Chapter 171
“Why don’t you use a weapon?”
He wondered at what point this became obvious.
Hwang Gyuseong hadn’t used a weapon since the first time they met.
Even using fists was fine to an extent, but he didn’t even use common gauntlets.
“It looks cool.”
“That’s it?”
“There’s that too.”
The first reason was absurd, and the next was even more preposterous.
“If my body becomes the ultimate weapon, then I shouldn’t need to use any weapon in the first place.”
A body better than any weapon.
His ideals were set higher than himself.
Suhyuk smiled at his words. He didn’t bother wearing a mask when he was with his comrades.
“You stuck to that flimsy reason pretty well.”
“Oh, you caught me?”
“It’s obvious. What’s left of you if your pride is gone?”
“What’s left? Manliness, of course.”
As he said that, Hwang Gyuseong showed his much larger fists.
Indeed, his fists were quite manly. Even though Suhyuk’s hands weren’t small, Hwang Gyuseong’s hands were almost a finger’s length bigger.
After finishing his display, Hwang Gyuseong looked up at the sky.
It was early dawn. While their comrades were all sleeping, only the two of them stayed awake.
“Why aren’t you sleeping at this hour?”
It was Suhyuk who broke the short silence.
“To keep up with a talented friend, I have to strain myself. What can I do?”
“Who?”
“You, obviously. Did you ask because you didn’t know? You unlucky bastard.”
“Of course I knew. Just wanted to ask.”
Hwang Gyuseong laughed as though he was dumbfounded by Suhyuk’s cheeky response.
“That’s about me. But why aren’t you sleeping? Even when you don’t need to strain yourself?”
“Just. I feel uneasy.”
“What about?”
“‘The event that will start someday’, you know.”
It was the message engraved on all players when they received the tower’s call.
“Wondering when it’ll happen, what will happen. It makes me anxious.”
“The better the player, the greater the anxiety about that day. Maybe it’s like a curse.”
Maybe it was because of the late hour, but they revealed deeper parts of themselves not usually seen.
“Knowing more about this world, I feel this way. What are they planning to make us do by giving us such power?”
“Don’t think too seriously about it. Whatever it is, you won’t do it alone.”
“I won’t do it alone. Even so....”
Clenching and unclenching his fist nervously, Suhyuk spoke about the decision he had kept hidden for a long time.
“Whatever it is, I will be at the front.”
“...Really?”
Hwang Gyuseong knew he wasn’t speaking lightly.
He wanted to ask with a smile, why he thought he would be at the front that day.
But he couldn’t.
Hwang Gyuseong was certain.
No matter what that foretold day would bring, Lee Suhyuk would definitely represent all the players in this world.
“I can’t take the lead instead of you....”
That’s all Hwang Gyuseong could say.
“If you die, I’ll definitely avenge you, brother.”
* * *
“You idiot.”
Mixed feelings of anger and gratitude came to mind first.
Hwang Gyuseong’s actions were reminiscent of a promise he had intended to keep, even though it wasn’t on the predicted day.
『”Selfish Sacrifice Lv8′′ resisted the damage from “Thunder.”』
『”Heart of Lightning” controlled “Thunder.”』
Zzzz-,
Boom-!
A blue lightning bolt struck the ground where the participants, wary of Suhyuk’s lightning, were gathered.
The impenetrable barrier, formed through the collaboration of several individuals, shattered in an instant. Thunder, accompanied by a louder sound and much greater force, demolished several buildings along with them.
With this, most of the attackers from a distance were eliminated.
Suhyuk checked the number of remaining participants.
‘100 more to go.’
There were roughly 200 participants left.
Just 100 more to deal with. Once that was done, the test would end, and he would be able to leave.
Blur-.
For a moment, his vision turned white, and he felt his strength drain from his body.
Boom-!
The top of the spire shook. Unlike other buildings, the spire was much more robust and didn’t collapse easily.
“What the hell?”
“Where did he go?”
For a moment, the participants lost track of Suhyuk’s location. He had disappeared without a trace.
The first to spot him was the participant who had swung the hammer.
“My hammer-.”
Flash-.
A sudden flash of light interrupted his words. The participant’s neck was severed along with the hammer, spraying blood.
Suhyuk was perched atop the hammer the participant had swung.
It was so natural that to the others, it seemed as if Suhyuk had vanished entirely.
“Huff, huff-.”
Even a brief, vigorous movement left him gasping for air. Suhyuk’s current state was that bad.
‘Not until I’m the 101st.’
He didn’t mind being the last, the 101st, to die. What mattered was finishing this test as quickly as possible.
Suhyuk didn’t stop moving.
Even if he was out of breath, even if every muscle in his body screamed.
They had to keep moving now.
“You don’t need to keep promises.”
He didn’t expect revenge or anything like that. That was his own burden to bear now.
What he wanted from the person now was just to stay alive.
“That bastard is exhausted!”
“As expected, I knew it!”
“Keep attacking-.”
Thwack-.
With a swift motion, a blade was thrust into the opponent’s neck who had been shouting. Half-dazed, Lee Suhyuk fought, relying on a single blade.
His fatigue level had skyrocketed past 90. It reminded him of the day he battled the Hydra long ago.
Back then, he felt like he was squeezing out every bit of his strength and will too.
“Just one more...”
Thrust-.
Pulling out the sword that had pierced through a heart, Suhyuk’s eyes searched for the next opponent.
“More-.”
Thud-!
A powerful impact was felt on his back. The pain was so intense it felt like his spine was shattering, causing his consciousness to blur momentarily.
The only thing that kept him together was his sheer willpower.
Grinding his teeth, he fought to hold onto his fading vision. Thanks to clenching his knee with one hand, his body didn’t completely collapse.
In that position, Suhyuk spun his body in a full circle.
Whiz-.
Slash-.
Following the path of his sword, the enemy’s neck was cut along with a hammer.
At the same time, Suhyuk, whose eyes had flipped, threw himself at the remaining participants.
Thwack, crunch-.
Slash-!
He stabbed hearts and snapped necks. Blood spurted from the slashed wounds, covering Suhyuk’s body and face.
The participants who survived his rampage tried to flee.
Suhyuk did not chase after them.
In truth, he couldn’t. His legs trembled and refused to obey.
The remaining number was 130.
He only needed to reduce that number by 30 more for the test to end.
Besides, anyway.
“...Right.”
No matter where they ran, as long as they couldn’t pull him out from the top of this spire, the result wouldn’t change.
Crackle-!
『’Lightning’ started.』
『’Thunder’ started.』
『’Heart of Lightning’...』
『’Selfish Sacrifice Lv8’...』
“Try running.”
Lightning and thunder soared from Suhyuk’s hands to the sky.
His entire body screamed for him to stop now.
Suhyuk spoke to his body that had reached its limit. This would be the last.
Even if he died after throwing this, it didn’t matter. Even if he died and was eliminated from the test, this would end the trial.
Flash-!
Suhyuk hurled the spear.
Toward the participants fleeing far away.
And toward those struggling to survive beneath the spire.
Suhyuk shattered lightning and thunder into dozens of pieces and threw them with all his might.
Rumble-!
『The test has ended.』
『You have died.』