Chapter 53


    sh-.


    Smoothly, necks were severed. Magic imbued into the spear’s tip acted as a de. Using the extended reach of his spear, Schneider fought as if his arms extended.


    ‘Impressive.’


    The disy even captured Un Hyang’s attention. The colossal screens surrounding the coliseum disyed Schneider’s battle against dozens of yers.


    ‘He handles the spear well. His movements are fluid. Above all—’


    “Aaah-!”


    “Hey, don’t run!”


    “This is just a trial! Don’t be scared!”


    “Even so, this is too one-sided—”


    Boom-!


    Another yer’s head exploded.


    ‘He’s executing a one-sided massacre without even using skills.’


    Despite her bias towards Suhyuk, Un Hyang had once thoroughly researched Schneider. Famous yers had lots of data avable, and Schneider was no exception.


    She knew what skills he primarily used and his preferred fighting styles. From that perspective, Schneider didn’t seem to be going all out yet.


    ‘A ughter.’


    Swoosh-.


    With a soft sound, Schneider’s spear pierced another yer’s chest in two. Spears were typically designed for thrusting rather than shing.


    Yet his spear wielded the power reminiscent of a long sword.


    “He’s skilled. I’ll give him that.”


    Un Hyang nodded. Professionally, she had seen countless streams, including those renowned for showcasing exceptional skills.


    She had also watched numerous rookie fights on yers Channel. Yet, the number of yers she acknowledged could be counted on one hand.


    “Well… The same goes for this one.”


    -Wow, that’s 24 kills.


    -Sweet, sweet.


    -Boring. Schneider,e out@@


    On Suhyuk’s stream. Suhyuk had just taken down his 24th opponent on the road and was moving towards his next target. Even though it was a solo match, most yers moved in teams.


    The size varied, ranging from two to five members. But Suhyuk didn’t seem to care at all.


    “I’d prefer meeting arge group next time….”


    Instead, he seemed to be hoping to encounter more yers at once.


    -LOL crazy


    -Usually, hiding is the best tactic, LOL.


    -If theye all together? Even better.


    And such atypical situations were precisely what the viewers loved the most. Un Hyang, observing the stream’s atmosphere, checked the viewer count.


    『Viewers: 9,451』


    The viewers were rapidly increasing. Surpassing ten thousand was just a matter of time. And likely, the tipping point would be.


    “If they sh, it’ll be a beautiful sight.”


    The moment when Schneider and Suhyuk faced off.


    ***


    『Survivors: 1,342』


    Suhyuk checked the number of remaining survivors. The rate of elimination was faster than expected. It exined why he had encountered so many yers—it wasn’t a coincidence.


    “The field isn’t that big, it seems.”


    It would’ve been nice if more yers had remained. 200 points per kill. Once the preliminary round ended, this lucrative mission would be over, too.


    “How many kills do I have now?”


    -97 kills


    -No, it’s 98.


    -It’s 98. You caught that one who tried to escape.


    98.


    That was the number of kills Suhyuk had racked up in this preliminary round. It meant he had encountered an immense number of yers.


    No wonder.


    Thud-.


    Not far away, the ground caved inwards, descending into an abyss. Thend was slowly disappearing. It was designed to prevent yers from hiding in one spot indefinitely.


    The system was driving yers toward a single point. This would likely continue until only a thousand remained.


    “Where should I go to meet someone?”


    While the stage was narrowing, Suhyuk didn’t head straight for the center.


    Whish-.


    He examined the ground. Footprints and trampled grass indicated recent passage.


    ‘A lot of movement. At least ten… no, maybe more?’


    As time passed, group sizes grewrger. With a thousand survivors possible, yers were banding together to increase their chances of survival.


    But Suhyuk wasn’t wary of these movements. Rather. He weed them.


    “It’s that way.”


    The direction was set.


    -Let’s hunt them down, LOL.


    -Onest big haul guys… or rather, a massive horde.


    Step, step.


    Suhyuk continued following the trail.


    Time was limited.


    『Survivors: 1,202』


    The preliminary round would end as soon as the number of survivors reached a thousand. This group of about ten would likely be hisst prey in the preliminaries. Or perhaps.


    ‘Maybe an even bigger catch.’


    The trail was chaotic. This meant only one thing.


    ‘They’ve encountered something. And…’


    Schuk-.


    Suhyuk drew his sword from its scabbard. In the next moment, he swung, slicing through the tall grass obscuring his view.


    Rustle-.


    With a clear view ahead, Suhyuk saw a long spear impaling a yer’s body.


    Drip-, drip-.


    Blood trickled down the spear, pooling on the ground. Bodies of dozens of yersy scattered around. The one responsible for this carnage was unmistakably—


    -It’s Schneider.


    -Huge fight iing.


    -This is what we came for!!!!


    Omar Schneider himself.


    “So we meet atst.”


    Thud-.


    Schneider tossed the impaled yer’s body to the ground. Despite battling over ten yers, he showed no signs of fatigue. And looking at Schneider’s smirk.


    “Ten thousand points, huh?”


    Suhyuk immediately thought of the mission.


    -Can’t miss out on 10,000 points, LOL.


    -Schneider? That’s 10,000 points right there.


    -This is gonna be epic.


    “Ten thousand points?”


    Close enough to hear, Schneider seemed puzzled by Suhyuk’s words.


    “Yeah. There’s a mission.”


    “What mission?”


    “They’re offering 10,000 points for taking you down.”


    “Ten thousand…?”


    Schneider’s face twisted with displeasure.


    “Only?”


    10,000 points were by no means a small amount. But for taking down Schneider on the 3rd floor, it was ridiculously low. Although for a streamer, it was significant money.


    “You continually trample on my pride.”


    From Schneider’s perspective, it was tantamount to belittling his ten years of dedication.


    -He looks seriously pissed.


    -Do they know each other?


    -Oddly feels like they’re familiar.


    Chuck-.


    Schneider’s blood-stained spear pointed at Suhyuk. He nced at the number of survivors and murmured.


    “Another 150 to go…”


    There wasn’t much time left for the preliminary round.


    Thud-.


    The sound of the ground copsing grew closer.


    “This should be enough time.”


    Schneider grinned. And then.


    Boom-!


    A st sounded near Suhyuk’s head.


    ‘A skill?’


    Suhyuk narrowed his eyes, ducking sideways to avoid it. Schneider had moved his spear once and was preparing to thrust again.


    ‘No, just a thrust.’


    This wasn’t a skill. He was channeling magic into the spear tip, releasing it with the thrust. More technique than skill.


    A true master.


    ‘Indeed, worthy of his reputation.


    But.


    ‘The real fight begins now.’


    Suhyuk’s focus zeroed in on the tip of Schneider’s spear. He couldn’t afford to lose sight of it. The spear extended farther than it appeared.


    Rather than gauging distance, he needed to watch the spear’s direction.


    Crash-!


    As Schneider swung his spear, a strike cleaved through the ground in its path.


    The spear’s power surpassed that of a sword. Simply shing head-on was ill-advised.


    『’Nameless Magic Sword’ absorbs user’s stamina.』


    『All stats rise proportionally to consumed stamina.』


    『‘Selfish Sacrifice Lv4’ resists damage from ‘Nameless Magic Sword.’』


    A red impact radiated from Suhyuk’s sword. With the magic sword’s effect, his stats surged momentarily.


    Crash-.


    The sh between Suhyuk’s sword and Schneider’s spear sent shockwaves. Schneider’s spear continued its relentless assault.


    Bang, bang-!


    Suhyuk deftly evaded and parried the spear strikes targeting his vital points. As if performing a choreographed act, he closed the distance between them.


    Once the gap closed sufficiently, Schneider halted his spear. He allowed Suhyuk toe closer. And in that instant.


    Zip-.


    Suhyuk dashed straight towards Schneider. Red impact trailed along his path, the magic sword’s power boosting his stats dramatically. In a blink, the distance was gone.


    Within spear range, Suhyuk’s sword aimed for Schneider’s neck.


    ng-!


    Ssss-.


    Sparks flew as their weapons shed. Close enough now, Suhyuk red at Schneider. Few moments brought opponents so face-to-face as when they aimed for each other’s throats.


    “Your movements are swift.”


    It wasn’t pure admiration. Schneider’s face held a hint of dissatisfaction.


    “Why aren’t you using your lightning?”


    Schneider was waiting for the lightning. The skill that made many know him. Lee Suhyuk’s iconic skill. Only then would this fight hold its true value.


    However.


    “It’s too precious.”


    “Too precious?”


    “If I show it now, wouldn’t it spoil the surprise? This is just the preliminaries.”


    “What are you—”


    Suddenly, a realization hit Schneider. Survivors. This battle had an implicit time limit.


    『Survivors: 1,012』


    Only twelve more. The rate at which survivors were decreasing surprised them.


    Why so fast?


    As Schneider wondered,


    “The closer the survivors get to the target, the more temporary alliances fall apart.”


    Suhyuk revealed the reasoning. The preliminaries were a solo affair. But over time, yers who understood the trial began to form teams.


    Forming a group would increase their survival chances, that much was clear. However, the purpose of those groups was solely to make it through the preliminaries.


    As the number of survivors neared the threshold of 1,000, there was no longer any need to stay in teams. That was exactly why the survivor count had plummeted so rapidly.


    ‘Could it be that he…’


    Schneider’s gaze wavered.


    ‘Was he dodging my attacks while keeping track of the number of survivors?’


    That slight error in judgment could easily lead to a fatal wound. He had believed that narrowly avoiding his attacks was Suhyuk’s goal.


    But he was wrong. Even in the heat of the moment, Suhyuk had been watching the survivor count and conserving his lightning.


    ‘Could that even be possible?’


    Momentster.


    『Survivors: 1,000』


    『The preliminary round has ended.』


    『You will now be transported to the finals.』


    Woooo-.


    The scenery began to blur. The remaining yers faded, signaling the end of the preliminaries. Right in front of him, with their des still crossed, Suhyuk mouthed silently.


    ‘See you in the finals, ten thousand points.’


    With those words, Suhyuk’s image vanished. Schneider looked down at his own body, slowly fading, and his expression turned incredulous.


    “Ha, ha… unbelievable.”


    He had considered the possibility of encountering Suhyuk in the preliminaries. But he hadn’t anticipated this kind of ending.


    ‘I underestimated him.’


    Schneider recalled Suhyuk’s movements.


    ‘He’s not just some fool relying on lightning.’


    Grin-.


    Schneider’s lips curled upward. Impressive. Yeah, this exins why he was so confident.


    “Well, this is just the preliminaries.”


    There was no rush. After all, only he had the capability to defeat Suhyuk. As he slowly advanced towards the finals. It wouldn’t be long before he faced Suhyuk again.