Chapter 61
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Meiden's Grand Labyrinth (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dungeon Creator.
Meiden was fuming in the control room.
...Does that bastard have night vision goggles for eyes or something?
It was all because of none other than Rank 107, Kang Seoyul.
What the hell is with that guy.
He avoids all the traps.
He only picks off the low-risk monsters.
He's only targeting the sweet outer zones with no competition.
And he looks so relaxed, like he's out for a stroll in a nearby park.
...So damn annoying.
I know it's for training, so the difficulty is a bit low, but isn't he clearing it too easily?
Worse, the place hes heading to now is the treasure room where the 'Artifact,' the key item for conquering the Grand Labyrinth, lies dormant.
If Kang Seoyul and Ha Siyeons team gets their hands on that, first place is practically in the bag.
I have a reputation as a Dungeon Creator to uphold.
I can't let it be cleared this anticlimactically.
If it comes to this, even if I have to raise the difficulty a little...
...Ah. But I've got my pride. It'd be embarrassing to interfere with a training dungeon.
Meiden shrieked, ruffling her hair wildly.
If Yuhwa were here, she would have muttered something about a hysterical old maid.
But if I just leave it, I'll be annoyed by that Yuhwa swaggering off like she did.
Meiden recalled Yuhwas final words.
That Rank 107, at least, would complete the dungeon without any trouble.
That didn't just touch Meiden's pride; it stabbed at it relentlessly.
...Maybe just raising the difficulty a ti~ny bit would be okay?
Right.
The other teams are clearing it pretty smoothly too.
This is a good deed for the sake of better education. That's it.
Hehe.
Just as she was rationalizing her thoughts with a wicked smile.
...Hm?
Suddenly, a video feed from another team caught her eye.
Oho.
It was the team that included Shin Jia and Choi Jihoon.
Looks like I can just sit back and watch.
Shin Jias team.
Kang Seoyuls team.
Their paths had converged.
At this rate, the two teams were bound to meet in front of the artifact room.
Good. Let's watch for now.
I can't miss such an entertaining spectacle.
It'd be great if they just took each other out.
Meiden smirked sadistically.
It was then.
...Come to think of it.
Something about the artifact room suddenly came to mind.
The output-limiting activation sequence won't be overloaded, right?
Artifact.
A special item that facilitates the conquering of a dungeon.
To properly manifest this special item, Meiden had no choice but to install the activation sequence she used in her own dungeons.
Thanks to that, she succeeded in properly manifesting the artifact.
But another problem arose.
The problem was that the guardian was too strong.
The special activation sequence Meiden created was structured in a very peculiar way, binding the artifact and its guardian to the dungeon as a set.
Naturally, using the sequence as is would inevitably summon the guardian as well. Its strength would be no different from the guardian in Meidens original dungeon.
To solve this problem, Meiden installed an output-limiting activation sequence to reduce the power.
It was a formula she reconfigured with proper safety settings to fit the purpose of a training exercise.
However.
Tsk. I didn't have enough time.
It wasn't perfect.
She was a little short on development time.
She hadn't been able to perfectly check for variables that might arise depending on the situation.
That was the only flaw.
But Meidens worries soon melted away like snow.
Well, how many variables could possibly arise in a fight between cadets?
After all, shed only failed to check for variables in special situations; the basic checks were completed perfectly.
Mere physical or magical impacts wouldn't damage the output-limiting activation sequence in any way.
So there was no need to worry.
A moment later.
Ooh. They're fighting.
As the two teams began to clash on the screen,
the word 'worry' completely vanished from Meiden's mind.
* * *
Ching! Kang!
I was wondering why you! and Jia! were on the same! team!
I shouted while parrying Choi Jihoons sword.
You were Rank 199!
...Is that sarcasm?
No! That's not it!
The answer to why he was on Jia's team instead of Kim Cheoljin's.
It was a very simple reason.
Because he lost to me.
This guy, Choi Jihoon, had been utterly crushed by me, causing his rank to drop by about 60 places.
That's why a variable had occurred in the team formation.
In the original story, Choi Jihoon was the one who suggested tackling the outer areas, so it makes sense that Jia is doing it now.
...This is ridiculous.
One thing after another.
Ggggrrrk!
Choi Jihoons longsword slid across my dagger, creating a deafening screech.
More importantly, you! When did you change your species to a leech? How long are you going to stick to me!
A foolish question.
Beyond the helm of his magical armor, Choi Jihoons lips curled into a slight smile.
Until all of your teammates other than you have been eliminated.
...Agh.
Currently, the battlefield was split into 1v1, 1v1, and 4v4.
Choi Jihoon and me.
Ha Siyeon and Shin Jia.
And the remaining 4v4.
In all three situations, our team was at a massive disadvantage.
Jia, you! Are you going to keep fighting so cowardly?
There's no such thing as cowardice in a fight.
The fight between Ha Siyeon and Jia continued with Siyeon precariously on the losing end.
The reason was simple.
She couldn't close the distance.
But she couldn't ignore Jia either.
In a group battle like this, letting a marksman like Shin Jia roam free would lead to an irreversible disaster.
Still, even though I told Jia not to hold back if we met during the exam, she's really showing no mercy.
Right! Shields!
Agh! We're at a huge disadvantage in this matchup!
The 4v4 battle was also going poorly for us due to a bad matchup.
At this rate, we'd be defeated before long.
Hup!
Kuuuung!
Keuk!
My engagement with Choi Jihoon was hardly in a good state either.
An even match.
A clash of titans.
Perhaps because he'd fought me once before, he refused to let me get within a certain distance.
He was focused on tying up my feet, sticking to me like a leech.
Agh!
Thanks to him, I was completely stuck.
Since he's focusing solely on stalling for time behind that tough magical armor, there's no way for me to break through.
I need an opening to use Spiral Spear or Spirit Flame.
But there was no opening at all.
I couldn't even find an opportunity with the Path of the Wind.
The Path of the Wind, strictly speaking, 'predicts' the opponent's actions to present the best course.
When the opponent had no real intention of attacking, there was no way the Path of the Wind would activate properly.
This is so damn annoying.
It seems we've won,
Choi Jihoon said, swinging his sword down.
What's with the victory declaration already?
I clicked my tongue, deflecting the attack with my dagger.
You know it too. The 4v4 battle will be over soon.
A loud clang echoed between the dagger and the longsword.
Next will be Siyeon.
Kaaang!
And you will be last.
I lunged into Choi Jihoon's space.
Hmph.
But Choi Jihoon, without a hint of panic, leaped back to escape my range.
Tsk.
So annoying.
He's using that powerful defense to employ stalling tactics, and it's unbelievably frustrating.
I'm also losing in terms of basic specs, so there's really nothing I can do.
You are strong. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say your dagger skills have entered the realm of a master.
Choi Jihoon took his stance.
But that's all. As expected, your physical specs are holding you back.
He maintained a moderate distance, focusing only on keeping me in check.
Your fighting style is specialized for counterattacks. A method you were forced to choose to cover your lack of physical ability, I imagine.
I could neither break through Choi Jihoon nor shake him off.
That is your weakness. You can do nothing without a counter.
...Attacking me with facts, how cowardly.
How scathing of you.
I'm well aware, even without Choi Jihoon pointing it out.
It's true that to cover for my low physical abilities, I have no choice but to use a counter-specialized tactic.
In the end, without using an Ancient Relic, I'm too weak to even break through Choi Jihoon.
But I don't think of this as a weakness.
...What?
If a defense-specialized opponent focuses on holding out, you can't break through.
He's right.
He's right, but...
That just means I have to make it so you have no choice but to abandon your stalling strategy.
I just have to force my opponent to go on the offensive.
...You'll make me abandon my stalling strategy?
Choi Jihoon's brow furrowed.
His expression seemed to ask what on earth I was thinking.
I grinned.
Siyeon!
I called out to Ha Siyeon with a smile.
Whaat!
Evidently, Ha Siyeon was on edge too, her tone higher than usual.
Forget about the guardian, conserving mana, all of it!
What are you trying to do
I cut Choi Jihoon off and shouted loudly.
Wipe them out!
A strange silence fell over the dungeon, which had been filled with the sounds of fierce battle.
...Got it!
Ha Siyeon smiled.
Crrrack-!
At the same time, the air began to freeze.
I was saving this for my ranking match with you, Jia...
Armor made of ice formed around Ha Siyeons body.
No choice now.
A layer of ice coated her sword.
If I get eliminated here, the ranking match won't matter anyway.
Within a three-meter radius of Ha Siyeon.
Everything froze solid.
Crrrack-
Finally, skate-shaped boots materialized on her feet.
An advanced skill of Sanctuary of Ice.
Ice Empress.
Ha Siyeon took her stance.
A peculiar pose, like a figure skater about to start.
Here I go, then?
The next moment,
Kiiiiing!
A deafening roar echoed as ice (the skates) scraped against ice (the frozen ground).
!
Ha Siyeon was already swinging her sword right in front of Jia.
Kwaaang-!
Jia formed a barrier with her mana to block Ha Siyeons sword.
Kyak!
But Ha Siyeons sword now carried a force that couldn't be blocked by a hastily created barrier.
Shatter-!
The barrier broke, and the impact sent Jia flying through the air.
But Jia quickly regained her balance.
She landed lightly like a cat and immediately fired in rapid succession.
Fwish, fwish!
At the same time, she focused mana in her lower body to create distance.
Crrrack-
Ha Siyeon perfectly deflected the arrows and closed in on Jia again.
She ignored the half-hearted arrows, trusting her ice armor.
This reduced the restrictions on her movements, making her even faster.
Where do you think you're going!
Kk!
This time, as if she had anticipated it, Jia quickly released her mana and deflected Ha Siyeon's attack.
The battle was a repetition of this flow.
Jia would evade, and Ha Siyeon would close in.
It was a fierce clash befitting the first and second-ranked cadets.
That form is...
Siyeon's ultimate skill. Ice Empress.
Increased physical ability.
Increased spatial awareness.
Increased ice output.
She achieves unbelievable speed by gliding smoothly across the instantly frozen ground with her skate boots.
Chwaaaak-!
...She's flying?
With ice wings mimicking Heavenly Wings, she can move freely in the air.
She creates a path of ice in mid-air and glides along it, maintaining her speed even while airborne.
She repeats sharp charges like an enraged bison, like a hungry hawk, with overwhelming mobility regardless of whether she's in the air or on the ground.
Even someone like Jia would have a hard time withstanding that.
As proof, Jia's expression hardened. A look that said, what in the world is happening?
And the cave terrain gives her a disadvantage.
If the field had been a wide plain or a forest, Jia would have had a decent chance of winning.
But unfortunately, this was a narrow cave passage. In a fight between a swordsman and an archer, it was a place overwhelmingly disadvantageous to the archer.
How about it?
Until now, she had managed to hold on thanks to the difference in stats.
But now that Ha Siyeon had used Ice Empress, that was no longer possible.
You still going to stick to your stalling tactic?
...Keuk.
The only reason Choi Jihoon could stick to his stalling tactic was because his other teammates had the upper hand.
He knew that if he just held on, reinforcements would eventually arrive.
But Ha Siyeon's transformation had turned the situation 180 degrees.
Jia's defeat was only a matter of time.
Just stalling was no longer enough to guarantee victory.
If you're going to keep stalling, go right ahead.
My lips twisted into a smirk.
If you wait long enough, I'm sure Siyeon will come to help me.
I threw the words Choi Jihoon had said while stalling right back at him.
What's it going to be?
Choi Jihoon's expression hardened.
He took a short, deep breath.
Then he gripped his sword and glared at me with sharp eyes.
I have no choice.
Unlike a moment ago, his gaze was filled with a clear fighting spirit, a will to defeat me.
...Now things are getting interesting.
Fwoosh-
I coated my dagger with fire-attribute energy. And at the same time, I rushed into Choi Jihoons space.
Hmph!
Perhaps feeling rushed by the fact that Jia was being pushed back, Choi Jihoon began to counter more aggressively.
...Good.
In that moment, the Path of the Wind opened.
Hwoong-
The path of counterattack, which had been faint just a moment ago, now drew a clear trajectory along with Choi Jihoon's attack.
Ching! Kang! Ggggrk!
Using that path as my guide, I kept moving.
Tuk-
How long had we been trading blows?
Choi Jihoon was cornered against a wall.
This was my chance.
Keuk!
I exploited the opening and succeeded in closing the distance to Choi Jihoon.
!
A perfect opportunity.
I had no intention of letting it slip away.
Fwoosh-
The 'Spirit Flame' seeped into the fire-attribute energy, dyeing it a faint white.
With this, I could burn through mana, through Choi Jihoon's magical armor.
Piiing-
Finally, I used Predator's Killing Intent to seal Choi Jihoon's movements.
A surefire pattern.
I was certain of my victory.
Hmph!
But then, the unexpected happened.
Booooom-!
The side of Choi Jihoon's magical armor suddenly exploded.
A weak explosion that didn't even send a shockwave my way.
A flow of mana that the Path of the Wind couldn't read.
...On purpose?
He must have set it off intentionally.
To gain the thrust needed to dodge my attack.
Sure enough, Choi Jihoon's body was already out of my attack range.
Naturally, my dagger cut through empty air.
Gak-
And lodged itself in the cave wall.
Agh.
To waste the Spirit Flame so pointlessly.
And it's got the worst cost-effectiveness to begin with.
I was sighing inwardly when it happened.
Kugugugu- Ping!
The ground shook, and at the same time, I heard something snap.
Run! You bastards!
A woman's voice echoed.
What was that?
An announcement? An instructor?
And the next moment.
Kiiiiik-
The sound of the artifact room's massive door slowly creaking open was heard.
< Chapter 61: Meiden's Grand Labyrinth (2) > End