Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Crossroads of Revenge (6)
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***
“Again….”
Iron Dung Beetle ground his teeth as he surveyed the cleared-out corridor.
Beneath the pile of meat that was Pind and the zombies swept away by the Comet Sword, there was no trace of the Player.
He immediately closed his eyes and spread out his mana. Magic, martial arts, anything—whatever it took to find some sign of the bastard.
As he combed through the surrounding area as if he could grasp it in his hand, at one point, he caught a familiar energy from deep in the sewers.
‘…Invisibility.’
Was that the Invisibility Potion the guy had downed at the end?
No idea how many consumables the fucker was carrying, but one thing was clear: this wasn’t the end.
Tap.
Iron Dung Beetle launched himself forward. He didn’t even bother hiding his footsteps. Like he was daring the guy to run all the way to the end, he chased openly after him.
“Ha, damn it.”
The guy, who had been sneaking away carefully, heard the footsteps and immediately gave up on invisibility, breaking into a sprint.
The chase was on again.
Every time Iron Dung Beetle’s footsteps drew closer, the Player used his Teleportation Magic Stones without restraint.
Once those ran out, he chugged Stamina Potions, Wraith Potions, and every other consumable he had to barely widen the gap.
After desperately racing through the sewers for what felt like forever.
He finally reached his destination.
The priest, who had swallowed the Corruption Stone and become a writhing mass of flesh, twitched there, and above the stone altar, an incomplete dimensional gate shimmered.
The Player, battered to hell during his escape, rushed toward the altar and shouted.
“Hey! Hurry up and make a meat shield! Zombie or Pind, I don’t care! Right now!”
But the priest couldn’t even respond, let alone summon a zombie.
Up close, the guy was still muttering nonsense like “Black sheep…”
He’d clearly lost his mind trying to create the dimensional gate. Goddamn bastard.
The Player glanced toward the direction Iron Dung Beetle was approaching from, then pulled a dagger from his inventory.
A ceremonial dagger engraved with ornate decorations.
Without hesitation, he stabbed it into the priest’s body.
Spurt! Some liquid—blood or filth, who could tell—oozed from the priest’s body, and mana from the Corruption Stone flowed into the Player.
“Hurk—”
Fucking twisted mana. Suppressing his urge to puke, the Player manipulated the altar’s mana.
First, he summoned zombies and Pinds to their limit throughout the entire sewer, sealing off the entrance to the hideout.
‘Buy time like this, and once the dimensional gate’s complete, escape immediately…’
Before he could even finish recalling his plan, Iron Dung Beetle’s footsteps echoed from beyond.
No way, already…?
Boom!!
With a rough explosion, the wall he’d just sealed crumbled.
Emerging from beyond that wall was Iron Dung Beetle, black feather-like mana fluttering around him.
The Player unconsciously checked his status window. Just the visible buffs numbered over three.
Blood Flow Acceleration, Mariji Heavenly Divine Art, Black Wing Flow.
Seeing martial arts he’d never even heard of, he swallowed a hollow laugh.
‘The Comet Sword wasn’t the end?’
Meanwhile, Iron Dung Beetle entered the hideout and slowly—but surely—approached the altar.
“Player.”
“...”
“You die today.”
His tone was like spitting out hatred. What the hell was Iron Dung Beetle’s deal, pulling this shit on him?
The Player let out an irritated sigh.
“Fine, let’s see this through to the end.”
The next moment, he poured strength into the dagger he held.
Crunch.
The ceremonial blade dug even deeper into the priest’s flesh, piercing the Corruption Stone buried within.
With a final gasp of “Saintess…”, the leather-skinned priest breathed his last. Seemed like there was some story there, but it meant nothing now.
He was just a handful of experience points.
[Level Up]
The words floated in his mind, and a rush of euphoria swept through his body.
Soon, his depleted mana refilled.
His severed arm regenerated in an instant, and the minor wounds on his body sizzled away.
Regeneration surpassing Iron Dung Beetle’s—not just regeneration, a full rebirth.
“Thought Phase 2 was your thing alone?”
The Player ground his teeth as he spoke. Good thing he’d maxed out his experience points for a moment like this.
“Come at me, you fucking bastard.”
***
Fueled by memories of the past, the flames of vengeance blazed.
The Player dies here today. Nothing more, nothing less.
Toward the Player standing atop the altar, Iron Dung Beetle unleashed Flying Leg Art.
Sizzle!
It started with ice spikes. Mana flowing through blood vessels enhanced by Black Wing Flow instantly formed dozens of them.
The Player’s response was simple. He pulled a grenade and a magic stone from his inventory, then threw them both at once.
Kablooey!
The Chain Lightning Magic Stone and grenade synergized, sweeping away the dozens of ice spikes in one go. A special synergy known only to veterans.
Ice shards scattered like snow, but Iron Dung Beetle didn’t stop, firing sword beams one after another.
‘Does this bastard’s mana have no end?’
The Player rolled beneath the altar, chugging every potion he had. Magic Resistance Elixir, Acceleration Elixir, Beast Strength Potion…
And every other consumable at his disposal.
By the time he wiped the potion drooling from his mouth, buffs powerful enough to bridge a 10-level gap coursed through his veins.
He ignored organ toxicity or aftereffects. No point fretting over that after coming this far.
“Fucking NPC…”
He hurled a grenade at the charging Iron Dung Beetle. This time paired with an ash magic stone.
Boom!
Like a smoke grenade, scorching ash filled the hideout.
Pssshhh…
Even in the blindingly hot ash cloud, the two found each other with ease.
Iron Dung Beetle tracked via mana, the Player through the Cat’s Eye Potion he’d drunk earlier.
Confirming the gap closing, the Player instantly drew his rifle and fired.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Not quite on par with priest-blessed bullets, but a barrage of expensive magic bullets.
An attack that could kill even a superhuman.
It should have been.
But this mad bastard just took the bullets while closing in.
Looking closely, bullets hitting the hazy aura beneath Black Wing Flow’s feathers lost power like they’d struck body armor, dropping to the ground.
“What the fu—”
Bang! His reflexively raised rifle took a sword to the barrel. The Player dropped it and rolled back, drawing his sword.
A mass-produced military blade, a step below the Dragon Scale Sword he’d lost earlier.
Clang!
Sword met sword. The milky sword beam of Nine Palace Thunder Sword clashed, unleashing massive energy waves that blew back the ash.
Only after all those buffs could he barely match him.
Suppressing the shock from the blade, the Player swung repeatedly.
Same swordsmanship, same sword beams, different essence.
As expected, the bastard hadn’t stolen the true essence of the art.
Of course—if essence could be stolen that easily, who’d bother training?
But…
He couldn’t shake the feeling that with every clash, the guy was inching closer to the Nine Palace Thunder Sword’s essence.
Feeling chased by him, the Player swung again.
Clang! Clang!
Thus, the two sword beams crossed, splattering each other’s blood for a while.
Boom!
Suddenly, the dimensional gate let out a heavy vibration. Both stopped their swords almost simultaneously and looked up.
No one told them, but they instantly knew what was happening.
…The dimensional gate was closing.
“Motherless priest bastard… Can’t do a damn thing right.”
The Player sneered even as he pulled grenades and magic stones, hurling them.
Not at Iron Dung Beetle.
At the dimensional gate.
KABOOM!!!
A thunderous roar echoed, and the gate shook violently.
Soon, mana surged around the gate. Heavy mana filled the space, prickling the skin.
“…What are you doing.”
Iron Dung Beetle frowned and asked. The Player grinned and replied.
“What, first time seeing a time attack?”
“...”
“How long you think that gate’ll hold now? Five minutes? Ten? Twenty at most.”
The Player licked his lips and continued.
“After that… Your girlfriends down here in the sewers and the academy up top? All wiped out. Sound fun?”
Iron Dung Beetle answered with a sword beam instead. The Player replied with a grenade from his inventory.
Boom!!
Explosion devouring the air, sword beam slicing flesh.
As the dimensional gate screamed, blood sprayed between them. The Player’s blood.
“Keuk, what? Panicking ‘cause your bitches are gonna die?”
Despite his side being torn open by the sword beam, the Player didn’t stop his taunts.
“Saintess, elf princess… Know why I didn’t touch ‘em? Their holes are straight to hell.”
Obvious provocation, but Iron Dung Beetle took the bait gladly.
Mana filling his body surged into his sword, his torn uniform flapping.
Fwoosh!
And the moment the comet’s light bloomed from his sword.
The Player pulled a magic stone from his eagerly awaited ‘inventory’.
***
The game world is unreasonable.
Even with optimized guides and top-tier physicals, one slip and you die.
Especially if marked by high-level NPCs like Holy Sword wielders, Hose Aginal, or Border Whites… Survival wasn’t guaranteed for even a day.
That’s why the Player.
Prepared a trump card to let low-levels kill high-levels.
He’d burned Hilaria and made enemies of the Magic Tower in the process, but no regrets.
Those were worth a hundred times less than the magic stone in his hand.
[Magic Stone of Reflection]
Never thought he’d use one of the world’s only two in a dump like this… But no choice. Better than dying.
Crack.
He crushed the stone and designated the target.
The Comet Sword beam fired by the transfer student.
The Comet Sword filling the hideout was skin-pricklingly powerful. Child’s play compared to what he’d spammed in the sewers so far.
Good thing he’d provoked him into not holding back, even destroying the gate.
‘Bye.’
The next moment, the Comet Sword pouring toward the Player reversed direction. Straight back.
Iron Dung Beetle’s golden eyes filled with shock.
Before he could dodge late, the entire hideout was engulfed in comet light.
KAAAA-BOOM!
A shockwave massive enough to blast away the surrounding air. Power rivaling a missile.
Step.
As the aftermath died down, the Player stepped forward.
At ground zero lay Iron Dung Beetle, collapsed.
His sword was gone, dropped from the impact, and wounds covered the gaps in his torn clothes.
Blood pouring from everywhere—his famed regeneration seemed tapped out.
“Dead?”
No reply. As the dimensional gate wailed eerily, heavy silence enveloped Iron Dung Beetle.
“Tch.”
Standing at his feet, the Player clicked his tongue briefly.
He’d won, but at massive cost.
Had to restock consumables and Teleportation Magic Stones, and above all, abandon the Academy Route from here on…
As that thought crossed his mind.
“Huh?”
Sensation vanished below his waist. Then the world tilted.
Splat.
Only after his back hit the floor did he realize what happened.
The fallen Iron Dung Beetle’s right hand gripped something invisible.
“Gahk, invis… sword?”
As if answering his question, the magic faded from Iron Dung Beetle’s sword, revealing its true form.
The pale yellow blade was coated in the Player’s blood.
“H-How…”
“You’re not the only one with a trump card.”
Iron Dung Beetle rose slowly and said. Looking down at the bisected Player, he raised his sword deliberately.
“W-Wait! Spare me. If you do… I’ll tell you how to stabilize the gate. Deal?”
“...”
“Y-You think I threw that grenade at it for no reason?”
The Player’s lips trembled as he spoke. He was still alive thanks to superhuman vitality and the buffs he’d chugged.
Iron Dung Beetle answered by stabbing his shoulder. Clearly to prevent inventory access.
“F-Fuck…! Don’t you get what I’m saying?”
“...”
“If that gate closes, we all die! Academy bastards, your bitches! Everyone!”
As if responding to the desperate scream, Iron Dung Beetle severed his other arm. The Player shrieked.
“Aaagh! F-Fuck! For some revenge…! You wanna die too?!"
There, Iron Dung Beetle suddenly halted his sword. He looked down coldly and said.
“You’re misunderstanding something.”
“…What?”
“There was never an option to let you live. I kill you, then block the gate alone. That’s my only choice.”
“C-Crazy bastard…”
Iron Dung Beetle swung again.
Screams burst, blood staining after.
“Guhhh…”
The pain didn’t end there. Halting his sword, Iron Dung Beetle lifted his foot and stomped down.
Again and again, until the floor was a bloody mess.
Only when his upper body was mangled did the Player feel death’s terror.
Me, dying like this? Like some trash mob NPCs?
“W-Why…?”
Crawling on the floor, he screamed. His final squeeze of life force.
“Why me…! Why are you doing this! What the fuck did I ever do to you!!”
Iron Dung Beetle wiped blood from his cheek and replied.
“Incheon back alleys, cleanup crew.”
“…What?”
“250,000 won a head. That’s what you’re dying for.”
Only then did the Player remember who Iron Dung Beetle was.
The gas mask from cleanup had hidden it till now, but that voice was definitely…
“You… I definitely slit your th—”
Before he finished, the sword plunged into his throat.
Shock, rage, fear.
Those were the last emotions the Player felt.
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