Chapter 28
Chapter 28
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Crushing the Elites
-----------------------------------------------------------------
‘Hong Deung-pyeong's pretty skilled in his own right.’
With that thought, Choi Shin-hyeok bashed the flailing Hong Deung-pyeong in front of him with the shaft of his demonic spear.
Once freed from Choi Shin-hyeok's golden snare, Hong Deung-pyeong rampaged like a rabid dog, but against his exquisite spear technique, it was more than meaningless—it was utterly futile.
“Why! Why can't I hit you! My martial arts are supposed to be perfect!”
Hong Deung-pyeong was on the verge of losing his mind over it.
His trait, Martial Arts Library, granted him a variety of martial arts befitting his tier.
From his perspective, having mastered the one most suited to him to its limits, this situation where he couldn't land a single hit was beyond comprehension.
But Choi Shin-hyeok kindly set him straight.
“They're perfect, just not powerful.”
“What?”
“Your Martial Arts Library only provides Silver-tier level techniques at best, right?”
“...How do you know that?!”
Hong Deung-pyeong had succeeded in perfectly integrating the martial arts granted to him.
That was all there was to it, though.
The flaw of Martial Arts Library.
It was that the martial arts it provided scaled with the player's current tier.
In other words, Hong Deung-pyeong's skills were only good enough to strut around in mid-Silver.
Naturally, they couldn't touch Choi Shin-hyeok, who had surpassed Gold and was gunning for Platinum.
In the end, the moment a staggering, exhausted Hong Deung-pyeong faltered was his last.
Puk!
“Kuhuk!”
The razor-sharp demonic spear pierced Hong Deung-pyeong's heart.
Hong Deung-pyeong was equipped with impressive gear, but it wasn't enough to withstand a spear with Unique+ grade and 1,000 attack power.
Choi Shin-hyeok stared impassively at the blood-spewing Hong Deung-pyeong as he collapsed, then abruptly turned and vanished.
After taking down Hong Deung-pyeong, Choi Shin-hyeok began racking up kills like a madman.
In a way, it was only natural.
Hong Deung-pyeong had been one of the top powerhouses among the players in the promotion battle.
With even him falling to Choi Shin-hyeok, players who saw the kill log opted for flight over fight upon spotting him.
And for Choi Shin-hyeok, who had Tracking, chasing down fleeing enemies and finishing them off was no great feat.
Sguguguguguguk!
Choi Shin-hyeok cleaved a massive tree in one stroke and impaled the player ahead through the back with his holy sword.
The precise thrust straight through the heart from behind dropped the player without even a death cry.
“Ten left now, huh.”
Thanks to Choi Shin-hyeok's rampage and the assaults from other top players, the vast forest had long been half-demolished.
Naturally, the hordes of players who had scampered about inside had long since turned into kill logs.
Choi Shin-hyeok's kill count was overwhelmingly dominant, needing no explanation.
Even combining the kills from 2nd to 4th place couldn't surpass his.
And that inevitably drew an alliance.
“A four-man alliance, huh.”
“He put on a monstrous performance.”
“We had no choice if we wanted to take you on.”
“Hee-hya! Ganging up on an Eastern powerhouse is only natural!”
“Grrr! Grab you, and the rest are nothing.”
Europe's Duvil Alondrong.
Japan's Mizuki Ryo.
Brazil's Julian Khalifa and Russia's Vladimir Ivankov, powerhouses enough to rank high despite their positions.
Seeing the four players form an alliance against him, Choi Shin-hyeok planted his holy sword in the ground, leveled his demonic spear at them, and beckoned.
“Enough talk. You coming or not?”
“...Cocky bastard.”
“Lord, your daughter borrows your name. Descend upon this place!”
“What a fun guy!”
“Awooooooo!”
Provoked so blatantly, the four instantly entered combat stances.
Duvil gripped his beloved weapon, Mizuki activated her trait ‘Divine Possession’.
At the same time, Julian kicked off, and Vladimir had fully transformed into a werewolf.
As the true battle began, Choi Shin-hyeok grinned, yanked his holy sword from the ground, swung his demonic spear, and unleashed his assault.
Pak! Ppak! Pak! Ppak!
Julian charged, whipping his legs like lashes—Capoeira.
Choi Shin-hyeok parried Julian's windmill kick, using his arms to support on the ground, with his holy sword and retreated, eyes flashing.
Swaeeek—Kkaang!
It was a flash-like draw, but Choi Shin-hyeok blocked it with his spear shaft.
Sparks flew, blinding the view, but he wasn't fooled.
Jeoeoeong!
“Grrk, how?”
“Some things you can see without looking.”
Vladimir tumbled back from a swift holy sword strike, face stunned, as Choi Shin-hyeok lunged forward.
Kwaaaaaa!
A pillar of white light crashed where he'd stood moments ago.
“How'd you dodge that?”
“You can evade unseen attacks by sensing ki convergence.”
“...Is that even humanly possible?”
Mizuki's attack.
But sensing the ki gathering overhead, Choi Shin-hyeok simply sidestepped it effortlessly.
He flashed a smile at the shocked Mizuki before countering.
“I've taken one hit from each. I know your level now. Boring.”
“...Cocky.”
Duvil scowled at Choi Shin-hyeok's overflowing composure despite blocking all four attacks.
The bone fragments Choi Shin-hyeok had scattered while blocking their attacks began rising as undead.
The restored undead swarmed the four players one by one.
Kkaang! Kang! Kkaang! Kkaang!
Weapons clashed amid the crumbling forest.
Listening, Choi Shin-hyeok prepared his next moves.
“Casa, Gnome, Undine, Sylph.”
The four spirits materialized.
“Elemental Shower.”
Kwaaaaaa!
It engulfed the four players busy fending off undead.
The overwhelming destructive power of the combined elemental forces left them defenseless, pushed back.
As they staggered, Choi Shin-hyeok summoned his crow.
“Kkama, Feather Storm!”
-Kkak!
Whoooosh!
The moment his evolved Rare-grade trait Feather Storm activated.
The four players could only grit their teeth before the raging feather storm, at a loss.
[Feather Storm]
Raging storm of razor-sharp feathers shreds enemies.
‘One player with this many abilities? Impossible!’
‘What's with that pet? A mere crow with this power?’
‘Tough. Too tough.’
A strength they couldn't even counter.
But unfortunately for them, the real fight started now.
“Equip.”
Chalrururuk!
After Feather Storm, he equipped Kkama, boosting nearly all his stats by nearly 20.
Gripping his holy sword and demonic spear tighter with enhanced power, a chilling grind echoed from hilt and shaft, but he swung unperturbed.
“Heaven-Destroying Peng Bird Fist, Heaven-Destroying Extreme Thunder.”
With the demonic spear: Heaven-Destroying Peng Bird Fist.
With the holy sword: Heaven-Destroying Extreme Thunder Flying Blade.
Thanks to Disciple of the War God (Temporary), he could adapt Heaven-Destroying Annihilation Style techniques.
Techniques meant for fists and flying blades, surpassed by his talent.
Kwaaaaaaaaaa!
Heaven-shattering powers from sword and spear intertwined, exploding fiercer.
The force erased the barely holding players' traces.
Only kill logs remained where Heaven-Destroying Peng Bird and Extreme Thunder swept.
Swaeeeeek!
A flash pierced amid the kill logs, striking Choi Shin-hyeok.
Jeoeoeoeong!
“Cough... Die with—"
“Stings a bit.”
“...How?”
“My armor's pretty good.”
“Impossible......”
Duvil's final desperate strike as Heaven-Destroying Peng Bird and Extreme Thunder nearly killed him.
But it fizzled against Armor of Absorption's unique skill: Shock Absorption.
Duvil stared incredulously at Choi Shin-hyeok patting his armor with a smirk, then crumbled to dust.
“Six left now.”
“...No, five.”
Confirming via kill log the last foe he needed to face, Choi Shin-hyeok dashed off to claim the remaining prey.
“Just the two of us left.”
“Yeah.”
“Not letting me steal the last kills? That's harsh.”
“Still hungry.”
“...Ha, over 50 kills and you're still saying that? Makes me look pathetic.”
The final two stood alone.
Choi Shin-hyeok, who had split the remaining four with Elise, faced her now.
His kill score: 55.
He'd swept more than half the players single-handedly.
Yet rubbing his belly, claiming hunger—it was eerie.
But regardless, he was undoubtedly the strongest in current Silver 1.
‘He took on four opponents I couldn't guarantee 1v1 wins against at once. Have to admit it. He's... way stronger than me. Maybe even stronger than the Infinite Emperor's Silver days!’
Convinced no one in the past had shown such prowess, Elise's eyes slowly turned red.
“Mad Blood, huh.”
“You know me well. And... I won't go down easy.”
Elise's trait, Mad Blood.
Perfectly suiting her class, it boiled her blood to madness, granting overwhelming power briefly at great cost.
Usually avoided due to backlash, but this was the moment.
Kwaaaaaa!
Blood Berserker class and Mad Blood fused, oppressive aura crushing around.
Crimson haze rippled; Choi Shin-hyeok nodded.
“Gotta show respect to a worthy foe.”
Comparing her to Hong Deung-pyeong was an insult.
Stoic-faced, he slammed his demonic spear down.
Hwarururuk!
Demonic spear's unique skill: Black Flame engulfed it.
Gazing at the blazing black flames, he exhaled demonic energy.
Puhwaaaaaa!
Maxed Silver demonic qi erupted, blackening surroundings.
After War God's Heaven-Destroying Annihilation Style, his second divine art.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art Chapter 1, Verse 1.
“Thunder Demon Step.”
Chalruruk!
Black lightning wrapped his lower body.
Hwk!
“...Where—”
“Behind you.”
“...!!”
Vanishing instantly, Choi Shin-hyeok appeared at her back; shock spread across Elise's face.
Black Flame-wreathed demonic spear pierced her.