Chapter 64: Activate hidden Piece

“Ssssshhhhh”

In an instant, the entire area was engulfed in smoke. Yoo Hee-yeon shouted urgently.

“Everyone, cover your noses!”

The nature of the smoke was unclear, but an ominous sensation radiated from it. While some had already inhaled a

bit, Yoo Hee-yeon’s swift response meant that the damage was likely minimal.

-Swsh-

As Yoo Hee-yeon scanned her surroundings, she saw that everyone was covering their noses with their sleeves.

‘What is this?’

She tried to analyze the situation, attempting to discern the nature of the smoke.

‘I inhaled a little out of shock, but there doesn’t seem to be anything physically wrong…’

Yoo Hee-yeon quickly assessed her own condition. There was no discomfort or abnormalities. However, Lee Hyun-

seung was nowhere to be seen.

This led her to conclude that the smoke must have been a distraction for his escape. She began gathering mana to

activate a tracking spell.

-Whiiing!-

“…!”

The tracking spell worked by detecting the flow of mana in the vicinity to locate a person’s position. But for some

reason, the result showed mana flowing in every direction.

-Crunch-

‘What kind of trick is this…?’

It was the work of a specialized ammunition cartridge: the Mana Detection Bypass Cartridge.

“Huff… huff…”

-Tatatatat!-

Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-seung was sprinting at full speed.

‘Facing all of them head-on is pure madness.’

At a glance, there seemed to be more than thirty people. They weren’t just any random group but individuals skilled

enough to have entered Broad Academy. Among them, the elite A-class members were especially formidable. Facing

dozens of such individuals alone was impossible for him right now.

Lee Hyun-seung didn’t have an abundance of ammunition, and his current weapon was of the most basic grade.

-Kwajik!-

[You have consumed a mana stone. A small amount of mana has been restored.]

Since his weapon was basic, his mana stat was virtually zero. To activate any skills, he had to keep consuming mana

stones. He had only four rounds of healing ammunition left, capable of countering paralysis or other ailments.

‘Thankfully, I’ve managed to buy a lot of time and even eliminated one of their members. That’s a major win.’

After escaping Yoo Hee-yeon’s group, fighting, and fleeing amidst the chaos, about ten minutes had passed. If he

could hold out for just fifty more minutes, he would be able to assist Han Seong-gil in stabilizing the Berserker Trait,

maximizing its potential. And if Han Seong-gil could endure for another hour after that, an epic or—if fortune smiled

—a unique-grade gun would be completed.

‘Just two more hours…’

There was no way to know what weapon would emerge. It could be anything from an epic to a unique-grade

handgun, determined randomly. Regardless, any weapon produced would grant him a significant advantage. After

all, he had managed to defeat someone earlier with nothing but a basic handgun.

-Swish-

Lee Hyun-seung examined the cartridge loaded in his basic gun.

‘Judging by how they haven’t caught up yet, it seems this cartridge works better than expected.’

[Mana Detection Bypass Cartridge]

▶ When this cartridge is used, the bullets emit a mixture of magic and mana.

• Upon firing, the bullet disperses mana and magic as smoke across the area.

▶ The generated smoke significantly reduces the accuracy of detection.

▶ The range and reduction in detection accuracy depend on the user’s job grade.

When a typical Gunmage uses this type of cartridge, it merely disperses a small amount of smoke in the vicinity,

reducing the accuracy of detection spells by a few meters at most. However, the last line of the description stood out:

▶ The range and detection accuracy reduction scale with the user’s job grade.

‘As expected of a Legendary-grade trait, the enhancements are incredible.’

Cartridges or skills that included the [Job Grade Scaling] effect had always demonstrated outstanding efficiency.

Considering how rare and unattainable the Legendary grade was, it made sense that its additional effects would be

extraordinary.

Even in basic attacks, Lee Hyun-seung inflicted significant bonus damage. His [C]-grade skills often surpassed the

power of typical [B]-grade skills, showcasing the might of the scaling effects tied to his Legendary-grade status.

While these effects weren’t always visible, the smoke from the current cartridge spread so densely and broadly that it

resembled a fog blanketing the area, offering a tangible glimpse into the incredible potential of his abilities.

It was clear: no other Gunmage could mimic Lee Hyun-seung’s actions. That much was certain.

-Tatatat!-

Lee Hyun-seung kept running, fully aware that buying time was critical.

-Swish-

As he sprinted, a cave came into view.

‘Should I go in?’

He hesitated. Should he hide inside the cave, or continue darting through the bushes?

‘No matter where I go, they’ll keep trying to find me.’

Judging from Yoo Hee-yeon’s reaction, she had no intention of securing all six capture points to end the game

quickly. Her priority wasn’t to win the Class Annihilation Battle but to crush Lee Hyun-seung utterly. The fact that

she had mobilized over 40 individuals to hunt him down spoke volumes about her determination.

Even if he hide somewhere undetectable, the search wouldn’t stop. Thus, hiding in the cave, where he could conserve

his stamina rather than waste energy running around, seemed like the more viable option.

-Step.

-Step.

-Step.

Lee Hyun-seung stepped into the cave.

-Drip.

-Drip.

The sight of a spacious cave amid a forest-covered stage felt peculiar, but the interior was much larger than expected.

There were plenty of rocks scattered around, providing ample cover.

Icicle-shaped mana stones hung from the ceiling, and many more were scattered across the ground.

‘This place is teeming with mana.’

Even at a glance, the area radiated a dense and concentrated aura of mana.

‘Where does this cave even end?’

Despite walking for quite some time, the cave’s end was nowhere in sight.

‘Why does such a large cave exist in this stage?’

This Class Annihilation Battle was structured as a Capture the Point game. The team that secured all the capture

points or eliminated all opponents would be the victory.

In such a scenario, was a vast and seemingly endless cave even necessary? Under normal circumstances, players

would have rushed to secure the capture points. A hidden cave like this, tucked away in the forest, would likely go

unnoticed in most matches.

‘There must be a purpose to this.’

Every structure within the stage was a meticulously crafted virtual space created by a high-level mage. In other

words, there was no reason to include unnecessary elements. Especially something as elaborate as this deep cave—it

wouldn’t make sense for it to exist solely for decoration.

‘A place even I, a veteran of Broad Academy, don’t know about?’

Lee Hyun-seung had been playing Broad Academy Online for over ten years, a seasoned player well-versed in its

intricacies. Naturally, he had participated in countless Class Annihilation Battles. Yet, he was certain—he’d never

encountered this cave before. And it wasn’t surprising.

During typical matches, there was never a need to hide in such a cave. In a Capture the Point scenario, fleeing to such

a remote location was unheard of. It was like veering off-course in a racing game—a space completely outside the

main track.

-Step.

-Step.

Lee Hyun-seung continued deeper into the cave.

Eventually, he reached the end.

‘What is this?’

At the cave’s deepest point, he found a wall. But the wall exuded a strange mana barrier, as if something was hidden

behind it.

-Thud!

When he lightly tapped the wall with his hand, a concealed space revealed itself.

Inside the small, circular opening—just large enough to fit two fists—sat a lone red button.

A peculiar button, unlike anything he had ever seen or heard of before.

Would pressing it trigger a penalty? Or would it grant him an advantage?

He couldn’t tell. There was no way to be sure.

‘I better not press it.’

The risk was too great. While gaining an advantage would be ideal, receiving a penalty could spell disaster.

Just as Lee Hyun-seung turned away, intending to hide deeper within the cave—

-BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

-BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

A deafening alarm began blaring from the button.

“F*ck…!”

The curse slipped out instinctively. The ear-splitting noise felt like it would rupture his eardrums.

From afar, he could already hear Yoo Hee-yeon’s group charging in his direction.

“There’s a strange sound coming from over there! Check the cave immediately!”

-BOOM!

Loud footsteps echoed closer, indicating the arrival of numerous people—not just one or two.

‘I’m screwed.’

If the alarm hadn’t gone off, they might have only conducted a cursory search of the cave. But now, with the noise

filling the air, Yoo Hee-yeon’s group would scour every inch, leaving no stone unturned. This cave wasn’t an ideal

space to fight off dozens of opponents, nor could he escape unnoticed.

-Swish.

Lee Hyun-seung’s gaze returned to the button.

‘What the hell is this thing…?’

He swallowed hard.

-Gulp.

-BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

“Search everywhere! Is there anyone nearby? Find them!”

The voices grew louder. His throat felt dry, and sweat dripped down his face. Yoo Hee-yeon’s group was closing in,

almost at the cave’s entrance.

“There! It’s that gunner bastard!”

Before he knew it, they were right behind him.

‘There’s no other way.’

He had no choice. Lee Hyun-seung pressed the button.

-Thud!

Suddenly, a system window appeared before him.

[You have activated the hidden piece.]