Chapter 73: Base Defense Battle (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 73: Base Defense Battle (2)
A massive scar was gouged into the ground.
Thick dust swirled where the sword had swept through.
"W-what's with this crazy bastard?"
"No idea. Some psycho suddenly attacked us!"
"He must have a death wish. Picking a fight against this many people? I was already pissed off from staying up all night, so this is perfect. I'm going to break one of his bones."
"Gasp! S-stop! That's him. The Sword Ghost!"
"That psychopath?"
The murmuring grew louder.
"Get out of my way and scram. Before I cut you all down."
The one radiating waves of murderous intent was none other than Cheon Yu-seong.
He must have been incredibly angry; his gaze was beyond cold—it was downright savage.
And for good reason.
Cheon Yu-seong, who had been dedicating himself to his training today as always, had received a message early this morning.
[Get your ass over to the 4th-floor entrance within an hour.]
The sender was Kang Jinhyuk.
He was the mountain Yu-seong absolutely had to overcome, and the sole reason he remained in the Tower.
Ridiculous.
Yu-seong frowned.
There was no reason for him to go just because that guy told him to.
His training was still lacking.
To surpass that damn monster, he had to break through the limits of his sword.
Therefore, Yu-seong ignored the message Jinhyuk sent.
Immediately after, another message arrived.
[If you come now, I'll fight you without using my left arm and right leg.]
Endure it.
This is a provocation.
An incredibly shallow and childish one.
If I take the bait, I'll only be playing right into his hands.
[Okay. Then how about I only use my right brain and fight with both eyes closed? Deal?]
En... dure it.
I must endure.
I must remember this anger, sublimate it, and use it as fuel for my future revenge.
If I wait, the opportunity will surely come.
[Scared? Ah, you must be. Don't worry, I don't bully puppies with their tails tucked between their legs.]
That was the final straw.
The thread of reason he had been barely holding onto snapped.
...I'll kill him.
I will tear him to shreds and kill him!
Completely taking the bait, Cheon Yu-seong threw everything aside and headed straight for the 4th floor.
And right now.
In the distance, he spotted the culprit behind all of this.
* * *
"Oh? You're here? Over here."
Jinhyuk waved his hand warmly.
"I thought my neck was going to snap waiting for you. Seriously, you're terrible at keeping appointments."
"You bastard...!"
Cheon Yu-seong pointed his sword forward.
It wasn't the Qianlong-inscribed Iron Sword he used to carry, but a new sword engraved with runic letters.
So he did get his hands on that.
The Attribute Sword.
Although it wasn't in its completed form yet, it was a special item that could infuse elemental magic into the weapon, compensating for a swordsman's weakness in long-range combat.
The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth curled upward.
Cheon Yu-seong was undeniably strong, but his personality was strictly orthodox.
That meant his next moves were easy to predict.
"I will prove right here and now whether I am scared or not."
Yu-seong gripped his sword with both hands.
Rumble!
Sharp, condensed mana began to gouge rough lines into the ground.
It was an absurdly, brutally massive sword energy.
"Proving it is fine and all, but are you really going to fight with an incomplete sword?"
At Jinhyuk's words, Yu-seong paused.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. The Attribute Sword isn't bad, but it can only unleash its true power once it's fully completed."
"……."
"As it happens, the A-Rank Random Box from this floor contains an item that can complete that Attribute Sword. You want the Fire attribute, right?"
"Bullshit! A random box is literally random. There's no way to know what will come out of it!"
"True. Through normal means, you can't peek at what's inside a random box."
But.
"You know I prefer abnormal shortcuts, don't you?"
Jinhyuk smirked.
On the other hand, Yu-seong bit his lip hard.
If anyone else had said this, he would have dismissed it as utter nonsense not even worth listening to.
But the veteran smiling slyly in front of him was the sole exception.
That guy might actually know.
A way to peek behind the curtain.
"Assuming you're telling the truth... are you planning to use that as bait to exploit me?"
"Isn't life all about using each other for mutual benefit anyway? Besides, it's not like you have anything to lose."
Better items were indeed the best way to get stronger.
There was a reason people talked about being 'carried by gear.'
After all, there were cases where players completely crushed high-tier rankers purely through the power of their items.
In the end...
"...Damn it. There had better be a material to complete my Attribute Sword inside that random box."
Shring!
Yu-seong sheathed the sword he had drawn.
Good.
There had been many twists and turns, but either way, all five members were now gathered.
Though he did have slight doubts about whether one of them was actually on their side.
* * *
[A 5-member party has been formed.]
[The minimum number of players required for the Base Defense Battle has been met.]
The five of them, including Jinhyuk, headed straight for the arena.
"……."
"Ahem. Ahem."
Lee Tae-min and Yu Yeon-hwa kept glancing at Cheon Yu-seong.
Wasn't he the madman who used to draw his sword the moment their eyes met?
It was only natural to feel anxious about being on the same team as such a terrifying guy.
"Jinhyuk, will it really be okay?"
Teresa, who had met Cheon Yu-seong in the Corridor, was equally uneasy.
"It's fine. He might look like that on the outside, but he actually has a surprisingly soft side. He probably won't stab us in the back, at least not while the waves are coming."
"Still..."
"Trust me."
Having bickered with him more than anyone else, Jinhyuk had come to know him whether he liked it or not.
He knew what the man's true nature was.
And if it was the Cheon Yu-seong he knew, the man wouldn't do anything cowardly, at least.
Probably...
...Probably.
It was then.
"Oh, right, Oppa. I almost forgot. Take this."
Remembering something, Yu Yeon-hwa opened her subspace inventory.
Soon, a pair of swords that looked extraordinary at a single glance revealed themselves.
They were the Twin Dragon Swords.
"Oh!"
Indeed.
Although they were mere relics of the past, the rumors that they rivaled the Relics inside the Tower were true.
It was by no means an exaggeration.
The heavy sensation transmitting through his fingertips made his heart tighten.
"Grandfather told me to give them to you. But seriously, Grandfather cherished these so much. How on earth did you get him to hand them over?"
"Just because. I guess he took a liking to me."
Jinhyuk glossed over it vaguely.
There was no need to talk about the residents right now.
He needed to focus on the upcoming defense battle.
While they were sharing such light banter,
"We're here. That's our base over there."
Before they knew it, the group had arrived at the entrance of the arena.
"Sigh. So the five of us have to defend this massive base?"
"This reminds me of when we stopped the outbreak in Amsterdam. I never wanted to experience that again."
Yu Yeon-hwa and Teresa let out soft sighs.
"I guess even the great Bulgwang-dong Nuclear Fist and the Saint of Amsterdam get nervous?"
"A-a little? But since I'm with you, Oppa, I feel relieved."
"Me too. Somehow, when I'm with you, Jinhyuk, I feel like everything will work out, no matter how desperate the situation is."
"Flattering me won't get you anything."
"Oh, come on. Flattery? I'm just stating facts."
"Besides, I saw you clear the Corridor all by yourself."
What's gotten into them all of a sudden?
Do they want something from me?
I don't know what they're thinking, but...
It doesn't feel bad.
At least it meant he was trusted.
In a world like this, being able to trust someone and watch each other's backs was no common thing.
Tingle! Tingle!
Braham's Ring on his finger twitched violently.
Right. I can trust you too.
Sensing Alice's sulking, Jinhyuk chuckled.
Unlike her appearance, she was surprisingly jealous.
It was a complete 180-degree turn from her cold and noble first impression.
Maybe that was why he wanted to tease her even more.
But right then,
"Hmm. I wondered who had claimed the arena first. So it was the Koreans?"
A strange voice interrupted.
At the same time, men with shaved heads and bodies covered in tattoos emerged from between the buildings.
"Oppa!"
"Hyung, those guys approached while erasing their presence!"
"...Jinhyuk!"
The three of them shouted simultaneously.
Yes, I know.
He had noticed them gradually closing the perimeter a few minutes ago and wondered when they would show their faces.
Only after reaching the base did he finally get to see their mugs.
Seeing how they were decent at hiding their presence, they seemed to have some skill.
"Are they Chinese players?"
Jinhyuk smacked his lips.
The Triad, one of the large guilds.
It was a place where only those with terrible rumors gathered.
And the handsome young man leading them at the front possessed an aura completely different from the others.
"Are you the one called Kang Jinhyuk?"
A fair-skinned, black-haired Asian man spoke.
He had the kind of looks that would make people turn their heads if they met on the street.
However, what caught Jinhyuk's eye more than his handsome features was the crest on the sword at his waist.
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
That crest...
There's no mistake.
'The Namgung Clan'.
They were one of the members of the 'Murim' on the 25th floor of the Tower of Trials.
So it was true that the Chinese side made contact with the residents.
This was the moment Yu Cheon-yeong's words were proven true.
"I asked if you are Kang Jinhyuk."
"That's right. I'm Kang Jinhyuk."
"As I thought. My name is Namgung Hyun. Unlike a humble, tiny country like yours, I belong to the vast territory of China..."
Namgung Hyun, who was introducing himself, paused as he tried to continue.
This was because his opponent was covering his nose and mouth with a handkerchief.
"What on earth are you doing?"
"Ah, sorry. Your country is choked with fine dust, you see. I was worried dust might fly out of your mouth every time you speak."
Now I understand why his skin is so pale.
With the sky covered in a gray haze 24/7, 365 days a year, there's no way sunlight could get through.
"Y-you bastard, what did you just say?!"
Namgung Hyun's face instantly flushed red with anger.
He's mad.
Getting pissed off first means you lose. That's the universal rule.
"Let me say the bullshit for you so you can skip it: 'You bastard, do you know who I am? If you dare look down on the Namgung Clan, I will exterminate your entire family!' Please, spare me. Those third-rate villain lines are so boring."
Jinhyuk recited the lines his opponent was about to say in advance.
Even if it wasn't word-for-word, he would have babbled something along those lines anyway.
"But does the Namgung Clan even have any pride left to protect?"
You guys tremble in fear the moment the Heavenly Demon shows up in the Tower.
"Besides, a young master of the Namgung Clan making a grand entrance to build a reputation—wasn't that a trope from twenty years ago?"
I don't know what era you think we're in, acting like that.
"Unless you rode a time machine here all by yourself."
"You... you!"
"Shh. Don't open your mouth too wide. If you spit virus-laden saliva everywhere, it'll be a nuisance to players all over the world."
"Aaaaargh!"
In the end, Namgung Hyun exploded.