Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Random Box Draw
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“Ughhh...!”
The [Nerve Parasite] burrowed beneath her eyeball and swiftly embedded itself under Im Jihyun's brain.
The system message appeared only in Kim Mingyeong's and Im Jihyun's eyes.
The domination happened in an instant, and Im Jihyun became Kim Mingyeong's subordinate.
“Land safely.”
“Yes...”
Thud...
And with that, the fight was over.
Kim Mingyeong rubbed her cheek frantically against the pale Im Jihyun's.
“Hehehe! Player Im Jihyun is dead now. All that's left is my puppet Im Jihyun. Right?”
“Yes...”
Im Jihyun replied listlessly.
“Hm. So that's how it ends.”
The TV Girl gave a brief commentary and acknowledged the result.
At that moment, clear messages and reward notifications popped up.
“Whoa.”
“A skill like that...”
“Ugh, I thought only Lee Hyunjun was crazy, but that woman too...”
Some of the watching players groaned, and the TV Girl proceeded with the next draw.
If the gym had windows, it would have been around sunset.
The TV Girl spoke.
“Good work. With this, you've cleared Preliminary Round Mission 7.”
There had been 601 total at the start of Preliminary Round Mission 2.
Now, only 51 remained.
Not even a tenth had survived.
“The first phase of the preliminaries was scheduled for a total of 10 missions.”
The TV Girl began explaining the remaining schedule.
“In other words, it ends after clearing Mission 10. However, there's also a way to finish earlier.”
The TV Girl scanned the room before speaking.
“It ends when the number of survivors drops to 50 or fewer. In that case, any remaining uncleared missions are treated as cleared, but you won't get the clear bonuses.”
Murmurs spread through the crowd...
“If that's true...”
“We're at 51 right now.”
“One more death, and everyone else survives?”
The players eyed each other warily.
“Hehe. Calm down. You're quite lucky, actually.”
The TV Girl said something cryptic.
“Preliminary Round Mission 8 will be a big help to you all.”
With that, she brought up the mission window.
Random Box Draw
📍 Goal: Every player receives one random box of various colors.
The boxes contain various items.
Choose and open only one.
If unhappy with your assigned box, you may trade, exchange, or transfer it to others.
⏰ Restriction: Mission fails if you don't open a box by the time limit.
🎁 Bonus: If your entire group clears, the group leader gets an extra bonus.
📜 Success Reward: Acquire the item inside the box. +3,000 Coins to group leader if all group members clear.
💀 Failure Penalty: Pay 500 Coins. If no coins, Stamina stat -5.
⏱ Time Limit: 10 minutes.
💡 Hint: Proceed cautiously? Open boldly? Decide in advance.
Pop!
Bang! Bang!
Boxes equal to the number of people appeared all over the gym.
They were all the size of standard delivery boxes, shaped like treasure chests with buttons.
However, there were four colors: red, blue, yellow, and green.
And the box assigned to Dokgo Hyun was...
“Act freely, regardless of your group. Begin.”
The TV Girl said, but no one rushed to open their box.
“Shaking it makes no sound.”
“[Clairvoyance] skill doesn't work either.”
“Had my [Rankvant Hunting Dog Summon] sniff it, but no scent?”
“Someone boldly open one. Preferably a red box?”
Truly left to luck, with zero info.
'Not for me, though.'
Dokgo Hyun was covered in hints from the Total Administrator.
'Heh.'
Dokgo Hyun had [3-Minute Regression]—upgraded to [4-Minute Regression] now—so he had little to fear, but hints were still useful.
“Ahem, these box colors are awfully suspicious.”
Choi Hanpoong said, shaking his yellow box.
Fortunately, Kang O-su and Choi Hanpoong had yellow boxes, and Eun Jua had blue.
Only Dokgo Hyun had red.
“Everyone, trades and transfers are free, but absolutely avoid red boxes.”
He quietly showed the hint note only to his Group 41 members.
“How did you...?”
Kang O-su asked in surprise.
“Better not to know.”
Dokgo Hyun replied vaguely and observed the surrounding boxes.
'No matter how I look, just four colors: red, blue, yellow, green.'
He knew red was dangerous from the hint.
Surprisingly, even those without hints instinctively avoided red.
“Don't open red for now.”
“Yeah. The color feels dangerous. Like it's begging for blood?”
“Red boxes are unusually light.”
“Huh? Really.”
“Red feels like an empty cardboard box.”
“Blue is heavy!”
“Yellow and green are in between?”
“Related to weight maybe...”
Then, a bold man charged at his blue box.
“Screw it! Opening!!”
Click!
He slammed the button on the box.
“Ooh?!”
“He actually pressed it!”
“...But why isn't it opening?”
A system message appeared before the eyes of the man who said he'd open it—visible to everyone.
An additional confirmation popped up.
In other words, it required two presses to open.
“Ugh... NO.”
The man who'd mustered courage chickened out.
“What a wuss.”
“Yeah, all talk.”
Meanwhile, the usually fearless Lee Hyunjun stared at his blue box for a long time.
Then he asked the TV Girl.
“Must we open a box?”
“Yes. If not, accept the failure penalty or transfer to someone else.”
“What if...”
Lee Hyunjun chose his words carefully.
“I transfer only the right to open it to another? And have them open it?”
“It's not impossible to have someone else do the opening, but forget threats of violence. Violence is prohibited, naturally.”
“Tch.”
He'd planned to force someone, but no dice.
The survivors so far were the real deal.
Having endured team deathmatches, simple threats of violence wouldn't work.
“Fine, I'll slice the damn box with my solid cutter.”
Lee Hyunjun yelled for the TV Girl to hear.
“Do as you like. But smashing it in frustration might trigger mission failure, so proceed with caution.”
“Tch.”
In the end, even the bold Lee Hyunjun was passive before the unpredictable boxes.
And then, something no one expected happened.
“Hyah.”
Dokgo Hyun positioned himself 4 meters from Lee Hyunjun.
The TV Girl seemed to sense something and quickly stepped aside, while Lee Hyunjun glared at Dokgo Hyun.
“What're you planning.”
Lee Hyunjun asked irritably, then suddenly looked again.
Crash!
Dokgo Hyun pulled red boxes from his inventory and dumped them out.
“Those... boxes?”
“Ah, I collected them. As a gift.”
Dokgo Hyun had gathered 6 red boxes.
While others hesitated, he'd slipped around players with red boxes, flashing the hint.
Most freaked out and transferred theirs to him.
Transfers by agreement counted as clears.
Only Player Kang Se-rim was suspicious and wouldn't give it free, so Dokgo Hyun offered, “50 Coins.”
Then Kang Se-rim handed over the red box.
Dokgo Hyun neatly stored the collected red boxes in his inventory, arrived near Lee Hyunjun, and dumped them.
'Here's the tricky part. [Instant Deceleration]!'
Click! Click!
Click! Click!
He rapidly double-pressed the buttons on the boxes.
But they didn't open immediately.
Because he'd infused them with [Instant Deceleration].
Early [Instant Deceleration] halved speed, but now with Mana over 100, it could slow objects far more.
“Go!”
Thud! Thud!
He kicked the boxes, applying only [Instant Acceleration] to their flight speed this time.
Being empty delivery box weight, a light kick sent them all flying at Lee Hyunjun.
Whoosh!
Lee Hyunjun realized he'd been had and activated his [Airflow Control] special.
“[Airflow Shield]...!”
A bit too late.
Dokgo Hyun released [Instant Deceleration] right after kicking.
The boxes opened.
......
......
The biggest explosion since the gym was built erupted.
Kaboom!!
Krboom!!
“Aaaagh?!”
“Kyaaah!”
“Wh-what the hell!!”
Even those far away tumbled from the flames and blast.
“Cough! Cough!”
The kicker himself, Dokgo Hyun, collapsed coughing nonstop.
'Oof, the power's no joke.'
But this was necessary.
One red box kick might've been blocked or dodged by Lee Hyunjun.
Six at once overwhelmed even him.
Whoosh...
The flames died down quickly.
'Huh? Not even a minute yet?'
The hint said the flame pillar lasted 1 minute, but it vanished far sooner.
“Guh... Huff...!”
Shockingly, Lee Hyunjun survived.
Full-body burns, left arm blown clean off by the blast, one eye unusable.
Severe even by player standards.
Yet he clung to life.
'Even after all that, he doesn't die?'
Dokgo Hyun was dumbfounded.
But he could guess how.
'Used [Airflow Control] to rapidly deplete oxygen and smother the flames early.'
Circulated air around his skin to mitigate heat damage too.
Then, a hidden achievement message hit Dokgo Hyun.
“Huh.”
Seemed surviving multiple red box openings granted an achievement.
Dokgo Hyun checked the mini-item.
While Dokgo Hyun checked the item, Lee Hyunjun did self-first-aid.
“Grr, potion...!”
He had plenty of Healing Potions; drank one, splashed another over his body.
But fire and blast wounds resisted even potent Healing Potions.
“Gaaah...!”
Only after a third bottle did he stabilize somewhat, but his severed left arm and eye remained unhealed.
“I'll kill you...!!”
Lee Hyunjun swore at Dokgo Hyun with his one good eye.
Dokgo Hyun just smirked.
“I've heard that threat before. Repeating it doesn't make it scarier.”
He deliberately provoked.
“If you're mad, come at me.”
“What?”
“Worried about the no-violence rule? What if both parties consent?”