Chapter 71: 20-Quad. Between Cowardice and Strength
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 71: 20-Quad. Between Cowardice and Strength
Seo-un watched Juriel’s conflicted expression for a moment and smirked. He drew his bow, pushing his Muryeong Phantom Step to its absolute limit.
In an instant, his form split into ten. As he closed the distance from the flank, the enemy squad fell into a panic. They wavered, caught in a lethal dilemma: stay and block him, or retreat and regroup.
Seo-un did not miss that heartbeat of hesitation.
Swish! Crash!
The moment he released the string, a pyenjeon slammed into their barrier, shattering it in a violent explosion. Simultaneously, two players from the enemy camp charged toward him.
A knight and a martial artist.
The situation mirrored his first battle, but there was one crucial difference: the enemies rushing him now were not the pushovers he had faced before.
A knight clad in compact armor, wielding a sword of flickering flames, and a spear-wielding warrior closed the gap with incredible speed.
Seo-un, who had been reaching for another pyenjeon, quickly stowed his bow and wrapped Hamit around his hand. One look told him everything he needed to know—he was facing a Sword Emperor and a spear expert.
‘Ice Lance.’
Two spears of ice streaked toward the charging players. As expected, they shattered the frost with a single blow and lunged through the freezing mist, closing the distance in a flash.
Realizing that Ice Lance wouldn't even buy him time against opponents of this caliber, Seo-un grimaced, backed away, and called for Hamit.
‘Hamit!’
-Keke! You only look for me when you’re in a crisis, Master! Good luck.-
The roulette wheel manifested before his eyes and spun wildly.
-T-t-t-t-t-t-ting! Reaper’s Strike. A dangerous skill has appeared. I am deeply concerned about whether you can use it properly.-
Reaper’s Strike. A skill that allowed the user to reflect damage back at the opponent; the more damage the user accumulated, the more devastating the strike became.
As the skill’s information flashed in his mind, Seo-un’s expression soured.
‘Damn it!’
Of all things, it had to be such a high-risk skill. He would have preferred a barrier. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gi-chan and an allied knight rushing over to assist him.
Fwaaaa!
The first attack arrived—the Sword Emperor’s flaming blade, swinging with enough force to cleave him at the waist. If he blocked it directly, he wouldn't have the angle to stop the spearman’s follow-up thrust, so he dodged sharply to the side. The knight’s blade cut through empty air, narrowly missing his ribs.
Clang!
Simultaneously, his hand throbbed as he parried the incoming spear. A bluish energy flickered like a haze over the sharp spearhead. This energy, manifesting physically beyond mere intangible force, was far more potent than ordinary sword qi.
Slash!
Gi-chan’s Ice Snake shot toward the knight who had passed Seo-un to take his back, but the knight severed the snake’s head in a single, fluid stroke.
At that moment, a massive spear of wind cast by Juriel flew toward the knight with the force of a hurricane. This time, even the knight couldn't easily cut through the magic; he threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the spell.
Whooooosh!
With the wind spear passing behind him like a storm, Seo-un was locked in the thick of combat with the spearman.
Kagak!
The moment Seo-un tried to close the distance by pushing the spear shaft away with a Spinning Strike, the enemy’s weapon bent and rotated in a surprising maneuver. The shaft spun rapidly like a drill, and the impact of that rotational force surged directly into Seo-un’s arm.
“Ugh!”
For the first time in close combat, a groan escaped his lips. Seo-un knew this sensation well; he often used Spinning Strike to deflect weapons and break an opponent's balance. The rotation of this spear contained a principle nearly identical to his own technique.
As Seo-un stumbled, the spearman stepped back leisurely to regain his range and brandished his weapon again. Behind him, Seo-un felt the knight’s terrifying sword moving once more, having recovered its momentum.
Skritch! Crunch!
A sharp sound sent chills down his spine. He barely managed to twist away, but the knight’s sword grazed his back, slicing through his clothes. He felt a searing heat followed by the flow of sticky liquid. Even with Kaier’s Barrier active, the blade had bitten deep.
However, the knight couldn't immediately lunge again. Glancing at the armor covering his own torn shoulder, the knight felt a similar sense of crisis. The way he readjusted his grip and proceeded with caution showed how much that brief exchange had unsettled him.
“Blood Bone Claw. You use a filthy martial art.”
At the spearman’s words, Seo-un didn't back down. He spat back, “Better than your pathetic skills.”
He threw out a phrase he’d often read in martial arts manuals—a hundred days for the spear, a thousand for the saber, ten thousand for the sword—and the spearman’s eyes widened. His hand gripped the shaft so hard it trembled. He radiated a murderous will, intent on showing exactly how great a weapon the spear could be.
Provoked, the spearman thrust with all his might. The blue qi gathered at the tip swelled. Seo-un twisted his body to dodge the thrust aimed at his chest, but the spearhead immediately swept across, targeting his neck.
Clang!
When Seo-un’s fist struck the shaft just below the spearhead, the spearman grimaced and retreated. Seo-un had no intention of trying to block the flickering blue qi with his bare hands, but the shaft itself was manageable.
In the meantime, Gi-chan and the allied knight arrived to support him.
-Don’t get into close quarters! Shielder, stay by the mage and protect them at all costs! Just focus on keeping them in check!-
Against such formidable opponents, the allied knight might be cut down in an instant if he made a single mistake. Having seen the enemies' skills, the knight and Gi-chan maintained their distance, focusing on supporting Seo-un rather than overextending.
Boom!
Cr-cr-crack!
A fierce magical battle broke out as Seo-un’s squad tried to close the distance while the enemies retreated to maintain their range.
Amidst the chaos, Seo-un and the enemies clashed once more. Realizing Seo-un was no easy mark, the enemies changed tactics: the knight stepped forward to engage him directly, while the spearman used his long reach from behind the knight to poke at Seo-un’s openings and suppress Gi-chan’s magic.
Just as the knight swung his sword to cleave Seo-un’s skull, the spearman darted to the side, targeting Gi-chan. Although the allied knight was blocking the way, the spearman saw him as nothing more than a scarecrow.
Whoosh!
The knight’s sword sliced through Seo-un, but the moment the bifurcated image vanished, the knight’s eyes widened behind his visor.
Clang!
As the spearhead’s trajectory was diverted by Seo-un’s hand, it pierced through the knight’s shield and sliced into the thick iron plate of his arm. Simultaneously, Gi-chan’s staff flashed.
Chain Lightning shot from his hand, and a spear of water erupted from his glowing staff.
Cr-cr-crackle!
The moment the lightning-wrapped water spear struck the spearman, his barrier shattered, and sparks cascaded over his body.
Clang!
When Seo-un’s Blood Bone Claw, extended to crush the man’s skull, was blocked by the knight’s sword, a piercing metallic screech rang out.
Thump!
Just as Seo-un was about to pull back, the knight—bleeding from his arm—emitted a gray aura and slammed his body into him. With a heavy thud, the knight was thrown back by the impact, but Seo-un also staggered.
Crunch!
Not missing the opening, Seo-un’s hand gripped the knight’s crumpled helmet.
Squish!
The helmet was crushed, revealing the bare face of a young knight, blood from a head wound covering half his features. The knight’s reflexes were impressive—and disappointing—to have survived with only that much damage. If Seo-un had been just a bit faster, he would be holding a crushed skull instead of a helmet.
-It’s a guerrilla attack!-
At that moment, the urgent report from the scout monitoring the rear came through. Having no room to survey the field himself, Seo-un gave the order while rushing the two enemies.
-You two, go to the rear! I can handle things here!-
The two hesitated for a moment but had no choice but to trust Seo-un and retreat. If the mages in the back were taken out, it would lead to an immediate and total defeat.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
From then on, a precarious one-on-two battle unfolded. Seo-un narrowly dodged the enemies' attacks or took unavoidable hits with minimal injury. Before long, blood was trickling down Seo-un’s flank and thigh, soaking the ground.
Thinking it was almost over, the knight curled his lip into a smirk and lunged. But then, his face turned pale, and his form wavered.
‘Finally!’
The moment Seo-un, who had been enduring and defending, lunged at the knight and reached out, the spearman’s weapon flew toward his chest.
‘I have no choice.’
Steeling his resolve, Seo-un surged forward and extended his hand.
Slash! Crunch!
The moment a dizzying pain spread through his shoulder, the knight, part of his head already crushed, collapsed. Behind him stood the spearman, who had driven his spear deep into Seo-un’s shoulder.
Seo-un gripped the shaft of the spear impaling him and glared at the man, refusing to let go.
“You...!”
Realizing that Seo-un had used some kind of trick to make the knight lose his balance, the spearman put strength into the shaft and spun it like a drill.
The pain of the hole in his shoulder widening—the sensation of flesh and bone being ground apart—dominated Seo-un’s mind, but he remained focused on the man and stepped forward.
Seeing Seo-un approach while impaled, fear flickered in the spearman’s eyes for the first time. He had met many enemies, and his combat experience had grown through Cloyd. He had faced countless foes, winning some and losing others, and had certainly encountered enemies willing to throw their lives away for a mutual kill.
But he had never met an enemy like Seo-un—someone who rushed at him with such an obsession for victory, looking at him as if he were mere prey.
The eyes of a hunter stalking its quarry.
The fact that his shoulder was shattered and one arm was useless; the fact that the blood loss from the wounds on his thigh and flank was so severe his face had turned pale—all of it signaled a desperate disadvantage. Yet his opponent viewed him as nothing but prey, without a shred of doubt.
Zip!
A moment of terror consumed the spearman. For the first time in his life, he abandoned his spear and scrambled backward as if fleeing for his life.
Since childhood, he had been taught to fear shame. Even if your arm is severed, do not let go of your weapon, which is more precious than life. Even if your chest is split open, do not let dirt touch your back. Even if your head is cut off, do not beg for your life before an enemy.
The martial artist who had lived by those tenets was now experiencing the alien sensation of abandoning his weapon and retreating. Thanks to that, he barely managed to dodge Seo-un’s attack, escaping with only a flesh wound on his arm, but the shame of his cowardice caught up to him belatedly.
However, he did not want to fight the enemy before him anymore—the one who was smiling with a twisted mouth.
Seo-un glanced briefly at the knight’s corpse, which could still be saved if treated immediately, and then chased after the fleeing spearman. He would have loved to take the Sword Emperor’s Vitality and his hoard of internal qi, but there was no way to absorb it in the middle of a life-and-death struggle.
That was why he needed this spearman’s Vitality.
As he lunged, the fleeing spearman lost his balance and slammed into the ground.
-Reaper’s Strike has landed perfectly.-
The poison that had started from the arm grazed by the Blood Bone Claw had finally spread to his face. Blackened veins covered the spearman’s skin like a spiderweb.
“P-poison...!”
Li Lingwei’s Blood Poison, which had taken time to infect the knight, had spread through the spearman in an instant once Reaper’s Strike triggered.
Crunch!
The moment the Blood Bone Claw finally pierced the man’s skull, a substantial amount of Vitality surged into him. As he began to absorb it, a red glow flared in his eyes before vanishing.
“Ha!”
Exhaling a short breath, Seo-un tore his last remaining scroll. However, the wounds all over his body were so severe that it only managed to stop the bleeding. The hole in his left shoulder remained, a gruesome gap that let light pass through.
Once the bleeding stopped, Seo-un surveyed the battle. He saw the shielders struggling against the guerrilla units and other players engaged in fierce close combat. It was a chaotic carnage, with everyone biting at each other’s tails to eliminate the enemy mages.
In the midst of that chaos, Juriel and Li Lingwei stood out the most. They were sweeping the battlefield—Juriel canceling dangerous enemy spells with uncanny precision while barking orders, and Li Lingwei using various hidden weapons to poison and retire enemies one by one.
Seo-un charged into the fray.
The moment he rushed toward the guerrilla units attacking from the rear, a shift occurred. The main enemy force, which had been fighting while abandoning the guerrillas, began to flee.
When the enemies pulled back in the middle of close combat, the allied players naturally tried to pursue, but Seo-un and Juriel stopped them simultaneously.
-Don’t follow them!-
-The rear comes first!-
It was more important to finish off the enemies they could definitely kill. Chasing blindly ran a high risk of falling into a trap. Knowing this, the enemies had sacrificed their guerrilla units to escape.
To save their main force, the guerrillas resisted desperately to buy time. But in the end, they were overwhelmed by superior numbers.
Seo-un filled his 10-kill quota by crushing the head of a skilled elf among the guerrillas. The moment he hit 10 kills, a red coin popped out in front of him with a clear ringing sound.
Ting!
As he reflexively caught the glowing red coin, a notification sounded.
-Ding! You have obtained the special coin ‘Proof of the Battlefield.’ You only need 19 more to obtain the main reward. Keep it up!-
The 1st-round regulars didn't know, but the other players recognized that what Seo-un had obtained was a special coin related to the main reward. Seeing the complex emotions in their eyes, Seo-un gave a bitter smile.
‘So they’re using coins like this to incite greed?’
He didn't know why they were so desperate to speed up the game, but it was clear that the creator or operator of this game had set up plausible incentives to accelerate the pace. If they simply told people to get 200 kills, most players would likely give up and focus on survival.
But if they handed out special coins every time someone hit 10 kills, it was only human to feel greedy.
Whoooooosh.
A warm wind enveloped Seo-un’s pensive form and began to heal him. It took a considerable amount of time for the hole in his shoulder to close and for the various sword wounds to be cleanly mended.
Once the players finished resurrecting the fallen, Juriel clapped her hands to draw everyone’s attention.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
“Fortunately, all 20 of us survived. The enemy’s strength has been cut nearly in half. As you all know, the credit for this goes to Mr. Jin Seo-un, who initiated the fight. As you all saw, he took down a Sword Emperor and an expert on his own. Therefore, I’d like to give Mr. Jin Seo-un the first right of refusal for the items from this farming session. Any objections?”
There was no way anyone would object. No matter how strong a player was, winning a two-on-one fight against a Sword Emperor was no easy feat. Of course, Kite’s expression remained sour.
“Then, assuming everyone agrees, I’ll go collect the items.”
They opened nine boxes and gathered the items in one place, revealing some high-quality equipment. Among them, Seo-un chose a decent Lightness Skill manual and an Elixir, then handed them to the two scouts.
“These two are enough for me. Distribute the rest among yourselves.”
Every player stared at Seo-un with wide eyes. The two scouts were filled with deep gratitude. Since there were more than a few desirable accessories among the items, even Gi-chan was surprised.
‘Hyung isn’t the type to do this.’
Having known Seo-un for a long time, Gi-chan instinctively suspected an ulterior motive.
Seo-un, for his part, calculated his moves while maintaining a warm, gentle smile.
‘I have to paint the big picture one stroke at a time. 190 kills, huh...’
He concluded that if he could give away minor items like alms and use a few words to boost their mood so he could snatch their kills later, it would be a very profitable trade. Just as he finished his thought, one of the scouts screamed.
“The Simu are swarming! It’s the Jiangshi!”