The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 72

"Heh, heh, heh."

The man wearing a red goblin mask, which was the model for the Red Devils, had a plain appearance that could be commonly seen on the streets, except for the mask.

Unlike the white goblin mask, which was wearing something like a hanbok suit, he was wearing light jeans and a black oversized knit, and in his hand was a commonly seen mass-produced iron sword.

However, the same was true for the opponent in front of the man wearing the black goblin mask.

The man wearing a black mask with a white smiling mouth drawn on it was wearing grayish joker pants and a black hoodie, and in his hand was a long steel pipe.

Thwack-

The first to move was the black goblin mask.

The goblin mask, which had closed the distance in an instant, swung his sword at the smiling mask without hesitation.

At that moment, the smiling mask smelled the familiar scent of plum blossoms and smiled behind the mask.

A scent of plum blossoms so thick that it felt as if he were swinging a branch with plum blossoms in bloom, not a sword.

At that, the smiling mask raised the steel pipe and said in a small voice.

In his pure, unmodulated voice, small enough for only the man in front of him to hear.

"I've said it before, but... don't you think the scent of a lotus flower goes better with the smell of blood than a plum blossom?"

Flinch-

The goblin mask, hearing the voice coming from behind the smiling mask, momentarily stopped the movement of his sword.

Because the voice coming from behind the smiling mask was a voice he was all too familiar with.

A voice that annoyed people, filled with suppressed playfulness.

It was a distinctive voice that was hard to forget even if he wanted to.

Kaaang-!

The goblin mask's sword and the smiling mask's steel pipe clashed.

In that state, the two stopped, and the man wearing the smiling mask, Lee Shin, opened his mouth once more.

"Have you been playing like this lately? It looks fun, you should have asked me to join. Then we wouldn't have met like this."

Lee Shin said in a voice laced with laughter.

Kagagagak--!!!

At that, the man wearing the black goblin mask put more strength into the hand holding the sword, as if to say 'shut up'.

"Hmm~ Well, alright. You have your privacy, so I won't ask why you're running around wearing a goblin mask in the middle of the night. I'm playing around in a similar way. But..."

The steel pipe, which had been slowly pushed back, began to disperse the force of the sword and stopped firmly in its place.

"You don't think I'm nice enough to just let this fun situation pass, do you?"

"...Hoo, you are the most annoying person I've ever seen."

"Thanks for the compliment."

Yeonhwa felt a strange conviction at that moment.

The smile on the mask, like a crescent moon cut out.

And a strange conviction that Lee Shin was smiling exactly like what was drawn on the mask right now.

"Is this the first time since the Black Jaguar dungeon? Let's play for a while."

"If you get your head smashed and die while playing, I don't know."

Ahaha-

"Try it if you can."

Lee Shin said, and extended the hand that was holding the steel pipe into the air.

Then, the [Steel Spear] that was in his inventory was held in his hand and swung at Yeonhwa.

Kaaaaang--!!!

As the confrontation between the two ended, the sword and spear began to clash in earnest.

***

There was no need for clumsy probing.

Lee Shin, having judged so, went all out from the beginning.

He strengthened his body using [Madness] and at the same time, raised his internal energy, wrapping his hand holding the spear and the foot on the ground in [Flames].

Kkyuuuuut--!!!

At the same time, he strengthened the line connecting him to Irhegue, who was lounging in his designated seat, and had him prepare [Lightning].

Even for Lee Shin, he couldn't equip items during a fight, so the only item he had was the [Steel Spear] in his hand, but he was definitely using all his strength right now.

Nevertheless, the chances of winning would have been slim.

From LV.1 to LV.3 are called beginners, from LV.4 to LV.6 are called experts. And from LV.7 to LV.9 are called absolutes.

The difference in level, even if it's just one, is large and high.

But the difference between a beginner, an expert, and an absolute is much higher and greater than a simple difference in level.

Yeonhwa, although it was just the very beginning, had the experience of stepping into the high realm called the LV.7 absolute once.

That difference was too great for the current Lee Shin to overcome.

Hwoooong-

But now, Lee Shin had a chance.

Because all the situations were on his side.

Lee Shin continuously pressured Yeonhwa and sent him a telepathic message.

-You're amazing. To move like that even in a situation where you can't show your proper skills because of various hindrances.

Pajik-

-Are you bragging that you can attack as much as you want because you don't need to hide your identity?

-Yeah.

Pajijik-

At the refreshingly immediate answer, a cross-shaped vein popped on Yeonhwa's forehead, and the sound of him grinding his teeth could be heard.

At that, Lee Shin smiled sincerely.

He had thought so when they sparred before, but he was a fun guy to tease.

-From the looks of your personality, it seems you're handling things at Cheon Yuhwa's request... Can you just drop everything and have a go at me? Everything will be ruined because of you.

At Lee Shin's words, Yeonhwa kept his mouth shut and focused more on swinging his sword.

-Well, do whatever you want. I like both the side where you lose to me and the side where you show your true skills and fight me.

"Hoo..."

Yeonhwa, who heard those words, raised his internal energy and sent a telepathic message.

But the target was not Lee Shin.

The telepathic message was directed at the guys who were overwhelmed by the fight between the two and couldn't show any movement.

-I command you.

-From now on, eliminate everything that could leak information about me.

-Understood.

The moment the white goblins heard those words, they took a stance that was not the flashy movement to attract attention they had shown at the beginning, but one that was specialized only for dealing with the enemy.

Yeonhwa, who had glanced at that, sent a telepathic message to Lee Shin.

-The moment those guys finish dealing with all the guys in this factory, you will die by my hand today.

-Hoo, so if my attack breaks your defense, I win, and if your defense endures my attack, you win.

"Interesting."

Lee Shin muttered with his eyes curved into a smile and swung the spear wrapped in flames.

-Flame Lightning Divine Spear

-Flames

-Thirty Leaves

Hwareureuk-

The flames that spread from the tip of Lee Shin's spear erased the scent of plum blossoms that was spreading in the area and moved to wrap around Yeonhwa.

At that, Yeonhwa clicked his tongue.

The petals of the flame that scattered brilliantly wrapped around the enemy.

It was a distinctive technique that was hard to forget once seen.

The fact that he had so boldly revealed such a distinctive technique meant...

-You didn't come here with some purpose, but you really just happened to be here.

-Correct. So it doesn't matter if I get caught or not.

Lee Shin said, and wrapped his spear in a reddish spear ki.

Yeonhwa, noticing that, quickly moved his legs.

He could have responded to Lee Shin's spear by forming a sword ki as well, but since there were still many eyes watching, it was best to dodge.

But the petals of the flame, which were also mixed with a faint sword ki, chased after Yeonhwa, and each petal became a small blade and cut his body.

It wasn't a big wound.

A small wound, just enough to tear the skin slightly.

At the same time, it was the first wound Lee Shin had inflicted on Yeonhwa.

-I don't know what you're after, but you must be a pretty important guy.

Lee Shin said, and slowly cornered Yeonhwa, pressuring him, and Yeonhwa continued to swing his sword even in that situation.

But the scent of plum blossoms that bloomed from Yeonhwa's sword did not spread.

-If it's too hard to endure, how about getting help from your subordinates? But you know I'm not the kind of person who will just take it if I get attacked, right?

Padeuk-

At Lee Shin's provocation, Yeonhwa ground his teeth slightly.

Pajijik-

At that moment, Lee Shin quickly changed his stance and, in place of the [Flames] he had created, wrapped himself in the [Lightning] that Irhegue had prepared.

At that, Yeonhwa was surprised and his eyes widened.

He knew that Lee Shin had [Lightning] and that he could use it right away, but he didn't know that he could switch between them so freely.

Yeonhwa quickly tried to swing his sword, but it was too late.

-Flame Lightning Divine Spear

-Lightning

-Twenty Branches.

Aiming for the needle-like opening created by using a stratagem, Lee Shin thrust out his fastest technique.

Seeing that, Yeonhwa knew instinctively.

That even if he moved his internal energy with all his might now, he could not completely dodge it.

'Tsk, defeat.'

This attack would probably inflict a considerable wound on Yeonhwa.

Of course, it would be an injury that could be healed with the potions he had, but there was no way Lee Shin would just let him heal it.

Thwack-

And something that neither of them had expected happened.

The woman in the red goblin mask, who had been working hard to reduce the number of guards, cut in between Lee Shin and Yeonhwa.

At that, Lee Shin, who had come to his senses, quickly bent the hand that was holding the spear.

Pajijik-

Lee Shin's spear, which had been heading for her heart, changed its direction in an instant, like lightning striking from the sky, and shot upwards.

But it was too late.

Lee Shin's spear cut her shoulder and even broke her mask.

"Damn it!"

Yeonhwa, who was watching that, quickly took out the potion he had and sprinkled it on her shoulder.

"Keueuk..."

At the pain, as if being branded with a hot iron, she let out a small groan.

"Why did you interfere? You could have died if I hadn't bent my wrist."

Lee Shin, who had been watching that for a moment, asked her in a voice modulated through his internal energy.

"...It is my role to help the guild master by putting my body on the line if I think he is in danger."

She, seeing Lee Shin and Yeonhwa fighting, had thought that the two already knew each other.

And that was understandable, because to her, the fight between the two looked like a conversation, and it also looked like young puppies biting each other and playing.

But the last attack was a little different.

She had read a faint killing intent from Lee Shin's last attack.

Because Lee Shin was so focused on attacking Yeonhwa, he had slightly let out the killing intent that he usually kept perfectly in check.

"Haa~"

Lee Shin, who had read the cause and effect of how this had happened from her one sentence, let out a soft sigh.

'Should I just go back?'

It wasn't that he felt guilty about attacking.

In the first place, Lee Shin's concept of that was very weak, and it was his thought that if you held a weapon that could kill, you should also be prepared to risk your own life.

In the first place, it was that side that had jumped in, knowing they would die.

Lee Shin was simply just not in the mood anymore.

As he was thinking that and about to turn his steps.

Swoosh-

Yeonhwa, who had finished first aid on her wound, stood up and looked at Lee Shin.

His gaze, which was sharpened like a single blade, was completely different from before.

Wiiiing-

At the same time, the bead in Lee Shin's pocket vibrated slightly and made its presence known to him.

Lee Shin looked at Yeonhwa for a moment and then, pulling the corners of his mouth, crushed the bead in his pocket.

'Well, it seems the match ended with my complete victory. As a winner's magnanimity, should I play the villain until the end? Seeing his state, it seems there will be fun in watching his sword.'

With that expectation, Lee Shin raised his spear.

(End of Chapter)