Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: Proving Qualification (3)
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“Three an hour. That’s not an insignificant number.”
As I cupped my hand to my mouth, feigning contemplation, Lee Do-hyeon hastily made his case.
“W-Well, I think we can just have people take turns activating it. Either way, the number of tokens each person needs will be less than fifty.”
“Yes, that’s right. It will ultimately cost less than the fifty tokens needed to clear the mission. That much is true.”
“Then…”
“Assuming you can get them quickly, that is.”
After this chapter, we would spend the next three chapters reducing the Red Zone through various incidents.
That meant those exiled to the Red Zone would be isolated for that entire time.
“Isn’t there teleportation?”
“That won’t work.”
Teleportation?
This game wasn't easy enough for such a simple workaround to be effective.
Within the Red Zone, including the temporary safety zones, only the caster could be affected by teleportation.
It was impossible to teleport others.
This meant we couldn't use the same method Jun Bo-ra had employed to teleport the group during the Disaster of Verdure raid.
“Isn’t that right, Lee Tae-hyeon-nim?”
I turned my gaze to a person standing near Seong Woo-hyeon.
He was the player from the Jamryong Guild who had come to scout me, an A-rank with a teleportation specialty.
Lee Tae-hyeon’s face darkened at my question.
“…That’s correct. It’s impossible to teleport others within the Red Zone, so a quick rescue via teleportation is not an option.”
“No way…!”
The mood shifted decisively.
Lee Do-hyeon’s idea, while a good attempt, was now seen as an unviable solution.
I drove the final nail in the coffin.
“Furthermore, the temporary safety zone only protects you from the effects of the Red Zone. It doesn’t stop monster attacks.”
“But we’ve all awakened as players now, so if we work together against the monsters…”
“Do you really think that’s possible?”
My expression turned cold.
Confidence is good to a certain degree, but baseless confidence is poison.
“You’ll have little to eat or drink, you won’t be able to sleep properly, you'll have to stand watch in shifts, and you'll be crammed into that tiny temporary safety zone with barely any room to move. That means when monsters attack from all sides, you won't even have space to dodge.”
“…”
The woman who had countered fell silent, unable to respond.
If we proceeded through the chapters honestly and reduced the Red Zone, it would take several days to rescue the survivors in the temporary safety zones.
They would have to endure all that time with no food or water.
It was a plan fraught with problems.
‘It was horrifying.’
I couldn't remember which playthrough it was.
I had barely managed to collect my share of tokens. Those who fell short followed Lee Do-hyeon’s method, clinging to a sliver of hope as they were exiled to the Red Zone.
After going through all sorts of hardships to shrink the Red Zone, I went to rescue them, only to find a scene of gruesome corpses, torn apart by monsters.
“And the most important thing.”
“…Is there more?”
“Those people have no coins. They can’t pay the usage fee. They haven’t done anything to earn a settlement, so the moment the clock strikes midnight today, they’ll fail to pay the fee and revert to being ordinary people.”
As players, even with randomly awakened powers, they could at least put up a fight. But with no power at all, they would be helpless.
And it would stay that way.
What’s more, if they reverted to being ordinary people while inside a temporary safety zone?
Then they would truly have no way to defend themselves against monsters.
Seong Woo-hyeon asked cautiously.
“So what you’re trying to say, Se-hyeon-nim, is…”
“We must clear the mission. There is no more perfect solution. Clearing the mission provides coins to pay the usage fee and allows for personal growth, building a foundation for the future.”
Clearing the mission had clear advantages.
The ability to remain in a safe residence and a steady supply of coins.
On the other hand, Lee Do-hyeon's method was merely a temporary extension of life; it solved nothing.
Seong Woo-hyeon let out a long sigh.
If it were possible, clearing the mission was obviously the right choice.
But the gap came from the fact that, realistically, it was impossible.
“Alright. Whether we follow Lee Do-hyeon-nim’s plan or clear the mission, the number of tokens required is still large, just to different degrees. Let’s set aside which method to use for now. Shouldn’t we first discuss how to gather a large number of tokens?”
Lee Min-hwa stepped forward and said.
“Kim Se-hyeon-nim, these people are desperate to grasp even the tiniest lifeline. As long as there’s no way for all of them to obtain the fifty tokens needed to clear the mission, their only choice is to take Lee Do-hyeon-nim’s option, which lets them live a little longer. Even if it only extends their lives by a day or two.”
Lee Min-hwa paused for a moment and looked around.
“…It’s better than dying the moment they’re exiled to the Red Zone.”
A quiet silence fell over the area.
Those who had just become players bowed their heads with somber expressions.
Lee Do-hyeon’s hopeful face from moments ago was gone, replaced by a look of utter helplessness.
Lee Min-hwa’s words were logical.
And I had been counting on her to say them.
“There is a way.”
“Pardon?”
I took out the pouch, which had become a massive sack, and placed it on the ground.
*Clatter.*
When I opened the pouch, some of its contents spilled out, rolling onto the floor.
All eyes were drawn to what I had suddenly poured out.
A massive pile of coin-like objects was strewn across the ground.
The very thing some had none of, and others needed to gather dozens more of within three hours.
“…Tokens.”
Someone muttered.
“Those are all tokens!”
“No way! How can there be so many!?”
A commotion erupted.
It was like someone who had starved for days finding a trove of ownerless bread.
Gazes mixed with desire and desperation clung to me.
“Oppa, where did you get all those…?”
“I was with you guys the whole time. I didn’t do anything special.”
“No, hyung. Didn’t we hunt together? The amount is just too different.”
Even my party members were dumbfounded.
The guild masters were no exception.
“To gather thousands of tokens by hunting monsters inside a gate… Se-hyeon-ssi, what in the world have you been hunting?”
“I just worked a little harder.”
I turned my head toward those who had just awakened.
They would never be able to gather the tokens in time.
The only way to do it in time was to perfectly clear at least two B-rank gates, including their hidden dungeons.
How could that possibly be feasible?
Even if the number of monsters attacking the residence had increased, hunting them wouldn't be nearly enough, given the original drop rate.
Was that all?
Everyone else was also trying to hunt those same monsters for tokens.
Competition would arise, further reducing the number of monsters one could practically hunt.
In the first place, with the power they currently possessed, they wouldn't be able to kill a single one.
Therefore, there was only one course of action for me to take here.
[The ‘Angel of Benevolence’ eagerly awaits your next move.]
Making assumptions, I see.
No doubt it expects me to donate this huge pile of tokens.
However, I had no intention of doing so.
I deliberately ignored the pleading eyes of Jeong Ha-yeon and the twins and continued.
“Perhaps I could donate all the tokens you need.”
I spoke, looking at the former civilians.
Their faces, which had been filled with uncertainty just moments ago, lit up.
“Then…!”
“Would you be okay with that?”
I lowered my voice.
The people who had momentarily brightened flinched and watched me cautiously.
[The ‘Angel of Benevolence’ is visibly flustered.]
[The ‘Devil Who Mocks the Heavens’ laughs under his breath.]
“You’ve finally gained power, so are you going to just wait for someone to lend you a hand forever? Is living helplessly, indebted to others, the right choice? What happens when there’s no one left to help you? What will you do then? Will you just pray desperately for a miracle, for someone to come to your aid?”
No one said a word.
This was the kind of world it was.
The surest way to protect yourself was to become strong.
If you gave that up and tried to live hidden in the shadows of others, you would be left exposed and helpless when those shadows disappeared.
These words would resonate even more deeply with them, as they had spent so long without any power.
Spotting someone trying to sneak up from behind to pick up a token, I swung my sword lightly.
*Swish.* Blood trickled from a shallow cut on the back of his hand.
“Hiek!”
“I’ll let it slide once, but there won’t be a next time.”
A few others who had the same idea flinched noticeably and moved away.
I couldn't afford any disruptions to my current task, so I settled for a small wound. If not for that, I would have cut off a hand to make a proper example of him.
“…You said we get coins as a reward for clearing the mission, right?”
A woman stepped forward.
Her eyes met mine directly, and a smile instinctively formed on my face.
She had good eyes.
People with eyes like that were bound to survive and eventually grow strong.
“I don’t have any coins right now. And I don’t have the strength to defeat monsters and get tokens. But, after I clear the mission, I’ll have plenty of coins.”
The woman stated her opinion clearly and articulately.
I crossed my arms and listened quietly.
She understood her situation well and was assessing the problem realistically.
Therefore, if she was as sharp as I thought, she would say what I wanted to hear.
“I’ll pay you later. If you give me the tokens first, I’ll pay the price right after I clear the mission.”
“I can’t easily trust a promise of future payment.”
“You’re strong. And I’d be branded a liar in front of all these people. In a world like this, who would team up or cooperate with a liar? Even if I wanted to take the tokens and run, the situation makes it impossible.”
My lips twisted slightly.
It was the result of forcibly suppressing the laugh that was about to escape.
If I had offered to sell the tokens for coins from the start, public opinion wouldn't have been favorable.
So, I had been waiting for someone who needed tokens to propose a deal first.
“M-Me too!”
“I promise I’ll pay you after I clear the mission!”
Judging her words to be correct, many others raised their hands, expressing the same sentiment.
My gaze shifted to Choi Yeon-soo, who was disguised as a stranger in the crowd.
Our eyes met, and she gave an awkward smile.
If that woman hadn't spoken up, Choi Yeon-soo would have said the same thing, as we had planned.
In the end, this turned out much better.
“Very well. I have seen your resolve. I feel like I should give them to you for free, but that would be to disregard your determination.”
I nodded, acting as if I were moved.
“For those of you who have just awakened, I’ll give you a special price of 100 coins for 10 tokens.”
As I said this with a gentle smile, their expressions brightened in turn.
Fifty tokens, the amount needed to clear the mission, for a mere 500 coins.
Even after paying me back, they would still have a considerable amount of coins left.
And for me, this was by no means a loss.
[The ‘Angel of Benevolence’ highly praises your actions.]
[You have received a sponsorship of 3000 coins.]
[The ‘Seat of the Blindfolded Scales’ nods, acknowledging your righteous judgment.]
[You have received a sponsorship of 2300 coins.]
[The ‘Guardian of the Holy Spear’…]
Sponsorships poured in explosively.
If I had just offered to sell the tokens, they would have looked down on me for not donating them despite having so many.
But by framing it this way, I appeared to be acting out of goodwill.
‘I’m in the black.’
My eyes gleamed as I watched the number of coins rise.
I was earning far more than I would have by simply selling the tokens.
With so many players gathered here, there were just as many angels watching.
Since I orchestrated this event while they were all paying attention, sponsorships were coming in from all of them.
And it wasn't just the angels.
There were also devils who had been watching with interest to see how this amusing situation would unfold.
[The ‘Devil Who Mocks the Heavens’ smirks, trying to hold back a laugh.]
[You have received a sponsorship of 2000 coins.]
[‘The Lurking Shadow’ shows great interest in you.]
[You have received a sponsorship of 800 coins.]