Everyone Except Me is a Newbie - Chapter 20

Leave the Potions Behind

The side of the massive sword slammed into his face. Despite its enormous size, the speed at which it was swung was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye. It was as if the laws of physics didn’t apply to this strike.

*Boom!*

Just one hit and That was all it took to turn Jeon Min-jae’s face into a mess, making his face look like a poorly kneaded steamed bun.  The only good thing was that he got hit by the flat side of the blade, not the edge.

“Master!!”

“This can’t be!”

The guild members who worshipped him stepped back in shock.

“G-guh… not bad, huh?”

Jeon Min-jae staggered, barely managing to maintain his balance, trying to look unfazed.

‘W-what the hell? Where did that sword come from all of a sudden…?’

*Thunk.*

Kim Iseo’s massive greatsword was now aimed at Jeon Minjae and the guild members behind him. As he carefully observed Jeon Minjae, Kim Iseo tilted her head, noticing his longsword.

“How are you already at 2-star?”

“…!”

Jeon Min-jae was startled. The term “2-star.” This person knew the game. Jeon Min-jae’s heart sank.

“Oh.”

Kim Iseo then grinned as if he had figured it out.

“You’re a beta tester, huh?”

At the mention of “beta tester,” the realistic term, the guild members, who had been worshipping Jeon Min-Jae, looked confused. They believed Jeon Min-jae was a savior sent to save them in this demon-controlled world.

“What…?”

“Beta tester?”

“No way, our Master is a savior!”

As his guild members fell into confusion, Jeon Min-jae became desperate.

“What nonsense are you taking about?!”

He quickly grabbed Choi Seo-yeon, pulling her into a hostage hold. In the meantime, he commanded his guild members to attack.

“What are you waiting for?! Kill them all!”

But it was a mistake.

* * *

Choi Seo-yeon. 

She had the appearance of an innocent, lively young woman, like the protagonist of a high school movie. She looked like a reserved college girl.

That’s probably why Jeon Min-jae underestimated her.

“D-don’t move!”

He made the fatal mistake of trying to take Choi Seo-yeon hostage.

Although he was a beta tester, he hadn’t fully grasped that the world had turned into a game.

Unlike Kim Iseo, who fully understood.

‘Stupid bastard. Whether male or female, they’re all players now.’

Kim Iseo was stunned. Grabbing her as a hostage just because she was a girl?

His reflexes were good, but trying to get that close without knowing what her skills were or what level she was? It was suicidal.

“Seo-yeon, you saw what I did earlier, right? Just beat him up. He’s trash anyway.”

“Yes, sir!”

Bam!

Seoyeon threw her elbow out, aiming for Jeon Minjae’s solar plexus, nearly knocking him unconscious.

“Guh… ugh!”

That wasn’t all. She spun her body like a windmill, using his arm as a pivot, and threw him onto the ground.

*Thud!*

A heavy impact sound echoed as Jeon Min-jae’s back hit the ground. The grass flew everywhere, and the dirt beneath was deeply indented.

“This can’t be!”

“Master lost?”

For the guild members who revered him, this scene was enough to shatter their faith.

Their guild master, unable to handle even a slender woman.

Regardless of what kind of player Choi Seo-yeon was, it was the worst possible scenario.

“You skinny bastard, where do you think you’re touching!”

Furthermore, Choi Seo-yeon’s final words sealed it. Their illusions about their guild master shattered completely.

“Skinny bastard…”

“Well, he is a bit scrawny.”

“Wait, didn’t they just say ‘beta tester’?”

“Holy crap, he’s just a scrawny game nerd?”

The guild members, now regaining some rationality, finally understood what Kim Iseo had said earlier about Jeon Min-jae being a ‘beta tester.’

“N-no… I was chosen.”

Jeon Min-jae tried to get up, his body trembling.

‘Damn it. I chose the wrong target.’

Selecting Choi Seo-yeon had been the worst possible choice.

She was one of the strongest in close combat within the Weplug guild.

It wasn’t just because she steadily leveled up her skills. Even among those of the same red grade, the quality of her contracted constellations was different.

Of course, she herself was unaware of this. The fact that there were differences in quality among constellations was not part of the original setting.

So, there was no way Jeon Min-jae could have anticipated that.

‘She’s still just 1-star?’

He had seen Choi Seo-yeon holding the basic short sword and assumed she was weaker than him.

It was a perfectly reasonable assumption.

“Kuh… kuhahaha…”

Suddenly, Jeon Min-jae began laughing weirdly, twisting his hand at an odd angle to cover part of his face. It was his way of metaphorically demonstrating his mysteriousness and unimaginable strength.

“Oh no, do I have to show my dark flames?”

“What the… what’s wrong with him? Did he get hit on the head?”

But Choi Seo-yeon’s reaction was indifferent.

“…Why are we the ones feeling embarrassed?”

“Damn, I can’t believe I thought that was cool. I must’ve been out of my mind.”

The guild members were equally cold.

‘You idiots…’

Jeon Min-jae stayed calm. After all, his guild members would follow him again if he just showed them his power.

The problem was figuring out how to defeat the people in front of him.

‘Two tanks and three damage dealers? Nice composition. Are they experienced?’

Two solid tanks and two were looking like damage dealers in the back. It was the kind of setup that made you think they knew their way around the game.

Of course, Jeon Min-jae had no idea that these weren’t just people who had “played” the game. They were the developers, the creators, working at Nexon—the dream company for many game developers.

And the fact that they were the planners of this game was beyond his wildest imagination.

“Watch this!”

Naturally, Jeon Min-jae prepared to attack again.

‘I won’t lose.’

He was sure that he had only lost because he was caught off guard.

‘That guy with the huge sword is the only real threat. I’ll just have to be careful with him.’

*Whoosh!*

A crimson aura began to emanate from Jeon Min-jae’s body. He was about to use one of the Red Constellation’s skills.

*Crackle.*

Black electricity wrapped around his sword.

‘One of the few long-range attack skills in this game!’

Jeon Minjae had every reason to be confident. There was a reason he called his power “Dark Flame.”

“Dark Flame Burst!”

[Skill. Dark Flame Burst (Hero Grade). Activated!]

As a 2-star player, it was rare for him to have a hero-grade skill. And on top of that, it was a long-range attack, which gave him a significant advantage in Mana Sword, where most battles were fought with swords.

*Boom!*

A crescent-shaped projectile, wrapped in red mana and black lightning, shot out.

“Wow!”

“As expected of Master!”

From the strange laugh to the black lightning, the performance was perfect, and the guild members started to rally around him again.

But the real problem came next.

‘There you go! Run away, you fools!’

Contrary to Jeon Min-jae’s confident thoughts, none of the people from *Weplog* were even slightly shaken, even as the terrifying projectile of *Black Flame Burst* hurtled toward them.

This was because they had something they could rely on with absolute certainty.

[Skill. Full Counter (Ultra Rare Grade). Activated!]

A skill that reflects all projectiles—Full Counter.

The projectile from Black Flame Burst was perfectly absorbed into Choi Seo-yeon’s sword, which she had held out like a bunt.

And then, with an earth-shattering roar, it rebounded back to its original caster.

*Boom!*

Jeon Min-jae, who hadn’t anticipated the attack being blocked—let alone reflected—was, of course, helpless against his own ultimate move.

“Ahhhhh!”

His body shook violently and a warning message flashed in his vision.

[Warning! Your health is at 10%!]

*Thud.*

Jeon Minjae collapsed and passed out, lying flat on the ground. He didn’t even have the mana to activate “Willpower,” the unique skill of the red class.He had already used up too much of his skills while hunting.

“Master!”

“Damn it!”

“Master really got taken down?”

The guild members were in a panic, not knowing what to do. It was Kim Iseo who extended a helping hand to them.

*Thunk.*

He literally extended his hand.

“…?”

The guild members just stood there, staring blankly. Finally, Lee Jung-won, the second-in-command, stepped forward.

“Th-thank you.”

He thought Kim Iseo was offering a handshake as a sign of peace.

Lee Joongwon had noticed that Jeon Minjae’s condition had been getting worse, so he didn’t think making peace was a bad idea.

But just as he reached out to shake hands.

Smack!

Kim Iseo swatted his hand away. Even though it was a light hit, the pain was so intense it felt like his wrist was going to break.

“Ugh… What the?!”

Unlike the startled Lee Jung-won, Kim Iseo’s expression remained unchanged. From the beginning, he had no intention of shaking hands.

If he had wanted a handshake, he would have offered his hand with his palm facing up.

“Hand it over.”

“…..”

Only then did Lee Jung-won understand what Kim Iseo wanted.

“Sigh…”

He looked back at the guild members and gave the order.

“Bring it. Give him everything.”

The monkey tails—after all, they had intended to hand them over after losing the duel. But Kim Iseo shook his head again.

“Everything. All of it.”

“…That’s all the tails we have, though?”

“The tails, of course, but I mean everything.”

Kim Iseo made a circle with his fingers.

“Hand it all over.”

Though the words were the same, Lee Jung-won heard them differently this time.

‘Is this crazy bastard planning to take all our money too?’

He wanted to curse, but he had no choice.

“Sigh…”

*Jingle, jingle.*

Money poured out from their inventories—money that had been sponsored by their constellations.

Each sum wasn’t much, but together it amounted to a hefty 5 million won.

As they were about to leave after handing over the hefty sum,

“Hey. Leave the potions behind too.”

Kim Iseo didn’t miss a thing.

[Red Faction Constellation. ‘Indomitable Fighter’ is thrilled with your vengeance!]

[Blue Faction Constellation. ‘Meticulous Strategist’ applauds your thoroughness!]

* * *

[Beginner’s Tip: Mana Sword doesn’t completely lack long-range attack skills or weapons. However, they are extremely rare and not as effective as you might think. Mana Sword is a game that worships swords and close combat.]