The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player 50

Chapter 50

Clang!

Raul’s greatsword deflected the champion’s bastard sword with a reverse flick.

The ensuing thrust sliced through the champion’s flank.

Zzzt! Thud!

The sound of tearing leather followed, and a delayed pincer blow knocked away the greatsword.

Raul’s mana blade attacks steadily pushed back the Scorpion Champion.

Up until moments ago, the Scorpion Champion, unmarked by wounds, now bore faint cuts leaking green blood.

Even the sturdy-looking pincers showed cracks, seeming ready to shatter.

At this rate, Raul’s victory seemed assured.

Yet, Raul wore a dissatisfied expression.

“Seriously, this is not enough for you? Fine, have it your way!”

Raul, indicating his previous attacks were just a taste, thrust forward into the champion’s reach with an increased pace.

Swoosh!

The champion’s sword and pincers flew in succession to block Raul’s path, but Raul only scoffed.

‘Don’t you realize yet that you can’t stop me with that?’

His analysis and spatial sense blatantly revealed the trajectory of the champion’s attacks.

Just barely brushing past the sword and pincers, Raul spotted the exposed flank.

However, Raul aimed for a different target.

Swoosh~ Clang!

“Kuwooo!!”

“Does it hurt now?”

Raul had cut off two of the champion’s eight legs.

The champion, finally screaming in agony, began to transform.

‘Finally, phase two? So sluggish.’

It was a guardian type he had never encountered in his past life. Too precious to finish off hastily.

The Scorpion Champion re-emerged, enveloped in an aura akin to red flames.

“Wow.”

The Scorpion Champion’s entire body shimmered silver as if coated in steel, and not just the severed legs but all wounds had healed.

Red eyes, like drops of blood deposited on its all-black sclera, glared at Raul.

“Come at me!”

“Kuwooo!!”

The Scorpion Champion, now with eight legs, kicked up dust as it charged, swinging its sword.

Boom!!

‘Ugh.’

The difference now was the sword and pincers of the champion bristled with a reddish mana aura.

Crash!

A pincer strike shattered the ground, burrowing deep.

‘Foolish!’

What’s the use of strength if it only leads to missteps and opens vulnerabilities?

Seizing the moment, Raul struck down at the joint between the pincer and shoulder. But he soon sheathed his greatsword and leaped into the air.

Boom!!

The claw, thought to have been embedded in the ground, burst forth, tearing through the earth behind Raul’s back.

‘Is that rubber?!’

Twisting his body in mid-air, Raul barely managed to deflect the claw with his greatsword, only to face another crisis.

Shashashashash!

Suddenly, the tail split into three and started stabbing wildly at Raul.

Moreover, the middle tail began firing venom as if spitting, leaving Raul no room to counter or dodge, overwhelmed with just blocking and evading.

In such a perilous situation, Raul was laughing.

* * *

Solo player.

The term referred to players who operated alone, without forming a permanent party with other players or joining a guild.

The reason Bae Dohyun (Raul) chose to play solo was simple.

He was tired of living under the scrutiny and expectations of others in reality.

He wanted to be free, at least in the game.

It wasn’t easy at first.

Part of the reason was his unique ability, a weak form of psychokinesis, in the beginning, and his refusal to engage in party play like everyone else.

While others teamed up to hunt a single monster, Raul found himself facing multiple monsters alone.

Naturally, he died a lot.

Had it not been for the beginner protection feature of the free city, he might have quit the game, unable to afford the resurrection fees.

But at some point, he realized he was different from the others.

An immersion rate close to 90%.

It meant Bae Dohyun could perceive more and absorb more information than others.

He decided not to rely on the game system.

While others comfortably hunted using the automatic skill adjustment system, he sought to embody the skills himself.

And when that seemingly impossible challenge was finally overcome, Bae Dohyun had become a being of a different caliber from other players.

Full mastery of the skills gave wings to his solo play.

He breached gates that others tackled in parties alone and hunted raid bosses challenged by guilds by himself.

Thus, for 10 years,

Bae Dohyun reigned supreme at the pinnacle of Connect players as a specialist in solo play.

* * *

‘Ah, I’m going insane.’

The Scorpion Champion’s stinger flew past right before his eyes.

The tiny hairs on the stinger, the droplets of venom flying around, all felt as vivid as if he was looking at a still image.

Below his legs, a brilliant silver claw surged upward, and near his chest, his greatsword was deflecting both an enemy’s bastard sword and a tail at the same time.

It was too much fun. So fun it was driving him insane.

The venom flying in as if it would burn his flesh on contact.

The beautiful claw that would surely slice his body in half if caught.

The recoil he felt in his hand holding the sword.

All these sensations and pieces of information converged, stimulating every tip of his mind.

“How have I managed to forget something so fun all this time?”

Raul pondered, reflecting on the years spent honing his inadequate physique, sparring with knights, investing in real estate, founding guilds, and managing troops of mercenaries.

It seemed he had been too entangled in numerous responsibilities.

Those endeavors meant for the future held their significance, but ultimately, he thrived as a solo player. Facing monsters under the looming threat of death was when he felt most exhilarated and alive.

“Still, something’s missing.”

If he were his past self, he would have undoubtedly found a way to make the battle even more entertaining with just his swordsmanship.

Raul’s gaze fell upon the tip of his greatsword, where a jagged golden mana blade protruded.

“Ah, right, I had you,” he remarked with a sly grin, shouting, “Move!” It almost seemed as though the mana blade twitched in response.

“Seriously,” Jake sighed, scratching his head in frustration.

He had heard of people who grew stronger through battle, but witnessing it firsthand was something else.

“Expert already? And now talking about intermediate?”

If a distinct mana blade resembling a beginner’s badge of an expert was one thing, achieving mastery over it, bending and twisting it at will like that golden blade that had just skewered a champion’s tail, signified an intermediate level.

“Haha, might actually catch up to master at this rate. Feeling the urge to train a bit?”

Philip jested, patting Jake’s shoulder only to receive an irritated response.

“Forget it, seriously. Shouldn’t there be a limit if one has a conscience? There goes my motivation, damn.”

Despite his words, Jake would probably secretly swing his sword once back home.

That was just who he was. Philip turned his gaze back to Raul, noticing fresh wounds multiplying on the champion’s body.

Raul’s movements had completely transformed. Initially adhering to the stiff swordsmanship of his family, he now incorporated a flexibility that didn’t confine him to formalities.

What captured Philip’s attention the most was Raul’s expression.

“Such a bright smile.”

Throughout their time together, Philip had rarely seen Raul smile. Hidden behind a facade of confidence and boldness, Raul sometimes seemed stifled by something.

Philip had thought it to be the pressure and responsibility of being from a noble family.

“It seems the boundaries of the Count’s family were too confining for the master.”

Watching Raul enjoy himself brought a content smile to Philip’s face, too.

The battle was only brought to a conclusion due to the utterly defeated state of the Scorpion Champion, having lost all its limbs and tail.

“Phew,” Raul sighed deeply, slicing the champion’s neck with a hint of regret and marking the end of the battle.

-The swordsmanship of the Ashton family, Bear Crush (A+), has reached Intermediate Lv.4.

-Your profession changes to Knight (Sword Expert Intermediate).

-The elimination of the Gate Guardian has been confirmed.

Hidden quest completed!

“The Guardian has…”

Raul, briefly checking the message, folded the window away and sported an awkward expression.

“Somehow it took us an hour. Sorry you had to wait so long, must’ve been boring.”

“Not at all! It was like a cleansing for the eyes. Truly amazing, Young master!”

Josh was the first to speak up, thumbs up and eyes sparkling.

Pierce, being the silent type, had little to say, and Jake simply shrugged his shoulders.

“You’ve worked hard. What’s the plan for the next gate? Perhaps a little rest before proceeding…?” asked Philip. Raul replied as if it was a matter of fact.

“We’re already behind schedule. We leave at once.”

In the end, Raul and his party spent about 7 hours more, clearing all four D-Grade gates they encountered.

Having sufficiently rested, the mercenary unit under Bernard’s command was then deployed to subdue an E-Grade gate, completing the operation without a hitch.

This concluded the clearing of all 50 gates that appeared in the capital, Thurium, and the rescue of the civilians who had been sucked into those gates.

The first day saw about 500 casualties, with nearly 700 civilians rescued.

Most people thought this marked the end of the gate incident, but Raul knew better.

This was merely the beginning of what was to come.

***

That evening, in a tavern in the capital, Thurium.

Despite the monumental events, the tavern was bustling with people.

Perhaps, the crowd had gathered precisely because they were curious about the full story of what had happened.

However, the general populace knew very little, only that strange objects had appeared, people had gone missing, and somehow they were saved.

Creak.

The tavern door opened, and two mercenaries, clad in leather armor and light arms, stepped in.

“Landlord, got any seats?”

Instead of the busy landlord, a waitress hurried over.

“Welcome. We don’t have separate tables, only shared seating. Is that alright?”

The mercenary surveyed the hall and nodded.

“Can’t be helped. Lead the way.”

The two mercenaries ended up sharing a table with some locals. After a moment of awkwardness and a glass of beer, it was like they were chatting with next-door neighbors.

“Know anything interesting?”

“Interesting?”

“Yeah, about that weird thing that appeared today.”

Prompted by the local’s curiosity, the mercenaries smirked and said, “Just with words?”

“Oh, sounds like you’ve got a story. If it’s interesting, I’ll buy you a drink.”

“You don’t know the basics, do you? Deals like this are always paid upfront.”

Though there was some light-hearted argument, the outcome was fixed.

After a satisfying gulp of free beer, the mercenary began, “Ever heard of the Count Ashton’s household? They have a young master named Raul…”

Such conversations were happening all around the city, and by the time the night was over, there was hardly anyone in the capital Thurium who hadn’t heard the name Raul.

(To be continued)