SWNOVELXO Chapter 181 - 5x5 Battle (3)
Chapter 181. 5×5 Battle (3)
The time was just before Yulia encountered Gunther.
The exact center of the 5th occupied line.
According to the map of the occupied territories created by Yulia, it was the 5-3 area.
The first ones to arrive there were the Blue Team.
Two from the 48th class, two from the 49th class, and two from the 50th class.
They appeared, wary of their surroundings, and after confirming that no one else was present, they quickly approached the center of the occupied area.
As they stood before the small device, one of the 48th class members pulled out an hourglass from his pocket.
A round glass orb nestled inside a square wooden frame.
Fine, blue particles swirled inside the orb.
It looked somewhat awkward to call it an hourglass.
It was as if it was split in half.
At first, they wondered why it was shaped this way, but upon arriving at the occupied territory, the purpose of its design became clear.
“We’re supposed to insert this here, right?”
“Seems like it.”
When his companion agreed, the one holding the hourglass placed it into the slot of the small device.
And when he turned it to the right.
Clunk—.
There was a clicking sound, and a small hole appeared beneath the glass orb.
Tap— tap—.
The blue particles began to drop down little by little.
It was then they realized why this was called an hourglass, and feeling satisfied with their task, they smiled brightly.
“Easy, so easy!”
“We’re going to breeze through this quest!”
The faces of the 49th and 50th class members, who had been tense in response to the seniors’ reactions, also brightened.
But only for a moment.
“You think you can laugh too just because we’re laughing?”
“You bastards! Get your asses back to guarding! Why aren’t you on perimeter watch?!”
As the seniors scolded them with sneers, the four juniors instantly stiffened.
‘Damn it, they even complain about us smiling!’
‘They pick on everything!’
Though grumbling internally, the juniors couldn’t express their frustrations. They turned their backs to the device and started watching their surroundings, each facing north, south, east, and west.
Several minutes passed.
“Huh?”
The 49th class member in charge of the eastern perimeter suddenly raised his alertness.
He noticed someone approaching.
The tension around them heightened, and the eyes of the 48th class member closely watching the device grew sharp.
Moments later.
As they confirmed the appearance of the approaching group, the tension on the faces of the 48th class members faded.
“What’s this, just you lot?”
With a smirk, he looked at the group.
There stood eight people wearing white armbands.
“Seven from the 50th class and one from the 49th class… Are they expendables?”
“Hey, but that 49th class member looks like Theresia Winchester.”
At his companion’s nod, the smirk on his face slightly stiffened.
However, he quickly regained his composure and sneered again.
“Not that it matters.”
Theresia was quite well-known even within the 48th class.
And that meant her skills were somewhat acknowledged as well.
‘Even if they’re only second-years, they’re probably around the unofficial level 1… Well, it’s September now, so the top ranks might be at the official level 1.’
There was also a rumor that Theresia was aiming for official level 2.
‘Even if it’s a “water” class, the top rank is still the top rank, huh?’
He smirked as he looked at Theresia.
‘Whether the rumors are true or not… I’ll find out for myself.’
Thinking so, he drew his sword and said,
“I’ll handle them, you all take a break.”
“That’s fine by me.”
The 48th class member with his sword drawn walked towards the approaching White Team.
Both the approaching 48th class member and the ones remaining behind wore expressions that showed not the slightest hint of losing.
In contrast, the 50th class members who saw the approaching group looked a bit uneasy.
“Senior, those guys are the top ranks of the 50th class… And those two are ranked second. They’re even tied for second place.”
“So?”
“Uh, well… Please be careful… They’re a bit different. And Senior Theresia is also somewhat dangerous…”
At the 50th class member’s words, the remaining 48th class member snorted.
“Different, my ass. Why are you so scared? Do you know why we demand respect from you juniors?”
“…Because you’ve spent more time in the Cradle?”
“And why do you think that is?”
“Well…”
When the junior couldn’t answer immediately, the senior provided the answer.
“In the Cradle, you grow stronger the longer you survive.”
“…!”
“The so-called exceptional top ranks in your 50th class are just unofficial level 1, and you can find those in the lower ranks of the 49th class. And those in the upper ranks of the 49th class can be dealt with by the lower ranks of the 48th class.”
“Ah…”
“The longer you survive in the Cradle, the stronger you become, and the stronger you are, the more respect you earn.”
With a proud expression, he placed his arm confidently around the junior’s shoulder.
“For your information, my rank is 46th…”
His confident voice echoed low in the clearing.
Simultaneously, he nodded towards his companion, who was walking towards Theresia.
“That guy’s rank is 15th. He even pulled off a ‘Yeon’ sword recently.”
“Ah!”
The Blue Team 50th class member’s face lit up.
‘Official level 2!’
If the 15th rank was around official level 2, the 46th rank should be at a solid official level 1.
‘And the 49th class seniors seem to be mid-to-upper ranks…!’
Finally, the Blue Team 50th class member understood why the 48th class senior was so confident.
Noticing the junior’s rapidly changing expression, the 48th class member ranked 46th sneered.
“Now you get it, right? Even among the skilled ones in the 50th and notable ones in the 49th, they’re no match for…”
Before he could finish his sentence.
Swish—.
Like a shadow, Theresia appeared directly in front of the 48th class member ranked 15th and thrust her spear at the speed of light.
As if anticipating the attack, the 48th class member swiftly swung his sword in retaliation.
His sword was already radiating the power of the official level 2 ‘Yeon’ sword.
The glowing red sword.
And the spear that only thrusts straight ahead.
It was expected that the overwhelming destructive force of the ‘Yeon’ sword would easily win this clash.
However.
Ssssh—.
Theresia’s spear veered sharply like a snake before it absorbed the red glow.
Sssshri—.
In an instant, Theresia’s spear, glowing a bright red, struck the sword away with a blazing trail.
Bang—!
The sword and spear clashed, producing a tremendous explosion.
‘What?!’
Caught off guard, the 48th class member’s arm flew backward, exposing his chest.
And in that moment, as if waiting for this opportunity, Gunther appeared and swung his double-handed sword fiercely towards the 48th class member’s chest.
Seeing the double-handed sword surge from below, the 48th class member gritted his teeth.
‘This bastard?!’
As if his stance had never been disrupted, he swiftly pulled his sword back into a defensive position.
A single mistake here could result in his upper body being severely slashed.
But the fact that he was at the official level 2 was no lie; he managed to narrowly block Gunther’s sword.
The problem was that he had only managed to block it.
Bang—.
Another explosion echoed.
Crunch—.
The 48th class member’s face twisted at the sound coming from his arm.
‘What kind of strength is this?!’
To produce this kind of power and force, at the very least, a ‘Kang’ sword was required.
This meant that the 50th class member in front of him was at least official level 1.
‘Damn it!’
While cursing internally, his body, which had not been able to dissipate the force from merely blocking the attack, was flung into the air.
While airborne, he tried to regain his posture.
And then it happened.
Whoosh—.
“…?!”
The moment the 48th class member sensed a shadow above his head.
A massive figure enveloped him, and simultaneously, a gigantic shield slammed down on him with tremendous force.
Bang—!
“Gah?!”
The first impact from the shield strike.
The second impact from being slammed to the ground.
The consecutive hits caused the 48th class member to vomit blood, and his consciousness began to fade.
The last thought that crossed his mind at that moment was this:
‘Who are these guys…?’
Theresia’s spear, which had just deflected his ‘Yeon’ sword.
That spear clearly possessed the power of ‘Yeon,’ and its color was darker than his, indicating a higher level of proficiency.
Moreover, the sword that launched him into the air and the shield that slammed him to the ground were both at the level of ‘Kang,’ and not at a rudimentary level but fully matured.
What was even more surprising was how naturally the three of them coordinated their attacks.
As if they had practiced hundreds or thousands of times together.
With that final thought, the 48th class member ranked 15th, who had confidently stepped forward to deal with the White Team, passed out.
Meanwhile, the 48th class member who had his arm draped over a 50th class member’s shoulder.
“Huh…?”
Stunned by what had just unfolded before his eyes, he gaped in shock, his jaw slack, while the 50th class member who had been supporting his arm murmured in dismay.
“See, I told you… They’re a bit different, didn’t I?”
Was that the signal?
“Let’s go, Gunther, Poppy.”
“Yes.”
“I’m hungry!”
Led by Theresia, Gunther, and Poppy, the eight members of the White Team charged at the Blue Team.
Boom—!
Meanwhile, in the adjacent occupied territory, 5-4.
Ssssh—.
Crouched in front of the small device, Goetz Röthen watched the white particles inside the hourglass slowly trickle down.
As he idly wondered, ‘I wonder what principle this device operates on,’ he lifted his head upon hearing a faint explosion.
“Looks like they’re already having a skirmish over there.”
Muttering quietly to himself as he gazed towards the 5-3 territory, Goetz’s gaze extended beyond.
Past the trees surrounding the occupied territories.
He tried to imagine the distant place in his mind, and the ringing voice of the person who had devised this absurd strategy echoed vividly in his ears.
“What do you mean by taking them out?”
At Yulia’s question, Yuri pointed with his index finger.
“The occupying forces will maintain control over the five closest territories and continue to hold out.”
Just as Yulia had done, Yuri traced through 1-5, 2-5, 3-5, 4-5, and 5-5.
“However, we increase the number of occupying forces to 25.”
Upon hearing this, Yulia’s face showed an expression of disbelief.
“Twenty-five?! That’s way too many!”
Even the twenty people she had suggested earlier seemed extreme, but Yuri had taken it a step further.
However, Yuri, who had initiated the conversation, remained utterly calm.
“Isn’t twenty cutting it too close? If that’s the case, let’s make it a solid twenty-five.”
“No matter what…”
“If you’ve chosen an extreme strategy, you need to commit all the way. Otherwise, you’ll end up with something half-baked.”
“……”
Yulia’s mouth snapped shut at the unwavering golden eyes staring back at her.
Meanwhile, Yuri lightly tapped Theresia on the shoulder.
“Tesha, pick any number you like from one to five.”
“Suddenly? Why?”
“Hurry up.”
Though she was momentarily puzzled, Theresia, now accustomed to Yuri’s antics, nonchalantly picked a number.
“Five.”
“Great!”
As soon as Theresia answered, Yuri drew his sword and drew a line across the map of the occupied territories.
Scree—.
From 5-5, cutting through 5-4, 5-3, 5-2… all the way to 5-1 in a clean, straight line.
While everyone watched Yuri’s sudden actions with confusion, Yuri looked to one side and spoke.
“Pervert, take care of one occupied area on your own.”
Before the words even finished, a voice responded from beyond the human barricade.
“Could it be that this ‘pervert’ refers to me?”
As soon as the voice was heard, the human barricade split to the sides, revealing Goetz, crouched down.
Yuri nodded at him.
“You know it well.”
“Haha, ‘pervert’… What a disgraceful title! Truly, a word that doesn’t suit me!”
“Yeah, well, only you think that. Anyway, you take care of one occupied area.”
“Ha, my Owl friend? Were you not paying attention to our White Rose’s earlier statement? To capture one occupied area, you need at least 18 people, if not more! How am I supposed to do that alone? It’s absurd!”
Waving his hand as if it were impossible, Goetz met Yuri’s steady gaze.
“Stop whining.”
“……”
Goetz’s waving hand gradually slowed.
At the same time, the smile hanging on his lips slowly faded.
‘Those eyes…’
A gaze that seemed to pierce right through him.
Within them, a strong conviction lay: ‘I know you can do it.’
“……”
“……”
Yuri and Goetz engaged in a brief staring contest.
The one to yield first was Goetz.
“Hm, very well. But…!”
“But?”
“Let me have just one person of my choosing. Then I’ll cooperate without complaints.”
“Fine. Who?”
As soon as Yuri finished speaking, Goetz strode over and knelt on one knee in front of Arin, reaching out his hand.
“Blue Rose, will you kindly accompany me?”
“Eek?!”
Startled by his sudden gesture, Arin shrank back and hid behind Yuri.
Yuri scowled.
“Ugh, why her of all people? Can’t you choose someone else?”
Arin’s face immediately brightened at his words, but—
“I don’t want anyone else. Only the Blue Rose! If this condition isn’t met, I won’t cooperate!”
With Goetz’s firm insistence, Arin clung even closer to Yuri’s back.
Meanwhile, Yuri rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
“Tsk, guess I have no choice…”
Clicking his tongue briefly, he turned to face Arin.
“Arin.”
“H-Huh?”
Sensing something ominous, Arin backed away, but Yuri’s hands landed on her shoulders.
“It looks like you’ll have to make a sacrifice this time.”
“Y-Yuri?”
“I’ll make whatever you want to eat for a whole week once this quest is over.”
Thud, thud—
Yuri patted Arin’s shoulders before nodding at Goetz.
“I accept your condition.”
“Oh?”
“You take care of 5-4. Can you handle that?”
“I’ll give it a try.”
At Goetz’s cheerful response, Yuri marked an X on the 5-4 square with his sword.
Meanwhile, Arin slumped down behind Yuri.
“Y-Yuri… our Yuri… abandoned me?! How could he do this!”
As she trembled with shock, Poppy crouched beside her, patting her shoulder.
Yuri, entirely indifferent to this, called out to others.
“Tesha, Poppy, Gunther.”
The three turned their heads at Yuri’s call.
“I’ll assign five more people to you, so you take care of 5-3.”
He didn’t ask if they could do it.
It was clear from his demeanor that he fully expected they could.
‘Originally, I planned to send just four of them, including Arin.’
But since Goetz had taken Arin away, he filled the gap with five additional people.
Yuri marked an X on 5-3 without waiting for a response.
The audience watching silently had looks of complete incomprehension.
Yulia, usually sharp-minded, was no exception.
Unable to hold back, she asked.
“What… are you doing right now?”
“What do you think? I’m planning a strategy.”
“What’s the point of this?”
Yulia pointed to the X’s marked on 5-3 and 5-4.
Yuri provided her with an answer.
“If the enemy has any sense, they can somewhat predict that we’ll concentrate our forces on the 5th line. Right?”
“That’s… true.”
Unable to deny it, Yulia nodded.
With that, Yuri tapped the 5th line with the tip of his scabbard.
“So, let’s go all in on the 5th line, to make them believe that.”
“And how is that different from the strategy I suggested?”
“Different? Of course, it’s different! What we’re actually targeting isn’t the 5th line, but… the 5th row.”
“What… What are you talking about?”
The more she listened, the more confused Yulia became, her brow furrowing.
She struggled to suppress her frustration as she continued questioning.
“You’re planning to field 125 occupying forces, and with Goetz Röthen and a few others subtracted as you suggested… there will only be 15 left. Are you saying you’re going to use those fifteen to take over the remaining two territories and complete a bingo?”
With her question now tinged with slight irritation, Yuri replied bluntly.
“No, I’ll do it alone.”
“…What?”
Yulia, along with the rest of the audience, blinked as if they’d misheard.
But their hearing was perfectly fine.
“Fourteen of the remaining fifteen will be scouts…”
Yuri pointed simultaneously at the two most distant occupied territories with his index and middle fingers.
5-1 and 5-2.
“These two occupied territories are mine alone.”
“……”
As soon as he finished speaking, a cold silence settled over the group.
Amidst it, Yuri calmly declared,
“I will complete this bingo.”