Chapter 54: Choi Ji-Won is Too Strong (5)

 

“Going into a fight unprepared is akin to suicide.”

 

Before challenging the master of the city, I, Park Cheol-jin, and Choi Ji-won were gathered in a small inn, strategizing.

 

“She’s like lightning personified, nearly teleporting with her movements... A direct confrontation is a sure loss.”

 

“Hmm...”

 

Park Cheol-jin, the firefighter, and Choi Ji-won nodded without any doubt.

 

Having never personally faced the city’s master, my words should’ve seemed unsubstantial. Choi Ji-won and Park Cheol-jin had no reason to trust me.

 

“It’s all from Michael Jeter, the American powerhouse. You’ve seen the posters in the square, right?”

 

“I see...”

 

So, I bluffed about my authority. I lied that I was friends with Michael Jeter.

 

In reality, since I’ve read his posts, aren’t we practically friends? Or maybe not.

 

“Anyway... We are modern people from an advanced civilization. We must use that to our advantage to win.”

 

At my signal, two men who were waiting approached hesitantly.

 

“We want to help! Even if it means dying!”

 

“I want to land a blow on that woman!”

 

Their resolve was apparent, but Choi Ji-won looked slightly bewildered.

 

“Who are these men...?”

 

“The one on the left had to live a beggar’s life because of his bronze box. Originally, he was a hunter and a tanner.”

 

“And the other?”

 

“He was forced to live as a hunter and a tanner because of his silver box.”

 

Once we take the boxes, the city’s residents will regain their true nature.

 

Moreover, since their skills honed while they had the badges didn’t just vanish, I was able to recruit two skilled tanners.

 

They are specialists in leatherworking. On my words, they can swiftly craft whatever is needed.

 

And where exactly did I get the leather?

 

I lured some players with a gold mark, buying their leather armor.

 

Hence, we have an ample supply of leather.

 

My first idea: use leather to reduce electrical damage.

 

“Wrapping the leather armor around the entire body. How does that sound?”

 

“...That’s really not ideal.”

 

But Choi Ji-won expressed reservations.

 

“My strength lies in precise sword control... Wrapping myself in thick armor would be cumbersome.”

 

“...”

 

“Rather, I’d prefer specialized gloves and arm guards, thicker than the usual.”

 

“...Understood.”

 

My full-body leather wrap plan was rejected, but we decided to make the gloves and arm guards.

 

“Then how about this one?”

 

But that was not the end.

 

A dignified middle-aged man approached.

 

“...Pleased to meet you. I am Baron Lichte.”

 

Not the pretentious Baron Lichte I’ve met before, but the ‘real’ one, forced to live as a commoner due to his silver box.

 

My second plan: is to utilize the nobility freed from the shackles of the badge box.

 

Other nobles were uncooperative, but Baron Lichte was different.

 

Having experienced the life of a commoner, he reflected on his past decadence and expressed a desire to atone.

 

In a way, he had been enlightened as intended by the city’s master.

 

“But... How can this man help us?”

 

Choi Ji-won tilted her head in curiosity.

 

Instead of answering, Baron Lichte extended his palm and conjured a glowing orb.

 

“I am a mage. An expert in mana manipulation.”

 

“...And?”

 

“Of course, you climbers are much stronger than I am, so I can’t directly aid in battle... But I can still offer indirect assistance. May I touch your arm for a moment?”

 

When Baron Lichte lightly touched Park Cheol-jin’s wrist, the firefighter’s expression changed intriguingly.

 

“What is this...”

 

“Do you feel the mana moving inside? It seems climbers have mana but don’t know how to use it. It’s like you just ‘have it’.”

 

“Oh...”

 

“But with me, I can control that mana for you. I might not be able to use advanced techniques like sword energy, but... it will surely be helpful.”

 

“This... feels invigorating. Like vitality surging through me.”

 

Park Cheol-jin’s face brightened, but Choi Ji-won’s face darkened.

 

“...It seems impractical for actual combat.”

 

She was right. It was impossible for Baron Lichte to follow Choi Ji-won in intense combat to control her mana.

 

However, Baron Lichte, as if anticipating this, quickly replied.

 

“Before the fight. I’ll activate the mana in advance. Just having the mana circulating in your body will enhance your physical abilities and increase various resistances.”

 

“...Then, that’s good.”

 

Leaving a pleased Baron Lichte behind, I spoke.

 

“The final strategy is... creating a momentary opening.”

 

All we needed was a single fleeting moment of vulnerability.

 

.

.

.

 

Back in the square.

 

Boom!!!

 

Choi Ji-won barely regained her stance after her body was sent spinning three times like a skipping stone.

 

‘...Is this even possible?’

 

Flash Step. She knew the concept from Kim Jun-ho, but facing it in person was bewildering.

 

Taking barely 2 seconds to steady herself, the city’s master closed a distance of over 30 meters in an instant, swinging her sword. The fact that she managed to block it, even clumsily, felt miraculous.

 

Just the brief clash of swords left her arm tingling and numb.

 

Even with the reduced damage thanks to the leather gloves and arm guards, it was severe. Even for the robust Choi Ji-won, taking such an attack head-on was disastrous.

 

“...!”

 

As Choi Ji-won was pushed back, the city’s master swung her sword from afar, and magical lightning shot out at an unbelievable speed.

 

Recognizing the attack, Choi Ji-won reflexively leaped.

 

Boom!

 

“Phew!”

 

Barely avoiding the lightning, Choi Ji-won started running towards her opponent.

 

She had no means of long-range attack. She had to close the distance before being worn down.

 

Watching her, the city’s master twisted her lips slightly and swung her sword again.

 

Choi Ji-won leaped to dodge the lightning reflexively.

 

“Ah.”

 

It was only mid-air when she realized she’d been tricked.

 

The city’s master had only mimicked the sword swing, without releasing the lightning.

 

Waiting until her opponent was helplessly airborne and unable to dodge.

 

Crackle!

 

“Ugh...!”

 

Choi Ji-won was directly hit by lightning this time, her body rolling ungracefully across the stone floor.

 

“...”

 

Though she managed to rise, her complexion was visibly worse than before.

 

Even her legs were trembling slightly.

 

Thanks to her swordsmanship and unity, Choi Ji-won was far more durable than most, but this lightning was not something to be endured.

 

“Ready to give up?”

 

The city’s master, in contrast, was overflowing with confidence, even seeming to hold back her strength.

 

The mere beginning of mana usage had widened the gap this much. The woman, who once seemed manageable, now appeared monstrous.

 

“...”

 

The longer the fight dragged on, the more apparent Choi Ji-won’s impending defeat became.

 

Choi Ji-won, steadying herself slowly, signaled Park Cheol-jin and Kim Jun-ho, who were watching from a distance.

 

Now was the time to play the trump card.

 

After confirming Park Cheol-jin and Kim Jun-ho were ready with a sword each,

 

“Hyup!”

 

With a shout, Choi Ji-won started sprinting. The city’s master, shaking her head, swung her sword to release lightning.

 

But instead of dodging, Choi Ji-won accelerated her pace.

 

“...?”

 

The city’s master’s moment of confusion was brief.

 

Swoosh!

 

A well-timed sword thrown by an ally twisted the direction of the lightning.

 

“What?!”

 

The city’s master was startled.

 

While she might have known that metal could conduct lightning, she likely didn’t anticipate it being used so strategically against her.

 

The lightning scattered wildly without a proper ground, but...

 

For Choi Ji-won, avoiding a direct hit was enough.

 

She closed the gap with superhuman speed, a master of the sword.

 

The city’s master’s brows furrowed.

 

It was too late to activate Flash Step. Blocking the attack with her sword was problematic due to another sword flying in from the right.

 

Was this a coordinated attack with two swords?

 

Despite the complexity, her decision was quick.

 

The city’s master stepped back, avoiding the trajectory of the incoming sword from the right.

 

Crackle!

 

She emitted a current from her body while keeping Choi Ji-won at bay with her sword.

 

A textbook response, yet...

 

“?!”

 

Choi Ji-won catching the incoming sword with her left hand and throwing it back was an unforeseen mistake by the city’s master.

 

Judging it too late to dodge, the city’s master swung her sword to deflect the incoming weapon.

 

Despite the overwhelming power disparity, a brief moment of vulnerability was created.

 

The very opening Choi Ji-won had been waiting for.

 

‘Now’s the time, Boong-Boong.’

 

Her body shaking, every part aching, she clenched her teeth and focused, her mind sharpened perhaps due to the flowing mana within.

 

Da. Kang. Sok. Kyeong.

 

These are the principles emphasized in swordsmanship when practicing consecutive strikes.

 

Da: Make large swinging motions.

 

Choi Ji-won’s broadly swung sword struck down towards the city’s master, who, in her disrupted stance, barely managed to block it, her knees buckling slightly.

 

Kang: The sword must carry strong force.

 

Without hesitation, Choi Ji-won swung her sword powerfully horizontally. The city’s master, having awkwardly blocked the previous attack, completely lost her stance.

 

“Damn it!”

 

The city’s master, gritting her teeth, was continuously emitting electrical currents, but Choi Ji-won, with sheer willpower, continued her assault.

 

Though being in close range could mean harm to herself, and she had been holding back her stronger moves, but now, the situation demanded that she risk taking damage to overpower her opponent quickly.

 

Just as the city’s master was gathering mana for a powerful lightning strike,

 

Sok: Movements must be large and fast.

 

Choi Ji-won didn’t miss the opportunity as the city’s master lost focus while concentrating on the mana.

 

Swish!

 

In a single breath, she struck both the wrist and torso. A sword might not be effective against armor, but with Choi Ji-won’s strength, it was a different story.

 

“Gah!”

 

The city’s master’s grip on her sword loosened, the armor caved in, and the shock to her ribs disrupted the mana she was gathering.

 

It was a mere moment of opportunity, but Choi Ji-won had successfully widened the gap.

 

There was no escape. Her stance was broken, strength drained from the hand holding the sword, and the gathered mana was scattered.

 

Kyeong: The movement must be light, flexible, and above all, precise.

 

“It’s over.”

 

As Choi Ji-won’s sword precisely aimed for the waist of the city’s master,

 

Boom!!!

 

A bolt of lightning from the sky struck the city’s master, and Choi Ji-won was flung away like a puppet with its strings cut.

 

From that moment,

 

The air in the square shifted.

 

“...I never intended for this.”

 

The city’s master’s eyes shone piercingly blue.

 

The stone ground turned to dust, slowly rising into the air, and the space around violently vibrated.

 

“Wait! Just wait! Calm down!”

 

An angel’s voice cried out in horror, but the city’s master showed no signs of stopping.

 

“It’s not my fault. You brought this upon yourselves.”

 

Blue lightning streaks emerged from her armor, and the sword in her hand glowed a fierce blue, emitting a deadly aura.

 

This was different.

 

The pressure was unlike anything before.

 

This was not a foe that could be fought against. Natural disasters are not to be defeated, but endured and adapted to.

 

This was unbeatable.

 

“...Crazy.”

 

I understood this phenomenon in theory, but never dreamed of witnessing it in reality.

 

I should have considered this possibility...

 

My skin prickled, a tickling sensation on my scalp, hair slowly rising.

 

“...Cough, cough.”

 

Choi Ji-won coughed, struggling to breathe on the ground, and,

 

“Oh, oh...”

 

“What is...”

 

The horrified players watched as the human embodiment of a natural disaster declared,

 

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you. Any of you.”

 

The city’s master had activated the Heart of Lightning.

– – – End of Chapter – – -

 

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