The Player Who Can't Level Up

While the Morningstar and the Child guilds had to fight tooth and nail with Chalemont’s team, Gi-Gyu incapacitated them all swiftly and rushed toward the Cain Guild team. This haste was due to Brunheart’s warning. 

-Master! Most of the skeleton soldiers have been destroyed!

“Are Hart and the durahan still okay?”

-They are fighting really well so far! After devouring so many crystals, it’s their duty to fight and make you proud!

One Iron Guild team managed to obliterate Gi-Gyu’s undead team and should’ve joined the Cain Guild fight by now. Now, Suk-Woo and his guild would’ve to simultaneously deal with two Iron Guild teams. The pressure just doubled on them. 

“That’s to say nothing of the other reason,” Gi-Gyu murmured. Tae-Shik informed him that there wasn't much time left till he needed to finish everything. Since the KPA refused all help, the other guilds were getting antsy. It was only a matter of time before they began actively protesting against the association and asking what was really happening in Yeoksam Dong. In addition, the high-level barrier that surrounded the city was effective for only a limited time. Once the barrier was disabled, everything that happened inside the city would be revealed to the public. Gi-Gyu had to do everything he could to avoid this sticky situation.

Gi-Gyu prodded, “Bi! We gotta hurry! Please go a little faster!” 

“Grr!” Bi growled and picked up speed. Thankfully, they arrived at their destination just in time. 

“Dammit…” Gi-Gyu swore as he jumped off Bi. True to his expectations, the Cain Guild team was battling two Iron Guild teams alone. As if it read Gi-Gyu’s mind, the wolf immediately charged toward the enemies. 

Soaked in blood, Suk-Woo shouted at Gi-Gyu, “Hey! What took you so long…?!” 

“Sorry, we’ll talk later,” replied Gi-Gyu, kicking the ground with all his strength to jump. The street was littered with corpses, and most belonged to the Cain Guild; thankfully, the casualties weren't as great as Gi-Gyu expected.

Thud!

“Is that a new enemy?!” said some guy who looked like the Iron Guild team’s leader. The vibration from Gi-Gyu’s jump shocked everyone, and the battle paused for a brief moment. Gi-Gyu reached the enemy leader in that brief second and clashed his swords with the enemy’s. 

“Hehehe, I can tell you’re a powerful player,” the enemy leader muttered. Based on the madness in his eyes, Gi-Gyu could guess who it was. Gi-Gyu whispered, “Rhodes?”

“I guess you know my name, huh!” Rhodes replied gleefully. 

Irony Guild’s three elite teams were led by Chalemont, Rhodes, and Karen; Gi-Gyu had read the reports on each of them. Chalemont was famous for his old-fashioned helmet, while Rhodes had crazy eyes. And the woman battling Suk-Woo on the opposite side was Karen, who had shiny blond hair and an even shinier rapier. 

Rhodes asked, “Who are you? There is no way I’ve never heard of a powerful player like you.” Rhodes swung his long sword with a bright grin; he was considered the strongest among the three.

“Anything’s possible,” murmured Gi-Gyu while dodging the attack using Accelerate and Rush. Rush was the new skill he got when he used Black Magic on Hermes. The synergy between Accelerate and Rush was incredible, allowing Gi-Gyu to move faster than he had ever before. 

“Ugh!” Rhodes groaned when Lou slashed his arm. 

“Argh.” Unfortunately, Gi-Gyu couldn’t help moaning as well since using Accelerate and Rush simultaneously was too taxing. 

‘Gotta finish it fast,’ Gi-Gyu thought. As Gi-Gyu swung Lou, he caught Suk-Woo and his team, covered in blood, fighting the other team. Lou scratched Rhodes’ long sword, creating ominous metallic sounds. Gi-Gyu tried to take this opportunity to stab his enemy with El, but Rhodes was faster. He shoved Lou with his sword and ran to attack Gi-Gyu.

Rhodes chuckled like a madman and yelled, “You’re an amazing fighter! Kekeke, I love it!” Gi-Gyu began to panic a little and used both Lou and El to attack his enemy from behind. It was a perfect move, and there was no way Rhodes could escape it. 

Stab!

"Kekeke.” Gi-Gyu stammered in shock when Rhodes giggled, “Y-you crazy bastard!” Gi-Gyu couldn’t hide his shock at Rhodes’ madness. He had skewered Rhodes’ waist with Lou and El, but Rhodes just plunged his sword into his own stomach with a smile. By doing so, he managed to stab Gi-Gyu, who was standing behind him. It was as if Rhodes’ was trying to commit suicide.

“Ugh! Ack…!” Gi-Gyu took a step back as he looked down, his stomach was bleeding. While Gi-Gyu looked confused by the unexpected attack, Rhodes turned his head around and smiled. His stomach and waist, severely wounded previously, were already healing at an incredible speed. 

Gi-Gyu murmured, “His unique ability…” The was only one reason behind Rhodes’ madness and his status as the strongest among the three: Regeneration. This unique ability helped him quickly recover from most attacks, which was how he came to love pain and became renowned as a crazy, bloodthirsty player.

Gi-Gyu took another step and dashed toward Suk-Woo, “Suk-Woo!” Karen’s rapier was about to pierce Suk-Woo’s neck; when she saw Gi-Gyu, she shouted in a fury, “Don’t you dare interfere!” 

Karen’s rapier was still headed toward Suk-Woo’s neck when Suk-Woo suddenly shouted, “Mirror Image!”

Instantly, a blurry Suk-Woo materialized before the real Suk-Woo.

***

“He contacted us quicker than I thought,” Tae-Shik frowned and murmured. The Angela Guild just made an official request to the association. It offered to stop the gate break while demanding access to the area. The association refused, saying there were still too many monsters inside for the barrier to be deactivated. But it was only a matter of time before the Angela Guild pressured the association again. 

Tae-Gu announced, “One hour.” Turning toward his son, he explained, “I’ll lift the barrier in one hour.”

“Father!” Tae-Shik shouted at the association president. He was so shocked by this decision that he forgot to call him “old man” like he usually did. Tae-Shik planned on dragging this for another three hours, yet Tae-Gu was promising only one: This was not what they promised Gi-Gyu. 

Tae-Gu muttered, “Even one hour is stretching it.”

“What are you talking about?! You know you can buy at least three more hours! Father!” Tae-Shik replied angrily. He believed that if his father spoke to the Angela Guild in person, he could force the guild to be courteous and give at least three hours. After all, Oh Tae-Gu was the association president, so even the Angela Guild couldn’t openly disrespect Tae-Gu.

“...” Tae-Gu’s lips flinched a few times. He did this whenever he became angry. Tae-Shik shut his mouth since aggravating Tae-Gu further wouldn’t be a good idea. After a while, Tae-Gu explained, “Lee Sun-Ho is coming here in person.”

Tae-Gu’s hands clenched into tight fists, making his magic whirl around him like a small storm. The nearby association agents flinch and back away. 

Tae-Gu turned toward his son and ordered, “Call for the Grigory. We’re going to war.”

“....”

“We would be lucky to get even one hour at this rate,” Tae-Gu muttered, his outrage palpable. Tae-Shik grasped Behemoth’s thorn and suggested, “I think we should send in Sung-Hoon first.” 

Tae-Gu nodded in agreement.

***

“Are you all right?” When Gi-Gyu asked in worry, Suk-Woo replied breathlessly, “Haa… Haa… I…I’m okay…” 

Currently, Gi-Gyu and Suk-Woo’s mirror images were fighting Rhodes and Karen. Mirror Image was a rare skill only the strongest mage players could use. It materialized a mirror image similar to the user in terms of strength, speed, and appearance. Suk-Woo barely managed to escape death thanks to this skill. 

Suk-Woo sat down on the ground, panting, while Gi-Gyu watched over him. As Gi-Gyu heard the images employing their skills, he realized this was the first he was seeing Mirror Image in action. 

“Hup! Ice Sword!”

“Boom Arrow!”

Thankfully, the Morningstar and the Child guilds joined them, giving them the much-needed support. Rhodes and Karen were still a pain, so, concerned, Gi-Gyu looked down at Suk-Woo and asked, “Are you sure you can keep fighting?”

Suk-Woo replied with a sluggish nod. Mirror Image was a stunning skill, but it ate up a lot of the player’s energy. Consequently, most mages considered it their last resort. Knowing there was no other choice, Gi-Gyu nodded and jumped back into the battle as his mirror image fighting Rhodes blurred away. 

When Rhodes saw the real Gi-Gyu, he muttered in annoyance, “Finally. There you are.” Rhodes was having so much fun when he suddenly found himself fighting an illusion. He was furious, but because Gi-Gyu’s image was fairly strong, he had to continue fighting.  

Gi-Gyu announced, “Don’t worry. I’ll kill you quickly.” He swirled Lou and El in circles and murmured, “Bi.” The wolf chomping down on Iron Guild members far away instantly returned and turned back into Gi-Gyu’s necklace. 

“Hmm…” The sudden change in Gi-Gyu’s aura confused Rhodes. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what changed, but a foreboding feeling engulfed Rhodes. 

“Kekeke…” Annoyed at the fear he was feeling, Rhodes began to giggle. He raised his long sword, aimed at Gi-Gyu, and announced, “I’ll do my best as well. I shall fight my guild’s honor.” 

“Yeah, whatever. Aren’t you curious? Don’t you wanna know why you were attacked the moment you landed in Korea?” Gi-Gyu asked as he gathered his magic.

“Why should it matter? All we do is fight if we see an enemy.” 

“Hmm…” Gi-Gyu found Rhodes’ answer odd. None of the three leaders seemed curious about why they were being attacked. They couldn’t have expected this attack, so where was the curiosity? Did Ironshield only send players used to bloodshed and ambush?

Gi-Gyu murmured in agreement, “Well, I guess it really doesn’t matter.” After all, he was going to kill them all anyway. 

Gi-Gyu named two skills at the same time, “Elemental Dark. Binding.” 

Slowly, darkness began enveloping Gi-Gyu, and the same darkness reached Rhodes to suffocate him. 

Confused, Rhodes yelled, “W-what’s this?! What is going on…?!” He couldn’t finish his sentence because the darkness had grasped his neck. Soon, his confused questions turned into violent screams. 

A dark shape that resembled Gi-Gyu appeared nearby. As it moved its lips, Gi-Gyu’s voice leaked out. “I told you I’ll give you a quick death.” The dark, smoky figure picked up Lou and El and plunged them into Rhodes’ head leisurely. 

[Cannibalism is being activated.]

[Player Rhodes is being egofied.]

[Egofication of Player Rhodes was successful.]

***

Following Tae-Shik’s order, Sung-Hoon quickly entered the barrier, his destination clear: The area with the max amount of explosions. 

While running at max speed, Sung-Hoon saw all the corpses on the ground. Most belonged to the Iron Guild, but he could also see some from the Child and the Morningstar guilds. 

“Ugh…” He gagged from nausea. The undead skeletons, slicing and mangling Iron Guild players, were especially gruesome. Barely managing not to vomit, Sung-Hoon continued to run. 

Several Yeoksam Dong high rises were destroyed beyond recognition. It was the worst war zone he had ever witnessed. It was safe to say that if hell really existed, it would look very similar to this. 

Sung-Hoon could hear the screams and explosions becoming louder. He was getting close. Finally, he could see the Cain, the Morningstar, and the Child guilds fighting bravely against the Iron Guild members. Sung-Hoon shouted, “Player Kim Gi-Gyu!”

“Sung-Hoon?” Gi-Gyu turned around mid-swing. When Sung-Hoon spotted Gi-Gyu, he yelled, “You must hurry right now!”

Sung-Hoon dashed forward, and when he got closer, he explained, “You must get to Rogers immediately! You don’t have much time left!”

“What’s happening?” The battle was nearing its end; surviving participants were all wearing crimson. 

Sung-Hoon replied, “Lee Sun-Ho is coming this way!”

gomi's Thoughts

Gomi: Ok, so I guess Gi-Gyu can speak English now?

Sam: Maybe he learned his lesson in the Maze of Heryond. 

J.Andie: Du-dun! Lee Sun-Ho is coming!