20 Squad: Between Cowardice and Strength
Seowoon looked at Juriel's conflicted expression for a moment and then smiled faintly as he drew his bow. He unleashed the silent footwork technique to its limits.
In an instant, Seowoon split into ten afterimages and closed in from the side. The enemy squad began to waver, unsure whether to block or retreat.
Seowoon didn't miss that brief moment of hesitation.
Whoosh! Crash!
The moment he loosed his arrow, it collided with the enemy's barrier and exploded, shattering it.
At the same time, two enemy players rushed at Seowoon from their formation.
A knight and a martial warrior.
It was a situation reminiscent of their first encounter—except this time, the enemies weren't pushovers.
The knight wore compact armor and wielded a blazing sword, while the warrior brandished a spear, both charging at Seowoon at terrifying speed.
Seowoon, who had been about to fire another arrow, immediately stowed his bow and summoned Hamit to his hand.
One look told him: these were no ordinary opponents—one was clearly a Sword Emperor, and the other, a master of the spear.
"Ice Lance."
Two ice spears flew toward the charging duo, but they shattered them instantly and burst through the cold, arriving right in front of him.
Realizing the Ice Lance hadn't even bought him time, Seowoon's face twisted in frustration as he fell back and called out:
"Hamit!"
"Kekeke, you only call me when you're in danger, master! Best of luck!"
Simultaneously, a roulette wheel appeared in front of him and began to spin.
"Trrrrr… Ding! Reaper's Strike. Oof, that's a dangerous one. Let's see if you can handle it…"
Reaper's Strike—a skill that reflects the damage taken back to the enemy. The more damage you accumulate, the stronger the counterattack becomes.
The moment the skill info appeared in his mind, Seowoon scowled.
"Damn it!"
Of all the skills, it had to be this messy one.
Even a barrier would've been better. As he turned to the right, he spotted Kichan and another knight running toward him for support.
Fwoooosh!
The Sword Emperor struck first, swinging a blazing blade with enough force to cut him in half.
Blocking it directly wasn't an option. If he did, he'd be wide open to the martial warrior's thrust. So Seowoon dodged hard to the side—the knight's sword sliced the air where he had just stood.
Clang!
At the same time, Seowoon blocked the incoming spear, his hand stinging from the impact.
A blue aura shimmered over the spearhead like a mirage.
The energy, transitioning from formless to tangible, was far more destructive than ordinary sword energy.
Slick!
Kichan fired an Ice Snake at the knight who had flanked Seowoon, but the knight cleanly decapitated the frozen serpent.
Just then, a massive Lance of Wind cast by Juriel came flying like a hurricane toward the knight.
This time, the knight couldn't simply cut through it and had to narrowly dodge to the side, barely avoiding it.
Whoosh!
With the Wind Lance raging past behind him, Seowoon was locked in intense combat with the martial warrior.
Clack!
As Seowoon tried to close the distance by deflecting the spear with a hook parry, the enemy's spear twisted in a shocking spiral.
Like a drill, the spinning shaft transmitted all its force into Seowoon's arm.
"Ugh!"
It was the first time a groan escaped him in melee.
He had often used that parry technique to break opponents' balance and seize the upper hand—but now he knew.
The enemy's spiraling spear carried the same kind of disrupting force as his own parry.
Just as Seowoon staggered slightly, the martial warrior calmly stepped back and spun his spear once more.
Behind him, the knight's massive sword was already in motion again.
Slash! Squelch!
A sharp noise sent chills down Seowoon's spine.
The knight's sword barely grazed him but managed to slice his clothes, and warm, sticky liquid began to flow down his back.
And that was with his Kair Barrier active.
Even the knight didn't immediately follow up. He glanced at his own armor—torn at the shoulder—and realized he too was in danger.
Seeing how cautiously he readjusted his grip on the sword, it was clear the previous exchange had shaken him.
"You're using dirty martial arts—Bloodbone Fist," the martial warrior growled.
Seowoon shot back without flinching.
"Still better than some worthless spear technique."
It was just a snide remark inspired by martial arts clichés like Hundred-Day Spear, Thousand-Day Blade, Ten-Thousand-Day Sword—but the warrior's eyes flared as his spear hand trembled.
Like he was burning to show just how superior the spear could be.
Hooked by the taunt, the warrior thrust his now force-laden spear.
The blue aura intensified as the spear flew toward Seowoon's chest. He twisted his body to dodge—but the blade veered toward his neck.
Clang!
Seowoon's fist struck the lower part of the shaft just in time, and the martial warrior grimaced as he pulled back.
He hadn't planned to block the aura-coated blade directly—but the shaft itself was manageable.
In the meantime, Kichan and the knight reached Seowoon and joined the fray.
"Don't engage in close combat! Shielders stay by the mage and defend thoroughly—just suppress them as much as possible!"
These weren't opponents you could just charge at. That knight could cleave someone in half if given the chance.
Kichan and the knight had seen the enemies' skill firsthand and kept their distance, focusing on supporting Seowoon.
Boom!
Crack!
A fierce magic battle erupted between Seowoon's squad closing in and the retreating enemies determined not to give up ground.
In the midst of it all, Seowoon clashed once more with the enemy front line.
Realizing Seowoon wasn't to be underestimated, the enemies adapted—the knight now took the lead, engaging Seowoon directly, while the martial warrior used his superior range to exploit any openings from behind.
He stabbed toward Seowoon and tried to suppress Kichan's magic.
Just as the knight was swinging his sword as if to split Seowoon's crown in half, a warrior leapt out from the side, aiming for Kichan.
Although the knight was standing in front of Kichan, in the eyes of the warrior, he was nothing more than a scarecrow.
Whoosh!
The knight's sword sliced through Seowoon, but as the bisected Seowoon vanished, the knight's eyes widened behind his helmet.
Clang!
The trajectory of the spear tip in Seowoon's hand twisted as it pierced through the knight's shield and cut through the thick armored arm. At that moment, Kichan's staff flashed.
From his hand, Chain Lightning surged, and from his shimmering staff, a Spear of Water shot out.
Crackle!
As the electrified water spear struck the warrior directly, his barrier shattered and sparks spread across his body.
Clang!
The bloodbone blade aimed to smash the skull in one blow, but a knight quickly rushed in and blocked it with his sword, sending a screeching metallic sound echoing in the air.
Boom!
As the knight tried to retreat, bleeding from his arm, he released a blast of gray aura and rammed his entire body into the enemy.
With a heavy crash, the charging knight was thrown backward, but his opponent also staggered, reeling back a step.
Crunch!
Seowoon didn't miss the moment—he grabbed the crumpled helmet of the knight.
Squelch!
Blood from the head wound smeared half the face of the young knight, revealing his bare, blood-soaked face.
The knight's reflexes, enough to barely escape such danger, were both impressive and frustrating.
Had Seowoon been just a little faster, it wouldn't have been the helmet in his hand but a crushed skull.
"It's a guerrilla attack!"
At that moment, the scout monitoring the battlefield from the rear shouted in panic.
Without even the time to scan the battlefield, Seowoon gave an order and charged the two enemies.
"You two, go to the rear! I'll handle this alone!"
After a brief hesitation, the two trusted Seowoon and retreated.
If the mages in the rear were to fall, it would mean total defeat.
Clang clang clang!
From that moment, a tense two-on-one battle unfolded.
Seowoon narrowly avoided enemy attacks or absorbed unavoidable strikes with minimal injury.
Before long, blood was streaming from his flank and thigh, soaking the ground.
Thinking it was almost over, the knight smirked and lunged at Seowoon—only to pale and falter.
'Finally!'
As the knight's confidence faltered, Seowoon, who had only been defending so far, lunged with an outstretched hand—just as the warrior's spear shot toward his chest.
'This can't be helped.'
Bracing himself, Seowoon surged forward and reached out.
Stab! Crack!
As blinding pain shot through his shoulder, the knight with part of his skull shattered collapsed. Behind him stood the warrior who had stabbed Seowoon's shoulder with his spear.
Seowoon grasped the spear shaft that had pierced through him and locked eyes with his enemy, refusing to let go.
"You bastard!"
The enemy realized that the knight's sudden faltering had something to do with Seowoon's trickery. Gritting his teeth, he rotated the spear like a drill.
As the wound widened, the pain of flesh and bone separating overwhelmed Seowoon—but he remained focused on his enemy and moved forward.
Seeing Seowoon approach with a spear still lodged in his shoulder, for the first time, fear entered the warrior's eyes.
He had faced many enemies and gained real combat experience through Cloroyd.
He had encountered enemies who lunged with suicidal determination.
But never had he seen an opponent like Seowoon, with such obsession for victory, eyes fixed on him like prey.
The gaze of a hunter eyeing his prey.
Despite his shattered shoulder rendering one arm useless and the severe blood loss from wounds on his thigh and flank draining his face pale, Seowoon showed no doubt—only the resolve to hunt.
Whoosh!
A moment of fear overtook the warrior. For the first time in his life, he dropped his spear and fled.
He had learned from youth to fear disgrace.
Better to lose an arm than drop your weapon.
Better to die than show your back.
Never beg for your life in front of an enemy.
And yet, this warrior—who had believed and lived by those words—had just dropped his spear and turned tail.
Though he managed to escape Seowoon's attack with only a flesh wound, the shame of abandoning his spear sank in late.
But he didn't want to fight the smirking enemy before him any longer.
He glanced at the knight, still barely alive and savable, before turning his back and fleeing. Seowoon chased after him.
Though the Sword Emperor's vitality and abundant essence were tempting, it was impossible to absorb life force while risking his life in a fight.
So Seowoon needed this warrior's essence.
He lunged after the fleeing man—only for him to stumble and crash to the ground.
"Looks like the Grim Reaper's strike hit perfectly."
Poison from the Bloodbone Blade, which grazed the warrior's arm, had spread to his face, dark veins now covering it like spiderwebs.
"P-poison…"
Though it took time for the knight to succumb, Lilingwi's blood poison spread instantly through the warrior upon the Grim Reaper's strike.
Crack!
The Bloodbone Blade finally pierced the warrior's skull and crushed his head, releasing a large surge of life essence.
As Seowoon began absorbing it, his eyes briefly flared red and then dimmed.
"Ha!"
Letting out a short breath and battle cry, Seowoon tore his last scroll.
But the wounds covering his body were too severe—he could only barely stop the bleeding.
The gaping wound through his left shoulder still opened clear to the other side.
As the bleeding stopped, Seowoon scanned the battlefield. In his eyes, he saw shielders barely holding the line against the guerrillas, and players fiercely engaged in close combat.
It was utter chaos—a brutal melee aimed at thinning each side's mages in a never-ending chain of attacks and counters.
Amidst this, the ones who stood out most were Juriel and Lilingwei.
Juriel, canceling dangerous enemy spells like a ghost while issuing sharp orders, and Lilingwei, poisoning and retiring enemies one by one with hidden weapons, were tearing through the battlefield. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were dominating the field.
Into this chaos, Seowoon charged.
The moment he lunged at the guerrillas attacking from the rear, something unexpected happened.
The main enemy force, which had been fighting while abandoning the guerrillas, suddenly began to retreat.
Just as their opponents withdrew mid-close combat, the players instinctively tried to pursue them—only to be blocked by Seowoon and Juriel.
"Don't follow them!"
"The rear is more important!"
It was clearly wiser to eliminate the enemies they could kill now. Chasing after the retreating enemies could lead to unforeseen dangers and unnecessary losses.
The enemy surely knew this too—and had sacrificed their guerrillas in order to escape.
Desperate to buy time, the guerrillas resisted fiercely.
But in the end, the numerical disadvantage was too much to overcome.
Seowoon, too, crushed the skull of a rather skilled elven guerrilla, bringing his kill count to ten.
The moment he landed his tenth kill, a red coin shot out in front of his eyes with a clear ping sound.
– Ting!
As he instinctively caught the glowing red coin, a chime sounded.
– Ding! You have obtained a Special Coin: Proof of the Battlefield. Collect 19 more to receive the main reward. Keep it up!
While the first-timers didn't know what it was, the more experienced players immediately recognized that Seowoon had just received a Special Coin tied to the main prize.
Reading the mixed emotions in their eyes, Seowoon gave a bitter smile.
"So this is how they provoke greed by handing out coins like this?"
He didn't know why the game creator—or admin—was so desperate to speed up the game, but one thing was clear: they had set up clever mechanics to drive the pace.
If they had just told everyone to get 200 kills, most players would've given up and focused on survival instead.
But giving out special coins every 10 kills? That was irresistible. Anyone would feel the pull of greed.
– Fuuuuuh…
A warm breeze wrapped around Seowoon's body, healing him as he sank into thought.
It took a long time for the hole in his shoulder to close and all the cuts on his body to be completely healed.
As the others finished reviving the fallen players scattered across the battlefield, Juriel clapped her hands to draw attention.
– Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Fortunately, all 20 of us survived. The enemy has lost nearly half of their forces. As you all know, the credit goes to Jin Seowoon, who initiated the fight. I'm sure you saw it yourselves—he took down both the Sword Emperor and a top-tier player on his own. Therefore, I propose we give Jin Seowoon the first pick from the loot. Any objections?"
Of course, no one objected.
Even among elite players, defeating the Sword Emperor in a 2-on-1 was no easy feat.
Though Kichan's expression looked less than pleased.
"Then I'll assume everyone agrees. I'll bring the items now."
After opening nine chests and gathering the loot, a number of impressive items were revealed.
From among them, Seowoon selected a useful light-footwork manual and an elixir, handing them to two of the scouts.
"These two are enough for me. Split the rest among yourselves."
All the players turned to look at Seowoon, eyes wide.
The two scouts, in particular, were overwhelmed with gratitude.
Among the loot were plenty of desirable accessories, making even Kichan stare at Seowoon in disbelief.
"That's not like him at all."
Having known Seowoon for a long time, Kichan instinctively sensed that he had something else in mind.
Meanwhile, Seowoon smiled warmly, putting on an air of generosity.
"Gotta paint the big picture, one piece at a time. 190 kills left…"
He figured it was a great bargain: hand out some minor loot and say a few nice words in exchange for stealing future kills.
Just as that thought settled in his mind, one of the scouts shouted out loud—
"Zombies incoming! Jiangshi!"
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]
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