Chapter 46: This Time, It's a Quad
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 46: This Time, It's a Quad
As Seo-un channeled a massive surge of internal energy while he spoke, the relaxed smile on the man’s face began to stiffen.
“I heard the Singangnam Faction got cold feet and backed off, and now I see why. You clearly aren't the type to follow quietly. Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
The three men spread out, confronting Seo-un in a fan-shaped formation.
Hamit, wrapped around his hand, spoke up excitedly.
-Kekeke! Finally, it’s my turn! Master, spin it!-
A roulette wheel, visible only to Seo-un’s eyes, appeared in the air. The three men stared at him suspiciously as he reached out and made a motion as if spinning a physical wheel.
-Trrrrrrr… Ding! [Electric Shock]! Use it well for the next twenty-four hours, Master!-
Instantly, the skill was engraved into his mind. It allowed him to imbue his fists or weapons with electricity to shock his opponents.
No sooner had he grasped the skill than blue sparks crackled over Seo-un’s fist, which was still wrapped in Hamit. His silhouette blurred. He split into six images, dividing into pairs as he lunged toward the three men.
The first to react was, as expected, the bald man who used magic.
Sh-sh-sh-sh-shoot!
Luminescent objects resembling tiny shards of glass suddenly filled the air, raining down on the six versions of Seo-un. Just before the shards reached them, five of the images vanished.
The sole remaining Seo-un punched through the magic and charged at the man in the black shirt.
Flash! Whoosh!
He aimed a Penetrating Strike at the man’s guard, slamming into his forearm. Electricity surged, and blue sparks erupted over the man’s arm, but he didn't seem to care. Instead, he swung a real sword he had drawn at some point.
Seo-un leaned back, narrowly evading the blade. He stepped in closer, closing the distance to rob the man of his swinging room. As expected, the man retreated and thrust his sword forward.
Seo-un had been waiting for this. He met the thrust with a Spinning Strike.
The man’s expression soured as he saw Seo-un confidently thrusting a fist against a blade, but he couldn't retract his sword mid-thrust. Seo-un had already learned through practical experience how to use Spinning Strike against sharp weapons.
The moment his subtly rotating arm touched the flat of the blade, the sword wobbled and was violently pushed aside. For the first time, the man looked panicked. He leaped into the air, spinning to narrowly evade Seo-un’s follow-up punch.
The fact that he had to use such a large movement just to dodge a single punch proved he was a master in his own right.
Just as Seo-un was about to launch another attack, he felt a surge of mana from the side. If he blocked the incoming magic, the swordsman would surely recover and swing again. Seo-un retreated to dodge the spell, but a man in a sleeveless shirt, his bare forearms exposed, charged in and slammed his shoulder forward.
Thump!
The man’s shoulder collided directly with Seo-un’s. With a Strength stat of 55 and a Stamina stat of 63, Seo-un met force with force.
In his experience, if you get pushed back once in a many-to-one fight and give the opponents time, your chances of winning plummet. It was better to stay aggressive, relentlessly hounding them to thin their numbers one by one.
Even though his fuse was short due to his rage, he was a veteran of combat. His battle experience kept his head cool, preventing him from self-destructing in a blind fury.
Crackle!
The man, who had expected to blow Seo-un away in a single hit, widened his eyes in shock. His arm moved to block Seo-un’s fist aimed at his ribs, only to be electrocuted. As the man clutched his arm and leaped back in pain, Seo-un lunged toward the mage.
He had finished analyzing them. A brute who fought like a knight, a martial artist who focused on sword techniques, and a mage. It was a perfectly balanced composition. Conversely, it was incredibly annoying to deal with, but for some reason, their formation wasn't great.
A mage’s best position is in the rear, protected by a knight or a martial artist in the front. A mage exposing himself like this was nothing more than prey to Seo-un.
Swoosh!
A Stone Wall rose from the ground, blocking his path, while he felt the other two closing in from behind. However, this was a situation he had dealt with many times while sparring with Gi-chan.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he leaped over the Stone Wall. On either side of the mage, Stone Golems standing over three meters tall were rising.
-Roar! Boom!-
As soon as it rose, one of the golems roared and slammed its fists down toward Seo-un. The other golem used its massive bulk to shield the bald man.
This was his first time facing summoning magic. Seo-un concentrated his internal energy and drove his fist straight into the golem’s leg. The golem staggered from the powerful Penetrating Strike, bracing itself with a hand on the ground. At that moment, the men chasing him from behind attacked simultaneously.
Zip!
He dodged the brute’s dash and landed a blow on his ribs, but the man only flinched; it didn't seem to cause significant damage. Seo-un blocked the incoming sword with the back of his hand—the one wrapped in Hamit—and retreated for the time being.
‘That golem is why the mage was standing alone.’
He had swung with the intention of shattering the leg, but the golem only had a faint crack and seemed perfectly fine.
-It is no ordinary golem. You must find the core and destroy it.-
‘The core?’
-Hmm… I feel a core of mana in the head. You can only get rid of it by crushing the head.-
Though it had been a brief clash, Seo-un’s expression wasn't good. Individually, they might not be much, but facing all three at once made it difficult to deliver a finishing blow.
Just as the enemies, having reformed their line, smiled confidently and prepared to charge, a loud, cool exhaust note began to grow louder, echoing through the area.
Vrooooom! Vroooooooooom!
The four men’s gazes briefly shifted toward the sound. The body of a Hayabusa came into view, soaring into the air after launching off the few steps nearby.
Vroooooooooooom!
The bike, roaring as its engine revved in mid-air, tilted to the side and slammed directly into the golem.
Crash!
The golem swatted the bike away, but as the bike crashed into the ground, a sphere glowing with a faint yellow light flew toward the golem’s head.
Crunch!
The golem’s head shattered instantly. Its massive body crumbled into shards of rock, scattering across the ground.
The bald man’s face contorted as his golem was destroyed, and the swordsman swung his blade through the air.
Clang!
Gi-chan, who had just landed on the ground, dodged to the side, but a fast-moving Sword Qi shattered his shield in a single hit. Gi-chan quickly retreated toward Seo-un and cast a new shield. A staff was now held firmly in his hand.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. You got here fast.”
“Yes. I pushed it as hard as it would go. I don't know who these guys are, but we can't avoid this fight, right?”
“I have no intention of compromising with people who threaten my parents.”
At Seo-un’s words, Gi-chan began storing new magic into his staff. When the bald man felt the formidable surge of mana, he spoke up.
“He’s no amateur. He’s at least 5th Circle.”
The people in the clearing glared at each other before charging simultaneously, as if by unspoken agreement. From a safe distance, Gi-chan and the bald man cast support magic for their respective allies.
Gi-chan’s support was exceptional. Even though he activated his spells a beat later than the bald man, he fired magic that countered the enemy’s elements, weakening their spells and harassing the two men fighting Seo-un.
Having magic flying at their backs was equally distracting for both Seo-un and his opponents. The teamwork between the man who had pulled out a massive shield to openly block Seo-un’s attacks and the man who nimbly leaped around swinging his sword was truly remarkable.
Seo-un tried to blow the brute away with Penetrating Strikes several times, but the man’s skill in blocking with his glowing shield was no joke. He even tried to deal direct damage with Penetrating Strike, but for some reason, the force that managed to pierce through the glowing shield was weak. It felt as if the shield was absorbing the impact of his strikes.
Whenever he tried to take their rear using the illusions of Muryeong Phantom Step, magic and sword strikes flew his way, making it difficult.
The fierce battle continued, dragging on. After a clash, both sides retreated to catch their breath and reform. Gi-chan whispered.
“It’s a battle of attrition. I think whoever runs out of internal energy or mana first will lose.”
“I can end it before then.”
Gi-chan nodded at Seo-un’s words. Seo-un hadn't shown his full power yet. Gi-chan knew this better than anyone, having fought him fiercely under the guise of training for three weeks.
“Jong-cheon, they’re tougher than they look.”
At the bald man Lee Dal-jin’s words, the brute with the shield, Gu Chil-sang, nodded.
“This isn't 'newbie hunting.' We might actually get ourselves killed at this rate.”
The man called Jong-cheon, who had piercing eyes, curled his lip into a smirk.
“Enough with the jokes. Let’s end this. That young mage in the back was a surprise, but he’s not bad. Let’s wrap this up quickly, take them back, and break them in.”
As he finished speaking, he pulled a translucent glass bottle from his subspace.
“You’re going to use that? We’ll be in the red!”
“Red, my ass. If we squeeze these guys, we’ll make it back somehow.”
With that, Jong-cheon uncorked the bottle, took a few gulps of the liquid, and handed it over. The other two men sighed but took turns draining the contents of the bottle.
“What are those bastards eating in the middle of a fight?”
“Probably strengthening potions.”
“There are things like that?”
“They’re likely potions that boost specific stats for a set duration. Probably specialized in Agility or Strength. Be careful. Assume their abilities are 10 to 20% stronger than before.”
Seo-un nodded and raised his fists.
Crackle!
The sparks on his fists flowed with an even more intense blue light.
“Let’s finish this!”
As Jong-cheon shouted boldly, Seo-un fired back without backing down.
“I was just thinking it’s about time I ripped that mouth of yours shut.”
Chil-sang, holding his shield, moved with incredible speed to block Seo-un as he lunged forward like a flash of light.
Boom!
Seo-un drove a Penetrating Strike in without sparing his internal energy. Chil-sang grimaced and was pushed back half a step. A sword tip grazed past Chil-sang’s ear, aiming for Seo-un’s throat.
Clang!
Seo-un blocked the sword with his arm wrapped in Hamit. As the intense sparks surged along the blade, the man shook his sword and retreated. The stinging pain had been accumulating every time his hand and the sword collided, and now his entire arm felt numb.
Despite this, Jong-cheon felt certain of victory. He was starting to read the boy's attack patterns. It was an ultra-close-quarters style that involved digging in to close the distance and meeting every attack with an attack. At most, he used clones that were nothing more than illusions, and since Dal-jin was in the back clearing them all away with magic, they weren't a major threat.
‘This is all he’s got.’
If they captured him and made him submissive, bringing him to their side would definitely not be a loss. The process wouldn't be easy, but it was just something everyone went through. He himself had once been determined to tear this damn organization and that bastard Kang Cheol-o to pieces. His hostility toward Kang Cheol-o remained, but in the end, the man would have no choice but to make the same decision he had.
Both sides brought out their hidden cards.
As soon as Ice Lance and Wind Blade were cast at close range, Jong-cheon, who had been hiding behind Chil-sang’s large shield, drew two more swords. Holding a sword in each hand and controlling a third above his head like Sword Command, he leaped into the air and descended toward Seo-un.
Seo-un fired an Ice Lance directly at Chil-sang’s legs, which weren't covered by the shield, to pin him down. Simultaneously, he threw a punch and fired a Wind Blade at the falling Jong-cheon.
The three swords flying at once were unexpected, but the Boundless Fist had no form for retracting a punch once thrown. He knocked away the first sword with a Spinning Strike and blocked the second with his arm wrapped in Hamit.
The third sword flew toward the space between his eyes.
Seo-un grit his teeth. He kept driving his fist forward in a Spinning Strike while twisting his head as far to the side as possible.
Thwack!
The sword aiming for his brow narrowly grazed his cheek, and his extended fist struck the man’s shoulder. He tried to follow up, but the sword that had grazed him changed trajectory and swung for his neck. He had no choice but to twist his waist and duck to evade the blade, retreating for a moment.
One of the arms of the man holding the twin swords was trembling slightly. It had been worth risking his life to land that blow on the shoulder. It seemed Electric Shock had worked perfectly.
Blood was trickling down both of the man’s cheeks. He had somehow managed to block the Wind Blade with only that much bleeding.
Thump!
The man who had smashed the ice pinning his legs with his shield and Jong-cheon charged simultaneously. Seo-un also lunged toward the two of them.
At that moment.
Flash!
A white light blinded them, and their surroundings began to change.
“Hyung! The ga—!”
Gi-chan’s shout from behind was cut off. A now-familiar place came into Seo-un’s view. A massive statue and a forest full of greenery. And players in awkward outfits appearing one after another.
“Damn it. Of all times…”
Then, Seo-un saw Gi-chan appear. He also recognized Seo-un and approached him with a bright smile.
“Hyung! We got into the same game again? This is awesome…”
Gi-chan, who was approaching happily, saw Seo-un’s stiff expression and trailed off, turning his head to follow Seo-un’s gaze. In Gi-chan’s sight were the three men they had been fighting for their lives just moments ago.
They, too, had spotted the pair and twisted their lips into smirks.
[Thank you to everyone for participating in Cloyd Survival.]
[Participants: 400. Starting Cloyd Survival.]
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