Chapter 67: Don’t beg to be killed.

-Rumble!-

Dark clouds began to gather in the sky as mana flowed from the staff held by Jung Eun-seo.

The combined mana from about 20 members of F-Class concentrated into a dense mass. While each

individual’s mana was small, together, it formed a formidable force.

Jung Eun-seo skillfully absorbed and utilized this dense mana without waste. The result was the ominous dark

clouds forming above.

Nam In-woo, a thief and member of the A-Class team, smirked as he looked up at the gathering storm clouds.

“Do you really think something like that can stop me?”

The spell Lightning Storm was undoubtedly powerful. However, it had one glaring flaw: accuracy.

-Bzzzt!-

Although the spell released potent electrical discharges, starting from high above meant there was a delay

before it hit the ground. The tremendous power came at the cost of reduced precision.

Nam In-woo felt confident. As a thief class renowned for speed, he believed dodging was his specialty. Without

waiting for the spell to complete, he began sprinting toward Jung Eun-seo.

-Swish-

Jung Eun-seo raised her hand, and a deafening roar echoed from the sky.

-Rumble!-

Moments later, a brilliant yellow light descended from the heavens.

-BOOM!-

The bolt of lightning struck the ground right next to Nam In-woo. He froze, staring at the spot where it had just hit.

“That was just a warning,” Jung Eun-seo said calmly, her eyes locked on him. “Take another step closer, and I’ll

make sure to fry you completely.”

-Swish-

Nam In-woo glanced at the scorched ground.

-Fizzle-

Smoke rose from the earth, a testament to the sheer power of the Lightning Storm spell.

‘If that hit me…’

He realized he might have been eliminated instantly. Jung Eun-seo’s strength was far greater than he had

anticipated.

But it didn’t matter.

Nam In-woo chuckled and said, “Sure, it’s powerful, but what’s the point if it doesn’t land? You call that a

warning shot? Stop bluffing. If you’re so confident, try hitting me.”

Mana surged through Nam In-woo’s body, and a blue light flickered at his feet.

-Crack-

He gripped the ground with force, leaning forward like a predator ready to pounce.

-Swish-

Jung Eun-seo raised her hand to cast another spell, but before she could, Nam In-woo launched himself forward.

-Paah!-

High in the sky, the storm clouds rumbled again, preparing to release two bolts of lightning this time.

Nam In-woo swiftly pulled out two disposable shurikens from his messenger bag and flung them at Jung Eun-seo.

-Swish!-

The shurikens flew straight for her face, aimed directly between her brows.

“Gasp!”

Jung Eun-seo quickly tilted her head to dodge. Maintaining her stance, she retaliated with another lightning

strike aimed at Nam In-woo.

-Bzzzt!-

-BOOM!-

Each strike melted patches of vegetation, leaving scorched marks on the ground. But none of the bolts

managed to touch Nam In-woo.

-Dash! Dash! Dash!-

Accelerating further, Nam In-woo closed the distance, reaching right in front of Jung Eun-seo.

-Slash!-

He drew a dagger from his waist and swung it at her.

In response, Jung Eun-seo raised her hand, conjuring a defensive spell.

-Clang!-

A shield-shaped Magic Barrier blocked his strike. But Nam In-woo didn’t stop.

-Clang!-

-Clang!-

Twisting his body unnaturally, he attacked relentlessly, striking her left side, upper right, and even aiming at her

ankles.

However, Jung Eun-seo wasn’t an ordinary mage; she was of epic rank. She held her ground, casting quick

spells like [Fireball] in between his attacks.

-Sizzle!-

Burn marks began accumulating on Nam In-woo’s body as her minor spells took their toll.

Looking down at his singed clothing, Nam In-woo muttered, “D*mn it… hiding behind magic and taking cheap

shots.”

“Oh my, all you can do is charge in swinging that crude blade, yet you’ve got such a foul mouth,” Jung Eun-seo

replied with a smirk.

Her taunt made Nam In-woo’s face flush with anger.

He shouted toward his team in frustration.

“Kang Jun-hyung, I’m going to use a skill here and now. The rest is up to you.”

Kang Jun-hyung was flustered. The skill Nam In-woo was about to use was likely a thief-exclusive skill.

Exclusive skills could unleash tremendous power temporarily, but they also consumed a lot of mana. That’s why they

were reserved for crucial moments. However, Nam In-woo was attempting to use his class-exclusive

skill at the very beginning of the battle.

“No! If you use it now, later we…!”

Kang Jun-hyung tried to stop him, but Nam In-woo wasn’t the type to listen.

“Hoonyeop.”

As Nam In-woo muttered the skill’s name, a red aura engulfed his entire body.

[Hoonyeop]

▶ A thief-exclusive skill.

▶ Temporarily increases the chance of dodging attacks.

▶ Temporarily enhances movement speed.

▶ Temporarily boosts flexibility.

Watching him closely, Jung Eun-seo tensed up.

‘It’s coming.’

The aura wasn’t heavy, but it was sharp and quick. She felt an overwhelming pressure, as if it would swallow her

whole. Yet, she wasn’t afraid.

‘Should I use my class-exclusive skill too…?’

She contemplated it for a moment before shaking her head. There were still too many enemies left, and Nam In-woo

was the only one actively fighting right now. Even if she managed to deal with him, Kang Jun-hyung and Jung Sae-

ron would still remain. If she used her full power now, it would be impossible to hold out until Lee Hyun-seung

arrived. Besides, her class-exclusive skill took a long time to cast, and the enemy wouldn’t wait for her to finish.

She raised her staff. She was aware of the disadvantage she faced. Right now, she was limited to basic attacks and

had to conserve her strength for later. Unlike Nam In-woo, who could unleash his full power without worrying about

the aftermath, her situation was entirely different.

-Paaaat!

As Jung Eun-seo tensed, Nam In-woo surged forward with incredible speed. He moved far faster than before, like an

arrow shot from a bow. His charge was almost too fast to track with the naked eye.

“Haaah!”

Jung Eun-seo quickly froze the ground around her, aiming to reduce his mobility. However, just before the ice

formed, Nam In-woo leapt into the air, avoiding the frozen ground entirely.

Jung Eun-seo smirked, as if she had been expecting this, and shot ice spears toward Nam In-woo mid-air.

-Crash!

But Nam In-woo twisted his body in impossible ways, dodging every single spear.

‘What…?!’

As Jung Eun-seo reeled from surprise, Nam In-woo spun in mid-air and plummeted to the ground, landing directly

in front of her.

‘I… I have to block this!’

Jung Eun-seo raised her arms to shield her face, but Nam In-woo swiftly moved behind her and slashed her back.

-Slash!

-Blood dripped.

A wound formed on her back. It wasn’t deep, but blood trickled from the cut. A sharp pain shot through her, but she

didn’t have the luxury to dwell on it.

-Zap!

Realizing she couldn’t keep up with Nam In-woo’s speed with magic alone, Jung Eun-seo quickly gathered mana and

conjured a dagger-like weapon in her hand. She began to parry his attacks.

-Clang!

She blocked one strike, but another followed immediately after.

-Slash!

Her side was cut, though not fatally.

-Clang!

-Slash!

Her collarbone was grazed, though the wound wasn’t severe.

-Clang!

-Slash!

Her arm was slashed deeply this time, and blood began flowing profusely from various wounds on her body.

-Crack!

At that moment, voices shouted behind her.

“Jung Eun-seo, we’ll help you! Uaaaahhh!”

The members of Class F, who had been watching from a distance, charged at Nam In-woo all at once. But—

-Fwoosh!

A massive fireball soared through the air, engulfing them all.

-Kaboom!

[Participant has been eliminated.]

[Class F participant eliminated.]

[Class F participant eliminated…]

The elimination notifications popped up rapidly as more than ten people were wiped out in an instant.

When Jung Eun-seo turned to look, Jung Sae-ron, the mage, was lazily twirling her staff, wearing an arrogant smirk.

“Haa… This is getting boring. Let’s just wrap this up, shall we?”

It was their expected victory. As they nonchalantly showed their boredom, almost as if they were playing a game,

Jeong Eun-seo couldn’t help but feel helpless.

She had devised a plan. She had organized roles systematically, gathered mana to initiate a strong offense, and when

a dangerous moment approached, she had instructed them to sneak up and ambush. The F-Class members followed

her plan well. But none of it had been properly executed.

‘It’s… too much of a difference…’

In a one-on-one fight, giving it her all, she could win without trouble. But considering the need to conserve her

strength and the magic the others behind her would use, fighting like this was far too overwhelming.

If only she had the artifact she usually used, it might have been a different story. But right now, she had no artifacts

at all. Moreover, her opponents were perfect in both close and ranged combat.

‘Think. I need to think of a way out.’

She had to figure out a solution. To overcome this situation.

Just as Jeong Eun-seo was looking around and stepping back—

—Swiing!

A sword flew from a distance.

—Thud!

She was caught off guard. In her focus on dealing with the thief and the mage, she had completely forgotten about

the swordsman, Kang Jun-hyung, who was at the back. She hadn’t even considered that he might throw his sword.

“Ughhhh…”

Jeong Eun-seo groaned in pain, staring at the sword stuck in her left arm.

But none of that mattered to Nam In-woo, who, irritated, shouted at Kang Jun-hyung.

“F*ck! Why are you butting in when I said I’d handle this?”

“We need to deal with it quickly. If we delay any longer, there could be unexpected variables. Our goal is to win.

Nothing else matters.”

“Always acting like you’re so much better… You goddamn prick.”

—Swoosh!

As Nam In-beom swung his dagger around in irritation, the remaining F-Class members all cried out in pain and fell,

one by one.

It all happened in an instant.

“I was planning to play around a bit longer before eliminating you all, but you pissed me off, so I just killed you all.”

Nam In-beom let out a grin, as if his mood had been lifted. He then looked at Jeong Eun-seo and spoke.

“Hey, are you still going to continue? Just forfeit.”

Without a word, Jeong Eun-seo raised her right arm.

“Arrogant b*tch.”

As Nam In-woo prepared to charge, Kang Jun-hyung and Jeong Sae-ron were also getting ready to assist from

behind. They all planned to launch a combined attack.

Jeong Eun-seo thought inwardly.

‘If only… If only I had a little more time…’

Mages could cast stronger spells depending on the casting time. If someone had been able to hold them off up front,

she wouldn’t have been so easily defeated.

—Crrrrack!

Now, even thinking about it was futile. She shook off the distractions, gathered mana in her hands, and clenched it

into a sharp, thin blade of mana, focusing on her target.

Nam In-woo muttered.

“Those who were spoiled and pampered always act like they know nothing about the world, thinking they’re

something special. I enjoy seeing people like you break down.”

Soon, Nam In-woo pulled out dozens of shuriken from his bag.

“This will hurt.”

He threw all the shuriken at Jeong Eun-seo at once.

—Swoooosh!

The shuriken sped toward her at incredible speed. There were too many to count. She tried to cast a spell in defense,

but Jeong Sae-ron had already cast another attack spell from behind, and Kang Jun-hyung was also closing in,

preparing for an offensive.

‘I’m… going to die.’

She felt a deep sense of fear. The horrifying pain that would come before she retired already loomed in her mind. Yet,

despite it all, she raised the sharp spear in her hand and charged at Nam In-woo.

“You idiot.”

Her short spear never reached Nam In-woo. Instead, just before dozens of shuriken could impale her head, it

happened.

—Chiiiiiing!

A golden circular gate materialized in the air. Soon, an overwhelming surge of mana began pouring out from it.

—Fwaaaaah!

A powerful wind swept across, knocking the formation of the enemies off balance. The shuriken that had been

hurtling toward Jeong Eun-seo were all deflected by the force of the wind.

—Kuuuum!

A figure fell from the gate and landed on the ground.

“Who… who is that…?”

Nam In-woo shouted in a tense voice at the man who was crouched on the ground.

Jeong Eun-seo, her arm now limp, clutched the sword in her hand and gazed at the man.

—Swoosh.

The man silently glanced at Jeong Eun-seo before walking towards her. Lee Hyun-seung placed his hand gently on

her shoulder.

“Does it hurt?”

Jeong Eun-seo shook her head.

“Don’t take the sword out. If you do, there will be more bleeding. The pain will get worse too. Wait a little, and I’ll treat it.”

Nam In-woo, who seemed to have completely ignored them, screamed.

“Yo… you crazy bastard! What the hell are you doing!?”

Only then did Lee Hyun-seung turn around to face them and place his hand on his waist.

Clink!

The familiar sound of a weapon being readied.

Lee Hyun-seung spoke coldly.

“Stop struggling and don’t beg me to kill you. I wasn’t planning to let you go easily anyway.”