[BATTLE 62]
[TEAM MADOKWANG VS. TEAM EUN SEORYEONG]

Players waiting in the lounge for the betting results reviewed the teams.

"No way Madokwang's going to lose, right?"
"And they have an Earthling on their side, too."

The players overwhelmingly chose Madokwang's team.
Many predicted a clean victory for him.

It made sense.
None of the players knew the precise skills of the individuals.
During their week of training with the Ascenders, interactions had been cut off entirely.
Guessing based on faction was the best they could do.

When Madokwang defeated Eun Seoryeong, the cheers hit a fever pitch.

"What's an Earthling even capable of doing?"
"Hurry up and finish! And hand over my gold coins!"
"Guess there was a reason he was so cocky from the start."

The waiting room was filled with celebration.

Then the Earthling stepped forward.
It was the Error Player.

The Error Player took up an awkward stance.
Compared to the warriors who had fought before, he looked completely unpolished.

"...?"
"What’s this?"
"Madokwang, what the hell are you doing, you bastard? Why aren’t you winning?"

Madokwang had never once considered the possibility of losing.
Similarly, the players who bet on him hadn’t thought they could lose, either.

How could a Murim warrior lose to an Earthling?

Through the Tutorial, Crew Making, and Battle for Tickets...
In their time fighting within the Tower of Struggle, players had come to understand the value of resources.

Losing meant falling behind, something they couldn’t afford. Resources were treated almost as precious as life itself.

For that reason, the gold coins bet on Madokwang’s team couldn’t be lost. The cheers grew more ferocious.

"Kill him! Kill that bastard!"

Madokwang was being pushed back.
He didn’t outwardly seem to be losing, but his anxiety showed through his blade.
Those who trained with a sword could sense the subtle shifts.

Could Madokwang be self-destructing?
Just as that thought crossed people’s minds, he played his final card.
He unleashed his Innate True Qi.

"...A brute, but smarter than he looks."

Those familiar with Madokwang’s choice clapped in appreciation.

"It’s over."
"The Earthling put up a decent fight, but beating a first-rate warrior who’s drawn out True Qi? Not even close."

Madokwang had, if only temporarily, touched the entrance of his peak state.
His senses were sharply honed, and his abilities amplified.

How could a mere Earthling possibly win?

"Unfortunate."

The Murim warriors were already offering condolences to Eun Seoryeong, who seemed destined for defeat due to her choice in opponent.

"...What?"

But then...

BOOM!

The one expected to fall was still standing.
It was an unbelievable sight.

Not only the Murim warriors, but the Earthlings were shocked.
They knew the Error Player was strong, but not to this extent.

— Wh-what... how?!

Madokwang had no intention of showing mercy to the Error Player.
He poured all his power into his moves.
With his True Qi fully unleashed, the notion of holding back wasn’t even a joke.

Not only had the Error Player survived the full blow, but he stood there, perfectly fine.
How could that be?

— Unbelievable. I can’t believe it!

He felt his life force dwindling.
The aftereffects of shattering his own dantian were unmistakable.

It's fine.

If he could just defeat this guy, if he could avoid elimination...!
With the help of the administrators, such injuries would be manageable.

Madokwang swung his sword with abandon.
A thrust, followed by a series of rapid strikes, targeted the Error Player’s vulnerabilities.

—I’ve mapped out every weak point of yours.
Clang!

At one moment, the Error Player lowered his sword.
He wasn’t even trying to block, allowing Madokwang’s attack to connect.

— You cocky bastard!

Was he mocking him? Did he think he was as good as dead?

Madokwang struck down with all his might.
The strike was aimed to split the Error Player’s head in one blow.

Clang!

Blade met head.
But the sound didn’t seem right, raising questions.

"...Is he really an Earthling?"

The players were stunned beyond words.

— This can’t be...

Madokwang was no exception.
If anything, he was even more shaken than the others.

He was the one wielding the sword.
He knew exactly how much strength he’d put into that blow.

Yet he couldn’t believe the Error Player’s endurance.

— Is it finally over?

As the Error Player nonchalantly pushed Madokwang’s sword aside, he stepped forward.
Unable to withstand the fear, Madokwang took two steps back.

— A-ahhhhh!

Dripping True Qi as he fled, Madokwang’s appearance was the epitome of disgrace.
This scene was broadcasted across all the waiting rooms.
The Error Player’s overwhelming strength was on full display.

— Enough with the sword.

The Error Player tossed his sword aside.
A kick would be more fitting than that awkward swordsmanship.

He took a stance.
With his agility at 37, his steps felt weightless.

With several rotations to build up a massive momentum, he launched a spinning kick at Madokwang’s head like a bolt of lightning.

Whack!
— Urgh!

A rusty sense seemed to awaken, feeling strangely refreshing.

Crash!

Madokwang tumbled forward and rolled over.
His life points had dropped to 1.

— No, no! I can’t lose like this! I-I’m...

Realizing his remaining life, Madokwang let out a near-hysterical scream.
He shouted in defiance, claiming he could still fight.

Thud!
— Ugh. Ahhhh! Die, dammit!

The Error Player toyed with him like a plaything.

Thud. Thud!
— You filthy Earthling scum! How dare you...!

With his life unable to drop below 1, Madokwang continued charging, almost zombie-like.
His True Qi was fading, dwindling from a river to mere drops.

— ......

His gasping breaths gradually ceased.
Even breathing became a struggle.
With blurred vision, he stared at the Error Player.

But the Error Player wasn’t looking at him.

He was addressing every player watching this match.

— Don’t underestimate Earthlings.

With those words, the Error Player elegantly spun and delivered a back kick.
Unable to withstand it, Madokwang’s body crumpled backward.

A sigh filled the waiting room.
It felt like they could hear sounds from the neighboring room, despite the walls.

"Th-this can’t be real. Is it?"
"This isn’t right! Of course a Murim warrior should have won!"

While everyone bemoaned their lost money, a few let out excited cheers.

"Seoja! I was right! Liu isn’t someone who loses! It’s no wonder the Ascenders favor him!"
"Alright, alright. I get it, so enough already!"

Battle 62 ended in grand fashion.
The reason was simple.

If you receive, you ought to repay.

This wasn’t something Jo Seohui had specifically asked for.
It was his own whim.

The impression left today might help someone someday.

Battle 63.
A brawl between Earthlings commenced.

— Die! Die already!

Desperate to avoid elimination, the weaker fighters clawed at survival, drawing spectators’ attention.

The punches landed from a mount position onto their opponent’s face created a gruesome sight beyond words.

Despite the raw emotions, the investments remained cold and calculating.
My gold coins grew without a break.

Losses were rare, but they did happen.
Only occasionally.

"...I can’t believe it. Wrong again."

Eun Seoryeong, who had suffered a severe injury, was able to recover quickly with the administrator's help.

As soon as she was healed, she started gambling.
The outcome was disastrous.
She even lost all the gold coins I’d gifted her.

"It seems senior Eun doesn’t have a knack for gambling."
"...Baeksong Dojang..."

Unlike the now penniless Eun Seoryeong, Baeksong was steadily increasing his gold coins.
He’d accumulated as many as twenty.

If I were asked who between the two is more like a true Daoist, I’d firmly say it’s Baeksong.

One coin per match.
The patience to control his bets was impressive.

"...Kim Min-seong."

A familiar face stepped onto the battlefield.

Kim Min-seong, with a tense look, entered the arena.
Following him were Lee Su-jeong and another man.

Their opponents were also a team of Earthlings, similar to Kim Min-seong’s.
It was a fair match.

It was a bloody fight.
Compared to Baeksong and Eun Seoryeong, this struggle made them look tame.

Especially Kim Min-seong, who gritted his teeth.
His life was on the line; it was only natural.

Kim Min-seong survived.
The defeated team sobbed in despair.

— P-please spare us!
— I don’t want to die! You bastard!

The man who was screaming in agony ran towards the administrator.
He couldn’t hold back and swung his fist, only to disintegrate into dust.

「Shall we move on?」

The matches continued, with three players eliminated and killed each time.

If you looked at each match individually, it might not seem like a high body count.
But taken altogether, there was nothing as brutal as this test.

…No matter how much they struggle, half of them will die.

The Tower of Struggle made its true nature clear once again.
The casual nature of this week-long tournament had dulled our senses, but now they were sharpening once more.

「It’s finally over!」

The sheer number of matches was staggering.
Watching them all was no easy feat.

「All surviving players have earned the right to advance to the second floor! Congratulations!」

Blinky’s cheerful face appeared on the television screen, sending a chill down our spines.

「Before moving to the second floor, there’s something you’ll need, right? Let me show you how you can spend the gold coins you’ve secured in the mini-games!」

With a snap of Blinky’s fingers, tablets materialized in the waiting room.

「I can’t give you unlimited time! So make sure to finish shopping quickly! Remember, some items may sell out, so don’t take too long!」

My eyes met Baeksong’s.
We quickly grabbed a tablet and began browsing the list of available items.