Chapter 143: Into the Storm
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 143: Into the Storm
“Kueeegh…”
While the mage Crow crawled across the ground like a zombie, the team members ignored his agony, focusing entirely on farming coins and items. A few figures watched the scene from a distance.
The heat of the fierce battle that had shaken heaven and earth just an hour ago had not yet cooled. Jin Long and Seo-un paused their work and approached the two men who had just entered the area.
“Master!”
“Elder.”
Jang Do-cheon and the Murim Alliance Leader both frowned as they watched Crow dragging himself across the dirt in excruciating pain.
“Isn't this a bit excessive?” Jang Do-cheon asked.
Seo-un shook his head at the question. “A while ago, there was an incident where two castles vanished without a trace and countless people died. Do you happen to know about it?”
At Seo-un’s question, the two men nodded, their expressions turning grim. There was no way they wouldn't know. It was the Murim Alliance Leader himself who had used the public outrage fueled by that tragedy as momentum to force the Seongeom Sect into seclusion.
“That guy did it,” Seo-un said, pointing at the crawling mage. “Among the mages who survived until the end, he was the only one capable of casting Meteor.”
Although he had used a Highest Grade Mana Stone to do it, mages capable of casting Meteor were rare. According to what he had heard from Juriel, the man was a notorious villain famous across multiple empires for his atrocities. Seo-un felt no hesitation in confirming his identity.
“He’s already infamous in his own world. They say he’s kidnapped countless children for magic-synthetic life experiments.”
At Seo-un’s words, a murderous intent rose within Jang Do-cheon for the first time in a long while. A sharp blue aura began to coalesce over his hand.
“You mustn't kill him yet,” Seo-un warned.
“P-Please… just kill me! Aaaargh!”
Jin Long grabbed the man’s ankle as he tried to crawl toward the magnetic field and indifferently tossed him back. Seo-un watched the man land roughly in the center of the field and continued.
“The item farming isn't finished yet. The moment he dies, we’ll be forced out of this world.”
Jang Do-cheon withdrew his aura at Seo-un’s explanation, but his eyes still burned with cold fury. “What if we prevent him from returning to his own world?”
Seo-un shook his head again. “I don’t know if we can keep him in that state for a little over 400 days, but eventually, he’ll return with a perfectly fine body. Those are the rules. Besides, we can’t afford to wait that long.”
Jang Do-cheon clicked his tongue. “To let such a man run wild... It seems that world is a wretched place to live. Tsk, tsk.”
Among the team members gathered nearby, Juriel and Dump frowned at his words. Since they didn't know much about Jang Do-cheon yet, all they knew was that he was Jin Long’s master and had some connection to Seo-un.
“I believe quite a few martial artists from this world participated in this massacre as well,” Dump spoke up, his tone edged with a hint of bite despite his attempt at politeness. “Old man, every world has its share of trash.”
Just as the Murim Alliance Leader was about to scowl at the disrespect, Jang Do-cheon nodded.
“It seems I have committed a discourtesy. I heard you are the comrades playing the game with Rung-ah. My apologies. Whether it’s your world or this one, they are both living hells.”
The Alliance Leader, who had been standing behind Jang Do-cheon like a spare part while observing the faces of Seo-un’s team, fixed his gaze on Nam Sa-gwang. The boy was still preoccupied with opening boxes in the back.
The Alliance Leader ignored the conversation between Jang Do-cheon and the players, focusing entirely on Nam Sa-gwang. Feeling that gaze, Nam Sa-gwang spoke without even looking up.
“Is that how they teach you in the Mucheon Sect? Who taught you such a lack of manners, staring at someone like that?”
The Alliance Leader’s face turned beet red. He never dreamed that a young boy would speak such nonsense to him—the Murim Alliance Leader, a man over eighty years old. He instinctively looked behind him to see if the boy was addressing someone else.
Just as the Alliance Leader was about to explode, Jang Do-cheon quickly intervened.
“It is good to see you again. I cannot see them, but I assume you are opening boxes?”
The reason the Alliance Leader had been watching Nam Sa-gwang was because it was fascinating to see items constantly appearing from thin air.
“You already know, so why ask?” Nam Sa-gwang replied. “Anyway, I heard a rumor that an Alliance Leader came out of the Mucheon Sect. The rumors said he was a talent who could lead the Namgeom Clan by ten years. I guess rumors in the Gangho really can’t be trusted. The Mucheon Sect must be past its prime.”
The Alliance Leader’s fists clenched at the blunt insult to his sect. If it weren't for Jang Do-cheon’s respectful attitude toward the boy, he might have attacked already. He had already surmised that the boy was no ordinary person, given how Jang Do-cheon treated him. However, in the Gangho, insulting someone’s sect was an unforgivable act.
“Aigo, my back.”
Nam Sa-gwang finally stood up, stretching his spine, and only then cast a glance at the Alliance Leader.
“No need to get so worked up. Your sect owes me a lot. I was close friends with Buk-geol. Even if we’ve never met, I’m saying this because you don’t feel like a stranger.”
The Alliance Leader’s face turned pale the moment the name 'Buk-geol' left Nam Sa-gwang’s mouth. While the name Buk Tae-ryong of the Mucheon Sect was still famous in the Gangho, very few people knew the name Buk-geol. That nickname was only used by a few close friends of Buk Tae-ryong, Ja Geol-ryun.
“S-Surely...”
Jang Do-cheon smiled awkwardly at the stuttering Alliance Leader and spoke. “Allow me to introduce you. This is Elder Nam Sa-gwang.”
“The God of Martial Arts?!”
The Alliance Leader, shocked beyond belief, shouted involuntarily, his mouth hanging open. As the Supreme Grandmaster of the Mucheon Sect—the sect of Buk Tae-ryong—there was no way he wouldn't know that name. He was well aware of Nam Sa-gwang, one of the closest friends of the man who had brought the Mucheon Sect to its golden age.
“H-How...”
“How am I still alive?” Nam Sa-gwang finished the sentence for him and frowned.
“I... I misspoke.”
“Forget it. More importantly, if the farming is done, shouldn't we pack up and head back?” Nam Sa-gwang, feeling burdened by the Alliance Leader’s intense gaze, looked at Seo-un.
Seo-un wanted to talk more with Jang Do-cheon, but he couldn't; he was too worried about the situation on Earth.
“Elder. Given the circumstances, we don’t have time for a leisurely chat. If we meet again, I’ll greet you properly then.”
Jang Do-cheon nodded, sensing Seo-un’s urgency.
Just as Nam Sa-gwang was about to kill Crow—who was still crawling on the ground, shedding tears of blood from his gouged eyes—Seo-un stopped him.
“Wait. We should use up all our Blue Coins before we go.”
As soon as he stopped Nam Sa-gwang, a group of people flew urgently into the area.
“Grandfather!”
“Lingwei! You’re safe.”
The Master of Jindok Valley rushed over and hugged Li Lingwei tightly, stroking her back. Behind him, the Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance gave a curt nod toward the Murim Alliance Leader. The Alliance Leader returned the greeting in a similar fashion, and the two men didn't even look at each other afterward.
Between the two rivals, who were treating each other like strangers, Li Lingwei and her grandfather shared a bittersweet farewell.
“...So, I have to go back quickly.”
“It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped...”
After finishing his sentence, the Valley Master looked at Seo-un, who was standing awkwardly behind her. “So you’re that friend from the Jin family.”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
The Valley Master observed the tense Seo-un for a moment, then stepped closer and grabbed his hand.
“Please take good care of Lingwei. She is the daughter of a martial family, but I raised her as the apple of my eye. She may have many shortcomings, but please look after her... If there ever comes a day when tears fall from Lingwei’s eyes, I will cross dimensions to hunt you down and ensure you weep tears of blood.”
The Valley Master had surrounded them with an aura barrier so that only Seo-un could hear his final words. Seo-un maintained an awkward smile and nodded. He felt a chill run down his spine; he could feel the absolute sincerity behind those words. They weren't just empty threats. However, beneath the steel, he could feel the grandfather’s deep love and worry for his granddaughter.
After the hurried farewells, they summoned a vending machine and used up all the coins they had gathered. Finally, Nam Sa-gwang’s aura severed Crow’s neck.
The people left behind couldn't hide their surprise as they watched the group vanish instantly.
[Tring-ring-ring! Cloyd Survival has ended.]
[Pa-pa-pa-pam-pam! Congratulations on becoming the final squad! You have earned the right to participate in the next game. You will receive the first and largest reward from this game.]
“Let’s proceed quickly,” Seo-un said.
Everyone nodded, and the next phase began.
[Tring! Before the rewards, the player vote will begin. From now on, please vote for the player you believe was the MVP of the squad.]
[Pa-pam! By a unanimous vote, excluding himself, Jin Seo-un has been chosen as the Honorable Player!]
It was an expected result. Since he had established the overall strategy and pushed through to achieve the results, there was no one else to vote for.
[Next, please vote for the Worst Player. Ding! Please vote carefully. If a player receives a unanimous vote, they will be banned from participating in Cloyd Survival ever again. Those who receive many votes will face a penalty on the number of coins rewarded.]
[Ding! A unanimous vote for abstention has been recorded. Praise to the teamwork of Jin Seo-un’s squad!]
[Tring! You have obtained 240 reward coins. Kill bonus! An additional 150 coins have been granted. You have reached the final 5 for 7 consecutive times. An additional 960 coins have been granted. You have been selected as the Honorable Player, and an additional 50 coins have been granted.]
As the entire team remained silent, the draw announcement followed.
[Tring-ring-ring! A draw ticket is granted to the final 5 squads. Player, you may spin three times.]
Everyone began to spin the wheel quickly.
[Turururururururururu Ding! You have obtained a Reinforced Storm Shield. Congratulations.]
Seo-un checked the list and looked at the shield, which he didn't really need. ‘That’s a 70-coin item.’
[Turururururururururu Ding! You have obtained a Lance Containing Thunder Spirit. Congratulations.]
‘This one is 90 coins.’
[Turururururururururu Ding! You have obtained Cockatrice Bile. Congratulations.]
‘And there’s the 1-coin item. I was wondering when it would show up.’
He had been scanning the list of summoned items, wondering if one of the many 1-coin items would appear, and sure enough, it did. After finishing the draw, Seo-un quickly scanned the list and began selecting items.
He had 1,274 coins saved up, and today’s reward was 1,400 coins.
‘A total of 2,674 coins. That’s incredible.’
The decisive factor in receiving over a thousand coins in a single game was, of course, the consecutive rewards. The thought crossed his mind that if his streak of first-place finishes hadn't been broken, he would have received over 2,000 coins from this one game.
“Hyung, as expected, the vending machine items aren't on the list,” Gi-chan said.
Everyone had already picked out items they needed using their remaining Blue Coins. Seo-un chuckled; Gi-chan had hoped those items might have been added to the permanent list.
“Do you think item duplication would be that easy?”
“I thought maybe, since enhancement stones pass through the jump rule.”
“Those were consumable items. What you picked wasn't like that.”
“Then what about the summoning tickets or the Force Field Adjustment Tickets you picked, hyung?”
Seo-un shook his head. He had also held out hope, but vending machine items—even consumables—were not added to the list.
“That’s a shame. Having a Force Field Adjustment Ticket would be a huge advantage.”
Nodding with a look of regret, Seo-un began to select his items. He was scanning a longer list of items than ever before.
[Soul Stone of the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven (400 coins)... Hellfire Stolen by the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven (800 coins)... Necklace Blessed by the War God (500 coins)...]
Three items caught Seo-un’s eye. There were many other items, but none of them appealed to him right now. With items requiring three-digit coin amounts available, ordinary items were unlikely to catch his interest.
‘I want to keep at least a thousand coins in reserve.’
Since he couldn't be sure when or what items would appear next, he couldn't afford to spend everything.
[You have selected the Soul Stone of the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven and the Hellfire Stolen by the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven. The remaining 1,474 coins will be accumulated. Would you like to finish your item selection?]
Before pressing the 'O' button, Seo-un looked at his team members.
“Good work, everyone. The situation is urgent, so let’s talk the rest over in the Quad chat.”
Everyone nodded and finished their brief goodbyes. As Seo-un pressed the 'O' button, his vision shifted, and a familiar sensation washed over him.
Returning to the mountains of Wonju, the first thing Seo-un did was take out his phone.
“Juriel, try to contact Karina.”
As she nodded and took out her phone, Seo-un called his parents.
Ring... Ring...
The time it took for a single ring felt agonizingly long. Gi-chan also took out his phone and hurriedly called his younger sister. The three of them stood a short distance apart, each casting a Silence spell before clutching their phones. Only Li Lingwei watched them, praying that nothing was wrong.
Karina was the first to answer.
—Juriel! Where on earth have you been all this time? Surely...
Juriel began to feel anxious at the trailing voice. “I just finished a game and returned. Did something happen on Earth?”
Karina answered as if she had been waiting for the question.
—Chaos has broken out in the United States. A Cloyd game is currently taking place in real-time in Los Angeles. Did you play a game with the same rules?
Relieved that it was in another country and not Korea, Juriel let out an involuntary sigh of relief. “Yes. We just finished a game with the same rules in the world of martial artists. How long has it been since the game started?”
—Today is exactly the 39th day.
Her expression crumpled. Time had flowed exactly the same as the time they had spent in the other world.
Seo-un, who was still unaware of the situation due to the Silence spell, was relieved to hear his mother’s voice when she finally answered.
—Seo-un!
In that single word, all the complex emotions of past worry and anxiety were contained.
“Yes, it’s me. I’m sorry for the sudden loss of contact.”
—Haaa... It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s enough that you’re back alive. Thank you, God, thank you, Buddha...
His mother’s voice, calling out to deities she didn't usually believe in, began to tremble until she finally broke into sobs.
“I’m sorry...” That was all Seo-un could say as he listened to his mother cry. After sobbing for a long while, she seemed to calm down and cleared her throat.
—...Where are you? Can I see you now? Your father has been so worried that he’s been living at the Swedish Embassy every day lately.
“I’ll head there right now. Please contact Father.”
Gi-chan, for his part, was on his fifth call to his sister, who still wasn't answering. He was burning with anxiety.
—Oppa?!
“Hey! Why aren't you answering your phone!” The worry he had felt instantly turned into anger the moment he heard his sister’s voice.
—Who are you shouting at, you idiot! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!
Hearing his sister’s voice, which was even louder than his own, Gi-chan finally realized that time had indeed passed in reality. He had become so accustomed to time being frozen in reality that he had momentarily forgotten the possibility.
“Sorry. I was just startled because I thought something had happened.”
—I was the one going crazy thinking something had happened to my stupid brother! You suddenly vanish and can’t be reached, then things explode in America and the news is full of talk about players every day. Haaa. Seriously, you’re going to make me grow old before my time.
“I’ll explain when I get there. Where are you?”
—Where do you think? School! I stepped out during class to take this call.
“Ah! Right. Okay. I’ll head to your school right away.”
Just as he was about to hang up, his sister’s voice trembled.
—Come quickly.
He could feel it in her voice; she was holding back tears.
Everyone hung up their phones, deactivated their Silence spells, and let out long sighs.
“It sounds like things are a total mess.”
“It seems so. For now... let’s head up.”
Seo-un, Juriel, and Li Lingwei took the Bentley toward Incheon, while Gi-chan took the Hayabusa he had arrived on and sped toward his sister’s school.