I Alone Am an EX-Class Summoner - Chapter 68
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Am Alone EX-Grade Summoner Episode 068
Korea-Japan Friendship Match (4)
Gulp.
Kang Ji-ho nervously swallowed his saliva.
‘Atsuto.’
The player before his eyes was a ranker from Japan, a world summoning powerhouse.
Naturally, he knew well about him too.
Last year, Japan made it to the semifinals.
The footage from that time had already spread worldwide, and Atsuto’s fame was also shaking the entire world.
Particularly among his summoned creatures, the Soul Hunter (A-rank), who was both a warrior and assassin, was famous for its tremendous power.
“Please take care of me.”
Whoosh!
He greeted while summoning and displaying five summoned creatures.
“Likewise.”
Atsuto also bowed his head in greeting.
Now that the stage was set, there was no reason to delay further.
‘I’ll go first.’
Kang Ji-ho first charged his dealer-tank summoned creature, the Snow Flower Berserker (B-rank).
Behind the berserker adorned with all sorts of expensive runes were a healer, supporter, and ranged summoned creature for covering fire.
In a way, it was the righteous path itself!
It was a composition and formation evaluated as the most stable in the industry.
‘Hoh?’
Watching the charging summoned creature, Atsuto’s eyes gleamed.
‘The feeling is different?’
Atsuto instinctively felt it.
The positioning of the summoned creatures, their charging posture, direction – everything was high-level.
Were South Korean rankers this good?
‘But it won’t work against me.’
He had learned control directly from Yoshida Hikaru, one of the Five Emperors.
Moreover, he was evaluated as a key player who would break into the world ranking top 100.
If he lost to such a composition, it would be utterly embarrassing.
Crash!
The Soul Hunter’s (A-rank) greatsword precisely parried the charging Snow Flower Berserker’s (B-rank) axe.
Thunk, thunk!
Even the ranged summoned creature’s arrows were deflected by spinning the greatsword.
“Huh.”
Kang Ji-ho’s eyes widened.
‘Is that even possible?’
The berserker’s charge was domineering.
Even among domestic rankers, very few would directly confront that charge rather than dodge it.
Yet Atsuto’s Soul Hunter had leisurely parried it.
Not only that.
Slash!
While blocking, it spun its body and slashed across the berserker’s abdomen.
Splash!
Blood spurted out.
“Healer!”
Whooom!
The healer and supporter continued providing support.
Whiiiing!
Snow winds kept howling from the excited berserker’s axe.
Slash, slash!
But the Soul Hunter’s movements transcended imagination.
Before one could even tell how it moved, the berserker’s entire body was being covered in wounds.
‘Crazy.’
Kang Ji-ho felt an enormous wall.
Runes and specs aside…
‘It’s different.’
The control was different.
As if predicting the axe’s movements, the greatsword twisted to block its trajectory.
Once blocked?
He had to give up one attack.
‘Right.’
It felt like facing his hyung.
‘No.’
Thinking about it, it didn’t seem quite to that extent.
‘If it were hyung.’
The berserker’s head would have already fallen off.
Anyway.
It was certain that his opponent was several levels above him in every aspect.
A gap so enormous that even the experience accumulated through countless sparring matches among friends after Carpe Diem’s founding couldn’t bridge it!
‘Actually, this is good.’
Kang Ji-ho’s eyes burned with desire.
He couldn’t always face only the weak.
The more he tried to compete with the strong person before him, the more he would grow!
‘Hyung said it was okay to lose.’
But?
That absolutely didn’t mean to just lose.
Do your best.
Approach with the determination to take down at least one more of the opponent’s summoned creatures.
‘Snow Flower Berserker!’
Kang Ji-ho called out to the wounded creature in his mind.
Simultaneously.
Thud thud thud!
It began running straight forward, completely ignoring the Soul Hunter.
When outmatched in weight class, there was only one method.
‘Take out the opponent’s supporter, healer, and sniper first!’
It didn’t matter if he gave up his own.
This wasn’t a strategy aimed at winning.
‘Help as much as possible so my next player can face them easily.’
The format was tournament-style anyway.
Atsuto would have to fight the next opponent with the same forces he fought with, without HP recovery or summoned creature replacement.
Then?
Even if he died, he’d strike the rear as much as possible before dying!
“Charge!”
Kang Ji-ho’s eyes became bloodshot.
He hadn’t defeated rankers higher than himself and joined the national team for nothing.
Because he was young.
He had a more definite killer instinct.
“Ignore the attacks and just run! It’s fine to die, so just take the hits!”
“Huh?”
Atsuto was startled.
Originally, he had planned to slowly torment them to death while slashing with the Soul Hunter.
He needed to do it safely so he could beat the next ranker too.
Still, he was a Japanese ranker, so shouldn’t he take down at least two of these Korean rookies!
But.
This was becoming troublesome.
“Block it!”
Thwack!
The Soul Hunter turned back and rushed to completely finish off the berserker, but.
Slash slash slash!
The Snow Flower Berserker’s axe was no pushover either.
Scattering frost, it took down the rear summoned creatures one by one.
Though Atsuto’s ranged attacks had left it with barely 5% HP, the berserker that had barely managed to cut down the enemies snorted and roared.
– Kuooooooo!
The enemy healer’s wings were torn, and the supporter’s staff was broken!
Though it lost to the Soul Hunter, it had still achieved satisfactory results!
With that thought, the Snow Flower Berserker roared joyfully.
And then.
Stab!
Its throat was pierced by the Soul Hunter that had approached from behind.
‘Phew, I lost.’
It lost, but fought well.
It had put on quite a show against a major nation’s player.
Once the Snow Flower Berserker died, the situation was quickly resolved.
First match result!
Kang Ji-ho Loss vs Atsuto Victory!
“Next is Hong Ari.”
Baek Jin-woo muttered.
“Got it.”
The second batter was Hong Ari.
Step, step.
She walked out with a determined expression.
“…Sis, that guy’s no joke. But I wore him down a lot.”
“Okay, good work.”
She exchanged a baton touch with Kang Ji-ho.
‘Since Ji-ho went that far, I absolutely have to win.’
Hong Ari had already experienced Atsuto before.
So she knew well about his strength.
‘Originally.’
With Kang Ji-ho’s level, he never would have been able to kill his summoned creatures.
Forget about taking down the healer or supporter, he wouldn’t have been able to touch a hair on them.
But?
The current Kang Ji-ho was definitely strong.
He had become strong enough to compete with the mighty Atsuto.
‘The training is paying off!’
Hong Ari steeled herself and took a deep breath.
Her rigidly tense face showed just how nervous she was.
“Firebird.”
– Kiruruurururu!
Her trademark summoned creature was a B-grade Firebird!
Whoooosh!
The bird covered in flames began to blaze.
Her opponent was Atsuto!
The Firebird was a lower version of the Phoenix (A-grade), but it was quite a respectable summoned creature for fire attributes.
Moreover, having recently received intensive training from Baek Jin-woo, its fundamentals were solid.
‘I’ll show him.’
Hong Ari glanced at Baek Jin-woo instead of Atsuto.
Baek Jin-woo nodded slightly.
‘How much stronger I’ve become.’
Whoooosh!
Hong Ari moved first.
Five summoned creatures deployed simultaneously and pressured Atsuto’s remaining summoned creatures.
“Huh.”
The startled Atsuto was no pushover either.
Crash crash crash crash crash!
They clashed here and exploded there in a fierce battle, and the result?
It came faster than expected.
Hong Ari Victory vs Atsuto Loss!
She had barely managed to win.
The Firebird’s wings were torn, and the other summoned creatures’ HP was below 10%, but…
And Atsuto’s summoned creatures she faced were only three, but…
Still, a win was a win, right?
“Yaaaay!”
Hong Ari let out a joyful cheer.
Then she extended her palm toward Japan.
“Next, come out.”
“Not bad.”
Japan’s next batter was Ryo.
He wasn’t a world ranker, but a player positioned at 9th in Japan’s rankings.
“Who would have thought just two people could take down Atsuto.”
Ryo muttered as he deployed his summoned creatures.
It was certainly a surprising situation.
No matter how cleverly they played, just two people beat Atsuto?
Honestly, the Japanese rankers’ thoughts before the match were like this:
‘Atsuto will take down at least three, won’t he?’
‘If he’s lucky, he might even get a solo ace.’
‘That would be funny. Getting aced by Atsuto, not even Shusuke.’
‘But so what. Isn’t that Korea’s level?’
They thought he’d beat at least three, but it had already gone wrong.
“Hmm.”
Baek Jin-woo, with his arms crossed, also showed an interested expression.
‘They’re better than I thought?’
Kang Ji-ho, Hong Ari.
Both had utilized well the fundamentals he had taught them.
They seemed to have somewhat accepted that what’s important in battles isn’t the summoned creatures’ weight class but the player’s control.
If that weren’t the case?
Before Ryo came out, they would have all been swept by that kid Atsuto.
“…Master.”
Oh Sun-young, who was beside him, muttered.
“I’m truly moved.”
She couldn’t hide her excitement.
Who was their opponent?
Wasn’t it one of the world’s TOP 5 superpowers!
She had never even dreamed of it.
That she could grow enough to fight alongside the Japanese National Team in such a short time.
“Come on, what’s there to be moved about.”
Chuckle.
Baek Jin-woo laughed.
“You guys, the Japanese players… you’re all full of shortcomings.”
If she was moved by this level of skill improvement, it would be embarrassing for Baek Jin-woo as her teacher.
“For now.”
He looked at Gi Jae-hyeok and Oh Sun-young who were waiting.
“Hong Ari will 100% lose to Ryo.”
Of course.
She probably wouldn’t even be able to land a proper hit.
Her condition was that serious.
Then?
Now one of the two would have to go out and face Ryo.
“Which one of you wants to go?”
Since Baek Jin-woo himself planned to go out as the last batter, only one of Oh Sun-young or Gi Jae-hyeok could go next.
The question was who would gain real combat experience here.
“Please let Jae-hyeok go.”
“Noona?”
“…I’m not on the national team. The one who needs to gain real combat experience for this World League is Jae-hyeok.”
Oh Sun-young recommended Gi Jae-hyeok.
Baek Jin-woo nodded.
Such a selfless attitude!
Very good!
“Instead.”
Baek Jin-woo grinned.
“I’ll give Ms. Oh Sun-young a special gift.”
“…A gift, you say?”
“You’ll see. Jae-hyeok.”
“Yes, hyung-nim!”
“You can beat someone like Ryo, right?”
“…Ryo?”
Gi Jae-hyeok’s eyes widened.
Even if Ryo was at the bottom among the Japanese National Team, he was flying high in South Korea.
The clip of Kang Geon-ho, Korea’s #1, getting cut down in 1 minute when he fought Ryo was still circulating on the internet.
Such a powerful ranker!
And he called Ryo “someone like Ryo”?
“What, can’t you beat him?”
“…”
Gulp!
Gi Jae-hyeok swallowed.
There must be a reason why hyung-nim was speaking like that.
Screw it, I don’t know!
Gi Jae-hyeok blurted out.
“…I’ll definitely win.”
When hyung-nim talks like I should win, what else can I do!
I just have to win!
“Good, that’s the mindset.”
Whoooosh!
The match was already in progress.
Hong Ari’s firebird was gradually dying down!
Even while talking, Baek Jin-woo analyzed Ryo’s summoned creature and his control.
The result.
‘Jae-hyeok will win.’
The Gi Jae-hyeok that Baek Jin-woo saw was a genius.
He handled summoned creatures as well as Baek Jin-woo himself did in his youth.
If he just did what he was taught and didn’t make mistakes?
He could beat someone like Ryo by a hair’s breadth.
Of course, others would call him crazy if they heard this.
To roughly see the outcome without even watching the match!
‘But what can I do when I can see it?’
It was the same during Battle of Summoners.
Even when players fought each other, he could clearly see who would win even before the match.
How much time had passed like that?
The match ended.
Naturally, as expected.
Hong Ari Loss vs Ryo Victory!
“Next is Jae-hyeok.”
“Yes, hyung-nim!”
Gi Jae-hyeok stepped forward to face Ryo, who was making an arrogant expression after defeating Hong Ari.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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