Chapter 50
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Get Help.
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[Congratulations! You have completed the quest first in this zone!]
[Congratulations! You have completed the quest first in all zones!]
[The current ranking of 'Black Scythe' is 1st in all zones and 1st in this zone.]
[As the 1st place reward for this zone, you will receive a 'Mid-Grade Rare Armor Selection Ticket'!]
[As the 1st place reward for all zones, you will receive a 'Special Reward Selection Box'!]
'A Mid-Grade Rare Armor Selection Ticket... I was thinking it was about time for new armor anyway. Perfect.'
Ryu Min, having checked the rewards, used it immediately.
[You may select one of the following rare armors.]
[Please touch the reward you desire.]
└ 1. Gleaming Bronze Armor
└ 2. Blood-Soaked Assassin's Suit
└ 3. Robe of Darkness
With only three options, the choices were limited.
'I have no choice but to pick number 2.'
[Blood-Soaked Assassin's Suit]
- Classification: Armor
- Grade: Rare
- Defense: 60
- Effects: Agility +4, Attack Speed +5%, Movement Speed +5%
- Durability: 600/600
- Requirement: Regular Grade or higher
- Description: A blood-soaked suit once worn by an assassin. It sometimes smells of blood.
The stats themselves weren't bad.
'The occasional smell of blood is a problem, though.'
Still, it was better than the Veteran Hunter's Leather Armor he had been wearing.
'I'll have to remove the lowest-grade indigo magic stone I socketed into the hunter's armor later.'
Removing it was simple enough.
Tapping the option added by the magic stone would prompt a message asking if you wanted to remove it.
Ryu Min used the final reward, the Special Reward Selection Box.
[You may select one of the following special rewards.]
[Please touch the reward you desire.]
└ 1. 50% Stat Increase Buff (Round 5 only)
└ 2. 5,000 Gold
└ 3. Information about Round 5
Just like the last round, there was no 3x experience buff this time.
'Not that there won't be any monsters, though.'
In Round 5, you actually had to go looking for monsters.
And unlike the previous rounds, this one had a bit of difficulty.
'A bit for me, but it'll feel incredibly difficult for the other players.'
That's how hard Round 5 was.
Even Ryu Min, who had a fair amount of experience, had died four times in Round 5 alone.
'If I hadn't been so greedy for the sub-quest, I wouldn't have died that many times.'
At the time, he had been curious about the sub-quest reward and focused solely on it, only to be killed by a monster.
Eventually, he managed to clear the sub-quest and claim the reward.
'Thankfully, it was worth it.'
He remembered being surprised by the unexpectedly good reward.
'This time, I'll not only take first place in the main quest but also complete all the sub-quests.'
Ryu Min chose the first reward.
Considering the difficulty, the stat increase would be helpful.
'It's not just Round 5 that's difficult.'
The difficulty would spike sharply every five rounds.
'Round 15, in particular, could be considered insanely difficult.'
The fact that even Ryu Min, who had already cleared it, felt a little tense said it all.
[Everyone's checked their ranks, right? Shall we proceed with the annihilation, then? Khehehe!]
"W-Wait...!"
"Angel! Please, have mercy...!"
There was no chance for excuses.
The 521 players who failed to rank were turned into a handful of ash.
Amidst the chaos, one person let out a sigh of relief.
It was Hwang Yong-min.
'I-I'm alive. I barely survived.'
Hwang Yong-min had managed to save his own skin.
His friends, however, were all annihilated without a single one left.
◀ ROUND 4 END ▶
[All Zones]
└ Survivors: 90,953,209
[This Zone: ESKS45-5]
└ Survivors: 521
[Your soul will now be transferred to your body in the original dimension.]
[Round 5 will begin at midnight on May 1, 2022. See you in the next round. Congratulations on your survival.]
* * *
Having returned to reality, Ahn Sang-chul was rushing somewhere.
"CEO Ma!"
*Beep! Click-*
As he opened the hotel room door with a master key, he saw CEO Ma Kyung-rok sleeping soundly on the bed.
"Phew..."
"Hmm? Manager Ahn?"
Startled by the sudden noise, Ma Kyung-rok sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"What brings you here? I don't recall summoning you."
"You weren't answering, so I took the liberty of coming in. I was worried something might have happened."
"Happened? What could have happened? Did you think I'd actually die in Round 4? Didn't you see the final tally?"
"I did. You took third place. Still, I was worried. It was such an insane round, after all."
Ma Kyung-rok nodded in agreement.
"That's why I collapsed on the bed as soon as I got back. I was just too mentally exhausted."
"I can imagine, after killing 433 people..."
"If you include the ones I killed multiple times, the number is probably higher."
Even for Ma Kyung-rok, who had psychopathic hobbies, this was the first time he had killed so many people.
It was only natural to be mentally drained.
"If I'm like this, what kind of monster is that man, Black Scythe? Killing 722 people... Is he even human?"
"Perhaps a current member of the special forces? For someone in Korea with that much nerve and skill, that's the only explanation..."
Ma Kyung-rok fell into deep thought.
'Who is that guy? How does he manage to take first place in all zones like it's nothing? And how did he level up so much?'
The more he thought about it, the more he could only feel admiration.
'If only I could cooperate with Black Scythe, it would be a huge help in clearing future rounds.'
It was a shame they couldn't meet because they were in different zones.
'I should ask that Prophet later. See if he knows anything about Black Scythe.'
Just as he was thinking that, Ahn Sang-chul brought up the Prophet.
"It's truly amazing. To think Round 4 would unfold exactly as the Prophet said. I was honestly skeptical until I saw it with my own eyes."
"I agree."
The two recalled Ryu Min's prophecy.
-Round 4 is not a monster-hunting quest. And a tragedy will unfold where players kill each other. Do be careful not to get stabbed by a player near you.
'It happened just as he prophesied. The information that major shareholder gave us was accurate.'
Now, the two of them could believe it without a doubt.
The fact that Ryu Min was undeniably a prophet.
"What do we do now, CEO Ma?"
"What do you mean?"
"About the prophet, Ryu Min. Are you really planning to go into business with him...?"
"Of course. He's a 51% majority shareholder. What authority do I have? The fate of the company is practically in Major Shareholder Ryu Min's hands."
"Then are you saying you'll completely overhaul the business as he says?"
"Is there a need to ask? He says the company can grow. And..."
Ma Kyung-rok spoke with eyes full of determination.
"Separate from that, we must make Major Shareholder Ryu Min our ally. Don't look down on him because he's young, and don't let your pride get in the way. Even if you don't like his actions, you must praise him and play along. That's how..."
A corner of Ma Kyung-rok's mouth curled up.
"We can suck every last drop of honey from the honey pot that is the Prophet. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I will be careful in my conduct when dealing with Ryu Min from now on."
"Good. Then call him right now. To check if our Prophet Ryu Min is still alive."
"What should I say when I call?"
"Tell him if he has time today, we should all have a party tonight to celebrate our survival. And say that if he has family, we'll invite them all."
"Understood."
"And invite Actress Seo to the party as well."
"You mean Seo Ah-rin?"
"It wouldn't be a party without a celebrity, would it?"
A sly smile spread across Ma Kyung-rok's face.
* * *
*Thud-*
Ryu Min, dressed in casual clothes, stepped out of the Lamborghini.
He waved at the woman standing before him.
"Over here."
It was none other than Min Ju-ri.
She waved back with a happy expression.
"Ryu Min! You look okay!"
"You too."
"What's the occasion? You've never asked me to lunch before."
"Just a meal to celebrate our survival. It's on me, so don't worry."
"W-Who said I was worried?"
*You were worried, though.*
Since I could hear her thoughts, I even knew about her inner panic.
"Let's go. I've booked a nice place."
"Ahem, well, if you insist. I guess I'll take advantage of my rich friend?"
The man and woman in the Lamborghini sped through the city.
During the drive, Min Ju-ri chatted naturally with Ryu Min.
Was it because they had revealed their runes to each other?
Unlike last time, the atmosphere was comfortable.
"Thank you, Prophet. Thanks to you, I was able to prepare for Round 4. I would have been really flustered if you hadn't given me a heads-up."
"Did you ever think I might be lying?"
"Of course not. What would you have to gain from lying to me about something like this?"
"Thanks for believing me."
On the other hand, he felt a prick of conscience.
A white lie was still a lie, after all.
He also felt a little sorry for reading her private thoughts she didn't want revealed.
Unaware of his inner conflict, Min Ju-ri said with a smile,
"No need to thank me. I'm the one who should be thanking you. Do you know how nerve-wracking it was to kill people? You felt that way too, right?"
"Huh? Of course..."
Of course not.
He had felt not a shred of hesitation or wavering when he killed.
If anything, he was more shaken now.
"If you hadn't told me I needed to kill at least 30 people to pass, I would've been annihilated for sure. Thank you."
Feeling her sincere gratitude, Ryu Min smiled faintly.
'There's nothing to be so thankful for.'
Even if he hadn't given her a heads-up, Min Ju-ri would have survived.
The Rune of Protection, which grew stronger the more people were around, would have saved her life time and again.
'Besides, she's more resilient than she looks.'
She wasn't a greenhouse flower like Seo Ah-rin, but more like a weed growing outside of it.
"We're here. This is the place."
The two entered a high-end traditional Korean restaurant.
He chose it because a regular restaurant might feel too much like a date, which he thought would make her uncomfortable.
"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?"
"Yes. For two."
As they entered the private room, the 200,000 won course meal they had pre-ordered was served.
Once the staff left with the food, the two were left alone in the enclosed space.
It was the perfect place for a conversation.
"Eat up."
"Thanks, I'll enjoy the meal."
'She's said 'thank you' so many times.'
Ryu Min chuckled and picked up his chopsticks.
The food was quite to his liking.
But for some reason, Min Ju-ri wasn't touching her food.
-Sigh, do I, a murderer, deserve this? I came because Ryu Min invited me, but I don't think I can eat in peace...
Reading her thoughts, it seemed she was still feeling the discomfort from having killed.
'It's understandable. No matter how resilient Min Ju-ri is, she's still just an ordinary person.'
It was surprising she had managed to act fine until now.
Worried, Ryu Min put down his utensils as well.
"Ju-ri. Why aren't you eating?"
"Huh? Oh, my stomach's a little..."
"Is it because you killed people?"
"..."
"Don't beat yourself up over it. Don't blame yourself, either. You had to survive."
"That's true, but..."
"You're not the only one. Me, other people, we all had to kill out of necessity. It was unavoidable."
"Still, I killed people..."
"Stop."
Deciding he needed to be a bit firmer, Ryu Min spoke coolly.
"So what? Are you just going to stand by and do nothing if something like this happens again? If you do, you'll be the one who gets hurt."
"..."
"Just think about yourself. I know it's hard, but that's the right way. You have a family to protect, don't you?"
"Family..."
For a moment, Min Ju-ri thought of her only father.
She couldn't imagine how sad he would be if she never woke up from her sleep.
With that motivation, her wavering heart began to solidify.
"You're right. I forgot about my family. Maybe that's how I've been holding on until now."
There was no longer any wavering in Min Ju-ri's eyes.
"Thank you, Ryu Min. For comforting me."
"It's nothing. Just hurry up and eat this delicious food to get it off your mind."
"Hehe, okay."
Her spirits lifted, Min Ju-ri finally picked up her spoon and chopsticks.
She tried a bit of everything and couldn't help but marvel.
"This is really delicious. I feel like all the fatigue from Round 4 is just melting away."
"I'm glad to hear that."
After devouring the main course of grilled beef, followed by the platter of delicacies and scorched rice soup, the two patted their stomachs in surrender.
An unparalleled sense of happiness washed over them.
"That was a really great meal, Min."
"This is the first time you've just called me Min."
"Oh, was it? If it's okay, can I call you that from now on?"
"As you like."
"Phew, I'm so full. Dessert is coming too, right?"
"Of course."
Watching Min Ju-ri wait with expectant eyes, Ryu Min almost burst out laughing.
She looked like a puppy waiting for a treat from its owner.
When jujube tea and ice cream were served for dessert, Min Ju-ri's eyes sparkled.
"I'll eat well!"
Was it just his imagination, or was she more energetic than before?
'Well, Min Ju-ri always did love to eat. Especially ice cream.'
He had specifically chosen a restaurant that served ice cream for dessert for this very reason.
He had needed to lift her spirits.
With all the food served and no more interruptions, he slowly brought up the main topic.
"The reason I asked to see you today wasn't for nothing."
"Huh?"
"I wanted to share some information about Round 5."
"Round 5?"
Surprised, Min Ju-ri glanced toward the door and lowered her voice.
"...Did you see the future?"
"Yes. Round 5 will be much harder than any of the previous rounds. And zone integration will occur."
"Zone integration...?"
"It means the separate zones will merge and become one."
At this startling revelation, Min Ju-ri's eyes widened.
"Th-Then does that mean you and I could meet?"
"That's right. Though not in Round 5."
In truth, they would meet in Round 5, but Ryu Min deliberately lied about the timing.
'If I tell her we'll be in the same zone, Min Ju-ri will definitely try to find me.'
If he met Min Ju-ri in the other world, his lie would be exposed.
It wasn't as if he could hide his nickname.
Not yet, anyway.
'Not that I have no intention of meeting her.'
To coexist with Min Ju-ri, he naturally had to be by her side.
And there was a way to do that.
A way to meet her while hiding his identity.
"Listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
"Okay. I'm listening."
"As I said before, Round 5 is quite difficult. You might not be able to pass it. But, there is one way."
"What is it?"
After a pause, Ryu Min said with a serious face,
"Go find the Black Scythe. Find him and get his help."