Chapter 136: Frost Blade Tribe (2)
Warrior’s Duel.
Once the warrior of the proud tribe has spoken, no other tribe member may intervene.
Jinhyuk knew this rule precisely and exploited his opponent’s only weakness.
“Everyone, just follow my signal.”
Attack and defense.
And the timing for both.
Only one person was giving the orders.
Jinhyuk moved his hand lightly.
Though he had never coordinated with the Dangun Guild before, their teamwork was seamless, as if they had been partners for 10 years.
Thanks to his understanding of every player’s position, inclination, unique abilities, and skills.
“Let’s go!”
“Oooooh!”
The players implemented their best skills in response to the signal.
Wind and lightning struck Karakal head-on.
Kwakwakwakwakwa!
As the raging storm passed by.
[Lv10 ‘Glacial Sculpture’ is activated!]
Now, pillars of ice engulfed Karakal entirely.
Dozens of snowflakes scattered through the air.
“Ugh!”
Karakal groaned as the cold spread across his skin.
He hadn’t anticipated encountering such a brazen tribe, finding himself in quite the predicament.
Karakal swung his spear horizontally.
Ka-ka-kak!
Kraack!
The snowflakes created by the ‘Glacial Sculpture’ were all shattered.
If there was one thing Karakal had from living in the tundra, it was his unparalleled resistance to cold.
But there was no time to catch his breath.
As if on cue, the players of Dangun Guild launched their attacks at once.
Pupupuk!
Kwaaaaang!
All sorts of skills poured out simultaneously.
Magical weapons imbued with various elemental properties bombarded Karakal’s body.
“Support Gang Player from the sides.”
“We’re almost there. Just push a little further!”
The players, belonging to a top-tier guild, launched a frenzied assault as the situation demanded.
Conventional formations and strategies.
Combined with Jinhyuk, who was the ultimate veteran player, the fight began to tilt one-sidedly.
Then, it was Jang Eunsuk who became desperate.
‘This can’t go on.’
Even as the tide of battle turned in his favor, Jang Eunsuk’s face grew stiffer.
He had no choice.
The raid was effectively moving under Jinhyuk’s command.
If the raid ended successfully as it was, his standing would undoubtedly plummet.
After drinking in the sweet victory, criticism and questioning would follow.
Why couldn’t he, the raid leader, take on that role?
Why did he let all the spotlight fall on that man?
He could expect all the arrows of blame to be directed at him.
Most importantly, he needed to prevent that monstrous veteran from gaining any more recognition.
Wasn’t that the reason why he aimed for the first strategy of the raid, to stop that insane solo run?
He didn’t ponder long.
“Step back! I’m the leader of this raid!”
Jang Eunsuk’s sharp voice echoed as he drew a line.
To show who was the leader here.
“Jang Eunsuk!”
Lee Taeho urgently tried to dissuade him, but Jang Eunsuk’s decision was firm.
“Vice-captain. Don’t interfere.”
Calling him by his title instead of his name implied—he was drawing the line between public and private affairs.
Lee Taeho couldn’t say anything more.
“…Alright. Do as you please.”
Jinhyuk did not argue. There was no need to.
Even this action by Jang Eunsuk…
Was within his calculations.
‘Exactly. That’s how you should have acted.’
A smile curled on Jinhyuk’s lips.
An inept raid leader, the tumultuous raid members, the shifting public opinion, and the larger picture all came into view.
As if on a chessboard, he could already see the pieces dancing before his eyes.
***
Soon after, the chain of command changed.
Jang Eunsuk reclaimed the baton of leadership.
Though there was a disconcerting sense of disjointedness, they had to move on.
Regardless of who commanded, they could survive this situation only by trusting and following the leader.
The players bit down hard and pushed the attack even more.
***
While others fought desperately, Jinhyuk stood aside, perceiving the entire scene.
‘As expected… that troll. Quite useful.’
Bringing the Dangun Guild with the battle power measuring device was a divine move.
To gauge Karakal’s level, there was no better bait.
Especially Jang Eunsuk, who was already on the brink of life and death several times.
He must be sweating bullets at this moment.
After all, it wasn’t just the guild’s honor at stake now, but his life as well.
Of course, there was no intention of lending aid. Such an arrogant fellow needed to struggle until he was barely clinging to life.
But then.
[5 Fire attribute spells have assembled.]
[Conditions met.]
[Lv13 ‘Eraser’ is activated!]
A different kind of explosion thundered, and a huge crater formed on the ground.
The magic-type player, who had been gathering mana in the back, finally released the flame spell.
High-level magic corresponding to the 6th circle.
Thanks to the casting efforts of four players for over five minutes, its power was unimaginably great.
“Yes!”
Jang Eunsuk roared with joy.
He had endured and waited for this one strike.
The snow melted, revealing the dirt ground beneath.
Between rising smoke, the still-burning crimson flames blazed.
The nearby players were protected from the flames by numerous layers of supportive magic that increased their fire resistance.
Even with the protection, they barely escaped being swept away by the flames before the spell was cast.
“…Pant. Pant.”
“We did it, we got him!”
“How can a troll be this strong? It’s insanely tough, beyond standard!”
“Without Gang Jinhyuk, the difficulty suddenly shot up… Ahem.”
“Keep it shut, will you? Can’t you see our raid leader isn’t in a good mood?”
“More importantly, hopefully, the other ones won’t come rushing at us all at once…”
The players worried whether the watching trolls would become enraged by their chieftain’s death and act rashly, but strangely, the trolls showed no sign of movement.
It was too odd to be fear, and it didn’t seem like they had given up.
And at that moment…
The reason why the trolls were only spectating became clear.
Woooong!
With a sound that cut through the wind, a spear shot out from the smoke.
Fast it was.
But there was enough time to raise a shield to block it.
Lee Taeho, who made the quickest assessment, stepped forward in front of the players.
He also raised a huge shield to cover their front.
Or… so he thought he did.
Thwack!
A red stream of blood spurted from his shoulder.
“Guh?”
Lee Taeho’s pupils shook, unable to grasp what had just happened.
Of course, he would be confused.
The shield wasn’t shattered. It remained intact, still perfectly protecting Lee Taeho’s body.
But the spear had passed through the shield and pierced his flesh.
There was only one reason for this contradiction.
‘…Piercing defense.’
Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.
Karakal’s spear looked different than before.
It had transformed from the simple, rough-hewn spear to a blue one with an elaborate pattern.
‘Not just combat power, but also a weapon that’s cheatingly strong.’
The ability to ignore the target’s armor.
That was the unique ability of the ‘Slayphe,’ the demonic spear in Karakal’s hand.
‘This situation is getting more interesting.’
The fight was about to end.
Anti-climactically one-sided.
Of course, this didn’t mean that Jang Eunsuk, Lee Taeho, or the rest of Dangun Guild’s raid members were weak.
Their opponent was just ridiculously strong.
***
Shivering uncontrollably, the players felt their instincts shouting warnings.
They must not face that spear head-on.
“Da, damn it.”
“How are we supposed to withstand that…”
The tankers, who were holding the front line, hesitated, stepping back.
When Lee Taeho could barely handle it, who would dare stand confidently against it?
“Charging in only to fold this quickly. Is this the end? You still have the numbers on your side. So don’t be afraid and keep coming at me.”
“…”
“Fine. If you won’t come to me, I’ll come to you.”
An opponent who folds is not worth respecting.
Karakal got into position.
Crouched down low.
Kwaaang!
In an instant, Karakal’s figure vanished like a shadow.
Fast.
The distance was closed in the blink of an eye.
The blue spear streaked through the air.
With each movement of the spear, another player fell upon the snow.
“Aaagh! My leg… My leg is gone!”
A female player with a wind-hole in her thigh screamed her lungs out.
“Block it!”
“Damn, protect the dealers! Hang on at all costs!”
“Uwaaaah!”
If the dealers fell, there would be no chance for a counterattack.
Knowing this, Jang Eunsuk tried his best to shield them.
But it was futile.
One strike.
No need for flowery words—a pure strike aimed at incapacitating the enemy, repeated over and over.
That was enough.
Thwack!
Thud!
“Guh?”
“Argh!”
One, two.
With each movement of the spear, someone was left with a new hole in their body.
The attacks, which could neither be blocked nor countered, led the fight to a pathetically trivial conclusion.
Apart from Jang Eunsuk, the most skilled of all, everyone sustained severe injuries and fell to the ground.
A one-on-one battle had no winning chances.
That was something Jang Eunsuk knew better than anyone.
But of course, it didn’t mean he would meekly accept defeat.
“You… You damn beast! How dare… How dare you do this!”
Swearing, Jang Eunsuk leaped to the side.
Not towards Karakal or the other troll warriors…
But towards the young trolls who had just started walking.
Jang Eunsuk quickly grabbed the neck of a young troll and drew his dagger.
“Don’t you move! I swear to god. If anyone of you as much as twitches, I’ll slice this little brat’s throat!”
“Ugh!”
The blade pointed at the neck as droplets of blood slid down the sword.
“Cowardly…!”
“Are all humans… truly all the same?”
The trolls uttered their furious voices.
But Jang Eunsuk only scoffed at them.
“Ha? Cowardly, my foot. What’s cowardly about life and death? And you there. Gang Jinhyuk Player, that’s enough with your help. Damn it. We said we’d handle it, but I didn’t expect you to just stand by and do nothing. Isn’t that a bit too much, even for allies?”
Jang Eunsuk kept on pouring words like a waterfall.
Wow.
Really.
It’s amazing. Not joking, really amazing.
Makes me wonder if that head of his isn’t a fusion of a blowfish and a chicken head.
Oh…!
Perhaps he has discovered some new fusion formula unknown to me, worthy of awe, but this?
It was somewhat refreshing to hear such nonsense after a long time.
“You seem to be under some delusion…”
Jinhyuk scratched his head.
“I’m not anyone’s ally.”
He was just on the side that seemed most likely to win.
In reality, depending on the situation, he could fight against angels or join hands with devils.
Climbing the tower required victory and survival as a basic precondition.
However.
“I don’t have any interest in siding with garbage, though.”
As he always emphasized.
Those who cross the line are the exception to everything.
