LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 83
Chapter 83
Right: Orc, center: Kaiser, left: Necromancer.
Faced with this dizzying combination, Duke couldn’t help but feel tears well up.
He had intended to back off quietly and flee, but how did things end up like this?
All he had done was beat up an orc, but now he was judged as having launched a preemptive attack and was surrounded so thoroughly.
Everything felt like a mystery.
Though the situation made no sense, Duke quickly made a decision.
‘I don’t know what’s going on, but at this point, striking first is the key to victory!’
For reasons he couldn’t fathom, the battle had already begun.
Being so perfectly surrounded, escaping was no longer an option.
In that case, the best course of action was to exploit the moment they let their guard down and land a surprise first strike.
Shuaak-!
Duke’s spear tore through the air with fierce precision.
[The unique ability ‘Swift’ is activated.]
[Attack speed is greatly increased.]
[The trait ‘Single Blow’ is activated.]
[The next successful attack deals greatly enhanced damage.]
[Using the skill ‘All-Out Thrust.’]
This was Duke’s signature move, his hallmark—a thrust containing his very essence.
Striking first with overwhelming speed and damage had always been Duke’s surefire strategy.
Even from a distance, this attack was hard to dodge—let alone at such close range.
‘I’ve got him…!’
Fire blazed in Duke’s eyes.
This attack was impossible to avoid.
Not even a martial arts master straight out of a wuxia novel could react to such a high-speed thrust from this distance.
Though he had faced danger, a true expert turned crises into opportunities.
Duke’s heart raced wildly with anticipation.
‘I could become a star!’
With this certainty, Duke’s thrust flew toward Kaiser’s heart with deadly intent.
The spear tip drew closer to its target.
Tuk.
Kaiser, holding a black sword, casually raised it and blocked Duke’s spear shaft.
Whoosh-.
“…Huh?”
Then, with a slight motion, the force from Duke’s spear was redirected along the trajectory of Kaiser’s subtle movement.
The concentrated strength scattered, and Duke’s spear fell to the ground with a thud.
His all-out attack had been rendered meaningless.
Duke recognized what he had just witnessed.
‘Parry…?’
But even though he saw it with his own eyes, he couldn’t believe it.
Did that mean Kaiser had reacted to his thrust in real-time, at this range? Not just dodging or blocking, but deflecting it at the perfect moment?
Parrying wasn’t supposed to be such an easy skill.
‘That doesn’t make any sense…!’
Despite his confusion, Duke’s body moved on instinct.
Thanks to his practiced routine, as soon as his thrust was blocked, his feet naturally shifted to a flowing step.
Shifting his weight in reverse, his spear rebounded and slashed toward Kaiser’s neck.
“Oh?”
Kaiser’s eyes widened slightly.
At the same time, Duke’s eyes widened as well.
‘No way… he saw this coming too…?’
His guess was right on the mark.
Kaiser easily dismantled Duke’s slash, observing every move as if it were in slow motion.
Swoosh.
With just a single step forward—
Hwoong-
The spear aiming for Kaiser’s neck sliced through empty air.
Even worse, the handle of Duke’s spear was blocked due to the close distance, leaving no power behind the swing.
Thud, thwack!
“!?”
Then came Do-hyeon’s ankle sweep.
A heavy sensation struck Duke’s ankle, lifting his body into the air.
A falling black spear—or rather, a dagger—was waiting for him.
Puk! Puk, puk!
In an instant, his throat, heart, and aorta were pierced.
By the time Duke hit the ground, he could no longer see the landscapes of God of Savior.
[You have been killed by Player ‘Kaiser.’]
[The death penalty is applied.]
[For 24 hours, your experience gain and item drop rates will decrease by 50%, and one of your held items will drop at random.]
[Since you initiated the preemptive attack, the likelihood of dropping an equipment item is increased.]
The only thing visible on the blackened screen was a floating message.
Whoosh-
As the game ended and Duke emerged from the capsule, he sat there in a daze for a long while.
He couldn’t understand why he had died.
No, more than that, he didn’t even know exactly how he had died.
He had attempted a surprise thrust… then there was a whir, and his body had floated into the air before he died.
‘That was… a parry, right?’
At best, he could only guess he had been countered by a parry.
Dying without even knowing why, despite launching the surprise attack himself.
Unless it was a massive gap between a beginner and a high-ranking player, this level of difference was incomprehensible.
For Duke, who had been confident in his skills, it was a shocking experience.
‘The gap is this wide?’
This meant the difference between him and Kaiser was at least that great.
Though barely a mid-tier ranker, Duke had believed his skills could match those above him.
Even when facing high-rankers and sensing their walls, the gap had never felt this insurmountable.
He had always thought he could reach them with enough effort.
But this… it seemed endless.
“Wow… Wassi…”
He couldn’t speak for a long while and only let out vague exclamations, but then a thought from a chat he had seen in the community crossed his mind.
‘They said there are a lot of people forming teams in Brion targeting Kaiser, didn’t they?’
At that time, he was only focused on securing his spot as quickly as possible.
Now, however, he realized how foolish that thought had been.
‘Ha, securing a spot? Yeah, right.’
He was certain.
No matter how skilled the teams that showed up were or how many people came at him, the result would be the same.
There would soon be a bloodbath in Brion.
***
[You have slain Player ‘Duke.’]
[Recognized as self-defense; Karma will not increase.]
[Do you wish to loot the dropped items?]
“Whoa…”
As soon as the situation settled, Kaiser unconsciously stretched his hands outward.
“I killed him without meaning to.”
From the context, he had mistaken the figure for an Orc and attacked, which triggered the preemptive strike recognition, so he had tried to initiate dialogue.
However, the sudden attack made his body move on its own.
He felt slightly apologetic since he hadn’t intended to kill, but he shrugged soon after.
‘Well, I guess it doesn’t matter.’
After all, it wasn’t his fault that the other person attacked first.
Do-hyeon had only defended himself. Besides, even without that justification, he didn’t think the player was particularly virtuous.
‘They were hiding behind the rock.’
Some might hide to avoid Orcs during rest, sure.
But in a situation where all eyes were focused on Do-hyeon, hiding specifically behind him?
It would have been more absurd to believe it was a coincidence.
Regardless, as soon as they were discovered, they attacked.
‘Their skills weren’t bad, though.’
The moment he parried their attack, the follow-up was as smooth as flowing water, showcasing a hint of expertise.
It was a distinct scent of a veteran, the kind often found only among long-time players.
Do-hyeon hadn’t expected to encounter such skill in Brion, so it caught him off guard.
That surprise had made his counterstrike more forceful.
His body had instinctively reacted to the familiar air of experience.
‘Well, with 1 billion players, it’s natural there’d be more skilled ones.’
When he reached the Empire, where everyone gathered, he’d probably meet masters he’d never seen in DemRock.
That thought filled him with anticipation.
-What happened?
“Oh, nothing much. I told you there were people after me, right?”
-Liza!?
Hearing Do-hyeon’s answer, Elisa’s eyes flashed with anger as she stomped on Duke’s lifeless body.
Whether it was because she had just realized he was an enemy or out of spite, it wasn’t clear.
-Me too, ei!
Did it seem fun?
Jihad joined in and started stomping as well.
Seeing the two Guardians acting like that, Do-hyeon shook his head and turned his gaze.
[Do you wish to loot the dropped items?]
It was now time to check the rewards he had unintentionally obtained.
‘Oh.’
As soon as he accepted the loot, a faint light seeped out, and an item emerged.
It was a pair of shoes.
[Stealthy Leather Shoes Crafted in a Specialized Workshop]
[Grade: Rare+]
[Description: Leather shoes crafted in a specialized workshop handling rare materials.
Although they don’t contain special materials, the craftsmanship of an exceptional artisan ensures excellent performance.]
[Level Requirement: 25]
[Equipping Requirement: None]
[Physical Defense: 71]
[Magic Resistance: 56]
-Agility +3
-Sense +1
[Special Option: No footsteps are audible while walking.]
“Oh? This is good.”
Moreover, it was a pair of Rare+ grade leather shoes.
They were essentially an upgrade from Do-hyeon’s current ‘Shoes Made of Libre Cocoon Thread.’
Being level 25 gear, the defense and magic resistance values were impressive for shoes.
Since they were made of leather, they wouldn’t hinder movement or slow him down.
‘The options are perfect. I’ll switch right away.’
Once he equipped the item, his stats increased.
[You have unequipped the item ‘Shoes Made of Libre Cocoon Thread.’]
[You have equipped the item ‘Stealthy Leather Shoes Crafted in a Specialized Workshop.’]
[Agility increases by +1.]
The stats of the new shoes were similar to his previous ones, resulting in an additional agility boost of +1.
On top of that, they had a special option, which was just what he needed.
While it might seem like a minor feature, useful only for assassins…
‘It’ll help with using my minor invisibility.’
For Do-hyeon, who had partial stealth abilities, the option was a significant benefit.
As he finished his gains, Do-hyeon looked up to see Jihad and Elisa catching their breath after their bout of stomping.
Meeting his eyes, Elisa shouted energetically.
-Liza!
-There might be others like this one, so I’ll patrol more!
-Are you okay with that? Won’t you run out of mana?
-Liza!
-…She says it’s no problem. Lucky her.
-Liza!?
Elisa waved her hands dismissively, as if to show she wasn’t boasting.
Apparently, her mana was only consumed during her parasitizing ability, not during its maintenance.
‘It’s great for patrolling or hiding.’
He had never heard of a Guardian with such traits before, but now that he had experienced it firsthand, it proved more practical than expected.
If Jihad was specialized for group combat, Elisa was suited for support roles.
That seemed to explain why Jihad consumed mana excessively while Elisa appeared relatively unconstrained.
Each had distinct strengths and weaknesses.
‘If I could fix that guy’s mana issue, I wouldn’t even need a party.’
He had all the qualities to walk the path of a one-man army.
Though, thanks to his overwhelming stats, he was still managing fine on his own for now.
‘Still, I didn’t expect hyenas to show up this soon.’
For now, it was just one person, but if it were a team?
Being ambushed during a hunt would be dangerous, not to mention annoying. Taking them out proactively wasn’t an option either, as he was mindful of his Karma.
Especially in Brion, unlike other cities.
‘Oh? Wait a second.’
A sudden thought flashed through his mind.
Do-hyeon’s gaze naturally shifted to Elisa.
‘I got a self-defense ruling this time.’
The self-defense verdict he earned when Elisa, whom the player had parasitized, was attacked first.
The enemy hadn’t realized Elisa had turned into an Orc when they attacked.
If that’s the case…
A sly grin spread across Do-hyeon’s lips.
‘Things just got a lot easier.’
Seeing his faint smile, Jihad fell silent and nodded his head.
While he didn’t know what Do-hyeon was planning, one thing was clear.
-Some poor sacrifices will soon emerge again.
-Liza?
-It’s just how things are.
Whenever their master made that face, it always led to a bloodbath.
Jihad offered a small prayer for the unknown souls who would soon meet their fate.