Chapter 92: Star, The Phantom (9)

Chapter 92: Star, The Phantom (9)

[The Celestial ‘Nameless Giant’ is protecting you!]

‘I hope nothing has happened to Hye-Bin,’ Woo Yeong-Geun thought nervously.

After the red fog rose, Yeong-Geun had been unable to stay calm; he had been worried not only about the Clan members he had brought, but also Hye-Bin. He had temporarily been caught in the illusion, but due to his sharp judgment he had figured out what was going on as soon as the [Phantom Maze Circle] was cast. Thus, he had escaped the illusion without any damage.

However, it was not the same for Woo Hye-Bin. She had never been interested in becoming a Player, but she had become one anyway after coincidentally gaining power. Hye-Bin naturally lacked experience, making her more vulnerable to mental debuffs.

‘I gave her a bunch of artifacts for this kind of situation... but they’re useless if Hye-Bin herself is mentally weakened,’ Yeong-Geun thought, biting his lower lip.

Yeong-Geun’s biggest concern was that he did not know what Hye-Bin’s trauma was about. Although the therapist had not found any issues during Hye-Bin’s therapy sessions, Yeong-Geun occasionally felt nervous for some reason while he talked with his niece, as he sometimes felt as if he were talking to a soulless doll. Thus, he desperately hoped that his niece had not encountered any problems.

Besides, he still could not tell how to find his way out. He had been using all sorts of artifacts for some time, but the only message he saw was that he was unable to scan the area. It was impossible to tell where Hye-Bin could be, making him more and more frustrated over time. He started to look for yet another artifact, thinking he had to do something.

Rustle!

Yeong-Geun stopped when he heard a loud rustle. It was a common sound, but this one felt far too loud for Yeong-Geun, making him take his favorite weapon from his inventory. He slowly revealed the [Black Pearl Scimitar], the black blade that had earned him the nickname ‘Black Shamshir’.

“...Hup!” Yeong-Geun inhaled deeply and turned in the opposite direction.

[The scimitar calls forth ten thousand curved blades!]

Clang―!

Pah!

The [Black Pearl Scimitar] trembled fiercely, and as soon as Yeong-Geun turned, his blade clashed violently with something.

Bang!

A very loud explosion filled the air, followed by a large cloud of dust that rose into the air and took the form of a hideous tiger.

“Team Leader Seo?” Yeong-Geun exclaimed, his eyes widening as he realized the tiger was Seo Jeong-Gwon, the ‘Smilodon’ from the White Tiger Clan. However, his expression soon hardened.

“Grrr!” Jeong-Gwon growled. His bloodshot eyes were unfocused, and the aura of [Tiger Kill] leaked incessantly. Anyone could tell that his trauma had caused him to suffer mana deviation.

“Krrrrr!” Jeong-Gwon growled again.

Boom, boom! Boom!

Swish, swish, swoosh―!

As if Jeong-Gwon could not forgive Yeong-Geun for blocking his attack, he moved at incredible speed, bombarding Yeong-Geun with attacks. Each time his [Tiger Kill] exploded, several flashy skill effects spread through the area.

“Wake up, Team Leader Seo!” Yeong-Geun yelled, trying to make Jeong-Gwon come to his senses. However, every time he did so, Jeong-Gwon became more aggressive.

Boom, boom!

Deflecting Jeong-Gwon’s attacks to the side, Yeong-Geun said through gritted teeth “I don’t know what you’ve gone through, but you shouldn’t have been caught up in the illusion as a team leader... If you keep attacking me, I have no other choice but to counterattack with full force!”

“Grrrr!” Jeong-Gwon continued growling.

“Fine. If you insist,” Yeong-Geun said bitterly.

Boom!

Pzzzz―!

The two fiercely exchanged attacks. Yeong-Geun was launched backward a great distance, gritting his teeth. His eyes blazed, but his expression was cold.

[The Celestial ‘Nameless Giant’ rises!]

Yeong-Geun always smiled gently, which made some people mock him and call him a fool. However, at the moment, he was both cooler-headed than ever before, and filled with a burning fighting spirit. His presence was amplified several times over, as if a giant had stood up. If Jeong-Gwon was a vicious beast that charged forward blindly, Yeong-Geun was a giant that could overwhelm anything.

“I’ll also have to fight with my full strength. Seeing as you’re strong and I have a long way to go, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to subdue you unharmed, so please understand,” Yeong-Geun said as politely as possible as he kicked off the ground, although he was unsure Jeong-Gwon would be able to understand him.

Swish―!

Rumble!

As if Jeong-Gwon had been anticipating Yeong-Geun, his [Tiger Form] grew and clashed with his opponent.

‘The fire has caught on quite well,’ Gwak Do-Woon thought as he observed the situation from a distance.

An intense battle broke out between Yeong-Geun and Jeong-Gwon, leaving their flesh torn and bleeding. They constantly fought for the first opportunity to slit each other’s throats.

‘All I did was lure them with demonic energy. Haha, idiots,’ Do-Woon thought with satisfaction.

Jeong-Gwon, whose mana had deviated, would never stop until Yeong-Geun died. On the other hand, as it was too difficult to escape from Jeong-Gwon, Yeong-Geun had no choice but to fight against him.

He had poured potions down his throat whenever he got a chance, but potions were not omnipotent. It would still take a while for his wounds to recover. On top of that, Do-Woon resisted fiercely. Living up to his reputation as a Player of the 1.5th generation, he moved very well for his age. He skillfully took opportunities to attack and destroy his targets with the [Jade Smashing Fist].

It seemed that any armor or weapons Yeong-Geun and Jeong-Gwon had would be shattered if they remained within range of the [Jade Smashing Fist], which made it difficult to fight against Do-Woon. Of course, that did not mean Do-Woon was at an advantage.

‘...It’s going to get really dangerous if I keep going on like this,’ Do-Woon thought, getting more frustrated over time.

He tried to lose them and disappeared into the red fog, but Yeong-Geun and Jeong-Gwon tenaciously pursued him. On top of that, Do-Woon’s stamina had lessened as he aged; thus, he was already fatigued and had sustained many dangerous wounds.

‘I haven’t eliminated the other rankers in the maze circle. It’ll be difficult for the illusion mages to take them out no matter how hard they try... We’re in trouble,’ Do-Woon thought bitterly.

In the end, he had to escape from the two by any means necessary; he tried to observe them, looking for an opportunity.

[All the focal points have been eliminated!]

[The Trap ‘Phantom Maze Circle’ has been destroyed, dispersing the fog.]

‘...What?!’ Do-Woon thought in shock, reflexively looking up as he saw a pair of messages he had never expected to see. He was in a dangerous situation, but he could not help it. He had known that the punitive force would destroy the [Phantom Maze Circle], but he had never expected it to be obliterated so quickly.

Pzzz―!

The red fog, which had obstructed Players’ view similar to the system messages, was fading, and the distorted space within the circle had returned to normal.

“Huh?” Jeong-Gwon exclaimed, tilting his head in confusion.

“...I don’t get what’s happening,” Yeong-Geun muttered.

“The Sword of Ohsung Clan guys didn’t do this?” Jeong-Gwon asked.

“How should I know? Still, I definitely know we won’t be losing anymore,” Yeong-Geun replied with a smile.

“I agree,” Jeong-Gwon said with a grin.

Rumble―!

Neither Jeong-Gwon nor Yeong-Geun knew what had happened, but they could not miss the opportunity, as they no longer had to worry about Do-Woon disappearing into the fog.

‘What...?!’ Do-Woon thought, gritting his teeth. The only thought filling his mind was that he had failed. All his plans had gone awry, and he could do nothing more.

‘What should I do...?!’ he thought. He could not even see an exit; would it be better for him to give up on getting out alive and at least kill one of them?

While Do-Woon was pondering his next move, however...

“Assistant Clan leader!”

“We’ll save you!”

Several of the Highoff Clan’s demonic Players jumped out from the red fog as it faded abruptly. Gritting their teeth, some pounced at Jeong-Gwon and Yeong-Geun together like moths to a flame, while others stood in front of Do-Woon as if they were guarding him. The situation took an unexpected turn, and the distance between Do-Woon and his opponents widened significantly.

“W-What are you...?” Do-Woon stuttered.

“We’ll take them, so run!” one of the demonic Players yelled.

“But...!” Do-Woon protested hesitantly.

“Come on! Go!” the demonic Player replied, pushing Do-Woon away.

Most of the Highoff Clan members were Do-Woon’s disciples, and he had taught them his [Jade Smashing Fist]. Although some called them inhumane villains, they shared a bond that others could never understand. Do-Woon was like a respected father to everyone in the Highoff Clan.

“...I’m sorry,” Do-Woon muttered. He was unable to ignore their pleas in the end, and he ran in the opposite direction.

Boom! Swish―!

“He’s getting away! We should get him!” Yeong-Geun shouted.

“Of course! But these guys keep...!” Jeong-Gwon yelled in frustration.

“You won’t get our assistant Clan leader!” one demonic Player yelled.

“You shitty vermin...!” Jeong-Gwon cursed, frowning.

Yeong-Geun and Jeong-Gwon tried to chase the escaping Do-Woon, but the demonic Players kept getting in their way. Jeong-Gwon’s eyes burned with anger as he shouted, “Alright then! I’ll rip all of you apart!”

[The Additional Skill ‘Fierce Tiger’s Tiger Kill’ has been activated, seething fiercely!]

A beast that would kill anything in its path had been unleashed.

“He’s going to fall into the trap,” muttered a person who had been watching the fight from afar as they began to move.

Pah!

Only heat remained after that person left.