Echoes of the Reverse Planet

Chapter 110: Freedom

“How long are you going to lie there?”

“You do better!”

The Beau-tiful Twins bickered as they got up and prepared to fight. They’d guessed their allotted rest time had ended.

Their prediction was correct—the moment they stood up, Baek Woohyun used telekinesis to tear up and lift the training ground floor.

Rock chunks that had once been the training ground floor rose into the air with a kwadeudeuk! sound. His body also flew up along with them.

“……”

Gooo—

Baek Woohyun floated in mid-air with the rock chunks, looking down at the Beau-tiful Twins.

It was truly a scene that screamed ‘I’m about to throw these at you!’

He spoke with a faint smile.

“Shall I begin?”

“Yes! Come at us!”

“Ready!”

Huuk—!

The rock chunks controlled by telekinesis immediately shot toward the Beau-tiful Twins. The speed was quite extraordinary, as if considerable force had been applied.

The Beau-tiful Twins, having prepared somewhat, dodged the first rock chunk without much difficulty. Huk! The rock grazed past them.

But Baek Woohyun’s offensive was only just beginning.

He scattered the rock chunks floating around him indiscriminately near the twins, then launched attacks from every direction.

Naturally, the Beau-tiful Twins screamed at the surprise attacks pouring from all directions—front, back, left, right, everywhere.

Especially since even rock chunks they occasionally dodged or deflected would suddenly return and target them.

Huuk—!

“Aaah! I’m dying!”

“You have time to scream?!”

When Yun Daun screamed at a rock chunk grazing her head, Yun Areum, who was deflecting another rock chunk beside her, scolded.

Even with dozens of rock chunks flying wildly at them, they didn’t forget to worry about each other—a deeply affectionate sight befitting twins.

Watching them, Jeong Nayeon, Cha Seongcheol, and the viewers giggled, saying “that’s twins for you.”

“……”

‘This side isn’t bad either.’

Baek Woohyun nodded as he observed the tenaciously enduring Beau-tiful Twins.

Just as when he was patching the flaws in the system earlier, the twins were rapidly growing amid the hardships he imposed upon them.

He could clearly see the two coordinating better and better without even needing to communicate.

However, saying they were “doing well” was only from his perspective—from the outside, it looked quite dire.

With just the simple method of grabbing and throwing rock chunks with telekinesis, the Beau-tiful Twins were busy desperately defending without even thinking of counterattacking.

Sometimes they even rolled on the ground to dodge, giving off a feeling of struggling. As if they might collapse entirely at any moment.

Clearly Baek Woohyun’s attacks were just light jabs, yet they were struggling like this, so some viewers seemed puzzled.

‘HotHaNewbieReceive’ donated ‘1000 won’!

[I’m a newbie so I don’t know well, but they’re the same max level build, so why is it so hard for them to dodge?]

-ㄹㅇ it’s just throwing rock chunks, why are they like that

-If it were me I would’ve dodged swish swish swooshㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-? You say that after seeing that?

-Ahㅋㅋ I can see the tier in the chat, I can seeㅋㅋ

Generally, the power of max level builds, assuming the build is proper, tends to be similar even if there are some differences.

Therefore, situations like now where one side unilaterally pushes the other with a single skill rarely occurred. Needless to say when it’s 2 versus 1.

So it was quite natural for some viewers to feel puzzled thinking ‘why are they struggling so much to dodge that?’

It’s not like Baek Woohyun exploited weaknesses in the correction system like before, right?

“The reason the twins are being pushed back by Hackphysical’s attacks despite being the same max level build is simple.”

The one who stepped forward to resolve the viewers’ questions was, of course, Cha Seongcheol.

“It’s because the supernatural ability skills Hackphysical uses are extremely free. To a degree that can’t be explained by conventional ‘Reverse Planet’ common sense.”

-Free?dom

-What’s that, otaku

-Ah~ I completely understand (didn’t understand)

-It’s definitely beyond common sense ㄹㅇㅋㅋ

A clear answer befitting an active ‘Struggle’ League commentator.

However, whether viewers could understand the content within was another matter.

Perhaps realizing from a glance at the chat that many didn’t understand his words, Cha Seongcheol coughed and continued his explanation.

“When correction is at maximum, ordinary supernatural ability skills have only one form. They can’t be adapted, meaning the skill only activates exactly as predetermined.”

For example, look at the supernatural ability skill [Wind Blade].

[Wind Blade] had a predetermined form of ‘shooting one blade made of wind in a straight line,’ and changing that was impossible.

The number of blades, shape, size, and even how it flies—players couldn’t wield it at will.

“So commonly used supernatural ability skills all have established countermeasures, and as you PVP, you physically learn how to respond.”

“But Woohyun’s supernatural ability is different, right?”

“Correct. Completely different. Since there’s no correction, it’s extremely free, and there are no countermeasures. That’s why the Beau-tiful Twins are struggling.”

Conversely, the supernatural ability Baek Woohyun was currently using had no predetermined form called supernatural ability skills. Because it was free from the correction system’s influence.

In exchange for raising the difficulty so much that even activating a single supernatural ability skill properly was hard, he could use telekinesis freely.

Thus, he threw and swung rock chunks at will, so the Beau-tiful Twins, who had only faced ordinary supernatural ability skills, had no choice but to struggle.

It was the power of complete freedom that only those who had cast off the shackles of correction could display.

-Wow so that’s why

-He explains this so clearly

-There’s a reason he’s a commentator ㄹㅇ

-This is also why pros try to lower correction ㅇㅇ to give more variation to skills and exploit openings

“So I think if you can use supernatural abilities freely without correction, the strong side would actually be ranged builds rather than melee builds.”

“As expected! …I mean, why’s that?”

“Because melee builds are confined by the inherent limits of the body, but ranged builds obtain freedom without any limits. Just like right now.”

-Ranged builds have a higher ceiling?

-Mr. Jeong stop discriminating against melee!ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-The problem is using supernatural ability skills without correction is ㅈㄴ hard

-Fact) It’s hard to even use one skill with no correction

‘That’s not right though.’

Baek Woohyun, who’d kept his ears open even while unilaterally pushing the Beau-tiful Twins, thought to himself.

Certainly, as Cha Seongcheol said, it was true that melee builds couldn’t match the freedom of ranged builds due to the inherent limits of the body.

But that didn’t mean ranged builds had the advantage at the extreme high point. Freedom was just one advantage—it didn’t become strength itself.

He dared say that when Awakeners’ skills were equal, the stronger side at the extreme high point was melee builds.

Wasn’t ‘Superhuman’ Baek Woohyun the living proof of that?

He had long ago beaten to death all the Transcendent candidates who’d sided with the research facility on ‘that side.’

And most of them were ranged supernatural ability users, and as real-world Awakeners who’d never worn correction’s shackles, they were true powerhouses.

The talk about ranged builds being stronger than melee builds at the extreme high point had essentially ended right there.

“W-wait a moment!”

“Time! Time!”

“…Hm?”

The Beau-tiful Twins, who’d been rolling here and there, raised their hands high. They seemed to have something to say.

So Baek Woohyun stopped his attacks to hear what they’d say, and the rock chunks flying toward them froze in mid-air.

Thanks to that, the Beau-tiful Twins barely regained their posture and breathing before quickly shouting.

“We understand our master’s noble intent in training us! We’re really grateful!”

“But won’t most users we face be unable to handle supernatural abilities this freely?!”

“Hmm.”

-ㄹㅇ that’s trueㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Who uses supernatural abilities with no correction like this

-Sensei’s standards are too high

-So you’re saying the training is hard so you can’t do it?!

“To develop coordination ability in extreme situations while also developing response ability!”

“We think it would be better with more straightforward attacks like the users we meet in ranked!”

‘WiselyDerin’ donated ‘1000 won’!

[Thinking about it, that’s really true-con]

The Beau-tiful Twins’ argument had merit.

Certainly, freely using supernatural abilities was only possible for Baek Woohyun, a no-correction user.

Since ordinary users only used normal supernatural ability skills with predetermined forms—that is, straightforward skills—that side would be more effective for developing response ability too.

Especially since this place wasn’t reality like ‘that side,’ but inside the game called ‘Reverse Planet.’

“…Very well.”

“Oh!”

“It worked!”

“Accepting your request, I’ll face you with straightforward skills like ordinary users.”

Seeing the Beau-tiful Twins rejoice at their proposal being accepted, Baek Woohyun smiled faintly. From his perspective, they were misunderstanding something.

As he’d thought about the extreme high points of melee and ranged builds earlier, freedom was just one advantage—not strength itself.

Rather, looking at just the skills manifested through supernatural abilities, freedom was also a disadvantage. Just look at Baek Woohyun’s case right now.

Between a rock chunk moving in zigzags and one striking straight down—which would boast more destructive power was clear.

Therefore, their thought that they could catch their breath if the skill forms became more straightforward was completely wrong!

‘They’ll only realize after experiencing it.’

“However, since countering will become easier, I’ll also raise the power of the skills themselves. Be careful.”

“Y-yes!”

“It’s fine!”

At Baek Woohyun’s warning, the Beau-tiful Twins felt a chill but forced themselves to nod.

They judged that no matter how much the power increased, familiar forms of supernatural ability skills would be better than being swung around like now.

Kuuung—

The rock chunks lifted in the air dropped with a thud, and only fist-sized fragments flew toward Baek Woohyun’s extended index finger.

Then they began spinning at tremendous speed, empowered by telekinesis.

Kiiiiing—!

“…!”

“…!”

Seeing this, the Beau-tiful Twins instinctively felt a sense of crisis and hurriedly gathered to prepare their defense.

Though the size of the projectile about to fly was much smaller than before, they realized the power had increased as Baek Woohyun warned.

They even had a premonition that failing to deflect it like before wouldn’t just result in being knocked away.

Kiiiiing—!

“I think there’s one good thing about ‘Reverse Planet’s’ training grounds above all else.”

“What’s that?”

Jeong Nayeon, who’d slipped in, asked.

But the Beau-tiful Twins felt dread.

Until now, what Baek Woohyun expressed as ‘good’ hadn’t been so good for them.

Indeed, this time was the same.

“That dying doesn’t matter.”

-Is that really a good thing

-It’s good that no matter how much you’re worked, you won’t die

-This isn’t even Spartan training levelㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Lessons you have to learn while dyingㄷㄷ

Kwaaa—!

As Baek Woohyun answered with his eyes glowing ash-gray, the fragment spinning on his fingertip shot out.

Enhanced with tremendous speed plus rotational force, the fragment made a terrifying sound as it targeted Yun Daun’s heart.

It was an attack where it seemed exceedingly clear that failing to block would mean death.

“Eek!”

“I’ll help!”

Kwagagagak!

Somehow Yun Daun blocked the fragment with her sword, and Yun Areum added her sword so they wouldn’t be easily pushed back.

The fragment and blades clashed fiercely, sparks flying in all directions. Like the intensity generated when the will to pierce and the will to block collided.

However, when the Beau-tiful Twins’ breathing momentarily misaligned.

Jjeong! Kwaak—!

“Kuhuk!”

“Yun Daun!”

The fragment deflected the blades blocking it and advanced, instantly piercing through where Yun Daun’s heart had been.

Why “had been”? Because as the fragment pierced there, it cleanly gouged out the surrounding area too, so everything disappeared.

No human could survive with such a large hole in their body, so Yun Daun died just like that. Though she respawned in the training ground immediately.

“……”

Looking down at the Beau-tiful Twins’ horrified expressions, Baek Woohyun smiled faintly.

Training disciples like this suddenly brought back fresh memories of when he’d worked as an instructor on ‘that side.’

There too, when he drove recruits to the brink of death—though here he actually killed them, anyway—they would look at him with exactly those expressions.

Of course, they also knew he didn’t inflict pain on them out of malice. That everything was for their sake.

Just looking at the fact that recruits trained by him had much higher survival rates when fighting the research facility than others made that clear.

That’s why those who’d been educated called him the demon instructor but followed him well without keeping their distance.

‘Therefore.’

The Beau-tiful Twins would also someday realize the value of Baek Woohyun’s teachings.

Like those he’d taught on ‘that side.’

Kiiiiing—!

The fragments floating around Baek Woohyun began spinning with an intense sound.

The Beau-tiful Twins’ faces turned pale, but contrary to their imagination, the floating fragments wouldn’t all target them at once.

If that happened, it would just be one-sided slaughter, not proper training.

He’d just shoot them slowly, one by one, at a level they could block if they properly matched their breathing.

If they failed to block—such thoughts were meaningless.

What would it matter?

Unlike ‘that side,’ here they could respawn, meaning they could die as much as needed.

“I’ll continue.”

Thus, the Beau-tiful Twins could advance to the next stage only after they’d each died a friendly twenty times.