The Cursed Blacksmith Who Regressed - Chapter 11

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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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Episode 11

Spacious Duel Arena.

This place, reminiscent of a colosseum, had no escape routes or side paths whatsoever.

Soon, a guidance notification appeared before the 100 examinees.

[ The final examination will now commence. ]

[ During the final examination, all examinees’ stats will be standardized to the same values. ]

[ However, all skills you possess can be used, and the examination will continue until only one final survivor remains. ]

[ All processes during the examination will be recorded, and multiple examiners as well as the Infinity Program will evaluate and score the examinees’ actions. ]

He thought it was truly a fair and excellent examination.

Using virtual reality made control easy and could prevent casualties and accidents in advance.

[ The final examination will now begin. ]

The examination start notification.

At the same time, Choi Hyun ran.

[ Nimble Feet is activated. ]

Then Nimble Feet activated, greatly increasing his movement speed.

[ Repair Hammer is activated. ]

Next, he summoned and gripped a claw hammer, then struck down on the head of the person closest to him.

Crack!

A chilling sound of flesh being torn.

[ Hyper Focus is activated. ]

[ Dexterity is activated. ]

As two skills activated simultaneously, the player struck in the temple couldn’t even make a sound and died instantly.

[ You have eliminated an examinee. ]

[ Number of examinees eliminated: 1. ]

Choi Hyun’s eyes gleamed like those of a beast.

There was no time to dawdle.

In this place, there were many he needed to deal with and much he needed to obtain.

Swoosh!

[ Nimble Feet is activated. ]

Choi Hyun charged fiercely toward his next target.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

One strike, one kill.

Choi Hyun’s claw hammer mercilessly ended the life of every being it touched in an instant.

‘When you have jack shit, nothing beats a claw hammer.’

There’s a common misconception people have.

The misconception that swords are the king of all weapons.

Swords are more difficult to handle than one might think.

Spears are actually easier.

At least they provide distance.

In that sense, the easiest weapons for ordinary people to handle are blunt weapons like clubs.

Among them, hammers with a clearly concentrated weight point and short handle were the best.

Choi Hyun had been handling claw hammers, which were essentially combat hammers, for a very long time.

Moreover, when you give equal stat values to someone who killed monsters more than eating meals at the end of destruction, who would become the predator in this place?

It was Choi Hyun.

[ Nimble Feet is activated. ]

[ Hyper Focus is activated. ]

[ Dexterity is activated. ]

[ You have eliminated an examinee. ]

[ Number of examinees eliminated: 4. ]

[ Nimble Feet is activated. ]

[ Hyper Focus is activated. ]

[ Dexterity is activated. ]

[ You have eliminated an examinee. ]

[ Number of examinees eliminated: 7. ]

[ Nimble Feet is activated. ]

[ Hyper Focus is activated. ]

[ Dexterity is activated. ]

[ You have eliminated an examinee. ]

[ Number of examinees eliminated: 11. ]

…

Every time skills activated, deaths occurred in succession.

Infinity was busy rapidly checking Choi Hyun’s records.

[ Examinee Choi Hyun has eliminated a cumulative total of 11 people so far. ]

[ Examinee Choi Hyun’s overall score is currently 1st place. ]

[ Examinee Choi Hyun has eliminated a cumulative total of 15 people so far. ]

[ Examinee Choi Hyun’s overall score is currently 1st place. ]

[ Examinee Choi Hyun has eliminated a cumulative total of 19 people so far. ]

[ Examinee Choi Hyun’s overall score is currently 1st place. ]

…

Watching the rapidly rising death count, the supervising examiners couldn’t help but be amazed.

“No way, what is this….”

“Does this even make sense?”

“Those movements are definitely not a beginner’s?”

“Is that guy a former soldier or police officer?”

“No way? Looking at his records, he’s only twenty years old…?”

“Well, I’ll be….”

Just as Choi Hyun alone had nearly slaughtered 20% of the participants, the very atmosphere of the duel arena changed.

“Cr-crazy?”

“What is that?”

“Isn’t that a monster?”

“Ah, fuck, we’re screwed….”

Since it was a virtual reality program, there was no fear of actual death.

No, since they had already experienced the Tower of Tutorials, they would have less fear of death than ordinary people, but fear of death was still fear of death, and helplessness was still helplessness.

Everyone felt overwhelmed by the crushing difference in skill.

Of course, not everyone felt that way.

Choi Kang-o, Kim Dae-hyeok, Lee Su-yong.

These three were exceptions.

These three were special mercenaries planted by Taeseong, professional hunters currently active in the field who were deployed solely to eliminate Choi Hyun.

Recognizing each other’s presence, they quietly exchanged glances.

None of them intended to kill Choi Hyun alone.

There was no mention of giving extra bonuses to whoever killed him first anyway.

Han Yeong-min was a calculating person.

Tigers give their all even when hunting a single rabbit—rather than creating bonus incentives to motivate the mercenaries, he presented the risk of not paying anyone if they failed.

That way, they wouldn’t make foolish mistakes by competing to kill first.

Of course, since there was no bonus, he raised their base pay.

So this game became not a free-for-all, but a 1v3 confrontation between Choi Hyun and the mercenary trio.

‘No matter how strong you are.’

‘Facing three at once.’

‘Will definitely not be easy.’

It was when Choi Hyun’s claw hammer had logged out another participant, creating about 30 casualties.

[ Swift and precise preemptive strike. ]

[ You have always succeeded in bold and accurate preemptive strikes when attacking enemies. ]

[ Conditions have been met. ]

[ You have acquired the skill ‘Preemptive Attack.’ ]

The corners of Choi Hyun’s mouth slightly rise.

This was because he had acquired Preemptive Attack, which deals 100% additional damage as long as he attacks the opponent first.

‘Originally, this is a skill you can only obtain after making preemptive strikes against at least a hundred enemies.’

In Choi Hyun’s case, thanks to the experience acceleration effects of Dexterity and Ultra Focus, he was able to obtain Preemptive Attack much faster than the effort normally required.

The Preemptive Attack he acquired began to show effects beyond expectations by creating synergy with his existing skills.

[ Ultra Focus is activated. ]

[ Dexterity is activated. ]

[ Preemptive Attack is activated. ]

[ You have defeated an examinee. ]

“Huh.”

Choi Hyun let out a short breath and swept his sweat-soaked hair back.

As expected, since he hadn’t even raised his level by one and hadn’t distributed his bonus stats, his stamina was getting a bit short.

It was fine.

Looking at the number of examinees he had defeated, he had built up quite an overwhelming lead in points.

‘But surviving until the end gives the most points.’

That’s when it happened.

Whoosh!

A sharp sound cutting through the air.

Choi Hyun instinctively twisted his body away from the direction of the sound and dodged the attack.

The identity of the ambush was an arrow.

When he shifted his gaze to find the arrow’s owner, he could see Lee Su-yong in the distance aiming at Choi Hyun with a crossbow.

Choi Hyun narrowed his eyes.

Then he could see that two other examinees were slowly closing the distance with him, centered around Lee Su-yong.

‘They’re the ones sent by Taeseong.’

Right, he had been waiting to see when they would reveal themselves.

Choi Hyun’s certainty that they were Taeseong’s assassins came from surprisingly simple reasons.

First, in a survival battle where one must survive alone, not just two but three people had formed a team, and unlike ordinary awakened individuals, they were naturally dividing positions and pressuring Choi Hyun like trained professionals.

‘Especially seeing that they’ve even positioned a long-range dealer for suppression makes it undeniably certain.’

In a survival battle where one must survive alone, no matter how much they had formed a team, they put someone capable of long-range support behind them?

This was stupid behavior that normal examinees should never do.

That’s why he concluded that those three were Taeseong’s assassins.

And that prediction was very accurate.

Then it was time to act immediately.

‘By the way, I thought they’d use at least ten people, but only three?’

Were there more hiding elsewhere?

If not, and the three in front of him were all there were, it would be quite absurd.

That’s because this bet was worth a whopping hundred billion.

Even if it’s harder to plant people in the second round than the first, still only three people?

They must be that confident.

‘But that will be your downfall.’

Choi Hyun immediately ran toward them.

“He’s coming.”

“Confirmed.”

Lee Su-yong had a bow, Choi Kang-o had a sword, Kim Dae-hyeok had a spear.

When Choi Hyun began running toward them without hesitation, Choi Kang-o and Kim Dae-hyeok immediately raised their weapons and took defensive stances.

But contrary to their expectations, Choi Hyun threw his hammer before even closing the distance with them.

“Hmph!”

Choi Kang-o and Kim Dae-hyeok dodged Choi Hyun’s hammer.

At the same time, they let out scoffs.

The only option he could think of was throwing a hammer for suppression?

They had been slightly tense because he showed overwhelming strength early on, but they thought he definitely couldn’t shake off his amateur nature.

But that was a mistake by the two men.

Crack!

A chilling sound of flesh being torn.

At the same time, a groan escaped.

It was Lee Su-yong’s.

Choi Kang-o and Kim Dae-hyeok’s eyes widened.

The hammer wasn’t aimed at us from the beginning.

The hammer flew accurately and struck Lee Su-yong in the face.

It even pierced his eye.

Was it intentional?

To think he planned to eliminate the support shooter first.

The fortunate thing was that he only lost an eye and didn’t die.

Then Choi Kang-o, who came to his senses first, urgently shouted and rushed at Choi Hyun.

“Now’s the time! Kill him quickly!”

This wasn’t the time to hesitate.

Shocked by Choi Hyun’s sense, Choi Kang-o changed his thinking.

The opponent only lacked a hunter license, but there was a high probability he was a field specialist who had plenty of experience in other situations.

So now that the hammer was gone was their chance.

The moment he thought that.

Whoosh!

The hammer that should have been gone because he threw it was once again in Choi Hyun’s hand, swinging toward him.

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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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