The Third Mission of the Species Tournament

The third mission of the Species Tournament began.

This would be the last. Up to now, the Species Tournament had never gone past a third mission.

In the second mission, Yujun had piled up more points than anyone else and walked away with a substantial reward: a Legendary-grade accessory. Anyone else would have been drooling over it, but Yujun was thoroughly unsatisfied. Of all things, they hand me something I already own. Then again, he had reached a point where no piece of equipment could please him, no matter what it was.

Still... this mission is a strange one. The mere existence of a commander was surprising. We'll actually get a proper fight.

The moment they warped in, a vast, towering wall filled his view, and with it came species he had not seen until now. Allies, then.

The Sloth faction...

Yujun swept his gaze around the area, searching for the commander. That was the heart of this mission. Catching their eye was no different from earning high merit. The other players seemed to be thinking the same thing, craning their necks and glancing about — and yet there was no one who looked remotely like a commander. Aside from the players themselves, there were no troops at all.

"Where's the commander?"

"Wait, is one of us supposed to be the commander?"

"No way..."

"Hello! Anybody there? Commander! If you're around, come on out!"

Everyone was looking. Perhaps that was why the whole place had grown so loud. From a shabby tent, a girl of small build emerged. Furred ears and a tail were about the only features worth noting.

"A beastkin?"

"She's just a kid."

"She can't actually be the commander, right?"

Rubbing her eyes as she showed herself, the girl spoke in a low voice.

"I am the commander."

"..."

"...You kidding me?"

One player stepped in close.

"What's the problem?"

"The commander's a brat like you? Who's going to trust you enough to put their life on the line?"

The girl who had named herself commander let out a snort.

"Put your life on the line? You're not actually going to die anyway. Spare me the theatrics."

"..."

"..."

She spoke as if she knew the Species Tournament inside and out.

"How do you even..."

"Anyway, if you're going to be here, could you keep it down? You woke me up."

"No... if you're the commander, you should be thinking about how to win the war..."

"Do you know where you're standing?"

"What?"

"This is the Sloth faction. Do I really need to explain why it's called that? I don't, do I?"

"..."

"I'm going back to sleep, so sort it out yourselves."

The players reacted to her words in their own ways — some dumbfounded, some watching as if they had expected as much — but disbelief made up the greater share. The commander wasn't commanding. She was going to sleep. And the players were stuck in a mission where merit existed only in the commander's eyes. If she did nothing but sleep in that tent, then whether they cut down hordes of enemies or took the enemy commander's head, it would all come to nothing.

Unable to hold it in any longer, a group of four players approached her to protest, meaning to persuade her with words rather than overwhelm her by force.

Clang!

That was when it happened. The four were flung far ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back, as if they had slammed full force into an invisible wall.

"Wh-what? What was that just now?"

"Some kind of... barrier?"

They weren't badly hurt, but they had felt an overwhelming power, and not one of them thought of charging again.

"..."

"I'm going."

It was sheer unreason. In a mission that required a commander, the commander had declared a strike — and still, no one dared raise their voice. The beastkin girl turned and disappeared into the tent.

"...What is even happening?"

"She's completely irresponsible."

"Does this make any sense? Doesn't this hand the other faction a massive advantage?"

"This was a losing fight from the start. We drew the worst possible lot."

The players' discontent swelled, and Yujun felt every bit as dumbfounded. They're not about to force-quit this one too while ranting about Irregulars, are they? The Species Tournament never seemed to come with a proper mission.

Even so, the commander's face nagged at him with a strange familiarity — an appearance he thought he had seen somewhere while playing War of the Gods. There were just so many beastkin. And there was a world of difference between graphics and the real thing. He was probably mistaken.

"Hmm."

Yujun sat where he was and turned the problem over. Then he summoned Paranet and handed him the Mythic-grade item, Horidan's Ring.

"And what, pray, is this?"

"A gift."

"Ooooh...!"

Paranet confirmed the ring's options and went rigid. He stood motionless for a long while before his shoulders began to tremble.

"My thanks! My thanks, Master!"

He looked thoroughly delighted. The options really are broken. It was a genuine shame Yujun couldn't wear the thing himself. Let's see what Paranet's stats look like. He was curious just how far Horidan's Ring would push him.

"..."

Yujun's mouth fell open. Higher than... me? On physical stats alone, Paranet outstripped him. Isn't this way too broken? He had vaguely assumed the item was overpowered, but seeing the numbers made it hit all at once. It was almost galling that he couldn't allocate Paranet's stats himself. If I could have dumped everything into Magic, he'd be far stronger than I am.

High stats weren't everything. Still, it was true that they conferred a serious advantage in a fight. Every item that raises Magic is going to him.

Paranet's joy showed no sign of stopping.

"Master. I thank you. Thanks to the item you have just bestowed, I feel I have grown another stage."

"A stage? From where I'm standing, you skipped several."

"...Hehe. You speak truly."

Honestly, Horidan's Ring was so absurd he wondered whether it ought to be allowed at all. If this were still a game, the operators would have found some way to delete it. Fortunately, the System doesn't seem to confiscate a player's items. Paranet's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠combat power had doubled — no, risen dozens of times over — and a high ceiling for further growth had opened with it. The thought was reassuring.

The problem now was how to proceed with the third mission, and the commander did not look like a problem that would solve itself anytime soon.

"All right, everyone, gather up! Whatever else happens, we still have to win, don't we?"

"They said merit is judged only by what the commander sees and hears. So what's the point of fighting our hearts out?"

"If we rack up achievements, won't the System judge them on its own?"

"Did you not see what the System said? This is a mission where we have to watch the commander's mood. And the commander is dead asleep..."

The players clustered together and began hashing out a plan. There were too many species, and too many kinds of them, for anyone to expect a proper conversation. Talk flew in every direction at once.

"This... isn't going anywhere, is it?"

"Shall I simply sweep them aside?"

Paranet said it with perfect confidence, his bearing even prouder than before.

"Well, aren't you pleased with yourself."

"Hehehe. It is all thanks to you, Master."

"Master? So this is your summon?"

"Yes. That is corre—"

He had been idly chatting with Paranet when a woman addressed him out of nowhere — short-bobbed, her hair dyed red.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Hong Yeji."

"Right... and?"

"That skeletal knight has been impossible to miss for a while now. You know how something just keeps nagging at you?"

"Is this about my summon?"

"No. It's not that. ...No, I'm sorry. I'll be honest. The truth is, I didn't come because of the summon. I came because of you."

"What are you..."

"The player who cleared the Ancient ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ruins. That's you, isn't it?"

"..."

"..."

She had come already knowing. Hiding it would be pointless.

"It is, but... why? You're not about to invite me into a guild, are you?"

He had already turned that down once, and he was ready to refuse again before she could start. Hong Yeji shook her head.

"It's not a guild invitation. I just want to form a party with you."

"A party? Hmm... that might be difficult too."

He was more comfortable alone. People formed parties to shore up lacking strength, or to pool that strength and hunt something. Yujun had no need of either. With Paranet alone, he could handle most things.

"I think I know what you're thinking. But I'm not talking about an ordinary party. I mean one where we can actually help each other."

"And what help could you offer me?"

Yujun said it outright. He meant to hear what came next, then decide.

"I can get the commander to come out of the tent."

Yujun paused.

"...That's possible? And isn't that a goal we all share? Hard to call that a gain that's mine alone."

"Exactly. So I'm going to make sure the commander has eyes only for you."

"...Hmm."

In truth, if the commander simply took the war seriously, standing out was something he could manage on his own. He had no need of Hong Yeji's help. She would drag the commander out one way or another if she wanted to win, and Yujun only had to wait until she did. There was no reason to party with her.

Then again, there was no reason not to. I don't lose anything. All he had to do was bring her along. She would look after her own life.

"Fine. Let's do it. But are you certain?"

"Just trust me."

Hong Yeji smiled with complete confidence. Just how did she mean to drag that commander outside? He was curious. For a while she did nothing at all, and Yujun simply watched her in silence. She hesitated, fidgeted, and finally opened her mouth.

"Um..."

"Yes. Go on."

"I can send a party request, right?"

"...What? Send it."

"Okay!"

A party request rose in a hologram window, and Yujun accepted it. Their party was formed.

"Whoa... level 182? You're way lower than I thought."

"Disappointed?"

"Ah, no. It's even more amazing. That you're that strong at that level."

"When did you see me?"

"Right after you came out of the Ancient Ruins? Ah, no. I saw you in the first mission of the Species Tournament here, too. You, in the middle of it."

"Ah. You were there then?"

"Yes. I was hiding in the back, though."

The jiangshi hunt. There hadn't even been fifty players, so it had never occurred to him that the Hong Yeji in front of him might have been among them.

"And that's why the party request?"

"Yes. Because I know how strong you are. If I'm beside you, at least I won't die, right?"

"It could be even more dangerous."

"That's fine. At least if I stick next to someone massacring the enemy, my own evaluation ought to rise on its own."

"That was the real point, wasn't it?"

"...Yeah."

Shameless, but only in moderation. He liked that. Yujun got to the point.

"So. How are you going to bring the commander outside?"