Chapter 36 : Extreme Praise
Chapter 36: Extreme Praise
Someone might say this.
Since it’s a build focusing only on physical ability anyway, couldn’t you just keep distance and unilaterally beat them down using supernatural abilities?
At a glance it seems like a reasonably rational method, but could one really claim they countered by exploiting the build’s weakness?
That’s merely the battle structure between a close-range combat supernatural ability build and a long-range combat supernatural ability build.
Moreover, just because supernatural abilities couldn’t be used didn’t necessarily mean long-range attacks were impossible.
Imagine Baek Woohyun swinging a chain scythe from a distance. An ordinary user would be torn apart without even being able to properly respond.
Therefore, the idea of unilaterally beating someone down while adjusting distance was merely delusion.
‘At most they’d come loaded with crowd control skills, or come with a supernatural ability build of an attribute with somewhat low resistance.’
That’s why Baek Woohyun had not the slightest hesitation in revealing his build.
He openly selected his build as if to show off.
Starting from the first Core Element [Perfect Being], he completely revealed to those who would be watching him the physical ability enhancement build he’d personally proven with his body over ten years in ‘that place.’
Not only Core Elements, but sub-elements all together.
He wasn’t concerned at all that someone might copy the revealed build exactly and challenge him.
Because there could absolutely be no one who could face him head-on with this build and win.
How could anyone dare handle it better than him when it was a build acquired by directly breaking and cutting down people in ‘that place’?
“Good.”
The soon-completed build was similar to the build used during ‘Survival’ mode, but was in a state refined somewhat more offensively.
This was a change that occurred because unlike ‘Survival’ mode where melees with many mixed together frequently occurred, ‘Duel’ mode only had 1v1 combat.
In ‘Survival’ mode where struggle of all against all was natural, even for him who was seasoned in combat, the possibility of being hit existed.
Because it was utterly impossible for even him to dodge everything—wide-range area skills or attacks attempted by many at once.
Therefore, builds used in ‘Survival’ mode inevitably had to invest in defensive elements including supernatural ability resistance.
On the other hand, in ‘Duel’ mode which was 1v1 combat, he just needed to focus purely on the opponent. Meaning there were no unavoidable attacks that commonly occurred in chaotic battles.
Then wasn’t it natural to compose a build by removing defensive elements with the mindset of just not getting hit?
[Would you like to start PVP ‘Duel’ mode game matching?]
[Yes/No]
Baek Woohyun’s choice was naturally [Yes].
The moment he selected the button, a new system message appeared with a ppa-bam— sound effect.
[Successfully matched to PVP ‘Duel’ mode game]
The matching speed was much faster than during ‘Survival’ mode.
Well, unlike ‘Survival’ mode which needed a hundred people to start, ‘Duel’ mode started with just two people, so it being faster wasn’t particularly strange.
Especially since it was a regular game, not a high-tier ranked game.
‘I heard you need to win 10 times in regular games to get ranked game access.’
[Moving to arena]
While Baek Woohyun was briefly lost in other thoughts, the battle preparation room’s scenery changed.
The space that had been reasonably spacious but still a room expanded greatly, transforming into the middle of a street with houses arranged left and right.
It was a stage with the feeling of cutting out and bringing part of ‘Survival’ mode’s Zone 6: Residential Area to fit ‘Duel’ mode.
Adding to that, on the opposite side of the street, an opponent who appeared to be his match appeared.
Unlike Baek Woohyun who was still only wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, it was a man outfitted in neat clothing including a plausible jacket.
The man, who’d clearly been enjoying the game longer than Baek Woohyun, seemed reasonably relaxed, perhaps the power of long play time.
“······.”
Baek Woohyun’s two eyes watching his opponent changed to inverted eyes with strange rippling.
Those eyes with black whites and white pupils—clearly an abnormal appearance and abnormal state—were proof of [Perfect Being] and—
Simultaneously a clear expression of revealing his will to fight without fail.
[Time remaining until first round start – 10 seconds]
The time given until combat start was only 10 seconds.
Baek Woohyun, who’d experienced not only battles exterminating invading otherworld enemies but also mock battles between test subjects sickeningly, didn’t take this time lightly.
Because he knew well that once directly faced, there was much information that could be grasped in merely ten seconds, and all of it could be keys leading to victory.
Didn’t the old saying go: if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear a hundred battles?
Knowing the enemy and knowing yourself was the first step of combat.
The difference between fighting after confirming things about the opponent even for a few seconds versus not was significant.
‘Even if the opponent is weak, same thing.’
He wasn’t trying to say something like—a lion gives its all even when catching a rabbit.
Simply, Baek Woohyun had learned that way on the battlefield.
Not to look down on someone because they seemed weak, and actually were weak.
Because the experience of losing a comrade who’d been together for just the one reason of letting his guard down had robbed him of the word carelessness.
Baek Woohyun’s coolly sunken gaze examined the enemy.
‘He’s not holding any weapons. That means he’s an awakener who fights centered on supernatural ability skills. Or he might have barehanded combat as his main.’
[Time remaining until first round start – 8 seconds]
Firearms had low value in awakener-versus-awakener combat anyway because of particle barriers that blocked bullets.
So rather than fighting while holding firearms that don’t help and only interfere due to being heavy, it would be efficient to focus on supernatural abilities.
With this logic, in ‘that place’ too there were quite many awakeners who abandoned firearms and fought with only supernatural abilities.
Baek Woohyun, who’d fought various awakeners while working as a contract worker, guessed the opponent he currently faced was also one of those people.
Or, at very low probability, an awakener who had barehanded combat as their main. Of course, this was merely an ‘if’ story at very low probability.
‘The first strike will probably be taken by that side, so the key is dodging that and how well I close the distance. I wonder how many means the opponent has to create distance.’
[Time remaining until first round start – 5 seconds]
It was around this time that the enemy player moved.
The enemy player’s intention in lowering their body slightly and creating flames in both hands was clear.
Attack by spewing flames simultaneously with combat start!
If supernatural abilities were their main, it was a natural strategy since they’d need to pound skills as much as possible before Baek Woohyun holding a weapon got close.
“······.”
Baek Woohyun thought the opponent’s action was a not very wise act. Because that was giving away information before fighting.
Couldn’t he predict how they’d use their supernatural ability by seeing the flame’s form and gripping method?
If it were him, he’d rather choose to spew flames simultaneously with the start.
If only to hide information until the first attack.
[3 seconds]
[2 seconds]
[1 second]
[First round, start!]
Finally, the system message announced the start of combat.
Kwang!
Baek Woohyun reacted immediately and kicked off the ground.
As if proving the tremendous power dwelling in his body, a sound close to an explosion rang out.
Surprisingly, a single step was sufficient for the gap of over ten meters to close.
Truly a tremendous rush!
If the ‘Duel’ hadn’t started with considerable distance, the enemy player would have had to face Baek Woohyun who’d reached right before their nose along with combat start.
But fortunately for the enemy player, there was considerable distance between the two.
A distance where even Baek Woohyun, who’d created a build investing everything in physical ability, couldn’t immediately reach before the enemy player.
That’s why the side that took the first strike was the enemy player who instinctively spewed flames toward the one approaching them.
The situation unfolded exactly as Baek Woohyun had predicted before combat start.
“[Flame Storm]!”
Hwareureureuk!
“─!”
A storm of flames instantly occupying vision.
An ordinary person might have unknowingly stopped frozen in fear, but Baek Woohyun wasn’t.
He rather gritted his teeth and kicked off the ground again.
As if to leap into the flames.
Of course, he didn’t really intend to do that.
Chwaaak!
Just before being directly hit by [Flame Storm], Baek Woohyun who’d lowered his body slipped out below while sliding.
Consequently, the enemy player’s supernatural ability skill only burned a few strands of Baek Woohyun’s hair.
It was a dangerous gamble where he would have tumbled on the floor covered in all the flames from the front if the timing had been off even slightly, but—
‘Anyway, it succeeded.’
Didn’t he perfectly close the distance with the enemy player as compensation for taking the risk?
That was sufficient.
“Hup!”
Even when Baek Woohyun, who’d risen with only light recoil, held his military dagger, the enemy player couldn’t make any real response.
Without dodging the blade flashing toward them or stepping back using another supernatural ability skill, they just stood with a startled expression.
However, expecting more than that was an unreasonable demand in the first place.
Not a pro player, not even a trainee aspiring to be a pro player but an ordinary user—how could they stand against the natural disaster called ‘Superhuman’?
Seogeok!
Baek Woohyun swung his military dagger toward the enemy player’s nape, and the blade containing superhuman strength precisely severed the targeted area.
The hand the enemy player had belatedly raised, probably intending to block, posed no hindrance. It merely flailed powerlessly in midair.
‘···Is this the extent of it.’
And the combat effectively ended there.
Because Baek Woohyun wasn’t one to just leave the enemy player staggering with their neck cut.
The military dagger moved relentlessly, randomly cutting and stabbing the enemy player’s entire body. It was brutal hacking that even an awakener’s characteristic tenacious vitality couldn’t endure.
Before long, the blood-soaked enemy player collapsed with a pallid complexion.
[First round ended]
[Winner: Baek Woohyun]
[Loser: (Anonymous)]
[Current record – Baek Woohyun 1:0 (Anonymous)]
[Proceeding to next round immediately]
Right after the enemy player’s life was cut off, the system message calmly listed results.
Naturally the winner was Baek Woohyun, and the loser was the anonymous player.
As the outcome was decided that way, the fallen enemy player’s appearance faded and disappeared, then soon reappeared at their initial standing location.
With wounds all over their body nowhere to be seen in a perfectly fine state—unfortunately for the enemy player, reviving without a single wound didn’t seem to give them will to continue fighting.
[Time remaining until second round start – 10 seconds]
“Ah geez, met a sub-account smurf again! Not doing it! Surrender!”
[‘Duel’ ends due to surrender by (Anonymous)]
[Final Winner: Baek Woohyun]
[Final Loser: (Anonymous)]
Was it because they’d already felt too great a gap in the first round?
The enemy player declared surrender as is, and without the second round starting, the first ‘Duel’ ended.
With extreme praise that could be given in PVP content—translation: Wow, you play at high tier level!—added as a bonus.
Of course, there would be no one who could blame such an enemy player.
For one who’d suddenly encountered the natural disaster called Baek Woohyun, choosing surrender along with extreme praise was a very natural sequence.
Gap has to be reasonable for challenge desire to spring up—wouldn’t it be difficult to muster will to fight more when defeated without doing anything like now?
Seureureuk—
As the ‘Duel’ ended, the residential area scenery changed to the battle preparation room with a melting effect like when it came.
Baek Woohyun, who’d come to stand in the battle preparation room again, lightly shrugged his shoulders.
His air was calm despite achieving first victory.
As if saying this much was nothing.
‘I need to enter ranked games quickly.’
Because only then would enemies worth facing appear.
Fortunately, Baek Woohyun’s wish was fulfilled before too long.
Much faster than he’d thought.