Chapter 63: End of the 3rd Round
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 63: End of the 3rd Round
After finishing his secret conversation with Gi-chan, Seo-un rejoined his teammates, who were already deep in the hunt. They were laying into the Wraith with fervor.
Or at least, that’s how it appeared.
Dump stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the other knights, absorbing the Wraith’s heavy blows, while Seide, Lyle, and Gi-chan unleashed a relentless barrage of magic at the creature.
Just then, one of the allied knights began to show signs of exhaustion, his reactions visibly slowing.
Clang! Thud!
“Urgh!!”
As if by design, the Wraith’s blade—which Seo-un had supposedly parried—slid off his shield and slammed directly into the exhausted knight’s foot.
Ye Haoran, who had just noticed his subordinate’s flagging health and was about to order a retreat, was busy drawing the Wraith’s attention with a flurry of attacks. In that split second, Seo-un spoke up.
“Just hold on a little longer!”
Seo-un tossed his shield aside, grabbed the injured knight, and hauled him toward the rear. Then, retrieving his shield, he lunged back toward the Wraith to reclaim the aggro.
No one found his actions strange. To the onlookers, it looked like the standard heroism of a man giving his all for a temporary alliance against a powerful foe.
Clash!
Finally, Ye Haoran’s sword shattered the golden armor protecting the Wraith’s shoulder.
“The joint is exposed!”
Spells immediately converged on the bared shoulder. Even as he cast his magic, Gi-chan recalled Seo-un’s warning.
— Be careful when the Wraith gets wounded. There might be a moment when its pattern changes.
Seo-un’s instincts, honed through countless raids across various games, were telling him exactly that.
As its shoulder joint cracked and its left arm—the one holding the staff—lost its range of motion, the Wraith let out a roar of pure, unadulterated fury.
— Kuaaaaaaah!
At that moment, Seo-un’s eyes gleamed.
Hurry up and finish it. I’ve already set the table for you.
The Wraith suddenly vanished from right in front of him. Seo-un spun around just in time to see the creature’s sword splitting the head of the knight who had retreated to recover.
Ten more to go.
*
Ye Haoran began to sense something was wrong when the Wraith’s armor was reduced to rags and cracks covered its entire skeletal frame.
Two of his own teammates were dead. Four from the other allied team had also perished. Yet, strangely, not a single member of Seo-un’s team had fallen. A sense of dissonance gnawed at him.
Ye Haoran, his Sword Aura significantly shorter than when the battle began, hesitated, his mind racing. Seo-un didn't miss the shift.
The reason Seo-un had focused solely on defense—drawing attacks and observing the flow—was to conserve his strength while keeping a close eye on the other players.
“Someone’s targeting us from behind! Everyone, stay alert!”
Seo-un’s shout forced Ye Haoran to stop thinking.
“Push it back and get your backs to the wall!”
As Seo-un and Dump used their shields to shove the Wraith back and retreated toward the wall opposite the cavern entrance, the other players moved quickly to realign.
Seo-un’s team had six members. Ye Haoran and the other team only had two left each. Naturally, the remaining survivors had no choice but to follow Seo-un’s lead.
Clang!
Ye Haoran stabbed his sword into a gap in the Wraith’s frantic swings and retreated, asking urgently, “Are you sure?”
“I have an item that detects hostility. I definitely felt eyes filled with murderous intent.”
Seo-un wasn't lying. If anything, he was just a bit late in mentioning it. Hamit had informed him of the other players' presence over thirty minutes ago.
Boom!
“Aaaargh!”
Aside from Dump, the last remaining knight was sent flying by the Wraith’s sword, slamming into the wall. The distraction caused by the news of a new enemy had broken his focus.
Even in its battered state, the Wraith was still a lethal threat. It was a natural consequence; as the Wraith grew weaker, the number of players had also dwindled.
Seo-un, who had orchestrated this entire scenario, suddenly threw his shield aside.
“We have to end this now!”
As he charged the Wraith, Ye Haoran followed suit, but he was seized by an indescribable, nagging feeling of unease.
Whoosh! Crack!
Seo-un dodged a descending blade and struck the Wraith’s knee as he passed, causing the creature to stumble.
Blood Bone Claw! He has that kind of attack power, so why…
“What are you doing? Snap out of it!”
Seo-un shouted as sparks began to fly from the Wraith’s limp staff. Of course, Seo-un knew full well that Ye Haoran wouldn't be taken down by a lightning spell of that level. However, seeing the man’s expression shift second by second, Seo-un couldn't just leave him be.
Slash!
Ye Haoran leaped into the air, his sword finally severing the Wraith’s arm.
The moment the staff, still crackling with golden lightning, hit the ground along with the severed limb, Seo-un’s hand lunged toward Ye Haoran’s face as he landed.
Seo-un didn't hesitate to strike the moment he saw the faint Sword Aura vanish from the man’s blade.
“You bastard!!”
Ye Haoran roared and swung his sword. His blade was decisive, piercing through the gaps of the bizarre Blood Bone Claw technique. Even though he faced an attack that would force a mutual kill if he didn't withdraw his hand, Seo-un reached for him without a second thought.
Shhh.
It didn't feel like stabbing a person. Amidst the sensation of piercing through empty air, a sharp pain dug into Ye Haoran’s side as his expression turned to one of shock.
Crunch!
The Blood Bone Claw instantly shattered his ribs and tore through his flesh. As he swung his sword in a wide arc, the Wraith’s sword, fueled by its final rage, descended upon his head.
Boom!
Crack!
Crackle!
“You… cowardly…”
Slice.
The moment Seo-un attacked Ye Haoran, his team also unleashed their assault on the remaining players. There was no way they could withstand a surprise attack from such close range. Li Min passed by, flicking his saber; the blood of the last surviving mage sprayed onto the floor.
“Haah… Haah… From the very beginning…”
Whish!
Ye Haoran, having barely parried the Wraith’s strike and pulled away, couldn't finish his sentence. A pyeonjeon flying from the shadows pierced through his temple.
Ping!
Seo-un lightly deflected an arrow flying toward him with the back of his hand and shouted.
“Now!”
At his command, the five teammates charged the Wraith. Seo-un also retreated toward the monster while blocking incoming short arrows. Seo-un and his group, along with the Wraith, vanished from the cavern in an instant, having blocked every arrow aimed blatantly at the yellow gem embedded in the Wraith’s crown.
Only stray arrows whistled through the empty space where they had just been.
Seo-un had subtly had Gi-chan focus on farming, and it was a stroke of luck that Gi-chan had obtained a Gold Scroll—an Area Teleportation scroll—amidst the chaos. The strategy they had discussed over team voice chat while fighting the Wraith was to take the near-dead monster and escape with just their team to secure the kill.
However, the appearance of a third enemy had complicated that plan.
— The worst-case scenario is those guys teaming up with the survivors we just thinned out. We have to finish the survivors here, no matter what.
And Seo-un had successfully executed his plan.
Crush!
Despite the sudden teleportation, Seo-un’s fist slammed into the gem on the Wraith’s crown as it swung its sword, shattering it.
— Ssssss. Is this where my glory ends?
With those final words, the Wraith’s brilliant golden remains collapsed onto the floor, gradually turning transparent before vanishing entirely.
[Ding! The Epic Monster, the Wraith of Kutrapa, has been hunted. Glory to the Jin Seo-un and Kang Gi-chan duo!]
Although the two of them took the glory of the kill, the other teammates didn't express any dissatisfaction.
“Finish the farming quickly!”
At Seo-un’s word, the teammates began passing around the items dropped by the creature to catalog them.
Several other items quickly passed through the group's hands.
“Survivors.”
7/400
.
.
.
Jurokuana —> Ye Haoran (Kill by bow.)
“As I thought, he killed the two who were camping.”
Seo-un had suspected that the player watching for an opportunity in the cavern after killing two of the three campers might be Jurokuana. He figured a guy like that wouldn't be taken out easily.
“Good thing we were prepared. Let’s go.”
As Seo-un started walking without hesitation, Dump and Seide tried to stop him.
“The opponent is a God of Combat with a bow. Even with superior numbers, we’re at a disadvantage in a guerrilla fight. First, we need a way to draw him out…”
Dump trailed off as he saw the smile on Seo-un’s face—a smile he had seen before.
“You have one, don't you? A way to find him in this massive dungeon?”
“Mark of Grudge.”
As Seo-un raised his hand and spoke, a thin beam of light shot out from his hand—or more accurately, from Hamit—pointing in one direction. Everyone looked on in disbelief at the red, laser-like beam.
“I’ve never heard of a skill like that.”
“It’s a martial art that doesn't exist in our world either,” Li Min added.
Seo-un just shrugged at Dump and Li Min’s comments. It was a skill he had gotten from the roulette while blocking the Wraith’s attacks with his shield. At the time, he had been annoyed that he didn't get a powerful finishing move to use against Ye Haoran, but he hadn't expected it to be this useful at such a critical moment.
“Let’s go. A gank for a gank. It’s time to pay him back.”
When they returned to the cavern where the fierce battle with the Wraith had taken place, the beam of light pointed toward a corner. Every member of the group, except Dump, unleashed their attacks toward the spot where the beam ended.
As Fist Qi, Blade Qi, and magic collided, a man wearing a tattered black cloak suddenly appeared from the empty corner, coughing up blood.
“Urgh! How did you know? Is it Carmen’s Eye?”
Mark of Grudge was a skill that could be placed on an enemy who had attacked the user, creating a beam of light that led to them regardless of where they were. The person marked could not see the beam themselves.
“Who knows? I don't exactly owe you an explanation, do I?”
“Is that so? I should have moved faster… I delayed too long.”
As he finished speaking, he drew a sword, and the group lunged at him.
It was a six-on-one fight. Despite his reputation as a God of Archery, Jurokuana’s swordsmanship was formidable. He scattered Sword Qi in all directions, and whenever he found even the slightest opening, he would fluidly switch between his sword and bow to fire off short arrows.
He had likely thought the cavern was the last place they’d look, but his plan to hide there had backfired. Jurokuana glanced toward the cavern entrance, looking for a chance to escape.
Crunch!
Reading his intent, Seo-un’s Blood Bone Claw grazed Jurokuana’s arm.
Sh-sh-sh-shoo!
The man’s archery, firing arrows while retreating, proved that his title was no exaggeration. One of the arrows he fired soared upward right in front of Dump’s nose, shattering the orb of light that illuminated the area.
“Everyone, be careful!”
The moment the light vanished, the black shadows deepened, and Jurokuana’s presence faded. Seo-un also threw on his Cloak of Stealth, merging with the darkness.
The moment he blocked the cavern entrance, arrows began flying from all directions. Even the slightest sound drew an arrow to that spot. As sharp arrows whistled through the air, the rest of the group deployed thick barriers, becoming sidelined in the duel between the two.
Only after securing their defenses did the group fire another orb of light into the air.
Flash!
The light revealed the two men in black cloaks, barely ten meters apart, aiming their bows at each other.
“The situation is the opposite of last time.”
Jurokuana gave a bitter smile at Seo-un’s mocking words.
“They say those who forget honor face the judgment of Tolkan.”
As soon as Jurokuana finished speaking, both men released their strings.
Twang!
Their arrows collided in mid-air and veered off course. In that instant, Jurokuana drew his sword while Seo-un, arms crossed and fingers hooked, charged toward him.
Clang! Clash!
Seo-un blocked the man’s sword with his bare hands, pushing him back. In the midst of the struggle, a surge of mana erupted behind Jurokuana as a spell exploded. Even then, his movements were magnificent as he pushed Seo-un away and raised his bow to aim an arrow. Despite bleeding from his back and head, his motion of nocking the arrow was perfectly natural.
“Not so fast!”
Reading the man’s resolve to take at least one person with him before he died, Seo-un lunged at him. Jurokuana pivoted his fully drawn bow at the last second and fired at the charging Seo-un.
Just as Seo-un tried to block the arrow with his fist, its trajectory curved, aiming straight for his chest. Twisting his body, Seo-un closed the distance to Jurokuana instantly. He ripped the short arrow that had just embedded itself in his arm and drove it into the space between the man’s eyebrows.
Jurokuana, who had been reaching for his sword, stared with wide, fading eyes at Seo-un, who had just plunged the arrow into his forehead.
“Whew.”
Having completed his revenge, Seo-un took a deep breath, savoring the lingering adrenaline of the brief duel. With the revenge over, an awkward silence settled in.
“It would have been great if we had met as a team from the start.”
Seo-un nodded at Li Min, who was wiping the blood off his saber.
“Even if we have to fight, let’s finish the farming first.”
The group searched the chests scattered around the cavern, cataloging every useful item they found. Then, they split into two groups and faced each other.
“It was a pleasure working with you this far.”
“Next time… let’s meet as allies, hopefully.”
“Agreed. I wouldn't want a player like you as an enemy.”
Seo-un nodded at the words of Li Min, Dump, and Seide.
“Then… let’s finish this game.”
At Seo-un’s words, the two teams charged at each other.
[Ding-ding-ding-ding! Cloyd Survival has ended.]
[Pa-pa-pa-pa-pamm! Congratulations on becoming the final Quad! You have earned the right to participate in the next game. You receive the first and greatest reward of this game.]
[You have earned the title ‘Legend of the Duo-Quad.’ All stats increase by 5% when playing as a duo.]
Lyle was the first to fall. Then Seide died by Seo-un’s hand, and Gi-chan was taken down by Dump and Li Min. In the end, neither of them survived Seo-un’s final assault.
As Seo-un slumped down, staring at his blood-stained hands, the notification sounded, and Gi-chan, who had died earlier, came running toward him.
“Hyung!!!”
Seo-un stood up as he saw the boy running toward him, his voice thick with a whirlwind of emotions.
It was time to enjoy the rewards.