The Player Who Stands Above All

Chapter 75

Hwoooong-

There are times when you think it will be difficult until you try it, but when you actually do it, it turns out to be surprisingly simple.

Like when you thought it would be hard to draw a circle with your right hand and a triangle with your left, but when you tried it, you could naturally draw not only a triangle but also a square, a pentagon, and a hexagon.

Or when you saw a video of someone tying a cherry stem with their tongue and tried it for fun, and you could not only tie it but also tie it into a ribbon freely.

Lee Shin's current situation was not much different from those situations.

"Hmm..."

Lee Shin stood still for a moment, looking at the trunk of the fallen tree on the ground, and then muttered in a small voice.

"It's much more doable than I initially expected."

Kyuu-

Irhegue also cried softly and nodded his head as if to agree with Lee Shin's words.

Hwoooong-

Lee Shin stood there for a moment and then swung his spear at the tree in front of him once more.

Then, the tree that had been rooted in that spot for decades split in two as easily as tofu, tilted, and then fell to the ground.

Kuuuung-

Watching the tree fall to the ground, Lee Shin muttered in wonder.

"Originally, when I saw a monster, I would automatically think about where and how to attack to kill it, but it's a strange feeling to start seeing that even when looking at a tree."

This change began when Lee Shin, who had been walking while continuously cutting down trees, caught one of the many thoughts that had been flashing through his mind.

'Hmm, now that I've tried it, there's no problem with my stamina, but when it's time to fight, I might be a little short on internal energy.'

Kyuu-

When he had cut down about 30 trees, that thought came to his mind, and after thinking for a moment, he came up with two solutions.

-Irhegue, you remember what I showed you before, right? I supplied you with internal energy by circulating my ki so you could play to your heart's content.

Kyuu-

Irhegue nodded his head.

Irhegue remembered that time well, as it was fun to be able to play excitedly.

-This time, Irhegue, let's have you do it yourself. Come to think of it, the timing is perfect now.

Kyuuu-

-Yeah, I'll just be walking forward and swinging my spear to cut down the trees, so it should be a little easier. And I'll help you, so it'll probably be fine.

Kyuuuuu-!

One was to teach Irhegue the technique he had always been thinking about.

Swoosh-

'I'll have to control the amount of internal energy as much as possible. I shouldn't use [Flames] or [Lightning] either, in case it interferes.'

The other was to reduce the amount of internal energy consumed by using only the minimum amount of internal energy needed to cut down the trees.

Thus, one person and one being began their respective training.

Since Irhegue had already mastered the art of circulating his cultivation method while standing still, there was no problem with circulating the cultivation method itself.

In the early stages of training, Lee Shin moved slowly and cut down the trees so that Irhegue could easily circulate his cultivation method.

Lee Shin naturally observed a single tree calmly and swung his spear.

It was an experience that was new even for him.

The place where he had laid all his foundations was the space of the tutorial, and there, there was no reason to calmly think about and cut down something that was standing still like this.

If a monster appeared with a single word, why would he be having a staring contest with a motionless scarecrow?

Therefore, the current situation was a fresh experience for him as well.

He observed an inanimate object, not a living being, and cut it down using only the minimum amount of force, not an excessive amount.

At first, he kept failing.

Since he was trying to cut down a huge tree using only the minimum amount of internal energy while moving as slowly as a turtle, there was no way it would be cut properly.

But Lee Shin kept moving.

While explaining to Irhegue how to operate the cultivation method, he observed the tree and, based on what he had observed, calmly swung his spear.

Then, little by little, he went beyond just swinging his spear in place and walked forward.

A way of swinging the spear that was different from before began to slowly seep into his body.

As he continued to observe calmly and swing his spear at the tree, he began to see the grain of the tree little by little.

Then, the amount of internal energy he used began to decrease.

And at the same time, the speed of his movement began to increase, and naturally, Irhegue adapted to his movements and continued to operate the [Flame Lightning Divine Art].

The two, with their dramatic talents, bit and were bitten by each other, creating a precarious virtuous cycle.

By the time he had cut down about 100 more trees, he was able to cut down a tree using only about a third of the internal energy he had used at the beginning.

By the time he had cut down about 200 more trees, it became possible to cut down a tree without using the internal energy in his dantian.

By that time, he could walk naturally and swing his spear, so Irhegue might not have known, but for Lee Shin, it was not training.

Lee Shin, feeling the sensation of something he was about to grasp trying to escape, slowed down his movement again.

Then, instead of swinging his spear in a consistent posture as before, he began to move in various ways and swing his spear at the tree.

The experience accumulated from cutting down tens of thousands of monsters in the tutorial began to mix with the new experience, becoming one.

Then, in his eyes, not only the weaknesses and general condition of living beings, but also a clue as to how to cut down inanimate objects more effectively began to appear.

'Hmm, if I cut this place in this way with this much force...'

Scrape-

Perhaps because his proficiency was still low, the cutting of the tree was rough compared to when he had swung his spear using internal energy, but he didn't care much.

"Oh."

Because the act of purely swinging a spear to cut something down had begun to become enjoyable.

It was not the kind of pounding joy, as if his whole body had turned into a heart, that he could feel when fighting a monster.

To explain with an example, it was a kind of static joy that could make you forget time quickly, like playing a simple mini-game on your smartphone on the way to the subway.

'Come to think of it, it was this kind of feeling when I trained in the tutorial before.'

Kyuuu-

Hwoooong-

As he continued to swing his spear like that, he gradually deviated from his original purpose of clearing the spiderwebs and new purposes began to emerge.

'I want to try cutting down a bigger tree at once, not just a small one like this.'

'I want to try cutting down a larger number of trees at once, not just one like this.'

Was it because he had continued to swing his spear while thinking that?

Kkigik-

Pajik-

"Ah, I thought I was going to get it this time..."

Kyuu-

Lee Shin and Irhegue, seeing the hundred or so Metal Spiders that had appeared before them, felt not welcome, but annoyance.

***

Kkigik-! Kkigigik--!!!

The spiders gnashed their teeth in great anger.

At Lee Shin's atrocity of destroying their nest, they were seized with strong anger and their eyes turned red.

"Haa, it was just getting good."

Kkyuuut-!

But Lee Shin and Irhegue were also annoyed.

Because just when he thought he was getting the hang of it, the Metal Spiders suddenly appeared and interfered.

Anyone would be annoyed if the flow was suddenly broken at the moment they thought they could set a new record.

Chwaaaak-

The Metal Spiders crouched down, aimed their silk-producing spinnerets at Lee Shin, and then shot their webs.

Sticky, thick spiderwebs and sharp, thin spiderwebs were shot from all directions, aiming for Lee Shin.

But it was slow.

Pajijik-!

Lee Shin, who had created [Lightning], unfolded the Thunder Wood Line Step and instantly escaped the place the spiderwebs were aiming for.

At the same time as he escaped from that place, he kicked off the ground and trees and jumped up, and seeing the Metal Spiders that were aiming for him from the top of the trees, he wrapped his spear in lightning.

-Flame Lightning Divine Spear

-Lightning

-Twenty-five Branches.

Pajijijik-!!!

Lee Shin's spear, which was wrapped in a radiance like lightning falling from the sky, was shot at the bellies of the spiders without giving them a chance to resist.

His spear easily pierced through their armor, which had the hardness of steel, and destroyed the internal organs inside.

Kkigik-

But they did not die from a mere wound like their bellies being pierced and their internal organs bursting.

The ones who had been attacked floated in the air and, seeing Lee Shin who was waiting for them to fall, gnashed their fangs and rushed at him.

Kagagak-

And that became the bad move that took their lives.

Lee Shin, while floating in the air, wrapped his spear in spear ki and swung it at the spiders rushing towards him.

The necks of the spiders, whose eight blood-red eyes were shining fiercely, were cut more easily than when he had cut the trees and fell to the ground.

Lee Shin's eyes, seeing that, showed no emotion, unlike usual.

'As expected, insects are too simple to be fun. No matter how hard the armor they're wearing is, if you just poke the part that connects the head, chest, and abdomen, it cuts open with a 'click' like opening a can.'

Lee Shin, who had grumbled like that for a moment, smiled faintly.

"Well, still..."

Pajik-

Chwaaaak-

Lee Shin, who was falling from the sky, swung his spear to hit the tree next to him and dodged the spiderweb that was aiming for him.

Thwack-

Then, he kicked off a nearby tree and accelerated downwards, and swung his spear, which was wrapped in lightning and mixed with spear ki.

Then, the body of the Metal Spider that was in the trajectory of his fall was instantly split in half.

Lee Shin, who had come down to the ground like that, muttered a short impression.

"Still, the fact that the fight is not two-dimensional is a little fun."

Because in a normal fight, you don't often have to be wary of what's above your head.

'Well, that's about it, though.'

Hwoooong-

Lee Shin put his internal energy into his spear and lightly swung it, cutting down all the trees around him.

The moment the trees that had lost their roots were about to fall to the ground.

Kuuung-!

Lee Shin strongly kicked the falling trees and adjusted the direction of their fall.

Towards the direction where the Metal Spiders were gathered.

Kkigigik---!!!!!

Of course, the Metal Spiders would not be injured just by being crushed by a tree.

Although they were being easily defeated by Lee Shin, they were still top-tier LV.2 monsters.

'But it can block their view.'

Lee Shin, who was attached to the back of the falling trees, easily dug into the midst of the Metal Spiders.

The Metal Spiders were having a hard time.

Because Lee Shin kept breaking the trees, the advantage of their home ground kept disappearing, and even if they tried to do something using their webs, Lee Shin was too fast.

Then, all that was left was their sturdy bodies and speed, but neither was of any use in front of him.

Therefore, what was happening here now was not a hunt or a massacre.

Scrape-

It was cleaning.

Lee Shin, who had caught about a hundred Metal Spiders in an instant, sighed in disappointment.

"Haa, I guess I came with too high expectations."

"If you go in a little further, you might be quite satisfied."

Thwack-

At Lee Shin's monologue, someone on the tree came down and answered.

The moment the man landed on the ground, a wind blew from somewhere and shook his green curly hair.

Lee Shin, facing the man, smiled broadly.

"I thought you were just a passing spectator since you were just standing there doing nothing, but I guess not."

At Lee Shin's words, the man smiled awkwardly.

"Hmm... I ran this way after hearing a loud noise, but it didn't seem like you needed any help. It's a bit much to jump into a fight that's being won, even if it's a losing one."

"Well. It's certainly not pleasant when someone jumps into my fight."

Lee Shin said, and readily agreed with the man's words.

The man, who smiled lightly at Lee Shin, held out his hand to him and said.

"Hello, my name is Baek Hyun-woo."

Grin-

"I've heard a lot about you from Alice-noona."

Baek Hyun-woo's eyes, as he said that, were filled with interest in Lee Shin.

(End of Chapter)