Chapter 390
Chapter 390
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 390
Chapter Title: Ranking War - Preliminaries (2)
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The first mission was designed to select the fastest participants.
But of course, that "speed" didn't just mean raw movement speed. If it did, thief-class users would have an overwhelming advantage.
Conversely, spellcasters would rarely make the cut, so it was clear to anyone that this required a combination of abilities.
Including the ability to interfere with and subdue opponents.
That was why explosions and screams were already echoing from the direction where they had headed, but Rokan paid them no mind.
His idea of "speed" differed quite a bit from theirs.
"Item list."
The starting area was a small village.
Naturally, there would be shops.
Rokan stopped by the general store to check the sales list.
[Potion of Strength: 10 Gold]
[Potion of Agility: 10 Gold]
[Potion of Vitality: 10 Gold]
[Universal Antidote: 5 Gold]
[Insect Repellent: 3 Gold]
[Superior Vitality Potion: 20 Gold]
[Superior Mana Potion: 20 Gold]
[Map: 50 Gold]
"The devs have gotten greedy, huh."
Amusingly, the system was selling the very potions it had banned. A loophole in the notification window. Hadn't it explicitly forbidden the use of "pre-existing" potions, wings, and mounts?
That meant potions acquired during the mission could be used.
"Buy all."
Rokan purchased them evenly.
They were far pricier than market value, and he wondered if he'd even need them, but with money to burn, it was no issue.
"And as expected."
The most important item was separate.
The map. Opening it with anticipation revealed detailed terrain, monsters, and obstacles all the way to the destination.
It even showed that the road looking like a straight line actually wound around quite a bit.
"Shall we get going, then?"
Confirming that, Rokan finally began to move.
He left the village latest, heading in a completely different direction from the other users.
What did being the "fastest" mean?
Someone with quick feet? Someone with a fast mount? Sure, that could be it.
If they were taking the same "path."
'The one who knows the shortcuts wins big.'
In that sense, Rokan's thinking diverged from the others.
Wasn't the person who knew the paths best the fastest?
For example, when encountering a river on the way: Would the one who quickly goes around be faster, the one who finds a shallow spot to cross, or the one who knows about the ferry and takes it?
That was why Rokan hurled himself toward the river blocking his path.
Splash.
Instead of a loud crash and big ripples, the river only rippled quietly.
In Rokan's hand, which should have held a battle axe, was a trident none of the other users had ever seen.
Sea God's Trident.
Roooar.
With a light swing of the weapon imbued with water-manipulating power, a surfboard-like platform of water formed beneath his feet.
A wave like a tsunami surged up, carrying him and the platform along.
"Fun, isn't it?"
While other users were sprinting desperately and clashing in explosions, Rokan alone switched genres to enjoy some leisure watersports.
Moving faster than anyone.
His water-manipulation ability wasn't classified as a mount.
***
"Huff, huff, huff."
It was only the first mission, but users were already on the verge of tasting blood in their mouths.
Just running wouldn't have been an issue, but the fact that they could attack each other, combined with the potion restriction, had a bigger impact than expected.
Since the Ranking War ultimately boiled down to one-on-one duels, dedicated priest classes were rare, but factions had been quietly recruiting those with even minor healing abilities. User hunts began centering around groups that secured healers first.
That was why the users running in lines had scattered in all directions.
"Damn bastards."
And it wasn't just that. Evading user hunters to reach the destination was no easy feat either.
With not just open fields but implemented monsters, they had to hunt, flee, or use others as bait and dodge—repeating this several or dozens of times.
The battles were so fierce and desperate that some wondered if it would end when participants dropped below 500, rather than first-come-first-served.
Hiriika, who had thief-class as his main job, was no different.
Without stealth, traps, and smokescreen skills, he would have died multiple times over. Finally shaking everyone off, he reached the destination in the lead.
If his checks were right, no one had passed him, so he was surely first.
"Forget perks, I just want to rest already."
He held a faint hope for first-place privileges, but honestly, he didn't care. First or 500th, he just wanted to enter the safe zone and rest.
[You have reached the destination.]
[Congratulations. You are within the first 500.]
[Your current group ranking: 2nd place]
[Calculating points. Time gap with 1st place is too large. No additional points awarded.]
"...What?"
But the result upon arriving at the destination village was unexpected.
2nd place? That meant someone had arrived before him?
And the gap was so huge that no extra points were given.
With stunned eyes laced with frustration and subtle anger, he scanned the village.
Who dared outpace him? He searched to commit the culprit to memory.
"Gasp."
The moment he spotted the perpetrator, he swallowed a gasp and averted his eyes.
The one who had reached the destination first by an overwhelming margin was none other than Rokan.
***
"Crazy!"
"Rokan's 1st? By a landslide?"
"No way. I didn't even see him pass me!"
"This has to be some scheme by the organizers, right?"
Soon, users arriving one by one grumbled at the sight of Rokan resting leisurely.
No surprise—they hadn't caught even a glimpse of him.
Plus, hadn't Rokan stayed in the village until everyone else had left?
Some even cursed the developers over the incomprehensible result, but none had the guts to approach Rokan and ask or confront him directly.
Who knew what misfortune might befall them?
'I'd have won even just running, but... no need to bother with the hassle.'
Truth be told, even competing normally, Rokan wouldn't have placed outside the top 500.
He was level 400, a Grand Master.
It wasn't just stats; spamming his various job movement skills would make him faster than them anyway.
But with no intense battles ahead and no hobby in picking fights with small fry, he had gone straight to the destination.
'They're almost all here?'
[Current participants: 477]
[Current participants: 483]
[Current participants: 491]
Having finished touring the village, Rokan rose from lounging by the central fountain, checking the status board.
He didn't know if rest time would be given, but Mission 2 could start immediately.
[Current participants: 500]
[First 500 achieved. Mission 1 complete. Points awarded to those outside top 500 based on distance. Rankings set automatically; they may rise or fall in future individual Ranking Wars. Good work.]
Finally, with 500 participants filled, the mission ended.
Coldly sending the unarrived back to their start, it bestowed light on the top 500.
[Full recovery! All HP, MP, status effects, and skill cooldowns restored.]
"Oh?"
A warm light restoring the remaining participants.
Did that mean the next mission involved combat?
Eyes gleamed among Rokan and a few other belligerent types.
[Mission 2. Defend the village. Mission ends if the guardian tower in the village center is destroyed. Greatest contributor to defense receives most points. During Mission 2, personal revives limited to 3 per person. Complete death tallies points up to death moment.]
And sure enough, the second mission began right away.
Late arrivals might lack rest time, but with full recovery provided—was that enough, or was it a penalty for lateness? The system ignored mental fatigue regardless.
"Defense game?"
Users focused on the announcement over complaints, recalling one game mode.
Defense game. Hold off escalating monster waves for points.
Magic-heavy groups could handle it easily, but everyone eyed each other warily.
Revives were limited.
Two deaths were fine, but a third meant full retirement—no high ranking possible. They'd conserve power for survival.
Of course, too much hesitation and the tower shatters, failing everyone. But those here were veterans who could balance it. A tense game of chicken loomed.
[You may select Mission 2 difficulty.]
[Mission 2 Difficulty: Easy (Lv. 300) / Normal (Lv. 350) / Hard (Lv. 370) / Hell (Lv. 399) / Inferno (Lv. 399)]
"Difficulty levels?"
Then a twist intervened.
The system left Mission 2 difficulty to the users.
Obviously, higher difficulty meant more points per monster.
Clearing Easy end-to-end might yield far less than surviving Hell or Inferno.
Smart number-crunching and self-awareness were key.
"Normal!"
"Hard! Hard's the way!"
"If we hold, Hell's doable, right?"
Users shouted their picks into the air. But no change.
Majority vote?
Puzzled by the static selection window, the system soon clarified.
[Mission 2 difficulty selection authority granted to Mission 1's 1st place.]
"Gasp!"
"...We're screwed."
"Rokan, please...!"
Mission 1's top achiever: Rokan.
Everyone anticipated his choice.
"Inferno. Let's go with Inferno."
Heh.
Among the 500 survivors, only Rokan grinned.