Chapter 188
Chapter 188
Chapter 188: The Desert on the Scales (2)
Translation: godtl
Just how shocking was it?
"T-this makes no sense......"
The force behind Leoni's greatsword strike weakened considerably.
Si-mun simply pushed forward against the wrist he had caught.
"Why...... am I receiving a debuff that reduces all my stats?"
Leoni was pushed back with a somewhat dazed expression.
"You saw the message. It means exactly what it says."
Si-mun gave a light tilt of his chin.
"That's what I'm questioning!"
Leoni hurriedly continued.
"This is Survival mode! So why is it talking about karma?!"
"Because that's the map's unique trait."
"What kind of— W-wait, Kim Si-mun, are you saying you know this map's mechanics?"
Her face was uncharacteristically flushed with excitement as she pressed him.
But Si-mun remained silent, merely shaking off Crabster's blood from his hand.
He didn't answer her question.
To be precise—
'My karma debuff drastically decreased?'
He probably didn't have the luxury to spare.
Si-mun checked the message that had appeared once more.
[You have reached maximum favor with the Constellations of Death.]
[Your Sinful Karma has sharply decreased.]
[All stats reduced by 1%.]
As he reread the message, Si-mun's brow subtly furrowed.
'It was the same with the River of the Underworld. Death Energy stats do have advantages in death-related maps, but......'
Death Energy.
True to its name as the energy of death, it granted various benefits in scenarios tied to death—much like how a Spirit Master gained advantages from their contracted spirit's attributes.
However.
'My Death Energy isn't even that high, and it shouldn't be possible to reduce the Sinful Karma debuff this much through Death Energy stats alone, right?'
After a brief moment of contemplation, Si-mun quickly pinpointed the cause of this bizarre situation.
'Right! The Fragment of Tartarus!'
He immediately opened his inventory to inspect the Fragment of Tartarus.
[Fragment of Tartarus]
Grade:?
An item gifted to Player Kim Si-mun by the Constellations of Death.
Restored to its true form through Nyx's power.
Grants maximum favor with the Constellations of Death.
The last line of the description.
'So it's because of that option.'
Nodding slowly in understanding, Si-mun finally grasped it.
'The description was too abstract—I wasn't sure how it would be applied. So this is how it works.'
The Fragment of Tartarus, properly appraised through the Goddess of Night, Nyx.
At the time, he hadn't fully understood what the sole option—"Grants maximum favor with the Constellations of Death"—meant.
Now, it finally clicked.
'If that's the case, the advantages in other death-related maps must be significant too.'
For example.
'Like not dying even if I touch the River Styx.'
Since the Sinful Karma debuff was reduced to one-tenth of its original severity, the likelihood of instant death upon falling into the Styx was now much lower.
Looking at it this way—
"This...... is insane."
A smile naturally spread across Si-mun's face.
The higher the rank,
and the more official the Arena,
the more critically a map's unique traits came into play.
And to gain such an overwhelming advantage in one of the most notoriously difficult death-related maps?
But just as Si-mun was lost in thought—
"What's so insane?"
Leoni's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Hey, Kim Si-mun. Just what exactly do you know......"
"Leoni."
Cutting her off, Si-mun asked instead,
"You can't use Brynhildr's power again, can you?"
Perhaps it was a question as sharp as a dagger?
Even though her words had been cut short, Leoni didn't argue—instead, she bit her lip hard.
Eventually,
"...You're right."
She nodded with visible difficulty.
"Since it's a technique that borrows a Constellation's power, the cooldown is quite long."
"By the time this Arena ends, the cooldown still won't be up, will it?"
"...That's correct."
Now clenching her fists tightly, Leoni's body trembled slightly.
"My apologies. I got carried away exploiting an enemy's weakness and carelessly used a major skill too soon. It was a foolish move."
Was it just my imagination, or did her self-reproach overlap with someone else's image?
Si-mun shook his head with a gentle smile.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. We survived thanks to you."
"There's no need to console me. This was clearly my mistake."
"It's not consolation—it's the truth. As long as you're alive, that's what matters."
Not just for the future's sake.
But because a rather significant mission hinges on your survival.
Yet unaware of his inner thoughts, Leoni—
"Just what are you...?"
—looked at him with confusion.
And eyes that were strangely flushed.
But Si-mun, who didn't catch that gaze, continued,
"Leoni. You fought them too, so you must realize—the skill level of non-human players surpasses Earth's."
He gestured toward the corpses of the fallen Dongseo Tribesman and Crabster.
"That much is true."
As if recalling the recent battle—
"I never imagined they'd throw hidden weapons from that stance."
Her peculiar expression hardened into solemnity in an instant.
Si-mun nodded.
"On top of that, the Karma Debuff—a 10% reduction in all stats—is no joke."
"Definitely. Even though it's just 10%, I can feel my strength draining."
"The real problem is the possibility of it stacking."
"W-wait, seriously?!"
"It's just speculation. But you know this, right? When facing a new map or event, you have to consider every possibility."
"Right."
First Generation players.
Though many dismiss them as has-beens now—
In the early days of the Galaxy Arena, they risked their lives to uncover countless pieces of information.
And that knowledge, much like science—
Accumulated, updated, and evolved into the current strategies for conquering the Arena.
This was what those First Generation players always said:
'Always keep every possibility open.'
From Arena communities to small guilds—
This became fundamental knowledge every Awakened would encounter.
Naturally, Leoni knew this too.
"...My apologies. I've become a burden to you, my teammate. I was too trapped in pre-regulation methods."
She bowed her head formally in apology.
"No need to apologize. It's plenty shocking. A 10% reduction in all stats is pretty extreme."
Si-mun waved his hands dismissively and helped her up.
"Anyway. Let's assess the situation based on this knowledge. Look around."
At his words, Leoni scanned the desolate, monochrome desert.
"Doesn't something feel off?"
"Definitely strange."
No matter how vast this map was—
"Even with the added two-player cooperation condition, this is still Survival. Yet we hear no combat sounds."
In Survival, you'd expect small explosions or bursts of gunfire.
But there wasn't a single trace of anything resembling combat.
Then—
"That's it!"
Leoni's eyes sparkled as she clapped her hands.
"The non-humans must know about this Karma Debuff—that's why they're not moving recklessly!"
Then—
"Your speculation about the debuff stacking... was based on this situation?"
She looked at him with wide eyes.
Si-mun gave a light nod.
"Well, yeah."
"Ha!"
Leoni let out a hollow laugh.
"Impressive... truly impressive."
She didn't hide her admiration in the slightest.
How could she?
'When faced with an unprecedented situation, anyone's perspective narrows instinctively.'
A never-before-seen map.
On top of that, an Arena where their lives were at stake.
Yet from the very beginning until now, Kim Si-mun had calmly observed and deduced the situation.
This wasn't something an ordinary mind could achieve.
'To think I was so bitter about losing to someone like this... I really didn't know my place.'
Leoni stifled a laugh.
Since entering this Arena—
"Kim Si-mun."
She looked at him with the steadiest gaze she'd mustered yet.
"If by chance both of us survive and return to Earth, I swear I'll repay you for this."
Her eyes didn't waver in the slightest.
It was exactly like the Valkyrie Leoni Wolf she had only ever seen through broadcasts in her past life.
"I won't refuse your offer, then."
Si-mun grinned as he replied.
"Anyway."
Si-mun shook off the remaining fluids from Crabster and took a step forward.
"You must realize by now that kills on this map need to be strategic..."
"I know. Let's take turns killing one by one. That way, the debuff will be distributed evenly."
"No. What I mean is, there's no need for that."
Si-mun shook his head at Leoni's words.
"I receive a mitigated version of that Karma Debuff."
"What?!"
Leoni's eyes widened in shock.
"H-how is that possible?"
"With the help of a Constellation."
It wasn't exactly a lie—after all, he had obtained the Fragment of Tartarus thanks to Nyx's assistance.
"Since the points are counted as a team anyway, I'll handle the kills."
"Ah, understood."
Leoni quickly fell into step behind Si-mun.
Thud.
"Gahhk!"
A scream erupted alongside a heavy vibration.
An orc, its chest caved in, was sent flying through the air before—
Thump.
—slamming into the ground.
At that—
The chat exploded in an instant.
And for good reason.
A 10% reduction in all stats for every kill—the Karma Debuff.
Despite stacking it multiple times already...
"This team's done for."
Si-mun showed not the slightest sign of weakening.
Because he was already on his eighth kill.
Naturally, Leoni Wolf, who was experiencing all of this firsthand rather than through a broadcast, could only...
"......"
Stare blankly at Si-mun, who was casually clenching his fist, utterly speechless.
Be that as it may.
"Let's go find the next team."
Si-mun took another step forward, resuming his slaughter.
Snapping out of her daze, Leoni hurriedly followed.
"Kim Si-mun... are you okay?"
"Hm? Oh! The Karma Debuff?"
At her worried question, he shrugged as if it were nothing.
"Well, after eight kills, I can feel it a little. But I'm still fine."
He waved his arms flippantly.
And he really was fine.
'All my stats have dropped by about 8%. I can feel it now, though.'
Unlike the usual 10% reduction per kill, Si-mun only lost 1% per kill.
With eight kills, his total reduction was only 8%.
So he was far more energetic than Leoni, who had a full 10% reduction from just one Karma Debuff stack.
Of course, Leoni, unaware of this, could only feel—
"I-I see... That's a relief."
—as if she were facing an insurmountable wall.
Meanwhile, oblivious to her thoughts, Si-mun frowned slightly.
'Speaking of which... this is a bit odd.'
His eyes scanned the surroundings with a distant gaze.
After dealing with Crabster, he had gone on a seven-kill streak.
'I didn't think about the debuff stacking and just killed whoever I saw...'
Though he had missed an Assassin Class player who fled the moment their teammate died, preventing him from reaching nine kills, he had still eliminated quite a few for the Duat's desert scale.
And after taking down so many, Si-mun noticed a peculiar pattern.
Namely—
'So everyone's been coming this way, huh?'
Every single team he had faced so far had 'initiated' the attack first.
'Given the nature of the Desert on the Scales, recklessly charging in like this shouldn't be easy, though.'
The game mode was Survival, where everyone had to be killed.
Due to the map's unique mechanics, a Karma Debuff would stack by one layer each time a sin was committed.
Naturally, even in his past life—
'Everyone tried their best to avoid fights.'
When Survival mode appeared in the Desert on the Scales,
whether they were from Earth or another race, everyone avoided combat as much as possible.
No matter how many kills one racked up,
the accumulating Karma Debuffs would eventually turn them into easy prey.
But the teams he had dealt with so far—
"Found him!"
"It's them."
—were different from the ones now boldly approaching from not too far away.
"That's him! The human they told us about!"
"Let's each take one. Our ranks are secured anyway."
Their massive frames, even bulkier than an orc's.
At the trolls' conversation, Si-mun's brow twitched.
'The human they told them about? Is someone deliberately sending participants this way?'
Moreover—
'Judging by their level, they're just average Platinum-tier trolls. And their ranks are secured?'
They didn't seem remotely capable of making it into the upper ranks.
Si-mun's expression hardened slightly.
'Mentioning secured ranks means they're being promised a higher placement for taking us out.'
Given the nature of the map,
schemes to pit others against each other weren't unheard of.
But that only applied to the strongest survivors who lasted until the end.
It didn't make sense for two ordinary Platinum-tier trolls.
"Hah."
A scoff escaped him.
'I was just wondering what to do since I'm about to hit 10 kills. Perfect timing.'
Time to pay these bastards back in full.
Having made up his mind, Si-mun—
Snap.
—flicked his fingers.
Whoosh.
A fierce flame erupted, and a crimson sword materialized in his grasp.
Seeing this, Leoni instinctively took a step back.
"Leoni. If you have any defensive skills, use them now."
"R-right!"
After kindly giving her a warning, Si-mun—
"Burn."
—immediately activated Laevateinn.
"T-this energy?!"
"No way, a Constellation's?!"
The trolls panicked.
But Laevateinn, already activated, didn't give them time to react.
Fwoooosh!
"Gyaaaaah!!"
Even the notoriously resilient Platinum-tier trolls, clad in top-tier Arena gear, were incinerated in an instant.
Then—
[You have committed murder.]
[The weight of sin burdens your heart.]
[You have received Death's Favor to its maximum extent.]
[Your Karma has sharply decreased.]
[All stats reduced by 1%.]
Familiar messages popped up.
[You have committed 10 sins in total.]
[The scales tilt under the weight of your sins.]
The awaited message appeared, and—
Grrrrrrrr.
The monochrome desert trembled faintly.
Screeeech.
Si-mun activated Odin's Eye and looked up at the sky.
'As expected, hitting 10 kills triggers it.'
The pitch-black sky, which had shown nothing before,
now revealed, through Odin's Eye, the chains suspending this desert.
And those chains connected to a massive iron rod and an enormous pillar—
forming what could be called the arms of a giant scale.
The only difference was—
"Disgustingly huge."
—if anything, it was exaggerated to the point of planetary proportions.
Either way—
'The scales will tilt because of me.'
Ten kills total.
A 10-layer Karma Debuff meant a 100% reduction in all stats—directed at a sinner.
[The sinful heart shall be punished.]
[The punishment will not cease until the sinner dies.]
The hammer of judgment fell,
and that hammer was something—
[Ammit the Beast of Duat has appeared.]
—no mortal could ever resist.
Sssssssss.
The already dim desert grew darker.
To be precise—
Grrrrrr.
—it was the shadow of an enormous being.
From within that darkness—
Tap.
—a clear, lively sound rang out.
[The Constellation Osiris gazes at you with keen interest.]
A single message window floated before Si-mun.