Chapter 26
Chapter 26: The Sound of Death
[WillWinTournament → Gok Un-seong—Peacemaker]
Not even thirty seconds had passed since the game began.
Yu-na, who had ended up in the same squad, thought to herself:
We're screwed.
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"A Bronze player gets the first kill! And with a Peacemaker, no less!"
"Gok Un-seong, who landed right beside him, has vanished without a trace! Where in the world does a bolt from the blue like this come from?"
"Regrettably, this is what we call getting blasted out—eliminated at the speed of light!"
Soaring Cloud Sword, Gok Un-seong.
Bearing the title of the Soaring Cloud, he was one of the sword wraiths who had made a name for himself in Sichuan. He was renowned for robbing his opponents of their senses with an unpredictable blade and ghost-like Footwork.
And yet, he had died at lightning speed.
Not some newbie playing for the first time—but Grand Master Gok Un-seong.
"When I saw him drop in the same area, I honestly felt a moment of dread. I expected at least a fierce fight—so what on earth just happened?"
"He even took two headshots and was gone just like that? They were right next to each other, but what an extraordinary display of marksmanship!"
"To be fair, this is actually the first time we've seen the Bronze player use a gun, isn't it? But after seeing that kill just now, I'd say it's exactly as we would've expected."
"With physical ability like that, it's only natural, in a way!"
Jin Cheol and Song Jae-woo pumped their arms and raised their voices.
The chat was equally ablaze.
—lol he just got a lesson in manners right away.
—When's the last time we even saw that gun in a tournament lmaooo
—But he'll probably drop it the moment something better shows up right?
—It's an early-game pick, early-game.
—Still, two headshots is kinda insane lol
—fr the luck is absolutely unreal lol
The regen speed had visibly increased.
The audience watching live at the venue let out cheers here and there, though not in full force.
But not everyone in that heated space was caught up in the excitement.
From the VIP seating where he was watching the tournament, Mae Han-gyeom twisted his beard with a displeased expression.
"Hmm…… Gok Un-seong shouldn't be getting overwhelmed to the point of being completely helpless like that. Even if he failed the weapon draw, he should've at least been able to run. Was he caught off guard?"
He was not pleased.
Especially over the past few days since the qualifier ended, that feeling had only deepened.
Everywhere he looked—internet communities, Newtube comments—they were overflowing with talk of that man.
No Song-baek did come up from time to time, but at an 8:2 ratio—his frequency was overwhelmingly lower.
The Combat Commander, noticing his superior's displeasure, leaned in and whispered:
"In my view, he seems to have let his guard down."
"Even so. It makes no sense that he couldn't even react."
"Still, it's only the early stages, so perhaps wait and observe a little longer. There are still fifty-nine players remaining. And there's still the Second Round of the Main Tournament ahead."
"Ahem…… I do hope so."
Mae Han-gyeom straightened his posture.
Standing behind him, Yu Ye-rin had been eavesdropping and rolled her eyes.
One wrong word today and it'll be a disaster.
To be fair, his reaction wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
Who was No Song-baek?
The future of Daehwasan—and a man of talent beyond talent, the likes of which hadn't emerged in decades.
Had the Great Unification not occurred, he was a promising figure who might one day have set his sights on surpassing the Transcendence Realm.
Having been passed down every ounce of knowledge from the Sect Leader and the elders, and raised with every form of affection, it was no wonder he was reacting this way.
But if you compare them honestly…… Young Lord Mu-yeong is far stronger, isn't he?
She had occasionally trained alongside No Song-baek and could tell.
No matter how strong and clever her senior brother was, it wasn't enough.
Of course, before the tournament, there had been the variable of guns, and she had been uncertain.
But seeing what was unfolding now, it seemed that had been a needless worry.
Swish.
Yu Ye-rin quietly tidied her bangs and fixed her eyes on the screen again.
Right on cue, two red dots on the minimap were on the verge of meeting.
Soon, the sound of gunshots rang out from the speakers.
Bang! Bang!
"Is this even possible?! Two consecutive headshots again!"
"I truly cannot believe what I'm seeing no matter how many times I look! Scoring a kill before the opponent can even aim!"
"At this point, it's hard to call it a coincidence, isn't it?"
"Looking at the performance so far, I think we can say this is genuine skill!"
"Ah, frightening. To think the Bronze player had been hiding this kind of power."
Clench!
Yu Ye-rin saw it.
The veins rising on the back of the Sect Leader's hand.
But she immediately looked away.
No point risking a stray spark from accidentally making eye contact.
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1st place. 15 kills.
That was Mu-yeong's record in the First Round of the Main Tournament.
Considering second place had 8 kills, it was a dominant record in every sense.
Even so, Mu-yeong clicked his tongue.
"I went to the trouble of picking up a Peacemaker and it's still a shame. I wanted to rack up more kills while I had the chance."
"Goodness, that's already an exceptional number. First place and 15 kills—you're guaranteed the overall top spot. Young Lord."
"Still, a shame is a shame. I had set out with the resolve to take down at least twenty in the early stages, but strangely, from the mid-game onward, it became awfully hard to find anyone. Seems everyone hid themselves away hoping to make it to the main bout."
"Ahaha……"
The Iron Blood Witch and Divine Dragon looked at each other and laughed awkwardly.
The two of them had been watching the observer's screen—practically a minimap hack—so they knew exactly what had transpired.
Everyone was busy running away from the Young Lord, weren't they?
Players appear as red dots.
Whenever Mu-yeong appeared in the vicinity, those dots scattered in every direction like grains of sand.
How had that been possible?
[WillWinTournament → ○○○—Peacemaker]
It was because of the kill log that appeared in the upper right whenever he felt like it.
The players in the game had accepted it a few times at first.
It was something that could happen.
But as time went on, they began to sense something was wrong.
This wasn't some bot match.
He was doing this continuously against Master-tier and above players who had entered an official tournament?
It was a catastrophe.
A catastrophe where running into him meant certain death.
Everyone was gripped with fear at gameplay that was no different from hacking.
The butterfly effect was immense.
Bang!
If the Peacemaker's sound rang out even slightly nearby?
Even someone who had found a solid position would run without looking back.
And that's where the trouble started.
—Huh?
—Wait?
Two players fleeing from the catastrophe locked eyes.
Escaping was still the top priority, but this one felt like it needed to be dealt with.
Reason and instinct waged war, offering two options:
Option 1. By unspoken mutual agreement, pretend not to see each other and go their separate ways.
Option 2. Take this one out and move on.
Most chose the latter.
As a result, the number of survivors shrank at a record-breaking pace.
For a tournament supposedly notorious for heavy Camping, that said it all.
"In any case, congratulations. Making it to the main bout was a given, and everyone was cheering your name in delight."
"I checked the broadcast too, and half the chat was asking what on earth you were."
"Quite right. The commentators over there also seemed absolutely thrilled."
Divine Dragon gestured in a direction, and there were the two men working their mouths feverishly.
"It truly was a match that was a delight to watch from start to finish!"
"My goodness…… Where in the world did a monstrous player like this come from?"
"You're absolutely right!"
Mu-yeong smirked and cracked his neck.
"More importantly—when does the real main bout start?"
"Squads two through five go in order, so it's expected to begin approximately one hour and thirty minutes from now."
"Not bad. Let's get something to eat in the meantime."
"I'll guide you to the food court."
Shortly after.
They entered [Gangnam Inn], a restaurant operating inside the venue.
Upon taking their seats, a server with braided hair came rushing over.
"Welcome! Our inn serves only authentic cuisine, made with the same flavors as those sold across the martial world……"
"Menu first."
"Y-yes sir!"
Mu-yeong received the menu and scanned the list.
From simple somyeon and dumplings to main dishes like braised pork belly and fish-fragrant pork strips.
Not much different from what he had seen in his youth.
"For me, beef noodles and dumplings should be enough."
As Mu-yeong placed his order, the Iron Blood Witch and Divine Dragon raised their fingers in turn.
"The same as the Young Lord for me."
"I'll have somyeon, braised pork belly, kung pao chicken, and bamboo leaf wine."
"U Ho-beop, we're paying separately."
"I know. Dutch pay, I'm all for it. Hahaha!"
Clunk!
At that moment, several sharp presences settled at the table next to Mu-yeong.
No Song-baek and Yu Ye-rin.
And alongside them, two unfamiliar faces—a white-bearded elder and a middle-aged man.
Having confirmed their identities, the Iron Blood Witch sent a Transmitted Voice:
—Daehwasan Sect's Sect Leader Mae Han-gyeom and Combat Commander Jang Mu-ryeong.
—They must have come to cheer on No Song-baek. But do Sect Leaders usually show up to these sorts of things?
—Mae Han-gyeom is a man of extraordinary pride, with a confidence in Daehwasan that reaches the heavens. For someone like him to travel all the way here for No Song-baek—who is called the pride of Daehwasan—is in a sense only natural.
—Something similar must have happened before.
—Indeed. Personally, I classify him as a danger-level figure.
Endless pride in Daehwasan, is it……
Under the guise of drinking water, Mu-yeong glanced sideways.
"Song-baek. You said you were in Squad Four, did you not? Looking at the roster, there doesn't seem to be anyone particularly eye-catching."
"Do not worry. I will return in first place, without fail."
"Good, good. That you must. Still—the man from Squad One keeps nagging at me."
"His showing in the last game was certainly remarkable. But that's sheer recklessness, nothing more. For whatever reason, he used only grenades in the qualifier, and this time around, he's been using only the Peacemaker, has he not?"
"That means he's confident enough in his ability to pull it off. Looking at how he moves, it seems he was properly trained somewhere…… By whatever means necessary, he must be defeated."
"I will keep that in mind."
The resolute exchange of Daehwasan.
Suddenly, Divine Dragon puffed out his cheeks and choked back a splutter.
"Cough cough! Pfff……hff! Pfpfpf! Cough cough cough!"
Just before his laughter could burst out, the Iron Blood Witch drove a sharp elbow into his side.
The catastrophe was barely averted, but there was no stopping four pairs of eyes from turning in their direction.
No Song-baek in particular.
He stared at Mu-yeong intently.
"……"
It seemed like he might have recognized him.
Fortunately, by the time the food arrived and they had finished eating, he never said a word.
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"And now! All five squads have finished their matches! Sixty survivors will now fight for the prize money—Song Jae-woo, how do you see it?"
"Ah, everyone is truly impressive, but there are two who stand out clearly, aren't there? WillWinTournament, who looks ready to live up to their name, and No Song-baek!"
"That's right. WillWinTournament achieved first place and 17 kills in Squad One, while No Song-baek matched that exactly—first place and 17 kills in Squad Four."
"It's finally time to see who has the edge. Alright, the match is ready to go. Let's watch together!"
Inside the capsule, waiting while watching the official broadcast—Mu-yeong.
As the countdown began, the screen went dark.
He turned his gaze and studied the participants one by one.
All of them wore unmistakable tension on their faces.
Among them were some who already looked as though they had given up.
Either way, most of them will be dropped before the mid-game.
The ones worth paying attention to were the true contenders—those who had placed in the top three from each squad.
Mu-yeong rolled his wrists and looked at No Song-baek in the distance.
He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, as if in meditation.
Didn't he just call it recklessness?
Let's see if he could still say that in a little while.