Echoes of the Reverse Planet Chapter 235

Chapter 235: The Next Stage

"Kugh?!"

Kim Hyeonjun blocking the first attack was closer to luck. Or perhaps it was the intuition built up from fierce battles as a pro player.

If he hadn't raised his shield following his instinct that suddenly rang an alarm, at the very least one of his arms would have been torn off by now.

He was already being gradually pushed back, and if he beca one-ard, the outco would have been practically decided.

Gripping his left arm, still tingling from the shock he couldn't fully deflect, he glared at Baek Woohyun, who had already retreated to a range beyond his reach.

During 'Survival' mode there had been the excuse of an unfamiliar build, but now they were clashing with each other's very best.

That's why he wanted to avoid defeat even more. Perhaps even more than the league finals.

'I need to move more carefully. The mont I slip up, I could be done for.'

Crack crack.

"···Phew···."

Baek Woohyun calmly exhaled while receiving the gaze of an ash-gray wolf starving for victory. Long, as if expelling the heat filling his body.

The more he did so, the worse the rupturing sounds from inside beca. The sound that had initially been only two syllables had beco three.

The fact that such noise was coming from a human body was absolutely not a pleasant situation, yet his expression remained indifferent as ever.

And for good reason—the very person pushing his body beyond its limits, whether it broke or not, was none other than Baek Woohyun himself.

'─Still not enough.'

In 'Reverse Planet' PVP, users had their supernatural ability power restricted to so degree. This was the sa whether in 'Duel', 'Struggle', 'Survival' or any other mode.

Assuming completely identical builds were used, compared to PVE, in PVP you could only use approximately 70 percent of your power.

This was a system constraint that even Baek Woohyun couldn't avoid, so the 'Superhuman' build he used also had its power significantly reduced compared to PVE.

No, by recent standards, his loss was even greater than others. Because he possessed the 'Power of Transcendence' obtained from eliminating the Half-Human Half-Insect.

If the power of the supernatural ability build itself was reduced in addition to the 'Power of Transcendence'—which changed one's class just by possessing it—he had lost more than half his strength.

It was natural since he was the only one who possessed the 'Power of Transcendence' in 'Reverse Planet', but in any case, even that was restricted.

'Even stronger than this.'

Moreover, this PVP supernatural ability restriction was why Baek Woohyun hadn't entered the 'Frozen World' beyond the 'Slowed World'.

The 'Frozen World' required a harmony between the sense of deep imrsion beyond that threshold and a body capable of moving as if alone in a different ti.

To put it bluntly, even if the world slowed down and stopped completely, it would be aningless if you couldn't act within it.

"Sssslurp."

Crack crack crack.

Baek Woohyun inhaled as long as he had exhaled. His heart beat ceaselessly, and his muscles scread, unable to endure the excessive force.

Even amid the agony of his blood seemingly boiling in his veins, he remained utterly cold. Only one single thought filled his mind.

The determination that to decide the outco of this fight, he had to cross the limit line drawn to prevent his body from breaking.

The safety device existing in people's minds, preventing them from exerting beyond a certain amount of force to protect themselves from injury.

He intended to release it and use power beyond his limits, and his body faithfully followed what he desired, as always.

Now, heat haze rose visibly from him. As if 'power' itself had taken form and was distorting the surroundings.

'What on earth is he doing?!'

"Uooo─!"

Kim Hyeonjun didn't know what the situation unfolding before him ant. Even as the best among pros, he was still just an ordinary person in the end.

aning he was far from being a madman who would commit the absurd act of releasing the safety device in his own mind to draw out power.

However, he was aware enough to realize sothing was happening inside Baek Woohyun, and that it was quite bad for him.

That's why he imdiately charged with a strong battle cry. He thought that if he gave more ti like this, a terrifying attack would engulf him.

─Unfortunately.

It was a judgnt just one step too late.

'Done.'

Crackle! Crash!

Against a background turned dark red with bulging blood vessels, Baek Woohyun's white eyes, cracked as if about to shatter any mont, blazed vividly.

At the sa ti, he heard a sound resonating from deep within his chest. A rupturing sound like tal crumpling, or countless cracks spreading.

A trendous torrent of power surged from his body that had crossed the line that shouldn't be crossed. This power would ultimately crush even himself.

But what did that matter? The 'Duel' mode was ultimately a 1-on-1 fight, and it was enough to kill the opponent before he himself fell.

──!

A rush at a speed impossible to properly perceive unless on the sa level!

Even Kim Hyeonjun, who had imdiately entered the 'Slowed World' upon feeling unease, didn't realize what had happened to him at Baek Woohyun's hands.

To respond to the movent Baek Woohyun had just shown, he needed to enter not the 'Slowed World' but the higher-level 'Frozen World'.

Added to that, his physical abilities also needed to be at least twice as strong as now. Because even if his senses kept up, it was aningless if his body couldn't.

As ntioned earlier, in PVP where supernatural ability output was restricted to about 70 percent of PVE levels, this was virtually impossible by ordinary ans.

There was a reason Baek Woohyun drew out his full power even while smashing the safety device in his mind.

=This ends it=

Upon reaching Kim Hyeonjun, Baek Woohyun didn't particularly throw a forceful punch or anything. Because he knew all too well that there was no need.

His body gliding through the 'Frozen World' was so fast it was hard to even see properly, and at that speed, even a light graze was like a catastrophe.

He rely lightly touched his finger to the wide-eyed Kim Hyeonjun's forehead.

Then, the mont ti's flow returned to normal.

Crash!

The outco of the first round was decided by that.

Kim Hyeonjun's head, which seed to be pushed back slightly for just a mont, couldn't withstand the force spreading from his forehead and burst into pieces.

From a third party's perspective, it would have looked like Baek Woohyun suddenly appeared in front of Kim Hyeonjun, and then his head exploded.

The process in between? As if you could see it!

***

"Hackphysical appeared in front of player Battler! And suddenly player Battler's head exploded! I have no idea what I'm even saying! But that's what happened!"

"I think I saw this during PVE? It was exactly like this when the fusion monster and Half-Human Half-Insect died!"

-Lmfaoㅋㅋㅋㅋ What is thisㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-He was fighting decently well and then head explosion endingㅋㅋ

-Even the strongest active pro doesn't work against Hackphysical ㄷㄷ He's really crazyㄷㄷ

-Couldn't even react and his head just burst;;

'ㅇㅇ' donated '1000 won'!

[Isn't this a bug? They put the output restriction to avoid seeing that in PVP;]

-ㄹㅇ Might really be a bug

-They did restrict it to prevent death spear fights ㅇㅇ;

-??? : It's a slight trick

-Bug?ㅋㅋ Recite the first principle of Nuclear Tourism

***

"Kugh."

Crack crack crack!

Of course, Baek Woohyun wasn't unscathed either. It was a natural conclusion since he'd released the safety device in his mind and exerted full power whether his body broke or not.

Every bone in his body was crushed, his muscles were torn, and blood flowed from his eyes, nose, and mouth. He was so severely injured that it was amazing he was still standing.

If just a few more seconds passed, he too would et death. The price for forcibly squeezing into the 'Frozen World' was that cruel.

Even though he'd prepared himself, he couldn't suppress the groans escaping through his teeth.

[First Round End]

[Winner: Baek Woohyun]

[Loser: (Anonymous)]

"Phew-"

But this was the 'Duel' mode of the virtual reality ga 'Reverse Planet'. Where both winner and loser return to perfect condition when the round ends.

With the system ssage announcing Baek Woohyun's victory, he who had been one step from death returned to perfect condition and let out a sigh.

For him, who felt pain directly due to Deus's machinations, the agony conveyed from that state just now was truly at a terrifying level.

"···What was that just now?"

Kim Hyeonjun, who appeared on the opposite side of the dueling grounds, asked with an expression full of bewildernt.

He'd thought he was sohow managing to face him equally, but he hadn't expected to be utterly destroyed in an instant without being able to use his hands or feet.

Well, it made sense. If he hadn't been in the 'Slowed World' it might be different, but he was clearly on edge there and yet still suffered this defeat.

"The next stage."

"The next stage?"

Kim Hyeonjun's eyes widened as he echoed Baek Woohyun's answer.

Even among active pro players, there were more who couldn't enter the 'Slowed World', and in a situation where those who could were called World Class, a next stage?

He himself had never even thought there might be a stage beyond the 'Slowed World', so what more needed to be said?

"······."

Baek Woohyun shrugged. Because it was difficult to say anything more than that.

There would be no point in saying it was a realm that couldn't be reached unless you'd experienced life-or-death fights in a truly life-staking state.

If he said that, he'd probably be asked if he was mocking them or be treated as ntally ill. Even though it was the truth.

So he only explained that it was the next stage after the 'Slowed World' and then closed his mouth. The next round was about to start too.

[Ti remaining until second round start - 10 seconds]

"May I ask how to advance to the next stage?"

However, despite the system ssage announcing the ti remaining until the next round's start, Kim Hyeonjun sought to satisfy his curiosity.

He seed to have no interest in the outco of this 'Duel' anymore. Otherwise, he would have been reviewing the previous round and preparing counterasures.

Or it might have been a consequence of his excellent skills. aning he'd quickly given up after judging that he couldn't counter it no matter what.

Since defeat was certain no matter what he tried right now, he might as well aim for afterward and find a way to step into the next stage.

"I can tell you."

"Ooh!"

"But it seems impossible right now. Because it's absolutely not an easy task."

"Then···."

"Isn't there a good opportunity right at hand?"

Baek Woohyun smiled faintly.

He was the type who enjoyed teaching those filled with such a desire to beco stronger.

If the opponent were an enemy it would be different, but this wasn't 'over there', and what reason would there be to beco enemies with Kim Hyeonjun?

"Ah!"

'Good opportunity'—Kim Hyeonjun's face brightened as he recalled the iTube content proposal he'd made earlier.

Watching him, Baek Woohyun said,

"Let's talk again after this fight is over."

"Understood!"

[3 seconds]

[2 seconds]

[1 second]

[Second round, start!]

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