The Legendary Old Man Becomes a Dungeon Streamer: When the World's Strongest Tried Streaming in His Second Life, He Instantly Went Viral and Gained S-Class Disciples. - Chapter 15

Karin zigzags forward in wide, serpentine motions. Though it lengthens the distance compared to moving straight, it throws the enemy team off balance. The leading Karin lets out a short shout.

“Right! They’re up to something!”

“Got it!”

So the team on the right is making the first move. A mana projectile comes flying at us at blinding speed.

A snipe. And I’m the primary target. I raise my right arm to deflect it.

But then I notice something odd about the projectile.

Despite its high mana concentration, it’s slow and lacks destructive force.

“A trap?”

I dodge it with minimal movement. The projectile hits a tree trunk then bursts into a glowing net. A combo attack from two Awakened, then.

A mana projectile paired with a radiant net. Granting special effects to attacks through specialized abilities is a classic tactic. Naturally, it works in battle royales too.

The net’s mesh is wide, so Karin could slip through easily in her liquefied form. That’s why they targeted me instead. Their shooting accuracy is impressive; I’ll need to keep dodging.

Interesting.

Ingenuity and adaptability are the true marks of an Awakened.

The team on the left isn’t moving. They’re playing it safe. If we can just break through the team ahead, we can reach the safe zone.

“Picking up speed now!”

Karin shouts and shifts into an even higher gear. The team ahead comes into view, two Awakened and a human-sized scarecrow. They must’ve started as a four-person team, so it seems two have already been eliminated.

The scarecrow is packed with mana. Most likely created using the specialized abilities of the eliminated Awakened. It probably has little combat power but works as a deterrent.

The real problem is the remaining two. Just a glance tells me they’re strong, combat-focused types. Karin could probably take them alone, but we can’t afford to waste time.

As I weigh our options, the long-haired man ahead steps forward boldly.

“Bring it on!!”

“That’s A-rank, Glacier Thorn!”

“No way. Karin’s natural enemy.”

“Not really. Karin’s got the upper hand.”

“It’s his area attacks and toughness…”

“Dragging this out would be bad.”

“We’re charging straight through!”

“Right!”

So Thorn is the one confronting us. If I recall, he specializes in freezing. What happens if Karin gets hit while liquefied? No, I’ll trust her and push forward.

Thorn concentrates mana into both hands, aiming for Karin’s path. He’s tracking her high-speed movements closely.

“Freeze!”

Mana erupts from Thorn, instantly coating the air and ground in a wide area with ice. But Karin stays calm and focused.

“Your trajectory’s obvious!”

At the last second before the ice hits, Karin cancels her liquefaction. She takes the full brunt of the freeze, but it doesn’t seem to do much damage.

“Teacher!”

“Huh?!”

Startled by Karin’s roar, Thorn encases himself in layers of ice, forming full-body armor. He prioritized his own defense.

But that means his area attacks have stopped. Seems he can’t attack while protecting himself.

I’m just along for the ride, so I keep pace with Karin without slowing down. No unnecessary attacks. Clever, she used my presence as a bluff.

The other member of Thorn’s team, a stylish boy, stays out of the fight. But he’s not idle his entire body flares with mana.

“Let’s blind you!”

As the boy shouts, mana erupts in all directions, transforming into white smoke that obscures the area. “White Smoke” his specialized ability, then. Since it’s infused with mana, it also interferes with detection. But I stay calm.

Sharpen your senses.

The Awakened’s mana stands out far more than the smoke’s.

And I’ve already memorized both of their mana signatures. I can roughly pinpoint their locations. Both are moving, targeting Karin.

“Don’t mind them, Teacher!”

But Karin doesn’t waver. She’s already mapped out the plan. This reckless charge is possible precisely because she knows the map and enemy positions. In fact, Karin’s top speed outpaces both of them. It’ll be close razor-thin but we can break through.

But the world doesn’t work that way. Sadly, the old man’s intuition was right.

“Karin, above.”

“Huh? What Feed?!”

A beat after me, Karin reacts. Feed and his teammate drop from the trees, clearly lying in wait for us. The timing is too perfect.

“Why are you here?!”

“Simple. You went north, we came south.”

Common sense says no one would head south, the opposite of the safe zone. But nothing’s absolute. I only became certain the moment Thorn attacked.

Feed’s bob-cut girl is already in combat stance. Fifteen meters away too far for me or Karin to stop her.

“Legendary Old Man, you’re in range! Restraint, activate!”

The girl’s mana floods the space golden bands wrap around my body. At the same time, my legs lock up. No room to evade an absolute, no-questions-asked immobilization.

“It’s working! Just as the leader predicted!”

“So even you aren’t immune to interference-type abilities.”

“…Guess not. You got me.”

The commentary booth erupts.

“Whoa! Feed Team’s restraint works even on the Legendary Old Man!”

“Her ‘Restraint’ has short range and terrible mana efficiency, targeting only one person. But in exchange, its effect is potent. It’s halted numerous S-ranks before.”

“But why was he restrained head-on? At that range, the Legendary Old Man should’ve easily countered.”

“Glacier Thorn’s team backfired here. The ice and white smoke must’ve delayed Feed Team’s detection. They got too close.”

“So Feed Team’s strategy played out perfectly?”

“Up to this point, yes. And this is a very bad situation.”

I circulate mana through my body. Shaking off the golden bands is impossible, but I can weaken their effect.

Calm and composed.

It’s fine. My movements are sluggish, but I can still fight. The bands don’t block internal mana flow. Moving is hard, but attacking and defending are still viable.

I take a step and brace myself.

“…?! Unprecedented! Moving while restrained?!”

“I’m shocked. You’re the first to move after being hit.”

Feed breaks into a cold sweat, but his mana remains steady. Still within his expectations, then. And my movements are severely hampered. Unless I take out the bob-cut girl, we won’t advance.

Just as I try to move, another mana projectile fires from the right team. Well, of course. With me slowed, I’m the obvious target.

I catch it with the back of my right hand but it instantly expands into another massive net.

Now trapped in a double restraint, even a single step takes seconds.

“Teacher!! They got you…!”

“Hmm, this is bad. Can barely move.”

When you’re immobilized in a situation like this, what comes next is obvious. The right and left teams are already moving. This’ll soon turn into a free-for-all. Very bad.

But no time to dwell. A massive brawl is about to erupt here, and we’re at the biggest disadvantage pinned down after a failed charge. We’ll be the first targets.

Since Feed Team appeared, Karin’s been thinking furiously. She’s the leader. Her call decides everything. I speak gently.

“Karin, it’s your call. Regret comes later. I’ll follow whatever you decide.”