— "What in the world just happened?!"
— "Cover Hunter has taken Park Heeseok's attack head-on!"
— "Park Heeseok's claws went clean through Cover's shoulder. This is the worst injury we’ve seen in the match so far!"
— "And at that very moment! Hunter Ryu Sunghyun is sprinting toward the Red Team's Nexus!"
— "Could this be an all-in?! With this, neither team can afford to back down now!"
— "Hunter Ryu Sunghyun is up against five Ronik members, while Hunter Park Heeseok has been stopped by Cover Hunter! Who will reach the top of the Nexus first?!"
“Grrkh...!”
SCHLK!
As Park Heeseok yanked his claws from Cover’s shoulder, a groan escaped Cover’s lips before he could suppress it, his body swaying from the sheer pain. Blood poured from the wound.
Seeing it from just behind, Han Goeun screamed with a pale face.
“C-Cover Hunter!”
Cover, pressing his bleeding shoulder with his right hand still holding the sword, managed to straighten up.
The wound wasn’t just a scratch or cut—it had completely pierced through. His left arm wouldn’t move. It was clearly a worst-case scenario. Cover clicked his tongue.
‘Damn it... I let myself get seriously pissed.’
And now was not the time to get serious. Losing control only put him at a disadvantage. He needed to provoke Park Heeseok into losing his temper.
Park Heeseok let out a guttural growl at Cover, who still stood firm, unyielding.
“You crazy bastard... Get the fuck out of my way!”
“Sorry,”
Exhaling a sharp, heated breath, Cover raised his sword playfully and quipped:
“I don’t take orders from people weaker than me.”
“What?”
The sharp, commanding presence Cover had shown when shielding Han Goeun had vanished. Instead, he grinned and added mockingly:
“You don’t know that line? It’s from a super famous anime—whoa!”
CRASH!
Unable to bear the nonsense, Park Heeseok’s attack shattered the ground. Cover narrowly dodged the blow, prompting Park Heeseok to curse.
“Stop talking shit and GET OUT OF MY WAY!”
It seemed the provocation had worked. Seeing Park Heeseok losing control, Cover shoved Han Goeun aside and said:
“Buff me and fall back.”
“B-but your wound—”
“Now!”
Snapped out of her panic by his sharp tone, Han Goeun nodded and quickly applied a fresh buff before retreating far enough to not interfere in the fight.
《Skill: Wind of Endurance (Grade A) applied! (Caster: Han Goeun)》
《A protective barrier has been formed. (Duration: 1 minute 30 seconds)》
《Defense increased. (Duration: 1 minute 30 seconds)》
《Healing rate increased. (Duration: 1 minute 30 seconds)》
《Evasion rate increased. (Duration: 1 minute 30 seconds)》
With a wind-forged shield swirling around him, Cover stepped into Han Goeun’s place.
The rest of Circle's guild members, exhausted from holding off Ronik and stopping Park Heeseok, were already out of commission.
Only Cover remained.
And he couldn’t use his left arm.
He had to stop Park Heeseok using nothing but one sword—until Ryu Sunghyun reached the Nexus.
‘Brother...’
His vision blurred briefly, then refocused.
A chill ran down his spine, and his hands trembled. His body was deteriorating quickly from the last hit.
He wouldn’t last long. Praying Ryu Sunghyun would reach the Nexus in time, Cover tightened his grip on his wavering blade.
“He’s coming!”
“We’ve got to stop him!”
The golden light of Ryu Sunghyun's power surged closer. The Ronik Hunters, their throats dry, raised their weapons—only to flinch in shock as light soared into the sky.
From high above, the light bursting out from Ryu Sunghyun morphed into dozens of spears. As they formed in a dense canopy above, a Ronik Hunter screamed:
“S-shield! Shields up!”
As the spears rained down, the Supporter threw up a semi-opaque barrier.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
Like a downpour on glass, the golden spears slammed into the shield and burst into glittering fragments.
The shield °• N o v e l i g h t •° cracked quickly under the relentless barrage.
“Ughhh...!”
Arms raised, the Supporter tried desperately to maintain the barrier, face pale and eyes squeezed shut.
“I-I can’t hold it... not anymore!”
SHATTER!
“Dodge!”
“Aaaargh!”
The shield shattered in less than a minute. Spears pierced the ground through the fragments and blinding dust, followed by screams.
Through the chaos, Ryu Sunghyun landed lightly among the Ronik Hunters. He drove his foot into the chest of a nearby opponent.
“Guhah!”
Knocked clean off his feet, the Hunter crashed away. Ducking under a lunging grab, Ryu Sunghyun broke into a sprint again.
‘I have to hurry.’
Beyond the haze of dust, the pristine white Nexus and the red gem at its peak came into view.
— "Cover Hunter looks in very bad shape!"
— "Seems like he can’t even use his left arm."
— "This is dangerous—can he really hold out?!"
Even now, Cover was battling Park Heeseok alone.
That meant Ryu Sunghyun had to make it. He had to reach the top of the Nexus as fast as humanly possible.
Choking down the breath rising in his throat, he pushed forward. He shoved aside enemies, swatted away reaching hands.
Golden light expanded outward. Threads of light tangled around enemies, shielding him from incoming weapons.
“Ah...”
A jolt ran through him—from head to toe.
Had he ever used his skill this freely before?
His body felt incredibly light. As though he had another version of himself supporting him, his skill responded perfectly to every need.
For years after awakening, his power had felt like ill-fitting clothes. Heavy. Burdensome. But now—it felt like a comrade he could trust to watch his back.
Brilliant light filled his vision as he ascended the steps.
His hand reached out. The red gem—was right there.
BOOM! The ground quaked with a deafening crash. Cover’s body tumbled across the shattered arena floor.
“Gah... cough!”
Wheezing and coughing, Cover jammed the tip of his sword into the ground and pulled himself upright.
Across from him, Park Heeseok stood, more wounds etched across his body than before.
“Fucking... bastard...”
He had faced both Ryu Sunghyun and now Cover—he wasn’t in good shape either. But Cover, by far the most injured fighter in the match, was on another level.
— "Ryu Sunghyun is on fire!"
— "Who will come out on top first?!"
— "Look at that speed! Ryu Sunghyun is breaking through! No one can stop him!"
The commentators shouted.
Park Heeseok’s bloodshot eyes were locked on Cover, radiating murderous rage.
“Move. I said MOVE!”
His blood was boiling dry.
He couldn’t see where Ryu Sunghyun was, whether the gem was safe, if his guildmates were holding the line—
He saw nothing, but the commentary echoed in his head. It was driving him mad.
His mind spiraled, and so did his body. Frenzied.
As he charged the Nexus steps, Cover stepped in front of him again.
THUD! Even when slammed by Park Heeseok’s bulk, Cover didn’t fall. He swung his blade.
But the trembling sword barely managed to slice off a tuft of Park Heeseok’s mane. The latter instinctively leaned back to dodge and snapped.
“Why, WHY?!”
Why the hell was he the only one falling apart?
They were both standing at the edge of a cliff. But why did Cover look so calm?
Why was he the only one panicking? Frantic? Losing his mind?
Dark fury swirled in Park Heeseok’s eyes. He shoved Cover aside and slammed his massive paw down onto Cover’s injured shoulder.
“GAHHHH!!”
Cover screamed, writhing in pain. But Park Heeseok, overwhelmed by rage, didn’t stop pressing.
“You piece of SHIT! Bastards like YOU—!”
“H-hngh...”
His neck, pale and slick with sweat, was visible beneath the mask. Shaking hands reached up to grab Park Heeseok’s wrist.
Cover muttered something.
“...You should have.”
The pain was so intense he could barely speak. After catching his breath, he continued.
“You should’ve... trusted your team... Guildmaster Park.”
ROOOOOAR!!!
The arena exploded in a thunderous cheer.
— "Ryu Sunghyun has done it!"
— "Against all odds, he’s seized the Red Team’s gem!"
— "Victory goes to Circle Hunters!"
Circle! Circle! Circle!
The big screen showed Ryu Sunghyun, smiling with the gem in his hand.
Applause rained down. Fireworks erupted above. Everyone chanted in unison for Circle and Ryu Sunghyun.
“W... what...?”
Staring blankly at the scoreboard and the roaring crowd, Park Heeseok stumbled back.
He lost. He lost. Ronik lost. To Circle.
His face, once twisted with rage and obsession, drained of all color. As though fleeing from reality, Park Heeseok backed away—then collapsed.
Finally free, Cover also dropped to one knee, clutching his shoulder.
“Haa...”
While the crowd celebrated, while the Circle guild members rejoiced—he alone let out a small sigh of relief.
And before him, a new window appeared.
《Main Quest: Win the competition match against the Ronik Guild with Circle – CLEARED!》
《Main Quest Clear Reward granted.》

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