Chapter 93
Chapter 93.
1st place – Yoo Doa
2nd place – Lee Ganghan
3rd place – Shin Yuri
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Starting from 1st place.
A ranking table with names and rankings listed all the way to 200th place.
Lee Ganghan looked at the name that appeared there and figured out the short-haired Divine Maiden's real name.
Yoo Doa, huh.
'So 1st place really was her.'
The Yoo clan.
But this, she has the same surname as mother?
'The Divine Maiden ghost also knew herself as Yoo Seran...... All three have the common point of being from the Yoo clan.'
Does the Yoo clan have some connection with the Divine Maiden of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect?
While Lee Ganghan was finding these overlapping parts.
"Hah...... 45th place."
"What's important about ranking? What's important is that it ends."
"Right. So what if we're last place? Escaping from this hell comes first."
Some people looked at their ranking table and were disappointed.
Some people said this kind of thing was meaningless and just waited for the test in Heavenly Demon Valley to end.
However,
[Rewards will be given appropriately according to ranking.]
With the ranking table still floating there.
When that message appeared below it, a strange tension began to circulate among the people.
"They're giving rewards......?"
"After all this suffering we've endured......! We should at least get something useful as a reward!"
"Right! They forcibly dragged us here and how many times did we die! I'm going to get something no matter what!"
Venting the resentment of dying over and over again until now.
People harboring expectations about rewards.
However.
[From 51st to 200th place will be expelled without receiving any rewards.]
"What......?"
"Th, they're not giving anything?!"
From 51st to 200th place.
150 people received no rewards whatsoever.
Flash......!
Their entire bodies were dyed in pure white light and disappeared.
"No way...... they got expelled?"
"Just like that, so simply?"
The people who were surprised to see 3/4 of them disappear from Heavenly Demon Valley in the blink of an eye.
"B, but at least they're getting us out of this hell, right?"
"That's right......! At least they're letting us out!"
"Right. What's important about rewards......! Getting out is what's important!"
Finding meaning in being able to get out of here.
They waited for the next message.
And.
[From 20th to 50th place will receive a random S-grade trait as a reward.]
At the message saying they'd give S-grade traits.
People opened their eyes wide.
"S-grade trait......?"
"Don't tell me it's a Player trait?!"
"That's impossible! S-grade......"
S-grade traits that are treated preciously even among countless Players.
If only one could possess an S-grade trait.
It was worth about winning the lottery.
No, it could be said to be an even better reward than that.
Outstanding Players were courted by various countries around the world trying to recruit them.
"Th, that suffering was worthwhile......!"
"If it's S-grade, I don't need to study!!!"
"But then how good must the higher-level rewards be?"
While the excited people.
Were watching what kind of rewards the next level would give.
[From 6th to 19th place will receive a random SS-grade trait as a reward.]
[From 3rd to 5th place will receive a random SSS-grade trait as a reward.]
6th to 19th place get SS-grade.
3rd to 5th place get SSS-grade traits - messages appeared consecutively.
"Up to SSS-grade...... they're giving that here......?"
"Wow. What's this difference of just one rank......!"
The people below 20th place who were happy just to receive S-grade.
Looking at the higher-level rewards, they looked at each other with gazes mixed with regret and envy.
Though names appeared on the ranking table.
Since they didn't all know each other's names.
"Who's getting SSS-grade?"
"I'm jealous......"
Without knowing for certain who received SSS-grade.
And who received SS-grade.
They were just eyeing each other.
Of course, among them.
"Wow......! I'm SS too!"
"This is it......! When I return to reality, I'm dropping out of school immediately!"
There were some teenagers who were excited and showing off.
But such people were a minority at most.
And.
[2nd place will receive EX-grade equipment 'Demon-Conquering Heavenly Ascension Blade'.]
Looking at the 2nd place message that appeared afterward.
People blinked their eyes.
"Equipment......?"
"They're giving an item?"
"SSS-grade trait is better than equipment."
"2nd place is actually at a disadvantage?"
Wondering what they'd give 2nd place as a reward surpassing SSS-grade traits.
It was equipment called Demon-Conquering Heavenly Ascension Blade.
'Just from the name, it seems to be a sword.'
Was this originally the reward I should have received?
Lee Ganghan looked at the 2nd place reward Demon-Conquering Heavenly Ascension Blade.
And recalled when the demon character was carved on his chest.
The long sword that the short-haired Divine Maiden held at that time.
Could that possibly be the Demon-Conquering Heavenly Ascension Blade?
'Breaking through the barrier in one strike, and floating this kind of screen in the air too...... it didn't seem like an ordinary sword.'
When Lee Ganghan was making such speculations.
[1st place will receive the trait 'Heavenly Demon Constitution'.]
Finally, even the 1st place reward appeared.
***
"Heavenly Demon Constitution......"
"They've been making us suffer all this time to select the Heavenly Demon, right?!"
"That...... certainly deserves to be called a 1st place reward."
Compared to the 2nd place reward, Demon-Conquering Heavenly Ascension Blade.
1st place 'Heavenly Demon Constitution' was a reward befitting the purpose of Heavenly Demon Valley.
Thinking that the gap between 1st and 2nd place rewards was too large.
People looked back and forth between Yoo Doa and Lee Ganghan.
'Even if they don't all know each other's names, it seems everyone noticed that we two are 1st and 2nd place.'
Well, of course.
Passing through all the tests of Heavenly Demon Valley.
The people who received life-line-like light from the sky were exactly these two.
Even if they didn't know what Korean names meant.
Anyone with a bit of sense would have noticed that 1st and 2nd place would come from those two people.
At that moment.
Ding.
[Everyone's ranking will be displayed above their heads.]
Along with the message that rankings would appear.
Faaaa......!
Numbers began to appear above people's heads.
Above Yoo Doa's head, the number 1 flashed in blood-red color.
'My head is...... 2nd.'
Above Lee Ganghan's head, the number 2 sparkled in pure white light.
And from the rest.
All uniformly generated blue-colored numbers, listed from 3rd to 50th place.
Then.
[30 minutes are given for rank change opportunity.]
[When a candidate dies, their score decreases, and rankings can change in real-time according to scores.]
[During 'rank change time', even if you die, you will revive after 1 minute.]
[Don't miss the opportunity for rank change!]
Saying that when candidates die their scores decrease.
A message appeared telling them not to miss the 'opportunity'.
"What...... what does this mean?"
"If you die, your score decreases...... rankings change according to scores......"
"Th, this, don't tell me they're telling us to kill each other?!"
The candidates who were figuring out the true meaning by looking at the message.
Gulp.
Swallowed their saliva and distanced themselves from each other.
Mainly those being careful were people ranked 19th or higher who would receive SS-grade traits.
In contrast.
"S-grade is...... not enough. After dying countless times here, just S-grade alone isn't enough!"
"Right. Those bastards' high rankings are ultimately just because they stuck close to Lee Ganghan! Looking at it, the ones who got good light exposure have high rankings!"
"That's right! Especially that 3rd place woman! She stuck right next to the man and didn't die, so that's why she has that ranking!"
From 20th to 50th place.
People who received S-grade traits held weapons with fierce eyes.
And glared at the higher-ranked positions above them.
As soon as the message appeared.
An atmosphere where explosive tension was already brewing.
'This...... the speed of losing composure and going crazy is too fast. Is the environment of Heavenly Demon Valley that bad?'
The difference between S-grade and SS-grade traits was significant.
But even so, for people's attitudes to immediately change to 'kill that guy and climb up' as soon as the message appeared.
There was a strange sense of unease.
"First, let's drag down those bastards......!"
"We don't need to fight among ourselves, right? Dragging down the SS-grades comes first!"
Before long, from 20th to 50th place.
The people who received S-grade formed groups and pressured those with higher rankings.
"Are you crazy, these people......!"
"Really trying to kill people? Just to raise their trait grade by one level?"
"Everyone, let's stick together! We can't just die like this!"
Those from 19th place and above were also gathering together in response.
A critical situation where both sides were about to clash.
At that moment.
"Stop."
Step, Step.
Yoo Doa walked between the two groups.
Holding a long sword in one hand, she looked around at the crowd.
"Stay still."
She blocked the dispute between the two groups from the middle.
"1, 1st place......?!"
"Why all of a sudden......?!"
Yoo Doa, who until now had been merciless and tearless.
Never sharing even a speck of light.
And had indiscriminately massacred people.
When such a person now tried to interfere in the dispute.
"Y, you, why are you interfering now?!"
"When we asked you to share some light, you cut off our necks like that......!"
The lower-ranked people burst with frustration.
However,
When a few people got too excited, they came forward and pointed fingers.
Swish!
Their necks were immediately cut off by the sword she held.
"Ah...... ah......"
"Again...... she killed......"
"......"
Then silence flowed through the crowd.
Right.
This woman.
If she decided to do something, she would do it.
"I told you to stay still, didn't I?"
When Yoo Doa warned once more.
People unconsciously stepped backward.
The 1st place who boasted the most cruel handiwork in Heavenly Demon Valley.
With physical abilities of a different class, a disaster-like existence they couldn't even dare to oppose.
The candidates who were divided into two factions and about to fight lost their fighting spirit.
She swept her gaze over such people.
"Lee Ganghan."
She approached Lee Ganghan and called his name.
"What business do you have?"
"Heavenly Demon, you do it."
"......What?"
At words he never expected, Lee Ganghan blinked as if confused.
This was the same for the surrounding people.
They were just staring at Yoo Doa with expressions of not understanding what was going on.
"Stab me with that sword."
"......I have no intention of killing people to raise my ranking."
"Are you stupid? Even if Demon-Conquering Heavenly Ascension Blade is EX-grade, it's still just an item. It can't even be compared to Heavenly Demon Constitution, you know?"
"What about you then?"
"Me?"
Yoo Doa opened her mouth at Lee Ganghan's counter-question.
"I'm different. I'm sick of being the Heavenly Demon."
Sick of it.
Does this have something to do with being a Divine Maiden of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect?
'But somehow, she talks like someone who's tried being the Heavenly Demon before.'
Maybe because it was a video from Yoo Doa's perspective.
He couldn't see what expression she was making while saying these things.
However.
"So hurry up and kill me."
Her appearance urging Lee Ganghan to kill her.
Felt like she was sincere about giving up 1st place.
"......Whatever you say, I have no intention of killing people now that it's all over."
"Even though you can obtain Heavenly Demon Constitution?"
"That's right."
"Were you that moral? You were cutting away without hesitation earlier too."
"I only cut down people who turned into monsters."
Lee Ganghan with a firm voice, saying he wouldn't kill people to obtain Heavenly Demon Constitution.
"So that's how it is......"
Yoo Doa, who was trailing off her words at this.
Swiiiish.
Drew her sword from its sheath again.
Then.
Swish.
Without hesitation brought the blade to her own neck.
"Then there's no choice."
"You, don't tell me......?"
With Lee Ganghan's shocked face as the last thing.
Sliiiiice!
With the sound of something being cut.
The screen went completely black.
"Huh......?"
What's this.
That short-haired Divine Maiden from before.
Don't tell me she cut her own neck?
'They said scores decrease when you die, so suicide could also be a factor that decreases scores, but......'
But how many people in the world would cut their own neck so decisively?
And that too, giving up 1st place to become 2nd.
When Lee Ganghan couldn't help but be surprised at Yoo Doa's action.
Whirrrr......
The screen that had gone black showed Heavenly Demon Valley again.
The first thing that appeared there.
Was Lee Ganghan still wearing '2' above his head.
"What. I'm still 1st place?"
Swish.
Looking back and forth between her own head sprawled on the ground.
And Lee Ganghan's number, Yoo Doa.
"I'll have to die again."
Swiiish.
She brought the blade to her neck again.
Swish!
She cut her own neck once more.
'She didn't die just once......?'
Thus.
The Divine Maiden who committed suicide for the second time.
"I'm still 1st place? Why is the score difference so big? You haven't died once either. Ah, is it because you haven't killed anyone?"
When the ranking didn't change even on the third revival, she grumbled at length.
"Going?"
Sliiice!
She cut her own neck once again.
Cutting her neck so many times.
When a total of 5 of Yoo Doa's heads were rolling on the ground.
[1st and 2nd place rankings will be changed.]
The number floating above Lee Ganghan's head.
Changed from '2' to '1'.