Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Second Theme (1)
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The second theme.
The real start of Theme 2.
First, just as we were, gathered in our individually selected teams.
The space began to shake.
Rumble!
At the same time.
The grotesquely bulging floor started sinking back into place like puzzle pieces fitting together.
“Ugh!”
“G-grab your balance!”
Team members I hadn’t even greeted yet shouted out.
I lowered my stance as well, centering my weight.
Come on, get it together.
We took first place with overwhelming contributions, so falling flat on my face here like a clown would be embarrassing, right?
[Delaila is transforming the dungeon.]
[Participants excluding the selected team members are eliminated and will be sent outside the dungeon.]
At that moment.
A scene straight out of an ancient magic fantasy movie unfolded before my eyes.
Rumble!
A castle towering so high in the dungeon’s center that you couldn’t tell how many floors it had rose up.
Crunch!
The floor and sky rippled like waves.
“W-what is this……!”
“Everyone, stick together! Grab on tight!”
We instinctively clasped each other’s hands.
It was as if the world was fast-forwarding—the sun rose and set dozens of times.
Light and darkness flickered so rapidly they almost seemed to coexist.
A sight impossible to see on Earth.
The participants stared at it in awe.
How much time passed like that?
[The transformation is complete.]
The vibrations stopped.
The grotesquely undulating world returned to normal.
“……”
I looked around.
‘It’s completely changed.’
For starters.
All the participants except our ten team members had vanished.
“Ugh, what a trip.”
“Huh, looks like it’s just us? Did they split up all the teams?”
“Seems like they set different starting points for each team. Agh, I’m dizzy. Is everyone all right?”
The hunters who’d come to their senses started speaking up one by one.
Of course, not in loud voices.
Just murmurs.
Even if they wanted to say something.
Or voice an opinion.
They hesitated, unable to take the lead and seize control of the mood.
Why?
Because I was there.
“……”
That’s right.
They were all watching me.
‘Well, can’t blame them.’
I was their team leader, the one who had to guide them.
In the upcoming Theme 2 activities.
The one who had to show them the way and secure victory ahead of the other teams.
On top of that.
I’d earned their trust with my overwhelming performance in Theme 1.
No matter who I was.
Whatever nationality or personality.
It meant they were willing to trust and follow me for now.
‘Hmm.’
Honestly, those gazes felt a bit burdensome.
‘Can I really pull this off?’
Leading people.
Separate from personal skill, it was something I’d never done before.
Some might say.
Haven’t you led your skeletons?
‘No.’
That’s different.
Skeletons are loyal subordinates.
These people here were individual hunters with no close ties to me.
Plus, they were all ranker candidates who’d been recommended with their own expectations.
“……You’re the Skeleton King, right?”
That was when.
One Eastern woman in her mid-20s stepped forward.
“First, allow me to express my gratitude.”
She bowed politely toward me.
“My name is Mio Hana. I’m a hunter from Hiroshima, Japan. Since the renowned number one King personally selected me, I’ll give it my all to support you.”
Led by her.
They started stepping forward one by one.
“I’m Olena Zelenska from Ukraine. A water-attribute mage from the Oxford Magic Tower.”
“I’m James from the US. My unique ability is martial arts, and I have a brief connection with Hoon, the number one here.”
“I’m Kapu from Brazil, a guide.”
I’d picked Olena’s group since there were no bad ties yet.
Their skills weren’t particularly lacking compared to others.
And the referee window had approved them anyway.
None of them had a history of killing?
“I’m Zhang Wei, a spear user.”
With no one around to judge.
The referee window was about to step up without complaint and greet me.
Clang!
That was when a middle-aged man who hadn’t introduced himself yet drew his sword.
“You bitch, die!”
And swung his weapon at the man and woman standing beside him.
“You think I’d just sit still? You worthless scum?”
It was a sudden move.
Completely without context.
“Hm?”
The referee reacted first.
Frowning, he reflexively drew his spear and deflected the middle-aged man’s sword.
Clang!
Spear and sword clashed fiercely.
The middle-aged man’s strike was no ordinary one.
Clear killing intent.
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
The referee’s eyes turned icy.
“……?”
I stared at the middle-aged man in bewilderment too.
What the hell?
I’d definitely only picked team members with no murder history?
“Out of my way.”
The middle-aged man coldly intoned as he eyed the referee.
“Trials, dungeons, whatever. I need to kill those two bastards to feel better.”
“Those two bastards?”
The referee glanced to the side.
There stood a man and woman with inscrutable expressions.
The woman among them had her arms crossed, shaking her head as if displeased.
‘Hmm, what’s going on here?’
I rubbed my temple against the budding headache on the left.
This wasn’t even bones.
But from the very start, things felt off-kilter?
* * *
“No idea what’s going on, but how about calming down first?”
“Yeah. Looks like something happened in the previous theme, but the board’s been reset now, right? Think wisely.”
The surrounding hunters stepped in to mediate.
But the clearing was still thick with tension.
Because the middle-aged man hadn’t dispelled his murderous aura.
Surprisingly.
His power was on par with the referee’s.
‘As expected.’
Was this a dungeon of elites?
Every single one was no pushover.
Of course, I was the top among them.
“You gonna keep blocking me?”
The middle-aged man asked the referee.
“I don’t want to clash with you. But if you want to greet ahead of the trial, settle your grudge with those two first.”
“……”
Swish.
That was when the referee withdrew his spear.
“Fine. I only blocked because it was sudden. To me, you’re not yet a murderer killing for trivial reasons, so no need for me to judge you.”
Really.
Sometimes this guy seemed like a robot.
A machine moving by programmed logic.
“Heh.”
That was when.
The woman among the two flinched while bowing her head.
“Wow, really making a fool of yourself, old man. What’s with the low voice? ‘~Settle your gruuudge with those twooo~’ Oh, give me a break. Tsk tsk.”
She sneered as if it was hilarious.
“Why’d a guy who doesn’t even get the game come in here causing trouble?”
“What?”
“Right? Theme 1 allowed killing, but you got screwed like an idiot and now you’re taking it out on others. Right? Or not?”
The woman cackled and asked the man beside her.
“Yeah, yeah, Olivia’s totally right.”
The man nodded vigorously in agreement.
‘Jeez.’
I sighed.
What the hell were these guys?
What was their relationship, and what had happened?
“……”
Here, I had to decide.
Should I say something as team leader and wrap it up?
Or watch a bit more?
‘And.’
For now, I decided to observe their conversation.
Not because I wanted to watch a fight.
When something like this happens, I usually shift into hard neutral and observe.
Ah, of course.
I meant listen to the talk, not watch a brawl.
“Regrettably, fighting is prohibited from now on.”
Thud!
I stepped forward and slammed my staff down.
“The full nature of Theme 2 hasn’t been revealed yet. We can’t waste energy when we don’t know what missions are coming. Please understand.”
Olivia smiled at my words.
“See?”
She mocked the middle-aged man.
“That’s how it’s done. The ranking number one isn’t number one for nothing, huh? Games are played clean and smart, without emotions. Got it? You dumb bug old man?”
“Y-you……”
Grit!
Stung by Olivia’s extreme taunt, the middle-aged man ground his teeth, his neck trembling.
He seemed to want to swing his sword right then, but held back due to my warning.
For now.
Because I was the team leader.
“Pfft~ Lucky you, huh? Can’t even play the game right, but you lucked into the number one team for a free ride? If it were me, I’d be too ashamed to even stay quiet. What, drawing your sword and rampaging from the start? Rampage all you want. Don’t you know staying quiet gets you through the middle?”
Wow.
That woman.
Her taunts were top-tier.
Even I’d be a little shaken.
And.
“Y-you damn bitch! Die!”
In the end, the middle-aged man couldn’t hold back.
Whoosh!
With a step, his figure sliced through the air at tremendous speed!
“Hey, hey, the team leader said no fighting.”
That was when.
Another silent figure extended his hand.
Whumm!
In that instant, the space in front of the charging middle-aged man warped.
“Huh?”
The middle-aged man’s eyes widened as he tried to slow down.
Pow!
With a light impact, he was pushed back.
A check that happened in a flash.
“I’m a space sorcerer. Vladimir Rodigin. Russian hunter. Kinda bummed. Why’d you all have to start a fight right on my intro turn?”
The man, with a face like a mobster from the tabloids, shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Looks like some misunderstanding. No fighting—explain first. Honestly, kinda awkward? When the team leader picked me, I thought Theme 2 would be a breeze. But seeing you guys, that confidence is shaking a bit.”
“T-that damn bitch backstabbed me!”
The middle-aged man shouted as if wronged.
“Backstabbed?”
“Yeah, originally, the three of us—these two damn bastards and me—were a team?”
“And?”
“For about two weeks, I don’t know if they got too chummy or what, but those two took all the food we gathered and bolted! Those conscienceless thief bastards.”
“Heh, chummy. If you wanted to team up, you shouldn’t have crossed the line. When did the old perv throw flirty looks, huh? Now complaining?”
The middle-aged man bristled at Olivia’s sneer.
“What nonsense is that? When did I?”
“And in a game where killing was allowed, you flip out over a little theft. So why draw your sword? Was I trying to kill you, old man? Or just trash-talk? You serious type?”
“L-look at her!”
The middle-aged man pointed in exasperation.
“She admitted it! That’s the kind of bitch she is? No help having her on the team!”
“Sigh.”
I let out a sigh.
What was this?
Ranker candidates talking? Or kindergarten kids?
Impossible to tell.
“……”
What, I wasn’t a kindergarten teacher.
How to handle this?
I got the middle-aged man’s position.
But Olivia wasn’t entirely wrong either.
‘Honestly, want to ditch all three.’
[Ding!]
[A mission has arrived.]
[Stage: Treasure Hunt!]
[The selected ten team members must ‘cooperate’ to find the ‘national treasure’ hidden in the central giant castle.]
But looking at the message that just arrived.
I couldn’t.
‘Cooperate.’
Delaila had emphasized ‘cooperate.’
Who knew?
Maybe there’d be penalties for losing or abandoning team members?
My throat tightened.
Like I’d swallowed ten sweet potatoes in a row—chest felt stuffy.
Yeah, was this one of the trials I had to overcome?
“First.”
I opened my mouth, etching ‘patience’ on my forehead.
“Let’s talk about the mission that just arrived.”