“Next Duel in 00:00:10.”
-Wind_Wind_Wind: 10 seconds left!
In the Earth chat room, several challengers started to countdown together with the timer.
-William: 9!
-Full Eyes: 8!
Their reaction dumbfounded Yoon-seok.
‘Do they think that it’s New Year’s Eve?’
They were counting down excitedly as if they were about to play some game.
-Shorty: 5!
-Black Dragon: 4!
-JWH904: Let’s all see each other alive!
Yoon-seok thought he must be the odd one out, but…
It seemed like that wasn’t the case. Yoon-seok couldn’t help but think that the people in the chatroom were all weirdos.
[Online: 3598/10000]
One-third of all the challengers were participating in the chat, and that big number included lurkers like Yoon-seok. The majority of the first-floor challengers didn’t participate with these weirdos.
What do you think they were all waiting for? Without another thought, there was just one answer. Just like Yoon-seok, most of them were wondering whether they would survive the next duel or not. Most of them were using pen names, which made it hard to guess their identities.
There was nothing like unity in this world. It was a place where only the strongest survives.
“Next Duel in 00:00:00”
「Get ready for your duel.」
The long twenty-four hours were over. Soon after the virtual message, Yoon-seok’s surroundings started to change. Now, the stone chamber was gone, and Yoon-seok found himself under the bright sun in the middle of an arena. As he looked around his surroundings, he frowned.
“It didn’t change.”
He stood in the same stadium, where about 24-hours prior, he had to fight in a fierce battle of life and death. The empty arena had no sign of the previous battle: the orc’s corpse was gone, and his next opponent was nowhere to be seen.
「Let the countdown begin.」
Yoon-seok let out a laugh as he saw the familiar message. Though it had only been a day, it felt like his last duel was a long time ago. Soon after, just like his previous battle, his body froze as the countdown began.
「3.」
Just then, his opponent appeared. Yoon-seok was shocked when he saw who it was. This time, it was another human being. He had prepared himself mentally for the past twenty-four hours, but this time, he gritted his teeth at the thought of murdering a fellow human being.
But he thought about the rules once more. As long as his opponent had a coin, they could revive themselves, just like in a game. So, technically, it wouldn’t be a murder.
「2.」
‘Yoon-seok…get a hold of yourself!’
The man in front of him was dressed the same way as Yoon-seok, with a simple gray top and pants. He hefted a longsword in his hands. The man’s hair was long and messy, and he had a matching beard to go with it. He looked like a stereotypical martial arts master.
Yoon-seok couldn’t help but feel surprised at what he saw. The chat room could be filtered into each of the four dimensions, and if he remembered correctly, there was a filter called Moorim.
「1.」
Yoon-seok’s intuition was telling him that his previous match would be nothing compared to this one.
「START!」
As soon as the signal sounded, the restrictions on their limbs disappeared. Yoon-seok hurriedly brought his sword and shield up and prepared for battle. But suddenly, out of nowhere, the man gave him a polite greeting.
“Nice to meet you. I am known as the Old Priest.”
The man had an accent that sounded Chinese. It threw Yoon-seok off-guard; he didn’t expect to be greeted politely in a kill or be killed situation. The man laughed at Yoon-seok’s reaction.
“Haha. Honestly, we’re not enemies, just two people placed in the same predicament. We could at least show some courtesy by exchanging greetings. For that, do you need to be on guard?”
Listening to such logic, he wasn’t wrong. As the old man said, they were all victims dragged into someone’s play.
“M-My name is Choi Yoon-seok.”
Looking at such an awkward and discomforted reply, the man couldn’t help but let out a hoarse laugh.
“Ahahaha! So, you are really from another world. By the way, are you from the military?”
“I used to be.”
Yoon-seok reluctantly replied. As a young, healthy Korean man, Yoon-seok had given his service to the military. But of course, it was completely different from what his opponent was thinking of.
“Ah, most of the soldiers in the army are strong; I’m wondering what you will show me. I’m looking forward to it.”
Was it about time to start? The man raised his sword and got in his fighting stance before continuing to speak calmly.
“This is my sword, Blue Dragon. I have trained and improved myself with this. My swordsmanship is my pride, and because of that, I can’t go easy on you.”
Yoon-seok had no way to confirm if what the man said was true. But soon after exchanging those pleasantries, the atmosphere in the arena changed. The good-natured old man that stood before him was gone.
The man standing before him now was someone who had been forged through countless battles. The aura he exuded felt as sharp as a blade, almost sharp enough to cut through Yoon-seok’s skin. He bit his tongue against the pressure. Otherwise, he would have frozen in fear.
“Then, here I come.”
Whoosh-!
He didn’t hear any footsteps, but the man was already upon him, narrowing the distance in the blink of an eye. The tip of the man’s sword flashed like lightning. Yoon-seok didn’t have time to dodge the attack, but fortunately, he raised his shield in time.
Kang-!
‘One block, one counterattack.’
His muscles automatically moved as he practiced. He had practiced the same movement thousands of times in the waiting room, allowing him to swing his sword with no hesitation. Hesitation was a luxury for someone whose life was on the line.
‘Do or die!’
What happened next made Yoon-seok realize that no matter how strong his will was, it was fruitless against experience and ability.
Chang-!
As if the man foresaw his attack, he effortlessly swung his Blue Dragon Sword to repel Yoon-seok’s blade. The inexperienced Yoon-seok stumbled back from the impact of the seemingly light and graceful block. Their physical strength was the same as per the rule, but one wielded his sword with both hands while the other could only use one.
It was natural that the old man was more stable and balanced after the impact. Without any pause, the old man then thrust his sword forward, forcing Yoon-seok to raise his shield desperately once more.
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