RG 73

— Oh, what is happening!?

— Hunter Cover has blocked Hunter Park Huiseok with his body!

— Park Huiseok Hunter’s claws pierced through his shoulder. This is the biggest injury so far in this competition.

— At this very moment! Hunter Ryu Seonghyeon is also running towards the Red Team Nexus!

— Could this be a throne-race?! At this point, neither team can back down anymore!

— Hunter Ryu Seonghyeon is being blocked by five Ronic players, while Hunter Park Huiseok is facing off against Hunter Cover! Who will reach the Nexus first?

“Ugh…!”

With a harsh yank, Park Huiseok pulled his claws from Cover’s shoulder. Cover staggered, unable to stifle a groan, as blood gushed from his wound.

Seeing the scene unfold right behind her, Han Go-eun screamed with a pale face, “H-Hunter Cover!”

Cover pressed down hard on his bleeding shoulder with his sword-wielding right hand and barely managed to stand upright. His left arm wouldn’t move, not just scratched or cut, but completely pierced through. It was a dire situation, obvious to anyone, but Cover clicked his tongue.

‘I got truly angry without realizing it.’

Getting serious at this point would only put him at a disadvantage. He needed to provoke Park Huiseok further, pushing him to lose control.

Park Huiseok growled menacingly at Cover, who stood firm without retreating. “You crazy bastard… Get out of my way!”

“Sorry.” Cover exhaled sharply, raising his sword, then added with a teasing tone, “I don’t take orders from those weaker than me.”

“What?”

The sharp demeanor Cover had when he blocked Han Go-eun earlier was now gone. He smirked and continued joking, “Don’t you know? It’s a famous line from an anime… Whoops!”

Boom!

Park Huiseok’s attack, fueled by rage, shattered the ground as he swung, unable to tolerate Cover’s nonsense any longer. Cover dodged nimbly, and Park Huiseok cursed through clenched teeth, “Stop spewing nonsense and get lost!”

It seemed the plan was working. Seeing Park Huiseok, unable to hide his anger and impatience, Cover pushed Han Go-eun aside and said, “Buff me and fall back.”

“But, your injury…”

“Now!”

Still in a panic, Han Go-eun snapped back to her senses at the sharp command and nodded. She quickly applied a new buff to Cover and withdrew as far as possible to avoid interfering in the fight.

《Skill: Wind of Endurance (Class A) applied! (Caster: Han Go-eun)》

《A protective shield is formed. (Duration: 1 minute 30 seconds)》

《Defense increases. (Duration: 1 minute 30 seconds)》

《Recovery rate increases. (Duration: 1 minute 30 seconds)》

《Evasion rate increases. (Duration: 1 minute 30 seconds)》

With a wind shield around him, Cover took Han Go-eun’s place in the battle.

The rest of the Circle guild members had been struggling against the relentless attacks from the Ronic Guild throughout the competition, and those trying to hold back Park Huiseok had long since been exhausted.

The only remaining strength for the Circle Guild was Cover. Even then, with his left arm out of commission, he had to rely on a single sword to hold off Park Huiseok. He just needed to endure until Ryu Seonghyeon could capture the Red Team’s Nexus first.

‘Seonghyeon…’

His vision blurred momentarily before snapping back into focus. The chill spreading through his body and the trembling in his hands suggested that his condition was rapidly deteriorating from the previous attack.

He couldn’t hold out for much longer. Praying that Ryu Seonghyeon would reach the Nexus in time, Cover steadied his shaking sword.

***

“He’s coming!”

“We have to stop him!”

A brilliant golden light rapidly approached. Ronic Hunters raised their weapons toward Ryu Seonghyeon, swallowing nervously, only to be stunned by the light soaring high into the sky.

The radiance surrounding the airborne Ryu Seonghyeon transformed into dozens of spears. As the sky filled with sharp, gleaming spears, a Ronic Hunter shouted in panic.

“Sh-shields! Shields up!”

“Deploy the shields!”

As the spears rained down, a Support threw up an opaque barrier.

Clang, clang, clang!

The golden spears pelted the barrier, breaking into shimmering dust like raindrops against a window. But the relentless barrage soon caused cracks to form in the barrier.

“Ugh!”

The Support, arms raised, struggled to maintain the barrier, their face turning pale as they squeezed their eyes shut.

“I… I can’t… I can’t hold it any longer!”

Crash!

“Get out of the way!”

“Aaah!”

In less than a minute, the barrier shattered into pieces. As shards of the shield scattered, the remaining spears struck the ground, sending up screams and clouds of dust.

Amid the chaos, Ryu Seonghyeon landed lightly among the Ronic Hunters, kicking one in the chest.

“Ugh!”

One Hunter, distracted by dodging the spears, took the full force of the kick and was sent flying. Ryu Seonghyeon swiftly dodged another hand reaching out to grab him, ducking and running forward again.

‘I have to get there fast.’

Through the dust scattered by the wind, the white Nexus came into view, crowned with a gleaming red gemstone at its peak.

— Hunter Cover looks to be in terrible shape!

— It seems he can’t use his left arm.

— Oh, he’s in a precarious situation. Can he hold on?

Even now, Cover was fighting a desperate battle against Park Huiseok on his own. That’s why Ryu Seonghyeon had to keep going. He needed to reach the Nexus as quickly as possible.

Suppressing the burning breath rising to his throat, Ryu Seonghyeon ran, pushing back enemies, swatting away grasping hands.

Light spread out around him. Golden lines wrapped around his enemies, shielding him from sharp weapons aimed at him.

“Ah…”

A thrilling sensation surged to the top of his head. Had he ever used his skills so freely and comfortably before?

His body felt incredibly light, as if there was another version of himself perfectly complementing his every move. The skill, which had always felt burdensome and ill-fitting, like wearing the wrong clothes, now felt like a reliable ally, one he could lean on.

A radiant light filled his vision. As he stepped up the stairs, he reached out his hand. The red gem was right before his eyes.

***

Boom! The ground shook with a thunderous noise. Cover tumbled harshly across the cracked and shattered floor.

“Gasp, cough, cough!”

Cover coughed violently, barely managing to stand by stabbing his sword into the ground for support. Opposite him, Park Huiseok stood, now sporting several more cuts and injuries than before.

“You… damn… bastard…”

Park Huiseok, who had just faced off against Ryu Seonghyeon and was now up against Cover, was in bad shape, but nowhere near as battered as Cover, the most severely injured of all the participants.

— Hunter Ryu Seonghyeon’s momentum is incredible!

— Who will claim victory first?!

— Oh, look at Hunter Ryu Seonghyeon go! He’s moving at an incredible speed! There’s no stopping him!

The commentators’ voices echoed through the arena. Park Huiseok, with bloodshot eyes, glared at Cover with a dangerously sharp aura.

“Move, get out of my way!”

His mouth felt dry. He couldn’t see where Ryu Seonghyeon was, whether the gem was safe, or if his guildmates were holding the line.

He could see nothing, yet the commentators’ updates rang in his ears, driving him mad. His mind was in chaos, and his actions grew increasingly erratic.

Once again, Cover blocked Park Huiseok’s path toward the Nexus stairs. Despite being rammed by Park Huiseok’s massive frame, Cover stood firm and swung his sword.

But his trembling blade only managed to graze Park Huiseok’s mane. Instinctively, Park Huiseok leaned back, dodging the sword, and finally lost his temper, shouting in frustration, “Why, why!”

Why was he the only one feeling so anxious? They were both standing on the edge of a cliff, yet why wasn’t Cover panicking like he was? Why was he the only one on the verge of losing control?

A savage look flickered in Park Huiseok’s eyes. He shoved the staggering Cover and slammed his massive paw down on Cover’s left shoulder.

“Ah, ugh, aaah!”

Cover choked and writhed in agony, but Park Huiseok, his mind clouded with rage, didn’t let go of his shoulder.

“Bastards like you, damn it! Bastards like you…!”

“Ugh…”

The back of Cover’s neck, visible beneath his mask, turned deathly pale and was drenched in cold sweat. With a trembling hand, he grabbed Park Huiseok’s wrist, struggling to speak through the overwhelming pain, “…You should have.” The pain was so intense that his words barely came out. After a moment of heavy breathing, Cover spoke again, “You should have… trusted your team, Guildmaster of Ronic.”

Waaaaaah!

Before he could finish, a thunderous cheer erupted from the arena.

— Hunter Ryu Seonghyeon has done it!

— Against all odds, Hunter Ryu Seonghyeon has claimed the Red Team’s gem!

— Victory in this competition goes to the Circle Hunters!

Circle! Circle! Circle!

The jumbotron displayed Ryu Seonghyeon, smiling with the gem in hand. Applause echoed from all sides, and fireworks burst overhead. The entire stadium chanted Circle and Ryu Seonghyeon in unison.

“Wh-what…?”

Park Huiseok, staring blankly at the jumbotron and the cheering crowd, took a few stumbling steps backward.

He had lost. He, and Ronic, had lost. And it was to none other than the Circle.

“No…”

The murderous intent and obsession that had twisted his face drained away, leaving it pale as a ghost. He backed away as if trying to escape reality, then collapsed to the ground.

Finally freed from Park Huiseok’s grip, Cover clutched his shoulder and slowly lifted his upper body.

“Hah…”

Amidst the roaring crowd and the celebrating Circle guild members, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. Before him, a new status window appeared.

《Main Quest: Win the Competitive Battle against the Ronic Guild alongside the Circle Guild—cleared!》

《Main Quest rewards have been granted.》