LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 7 - A Changed Reality
Chapter 7 A Changed Reality
Inside a café.
A gloomy-looking man with a thick beard was sitting down.
Slurp!
While looking at the player registration waiting list, he drank his coffee.
Despite his ragged appearance, he was a fairly well-known summoner in South Korea.
His name was Park Chang-seok.
As a member of headquarters, he had three C-rank summons that he had raised for over two years.
“Tsk tsk.”
He clicked his tongue.
“Hmm… Pick 50 from this? Just 50?”
Even though he’d been working at headquarters for quite some time, he wasn’t pleased with how his superiors handled things.
‘How do they expect to become a summoner powerhouse by only selecting 50 people a month?’
South Korea was currently ranked at the bottom of the league.
This was mainly because there were no suitable talents…
‘You need to recruit more players to even have a chance at discovering talent.’
Slurp!
He frowned after downing an iced Americano in one shot, just 10 seconds after ordering it.
In powerful summoner nations, they implement a system of free competition.
They don’t bother to control the number of players.
They allow anyone to challenge, and only the strong survive in the system.
Park Chang-seok believed South Korea should adopt a similar system.
‘Seriously, those old-timers in the backrooms need to just die off. They don’t know a damn thing about the field.’
Just as he was shaking his head in frustration as a current headquarters examiner…
Bang!
The café door was smashed open.
“What, what’s happening?!”
“Kyaaaa!”
The people inside screamed in shock.
Weeee-oooooo!
The building’s internal alarm began blaring loudly.
‘What is this?’
Park Chang-seok quickly turned his head. A huge summoned creature was standing at the destroyed door.
With a fierce, menacing glare, it scanned the surroundings, causing the citizens inside to freeze in fear, unable to even flee.
‘That’s…’
It was a summon he was very familiar with.
A C-rank, Blood Orc.
“Ha, those crazy bastards.”
Park Chang-seok sighed and stood up.
One of the reasons South Korea was considered a backward summoner nation was because of these guys.
Summoner gangs.
Organized criminals who, no longer needing to fear guns or knives, now caused trouble in this manner.
“Hey, Park Chang-seok. So you were here?”
Step, step.
A man approached leisurely with a smirk.
That thug was the owner of the Orc.
“You bastard. You think you can live peacefully playing around as an assemblyman at headquarters after killing my boys, huh?”
Four lesser summons were following behind the Orc, supporting it.
That was his team.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
There was a murderous glint in Park Chang-seok’s eyes as he stood up.
At the same time—
Crack!
Tree roots sprouted from the ground.
A C-rank, Woodman.
Fwoosh!
A C-rank, Flame Turtle.
And finally, fluttering in the air, a C-rank, Fire Butterfly appeared.
These were the representative summons of Examiner Park Chang-seok.
Two additional D-rank summons appeared behind them.
This was Park Chang-seok’s team!
The two players stared at each other with burning eyes.
“Heurk!”
“…Gang members and headquarters.”
“They’ve been at each other’s throats lately, haven’t they?”
“Damn it, why here of all places?”
The atmosphere in the café grew ice-cold.
A gang.
The reason why a mere thug could act so boldly was simple.
It was because of the shield.
As long as they had their summons out?
Even if a nuclear bomb fell here, they would survive.
These criminals, who couldn’t be controlled with brute force, were wreaking havoc while ignoring existing laws and order!
South Korea was truly in the middle of a war against crime.
‘What’s going on?’
Baek Jin-woo was just as shocked.
In 「Battle of Summoners」, this was something unimaginable, yet it was happening in reality.
No way, damn it.
This wasn’t some tavern in a martial arts novel.
Are they seriously starting fights like low-level thugs in the middle of Seoul?
Is the world really going insane?
‘But still.’
The Blood Orc, Woodman, Flame Turtle, Fire Butterfly…
They were all summons that everyone knew.
Summons that people had researched in various ways to make useful, only to find no answers, so they’d been used as materials whenever they appeared.
But it seems they were quite effective here?
“Uh, so what’s going to happen to us? Sniffle.”
Someone sobbed quietly from a corner.
It seemed to be a young woman who worked as a part-timer at the café.
Another person kindly answered her question.
“What do you think will happen? We need to hope the headquarters player wins.”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t you know those gang bastards think of civilians’ lives like flies? But judging by that man, I think he’s Park Chang-seok. Let’s have some hope. His nickname is Yaksha.”
Yaksha.
A ghost from Indian mythology, known as a deity that protects the law.
He earned the nickname from the countless massacres of gang members.
For the record, in South Korea, anyone can execute a gang member registered with the authorities on the spot.
Even if you kill them, you won’t be charged.
“This is an emergency! Everyone, follow the manual and summon your summons! Put up a shield!”
Park Chang-seok shouted at the civilians as he looked around.
Jin-woo immediately summoned Lamba.
[The ‘Wind Fairy’ (EX-rank) is being summoned!]
– ……!
Lamba appeared cheerfully, ready to make a fuss, but noticing the crowd of people, she clamped her hands over her mouth.
In any case.
Thanks to Lamba, a shield formed.
Watching the civilians hurriedly summon their creatures, the thug sneered.
“Kekeke, the hero of justice has arrived?”
“……”
“What, do you think I’m really going to kill everyone here?”
“That won’t happen. Because I’ll kill you first.”
“Oh really? Then let’s see you try!”
Kuwaaang!
The two players clashed.
Clang! Crash!
Five against five.
As the five monsters fought, the lights shattered, and marble debris flew everywhere.
“Kyaaaa!”
“S-save me!”
“Wh-what do we do?”
The terrified civilians crouched down, trembling, but thanks to the shield, no one was hurt.
Baek Jin-woo also watched the situation unfold from a corner.
One thing was clear.
‘Good thing I kept my identity as JinuGod a secret.’
If there were this many violent terrorists around in reality, it was even more reason to live quietly.
‘But first…’
Should I assess the situation?
Judging by the summons, headquarters has the advantage.
That’s for sure.
The thug only has one C-rank, while Park Chang-seok has three.
Kuwaaang!
But looking at the way the battle was unfolding, Park Chang-seok was clearly being overpowered.
‘Why isn’t he using his skills at the right timing?’
Jin-woo couldn’t understand.
The battle strategy automatically formed in his head, but…
That guy, Park Chang-seok, didn’t seem to be like that.
It couldn’t be helped.
Compared to Jin-woo, who had accumulated vast experience and knowledge through countless repetitions in the game…
Park Chang-seok, who had only spent three years in reality, inevitably lacked both insight and sense.
‘That guy… Yaksha?’
It seemed he had some authority at headquarters, but no matter how you looked at it, his level was just too low.
‘Something.’
It was a moment where Jin-woo began to understand why South Korea couldn’t escape from being ranked last.
– ……
Even Lamba, beside him, was covering her eyes in disbelief, as if watching an unbearable fight.
A gesture that said she’d seen enough.
“Kuhahahaha! Where’s the Yaksha of headquarters now? Is that all you’ve got?”
The thug, full of excitement, pressed his attack.
People began murmuring.
“Wh-what do we do?”
“Park Chang-seok is losing!”
“That can’t be. Is Park Chang-seok really losing?”
“Did you send an SOS? Did you?”
“Headquarters is sending reinforcements, but there’s not enough time! If Park Chang-seok falls… we’re all going to die!”
Amidst the growing distrust in the gang members…
‘Damn it.’
What should I do?
Jin-woo hesitated.
Should I help Park Chang-seok?
Under what pretext?
No, more importantly.
Wouldn’t helping him cause unnecessary trouble later on?
Didn’t I just decide earlier?
That I’d live as quietly as a mouse until I grew stronger.
Kuwaaang!
The Blood Orc’s axe cleaved through Woodman’s branches.
– Kiiieeek!
The wooden monster writhed in pain, its roots twisting as it let out a shriek.
At this rate, that thug would probably win soon.
What should I do?
Before I can live quietly…
I first need to stay alive, don’t I?
“Excuse me, sir.”
Jin-woo finally made up his mind and stood up, approaching Park Chang-seok.
His entire body tensed with nerves, but if he didn’t step in now, everyone could die.
Park Chang-seok raised his right hand to stop him.
“It’s dangerous. Please stay back in the corner!”
“No, it’s just that,”
“You’re interfering with the battle! Please wait patiently! Reinforcements will arrive soon!”
Ugh.
This stubborn guy.
Despite his stern gaze that could make one cower, Jin-woo didn’t give up.
“No, I mean… the timing of the Flame Turtle’s skill is a bit off, isn’t it?”
“……?”
“They’re casting ‘Fire Resistance’ on the Blood Orc from behind. Why are you using your skill when that’s happening…?”
In other words, you’re losing with three C-ranks against just one C-rank.
Jin-woo swallowed the rest of that comment.
It wouldn’t help to point that out, especially when the guy’s face looked so intimidating.
* * *
‘What…?’
Park Chang-seok felt as though he had been hit in the back of the head.
‘Fire Resistance?’
Had that skill been prepared?
He was aware that the composition of that thug’s summons had changed, but he didn’t know exactly what skills they possessed.
It was understandable.
There were tens of thousands of different kinds of summons in the world.
Could someone really be expected to memorize all the skills of every single one?
That didn’t make sense.
‘But…’
It did seem plausible.
That Blood Orc…
Though it was usually bright red and hard to see clearly, every time the supporters behind it used a skill, its color seemed to darken further.
‘Was that Fire Resistance?’
Moreover, after the young man’s advice, the thug’s expression had clearly stiffened.
The relaxed attitude was gone, replaced by an eagerness to finish the fight quickly.
‘Maybe I should trust him?’
There weren’t many other options, after all.
Park Chang-seok decided to wait for the red energy surrounding the Blood Orc to dissipate.
When enough time had passed and the buff faded…
“Flame Turtle!”
Fwooooosh!
The bipedal turtle opened its mouth wide and spewed out a stream of fire.
– Krrrrrr!
The Blood Orc, which had been charging without flinching until now, suddenly staggered back in the face of the searing flames.
It was working!
Park Chang-seok licked his dry lips with the tip of his tongue.
‘It’s really working?’
He glanced back.
The young man nodded and stepped back again.
‘Who is that guy?’
He didn’t know who this young man was, but now that he understood the strategy, it was only a matter of time before they won.
“You bastard, you were just playing tricks on me.”
Park Chang-seok growled.
“You son of a btch! You filthy insect!”
The enraged thug glared at Jin-woo, but there was nothing he could do.
Fwoooosh!
The Fire Butterfly and the Flame Turtle combined their skills, forcing the Orc to retreat further.
If the supporters cast ‘Fire Resistance’ again?
They wouldn’t bother with the Orc anymore.
Instead—
Crack! Crackle!
The Woodman shifted its attention and lunged at the supporters behind the Orc.
– Krek?
With the supporters in trouble, there was nothing the Blood Orc could do.
The only reason it could fight against three C-ranks was thanks to those four buffers.
Once those buffers were neutralized, the Blood Orc had no future. It could only remain defensive and try to protect them.
And when the duration of ‘Fire Resistance’ ran out again…
Fwooooosh!
They’d time their skill to target the Blood Orc once more.
– Kweeeeeeeek!
In the end, the Blood Orc let out a blood-curdling scream as it burned to ashes.
Once the C-rank Orc was reverse-summoned, cleaning up the remaining buffers was just a matter of time.
“W-wait a minute.”
The thug, whose shield had disappeared along with his reverse-summoned summons, stumbled back in panic.
“I’ll surrender! Turn me over to the police!”
At this point, what meaning did surrender have?
Park Chang-seok’s alias was Yaksha.
That nickname wasn’t given to him for no reason.
“Shut up. You’re being executed on the spot.”
Crack!
Woodman’s roots began to grow and coil around the thug’s body, binding him tightly.
“W-wait! Kyaaaaaaah! Wait, please!”
And then—
Pwak!
For the sake of protecting civilians, he didn’t make it a gruesome scene.
As for the thug’s corpse?
It would serve as nourishment for Woodman.
“Waaaaaah!”
“Nice! Park Chang-seok! That was satisfying!”
“We won. Hahahah! We won! Sniffle!”
Rather than feeling disgusted, the people cheered and rejoiced.
‘Tsk.’
Jin-woo clicked his tongue as he watched the scene.
Even though his stomach churned, he felt something quite clearly.
This world.
‘It’s completely different from the one I knew.’
Even if it was a criminal, people worshiping killing like this…
Maybe.
It occurred to him that with his old mindset, he might not survive in this world.
And to survive in this place?
‘Maybe I need to change as well.’
As Jin-woo wore a bitter expression, Park Chang-seok began approaching him.