Chapter 18
Chapter 18: The Man Who Throws Grenades Like Baseballs
['SuperEmergency' has donated 1,000 Won.]
—When did Battle Attack get a grenade launcher? Did I miss a patch or something? lol
['IceCreamAI' has donated 1,000 Won.]
—Wasn't cooking it for a few seconds before throwing a technique only used in close range??? And you're saying it can be used like this?
—On top of that, he even timed it to detonate exactly on arrival lol
—But even if you throw a fastball, does that speed even make sense?
—That's some physique that blows past Major League players;
—Even at a glance it looks like it'd easily clear 200 easily lol
That much was true—what Mu-yeong had just demonstrated was flat-out impossible.
For one, the throwing power alone had to be overwhelmingly strong, and pinpoint control to land it precisely on target was an absolute must.
But on top of that, he was timing it down to the second?
For most people, it was a performance that left them both speechless and slack-jawed.
Yu-na was no exception.
"W-wait. How……!"
A technique that was theoretically possible, but practically impossible.
It did show up in highlight reels every once in a while, but those were always the result of a string of coincidences.
And yet here he was pulling it off through sheer skill.
Even having witnessed it firsthand, she couldn't bring herself to believe it.
'Of course I could do it too, but my limit is around 20 to 30 meters. There's absolutely no way I could do it at that kind of long range……!'
What made it even more staggering was the sheer power behind the throw.
The Training Grounds map capped out at 200 meters, which was the only reason it landed where it did—if he threw in a wider space, there was no telling just how much farther it could go.
As Yu-na stood there in shock, Mu-yeong asked again.
"Is this insufficient?"
"Oh, huh? S-sorry, what did you say? I didn't quite catch that……."
"I said I'd use the grenade to deal with long-range enemies. Since situations like that come up often, I was thinking of using it as a substitute for the Peacemaker."
"Using grenades to suppress long-range enemies? Sure, if used well it could work, but……."
For a brief moment she thought it might actually be possible—for Mu-yeong, at least—but a secondary weapon was still a secondary weapon at the end of the day.
It had limitations built into its very nature.
The biggest issue was the five-second activation time.
"Using it sneakily is fine, but what are you going to do when you come face to face with an enemy head-on? You have to pull the pin and wait for it to go off, and during that time there's nothing you can do, right?"
"……That's a fair point."
"Still, don't be too discouraged. There's something with a slightly shorter fuse."
Yu-na bent down and picked up something shaped like a throwing star.
It had three curved blades and gave off a dark, inky hue.
"This is called a Javelin—it's a sticky explosive. Whatever it hits, whether a wall or the ground, it detonates right on the spot."
"How many seconds do you have to wait with this one?"
"Three seconds after it makes contact with something. So the kind of technique from earlier won't work. With the Fragmentation Grenade, even if it goes off mid-air, it can still deal at least a little damage—but with this one, if you miss, that's just the end of it. Though if you're close enough to wherever it sticks, you do take damage."
Even as Yu-na explained, her expression was one of mixed belief and doubt.
Sure, it was a bomb that was useless if it missed, but would a restriction like that even apply to this guy?
Watching him nail a target 200 meters away just moments ago, this wasn't a person you could apply common sense to.
She went ahead and threw a Javelin as a demonstration.
The throwing star traced a parabola and embedded itself into the wall directly ahead, exploding three seconds later.
"Damage is 70. It's fairly light and thin, so it's easy to carry a lot. Now you try throwing one, Mu-yeong."
"Sure."
Mu-yeong picked up the same thing.
Just like before, he tossed it upward to check the weight and caught it again—at which point the Javelin began to glow.
"Huh?"
"D-dodge it! No, get away from it!"
Yu-na flung herself to the side and pressed flat against the ground.
Mu-yeong quickly tried to peel the Javelin off and throw it, but it was impossible.
The sharp tip had latched onto his palm and absolutely refused to let go.
All Mu-yeong could do was watch as the Javelin grew steadily brighter.
"Damn."
Boom!
A plume of dirt and dust shot high into the air.
—lmaooooo
—Self-destructing on the spot lmaooooooo
—Didn't she just say throw it once and that's it lmaooo
—What a total newbie move, lol, so cute
A moment later.
A disheveled Mu-yeong appeared with a look on his face like he'd bitten into something rotten.
Yu-na approached him cautiously.
"That one's really tricky—if it moves even slightly away from your body, it registers as a throw. So you can't handle it carelessly."
"……Thanks to that, I now know for certain."
"Well, you learn by getting hit, right?"
Yu-na gave Mu-yeong's shoulder a gentle pat.
Only then did Mu-yeong's stiff body loosen as he picked up a new Javelin.
This time the veins in his hand stood out red and knotted, as if swearing he would never let go again.
"On the other hand, once it hits the target it absolutely won't come off—so as long as you can land it, you're good."
"This isn't sticky—it's practically super glue."
"Pretty much. One more tip: if you stick it directly onto a person, it slows their movement speed. So if you hit someone with a Javelin and then go bang bang bang with a gun, the kill is basically guaranteed."
"That's exactly what it felt like. A sharp electric current spreading through the whole body, like paralysis."
"Yes! Exactly right."
"That much is good, then. As long as I'm the one not getting hit."
On the surface it might seem incredibly effective.
But look a little closer, and you'd quickly realize the whole thing was completely backwards.
For one, the enemy wasn't standing still—they were sprinting and diving all over the place.
On top of that, they were shooting at you the whole time.
And in that situation, you're supposed to calmly throw a Javelin and hit them?
That was nonsense.
'They said he played five matches, so he must know that much.'
Yu-na stole a glance at Mu-yeong.
That serious expression and the fingers fidgeting around—he was probably thinking through how to throw it.
Some time passed like that.
Mu-yeong drew his arm back.
Whoooosh!
The throwing star flew with a terrifying sound and buried itself dead center in the forehead of the target.
Yu-na clapped her hands.
"Wow! Is it because you're a Martial Artist? Everyone who throws these always hits the head without fail!"
—They really do hit insanely well lol
—Human protractor lol
—Is this just raw talent?
—How is that even possible?
All praise—but one word in particular had caught Mu-yeong's ear.
"Everyone?"
"Oh, I'm not putting you down—I just find it fascinating. Whether it's instinct or intention, every Martial Artist who uses a Javelin always aims for the head. Not like the damage changes either way."
"I think I understand what you mean."
Being skilled with throwing stars like this meant being proficient in hidden weapons.
Of course you'd naturally aim for the weakest point, the head.
Especially those assassin types, and……
['PowerMental' has donated 1,000 Won.]
—When it comes to javelins it's gotta be the Tang Clan, no question
Right. The Tang Clan people.
The ones who trained in every kind of hidden weapon from childhood.
But Mu-yeong hadn't only studied swordsmanship.
When he was tired from training, he'd pass the time messing around with hidden weapons.
He might fall short in terms of insight, but when it came to pure skill, he was confident.
"You said the damage was 70?"
"Yes."
"Then doing it like this would be a one-shot kill."
"Hm?"
Mu-yeong picked up a bunch of Javelins and slotted one between each knuckle.
The count was three in total.
Not quite understanding yet, Yu-na asked again.
"So you mean…… you're going to line up three and throw them one by one in quick succession?"
"No. Simultaneously."
"……Huh?"
Instead of answering, Mu-yeong settled into his stance.
Target: a human-shaped dummy 200 meters away.
'Anyone who isn't a Tank Champion would go down in one shot from this.'
Taking aim, Mu-yeong released all three Javelins at once.
At the near-acrobatic move, the viewers burst out laughing.
—Wait, does that even make sense lol
—Three at once is just too much lol
—Even for Mu-yeong this seems excessive?
—If he hits them all he's literally a god lol
—I'll acknowledge it if even one hits
Whooooosh!
Regardless, the throwing stars flew in three separate arcs toward the target.
In the blink of an eye, the first Javelin reached the target and buried itself in the solar plexus.
Yu-na, who had been watching intently, flinched.
She was about to cry out it hit!—when the second cutting sound stopped.
This time, the throat.
"Huh?"
Did it actually hit? For real?
Before she could finish the thought, the sound slicing through the air went completely silent.
That meant it had either missed or connected—
Yu-na opened her eyes wide, searching for where it had attached.
But the increasingly brightening first and second made it hard to see clearly.
She was craning her neck this way and that when Mu-yeong spoke.
"The forehead."
"Hm?"
"More precisely, dead center between the eyebrows."
BOOM!
Simultaneous with Mu-yeong's words, a tremendous explosion filled the Training Grounds entirely.
Smoke blanketed the surroundings, making it impossible to confirm the result with the naked eye.
Instead, the kill log offered definitive proof.
[Mu-yeong -> Target — Blown to Pieces]
—?????
—???
—He actually hit all of them?
—Lmaooooo
—He's actually insane lmaooooo
—I genuinely have no words lol
—In what world is this a newbie who's played five matches???
Hitting a target with a Javelin from 200 meters away was already impressive.
A feat worthy of applause in its own right—a genuine work of art.
But throwing three simultaneously and landing every single one?
"Is…… this even possible?"
Yu-na stared blankly straight ahead.
If that technique were truly viable in actual play, it would change the entire landscape of the game.
There was a reason the developer had added the effect 'Movement Speed Reduced upon being hit by a Javelin.'
It was because the technique was so difficult and demanding—deliberately so.
And yet what was happening right now?
'In the hundreds, maybe thousands of matches I've played, I have never seen anything like this.'
Not in Master-tier games, not even in professional matches.
Of course, accounting for the fact that he was a Martial Artist—it still didn't make sense.
There was a famous user in the scene named Dangsoso who came from the Sichuan Tang Clan, but even she maxed out at around 100 meters.
While Yu-na spiraled into panic, Mu-yeong asked,
"At this level, it should be more than viable in actual combat."
"Oh, right! Yes, actual combat!"
Yu-na clapped her hands together and gestured toward the 1v1 map.
"Instead of those stationary dummies, why don't you try going up against me? I'll show you the movement of a true expert—if you can hit me even once, I'll acknowledge you."
"Fine. Let's start immediately."
Mu-yeong had been wanting exactly that.
Going up against something that just stood there was nothing more than an experiment.
Going against a living person—that was the only way to prove whether it had any real use in an actual game.
Shortly after, Yu-na and Mu-yeong stepped onto the 1v1 map.
Yu-na equipped her usual assault rifle fitted with white-colored parts.
Mu-yeong had only a Javelin and a shotgun.
"Are you sure you'll be okay with that? I'm pretty fierce when I'm in serious mode."
"I picked these assuming a situation where I don't have the Peacemaker, so this is fine."
"I won't go easy on you."
"That's exactly what I'm hoping for."
The countdown began.
[3]
[2]
[1]
[START]
Yu-na immediately took cover behind a wall.
'Last time I peeked out and got headshot instantly, right?'
Of course, this time there was no Peacemaker.
Even so, the fact that he was a dangerous opponent hadn't changed.
She ran her mind rapidly through her options.
'He's got a shotgun, so let's engage from as far away as possible. And if I just peek out the tiniest bit and keep shaking my head back and forth, he won't be able to hit me with the Javelin either.'
Perfect plan.
Yu-na counted to three in her head and quickly peeked out.
But she immediately let out a baffled sound.
"Huh?"
Someone was running along the wall. Sideways, at that.
Wasn't that a violation of the laws of physics?
Yu-na faltered for a moment at the sight of something defying all common sense.
But she quickly snapped back to her senses and opened fire.
Tatatatat!
Hit markers appeared.
Everything she'd experienced up to now was telling her this:
If she kept pressing forward like this, she would win without fail.
Then, all of a sudden, her body locked up.
'Don't panic! The advantage is still mine!'
Aiming was difficult, but she kept pulling the trigger.
Yet she couldn't feel any impact landing.
Just as the faint sense of defeat began to creep in, the air above her head inexplicably began to grow brighter and brighter.
'Don't tell me…….'
Without thinking, Yu-na reached up and placed her hand on top of her head.
Three Javelins. Exactly three, lodged right there one after another.
"It's over."
Mu-yeong had closed in right up to her before she'd even noticed, shotgun leveled at her face.
That barrel—unusually large and gaping—was the last thing Yu-na saw.
.
.
.
.
"I acknowledge it……. I accept that it's more than viable in actual combat……."
"Much appreciated."
—lmaooooo
—lmaooooooo
—He actually wins this lmaooooo
—If a Master just gets steamrolled like that, how insanely good is he exactly?
Basking in victory, Mu-yeong caught a chat message.
People had been throwing around the word 'Master' for a while now—having no concept of tiers yet, Mu-yeong had no idea what rank that actually placed someone.
Out of pure curiosity, he asked,
"By the way, what kind of standing is Master? Like top 3 out of 10?"
—lmaooooooooo
—Calling top 30% on a Master lmaoooo
—Just how little does he think of her lmaooooo
—How many times is he going to kill her today? lol
At Mu-yeong's question, Yu-na's whole body gave a shudder.
Her shoulders trembled—and then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she answered.
"Top…… 1%……."
"Ah."
‘The game has more depth than I thought.’
That was what Mu-yeong thought to himself, and kept entirely to himself.