Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Sixth Trial Results
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[You have completed the sixth trial.]
[Your level has increased.]
“Now, it looks like the other zones are finally done.”
These were the words of Park Hae-jin, who had been gazing down from the sky at the human camp—already devastated and turned to ruins by the orc forces—after seeing that the sixth trial arena had ended.
The electric board announcing the end of the sixth trial arena displayed a new message.
[Sixth trial completed.]
[Settling sixth trial results.]
[Announcing the sixth trial results.]
1st: Park Hae-jin 321,400 points.
2nd: Grand Monk 112,700 points
3rd: Kang Jung-gu 87,300 points
As the rankings for the sixth trial arena appeared, Hae-jin thought to himself.
‘Now I should tell the players? That the rankings aren’t finalized yet.’
They weren’t the real rankings.
Hae-jin knew that.
He knew what the system was doing in this sixth trial arena.
‘First, they need to announce the winning and losing camps.’
[The surviving camp in this trial arena is the ‘Orc’ camp.]
[All ‘Orc’ camp players survive.]
[All ‘Human’ camp players die.]
The electric board stated that all survivors of the orc camp would live, and all survivors of the human camp would die.
It then revealed additional details.
[Players who failed to survive are excluded from the rankings.]
Players who failed to survive.
Anyone could see it was the electric board’s message: ‘Players from the losing camp are excluded from the rankings.’
Seeing that, Hae-jin wondered.
Would anyone change in those rankings?
‘Nothing’s going to change.’
In the current zone-wide rankings, he saw himself, Raffaello, and Lee Sang, and Kwon Na-ye was visible in each zone.
In this zone, besides them, there were the upper-rankers ‘Grand Monk’ and ‘Kang Jung-gu.’ Looking at them, Hae-jin thought.
‘Since I was in the human camp, they must have been in the orc camp. They’ll survive.’
Hae-jin had never seen ‘Grand Monk’ or ‘Kang Jung-gu’ in the human camp.
Sure enough.
The electric board, which had just announced excluding players from the losing camp, displayed a new message.
[No changes to the rankings.]
Of course, the players who saw that message were bewildered.
“What? Why is Park Hae-jin still there?”
“Wasn’t Park Hae-jin in the human camp, the losing side?”
“Did he somehow join the human side while being in the orc camp?”
“Why would he?”
“No, that doesn’t make sense from the start. Attacks didn’t work between allies in the same camp, right?”
“Then why isn’t Park Hae-jin out of the rankings?”
“How should I know? You tell me.”
“I don’t know either.”
“What the hell is going on?”
...
The players in this zone were puzzled. It had said players who failed to survive would be excluded from the rankings, but Hae-jin hadn’t disappeared from first place.
They wondered why Hae-jin, a player from the losing camp, was still in the rankings.
Hae-jin smirked at the players’ reactions.
‘They’ll figure it out once they see the hidden trial.’
The players were shocked that Hae-jin hadn’t been removed from the rankings, but soon they would learn why.
First, a system window appeared before Hae-jin’s eyes.
[You have completed the hidden trial.]
[Your level has increased.]
[‘Zone Ranking 1st Reward Box’ has been awarded.]
[Please check your inventory window.]
After distributing the reward, the electric board displayed a message to the players.
[You have achieved 1st place in the zone ranking!]
[Rewards have been placed in your inventory.]
It also revealed information about the hidden trial.
[You have also completed the hidden trial of the sixth trial.]
[Sixth trial hidden trial.]
- Goal: Acquire the highest points in the losing camp
- Achieved by: Park Hae-jin, Raffaello, Speller, Na-ye, Manager Kim, Anna.
Normally, the electric board only revealed the achievers of hidden trials, but this time it displayed one more message.
[Those who achieved the hidden trial in the sixth trial survive.]
“What the...”
“So Park Hae-jin deliberately made his camp lose to achieve that hidden trial?”
“Looks like it.”
“He’s insane. He let the other 150 die just for his own reward?”
“Right?”
“No.”
“Hm?”
Now that they knew why Park Hae-jin hadn’t been removed from the rankings, the players debated heatedly.
Most said he’d sacrificed the other 150 to become the hidden trial achiever himself, but one player, who had been quietly watching, chimed in.
As if they shouldn’t judge Park Hae-jin that way.
“Who are 2nd and 3rd in our zone?”
“Grand Monk and Kang Jung-gu.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“But which camp are they in right now?”
“Huh?”
When one player suddenly asked which camp Grand Monk and Kang Jung-gu were in, the others couldn’t answer immediately.
Then a player who had seen them spoke up.
“The orc camp, right?”
“Yeah, they were in the orc camp. And not just them—most of the players in our camp, look at who they are. You know what I mean?”
“Who?”
“Excluding Park Hae-jin, pretty much everyone in our zone known for being decent in combat was in the orc camp.”
Besides 2nd-place Grand Monk and 3rd-place Kang Jung-gu in the orc camp, all the other players in this zone who drew attention were also in the orc camp.
The other players couldn’t help but react to what that player said.
“Oh?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re right.”
“It’s true?”
Just as that player had pointed out, excluding Park Hae-jin, everyone in this zone known for being good in combat had been in the orc camp.
After hearing that explanation, people understood the situation.
“So Park Hae-jin... no, Hae-jin deliberately made his camp lose so that the survivors worth keeping from our zone would live?”
“Exactly!”
“My god...”
“He was a light in the darkness?”
“Damn, he really is the hero!”
“Tsk tsk! We couldn’t recognize the great intent of Hero Park Hae-jin.”
Just moments ago, they’d been criticizing Park Hae-jin for sacrificing 150 people from the losing camp to achieve the hidden trial.
But after one player’s explanation, they suddenly started praising him.
They had no choice.
At this point, even the players weren’t fools—they could see it.
To survive, they needed to stick with the strong players.
But suppose Park Hae-jin had led his camp to victory.
Then pretty much all the top players in this zone would have died.
No one knew what the next trial arena mission would be, but without strong players, far more players from this zone would have died.
Anyway.
Watching the players realize his grand intent, Hae-jin thought.
‘It doesn’t really matter in the end, but yeah, it’s right to save as many as possible.’
The players, now understanding Hae-jin’s intent, talked about it.
Saying it was fortunate the strong players survived.
But Hae-jin, who had gone all the way to the end before, knew better.
He knew the trial arenas were structured so that, except for the final six, no one else could survive.
Still, to reach those final six, they had to maximize player survival.
If they failed mid-trial conditions and the number of survivors dropped below half, that number might carry over, potentially leaving them short of six—that’s what he thought.
That’s why Hae-jin had occasionally acted to ensure player survival during the trial arenas.
Anyway, as all the announcements wrapped up, Hae-jin saw this.
[Hidden trial rewards will be distributed.]
[Choose one of the following three rewards:]
1. Hero Scroll.
2. Transformation Scroll.
3. Merit Scroll.
Rewards given only to those who achieved the hidden trial.
Hae-jin had already discussed with his party members what to pick.
If they achieved the hidden trial in this sixth trial arena, the reward to choose was.
‘Obviously this one.’
[You have selected the ‘Merit Scroll’ as the hidden trial reward.]
And so the sixth trial arena came to an end.
Flash!
Various lights burst out in Hae-jin’s house.
Those who had just finished the sixth trial arena had returned to reality.
Once everyone was back, they checked on each other.
Judging by the zone rankings and hidden mission, all party members had survived.
In the previous trial arena, ‘Raffaello’ had been missing, but this time Raffaello had taken 2nd place across all zones, making his name known.
As a result, the party members had no reason to worry about anyone this time.
Raffaello, who had placed 2nd across all zones in this trial arena, greeted them in high spirits.
“Bro, sisters! You all did great!”
“Yeah, you too. Good work.”
“Our Ra-el, did getting 2nd across all zones put you in such a good mood?”
Kwon Na-ye spoke as if praising Raffaello.
Raffaello grinned broadly.
“Hehe.”
In that moment, Lee Sang called out to Hae-jin.
“Leader.”
“Go ahead.”
“May I ask about the reward from the hidden trial we got this time?”
Hae-jin had told them that if they achieved the hidden trial, to pick the third option, the ‘Merit Scroll.’
When Lee Sang asked about it, Hae-jin replied.
“Sure.”
Previously, with plenty of time until the next trial arena, he’d explain later, but ever since revealing everything about himself, Hae-jin had been explaining the next trial arena right away whenever his party members wanted.
Now they all seemed adapted enough to the trial arenas.
After answering Lee Sang, Hae-jin immediately brought it up.
“First, I should explain the next trial arena. In the next one, you’ll be summoned to a garrison in an unfavorable position against the winning camps from the zones where you were, and you’ll fight a war.”
“Huh?”
Everyone looked puzzled.
They had no choice.
The word “war” was unfamiliar.
This trial arena could be called a war too, but since he’d explained it in game terms, this was the first time they’d heard “war” so directly.
The one who didn’t react much was ‘Manager Kim,’ who had been through all sorts of battles.
Anyway, in that situation, Manager Kim raised his hand.
“Leader?”
“Yes, Manager Kim. Go ahead.”
“But you said we have to fight a war against the winning camps from this trial arena, right? We were all in the opposing camp—does that affect things?”
“It does.”
“Huh? It does?”
This was Anna’s reaction.
Hae-jin nodded at Anna’s response.
“Of course. After all, those who achieved the hidden trial were positioned in the enemy camp.”
“Well, yeah...”
Hae-jin had previously explained that trial arenas with the same worldview were connected.
Anna asked about it.
“So what do we do?”