Chapter 52 : Annihilation Battle
Chapter 52: Annihilation Battle
[Struggle mode – Annihilation Battle starting]
[Round victory condition: Deplete all enemy team revival counts]
[Time until first round start — 30 seconds]
The second game’s rules were an annihilation battle.
This rule provided three revival counts per person, and the method was to win by depleting all the enemy team’s revival counts within the round time.
If both sides failed to deplete all revival counts within the round time, the side with the most remaining revival counts at the end won.
The reason annihilation battles had a somewhat different tone from other rules that allowed infinite revivals as long as time permitted was because it was a recently added rule through an update.
Reverse Planet’s PVP would add various rules through updates like this, then if the evaluation was good, would organize them into regular matches.
From small things like rules—for instance, Duel mode duo (2v2) was like that—to large things like the mode itself—Survival mode was also added that way.
“To be honest, I see a high probability that this annihilation battle won’t enter regular matches.”
“It does divide opinions after all.”
-When annihilation battle comes out I just want to close the game
-? Isn’t it super fun? Why don’t you like it
-I hate seeing people camping in the back being cowardly as hell
-I liked it because there’s only three lives so there’s tension lol
Next to Cha Seongcheol who expressed a negative opinion about organizing annihilation battles into regular matches, Jeong Nayeon nodded.
Annihilation battles with the unique element of set revival counts were rules that inevitably divided opinions for Struggle mode users accustomed to existing rules.
On one hand, there were opinions that it was good because it ended faster than other rules or had more tension since there were only three lives, while on the other hand, there were also opinions disliking people acting selfishly because of the lives or having to wait to end in ghost state.
Just looking at the chat window currently fighting divided into pro versus con made that very clear.
Therefore, there was a high possibility Planet Earth would evaluate that annihilation battles were unsuitable for regular match organization.
Generally they would barely consider adding it if public opinion was positive, but there was no reason to add rules that divided opinions.
“However, this is just my opinion, so you shouldn’t absolutely believe it will be that way. The reaction might be different abroad from ours.”
“When I looked before, foreigners didn’t really like it much either.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“I’m a community specter so I often go around foreign communities too and know. It was quite divisive there too. The reasons were almost identical.”
-Got bad reactions on Neddit
-What’s with calling yourself a community specter lol
-The form of even mastering foreign communities is crazy ㄷㄷ
-Whether there or here, opinions are probably similar if anything
“Then it won’t be completely eliminated but will go into special rules.”
“Yes, I think so too.”
Special rules meant game rules that could only be used in matches that weren’t regular matches—whether normal or ranked—where the matching system applied.
Rules like annihilation battles that divided opinions rather than having con as the majority often fell into special rules rather than regular organization.
Then people who liked it would dig out separate rooms to play when fooling around together.
“Anyway, it’s the first annihilation battle being conducted! I’m curious what kind of appearance Hackphysical will show slicing up enemies!”
-Why is slicing them up confirmed lol
-Honestly I can’t picture him losing here
-Just watching to see how overwhelmingly he’ll win
-Yo, you too?
[First round, start!]
-“Let’s go-!”
-“Run!”
After the system message announcing the round start appeared, the door that had been firmly locked to prevent entry into the battlefield opened wide.
Of course, the players who became a team with Baek Woohyun, for whom the moment they had been eagerly waiting had arrived, cheered and immediately rushed outside.
Though he didn’t shout cheers like them, Baek Woohyun also ran through the open door the same. Anyway, he had to get to the enemies.
The teammates didn’t agonize at all over where to go, because in this battlefield, Zone 3: School, there was a place where people gathered like an unwritten rule.
It was the spacious playground surrounded by school buildings. Since strongholds used in conquest battles or capture battles appeared here, it naturally became that way.
Thus when Baek Woohyun and the teammates arrived at the playground, the enemy team was just setting foot in the playground from the opposite side at the same time.
-“There! Over there!”
-“Good, we’ll attack first! [Wind Blade]!”
-“[Spreading Lightning]!”
-“[Fireball]!”
The teammates who discovered the enemy team—of course, Baek Woohyun was excluded—poured out supernatural ability skills all at once.
First, a translucent blade shot out sharply aiming at enemies, and following it, blue-glowing lightning and a blazing burning flame sphere flew.
The scene of various attribute supernatural abilities harmonizing as they cut through the air was truly spectacular.
-“[Flame Wall]!”
-“[Shadow Thorns]!”
-“[Wave Cannon]!”
However, the enemies didn’t just take it either. They too poured out supernatural ability skills the instant they saw Baek Woohyun and teammates appearing on the opposite side.
The supernatural ability skills they unleashed collided with the supernatural ability skills unleashed by Baek Woohyun’s teammates, exploded, and scattered their remnants everywhere.
Fortunately or unfortunately, since it was an explosion that occurred at quite a distance from both groups—about midway between each team—there was no injured side.
-“Keep going! Don’t stop! [Whirlwind]!”
-“Surprise attack! How cowardly! [Flame Storm]!”
Kwaaang-! Kureureureung- Sswaeaek!
Both teams making a standoff structure while growling at each other and shooting supernatural ability skills.
Those seeing this for the first time might wonder what the hell this was, but in fact, this was the most commonly encountered scene in PVP among ordinary users.
Generally, ordinary users mostly fought using supernatural abilities while keeping distance, and when they gathered, a structure like now was naturally created.
The answer to “Why did a combat style of using only supernatural abilities from range become mainstream even though a combat compensation system exists?” was very simple.
It was because there weren’t many “ordinary” users who could properly utilize that and engage in close combat.
To engage in close combat in Reverse Planet PVP, one first had to dodge or strike away supernatural ability skills violently exchanging before their eyes.
And that wasn’t something possible just because posture became a bit more refined and movements became cleaner.
The majority of players quickly realized that fact and abandoned thoughts of engaging in close combat. That was the reason ranged supernatural ability builds became mainstream.
-“······.”
Jeobeok.
Baek Woohyun, who had been watching quietly, began moving around the time the standoff structure continued somewhat boringly.
Drawing two swords, he approached the enemy team with a leisurely gait.
In other words, he walked into the middle of the playground where supernatural ability skills were ceaselessly colliding.
And that was of his own accord, not because someone pushed him.
-“Uh uh-?”
One teammate belatedly discovered Baek Woohyun and panicked. Momentarily the question “Is he throwing?” flashed across his face. It was a valid question since it was behavior that looked exactly that way no matter who saw it.
The enemy team that noticed Baek Woohyun around the same time didn’t question his actions. They weren’t curious why he was doing that either. There were so many crazy people that there was no reason to care about such trivial things.
Instead, they simply focused supernatural ability skills on Baek Woohyun saying “Perfect.”
[Flame Spear], [Wind Blade], [Shadow Thorns], [Wave Cannon]─
Various supernatural ability skills aimed at Baek Woohyun, and he looked about to be torn to shreds at any moment.
Both allies and enemies thought so.
However.
-“······.”
Seogeok!
When Baek Woohyun counterattacked, everyone there had their thoughts proven wrong.
The sword he swung split [Flame Spear] vertically and instead tore apart [Wind Blade]. Even the surging [Shadow Thorns] were merely trampled meaninglessly.
[Wave Cannon], whose timing was somewhat late, didn’t even touch him in the first place. It just struck emptily behind him as he slowly advanced.
The supernatural ability skills that had looked so threatening crumbled emptily before his sword.
It was a scene beyond the realm of understanding.
-“Huh? Uh uh?”
-“No, wait wait wait!”
As the enemy they had thought of as merely a moving target approached swinging two swords, deep confusion appeared on the enemy team’s faces.
It was obvious what would happen if someone who had broken through supernatural ability skills thrown targeting a single person without any trouble closed the distance.
They, who only had ranged supernatural ability builds, would be sliced up at once.
Therefore, they had to deal with him before he got closer. The enemy team quickly exchanged glances and realized others were thinking the same thing.
-“Focus fire! Focus fire-! Pour everything out for now!”
-“[Wrath of the Storm God]!”
-“[Devouring Despair]!”
Taaat!
Toward the enemies taking out even the powerful skills they had been saving, Baek Woohyun began walking again.
His two eyes were already burning pure white.
They were flames proving Perfect Being was activated to its limit.
Just as it had been when Superhumans rampaged in ‘that place’.
Seo-geok!
First, the arrow wrapped in storm was split in half, and then the shadow trying to cover Baek Woohyun from below was torn along with the floor.
Subsequently, the snake of flames trying to surround and burn him was also mercilessly hacked to pieces before the two blades and collapsed.
Contrary to being called “powerful skills they had saved,” the result was no different from before. Meaning they couldn’t inflict even a bit of damage on Baek Woohyun.
Thus finally, he who had sliced through everything with only two swords stood before the enemies.
-“What is this…”
-“It doesn’t make sense.”
The enemy team looked at Baek Woohyun, who had arrived after tearing through all supernatural ability skills alone, with eyes like seeing something resembling a demon risen from hell.
Actually, in their position, the two weren’t particularly different. Baek Woohyun with hostility or a demon risen from hell were about the same.
Strictly speaking, the former was scarier. The latter might have an inclination to spare them, but the former wouldn’t have even that.
“Wow, really doesn’t make sense. Really.”
“Five ranged supernatural ability builds focus fired together and he doesn’t die and comes right up to their noses, what can they do?”
-What do you mean what can they do, they just have to die
-For real lol they have no choice but to die
-Just consider it like getting hit by a truck
-Tearing through even the ultimates they saved is terror
‘LifeAchievementGM’ donated ‘10,000 won’!
[If it were me I would have just gracefully offered my neck ㅇㅇ]
It was perfectly natural that admiration burst out once again from the mouths of Cha Seongcheol, Jeong Nayeon, and the viewers watching all this combat from the studio.
In the previous match, they had only received the impression of simply being overwhelming because he tore through them without even giving time to use supernatural ability skills, but now was different.
Because the appearance of Baek Woohyun slicing away all supernatural ability skills targeting him head-on and ultimately reaching the enemies felt terribly frightening even to them.
All the more so since even they couldn’t know what means to use to stop Baek Woohyun.
-“······.”
Baek Woohyun, who scanned the enemy team with an indifferent gaze, soon began merciless execution, and the game practically ended there.
It was the moment when the first step toward an unstoppable winning streak was perfectly placed.