Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Fall of the Prisoners Capital
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"Hmm, the gate is made of wood and iron... Fire Wall."
Roarrr-!
Lee Sang looked at the gate they needed to breach and cast Fire Wall first.
Since it was made of wood and iron.
But Fire Wall did no damage to the gate whatsoever.
An Orc General approached Lee Sang as he watched.
"Gruk, hero. We'll break through. Those arriving soon with the king will shatter that sturdy gate."
The Orc General said that others were coming soon with the king.
The Orc General speaking to Lee Sang now was the one who had taken the lead alongside him, so when Lee Sang tried to clear the wall with Fire Wall but it seemed difficult, he suggested waiting for now.
Having earned the highest contribution points in the previous Trials' Arena, Lee Sang was consoled by the Orc General like this, but he felt nothing special.
Instead, he brushed off the Orc General's hand that had climbed onto his shoulder to comfort him.
"No, it's fine."
"Gruk?"
The Orc General tilted his head, having tried to comfort him in his own way, but Lee Sang had brushed it off.
From his perspective, he wondered if Lee Sang disliked him, but that wasn't the case.
Lee Sang cast the next spell on the wall he thought would crumble under Fire Wall.
"Explosion."
Explosion.
It was a 5th-class fire-attribute spell that could be seen as the beginning of an explosion.
As Lee Sang cast Explosion, a red energy quickly flew toward the Prisoners Kingdom capital's gate, and the moment it touched the Prisoners capital gate, it detonated.
KABOOOM-!
The Prisoners capital gate, which hadn't even flinched under Fire Wall, exploded.
Shatter-!
The shattered Prisoners capital gate scattered debris around.
The Orc General, who had been consoling Lee Sang after his failure to destroy it with Fire Wall, gaped in shock.
Lee Sang smirked at the Orc General.
"Told you it was fine?"
With that, Lee Sang proceeded straight into the capital of the Prisoners Kingdom.
Once inside, he swiftly swept through the kingdom's capital, heading for the palace.
As he moved toward the palace, he felled those he encountered within the castle walls with spells.
Having cleared the palace interior as he advanced, Lee Sang arrived at the throne room.
Upon arriving at the throne room, the lord of this zone's Prisoners Kingdom was seated there.
As Lee Sang entered the throne room, the Prisoners King, gripping a sword with both hands on the throne, opened his eyes.
"I wondered who would come first... the one who betrayed righteousness..."
"Flame Spear!"
Roarrr-!
While the Prisoners King was delivering his line, Lee Sang used the most powerful attack spell he could cast.
Flame Spear.
A beginner 6th-class spell, a blade of enhanced fire-attribute flame.
The Flame Spear flew toward the Prisoners King's chest.
Seeing it, the Prisoners King urgently raised his sword.
And unleashed his aura.
Vmmm-!
In any case, the Prisoners King's level was that of a Sword Master.
To properly face him as a mage, one needed to reach the level of a 7th-class magic swordsman.
Thus, Flame Spear alone couldn't kill the Prisoners King.
The Prisoners King swung his sword at the onrushing Flame Spear.
"Haat!"
Slashhh-!
A sword strike that scattered the Flame Spear into the air.
That sword strike contained aura.
Not the incomplete 'sword aura' used by expert-level swordsmen, but the perfect 'aura sword' that only Sword Masters, who achieve unity of sword and self, could wield.
Having dispelled Lee Sang's Flame Spear with his aura sword, the Prisoners King pointed his sword and spoke.
"You bastard! I thought you'd only betrayed righteousness, but honor too..."
Stab!
"Cough!"
The Prisoners King, seeing Lee Sang who had ambushed him without even revealing his name while he was speaking, was about to rage.
But something pierced his chest, causing him to vomit blood.
Whirr-!
Currently, a spear made of wind was rotating in the Prisoners King's chest.
A wind blade spinning like an electric drill.
In fact, before engaging in battle with him, Lee Sang had cast two spells simultaneously.
Commonly known as 'double casting,' it was a technique said only geniuses could perform among mages.
Since it involved computing and casting two spells at once.
But players were different from this world's mages.
As long as they studied magic properly, anyone could double cast.
Use one as a skill, and cast the other as a spell.
For Lee Sang, who had already finished studying magic, double casting was no big deal.
Thus, the 'Tempest Spear' that pierced the Prisoners King's chest was cast secretly as a skill, while 'Flame Spear' was cast directly as a spell, not a skill.
Using the spell-cast Flame Spear to obscure the Prisoners King's vision, then sending the skill Tempest Spear from behind to pierce his chest—all of it was part of Lee Sang's plan.
In the end, the Prisoners King, with his chest pierced and life fading, collapsed with a wronged expression.
After felling the Prisoners King, Lee Sang said,
"Phew, that completes the hidden mission. Now, shall I head back out of the palace and sweep up the remaining Prisoners Kingdom forces?"
Lee Sang also intended to claim 1st place in this zone, beyond just the hidden trial.
So he had to go back outside and eliminate the Prisoners Kingdom forces that the orcs hadn't dealt with yet.
As Lee Sang exited the palace and swept away the remaining Prisoners Kingdom forces,
[You have completed the Eighth Trial.]
[Level up.]
the Eighth Trials' Arena ended.
Immediately after, Lee Sang could see the following system window.
[Eighth Trial complete.]
[Settling Eighth Trial results.]
[Announcing Eighth Trial results.]
[Zone Ranking TOP 3 for Eighth Trial]
1st: Speller - 91,400 points.
2nd: Ironman - 32,400 points
3rd: Physician - 27,200 points
In this zone, Lee Sang had taken 1st place with a massive gap over 2nd and 3rd.
It had to be that way.
Not only were the Prisoners King's points high, but thanks to the Contribution Voucher from completing the hidden trial in the previous Trials' Arena, he earned double.
The board announced up to 3rd in this zone.
[Survival condition for this Trials' Arena: 100 players who accumulated at least the minimum contribution in the enemy camp. Camps.]
The players showed confusion at the board's content.
"The previous Trials' Arena had contribution calculations and such, but how do they decide the 100 this time?"
"It said they'd save exactly 100 cleanly, so probably the top 100 in contributions."
"Yeah, probably."
"So where's the 100th place?"
The players were puzzled since no clear criteria emerged for who would survive or die.
Meanwhile, Lee Sang saw the hidden trial results.
[You have completed the hidden trial.]
[Level up.]
The hidden trial completion window appeared.
So the results would be announced soon.
[Eighth Trial's hidden trial completed.]
[Eighth Trial hidden trial.]
- Objective: Capture the enemy king.
- Achieved by: Park Hae-jin, Raffaello, Speller, Na, Anna, Manager Kim.
Afterward, a window for the hidden trial rewards appeared.
[Hidden trial rewards granted.]
[Choose one of the following three rewards:]
1. Extra Life Voucher.
2. Hut Voucher.
3. Experience 2x Voucher.
Lee Sang pondered the hidden trial rewards.
Because Hae-jin had told him to choose this time.
Of course, it wasn't just 'choose whatever.'
All three had merits, so he was told to pick one.
『In the next Trials' Arena, you'll have only one life. If you think surviving on the island will be tough, adding a life is better. If building shelter seems hard, you can build a hut... I can teach you if you want to learn. If neither is needed, go for the Experience 2x Voucher for growth.』
Lee Sang organized what Hae-jin had told him.
'Safety net: extra life. Too lazy to build a hut: hut. Need neither and want growth: Experience 2x.'
In the end, only one choice for Lee Sang.
"Of course, this one."
After Lee Sang selected the hidden reward.
The players felt puzzled.
"But why aren't they sending us back to reality?"
"Yeah."
"What the hell? Hurry up and tell us the survivors and send us back!"
"Right!"
The players vented frustration, unlike previous Trials' Arenas where survivors and deaths weren't distinguished before returning to reality.
Amid the players' complaints, Lee Sang quietly sat and closed his eyes.
Because Hae-jin had told him.
『This time, the end will be a bit different. Don't panic—just sit and close your eyes. If you're curious what happens, I won't stop you from opening them.』
This Trials' Arena's end was different.
Close your eyes and wait to return to reality.
But if you want to open them and see, no problem.
Lee Sang was human too, so he was curious.
Just what made this Trials' Arena's end different enough for Hae-jin to say that?
Still, Lee Sang thought.
'Do exactly as Leader says.'
Nothing bad had ever come from following Hae-jin's instructions so far.
So Lee Sang just closed his eyes.
From his experiences, whatever Hae-jin said was right.
Then.
Whoooosh-!
'What wind is this?'
Lee Sang, eyes closed, felt a sudden strong gust and wondered.
With eyes closed but ears open, he could hear the surroundings.
"Th... that thing! What is it!?"
"Tor... tornado?"
"Why is a tornado suddenly surging in like that?!"
'Tornado?'
Lee Sang wondered at the players all shouting about a tornado.
But trusting Hae-jin's words, he kept his eyes shut.
Then.
'Hmm?'
Lee Sang didn't know with eyes closed, but a massive tornado was swallowing the Prisoners Kingdom capital.
And he felt it.
Himself floating up.
'Am I getting swept into the tornado?'
As he thought that.
Hae-jin's voice rang in his ear.
"Everyone, open your eyes now."
At Hae-jin's voice, Lee Sang opened his eyes.
And saw.
The party members back in reality.
Having opened his eyes and faced the group, Hae-jin spoke.
"Good work, everyone."
Several days passed after that, and Hae-jin went to meet Representative Kim Min-su.
To receive a report on 'Fantasy Life.'
Representative Kim Min-su reported with a delighted expression.
"It's a huge hit, a huge hit!"