The intensity of the pain surged in an instant. What had started as a dull ache suddenly transformed into a searing agony, as if his collarbone was about to snap, engulfing his entire body.
Suppressing the urge to scream, Joo Hyun-ho staggered back a few steps. More than the stabbing pain, it was the cold, piercing gaze of the young man staring him down that filled him with a deeper fear.
He could feel it—no, he instinctively knew it. A primal urge to survive flared within him.
The moment I confront that guy, I’m dead.
Absolutely dead.
“Hiiiiiik!”
Unable to hold back any longer, Joo Hyun-ho scrambled backward toward the wall. Frantically, he groped along the surface a few times.
Rrrrrrrrrrrr!
Rrrrrrrrrrrr!
The grinding sound of stone scraping echoed from all directions. The massive gates surrounding the plaza began to rise simultaneously, as if triggered by some mechanism Joo Hyun-ho had activated.
As the huge doors lifted, revealing a dark space beyond, dozens of gleaming eyes fixed on the users standing there.
And then—
“Everyone, get out here! Hurry, now!”
At Joo Hyun-ho’s desperate shout, groups of creatures began to emerge from the open gates.
The monsters varied wildly in appearance. Some resembled the countless beasts the users had seen before, but interspersed among them were humanoid monsters radiating an eerie aura. Even the creatures that had been carefully hidden deep within the pit were dragged out.
There had to be at least three hundred of them. They occupied every direction except the single entrance through which the users had come. Though an escape route existed, it was essentially a near-complete encirclement.
Of course, Han So-young had no intention of retreating.
Look at this.
Watching Joo Hyun-ho retreat in a panic, I tilted my head slightly. I stopped spinning my blade. Though I was teasing him, I was determined to take at least one arm. I aimed precisely at his shoulder and unleashed a slash of sword energy, but it only grazed him.
“Be careful.”
It was then that Hwajeong, who had been silently observing until now, spoke quietly.
“Be careful? Why?”
“Just looking at that guy gives me a bad feeling. Don’t let your guard down.”
“Are you saying he’s stronger than me?”
“No, it’s not about strength. It’s that bastard himself is the problem. He’s connected to something huge, not just existing alone… Anyway, it’s just a bad vibe.”
“Huh.”
If Hwajeong said that, this guy was probably no ordinary opponent. Without hesitation, I activated my Third Eye.
< Resident Information (Native Status) >
[Strength 87 (+44)] [Endurance 98 (+44)] [Agility 91 (+44)] [Stamina 88 (+44)] [Magic Power 93] [Luck -100]
Endurance at 98 points. That explained why my slash hadn’t fully cut through his shoulder earlier. I couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed. A mage with such incredible stats—it was like looking at my older brother.
Come to think of it, I’d heard there was a guy who killed a ton of players when we first cleared the pit in the first round…
“Prepare for battle.”
Han So-young’s voice rang in my ears. Watching the users form a defensive perimeter, I gripped my blade tighter. Among the newly appeared humanoid monsters, some radiated a decent aura, but we had strong users too. Let them handle those creatures. I would take on the mutant.
“Everyone, attack!”
At Joo Hyun-ho’s shout, the monsters surged forward, and the battle began.
Moments later, chaotic sounds echoed from all directions, but I focused solely on one target. Joo Hyun-ho kept the monsters in front of him and muttered incantations from a distance. So he was a mage after all.
Still, with Hwajeong’s warning in mind, I cautiously advanced toward him.
“Stop him! Do whatever it takes!”
But sensing the hostility, Joo Hyun-ho suddenly pointed at me and shouted. I had planned a surprise attack, but now that he was on guard, things had changed. I clicked my tongue and slammed my foot into the ground, preparing for a swift strike.
Before I could reach him, countless monsters appeared ahead, blocking my path.
“Hold them! No, just hold! Hold at all costs!”
At Joo Hyun-ho’s command, the monsters launched a simultaneous assault. I swung my blade in a wide arc, beheading four of them at once.
But they were just a shield. As their bodies crumbled, revealing the space behind, ten tentacles shot out from both sides, binding me tightly. At the same time, my left field of vision was engulfed by a massive fireball.
Bang!
[Detected fire-element magic. Glory of the Sky, Glory of the Sun activated in response. Partial defense confirmed.]
[Partial defense confirmed. Battlefield’s Blessing (Rank: EX) activated, upgrading to full defense!]
I shook my head lightly, scattering the dying embers before me. Then I caught sight of Joo Hyun-ho, mouth agape and dazed, reaching out toward me. But the monsters charging again quickly obscured him from view.
I twisted my body with force, snapping the tentacles, and took a few steps back. Instead of breaking through, I braced myself to defend with all my might.
Tentacles and biting attacks came relentlessly, followed by waves of humanoid monsters. I bit down hard, blocking and parrying the onslaught.
It was irritating.
Not because it was difficult. These were highly evolved creatures, but I didn’t care. They were enemies, and none could match me. I just had to kill every one of them I saw.
The problem was that they attacked recklessly, disregarding their own lives.
Honestly, if I wanted, I could break through them all at once and reach Joo Hyun-ho—by leaping high or using successive Dimensional Shifts.
But I wasn’t alone. We were surrounded, forming a defensive line. And since Joo Hyun-ho was wary of me and had singled me out, even more monsters were converging nearby.
If I broke away recklessly—
The line would likely be breached. Once broken, the formation would collapse uncontrollably. And with Han So-young nearby, I couldn’t ignore that risk.
So I had to take them down one by one.
That wasn’t a bad plan. It was straightforward, even. But the strange insistence on “hold the line” nagged at me, especially with Hwajeong’s warning echoing in my mind.
Just then—
“Hyung!”
Along with Ahn Hyun’s voice came a sharp gust slicing through the air. The wind brushed my shoulder and struck the head of a monster approaching beside me. The creature collapsed with a mournful wail, and a lithe young man leapt into the gap. It was Ahn Hyun.
“Hyung, I’ll take care of this side.”
“You?”
“No, Da-eun and I.”
“…?”
Ahn Hyun nodded left, then turned right. As he swiftly dispatched another monster, I caught sight of Nam Da-eun swinging her sword with a strange aura enveloping her. The monsters under her relentless assault were faltering.
…A Qi Gong Spear Master and a Sword Empress.
“Alright, I’m counting on you.”
I made my decision immediately. After giving Ahn Hyun a reassuring pat on the back, I pushed off the ground with moderate force—too much and I’d hit the ceiling.
My body lifted into the air. Glancing down, I saw the sheer number of monsters swarming below, like a colony of ants. After confirming Heo Jun-young was supporting Ahn Hyun and Nam Da-eun, I raised my gaze toward Joo Hyun-ho.
“Ugh! Ughhh!”
Joo Hyun-ho had noticed me too. His shouts sounded like spells as he continuously cast magic—zigzagging lightning bolts, sharp ice spears, and more. None, however, could pierce my anti-magic defenses.
Moments later, my body dropped from the air, closing the distance between me and Joo Hyun-ho in an instant.
“S-save me!”
Juhyun-ho tried to dodge quickly, but I was faster. The blade of my sword sliced straight through, striking his shoulder like a hammer and severing it clean off.
With the sharp sensation of flesh being cut, one of his arms flew uselessly away. I clenched my teeth. I had aimed to split his skull with this strike, but Juhyun-ho’s movement twisted the trajectory just enough to throw me off.
Still, the impact was enough to stagger him. His body wavered for a moment as he turned his back. But clutching his shredded shoulder, he kept trying to run. I decided to finish this before he could fully recover and lunged forward.
“Damn it! Why the hell are you always coming after me, you bastard!”
Whether out of pride or because he knew running was pointless, Juhyun-ho suddenly spun around. Raising his only remaining arm, he started swinging wildly at me.
“Hmph?”
His stats must be decent—his speed was pretty fast.
But in the end, he was a mage. To someone like me, who specialized in close combat, his attacks were clumsy and sloppy at best.
…Well, I guess if magic doesn’t work, what else could he do?
I smiled quietly and tilted my head. Seeing my grin, Juhyun-ho’s face twisted in rage. His fists narrowly missed me as they swung past. I grabbed his arm mid-swing and yanked with all my strength, sliding smoothly inside his guard. Then, driving my foot into his abdomen, I delivered a kick packed with magic power. Thwack. The impact felt crisp and satisfying.
“Kyaaaah!”
Juhyun-ho let out a grotesque scream and collapsed onto the ground. But soon, he opened his eyes wide, gritted his teeth, and pushed himself up with his hands. Without hesitation, he flipped forward, quickly putting distance between us as he reached out toward me. I used my Phantom Shift again, slipping to his side.
“Damn it… huh?!”
His gaze was still fixed ahead—specifically, on the spot where I had just stood. But the magic he cast passed right through my illusion and fizzled out uselessly, making him hiss in frustration. Just as he slowly turned his head to look at me, I didn’t miss the moment. Calmly, I plunged my sword into his neck.
Thuk!
The chilling sensation of flesh parting as the blade pierced through. The sword stabbed precisely through Juhyun-ho’s throat, completely impaling him. His dark eyes stared at me in disbelief, glassy and uncomprehending.
Then, a spray of blood erupted between us, scattering into the air like paint splattering across a canvas.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Today, I took a moment to test Kim Suhyun’s combat abilities… and honestly, mages don’t stand a chance against him. Maybe it’s because I set him up as a mage killer from the start. If Juhyun-ho had been a close-combat fighter, he might’ve put up a decent fight. Haha.
Still, it’d be a bit disappointing to end things here, right? After all, he’s a character I put some thought into. I can’t say much without spoiling the story, so you’ll just have to wait for the next chapter. :)
It’s almost 2 a.m. now. Thank you to all the readers who’ve been waiting, and I hope you have a peaceful night. :D