Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: The King's Game
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Chapter 80
"This place..."
The hunters who had crossed through the gate scanned their surroundings warily, one by one.
First off, what caught their eyes was the unexpectedly bright and vibrant interior atmosphere.
'Well, it is a playground, after all.'
She'd assumed it would be dim like most gates they'd entered so far.
But here, the four walls stood wide open, with natural sunlight streaming in through the open ceiling.
The interior resembled a chessboard, with black-and-white checkered tiles in the center, surrounded by lush green grass.
"A playground it is."
Jun-won, who had entered right after Jeong-hyeon, gave a curt assessment.
Finally, as the healer Park Ji-woon stepped in, the portal connecting the gate's interior to the outside passage faded away smoothly.
"It's a closed map for now, so probably nothing too out of the ordinary, but let's take a look around."
At Jun-won's words, the party began their exploration with tank Sun-il taking the lead.
But there wasn't much to catch the eye.
"We won't be able to break through this, I bet. As expected."
Choi Ga-yoon, who wielded a massive battle axe befitting her B-Rank Strength Enhancement trait, swung it with all her might at the wall and shook her head.
It had left only a faint scratch. With this level of durability, it was clearly designed by the system to be unbreakable.
As for anything else noteworthy,
"Look at this over here."
It was the writing Jeong-hyeon had found on the wall.
At Jeong-hyeon's call, the party members gathered around.
Carved into the stone wall in slightly crooked but legible letters were the words:
- The lives of all subjects belong to the king.
It was a sentence that could be seen as ordinary or profoundly meaningful.
The context was roughly understandable at least.
The gate was called 'King's Playground,' after all.
Interpreting it that way aligned with one of the predictions they'd made outside.
"Looks like it's a king game type, right?"
"Probably."
Everyone nodded.
A king game wasn't an especially rare mission type.
If the king died, the mission failed outright.
Leading to a party wipe.
But kill the enemy king's side first, and the mission succeeded regardless of remaining foes.
In a way, it was a straightforward mission.
"The key will be who becomes the king."
In king games, how the king was selected was crucial.
What if the tank became king?
It would be a huge problem.
Tactically, the tank—who had to take the most hits due to their position—being king imposed severe restrictions.
Ideally, it would be a survival-oriented hunter positioned in the rear.
Of course, that was just wishful thinking.
As everyone exchanged tense glances, a system window popped up simultaneously.
['King's Playground' selecting king.]
It seemed the system automatically assigned the king after a set time.
'How do we tell who the king is?'
This was only her second mission gate, and the first with system windows, so Jeong-hyeon opted to wait quietly.
The other party members stayed still too, suggesting nothing needed to be done.
And after just a few seconds,
[You are the 'King.'
If you die, the mission fails, and all hunters will die.
Kill the enemy's king first.]
"Huh?"
The system window updated.
Explicitly stating that Jeong-hyeon was the king.
Glancing around in surprise, she saw all the other hunters' eyes fixed on her.
'No way...'
"Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon, did you get a message saying you're the king?"
"Yes."
"Ha..."
At Jeong-hyeon's nod to Jun-won's question, sighs escaped from the hunters.
Her skills were certified, if unproven firsthand, but this was only her second mission gate—first for a game type.
Regardless of ability, her being king wasn't a good omen.
"If Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon dies, we're all dead. Got it?"
Sun-il immediately barked at Jeong-hyeon.
The other hunters chimed in with harsh glares.
"Stick to throwing skills no matter what—play it safe."
"What rotten luck."
They'd probably wanted Cha Jun-won as king.
Jeong-hyeon agreed he was the most suitable.
He had the highest level here and plenty of experience.
Failing that, at least rear-line healer Park Ji-woon.
Last would be front-liner Choi Ga-yoon, who didn't take direct hits.
That was likely their mental line in the sand.
But Jeong-hyeon being king soured the mood from the start.
However, Jun-won's gaze was different.
Relief mixed with approval, as if it was fine—better than expected.
"It's not bad for Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon to be king. No, I think it's good."
"Good how...? Even after entering the gate?"
If all hunters were equal in skill, Jeong-hyeon was actually the most suitable for king by position and style.
Agility-based traits, using mace but primarily mid-range throwing.
Knowing this, Jeong-hyeon gave a faint smile.
'Still, hearing that from a tank or melee hurts a bit.'
She didn't know the gate's difficulty yet, but if Sun-il or Ga-yoon had been selected, Jeong-hyeon would've been the stressed one.
As they harbored different thoughts, the system nailed it down by placing a small crown atop Jeong-hyeon's head.
'It won't fall off.'
If it fell and counted as defeat, that'd be trouble, but testing with a slight shake showed it was firmly fixed—good.
The other hunters mostly looked annoyed, but Jeong-hyeon didn't mind.
And then,
Rumble—
"What was that?"
The ground trembled lightly, and changes appeared on the once-barren game board.
Jeong-hyeon's eyes narrowed.
'Something's rising.'
The shaking came from five tiles sinking on the opposite side from where they stood.
The tiles rose again soon after, now bearing something atop them.
"Dolls?"
Ji-woon tilted his head.
Each of the five sunken tiles now held a life-sized doll.
Like wooden mannequins, they had rough human shapes and proportions, lacking fine details.
Observing the dolls, Jeong-hyeon spoke.
"They're exactly like our party setup."
Seeing this, the party members nodded as they took in all five dolls.
A large shield matching their bulk, a massive battle axe, a long staff, a dusty book and a dozen daggers.
The weapons weren't identical, but the composition matched Jeong-hyeon's party perfectly.
'The book is probably the healer... and even the king.'
The dagger-wielding doll even wore the same crown as Jeong-hyeon.
Jeong-hyeon and Jun-won muttered as if on cue.
"Mirror match..."
At this point, it would be odd not to notice.
'King's Playground' evoking a chessboard.
Board games like chess used identical pieces in number and traits.
The enemy mirroring their setup made all the pieces click.
"But if it's a mirror match, isn't it too easy?"
Sun-il cocked his head.
No telling the dolls' tactical prowess, but this was Jeongjin Guild's veteran assault team, battle-hardened in gates.
They'd teamed up several times, even if first with Jeong-hyeon.
"Don't jinx it."
But Ga-yoon immediately scolded Sun-il.
Doubts were fine internally, but voicing them was another matter.
This gate had already wiped a party of similar level.
It couldn't be a simple mirror.
And as they talked, Jeong-hyeon suddenly launched forward.
Blue lights flickered in the dolls' hollow eye sockets, and
Whoosh—
The enemy king—Jeong-hyeon's counterpart with the crown—hurled a dagger straight at them.
A sudden ranged attack aimed at the inevitably exposed healer, Park Ji-woon.
"Damn—"
Ji-woon twisted desperately, but it was already a beat too late.
He braced to lose a shoulder at least.
But,
Clang—
A sharp metallic ring echoed as the incoming dagger shot skyward.
"Even if it's easy, you can't do without a healer."
Jeong-hyeon had whipped out a dagger and parried it upward just in time.
Staring straight at Sun-il, Jeong-hyeon snapped.
No harsh words, but the intent was clear, flushing Sun-il's face briefly.
"Battle stations!"
At Jun-won's barked order, his expression hardening, Sun-il charged forward.
The dolls' joints creaked into motion, starting with the dagger's opening greeting.
Creak—creak—
'Creepy bastards.'
Not monstrously ugly, but human-shaped things twisting joints unnaturally was plenty unsettling.
Watching briefly, Jun-won channeled mana.
Unlike the orb-like Mana Bolt or blade-shaped Mana Strike, his mana formed a massive wave.
'Mana Wave?'
Before, Jeong-hyeon wouldn't have identified the spell until cast.
But now, with Mana Sensitivity, she could see the process.
Cha Jun-won.
One of the top young mages among hunters.
Just rumors before, but firsthand, he lived up to the hype.
Like all traits, magic had intangibles beyond rank and level.
Efficiency in spell construction with given mana.
Casting speed.
Destructive output.
Like Seo Jin-uk's unbelievable combat prowess despite C-Rank Level 3 healing.
Mana Wave was a mainstay among B-Rank spells.
Jun-won completed it in seconds.
Flawlessly, despite the speed.
'I've got a long way to go.'
Jeong-hyeon had always adapted new traits easily.
But Jun-won's magic was exceptional.
The mana wave surged forward fiercely upon completion.
No elemental effects without attributes, but that density alone was devastating.
Meanwhile, the enemy tank up front hadn't even assumed a proper guard.
'Got 'em!'
Anyone watching would've thought so—not just Jeong-hyeon.
But.
Boom—
Just before Jun-won's mana wave hit the enemy tank, its ferocity vanished.
"What the—?"
Sun-il yelped in shock.
It hadn't hit the tank, yet the wave disappeared—baffling.
Unlike Sun-il, Jeong-hyeon and Jun-won's faces were already grim.
"This'll be tough."
"...Agreed."
Jeong-hyeon gave a short assessment; Jun-won glanced at her, nodded in concurrence.