Chapter 30: Duel with the Sword Empress (2)
Hyukjin had been painting a picture the entire time.
In this fight of sword vs. sword, where the odds were stacked against him, he made it this far by making up for his rtiveck of technical ability with his advantage in physical stats. He held back, leaving the slightest amount of give.
Now.
Exactly at that moment, he moved faster than Shin Yeonseo. He lowered his body and charged forward as if going for a tackle, like he was using a wrestling move on her. From Yeonseos point of view, it looked like Hyukjin suddenly disappeared from sight.
Fast!
His movements werepletely different from before, far faster. There was only one exnation for this.
He was hiding his strength?
She was doing her utmost, but Hyukjin apparently hadnt been as transparent. It seemed that he had been saving his strength, waiting for this moment.
He got me.
Yeonseo was unable to redirect her sword. Single Hit Finisher, an innate ability bearing the meaning of killing the opponent without fail in one attack. It was a high-speed attack that pierced one spot with incisiveness and crity. But her attack did notnd. Her sword, which had struck forward, aiming for Hyukjins throat, ended up embedding itself in the roadside tree.
That was exactly what Hyukjin wanted. Though theirs was a battle of sword vs. sword, Hyukjin knew how to use the objects in his surroundings to his advantage. While fighting Yeonseo, he had been inching closer and closer to the tree, all in order to paint this picture, in order to have a fight that wasnt a duel.
Single Hit Finisher is fast.
It was fast and precise. As long as the opponent moved within the predicted range, the skill could pierce the designated target with precision.
It also has high killing power.
It meant that you had to attack with a great deal of weight behind the blow.
So when it fails, the risk is as high as its speed and strength.
When it hit the mark, it would likely be a fatal blow, but if it failed to hit, it left arge margin for getting counterattacked. As fast andrge as the movement was, it would take time to regain bnce. In a case like this, with Yeonseo using the skill only to have it end with her sword lodged in a tree, she waspletely vulnerable to a counterattack.
Hyukjins eyes clearly saw a spot. He pinpointed a gap in the defenses of the future Sword Empress, Shin Yeonseo.
Now its my turn.
Single Hit Finishera high-speed attack and the innate ability the Heavenly Demon who was the True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain had allowed him to temporarily use.[Using the temporary skill Single Hit Finisher.]
The target was one hair in front of Yeonseos throat.
Kyaaa! Mommy!
This woman might have the qualities to be the Sword Empress, but as of now, she still didnt have much real battle experience. Yeonseo fell backwards onto her butt.
Hyukjin grinned. Its my win, right?
Yeonseo reddened. She was embarrassed by the way shed whined when she was unable to dislodge her sword from the tree, and also embarrassed by the way shed fallen onto her butt just now.
Yeah.
Yeonseo knew as well as he did. If Hyukjin had truly struck her with the de, she would have died, no two ways around it. It might be fine to die since it was a PVP zone, but no human could truly be free from a fear of death.
I lost.
[yer Shin Yeonseo has acknowledged defeat.]
[You have won a victory in the first PVP zone, the first PVP battle.]
Man, if our Mrs. Han Myunghye had seen me just now, she wouldve been shocked, huh? I havent called for my mommy since elementary school, Yeonseo mumbled to herself in embarrassment.
Hyukjin didnt hear her muttering. He tilted his head.
The first PVP zone, first PVP battle?
Was there always a notice like this?
No, there wasnt.
April 28, 2028. The notepad that had always been in his hand had been ced carefully in his Inventory. Whenever he had the time, he carefully looked through the notepad and organized the events of the future, making a new strategy guide. But in his notes, there was nothing rted to the first victory of the first PVP zone.
Hyukjin helped Yeonseo to her feet.
Theres a high chance it was originally Yeonseo who had the first victory.
He came to that conclusion quickly. The Sword Empress had never been defeated by anyone other than Jo Sunghyun the Typhoon in a 1 vs. 1 PVP. She most likely received some kind of special bonus from the first PVP battle.
And she kept it a secret from the world.[The title First Adversary is being generated.]
Thanks. But man, youre really strong. You havent formally learned the sword either, right?
How can someone who hasnt learnt be like this? And you hid your strength in the middle on purpose, right? Yourst movement waspletely different. I feel like you got a real one over on me.
Yeonseos mumbling didnt reach Hyukjins ears.
Another title?
He got yet another title, something even rankers would seldom get.
First Adversary.
This was probably the title the Sword Empress was supposed to have gotten.
[First Adversary]
A title given to the yer who won in the first battle between yers.
The Adversary holds a considerably advantageous high ground in battles with yers.
Attack speed: +7%
Movement speed: +4%
Special Skill: Can use sh Step.
Hyukjin was sure of it. <i>sh Step, </i>of all things,had appeared. It was a skill of an entirely different nature from other instantaneous movement magic-based spells like Blink or Warp. With absolutely zero use or flow of mana, it could allow you to change positions instantly, before your opponent could even notice what was happening.
This formidable lightness technique, that had allowed the Sword Empress to shine radiantly in 1 vs. 1 PVP, this skill called sh Step, was relegated to Hyukjin.
A skill the Sword Empress should have originally gotten
He saw Yeonseo, who had already shaken off all her embarrassment and had a faint smile on her lips. Looking at that nearlypletely innocent smile, his emotions were a littleplicated.
I got, instead.
Thanks to his knowledge of the future, he ended up getting an ability that the Sword Empress was supposed to get.
Im not sorry.
He wasntpletely at ease, but that didnt mean he was extremely troubled, either. The Sword Empress was doing her best, and likewise, he, Kim Hyukjin, was doing his best to y, using everything within his capacity.
They had both done their best, so they would each take responsibility for the result. It was a simple, clear-cut principle.
Hyukjins victory also surprised the Guardians.
[The Nameless Observer expresses their surprise.]
[The Nameless Observer has sent you a Coin sponsorship.]
[+400 Coins]
The Nameless Observer sent me yet another sponsorship.[The Lady of the Scales is awed by your chivalrous spirit.]
By chivalrous spirit, she was likely referring to the fact that I didnt kill Yeonseo.
If youre awed, you should at least give some Coins.
I heard that she was so very generous to one of the 8 Heroes representing Korea, Jo Sunghyun the Typhoon, but to me, she only expressed her admiration without opening her purse.[The Whispering Devil likes your scheming.]
[The True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain has begun to pay attention to you.]
It felt fun to Hyukjin.
A whopping four Guardians have begun to send messages to me.
The number of Guardians who could send messages to a single yer was limited to five. No one knew the exact details, but it was said that the Guardians alsopeted amongst themselves in order to squeeze into those five slots.
Getting into the first four slots also takes a huge amount of Coins.
Not every detail of the System was known. However, one thing they did know was that Guardians also had topete in order to send messages. In other words, even among the Guardians who revealed their names, message-sending Guardians were the real deal.
Just one more, and all five slots will be filled.
But the notices continued.[The Courageous Lion King ridicules your petty tricks.]
It was almost a little absurd, even. How much did he have topete among the Guardians in order to send that message? Thinking about it like that, it really wasughable.
Even though theres no doubt that he doesnt like me.
But even so, he was unable to take his eyes off Hyukjin. Despite falling slightly shortpared to famous Guardians like the Lady of the Scales and the True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain, seeing as he continued to persist in sending messages
Is he a tsundere?
His flip flopping made me feel like there was some sort of love-hate rtionship here.
What are you thinking about so hard? asked Yeonseo, peering at Hyukjin. The PVP zone is supposed to be disabled after three minutes.
Ah.
Right, Yeonseo was in front of him. He had been so focused on various things that he forgot about Yeonseo.
Um hey.
Yeonseos cheeks reddened a little. Hyukjins Eye of Perception picked up on a strange emotion from her.
Whats going on?
It was hard to describe in exact words, but this slightly itchy feeling of some sort, emotion of some sort, came sweeping towards him via Eye of Perception like a spring wind.
Tell me your phone number.
Why?
Well, um Itll be convenient to party up if I get to know a yer of your level in advance Ah. So what I mean by party is, you know. That thing. Uh. Not the kind of party where you drink, but that System-made party that is
After rambling for a bit, she finally straightened.
Just give me your number, okay? She decided to simply go for it. Ive taken a liking to you, alright?
She bit her lips a little, and as she looked up at Hyukjin with something like expectation in her eyes, her face appeared as pink as a peach.
Her voice became a little smaller.
Give me your number already.
* * *
I was forced to experience a fierce beating. After the PVP zone dissipated, my eyes were greeted with the sight of my older sister and her swollen eyes. The beating she unleashed was pretty damn painful, even for an Awakened person like me. Eye of Perception sent me danger signals, but I didnt avoid her fists.
Looks like she worried a lot.
She had even called the police, but they told her there was no use, or something to that effect. This ying thing happening now was an iprehensible and mysterious phenomenon. Not even the police could do a thing about the Streamers, and they couldnt even keep up with all the calls rted to gates or yers. It was just too early in the game for that.
The only thing noona could do was simply wait here.
If I knew this would happen, I would havee after giving her a detailed exnation, at least. She had waited in a daze outside for nearly seven hours. She only regained herposure after a long time.
I told you to not worry. I wont die before letting my family live infort.
Inside the taxi, my sister absentmindedly gazed out the window, almost as if saying, I never worried about a fool like you. When we were almost home, she pushed something towards me.
Take it or leave it; I dont care.
It was chocte, the Ghana choctes I liked. I picked it up. The feelings and sincerity of my sister who worked three shifts in the factory to support me, growing sick with leukemia in the process, were in this pack of choctes. That was how it felt to me.
Noona, Ill do my best.
The debts of the past, I would repay them all. We had a house, as well as money.
Itll take about three days to sort things out for moving.
I guessed that our new nest would be ready for move-in in three days. Our current hole in the ground, a ce that was hot in the summer and cold in the winter, a ce where bugs came skittering away as soon as the lights went on, the day woulde when we would be able to say this ce was a memory, an experience.
One day passed, and the media exploded with articles.
<i>Global Conglomerate Sungshin expands into New Technology Business.</i>
Sungshin announced that they would be concentrating on ying. They named the items acquired from ying new technology and revealed that they would devote their full energy into this new technology business. Not long after this announcement, Tutorial Fields appeared all over the world.
I knew.
Globally, at least 20 million people will die.
This was something I could do nothing about. I was neither a hero nor a god. I could not save them. I wasnt even able to save the people right in front of me, the people on the D-Tower 2nd floor. This was a flow of events I could do nothing about.
Sungshins vigorous involvement, and the transition of the world into Tutorial mode.
The world was proceeding exactly as I knew.
One day passed.
I stumbled upon a mini gate that formed near my house, where I found baby orcs. Their level was about 15. They werent full-growns, but I still needed to face them seriously.
Not too far in the future, I will have to kill orcs.
And not just one, but a great number of them.
Another day passed.
[Level increased.]
[Current level: 25]
[2 bonus stats acquired.]
[1 random stat acquired.]
Level 25.
I reached level 25. This was the number one thing Id been waiting for. Before a yer reached the 30-40 stretch, the level up period from hell, level 25 was the first turning point of that yer.
I should be getting a notice now.
I waited for the level 25 notice.
Huh?
But something was a little strange.