Chapter 250. Human Shield
‘Why is she embarrassed?’
Whether Christine was shy or not, Ryu Min focused solely on protecting her.
If she collapsed, the other several thousand people would collapse with her.
‘They’d be wiped out in a few minutes at most.’
That was why a healer mattered in this Round.
Other Players seemed to realize it too, because a few of them sent Christine grateful looks.
Not just looks—some even spoke to her directly.
“You’re the one healing us right now, right?”
“Thank you, Crisy-nim.”
“You’re a healer? Your recovery’s insane.”
She didn’t have the leeway to respond.
If she lost focus or stopped of her own will, the Sanctuary skill would end right there.
And if it ended, it would need a 30-minute cooldown before it could be cast again.
‘That’s why Christine’s role is so important.’
With the mindset that he had to protect her no matter what, Ryu Min poured healing into her back.
“Um… B-Black Scythe-nim?”
“What?”
“If you could take your hand off my back…”
“Regeneration is much faster if you use it with your hand placed close to the wounded area, like this. Didn’t you know?”
“Ah…?”
Christine’s eyes widened in surprise, as if even she—despite being a healer—hadn’t known.
“Thank you for the tip.”
“So stop worrying about pointless things and focus quietly.”
“Yeees…”
She answered, but Christine was still blushing.
Tupapapapapapapa—!
“Ugh!”
“Kgh!”
After around fifteen minutes, groans started rising from all over.
It was the point where you could clearly feel the pain’s intensity increasing.
Swaaaaaa—
But the moment they received Sanctuary, their expressions calmed as if nothing had happened.
Without Christine’s healing, they wouldn’t have endured this section—they would’ve fainted.
And Christine herself was the same.
‘The pain… it vanished like it was washed away.’
Startled, Christine asked Ryu Min beside her.
“Black Scythe-nim. You’re using the First Aid skill right now, aren’t you? Why is it so effective?”
“It’s not First Aid. It’s Heal.”
“Huh? Heal?”
‘Not that it’s an ordinary Heal, thanks to the Rune of Radiance.’
Heal was a holy-type skill.
Since the Rune of Radiance boosted holy-type skills’ effectiveness to nearly double, the recovery would be exceptional.
‘And I’m timing the Heal to hit exactly when she takes damage, so she doesn’t even have time to feel the pain.’
It was his way of minimizing pain.
Other Players had no such help—they had to cycle through pain and recovery over and over.
“Hngh… It hurts way more than I expected?”
“Still, with healing, it’s bearable.”
“This mission’s going to be easy thanks to a healer like Crisy.”
“Just fifteen more minutes—hang on!”
People shouted encouragement here and there, rekindling their fighting spirit.
Voices sounded confident—like they could clear it at this rate.
And there was progress, for sure.
If Christine’s healing held steady all the way through, it could offset the pain.
But Ryu Min’s expression wasn’t optimistic.
Because the damage later on would become absurdly large.
‘Even if you recover with a DOT heal, it’s useless. The damage coming in is stronger than the healing.’
From the moment three minutes remained, damage came every two seconds—so heavy that healing felt meaningless.
At that point, people wouldn’t be able to stay as relaxed as they were now.
Even with healing.
‘This Round was designed on the assumption that you’re receiving recovery. That’s why it’s “endure the pain.”’
Especially the last ten seconds—the damage was beyond what anyone could handle.
Even with healing, more than half would die.
‘Unless you’re wearing high-defense gear like me, or chugging several potions, there’s no way you survive.’
Wearing Thanatos’ Black Armor, Ryu Min was deflecting bullets at a high 88% chance.
Normally it was 67%, but the 5-set effect and Russell’s equipment-refinement buff had increased the option value by 1.32x.
‘Most of the bullets glance off, so I’m barely taking damage…’
But everyone else was about to experience hell.
Even when Ryu Min cleared Round 15 for the first time, he’d nearly lost his mind.
It wasn’t like being poked with an awl—it felt like being carved up with knives.
‘No one else will survive the last ten seconds. Not unless I block it for them.’
Ryu Min recalled an item in his inventory.
The Elixir of Super Regeneration he’d received in Round 8.
‘If it were just me, it wouldn’t matter. But to keep other people alive, I need this elixir.’
For Round 20, he had to keep as many people alive as possible.
The pain would be immense, but this level of sacrifice was something he could accept.
[Time remaining until Round ends: 00:09:58]
Twenty minutes had already passed.
They only had to endure ten more, but screams began rising as if people couldn’t take it anymore.
Tupapapapapapapa—!
“Aaaagh!”
“It hurts! I-it hurts!”
The awl-like pain struck, then vanished.
Normally it would’ve been hard to endure, but with recovery every second, they could hold on to a degree.
Of course, those with weak mental fortitude were already on the verge of snapping.
“Ugh…”
“Hang in there, Crisy. No matter what, you can’t lose focus.”
“Yes…”
Christine clenched her teeth and endured, but not everyone had mental strength like hers.
“Aaagh!”
A man subtly shifted, hiding behind someone else’s back, forcing the person in front to take two bullets instead.
“H-hey! What are you doing?! Agh! Move back to your spot, quick! Kgh!”
“I’m sorry. It hurts so much—I’m going to rest a bit.”
“Get back to your place! Agh!”
There was a huge difference between taking one bullet and taking two.
But the man didn’t seem to care at all.
He abandoned his position, using someone else as a shield to protect himself.
‘Heh-heh, this doesn’t even hurt, and it’s sweet. I should’ve done this from the start—’
His thoughts didn’t continue.
Because a winged ghost appeared right in front of him and chopped off his neck.
Thuk-
Without even leaving last words, the man collapsed into a corpse.
At that instant, the bullets that had been flying toward “his share” vanished.
The expression of the person who’d been blocking for him eased noticeably.
Watching that, Ryu Min curled the corner of his mouth.
‘Good work, John Delgado.’
In advance, Ryu Min had given John Delgado an order.
If anyone tried to leave their position, don’t hesitate—cut off their head and kill them.
‘Using someone else as a shield just so you can live? Trash like that isn’t worth keeping alive.’
It was better to kill them early.
They only got in the way and caused chaos.
“Hey! Come back!”
“Because of you, I’m taking two bullets at a time!”
“What are you doing behind me—!”
Slash—!
Shhk—!
Shhk—!
When more people tried to slip away, Sariel went to them and swung his curved blade.
People stared, tense and overwhelmed by the sight of the Death Archangel, but Sariel simply turned away without a word.
As if to say: if you don’t leave your position, I won’t touch you.
By the time around a hundred corpses had piled up in the air.
No one left their spot anymore.
No one tried to duck behind the person next to them.
Unless you were an idiot, you had no choice but to catch on.
The moment you tried to leave—Reaper with a curved blade would cut your throat.
‘It’s working.’
With Sariel patrolling like an overseer, people clenched their teeth and endured.
No more deserters appeared.
[00:05:08]
Tick—
[00:04:32]
Tick—
[00:03:28]
Tick—
They endured without leaving their positions until the moment three minutes remained.
But from now on, it would be difficult.
Because from here, the pain of death would begin.
“Everyone, listen to me carefully!”
Ryu Min shouted to the crowd.
They could only see the person right next to them, but they listened to Black Scythe’s voice.
“If you want to live, line up behind me! You must stand in a single straight line!”
“A single line?”
“As you all know, I know how to clear this mission. If you want to live, cooperate!”
When people stared blankly, Ryu Min barked at them.
“What are you doing? Move, right now!”
There was no need to ask why.
It was Black Scythe speaking.
No one had a reason to take his words lightly.
Rumble—
People formed a single line in perfect unison.
They lined up behind Black Scythe, using him as a shield, but Sariel didn’t move.
As if he wouldn’t interfere.
‘Spirit-form undead are immune to physical damage, but that doesn’t mean they can block bullets.’
That was why Sariel’s role ended here.
Now Ryu Min had to block with his body and protect the others.
Tupapapapapapap—!
Once people stood in a line, the bullets’ angle also converged toward a single point.
Toward Ryu Min at the very front.
Titingtingtingtingting—!
But at an 88% chance, most bullets glanced off.
Pukpukpukpukpuk—!
He also raised a barrier using the Rune of Darkness, blocking hundreds of bullets.
Ryu Min’s eyes fixed on the timer in the progress window.
[Time remaining until Round ends: 00:00:28]
Only thirty seconds left.
He turned his head—some people still hadn’t managed to get into a single line.
It took more time than expected to line up a thousand people.
“Christine!”
“Yes?”
“No time. Get behind me, now.”
“Then Sanctuary—”
“We don’t need it, so hide your body, hurry!”
Someone behind him made space without being told, and Christine squeezed in.
At the same time, the Sanctuary that had been healing everyone cut off.
Puk— Puk— Puk!
Among the hundreds of bullets, dozens embedded into Ryu Min’s body.
It hurt, but he didn’t change his expression even once as he used Heal to mend the wounds.
‘I have to drink the elixir at the exact timing. Otherwise I’ll die.’
Behind him, Christine also placed a hand on his back and cast Heal.
Praying that Black Scythe wouldn’t die.
‘Please… hang in there.’
Soon, every Player succeeded in forming the single-file line.
With a thousand people stretched out in one long line, all attacks concentrated on Ryu Min.
Tupapapapapapapa—!
He deployed a barrier of darkness, but it shattered in an instant.
Titititingtingtingting—!
The black armor deflected most bullets, but over a hundred still tore through Ryu Min’s body.
‘Kgh… not yet… it’s not time yet.’
Seventeen seconds, sixteen, fifteen…
Just a little more. Just a little longer.
He had to drink the elixir at exactly ten seconds remaining.
If he was even one second late, he would die on the spot.
‘Because the damage spikes massively when ten seconds remain.’
The people behind him still didn’t know why Black Scythe had chosen to become a shield.
They were only moving because he told them to, trusting him.
But when the final ten seconds arrived, a thousand people finally understood.
Why Black Scythe was blocking for them.
Tukwakwakwakwakwakwakwaang—!
Just hearing the strengthened explosion-like sound of the bullets made their skin crawl.
If they’d taken that hit, they wouldn’t have survived.
Everyone thought the same thing—and worried.
Would Black Scythe, who had to take it instead, be safe?
Would he vanish without leaving a trace?
Thankfully, what they feared didn’t happen.
Because he used the elixir at the exact moment the bullets fired.
[Using ‘Elixir of Super Regeneration’.]
[For 10 seconds, regeneration increases explosively.]
The moment the message appeared, the dark bullets hammered Ryu Min’s body.
His flesh tore, his organs churned—yet as if nothing had happened, the wounds restored themselves.
Super Regeneration’s transcendent power regenerated the injuries cleanly.
Tukwakwakwakwakwakwakwaang—!
Even with a hundred bullets embedded, Ryu Min didn’t budge.
Tukwakwakwakwakwakwakwaang—!
He became a human wall, taking everyone else’s share with his entire body.
He tried summoning a barrier of darkness, but it was useless.
Bullets pierced through the barrier that shattered like glass and lodged into his body.
Yet in the end, they couldn’t break him.
Because Super Regeneration healed him before anything could pierce through.
[Time remaining: 8 seconds.]
[Time remaining: 7 seconds.]
…………
………
As Super Regeneration’s remaining time ticked down, he couldn’t even register it.
Ten seconds felt like eternity.
Crunch—
He clenched his teeth and endured the pain.
Even when he felt like he might lose consciousness from it, Ryu Min held on tight to the thread of sanity.
He endured and endured with inhuman willpower.
Tukwakwakwakwakwakwakwaang—!
His body regenerated, but the pain belonged entirely to Ryu Min.
Ten seconds felt like ten hours.
He wanted time to pass faster.
Because he didn’t think he could endure any longer.
‘No. I still can’t break.’
He steadied his wavering mind and endured the concentrated barrage with his body.
With his mind.
Tukwakwakwakwakwakwakwaang—!
The final bullets tried to punch holes through his entire body—
but failed.
As the wounds healed, the message arrived.
[The Elixir of Super Regeneration has ended.]