Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Master of Lightning
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Master of Lightning.
He had first acquired this skill long ago, around the time he broke through the 7th floor.
Back then, in the inter-world competition that had opened up, the Earth team that Soo-hyuk was on was in a dire disadvantage.
Pantara and Murim had joined forces. In a deathmatch where numbers made all the difference, overturning the odds wasn't easy.
Out of the ten representatives, only Soo-hyuk and Kim Il-su were on their side.
"Looking rough there."
Kim Il-su's face was pale, his stamina completely drained.
Around them, more than ten players from Pantara and Murim had formed an encirclement.
Each one was an elite picked from the top of their worlds.
In this desperate, no-win situation, Soo-hyuk threw caution to the wind and went all-in.
"Let's all die together, then."
Lightning crashed down with the roar of thunder, and his mana-filled heart pumped, flooding his body with energy.
For a split second, it felt like something had descended into his body. And then the message that followed made Soo-hyuk think it might not have been an illusion.
Tzzzzzt, tzzzzzt.
Standing before Golimac, Soo-hyuk grinned beneath his mask at the message floating in front of him.
It was the same message as back then.
Something had flown in and settled into his body, igniting a power that hadn't been there before, surging through him like fire.
Master of Lightning.
It was the skill that defined Player Lee Soo-hyuk, the technique that had made him the best.
Tzzzzzt, tzzzzzt.
Amid the yellow lightning coursing through his body, faint black streaks flickered.
It felt foreign. Even feeling it again, this was like a power summoned from somewhere outside.
As if—
'A god had descended into him.'
Tzzzt.
He took a slow step forward.
His steps were cautious. If he tried to go any faster, the overflowing power would make him charge like a mad bull.
Sensing the change in Soo-hyuk, Golimac drew up his mana.
"Copying me, Lee Soo-hyuk? What the hell is th—"
At his gesture, the ground around them upheaved. Six rocky hands sprouted from Golimac's back like wings.
Soo-hyuk muttered at the flashy display.
"You've eaten way too much."
The viewers' reactions weren't much different from Soo-hyuk's.
Unlike Soo-hyuk, whose only change was faint black lightning, Golimac had unleashed a skill that filled the entire screen.
Each of those hands could crush two or three grown men with ease.
That meant his Diamond grade and kill bonuses had massively boosted his stats.
No matter how you sliced it, the black lightning around Soo-hyuk looked pathetic compared to Master of Lightning.
Golimac's skill, on the other hand, had massive range and lethality.
Just as Golimac said.
Unless he snuck up from the shadows in the forest, a head-on fight looked hopeless.
At least on the surface.
Pajit.
With each step, his hair stood on end, and his heart pounded harder.
Thump, thump.
The two hearts alternated beats. Master of Lightning ramped up output as if to stop Soo-hyuk's heart, but Lightning Heart resisted its penalty defiantly.
And on top of that.
Selfish Sacrifice, which had just leveled up again, gave him the foundation to handle Master of Lightning.
'This should be enough.'
Step.
He could do it.
With that conviction, Soo-hyuk didn't stop.
'I'll get the hang of it while moving.'
Grip.
He planted his heel.
Kwaang!
Soo-hyuk's body shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
The distance closed in the blink of an eye. In that instant, the arms around Golimac moved.
"Where you going, you fly like pest?!"
To him, Soo-hyuk looked like a mere fly.
Fast, but not powerful.
But that was just a delusion in his head.
Kwaang!
"...!"
The rocky arm that collided with Soo-hyuk shattered. Fragments flew into the sky, and the gap closed rapidly.
"What the hell kind of monste—"
Something was wrong.
Golimac backpedaled toward his team's statue, swinging his remaining arms.
Kwaang, kwak!
Forget winning.
Even buying time to flee to the statue from Lee Soo-hyuk in that state wasn't easy.
'Is he really the Master of Lightning or something? That?'
At first, he'd dismissed the black lightning as impossible.
He had to.
This was only the 4th floor. Players who reached the 5th were considered seasoned veterans, but Master of Lightning was a technique once used by someone at the pinnacle of all players.
No way it would reappear right in front of him, of all places.
Kwaang!
But that "of all places" had.
It appeared right before his eyes.
Shattering every rock he'd created.
Thud.
Golimac's back hit something as he retreated.
In his panic, he gasped and looked up, his face lighting up.
'The statue.'
The sturdiest ally, stronger than any player.
With the statue beside him, even Lee Soo-hyuk couldn't approach.
"I'm save—"
But there was something he didn't know.
Puuk.
Soo-hyuk had been ignoring the statues and picking off enemies long before activating Master of Lightning.
"Gurk..."
Golimac's throat was pierced. The rocks around him fell to the ground without mana supply.
"You guys always make one mistake."
"Betting your life on visible effects, idiots who can't even use their own skills properly."
Before his life ended.
Golimac confirmed the statue's target and was certain this fight was a draw.
'You're dead too, anyway.'
Even if the statue killed Lee Soo-hyuk, the kill would count as his. Kills by statues went to the last allied player in combat.
'Can't dodge while it's stabbing me...'
And then.
Sruk.
Soo-hyuk's eyes rolled back just in time.
Two messages appeared almost simultaneously.
Against a black backdrop.
Soo-hyuk was waiting to rejoin the match.
He was dead. Most died 4-5 times per game, but this was his first death.
This life, he'd luckily survived several near-death scrapes.
What an annoying guy.
This whole ordeal was because of him.
And the premise was all wrong.
"If that were the case, I wouldn't have taken this gamble."
The reason Soo-hyuk died was Master of Lightning.
Not in reality, but in this trial. And on the 4th floor, where one death wasn't a big deal.
There was no better place to test Master of Lightning. He'd cranked the output to the brink of death to find his limit.
And the result?
'More stable than I thought.'
Even just succeeding with the skill would have met expectations.
But thanks to Lightning Heart, the output was over 1.5 times stronger than anticipated.
Selfish Sacrifice's penalty suppression was impressive too.
'I'm on the right path.'
Streaming had planted occasional doubts.
Was this really right? Was he over-relying on Selfish Sacrifice?
But this confirmed it.
Streaming was the right choice.
Soo-hyuk's eyes sparkled.
"Safe Asset."
Time passed.
"I'll cover that mission bet for you."
The blackened scenery returned to its original colors.
He respawned in front of his team's base.
Now, time to win the match.
The match was going wrong.
Dedore, who'd been staring at a black screen the whole game, chewed his nails in anxiety.
'Driving me insane.'
Already over 15 deaths. At some point, he'd started blatantly feeding the enemy.
He had to.
'What if they win like this?'
Kill messages popping up faster than his own deaths.
All from one person: Lee Soo-hyuk.
'What the hell is that idiot Golimac doing? Can't even get kills!'
His side had no carry. And the enemy had the player he'd fattened up by dying repeatedly.
No way to lose? Wrong.
Yet momentum was shifting their way over time.
And soon.
The slowly tipping scales shattered completely.
Three messages in a row.
With his long respawn timer from repeated deaths, Dedore wondered what was happening.
"Did he take out three by himself...?"
The viewers' mockery stressed him to the breaking point.
Right.
No fun, no hype, just ugly—and no points.
But he couldn't force a loss no matter how he tried.
"...?"
Dedore's eyes widened at his teammates' chat.
It felt like the match was already over. And indeed, Lee Soo-hyuk had just soloed three players.
"You crazy—!"
A curse slipped out in disbelief.
His stream now had over 500 viewers who'd come just to flame him.
And then.
One whisper from Lee Soo-hyuk.
And Soo-hyuk's following words made Dedore's body hair stand on end.