NOVEL WEB Chapter 139 - Deadly Toymallet
Chapter 139 – Deadly Toymallet
* * *
“The game is starting! This year’s KSM and the event match have returned as always! Avoid the rising slime, overcome obstacles, and reach the finish line! Let’s see how many people survive this game, starting now!”
Moving platforms.
A slippery and sticky floor where jelly flowed down.
Giant balls popping out from strange cannons and pillars protruding from the walls, spinning hammers and fans installed everywhere to block the path, and even large pendulums.
The viewers, always filled with the thought of making streamers or those akin to them suffer, especially in this event match where even SD forms allowed physical contact.
The 500 users had no intention of letting the twenty pro gamers competing with them off easily.
“Ugh, let me go! Let me go! I’m going to die!”
“Got Excitement!”
“Make a hamburger, make a hamburger! Crush him!”
“Communicate!”
These things were happening everywhere, not just frequently but constantly. It happened two years ago, last year, and this year as well. Just like ants taking away a piece of bread that fell on the floor, clumps of people rolled around everywhere.
Seeing this, the hosts and the game staff had no choice but to drastically slow down the rising slime. Even those at the front, leaping towards the summit, were sitting on the railing, watching.
And among them, the tallest mountain of people wriggled.
“Wow, this person is so strong!”
“Grab the tail, grab the tail!”
“I’m being dragged away, ugh!”
“Hey, let go!”
Bang!
Yoo Jin roared like Godzilla, punching those clinging to her legs and tail, sending participants who shouted “Communicate~” flying like toothpicks.
Those who were hit by Yoo Jin and fell made pitiful thudding sounds as they landed face-first or in various positions on the soft ground. Of course, it didn’t hurt, and most of them found it fun and ran back again.
Constantly, from all directions, people’s heads got crushed at a speed that couldn’t even be seen. Stars, indicating dizziness or fainting, spun above the participants’ heads in a flash.
Yoo Jin, having broken through the crowd, started running.
A crowd of about 500 people poured onto the obstacles.
“Ah!”
“Ugh, I’m falling!”
“Why are you grabbing me while falling, ugh!”
It didn’t hurt to fall.
It didn’t hurt to get knocked down.
It didn’t hurt to slip or hit someone else!
Rather, every time there was such intense physical contact, they’d roll down with one of the most trivial sound effects you could hear in life – in short, the 520 people gathered here were like bouncy balls with the ability to move.
It didn’t take long for everyone to realize this, and thus, all sorts of humanism and selfishness began to bloom simultaneously in the cramped arena.
Of course, the ratio wasn’t equal.
“I’ll help you! Come up!”
“Wow, thank you!”
The more players there were, the more natural this was.
If someone stretched out their hand from above, dozens of others would swarm, shouting “Me too!”
“No, don’t push! Ugh!”
“Heh, I fell!”
“Bad luck.”
Someone who was pushed by a pillar protruding from the wall collided with someone climbing up, and they both rolled down together like a bouncy ball.
“Ugh, don’t hold on!”
“Communicate!”
Thud!
Two people hit by a fist that popped out from the floor soared into the air.
They rose about 7 meters, and as soon as they hit the ground, they bounced off like bouncy balls with a “pop” sound, causing chain damage to the surrounding people like bowling pins hit by a ball.
However, the sheer number of participants made any individual events meaningless. Countless participants struggled through obstacles, climbing higher and higher. Meanwhile, the number of obstacles increased.
A sweet and tangy smell spread everywhere. The slime, which sent users back to the lobby upon contact, began to rise gradually.
And in the midst of it, Yoo Jin was educating everyone around with sheer force.
“Ouch!”
“Should I throw you into the slime?”
“Wow, I’m sorry! I won’t mess around again!”
Even though Yoo Jin had turned into an SD form, her strength was intact. Especially in a game that required physical prowess.
It started with a few participants poking her tail or grabbing her body to slide her down in front of obstacles – naturally, Yoo Jin didn’t stand for it.
Someone flew through the air, drawing an impossible parabola. The scream mixed with the cute BGM, followed by a plop sound as the slime swallowed someone.
Yoo Jin was wheezing and panting, while participants nearby froze.
One participant still clung to her tail, but his wrist was caught by Yoo Jin’s powerful grip. Her small and delicate hand was packed with strength that couldn’t be ignored or shaken off.
Yoo Jin spun her body. Planting her legs firmly on the ground, she twisted her waist and threw him. The user, suspended in the air, floated with a strange sound before landing softly on the slime.
Plop.
“Dear God….”
“Next, please. Next.”
Swoosh.
Yoo Jin stood on the narrow bridge everyone had to cross, adding with a sinister smile.
“I remember everyone who messed with me at the start.”
“There were just too many people.”
“Hehe, I’ll get you safely to the finish line!”
“Ugh, heavy…!”
Of course, she couldn’t stop twenty people from swarming her at once, and Yoo Jin had to climb to the finish line with her arms and tail all grabbed.
The first round had just begun.
“The first round concludes successfully! Out of 500 participants, 400 survived. The eliminated pro gamers are Arcadia Games’ Valkyrie, GEARUP’s Continuous Re-enlistment System, and Veritas’ Hololive!”
As expected, a single game didn’t just end with ‘one game.’ It meant going through about four or five rounds to produce one winner or one squad.
A hundred players per game. In the final round, 99 would be eliminated, leaving one winner.
The second game continued without a break.
A brief explanation of the map and mode followed.
“The second game is a battle royale on a narrow map! You can recover health and armor like AP! You can use melee weapons like toy mallets, lightsabers, spiked clubs, and pistols with shock, incendiary, confusion, and freeze rounds!”
A voice echoed from the air.
The hosts, explaining four solo games in a row, still raised their voices energetically. It was more relaxed since it wasn’t a real match but a kind of extra game.
417 players began to spawn on a field twice the size of a soccer stadium. When the beams of light created from nowhere filled the air, the players’ placement was complete. No one had the same expression as they looked around.
Among them, Yoo Jin also looked around, listening to the conversations.
“Have you done this before?”
“Of course. Think of it as Apex Predator with paintball guns. It’s like an AP for kids aged 12 and up.”
Hmm.
She got the gist of it.
Fortunately, the explanation was concise enough that she didn’t have to think much – basically, just beat each other up and knock out 100 people. If every game had a similar structure, it would be similar.
So, what to do. Honestly, the probability of others taking out 100 people on their own was high even if she stayed still. The arena was ridiculously small, and with over 400 people crammed in, there would be endless battles.
Hmm….
‘I’ll do what I always do.’
She wouldn’t stop those coming, nor would she catch those leaving. In other words, anyone approaching would be sent to the lobby.
Numbers popped up in the sky as 400 people, seemingly coordinated, began a countdown. As sound waves, now a noise pollution, filled the arena, everyone took their stances.
A crisp voice echoed through the air.
“We’re starting the second round of the first game!”
“Waaaaah───!”
People started screaming and charging into the buildings.
In an instant, the place was filled with the sound of paintball bursts, explosions, and gunshots. Moreover, because my avatar was prone to attracting aggro from all directions, unfortunately, I got spotted within 5 seconds of starting.
Within seconds, four people approached with toy mallets, lightsabers, and spiked clubs. I also picked up a toy mallet from the floor and faced them.
Four people. It felt like a lot if you thought it was a lot, but not much if you thought it wasn’t. While we were in a standoff without anyone daring to attack,
“There’s Yoo Jin, Yoo Jin!”
“Found her! Everyone, come this way!”
“…Great.”
About five more people who had been fighting enthusiastically turned the corner of the building and made eye contact with me.
So, the number of people in front of me swelled to nine. Not knowing what to do, I remembered the nature of the crowd – past experiences facing riotous citizens were still deeply ingrained in me.
Gripping the handle of the toy mallet tightly,
“Bring it on!”
Waaah!
I took in the sight of them charging at me with a rough shout. Numerous methods flashed through my mind. Should I take them head-on, attack diagonally, or… yes. The chosen method quickly led to action.
I twisted my waist.
To convert the rotational force directly into power.
I stepped forward with my left foot.
To take a stable stance and maximize the impact.
I raised my left hand to guard and swung my right hand back. My arm rotated clockwise
and struck upwards. An opponent entered my range just in time. The target point was the chin.
All the conditions were met stably.
And only the result remained.
Thud!
At that moment, a person flew through the air.
The unfortunate part was that it didn’t end with just flying.
The airborne user naturally obstructed the path of those charging from behind, causing three more to fall. Like dominoes, six people collapsed in that spot.
By the time the remaining three barely slowed down and gained distance, she glanced at the toy mallet in her right hand.
“…?”
The handle’s top part had vanished without a trace.
It couldn’t handle the excessive physical force and disappeared cleanly after striking the opponent’s chin. Yoo Jin, bewildered, picked up two more toy mallets from the ground, but everyone was too busy trying to comprehend the situation to charge at her.
Yoo Jin chuckled and added,
“It’s a game, come at me.”
Those words were enough to ignite the dampened spirits of everyone around.
The squeaking sound of toy mallets echoed through the air.
* * *