novelraw Chapter 64 : Chapter 64
Chapter 64 : Chapter 64
Chapter 64: The First Mission (8)
I had dashed forward with plenty of bravado, but that did not mean the situation suddenly took a dramatic turn.
If this were a movie, I probably would have awakened some hidden power and turned the tables in an instant.
Unfortunately, what I was experiencing was not a movie moving through choreographed scenes, but a gutter-like reality where nothing went as planned.
‘Tch, the terrain is not exactly in my favor either.’
This Gate we had entered was a vast, open plain with absolutely no obstacles. It was a terrain that could only be applied disadvantageously to the current situation.
‘If only the terrain were narrower, I would have found a proper solution.’
In a normal situation, an open plain with nowhere to hide would be disadvantageous for an archer.
However, when there were only two enemies and neither of us had proper long-range options, the story changed. As long as she could keep us from approaching, this terrain was essentially a playground for that woman.
The only reason long-range dealers found swordsmen or rogues difficult to deal with was when those classes could actually get close.
‘The biggest problem right now is that I lack the means to do that.’
I did not possess explosive speed, nor did I have a talent related to it. To put it bluntly, my current state was something like a slightly agile target.
Whether it was Blue Nightmare or anything else, I needed to touch her for it to work, and that was the primary obstacle.
‘Even if I try to close the distance recklessly, it will be nothing more or less than a battle of stamina consumption.’
Just as I was not revealing all my moves, the opponent was likely doing the same. It was a situation where I did not know what cards the woman, who was currently smirking while aiming her bow at me, might still be holding.
There were not many moves I could throw in a situation like this.
Consequently, I quickly contemplated a move worth making and reached a decision immediately, as time was of the essence.
‘I will close in on the side where Ryu Jin-oh and the villain Sang-woo are. That is the best option.’
Even though the battle was currently split, it was ultimately a two-on-two fight. If I suddenly attacked the villain Sang-woo, that woman would surely be flustered.
However, to pull this move off, I needed a meticulous build-up.
‘She will not be caught off guard if I just head over there blindly.’
This was a plain without a single piece of cover or an obstacle. If I suddenly went charging over there with a shout, would the villain Sang-woo or that woman even bat an eye?
Therefore, I needed to deliver a surprise attack as naturally as possible while the combat continued.
To do that…….
“I suppose I will have to continue this meaningless pursuit for now.”
I needed to keep up the chase like an idiot who could not think of a proper way forward even while knowing it would not work. I had to do it naturally enough so that neither that woman nor the villain Sang-woo would notice my true intent for the surprise attack.
Having decided on my course of action, I was forced to commit to a reckless charge once more while acting out an expression of desperation.
***
“Huff, huff……”
How much time had passed since then?
In reality, it probably had not been that long, but it felt as if hours had passed. It was called a pursuit where I was the chaser and the opponent was the one being chased, but the reality was not like that at all.
‘Phew, I nearly had a hole blown through me I do not know how many times. That was a close call.’
Even if the opponent had not been attacking with full sincerity but was merely firing arrows to keep me at bay, it was still an attack from a B-rank Player. It meant that a battle of offense and defense continued where I could not let my guard down for a single moment.
Furthermore, even though I was in the position of the pursuer, the number of times I had actually attacked the opponent was zero. Meanwhile, the number of times the opponent had attacked me was impossible to count.
Even though I was receiving a certain degree of correction from the Heterogeneous Gear, it did not mean I was entirely without fear.
‘Still, since I have at least made it this far, I suppose it is a stroke of luck.’
While keeping my eyes on the woman, I continued to check the area where Ryu Jin-oh and the villain Sang-woo were with side-glances.
Estimating the distance roughly, was it about 70 meters?
It was just a rough calculation, but it seemed to be around that. Considering I could not move aggressively to avoid leaking my plan, it was a distance close to a miracle.
‘In the first place, this distance is more than enough.’
Upon hearing that, one might ask how 70 meters could be considered more than enough. After all, 70 meters was certainly not an ideal distance to launch a surprise attack.
However, that only applied to ordinary people. It did not apply to Players.
‘Since I am not on the fast side… it will probably take about two seconds.’
If I were a Player with high Agility, it would not even take a second, but I was not. Assuming I attacked while mixing in a Mach Strike, it would probably consume about two seconds. Of course, that was the time from when the villain Sang-woo noticed the surprise attack until my attack connected.
‘It will definitely be blocked.’
The villain Sang-woo was a B-rank Player and a vanguard who always had to be sensitive to surprise attacks. It was correct to assume the attack would be blocked with a 100% probability.
However, it did not matter much if the villain Sang-woo blocked my attack. What I wanted was the momentary lapse in the woman’s guard, not to land a clean hit on the villain Sang-woo.
Therefore, without any particular worry, I began preparing to put the operation I had drawn in my head into action.
‘Then, shall I start by managing my facial expressions?’
The most important thing in an operation like this is expression management. Generally, the thing humans check most when predicting and reacting to an opponent’s actions is the expression revealed on the face.
I needed to utilize that part thoroughly. Humans are, after all, vulnerable to what they see.
‘The point is to wear an expression that says the attack will not be blocked, even if it is obvious that it will be.’
However, I could not change my expression all at once. I had to change it very slowly—not as if I were changing it on purpose, but as if the feeling was inevitably leaking onto my face.
I fixed my gaze on the woman so that the female villain could clearly observe the change in my expression. I set the shift from a look of desperation, praying for my strike to reach her, to a villainous look as if I could hardly resist the smirk rising on my face.
Soon, the face of the female villain, which had only shown leisure until now, began to fill with suspicion.
“What……?”
A voice leaked from the mouth of the female villain, who had not uttered a single word until now. She had only nodded even when we were introducing ourselves, so I had never heard her voice before. So that was what she sounded like.
‘Well, it does not particularly matter.’
What the woman’s voice sounded like was not important. Soon, it would be a voice that could never echo through the world again anyway.
Therefore, without paying any mind to her voice, I quickly pulled a training sword out of my Spatial Storage Bracelet.
‘It is quite a shame that I only have this right now.’
Traditionally, it is a set rule to throw something like a dagger in these situations, but the only weapons I currently had were the Blood Wish Sword I was using and a training sword. It was a very disappointing weapon to use for a surprise attack.
I could not exactly use Shin Yu-hwan’s Black Spear either, so I decided to settle for the training sword and shouted toward Ryu Jin-oh.
“We are going with the plan we discussed at the start!”
It was, of course, complete nonsense. There was no such thing as a planned operation between Ryu Jin-oh and me.
However, what was needed right now was not whether a plan existed, but making the enemy believe it did. The only disappointing part was that Ryu Jin-oh’s reaction was not very good.
“What the hell are you talking about all of a sudd—”
Ryu Jin-oh glared at me while shouting something. However, there was no time to answer him individually. In a situation where every second was precious, I could not afford to waste time on useless conversation.
Feeling a bit sorry but having no choice, I ignored Ryu Jin-oh’s words and threw the training sword, combined with a Mach Strike, at the villain Sang-woo.
SHH-!
The training sword that left my hand began to fly toward the villain Sang-woo, manifesting an incredible momentum. It was enough to be called a cannonball.
“Damn it!”
The villain Sang-woo hurriedly prepared to block the attack flying from my direction. Of course he would be hurried. The momentum alone was great enough to split a person in two.
However, there was no substance to this attack.
Consequently, while putting on a face as if I had successfully landed a decisive blow, I closely watched the female villain’s side.
“Tch!”
I saw the female villain clicking her tongue and drawing her bowstring. She probably thought there was some kind of device on my sword and intended to slow it down by hitting it with an arrow…….
“Yes, that is how you should react.”
This was the situation I had actually hoped for.
‘Normally, this move would not work.’
An ordinary villain would have aimed for me in this situation instead of helping their partner. However, those two had shown a friendly dynamic throughout the journey in the Gate, and this was an attack that aimed for that blind spot.
‘Anyway, it finally appeared.’
The small opening in the female villain that never showed because she was focused solely on me. That opening, which I had hoped for so much, had finally appeared.
And I am not such a fool as to miss this precious opportunity.
DASH!!
At the same time the training sword flew toward the villain Sang-woo, I lunged toward the female villain.
Startled by my movement, the female villain immediately prepared to dodge. However, even with a cursory glance, I could see her posture was broken as she tried to move while putting down the bowstring she had been hurriedly pulling.
In that manner, I swung my sword toward the female villain, who could not react properly to the attack due to her broken posture, while mixing in Shin Yu-hwan’s talent.
SLASH-!
As a result, I was able to carve a meaningful attack into the female villain, just as I had wanted.
‘It seems it did not go in deeply.’
True to an archer with excellent Agility, she seemed to have instinctively twisted her body to minimize the damage even while her posture was broken. It was a strike that would have normally sunk in deep, but it ended with only a shallow wound on her shoulder.
However, it did not particularly matter. The part I had wagered on was the question of whether the sword touched her or not.
“Hmph! Just this kind of… Guh!”
As expected, the reaction came immediately. When my attack ended with only a graze, the female villain had just started to wear a triumphant expression, but her body suddenly faltered.
She was likely trying to circulate mana internally, but it was not going as she desired. Consequently, she was struggling to properly control her body, which was accustomed to mana.
Therefore, I spoke to the female villain, who was glaring at me while staggering, mixing in some mockery.
“What is wrong? You are acting like a beginner who can not even use mana properly.”
“You, you bastard. What on earth did you do……!”
“What good will it do for you to know? You are going to die soon anyway.”
I feel this every time, but it is truly a conversation with the same old repertoire. Why do villains have so many things they are curious about before they die? It is not like anything will change even if they find out.
It was just as I was raising my sword while ignoring the female villain’s words.
“Yuri!!!”
At some point, the villain Sang-woo, who had easily deflected the attack I threw, shouted while raising his eyes toward us. His gaze was so passionate; it seemed that, despite being what he was, a sense of camaraderie existed.
“So her name was Yuri.”
I was learning many things about a villain who would soon be dead. It was not information I was particularly curious about, but since I had found out, it felt like common courtesy to call her by her name.
“Ms. Yuri. I hope you live like a human being in your next life. Do you understand?”
“Save m—”
“Do not ask me to save you. You would have ignored anyone else's plea for mercy, wouldn't you? Am I right?”
“…….”
Whether she felt there was no hope after hearing my words, delivered with an expressionless face, the villain Yuri eventually fell silent.
However, the surroundings remained as loud as ever.
“You son of a bitch!! Put that sword away right now?!”
The villain Sang-woo shouted while revealing an intense animosity toward me. However, I was not very worried. I was not the only one in this place right now.
CLANG-!!
Ryu Jin-oh blocked the villain Sang-woo, who was about to charge immediately. Ryu Jin-oh also knew his role. He knew that now was the time to block the villain Sang-woo.
Until now, it had not felt like we were a team at all, but for the first time, it felt like I was on a team with Ryu Jin-oh.
Leaving the villain Sang-woo to the reliable Ryu Jin-oh, I uttered my final farewell to the villain Yuri.
“Then, let us end this now. Ah, you do not have to be too disappointed. I will be sending your colleague along soon enough.”
I said that with a smiling face. After all, this would also affect the state of mind of the villain Sang-woo, who would soon be left alone.
Anyway, with that, I moved my stalled right hand once more. Following that movement, the sword held in my hand pierced through the villain Yuri’s heart.
THUCK-
“Guh-huh……”
With a short scream, the pupils of the villain Yuri soon lost their light. Considering how much I had struggled to dodge this woman’s arrows until now, it was a truly anticlimactic conclusion. If we had fought conventionally, the possibility of winning would have been very slim, as this woman had not even pulled out the moves she was hiding.
‘Blue Nightmare’s effectiveness is truly killer.’
Then again, if Blue Nightmare could send even a Hero-Rank Player to the afterlife, would a mere B-rank Player be able to endure it? Looking at this, it is correct to say that the choice to join hands with the Puppeteer was a very good one, right?
It was just as I had regained some peace of mind with the thought that I had disposed of one of them.
“I will kill you! I will definitely kill you!!”
The villain Sang-woo’s desperate cry echoed out, as he had been blocked by Ryu Jin-oh and could not reach me. Looking at the situation, it seemed that when the agitated Sang-woo charged recklessly, Ryu Jin-oh had taken a step back for a moment.
‘Anyway, this guy is a complete lunatic. Someone might think we are the villains.’
The cold corpse of the villain Yuri, who died by my hand, and the villain Sang-woo, looking at me with bloodshot eyes. To an outsider, I would look like the villain through and through.
It was truly absurd, but the situation itself was not bad.
‘If he gets that agitated, his ability to judge the situation will drop significantly.’
I had not expected there to be such a strong sense of camaraderie among villains, so I had not predicted this far, but it was an excellent situation.
If that were the case, I could not just stand still. It was only right to provoke him once more so that his agitation would not subside.
Therefore, I put on a cold smile to look as much like a piece of trash as possible and spoke to the villain Sang-woo in a mocking voice.
“Sang-woo, Yuri must be feeling quite lonely. Do you think it is right for you to stay here like this? I heard her mention setting aside a seat for you in hell earlier. You should hurry up and follow her.”
“You son of a b-i-t-c-h!!!”
At my provocation, the villain Sang-woo charged blindly in a state of extreme agitation.
It was time to begin the second round, pushing two-on-one against the villain Sang-woo, who could no longer judge the situation.