Platinum.
The division where aura manifestation was possible, whether it is one’s own skills or rank adjustments. A rank that allowed imbuing energy into various weapons. Of course, arrows were no exception.
Swish!
The arrows shot by Platinum’s archers were each surrounded by a faint aura. Probably, defense below A-rank would be torn apart like paper. Even in the fierce onslaught.
“Hmm.”
Kim Shimun remained calm.
No.
‘I tried to test out the new thing I gained… Ah, there’s no need to use it.’
He was rather disappointed.
‘Even though mixing arrows and bolts is good.’
Regular arrows and somewhat shorter crossbow bolts. Their differing speeds made it somewhat challenging to dodge or defend against, but that’s all.
‘There’s no harmony at all.’
There was no strategic aspect beyond that. Originally, bolts were shot by a crossbow, not a person, which had stronger tension than a bow. Naturally, the projectile, being a bolt, was more powerful than a regular arrow.
Hence.
‘Either shoot the crossbow a beat later than the bow, or shoot first to create a gap for the arrow to reach.’
The current shooting by the national team’s archers lacked any such concept. It was just a barrage of arrows under the banner of a full-scale assault.
‘Maybe it’s because of their emotional state…?’
They really should be like that. Kim Shimun took a deep breath and flicked his fingers as he stretched out his arm.
Snap.
Thud.
The ground surged rapidly. As the arena was made of stone, the surging ground quickly formed a smooth, concrete barrier. No matter how tough the concrete barrier was, it couldn’t stop the incoming arrows.
“If we do that, he won’t be able to escape! Charge forward!”
Watching the situation, Chung Hajun blinked and signaled. The tactical units formed a formation, wielding their weapons and rushing towards Kim Shimun, surrounded by the protective barrier.
“When the aura arrows penetrate his barrier, the ones with the longer reach will…”
Chung Hajun’s excited voice abruptly stopped. It was inevitable.
The aura arrows embedded in the barrier. Arrows that could tear apart even A-rank armor.
Ting.
They ricocheted off so emptily.
“How…?”
Chung Hajun’s face drained of color.
But that wasn’t all.
“Just attack! He’s just one person!”
Chung Hajun continued his charge, shouting,
‘A monster like him might be able to withstand aura arrows!’
After all, weren’t aura arrows the weakest form of an attack when it came to ki manifestation?
As it was a projectile released from the hand. Apart from other forms of qi like sword ki or fist ki, the cohesion, control, and power of the aura arrow were evenly distributed.
But now, wielding weapons and charging forward was different.
‘Even an S-rank armor won’t be able to withstand a direct hit from this.’
The aura attached directly to the weapon would easily cut through even S-rank armor.
Moreover, weren’t there various types of weapons?
From spears to axes, and even mace weapons, fitting for group battles. Furthermore, there were various types of spears alone, such as long spears and lances. This applied to axes and maces as well. It meant that they could handle any situation that unfolded.
‘As long as he doesn’t use those crazy lightning spear and flame sword.’
Chung Hajun had known the information about Kim Shimun from the beginning. And even the countermeasures.
‘If that guy uses those…’
Chung Hajun’s gaze flicked to the rear. A woman deftly pulling the bowstring of a short bow. He made eye contact with Choi Hyoyun. As a true archer, she casually nodded, having caught his attention.
“Alright! Push him back!”
Chung Hajun, feeling relieved, tightened his shield. At that moment, when he was about to thrust the shield into the barrier that Kim Shimun had arrived at without realizing.
Snap.
A clear and cheerful sound resonated. Chung Hajun didn’t panic and shouted. More precisely.
“Don’t be intimidated by whatever he does and focus….”
He tried to shout.
Clang!
Before an overwhelming impact struck beyond the shield bearing the Platinum. Before he could brace himself against the impact on the shield.
“Aaah!”
“Shh, shh!”
Screams could be heard from all directions, as Chung Hajun created deep trenches in the stone floor with his two legs.
“Quick, deploy the barrier!”
“Tend to the injured first!”
“Get this thing off me!”
It wasn’t until he pushed his way through the crowd that Chung Hajun could assess the situation.
“What in the world….”
Chaos.
Thicker than telephone poles, thorns pierced through the surrounding combatants. It wasn’t just the immediate area.
“Someone care for this side too!”
“No way! I can’t reach that far!”
Around the central barrier covered in runes, the advancing combatants, clad in at least A-grade and mostly S-rank armors, had all been pierced through. Most of the combatants, like Chung Hajun, who didn’t equip shields, suffered various injuries, big and small.
Doubt filled Chung Hajun’s eyes.
‘How did this happen? As participants selected for the Special Match, they should be at least at the top Platinum tier domestically. They should be able to handle thorns like these easily.’
Hmm.
Chung Hajun immediately swung his sword to strike the thorns.
Thud.
“Eugh!”
A strong counter-force was felt. Surprisingly.
“Just with thorns… he managed to block my sword strike?”
To the point where the fact that he had swung his sword was insignificant. The thorns remained unscathed. However.
“It feels like I struck down the thorns with my sword strike…”
Even the sword strike boasted an incredible strength to withstand. Chung Hajun looked as if he had seen a ghost. He stared at the barrier with sharp thorns protruding like a porcupine.
Soon.
Whoosh.
The barrier, including the thorns that extended in all directions, collapsed. And a clearly defined handsome man was revealed. In the relaxed expression of the new arrival, Chung Hajun hastily regained his composure.
“Archers! All of you, open fire freely…”
Before he could issue a different order while regaining his senses.
Rumble.
A powerful force weighed down on Chung Hajun’s shoulders. Not only Chung Hajun.
“Thud!”
“Gasp!”
Combatants who were trying to rise with aid from healers were all slammed to the ground. The healers supporting from the back were no exception.
In just one step. Over 20 players were all slammed to the ground simultaneously. Above them.
“Disappointing.”
A clear, young-sounding voice echoed. Perhaps due to the intangible force suppressing everyone.
“It was mentioned earlier that the majority here have participated in special battles for years. Even if their combat ability is lacking, their strategic skills are too inadequate, don’t you think?”
Sigh.
“I can’t believe they truly have years of experience in special battles.”
Whether the words were humiliating or due to the intangible force pressing on their bodies. The over 20 players on the ground could do nothing but shiver, unable to move. Among them.
“Damn… it!”
Using his shield as a support, the short-haired man struggled to stand.
A haze characteristic of ki manifestation shimmered around his body.
‘As expected of the top ranker from the selection trials.’
A hint of interest flickered in Kim Shimun’s eyes, which had been full of disappointment.
Chung Hajun, the top ranker in the Platinum division selection trials.
True to his ranking, ‘To resist by enveloping his entire body in aura.’
He was resisting the suppressive power of the Heavenly Demon Command Step by manifesting aura all over his body.
‘Embedding aura into the armor must be quite difficult… is it because he uses a shield as a Platinum player?’
Chung Hajun specialized in using a one-handed sword and shield. Perhaps because of that, he adeptly manifested his aura across his entire armor. But that was all.
‘As a Platinum-ranked player, he can’t maintain that state for long.’
It wasn’t just about stats; it was a form of enlightenment. Unless one was overflowing with aura, manifesting aura over the entire body in that manner was extremely inefficient.
Thus, wasting aura like that meant, ‘He intends to burn everything in a short time.’
As if to prove Kim Shimun’s prediction,
“Uaahhh!”
With a fierce cry, Chung Hajun rushed forward. His charge, reminiscent of a wild boar, was significantly reckless just like a top-rank first-placer in Platinum.
“Hmm.”
Shimun nodded slightly and clenched his right hand. With that clenched fist, demonic ki quickly condensed. It seemed that Chung Hajun had witnessed it as well.
Boom!
The aura of the shield charging forward became thicker.
Soon after.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art (天魔神功)
Supreme Emperor’s Demolition Strike (擊)
Struck forcefully upwards.
Bang!
A strong ringing sound resounded in their ears. Had it been a second? The brief clash that defied the laws of physics quickly unfolded, revealing the outcome.
Whish!
Chung Hajun’s aura shattered like glass in a split second.
Immediately, “Urgh!”
The condensed aura, along with the shield, shattered into pieces, sending its owner flying into the air. Shimun instantly followed, kicking the rising Chung Hajun towards the ground.
“The charge was alright, I suppose.”
It wasn’t very efficient, but as Shimun muttered briefly, trying to finish off Chung Hajun, at that moment…
“Huh?”
Shimun’s eyes flickered. The reason being that his full-force attack had been completely torn apart head-on. Even the left arm that wore the shield had been completely disabled.
“Smiling?”
Chung Hajun’s mouth quirked up, sending a chill down Shimun’s spine. At the same time, his right arm sent a cold warning with a mix of fur and muscle. Shimun, as always, trusted his instincts and moved his body. Swish! A sharp whistling sound brushed past his chest.
Then, “An arrow… huh?”
Shimun’s eyes widened. After the arrow grazed his chest, it smoothly… “It disables body reinforcement?”
The body reinforcement throughout his body suddenly dissipated. Shimun realized the reason in an instant.
“I see. A nullification arrow.”
A nullification arrow – an item that completely annuls specific magic or energy. Due to its rarity corresponding to its performance, it was not something easily obtained. To see it here… However, “Body reinforcement is the only thing, though.”
Snap!
Shimun flicked his finger, instantly restoring the body reinforcement. Just as he was about to readjust his posture, shiver.
“Again?”
Startled by the warning sensation that came once more, Shimun quickly ducked his head.
Swish!
An arrow grazed his forehead and stuck downwards. An arrow suddenly shot from above his head? The mystery was quickly solved because he had glimpsed it, thanks to lowering his head.
“That is…”
Thud. It was a small space swallowing the arrow.
“S-rank Spatial Passage Trait, huh.”
S-rank Spatial Passage Trait – an ability that interconnects bi-directional spaces serving as an entrance. In the field of combat, it offered long-range attacks, while in the sphere of magic, it was a dimension-related feature as rare as magic itself.
And considering that the flying object was a nullification arrow… Finding the culprit wasn’t too difficult. As he bowed his head to avoid the arrow, he could see the situation below the arena clearly.
“It’s the 2nd place, Choi Hyoyun.”
Amidst the overwhelming pressure of the Heavenly Demon’s Ki that covered the entire arena, Choi Hyoyun stood up with a short bow in hand, glaring at Kim Shimun. Perhaps due to the characteristics of his dimensional lineage, his control seemed complicated.
“Yiik!”
He gritted his teeth and forcefully drew his index and middle fingers to the side. Before his instinct could even warn him, he swiftly rotated his body, gaining momentum.
Swoosh.
Once again, a nullification arrow barely grazed his shoulder as it passed by.
Thunk.
Snapping his fingers again, Shimun immediately aimed towards the falling Chung Hajun.
Following her movements, swoosh!
Swoosh!
Like a bouncing rubber ball in a confined space, the ineffective arrows flew in all directions around Shimun, dodging her effortlessly.
One by one, swish.
Having already detected Choi Hyoyun’s movements, Shimun elegantly avoided the arrows as if he were the protagonist of a movie, gracefully moving through space.
“Perhaps due to the influence of Lemegeton. It may be a bit difficult to control the power when using demonic energy to its maximum potential…”
As Shimun’s body reached Chung Hajun who was falling down, she spun around, preparing to strike.
Her leg, following the motion of her body, drew a crescent shape.
The energy shimmering at the tip of her foot left a sharp and clean trajectory, almost like a master calligrapher.
“Since we’re inside the arena, no one actually dies, right?”
Contrary to his smirk, a viscous black energy oozed from Shimun’s left eye.
This served as a signal.
Heavenly Demon Divine Arts.
Heavenly Demon Supreme Step.
The leg that had drawn a crescent shape now descended towards Chung Hajun. Not so much a strike but a gentle step, to put it more accurately.
However…
Kwoooooom!
The ensuing outcome was different because of it.
*****
Silence fell heavily in the training waiting room. It was inevitable. Inside the monitors that they were watching…
Kwoooooom!
An even heavier weight seemed to press down on them. A thick cloud of dust obscured even the viewpoint of the spectators. No one knew the result hidden within that dirt.
A moment later, “This is insane!”
“This is unbelievable… This doesn’t make any sense!”
Curses, astonishment, and awe-filled words poured out. The Platinum-rank players who were knocked out due to the meteoric fall of Chung Hajun.
Threw away or smashing their Arena access devices. Their eyes, which had shown raw emotion, now turned to the waiting room.
“Is it you? Did you mess with the options or something?!”
“Yeah, that’s right! It’s impossible without adjustments! This doesn’t make any sense!”
“What the hell! Is that supposed to be a debut match for a Platinum-rank? We haven’t even seen those moves on the recent broadcast!”
The players, including Lee Sangmin, glared at the few players who were showing bravery. But it was only a momentary outburst. They couldn’t hold onto their anger any longer.
Considering that this was a training ground specifically for the National Championship, adjusting the results was not only nonsensical but also impossible.
*****
A man with a dark expression, silently bowed his head. Wasn’t Jang Jiho the first to get knocked out by Kim Shimun?
Even if such an adjustment was possible, Jang Jiho wouldn’t have stood by idly. And yet, he was maintaining a silence that seemed almost like death. What did this mean?
“Hah…”
“Dammit!”
As the players faced the unbelievable reality until Shimun appeared, they could only clench their fists in frustration. Before long, “Is it over now?”
Shimun, who had ended the Arena, entered the waiting room. Silence was the only response. Shimun was directed towards Chung Hajun, who silently lowered his head at the forefront among the players.
Glancing down at Chung Hajun for a moment, Shimun looked around before speaking, “I guess there are no more complaints about my joining.”
“…”
There was no response from the team representatives. It was inevitable. Hadn’t they all experienced results they couldn’t even trust themselves to dispute?
Then, breaking the silence, a voice pierced through, slightly trembling, “No, I can’t accept this.”
Shimun’s gaze naturally shifted towards Chung Hajun, who had relaxed a bit.
“Well then, shall we try again here? By the way, if we spar here, I won’t take responsibility for any injuries.”
These days, controlling his strength was a bit tough. Shimun, who shrugged his shoulders at Shimun’s resistance, suddenly raised his head.
“I can’t accept this, dammit! There were no conditions set in the first place, whether I win or lose. I know you’re strong, but that doesn’t erase the injustice you’ve committed!”
Did people go crazy sometimes?
Chung Hajun raised his voice, spitting out saliva like a possessed person, eyes bloodshot.
“Whether you’re strong or not, I don’t care. I’ll boycott this unfair inclusion!”
“Hajun oppa, even so, this is…”
“You shut up!”
Chung Hajun shouted back at Choi Hyoyun, who was trying to intervene. Seeing his sincerely mad look, Choi Hyoyun became speechless. Chung Hajun turned his head abruptly back towards Shimun.
“I’m telling you again, I can’t accept this. I’m going to boycott, so be prepared!”
“Ah… this is ridiculous.”
Shimun sighed deeply and tilted his head defiantly.
“Hey, aren’t you overreacting? What difference does it make?”
“It does make a difference!”
As if waiting for Shimun’s response, Chung Hajun asked defiantly.
“Do you know who’s behind me? It’s Kim Jongjun. He’s the one who defeated that Sword Saint in the first round of the National Team selection!”
“Kim Jongjun? Oh.”
Shimun chuckled softly as it nodded.
“The Vice-guildmaster of the Scorpio Guild? You were from the Scorpio Guild?”
“Why, do you have a problem with the Scorpions? So what? Do you know him too? Our Vice-guildmaster is a Ranker in the 1st generation, active duty. A player who can easily handle such injustice!”
As Chung Hajun said. Before delving into his role as the Vice-guildmaster of the Scorpions… Kim Jongjun was a player with considerable influence. Not only that.
The players who dominated as Rankers in the active duty of the 1st generation were all wielding great power. It was not just about brute force. Since the early days of Galaxy Arena until now…
What they had achieved and captured was not something that could be simply attributed to brute force.
“When the boycott is over, I’ll bury you first. Don’t you know the hierarchy yet? This scene is a lot narrower than you think. It’s better to forget about playing arena comfortably in the future!”
Chung Hajun, who was seething to the point of turning his eyes inside out. If foam covered his lips, he could easily be classified as crazy. But one thing was for sure. His words seemed to have a strong effect.
As Shimun and everyone else, including Choi Hyoyun, who tried to stop him, glanced hesitantly at Chung Hajun with uneasy eyes, Shimun chuckled.
“Indeed, gaining the leadership position with just power wasn’t the only reason.”
In any country, the upper ranks were always scarce. Naturally, if there wasn’t someone as influential as Chung Hajun, it was better not to cause friction.
Indeed. If there was no one as influential as him.
“Ha, seriously. I really hate this kind of thing…”
Shimun scratched its head and sighed.
“However, dealing with this kind of person requires a special approach, so there’s no choice.”
With a resigned expression. Shimun tapped the phone screen. Then, seemingly instructing someone to listen, Shimun switched to speakerphone mode. From that phone…
“What is it.”
A cold and sharp voice came through.
“If it’s something trivial, be prepared.”
“Should I call the president over something trivial?”
Did the person on the other end sense something strange in Shimun’s attitude?
“What is it you want?”
The voice on the phone became even colder.
“It’s nothing much, just that I might not be able to participate in the special match tomorrow.”
“You! This discussion was already over…”
“Oh, it’s not just a simple change of heart. I met with the Platinum National Team members just now, and they said they can’t do it with me.”
“What?”
It was an unimaginable answer. The voice sounded somewhat deflated.
“The special match is tomorrow, and they threathened to boycott, saying it would be difficult for me in the future arena life. What can I do?”
“…”
“By the way, I did my best. I even proved it with a practice match.”
Of course, winning cleanly. Muttering like that, Shimun faced a short silence over the phone. Soon after, Shimun moved the phone as far away as possible, covered one ear, and blocked the sound.
“What the hell are you, damn it!!!”
The furious roar of the unyielding Ironwood King burst out from the other end of the phone.