Chapter 110: 10-Quad. A Gamer's Instinct
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 110: 10-Quad. A Gamer's Instinct
“We can still pull out now.”
Since the Turtle Ship possessed superior mobility, they were at a distance where they could easily outrun the approaching fleet.
“If we do, those bastards will find the treasure island first,” Seo-un countered.
“It’s impossible for us to stop them alone anyway. There’s no guarantee the Devil Twins, the Mad Demon, or even another Sword Emperor isn't hiding in that fleet,” Dump said, his voice uncharacteristically timid. His hesitation stemmed from the fact that there were still 420 survivors left to contend with.
“I think it’s better to back off, too. If they summon an Epic Monster, we could get wiped out in an instant,” Rimin added, siding with Dump.
Rationally speaking, turning back was the right choice. However, something felt off.
What is this foul, lingering premonition?
For some reason, the conviction that he couldn't let those guys enter the Mirage Sea dominated Seo-un's mind.
“Rimin, go in.”
“Sigh.”
With a heavy breath, Rimin started the engine and steered the ship toward the Mirage Sea.
“Will it be okay?” Gi-chan asked anxiously.
Juriel answered in Seo-un's stead. “It’s the Main Order’s command. We have to trust him and follow.”
Nam Sa-gwang added his support. “I agree. The reason I teamed up with this guy, even though he’s technically weaker than me, is because I trust his innate gaming instincts.”
Everyone nodded at their words, but the anxiety didn't vanish as they watched the overwhelming fleet of the Mad Demon closing in.
Finally, the Turtle Ship crossed the threshold into the Mirage Sea.
Despite the name, it looked like any other stretch of ocean—until the moment they entered. The Turtle Ship suddenly began to tilt forward.
As the team members' eyes widened in shock, the ship began to accelerate as if sliding down a steep slope.
[Ding! You have entered the Mirage Sea. You cannot leave this region until you find the Compass of Absolute Treasure.]
[Ding! The Jin Seo-un Squad has entered the Mirage Sea in search of the forgotten treasure. The game moves to Chapter 2. The regular sea region is now restricted. If you do not enter the Mirage Sea within the allotted time, you will be trapped within the Force Field.]
Seo-un frowned at the notifications ringing in his ears amidst the chaos. Only after hearing the alert did he realize the source of his vague unease.
“Rimin! Do something!” Dump screamed as the ship slid down the ocean, which now resembled a massive downhill ramp.
“Dammit! What do you want me to do?! Just hold on tight!”
Suddenly, with a gut-wrenching sensation of weightlessness, the Turtle Ship began to plummet down a slope that was nearly ninety degrees.
“Aaaaaaaagh!”
The team members, clinging desperately to the hull, tumbled along with the ship.
The situation unfolded too fast to react. The Turtle Ship, falling helplessly, eventually caught a rapid current.
Splaaaaaaaash!
After a brief moment of freefall and the jarring return of gravity, the ship came to a halt. The team members began to look around, dazed.
The steep slope gradually leveled out, and as the ship sent spectacular sprays of water into the air, Dump was the first to speak.
“This is… the ocean?”
Everyone stared blankly, mesmerized by an environment that defied the physical laws of nature.
There were terrains that could only be described as mountains of water, and currents flowed haphazardly as if multiple rails had been laid out across the sea. As the Turtle Ship drifted leisurely along one current, crossing over a gentle hill of water, another current flowed in the exact opposite direction right beside them.
— Hehe. Cowardly Dump screamed.
Seo-un looked at the Siren following them, opened the exterior door, and asked, “Have you been here before?”
— Of course. This is the home of all Sirens.
“Ah…”
Seo-un was speechless. This incredible, impossible environment was their home. Mountains and cliffs made of water, and small islands floating loftily throughout the sea—it was a scene that felt utterly surreal.
“Hyung, look at the map,” Gi-chan said.
Seo-un quickly activated the map and furrowed his brow. On the map restricted to the Mirage Sea, everything was blacked out except for the small area they were currently passing through.
“This is driving me crazy.”
“Still, your decision to enter first was correct,” Juriel said, having processed the system notification.
Seo-un looked around. “What about them? They’ll be here soon.”
Jin Long pulled out a monocular and scanned the horizon, but the hills and mountains of water blocked his view, unlike a normal flat sea.
— Once someone enters, the entrance disappears. They can’t get in until they find another one.
“There’s more than one entrance?!”
— Of course. Entrances to this place appear and disappear all over the ocean all the time.
The source of the intuitive dissonance he felt upon hearing the name "Mirage Sea" was finally confirmed.
“Look at the survivor list!” Juriel shouted.
389/1000
.
.
.
Kant – Deceased outside the restricted zone.
Jirent – Deceased outside the restricted zone.
Kurei Sanatsu – Deceased outside the restricted zone.
The number of survivors was dropping rapidly every time the list refreshed. Although they couldn't see what was happening outside, it was easy enough to guess.
“This game is turning into a total survival match based on pure luck, isn't it?”
If you couldn't find an entrance to the Mirage Sea, even the greatest player would die. It wasn't an exaggeration.
“But you couldn't have known this rule. How did you decide to enter the sea?” Nam Sa-gwang asked.
After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Seo-un replied, “Instinct.”
That was the only word that fit. It was a gamer’s sense, developed from frequenting PC cafes since elementary school and playing countless titles. It was an instinct honed by the experience of smelling a "trash game" when the management started going off the rails, and being able to estimate the difficulty of a monster designed specifically to screw over players just by looking at it.
“Instinct… You have a good one.”
Games made just to bleed the players dry show their true colors even in their promotional slogans. Based on my experience so far, I knew the operator of this damn game was running things with their feet.
Having finished his thoughts, Seo-un looked around and spoke. “Anyway, if things are like this, we have no choice but to find the treasure island.”
“You mean we have to find it among all those?” Jin Long asked, looking troubled as he surveyed the islands floating amidst the unique currents.
There were all sorts of islands: a tiny one with nothing but a single palm tree on a golden beach no larger than thirty square meters, rocky crags, islands covered in dense forests, and even an island shrouded in snow as if the weather had gone mad.
And one of those islands caught Seo-un’s eye.
A dark, gloomy island that looked like it was rendered in black and white. The reason it drew his attention was the ‘?’ floating above it.
“Hyung, that…”
“I think so too.”
Seeing the question mark that seemed to be practically begging him to check it out, Seo-un gave the order. “Rimin, can you steer the ship over there?”
Rimin studied the flow for a moment, as they had to leave their current path. “I’ll give it a try.”
As soon as he turned the helm, the ship spun and veered sharply. By skillfully navigating the chaotic currents that lacked any regularity, they managed to bring the ship near the mysterious island.
“Stop. For now… I’ll go alone.”
“At least three people should go together,” Juriel said. Seo-un knew she was right.
Nevertheless, he shook his head. In a situation where they didn't know what kind of monsters or traps might be on that island, he couldn't risk the others. She looked at him with doubt as he insisted on going alone.
“It’s a hunch.”
Leaving it at that, Seo-un dove into the sea toward the unpleasant-looking island.
The moment he hit the water, he transformed into a merman and quickly crossed the distance. As he stepped onto the island, the gloomy atmosphere began to brighten.
The team members watching from the Turtle Ship were filled with curiosity.
— Hyung. The island gets brighter the further you go in.
— I feel it too.
After pushing through the tangled undergrowth to the center of the island, he found a worn-out chest sitting there, bathed in a bright light. Seo-un’s eyes shook violently as he looked down at the chest, which looked like it had "Treasure Chest" written all over it.
“I smell it. The foul stench of bait.”
His intuition told him that this game, which was forcing such terrible management on them, wouldn't let things be this easy. But he couldn't just leave it.
After glaring at the chest for a moment, he finally opened it.
As the question mark above the island vanished and text appeared, Gi-chan screamed over the team voice chat.
— Hyung! Get off that island right now!!!
Hearing the desperate scream, Seo-un looked at the object inside the chest and cursed.
“You son of a bitch operator.”
Inside the chest was a black sphere, and in the center of that sphere was a red timer.
10. 9. 8…
The moment he saw it, Seo-un realized what the sphere was.
Rumble! Boom! Boom!
Thud. Splash.
The eyes of the team members watching from the Turtle Ship filled with despair. The question mark had disappeared, replaced by a single line of text and a countdown.
[Boom. Better luck next time. Island of Explosion. (10, 9, 8...)]
As the short time ran out, the island exploded without leaving a trace, and the remaining debris fell near the Turtle Ship. The team members stared blankly at the island being blown to pieces with a thunderous roar, unable to fully process what had just happened.
“Ah…”
“This is…”
“Get it together. We need to pick a new Main Order and continue the play. The game isn't over,” Nam Sa-gwang said, his voice grim.
Just as Juriel was about to pull herself together and speak, a familiar voice reached them first.
“Why don't you just hold a funeral for me while you're at it?”
At the sound of Seo-un’s voice, Juriel turned around and immediately ran toward him as he stumbled onto the Turtle Ship. However, another team member reached him first, nearly tackling him.
“Ugh.”
Seo-un let out a groan as Lyle burrowed into his side and hugged him.
“W-wait a moment.”
Watching Lyle cast a heal, pouring out green light from both hands, Seo-un slumped to the deck.
“That item saved your life,” Nam Sa-gwang said, looking at the armor Seo-un was wearing. The pauldron on his left shoulder, the side of his breastplate, his helmet, and his gauntlets were all cracked or shattered.
Seo-un, who had been fully equipped in the Black Dragon's Armor Set he had taken from Subaru Jin, nodded.
“If it wasn't for the magic equipping function, I really would have died.”
Thanks to that small convenience feature, he had been able to put on the armor and prepare for the explosion in just a few seconds.
“It’s a relief you survived, but… it looks like you’re going to have to throw it away after using it just once. What a waste,” Dump remarked.
Seo-un shook his head. “I thought so too, but it seems to have a self-repair function. As long as it’s not completely destroyed, it’ll repair itself over time.”
Gi-chan nodded instinctively. “It’s worth the money then.”
Though it was just a rumor, the story that the equipment was worth trillions of won didn't seem like an exaggeration. When he commanded it to unequip, the armor that had been tightly wrapping his body peeled off like a robotic suit from a sci-fi movie.
Clang.
As the armor fell onto the deck, Seo-un’s injuries were revealed to be much worse than expected. Aside from the blood flowing from his head, the fracture in his ribs was clearly visible through his side, and the ulna in his arm was broken, pushing against his skin. It hadn't pierced the skin, but it was a gruesome sight.
Crack!
Li Lingwei, who had approached unnoticed, snapped Seo-un’s left arm bone back into place.
“Argh!”
He prided himself on having experienced almost every kind of pain since entering this survival game, but the pain of having a broken arm set raw was far more agonizing than dying. Literally, even when he died with an arrow in his forehead, it hadn't hurt this much.
After finally exhausting his recovery scrolls and using Lyle’s heals to restore his body, Seo-un let out a long breath.
“Haa. I really thought I was a goner.”
As the throbbing headache finally vanished, his expression relaxed.
“But… this means we have to keep going into islands like that from now on, right?”
At Rimin’s words, all the players fell silent.
“Sa-gwang. Do you think you could get off an island like that in ten seconds?”
“...”
Even the great Nam Sa-gwang couldn't answer Seo-un’s chilling question easily.
“If the island is that size, it might be worth a try… but if it’s any larger, I can’t guarantee it.”
Juriel added to his answer. “There’s no rule saying the trap has to be an explosion.”
Seo-un nodded at her words and fell into thought. What are they trying to achieve by making us find the treasure island?
As he was thinking, a new notification arrived.
[Ding! The Senrurk Squad has entered the Mirage Sea in search of the forgotten treasure.]
[Ding! The Skus Squad has entered the Mirage Sea in search of the forgotten treasure.]
[Ding! The Verus Squad has entered the Mirage Sea in search of the forgotten treasure.]
.
.
.
A string of notifications announced that no fewer than ten squads had entered this region.
“What happened?”
Dump couldn't understand how ten squads had entered at once, as he understood that the entrance closed once one team entered. He wasn't the only one; most of the team members looked confused.
“It’s simple. Multiple squads must have been mixed together on a single ship.”
At Seo-un’s words, Dump shook his head, feeling dejected as if the secret to an amazing magic trick had just been revealed.
“That’s possible?”
“If it wasn't, the current situation wouldn't make sense. It’s a common strategy for those who are teaming to mix their squad members together.”
Even in the midst of this, Juriel smiled as she assessed the enemy’s strength. “That means the enemy’s numbers have been cut by more than half.”
Seo-un smiled back at her as she hit the nail on the head. “More might come in, but for now, that’s the right way to look at it.”
The fact that the enemy fleet of over twenty ships and their forces had been halved was not bad news for Seo-un’s squad.
“Now the problem is how to crush them.”
A strategy to wipe out an enemy that still outnumbered them ten to one began to take shape in Seo-un’s mind.