Chapter 57
Boom-!
In an instant, a yellow light flashed at the center of the arena. The loud thunderclap drowned out all other noises. Participants, whether they were hesitant to move or just starting to fight, turned their heads towards the sound and light.
Suhyuk and Schneider had clashed. Likely, the winner of this duel would determine the victor of the entire tournament. While most people initially predicted Schneider would win, at this moment, certainty was nowhere to be found.
‘Please let it be Schneider.’
‘I’ve gone all-in on you. If I’m wrong again, I’m doomed!’
‘Is the underdog about to win?’
In the spectator stands, those who had bet points on the outcome clasped their hands in anticipation.
‘Doesn’t matter who wins, just let them both be wrecked.’
‘If their stamina drops, I might get a chance too.’
‘If I aim for the leftovers…’
The participants, watching the duel with bated breath, hoped for a window of opportunity in the aftermath. While everyone was eager to know the result, there was one place already celebrating the outcome.
– Nice underdog victory!!!!!
– This is it!!!!!!!!!!
– Clothes off, pants off!!! Everything off!!
– Damn, should’ve trusted him >.<
– Lol there’s someone who didn’t believe? Lol smh~
It was Suhyuk’s chat room.
– He actually won, lol
– It was easier than expected
– Right? Thought it’d be intense
– The provocation probably played a huge role
– Honestly, he did get pushed back a bit at first
Ahead of the screens in the spectators’ area, Suhyuk’s stream displayed the outcome.
Crackle-.
Yellow electricity coursed through Schneider’s body. With a large hole in his torso, he sat on the ground, blood dripping from his mouth.
『You’ve gained 39 territories.』
『You’ve gained a total of 82 territories.』
The message confirming the acquisition of territories sounded. It was a definitive end, clearer than any other confirmation, that Schneider had been defeated.
Yet, he hadn’t closed his eyes.
– Oh…
– He died standing up?
– Like nothing happened…
– Guess he really hated losing
Schneider refused to close his eyes, still glaring at Suhyuk. Suhyuk clicked his tongue as he observed.
‘His mental fortitude is commendable.’
It was his sheer willpower that had made him who he was. Even in death, he maintained his gaze on Suhyuk. Suhyuk inspected the hole in Schneider’s body.
The power of the spear he had just created should have ended him instantly. Yet, despite such injuries, Schneider had reached this far.
The physical endurance to remain standing despite those wounds, coupled with the indomitable spirit to aim his spear at Suhyuk until the end.
He was more than just a rookie on the third floor; he was already an exceptional player.
‘We’ll meet again soon enough.’
Whether in this arena or another.
‘At the Thunder Cave.’
The chance to clash with him again still awaited. And perhaps next time, the same provocations wouldn’t work.
This match was one Schneider fought alone, but in the Thunder Cave, he would have his team with him.
Crackle, snap-.
Time passed, and gradually Suhyuk and Schneider’s figures became visible to those around them. Seeing this unexpected outcome, the participants stared at Suhyuk in shock.
“Suhyuk… actually won?”
Their opponent was none other than Omar Schneider. A player known for nearly conquering the Thunder Cave, considered impregnable. A veteran who had been on the third floor for ten years.
Schneider was different from other players who were stuck because they couldn’t overcome the barrier to the next floor.
Despite being qualified to move higher, he remained here, growing stronger as he pursued his goal in the Thunder Cave. This made him a standout anomaly wreaking havoc on the ecosystem.
And yet, here was this result.
Gulp-.
Participants close by saw the 82 territories Suhyuk had claimed. Whoever held those territories was undoubtedly going to win the tournament. Moreover, now there was only one disruptor left in the ecosystem instead of two.
‘Can I win?’
‘He’s injured. And those injuries came from his own skill.’
‘Lightning consumes a lot of stamina. The recent fight might have significantly depleted his stamina.’
—
As participants began to view Suhyuk as prey, one after another…
“Oh, right. The mission.”
Catching his breath while looking at Schneider’s body, Suhyuk checked the remaining time.
Fifty-nine minutes left. Half of the trial time still remained.
“Not much time left. I’ll have to hurry.”
The winner was decided. Now, the only thing left was the 300 points per kill mission.
—
*
Squeak-.
The rocking chair tilted back sharply. Shiwoo, who had been watching the stream, stood up abruptly, muttering to himself.
“This is insane….”
Crackle, crack-.
The area around him began to freeze again, centered around his feet. In no time, the intense cold had frozen the entire house he was in.
But whether he noticed this or not, “Is this… possible?”
Shiwoo muttered in disbelief as he continued watching the stream. The streamer defeating Schneider and then taking down other participants one by one.
It was Suhyuk.
‘That spear just now…’
The lightning spear Suhyuk had created. Even for Shiwoo, who thought he knew Lightning well, it was unlike anything he had seen before.
‘It was different from what Suhyuk used to wield.’
The Suhyuk he knew also used spears. But the difference lay in the simplicity of his weapon. A straightforward technique that merely condensed the power of Lightning.
However, the spear created by the streamer Suhyuk seemed more intricate.
Almost as if…
‘It looked like a player-crafted item.’
Blood dripping from his hands, his sword trembling as he swung it at other participants. Pretending nothing was wrong, yet clearly having expended a considerable amount of stamina.
The spear that felled Schneider was a trump card, consuming significant stamina.
Slice-.
Another participant was cut down by Suhyuk. The chat was already in a festive mood.
Let’s go for the win~~~
– Curious about the Nimble Thief’s Footwear’ options
– For real, never thought I’d see it on this stream, lol
Viewers were confident of his victory. But Shiwoo, knowing the streamer’s capabilities better than anyone, didn’t share their certainty.
“Can he hold out?”
From this point on, it was no longer a fight between Suhyuk and other participants.
It was Suhyuk versus himself. A trial of how long he could endure.
‘If he manages to hold out…’
Minjae’s relic would fall into his hands.
And that would be the moment Yerang would make her move.
“Wasn’t Yerang a fan of this stream-.”
Just as he raised his head to check Yerang’s vacant spot, “What?”
Only then did Shiwoo notice the frozen ground and his house. And while he excelled at freezing things, he couldn’t thaw them.
“… I’m screwed.”
*
Slash-.
A sharp noise echoed as the steel shield was cut. The armored player equipped with a shield fell with a grudging expression.
『You’ve gained 3 territories.』
『You’ve gained a total of 113 territories.』
As the time limit dwindled, players with multiple territories increased. Initially, he focused more on kills than on the number of territories, but midway, another objective emerged.
『’IfYoureCuriousBet50000′ has registered a mission.』
『You’re not focusing enough on territories? From now on, 100 points per territory.』
Another type of mission.
Suhyuk’s eyes lit up. He began searching for players with many territories.
Three missions in the finals alone…
– This is practically a big corporation now?
– Look at the viewer count lol already a mid-sized company
A total of 4 missions were triggered during the finals. Adding the win-based mission made it five large missions.
Missions of this scale were unheard of in smaller streams. In reality, Suhyuk’s viewer count had already grown too large to be considered a novice streamer.
『Viewers: 12,880』
Approaching 13,000 viewers, Suhyuk’s stream was now in the league of so-called ‘mid-sized companies.’
『You’ve gained 6 territories.』
『You’ve gained a total of 153 territories.』
He began to move, chasing after players with many territories. Simultaneously, Suhyuk checked the remaining time.
’20 minutes left.’
Huff-, huff-.
His breathing grew rough. Breathing had started to become difficult quite some time ago, but it was only now starting to show.
“That guy, he looks out of breath!”
“No wonder he’s been taking short breaks after killing each one!”
“He’s exhausted, he’s just like the rest of us!”
The weaknesses of Lightning were well-known by now. Up until now, Suhyuk had appeared so vigorous that everyone had forgotten, but once a weakness was exposed, it was only a matter of time before they exploited it.
“Don’t give him time to rest!”
“If we don’t catch him now, we might never catch him! Keep pressing him!”
Now, participants were approaching him first. Suhyuk stopped and addressed his viewers.
“Quick to notice, aren’t they?”
One of the reasons Suhyuk always wore a mask was to hide things like his labored breathing. If they had noticed his condition a bit earlier and hadn’t given him any time to rest…
‘Then, I’d really be in trouble.’
– R…right!
– (Nodding anyway)
– We got fooled too, lol
The viewers had been just as deceived.
With his breathing and expressions concealed by the mask, Suhyuk had moved first, hunting down participants to give the impression he wasn’t tired.
– Who would have thought?
That the wolf among the sheep was actually battered and exhausted inside.
“Get him-!”
The participants kept coming. If they let him rest, it was over. To seize even the tiniest chance, they had to strike while he was tired.
With about one minute left, the final opponent approached.
『Participant ‘Don Zhao’ has entered the territory.』
“Suhyuk-!”
Schneider’s comrade, Don Zhao, charged at Suhyuk with a spear. Was it because they were long-time comrades? Or had he specifically been trained?
His spear resembled Schneider’s closely.
However, “… Still far from it.”
It was only an imitation at best.
Crackle-.
Yellow electricity flowed from the tips of Suhyuk’s left fingers. Timing it perfectly, he swung his sword at Don Zhao’s spear tip.
Thud-!
The spear was sent flying high. Don Zhao’s eyes went wide.
‘A magic sword?’
A red aura emanated from Suhyuk’s sword. In that brief moment, Suhyuk had activated his magic sword.
And in the next instant,
Crackle-!
Releasing the condensed electricity at his fingertip, he shocked Zhao’s hand.
“Argh!”
His grip loosened. Despite Zhao’s will, his electrocuted hand had no strength left.
Clang-.
Naturally, he dropped the tightly held spear. The moment he let go of his weapon, Don Zhao’s neck was severed.
Slash-.
『You’ve gained 17 territories.』
『You’ve gained a total of 283 territories.』
And with him, no more participants dared to charge at Suhyuk.
“Hua-.”
『00:00:05』
Suhyuk checked the time and raised his head. His hair was soaked with sweat. He felt tired but also refreshed, making him smile.
“Tough.”
『The winner, with 283 territories, is Suhyuk.』
『The trial has concluded.』