Chapter 66: Floor 5 (4)

The Security Corps conducted its hunts in Zone 3 through several teams, each assigned a specific function.

Their roles were clearly divided. Combat teams handled the actual hunting, while transport teams processed the monsters’ remains and carried the valuable materials away.

Team 1, which included Alex, was operating along the outermost edge of Zone 3.

“...Chief! Chief!”

A man came running toward them.

He was injured, his face drained white with terror.

He belonged to Team 3.

“Kevin! What happened?!”

As they listened to his breathless explanation, the expressions on Alex and the others turned grim.

They set out immediately.

What awaited them at the scene was nothing short of a massacre.

The bodies of Team 3’s Security Corps members lay scattered across the ground.

There were corpses from the Black Star Society as well, but the only people still standing—few though they were—were Black Star Society Climbers.

The instant Alex saw the bodies of his men, his vision went red.

He activated Leap.

The surviving Black Star Society Climbers stared in shock.

Alex crossed the distance in a single bound, landed in their midst, seized one of them by the throat, and hurled him aside.

KRAK!

The man slammed into a boulder.

The other Black Star Society Climbers recoiled in horror.

“Wh-what the...”

The Security Corps members who had rushed after Alex hurried to restrain him.

“...Chief! Calm down!”

Alex’s murderous gaze swept across the remaining Black Star Society Climbers.

“You sons of bitches... How dare you!”

That was when it happened.

THUD. THUD. THUD...

The ground trembled beneath a series of approaching footsteps.

Figures appeared from the opposite direction.

The moment Alex recognized the man leading them, his expression hardened.

...BOOOM!

A man descended onto the battlefield with a thunderous Leap, just as Alex had done.

Wang Kai.

The surviving members of the Black Star Society scrambled behind him as though salvation itself had arrived.

Wang Kai surveyed the bodies scattered around them without showing much of a reaction.

Then he let out a casual sigh.

“What a fucking mess. What the hell happened here?”

His gaze shifted toward Alex.

Alex answered, his voice heavy with fury.

“The Black Star Society invaded our hunting grounds. They attacked first. It’s obvious who’s responsible, isn’t it?”

“...Aaah?”

Wang Kai knitted his brow.

He gave a contemptuous snort, then turned toward one of the Black Star Society Climbers.

“You hear that? He says you people attacked first.”

“...N-no, sir. They were the ones who struck first.”

“There you have it.”

The wounded Security Corps member shouted in outrage.

“Don’t... don’t give me that bullshit! You bastards used a skill on the Team Leader first!”

“That isn’t true, Master Wang Kai. We—we tried to settle things peacefully, and they ambushed us.”

Wang Kai waved a hand dismissively.

“Enough, enough. Obviously, the Security Corps attacked first. Seems pretty clear to me.”

“...What did you say?”

“And since when did this become your territory? Did you sign some contract claiming it? The hunting grounds belong to everyone.”

Wang Kai continued.

“So, how exactly do you plan to take responsibility for this fucking disaster, Mister Security Corps Chief?”

Alex let out a sharp, hollow laugh.

“Did you just ask me to take responsibility?”

“That’s right. How many of my men did you kill? One, two, three... What is this supposed to be? A declaration of war?”

The Security Corps and Black Star Society Climbers gathered behind their respective leaders, glaring at one another across the divide.

The situation balanced precariously on the edge of disaster.

Alex barely managed to swallow his rage and regain control of himself.

For now, he had to end the confrontation here.

If the two sides began fighting, everyone present would simply die together.

“Let’s end this here, Wang Kai. Plenty of my people died as well.”

Having taken the first step back, Alex naturally expected Wang Kai to do the same.

But Wang Kai merely shook his head.

“Spare me the bullshit.”

“...”

“I asked how you intend to take responsibility for killing this many of my men.”

Alex’s brow tightened.

“You’re really going to push this?”

“You don’t seem to understand anything unless it’s forced into your skull.”

“...Do you want everyone here to die together?”

“Heh heh. From where I’m standing, it looks like your side would be the one dying. What’s wrong? Not feeling confident?”

Wang Kai sneered.

Alex drew in a sharp breath.

‘This insane son of a bitch...’

An all-out battle was not an option Alex was willing to consider.

If it came to that, most of the people gathered here would undoubtedly die.

Yet Wang Kai showed no intention of backing down.

The killing intent rolling openly from his body made it clear that he meant every word.

Alex glared at him before making an offer.

“Then how about this? You and me. We settle it ourselves. Leader against leader.”

Wang Kai grinned.

“Yeah? And?”

“The loser accepts responsibility for what happened here.”

“Deal. Let’s do it.”

Wang Kai agreed as though he had been waiting for Alex to suggest it.

Alex motioned his men away.

“All of you, fall back. Far back.”

“Chief... but...”

“That lunatic is serious. This is our best option, so get back. Don’t you trust me?”

The Security Corps members had no choice but to retreat.

The Black Star Society did the same.

On the vast lava plain, Alex and Wang Kai stood facing one another.

Wang Kai stretched leisurely, then spread his arms wide.

“My Level’s higher than yours, so I’ll give you the first move. Come on.”

Alex did not hesitate.

He stamped against the ground and shot toward Wang Kai at terrifying speed.

BOOOM!

Their fists collided.

A tremendous shock wave erupted from the point of impact.

Alex stamped down a second time and drove forward.

At the same moment, Wang Kai kicked off the ground and used Leap to retreat.

Alex was on him again in an instant.

It was a clash between the two highest-Level Climbers in the world.

Their bodies moved so quickly that they left afterimages behind.

The Security Corps and Black Star Society Climbers watching from afar could barely follow the exchange.

All they could perceive were the repeated explosions of shock waves tearing through the air.

Alex’s speed continued to rise.

[Skill: Exaltation (Rare)]

The more the body moves, the more exalted it becomes, strengthening physical abilities. The effect gradually fades when movement ceases.

Classification: Physical Type (Passive)

Willpower Cost: None

Cooldown: None

[Endless Combo (Rare+)]

Repeated attacks against the same target continuously increase the damage dealt.

Classification: Physical Type (Passive)

Willpower Cost: None

Cooldown: None

KRRRACK!

Wang Kai blocked Alex’s fist with his forearm and was sent skidding backward.

As the effects of his skills accumulated, Alex’s strikes grew steadily more powerful.

He unleashed an unrelenting storm of attacks, giving Wang Kai no room to breathe.

‘The difference is almost gone...!’

For the moment, Alex appeared to be overwhelming him.

There was a four-Level gap between them, but Exaltation compensated for it, while the stacks from Endless Combo continued to build smoothly.

Of course, Wang Kai had yet to use Frenzy or any of the other skills rumored to form the core of his combat style.

Alex kept that in mind as he pressed the attack.

Then—

“...!”

Wang Kai’s eyes turned crimson.

In a single fluid motion, he knocked Alex’s fist aside and launched a counterattack.

Alex hastily crossed his arms in front of himself to block the punch.

The impact was far beyond anything he had expected.

His body was hurled backward.

Wang Kai closed the distance instantly with Leap and brought his leg crashing down.

Alex desperately rolled across the ground to evade the strike.

“Right here!”

But another kick followed immediately.

Alex was unable to avoid it.

“Khh...!”

As though everything until that moment had been nothing more than play, Wang Kai erupted into a savage assault.

Alex couldn’t understand it.

Even with Frenzy active, the difference between them shouldn’t have widened this dramatically.

He could no longer keep up with Wang Kai’s speed.

KRRRRACK!

At last, a clean blow struck Alex directly in the chest.

The impact shattered his sternum and launched him through the air.

He struck the ground, bounced, and rolled across the lava plain.

“...Chief!”

Wang Kai dusted off his hands and began walking toward the fallen Alex.

“What a joke. Did you really think you could stand toe-to-toe with me?”

Alex coughed up blood.

His body trembling, he slowly raised his head.

“You... You aren’t Level 60!”

Wang Kai grinned.

“Finally figured it out? I cleared another floor not long ago. I’m Level 64 now.”

It was a complete and overwhelming defeat for Alex.

Despair spread across the faces of the Security Corps members.

The Black Star Society Climbers, on the other hand, erupted into cheers.

“Wang Kai! Wang Kai! Wang Kai!”

Wang Kai smiled in satisfaction and raised one hand.

The chanting immediately ceased.

Alex barely managed to push himself upright.

Clenching his teeth, he spoke.

“I... lost. I’ll keep my word.”

He couldn’t bring himself to look at his men.

He had been defeated brutally, and now he was forced to accept responsibility as well.

“Yeah, yeah. That settles that. But we still need to finish this.”

With those words, Wang Kai lunged toward Alex.

One of the Security Corps officers desperately threw himself between them.

WHAM!

The officer was sent flying like a rag doll, his shield folding inward around his body.

The members of the Security Corps cried out in horror.

“Wh-what are you doing?!”

Wang Kai had been about to finish Alex off.

He gave them a smooth, oily smile.

“What does it look like? Your chief’s life will settle the debt.”

“...!”

“Or... perhaps I should clean house while I’m at it. If all of you die here, the Security Corps will lose its main fighting force, won’t it?”

Stunned by the sheer madness of his words, Alex shouted.

“What are you talking about?! You think you can do something like that and get away with it?”

Wang Kai snickered.

“Get away with it? Eh, the Party will take care of things. What, is the entire world going to attack China over this? Either way, Floor 5 will belong entirely to us from now on.”

Realizing that Wang Kai was completely serious, Alex felt nothing but disgust.

The man had lost his mind.

“Let’s start by killing you. We can figure out the rest afterward.”

Wang Kai lunged toward Alex once more.

CLAAANG!

A man appeared out of thin air and intercepted him.

Wang Kai flinched and pulled back.

The newcomer was pushed back slightly as well, but managed to plant himself firmly in front of the fallen Alex.

When Alex saw his face, he stared in disbelief.

“...Hyeon?”

It was the young Korean man he had met at Drake’s Restaurant.

It was him.

***

I had been roaming around Zone 3 for some time, hunting monsters.

“...?”

A faint boom echoed from somewhere in the distance.

I tilted my head.

This...

Doesn’t that sound like people fighting each other?

And if the impacts were loud enough to carry all the way over here, whoever was involved had to be seriously powerful.

It wasn’t something I could simply ignore, so I headed toward the source of the noise.

By the time the sounds began to die down, I had reached the scene.

What I saw there was...

‘...What?’

What kind of situation was this?

Keeping Concealment active, I crept closer to the group gathered in the distance.

They appeared to be Climbers from the Security Corps and the Black Star Society.

Whatever had happened, several bodies were lying on the ground.

‘Alex...’

The badly injured man sprawled nearby was someone I recognized.

Alex, the Chief of the Security Corps whom I had met at Drake’s Restaurant some time ago.

And the East Asian man standing opposite him was—

“What does it look like? Your chief’s life will settle the debt.”

The man said something along those lines.

It took only a moment to assess the situation and guess his identity.

‘So that must be Wang Kai.’

The Security Corps and the Black Star Society were fighting one another?

...To the point that people had died?

Why?

Whatever the reason, it was obvious that Alex had lost to Wang Kai.

And then—

“Or... perhaps I should clean house while I’m at it. If all of you die here, the Security Corps will lose its main fighting force, won’t it?”

Wang Kai continued speaking.

What the hell was this lunatic talking about?

Was he seriously planning to kill everyone here?

“What are you talking about?! You think you can do something like that and get away with it?”

“Get away with it? Eh, the Party will take care of things. What, is the entire world going to attack China over this? Either way, Floor 5 will belong entirely to us from now on.”

Killing intent poured from Wang Kai in waves as he stepped toward Alex.

“Let’s start by killing you. We can figure out the rest afterward.”

He truly intended to do it.

...There was no helping it.

I moved between Alex and Wang Kai and blocked the attack.

CLAAANG!

A heavy impact traveled up my arm.

I was pushed back slightly.

Wang Kai, who had also been forced backward, blinked at me in surprise.

“...Who the hell are you? Where did you come from?”

Every eye in the area turned toward me.

Ah, fuck...

What a mess.

For the moment, I addressed Wang Kai.

“Stop. Are you really planning to kill all these people?”

“...Huh?”

He tilted his head and stared at me for a long moment.

Then, as though realization had suddenly struck him, his face twisted in shock.

“You... It’s you, isn’t it? Don’t tell me...”

“...”

“Person123! You’re Person123, aren’t you?! Right?!”

Wang Kai shouted loudly enough for everyone in the area to hear.

The Security Corps and Black Star Society Climbers began murmuring among themselves.

“What? Person123...?”

“Did he just say Person123?”

...So this was how it was going to happen.

I sighed inwardly and spoke to Wang Kai again.

“Please stop. Whatever happened here—”

At that moment, Wang Kai suddenly charged at me.

“...!”

His fist grazed the bridge of my nose.

I avoided the following attacks while retreating.

He was fast.

And strong.

His physical abilities surpassed mine.

When I crossed my arms to block his fist, the impact was even heavier than before.

Only after I had retreated a considerable distance did Wang Kai finally stop.

“...Why are you attacking me?”

Even with Skin Hardening active, the force of his blows was getting through.

Some skill had turned Wang Kai’s eyes red.

“Hey.”

He laughed like a madman before speaking.

“I’ve wanted to meet you so, so badly, you adorable little bastard. And today I finally got my wish. Wow.”

I had no idea what kind of nonsense he was talking about.

Once again, I made it clear that I had no intention of fighting him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but... why don’t you stop?”

“Stop what?”

“Trying to kill Alex and the members of the Security Corps. I don’t know why the two sides fought, but you’ve already won.”

Wang Kai gave me a vicious little smirk.

“Yeah? You want me to stop?”

“...”

“Then get down on your knees and bow your head. Do that, and I’ll stop.”

I frowned.

“Hmm? If the Savior of Mankind himself bows his head, then of course I’ll have no choice but to stop. Right?!”

Wang Kai burst into laughter and turned toward the Black Star Society Climbers.

They had been standing there awkwardly, but quickly joined in, laughing to please him.

Thoroughly unimpressed, I addressed Wang Kai again.

“Stop playing around.”

“I’m not playing. Bow your head and ask me politely.”

“...And if I refuse?”

“Then I’ll kill every last one of them. As for you, I’ll only beat you within an inch of your life, so don’t worry.”

That brief exchange was more than enough to tell me what kind of person stood before me.

There was no possibility of reasoning with him.

And if reasoning was impossible, then only one option remained.

A fight.

He was a powerhouse somewhere in the Level-60 range.

If I fought him half-heartedly, I would be putting myself in genuine danger.

I had no intention of taking that risk.

If we fought, I would go all out.

And going all out meant—

“...I’m telling you one last time, Wang Kai.”

I let out a sigh.

“Stop here. This is your final warning.”

Wang Kai sneered.

“A warning? Oh, how frightening. And what happens if I don’t listen?”

“You’ll die.”

“...”

“I’m not confident that I can subdue you without killing you. Let’s end this here without anyone else dying. It isn’t difficult.”

Wang Kai radiated killing intent as he laughed.

“...The longer I listen to you, the more ridiculous your bullshit becomes. Fine. Don’t kneel. I’ll crush both your legs myself and force you onto your knees.”

...Right.

There was no other choice.

Before Wang Kai could attack, I stopped time.

I completed three hundred seconds of Mental Concentration.

Then, the instant time resumed, I fired Destruction Ray.

A pitch-black beam erupted in an instant and swallowed the place where Wang Kai had been standing.

Hissss...

Wang Kai was gone.