Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Translation: godtl
"Hah......"
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
Choi Jin-su stood dumbfounded, his mouth agape as he stared at the cause.
Yu A-jun's Ice Twister.
Enhanced further by Water Spirit Art, the debuff, range, and destructive power of the ice magic had all been amplified.
And it wasn't as if he'd countered it with power of the same caliber.
'He actually ran straight through the heart of the magic......'
If he'd at least carefully walked through it, Jin-su wouldn't have been so speechless.
That monster Kim Si-mun had performed the absurd feat of running straight through the amplified ice vortex—stepping on the swirling currents to charge forward.
Like sprinting along a rollercoaster's track.
Jin-su wasn't the only one stunned.
-What the hell! Running through magic? Is that even possible?
-It's possible. I've seen mid-tier Diamond players pull that off.
-Right... it is possible... but this guy's just Gold, right...
-But he just did it, didn't he?
-No fucking way! That's why everyone's losing it! How does that make sense?!
-Moderator, that kid just swore. Ban him, please.
On Si-mun's stream.
Viewers who witnessed him dashing through the amplified five-star Ice Twister firsthand reacted even more intensely.
And for good reason.
Even if this was a broadcast from the so-called "abyss" of low ranks.
Si-mun's streams had long surpassed his rank, attracting high-rank viewers in droves.
-To pull that off, you'd need perfect understanding of the magic's structure and specs far beyond the spell's level. So this makes no sense.
-Is this another trait? He didn't even flick his fingers this time.
-Probably a trait. His body changed without any finger flicking.
-Yep. Seems similar to Choi Jin-su's ability.
-No way he has two traits?
-I'd rather believe he has two. As a Platinum, I refuse to accept that was pure control.
-Absolute madman. That was pure skill? Platinum magic users would jump into the Han River over this.
When high-rank players started making professional assessments, the chat naturally exploded.
And then.
"Seeing it again, huh?"
The gaze of Si-mun—who had created this heated situation—turned toward the last remaining survivor.
Choi Jin-su.
The moment their eyes met.
Jin-su flinched.
'Wh-what is this...?'
He felt his entire body tense up, muscles locking in place.
It wasn't just because of the overwhelming power Si-mun had displayed so far.
'That form... something's... something's dangerous.'
With his SS-rank Beastification trait, Jin-su immediately recognized the nature of this terror.
'A predator!'
Yes.
This was the fear beasts felt when faced with a predator above them in the hierarchy.
'But why? I'm literally transformed into a Sharkrodon...'
Sharkrodon—a notorious sea monster that only appeared in Platinum ranks.
Though, having just reached Gold, his transformation was less than half as potent.
Still, the sharp, protruding teeth, the snout, and the blade-like fins on his wrists were unmistakably Sharkrodon's.
By all rights, he should be the apex predator in these waters.
So why was he feeling terror?
'Damn it! I shouldn't have transformed!'
Of course, without the transformation, he wouldn't even be able to breathe underwater.
But the sheer humiliation of freezing up just from a gaze made it impossible for Jin-su to think straight.
"G-grk...!"
The instinct-crushing fear.
Gritting his teeth hard enough to splinter them, Jin-su desperately struggled to move.
By now, even the veins in his bloodshot eyes had stiffened.
"Have you given up already? You're much less persistent than last time."
Before he knew it, Si-mun was standing right in front of him.
It's not me, Jin-su wanted to scream.
I haven't changed—you're the one who's different.
But.
'M-my body... won't move!'
Was it because he was this close?
Even his clenched jaws refused to obey.
"Well, either way, it doesn't matter. Personally, I respect you quite a bit."
Forcing his creaking neck up, Jin-su barely managed to meet Si-mun's face—and finally realized the source of this inexplicable terror.
'His eye! It's that eye!'
The left eye, layered with intricate golden magic circles.
At its center, a vertical slit pupil—like an abyss torn open—was the reason he couldn't move a muscle.
Unaware of this realization, Si-mun spoke calmly.
"There won't be any pain. You've done well, Choi Jin-su."
With an indifferent flick, his razor-sharp nails lashed out.
Squelch.
Si-mun's hand pierced straight through Jin-su's heart.
Even if imperfect, this was still the hide of a Sharkrodon.
Yet his hand tore through it as effortlessly as it had entered.
Splash!
A fountain of blood erupted as the heart returned to its rightful place.
[You have become the last survivor.]
[The winner of the Gold-rank Debut Match has been decided.]
Above Si-mun's head, a system window appeared, announcing the end of the Debut Match.
[You have completed the missions of your Constellations.]
[You have acquired 5,000 Achievement Points.]
A personal message window also floated up before his eyes, notifying him of the mission completion.
Just as Si-mun was about to release his Dragon Body Transformation—
[A special condition has been met.]
[The final island is beginning to surface.]
A series of additional system windows popped up, and—
Rumble—!
The sea trembled.
Bubbles surged relentlessly from the depths.
Along with them, an island rose—far larger than any of the islands that had been swallowed by the Trident.
'I don't know what condition was met, but... is that the final island?'
Si-mun gazed at the last island surfacing not far away and immediately swam toward it.
His movements were smooth.
Was there a separate swimming function in Dragon Body Transformation?
Or was it simply due to the overwhelming specs of the transformation itself?
'What the hell? I'm even faster than when I transmuted the Sharkrodon's body tissue.'
Si-mun advanced through the water at a speed far surpassing what he had achieved after transmuting the [Sharkrodon Body Tissue].
Before long—
Swoosh—!
Arriving at the island, Si-mun surfaced alongside it.
As the harsh sunlight unique to the sea shone down upon the island, the full scale of the landmass—far larger than it had appeared underwater—came into view.
'There's even a building?'
Si-mun's gaze landed on a peculiar structure at the island's center.
A stone edifice resembling ancient Greek architecture, yet heavily infused with Persian influences.
Though covered in patches of moss, seaweed, and barnacles, the building's antique beauty remained undeniable.
Si-mun naturally made his way toward the central structure.
Then—
Kiiing.
"Hm?"
His left eye—Odin's Eye—and the scales of his dragonized body prickled with an eerie sensation.
A feeling starkly different from when he had sensed the Yu siblings' magic.
Instinctively, Si-mun channeled his Transmutation Power into Odin's left eye.
And he saw.
'There's something inside...?'
Like some kind of thermal imaging camera, he could make out a lifeform—or something resembling one—moving toward him from within the building.
The moment those things stepped outside—
"Th-that's—!"
Si-mun's eyes widened.
And he wasn't the only one.
-No way... Am I seeing things right now?
-Guys, is this for real? Seriously?
-What the hell is that? Don't keep it to yourselves—share the deets!
-I was already going crazy over the sudden island, but why is everyone freaking out now?
The viewers were in an uproar.
[Constellation Zeus and Heavenly Demon display signs of discomfort.]
[Constellation Black Goat gnashes his teeth.]
[Constellation Odin lets out a quiet sigh.]
Even the usually silent Constellations reacted.
Their responses were somewhat unexpected, but not entirely incomprehensible.
Because—
"Hsss... A human, is it?"
"A human? But it has scales..."
"Hssk. Even among Dragonkin, there are hybrids. Why wouldn't land-dwellers have them?"
"True, but surely this half-breed isn't the one who wielded that divine power?"
The two Dragonkin before him were beings worthy of such a reaction.
"Naga...!"
Naga.
A Dragonkin with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a serpent—what one might call a half-human, half-snake hybrid.
-Holy shit! This isn't even Diamond-rank—why are top-tier Dragonkin showing up here?
-They're not here to fight, right?
-Come on, it's probably just an event. We've never even seen this island before.
-But if it's an event, why do they look ready to stab someone on sight?
Like the Dragonian, they were upper-level Dragonkin.
'At least they're both warrior-types...'
Even if both Naga were combat-oriented—
He couldn't let his guard down.
"Hsss... If we kill him and search the corpse, we'll find something."
Koooom—!
With nothing more than a stomp—
The ground didn't just cave in—it split apart like cracked glass.
Even if they were warrior-types who couldn't use magic—
The sheer physicality of upper-level Dragonkin surpassed most offensive spells on its own.
Kwaang!
"Hssk! Dodged? Pretty quick for a land-dweller."
The Naga who had shattered the earth with his massive trident flicked out a serpentine tongue, eyeing Si-mun, who had narrowly avoided the strike.
Then—
"Kehah! This could be fun. Alright, run all you want!"
With a booming laugh, the Naga lashed his long lower body forward.
Swoosh—!
"Fast!"
Despite his massive serpentine lower body, the Naga moved with incredible speed, slithering across the ground to match Si-mun's movements.
"Whoosh! Got you!"
Whoosh.
The trident, wrapped in a fierce sonic boom, thrust toward Si-mun's right. At the same time—
"Kehehe! I'll carve you limb from limb!"
Another Naga's trident came flying from behind.
True to their status as upper-level Dragonkin, the two Nagas executed a flawless pincer attack without a single word of coordination.
One.
'I can't dodge both.'
Unfazed by the ambush, Si-mun immediately drew upon his Transmutation Power.
These were Nagas who typically appeared only at Diamond-rank.
Even their simplest strikes carried overwhelming force—there was no avoiding the sheer gap in raw power.
Which meant—
'I strike first!'
Snap.
Instead of retreating, Si-mun stepped forward and flicked his fingers.
Crack!
A bolt of lightning descended before him. Seamlessly grasping it, he locked eyes with the Naga in front—
Hesitation.
"Wh-whoosh?!"
The Naga's yellow eyes widened in shock. Its trident thrust froze mid-motion.
'Now!'
Si-mun's eyes flashed as he drove Astrapē deep into the Naga's thick pectorals.
KWAZAAZAAK!
A deafening roar split the air.
Even an upper-level Dragonkin couldn't withstand Astrapē's direct strike.
Sssss—
Without so much as a scream, the Naga collapsed to the ground, its body reeking of charred flesh.
Si-mun didn't even spare a glance at its corpse. Planting his foot on the blackened remains, he launched himself skyward.
Then—
"YOOOOU!!"
WHOOSH!
A furious roar followed by a violent sonic boom. The surviving Naga, enraged by its comrade's death, coiled its serpentine lower body like a spring—
SPROING!
"I'LL KILL YOU!!"
In an instant, it closed the distance.
But—
Swish.
Si-mun, already at his apex, twisted midair and angled himself downward. Astrapē still crackled in his grip.
'Using the Heavenly Demon Arts now would drain my Transmutation Power too much...'
But Astrapē alone still packed enough firepower.
As their gazes locked—the Naga surging upward, Si-mun plunging down—
Twitch.
"Th-those eyes?!"
Just like its fallen kin, the ascending Naga stiffened in shock.
Seizing the opening, Si-mun channeled his momentum into a devastating downward strike.
KWAZAAZAAK!
Lightning exploded against the Naga's scaled skull.
THUD.
The headless black behemoth crashed to the ground, wreathed in white smoke.
Si-mun flipped gracefully midair, landing safely atop the corpse.
'Whew. That was close.'
Though he'd faced countless threats since joining the Galaxy Arena, nothing had chilled his spine like the Nagas' coordinated assault.
As he steadied his breathing—
KEEEEEEEN!
Odin's Eye emitted a piercing screech.
Simultaneously—
—How astonishing.
A voice both terrifying and mesmerizing slithered into his ears.
[Due to an unforeseen special circumstance, all broadcasts and streams have been temporarily suspended.]
[No further transmissions will occur until the situation is resolved.]
A sudden system message obscured Si-mun's view.
—What the hell?! The screen just went black!
—F*ck! Did Arenia's servers crash? What's going on?!
—Of all times to cut out! Are you kidding me?!
—Even the National Arena Program's channel is down. Must be a full blackout.
The chat exploded into chaos—but Si-mun couldn't see it. The broadcast was completely cut off.
Not that he had time to care.
—To wield the King's Eye, Poseidon's Trident, and now Zeus's divine weapon...
The voice trembled his very soul.
Yet, whether due to Odin's Eye or his Dragon Body Transformation, Si-mun kept his wits. Slowly, he turned toward the source of the voice—
"F*cking hell..."
The curse slipped out unbidden.
Not because this Naga dwarfed the previous two in size.
Nagas were classified by the number of arms they possessed—each doubling in number exponentially, with power scaling accordingly.
The two he'd just fought had the weakest variant: two arms.
But this one—
"Eight arms...?"
Before him stood a Naga with eight.
By his past life's standards—
This was a level that only Diamond-tier players—or even higher-ranked elites—could hope to contend with.
In other words...
"Oh-ho? You speak of the number of arms? It seems you know much about our kind."
...it meant this was an existence far beyond what the current Si-mun could dare to approach.
Fortunately...
"The more I see, the more intrigued I become. This is quite..."
...this absolute being showed no hostility.
Rather...
"This has become quite entertaining."
...it expressed favorable interest.