Episode 399: Rules of the Battlefield
“Ethan… … three?”
What did Leonardo find so funny when he saw that sight?
He had been frowning as if he was in a bad mood recently, but he burst into hearty laughter as if it were a lie.
Perhaps in the end, it was as if the Hunter he protected, Ethan, was recognized among the players. It must have been quite satisfying.
His career so far, his popularity, his performance, all of that aside, he has proven to the players that he is a hunter with the ‘talent they most want to have’.
Of course, not everyone on the panel of veteran hunters reacted like Leonardo.
“Hey… Why didn’t I think of this? I thought it was a good planning idea, but now that I look at it, it seems so vague.”
At first, John Smith’s eyes sparkled as if he had imagined some kind of funny situation, but now he frowned as if he thought this was a bit off.
“Uh… … Ethan and the Three. Isn’t that more fun? It’s also a hot topic to attract attention.”
Even though he knew why John Smith was frowning and that his reaction was ambiguous, Lee Geun-taek tried to cover up the flaw by claiming that he planned it.
Of course, it wasn’t just something he planned.
It seems like the other hunters haven’t noticed yet.
This plan places overwhelming importance on the ‘ability to handle the senses and abilities of others as if they were your own’, and Lee Geun-taek thought that when it came to technique, it was Lee Chang-hyun.
The other guys haven’t even adapted yet, so he’s using other people’s abilities as if they were his own. The calculation was that Lee Chang-hyun would fly high on the battlefield.
From Lee Geun-taek’s perspective, it was a plan that absolutely could not be overturned.
“It may seem fun at first glance. But think about it. If three people use the same ability on a stage with seven participants, wouldn’t the fight structure become simple and boring? Hey… … There should have been a restriction so that players with the same ability can’t be chosen.”
“Tsk tsk… … It looks the same to me too. Lee Geun-taek. Last time, you kept criticizing the stage I planned… … You’re also incredibly sloppy.”
Amidst the criticism from the veteran hunters. Even so, did they think that they couldn’t put water back in the water that had already been spilled? In the end, the veteran hunters accepted this situation and began to simply watch the progress of the stage and evaluate it.
It was at this point that the players were warped to the ‘Masquerade Hall’ and began to realize the situation.
“Let’s see… … Then Ethan’s three. But the rest of them all chose different hunters.”
“One Mahesh from the Indian team. One Ana. And… … one each from Korea’s Lee Min-seok and Lee Chang-hyun.”
Even though there were three Ethans, was it because there were two players who were highly regarded and selected as Korean players?
Lee Geun-taek crossed his arms and struck a leisurely pose, seeming to be in high spirits once again.
“It seems like the hunters you’ve chosen all have their reasons… … By the way, there’s one thing I’m curious about. Lee Geun-taek. Earlier, you explained to the applicants that ‘if your identity is revealed, your transformation will be dismantled.’ What is the standard for ‘having your identity revealed’?”
It was a sharp question.
Since there were only three players who transformed into Ethan this time, it might be easy to realize that they are not the real Ethan as soon as you meet them.
But did Lee Geun-taek think that finding out that was also part of the fun of this stage?
“Holhol… … It wouldn’t be fun if I told you. But if the transformation was undone too easily, wouldn’t there be no point in transforming? At the very least, I think your identity should be revealed so that anyone can see it.”
Lee Geun-taek simply left the standard in vague terms.
And at that moment, as if by a twist of fate, two players transformed into Ethans met.
It was the beginning of a real game.
“Hahaha.”
***
Sometimes when something so unexpected happens, my body freezes for a moment.
For example, at this very moment.
As I was sitting alone, testing my abilities, away from the bustling central hall of the masquerade ball, my eyes met with someone who had broken away from the crowd.
And that person was… … Ethan, just like me.
‘These crazy judges… …set the rules so that the same player can be selected multiple times? Then there’s no point in transforming.’
It was so absurd at the moment that I couldn’t help but pause.
The only good thing is that I wasn’t the only one who was so flustered.
Ethan, who was standing across from me and making eye contact, was so flustered that he couldn’t continue speaking even as he was swept away by the crowd.
It was as if time had stopped except for the two of them, and they were both dumbfounded.
But that was only for a moment.
As if the stillness were a lie, both I and the fake Ethan on the other side started fighting noisily.
I’m still not used to handling abilities.
The sensation of being subtly different from my original body, unlike my usual body that I had become accustomed to, created a difference between the expected movement and the actual movement.
‘But the same goes for the other person.’
Are you not used to moving around like usual, and your abilities are not performing to their full potential?
It was my first time pretending to be someone else’s body, but in this case, the answer was the same.
The one who strikes first has an overwhelming advantage.
Was I reflexively realizing it? Before I could even consciously think about it, my body reacted first and before I knew it, I had my hand on the gun and was aiming at the opponent.
Immediately after that, even though my body was different, the shooting posture that I had naturally gotten used to just flowed like water and didn’t stop.
The trigger was pulled.
Woohoooooooo – !
The tip of the gun’s barrel glowed, and a recoil unlike anything I had ever felt before hit me.
‘What energy… …!’
No matter how much I practiced shooting up until now, even if I succeeded in acrobatic and seemingly impossible shots, it was because I clearly knew ‘what I could and could not do’.
But although I expected the energy to be large, the recoil was so much greater than I had expected that I had no control over it since I had never experienced it before.
Taang – !
In an instant, so heavily and intensely, the muzzle, not completely fixed due to the backlash of the powerful force, shot upward.
‘this…….’
Unable to endure the recoil until the end, the muzzle turned completely upwards, releasing energy towards the sky, resulting in a completely erroneous shot… …
It could be said that this was the worst shooting I’ve ever done since returning, as it was a truly threatening shot.
But what was more surprising than the shooting was what happened immediately afterward.
As if the world had gone black, the sight of the raucous, music-filled masquerade ballroom came to a halt.
Immediately after that, a scene that seemed like it was straight out of a horror movie unfolded. The useless conversations of the masked hunters around, the musicians playing their instruments that had been creating a soft atmosphere in the ballroom, all of which suddenly stopped as if they had made a promise. At the same time, they turned their heads and looked at me.
A sense of crisis that is felt instinctively, even without anyone pointing it out.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
In that split second, my heart started beating like crazy, and my body was already starting to heat up, and before I knew it, my back was covered in a cold sweat.
I don’t know what’s wrong, but…
‘Dangerous!’
The instincts were working faithfully.
He immediately jumped into the air with [Air Anchor], which was not greatly affected by changes in physical condition, and quickly left the place with [Air Dash].
And as if to prove that even that moment of hesitation was the right move.
Kookwakwakwakwakwang! Crackle! Bang!
A large number of dummy hunters, who I thought were just there to fill the seats while wearing masks and enjoying the ball, attacked the spot where I had just been.
There are so many attacks from hunters that it is difficult to guarantee survival no matter which hunter or ability they display.
It seemed as if anyone would have been reduced to ashes if they hadn’t avoided it. The pillar right behind where I was standing was completely obliterated.
‘What the heck is this… … .’
Feeling a sense of strangeness and crisis at the attack, I ran outside to the terrace and watched the situation inside, wondering if I should continue to run away.
Another strange thing was that the attack just now seemed like some kind of random incident. The atmosphere immediately returned to the noisy masquerade ball, and everyone began to move around naturally again.
It was something that would make a ghost cry.
One thing was certain.
‘This is a battlefield where you cannot ignore masked dummy hunters.’
It seemed as if someone had set up a system to prevent anyone from carelessly sweeping away the battlefield and ruining the masquerade ball as soon as it started.
Even if it was just for a moment, it was a combined attack by at least a few dozen hunters. Even if he failed, there was a system that could punish and exclude him.
The funny thing is, that doesn’t mean they’ll keep chasing you.
Even the hunter outside the terrace just stared blankly as if nothing had happened… …
If so, the intention of the senior hunter who planned this stage was self-evident.
First, don’t think about using all your abilities to fight right from the start. If you do, you’ll be hit with a counterattack from the dummy hunters.
Second, the reason why they didn’t start a big fight right away is probably to give them time to ‘adapt to their body’ and get used to ‘their abilities’.
‘And thirdly… … .’
I did something bold just now, when I was attacked by a large number of dummy hunters, just to see if the judge’s intentions I had inferred were accurate.
Outside the terrace. Even though it was a place with not many people, he attempted to assassinate the dummy hunter right next to him with barely any sound by slightly applying his ‘micro-shot’ ability.
A kind of short-range, extremely small-shot mana control. And an attempt that goes through a series of processes called mana explosions.
And the results of that attempt were clear.
Pick -.
There was no sound of gunfire, but the dummy hunter next to him received a definite shock and fell down.
But still… …unlike before, none of the dummy hunters around looked in this direction.
The third intention of the judge hunter that I set. It was the moment when the flow of the battlefield in the future became clear.
Third, it doesn’t matter if you fight without being noticed, and if you take the time to eliminate the dummy hunters without being noticed, you won’t be stopped even if you use your abilities without limit.
This is clearly a battlefield designed with these three intentions in mind.
But at that moment, while I was amazed at how well this stage was put together, I also saw a possibility in it.
The only way to avoid being targeted by concentrated attacks using the abilities of numerous simultaneous hunters while delaying the time and not giving other players time to adjust.
‘If you can use Ethan’s [sphere of authority] – it’s definitely possible.’
With that calculation done, Ethan took shape in my body. Grains of mana began to form on my palms.
It was a battlefield where the first strike was a sure win. So, the best gamble worth taking on and taking all the risks was in this hand.
fantasy,
