Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Sword Tiger's Triumph
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"Hooah..."
On the arena stage, now devoid of everyone's attention.
Using his sword as a crutch, Sword Tiger barely managed to stand, clutching his heart.
And then.
Straightening his pain-twisted face, he flashed a radiant smile.
"I did it..."
With that smile, Sword Tiger's gaze shifted to the far end of the arena.
There lay Gold Cat, collapsed and vomiting blood.
He staggered.
Having expended so much energy, the sword he'd been leaning on wobbled, and Sword Tiger's body tilted sideways with it.
Thud.
But Sword Tiger's body didn't fall.
"You did it."
It was Yong-un's perfectly timed hand that supported Sword Tiger's body.
Yong-un's pale white hand gripped Sword Tiger's shoulder and helped him sit on the ground.
"It's tough in real combat."
"What do you mean?"
"One Strike."
Yong-un's eyes moved to the sword of the beaming Sword Tiger.
Crackle.
From Sword Tiger's sword, now devoid of even a trace of energy after the battle ended, a faint spark of lightning flickered.
Lightning lingering where no energy remained.
How could Yong-un, the master of the technique, not recognize it?
It was proof that One Strike had been used.
"Good work."
Yong-un smiled and patted Sword Tiger's shoulder.
"But you're still a long way off."
Even after victory, still far from it?
It might sound odd, but Yong-un knew exactly what he meant.
"Yeah. Next time, that guy will know about this technique too, so the same opening won't work."
"I think this is as far as I go. I'm just glad Sword Dragon climbed to third."
Yong-un chuckled.
He'd trashed the system as no good, yet here was his disciple calling it a relief that it was this tough.
Still smiling, Yong-un replied.
"Right, think of it as fortunate and train even harder. So that you can win with your own skill, not luck."
Yong-un's gaze turned to Gold Cat, lying at the edge of the arena.
Since One Strike hadn't been fully mastered, it shouldn't threaten Gold Cat's life.
But given Gold Cat's personality, he'd be furious once he regained consciousness.
He never could have anticipated Sword Tiger using One Strike.
"So you entered the top four?"
"Yes. I beat the fourth-ranked Gold Cat, so I'll take fourth."
"You know it too. With your current skills, even beating tenth place would be hard."
Sword Tiger clenched his fist tightly.
"Yes, I know."
"Holding a position is harder than seizing it. Gold Cat will challenge you again as soon as he can, the fastest way possible."
"I'll prepare. This time, I truly realized it. This win... was pure luck."
Sword Tiger's eyes burned with serious resolve.
Yong-un smiled and forcibly pulled the seated Sword Tiger to his feet.
Only then did Sword Tiger remember the chaos outside, asking Yong-un with a startled look.
"What happened out there? Did that viscount-level demon really show up?"
"Yeah. And I learned some unexpected info."
Yong-un wore a bitter expression as he spoke.
"That the marquis-level demon's weapon was actually my old friend."
"......"
Sword Tiger's eyes and mouth gradually widened in shock.
A mana storm erupted even higher than the dome.
The aftermath shook the dome violently, warping the barricades around it.
That was when it started.
Everyone's attention shifted away from the rankings battle.
Screaming spectators struggled to escape through blocked exits, forcing the rankings battle to pause temporarily.
Yet despite this unprecedented halt, the GHO staff breathed sighs of relief rather than panic.
"Good. No civilian casualties."
"Good? There are dead guys."
"Pardon? Ah..."
The emcee, now acting as overall lead for the rankings battle, shook his head.
Next to the kneeling Damon lay twelve cold corpses lined up.
The twelve snipers who tried to fight the viscount-level demon to save civilians.
The emcee bowed deeply toward their bodies.
"Give the families of these snipers the highest honors."
"Yes, sir."
Most GHO staff beside the lead emcee hurried out.
Those remaining were purely uninvolved in the incident.
They approached the emcee to discuss lingering issues.
"What about the Sword Tiger vs. Gold Cat match?"
The emcee smacked his forehead.
"Right, that. How'd it go?"
"Gold Cat..."
"Won?"
"Lost."
The emcee's eyebrow twitched.
"Gold Cat's Iron Wall Shield... got pierced? Anyone see it, speak up."
This was rank four, Gold Cat.
For an unknown Korean hunter like Sword Tiger to beat him? Massive ranking shakeup incoming.
The emcee shouted loudly.
But everyone was fixated on the sky explosion; no staff raised hands.
"No one saw? Then how do we know Sword Tiger won?"
"Sadly, no one here did. But one person watched from start to finish."
"Who?"
"The referee."
At "referee," the emcee nodded instinctively.
Even if no one watched, the referee had to observe and judge everything.
The emcee immediately yelled to the staff.
"Get the referee. Right now."
"He's waiting outside. He suggested handling this himself."
"Bring him in now."
"Referee, come in!"
A staffer shouted, the door opened, and a Black man entered.
"You heard? Explain what happened."
"Gold Cat's Iron Wall Shield was pierced by Sword Tiger's unique skill."
"What?!"
The emcee's eyes bulged.
"Pierced? What skill?"
"Sword Tiger swung his sword slowly, then a massive lightning bolt shot from it, piercing Gold Cat's shield and body."
"Piercing!? Is Gold Cat dead?"
"No. Just shocked unconscious. He's recovering now."
"Ha... haha."
The emcee let out a hollow laugh of disbelief.
"I, the emcee, missed rank four changing hands... This is insane."
"What now? Some spectators saw, but most were watching the explosion."
The referee scratched his head.
The emcee pondered, then punched the wall.
"What to do? Referee saw, crowd probably did. Done deal."
"Huh?"
"Hurry up and update the rankings. No time to waste. Looks like overtime for everyone."
"O-overtime? Just one ranking change. No need for..."
The emcee smirked, eyes meeting each staffer's.
"Rankings battle ain't over. That Yong-un guy, Korean hunter. Good vibe. Feels like he'll stir things up big."
"Sigh..."
The staff sighed at the emcee's glinting eyes, like a hunch kicking in.
"In my view, tenth to fourth could all flip. Prep now, or no overtime."
"But that's..."
"Fine, don't. If they all change, you covering everyone's overtime?"
The staff bowed deeply.
"Sorry, sir."
"Prep then."
"Yes, sir."
All staff bowed.
Even if nonsense, he was lead organizer.
No one defied; they scattered for overtime prep.
As the last one left, he called back.
"Chief?"
"What."
"War King wants to see you."
"War King?"
"Yes, about Damon..."
The emcee's gaze shifted from staff to Damon's corpse.
"War King and Sword Dragon were there?"
"Yes, and Yong-un too."
At Yong-un's name, the emcee smiled.
"Yong-un was there too... My hunch is spot on?"
"Pardon?"
The staff tilted his head at the emcee's mutter.
The emcee waved dismissively.
"I'll go. You handle overtime."
"Yes..."
Leaving the dejected staff, the emcee turned off the lights and exited.
Leaving Damon's body behind.
The explosion over Washington Dome made major media break news.
But GHO flooded with prepped articles, successfully burying the blast info.
[War King Apologizes for Explosion]
[War King Causes Mana Blast Amid Exciting Matches]
[No Victims: War King's Minor Warning]
GHO's swift prediction of Damon's arrival paid off.
Pre-sealed dome perimeter: zero witnesses in the open lot.
Beyond hiding Damon.
[World S-Rank Rankings Shift! Korean Hunter Sword Tiger Beats Gold Cat]
[Korea’s Sword Tiger Delivers!]
[Sword Tiger, New World S-Rank 4th!]
[What Happened to Gold Cat?]
The halted rankings frenzy reignited via Sword Tiger articles.
Next day's resumed battle drew even longer lines.
"Damn, missed yesterday's match."
"Ugh, Gold Cat lost... So regrettable."
"Thought Yong-un's guy was hiding, but beating Gold Cat? Surprise."
"Regret not watching. Should've ignored evacuation."
Murmurs doubled from before.
Ranking shifts fueled spectator heat.
All pouring onto Yong-un.
"Did Yong-un really tell GHO he could do it?"
"Maybe. Sacrificed himself to boost Sword Tiger to fourth."
"Nah, Yong-un's actions say he believed it."
"Either way, fun. Heh."
"Whatever, this rankings will be one or the other: total blast or total bore."
All eyes and hype on Yong-un.
His outrageous streak since world tourney.
Stuff dismissed as impossible now sparked "what if" for his matchups.
Who else dares fight tenth to fifth straight?
One spectator nailed it: pure thrill or pure dud.
"Either way, it's something special."
From the dome's top, overlooking the crowd, the emcee smiled faintly.
Exhausted staff, prepped, stood before him.
"All set."
"Can handle instant ranking updates?"
"Yes... yawn."
Sleep-deprived, bleary-eyed yawners.
"You'll thank me."
The emcee smoothed his outfit in the mirror.
As he headed out with cryptic words, the last staffer from yesterday raised a hand.
"Did you talk to War King? Haven't seen him since..."
"Thanks to you, went great. That's why I say no regrets on overtime."
"What..."
"War King said Damon wasn't his kill."
"Pardon!?"
Door opening, emcee grinned and shrugged.
"Sword Dragon too. Said it wasn't him. Heh, good luck."
Emcee gone, bleary staff stared wide-eyed.
"Not War King... not Sword Dragon, then who..."
War King, Sword Dragon, Yong-un there.
Not those two...
"No way..."
Staff gaped, hands over mouths in shock.