seattlejaycees Chapter 64 : Chapter 64
Chapter 64 : Chapter 64
Chapter 64
April leaned one hand against the wall and slowly reset his crooked jaw into its proper place.
The sound of bones clicking into place squelched.
A single long trail of blood-mixed saliva flowed down from under his silver mask.
He raised his head.
His bloodshot eyes pierced through me.
"How dare you... someone like you!"
His voice seethed like a grinding saw.
The breath boiling up from his Adam's apple was intense, as if a volcano were spitting out surges just before an eruption, and he looked ready to rush forward swinging his giant hammer at any moment.
However, he was not allowed the opportunity to counterattack.
As recited in the announcement.
[The battle in Area E1 has concluded with a foul loss on the player's side.]
[Any further combat actions will be considered a violation of the rules.]
Hit and run.
To put it a bit more annoyingly, it was a situation where only I landed hits and then ran away.
[Player faction, please return to the previous starting point, Area E5.]
At that moment, I lightly raised both my hands.
Like a chicken on a roof looking down on a dog, I provoked April with a cheerful tone.
"Hey, this is a bit unfair. Weren't you the one who suggested the foul loss first, Mr. Dealer?"
As I shrugged my shoulders and wore a smile, veins bulged clearly as strength entered April's forearms.
"You're struggling to hide how bitter you feel after losing all your money. You are such an insignificant existence. You've been living while feeling like a top student, but by now you must have realized that you were merely excellent among the inferior ones."
April became more talkative.
As if venting all at once the stress that had accumulated from being provoked by me.
I was not someone who would be provoked by April's passionate speech.
I bowed my waist slightly and greeted him gracefully like a clown who had finished a performance.
"Even so, all you've done is bully a weak kid to rip off 10 billion won. For you stingy folks, I'll show you what it truly means to be hot-blooded."
Even in a verbal argument, I was the one who hit and ran.
The northern door of Area E1 opened before April could even reply.
I led my companions and exited Area E1.
Behind my back, April was saying something to me with a seething voice, but I lightly brushed it off.
While moving from E1 to Area E5, Seo So-hui spoke words of apology to me in resentment.
"I'm sorry. It's because I was weak..."
"Haha, anyone listening would think you committed a high crime."
"But the fine is 10 billion... the debt is 10 billion..."
Since she kept mentioning the fine and acting dejected, I slapped Seo So-hui's back with my palm.
To instill energy. A bit strongly.
With a smack sound, Seo So-hui's hunched back straightened up.
"If you only think about what you lost, even things that would work out won't. Let's think about what we gained."
"We lost miserably, but there's something we gained?"
"The fact that the multiplier in Area E1 is 100 times. That April definitely appears in Area E1. That we found out April's ability and tendencies. There's no end to it if I list them out."
"This person, his mental strength is as hard as a diamond."
The person admiring my mental state was not limited to just Seo So-hui.
Sim Yong-hun also changed his perspective on me.
A fine of 10 billion won.
It was an amount that made one want to cry.
However, he was impressed by my attitude of looking forward without blaming anyone.
Would you not hold the bat just because it's two outs in the bottom of the ninth?
Would you not take a shot just because the regular 90 minutes have passed?
Furthermore, we had 45 minutes of time remaining.
It was as if the first half had just ended.
Right now was merely the halftime to catch our breath in order to turn the game around in the second half.
Whether it was worth maintaining an unshakable appearance, my unique abilities activated one after another.
[Sim Yong-hun perceives you as an ally.]
[Copied Sim Yong-hun's ability.]
['Ability to turn the light of lighting tools into heat' has been acquired.]
[This ability can only be used while Sim Yong-hun perceives you as an ally.]
[Seo So-hui perceives you as an ally.]
[Copied Seo So-hui's ability.]
['Ability to borrow an opponent's ability by paying money' has been acquired.]
[This ability can only be used while Seo So-hui perceives you as an ally.]
It was the moment when the things gained through the incident in Area E1 increased further.
It was undeniable that I was gradually taking profits.
Eventually, when we reached Area E5, I pulled out the East-West-South-North paper model and pushed up the corners of my mouth mischievously.
"Well, since we know the exit, we can utilize the remaining time with peace of mind. Then, let's work hard and run through the second half as well."
Since Seo So-hui's turn, which was the last in order, had ended, the turn returned to the beginning and became my turn.
I folded and unfolded the East-West-South-North paper model horizontally and vertically.
South number 3.
As if outputting the input value exactly, we moved from Area E5 to Area E2.
The members asked me if there was a special reason for going to Area E2.
As an answer to that, I showed them a refreshing smile.
"You'll know if you wait and see."
The prize money written inside the paper model was 50 million won.
It was the largest amount among the stakes a player could choose.
[Prize multiplier: x4.]
[Prize money: 200 million won.]
[Battle opponent: 3rd-rank ability user]
As soon as the match opponent was confirmed, the iron door attached to the east side of Area E2 opened.
What puffed out immediately was a breathlessness like the heat of a dry prairie, and a heavy presence.
"Roaaar!"
Thud.
The existence that the Bronzes pushed into the area from beyond the iron door was a male lion.
Curvy muscles and a golden mane.
A shadow of wild savagery was cast deeply beneath its feet.
Seo So-hui flinched her body at the unpleasant premonition.
"A lion. It's a terrifying creature even without abilities in the first place. I wonder if the difficulty jump is too steep from 100 million and above..."
Meanwhile, Park So-yul crossed her arms and comfortably took the stance of a spectator.
"If you're anxious, look at Ju-seong's expression. He has a face that says winning is natural, right? If it's like that, you just need to believe and wait."
As I slowly moved my feet to the center of Area E2, the lion exhaled hot breath while looking at me.
The eyes staring back from the front were like a warrior's, not a beast's.
And at the same time.
Grrrr.
The lion lowered the front part of its body and was fully on guard, as if facing a young foreign male lion that had trespassed into its territory.
It was as if it were claiming that it was the master of this area.
But my position was different.
I tucked the leather gloves purchased at the Shopping Mall onto my hands one by one and moved my lips.
"A male lion is given the right to challenge the leader of another pride."
And I added as I pulled the ability of Damage Doping to its maximum.
"I will accept that challenge."
The lion is not the master of this area.
I am the master, and you are the challenger.
I firmly declared that my position was the red corner.
Did it understand the provocation.
The male lion leaped by dynamically utilizing its developed femoral muscles.
Roaaaaar!
I ran in a diagonal direction, and after achieving a sharp change of direction as if drawing a right angle, I threw my body.
The tip of my shoe's toe was buried squarely into the lion's flank while drawing a parabola.
Just as a gasp was about to burst from the lion's mouth, its entire body was pushed sideways.
The lion's massive body floated in the air and then.
Thump!
It crashed helplessly into the wall adjacent to Area E1.
A massive roar rang out like an afterthought.
But that roar was only a cry of pain, and the lion's eyes opened blankly toward the ceiling while losing focus.
I did not stop at a single blow and punched the area I had just kicked while making full use of my momentum.
There was no hesitation in hitting the spot I had already hit.
Crack!
My fist dug deep into the thick muscles, and the sound of muscle fibers and organs being crushed occurred.
It was a sensation like pounding high-quality meat with a cutlet hammer.
It was a sound that made it seem like good meat juices would flow out.
Whimper!
The ferocious roar changed into a pitiful moan.
The lion's body slid down, and the punch I threw as a finishing blow struck the wall where slight cracks were spreading.
Boom!
A part of the wall collapsed, and some of the embedded rebar was revealed.
All of this happened before the lion even had a chance to use its ability.
Overwhelming physical strength, demonic ruthlessness.
The bizarre performance I showcased made my companions shudder.
Park So-yul nodded her head as if feeling proud as if it were her own business.
Sim Yong-hun's mouth was wide open and did not know how to close.
Seo So-hui shook her head while clutching her knees.
"Wow..."
The single exclamation that flowed from Seo So-hui's mouth was a masterpiece of praise that went beyond a hundred compliments.
I opened my mouth lightly while tidying my collar with my fingers.
"It serves as about a warm-up before facing April. Now, let's proceed quickly before my body cools down."
As the battle in Area E2 ended with my victory, the prize money was updated.
[Current accumulated prize money: -9.7 billion won]
The amount was still in a state of enormous deficit that was almost despairing.
Because of the lingering afterimage of the stimulating performance I showed, the thought of the deficit had long been erased from the members' minds.
The next turn was Park So-yul.
I instructed Park So-yul to move one space to the west.
From Area E2 to Area D2.
The prize money at stake was 25 million won.
The difficulty was at a medium level.
Park So-yul responded to my request to end it quickly and reached a conclusion within one minute.
Subsequently, I instructed Sim Yong-hun to move one space to the north.
From Area D2 to Area D3.
The prize money at stake was 20 million won.
Similarly, I requested a quick conclusion, and the match was decided in less than 3 minutes.
I instructed Seo So-hui to move one space to the east.
From Area D3 to Area E3.
The prize money at stake was 15 million won.
Seo So-hui was giving her all to make up for it, as she still seemed to believe the 10 billion won fine was her fault.
Thanks to that, it took 5 minutes to reach a conclusion.
Coming back around, it was my turn.
I decided on the direction to move.
"Move two spaces to the south."
While moving from Area E3 to Area E1, we inevitably passed through Area E2.
In Area E2, the Bronzes were just now bringing in equipment to recover the dead lion.
Because we had proceeded so quickly, they had not had the leisure to clean up as they were busy rushing to bring in match opponents from the outside one by one.
The movements of the Bronzes, whose actions had slowed down from exhaustion, were impressive.
While I was at it, I threw a comment while passing by the Bronzes that completely erased their motivation to move quickly.
"Aigo, you're working hard to earn money."
It couldn't have felt good to be treated like manual laborers by players they considered beneath them.
The Bronzes couldn't exactly get angry openly and held back their emotions while sighing audibly.
The fact that their working hands stopped was a bonus.
Like that, we returned to Area E1.
It meant we had moved an even number of spaces to the south.
It was the same as during Seo So-hui's turn earlier.
It was natural that the prize money was the same 10 million won, and since the multiplier assigned to Area E1 was also the same, the same prize money as before was at stake.
[This southern gate of Area E1 is the maze exit.]
[Upon winning the battle, you can escape the maze through the exit.]
[Prize multiplier: x100.]
[Prize money: 1 billion won.]
[Battle opponent: Dealer April.]
As if someone had turned on a rerun, the southern door of Area E1 opened and April entered.
Whether his anger had reached the top of his head because of his teeth being knocked out, he was entering while stomping his feet hard.
April was completely excited like a lion whose nose hairs had been plucked.
It probably wasn't just a feeling that he overlapped with the lion I had faced earlier.
On the other hand, I wagged my index finger with leisure.
As if claiming that getting nervous against April was itself a logical fallacy.
"I'll have to tell January to put out a recruitment notice for new hires. Because in a little while, the twelve dealers will decrease to eleven."