Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Tutorial (3)
Translation: godtl
The occupation zone in the tutorial.
This place, known to be the most fiercely contested area in the Arena where occupation battles take place, was now utterly peaceful.
It couldn't be helped.
"Seems like no one else is coming, right?"
The woman chewing gum noisily.
Lee Se-yun crossed her arms and scanned the surroundings of the occupation zone with her bluish eyes.
Beside her, a heavily armored man holding a shield smirked.
"Your eyes aren't failing you because your Aura's drained, are they?"
"Hey, Kim Jae-won. My Thousand-League Eyes operate on Mana, not Aura, you dumbass?"
"Keh-hah! Right, right. Must be nice~ farming kills so easily with all that spare Aura."
As Kim Jae-won burst into laughter, Lee Se-yun narrowed her eyes and retorted.
"Why the hell are you bitching at me just because your kill count's lagging behind?"
"What do you expect me to do when I'm pissed? You all have over five kills already!"
"Pathetic. Who told you to play tank then?"
"Damn it! It's not like I chose this Trait!"
"And what, I'm supposed to apologize for my Trait too?"
"You little—!"
Kim Jae-won's eyes flared at Lee Se-yun's sarcasm.
But.
"Enough."
A man holding a sword.
At Kang Ho-yeong's intervention, both immediately fell silent.
"Now that our occupation points have surpassed 60%, Kim Jae-won, I'll make sure you get your kills from now on."
"Seriously? I'm counting on you, hyung-nim!"
Kim Jae-won's face brightened at Kang Ho-yeong's words.
Lee Se-yun, who had been side-eyeing him, approached Kang Ho-yeong while still crossing her arms.
"Oppa, since we're past 60% occupation points, can't we start moving outside the zone now?"
"Outside?"
"Yeah. The number of participants has dropped significantly. Staying cooped up in this zone is suffocating."
Lee Se-yun twisted her body restlessly, clearly expressing her boredom.
Kang Ho-yeong silently stared into empty space.
Anyone else might have gotten annoyed at what seemed like being ignored.
But Lee Se-yun kept quiet.
She knew.
Kang Ho-yeong wasn't disregarding her words—
"Oppa, is it that Kim Si-mun bastard bothering you?"
—he was checking the Arena Board.
"Don't worry. I've got a good grasp on most guild recruits, and the name Kim Si-mun wasn't anywhere."
"That's exactly the problem. Some nobody we've never heard of has 11 kills."
"True."
Lee Se-yun also pulled up the Arena Board to examine the information on Kim Si-mun, currently ranked 5th.
But that was all.
"Still, I don't think we need to be scared. You know it too—all the bastards matched this time are complete trash."
Lee Se-yun curled her lips as she glanced at the corpses scattered around.
"That Kim Si-mun or whatever probably just scavenged kills like a hyena. If he were really that good, he would've come to the occupation zone by now."
"Hmm."
As Kang Ho-yeong rested his chin on his hand, Lee Se-yun pressed on insistently.
"If it really bothers you, let's just patrol the perimeter while maintaining our formation. Okay? We trained hard for this too."
After all, hadn't all four of them gritted their teeth and trained relentlessly after being eliminated in the last tutorial?
So much so that their guild, the Scorpion Guild, personally provided them with equipment.
The results spoke for themselves now.
A combined total of 20 kills among the four of them and 60% occupation points.
Even if teaming played a major role—
The twenty corpses littered around the occupation zone were undeniable proof of the quartet's strength.
"Oppa. Have some confidence. With our teaming, some nobody we've never even heard of—"
Lee Se-yun's coaxing words abruptly cut off.
A bluish energy flickered in her pupils.
"There!"
Shwip!
With a clean spin, an arrow left Lee Se-yun's hand.
However.
Snap.
With the sound of a finger flick—
Thud-thud-thud!
An earthen wall erupted instantaneously, blocking the arrow.
"M-Magic?"
"A Magic Class?!"
Kim Jae-won hastily raised his shield and rushed forward.
Right behind him was Park Ho-cheol, another teammate who had already drawn his sword.
"We hid pretty well, I thought. Must be that B-rank Trait, Thousand-League Eyes?"
At those words, Lee Se-yun, who had been about to draw her bowstring again, widened her eyes in shock.
"How did you—?!"
How could someone she'd never met before see right through her trait?
Crrrrumb.
The upper part of the earthen wall crumbled away.
Behind it stood a man wearing a gray hood.
"Ah, well, I've had reason to study traits quite extensively."
"Oh really? Let's see if you studied how to keep your skull from getting punctured too!"
Se-yun, who had momentarily frozen, drew her bowstring taut again.
Just as she was about to release—
"Hold."
Kang Ho-yeong, their leader, raised a hand to stop her.
Still gripping his sword, he stepped forward in front of Kim Jae-won, their tank.
"Are you Kim Si-mun?"
"And you are?"
"Kang Ho-yeong."
"Ah. Judging by your rank, I take it you're the leader?"
"That's correct."
Ho-yeong nodded and extended his empty hand (the one not holding his sword).
"I'll keep it brief. Kim Si-mun. Join our side."
"Oppa?!"
"B-bro! Are you insane? How do we know this bastard won't stab us in the back?"
From behind, the other team members voiced vehement objections, but Ho-yeong paid them no mind, keeping his eyes fixed on Si-mun.
No—
"Eleven kills without any special equipment. You must be a Magic Class with at least an S-rank trait."
He scrutinized Si-mun's entire body as if appraising a valuable commodity.
"We'll guarantee you a top rank. If you want, we can even feed you kills to make you number one."
"Wait, Ho-yeong oppa. Are you in your right mind?"
Se-yun, who had approached without them noticing, grabbed Ho-yeong's shoulder and yanked him back forcefully.
Ho-yeong turned his gaze to meet hers.
"Se-yun."
"Oppa. That bastard's a Magic Class. If he betrays us even once, we're all dead!"
"Forming a team with a Magic Class of that caliber offers more benefits than risks."
"What?"
"Think about it."
Ho-yeong made eye contact with Kim Jae-won and Park Ho-cheol as well, signaling for them to listen.
"Magic Classes are rarer than Support Classes. Our Scorpion Guild is no exception."
Unless it's some bottom-tier occupation like an alchemist.
No, even an alchemist wouldn't be a loss.
Just having someone to mass-produce potions would be a straight-up advantage.
Moreover—
"Eleven kills. No matter how good you are at scavenging, that number doesn't make sense."
"Oppa, but—"
"Think long-term, Se-yun. Having connections with a Magic Class like this will raise our standing within the guild."
"So we're just supposed to pamper him a bit and show off?"
"Once he joins us, he'll be within our range anyway. If he gets any ideas..."
As Ho-yeong whispered this, Se-yun nodded with a satisfied smile.
"If you've thought that far ahead... Fine! I'm in."
"Well... We're good too. Never lost out by following the boss's lead."
When even Jae-won and Ho-cheol nodded in agreement,
Ho-yeong immediately turned back to face Si-mun.
"You heard us? As I said earlier, we'll guarantee your rank and kills—"
"Wow, you guys are hilarious."
Si-mun let out a hollow laugh and scratched his head vigorously.
"Kang Ho-yeong, was it? Why do you assume I'd accept your offer?"
"What?"
"Come on. Your tone alone presumes I'd obviously join you, doesn't it?"
At this, Ho-yeong shook his head side to side.
"Magic Classes for you. Did that rub you the wrong way? Fine, I'll apologize for—"
"I know all about the arrogance of Magic Classes, but I'm not like that."
"Then what's the problem?"
"Teaming."
At Si-mun's curt reply, Ho-yeong's eyebrow twitched upward.
"Teaming? What's wrong with that?"
"You're seriously asking? Teaming is a clear violation of the rules. If the tutorial were being broadcast, you'd be drowning in curses right now."
"I don't care. There aren't any penalties anyway, so why bother with public opinion?"
"Hah! Your mindset is truly something else."
Si-mun couldn't help but let out an impressed sigh.
"Hey, Mr. Kang Ho-yeong. Judging by your gear, you're from a pretty well-known guild. How do you plan to handle the fallout? Feeling confident?"
"Our Scorpion Guild only cares about tangible results. As long as the outcome is favorable, we don't care about the means."
"Scorpion? You're from the Scorpion Guild?"
Si-mun instantly understood their teaming strategy.
Fools who only cared about their own interests under the guise of pragmatism and utilitarianism.
The Scorpion Guild, which had been rapidly expanding its influence, didn't stop even after the official Arena began.
It persisted into the official Arena.
And the result?
Branded as a troll guild, it was completely dismantled by the major guilds.
'Well, to put it nicely,"dismantled."'
It was practically a purge, to be honest.
Whether he knew that future or not,
Kang Ho-yeong confidently squared his shoulders.
"You seem familiar with the Scorpion Guild. Then you should know you have no choice here."
"Hmm. I'm not so sure about that."
"Tch. Getting cocky after taking out a few bugs."
As Kang Ho-yeong raised his hand—
Creak.
Whoosh.
The three party members behind him immediately drew their weapons.
"We're a coordinated team of four. We're qualitatively different from the trash you've been dealing with."
Wow! Calling fellow tutorial participants "trash"? Talk about confidence.
Though Si-mun would've mocked him,
'They're clearly not weak either.'
The twenty corpses scattered around proved Kang Ho-yeong had reason for his confidence.
"Join us peacefully, Kim Si-mun. If you get eliminated here, only you lose out. Wouldn't 11 kills be a waste?"
The previously silent Kang Ho-yeong's lips curled slightly.
It was inevitable.
'He won't be able to refuse.'
Anyone capable of 11 kills clearly has skill.
And on top of that, being a precious Magic Class—they'd never let someone like that get eliminated.
Considering the pride unique to Magic Classes,
this coercion wasn't the best approach.
'Even for a Magic Class, this is too arrogant. Needs to be taken down a peg.'
There was no need to endure their typical Magic Class haughtiness.
After all, the upper hand was his.
Or so—
"Typical Scorpion Guild. Not worth talking to anymore."
—Kang Ho-yeong thought.
"Hey, Mr. Kang Ho-yeong. Don't worry about others."
Snap.
Before Si-mun flicked his finger.
"Worry about yourself."
Rumble.
The heavens roared.
Though thunder was fitting for the jungle map,
Crackle!
The lightning that struck beside Si-mun was anything but ordinary.
"W-what is that?!"
"A... staff?"
Kim Jae-won and Park Ho-cheol blinked at the sudden lightning strike.
Where it struck, a staff of white and blue light continuously sparked without rest.
And then, defying gravity, it slowly—
"First place is mine anyway. Why would I dirty myself with something like teaming?"
—was sucked into Si-mun's grasp.
And—
Whoosh.
"Negotiations have broken down."
Kang Ho-yeong's eyes instantly changed as he charged forward.
Without even looking back, he shouted:
"Lee Se-yun!"
"I know!"
With a furious cry, a twang! rang out.
The sound of an arrow leaving Lee Se-yun's bow.
But Si-mun silently extended the white staff in his hand forward.
And then—
"Wail."
He recited the words he'd heard from Alexander's broadcast in his past life.
"Astrapē."
Crackle!
Like skeletal tree branches,
bundles of pure white lightning tore through the air.
As lightning is known to do,
in the blink of an eye, streaks of thunder surged into Kang Ho-yeong's party formation.
"G-guaaah!"
It shredded the armor of Kim Jae-won, the tank at the forefront.
"Ghk!"
"Kyaaah!"
Then swallowed Park Ho-cheol beside him and Lee Se-yun at the rear.
One second.
In that brief moment, players who had been at the top of the tutorial rankings were swept away.
Si-mun stared at the Astrapē in his hand with slightly widened eyes.
'And this is only 10% of its power?'
Even with only 10% of the imitation's performance.
That mere 10% was more than enough to reign as the Emperor of the Tutorial.
But Si-mun didn't let the overwhelming power go to his head and loosen his tension.
The reason was simple.
"Inom!"
Because there was still one person left.
"You dodged it, somehow."
Si-mun's Astrapē immediately turned toward Kang Ho-yeong, who was charging in from the right.
However.
Swoosh.
With Kang Ho-yeong's shout, his figure blurred.
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say he was sucked into the shadows.
Seeing this, Si-mun's eyes turned cold.
'An A-rank Trait, Shadow Movement. So that's how he dodged Astrapē's lightning.'
An A-rank Trait that allowed movement from shadow to shadow.
'Indeed, with an A-rank Trait like that, it's no wonder he became the leader.'
But even with such a cheat-like movement ability.
There was a reason Shadow Movement could only be an A-rank.
"Die!"
Kang Ho-yeong's murderous shout came from behind Si-mun.
Yet Si-mun didn't even bother to turn around.
He simply flicked his left hand—the one not holding Astrapē.
Thwack.
"Guhk!"
In an instant, an earthen spike erupted.
Kang Ho-yeong, who had been about to emerge from Si-mun's shadow, had no choice but to offer his abdomen to the rising spike.
"T-this can't be......"
Pierced through the stomach by the earthen spike, Kang Ho-yeong couldn't move a muscle.
With trembling eyes, he stared at Kim Si-mun and asked with difficulty,
"After using such powerful lightning magic... how is your mana still......"
"Ah, this?"
Si-mun waved Astrapē, which was already undergoing a rebound.
"This has something a little different mixed in."
"What do you......"
"There's such a thing. Oh dear, it's already coming apart like this."
Si-mun hastily extended the half-disintegrated Astrapē toward Kang Ho-yeong.
"Well then, Mr. Kang Ho-yeong? Since it'd be a shame to waste time, shall we hurry this along?"
Tap. Tap.
"Not much time left."
Si-mun, who had been watching the timer on the Arena Board, stopped drumming his fingers against his cheek.
Soon after.
[You have achieved 100% Occupation Points.]
[The ruler of the occupied zone has been decided. The Tutorial will now conclude.]
As if everything had been a dream.
A series of messages appeared, and the oppressive humidity and heat of the forest vanished as if they had never existed.
The corpses scattered around disappeared as well.
"It's over."
The Arena Board he had left open closed on its own.
Then, a larger version of the Arena Board appeared in the sky.
1st Place - Kim Si-mun, 15 kills. [Occupation Points 100%]
2nd Place - Jeong Seo-yeon, 2 kills.
.......
After wiping out Kang Ho-yeong's group, who had racked up 20 kills among four people.
Kim Si-mun had achieved 15 kills all by himself.
Looking at the Arena Board, Si-mun yawned and stretched.
"That was boring. Who would've thought not a single person would come to the occupied zone?"
Thinking about it, it wasn't all that strange.
From the moment Kang Ho-yeong's group surpassed 60% Occupation Points.
Most players had caught on to their teaming strategy and given up on occupation.
And after Si-mun single-handedly eliminated them and achieved 15 kills, the others avoided the occupied zone even more.
Rather than pointlessly heading there and getting slaughtered by the monster who wiped out the top-ranked teamers.
It was more advantageous to hold out and secure a survival ranking.
Si-mun didn't express much regret either.
Because.
[You have achieved 1st Place in the Tutorial.]
[You have acquired the title 'Ruler of the Tutorial'.]
[You have earned 100 Achievement Points.]
[You have completed the mission from the Constellation Zeus.]
[You have earned 1,000 Achievement Points.]
Not only Zeus's mission.
But even an unexpected title came pouring in as rewards.
Sigh. If only I hadn't used Astrapē, I could've gotten the full 1,000 Achievement Points.
Still, our reliable Philosopher's Stone did refund 50 points.
'It's a bit disappointing, though.'
At this point, 450 Achievement Points was no small number.
Si-mun licked his lips as he checked the messages.
Then.
[The Constellation Zeus is extremely satisfied with your performance.]
[You have earned an additional 100 Achievement Points.]
"Ooh!"
Si-mun's eyes sparkled at the flood of messages.
Who would've thought Zeus would throw in even more Achievement Points?
'This makes it a total of 750 Achievement Points just from this.'
Not to mention, the Arena clear rewards would be waiting for him when he returned to the real world.
[You will be returned to your original location shortly.]
With a satisfied smile, Si-mun read the message announcing his return.