BXBX NOVEL Chapter 243: Wish (2)
“Is it over…?”
He was a little dumbfounded. He cut off one of the Orc’s arms and stabbed him through the heart. Lynn fired another thirty nuclear rays. Nevertheless, the Orc moved to fight. Of course, it wasn’t a big problem.
—Why can’t I win…!
The Orc’s ax grew faster and more powerful, but somehow it was also much easier to evade the attacks. It felt like something important was missing.
—Is that so… was I afraid of struggling…?
In the end, the Orc lowered his ax. He seemed to have given up fighting. So, Yoon-seok thought the duel was about to end.
—I’m just… was it because I didn’t want to see the fact that there are many others stronger than me?
At some point, the Orc’s attitude changes. His eyes now held some other emotion, and his hands tightened around the ax’s haft. Yoon-seok could not know what it was. He only knew that the fight was about to become more troublesome.
Booooom-!
The Orc stood and renewed his onslaught.
Whoooooosh-!
Each attack was sharp, leading seamlessly into the next.
Boooom-!
The Orc threw his ax and hit the spacecraft. Even after losing his weapon, he attacked with his bare hands. Even if he was stabbed or cut, he pushed on like a bulldozer. Then, with limbs dangling, the Orc bit into Yoon-seok’s neck with his thick fangs.
—Garghhhhhhhh!
He tried to shake it off, but the Orc wouldn’t budge. It wasn’t a difference in stats, but somehow Yoon-seok couldn’t shake him off.
’I don’t think he used another technique… but where did this mysterious power come from…?’
The source of that power was unknown, but at some point, the Orc lost strength. Yoon-seok quickly took advantage of that moment to push them away, and his opponent collapsed.
「Victory.」
Yoon-seok ignored the message and stepped toward the Orc, looking down at that now cold green body.
—I…
What was he trying to say? What had he seen with those eyes that were losing light?
“…”
Yoon-seok raised his head. The sky was clear, empty. However, Yoon-seok was sure. What he saw just now was not that empty sky… it was something much more valuable.
There is a reason for the fight. Even if each reason is different, one thing didn’t change. People fight to get what they want. Then, what about those who became challengers and ascended the Tower?
“…”
He just saw a body yesterday, again today, and tomorrow he would see one too. There was nothing special at all about it. But even at that moment, when those eyes turned blank; Yoon-seok only cared about one thing. What was the source of the power that the Orc showed at the end?
“…”
However, the moment he met those empty eyes, he suddenly thought. Could he say that those eyes had lost their light?
“…”
Looking into someone’s eyes was a small, trivial act he’d done countless times casually, but Yoon-seok realized in the Orc’s today what it meant to ascend the Tower.
—Oppa, what are you doing? Why isn’t the duel over yet? Is there a problem?
—No, it’s nothing.
Yoon-seok came to his senses. There was a bitter taste in his mouth, but it was nothing new. This was a hell where everyone risked their lives for their wish. Everyone had a chance to get out of it, but they chose.
They couldn’t stop now. It was too late.
「Unique Skill {Predation} has been activated.」
Yoon-seok doesn’t hesitate to finish up. Skill, equipment, stats, power, he carefully chose what seemed the most helpful. Only then did the duel end, and Yoon-seok was returned to the cage.
「The third duel has ended.」
「From now on, you can request each other for a duel.」
A heavy silence fell among the challengers. They knew what they should do to become the winner, to fulfill their wish.
“…”
It was quite different from the last three selection periods. Instead of rushing to request a duel, they glanced at each other as if they were feeling the atmosphere out. Eventually, Lee Su-yeon was the first to open her mouth.
「Challenger Grape Jam has selected challenger Pirate King as a duel opponent.」
However, when Lee Su-yeon selected that man as her opponent, everyone’s eyes turned to her. Even if there were no established grounds, they could sense it. If Lee Su-yeon chose him, he would be the easiest opponent.
「Challenger White Devil has selected challenger Pirate King as a duel opponent.」
「Challenger Venus has selected challenger Pirate King as a duel opponent.」
Hunting dogs drooling over someone else’s prey. Yoon-seok smiled bitterly at the sight.
“Am I the girl’s target this time? How interesting.”
Even after being selected by three challengers, the Pirate King did not seem flustered. Not the King of Steel, Yoon-seok, or the Orc, who did they think they were? He glanced over them with a sneer.
’Why did she choose a guy like him?’
He didn’t look like an easy opponent given that relaxed attitude. Rather, if he were to choose an opponent, it would’ve been better to choose between the two who followed her judgment…
’Don’t tell me? Is she trying to confirm who they are?’
Yoon-seok wasn’t the only one who thought the same.
”I won’t commend you for using your head, unlike these idiots. But as much as you tried to use me, if you meet me here again, something terrible will happen. Girl.”
“…”
Lee Su-yeon remained silent under the Pirate King’s murderous threats. Given that reaction, Yoon-seok realized that his guess was right.
’Well, even Su-yeon can’t know all the challengers here.’
Unless they were acquainted in her past life, what she could remember at best were their rankings, and she missed out on all of the opponents she had better odds against. All that remained now were unidentified challengers.
Therefore, Lee Su-yeon threw bait to narrow the choice.
「The grace period has ended.」
「A total of three people have selected the challenger Pirate King as their duel opponent.」
「Please throw the dice.」
Three challengers were given dice. Unlike before, Lee Su-yeon hoped she wouldn’t get a high number. By Lee Su-yeon’s judgment, the Pirate King might be the strongest challenger left, excluding the King of Steel.
’The plan is plausible, but isn’t it still up to luck?’
The probability was 2/3. But that sort of distinction was meaningless here. To live or die.
Rolling.
Led by Lee Su-yeon, the three challengers rolled their dice simultaneously. And suddenly, Yoon-seok wondered. Luck played an important role in the selection matching, so the Tower adopted this method.
「Get ready. The duel will begin soon.」
The fourth duel began.
The Pirate King’s opponent was the White Devil. He beat Lee Su-yeon with a six on the dice and stole her opponent.
’That was close.’
Yoon-seok breathed out a sigh of relief and settled in to spectate.
“I’ll finish it quickly.”
Did he think he was lucky to steal her prey? The devil with white wings rushed in confidently.
“You still haven’t realized you were being used? What a fool.”
Yoon-seok felt that the difference in abilities between the two challengers wasn’t that big… but the battle that unfolded was a massacre. There was a difference in a skill that could not be explained by stats and techniques alone.
’He has good balance.’
He didn’t have excellent skills like Cheon-ma or diverse skills like Yoon-seok. However, his skill combinations and judgment were good.
“Anchor of Twilight.”
“Ocean Leader.”
“Acid Cannon.”
It felt like a pro online gamer was playing the Pirate King character.
’Is it already over?’
It didn’t take long for the duel to end. The Pirate King, after draining his opponent’s strength from a distance, easily crushed the devil’s head with his cannons.
「The fourth duel has ended.」
「From now on, you can request each other for a duel.」
And the fifth selection started again. Lee Su-yeon was ready.
「Challenger Grape Jam has selected challenger Venus as a duel opponent.」
Was it because they watched the challenger who followed her decision earlier lose overwhelmingly? No one stepped up. Well, if they were that formidable, they wouldn’t have followed Lee Su-yeon’s decision earlier.
“…?”
While watching the situation in the cage, Yoon-seok suddenly froze. The King of Steel approached him.
“It’s more interesting to fight an opponent you don’t know, but it had to be this boring.”
“…”
“Isn’t it pathetic? Trying to think so hard to fight someone weaker than them.”
Yoon-seok looked up. Instead of playing a trick, the King of Steel looked bored.
“Then are you saying I’m different?”
Instead of fighting against the King of Steel, Yoon-seok chose the Orc, one rank lower than him. Nevertheless, the King of Steel looked at Yoon-seok with a pleasant expression. Why?
“Eyes.”
“…?”
“I was sure when I saw the way you looked at me earlier. If the Orc had not been after the girl, you would have chosen me.”
He was surprised to hear the reason. Yoon-seok thought he was just staying still… but the King of Steel had already felt his gaze, and it seemed like he overheard what the Orc said.
The King of Steel smiled.
“So, do you want to fight with me?”
“In a place other than the Tower. If given a chance.”
“Given the chance… if you don’t want to wait until then, you might be in luck today.”
The King of Steel straightened up.
“Oh, one last thing.”
“…?”
“No matter how lucky the girl is, she will eventually die.”
With that being said, the five-minute grace period ended. Without throwing the dice, the other challengers were called back to the cage.
「The grace period has ended.」
The King of Steel’s words were cut off midway, but Yoon-seok knew better than anyone else what he meant.
’Because no one can replace anyone on the battlefield.’
Even if you had the luck to endure today and tomorrow, if you didn’t have the skill, you would die someday.
「Get ready. The duel will begin soon.」
The fifth duel began.