Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Goblin Freeze Tag (3)
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"If the murderous goblin's gone crazy for me, doesn't that make this invalid?"
Dokgo Hyun shot back, and the goblin flew into a rage.
"Look at this shameless bastard! Honestly, you've killed way more than I have, haven't you? You still calling yourself human after that?"
"Trying to mess with my head like that won't work. The ones who turned the world into this hellish mess—the Apocalypse Game organizers—are the inhuman ones. Everything we do to survive and win in this chaos? That's as human as it gets."
There was a law in Korea that, in extreme cases, absolved you of wrongdoing if you killed to save your own life.
Which meant Dokgo Hyun's actions right now couldn't exactly be called illegal.
But more important than that was his mental state.
He'd killed a bunch of people, no matter the reason. He had to keep his head straight.
'The school's already turned into a death game arena, and the moment we stopped being students and became Players, debating legality went out the window. Paradoxically, that's exactly why I need to stay sharp. If I go numb to what I've done, I might actually turn into a real killer.'
Dokgo Hyun's resolve made his mind as deep and calm as a lake.
The goblin glared at him.
"You crazy fuck. You're dead."
"You're both wrong, idiot. I'm not crazy, and I'm definitely surviving this."
Dokgo Hyun motioned for Kim Seo-ah to get far away, then turned his back to the window.
He raised both arms slightly apart, like a volleyball player at the net.
"Goblin—or should I call you Supervisor?"
"Call me whatever you want, you psycho."
"You said leaving the mission area means death, right?"
"So?"
"Does that rule apply just to Players? Or to Supervisors too?"
The goblin flinched.
Dokgo Hyun was certain now.
"As you can see, my back's to the window. When you charge with those horns, I'll dodge left or right. You'll smash through the glass and fall outside the mission area."
"......"
"Then you fail as Supervisor and die... That's my read. Am I right?"
"Your logic's sound. Supervisors get hit with massive penalties for unauthorized departure too—depending on the situation."
"Got it."
"But you're missing something."
Flash!
Boom!
The goblin charged.
Too fast for Dokgo Hyun to dodge.
Splat!
Its horn pierced his gut.
"Guh...!"
His vision went black for a second.
Thanks to pumping his Stamina up to 46 points, he didn't drop dead instantly.
If he hadn't hoarded coins and boosted his stats, he'd be gone already.
"Hurts, doesn't it? Bet it fucking does, asshole?"
The goblin, horn buried in Dokgo Hyun's stomach, grinned in that pose.
"I can control my speed and angle on these charges, y'know?"
Every word vibrated through the horn into his organs.
"Felt like you were taming a bull, huh? Die already."
"B-Before that..."
"What, psycho? Spit it out quick."
Grab!
Dokgo Hyun hugged the goblin's head tight.
With low Stamina, he couldn't have moved a finger. But his boosted stats made it possible.
"You like Nongae*?"
"Huh?"
"Nongae-style suicide bomb! Freeze!!"
Whoosh!
A one-meter-thick ice pillar erupted around Dokgo Hyun's body.
"Ack!"
The goblin tried to pull back, but Dokgo Hyun squeezed harder.
Crack!
The ice severed the goblin's neck.
Ice was tougher than goblin flesh.
"Guh...!"
Dokgo Hyun, clutching just the severed head, got fully encased in ice.
Confirming that much, he blacked out inside.
How much time passed?
"Cough, hack...!"
Mission cleared, the ice thawed automatically. Dokgo Hyun collapsed on the classroom floor, vomiting blood.
Still hugging the goblin's severed head.
As the goblin head in his gut vanished, a special message popped up.
Somehow, killing the Supervisor got him extra rewards on clear.
But he couldn't celebrate.
"Guh, hack..."
Blood gurgled in his throat, oozing from the hole in his gut.
"Inven... tory...!"
He barely opened the Inventory Window.
The Healing Potion and random chest were inside.
"Ugh... damn..."
Lying down, he reached out and grabbed the potion.
'Shit. Lid's on tight.'
It twisted open like a soda cap.
Bloody hands made it slippery, and with a hole in his gut, applying torque was hell.
'Hurry. But stay calm.'
Click.
It popped open with a satisfying sound, like a Bakchus bottle.
'Got it!'
The moment his trembling hand twisted the lid fully...
Thud!
Someone kicked it away.
Crash!
The bottle flew, shattered, contents spilling everywhere.
"Huh?"
"Dokgo Hyun. You're too dangerous."
Kim Seo-ah loomed over him.
Her voice shook.
"Waking up those frozen kids by force just for coins? You're insane."
"Grrk..."
"Why?! Got an excuse? You've killed more than the goblin did! You gonna justify that?!"
She yelled through tears, condemning him.
Dokgo Hyun just grinned.
"Killing those frozen bastards... was bad...?"
If everyone selfishly yelled "freeze," they'd all die.
His actions were brutal, but efficient.
"Besides... if we're splitting hairs..."
He forced the words out.
"I saved your life... too... right...?"
She flinched.
She had no comeback.
He was right.
"R-Right...?"
Sure, he'd killed a bunch of Players.
If they'd refused to freeze unconditionally, maybe another way... but they panicked into the ice instead of thinking.
"H-Hey, but! If you hadn't killed them all! If everyone teamed up!"
"No... that was... impossible too..."
You couldn't even talk to frozen Players.
So the "cooperation via talk" argument fell flat.
Kim Seo-ah realized it a beat late.
"So my actions... were best... Admit it...?"
He whispered, tasting blood.
Silence hung for a moment.
She wiped her tear-streaked eyes, nodded reluctantly.
"Yeah. You did what had to be done. You saved my life. So I won't kill you. But I won't save you either."
"......"
"I'll just make sure you can't drink that potion, then leave."
That was her verdict.
She glanced at the gaping wound in his stomach, then walked off without goodbye.
Step... step...
Just Dokgo Hyun and corpses left in the staff room.
"Cough, hack...!"
Coughs wracked him.
'Can't even cough hard.'
Felt like his guts would spill.
'No, bleeding out first.'
Lucky he was stable on his back, no gushing fountain.
'Five minutes 'til I die?'
Then...
'Haha...'
Really five minutes.
Bleed out or penalty—dead either way.
'One hope left.'
He reached into Inventory again.
Grabbed the Random Skill Awakening chest.
'Button here.'
Click!
Pop!
A small golden vial emerged.
He gripped the vial. A description appeared.
No hesitation. He chugged it.
50% death chance? Better than bleeding out in five anyway.
Gulp gulp...
It tasted weirdly like Bakchus. Finished.
'What?!'
Dokgo Hyun panicked—
'You bastard! No pranks!'
Probably 'cause it was such a cheat skill, the system trolled hard.
Vrrr...
Golden light enveloped him.
Zing!
Moment he saw the description, base and special uses imprinted in his mind.
Fading consciousness caught the ultimate: usable 3x/day, only right before death.
He triggered it instantly.
"[3-Minute Regression]."
Dokgo Hyun regressed three minutes.
"You crazy fuck. You're dead."
The goblin glared.
Dokgo Hyun had his back to the staff room window, in volleyball ready stance.
"Whoa, wild."
He rubbed his unharmed stomach, marveling at the skill.
Back to the taunt moment.
Power surged.
'Familiar spot, but way stronger.'
He didn't hide his grin.
"Hey, good to see you both."
Beaming at goblin and Kim Seo-ah alternately.
They stared like he was nuts.
"Psycho's acting even crazier now."
"[Repeat Playback]."
"What?"
"Not for you—for me."
He rewound and rapid-replayed the skill description in his head.
'Base moves, specials, applications... Got it. Memorized.'
Most Players fumble new skills from unfamiliarity.
Not him. He used [Repeat Playback] for "brain replay training."
Insane to rewind time with enemy right there—just to practice.
Proud of his skill hacks, he smirked.
"Why's this fucker grinning like an idiot?! Die!"
Whoosh!
Goblin lunged—
[Instant Deceleration]
Target's right foot sole time slightly warped.
Dokgo Hyun focused his mind—a tiny time twist around the goblin's right sole.
Splat!
It faceplanted with full momentum.
"Guh?!"
Goblin clutched its head, staggering up.
"Wh-What?!"
Even a slight stair height change trips you—brain's wired for habit.
Time worked the same.
He'd nudged the goblin's step speed just enough to topple it.
"What'd you do to me!!"
Its bloodshot eyes burned demonic.
"Come at me."
Dokgo Hyun beckoned leisurely.