Chapter 625

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Chapter 625: Slaughterhouse (3)

Blood Battle.

A position chosen only by powerful teams aiming for the highest score—one where the team’s current location and headcount are revealed to all participants.

Yet surprisingly, there seemed to be many who considered themselves strong. Soon after, a third Blood Battle team appeared.

「A new team has chosen Blood Battle.」

“…What?”

Yeongwoo, who had just stepped outside following the first arrow, blinked as another arrow appeared in his field of vision.

“So that makes three teams whose locations are already 공개.”

—That just means they’re confident in their strength.

“It also means there were a ton of participants to begin with. Teams probably started with four members each.”

And yet there were already at least three Blood Battle teams.

Considering that most would’ve chosen Invasion or Preservation, the total number of participants must have reached the dozens.

“The average survival rate is only 26%, and this many people still came in…?”

As Yeongwoo spoke with disbelief, Gehika—who had been watching the rear—glanced his way.

—Anyone who enters this place is strong to begin with. Though you are especially abnormal.

He was recalling how Yeongwoo had instantly dealt with the other two team members during team formation.

—Still, you need to be careful. You never know when—

Gehika abruptly stopped mid—sentence, his mouth falling open as he gripped his sword tightly.

—Hey. Behind us!

Another team that had chosen Invasion had already found them.

They were pushing through the rear entrance at that very moment.

—What? They were right nearby?

—Good. Saves us the trouble of searching.

The invading team also had two members.

One was a massive golem made entirely of steel, and the other was a mantis wielding two long curved blades.

“…Huh? Free points just rolled in.”

As Yeongwoo muttered while turning around, the steel golem pressed a hand against the wall, its lips twitching.

—Who ends up turning into points is yet to be seen.

Almost simultaneously, the mantis hurled both of its curved blades at Yeongwoo and Gehika.

—Die…!

Screeeeeech!

It was an attack of terrifying speed, befitting an invasion team—but to Yeongwoo’s eyes, it looked sluggish.

“You’re beneath my standards too.”

—What?!

The moment the mantis widened its eyes, Yeongwoo casually knocked aside the blade flying at him, while Gehika barely managed to duck out of the way of the other.

Seeing the stark difference in their reactions, the steel golem pointed at Yeongwoo.

—That one’s the leader.

Kill the strongest first.

The golem clenched the hand it had placed against the wall—and at the same moment, sharp steel spikes erupted from the wall near Yeongwoo.

KWAANG!

“What—what is this?!”

Caught off guard by the unfamiliar attack, Yeongwoo hurriedly raised Aratubank to block. Gehika, however, was already screaming as spikes pierced part of his arm.

—KRAAAAGH!

“Seriously—how did you not dodge that?”

But there was no time to scold him, as the mantis was already charging from the front.

—Grab him! His arms are still intact!

At the mantis’s command, the steel golem clenched its fist against the wall again.

Instantly, massive steel fingers burst from the nearby wall and lunged toward Yeongwoo.

CRUNCH!

If they couldn’t hurt him, they’d restrain his movement instead.

Of course, that strategy was meaningless against Yeongwoo, who wielded a weapon that could slice through anything short of a Myth.

“That’s an incredibly annoying ability.”

Holding Bastard, Yeongwoo spun his body and severed all the steel fingers trying to grab him in one sweep.

KWAJAK!

Then, he smashed the mantis’s head with the edge of Aratubank as it lunged in.

PPEOOOK!

The small inverted—triangle head burst apart like a watermelon.

Seeing this, the steel golem quickly pulled its hand away from the wall.

—W—what… what are you?

It hastily stepped backward and placed its hand on the floor this time.

Thump!

A massive steel wall rose up in the center of the room, blocking Yeongwoo’s pursuit path.

“Huh? It’s already running?”

As Yeongwoo spoke, he glanced at Gehika, who had collapsed onto the floor.

True to his lizardman nature, the wound in Gehika’s arm was slowly closing.

Yeongwoo immediately swung Bastard and split the steel wall apart.

KWAAAAANG!

“Sit there and recover. I’ll go finish that guy.”

As Yeongwoo peeked through the cracked wall, he saw the steel golem—just about to pass through a doorway—wear a terrified expression.

—Eek!

It slapped a hand against the doorway, sealing the exit with another steel wall.

The plan was to keep blocking passages while escaping.

But at the same time, it was basically leaving behind a clear trail of its escape route.

For Yeongwoo, it just meant following the steel—sealed exits.

‘Did fear make its brain freeze? Leaving behind such obvious traces.’

Besides, steel walls were no sturdier than paper before Bastard.

KWAJAK!

After breaking through about three steel—blocked corridors, Yeongwoo finally spotted the steel golem’s back again as it fled desperately.

“Hey! Running won’t change anything!”

—S—someone help me!

Momentarily forgetting the dungeon’s rules, the golem screamed for help in all directions as it fled.

With a sigh, Yeongwoo summoned Sword Mountain above the golem’s head.

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If he dragged this out any longer, other teams might really show up and turn everything into chaos.

KWAAAAAAANG!

Countless blades rained down onto the golem’s escape route.

Its arm and shoulder were severed cleanly by Sword Mountain, and the golem rolled on the floor, screaming.

—Here! Over here! Anyone!

It was desperately hoping for another team to interfere.

Unfortunately for it, no one appeared before Yeongwoo stepped into the room where the golem lay fallen.

“Guess there aren’t any other teams nearby. What a shame.”

Even if there were, they’d have just been more points for Yeongwoo.

Chuk.

Yeongwoo lowered Bastard toward the steel golem clutching its severed shoulder.

“No hard feelings, right? You were an invasion team. This is what happens when a position choice fails.”

At Yeongwoo’s words, the golem grit its teeth.

—At this rate, you won’t last long either.

“If you hadn’t run this far, I wouldn’t have had to go wild like this. How far did you even run?”

It seemed like they’d passed through at least ten rooms.

And during that time, they hadn’t encountered another team.

‘This dungeon really is huge.’

Just as Yeongwoo raised his blade to strike the golem’s neck, one of the arrows in his vision suddenly tilted sharply.

“…?”

That meant the target was extremely close.

Then Gehika’s urgent voice rang out from behind.

—They’re here! They’re here!

“What is?”

—Blood Battle…!

Gehika couldn’t even finish the phrase—it was that urgent.

Behind him was the reason.

A three—eyed swordsman was chasing Gehika at terrifying speed.

One of Gehika’s arms had already been severed.

He’d tried to face the three—eyed warrior head—on while Yeongwoo was chasing the golem—and lost an arm in a single strike.

—He’s… insanely strong!

As Gehika stumbled into the room and collapsed, the steel golem lying on the floor let out a wicked grin.

—This is the end for you too.

Yeongwoo quietly drove Bastard into the back of the golem’s neck and muttered,

“That’s something you don’t know yet.”

Rising to his feet, he faced the three—eyed warrior who had entered the room after Gehika.

The three—eyed being let out a faint smile.

—So you’re the last one.

The swordsman’s appearance was unusual.

His skin was pale white, with a texture that looked almost like clay.

His hairless head was shaped like a pentagon.

‘Another species I’ve never seen before.’

As Yeongwoo marveled at the vastness of the universe, the three—eyed warrior raised a sword shaped like a collarbone and pointed it at him.

Sssk.

—No need for introductions, right? One of us will be erased soon anyway.

“….”

Hearing that, Yeongwoo tightened his grip on Bastard.

Usually, only those with real skill spoke like that.

On top of that, the arrow indicating another Blood Battle team was spinning faster and faster.

Most likely, two Blood Battle teams had converged near the same location, and others were rushing in to interfere.

“Yeah. You’re right. Introductions are pointless. Let’s finish this quickly before things get messy.”

The instant Yeongwoo spoke, one of the three—eyed warrior’s eyes flashed crimson, and he lunged forward with an incredible thrust.

Screeeeech!

‘What—’

The speed was too fast to react to via the hologram guide.

Acting purely on reflex, Yeongwoo raised Aratubank to block.

Kiiiiiing!

The three—eyed warrior’s blade slid along Aratubank’s surface.

His eyes widened in shock.

—You… what is this?

At this point, Yeongwoo still didn’t understand why the opponent was so surprised.

But when it became Yeongwoo’s turn to attack, he immediately realized.

“Haha, surprised by my defense? Then die!”

As Yeongwoo swung Bastard in retaliation, the three—eyed warrior’s other eye glowed blue, and he raised his sword to guard.

Then—

PANG!

He blocked the attack perfectly.

‘What? He blocked it…?’

This time, Yeongwoo’s eyes widened.

Blocking Bastard’s strike meant only one thing—

“…Don’t tell me. That thing… is it a Myth?”

The three—eyed warrior twisted his blade, pushing Bastard aside, and spoke in a grave voice.

—Apparently, I should know your name.

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