From Today, I'm a Player

Chapter 26: To Become a Hero

A spear wholly engulfed in flames flew towards Choi Yeong-Seong. While its intensity was less than the one that had been fired at the water golem previously in the fifth wave, it contained all the flames Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to gather immediately.

“...!”

Choi Yeong-Seong could feel the mana that filled up the spear, and it flustered him. All he had to combat it was a sword. Even if he were able to block it in his exhausted state, there wouldn’t be a bright future for him.

“Tsk.”

As Lee Jun-Kyeong made a sound of disapproval, water began to fall. A massive amount of water came crashing down from the sky, almost like a waterfall. Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly reached out and retrieved Muspel’s Spear, pulling himself back. He had a feeling that the amount of falling water and the subsequent pressure would drain him of his recovered stamina.

Crash.

As Muspel’s Spear returned, the flames surrounding the spear suddenly vanished as if they were never there. The amount of flames that Muspel’s Spear had contained was enormous. As he had said before…

‘This is absolute oppression.’

An attribute with enough power had the ability to oppress its opposite attribute completely. Within this space, only one thing had enough power to extinguish the flames fueled by Reign of Fire.

-KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!

The river worm. Specifically, the river worm had fired its concentrated breath into the space where he and Choi Yeong-Seong had been fighting. There was a specific reason why the river worm had suddenly appeared right in this spot amid so many Hunters.

Choi Yeong-Seong gasped, “It’s a success… I’ve succeeded…”

As the river worm’s breath began to lose its power and the powerful waterfall began to thin down, Lee Jun-Kyeong could see Choi Yeong-Seong with a greasy-looking smile on the other side.

“That person did not lie to me!” Choi Yeong-Seong exclaimed in a trembling voice as if had been overcome by a sense of ecstasy. However, there was no significant change in Lee Jun-Kyeong’s expression. He just stood there, watching Choi Yeong-Seong from afar.

“You bastard. Soon, you’re going to cry and tremble in fear,” spat the guild master after failing to get a reaction out of his target. Choi Yeong-Seong became even more furious while staring at Lee Jun-Kyeong’s blank expression. But rather than raising his voice even more at him, Choi Yeong-Seong commanded the river worm instead.

“River worm! Protect me!”

-KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!

In the midst of his fight with Lee Jun-Kyeong, Choi Yeong-Seong had taken control of the river worm using the wondrous sword given to him by that person.

Rumble.

The colossal river worm began to move, approaching closer to Choi Yeong-Seong. It was as if the ground itself was shifting.

“Hehehe…”

The river worm shifted its head toward the slyly smiling guild master. Throughout this entire spectacle, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn’t take any action. It was to the point that Choi Yeong-Seong had thought that his target was showing that it was futile to struggle any longer.

Lee Jun-Kyeong finally began to make a move, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

‘It looks like things are going as expected.’

The screams and shouts of the Hunters could be heard from afar. Compared to the elites of the Northern Army Guild, the other Hunters were getting pushed back. It was natural. To be frank, it was admirable that the Hunters, who had a marked difference in skill level, had been able to endure the attacks of the Northern Army Guild for so long.

Unfortunately, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn’t have the time nor the resources to save them. Instead, his eyes shifted again to another place, where he could hear a roar.

Clang! Clang!

“How the hell could you…! It’s still not too late! Even now, if you get on your knees and beg, Hyung might forgive you! I’m telling you, Hyung is going to conquer this gate no matter what!”

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The two most powerful Hunters, aside from Choi Yeong-Seong and Lee Jun-Kyeong, were fighting. It was Choi Yong-Su… and the silent sword-wielding Jeong In-Chang. The outcome was overwhelmingly in favor of the previous deputy guild master.

‘Looks like it’s one-sided.’

Choi Yong-Su didn’t have the skills to back up his violent and warlike personality. On the other hand, Jeong In-Chang had finally accepted his righteous mindset and was wielding his sword in a determined manner, showcasing his acceptance of his ideals.

Most likely, Jeong In-Chang’s Sponsor, who had a name so odd that it was embarrassing to say out loud, was satisfied with the change in Jeong In-Chang and supported him. The former deputy guild master had grown further just by choosing a new side.

‘That’s a relief.’

Lee Jun-Kyeong was relieved to see Jeong In-Chang overpowering Choi Yong-Su. The ex-deputy guild master would soon subdue Choi Yong-Su and move to help the other Hunters. When that happened, the battlefield would become more balanced.

The issue was that the boss, the river worm, was opening its mouth.

-KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!

In fact, it was trying to eat Choi Yeong-Seong, which was the method worms thought was protection. Since Choi Yeong-Seong seemed confused, Lee Jun-Kyeong raced ahead.

Lurch.

He had no intention of letting Choi Yeong-Seong go. The guild master didn’t seem to notice it, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had been waiting for this very moment.

“Just you wait! Because soon, the river worm will completely crush you!” screamed Choi Yeong-Seong. It was funny.

Lee Jun-Kyeong took another step.

-KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!

The river worm finally put Choi Yeong-Seong in its mouth and began to close it. Lee Jun-Kyeong’s calves and thighs swelled as if they were about to explode. All of his physical strength, which was at B-Rank, no, the comparably A-Rank muscular strength was concentrated in his two legs.

Boom.

The ground under Lee Jun-Kyeong’s feet sank as if it were being crushed, and he kicked off the floor to race toward them.

“W… What!” Choi Yeong-Seong screamed in bewilderment.

In the blink of an eye, both of them were swallowed up, and the gigantic river worm’s mouth closed.

***

Whoosh.

The sound of a breeze echoed throughout the space. It wasn’t wrong to call the place Lee Jun-Kyeong was standing in a cave. In fact, it might even be a cavern even larger than a cave.

They were actually inside the mouth of the river worm.

"You crazy bastard. To think you’d jump straight into the mouth of a river worm…"

Choi Yeong-Seong couldn’t hide his surprise from Lee Jun-Kyeong. After all, even imagining that someone would have the guts to jump into a monster’s mouth was a bit out there. In fact, unless someone knew the unique characteristics of a worm monster, no one would ever try to do this.

“What are you talking about? I aimed for this moment from the very beginning,” Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

“W… what are you saying…” Choi Yeong-Seong sputtered.

Lee Jun-Kyeong grinned. “I’ve been waiting for the river worm to swallow you.”

Choi Yeong-Seong was flustered by the situation, while Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to talk, as if he was lecturing at someone. “Anyone with a functioning brain would think something was off when the boss monster, the river worm, suddenly stopped moving.”

"Well, there…"

Lee Jun-Kyeong bulldozed on, “It’s not as if it’s a spectator. Do you really think it made sense that the boss monster would just sit there watching us?”

A smile spread across Lee Jun-Kyeong's lips. It had happened.

Quiver.

The sword in Choi Yeong-Seong's hand had shaken ever so subtly, almost unnoticeably. It was as if it had an ego and was listening to the conversation. Choi Yeong-Seong’s sword was a unique grade weapon that had withstood an onslaught by a fully charged Muspel’s Spear, and the flames that had been consumed were under the control of Reign of Fire.

It was an unusual item, noticeable with just a glance. An unusual device that was most likely given to Choi Yeong-Seong by that person. While it was in the form of a sword, it was actually something different from that.

Lee Jun-Kyeong remarked, “I had thought it was your doing. Everyone with you was acting in the most suspicious way when we entered the gate. It was like you all had at least one trump card hidden away. There was no way you were depending on your skills either.”

“...”

“Above all, you said it too,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said in a voice that seemed to be about to burst into laughter at any moment.

“River worm! Protect me!” mocked Lee Jun-Kyeong, going so far as to mimic Choi Yeong-Seong’s expression. Eventually…

Grind.

Choi Yeong-Seong ground his teeth and raised his sword, but something made him flustered again. In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong burst out laughing. “Puhahaha. You really are an idiot, aren’t you?”

Suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong was standing there with a shield and spear in his hands, ready for battle.

“The insides of all worms, regardless of type…”

Flicker.

Flames erupted from Muspel’s Spear again, and slowly they began to spread as if they were seeping into the ground and walls.

“...are all really dry.”

Basically, the environment had changed.

Lee Jun-Kyeong grinned viciously. “To think you still don’t understand… It looks like I have to explain it to you in a manner you’ll understand. As someone who is sponsored by <The Ruler of the Riverside>, by being in the exceedingly dry stomach of a worm, your abilities are halved… while me, on the other hand, because I deal with flames…”

Whoosh!

The flames just seemed to keep spreading, and as if the wall and the ground had absorbed them, it all started to burn. Of course, the ground wasn’t actually the ground outside, but instead the worm’s stomach.

And just like that…

-KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!

The river worm screamed as if in burning pain.

“I’m basically telling you I’m stronger than before. And here, alongside the river worm…”

Boom.

Lee Jun-Kyeong shot toward Choi Yeong-Seong with his spear in hand. In the blink of an eye, the head of the spear had reached Choi Yeong-Seong’s chest.

Clang!

Choi Yeong-Seong had barely been able to block it, Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly pivoted and slammed the other man with his shield before saying, “I’m going to kill you in one sitting.”

Puheok!

Finally, cracks began to form in the sturdy and reliable armor that had protected Choi Yeong-Seong all this time…

***

[Muspel's Spear has absorbed flames.]

[Your fire resistance has increased by an additional amount temporarily.]

[Your attack power has increased temporarily.]

Lee Jun-Kyeong could hear the constant notification messages telling him that he had been strengthened.

Clang! Crash!

Whoosh!

Choi Yeong-Seong was overwhelmed, entirely surrounded by fire.

-KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!

The pain-filled roar of the worm vibrated to where they were standing inside. As a result, the trembling flames scattered like the scales on Lee Jun-Kyeong’s armor.

“...”

On the other side, Choi Yeong-Seong looked horrible. As he had no resistance to fire, his hair had already been burnt off, and he had suffered severe burns to his face.

“Keughhhk…”

He moaned in pain from his superheated iron armor. Everything about him was in the worst condition, completely opposite of how Lee Jun-Kyeong was doing. Although he was a completely overwhelming A-Rank Hunter, he wasn’t able to use any of his power. Even though he had been able to turn the boss of the A-Grade Gate, the giant river worm, into his minion, he wasn’t able to block the spear that pierced between his shoulder blades.

Squelch!

"Heok… heok…"

Whether it was the shouts distorted by anger or the provocations out of rage, Choi Yeong-Seong was no longer able to react in any way. He wasn’t even able to beg for mercy. It was as if his vocal cords had melted.

“...”

Lee Jun-Kyeong put a little strength into his hand that was holding the spear and raised the guild master up. The guild master resembled a piece of skewered meat as he rose into the air and stared down at Lee Jun-Kyeong. The light was fading from his eyes. In the end, he opened his mouth, “Everything… was… it was perfect…”

It sounded like he had given up on everything, but even in the midst of the guild master's final speech, Lee Jun-Kyeong could hear a hint of rage.

“What… the hell… are you…” Choi Yeong-Seong questioned Lee Jun-Kyeong, but Lee Jun-Kyeong was unable to answer him.

'Now…'

Lee Jun-Kyeong was distracted, thinking of something else. Although it couldn’t be considered a perfect victory, he was already very close to winning against an A-Rank Hunter. Even if he did nothing else, the guild master’s death was all but inevitable.

It was time for him to make a choice. He had returned to the past, become a Hunter, gained the power of the Player that only the Demon King had, and vowed to change the future. In fact, he had become stronger, strong enough to control the life and death of the Hero Gunther, the War King. Now. he had come to a crossroads.

‘I have to make a choice.’

It was a choice that would decide everything, such as the next steps he would take and how the world would change by his decisions. He had to decide at this very moment.

“What… the hell… are…”

-Keugah.

Choi Yeong-Seong’s voice gradually faded away, coinciding with the river worm’s last breath.

Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to give an answer at that moment. “I…”

Flicker, flicker.

The flames surrounding Lee Jun-Kyeong began to undulate as if they were dancing, eventually approaching Lee Jun-Kyeong’s right arm as if they were being absorbed before crawling toward Muspel’s Spear. He closed his eyes for a moment.

Flicker.

When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Choi Yeong-Seong’s corpse burning up in the flames while it was still hanging off of Muspel’s Spear. The answer that Lee Jun-Kyeong thought of to the last question Choi Yeong-Seong had asked before he died was: “The Devil.”

He would surpass the Demon King and become The Devil.

1. He didn’t actually say this before word for word. He said whatever was stronger between the two would win. Therefore, this term will now be called Absolute Oppression.