Chapter 399: Theme Park on the 1st Floor (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 399: Theme Park on the 1st Floor (4)
...Fast.
But.
Not so fast that I can't react.
Jinhyuk adjusted his distance left and right, dodging the incoming volcanic bombs.
His movements were so swift and precise that it was impossible to imagine his abilities were currently sealed.
Just as I expected.
Checking his physical condition, Jinhyuk smiled faintly.
Although all his other stats were unusable, the Adaptive Stats he received from the title 'The First to Conquer the Tower' were functioning perfectly.
While abilities related to climbing the Tower might be sealed, the system hadn't blocked his special perks in an event scenario.
Yes. There had to be perks like this to make conquering the Tower once worthwhile.
"Ugh!"
"How is he so fast?"
"We have no choice. Just swarm him together as planned!"
When the volcanic bombs proved useless, the players hiding between the merry-go-round and the other rides lunged out all at once.
Shring!
Sharp swords gleamed with a deadly aura.
The rule was simple: inflict damage, and the target would be eliminated.
Now that the fear of death was gone, the players rushed Jinhyuk without any hesitation.
Alright. Let's see how useful this newly acquired weapon is.
Jinhyuk gripped Hongryeon and Barnard in each hand.
Two different lights erupted along the blades.
And at that moment—
Whoosh!
Dazzling flames blossomed along the path of his swords.
It was beautiful.
The heat lingering in the air clearly traced the trajectory of his blades.
"Agh!"
"What kind of... swordsmanship is...?"
Naturally, the bodies of the players standing in that path were swallowed by the flames, turning to ash and beginning to fade away.
No wonder the Administrator loved using it. Barnard was broken enough, but this is on a completely different level.
It was even better than expected.
Hongryeon (紅孌)
* Acquisition Difficulty: SSS
* Attack Power: 92,500
* Durability: 320,000 / 353,000
* Description: A dagger crafted from a Red Dragon's tooth. It is extremely light and sturdy. Due to its fire-attribute effect, it inflicts an additional +5,000 fire damage upon a successful hit.
* Special Ability: Allows the user to cast Red Dragon's Breath.
Not only was it light and perfectly balanced, but its attack power and special ability were also absurdly overpowered.
There was absolutely no way he couldn't love it.
Jinhyuk spun Hongryeon smoothly in his hand.
"Damn it..."
"I knew he was strong, but to think we couldn't even touch him."
"The bounty on his head was worth a whole building. What a shame."
"But don't get too cocky. This isn't over yet."
The eliminated players grumbled one after another.
Of course, it was nothing more than the pathetic whining of losers.
[19 players have been eliminated and will be forcibly teleported outside.]
"Is Oh Ji-won in the Circus Zone?"
Jinhyuk asked the sole surviving man.
The man, whose arm had been severed, had lost all means of resistance.
"Yeah. But by the time you reach Managing Director Oh, it'll all be over."
"Over? What do you mean by that?"
"You really don't know anything, do you?"
His snickering grew louder.
"The entire Friend-or-Foe Guild, except for Managing Director Oh, has left to raid your base. And they're armed with skills incomparably more powerful than the ones we have."
"How ridiculous. So, only Oh Ji-won is left on your side?"
"Isn't it exciting? Who will take whose head first? A fiery grand finale. It's basically a time attack."
Exciting, my ass.
If nothing else, it was clear that Oh Ji-won had lost his mind.
Does he think he can handle me alone? Or does he believe they can wipe out our base before I get there?
Either way, his calculations were completely off.
"Go home and get some sleep."
Slash!
Slicing the man down in a single stroke, Jinhyuk accelerated once again.
* * *
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Various skills swept through the amusement park.
Ice powder kicked up by the explosions splattered in all directions.
"H-He's a monster."
"Are you sure his abilities are sealed? How is he completely fine after taking all those skills head-on with his bare body?"
"Block him! Block him now!"
Screams echoed from all over.
Murderous intent flared up in waves before them.
Cheon Yu-seong walked forward, gripping his long sword.
"Because of you bastards, I owe a debt to that damn veteran. If he had just resented me instead, I wouldn't feel this disgusted... Damn it, this is all your fault."
His overwhelming might.
Lee Ye-ji and Kim Da-hee, who had stepped forward with confidence, were also completely suppressed by his sheer momentum.
"This is completely different from Whack-a-Mole..."
"So this is what he meant when he told us not to fight him head-on."
There was a world of difference between winning by exploiting loopholes in the rules and engaging in pure combat.
No matter how many players or powerful skills they possessed, it was no easy task.
Because Cheon Yu-seong was strong enough to bridge that entire gap.
Tap.
"Argh!"
Every time his sword moved, someone was eliminated.
Over 150 players had gathered in the center, but 50 of them had already vanished.
"Let's take out the other two first. Their support is more annoying."
Lee Ye-ji looked toward Yu Yeon-hwa and Lee Tae-min.
The only reason Cheon Yu-seong could run amok like this was because those two were providing flawless support.
"Lee Tae-min's Mechanical Lord abilities are sealed, so whatever, but we definitely can't leave Yu Yeon-hwa alone."
She was like a human tank.
It was absurd to watch her beat up men much larger than herself with her bare fists.
And her stamina was unbelievable.
Even after wrecking over a dozen people by herself, she still had energy to spare.
"Alright, let's do that. If his allies get taken down, even that ice-cold bastard will show an opening."
"It'll cost us some casualties, but let's leave him to the guild members for a moment."
The two of them moved immediately.
"...!"
"Noona!"
Lee Ye-ji and Kim Da-hee closed the distance in an instant and swung their swords.
It was a swift and fierce ambush, reminiscent of an assassin's strike.
Crash!
"Ahhh!"
Lee Tae-min's body was launched several meters into the air.
"Tae-min!"
"Do you really have time to look away?"
"...You bastards!"
Yu Yeon-hwa guarded her chin with both fists and adjusted her footing.
Whoosh!
Her gauntleted fist aimed straight for Lee Ye-ji's face.
However, Lee Ye-ji deflected the attack just by reading the movement of her shoulders.
A sword lunged toward Yu Yeon-hwa's abdomen.
This time, Yu Yeon-hwa brought her elbow down, altering the sword's trajectory.
In the span of a single breath, they exchanged over five clashes.
"..."
At this rate, they're in danger. Judging so, Cheon Yu-seong immediately tried to reinforce Yu Yeon-hwa and Lee Tae-min.
Right then—
"Your opponent is me."
Kim Hyung-jin, who had remained quiet until now, made his move.
His sharp sword strike was precise, as if measured with a ruler.
The sheer weight behind his bastard sword was not something that could be easily brushed aside.
If Yu-seong turned his back, he would be cut down instantly.
"It's an honor to personally face the famous Sword Ghost. I am Kim Hyung-jin of the Friend-or-Foe Guild."
"Get out of my way."
"I can't do that. We have our orders too."
"Then I'll just cut you down."
Clang! Clash!
Cheon Yu-seong swung his sword furiously.
Even without mana, the forms of his 'Soul-Chasing Sword' had not lost their profound principles.
His countless hours of training instinctively guided his body.
However,
Kim Hyung-jin parried Cheon Yu-seong's strikes with equally terrifying momentum.
While he was slightly lacking in technique and speed, he actually surpassed Cheon Yu-seong in terms of raw power.
I can't break through him quickly.
Cheon Yu-seong grit his teeth.
To encounter such a formidable foe at the most critical moment.
If he wasn't careful, he might fail his assigned task once again.
He had to prevent that at all costs.
He had absolutely no desire to see that guy's smug, smirking face again.
"Damn it."
If possible, he didn't want to use it.
It wounded his pride so deeply that he wanted to avoid it until the absolute end.
But producing results was far more important than his pride.
His hesitation was brief.
[Activating defensive skill, 'Curse of Mangbuseok'!]
[The longer the disadvantageous situation persists, the stronger the effect of Mangbuseok becomes.]
[Maximum judgment value has been recognized.]
[Due to the effect of the AoE crowd control skill, all players currently in this area will have their movements restricted for 10 minutes.]
Hummmmm!
Everything in sight began to turn white.
Salt crystallization.
It was a stalling skill that turned everyone, friend or foe alike, into salt.
For Cheon Yu-seong, who was at a relative disadvantage, this was the only way to create a variable.
"W-What is this?"
"My body... is changing?"
Panicked cries erupted.
Ten minutes... Finish it within that time.
Cheon Yu-seong muttered toward the direction Jinhyuk had run.
* * *
Step.
Jinhyuk arrived in front of a tent pitched so high it seemed to reach the sky.
This was the main base of the Friend-or-Foe Guild.
Just as the man he met earlier had said, there was only a single presence inside the tent.
Since Yu-seong used Mangbuseok, I have about 10 minutes left.
He had to finish this quickly.
Stepping inside, he saw a man smiling leisurely.
Oh Ji-won.
The third son of Chairman Oh Gang-won of Korea Motors, whom Jinhyuk had become thoroughly entangled with.
"You arrived faster than I expected. The coins spent on those skills alone must have been around 20 million. Did you block all of them?"
"Well, it was a bit annoying. But if you have coins to throw around like that, why not just give them to me instead?"
"Haha. If Player Kang Jinhyuk joins our side, we can provide you with far more than that."
"Oh, dear. I was actually about to make a similar offer... If you come under us, I'll make the Friend-or-Foe Guild three times larger."
"...You want me to serve under you? Are you being serious?"
"Yep."
"Haha. How absurd. No matter how successful you are, you are just a single individual. What exactly do you think a conglomerate is?"
"Well, in my opinion, size doesn't mean much when it comes to measuring strength. Especially when a high-and-mighty person like you is clearly nervous in front of me."
The strong are simply strong.
There was no other reason.
"So it comes to this in the end. Well, fine. If you insist on choosing the hard way, I have no reason to refuse."
When Jinhyuk showed no intention of compromising, Oh Ji-won opened his subspace.
Beyond the distorted space, a snake's shed skin appeared.
Is that...?
"Do you know why I chose this place as my base?"
The Circus.
It was the place where the highest level of 'freedom' was permitted within the event area.
And due to the nature of the amusement, one specific condition was unlocked...
Namely, the ability to summon a divinity without restrictions through owned sacred relics or other means.
"Watch closely. No matter how great you are, you are but a mere human. Feel the difference in our status."
A bizarre mana surged from the snake's skin.
Hummmmm!
[The divinity 'Master of the Eight' appears!]
A massive serpent filled the tent.
It was the mythical 'Yamata no Orochi', possessing eight heads and eight tails.