NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29
The game has begun.
At that moment, a loud notification sound echoed.
-♩♪♫♬
“What is it?”
It was the ‘mission,’ as the help section and viewers explained.
I opened it to take a look.
“…… If I use my ultimate ability while saying this, it’ll be 100,000 won?”
“Ugh!!! Shit!!”
As soon as he saw the opposing team’s nickname, the Cactus screamed.
Moon Si-hyun and San-deng. They were the last opponents he wanted to face right now in this demotion match.
– ♫♬
“What the…”
A call came in. It was San-deng.
“Hello?”
[Oh hey. It’s you, Injang.]
“Hah… shit!!”
[Hahaha!]
As soon as San-deng spat that curse, laughter erupted.
“Don’t laugh!! You called to tease me, didn’t you!!”
―――
Hahaha!!!
So fun!!
It would be stranger if you didn’t laugh.
Hahaha!!
Hahaha!!
How can I hold this in? Haha!!
―――
[Ah. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. But it’s just too funny… heh…]
“Damn it, this sucks for real…”
San-deng was one of the few coworkers of the Cactus.
But in situations like this, the Cactus really didn’t want to face San-deng as an opponent.
Unlike the straightforward and emotional Cactus, San-deng operated with two faces.
He was skilled at “speaking indirectly,” and would unknowingly scratch at people’s nerves.
[But hey, Injang. Why is it a demotion match again?]
“Ugh, don’t ask if you already know!! Ah, Si-hyun really… she definitely hates me, right??”
[That’s right. I’ve heard a lot about her recently. She came as a master fighter.]
“Yeah. She’s the most talented person I’ve ever seen.”
[Unlike our Injang. Oh, I mean, she’s just hard-working.]
―――
Huh
Huh
Haha
Ah
Huh
―――
“What’s with this noob… do I want to die?”
[Hey, you’re better than Hyun-seok~ What will happen when the game rolls back?]
“Oh, that won’t happen~ The game has started. I’ll break it. Good luck~”
―――
How old are you, Injang…
Rollback… I miss that hardcore solo competition era.
Both are just kids, seriously.
The things two 27-year-olds are doing, haha.
Are they really not going to roll back?
The era of beasts, haha.
―――
“…… But they really won’t do a rollback, right?”
The Cactus paused for a moment and suddenly remembered that he was in a demotion match.
He slapped his cheeks a few times.
“I will definitely win.”
Moon Si-hyun and San-deng were opponents he least wanted to face in a demotion match.
– Enemy defeated.
– Enemy defeated.
– Double kill!
―――
Injang (Current Realm/Priestess): Ugh, stop throwing, okay?
Moon Si-hyun (Current Realm/Fighter): I’m sorry. I miscalculated during the descent.
Injang (Current Realm/Priestess): Why are you being so nice…;
Injang (Current Realm/Priestess): Can’t even curse?
Injang (Current Realm/Priestess): But it seems like you didn’t calculate at all.
―――
“Hmm…… It’s almost time to go down, but you died. You just had to endure one more enemy descent.”
San-deng said as he checked the kill score.
―――
Still dying…
Current Realm, is that you again?
Can’t hold back the girl…
I mean, can’t really wait, haha.
―――
The current KDA for Current Realm is a total of 0/4/0. The Priestess is 0/1/0, and the Fighter is 0/3/0.
It was not a good situation. If this continued, the enemy’s Nirvana would come much faster.
[Ah~ Nice job, Si-hyun~! Yeah! Just like last match, throw for me! What’s the Sky Realm doing? They’re not paying attention to Si-hyun~]
In the gloomy atmosphere of San-deng’s broadcast, the Cactus could hear sarcastic remarks coming from Discord.
Neither of the teams turned off Discord. The reason was in the nicknames of our team and the opposing team.
San-deng, Cactus, and other related nicknames were packed, except for Moon Si-hyun.
It was natural since two major companies were in the same game.
“…… Sounds good, Injang.”
―――
Hahahahahaha
You’re seriously acting up, haha.
Hahahahaha
Hahaha
I’m so mad for no reason.
―――
[Of course, it’s good~ Wow. The Nirvana points are already at 80%. At this rate, just breathing will get us to Nirvana in 10 minutes? San-deng, wait~]
“Swish? Swish? Swish? Ah~ Nice job, Si-hyun~”
– Enemy defeated.
―――
Hahahahahaha
Hahahahahaha
How foolish, haha.
That one tooth is really pretty.
I’d love to smack that face a little, for real.
Shut your lips.
How did Moon Si-hyun even become a master? I’ve been watching them since earlier, and they’re terrible.
―――
The Cactus achieved victory in successive battles. Now the Cactus’ descent gauge reached 90%.
The Sky Realm was at a standoff, but our team’s kill score was slightly ahead.
Everything was going smoothly. The Current Realm was gaining substantial Nirvana points from consecutive victories, and the Sky Realm was also holding up well without much loss.
In simple terms, they were cruising toward victory. Very leisurely.
“Ah. If we win this, what should the YouTube title be? ‘Destroying Work Colleagues’? ‘Revenge on Moon Si-hyun’?”
―――
Overreacting again.
Shit quality [deleted message]
―――
People liked San-deng, but since the rising star of the “Mystery Diamond Fighter Master” recently became known, many wanted to see the combination of Cactus and Moon Si-hyun again.
For the Cactus, it was more gratifying to be able to avoid a demotion than the fact that a great YouTube moment emerged.
Now, with success in broadcasting, he had plenty of money. He just wanted to prove himself in a higher rank.
After making a few comments, the Cactus checked their team’s descent gauge and said,
“It’s about time for our team’s Sky Realm, so I will do a fake movement.”
The opposing team could never know precisely when they would descend. Thus, the side about to descend can create false threats to scare the enemy.
Doing this, they can obtain objects they wouldn’t usually get. The more skilled one became, the better they could utilize it. Even if rotted, the Cactus was still diamond-level; if things went well, they could become a master.
Now was that time. If this “fake” succeeds, they would get this object and then surely rise to Nirvana on the next object.
The Cactus and his dealer moved a bit further ahead.
At that moment, as a form of deterrence, the Fighter unleashed a wave. It hit, generating a sudden mark above the Cactus’s head.
“Come at us? You don’t even know who’s behind? And you can’t win even if you just came in~ We have a score buff.”
The Cactus said with a tease. It seemed the Fighter was aware of the upcoming descent and didn’t easily come in.
But then, the Fighter gestured to the Priestess and dashed off to disappear over the wall. The Priestess hesitated for a moment before following.
They were heading towards an object with relatively small Nirvana points.
‘Are they thinking of getting that?’
It was a moment where the Cactus and his dealer were caught off guard.
– Whoosh!! Thud!!
At that moment, a huge shock hit the Cactus.
“Ugh!! What the hell!!”
Right in front of his eyes stood the Fighter.
“Ah, no way! How did you get in here! I thought someone was behind!!”
Caught off guard for an instant, but quickly regaining composure, the Cactus boldly used his skill. Being so close ensured he could hit. The Archer also unleashed a volley of arrows.
But the Fighter, as if it were obvious, darted aside and dodged.
―――
What kind of reckless skills are these?
Wow, shit, haha.
I guess I’ll just have to watch from Moon Si-hyun’s room.
How did they dodge that?
This isn’t just some random shooting; dodging doesn’t make sense.
―――
At that moment, taking advantage of their relaxed guard, the Priestess unleashed offensive skills at them.
When the Cactus and Archer struck to stop the Priestess’s attack, suddenly the Fighter appeared right in front of them.
– Clang!!
“Ah!! Shit!!”
With a powerful light, they were forcefully brought to their knees. Before long, the Fighter’s knee slammed into their temples. HP dropped drastically.
After that, they somehow retaliated, but couldn’t take down a single one.
– Enemy double kill.
The two from the Current Realm were slaughtered like that.
Just then, the late-joining Mage from the Sky Realm arrived. A bright smile appeared on the Cactus’s face.
“Oh! You’ve come! You’re nearly dead! Kill them!!”
– Clang!!
Suddenly, the Mage, blocking the Fighter’s path, knelt down.
The Fighter’s knee lodged into the lowered Mage’s head, and the Mage went flying.
– Enemy triple kill.
Thus, a sound that shouldn’t have been heard echoed across the battlefield.
The Fighter’s HP was incredibly low.
―――
Wow.
What the hell.
What is this?
What the hell?
He came in over the wall and lost, giving the first move away.
The sense is insane.
Twisting their entire body, whoa.
How did they win with that low HP?
―――
In the end, the enemy obtained the Nirvana object.
―――
San-deng (Sky Realm/Swordman): What’s up with that, huh?
San-deng (Sky Realm/Thief): Oh no;
CactusXSan-deng (Sky Realm/Gunslinger): Ah, if this happens, we’ll both rise together.
Master of Arts (Sky Realm/Wizard): Why did it turn out like this? But just wait a little.
Cactus (Current Realm/Priest): Sorry, I thought I could trick you.
Cactus’s Dog (Current Realm/Archer): Wow, that’s unreal what just happened.
―――
A slightly chilly moment enveloped the atmosphere.
[Oh? What’s this! Nice! Nice! How did you win!?]
On the other hand, San-deng’s side regained momentum.
“W-well. Doesn’t matter! It’s fine, it’s fine. The Sky Realm is winning, and the Current Realm has only lost once.”
To ensure the viewers who were listening, the Cactus clapped his hands, both for San-deng to hear and for himself.
When they arrived at the Sky Realm, they terminated the call. It wasn’t the right atmosphere for playful jabs.
Thanks to Moon Si-hyun’s efforts, the situation in the Sky Realm was balanced. Each had their contributions and mistakes.
As both towers were crumbling, an object appeared. One increased attack power, while the other permanently boosted movement speed.
Everyone gathered around the object that raised attack power, according to the official rules of Fiore.
As they faced off 6 against 6, suddenly the Fighter dashed through the gap between enemy and ally.
“Hey! What’s going on! Where are you going!”
San-deng shouted in surprise.
The Fighter ran alone towards the object that increased movement speed.
He succeeded in getting it but soon got gunned down by the six who had hastily arrived.
The remaining five had no choice but to retreat. In the end, the attack power object ended up with the enemies.
“Ugh……”
―――
??
That’s a bit;
?
I threw it, but this…
Is there a trick here?
Wow.
This is nerve-wracking.
I’m glad I ordered chicken, for real.
Cactus, fight on!
Over 30 minutes have passed!
Moon Si-hyun really made an impact in the Current Realm.
The level is ridiculously high… Is this the Heavenly Realm?
San-deng, fight on!
A woman who dances between shit and god.
―――
As exchanges intensified, the heat of the game gradually escalated. The game was becoming increasingly part of the “life game” echelon.
Cactus, San-deng, and Moon Si-hyun. Viewers who had heard the buzz of two famous streamers and one hot topic streamer being in such a situation started to gather.
Combined, the three had 25,000 viewers.
“Hey. At this rate, we’re definitely winning. Gather. Gather. If we split up, we’re all going down.”
The Cactus said to those who would be listening through the broadcast.
As the number of people increased, the battle needed to be managed meticulously. It was the final battle now.
Soon, another object would appear. This time, there would be an object that could definitely seal the game.
But that was just a pretense. Now, it was no longer about objects; it was simply about who wins the fight.
And the side that consumed the attack object had the upper hand.
“…… What’s going on.”
But it was odd. The number of enemy members seemed to have decreased by one.
“Hey. Where’s the Fighter?”
The situation had changed from before. There was one object, and they were closer, visibly watching.
Above all, the Fighter was not a character who could do much alone.
The assessing Blade Master rushed into the enemy lines. The Thief followed, then ranged users trailed behind.
As their distances narrowed, the final battle unfolded.
Arrows, magic, divine power, and blades flew toward one another.
In between, tanks clashed, their shoulders colliding. Swords clashed, sending sparks flying.
But still, the Fighter was nowhere to be seen.
The Cactus’s side took damage, but having one empty slot, the enemies were being pushed out one by one.
“Hey! We won! We won!!”
The Cactus had an intuition of victory.
Then, a shadow formed above the sky. Soon, the sound of landing echoed.
It was the Fighter.
“What, what’s that!”
The Cactus panicked and stepped back.
With a 1v4 situation, he didn’t unleash skills haphazardly.
They all spread out, encircling the Fighter. Whichever direction the Fighter’s fist went, they all planned to attack at that moment.
But the Fighter just stood still.
From the very beginning, the realization that the Fighter had entered alone was wrong. While all four thought this, they unleashed their attacks.
A barrage of bullets flew.
The Archer’s arrows flew.
The Mage’s fireball soared.
The Priestess’s binding spell shot out.
“I got you!!”
A stack of zero-parry means nothing to use.
If they really attempted to parry, they would simply get demolished by the next attack.
“Die!!”
The excited Cactus shouted.
Just before all the attacks pierced the Fighter’s skin…
The Fighter brought his hands together.
And then.
[Ryōiki Tenkai.]
A melodious voice rang out.
“Huh?”
At that moment, a radiant light enveloped everyone.
It was not the Fighter’s theme of scorching sunlight. Instead, a cold moonlight burst out, forming a semi-circular dome around the Fighter, swallowing everyone inside.
One Archer, one Gunslinger, one Wizard, and one Priest.
The four, excluding the melee, were pulled in there.
“…… What the.”
The Cactus looked around in silence.
It was an unrealistically bright moonlit night.
There was no ground. On infinitely vast translucent clouds stood four and, in front, one figure stood alone against the massive moon.
From that direction, once more the voice flowed out.
[Free-ku-shou.]
―――
Kya
Kya
Hahaha
What a crazy girl, haha.
Hahaha
Hahahahaha
Hahahahahahahhaha
Hahaha
What is this shit?
You’re really doing this, haha!
Didn’t they just throw that?
What the hell? Haha.
Saying it’s a 1v4?? It was just a mission to use the ultimate!
[Declared victory as soon as released!!][Declared victory as soon as released!!][Declared victory as soon as released!!][Declared victory as soon as released!!][Declared victory as soon as released!!][Declared victory as soon as released!!][Declared victory as soon as released!!]
Hahahahahahahaha
So, what should we do now?? So, what should we do now?? So, what should we do now?? So, what should we do now??
Are we losing? Win. Are we losing? Win. Are we losing? Win. Are we losing? Win. Are we losing? Win. Are we losing? Win. Are we losing? Win. Are we losing? Win. Are we losing? Win.
“Nine Principles, Polarization, Crow and Name, the Gap of Duality.” “Nine Principles, Polarization, Crow and Name, the Gap of Duality.” “Nine Principles, Polarization, Crow and Name, the Gap of Duality.” “Nine Principles, Polarization, Crow and Name, the Gap of Duality.”
“Farewell, the strongest. You’re just a commoner born in an age without me.” “Farewell, the strongest. You’re just a commoner born in an age without me.” “Farewell, the strongest. You’re just a commoner born in an age without me.”
“I think you’re mistaken, so I’ll tell you: you’re the challenger.” “I think you’re mistaken, so I’ll tell you: you’re the challenger.” “I think you’re mistaken, so I’ll tell you: you’re the challenger.”
―――
“…… You clearly said you’d give 100,000 won.”
Though it wasn’t a bad thing, viewers never revealed what it meant.
For some reason, the chat was wildly enthusiastic, making Moon Si-hyun’s face extremely hot. Even 100,000 won felt regrettable.
– Squeak!
At that moment, he turned his head. An arrow whizzed past his ear.
Moon Si-hyun’s slightly twisted expression returned to being expressionless.
She stepped forward.
The Fighter stepped forward.
At the end of that footstep treading upon moonlight, there was a breeze of blue.