Team Battle (2)
The second match of the competition event. Unlike the individual matches, the mermen of each coordinate gathered together and began the match. Following Cheongrin’s orders, they immediately started scouting the surrounding area. The terrain consisted of plains, hills, and mountains. While the individual event fields had been divided into extreme environments like deserts, snowy mountains, and volcanoes, the team battle environment could be described as fairly ordinary.
“It’s fortunate the weather isn’t cold.”
“Is there a lake nearby?”
The mermen were confident they could turn the team battle in their favor if a lake existed. If the objective was flag stealing, planting the flag at the bottom of a lake and defending it would make it nearly impossible for anyone to snatch it in the early stages.
The team battle has begun!
All stats are fixed at Lv. 10.
Team Battle — Flag Stealing
📍 Theme: Event
📍 Difficulty: Event
📍 Description: The second competition event has begun. Defend your team’s flag and steal the flags of other teams. When a flag is stolen, it merges with the stealing team’s flag, and the team that lost its flag is automatically eliminated.
📍 Objective: Rankings will be determined by the number of flags possessed within the time limit.
📍 Reward: Settlement after the time limit ends.
📍 Failure Penalty: Teams ranked in the bottom 30% will lose some of their stats.
※ In this mission, death will heal all wounds and expel the player from the arena.
As the notification vanished, a team flag appeared in the air. It was a small flag, just the right size to hold in one hand, with a red hue that gave it the feel of a sports day prop. Cheongrin stared at the flag floating before his eyes, then reached out and grasped it. At that moment, another notification appeared.
The owner of the Critias coordinate’s flag is ‘Cheongrin.’
The flag may be placed down, but no one else from this coordinate may possess it.
“Huh?”
If the flag bearer dies, ownership of the flag will be stolen.
If the flag is hidden on the field and the bearer dies, ownership will be transferred to the next person who touches it.
Details the Helper had not mentioned. The first person to touch the flag became its owner, and that owner could not be changed arbitrarily within the same coordinate. When another merman tried to touch the flag as an experiment, an invisible force blocked them. In other words, whether hiding the flag or carrying it while fleeing, it ultimately fell to a single person.
“This… has become rather troublesome.”
“At this rate, we cannot execute the plan…”
The mermen’s original plan had been to send a small elite force, including Cheongrin, to launch preemptive strikes on other coordinates before anyone else could hide their flags. A separate group would search for a lake and guard the flag at its bottom. They had believed this was the best way to avoid overextending their forces while still earning points.
“We have no choice. We will move together until we find a lake.”
“Understood.”
After relaying the order to his subordinates, Cheongrin located Geumrin and took position beside him.
“Geumrin, stand beside me. I will protect you.”
“Ah, it’s fine. Since you hold the flag, we should protect you instead…”
“No. I am fine. Scouts, spread out farther to expand the search!”
At Cheongrin’s command, the mermen in the front ranks spread out and began scouting. The atmosphere grew ambiguous about who exactly they were guarding. The mermen shook their heads to clear unnecessary thoughts. Their priority was no longer the king. What they needed for survival. Most of them had already concluded that protecting Cheongrin, who now held the flag, was the correct choice.
At that same moment, in the Holy Kingdom’s camp.
“Kugugung……”
“…Landon, did you not hear that sound?”
The Saintess, her nerves on edge from the noise coming from somewhere, asked the Red Knight guarding her. He nodded and pointed to several nearby soldiers.
“Check it quickly and return.”
“Yes, sir!”
After the individual matches, Landon had resolved to handle even the smallest matters with greater caution. Though it had not been a complete death, he had lost the Saintess due to his own shortcomings and allowed the two of them to wipe out the Holy Kingdom’s knights. Of course, his memories after touching the Heart of Frost were hazy, but if the individual matches had not included the condition of not dying, it would have been truly terrifying.
“Papapat!”
“Report: multiple players detected ahead!”
The scouting knights returned and began explaining the situation to Landon.
“Based on the relatively small number of players and their faces, they appear to be from the ‘Earth’ coordinate. As the Helper mentioned, their forces are weaker compared to other coordinates, making them suitable targets for attack.”
At the knight’s words, Landon turned his head toward the Saintess. They held no grudges against them. According to the Helper, one of them had killed the two people who had received the frost curse, but it was something he could not even remember. If attacking them now could steal their flag and strengthen the Holy Kingdom’s position, it did not seem like a bad deal. However—
“We will hold off on attacking for now. We will turn back and hide the flag first.”
At the Saintess’s words, the knights who had been preparing for battle looked at her with puzzled expressions. Yet Landon’s face was equally resolute. While the knights struggled to understand why both had agreed on “do not attack”—
“May I ask the reason?”
Unable to contain his curiosity, one knight asked the Saintess.
“Are you truly asking because you do not know?”
At Landon’s retort, the knight wore a dumbfounded expression. This was a competition. Even if they held no grudges, that was no reason to let them go.
“Is it because of the player named Kim Siin?”
If so, there was only one reason. The man who had captured both the Saintess, who had become the Frost Witch, and Landon, who had become the Frost Knight, and even defeated the person called Death who had given them such trouble, was there.
“But our stats are fixed right now.”
“Exactly. That is why I believe this is an opportunity.”
Yet the knights could not understand the two’s thinking this time. If stats were equal, victory in battle came down to numbers. In such a situation, hunting a monster that had not yet fully grown seemed like the natural course of action.
“Tsk. You know one thing but not two.”
The reason the two refused to touch the Earth coordinate.
“He is the player who single-handedly defeated Lv. 5 and Lv. 6 monsters during the individual matches. Do you truly believe that Kim Siin’s stats were higher than mine when I became the Frost Knight?”
“That was because he exhausted you, Captain……”
“That, too, is his ability.”
Moreover, he was a threatening man who wielded swordsmanship close to divine. At Landon’s firm words, the knight who had asked the question fell silent.
“Stats merely represent physical capabilities. If you truly wish to defeat someone, you must devote all your strength to understanding your opponent. In battle—especially in a war like this where many must move together—strategy is essential.”
“……Yes.”
After confirming the knight’s expression, Landon raised his head and looked at the additional scouts returning. To overwhelm the enemy in war, information and strategy superior to the enemy’s were necessary. What they were doing now was part of the process to achieve that.
‘I can only pray they have no strategist.’
If they had an outstanding tactician, it would be wise to avoid engaging them. Or, after achieving overwhelming growth, crush them completely with force.
“Additional report!”
“What are they doing?”
“Well, that is……”
The knight who had returned from scouting frowned and tilted his head.
“They are digging the ground.”
“What?”
Digging the ground? What possible reason could there be to dig in this situation… The knight spoke as if he himself did not understand, and when Landon stared at him, he continued with further explanation.
“One player is using magic to create a cave-like environment. When they cross their hands and strike the hill, a pit gradually widens… I believe they are trying to hide the flag.”
“Ha!”
Landon let out a hollow laugh. It was now certain they had no strategist. Hiding the flag while making such a blatant racket? It was beyond bold—it was beginning to look outright foolish.
“Remember exactly where they hid the flag. If someone falls in, retrieve only the flag quickly.”
“Yes, sir!”
Of course, the possibility of a trap could not be ruled out. But they had nothing to lose. If the surroundings grew quiet, it would be worth sending a small group to investigate.
“Kugugung!”
“Is this correct?”
“It’s… so loud. Won’t this just reveal our location?”
Namgung Cheonho, who had been digging the ground nonstop since the team battle began, replied concisely without turning his head to the worried voices.
“I know that too.”
“What do you know?”
“That it reveals our location.”
“Kwagagagak!”
Thanks to continuously forming hand seals without rest, a proper-looking cave was finally created. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he smiled.
“It was completed faster than expected.”
“There was some extra space inside. That saved us time.”
“I’d like to learn that too. Is there no way?”
“Siin, you’re surprisingly greedy.”
“Well, it’s only natural.”
As I spoke, looking at the dark space that had been completed much faster than anticipated, he pointed inside the cave with his hand.
“Now it’s your turn, Siin. Throw it as deep as possible.”
“Understood. Please wait here for a moment.”
As I loosened my body slightly and moved into the cave, I saw people asking Namgung Cheonho for an explanation with confused expressions. The interior of the cave, which had been made much larger than expected. After a brief moment of admiration for the perfect environment, I took out the ring I had used once before and naturally put it on.
Type: Treasure | Rank: A+
Description: An item once owned by a witch. It can summon a specific monster for a limited time. However, a medium related to the summoned monster is required.
Effects: Monster summoning possible — Must possess a fragment of the monster.
In a situation where everyone’s stats were fixed at Lv. 10, a monster that could never be hunted.
Type: Treasure | Rank: Lv. 4
Description: A stone engraved with the Desert Lord King.
Effect: ■■■
No matter how I thought about it, I could not imagine a more perfect goalkeeper than this.