Ch. 18 Competitor (3)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 18 – Competitor (3)
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[Reina showed interest in Hermetica?]
[From what the moderator said, it seems she’s unknowingly leaning toward the Gale Sword style.]
[A faster sword… If she goes this route, it’ll be completely different from her original style. I wonder if she’ll adapt.]
[Lol, look at the guys who were advocating for the Crushing Sword style panicking.]
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After leaving the sanctuary and heading straight back to headquarters, I checked the community.
As expected, Serpina had shared our conversation in the community, and the board was buzzing because of it.
The debate over which armor to gift me was essentially a symbolic representation of the new path I was heading toward, which is why the discussion was so heated.
And though they didn’t know it, I had already made up my mind after steadily posting questions and observing their debates.
‘A faster, sharper sword. I choose that.’
I had decided on the Gale Sword style. A sword style as free and swift as the wind, unbound by form, light and fast—the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
Both sides of the argument had solid reasoning, so it ultimately came down to my personal choice.
I simply chose the path that resonated more with my heart and intuition.
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[Isn’t this actually not that important?]
[It’s not that important. Unless it’s explicitly taught, it’s hard to properly learn anyway.]
[What draws me more is her saying, “Trust me.”]
[That face saying she can do it—doesn’t it look genuinely confident?]
[What’s going on? Did she really gain some insight after acquiring new abilities and training in a new way?]
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While the Gale Sword vs. Crushing Sword debate had been intense in the gallery, its aftermath wasn’t that significant.
Only a few users who practiced swordsmanship were particularly vocal, as most users didn’t know much about such advanced swordsmanship. Even constellations like Serpina, who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, were still researching and training to fully grasp its true value.
They had only mentioned it to give me a sense of direction, never expecting that I would truly master it within the Tower.
Even now, as I gathered information by posting questions in the gallery, I still didn’t fully understand even the basics.
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ㄴ“It’s already happened, so what can we do? We just have to trust her.”
ㄴ“You’re reacting so casually.”
ㄴ“You’re a gambler, aren’t you? How much did you bet on Reina? Lol.”
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Instead, the hot topic now was my showdown with Sylvia.
My statement to Serpina that I would definitely win and to trust me had been turned into a video and uploaded to the community, fueling the fire.
Both those cheering for me out of fandom loyalty and those watching with a more investment-minded approach were on edge.
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ㄴ“The rumor’s already spread across the entire community. Private gambling rings have even opened up. You might need to be careful.”
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What was a minor matter known only to me, Sylvia, and a few of our close associates in reality was a different story in the community.
Fate Road, where constellations who had climbed the Tower and aspired for more gathered.
Surprisingly, my actions seemed to be drawing quite a bit of attention in that vast space.
“Why… did you agree to that duel? You would’ve ignored it normally.”
“With Sylvia’s personality, we would’ve kept clashing anyway. It was bound to happen eventually, so I decided to settle it now.”
Right after waking up from a nap I had taken under the guise of resting.
As I prepared to head to the training ground, I told Kim Ji-eun about the matter with Sylvia. Naturally, she was worried and looked panicked.
“Do you think I’ll lose too?”
“N-no, of course not!”
When I chuckled at her nervousness, Kim Ji-eun shook her head in surprise. But the unease in her eyes remained.
“But if… if you were to bow to that elf, I wouldn’t be able to stand it. If it were me, maybe, but not you.”
“I feel the same. So I won’t lose.”
I smiled bitterly and patted her head as she mumbled.
It wasn’t just the gallery users who were invested. The hearts of those watching me in reality, including Kim Ji-eun, were also at stake.
Knowing the weight of that, I absolutely couldn’t lose this duel.
“All the official events are over anyway, so I won’t be going out starting today. Sorry, but take care of things for me.”
“Of course.”
I unzipped my jacket, took it off, and picked up my sword to begin training.
Five days remained until the Continuous Bloodbath cycle.
I couldn’t leave this place even for a moment. I had to reach the level I aimed for.
‘The basics of the Gale Sword style. The Form of Transcendence.’
Water droplets fell periodically from the bottles Kim Ji-eun had magically fixed around me as I held my sword.
Though the gallery users couldn’t imagine it, I had been asking them questions directly and referencing their strategy posts, gradually training in one of the pinnacle swordsmanship styles the constellations had discussed and refined—the Gale Sword.
According to their guides, the Form of Transcendence was a very basic level I could achieve with my current abilities and skills.
‘What I’ve done in the Tower as a transmigrator is nothing compared to this. This is the real deal.’
The Form of Transcendence wasn’t something you could master just by leveling up or acquiring traits and abilities provided by the Tower’s system.
It was the path to truly becoming a swordsman, surpassing the years I had spent relying on the Tower’s rewards.
I moved, holding my sword at an angle.
I had to move as smoothly and swiftly as the wind, without any hesitation. Using every muscle in my body and even channeling radiance, I swung my sword in one motion, slicing through the falling water droplets.
I could reach it within the remaining time. My eyes sparkled with that certainty.
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[Hey, this might actually work.]
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Someone posted a prediction that Reina would truly master the Form of Transcendence within the remaining time and enter the battle with a completely different demeanor.
The comments were positive. Especially the constellations who practiced swordsmanship were excited, acting as if they had taken stimulants.
‘Yes. It looks like it might work.’
Serpina, who was watching this, sighed softly as she glanced at the screen next to her.
The screen showed Reina training in real-time.
It had already been three days. Reina was pouring all her time into training, taking only the bare minimum of rest.
‘Without a single wasted movement, her direction is precisely toward mastering the Form of Transcendence.’
Of course, just pouring time into training and exhausting yourself doesn’t guarantee results.
If you gain even half of what you invested, it’s considered a successful training session.
But right now, Reina was moving with precision, as if she knew exactly what she needed to focus on and what she needed to achieve.
“That stubborn girl. She’s always been the type to throw herself headfirst into things. She’s going to get what she wants this time.”
At that moment, a message from Perbas, the deputy moderator, arrived.
He, too, was watching Reina and marveling at her progress.
“Perbas, did you explain the Form of Transcendence to Reina in such detail?”
“No way. Just mentioning the direction was overwhelming enough. I didn’t have time to explain even a basic technique like that.”
She had asked just in case, but Perbas denied it.
In other words, Reina was finding the right path on her own, without even the constellations’ help.
“…Even after reaching this level, the Tower remains a mystery. How’s the investigation going?”
Serpina sighed and changed the subject. The reason Perbas had contacted her first was because they had been working on something together.
“It’s gotten bigger than expected, but it’s still within reason. Private gambling rings opening up and all… it’s a common occurrence.”
Perbas shared the information he had gathered while roaming Fate Road.
The Tower Reina was in, Tower 3445, wasn’t the only one.
In other Towers, many challengers were diligently climbing, and naturally, there were fan galleries and constellations there as well.
The fan wars within a single Tower were child’s play in comparison.
If competition between Towers began, the fan wars would only grow larger.
“There are plenty of annoying people, but the biggest problem is the gamblers who go all-in with their points.”
What Serpina was wary of was private gambling.
Dissatisfied with the official gambling system that rewarded challengers based on their performance, these people roamed between Towers, setting up personal gambling rings whenever there was a competition.
The problem was that in such large-scale gambling rings, anything could happen.
They could bribe competitors to sabotage others or even hire disruptors to infiltrate the Tower.
“Instead of quietly training to reach higher levels, these idiots dream of striking it rich and gamble their lives away. Pathetic, even for constellations…”
“That’s why they’re still stuck there.”
Perbas scoffed at Serpina’s anger as she recalled them.
Those who had tasted the power gained from the Tower’s rewards often struggled with the grueling, time-consuming process of training.
Those who couldn’t overcome this temptation fell into gambling and corruption.
Both Serpina and Perbas had either resisted or wisely used such temptations to rise to their positions as contracted constellations.
“What’s the reaction from Jung Chan-soo’s faction?”
“Their reaction? Let’s just say it’s annoying.”
Jung Chan-soo’s fandom, a competitor, was also one of Serpina’s concerns.
From the moment he appeared in the Tower, Jung Chan-soo had grown rapidly, gathering strong and charismatic companions around him. His faction was now the largest fandom in Tower 3445.
“They’re going absolutely crazy. That elf is ranked in the top three in popularity within the fandom.”
As Perbas smirked, the clash between Reina and Sylvia was bound to be a major event for them.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for your support…!
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
Let’s go gambling…!*Beep* Aw dangit!
*Beep* Aw dangit!
*Beep* Aw dangit!
.
.
.
Nah, I give up.
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