Reincarnator’s Stream

Chapter 211

During that time, Cheon Ryang repeatedly lost and regained consciousness.

Whenever he woke up, this thought crossed his mind. How was Un Hyang doing by now? Lee Suhyuk?

‘What kind of foolish request did I make?’

It wasn’t just any place; this was the Divine Dragon Group.

No matter how skilled Lee Suhyuk was as a player, there was no way he could do anything here.

Rationally, that was the case.

But, “You didn’t have to ask so desperately.”

Lee Suhyuk’s reaction to his request somehow instilled a faint hope.

“You’re already my comrades.”

That statement gave him trust.

No, it instilled hope.

The decision to die had been made in an instant, and looking back, it was terrifying.

How on Earth had a coward like him made such a resolve? He couldn’t even believe it himself.

He wanted to live. He wanted to return to how things were before.

Somehow, he felt that if it was Lee Suhyuk, he could make that happen.

“Over here!”

“Does anyone know what Cheon Ryang looks like?”

“I do!”

“It’s an order from the Lord! Hurry!”

At that moment, there was an uproar.

Considering the noise that reached the bottom of the stairs leading to the underground prison, it seemed to be a desperate situation.

‘Did they really make it?’

Had they escaped with Un Hyang?

He wanted to know what was happening outside, but there was no way to find out. He suddenly worried about what would happen if he got taken hostage again.

Cheon Ryang, whose arms were tied, barely managed to stand.

In his heart, he wanted to break the iron bars in front of him and escape, but he didn’t have the ability to do so.

“How can a weak person survive in this cruel world, damn it.”

Although his magical power was sealed by the shackles on his wrists, he thought he would at least try to resist.

If he could buy even a little time, he wouldn’t be a burden.

“Come on, you bastards!”

Cheon Ryang shouted as fiercely as he had ever done in his life.

Yeah, bring it on. Whether biting with his teeth or grabbing the iron bars, he wouldn’t back down an inch.

He stood there, brimming with that spirit.

“……?”

Strangely, nothing happened.

The commotion from before had disappeared, and the top of the stairs was quiet.

*Step.*

Then, slow footsteps descended the stairs.

Even though he wasn’t particularly perceptive, he could tell.

The person coming down the stairs now was different from the people making noise earlier.

‘Who is it?’

When the figure appeared, the torches illuminating the underground prison flickered.

The man lit by the torches was a middle-aged man who looked somewhat older. Cheon Ryang tilted his head in confusion at the unfamiliar face.

He wasn’t a new warrior who had just joined the Divine Dragon Group, and there was no way he wouldn’t know someone of that age.

The man approached the iron bars where Cheon Ryang was locked up.

Then, *swish, swish.*

*Ping.*

He scratched something onto the lock with his fingernail, and the seemingly formidable lock broke effortlessly.

The door swung open. Cheon Ryang stood there, too bewildered to think about escaping.

“Are you Cheon Ryang?”

He scrutinized Cheon Ryang from head to toe before speaking.

“Judging by your appearance, you must be. You even look like a guy who loves to gamble.”

“I, I am Cheon Ryang, but… who are you, uncle?”

“Uncle?”

Jinwoon let out a snort of disbelief.

Even if Lee Suhyuk had called him that, but now this strange guy was calling him “uncle.”

“I’m Jinwoon. If you call me ‘uncle’ one more time, I’ll put you back in there.”

“Jinwoon……?”

Cheon Ryang’s eyes widened.

It was hard to believe, but if there was someone with the capability to effortlessly overpower the warriors of the Divine Dragon Group and named Jinwoon, there was only one person it could be.

“Why are you here…….”

Jinwoon sighed at the astonished look on Cheon Ryang’s face.

“You tell me.”

* * *

*Fzzzt, fzzzzt.*

The energy flowing from Lee Suhyuk’s body changed color.

It wasn’t just the color of the visible sparks that had changed.

The density of the energy, its nature, its output, and even the aura it emitted—all of them had transformed.

It was as if he had become a different person in an instant.

‘The Lightning Lord.’

Baek Lidan’s eyes sparkled. It was his first time seeing this in action.

The “Lightning Lord” was a skill that could be likened to a form of power-up. When the skill was activated, physical abilities and the power of lightning were greatly enhanced.

“You can’t use it for long, can you?”

The only flaw of the nearly perfect skill of lightning.

It was the stamina consumption relative to the skill’s power.

And the “Lightning Lord” accelerated that risk even more. There were no players in the world who didn’t know this weakness.

In retrospect, it wasn’t such an extraordinary skill.

There existed many more perfect skills, without the risks that came with lightning.

However, despite that…

‘I understand now.’

*Zap, zap.*

The moment the skill was activated, Lee Suhyuk was transformed into an entirely new being. It was hard to believe he was the same human from a moment ago.

This time as well, Lee Suhyuk and Un Hyang whispered to each other in conversation.

“I take back what I said earlier.”

*Thud* Lee Suhyuk stepped forward.

“Let’s stick to our positions.”

With those words, *Fizzle.*

Lee Suhyuk disappeared from sight.

『Double Dragon Strike』

*Roar!*

Two dragons bared their teeth from either side. Although it was the same technique as before, the level of threat was entirely different.

*Humm* his fists crossed and swung. *Bang!* With an eardrum-shattering sound, the two dragons shattered into pieces.

*Crackle.*

Black clouds formed beneath his feet at that moment.

‘When?’

『Earth Dragon Strike』

*Fizz!*

Electric currents burst out from the ground.

He hastily wrapped his body in an energy field to protect himself.

In the meantime, he didn’t lose track of Suhyuk and Un Hyang’s movements.

Then, he noticed one thing.

‘Where’s Un Hyang-?’

In that instant, he felt a chill behind him.

Baek Lidan instinctively turned his body, raising his arm.

*Slash!*

A red blade sliced through his tough flesh. The sword aimed to cut Baek Lidan in half but ended up slicing through half of his forearm instead.

“You wretch dares.”

Baek Lidan’s cursing was cut short.

Immediately after, Suhyuk’s blade flashed.

*Bang, clang!*

『Quintuple Dragon Strike』

The two attacked consecutively. Just a momentary lapse in tension felt like it could cost him his neck, a sensation he only experienced when facing masters greater than himself.

Although they were two, they fought as one. Each complemented the movements of the other seamlessly.

*Flash!*

His vision turned white at that moment. Baek Lidan instinctively performed a strike.

『Imperfect Blaze』

*Bang!*

Flames from his fist collided with the thunder. Though hastily executed, it was one of the techniques that had enabled Baek Lidan to stand where he was now.

*Creak.*

However, Baek Lidan was the one who stepped back.

No matter how hasty, to be pushed back in a straight-up fight of strength was hard to believe.

‘Is this what a streamer is?’

He needed to discard his prejudices about the profession. The notion of ‘streamer’ that many top-ranked players held had influenced his fighting.

‘Could it really be that… Lee Suhyuk has come back to life?’

The thought couldn’t continue.

*Whizz.*

A slashing attack flew right to his face.

*Slash!*

Baek Lidan’s clothes were torn, and wounds appeared on his body. Following the trajectory of the sword, the upper structure of the fortress was cut, causing the ground beneath to shake.

He thrust his fist once again. Suhyuk and Un Hyang’s joint attack resumed.

*Grind.*

At this rate, he would lose.

It was hard for him to believe, but he had no choice but to admit it.

The combined assault from Suhyuk and Un Hyang was too difficult for even Baek Lidan to withstand.

Baek Lidan shouted.

“Kill these bastards immediately!”

Perhaps those two didn’t realize.

What kind of resolve lay behind this command of his.

*Swish.*

At Baek Lidan’s command, the warriors of the Divine Dragon Group who had been standing back advanced towards the two of them all at once.

“Whew-.”

Taking advantage of the brief respite, Lee Suhyuk caught his breath.

All the forces of the Divine Dragon Group concentrated on this front.

Ideally, he had wanted to take care of Baek Lidan before that happened, but he had failed.

『”Selfish Sacrifice lv.10″ resists the “lightning”.』

『”Selfish Sacrifice lv.10″ resists the “Lightning Lord”.』

『Fatigue level increased to 48.』

Pressuring Baek Lidan required considerable exertion. There was no other way to face him effectively.

It was always a race against time, as usual.

Moreover, the opponent this time was the Divine Dragon Group, the second-largest faction in the Murim World.

‘A mission would be nice.’

Suhyuk chuckled hollowly.

The fact that he was having such absurd thoughts meant he still had some composure left.

Of course, it made sense.

Just earlier, Suhyuk had battled the Heavenly Demon.

No matter how formidable his current adversaries were, compared to the Heavenly Demon, they were all amateurs.

And now, he also had comrades fighting alongside him.

*Crackling.*

The output of his heart surged.

*Thump, thump.*

The absence of a next chance meant he could break his limits.

Once again, the lightning spoke.

It warned him that he might actually die at this rate.

‘I know.’

As his power increased, Suhyuk opened his eyes again and saw the warriors of the Divine Dragon Group charging at him from all directions.

It began.

*Crackle!*

『Earth Dragon Strike』

*Rumble!*

Black lightning shot up from the ground. The warriors swept away by the high-output Earth Dragon Strike screamed as they were flung and fell like moths to a flame.

*Boom!*

In that moment, Suhyuk targeted Baek Lidan.

As if by agreement, Un Hyang also moved with the same objective.

“Damn it…”

Caught off guard by their relentless assault, Baek Lidan hastily unleashed his most powerful technique.

『Fiery Extinction Fist』

A fist imbued with concentrated internal energy collided with Suhyuk’s sword, like a shooting star.

*Boom!*

*Screech.*

The clash of their forces momentarily shook the fortress.

*Bang, boom!*

Suhyuk, with his power amplified, exchanged blows with Baek Lidan. Until just moments ago, he was fighting alongside Un Hyang, but with his output at maximum, he faced Baek Lidan one-on-one.

*Whoosh.*

At that moment, another presence was felt.

‘Did she break through?’

It was Un Hyang, who had pierced through the warriors of the Divine Dragon Group to assist Suhyuk.

*Clang!*

“Urgh!”

The sword swung by Un Hyang struck him, bending his iron-like body.

‘If it were just one of them…!’

If he had faced only one of them, either Un Hyang or Suhyuk, the outcome might have been different.

Gritting his teeth, he quickly devised a plan.

The only way to turn the tide of this battle.

Baek Lidan screamed towards the two approaching him.

“Do you even know who Un Hyang is, helping her like this?”

At those words, Un Hyang’s movements stopped abruptly.

As expected, this was her only weakness, the way to shake her mentally.

A sinister smile crept up Baek Lidan’s face.

“If you knew what kind of woman she was, you’d regret this decision. That woman is…”

*Rumble!*

The surrounding area was engulfed by the sound of thunder at that moment.

Baek Lidan’s voice was drowned out by the thunder. In that instant, he felt a chilling killing intent right behind him.

While he distracted Un Hyang’s mind, Suhyuk had stealthily positioned himself at Baek Lidan’s back.

“No matter the secret.”

*Crackle!*

『‘Thunder and Lightning Spear’ is formed.』

“I don’t care.”

*Clang!*

The spear embedded itself in Baek Lidan, who had turned to counterattack.

*Crackle*, with the spear, Baek Lidan’s body was sent flying far away.

Slowly, Suhyuk’s gaze moved to the stunned Un Hyang.

“Until you decide to speak first.”