***
***
A little while ago.
“It’s time.”
In the waiting room, Seong Jihan, who had been observing the situation, stood up.
“Brother-in-law, I’ll be back.”
“…Jihan, did you know something?”
Yoon Sejin, the warrior who had been kicked by the high elf and had just participated in the 5th game, looked at Seong Jihan with a surprised expression after hearing the participation conditions for the Space League with his ears.
‘He requested my support, saying he had to participate in the Space League no matter what…’
Something definitely felt strange.
In a game where only Diamond players could participate, he insisted on getting in without caring about the roster. The Seong Jihan he knew wasn’t someone who cared so much about reputation.
He wondered why he wanted to participate so badly, even enduring hostile glances.
“My dream just happened to align well. Perhaps it’s a premonition.”
Seong Jihan replied casually, walking forward slowly.
The gaze of all the players gathered on him.
“No, Seong Jihan… Can you really participate?”
“Of course! He can play any class, and he meets the support conditions!”
“How does he fit this situation so perfectly…!”
“Oh, please…!”
Just a moment ago, the players who sent him unfriendly looks, wondering why Seong Jihan was there.
Now, they all looked at him with desperate eyes.
Seong Jihan was met with earnest eyes from everyone.
And
“Player Seong Jihan. Please take on the 5th match. Please… break their strategy and give them a hard time.”
Coach Davis, who had returned to the waiting room and saw Seong Jihan approaching, deeply bowed his head.
Whether Seong Jihan knew and participated or whether he intended to participate with a sense of resonance and the situation coincidentally aligned was not important now.
In a situation where 20 percent of the world’s strongest players could face the death penalty.
The only card that could reverse this situation was Seong Jihan.
As Coach Davis, with almost a desperate gesture, was about to bow his head deeply, Seong Jihan stopped him.
“Of course. But I have a request.”
“A request…”
“If I win, execute the penalty. Carry out whatever conditions the enemy sets without hesitation.”
“A penalty that involves execution, you mean death penalty?”
“Yes, no matter what conditions the enemy presents, it must be executed.”
“…I understand.”
Coach Davis nodded in agreement, his head bobbing gently.
Returning the penalty they had decided on.
That was what he hoped for.
“Alright then. Finish the 5 games and come back.”
Flash!
As Seong Jihan was summoned and disappeared from the waiting room, the players watching sighed collectively in relief.
“Seong Jihan has been summoned…!”
“Phew, that proves he meets the participation conditions.”
“He’s alive…!”
Terrifying when encountered as an enemy, but when he’s on your side, he’s more reliable than anyone else.
Now, with Seong Jihan stepping up, it seemed they could feel a bit more at ease about the 5 matches ahead.
* * *
[The 5th match begins.]
[A player fitting the conditions of the ‘Heavenly Elysia’ map is participating.]
[The game type is Survival.]
The final match where the survival rights of the representative team’s players, 20 percent, are at stake.
-Wow… Have we been played by the elves until now…?
-We could easily win 1 or 2 games, but are they intentionally trying to bring us to the 5th game to execute us?
-But if you collect 4 cards, Use them in the 4th game; why bother coming to the 5th game?
-They say the 5th game has more changeable options, especially penalties…
-Oh, this is insane…Is this the real Space League?
-I’m afraid of who will face the death penalty…
-If only our Korean players could survive… ?
Viewers who didn’t know the details of the match conditions had already resigned to defeat and fallen into despair. Those who trembled at the elf’s plan, praying for their country’s players to survive somehow.
= The 5th match begins…!
= Representing humanity, player Seong Jihan is participating!!
= That’s right. Player Seong Jihan, he was an all-class player! A player perfectly fitting the Platinum level Support conditions!
= If he was on the reserve list, he would have been randomly selected, but since he’s on the representative team roster, he can participate right away!
= Ah… Is the situation really like this now!
When the list of participating player appeared, the atmosphere changed 180 degrees.
– Wow… Seong Jihan is participating!!
– Haha!! Hey, those guys who were saying he shouldn’t be here without qualifications, why are they all silent now? ?
– Wow, seriously, does he have precognitive abilities? The situation is ridiculously perfect?
-Phew, turned the situation around..?
-Kill the elf!!
The strength of Seong Jihan was acknowledged by everyone. Especially the Japanese and Chinese viewers who had been defeated by him, now united in supporting him with one heart.
– This… is the taste of victory…
-WWW, we can’t be the only ones. Let the elves experience Seong Jihan’s power?
-Seong Jihan… it’s a fitting sight for a shaman’s disciple… I’ll cheer for him today.
-Sh*t, Those guys were just spamming the chat, wondering why Seong Jihan was in the representative team just a moment ago
As Seong Jihan entered the Heavenly Elysia, he looked around.
True to its name, Heavenly Elysia was a map made up of peaceful, verdant landscapes.
At the center of the map, high above the sky, a giant tree floated.
‘Is that the sapling of the World Tree?’
The sapling of the World Tree, which strongly amplifies the power of spirits.
Looking at it, Seong Jihan could feel that there was a power beyond the power of spirits.
‘The vitality here is overflowing.’
The life force that brought the Sword King back to his senses was abundantly present. It was emanating from a tree so large that calling it a sapling seemed inappropriate.
‘Should I absorb some of that power?’
As Seong Jihan considered replenishing the nearly depleted life force, a flash occurred. On the opposing side, a Platinum Support was summoned. Despite being labeled a support, the elf player had a bow strapped to their back and daggers in both hands.
“Newbie.”
Looking at Seong Jihan, the elf player suppressed a sneer.
“You’ll be given 100 chances. During that time, try to resist as much as you can.”
Whoosh!
The elf disappeared, displaying movements too agile for a typical support. Despite being a support class, this elf had been trained as a warrior, evident by their swift and agile movements, especially fitting for the Heavenly Elysia map with enhanced elemental powers.
= The enemy is fast…!
= Is the map designed for the elves!?
= Ah, Player Seong Jihan…! If only you could pull through…!
Having suffered defeats in the 3rd and 4th matches, the commentators expressed concern, wondering if Seong Jihan, despite his prowess, would find it challenging.
Thunk!
As soon as Seong Jihan waved his hand in the air, the head of the vanished elf was caught.
“What the…?”
“Come.”
Bang!
As he clenched his fist, the entire body of the elf burst forth.
To prevent blood from splattering on his own body, Seong Jihan isolated the space and uttered a brief word.
“Hurry up and revive, elf.”
One strike.
Without even using a weapon, the elf burst out when Seong Jihan said so.
The commentators sighed in relief.
=Ah…!
=Indeed, it’s Player Seong Jihan! He’s dependable!
=This is mind-blowing!
And soon after,
Swoosh…
The opposing elf resurrected from where they originally stood.
Boom!
“Again.”
Boom!
“Again.”
Seong Jihan continued to burst the elf repeatedly.
Without a hint of mercy, he kept killing the resurrecting elf.
Not a single viewer raised an eyebrow at this merciless act.
-Kill them!! Kill them more!!
-Ugh, when will they stop resurrecting, these guys -_-
-The stress from the 3rd and 4th matches is completely gone, lol.
-Does this mean the other side is going to face the death penalty?
-Yes, yes, it’s a manual for handling newcomers. Make the elves experience it.
The situation turned around just before the rookie humanity could face the death penalty.
While everyone enjoyed watching the elves die one after another, The face of the Elven Coach was, for the first time since the game started, losing composure.
“What in the world…”
The elf who entered as a Platinum Suppor.
That elf was not a player who would explode so helplessly.
According to the data from the World Tree Alliance, they were trained as a player capable of easily defeating even the highest-tier species, including supports of the Platinum level.
Moreover,
‘Even with the blessing of the World Tree…!’
Despite being a sapling, the World Tree’s blessing bestowed tremendous power.
The elf supported by this was powerful enough to suppress even a Diamond-level warrior, representing an enemy of the highest order.
But to overpower such an elf so effortlessly…!
‘If we lose like this, it’s going to be a big problem.’
Among the participating players, 20 percent will face the death penalty. This penalty was significantly more fatal to the elves than to the inferior race of humans. Naturally, as an elf, she had never imagined that this punishment would come back to haunt them, especially considering their overwhelming population compared to humans. Losing 20 percent would make it difficult for them to cultivate new individuals.
“Emergency situation…!”
The Elven Coach exclaimed, reporting an urgent situation somewhere.
Swoosh…
Her appearance began to change completely, unlike before.
‘No, this appearance is…’
Across the table, Coach Davis, who had been observing the representative’s anxiety and unease with delight, widened his eyes. The transformed appearance of the Elven Coach was strikingly similar to the high elf seen just a while ago. The only difference was the completely golden hair.
‘…It looked like that when it came out on Seong Jihan’s channel. What’s going on?’
They were supposed to quietly accept defeat. What else could they possibly be up to?
Even in overwhelmingly favorable circumstances, Coach Davis felt uneasy.
And then,
Kururur…
From the sapling of the World Tree high above the sky, along with clumps of soil, leaves fell.
“Haa, haa…”
The elf’s hair, which was bursting out miserably, began to shine green.
Thunk!
For the first time, it blocked Seong Jihan’s attack.
* * *
Swoosh…
“The World Tree… has bestowed its grace!”
The completely transformed elf, with a similar appearance to the high elf from earlier but with green-glowing golden hair, rushed forward.
Clang! Clang!
In an instant, dozens of blows were exchanged as Seong Jihan and the elf engaged in a momentary equal exchange.
Considering Seong Jihan’s transcendental strength, such an exchange shouldn’t have been possible. It demonstrated how overwhelming the power granted by the World Tree’s sapling was.
[Is that really a sapling? It’s an incredible power… The World Tree. Truly one of the seven beings that dominate the universe.]
“Can you really resist against something like that?”
[… Let’s give it a try. It’s our reason for existence.]
Even the shadow elf Ariel, who was a shadow elf, was amazed by the powerful abilities granted by the World Tree. Seong Jihan gazed at the life force pouring down from the World Tree above the sky.
The power descending from the sky was much more absorbable than when it floated above. Seong Jihan thought, ‘I should take some.’
Swoosh!
Rather than fighting, Seong Jihan ascended into the sky to intercept the power midway.
Shuuuu…
Perhaps because he tried absorbing it once, the life force flowed in much more naturally. Seong Jihan ended up absorbing more than he was directly providing to the elves.
[Ma-master… Aren’t you absorbing too much? You might become a slave of the World Tree!]
Although Ariel was astonished by the significantly larger influx of life force compared to when absorbing from the Seed of Life, Seong Jihan responded nonchalantly.
“It’s fine.”
[Try cursing the World Tree a bit.]
“The World Tree is just a glorified garbage disposal for the universe.”
[…Why are you still fine?]
Perplexed by Seong Jihan’s nonchalant attitude, Ariel failed to understand the current situation.
And then…
“You, how are you absorbing the energy… no, isn’t it? Mother…”
The elf who was angry watching Seong Jihan stealing away the life force, when it reached a certain level, called Seong Jihan mother and fell into confusion.
And then.
“Is this… Mother’s… big plan?”
Plop!
Kneeling in front of Seong Jihan, the elf couldn’t hide its confusion.
“Yes, my child. It’s time for you to die.”
Boom!
Seong Jihan kicked the elf and blew him away while looking up at the sky.
The sapling of the World Tree above the sky, exuding an immense amount of energy.
Whoosh..!
The sapling, shining in green light as if it didn’t mind Seong Jihan absorbing its energy, continued to infuse him with the life force.
As if it were a bet to see who would win.
Rather than resurrecting the elf who had already died and reinforcing him, It seemed like it wanted Jihan to absorb more energy and dominate him.
But
‘This is strange… why am I so indifferent?’
Is it because of the Martial soul?
Seong Jihan, filled with the life force throughout his body, remained free and easy.
Until there was no more room to contain it, he continued to accumulate the life force.
‘Hmm…’
Looking at Eclipse held in his left hand, he fell into thought.
Shadow Divine Blade, the ultimate skill of the Shadow sword Eclipse, the strongest technique of the Shadow Queen.
Even in his current state, more powerful than when he was Martial saint, he couldn’t use the skill because there were no clues to implement it. However, now…
‘It seems possible.’
The life force gathered within Seong Jihan’s body gave him confidence that he might now have the capability to bring to life the Dark Shadow’s most powerful skill, the Shadow Divine Blade—something he couldn’t achieve even in his prime.
“Ariel.”
[What is it?]
“Didn’t you mention before that you would show me the Dark Shadow’s strongest technique once I grew stronger?”
[That… the Dark Shadow’s ultimate technique? Yes, I did say that.]
“I’m going to try it once, so endure a bit.”
[Really? Is it possible now?]
Seong Jihan nodded, his eyes reflecting a resolute determination.
“It’s worth a try.”
Seong Jihan decided to test his newfound strength and the possibilities that came with it. The Shadow Divine Blade, the ultimate skill of the Dark Shadow Technique—something that was once a distant dream—might finally become a reality.
[…I appreciate you showing me, but why do I have to endure?]
“Well, that’s how it is.”
Boom!
The life force engulfed Eclipse.
[Ah, aaargh… What, what is this!]
“That’s how it can be used.”
Without paying attention to Ariel’s scream, Seong Jihan extended the sword towards the sky.
The form of the sword disappeared, turning into exploding darkness.
The shadow extending from the Eclipse started flying backward towards the sky.
Nameless Divine Arts, Dark Shadow Technique – Shadow Divine Blade
The radiant Heavenly Elysia, which had been sparkling, was completely immersed in darkness.
The sapling of the World Tree, floating in the sky, was covered by the darkness that consumed even the sunlight.
=I can’t see anything…!
=The entire map is covered in darkness!
Even the commentators watching the match were at a loss, not understanding what was happening.
“This, this is… what on earth…”
With bloodshot eyes, the Elven Coach stared endlessly at the darkened screen.
[Heavenly Elysia is collapsing.]
[The 5th match is ending.]
The system message announcing the end of the game appeared on the darkened screen.
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