Chapter 155

Chapter 155

[Reach the Divine Throne, and acknowledge the Thunder God.]

[The game ends when either 5 players survive or a player reaches the Divine Throne.]

Kururur!

As a pale yellow light descended from the sky, spotlights that illuminated the players converged towards the center.

And then, the throne slowly revealed itself.

Zzzip-

It was a massive divine throne that completely overwhelmed the dignity of the dragons and giants seen earlier.

Blue sparks were flickering all over the throne.

'Now I think I know why the Constellation's avatars are running away.'

From a distance, it appeared as if blue sparks were swirling around the throne. But if you were to get closer, you'd realize that these sparks were thick bolts of lightning, much larger in girth than any ordinary adult. The power contained within them was so formidable that a mere touch from these bolts would likely obliterate most beings.

"Head, it's impossible. The Thunder God is too strong."

[The final choice is being given...]

[The Thunder God... remains formidable.]

[I can't do it. I give up.]

As the Constellation of the Thunder was revealed, some of the remaining fifteen or so players gave up on the game.

Many of those who chose to give up were the giant entity players, perhaps believing they couldn't possibly avoid such a powerful electric current.

"Oh, look. Only ten left?"

And that's how it came down to just ten players.

The atmosphere changed subtly.

"Hehe. Should we just go for it? I mean, there's only five more who'll die before me."

Karlein said, looking around.

Without even considering the conditions for reaching the Divine Throne, his goal was to be among the final five.

"Alright. Head, if you survive, I'll survive too!"

"Just go."

"No, no! I have to protect you!"

As he spoke, Karlein covered his face, hidden in darkness.

"If you feel like you're going to die, come in here anytime! Let's merge!"

'Maybe getting struck by lightning and dying would be better than that.'

Ignoring Karlein's theatrics, Seong Jihan surveyed his surroundings.

The first thing that caught his eye was an elf with a longsword.

She looked the same as the elf he had seen in the previous experimental area, but there was a slight difference in her hair color.

Her golden hair had one strand at the front that had changed to green. She gazed intently at Seong Jihan.

[Green hair... High Elf of the World Tree Alliance.]

'High Elf?'

[Yes. A powerful warrior directly under the World Tree Alliance. The darker the green hair, the stronger the individual. Those with completely green hair possess power equivalent to that of the constellations.]

'Wasn't the World Tree a constellation?'

[No... the World Tree is such a mighty presence that it can't be easily compared to the Constellations.]

Seong Jihan recalled what had happened in the previous experimental area.

The 'Green Administrator' who seemed to have significant influence over BattleNet.

Could the World Tree be considered an administrator of this game beyond the Constellation level?

'These guys are such headaches.'

Why had he ended up in the same league as them?

Seong Jihan inwardly sighed and glanced at the sword held by the High Elf.

A sword made from the branches of the World Tree. If he could somehow steal that here, it would be a great asset against the Sword King.

'But for now, survival comes first.'

He decided not to push his luck right now.

He decided not to push it for the time being.

At that moment, the High Elf, who had been studying Seong Jihan carefully, opened her lips.

- I have detected the essence of life. You have succeeded in the project. I will provide assistance.

Perhaps because it was a conversation between in-game players, the High Elf's language was automatically translated.

'...What?'

At first, Seong Jihan didn't understand what she was saying, but the mention of the essence of life triggered a memory.

'Could this be related to the Seed of Life the Green Administrator gave me before?'

An SSS-grade item, the Seed of Life. It had given a residual stat boost of +10, and it had tried to influence Seong Jihan by infusing a strange energy into him.

Of course, due to Seong Jihan's spiritual state, the attempt had failed, and over 90% had been expelled, with the remainder sealed within his body for research purposes.

The High Elf seemed to have some misconceptions, and Seong Jihan thought that she believed he was under their control.

'Well, that's convenient. When she comes out, I should seize the right moment to snatch her sword.'

Seong Jihan nodded slightly towards the High Elf.

"At your service!"

She saluted energetically.

"Why is she acting like that?"

"It's a long story."

"Hey, Head! Don't go near the people of the World Tree Alliance! They're worse villains than me! If they catch you, you'll be dissected, and you'll be used as an eternal experimental subject!"

"You're quite the villain yourself."

"Hehe. But you and I will be together forever! Let's go around decapitating kings together!"

Seong Jihan frowned as he looked at the overly enthusiastic Karlein.

'How long is this guy going to stay here?'

Just then, a brilliant light burst from the Constellation. In the dimly lit space, white currents surged across the floor.

"Ah, it's started. Remember, Head! If you ever feel like you're going to die, just call my name! I'll be there anytime!"

Seeing this, Karlein shook Seong Jihan's hand and quickly disappeared.

Simultaneously, a crackling sound filled the air.

In front of the remaining 10 players, a massive lightning path appeared.

[Follow the path and reach the Divine Throne.]

The TOP 25 Promotion Match map, the God King's Throne. The goal of the game was simple: follow the path and reach the Throne. However...

[In the player's world, the concept of 'Thunder God' is extracted.]

[Rating evaluation... Top-grade.]

[No. 4212, in the 'Human' world, lightning was an irresistibly intense natural phenomenon. They believed that lightning was the wrath of the gods and feared and worshiped it. Naturally, Thunder God established himself as a king in many mythologies.]

[Summoning the representative concept of Thunder God... Zeus, Thor, and Indra are selected in the first round.]

'What?'

Zeus, Thor, Indra. They all wield lightning and were gods who made their mark in their respective mythologies. Why are such figures being selected here now? Seong Jihan watched the message with an uneasy feeling.

['Zeus,' the king of Olympus, is chosen as the Gatekeeper.]

[Zeus blocks the path.]

A presence that obstructed the path emerged, and it was utterly absurd.

* * *

Space League TOP 25 Promotion Match Broadcast.

This was a matter that had the whole world on edge. The day had finally come when the Space League, which had been hidden under wraps, revealed itself for the first time.

= Christopher. I heard you rushed here from Hawaii again!

=Yes, I did the same last month. Thanks to Seong, I keep forfeiting my vacations!

=And the viewership numbers are staggering. Much higher than the BattleNet Champions League finals! Can we ever expect to see such numbers again?

=Logically, it seems impossible, but who knows? Seong might break his own records!

=Haha, it's truly an honor to be a caster for a game like this!

=I'll also introduce myself as a caster today! I don't know anything!

The commentators had no information, and the promotion match had to proceed without their commentary. Christopher smiled and said he'd do his best as a caster.

At first, the atmosphere was cheerful, but then...

=Uh... The Thunder God's penalty... It's death?

=No way. What game actually kills people!

=Seong! You shouldn't be playing this game! You need to get out of here!

As the Thunder God's penalty was displayed on the screen, the broadcast team was taken aback. What kind of BattleNet game results in real deaths?

- This is insane, isn't it? Seriously...

- What kind of penalty is actual death??

- Can such things really happen when you reach the Space League, unlike in the tutorial...

The viewers' reactions to this were intense. What kind of game penalty could lead to "death"?

Most viewers typed messages urging the players to exit the game, but then, Karlein explained the promotion match rewards.

- Wow, there are rewards like that?

- Do you believe that crazy guy's words? Hahaha

- Something about an avatar of the constellations?

- But what's the Constellation?

- I don't know, it's their own story.

The viewers watched with skepticism and waited for the situation to unfold. When the game started, the official system rewards appeared on the broadcast screen.

[Completed Star Fragment]

- Grade: EX

- A fragment of the star that has passed 'all tests.'

- Lowers the BattleNet game difficulty level by one step for the entire planet.

- Applied immediately upon item acquisition.

- Grade EX...!

- Lowers the BattleNet difficulty! It's an unbelievable item that applies globally!

The EX-grade item, the 'Completed Star Fragment,' had effects that applied globally, from reducing game difficulty to increasing the appearance rate of Gift-bearing players.

For Earthlings, it was an item that they couldn't help but desire.

- But it's not beneficial for individual players! Isn't a difficulty reduction unnecessary for him?

- Right... Is it necessary to be prepared to die just to obtain it? Seong Jihan! It seems wiser to just exit...

-Please, hyung, get out of thereㅠㅠㅠㅠ Once you die, it's over!!!!! ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-For real, what does Seong Jihan's difficulty have to do with it? Just smash through everything by yourself!

-That's right! Whether Gift players come out more or not, what does it matter, Seong Jihan is the most important one!!

- Applause for Seong Jihan's heroic decision. It's a determination for the world.

- Jihan-ssi, please play the game and survive. Let me awaken!!!

- Ugh, these foreign guys are so annoying. They're not from our country, right?

- As long as Seong doesn't die, it's fine. Why don't Koreans trust Seong?

From the Korean perspective, Seong Jihan's well-being was the most important, but foreign viewers, perhaps enticed by the generous rewards, seemed to secretly hope that Seong Jihan would play the game for them.

And then...

- Ah. The game is proceeding as is!

- Huh... Now that it's like this, we must definitely stay as a group of 5! But this concept extraction of Thunder God... receiving a grade evaluation above is unsettling!

- Ah, Zeus, Thor, Indra... Why are they appearing?

- Among the three, which one is relatively weaker?

- I don't know? Oh, Zeu... it's Zeus!

Zzzzzz...

Along the path of the throne extended towards Seong Jihan, Electricity surged, forming a single figure.

A giant about 4 to 5 meters in size. With a white beard and a lion's head. His entire body under the face was composed of electricity.

Zeus, the King of Olympus.

Appointed as a gatekeeper due to concept extraction, he gazed at Seong Jihan with a languid look.

"Hmm..."

Swish!

He slowly opened his mouth, bringing his hand to his beard.

"It's not a woman."

"What?"

Is that the first thing you say as soon as you come out?

shhh!

Zeus slightly lowered his head and examined Seong Jihan's face here and there. Then he frowned.

"He's not a young man either."

"...So?"

"Someone who's neither a woman nor a young man called me. Unpleasant. Die right away."

Zeus was driven by instinct. He unreservedly expressed his displeasure and raised both his hands toward the sky.

Flashes! Flashes!

A brilliant light burst from the clouds above.

"I don't need to wait for that."

Before becoming the target of the first strike, Seong Jihan drew his spear first.

Nameless divine art, Heavenly Thunder Phoenix Flame: Crimson Thunder cannon

[Note: Changing "Nameless divine art, Fusion of Divine thunder and phoenix: Crimson Thunder cannon" to "Nameless divine art, Heavenly Thunder Phoenix Flame: Crimson Thunder cannon"]

At the tip of the spear, it seemed like a red electric current was about to appear, and a red bolt of lightning shot toward Zeus at the speed of light.

Compared to when it was suppressed in 108 arhat formation, the red lightning had become much more intense.

"Huh? You're going to strike me with lightning?"

Zeus saw the Crimson Thunder and didn't even think about avoiding it. But when the massive Crimson Thunder passed through his body, flames burst from within.

"What...!? You, what is this...!"

Zeus looked at the Crimson Thunder that pierced his own stomach with a visibly bewildered face. His divine lightning that he couldn't control!

The rift that appeared in his abdomen quickly spread to the surroundings, igniting flames. The flames derived from the Crimson Thunder refused to extinguish, and they rapidly ascended to his chest.

"Eek!"

Zeus screamed as he frantically cut his chest horizontally with his hand.

As a result, only his upper body fell apart. The divine lightning rose into the sky.

"You, I won't leave a single fragment!"

Was it more disgraceful to be struck by the divine lightning than by the Crimson Thunder? Zeus, in an enraged face, reached out from the sky.

"Astrape!"

When Zeus shouted "Astrape," a round hole pierced the black sky. Inside, a space filled with pure white light appeared.

At the same time, Seong Jihan's eyes snapped open.

This series of scenes...

To him, it was all too familiar.

'This is... Celestial Judgment?'

Celestial Judgment was one of the ascending martial arts of Thunder God.

What he was seeing now was too similar to that.

'So next is...!'

Kururur!

From the rift in the sky, a gigantic spear of light appeared and struck Seong Jihan directly.

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