Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: For Survival (3)
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[Tell me. Why aren't you proceeding with the mission?]
The demon spoke, tapping a foot on her crossed leg.
An intermediate-class demon, the 'Seductive Succubus'.
The kind commonly known as a succubus.
*So she's finally here.*
I thought she might show up tonight, and I was right on the money.
“Whoa…”
“Sh-She's incredible.”
She wasn't wearing the seductive attire often seen in pop culture, but her mere presence was overwhelming.
A beauty that seemed otherworldly. A voluptuous figure. An alluring aura that she exuded just by standing still.
Countless men couldn't take their eyes off the succubus.
*They're going to die.*
And I knew exactly what kind of personality this succubus had.
That's why I clicked my tongue as I watched the men staring holes into her.
[...How unpleasant.]
As the succubus frowned, the men shuddered as if electrocuted.
Immediately after.
*Drip.*
Eyes, nose, mouth, ears.
Blood streamed from their seven orifices as their eyes rolled back, and they died.
All from a single frown from the succubus.
“Aaaahhh!”
“Hiiiek!”
The people, finally realizing the being before them was a demon, screamed and backed away.
For a demon, killing a human is nothing.
Especially the power the succubus just used—it inflicts greater damage on those with low mental fortitude.
That was why you couldn't be captivated by her appearance.
To be captivated meant your mental fortitude was, however briefly, lowered.
[How dare you cast such filthy gazes upon me?]
Her displeasure was written all over her face.
She crossed her legs the other way, and despite having just seen how the others died, some were already sneaking glances.
“Oh dear. We've got one here, too.”
“N-No, I wasn't!”
Jo Min-ah narrowed her eyes and glared, and Jo Min-woo frantically averted his gaze.
*Hmm…*
Right. He's at that age.
“I-Is that what succubi are like…?”
“Weren't they supposed to pounce on any man they see to drain their life force?”
[Hilarious, truly. Do you get turned on by looking at insects?]
She scoffed, her gaze sweeping around.
Then, her eyes stopped on one person.
[You're not too bad.]
The succubus's gaze was fixed on Seong Woo-hyeon.
She simply licked her lips, a gesture more captivating than any other.
There was no telling what the succubus might do.
Perhaps because of that, cold sweat trickled down the back of Seong Woo-hyeon's neck.
[I'll ask you one thing, so answer me.]
“…What is it?”
[Why aren't you all proceeding with the mission? Is it too difficult, perhaps?]
“It is because there are weak individuals who find it difficult. To ignore them and proceed would be the same as sending them to their deaths for our own survival.”
Nearby, Jeong Ha-yeon slowly nodded.
Not everyone agreed.
In fact, even among the Jamryong Guild members near Seong Woo-hyeon, some wore subtle expressions of disapproval.
As if she didn't understand, the succubus tilted her head.
[But if you do that, all of you will die, no?]
“I believe there is still quite some time before the limit is up. We just need to find a solution within that time.”
[Hmph.]
The succubus gave a sensual smile.
Dammit, that was the wrong answer.
Seong Woo-hyeon's response was tantamount to digging his own grave.
[What a beautiful sight. So heartwarming.]
It was a positive reaction.
A glimmer of hope appeared on the faces of those classified as 'the weak'.
*Maybe she'll ease the conditions.*
*Maybe we can survive after all,* they might have thought.
[That's why I hate it.]
Like waking a student dozing off in a dream, the succubus snapped her fingers.
[A new clause will be added.]
[Each mission will now have a time limit.]
[Failure to proceed to the next mission within the time limit will result in expulsion to the Red Zone.]
[The contents of some clauses will be changed.]
A barrage of system messages, like a bolt from the blue, appeared before them.
“Wh-What is this!?”
“This can't be happening!”
Shouts erupted from all around.
They had to complete the mission within a time limit.
To complete the mission, they had to go to a gate in the Red Zone.
While they were hesitating out of fear or trying to figure out what to do, others would proceed, making the Red Zone expand and increasing the difficulty.
Then, if the time limit expired, they would be kicked out into the Red Zone, never to return to the Safety Zone.
A no-win dilemma.
*Was the time limit for the first mission 24 hours?*
For them, what had been a potential 12 days of survival had just been reduced to 24 hours in an instant.
“…Se-hyeon-ssi. You once said the demons weren't our enemies, right?”
“I did.”
“Is that… really true?”
“…Yes.”
Jeong Ha-yeon bit her lower lip hard.
She was suppressing a directionless rage.
They had all seen what happened when you confronted a demon head-on back at the stadium.
*They aren't enemies.*
I inwardly clicked my tongue, looking at the succubus whose lips were curled into a slight smile.
They're literally just not enemies.
But that doesn't make them allies, either.
*Besides, Zadkiel won't lend her his power.*
Jeong Ha-yeon clenched and unclenched her hand over her sword several times, but not once did the Holy Fire appear.
It meant Zadkiel did not define the succubus's actions as evil.
“Why is this only happening to us! If you think about it, the non-awakened are even less qualified!”
“Th-That's right! They're the ones who don't deserve to live!”
“They don't do anything and just get protected!”
“The ones who can't even pull their own weight are the ones who don't deserve it!”
The arrows of blame turned toward the non-awakened.
It reminded me of what happened at the stadium.
It was exactly the same.
Back then, too, hadn't internal conflict been about to erupt due to the friction between the awakened and the non-awakened?
“Y-You bastards, do you know who I am…? Shut those insolent mouths this instant!”
Among the non-awakened who had been watching the situation unfold from the side, a middle-aged man with distinctly droopy eyebrows roared.
I thought he looked familiar; he was a politician who often appeared on TV.
None of his usual bodyguards were around.
“What? Does this old man still think he has some power?”
“You wanna die right now!?”
“Y-You…!”
He stumbled backward as the players drew their weapons, revealing their killing intent.
The type of person who, despite how much time has passed since the world changed, still fails to grasp their own situation.
All people are equal before death, but death is unequal before power.
In a situation where might literally makes right, one's former profession held little weight.
[That's a good point, too.]
The succubus, who had been watching with interest, chimed in.
[Then how about this?]
Once again, the succubus snapped her fingers.
At that, the enraged politician, and the other non-awakened who were watching in fear…
All fell silent, staring intently into the empty air.
The players, who had been panting with excitement, sensed something was wrong and flinched.
“W-What is it? Did something pop up for them?”
“The look in their eyes is… unsettling.”
The group of non-awakened was a mix of various people.
Those seeing the system for the first time.
Those who were originally awakened but lost everything, either by failing to pay the usage fee or due to events like the coup during the Ruler's time.
*It's begun.*
[It's a Deathmatch.]
This was the moment in the story where a new faction comes to the forefront.
[It would be unfair for them to remain powerless, wouldn't it? So, I've presented them with a way to gain power. It's simple. If they kill a player, they can inherit a portion of that player's power. In short, kill a player, and you become a player.]
“Why would you do such a thing…!”
[As I said before, the total amount of power is limited, so I had no choice but to use this method.]
The succubus made a sad face and wiped at her eyes.
Even though she hadn't shed a single tear.
At some point, the look in the non-awakened's eyes had changed.
[The easiest way for second place to become first is to get rid of first place, right?]
The succubus's words tickled their ears like a sweet temptation.
There were already so many other problems to solve, and now they had to be wary of even non-players stabbing them in the back at any moment.
That was the biggest headache of Chapter 11.
One player bit his lip and took a step forward.
“If that's how it's going to be, then we should strike first…!”
[Think carefully. Right now, they are 'still' just poor, powerless people who haven't done anything. If you attack first, all your sponsorship from the angels will be cut off.]
At the succubus's words, the player who was about to act froze in place.
For them, with no quests and a hefty daily usage fee to pay, sponsorship was a source of coins like rain in a drought.
If that disappeared, they could essentially give up on any further growth.
In the worst case, they could lose all their player abilities for failing to pay the fee.
Thus, the players could only grit their teeth, unable to make a move.
[Well then, whether you cooperate or whatever, just try to survive. And don't drag things out and make it boring for me.]
The succubus vanished, and silence fell once more.
It wasn't the same silence as before.
It was the silence of a breeding ground filled with starving beasts, ready to tear each other apart at the first opening.
Their constantly shifting eyes were those of predators searching for prey.
No matter how many times I see it, this chapter always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I knew this would happen, but the stares, the looks in their eyes, and the atmosphere that had settled over this place…
There was a huge difference between just anticipating it and feeling it on my skin.
“It's… going to be okay, right?”
The twins grabbed my sleeves from either side.
A faint tremor traveled up through their hands.
Jo Min-ah, the more soft-hearted of the two, seemed especially anxious.
“I told you it's fine. If anything happens, your big brother will protect you!”
“Yeah, right.”
“…Wait. You hit me too hard.”
“Like I'd trust a fool like you to protect me.”
Jo Min-woo thumped his chest with a fist, and seeing this, Jo Min-ah gave a faint smile.
There's no stopping this situation from happening.
I'd tried many times, but the more I acted to prevent it, the deeper I sank into the mire.
The answer I'd arrived at was simple.
If you can't change the process, change the result.
“Choi Yeon-soo. Watch the kids for a minute.”
“Now? Don't tell me, you're going to…”
Choi Yeon-soo started to mention the mission, then quickly shut her mouth.
Mentioning going to clear the mission in a situation like this…
It was only natural to be cautious.
“No, not right now. There's something I need to take care of quickly.”
“…Alright. The leader's never been wrong before.”
“Hyung, where are you going?”
“I'll be back soon. Don't do anything to stand out. Just lay low.”
I quietly slipped away from the group.
A confrontation with an intermediate-class demon was best done quickly.
And that was likely what she wanted, too.
[Kim Se-hyeon.]
Sure enough, as soon as I moved into a deserted alley, the succubus who had vanished revealed herself as if she'd been there all along.
I played dumb.
“I thought you'd left.”
[My real business was with you. You did quite a number on our little darling, subjugating him like that.]
[M-My lady Succubus! I knew you came to save me!]
'One Who Covets Treasure' appeared out of nowhere and latched onto the Seductive Succubus.
The Seductive Succubus's eyes turned cold, and she mercilessly stomped on One Who Covets Treasure with the heel of her shoe.
[Be quiet. You useless thing.]
[Th-Thank you! Thank you!]
…He's even crazier than I thought.
I let out a dry laugh before turning my gaze back to the succubus.
“It's a contract from a Bet with the Devil. Even as his direct superior, you can't just break it as you please, can you?”
[Do you really think so? Do you know that much about our ways?]
The succubus touched a finger to her lips, a strange smile playing on them.