Chapter 51: Duo-Quad. Approaching Ill-fated Ties
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 51: Duo-Quad. Approaching Ill-fated Ties
Gi-chan approached cautiously, glancing at the remains of Jong-cheon, who had met a particularly brutal end. He placed a hand on Seo-un’s shoulder.
“Good work. That’s one more piece of trash taken care of.”
“Beating them to death is the easy part here,” Seo-un replied. “The hard part was finding him in the first place.”
Seo-un reached down and opened the supply box. An unexpected item caught his eye.
[Fragmented Secret Manual. This is the seventh fragment. Collect all eight to reveal its true name.]
“Ha, look what turned up.”
“Are you collecting the Fragmented Series, Hyung?”
“Is that what they call it?”
“Yeah. On the community forums, they call fragmented secret manuals, skill books, grimoires, and crafting recipes the ‘Fragmented Series.’ I haven’t seen anyone who’s collected a full set yet, though. I heard each piece costs about fifty to sixty coins…”
“I just happened to stumble upon them.”
Gi-chan nodded in admiration. “As expected of a coin-rich player.”
It was more a matter of luck than a conscious effort to collect them, but Seo-un didn’t feel the need to explain that. As they finished looting and prepared to head back toward the village, Gi-chan grabbed Seo-un’s arm.
“Hyung. Let’s just pull out of here.”
“Are you worried?”
The other side had one more person than them. It was only natural to doubt how long a verbal, temporary alliance would hold in a place like this.
“It’s not like I haven’t experienced this while playing. These things rarely end well.”
“I was thinking the same thing. But that gentleman is already over there waiting for us.”
At those words, Gi-chan flinched and raised his staff. Following Seo-un’s gaze, he saw a martial artist standing by a massive tree, his body half-exposed and his arms crossed. He wasn't closing the distance, seemingly wary of them as well.
“You certainly finished the cleanup.”
Despite the distance, the man’s voice was as clear as if he were standing right in front of them. Acting as if it were nothing, Seo-un infused his vocal cords with internal power and replied.
“Thanks to you.”
“Our agreement still stands, I assume?”
“Of course. Even in a world like this, I’d like to live as someone who keeps his word.”
As soon as he finished speaking, two companions appeared beside the man. An archer leaped down from a nearby tree with light, agile movements, and a mage stepped out from behind him. Gi-chan grew even more tense.
“We’re going to continue farming, so don’t worry about the remaining items and go ahead,” the man offered.
“I’d like to, but I think my teammate might collapse from stress if we stay. Consider those items a gift from me.”
As Seo-un began to back away, the martial artist spoke up. “My name is Zhang Siwei.”
“I’m Jin Seo-un. Let’s aim for another win-win if the opportunity arises.”
“I hope so.”
The two men exchanged thin smiles before turning around and walking away.
“Phew—” Once the other group was completely out of sight, Gi-chan let out a deep, shaky sigh.
“Were you that nervous?”
“Of course! When that archer dropped down from above, I thought my heart was going to stop. How could you be so calm, trusting those guys?”
“Hamit is incredibly good at picking up gazes filled with hostility. The fact that they were watching us and Hamit didn't say a word was proof they didn't mean us harm.”
“Ah… its name is Hamit? I heard ego weapons have unique names, but I didn't know they had functions like that. Still, you could’ve given me a heads-up. I was scared for nothing.”
“You should be that tense in front of an enemy. You shouldn't show fear, but it’s only natural to keep your guard up and assume the worst-case scenario.”
Gi-chan nodded, though he gave Seo-un a slightly resentful look.
“Anyway, the top priority for this game is finished. Let’s decide on our next move.”
“What are you thinking, Hyung?”
“Survival is the most important goal. So, it’s a choice between camping and farming. The problem is the route. The first day isn't over yet. The sun is setting, so we can either head toward an objective to dig in and camp, or we can rotate through effective farming spots.”
“Camping versus farming.”
These were common strategies in the game, but they were just as applicable in reality. Even Gi-chan, who had quite a few rounds under his belt, fell into deep thought.
“In the Quad version, it’s not a bad idea to grab a hot spot early on. Others will have the same idea, but generally, there aren't many large farming spots near objectives. Getting into the In-Circle early to claim a spot isn't bad.”
“On the flip side, if everyone else has the same idea, it’ll be a living hell.”
“If we can just survive and secure a spot, we’ll be set for a while. We could probably hold out until at least the survival cut-off.”
“Then should we go with camping at a hot spot?”
After a moment of thought, Gi-chan looked at Seo-un. “Before that… Hyung, are you okay with that? I’m used to camping. But the downside of camping becomes fatal as the game progresses.”
Seo-un knew exactly what he meant. “The lack of farming definitely carries a risk.”
Cloyd was a world where the weak could become strong at any moment. Staying in one place to survive might get you closer to the finish line, but it also meant risking falling behind in power.
“Plus, we might end up getting nothing out of this game except survival. For me, survival is the priority, but we’re in a Quad together now.”
Gi-chan was wise for his age, expressing his opinion clearly without forcing it, instead asking for Seo-un’s intent. It was likely a habit ingrained in him from surviving previous Quad games.
“Hmm… Camping and farming.” Seo-un’s eyes gleamed. “What if we could do both?”
“Camping while hiding and farming away from the enemy’s sight?”
The magnetic field was still wide, so it wasn't impossible. However, the efficiency of quick farming wasn't very high. To increase the chances of getting good items, one had to head toward larger towns or cities.
As Gi-chan looked at him with a confused expression, Seo-un spoke. “What did I say was the best kind of farming?”
Gi-chan’s smile widened. “Human farming.”
“Exactly. We camp in a place where people are unlikely to be, read the players’ movements, and then ambush them. We’ll focus entirely on human farming.”
“The plan sounds plausible. But with the map this big, is it possible?”
“I have the Eye of Distortion. And since there are players who dropped into the city behind us, it’s not impossible. The downside is having to sleep rough in the wind and rain.”
“If it guarantees maximum safety and farming, there’s no reason not to take that risk.”
Having reached an agreement, the two began to consult the map. They exchanged opinions, predicting the movements of the surviving players who had dropped into the city, and marked several pings on the map.
*
Day three of the game.
341/400
Unlike other games where the numbers would plummet after the first day, even after three days, fewer than sixty people had been eliminated.
“Dammit! I told you we should’ve ditched the mana carriage!”
A knight leading the way through a pathless forest barked. The robed mage following behind him furrowed his brow.
“You were the one who insisted on bringing that mana carriage in the first place.”
As the atmosphere between the two turned sour, an archer who had been scouting from the trees dropped down between them to mediate.
“Traveling by mana carriage at night was something we all agreed on. There’s no point in bickering about the results now.”
“Tsk! I’m the one who has to face the enemy on the front lines! Losing our martial artist was a critical blow.”
“He sacrificed himself for the team. And we all agreed with his decision. We just have to make it to the survival rewards to repay him.”
The knight, finding himself at a loss for words against the archer’s half-mediating, half-accusing tone, kicked a protruding rock on the ground. Still fuming, the knight stomped ahead. The archer patted the mage’s shoulder and followed.
Suddenly, the expressions of the mage and the archer froze.
“Don’t—”
Before their warning could finish, the moment the knight took another step, a powerful shockwave swept over him. Compressed air exploded, pushing everything back with a force that sent the heavy, armored knight flying like a leaf in a gale.
His helmet tumbled away as he rolled violently across the ground. When he finally slammed into a tree, an arrow was already buried deep between his eyes.
The mage and the archer glanced at each other for a split second before bolting in opposite directions. Seo-un chased after the archer while using the team voice chat.
—Can you handle the mage alone?
—Yes! I’ll at least keep him pinned down, so don’t worry!
The archer, moving rapidly through the trees, suddenly spun in mid-air. Two arrows grazed his arms and legs as he rotated. The archer fired three arrows in rapid succession toward his rear while spinning, trying to maintain his momentum through the canopy.
However, an Ice Lance streaked past him, completely freezing the branch he was about to step on. He managed to scramble past the frozen, slippery branch, but his speed dropped significantly. In that instant, a blast of Fist Qi flew toward his back.
—Clang!
The archer drew a soft sword from his waist, parried the Fist Qi, and landed on the ground. Seeing this, Seo-un stowed his bow into his subspace. Against someone wielding a soft sword, his arrows were unlikely to be effective anymore.
As Seo-un dropped down toward the archer and threw a punch, the archer gritted his teeth and lunged with his soft sword. Seo-un used a Spinning Strike, but the soft sword only wavered slightly, staying true to its path.
—Clang! Clang!
The sword moved like a snake, aiming for the space between his eyes. Seo-un blocked it by raising his shoulder. His shoulder was sliced open, and blood splattered, but he didn't retreat. He kept pushing his fist forward. The distance of the sword was instantly closed to the distance of a fist, forcing the opponent to twist his body desperately.
—Thud!
Seo-un felt a solid recoil as the man was sent flying backward. Even so, the archer’s agility was exceptional; he regained his balance mid-air, preparing for a follow-up attack.
—Clang!
The soft sword and Seo-un’s fist collided, the sharp sound of metal ringing in their ears. The archer’s agile movements and his soft sword martial arts were a perfect match. However, as the clash continued, the archer’s face grew stiff.
His techniques and natural agility weren't enough to overcome the massive gap in internal energy. He didn't know just how high Seo-un’s internal power was, but being constantly pushed back by sheer force and energy was exhausting.
As the archer leaped back, a sphere the size of half a fist appeared in his hand. At that moment, Seo-un focused his strength and activated a skill.
Barrier.
It was a skill he had obtained from Hamit’s skill wheel after midnight. A shield more powerful than a basic shield materialized in front of Seo-un just as the sphere thrown by the man exploded into intense flames.
Seo-un charged through the fire and closed the distance in an instant, driving his fist forward.
—Crunch!
The archer looked down at Seo-un’s fist, which had pierced through his chest. He coughed up blood and collapsed. Feeling a heavy surge of vitality, Seo-un immediately opened his Qi Absorption Gate to absorb it. Then, he spoke into the team voice chat.
—Clear on my end. How about you?
—I just got him too.
As soon as Gi-chan finished speaking, the archer’s corpse vanished, replaced by a wooden box.
—Loot up and meet me there.
—Got it.
“Three days of camping for one team, huh?” Seo-un muttered to himself as he opened the box.
*
“Heh, you really have to use your head.”
A man with muscles as thick as a knight’s plate armor muttered as he pushed up the goggles on his forehead.
“Sieck! Stop posing and hurry up with the farming.”
A leaner man, who uniquely wore a pauldron on only one arm, was organizing items while constantly scanning the surroundings for potential enemies. The bulky man, Sieck, who was dressed in tight leather clothes, clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, tsk. Your problem is that tiny heart of yours. Why are you acting like a coward? A warrior of Sisul should… huh?”
Sieck cut himself off and raised his arm. He stared at the arrow embedded in his forearm, momentarily failing to grasp the situation.
“Sieck!! Enemy!”
“I can tell there’s an enemy just by looking at the arrow in my arm.”
He roughly ripped the arrow out, causing blood to spurt from the wound. A small figure in a robe approached and touched his arm, causing the wound to heal rapidly.
—Thud! Thud! Thud!
Sieck quickly moved to shield the mage, and three arrows fired from different directions slammed into his back.
“Kae! Not yet?”
Sieck felt a throbbing pain in his back. Kae, the man with the single pauldron, furrowed his brow deeply.
“Dammit! This guy is no amateur! I can’t pin down his location!”
—Clang!
Kae barely blocked an incoming arrow with his pauldron, stumbling backward. The force behind the arrow was immense.
“Sieck! Let’s retreat! We can’t win like this!”
“No! Since when do the Sisul people turn their backs on an enemy…”
—Boom!
Sieck couldn't finish his sentence. An arrow struck his back and exploded, sending him flying while still clutching the mage.
—Thwip!
Kae, who was running toward him with a scroll in hand, was struck in the throat by an arrow a third shorter than a normal one. Blood poured from the hole in his neck as he collapsed. Finally, a man holding a bow emerged in front of him.
“Juroku… ana…”
Kae rasped the name with resentment before dying. Jurokuana, his face expressionless, notched another arrow and cautiously approached the man who was barely clinging to life. Jurokuana flipped the prone man over with his foot, and his face twisted into a scowl.
“Heh… he’s already long gone. Your honor will one day…”
—Thud!
Once again, the sentence was left unfinished. Jurokuana’s arrow, fired from point-blank range, pierced the man’s forehead, killing him instantly. He fired once more into the hearts of Kae and Sieck to make sure they were dead. Only then did their bodies vanish, leaving wooden boxes behind.
“Random Teleport, huh?” he muttered, looking at the remains of a torn gold scroll on the ground.
*
[Skill Book: Eye of the Forest. A skill honed by the Elf warrior Daenk in the woods. Consumes mana to see further and more clearly within a forest.]
[Skill Book: Sense of the Forest. A skill honed by the Elf warrior Daenk in the woods. Detects unnatural energy within a forest. Detection range: 30 meters.]
[Gyosa Sword Art Manual. A high-level sword technique of the Gyoryong Sect that utilizes a soft sword. To learn it, one must first master the introductory Pungcho Sword Technique.]
[Black Kaier’s Bow. A bow made from the horn of a Black Kaier. Increases arrow speed by 15%.]
Seo-un looked down at the box with a hint of disappointment as he sifted through the remaining unnecessary items.