Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Kaliune's Tomb (2)
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The battle, which had been proceeding smoothly, took a sudden turn when the Wraith Knight's health dropped to 50%.
Whoooosh—.
Cheisi watched as the Wraith Knight split into two entities amid the sound of fog parting.
"...It'd be nice if patterns like this came with a heads-up."
Without info from other players, Cheisi had no choice but to learn elite monster patterns the hard way—by taking them head-on.
With a quiet grumble, she scowled and faced off against the Wraith Knights.
'No way they expect me to fight 2v1.'
Assumption one: Both knights are real, and she's now outnumbered.
Fighting one was tough enough. Two? She'd have to give up—no helping it.
'Assumption two...'
...through six all seemed too ridiculous, so Cheisi skipped them.
'Assumption seven: One of them is fake.'
Her guess was that one of the split Wraith Knights was an illusion. A single level 20 elite already felt appropriately powerful. Two would spike the difficulty too much.
No rule against it, but the sense of wrongness was undeniable.
"If one of them is a clone..."
Cheisi locked in her theory.
No one knew the strategy yet. Her thinking was the strategy.
So, time to test it.
"...It's a coin flip, then."
Fifty-fifty odds. Cheisi tensed as the two Wraith Knights vanished into the fog. With their forms gone, the next attack would count as an ambush.
Her only reliable tool: the Ambush skill.
But with a 60-second cooldown, missing the real one meant game over.
Dodge it, and the defense buff goes to the knight. Take it, and it's a one-shot.
What the hell? Gotta guess 50/50??????
Pattern's just confusing as hell;;;
Cheisi glanced at chat and tossed out a line.
"Let's see how lucky I am today."
Nothing left but luck.
Suddenly, she remembered the beetle shell.
The one locals carried for good fortune. It was in her pocket.
Why not wish for luck like the people of Megrana Pit?
As the two knights charged from the fog, Cheisi eyed the right one.
"...Ambush."
Her form blinked away.
Up until Cheisi had been unilaterally pushing the Wraith Knight and whittling down its health, viewers had been chilling—some even munching on fried chicken while watching the stream.
50/50 is too much fr;;;
Success means tomb access?
Now, they watched her fight with bated breath.
Once they grasped that the battle's outcome hinged on a 50/50 guess, tension was inevitable.
Others were on edge too.
"So the knight splits into real and fake, and she has to pick the real one?"
"Seems like it."
"My performance bonus is riding on a 50% chance...!"
"Forget the bonus—pray!"
The two Game Maine reporters stared at the screen like they could bore through it.
Their ears perked. They didn't blink at her every step.
When Cheisi Ambush'ed the right knight, they swallowed hard in peak suspense.
And finally, viewers and reporters alike saw the left Wraith Knight scatter into fog after one attack.
Everyone instinctively knew: fake. Coin flip nailed.
sssssssssssssssssssss
Nailed it
Wtf lol she got it.
Abyss chat exploded.
"50% success!"
"Prayers worked...!"
The Game Maine duo sighed in relief.
Everyone knew: major hurdle cleared.
"...Fights well."
The black-armored knight watching via Abyss grew sullen alone.
He'd stepped back per Cheisi's words: "Block or dodge the ambush, and you get the defense buff. Then I can't break through."
He was very displeased.
"Excluding me from noble combat with a worthy foe."
That was the gripe.
"Plenty good as a meat shield, yet no role at all. How unchivalrous..."
The knight got it, of course.
Cheisi's method was razor-thin; one slip, and it crumbled. She'd minimized variables by sidelining him.
Didn't make him like it.
"Just avoid the defense buff..."
Muttering to himself, the knight logged off Abyss, drew his sword, and strode into the fog where Cheisi battled the wraith.
The Wraith Knight's remaining health was down to 10%.
"...Splitting into four is too much."
Cheisi sighed softly at the four divided knights.
One Ambush shaved 10% health, so this was likely the final pattern.
But the difficulty...
1/4? Manageable?????
Success and it's over.
Holy shit...
Cheisi scrutinized the knights.
No visible tells.
'...Trust my gut.'
She'd rely on the beetle shell—and instinct—again.
Cool and collected, Cheisi watched the four charge from the fog, then activated her skill.
"Ambush...!"
She picked the third.
Ambush triggered: her form blinked behind the third knight. Swords from the others barely missed her old spot.
Second and fourth scattered post-attack. Fakes.
Cheisi stabbed the third, certain.
Gut said real.
'This ends it...'
10% left. This strike would fell it.
Her dagger slashed the third knight.
No—it missed. The knight dissolved into fog before contact.
"......"
In that instant, Cheisi's face hardened.
Wrong choice.
She'd dodged the ambush. Defense buff applied.
Current attack power couldn't pierce it.
The moment her expression soured...
"Cheisi, leaving me out of combat with a worthy foe..."
A familiar voice echoed from the fog.
It turned to a scream in a heartbeat.
"...Graaaahhh!!!"
Soon after, the Wraith Knight reappeared. Cheisi noted: no particles on its body.
No defense buff. Meaning the attack had landed properly.
No time for details.
Cheisi chased the knight retreating into fog, checking Ambush cooldown relentlessly.
60 seconds—the longest minute ever. Using cat-like reflexes, she dodged every attack, harrying relentlessly to prevent hiding.
"Ambush...!"
Cooldown up, Cheisi unleashed the final blow without hesitation.
The knight's body dissolved into white light in the fog.
Gained 35,000 EXP.
Level up!
Level up!
Two instant levels to 15, but no time to care.
Rushing to the scream, Cheisi found the 'knight' kneeling, stock-still.
He'd clearly tanked the wraith's attack.
"...How are you alive?"
Cheisi was baffled.
Ambush amplified damage by 990%. No way he had the health and defense to survive.
"Hah, but I endured."
Casual tone, like it was nothing.
"That dish from earlier? Impressive effects."
Cheisi recalled his 25-coin edible stone order.
Some insane hidden effect she'd missed?
"On fatal blow, death is postponed."
The knight recited the dish's effect slowly.
"Action locked for 1 minute, then death."
"...So you're off soon?"
"......5 seconds left."
Explained the stillness.
"In one hour... I'll return!"
At 5 seconds, he vanished in light after those words.
"...Feels like I see him die once a day."
Hardly remembered him alive over an hour.
Lmao fr
He's at the point where not dying feels weird
Won't forget Knight Ham's sacrifice ㅜㅜ
Cheisi picked up the Kaliune knight's loot.
Just one item.
｢Mysterious Map of the Mist Mine｣
A map of the Mist Mine marked with unknown symbols.
Grade: Rare
Type: Trophy
A yellowish map.
Unfolding it revealed the familiar Mist Mine layout.
A black dot marked a deep, hidden spot.
Probably Algeo's 'tomb.'
Cheisi pocketed it and sought Algeo again.
"...You got it?"
"Yes."
"......For real? That freak? What are you?"
Algeo's disbelief turned to shock at the map.
"...Ughaaaaah?!"
Quest completed.
Gained Algeo the Swindler's trust; tomb entry rights shared.
Algeo pulled out a white flower.
"G-good. No more pests. Let's grab the massive tomb treasures now."
Cheisi stopped Algeo, who was raring to go.
"...Hold up. Someone to wait for."
"Uh, yeah?"
"One hour."
Cheisi parted from Algeo to tour Megrana Pit.
True to its mining city rep, ore sculptures dotted the place—fun to browse.
An hour later...
"...You waited for me!"
The knight appeared, metallic voice dripping with emotion.
"Quest buddies, right?"
Cheisi shrugged.
Without his meat-shield tanking that ambush, defeat was certain.
Worth the wait.
"Indeed! Ah, such noble patience. Even Lumen of the 'Great Death Knights' is moved..."
"Let's go."
Cutting him off, Cheisi opened the map, pinned the black dot, and led the way.
Glancing at viewers amid the thick fog...
[Live Streaming]
Viewers: 71,000
'...71,000.'
All-time high.
Cheisi spotted a pitch-black door in the fog, its center hollowed in longsword shape.
Who'd imagine such a door on a Mist Mine back wall?
Algeo stepped forward.
"Harmony to the great Kaliune."
He placed the white flower; it dissolved into light, and the door opened.
Thick, dark fog filled the interior.
"...Going in."
Spooky vibe...
Can't see shit ㄷㄷ
Cheisi hunched slightly and stepped into the fog.
Emerging, she entered a small chamber walled in blue stone.
No treasure, no coins. Just a massive statue looming center.
A message appeared.
Title acquired.
『Parting the Mist』
Acquire condition: Visit the hidden tomb in the Mist Mine.
Parting the Mist.
Fitting for piercing the Mist Mine to arrive.
Cheisi eyed the statue.
A simple crown of black fog rippled atop its ashen head.
Bound by curse; cannot be removed.
"...This."
Post-alert, Cheisi and viewers knew instantly.
What the hell is that???????
Curse system in this game?
Obtainable now??
Not ordinary gear.