Chapter 54 . End (4)
Even though Kahn had told Yeon-woo everything he knew about Vigrid, he remained completely silent in regard to where he got the information from.
But Yeon-woo didn’t care much.
Unlike Kahn who didn’t want a power that would ultimately weaken him, Yeon-woo wasn’t afraid to take such risk.
And then,
“That one?”
“If only I can get him.”
“First rank! I can actually be the first! No, I don’t even want to take the first rank. Look how much Karma he has. Even if we split it up...!”
“His weapon looks good too. Where could have he possibly gotten that?”
All the players started to look at Yeon-woo with covetous eyes.
Overwhelmingly high Karma and a presumably high-rating artifact. As if those two weren’t tempting enough, Yeon-woo was a solo player who didn’t have any team or clan behind him. Even if they killed him, it wouldn’t cause them any trouble down the line.
Judging by the number of Tokens he had collected, it was highly likely that he was also a very skilled player.
However, it didn’t worry them too much. Unless he was also a freak of nature like Phante, he couldn’t possibly handle this many players at once.
If he were such a player, his name would have surely spread in the tutorial. But none of them had heard of any strong player that matched his appearance, which led them to the conclusion that he really was just a nobody.
One by one, the players in Section G began to show their hostility toward Yeon-woo.
Even those in the safe zone stepped in to the battle zone and surrounded Yeon-woo in order to gang up on him as soon as he took a step outside the safe zone.
They were ready to break through the whirlwind and launch their attacks on him.
But little did they know that Yeon-woo’s sword was slowly reacting to their hostility.
[Blessing of the Sword]
The first option engraved in Vigrid reacted to the hostility.
The whirlwind surrounding Yeon-woo intensified as demonic energy started to flow into the whirlwind.
Kyaaa-
Bloodcurdling shrieks resonated throughout the whole area.
The players who tried to surround Yeon-woo were startled by the sudden cries. A horrible chill ran down their spines, and an ominous feeling slowly crept into their minds.
In the meantime, the sword started to emit a much stronger demonic energy.
The demonic energy grew proportionally to the number of enemies Yeon-woo was facing.
And that was what he was aiming for.
Yeon-woo intentionally showed his Tokens and pulled out Vigrid in front of everybody That was all part of his plan in order to bring out their hostility and amplify Vigrid’s ability to its fullest extent.
‘I bet y’all never thought that your arrogance would bring about a disaster.’
When the demonic energy finally reached its peak, Yeon-woo consumed all of the souls he had collected in the previous sections and used them to strengthen the demonic energy and to further expand his whirlwind.
*Whoosh*
“Hup!”
“What the…!”
What had been but a small whirlwind had now grown into a massive windstorm that covered the entire span of Section G.
The demonic energy inside the storm spread, forming wind blades that started to affect the players inside.
Several players’ faces turned blue as they staggered to their feet, and some even collapsed on the floor and vomited blood.
Only then did they realize that something was definitely wrong.
*Kwaang*
But before they could do anything about it, Yeon-woo jumped forward, kicking off the ground that caved in from the impact.
His plan now was to dash straight into the center of the battle zone.
*Swish*
The windstorm moved along with Yeon-woo, sweeping away any player standing on its course.
*Kwakwa*
“He’s going towards the center!”
“S, stop him!”
With their fluttering legs barely supporting their bodies, the players still jumped in front of Yeon-woo.
No matter how afraid they were of Yeon-woo’s power, it was not enough to extinguish the fire of greed. On the contrary, it was adding more fuel to that fire.
If only they could take away that weapon, that power would be theirs to wield.
“Die!”
A player came and stood in front of Yeon-woo, swinging his sword with belligerence.
But Yeon-woo swayed Vigrid without batting an eye.
*Kwang*
The upper body of the player exploded into pieces along with his shattered sword.
Only a rough slash mark was left in the place where Vigrid swept across. There was no longer a sign of life in the player’s eyes.
He died with a single slash.
But the effect of the attack didn’t end there.
Waves of greenish air suddenly burst out from the dead body and spread out in a radius of 15 meters. And the players exposed to the air froze in place and sank to the floor with their hands clenched on their necks.
“Wh, what the fuck?”
“What kind… of curse...! Kuak!”
All their faces turned pale as they gasped for air. They looked like they were on the verge of death.
[Contagious Blessing]
And that was when the second option of Vigrid came into action.
While Kahn and Doyle had focused their attention only on the effects of Blessing of the Sword, it was this option that had caught Yeon-woo’s eye the most.
The option that spread the curse bound inside the sword, Vigrid.
It was a curse fueled by the vengeful spirit of various heroes. There was no doubt that the curse would be powerful.
What if he added the amplified demonic energy to the mix?
Of course, it would be horrendously effective.
The option only triggered after dealing the final blow, but there were almost no players who could block Yeon-woo’s attack after being weakened by the curse.
*Kwang* *Kwang*
With every swing, players flew away like leaves falling in the autumn wind.
“Kuaak!”
“Uck!”
The whole stage fell into complete chaos in just a moment’s time
Where screams and shrieks were heard ceaselessly, bodies of fainted players were lying everywhere on the stage.
And Yeon-woo ran through the pile of bodies like a wild beast.
His target was Edora.
It was time to cement his place in the tutorial ranking.
* ? * ? *
Amid the huge windstorm sweeping away the stage like a tidal wave, there was Vyram with his brows creased.
‘What the hell is going on!’
The fifth rank of the tutorial ranking.
The first time Vyram saw his rank after entering Section G, he felt anger rising within him.
5th place?
A player like him?
He was a man who had always walked the path of triumph. Anything that stood in front of him, he got rid of it, no matter if it was an enemy or an obstacle.
Things had always been that simple.
A swordsman of Marcusian origin. That was his identity and at the same time, the sole reason why he got attention from other players along with the One-horned Tribe siblings and the dumbass duo.
For him, placing fifth was equally embarrassing as being marked as a loser. It was an unacceptable result.
‘This can’t be happening… I have to be the first no matter what it takes. Otherwise...’
Marcus, where Vyram was born and raised, was a planet with a barren environment that normal humans cannot live off of.
The whole planet is covered with dry deserts and rivers of magma flowing along the surface.
Therefore, in order to survive on planet Marcus, people had to grow strong. Power was the only means of survival.
And with their strength, Marcusian warriors started to work as a group of mercenaries. In the end, they had become the number one mercenary group among many worlds and dimensions.
Marcusian warriors gained deep trust from various clients as they always carried out any commission in a strong and honest manner.
With the money they earned as mercenaries, they bought food and water and sent them to their families back in their home planet.
Vyram was also one of those people.
He had become a mercenary in order to earn a living for his family, and he wielded his sword to survive on the battlefield.
For a long time, he had wandered around in several battlefields and completed several missions. Before he knew it, he was already the greatest mercenary among all Marcusians.
And when he first received the invitation to The Tower. It was only then that Vyram was able to take the time to look back on his past and see how strong he had become.
Then at the same time, he realized that this was an opportunity.
The Tower was a place where all warriors were assembled. If he could become a king in such a place, if he could demonstrate his valor greater than anyone else and stand at its apex,
No, if he could get to the top of The Tower and become a god!
He could help his family, his friend and furthermore, his own kind. He might be able to restore Marcus back to its glorious times of peace and abundance. To the time before everything was ruined by the despicable king.
Fortunately, Vyram was given another talent besides his talent as a swordsman.
The Lord Candidate.
He was given the power to command other players, give orders, and establish his own group.
It meant that he had the qualities to become a king.
So he proudly participated in the tutorial.
However, he was faced with a huge wall not long after. A wall called the One-horned Tribe siblings.
It was the first time that Vyram had encountered such a barrier.
He had overcome numerous hardships while living as a mercenary, but this barrier was just on another level.
Phante and Edora, those two were just too far beyond his reach.
He had heard their names along with those like Kahn of the Blood Sword, but he hadn’t cared much about them.
However, that was his mistake.
Is this what’s waiting ahead in The Tower? Or were those two just exceptions to the rule?
Whatever the answer was, Vyram had suffered his first major setback in the face of an overwhelming gap between him and them.
Nevertheless, he didn’t give up until the end. If he couldn’t compete in terms skills with them, he could bring in other things to compete with.
So Vyram used his ability as a Lord Candidate and persuaded other players in Section G to form a temporary alliance.
Even if he couldn’t win with quality, he still had a chance with quantity.
And after knocking down the siblings, he even had a grand plan to form his own legion by strengthening the skill he had placed on the players.
‘Forced Contract.’
An absolute contract formed between a Lord and his minions.
Vyram had already placed the players in the alliance under the effect of his skill.
Once they knocked down their first targets, Phante and Edora, the skill’s binding force would be strengthened and he could force them to be loyal to him.
The Lord who had entered The Tower with the top 50 players of the tutorial under his command!
That would have been a great title for him.
At least that was how he hoped things to be...
“But what the hell is this?”
Phante was much stronger than he had expected.
50 people under his command?
In front of such an overwhelming force, the amount of players didn’t matter.
No matter how many buffs he cast on them, not one of them could defeat Phante.
And now, there was another problem. A man in a grotesque white mask and of unknown identity.
He overtook the first rank within a moment, and brought out this otherworldly artifact, bewitching the other players.
Vyram felt the links that connected himself and the other 50 players beginning to fade after his appearance because they gave up on killing their original target, Phante, and turned their eyes towards the guy with white mask.
However, that was just the beginning of a new disaster.
*Kwakwa*
“Kuaak!”
“Help… Kuhack!”
A windstorm sweeping across the whole stage. Greenish energy spreading the curse among the players, and above all, his powerful attacks that killed the players with a single swing of his sword.
None of the players could stop any one of those attacks. All they were doing was to leave flesh and blood on the stage while being torn apart by the windstorm.
“Take cover, you stupid bastards!”
When Vyram tried to stop the players, he was already too late.
In the end, he had to make a decision.
The only weapon left to him was his three swords.
The problem was who should he point his swords at.
But the answer was clear.
‘Those are the precious materials for my plan to create my own legion! I’ve got to make them stop!’
His plan to take first place had already vanished like smoke.
The only option he had left was to bring those players to The Tower and form his own legion. But at this rate, all the links he had made were going to be destroyed.
He had to save those players. He had to make them stop.
With those thoughts in his head, Vyram took his hands towards his swords.
Just then,
“Uhahaha!”
All of a sudden, Phante burst into a roar of laughter. His laughter was so loud it even echoed inside this windstorm.
Then he jerked his head towards Yeon-woo. His eyes were burning with intensity.
*Kwang* *Kwang*
Phante let out wild laughter as he bumped his two fists together.
“Yes, this is it! This is what I’ve been waiting for! Not this child’s play, but a real fight!”
His face was filled with joy. It was so intense it almost felt like madness.
While he watched Yeon-woo running towards him, he suddenly turned to his back.
There, he saw Edora smiling calmly.
“Can I go?”
“Since when did you need to ask for my permission?”
“I know, but… You know what I mean.”
A look that seemed to have much to say.
Edora let out a giggle and continued speaking.
“Okay, I won’t tell our dad.”
Only then could Phante laugh at ease.
“Uhuhu. Well then.”
“But before you go, leave that with me, will you?”
“Oh, right. I almost forgot.”
Phante scratched the back of his head and handed over all the gold crystals he had to Edora.
At that moment.
The message window that had been floating in the air changed once again.
[The tutorial ranking has been updated.]
[Tutorial Ranking]
1. Edora (120,230 Points)
2. Unknown (109,984 Points)
···
“What the fuck?”
Vyram spat out a curse as he watched the rankings change. Other players were also stunned by their action.
Giving up his over 60,000 Karma points to? his sister take the first rank. It was a seemingly ignorant strategy, but of guaranteed success.
But for the other players, it was an unthinkable strategy.
Karma was something players had painstakingly scraped together after overcaming life or death situations throughout the tutorial. Even for a brother or sister, it wasn’t something they could give up that easily.
Phante, however, snorted at the players who were looking at him in awe.
“Don’t think we’re the same as you. We’re different from you dumb beasts.”