even a little, he'd lose his grip instantly. It felt like struggling at the edge of a cliff.
And that precariousness didn't last long.
As Pelius's rusted sword flashed wide.
Boom!
Clang!
Amid the deafening thunder, Schneider's spear was flung away, smashing into the cave ceiling.
Pelius's sword was right in front of his face.
'Ends here again, huh.'
As always, Schneider thought of the word "failure."
And at that instant.
Clang!
A resounding clang echoed as something flew in, knocking Pelius's sword aside.
Ting, tiding.
A momentary silence fell.
Crackle.
Schneider's gaze followed the yellow line stretching from afar.
Toward the door of Room 2, where they had entered.
Standing there was the other conqueror of this place he had been waiting for.
"Lee Soo-hyuk?"