Chapter 1382

Chapter 1382

[Pillar of the Gourmands’ Elapsed Time.]

[3 minutes 30 seconds.]

The Pillar of the Battlefield, who was stuck in the wall, was left unable to move for a very long time.

“Urk!”

The blood pouring out of his mouth was evidence of how much damage he had suffered from that one single attack.

[This is nuts!!!]

[The Pillar of the Battlefield is a mighty existence to the point that it goes beyond common sense.]

[But from what we had seen so far, the Pillar of the Battlefield cannot heal and regenerate himself, unlike the other Pillars.]

[Nevertheless, the fact that it will be a difficult task to dwindle the Pillar of the Battlefield’s remaining 56% HP remains the same.]

[When Obren hunted the Pillar of the Battlefield, he was able to cut down his HP to less than 50%.]

Thud... thud, thud!

[A light flashed in the eyes of the Pillar of the Battlefield, who’s stuck in the wall!]

[At this moment, tens of thousands of monsters are falling from the sky while Minhyuk and the players are gearing up for another attack.]

[There are also monsters from the Abyss coming out of the ground! Look! They’re appearing just right beneath the players’ feet.]

[According to the Pillar of the Battlefield’s information, his mastery and proficiency in all weapons are at MAX level.]

[Yes. This means that the Pillar of the Battlefield possesses the power to rule and dominate the entire battlefield.]

Swish!

The Pillar of the Battlefield grabbed his sword tightly. Then, he raised his hand and swung it fiercely.

Swoosh!

With just a single swing, the 10,000 players found their chests cut deeply.

[Battlefield Master’s Attack.]

[All enemies will be inflicted with 17,000% additional damage.]

Thud!

“Keok!”

“Keuhaaack!”

“Kyaack!”

Screams erupted from all over the place. The players’ expressions looked grim as they tried to ward off the monsters that had besieged them from both the sky and the ground beneath them.

[Battlefield’s Ruler.]

[The entire battlefield is under the palm of his hands.]

[All of your stats have decreased by 29%.]

[All of your skills’ levels have decreased by 2.]

[Your abnormal status resistance has decreased by 30%.]

The abnormal status notifications that constantly rang in the players' ears left them with an even uglier expression.

“Kghhk!”

“I have to help Minhyuk.”

“But it’s hard to protect our bodies!”

Everyone’s gazes were focused on Minhyuk, who was standing in front of them and staring warily at the Pillar of the Battlefield. It was only right for Minhyuk to ignore them and turn his back on them, mainly because he had to focus on dealing with the Pillar of the Battlefield.

Regardless, Minhyuk did not ignore them. With his white cape fluttering behind him, he turned to look back at the players.

[Your defensive power has decreased by 56%.]

[Your attack power has...]

“Don’t be afraid.”

[Battle God’s Affection.]

[No force can exert its power in front of the Battle God’s orders.]

[The abnormal statuses applied to all of the troops will be nullified.]

“Don’t back down.”

[Battle God’s Praise.]

[All of your stats will increase by 29%.]

[Your main weapon’s mastery will increase by two levels.]

“Move forward.”

[Battle God’s Blessing.]

[Your strongest and most outstanding attack skill’s level will increase by three.]

“I will leave my back to you.”

The players were all shocked.

‘Th... this...’

These were the Battle God’s powers, powers that they had never seen before.

Calauhel looked at Minhyuk’s back and thought,

‘Most of the Battle God’s powers can only be used inside the Land of the Gods.’

But Minhyuk was able to use these powers and apply them. This meant that these powers were the ones he had unsealed after reaching Level 800.

‘The same goes for the power of the Pillar of the Gourmands.’

Calauhel stared at Minhyuk’s back for a long time. Then, he unleashed his strongest and most outstanding skill.

BANG!

With a wave of his fan, a massive explosion erupted that blew up hundreds of monsters all at once.

‘How strong have you become?’

***

[4 minutes 16 seconds.]

Everyone’s eyes were focused on the elapsed time. The fierce battle between the players and the monsters did not even register in their minds.

Meanwhile, Minhyuk and the Pillar of the Battlefield’s gazes met. The Pillar of the Battlefield was quite tense and nervous because he had no prior knowledge of the powers that Minyuk had recently obtained. Similarly, Minhyuk was nervous because the Pillar of the Battlefield was far superior to him in terms of power and level.

Their battle began with the Pillar of the Battlefield making the first move.

Crack, crack, crack!

Hundreds of weapons squeezed out of the ground and shot through the air. But Minhyuk had already made his move; he had already jumped far away before they could even get out of the ground.

The aura and momentum that the Supreme Blade in Minhyuk’s hands was emitting were enough to make the Pillar of the Battlefield, Kang Taehoon, feel tense.

Rumble!

‘Frenzied Blade.’

As Kang Taehoon felt the power that could inflict damage even from afar rush toward him, he immediately made a move, not wanting to let Minhyuk win.

“Ruler’s Sky.”

BANG!

The sky fell as an unimaginable pressure and weight fell upon Minhyuk.

“Ruler’s Attack...”

Shwaaaaaaa!

Kang Taehoon quickly raised his sword and aimed for Minhyuk’s flanks.

“Absolute Defense,” Minhyuk muttered. At the same time, he triggered the Intangible Sword and sent another wave of attack at Kang Taehoon.

‘The one who lasts the longest will be the one to win.’

[The God of the Battlefield’s Armor.]

Clank!

The God of the Battlefield’s Armor’s golden armor set appeared and slowly coiled itself around the armor that was already equipped on Kang Taehoon’s body. Yes. It was an armor that could be worn over other armor; it was a special characteristic exclusive to the Pillar of the Battlefield. Once triggered, the Pillar of the Battlefield can use 100% of the effects of both armors at the same time. Even the Evil God struggled against the effects of this power.

The Pillar of the Battlefield’s weakness lay in Kang Taehoon’s control. Even though Kang Taehoon created this game, he was still no match against Obren and Minhyuk, two geniuses in their ways, in terms of skills and minute control of their bodies.

Nonetheless, with the help of this power, he was able to overlap two almost unbreakable armors and last long in his fight against Obren. In front of this armor, even the power of Intangible Sword, a power that could ignore all defenses, had no other choice but to curl in on itself.

The battle between Minhyuk, who could overwhelm the immature and sloppy control of the Pillar of the Battlefield, and President Kang Taehoon, who pushed back by using skills and his strong damage output, continued nonstop.

[8 minutes 27 seconds.]

At this point, the Pillar of the Battlefield’s HP had dropped below 47%. It had been four minutes since they started to clash, yet Minhyuk was only able to shave off around 7% of Kang Taehoon’s remaining HP. On the other hand, Minhyuk’s HP had already fallen below 19%.

[The movements of Minhyuk and the Pillar of the Battlefield are so fast that I can’t keep up with my eyes.]

[The only thing that signals their continuous clashes in this battle are the sounds of collisions and the sparks generated by their blades.]

[However, there will be no big surprises for us here.]

[Even if Minhyuk can kill the Pillar of the Battlefield, his expected clear time would be around thirty minutes or so.]

The viewers and commentators initially expected Minhyuk’s clear time to be around an hour.

[In fact, as long as he can finish the raid within an hour, he can already be considered to have accomplished something that no one else could achieve.]

[It’s not that Minhyuk is lacking. It’s just that... Obren is too much of a monster.]

[Let’s look at the current situation alone. There’s a high chance that Player Minhyuk will be forced to log out. How can he even hunt the Pillar of the Battlefield?]

[Even though he had achieved Level 800, the 500-level difference is still a huge gap that is very difficult to narrow down.]

‘Like the Wind.’

Minhyuk narrowed the distance between him and the Pillar of the Battlefield.

“Caught you.”

At that moment, a smile appeared on the face of Kang Taehoon. As the creator of the game, Kang Taehoon did not want to lose to a player. That may be the reason why he was giving it his all.

Then, a tower shot out from the ground, trapping both him and Minhyuk inside. This was a force that Obren had struggled with earlier as well.

[Master of the Battlefield’s Tower.]

[The power of the Master of the Battlefield will dramatically increase in the confines of the Master of the Battlefield’s Tower.]

[All of the attack power of the Master of the Battlefield will increase by 45% in the confines of the Master of the Battlefield’s Tower.]

[All of the defensive power of the Master of the Battlefield will increase by 80% in the confines of the Master of the Battlefield’s Tower.]

[The Master of the Battlefield’s AGI will increase by 30%.]

Kang Taehoon had used this power on Obren, leaving him in a state of complete disarray.

‘Of course, I still lost in the end. But it will be different this time!’

BANG!

Kang Taehoon’s speed, which had already gone beyond anyone’s imagination, had become even faster. With his weapon in hand, Kang Taehoon attacked Minhyuk from all directions and put pressure upon him inside the walls of the tower that blocked everyone’s view.

[9 minutes 49 seconds.]

Kang Taehoon was not feeling good either. He had painstakingly planned the Pillar of Battlefield Raid, yet this young man in front of him had boasted that he would win in just eleven minutes.

Boom!

Minhyuk was sent flying away, his body stuck in a wall while dark blood dripped down his mouth.

[Your HP has fallen below 11%.]

“You’re easier to deal with than I expected.”

Minhyuk was a genius gamer. This was the part that Kang Taehoon was worried about the most. He had wondered if Minhyuk could truly overwhelm him, even though he was geared with good stats and skills. Ultimately, this was still a game.

“At the end of the day, this is still a game. Being overgeared, overskilled, and overstat still precedes all.”

‘You still failed to beat me even with your genius gaming sense.’

Thud!

Kang Taehoon raised his foot and kicked Minhyuk, who was still stuck against the wall, in the abdomen.

Bang!

The attack reduced Minhyuk’s HP below 7%.

[9 minutes 59 seconds.]

[10 minutes.]

[10 minutes 1 second.]

[10 minutes 2 seconds.]

Swoosh!

Minhyuk’s knee slowly folded. However, for some strange reason, he was able to hold out and remain standing.

“President, you’ve been busy, right?”

“...?”

Of course, that was only natural. He had been foregoing sleep just to plan the Pillar Great War and make sure everything went well.

“You didn’t get the chance to look at the monitor, no?”

Kang Taehoon was the type of person who was thorough and strict when it came to following the rules and discipline of their company. During the creation of the Pillar Great War, monitoring the participants had been restricted. Except for the members of the Special Players Management Team, none of them could monitor the event participants.

And that included Kang Taehoon himself.

“You don’t have any idea what kind of power I have unsealed, do you?”

“...”

At this moment, Kang Taehoon felt that something was wrong.

“I told you, right? I will finish this in eleven minutes. President, did you think that you had really restrained me?”

Kang Taehoon has already shown this power to Obren. So, for Minhyuk to say that... then there was something wrong.

[10 minutes 10 seconds.]

“Absolute Defense.”

A bluish light appeared and surrounded Minhyuk’s body as he triggered the power that he had kept using the skill Save.

“WHAT?!” Kang Taehoon blurted in surprise.

Minhyuk had instantly narrowed the distance between them and raised his sword to attack. Kang Taehoon hurriedly tried to dodge. However, the movement was completely different from the one he had seen before. Minhyuk’s movements had not only become faster but had also become even more sophisticated. His speed had become so fast that even Kang Taehoon’s high stats could not keep up.

Swoosh!

However, Kang Taehoon suffered little to no damage.

“Ha... Hahaha...!”

Just then...

[The Gourmand’s Five Stars.]

Five lights glittered and sparkled inside the small confines of the tower. This was Minhyuk’s new power, a power that Kang Taehoon was not aware of.

[The Gourmand’s Five Stars are shining brightly.]

[This is a power that can only be triggered when your HP is below 10%.]

‘I... I have to get away first...!’

Alas, Minhyuk was far too fast, and the space inside the tower was far too small.

[Swallowing the first star.]

Minhyuk gulped down one of the twinkling lights.

Gulp!

[You have swallowed the Star of Agility.]

[Your AGI has increased by 275%.]

[It will remain in effect for three minutes.]

Inside the small space, Minhyuk raised his sword. His sword moved so fast as it cut through the Pillar of the Battlefield that anyone who watched it would not be able even to see the glint of his blade.

Ping! Ping, ping! Ping!

Hundreds of wounds opened up all over Kang Taehoon’s body, blood spurting out and dyeing the ground beneath his feet red.

Minhyuk triggered one skill after another while moving so fast that he left several afterimages behind.

“Supreme Overlord’s Technique.”

“Transcendence.”

“Transcendental’s Spear.”

“Ten Thousand Li Sword.”

Clank!

Swoosh!

Fwoosh!

Ping!

Crackle!

Trapped inside the narrow space of the tower, Kang Taehoon could only passively accept Minhyuk’s attack. As a result, his HP dropped rapidly.

[Your HP has dropped below 27%.]

“Hiiiiik! I want to counter but...!”

Kang Taehoon tried to fight back, but it was to no avail. Minhyuk was in an invincible state.

[Swallowing the second star.]

Gulp!

[You have swallowed the Star of Strength.]

[Your STR has increased by 475%.]

[It will remain in effect for three minutes.]

The power of the Star of Strength replaced the fading effects of the power of the Star of Agility. STR was a stat closely related to attack power. This meant that Minhyuk’s attack power had just experienced a considerable boost.

Meanwhile, the battered and bruised Pillar of the Battlefield continued to stand. Although he was lacking in terms of talent and sense, he possessed the will never to back down and surrender that went beyond common sense. It was proven by the fact that he remained unaffected and without any abnormal status when he faced the Evil God Obren. However, the story changed once his HP had dropped to a certain level.

“Absolute Monarch.”

THUD!

Minhyuk stared at the Pillar of the Battlefield, who had fallen into a stunned state.

“Dual Swordsmanship Technique.”

Minhyuk held two swords in his hands. And with his 475% increase in STR...

“Sword of Carnage.”

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

A scream was ripped out of the mouth of Kang Taehoon as the attack rained down upon him.

“Keuhaaaaaaaaack!”

Despite the two overlapping armors protecting him, he was still unable to stop the relentless rain of attacks. Every spot where Minhyuk’s sword struck would grow dented. Then, with another strike, it would be torn apart so easily as if it were just a mere piece of paper. With no armor to protect him, the swords in Minhyuk’s hands were finally able to cut through skin and flesh.

[10 minutes 13 seconds.]

[Your HP has dropped below 13%.]

Gulp!

Gulp!

Gulp!

Minhyuk’s throat bobbed three times in a row. The Gourmand’s Five Stars have five stars in total. Each star represented a different power–strength, agility, stamina, skill, and will.

[You have swallowed the Star of Stamina.]

[Your HP has increased by 10%.]

[You have swallowed the Star of Skill.]

[Your chosen skill’s level will increase by six.]

[You have swallowed the Star of Will.]

[One swing of your sword will trigger six swings.]

[The six times multiplier can also be applied to skills. However, it can only be applied to a single skill.]

“Crazy.”

[Crazy’s level has increased by six.]

[10 minutes 19 seconds.]

Rumble!

The wild energy of Crazy erupted from the depths of the Supreme Blade. And with a swing of his sword, the power of Crazy struck the Pillar of the Battlefield square in the chest.

Boom!

The wind created by the blades continued to wreak havoc. It continued to tear apart every single inch of Kang Taehoon’s flesh.

After tearing him apart once, it appeared once again and began another round of attacks. Then, another. And another,

and

another. Then another one, and finally, one last time. The skill was activated six times in a row and left the Pillar of the Battlefield devastated.

[Your HP has fallen below 7%.]

Kang Taehoon’s face grew extremely ugly. Nonetheless, he knew that he still had a chance. After all, Minhyuk’s Absolute Defense was about to end, and his HP was not high either.

The Pillar of the Battlefield stabbed his sword into the ground and pulled himself up.

[10 minutes 23 seconds.]

***

[10 minutes 48 seconds.]

[10 minutes 50 seconds.]

Bang! Bang, bang! Crack! Rumble!

The people could not see what was happening inside the tower. It was because not all the broadcasts shared Minhyuk's and the Pillar of the Battlefield's perspective. They could only nervously listen to the loud explosions and the sounds of the blade cutting through flesh or steel.

[10 minutes 51 seconds.]

Then, suddenly, everything grew quiet. The silence that fell upon the battlefield seemed to signal that someone had already completely collapsed.

[Gulp.]

The sound of one of the commentators gulping dryly echoed in the otherwise silent screens in front of the viewers.

Obren’s eyes had never strayed off once from the tower.

Rumble!

The small tower slowly crumbled into ruins.

[10 minutes 52 seconds.]

Not long after, the figures of the two people inside the tower were revealed. Obren’s expression grew ugly.

[10 minutes 53 seconds.]

He could see Minhyuk’s figure slumped forward, the only thing supporting him was his swords. As for the Pillar of the Battlefield? He was swaying on his feet.

[In the end...]

A suffocating feeling welled up in Obren’s chest. It was not just him; even the viewers and commentators shared the same sentiment. But then...

Thud!

The Pillar of the Battlefield, who was swaying and struggling to hold on, fell on both knees. On the other hand, Minhyuk, who had already slumped forward, had staggered back onto his feet. He tried to raise both swords in his hands with all his might.

[10 minutes 54 seconds.]

Unfortunately, he could no longer bring himself to swing it down. In the end, he lost his grip on his swords.

[10 minutes 55 seconds.]

Then, something very unusual happened. Ashes could be seen fluttering from where the kneeling Pillar of the Battlefield was. Yes, his HP had already reached zero.

[10 minutes 56 seconds.]

[The Pillar of the Gourmands has cleared the Pillar of the Battlefield Raid.]

[He’s currently the participant with the highest score.]