Chapter 33
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Rank Up
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Shhkk-!
[You have defeated a goblin!]
[A 3x experience buff is active.]
[Experience +0.4%]
[Gold +3.33]
[Additional Gold +1.66]
[Current Kills: 502/100]
[Due to the effect of the Slaughter Rune, all stats are increased by 100%.]
[Due to the effect of the Skeletal Bone Necklace, attack speed is increased by 25%.]
Ryu Min, who had been slicing goblins in two, checked his gold reserves.
‘I’ve already earned nearly 2,000 gold.’
The first wave wasn't even over, yet he had already amassed a considerable amount.
Thanks to his high luck stat, he was often receiving additional gold.
‘At this rate, I should have no problem collecting 20,000 gold during the second wave.’
He only needed 4,000 more gold to have 20,000 in hand.
Then he could buy the common skill he wanted.
‘After that, I'll need to earn another 20,000 gold to buy another common skill.’
Ryu Min's goal for this round was to purchase two common skills.
‘If I can do that…’
He could accelerate the plan he was preparing.
‘The plan to obtain the Rune of Inner Thoughts.’
A grin spread across Ryu Min's face as he checked his level.
He had already hit level 18, so reaching level 20 in the next wave would be easy.
‘I'll hit level 30 this round. And I'll buy two common skills.’
Having set his goals, he swung his scythe.
Shhhkk-!
Three or four goblins were inevitably sliced in two.
‘The good thing about a scythe is how well it works for mass slaughter like this.’
Due to the nature of the scythe, a single swing could decapitate up to four enemies.
Moreover, its reach was long like a spear, so with proper use, he could kill without taking a single hit.
Was it because he had single-handedly wiped out over 500 of them?
"Kieee…"
"Kiik…"
The goblins, as if sensing fear, began to shuffle backward, avoiding Ryu Min.
"If you won't come to me, I'll just go to you."
He had already accumulated all the necessary stacks, so there was nothing to fear.
After fighting for another five minutes…
Bwoooo-
A horn signaling the end of the wave sounded, and a message appeared.
[You have successfully defended against the 1st wave!]
[Surviving Players: 3,933]
[Deceased Players: 967]
[All survivors will be rewarded with 500 gold.]
Only about 80% of the 4,900 players had survived.
Even weakened goblins were not to be underestimated.
Ryu Min glanced toward the village.
He could see Jo Joong-sik, panting for breath.
‘As expected, he survived.’
With Jo Joong-sik's skills, he would have no trouble surviving up to the fourth wave.
‘And he’ll even get a class in the process.’
But Ryu Min knew.
It would be difficult for Jo Joong-sik to make it out of this round.
* * *
"Hah, hah, damn it."
Jo Joong-sik was breathing heavily, but his eyes were sharp.
If he let his guard down, he could be ambushed at any moment.
‘Are these bastards ignoring the goblins just to target me?’
He had lost count of how many close calls he'd had before the first wave ended.
The blades of his supposed allies, stabbing at him from all directions, were far more vicious.
‘Still, it’s a good thing I have these guys.’
Jo Joong-sik's gaze fell upon a burly man.
It was Black Flame Dragon in the Right Hand, whom he had recently brought to his side.
‘This Right of Command is pretty useful. I can even make the 3rd ranked player in the district my subordinate.’
Next to him stood the muscular Hwang Yong-min, but he hadn't used the Right of Command on him.
‘He follows me well enough, calling me his senior, so there’s no need.’
He had used the Right of Command to recruit several other skilled players as his personal guards.
‘With them acting as my meat shields, I don’t have to worry about any more ambushes, but…’
Jo Joong-sik glanced at his side.
The bleeding from the initial ambush had been severe.
‘Can I last through the remaining waves…?’
Still, he had to survive.
He would survive no matter what and make it into the top ranks.
Then he would pass this round for all to see.
‘As long as I pass, my wounds will be completely healed.’
Seeing how the injuries from the voting round had been fully treated, he was sure he could look forward to the next round as long as he survived.
Bwoooooo-
A horn sounded, and a message appeared.
Thirty minutes had passed since the first wave began.
[2nd Wave]
[3,933 Players vs. 7,866 Weakened Goblins and Hobgoblins]
[Due to the round's trait, the goblins are weakened to one-third of their usual strength.]
[May fortune be with you!]
The monsters were tougher, but their numbers had decreased.
‘It seems the number of monsters is double the number of remaining players.’
Jo Joong-sik waited for the monsters, his face tense.
Then, he happened to spot Black Scythe standing at the entrance.
‘Looks like that guy is planning to go on another solo rampage.’
He turned away with a look of disgust.
For now, he had to focus on surviving this round.
Surviving the monster attacks, and the player ambushes.
‘I will survive, no matter what.’
A determination to do whatever it took to live flickered in Jo Joong-sik's eyes.
* * *
During the second wave, Ryu Min once again held the entrance by himself.
Shhk- Shhhkk!
"Kieeek!"
"Kek!"
As he continued his goblin slaughter, a welcome change occurred.
He had reached his desired level of 20.
[Your rank has increased from 'Apprentice' to 'Regular'.]
[You can now use the Combine function.]
The newly unlocked Combine function was as useful as the Shop.
‘I mean, you can create Unique or higher-grade items that you can’t get from the Shop. That says it all.’
Of course, crafting a Unique item was no easy task.
It required materials that only appeared in specific rounds and were difficult to obtain.
Just knowing the recipe didn't mean you could craft it right away.
‘That’s why I need to use Ma Kyung-rok. To make items more easily.’
If he could get on the same boat as Ma Kyung-rok as planned, procuring items would be no problem.
‘But that's something to think about after I pass this round.’
Ryu Min's gaze returned to the message window.
[In celebration of your rank up, the Mark of Death skill will be enhanced!]
[The additional damage of the Mark of Death skill is increased from 100% -> 120%.]
[Additionally, you have learned the Scythe-exclusive skill 'Night of Death'!]
[The next skill can be learned automatically upon reaching level 40.]
Becoming a Regular had enhanced his existing skill.
‘Now I can deal 120% additional damage with the Mark of Death.’
Not only that, but he also learned a new skill.
[Exclusive Skill – Night of Death]
-Effect: Spreads an aura of darkness over a 500m radius, creating an artificial night.
Can be dispelled at the caster's will.
The description was simple, but its effect was not to be underestimated.
‘It’s a perfect skill for the Scythe Rune, which gets stronger at night.’
Due to the rune's trait, his attack speed increased by 50% at night, and the probability of being detected decreased significantly.
It was truly a skill made for a scythe wielder.
‘Now I won’t have any problem getting the attack speed buff even during the day. I have Night of Death.’
More importantly, the Night of Death skill was essential for obtaining the Rune of Inner Thoughts.
‘And the common skills I plan to buy are also crucial.’
Ryu Min used the stat points he gained from leveling up on Luck.
It was now at a similar level to his Agility.
‘That’s enough for Luck for now. I’ll only put points into Strength until level 30.’
His Strength stat was the lowest, so he needed to raise it for balance.
"Kiiit!"
Just as he closed the status window, goblins rushed toward him.
Ryu Min smiled as if to welcome them.
‘Perfect timing, since I just learned a new skill.’
He immediately cast Night of Death.
Duuung-
A 500-meter radius was enveloped in darkness.
"What's happening all of a sudden?"
"Why did it get dark?"
"I can't see anything!"
The surrounding players were flustered, but he had no time to pay them any mind.
Shhk-! Shhk-!
He was too busy slaughtering goblins with his 50% faster attack speed.
[You have successfully defended against the 2nd wave!]
[Surviving Players: 3,343]
[Deceased Players: 590]
[All survivors will be rewarded with 500 gold.]
The second wave ended as he hit level 21.
Thankfully, he had managed to collect the 20,000 gold he had aimed for.
‘Now I can buy a common skill.’
Without delay, Ryu Min opened the shop window and found the item he wanted.
[Common Skill – Presence Detection]
-Effect: Allows you to detect the presence of targets within a 30m radius.
<Purchase Price: 20,000 Gold>
Presence Detection was an excellent skill that allowed him to identify all targets within a 30-meter radius.
‘It even lets you detect things behind you, making it an essential skill in a chaotic battle like this.’
Ryu Min purchased the skill without a second thought.
Since it was a passive skill, he could immediately perceive the targets around him.
‘The only things within 30 meters are goblin corpses.’
If a player had been among them, he would have needed to be cautious.
It was unlikely they would be approaching with good intentions.
‘Now I just need to collect another 20,000 gold and buy the other common skill.’
With three waves and the sub-quest left, earning 20,000 gold should be easy.
* * *
[3rd Wave]
[3,343 Players vs. 6,686 Weakened Hobgoblins]
[You have successfully defended against the 3rd wave!]
[Surviving Players: 3,001]
[Deceased Players: 342]
[4th Wave]
[3,001 Players vs. 6,002 Weakened Hobgoblins and Gnolls]
[You have successfully defended against the 4th wave!]
[Surviving Players: 2,700]
[Deceased Players: 301]
"Hoo, hoo…"
He had survived up to the fourth wave.
With only the final fifth wave remaining, Jo Joong-sik opened the progress window.
[Time remaining until the end of the round: 01:04:21]
‘One more hour. If I can just hold out for one more hour, I can get out of here alive.’
The pain in his side was severe, but he could somehow endure for an hour.
An ambush from other players?
He wasn't concerned about that anymore.
‘As long as these guys are protecting me, my life isn’t in danger.’
Jo Joong-sik looked at the guards surrounding him with a trusting expression.
The ten guards he had dominated with his Right of Command stood gallantly.
‘This Right of Command is really something. I can make people do my bidding like this.’
Thanks to them, he could hunt safely without worrying about ambushes.
Although he had used up all ten uses of the Right of Command.
‘Who cares if I used them all? Right now, survival is the most important thing.’
Perhaps because of the bloody battles he had fought, Jo Joong-sik had obtained a Gladiator class change item while hunting monsters.
And as soon as he reached level 10, he became a Gladiator.
‘I’ve even changed my class. I can’t die like this.’
If he could just survive the final fifth wave, he could look forward to the next round.
‘I’m going to get stronger. So strong that I’ll rip the heads off all those bastards who targeted me.’
Remembering the players who had mocked and looked down on him for being a gangster, Jo Joong-sik ground his teeth.
If he made it out alive, he would slaughter every last player he came across.
Just then, the horn signaling the final wave sounded.
[5th Wave]
[2,700 Players vs. 10,800 Weakened Gnolls]
[Due to the round's trait, the gnolls are weakened to one-third of their usual strength.]
[May fortune be with you until the very end!]
Jo Joong-sik's eyes widened when he saw the number of gnolls.
‘Ten thousand? Why are there so many?’
Since it was the final wave, their numbers were four times that of the players.
‘Nothing to worry about. I have my guards to protect me.’
Jo Joong-sik actually saw it as a chance to set a record.
He had been thinking that his performance was still not enough to get into the top 25%.
"Grrr!"
"Grrrrr!"
Over ten thousand gnolls bared their teeth and charged.
The 2,700 players clashed with the gnolls.
"Die!"
"Die, you sons of bitches!"
The players fought frantically.
Black Scythe was still holding the entrance alone.
Inspired by the sight, Jo Joong-sik's fighting spirit ignited.
‘I will get stronger. I will survive!’
Trusting the guards under his command, he began to hunt in earnest.
Without the need to watch his back, he could quickly immerse himself in the battle.
But that didn't last long.
"Keok!"
"Kuaak!"
"W-what?"
Two of the guards he had been using as meat shields were stabbed and fell.
A group of players who had conspired to target Jo Joong-sik had broken through his defenses.
"There he is! The gangster!"
"The District Representative title is mine!"
Was it because this was their last chance?
They were clearly determined, as the number of allied players exceeded thirty.
"Stop them! You fucking guards! Stop them!"
Even without his command, the guards were already blocking the attackers.
The order to protect Jo Joong-sik was already ingrained in their minds.
But handling thirty players was no easy feat.
Stab- Stab-!
"Guheok!"
"Aaaargh! Aaargh!"
The players aiming for the District Representative title and the players dominated by the Right of Command engaged in a bloody battle.
‘Th-this isn’t good. They might break through.’
He had assembled his guards from what he thought were skilled players, but they were all of a similar level.
As if to prove there's no hero against a mob, his guards fell one by one.
‘Shit, I'm fucked.’
Jo Joong-sik abandoned his fighting guards and quickly fled.
This was no time for hunting.
He was about to be killed by other players.
"There he goes!"
"After him!"
Seeing Jo Joong-sik flee, the players chased after him with murderous intent.
‘Fuck! I just need to survive this wave, just this one wave!’
As Jo Joong-sik cursed under his breath, his eyes suddenly locked onto one person.
The player with the nickname Black Scythe.
He was the only savior who could resolve this situation.
"H-Hey, Black Scythe! I accept your offer! I'll do anything you say, just protect me!"
As Jo Joong-sik clung to Black Scythe, the pursuing players hesitated.
They could handle anyone else, but the former number one player in the district was a daunting opponent even for them.
"Huh? Black Scythe! I said I accept your offer! Just protect..."
"I refuse."
Jo Joong-sik's face froze at the cold words.
"I told you before, didn't I? That I wouldn't get involved."
Black Scythe, Ryu Min, stared at Jo Joong-sik with icy eyes.
"Live or die, it's your problem."