Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: The Start of the Ordeal
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“Won’t you come out? Come out, you bastards!”
The 51st participant’s indignant shout echoed across the clearing.
“Do you have any idea how far I flew to get here? Huh? Is your time the only time that matters? Is my time not time at all?”
The man was yelling at Delaila, who hadn’t even shown up yet.
Emboldened by his guts, the other participants chimed in.
“Yeah, is there no basic courtesy here? If we’d been late, I’d get it, but that’s not the case.”
“At least give us a proper explanation. What the hell is this treatment after dragging us all here?”
“Being a ranker makes you better than everyone?”
The complaints poured from those pushed out of first place.
Honestly, I got it.
They had every right to be pissed.
If I’d been in their shoes, I’d have been ripping into them too.
‘Of course.’
Having snagged a spot in the first wave, I had zero intention of sticking my neck out for them.
If anything, they were future rivals.
‘Tch, should’ve gotten here earlier.’
I clicked my tongue inwardly and sent a silent thanks to Baekdon for arranging transport with over an hour to spare.
“Right on!”
“Come out! Show your face and talk to us!”
“We can’t leave like this—it’s bullshit!”
Just as the eliminated participants’ voices grew louder.
Sss.
Someone appeared out of thin air.
A burly man in a crisp black suit pants and white dress shirt.
A sword that looked anything but ordinary hung at his waist, and his sunken eyes burned red.
The crowd stirred.
“W-Who’s that?”
“Red eyes? It’s red eyes!”
“Then... the Red-Eyed Magic Swordsman, Luca?”
“A Magic Swordsman here?”
Ah.
Even I widened my eyes.
The Red-Eyed Magic Swordsman?
No way I wouldn’t know him.
He was world-famous.
A Frenchman, world rank 25.
The hunter had a classic Western handsome face and a massive fanbase.
“Quiet.”
That’s when Luca gave the eliminated group a cold once-over.
“Accept the results and leave.”
Wow.
I was impressed.
Did high-rankers have skills like ‘cool vocal projection’ or ‘dramatic delivery’?
His voice carried real weight—heavy and commanding.
No wonder the non-rankers shrank back.
Some spat on the ground and turned away.
‘Yeah.’
That’s how it should be.
When a Magic Swordsman like Luca tells you to beat it, what choice do you have?
Arguing or mouthing off could get you killed—your loss.
But.
The 51st arrival wouldn’t back down.
“Ha, Magic Swordsman Luca? Think being a ranker makes you god?”
“......Don’t make a scene. Get lost.”
“You’re not explaining shit, just telling us to fuck off? Do you know who recommended me for this? Huh?”
Ah.
And there it was—the magic phrase.
[Do you know who I am?]
The go-to for trying to bully someone with your status or connections.
But that crap wouldn’t faze a ranker like Luca.
“Don’t care who you are.”
He didn’t even flinch.
“Last warning. If you don’t want to die, turn around. And go back to your country.”
His voice was flat, merciless.
Luca’s hand drifted to his sword hilt.
The 51st participant flinched.
“Ha.”
Then let out a hollow laugh.
“What a bunch of thugs. Delaila? American, right? Think being a superpower means you own the place? Can’t help schemers like you. Locking down info with the system... inviting us to this curry-stinking dump.”
“......”
Shing!
Finally, the Magic Swordsman drew his blade.
No questions asked.
Just planning to cut him down without a word?
“Fuck it, I’m out. I’m leaving! It’s too filthy here!”
The 51st participant caved in the end.
Yeah.
Even if he had plenty to say.
Power trumps all.
That’s how the world works.
The strong survive.
In a world where the tough make the rules.
It’s why I wanted to become a ranker.
‘Not dumb, at least.’
To qualify as a participant, he had to be a pretty solid hunter.
Seemed he had some brains after all.
Watching the defeated man slink away, Luca turned his gaze to us.
Then he spoke.
“You might have gripes about the ordeal’s setup.”
“......”
All 50 of us participants, me included, fixed our eyes on Luca.
“But every ordeal was crafted by Delaila herself. Don’t mistake the trial she provided—on the recommendation of whoever—for some entitlement.”
Not wrong.
Goodwill only goes so far.
Though I could see how it might feel a bit unfair.
‘More than that.’
I was just lost, admiring Luca’s presence.
High-ranker aura.
Pure swagger.
I was way more into that than some random dropout.
Clack!
Luca sheathed his drawn sword.
“A warning to you all too.”
He continued.
“This field is extraterritorial. Kill someone, get killed—no legal consequences.”
“......”
The air went dead silent.
Like you couldn’t even hear anyone breathing.
Olrena, James, and Kapu—who’d been chatting next to me—went quiet too.
Just gulping and listening intently.
Tension like fresh recruits at boot camp hung thick.
“So if you value your life. Or lack the resolve. Get out now. You don’t deserve to be rankers.”
“......”
Luca warned with sheer presence.
Leave now if you want.
Or you might actually die.
‘But.’
No one’s leaving.
You risk your life just hitting an A-rank dungeon.
Hunters stake their lives like it’s breakfast.
‘I’d stake mine anytime.’
If it meant becoming a ranker.
Every hunter knows the value.
The world reveres them.
VIP treatment anywhere, true recognition.
‘That’s why.’
Not a single person budged.
All 50 silently agreed.
“Good.”
Luca’s lip curled slightly.
“First, introductions. I’m Luca, senior examiner for this ordeal. Known as the Magic Swordsman. World rank 25.”
Info anyone would recognize from his face alone.
But what caught me more?
‘Examiner?’
Delaila the Dungeon Maker’s ordeal... way more organized than I thought.
“There are six themes in Delaila’s ordeals. Clear the themes, and you’re done. You’ll be guaranteed ranker status, no exceptions.”
“......”
Like Iseon-ah said, Luca guaranteed it too.
Then someone raised a hand.
“Speak.”
“What are the themes?”
“Can’t tell you.”
“......?”
“Want details? Clear it.”
Luca was firm.
“Clear it, become a ranker, and you’ll learn why Delaila holds these ordeals every half-year.”
“Another question.”
Luca’s relative politeness encouraged another.
“Speak.”
“I joined to see Delaila in person. Where is she?”
“Want to see her?”
“Yes!”
The questioner barked it confidently.
Luca grinned.
“Then clear it.”
Classic setup, punchline: clear it.
Damn.
No right to know without the skills?
“......”
The baffled questioner stepped back.
Luca pressed on.
“Inside, use any method, any skill. Kill each other? Fine. Form alliances? Fine.”
“......”
Kill each other?
Ah, that’s why the extraterritorial bit earlier.
My throat went dry with eerie tension.
“We’re not judging your character. Just clear the ordeal, by any means. Got it?”
“Q-Question...!”
As someone else raised a hand.
Luca shook his head.
“No more explanations. Figure it out with the participants.”
That instant.
A message popped up.
Like any dungeon entry.
[Ding!]
[Stage: Delaila’s Ordeal]
[Delaila generates a dungeon.]
[Dungeon extremely compressed.]
[Time inside dungeon flows slowly.]
[Solve Delaila’s prepared themes and accumulate ‘Trial Points.’]
[‘Trial Points’ directly affect clears and rewards.]
[Current Trial Points: 0]
‘Trial Points?’
And.
Dungeon extremely compressed?
Time flows slowly?
I skimmed the flood of messages.
“Then.”
Luca spoke.
“Wish you luck.”
Flash!
My vision whited out.
* * *[Entering the dungeon.]
“......”
Incredible.
Could a single hunter really pull this off?
Making dungeons, popping system windows.
Maybe all the world’s dungeons are Delaila’s work?
Anyway.
The space we re-entered felt totally alien.
Tropical rainforest field.
Trees, underbrush, rocks everywhere.
I scanned around.
Not just me—all 50 ordeal participants were there.
“What the... what is this? They said there’d be examiners, but they just dumped us in a dungeon?”
“No proper dungeon quest either. Just ‘accumulate Trial Points’...”
“What even are Trial Points?”
The hunters buzzed.
Some huddled, brainstorming.
Others calmly assessed alone.
“Hey, Hoon?”
Then someone called from beside me.
Olrena, the Ukrainian woman.
“We chatted while waiting—wanna team up?”
“Hey, Hoon. There you are.”
“Guess we should stick together.”
James and Kapu joined in.
Relief in their eyes at the team option.
‘Makes sense.’
The Magic Swordsman said it.
Killing’s allowed.
Alone in unknown ordeals ahead? Prime target for murderers.
‘Better with a team than solo for me too.’
So I nodded.
“Sure, let’s do it.”
Not that I trusted them.
Just mutual win-win.
Using each other for gain.
‘Of course.’
If we clicked, they could become allies.
Didn’t Seoul’s Five Stars meet here and become classmates?
“But.”
Olrena frowned, lips parting.
“What now? It’s just a forest around here.”
“Yeah. No obvious threats or monsters nearby. Trial Points? Gotta figure out how to earn them first.”
James replied.
[Ding!]
[Rules set.]
[Kill opponents.]
[Killing an opponent grants 100 Trial Points.]
[Also recover half of the deceased opponent’s Trial Points.]
“......?”
The message appeared.
Signaling the dungeon’s start.