Chapter 179 - Youth Retreat (9)
There’s a total of three attacks on three different areas occurring on Seokmo Island.
One was on the northwest side of Gijung Island, where the 1st Year Class One president Yoo Sanghoon was in charge.
The other two were on the northeast side of Sangju Mountain, where 1st Year Class Two president Joo Soohyuk was in charge.
Soohyuk took over the Sangju Mountain because there were more male students in his class.
Sangju Mountain wasn’t easy to defend compared to Giju Island. And so, the defense on Sangju Mountain was gradually collapsing.
“Yoonseob! You’re going too far to the front!”
“Ahkk!”
Break!
As Bang Yoonseob attacked the toenails of the beast, a double sword crossed in an X-shape suddenly split the enemy into two.
Thanks to Soohyuk’s fantastic leadership skills and performance in slaughtering the enemies, there have been no serious injuries yet. Although, he’s slowly reaching his limit.
It was impressive that a freshman high school student, who had no practical experience yet, did very well in stepping up and fighting even without being provided proper equipment and target information.
‘The attack on this world has been going on for too long. I can’t handle this large number of enemies!’
Soohyuk was still calm at this moment, but mistakes gradually increased among close-range attack players, including Bang Yoonseob.
‘The gap where the spawning of enemies and their regeneration occurred was gradually narrowing. There is a gap between the two worlds. We have to attack quickly, but we can’t afford to lose our offensive team!’
There were two attacks on Sangju Mountain.
It was uncertain whether the remaining players could hold out for much longer while Joo Soohyuk took charge of the offense alone.
“Is the device working now? What about satellite information?”
“It’s still dead! It seems like the device went into airplane mode!”
“Information from the Player Association should still be available even in airplane mode though…”
Two students answered Soohyuk’s question in a puzzled voice.
‘There’s another problem aside from the communication block. It’s strange that no teachers came here yet. Something is going on in other places too.’
Soohyuk deciphered the situation like so, but he didn’t vocalize it to the others.
It’s because he knew that saying those things out loud would not help improve the situation and would only cause more unrest between the students.
Hit! Slash!
Despite the complicated situation in Sangju Mountain, Soohyuk continued the defense as he swung his sword Two Shining Wings without a rest.
He didn’t have any opportunity to use his seer skill to check the situation in the other areas.
Soohyuk tried to keep his nervousness in control.
‘It’s going to be okay. Have faith in the other kids!’
It was not a statement of confidence.
Soohyuk’s mind recalled Maeng Hyodon and Jo Euishin, who were tasked to call the teachers and evacuate the residents.
Right then, Soohyuk’s movements started to get lighter.
Hit! Bang bang bang! Bang!
A loud sound shook the mountain.
Enemies collapsed on the spot as the sound resonated.
There’s only one person from Eungwang High who can shoot the enemies this accurately even in the dark.
“Dain!”
Her face was still so far away to even be recognized, but Soohyuk knew who it was immediately anyway.
“Jiwon is here too!”
“Whoo, I thought you guys were dead.”
“Jerk, you exaggerate too much. Go ahead and take some rest now.”
Sighs of relief were let out everywhere.
The arrival of Dain and the other Class One female students surely made the situation better.
“Are you all okay? Is there anyone injured?”
“There’s a few of us who are wounded. Let’s regroup and arrange our lines!”
“Okay. Kids from our class will take the frontline.”
As Soohyuk and Dain joined forces in taking the lead, the battle lines were cleared up at once.
The two didn’t have any chance to participate in team training as they were from different classes, yet they worked beautifully together as if they were a long-standing combination.
Both of them nodded at each other after they quickly overpowered the enemies that spawned in the gap between the two worlds.
“Let’s be on the offensive from now on!”
According to the rules of Eungwang High, participating in the infiltrating and targeting of enemies during an attack from the other world is prohibited for the first year first semester students.
The ceremony marking the end of the first semester was just recently held, but the second semester didn’t start yet. The rules are somehow ambiguous and it’s uncertain whether they violated it or not.
And right now…
The only students present in the defense against the other world and high-rareness enemies were those who just finished their first semester.
* * *
Before the retreat began, Jo Euishin called Kwon Jein and Tak Geosan to propose something.
— A talent show is scheduled on the last day of the retreat.
— A surprise performance by the two of you, where you play the violin and demonstrate martial arts, would be very nice.
— You have to arrive on the island, specifically on the island’s Player’s Lighthouse, so no one would notice your arrival. I’ll leave the means up to you.
Following what Euishin said, Kwon Jein and Tak Geosan hid themselves in a box sent to the island.
Their journey wasn’t very comfortable, but the two skilled players were no stranger to it.
They sensed an abnormality when they arrived at the lighthouse. They escaped from the box and it seems like they ran into Ham Geunhyung who went to the lighthouse at Euishin’s request. And, also by chance, Geunhyung ran into Moon Saeron on his way here.
After that, with the guidance of Mr. Kim the Island Keeper, they took off and witnessed the scattering of magnolia petals which devastated the enemies in the sea.
The enemies which managed to reach the land were being easily eliminated by Tak Geosan and Ham Geunhyung. The problem was the huge wave in the sea threatening to swallow the island.
‘How did Lena’s friend endure this caliber of power!?’
He knew of the skill beforehand, but he didn’t realize that it was this powerful.
The power that Yuri suppressed, and the madness of her light skill were trying to destroy everything in its path.
If Jein fails to quell the light skill’s madness, major damage would be done to the island.
‘This would’ve been better if Jared or my other teammates came with me…! I couldn’t bring them with me since we could only afford to bring the minimum number of people.’
Jein’s light skill ‘Lullaby’s Hum’ is activated by her performance. Various variables are to be taken into consideration in her performance.
Variables such as the stage, accompaniment, audience, musical instrument, and others.
The effect of her light skill would’ve been on its maximum capacity if only her teammates, who understood her light skill very well, assisted her by her side.
Although she was a bit disappointed, she had to try and focus on her performance.
[Kwon Jein.]
A sweet voice whispered in Jein’s ear.
It was the voice of a butterfly that Jein heard many times before. It was the same voice that she heard when she was trapped between the boundaries of reality and dreams during the Manchester Transition.
[Kwon Jein, why are you here?]
The butterfly gently rested on Jein’s shoulder and whispered to her.
“You’re the one who gave me the information.”
[That’s not from me but from the Tiger Clan. I didn’t call you here for that purpose.]
The butterfly flew and sprayed small objects towards Jein as if to disturb or distract her.
[Take your flesh with you and retreat. It’s no easy feat to suppress Lady Magnolia’s light skill.]
“…Is it because of you that Yuri is in this state right now?”
[It’s very cumbersome to make that person “sacrifice” someone with her own hands.]
Jein wanted to let out a loud shout forming in her chest.
She turned dizzy as she recalled how her family and friends died in the hands of the butterfly.
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[Even if you fail to suppress Lady Magnolia’s light skill, you will be able to survive. But what about your body? I think it’s best for you to stop this nonsense now and evacuate instead–]
Punch!
“Your words are twisted and mischievous.”
After getting a glance at the situation, Tak Geosan landed a strike on the butterfly with one fist.
Jein thanked Geosan with her eyes and continued her performance, but her pacing turned erratic already because of the whispers from the butterfly.
‘I gotta calm down. I have to focus on my performance…!’
For the first time since she started, she hit the wrong note.
Traces of the butterfly’s power seemed to linger in Jein’s ears. She thought she heard the butterfly let out a belittling laugh.
At that moment.
An unfamiliar melody reached Kwon Jein’s ear.
It was the sound of a chord, carefully added so as to not disrupt Jein’s performance.
She could tell who the source of that sound was without a doubt.
Her nephew joined her as accompaniment in playing the violin.
* * *
As soon as I heard the voice of the person from the royal lineage, I opened my item window and took out the ‘Sangbosigeumpa’ to speed up my flight speed.
(T/N: Sangbosigeumpa is a proper noun and does not have any literal translation in English. It is a weapon, with nine-teeth made of iron, kind of like in the shape of Hades’ bident or pitchfork. The weapon is hoisted by a monster that has the head of a wild boar.)
However, as soon as I opened the item, I was hit directly by a strong sword-strike blown by the royal lineage person.
“…!”
I felt a burning sensation in my left calf.
The pain was tolerable but it messed with my balance and it made it extremely difficult to maintain my flight skill.
That royal lineage didn’t bother to speak another word to me and just attempted to make me fall straight away.
“I see you don’t fall that easily huh.”
The royal lineage’s sword came flying towards me again.
This time, it aimed for my neck.
My hair strands shook hard due to the wind pressure of the sword that I miraculously evaded.
Swoosh! Pang!
I was able to evade, but my right arm, which held the Sangbosigeumpa, felt numb.
My left arm was supporting Saeum of April, so it was impossible for me to raise my weapon with both hands.
“That’s odd. That weapon belongs to a skilled monster that I’ve seen somewhere else.”
He gazed at the weapon that I held.
“Well any, I can just figure it out after I kill you.”
The royal lineage person spoke softly as he raised his sword once again.
As the person adjusted his posture, as if an effect of being conscious of my weapon, I was able to see his face and confirm his identity.
It was a face that I know.
‘I’ve seen this guy in the game before. It’s the ‘subject’ that dragged the enemies into this island!’
There’s no mistake that this attack was led by the leaders of the royal lineage.
‘There’s no character information above him…!’
I couldn’t determine which playable character could be the most effective against this person from the royal lineage.
But I’m sure that the abilities of the character I’m using right now, Saeum of April, won’t be enough to counter this enemy…
Hit!
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Even before I finished my thoughts, the person kicked up from the ground and swung his sword again.
Clash!
The teeth of my weapon and his sword collided and produced sparkling flames.
At the same time, an exquisite pain hit my right arm.
Could it be that he launched a vacuum wave at the same time he swung his sword?
My feet and arms that took damage from the strike felt like it was burning while bleeding.
‘I blocked him but I still took damage!’
I tried to get myself together as I endured the excruciating pain.
‘There’s no time to think. The broadest and universal light skill that I can use in this situation is…!’
As I started to think so, the Sangbosimgeumpa absorbed my blood and emitted a light.
Fwaaa!
My vision turned white from the flash of light, and the last thing that I saw was the royal lineage stepping away from me.
After the bright light dissipated, I saw a huge chessboard situated against the night sky.
In the meantime, the pain that I felt suddenly disappeared, and the Saeum of April was not on my back anymore.
[I intervened because I thought my new master needed to buy some time.]
After I heard the voice of the Sangbosigeumpa, I had a grasp of the situation.
This was my mental world that I’ve already seen before.
In order to buy me some time to think, the Sangbosigeumpa interfered.
That very short moment was for me to experience Cymopoleia and her Hall of Grace.
[I can’t keep it up for much longer. Find a way to respond to the ‘Shapeshifter’]
Shapeshifter?
Does the Sangbosimgeumpa know this person from the royal lineage?
“Do you know that person?”
[He’s the enemy that destroyed our faction.]
I obtained a good piece of information.
Even if the Sangbosimgeumpa only spoke a few words, the information that it gave was valuable.
[He is the Bear Clan Head’s, right-hand man.]
The right-hand man of the Bear Clan’s leader.
I was faced with a big-shot enemy, but this wasn’t the worst possible situation.
The voice of the Sangbosimgeumpa rose heavily.
[Why are you smiling? Although he’s only a shapeshifter, he’s a difficult person for a human to take on. Use all your abilities right away, got it?]
“I can’t use a knife with just one hand. He’s aiming for Saeum. If I use my other arm, Saeum is going to get in trouble and I can’t afford that to happen.”
[If you die like this, then that man would be put in greater danger.]
There’s no doubt the weapon’s words were right, but I didn’t have any choice.
“Let’s get back to reality.”
The Sangbosimgeumpa didn’t comply immediately.
I felt it shake and buzz in my hand as if expressing dissatisfaction.
[…It’s very odd that you’re smiling right now.]
Even the weapon thinks I’m odd too.
The weapon didn’t say anything more after that.
Instead, my view turned white and I felt the weight on my back and the pain on my limbs once again.
The card that I chose was the White Tiger.
“Heavenly God, please grant me permission.”
After I said those words, a bright light began to flow from my forehead.