Episode 235: Life or Death (2)
Eventually, Sanghyeon came face-to-face with Luca in an open field that was deserted except for the passing cars. Judging
by the signposts scattered haphazardly here and there, it appeared to be a reserve site where development was imminent.
Sanghyeon stared at Luca.
Judging solely by his appearance, one might wonder if this guy is the Constellation Predator and the apex of the Predator Network.
While physiognomy doesn't always reflect a person, one couldn't sense the scent of a murderer from his face.
However, Sanghyeon already knew every single one of the evil deeds Luca had committed.
There were quite a few evil acts accumulated in his current life alone, and if one traced back to his past life memories, it went without saying.
Human trash.
Without needing to think of any other modifiers, that single word summed up everything about Luca.
A shimmering energy, seemingly based on mana, was visible in Luca's hands.
Unlike Sanghyeon, who was holding a sword, Luca's hands held nothing but that shimmer.
In other words, he was a mage.
Mage and Swordsman players tend to find each other difficult to deal with.
One dislikes the other for hindering them from approaching, while the other dislikes the other for trying to pounce on them.
That same mindset applied to Sanghyeon.
'Even if I have many skills that allow for ranged attacks, I ultimately need to fight up close to maximize my firepower.'
If he had faced an ordinary mage player other than Luca, his thoughts would have been different.
However, Luca is a mage who has already become a 'Named' Maid at this very moment.
While no information about him is publicly known, the scale of his growth through killing players over time is substantial.
Therefore, even if he had gone through the Endless Dungeon, he was still a high-level player from Sanghyeon's perspective.
Even conservatively, his current level is estimated at 570. That is only slightly lower than Zeron Decay.
For Sanghyeon, who is over level 450, there is a gap of at least 100.
It was only because he had gone through the Endless Dungeon that he began to calculate the chances of a fight; if not…
I could assert with certainty that Sanghyun had never conceived of changing the future as he was doing now.
In the player world, while level isn't everything, the distinction made by stats and skills is undeniable.
Despite being in a situation where they absolutely had to kill each other, Luca was completely at ease.
He was grinning slyly at Sanghyun, as if the calculation of defeat had never even crossed his mind.
Putting himself in Sanghyun's shoes, he understood.
'The fact that he came straight here means he knows I've been to the Endless Dungeon. Even so, he must be convinced that my level is lower than his. Frustratingly, that, too, is exactly what he thinks.'
Sanghyun coldly faced reality.
Although he had braced himself for it from the start, facing Luca would be a completely different matter from the battles he had fought so far.
He was a player with a much higher level, and to overcome him, he needed a single blow that transcended his limits.
“Shin Sanghyun.”
“Luca Violet.”
“Oh? How do you know my name?”
“Whether I know it or not.”
“Oh, did that arrogant Constellation you serve give you a heads-up? I almost got startled for a moment.” His
past life experience caused a name to slip out.
In fact, since Luca is a player with no external activities in the current situation, it would be impossible for him to know the name.
However, perhaps unable to recall 'regression' in this situation, Luca misinterpreted it and lost interest.
Luca continued.
“I was actually just wondering how I could devour you.”
“I had a feeling that would happen. I had a hunch ever since those incompetent trash from the Predator Network started swarming around. Who would have thought the leader himself would come?”
“Hah. You know our organization well?”
“I don’t know about anything else, but it is clear that the stench of the worst trash comes from you.”
The Upper Rank revealed his hostility.
It could have been a simple provocation, or it could have been a sincere inner thought. Well… actually, it didn’t really matter.
“You turned out to be the biggest obstacle to the Divine Throne I serve. And just in time, I was in need of His favor.”
“Time for two, time and time again?”
“Yeah, that’s it! No matter how much you’ve been to the Endless Dungeon, aren’t you just a little brat who hasn’t been a Player for very long? Isn’t that right?”
“…….”
“For me, it’s a chance for the ultimate feast. He’s a decent guy, so he’ll get good Constellation backing, too, right?”
“So you’re going to kill me to take all the Constellations, and then soak up all the love from the Constellations you’re sucking up to, is that it?”
“Exactly! You’re spot on! How do you know my mind so well? For me, it’s killing two birds with one stone—more than that!”
Luca was in high spirits.
His thought process went like this.
Just as he was thinking of the Upper Moon as prey he wanted to devour as a Player…
He realized that Sanghyeon was the biggest obstacle blocking the plans and path of Luca's divine throne, the 'Eye of Calamity.' He
had also personally received an order from the Eye of Calamity: to eliminate Sanghyeon.
The implication was that if he did so, his grand plan would proceed without difficulty. For Luca, the original situation was one where simply seizing Sanghyeon's throne would have been enough to make him happy.
But now, a significant reward had been added to it. An opportunity had arisen to receive the full support of the divine throne.
With this, he couldn't help but feel as though a windfall had rolled in.
Would it be accurate to say it felt like winning the lottery twice? Even if the feeling wasn't exactly the same, the magnitude of the euphoria was certainly equal.
Sanghyeon replied,
"I was curious too which bastard was behind it all. It's convenient for me now that you've come to find me in person, isn't it?"
"Convenient?"
"Yeah. Because once I kill you, I feel like I can grow to my heart's content, looking only forward."
"Grow in the afterlife?"
"Stop running your mouth and bring it on. I can't even be bothered to exchange words."
Sanghyun defiantly showed Luca the middle finger and flicked it back and forth.
Although he responded with the utmost boldness, his mind was colder and more cautious than ever.
'Both me and Luca. Mistakes and opportunities are limited to one. One slip-up and you die, and if I find that one opening, I kill you.' He
swallowed dryly, though he couldn't see it.
Just then.
Swoosh!
Luca slammed his right hand down on the ground with all his might and created a semicircular barrier.
Although he hadn't explained the exact form of the barrier, it was obvious at a glance that no one could escape it.
It seemed he intended to fight while completely isolated from the outside world, which was actually better for Sanghyun.
At least this way, innocent people or vehicles nearby wouldn't get caught up in the battle.
Of course, Luca's objective must have been to cut off his escape route early on. He meant to cast a net and catch fish inside.
'If the range of activity is limited, defense is meaningless.' "Offense is the best defense. Let's go that way."
Finally, he established his concept for the battle.
If he had been able to utilize the battlefield more broadly, he might have considered a different form of combat. But
for now, the right move was to cling to him tenaciously and settle the matter.
Luca had likely narrowed his range with that in mind as well.
After all, the narrower the area, the better the environment for delivering a powerful magic strike at close range.
*Whoosh!*
Utilizing the frontal charge option of Full Bash, Sanghyeon charged roughly toward Luca.
He did not know how strong he was or what kind of powerful skills he possessed.
However, one thing was certain: he would never know unless he fought to find out. *
Snap!*
Thanks to the frontal charge, Sanghyeon had instantly approached Luca's nose and unleashed Full Bash.
It was the most basic skill, but that made it the perfect one to test an opponent's reaction capabilities.
*Whoosh!
* "Just as I expected."
It was blocked.
It was blocked by a blue hand seal formed by Luca, which looked exactly like a shield.
However, judging by the fact that his body wasn't pushed back and his shield didn't budge, his durability seemed considerable.
The variable arose next.
“Ugh…?”
In a split second, a hand seal formed at Luca’s fingertips, and the Upper Rank’s body froze immediately. It was a paralysis.
He didn't panic.
Paralysis wasn't the Upper Rank’s exclusive property; it could easily happen to Luca as well. Since
the Upper Rank had approached the battle with an open mind from the start, it was unexpected, but he responded immediately.
Use Recovery. The
paralysis Luca had inflicted on him was instantly released. And as the Upper Rank attempted to charge, Luca stepped back.
However, even in that moment, he formed the hand seal once more. Judging by the same color as before, it was clearly a paralysis-inducing hand seal.
But this time, it didn't work. This was because there is a period of complete immunity immediately after using Recovery.
“Quite impressive.”
Luca, having finished regrouping while retreating, launched a counterattack.
This time, the Upper Rank delayed his tempo by one beat. It was because Luca's reaction was faster than he had anticipated.
He felt that if he charged in honestly at his original pace, he would instead be counterattacked.
And sure enough.
Crunch!
Suddenly, ice spikes appeared out of thin air and targeted Sanghyeon's abdomen.
It took just over 0.5 seconds for the water vapor to freeze, become a pillar, and pierce Sanghyeon's stomach.
Whoosh!
It was fortunate that Sanghyeon had the Sacrifice skill available almost instantly; otherwise, a hole would have been pierced through his stomach immediately.
'The more I hesitate, the more I lose.'
Sanghyeon immediately activated Over Psychedelic and entered a berserk state.
It was Sanghyeon's judgment after experiencing Luca's skills in just a brief moment.
Each skill possessed considerable power and high utility. These were not skills used by mediocre players.
Attempting a reconnaissance battle against such a player could result in being taken down in a single blow.
To prevent such a mishap, one had to fight at maximum combat power from the start to eliminate variables.
For Sanghyeon, Over Psychedelic was the ultimate skill that significantly boosted his combat power.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Entering a berserk state, Sanghyeon approached while fiercely swinging his Nameless Sword. His continuous use of the Acceleration skill was an added bonus.
Luca flinched at this and was seen retreating while utilizing his Acceleration magic.
This is a typical characteristic of a mage player.
When judgment is ambiguous, they create distance to buy time to assess the situation.
In such cases, the more time you give them, the more likely you are to be swept up in the opponent's pace.
"Back Step."
He used Back Step immediately. This
was because it was a skill that was more immediate than Acceleration Movement and could close the distance in a single stroke.
Luka was startled as Sanghyeon suddenly spun around and closed the distance using a backstep. But
the application didn't stop there.
Whoosh!
Sanghyeon swung the Nameless Sword with all his might, targeting Luka with a linked skill.
The sharply honed blade was a fake. The 'real' Sanghyeon was hiding was the skill embedded in the sword:
『Knockback Burst』
.
