Chapter 281

Chapter 281: Ranking Battle (1)

[Entering the Ranking Battle!]

[The stage is decided!]

[Otherworld Continent: Floating Fragments]

[Rule Explanation]

[1. Currently, 200 floating fragments are suspended in this stage.]

[2. Each fragment has a different environment.]

[3. Each fragment has a next exit leading upwards.]

[4. The fragments gradually fall.]

[5. If a fragment falls to the bottom, all survivors inside die.]

[6. Climb to the end and reach the highest fragment! Means and methods do not matter. If there is a person who arrives first, the first Ranking Battle ends, and the remaining rankings are tallied according to height.]

[7. All currently possessed items and equipment are sealed.]

[8. Supplies are dropped in random areas every certain period. Upon obtaining, you can acquire items helpful for survival.]

along with the message, the scenery before his eyes changed.

A continent so vast the end could not be seen.

The scene unfolded before his eyes was hell itself.

Crimson lava flowed along the cracks in the earth, and even the sky was covered in dark red smoke.

Every time he inhaled, heat that felt like it was burning his lungs scratched his throat.

[Entered Otherworld Continent: Extreme Heat Zone!]

The rocks beneath his feet were glowing crimson hot.

[Curse of the Extreme Heat Zone is applied!]

[Health decreases by 0.5% every 10 seconds!]

[‘Burn’ status effect is applied upon exposure to heat for more than 5 minutes!]

[‘Hunger State’ arrives very quickly inside the fragment. You may die if food is not consumed for more than a certain period!]

[Time remaining until current fragment fall time: 2 hours 21 minutes 32 seconds]

[Current Altitude: 1245M]

“……Crazy.”

Every time he inhaled, it felt like his lungs were burning up.

The sensation of the inside of his throat cooking red.

It felt like invisible flames were crawling over his skin.

He raised his head.

Far away, thousands of fragments were floating high in the sky. Structures soaring distantly like massive stairs. And this place where Kim Minwoo was standing right now was―.

“It’s the very bottom.”

The lowest fragment.

The hottest hell.

In a state where equipment stats were sealed, he had to endure this heat and climb to the summit.

Extreme Heat.

It was a hellscape that truly lived up to its name.

“…….”

Kim Minwoo looked down at his hand.

The heavy weight of the Dragon-Made breastplate remained, but the familiar flow of power that used to seep into his bones had vanished.

‘Weaker.’

It was because the equipment stats were sealed.

The feeling of an Ancient rank armor reduced to mere metal plates.

It felt like he had been thrown onto the battlefield naked.

If there was one comfort…….

Perhaps other participants would also start from the fragments at the bottom…….

Suddenly, Machine Human A-4 came to mind.

Since its whole body is machine, it would likely be much stronger against heat or burns than humans, right? It would also be advantageous in places like the Desert of Oblivion that seem related to mental attacks.

“But what to do.”

The corners of Kim Minwoo’s mouth twisted.

‘Equipment is sealed?’

So what about it?

‘This is a total piece of cake for me too.’

The authority a Lord can grant.

He didn't even need to use the Fire-attribute authority possessed by Vulcan.

“Hayang?”

―Kku-u.

The pure white fluff ball on his shoulder answered energetically. At Kim Minwoo’s call, the tips of Hayang’s feathers began to turn red.

[Hayang assimilates!]

[Attribute: Fire]

In an instant, crimson flames rose over Kim Minwoo’s entire body. Mysterious flames hotter than the lava of the Extreme Heat Zone, yet not burning his body alone. The heat that had been scratching his lungs vanished.

No, rather, it felt cozy.

[Possessing powerful Fire Resistance!]

[The Curse of the Extreme Heat Zone is extremely reduced!]

The heat subsided to a fully bearable level.

“Pets are not items or equipment.”

The buffs didn't end there.

Merhen and the Dragon Tooth Soldier Mages raised their staffs.

[Joint Spell: Protection of Dragon Flame (SS) is activated!]

[Fire Resistance increases significantly!]

[The group of Dragon Tooth Soldier Priests casts ‘Concentration of Madness’!]

[Fire Affinity is maximized!]

[All stats increase by 25%!]

Hayang’s attribute assimilation.

Merhen’s attribute magic.

Even the Dragon Tooth Soldiers’ buffs.

The moment the three overlapped, the heat of the lava was no longer an enemy.

Rather, it seeped into his body and became fuel heating up every single tendon.

Kim Minwoo clenched and unclenched his fist.

Hot.

But not burning.

Rather, he even felt the illusion that he could walk barefoot on the lava.

He reached out his hand.

Black mana rose from his fingertips.

Complex patterns began to be engraved in the empty air.

Kugugung―!

The moment the magic circle was completed, darkness thicker than the abyss erupted.

From within, three massive shapes surged up.

Bone Dragons.

They were skeletal dragons with blue ghost fire burning in their empty eye sockets.

Black fog rose between their wing bones, and powerful dignity flowed from every single bone joint.

However, even the Bone Dragons lacked the durability to withstand the infinite heat. As soon as they were summoned, acrid smoke rose.

It was a signal that their bones were melting down.

He immediately applied the Dragon Tooth Soldier Priests’ buffs and Merhen’s magic.

This way, they would be able to maintain activity time to some extent.

“Samryong.”

―Speak, Master.

“You. Fly once. To the end of that sky.”

Samryong’s eye glint blinked.

It was a signal that he understood the command.

Massive wing bones spread out, creating a hot wind.

Pa-a-a-at―!

Samryong soared into the sky. A single dot becoming smaller and smaller as it cut through the crimson sky.

Kim Minwoo’s eyes chased that trajectory.

Five hundred meters.

Seven hundred meters.

It was the moment it neared one thousand meters and approached the next fragment visible in the sky.

Tsutsutsutsu―!

As if an invisible boundary existed, Samryong’s bones turned to ash and scattered in an instant. It was a perfect annihilation leaving not even debris behind.

The corners of Kim Minwoo’s mouth twisted.

‘As expected. There is an altitude limit.’

If this didn't exist, it would have been enough to just fly to the summit. But there was no way the Demon God would tolerate such a trick.

The rock beneath his feet shook minutely.

It was a signal that the fragment he was standing on was falling.

A short while later, Samryong, who had been destroyed, rose again from Kim Minwoo’s shadow.

“You remembered that height just now, right?”

Three pairs of blue eye glints nodded simultaneously.

“Good. Fly moderately and find. The exit.”

As soon as the command fell, the Bone Dragons spread their wings. This time horizontally, not vertically. Maintaining a level below the altitude limit line, they scattered in three directions.

‘On this side, I should find food.’

Not only does hunger come quickly, but starving means death.

Then there must be something to eat.

The rock beneath his feet shook once again.

It was a signal that the fall was accelerating.

Kim Minwoo looked around.

Crimson lava pools, cracked basalt zones, and dark red rock canyons visible in the distance. Even while walking, no lifeforms seemed to exist anywhere he looked.

It was then.

Padeudeuk―!

Something brushed past the edge of his vision.

Small shapes flying around while wrapped in flames.

Looking closely, it was a moth.

A swarm of fist-sized bugs with their whole bodies glowing with orange flames.

‘Bugs…….’

Bugs are usually rich in protein.

It was a very good food candidate.

However, just by looking at it, it seemed like he shouldn't just eat it.

Chewing on a burning moth?

It wouldn't just peel the roof of his mouth; it would cook his stomach.

‘Then, I just need to remove the heat.’

Cooling it with water before eating would work.

Or if not that…….

“Hayang, you’re hungry too, right?”

“Kku?”

“It’s time to eat.”

The fluff ball on his shoulder tilted its head.

Kim Minwoo reached out and grabbed the flame moth flying closest to him. The fact that he didn't get burned even grabbing it with bare hands was thanks to Hayang’s assimilation and buffs.

Flutter flutter―.

The moth struggled.

As he clenched his fist tight, the movement stopped.

“Here, suck out just the heat.”

“Kku-u?”

“Yeah. Suck out the inside and spit out the shell.”

Hayang looked at the moth as if puzzled, then soon opened its small beak.

Syuuuu―.

Orange energy was sucked out like thread from the moth's body. As the blazing flames vanished, only a crisply dried brown shell remained.

“Burp.”

Hayang let out a burp.

Kim Minwoo summoned Cedric while holding the shell.

―……Where is this place now?

“Demon Realm. The place for the Ranking Battle. Anyway, that’s not important; Cedric, you have a job to do.”

―What is it?

“Try eating this.”

Cedric’s pupils narrowed slightly upon seeing the crushed moth remains.

―……Is it a bug?

“Looks like a moth.”

―And you couldn’t find other food?

“Yeah. So far. Eat quickly. So I can check if there’s poison.”

―…….

Snatching up the moth corpse, Cedric tossed it into his mouth.

A moment later, having swallowed it, he nodded.

―The taste is passable. No poison.

Lucky.

Kim Minwoo immediately hunted a swarm of moths and tossed them into his mouth.

Crunch. Crunch.

As he chewed, a sour taste was felt along with the juices.

“Well, as you said, it is edible.”

―You eat well for someone raised with a silver spoon.

“I’ve eaten a lot of these.”

Eating bugs in a game?

It is merely one of the virtues a veteran should naturally possess.

Furthermore, Kim Minwoo was not just veteran level, but at the level of rotten fossil fuel.

He used to put even more terrible things in his mouth; a moth was nothing.

“Merhen? Water please. Ah.”

As he raised his head and opened his mouth, Merhen snapped her fingers. Moisture gathered in the empty air and began to trickle down like water from a purifier.

The taste of water drunk in a lava zone was truly exceptional.

“The taste of water is killer. As expected of Merhen.”

―Ahem. This much is a piece of cake, Minwoo. If you're thirsty, just tell me anytime!

“I will.”

Far away, Ilryong was seen returning.

Having flown in an instant, the guy landed and spoke.

―I think I found the entrance Master spoke of.

“Already? Easy. Lower your back. I’ll ride.”

The Demon God's trial.

‘Maybe it's not as hard as I thought?’

＊ ＊ ＊

At the same time, a different area of the Extreme Heat Zone.

“Kuh……!”

The Demon Race proxy Baltor knelt.

The demon's outer skin, said to be harder than steel, was glowing crimson hot. The heat seeping under his skin spread throughout his body riding his blood vessels.

‘What is this?’

He was born in the Demon Realm and had lived for hundreds of years.

A lava zone should have been no different from a promenade.

But this place was different.

“Haa, haa……!”

He hurriedly drew up his mana.

Dark red demonic energy wrapped around his entire body, forming a protective barrier. The heat seemed to recede for a moment.

However…….

Ssssp―.

Like invisible needles, the heat pierced through the mana barrier and seeped in. Malicious warmth digging into the gaps like a living organism.

“Damn it!”

Baltor gritted his teeth.

His throat dried up like a desert. His tongue felt like it was cracking. Even if he tried to swallow saliva, there wasn't even saliva to swallow.

‘Water, where on earth is water……!’

He turned his head.

What came into view was only crimson lava and dark red rocks. A hellscape where not even a speck of moisture existed.

Growl―.

His stomach screamed.

Murderous hunger came along with extreme thirst. Pain as if his internal organs were trying to digest themselves surged in.

‘Something, I have to eat something……!’

At the edge of his vision, a swarm of moths wrapped in flames flew around. Baltor instinctively reached out and grabbed one.

The blazing heat burned his palm, but he had no time to care.

“Kuh!”

He tossed the moth into his mouth.

The moment he chewed, a scorching sensation as if swallowing lava went down his esophagus.

“Kkeo-eok?!”

His stomach twisted.

The sensation of his internal organs cooking. Baltor rolled on the floor from the pain burning from inside.

Even if he tried to vomit, it was already too late. The heat had seeped deep into his organs.

“Damn it……! Demon God……!”

Vomiting blood, he looked up at the sky.

Thousands of fragments floating in a dizzyingly high place. Climb to that end?

In this hell?

“Do you intend to kill…… everyone……!”

His scream scattered into the empty air.

There was no answer.

Only the burning heat swallowed his body.

Thud.

Baltor’s body collapsed forward.

The moment his consciousness faded, the last thing he saw was the figures of other participants collapsing just like him far away.

[Participant ‘Baltor’ has died.]

[Participant ‘Croa’ has died.]

[Participant ‘Belzeum’ has died.]

.

.

[Current Survivors: 103 / 114]

Deaths were occurring one after another from all directions.