Chapter 88
Tutorial's Golden Rule.
It was a powerful lock placed on every player worldwide.
[All skills and attributes within the game are adjusted and applied in reality.]
If the stats from the Battlenet game were directly used in the real world, it would undoubtedly lead to massive societal chaos. The Tutorial's Golden Rule served as a buffer to minimize this.
Editing and unlocking it was an entirely different realm compared to manipulating human emotions.
Upon hearing Joo Eunji's words, Ariel exclaimed in surprise.
[Huh! You're unlocking the Tutorial's Golden Rule? Even if you use the Akashic page, I can't believe that's possible... That would mean the grade of the supporting gift is clearly SSS rank.]
"Ariel, do you also understand Japanese?"
[Human languages? I can grasp them easily.]
"Then keep interpreting their words for me."
[Understood.]
While Seong Jihan was relying on Ariel for translation,
[Oh... The power of the avatar is insufficient.]
Cracks began to appear on Joo Eunji's skin.
Inside those cracks, instead of human flesh, there were golden papers.
[Akari. The unlocking time for the rule is 5 minutes.]
Fwish~
Joo Eunji, made up of Akashic pages, began to disintegrate.
As her arms and legs completely vanished, even her torso started turning to dust.
She looked down at her body and laughed eerily.
[Just keep him alive and bring him to Japan.]
[...Understood, Goddess!]
[See you in Japan, then.]
The price Joo Eunji paid to break the Tutorial's Golden Rule was steep.
All 11 Akashic pages that made up her avatar's body disappeared.
Through this, she secured an unlocking limit of 5 minutes.
Watching Joo Eunji fade away with a smile, Akari gritted her teeth.
'It's because I'm lacking...!'
Because she couldn't suppress Seong Jihan, her Goddess' avatar had to be sacrificed.
Akari, who had seen Ito Shizuru pay a hefty price to create an avatar, found it unbearable how she couldn't even restrain a Silver Rank.
[You... I'll cut off your limbs!]
Akari roared and charged at a blinding speed.
[Cutting off the master's limbs?]
"I don't need a translation to understand that."
[The unlocking time is 5 minutes.]
"That's important."
Swoosh!
Blinded by rage, her movements were simpler than before. But due to the unlocked rule, her speed became many times more menacing.
'I can't control her with Force.'
Ignoring even the dominating power of Force that controls space, came the Diamond Rank's charge.
As the distance closed, three shurikens flew out, aimed for Seong Jihan's limbs.
Akari's intention to cut off Seong Jihan's limbs was clear from her attack.
Yet, as one shuriken reached close to Seong Jihan,
Thud!
It lost its power and fell to the ground.
'The Absolute Domain works.'
The Force's Absolute Domain grows in proportion to abilities.
Although every move of Akari became threatening, he could control it once she got this close.
[Stop resisting pointlessly!]
However, it was hard to control direct attacks from Akari within the absolute domain, so he could only slightly reduce the speed.
To Seong Jihan, that was enough.
'I can block this as well.'
Rumble!
After blocking the dagger, Eclipse's form distorted slightly, and a massive shockwave exploded.
Tables and utensils inside the cafe were completely shattered, turning to dust.
With a Diamond Rank's power unleashed to its full 100%, it truly demonstrated the strength of a superhuman.
[Humph!]
Bang! Bang!
After catching her breath, Akari powerfully pressed on against Seong Jihan.
The attacks rained down so fiercely it seemed like they could be severed from any direction at any moment.
From the perspective of the viewers watching in first person, every moment was unbearably intense.
* * * * *
- Sh*t... Isn't this dangerous?
- I can't even see the ninja's attacks.
- How is he even blocking this!?
The attacks seemed like something you'd see in a cartoon or animation.
Only the sound of weapons clashing was heard, it was impossible to discern from where and in what trajectory they were coming.
The arm of Akari, moving at high speed, was invisible from the shoulder.
- He's up against a Diamond Rank... she's really insane... wasn't it supposed to be a quick kill?
- Don't talk nonsense about quick kills, this is a real situation.
- What do we do! If Jihan gets his limbs cut off...
- Hasn't the player suppression special forces been dispatched yet?"
- They've been dispatched!"
- Even if they're special forces, can they beat a Diamond Rank?"
Clang! Clang!
The attack was blocked again.
The enemy's dark sword seemed like it would break but did not.
Seong Jihan did not allow even a single blow to land.
[Ahhhhh...!]
Akari was going mad.
Even though her master had given up her avatar to remove her limitations, this was an embarrassment!
Even if Seong Jihan used his special power, her stats were clearly superior.
But, her attacks kept narrowly missing the mark.
'Those eyes...!'
While she seemed to be overwhelmingly on the offensive, Seong Jihan's eyes showed no sign of wavering.
No... rather, he seemed to be enjoying the situation.
A single wrong move would get him dismembered, but he acted like he couldn't possibly lose.
'I'll shatter that confidence...!'
Meanwhile,
Seong Jihan had other thoughts.
'We might accidentally damage the building at this rate.'
Every time their weapons collided, a massive shockwave erupted.
Objects around them had already been turned to dust from the impact.
'If there's this much force, it's sure to affect the building.'
A fire in the building could lead to a disaster.
Seong Jihan quickly glanced out the window.
There were almost no people in the park beyond the window.
'I should go there.'
Though the cafe was on the 4th floor, Seong Jihan didn't hesitate to jump out.
Crash!
"What the-?!"
"That almost hit me!"
As the building's window shattered and fell to the ground, passersby looked up and screamed.
[Don't you dare run away!]
As the wall of the 4th-floor cafe exploded, Akari flew out at a terrifying speed. Realizing that the situation was dire, people screamed and fled.
'This is a good spot.'
As Seong Jihan landed in the quiet park, Akari, who was chasing him, used her skill.
Ninjutsu: Illusion Shuriken
In the current situation, where her stats limitations were lifted, she hadn't used this skill fearing Seong Jihan might die instantly.
'Not much time left now...!'
Already more than half of the 5-minute limit had passed.
She no longer had the luxury to fight while being concerned about her opponent's life.
The showdown was imminent.
Sssssss!
Numerous shurikens appeared in the air, surrounding Seong Jihan.
[There's no illusion this time.]
"Really?"
Looking at the dark shuriken infused with shadow energy, Ariel spoke calmly.
Only the name was Illusion Shuriken, but this time there were no illusions at all.
Has she really overcome the restraint? Is this it?
Whoosh!
Shurikens flew from all around.
[Die!]
The possessed Akari charged like an arrow.
It seemed she no longer thought of capturing Seong Jihan, as her eyes were filled with killing intent.
In this situation, dodging any further was difficult.
'We must end this here.'
Nameless Divine Skill, Dark Shadow Technique - Dark Soul Vortex
The shadow blade, Eclipse, lost its shape and turned into a whirlwind.
The Dark Soul Vortex whirled intensely, sucking in all the shurikens coming towards Seong Jihan.
[...What is this!]
Akari felt a chill down her spine.
A black whirlwind that sucked in all the shurikens.
It was a skill completely different from her Illusion Shuriken.
The dark, whirling vortex was so ominous and violent that even she, who charged with the shurikens, momentarily halted.
She shouldn't go there.
Her instincts warned her.
'But still...!'
Remembering the sacrifice of her lord's avatar, Akari mustered her will.
She couldn't give up here because of that vortex.
That left arm.
All she had to do was cut the left arm that had become one with the sword.
[Ninjutsu... Demon Slash!]
Akari, holding a glowing dagger, jumped into the enlarging Dark Soul Vortex.
Was it trust in Diamond League abilities?
In a way, it was a straightforward charge.
But.
Screech-!
Instead of cutting the vortex in front of her, a bloodline was drawn on Seong Jihan's left arm.
A strike that transcends space, Demon Slash.
She bypassed the location of the Dark Soul Vortex and slashed Seong Jihan's left arm from above.
'It worked...!'
Finally, a hit!
Although her SS-grade ninja clothes were torn by the Dark Soul Vortex and her flesh was ripped apart, Akari didn't spare herself for the first successful hit.
How many times did she swing her sword?
Thunk!
Finally, Seong Jihan's left arm was completely severed.
[Done!]
Akari almost cried seeing that.
If she had delayed a bit more, she might have lost.
But in the end, she was the victor.
[It's over, Seong Jihan. Cut off your limbs immediately and I'll just take your torso to Japan...!]
With that annoying shadow blade gone, he couldn't resist anymore.
The intense vortex of darkness would no longer sustain its power.
Akari tried to swing her dagger to cut Seong Jihan's remaining limbs, but...
[What...?]
It was strange.
She couldn't move.
No, she was moving, but her feet weren't.
It felt like being stuck in a swamp.
Akari's eyes trembled as she looked at the ground.
[What's this...?]
Though the arm was clearly severed.
The vortex of darkness didn't lose momentum.
What she thought was a dying vortex had simply changed direction and was now completely binding Akari's feet.
"Hmm, did you think you severed my arm?"
Swoosh.
Seong Jihan, with only his right arm, stepped back.
Akari got goosebumps seeing him still smiling leisurely.
'What... happened?'
Her gaze went to Seong Jihan's left arm.
'The arm was definitely severed...'
Upon a closer look, the severed part of the arm was covered in a deep shadow, and not a drop of blood was flowing.
'Something... went wrong.'
And that ominous premonition...
Became a reality when Seong Jihan took out a Phoenix's Arrow from his inventory.
"Follow your master. Ninja."
Nameless Divine Arts, Triad of Martial Mastery - Way of Immortals
As the Phoenix's Arrow left Seong Jihan's hand,
It turned into a massive flame and engulfed her.