Chapter 35: Steel
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 35: Steel
As Hamit’s usually chatty and lighthearted voice shifted, sharpening with hostility, Seo-un swept his gaze across his surroundings.
He didn't feel anything particularly out of place, nor did his sensory perception pick up a presence.
‘Can you get a sense of the direction?’
-I cannot tell that precisely. However, my instincts are never wrong.-
‘Did some survivors follow me?’
Seo-un calmly pulled up his map, planned his route, and organized his items to store them in his subspace. Watching him, Hamit spoke.
-Should you not choose between putting distance between you and the enemy or closing the gap?-
‘I don’t even know their exact location. In times like this, it’s best to act vulnerable to lure them into a false sense of security and draw them out.’
He finished looting the box of the woman who had died by his arrow and walked toward the mage’s box. As soon as he opened it, he saw the item he had been eyeing.
[Ding! You have obtained an Air Board.]
[Air Board: A magical transportation item used by high-ranking mages or witches.]
Usually, because it was difficult to maintain balance, board-type items were used more by warriors or archers than mages. Unaware of this, Seo-un placed the board on the ground.
Just as he lifted a foot to step onto it, his body flinched.
-Master! It’s dangerous!-
Almost simultaneously, Hamit shouted a warning.
Swoosh! Thud!
An arrow, flying from an unknown direction, struck Seo-un squarely in the chest. He was sent flying backward, slamming hard into the ground.
For a moment, dust swirled around his twitching form, but Seo-un failed to rise from the dirt.
-You idiot Master! Get up! Something bigger is coming!-
Hamit screamed, but a surge of mana caused the space around Seo-un to erupt. Spells that seemed to designate a point in the air to trigger atmospheric explosions manifested sporadically all around him.
Boom! Bang, bang! Boom!
Caught in the crossfire, Seo-un’s limp body was tossed about in every direction.
As Seo-un lay there with his chest faintly rising and falling, barely clinging to life, two figures cautiously emerged.
The first to appear was a man wearing a hood and holding a bow. The second was a woman with disheveled hair, wearing a torn leather skirt and clutching a repulsive wooden doll that consisted of nothing but a head.
“He’s still alive. Should I attack again?”
The woman’s voice was cracked and chilling. The hooded man shook his head. Then, with an arrow notched, he approached Seo-un.
He drew close, aiming his arrow directly at Seo-un’s face. The moment he used his foot to flip the prone enemy over, he fired the arrow in a fit of shock.
The moment he saw Seo-un looking up at him with a smirk, he was so startled that his arrow nearly missed even at point-blank range.
Seo-un’s smile deepened as he deflected the arrow—fired from right in front of his nose—simply by raising his arm.
Hamit’s durability was truly satisfying.
Seo-un didn't even use his hands to push off the ground; he defied gravity, rising straight up. The chainsword he pulled from his subspace was already in his hand. In an instant, it pierced the enemy’s stomach, severed his spine, and tore out through his back.
When their teammate, who had gone to deliver the finishing blow, was suddenly skewered and killed, the woman watching from behind grimaced.
She pulled a round crystal ball from her subspace and held it high. As her skewered ally collapsed, she was finally able to see the enemy’s face.
The moment her eyes met Seo-un’s, she felt her body stiffen as if struck by lightning. Only then did she realize the true nature of the unease she had been feeling.
‘That’s no ordinary magic resistance!’
The moment that thought crossed her mind, she chose to flee.
Stowing the crystal ball, she pulled out an old broom and mounted it. As she soared into the sky to make her escape, Seo-un pulled out his bow and fired.
One arrow struck her shoulder, but despite staggering, she quickly flew out of range and disappeared. Seo-un shook his head with a look of regret.
“Tsk. She ran away immediately. And what was with that broom?”
-That is standard for high-level witches when they are desperate.-
Shaking his head at Hamit’s remark, he brushed the dust off his clothes, gave the boxes a cursory look, and began to move.
*
After killing that last enemy, the game’s progression began to deviate from Seo-un’s expectations.
[Survivors: 12/200]
.
.
.
[Jin Seo-un -> Bi Wuxingchu (Kill via Fist Qi.)]
Up until the fifth day, he could still find a fair number of enemies. The martial artists, in particular, were quite bold in seeking him out. He had thought this round might even end within seven days.
But now, it was already the twentieth day.
Having not seen a single enemy for nearly two weeks, Seo-un was starting to get irritated. The magnetic field had shrunk considerably—to about one-sixth of its original size—but it was still far too vast. Specifically, the magnetic field was shrinking toward the valleys, which contained far too many hiding spots.
“I didn't realize it would be this hard to find people who are determined to hide. Can’t you feel anything?”
-Unless the enemy radiates bloodlust while targeting you, there is nothing I can do.-
“Che. I thought I’d gained a good radar, but you’re useless.”
Normally, Hamit would have thrown a fit and fumed, but after traveling with Seo-un and hearing similar remarks so often, he wasn't even angry anymore.
Seo-un’s daily routine lately was the same: riding his Air Board around as if on patrol. Hoping someone would take the bait, he intentionally showed himself in conspicuous areas and occasionally shouted provocations, but no one appeared.
It wasn't as if there were any more places left to farm, either.
“This is driving me crazy.”
-If you wait, that force field will eventually gather all the enemies in one place. Why are you wandering around like a restless puppy?-
The last part of the remark was highly irritating, but Seo-un answered honestly.
“Even for me, there’s no answer to a gang-up. If the remaining guys use me as a common enemy to rally around, what can I do? I have to thin them out as much as possible before that happens.”
-How about hunting that buff monster you mentioned?-
“I didn't think I could possibly catch that thing. It’s probably not meant to be hunted yet.”
-With your current skills, Master, you should be able to take down a Black Argon.-
Seo-un, who had been cutting through the wind on his Air Board, came to a dead stop.
“You know that monster?”
-How could I not?-
Seo-un was left speechless by Hamit’s counter-question. When he had scouted the area previously to see if anyone was attempting the buff monster, Hamit hadn't said a single word about it.
“Why didn't you say so sooner?”
-Because you were only thinking about stabbing someone in the back. I thought you were leaving it there as bait.-
“Sigh.”
Come to think of it, even after obtaining Hamit, Seo-un preferred luring enemies into ambushes or catching them from behind while they were fighting rather than facing them head-on.
“So, you’re saying it’s a monster I’m capable of catching?”
-I cannot imagine you losing, no matter how I think about it.-
Seo-un immediately steered his board toward the location of the buff monster. The board, which saved his internal power, was a truly useful item, but it had the disadvantage of emitting subtle mana waves into the surroundings.
However, Seo-un didn't care at all. At this point, he wanted someone to sense these waves and come at him.
Boom!
Along with the sound, he felt a surge of mana. Not only that, but his sensory perception picked up several heavy presences.
Just by arriving near the hollow where the buff monster resided, Seo-un could feel the energy. He tucked the Air Board into his subspace and narrowed his eyes.
-The situation you were worried about has occurred. You should have moved more diligently.-
He didn't have the luxury to respond to Hamit’s bickering right now.
‘Ten people. Right?’
-Wrong. There are eleven.-
“Sigh.”
A sigh escaped Seo-un’s lips at the news that all the remaining enemies had joined forces. He now stood at a crossroads. Should he fight eleven enemies now, or wait for a better opportunity?
-Now is the best time.-
‘I know.’
He knew better than anyone that now—while they were distracted by the monster—was a better time than later, when the enemies would have the buff. Seo-un pulled out his Cloak of Stealth, threw it on, and ran into the hollow.
‘Why is it always a gang-up at the end?’
That lamenting thought flashed through his mind, but his moving form showed not a hint of hesitation.
“The alarm magic at the entrance has been triggered! It’s Jin Seo-un!”
At the words of a man in robes who was holding a staff and casting a spell, the shoulders of those fighting the Argon flinched.
“This is no time to delay! We have to finish this quickly!”
At someone’s shout, several people charged recklessly toward the Argon. Until now, they had been conserving their strength to minimize risk and clear it safely, but with their rear threatened, they could no longer afford to hold back.
While some charged the Black Argon, opposing voices also rang out.
“Get out of the seal formation! Now isn't the time for hunting!”
Perhaps that was the more rational judgment. Once they realized the enemy had appeared, it was better to band together and deal with the strong foe first rather than being exposed to danger from both front and back.
However, the bloodied Argon was right before their eyes. The scales on the middle of its three forehead bumps had been stripped away, revealing the Argon’s essence—its weak point. Retreating was no easy task.
If they could land just one successful hit on that essence, the Argon hunt would be over. The greedy judgment that it would be better to kill the beast quickly and face the enemy with the buff won out, and those people screamed.
“If we leave the seal formation, the thing will recover!”
The moment he passed through the entrance, Seo-un realized a spell had been triggered even without Hamit’s warning. He had thought it might be a trap, but it seemed it was alarm magic.
As soon as he entered, Seo-un hid in the shadows and used his stealth to observe the situation. It was a total mess. There were those backing away to guard against him, and conversely, those desperately charging toward the Argon.
It was a situation he had seen many times before.
‘League of Legends.’
It was a scenario he had often seen and experienced while playing AOS games. The objective has very little health left, and the enemy is coming into view. There are moments when the timing is awkward—whether to focus on damaging the monster or to block the enemy behind you.
It’s incredibly annoying for the side being pressured, but for the one jumping in, it’s a moment filled with opportunity. In such a situation, what is the best play?
‘Naturally, you steal the buff and massacre the enemies.’
While still in stealth, he notched an arrow and concentrated his internal power. He fired the arrow at a knight who was leaping into the air, pulling back two axes to condense his strength.
The knight, who had been intent on slamming his gathered power into the distracted Argon’s forehead, felt a swift arrow bury itself in his back. No, to be precise, it bounced off. He must have been wearing excellent armor; though it left a dent, the knight’s armor managed to block the arrow.
And yet, his eyes were filled with despair. The moment the arrow struck, he was electrocuted by powerful lightning qi, rendering him momentarily unable to move. In that split second, the Argon sensed the danger and bared its sharp teeth at the knight.
Crunch!
With a sickening sound, the Argon bit the knight, tossed its head back, and swallowed him whole.
Ting!
At that moment, Seo-un saw the sharp gaze of a martial artist who was launching hidden weapons toward him.
“I felt a presence over there!” the man who threw the hidden weapons shouted.
Because spheres of light were floating near the Argon, Seo-un couldn't get any closer. As soon as he blocked the hidden weapons with his bow, he moved positions and re-entered stealth.
Then, he notched another arrow and concentrated, pouring in every bit of internal power he had.
As soon as he raised his energy, the martial artist sensed it and charged, throwing more hidden weapons. But Seo-un remained motionless with his bow aimed, focusing even harder.
The moment the tip of his arrow aligned with the Argon’s yellow essence, Seo-un released the shot. Simultaneously, the enemy’s flying swords pierced through his cloak and buried themselves in his chest and stomach.
Thud, thud!
ROAAAAAAAAR!
As the essence on its forehead shattered, the Black Argon collapsed with a scream. The people, who hadn't yet fully processed the situation, stood dazed, wondering why the buff hadn't gone to them.