The Rabbit's Reckoning
I can do it (3) EP.83
A small number of constellations are impressed by the mortal's growth.
A small number of constellations are watching the players participating in the Great War.
The lingering afterimage of mana around me sharpens into clarity. Cold frost and searing heat erupt at once, evaporating and refreezing the lake beneath my feet in rapid succession. A thick veil of water mist rises in an instant. Yet something far more captivating than the mist seizes my gaze.
Woong! The mass of mana Landon has drawn forth compresses into his sword, beginning to radiate light. His crimson aura coalesces into a single blade. The remaining red energy swirls around him with growing ferocity until friction with the air ignites it into a vivid golden glow.
—All things unfold according to the will of God.
Landon's voice follows. Golden light bursts from his eyes. A single word slips from his parted lips, resonating through the air and sending massive ripples across the lake.
“Hoo…”
I steady my breathing. Two opponents demand my attention now, not one. To Landon's left, a colossal vortex begins to form around Cheongrin, who has emerged from the water. Gripping his spear with both hands, he drives it into the lake. The water beneath him rises steadily, evoking the image of a dragon ascending. Water drawn from the lakebed coils around the spear in his grasp, giving it the eerie semblance of a living creature—yet the flow remains graceful, majestic, like a work of art.
Shwaaa! The fierce current of water tickles my ears. A brief but violent whirlwind. Watching their final strikes, I grip my sword tightly with both hands.
Whooosh! Clang!
Two treasures deployed to suppress both men at once. Even with my vastly improved stats, wielding two at the same time proves too much; a wave of dizziness washes over me.
Wholehearted Devotion (C+) activated.
[Select the stat to which Wholehearted Devotion (C+) will be applied.]
‘Endurance.’
My body and mind both had to hold. Together.
[Endurance Lv.40 selected.]
Ding.
[Current state will last for 1 minute 30 seconds.]
[Effect amplified by Mana Lv.46.]
[Endurance Lv.77 → Lv.81]
[Current state will last for 2 minutes 30 seconds.]
The overwhelming surge in endurance settles my churning stomach and clears my fading mind. I had considered boosting mana first, but raising endurance was the right call. As the saying goes, a strong body houses a strong spirit—my condition improves beyond expectation. Moreover—
Ding!
Wholehearted Devotion (C+) has exceeded its limit through stat enhancement.
Skill rank increased.
Wholehearted Devotion (C+) → Wholehearted Devotion (B)
Rank-up bonus applied.
No backlash received from using Wholehearted Devotion (B).
Name: Kim Siin
Constellation: None
Stats: Strength Lv.42, Agility Lv.42, Endurance Lv.81 (40), Mana Lv.46
Skills: Quick Understanding (C-), Wholehearted Devotion (B), Cheonwol Divine Art (B+), Fighting Spirit (A)
Traits: Latent Unique Skill
Remaining Coins: 69,000 C
The rank-up bonus—effective only this once—eliminates the backlash from Wholehearted Devotion. At this moment, nothing could be more vital.
Ch-ch-ch! A spear of water, compressed to the size of a forest tree, enters my view. Cheongrin's crystallized mana. To its right, Landon slowly raises his sword, its tip brimming with explosive energy.
Moonlight Sword Art
I raise my sword as well. An interplay of ice and fire. The two energies swirling around me flow along the blade, tracing delicate patterns in the air.
Landon's sword, pointed at the sky, descends toward the lake. Cheongrin's spear, aimed at the water, hurtles toward me. I watch their attacks in silence. What flies at me is death itself. Countless players observe our battle from the lake, yet my eyes see only the spectacle the two of them create.
Still—
“Doesn't feel like I'm going to lose.”
I bring my sword down in a single slash. One strike. That is enough.
A flash.
My sword aura collides with the two masses of mana. Time seems to halt; silence falls over the area.
Piiing!
A small number of constellations are bewildered by power beyond imagination.
The constellation ‘One Who Knows Only War and Battle’ has sealed the Great War's domain.
The explosion begins. Like a nuclear detonation, the initial silence is shattered by a sonic boom. The lake water Cheongrin had raised vanishes without leaving even steam. Landon's sword aura is swallowed whole, leaving no trace.
“Ha…!”
“We never stood a chance…”
Beyond the light of mana, the two silhouettes stare in stunned disbelief before closing their eyes and returning to the lobby.
Leaving behind a brilliance bright enough to blind, we are naturally transported back to our original lobby.
Murmurs fill the air.
“Uwaa…! Huh? I-is it over?”
“Uh… uh……?”
Faces pale from the massive explosion, people stammer while checking their bodies. Had the constellation ‘One Who Knows Only War and Battle’ not erected a barrier between the Great War and the watching players, many would have experienced the crushing death of mana.
‘But the atmosphere……?’
The lobby is far too quiet. While people calm their racing hearts, countless players stand in silence, staring in one direction. Following their gazes, I spot the helpers descending from the second floor at the far end of the lobby.
And—
—Hehehehe!
At their head walks the rabbit, no longer bothering to suppress his laughter.
‘Haven't seen that look in a while… Anyway.’
The massive form he first revealed in the tutorial. Several helpers trail behind him in a line: a muscular black bull, what appears to be a shark, and a familiar snake-headed helper. The snake-head's rotting expression makes the reason for the rabbit's beaming face clear.
‘Did the rankings change?’
According to the rabbit, that snake-head Echion had been a constellation candidate ranked third overall. He was also the helper for the group containing the black-robed player named ‘Death’—
—Greetings, players!
The rabbit raises his hand cheerfully toward us, like a politician who has won a hard-fought election and now delivers a triumphant smile.
—You all worked hard in the team battle! Indeed you did!
He begins explaining to the resting players why he has appeared with the other helpers.
—There are several important announcements! First— is there a player named ‘Death’ here? Death from the Bantra coordinate…… Ah! There you are!
The rabbit walks toward the group of black robes with his hands clasped behind his back. Then—
—You are the incarnation of the constellation ‘Clown Who Grasps the Blade,’ correct?
“……”
—Well, I'm not sure if ‘incarnation’ is even the right term anymore.
Death stares silently at the rabbit. Ignoring this, the rabbit glances at Echion once, then smiles and continues.
—The true ‘Clown Who Grasps the Blade’ wishes to nullify the incarnation contract that was never actually made.
Death's face twists in rage. The rabbit's expression brightens at Death's next words.
“……What.”
Death mutters something. Few hear it—none among the players—and only the helpers standing closest show strange expressions.
—Oh…? —W-wait a moment!
As the rabbit lets out an intrigued hum, Echion pales and shouts. The rabbit raises a hand at Echion's panicked tone.
—Ah, Echion, would you mind staying quiet for a moment? This player has something to say.
—N-no, he's my coordinate's player, so I should—
—Shh. Quiet.
The tone is firm, yet the rabbit's face is filled with a satisfaction and mischief I have never seen before. At the end of their exchange, Death finally speaks the words he had been holding back.
“Y-you! That's not what the contract said!”
—Ooh! Details! A little more detail, please!
The rabbit eggs Death on while Echion fidgets anxiously beside him. Death's words are directed not at the distant constellation, but at Echion.
“You said it yourself! You said you'd lend me power, that I'd become much stronger!”
His outburst begins with force, but the cruel demeanor from before has vanished. His voice trembles with fear.
“I even offered my lifespan! So until the third floor ends……! Why is the contract changing now!”
—Okay, that's enough!
The rabbit raises a hand to stop Death. Having heard what he needed, he extends his arm. Death's body blurs and begins to vanish.
“Aaa…! S-save…!!”
In an instant, Death's form disappears. The rabbit turns to Echion with a grin.
—That player seemed to be speaking to you just now. I didn't mishear, did I?
—……
—Echion, why so quiet?
Playful on one side, completely frozen on the other.
—Why? You never even obtained constellation status, yet you played at being one and now you've lost the strength to speak? Ah, your abilities couldn't be maintained after your rank dropped. That happens!
The rabbit's gaze fixes on Echion.
—As a constellation candidate, I hereby order: Violator Echion shall be confined for the next 100 years and stripped of the right to challenge for constellation status.
—T-that's—
—Away with you! I don't want to see your face anymore! Hahaha!!!
At the rabbit's words, several lower-ranking helpers appear and drag the snake-headed helper away. The sudden turn of events leaves a strange unease. A player has vanished and a helper has been taken in the blink of an eye. Unexpected events rarely end well.
—Ah, one more thing! There are minor changes to the third floor as well!
The rabbit's next words are quite drastic.