Chapter 52: Triple Quad: A Fated Reunion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 52: Triple Quad: A Fated Reunion
Seo-un let out a long sigh as he finished organizing his loot and stowing it away in his Subspace.
‘It’s a shame no archery skills dropped.’
-You’re a greedy one, Master.-
Hamit grumbled, likely because Seo-un hadn't paid much attention to him lately, but Seo-un simply ignored the remark.
After securing the skill books, he headed toward the location where Gi-chan was waiting.
As he entered a dense thicket where the trees grew exceptionally thick, the ground—carpeted in fallen leaves—suddenly heaved. Gi-chan popped out from beneath the earth.
“Hyung, are you okay?”
Gi-chan looked concerned, his eyes landing on a jagged tear in the fabric near Seo-un’s shoulder.
“It’s nothing. More importantly, did you find anything?”
“I managed to snag quite a few skill books. Kaier’s Barrier and Kaier’s Echo are both useful enough to use immediately. Aside from those, I found the magic books Roar of the Earth and Wind Buster.”
“Anything good in terms of items?”
“This staff is decent. The rest was just useless armor. I brought it along just in case—do you want it? I don’t have enough Strength to wear heavy plate.”
“Does it have any decent options?”
“No. It’s purely specialized for defense. Besides, the helmet is already broken.”
“Then forget it.”
Gi-chan pulled some beef jerky out of his Subspace and popped a piece into his mouth. “How was the archer? He looked like an Elf; did he drop anything worthwhile?”
“It’s a shame no archery skills dropped, but I did get some things that’ll be useful in the forest. One skill lets me see great distances in high detail, and another lets me sense artificial energy within a thirty-meter radius.”
“Both of those suit your scouting role perfectly. Oh, and here.”
As Seo-un took the skill books Gi-chan handed him, system notifications rang out.
[Skill Book: Kaier’s Barrier. Ignores 20% of physical damage for 1 minute.]
[Skill Book: Kaier’s Echo. Intimidates enemies with a thunderous shout, reducing the physical attack power of enemies within range by 10% for 1 minute. Range: 10-meter radius from the caster.]
“Both of these are better suited for you since you handle the close-quarters combat, Hyung.”
Gi-chan drew a firm line when Seo-un tried to offer him Kaier’s Barrier.
Smiling at his partner, Seo-un learned both skills on the spot.
The two of them climbed down into the hidden space Gi-chan had excavated. Once they pulled the cover over the entrance, a soft light illuminated their cramped surroundings.
The space, just large enough for three people to lie down and stretch their legs, was a dugout Gi-chan had reinforced using magic.
“That stone is definitely useful. Good thing you picked it up.”
The item was a Mana Jewelry stone, a fist-sized gem they had obtained two days ago after hunting a monster called a Green Shadow. It was a material highly sought after by alchemists, capable of emitting a soft glow when injected with Mana.
“Right? We could get at least ten million won for it if we sold it back home. Not bad for something that only costs one Coin to bring out.”
As the light dimmed, Gi-chan injected a fresh pulse of Mana, and the stone brightened once again.
“For now, I’m picking off the teams that are short on numbers, but should we try to hold out here a bit longer?”
At Seo-un’s question, Gi-chan nodded.
“I think that’s for the best. Shouldn’t we stay put until the force field tightens?”
“It could be trouble if the force field shifts suddenly.”
“True, but it’s only the third day.”
“Right. Then for the next few days, we’ll—”
Before Seo-un could finish his sentence, Gi-chan shoved the Mana Jewelry back into his Subspace.
Rustle, rustle.
The sound of heavy footsteps treading on fallen leaves echoed from above, signaling a sudden presence.
Exchanging a sharp glance, Gi-chan and Seo-un surged upward simultaneously, bursting from the ground.
“Gah?!”
A youthful voice cried out in surprise as the intruder tumbled backward, his hood falling away to reveal his face.
The brown-haired boy’s eyes widened in terror. He thrust out a hand and shouted, “Iron Barrier!”
Clang!
Seo-un’s fist, bolstered by internal power, slammed into the iron shell. The moment the barrier shattered, its durability exhausted, the boy’s eyes grew even wider.
He stood there dazed, forgetting to launch the flames gathered in his palm. Gi-chan, taking no chances, fired a bolt of lightning at him.
Crackle!
Seo-un swatted away the lightning bolt that had been flying toward the boy—a strike that would have surely charred him.
“Hyung!” Gi-chan shouted, startled by the sudden intervention.
Ignoring him, Seo-un focused his gaze on the boy in front of him.
The boy looked straight up at Seo-un and extinguished the flames in his hand.
“We meet again. It’s good to see you looking so well.”
The boy who had once risked his life to help him, claiming he was merely repaying a small favor.
The boy who had repaid his debt to Seo-un during that brutal survival game called Cloyd Survival.
That very boy was standing before him now.
When they first met, he had been gaunt, dressed in rags, and flinching at every shadow. Now, he looked like any other boy his age, with healthy, rounded cheeks.
“A-Ah, Mister!”
As if meeting a long-lost friend, the boy jumped up and ran toward Seo-un, his feet practically dancing with excitement.
“I didn't expect to run into you again so soon... You look like you're doing well.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Mister!”
Seeing the boy’s voice rise in excitement, Gi-chan cut in.
“I realize this is a touching reunion, but shall we head inside and talk first?”
As soon as they descended back into the dugout, Gi-chan pulled the cover shut and cast a Silent spell to mask their voices.
He took out the Mana Jewelry to light the darkness and embedded it into the ceiling. The boy grabbed both of Seo-un’s hands, finally expressing the gratitude he hadn't been able to finish earlier.
“Thank you so much for before!”
“I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, the last game went better than I expected. You... you look much better too.”
“My whole life changed, just like you said it would, Mister!”
The story the boy excitedly babbled was this:
He had returned to reality with a 3rd Circle Stone using the Coins he received as a reward, allowing him to become the disciple of a famous mage in his world.
Seeing him learn magic instantly through the system just by holding a magic book, his master was delighted, believing he had discovered a once-in-a-century genius. Lyle was able to learn many spells from him, allowing him to provide a comfortable life and medical treatment for his sick mother.
He had returned to Cloyd once more after that, performed well again, and was now a 5th Circle Mage.
“I suppose if you just take a Circle Stone back with you, you can learn most magic in your world instantly.”
“Yes. I recently told my master the truth without hiding anything, and he was very intrigued. This is all thanks to you, Mister.”
Looking at his healthy appearance, Seo-un had guessed the boy’s situation had improved, but it seemed things had turned out even better than expected.
“But... why are you alone now? I set up alarm magic around here; how did you bypass it?”
“Ah... that’s...”
The boy’s expression darkened instantly, his words trailing off. It was a rapid shift in emotion typical of his age.
“My teammates... they all died protecting me. At the very end, one of them shoved a Random Teleport Scroll into my hand, so I was the only one who survived.”
“Random Teleport?”
Seo-un tilted his head at the unfamiliar name, and Gi-chan answered for him.
“It’s a type of Gold Scroll. In the community, they sometimes call it a ‘Ber.’ When you use it, you’re moved to a random location on the map. It could be nearby, or it could be across the entire continent. It’s completely random.”
“And you used that scroll and ended up running into us?”
“Yes! I knew I’d meet you again, Mister!”
Seo-un gave an awkward smile as he looked at the boy, whose personality had become much brighter than before.
“I get that, but... your teammates actually sacrificed themselves to save you. That’s not an easy choice to make.”
Gi-chan answered again. “Duo and Quad are a bit different.”
“How so?”
“In Duo, the moment you’re eliminated, it’s over for you regardless of your teammate’s survival. In Quad, the team’s performance is reflected even if you die. So, even if I die, as long as you stay alive, Hyung, I can watch the rest of your play from the waiting room and still get the rewards.”
“Oh? Then why is Duo...”
“I don’t know that either. It’s up to the whims of whoever made this game. That’s why people form fixed Quads once they rank up. It’s also why they’re more obsessed with Quad games.”
“I see. That makes sense now. Then this kid’s teammates must be watching him desperately right now.”
“Yeah. They’re probably praying that we protect him and somehow get him into the top 120.”
“Wait! Then what if survivors from every single team out of the 100 Quads stay alive, and there are 100 survivors left?”
“Then all 300 people who died earlier would survive too. It’s rare, but not impossible. That’s why in Quads, even if they lose teammates, many players try to run away and survive somehow rather than fighting to the death.”
“Ah... no wonder I thought there were too many survivors.”
Even while listening to their conversation, the boy’s eyes sparkled as he stared intently at Seo-un’s face. It was a look of pure admiration, as if he were looking at a hero. Seo-un found the gaze quite burdensome.
“Still, a 5th Circle Mage by only his third round. This kid is impressive.”
“I-I just got lucky...”
“Luck is a skill too. From now on, even though you’re on a different team, I assume you intend to cooperate with us?”
“If you’ll have me, I’ll work hard!”
There was no reason not to take him. If the boy hadn't shown such blatant affection for Seo-un, he might have hesitated, but he calculated that this boy would follow Seo-un’s decisions unconditionally.
Having read Gi-chan’s expression, Seo-un also nodded.
“Then I’ll ask just to confirm. You said you’re 5th Circle; what magic can you use? And tell me your Mana stat.”
The boy innocently revealed all his stats and magic.
“W-Wait. What did you say your Mana was?”
“323.”
The boy answered in a dejected voice, thinking his stat was too low.
“Why? Is that an abnormal number?”
“Of course it is! This is...”
As Gi-chan’s voice trailed off, the boy’s expression darkened further.
After checking his own stats again, Gi-chan let out a sigh and spoke.
“Haa. Even I, at the 6th Circle, only have 250 Mana. When I was 5th Circle, I didn't even have 200. I guess it’s a difference in raw talent.”
The boy’s expression finally relaxed after receiving Gi-chan’s envious look.
“My master said my Mana capacity was innate. I was worried I was lacking.”
“Lacking? Just looking at the community info, having 250 at the 6th Circle gets you called a ‘blessed character.’ 320-plus at the 5th Circle is insane. Plus, that master of yours is something else. He taught you a good variety of elemental magic. The balance is perfect, and for an orthodox mage, you’re at a high level. He even taught you Heal magic.”
“You mean recovery magic?”
“Yeah. It’s one of those spells that usually gets ignored in Cloyd. Since there are recovery scrolls, people don’t usually waste Coins on recovery magic.”
Seo-un nodded at that. He wouldn't have wasted Coins on recovery magic either.
“My master heard about the situation here and said you never know what might happen, so he specially obtained the magic book for me.”
It certainly didn't hurt to have a healer on hand.
“By the way, did you check the name of the guy who killed your teammates?”
“Not yet... I’ll check now. Survivor list.”
320/400
.
.
.
Jurokuana --> Kye (Kill with bow.)
Jurokuana --> Sieck (Kill with bow.)
“Jurokuana.”
The moment that name left the boy’s mouth, Seo-un’s eyes flashed.
He had expected as much from the moment he heard about the terrifying arrows being fired from an invisible position.
“It’s that bastard after all.”
“Do you know him?”
Seo-un nodded at the boy’s question.
“He’s someone I owe a debt to.”
Even from Seo-un’s expression alone, the boy could tell that the debt wasn't a pleasant one.
“Anyway, what’s your name?” Gi-chan asked, changing the subject.
The boy answered, “Please call me Lyle.”
“Right. I’m Kang Gi-chan, and this is...”
“I know Jin Seo-un, Mister!”
Since the remaining players in the last game had formed an alliance just to avoid Jin Seo-un, there was no way he wouldn't know the name.
They continued to talk for a long while after that. Gi-chan, in particular, being a fellow mage, explained Lyle’s future position to him.
Seeing Gi-chan explain things several times to ensure Lyle wouldn't hinder them in future battles, Seo-un spoke up.
“Well, I’m going to head out for a bit, so keep up the good work.”
“Already? The sun is just coming up...”
“That’s why I have to go. Players will start crawling out soon.”
-And thanks to that kid, we can even try playing as a 4-man Quad.-
Gi-chan nodded as he heard Seo-un’s last remark through the team voice chat.
“Then good luck, Hyung.”
“Yeah.”
Running through the forest until he reached its edge, Seo-un kicked off a tree and climbed to the very top. The distant metropolis came into view.
There was a fair distance between the large city and the forest where Seo-un was currently located, but it was a spot that players ‘In-Circling’—moving to stay inside the magnetic field—would inevitably pass through if they moved in a straight line instead of following the main roads.
That was why he and Gi-chan had agreed to camp and ambush in this forest.
How much time had passed as he watched the landscape from the treetop? The sun that had just been rising was now high in the sky.
That was when several figures running quickly toward the forest caught his eye. It looked like they intended to cut straight through the woods.
-Gi-chan, get ready for guests. Expected path is 10-1.-
He and Gi-chan had already divided the entire forest into sectors and named them like addresses.
-Got it! I’ll get ready.-
Thinking of Gi-chan, who would be setting up trap-type Mana Explosion Scrolls and preparing to ambush from a prime spot, Seo-un moved further back.
As he watched the four prey while maintaining as much distance as possible, Seo-un’s eyes suddenly widened.
-Master!!-
Hamit was screaming something, but his voice echoing in Seo-un’s head didn't register. The moment he sensed the anomaly, his body moved instinctively, racing toward Gi-chan.
-Retreat! Retreat! Just run, no matter what!-
-Eh? Hyung, what...-
-No time to explain! It’s a powerful enemy! Run!-
Gi-chan, who had finished setting the Mana Explosion Scrolls and had stored plenty of offensive spells in his staff, grabbed Lyle and began to run without looking back.
-To the Plan B location...-
-No! That might be dangerous too. C! Go to C!-
KABOOM!
A thunderous roar echoed through the entire forest. Even Gi-chan and Lyle, who were fleeing upon Seo-un’s command, momentarily faltered at the sheer force of the vibration.