Chapter 68: 20-Man Quad. New Rules
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 68: 20-Man Quad. New Rules
“Jo Chang-jun?”
Clad in a silver-white breastplate and gauntlets, the figure gripped a long spear. When he raised his visor to reveal his face, there was no mistaking him: it was Jo Chang-jun.
Behind him stood a woman in robes, clutching a staff. The moment Seo-un saw her pained expression, his shock doubled.
“Min-ah, you too…?”
“Did you think you were the only one who became a special Player? Since that day, I’ve been in Cloyd with Min-ah. As it turns out, even this place is under the influence of the wealth I have in reality.”
Seeing him brandish his spear ostentatiously, the situation became clear. He had somehow survived, hoarding items that allowed for the Jump Rule, and had managed to crawl his way up to the Fixed Round.
Since time in Cloyd flowed outside the axis of reality, it wasn’t strange that he had already reached this level. In fact, he might have even more play sessions under his belt than Seo-un.
“That stunned look on your face is priceless. I wonder if you can even handle a proper Quad in that state. Hehe.”
Acting as if he were now the superior one, Jo Chang-jun brushed past Seo-un and headed toward the area where Quads were being recruited.
Ju Min-ah looked at Seo-un with a complicated expression, her mouth opening as if to say something, but Jo Chang-jun shouted from ahead.
“Min-ah! What are you doing?!”
Seo-un’s eyes darkened as he watched Ju Min-ah close her mouth and walk past him.
“Hyung. We need to find teammates too.”
“Right.”
The people gathered in the waiting room were largely divided into three groups: those clustering around guilds, those loudly shouting to form a Quad, and those carefully observing the others to find a Quad worth joining.
Seo-un and Gi-chan belonged to the last group. They walked around, observing the people raising their voices as they organized their teams.
— It’s a knight-focused Quad.
— Yeah. Looks like there’s one Sword Emperor in the mix, but that’s about it.
The two passed by a group that had already formed a Quad of over fifteen people. Before long, a woman standing under a bamboo grove called out to them.
“Excuse me! Would you like to join us?”
She had large eyes and red hair tied into twin braids, her body covered in a tattered robe as she looked at Seo-un and Gi-chan. Having overheard various things while walking around, the two first asked about her status.
“What is your round count?”
“I’m on my 15th round, and this is my 1st Fixed Round. And over here…”
A woman sitting in the shade behind her, dressed in high-quality white martial attire, shifted her gaze toward them and spoke.
“13th round, 1st Fixed Round. And you?”
“20th round, 1st Fixed Round.”
“I’m on my 4th round, 1st Fixed Round…”
At Seo-un’s words, a burst of laughter erupted from a nearby group that had just finished forming their Quad.
“Hahaha! Only the 4th round?! Pfft, hahaha!”
The eyes of everyone nearby turned toward Jo Chang-jun, who was the one laughing. Even though most of the Players were casting mocking glances at Jo Chang-jun himself, he seemed to think the ridicule was directed at Seo-un. He held his stomach, mocking Seo-un with exaggerated gestures.
Ignoring Jo Chang-jun, several Players approached Seo-un.
“Um, if you haven’t joined a Quad yet…”
“We only have two spots left. Join us…”
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
The woman in the robe stepped forward, blocking the approaching crowd.
“We haven’t finished talking yet!”
She stood with her arms spread as if protecting the two, and the other Players waited with gleaming eyes.
“Are you… are you really only on your 4th round?”
“Well, somehow it ended up being the 4th.”
“And your primary class…?”
“Martial Artist.”
At the mention of being a Martial Artist, the woman sitting in the back had a spark in her eyes.
“You don’t seem to be from our world…”
“I’m not. More importantly, what are your primary classes?”
“Oh, I’m a Mage, and the lady behind me is a Martial Artist.”
Having revealed only their primary classes without further detail, the woman grabbed Seo-un’s arm tightly. Only then did a look of realization dawn on Jo Chang-jun’s face—a realization that something was wrong.
As he stood there with his belated epiphany, one of the Players in his squad approached him.
“Chang-jun. So, what round did you say you were on?”
“36th round, 1st Fixed Round.”
As he spoke confidently, the mockery from the people around him intensified.
“Right. I see. Shall we talk over there for a moment?”
Following his teammate, Chang-jun scowled deeply as he watched more and more people swarm around Seo-un.
“That idiot. He’s not a friend of yours, is he, Hyung?”
“Do I look like I’d be friends with a guy like that?”
Even after Jo Chang-jun disappeared, many Players continued to approach Seo-un from all sides.
“If you haven’t joined a Quad yet…”
“We have exactly two spots left. With us…”
“Let’s have a word.”
Seeing the crowd gather, the woman gripped Seo-un’s arm even tighter. Seo-un looked at Gi-chan, seeing the determination in her expression not to let them go.
‘For now, a Mage and a Martial Artist aren’t a bad start. We can balance the rest of the team as we pick the remaining members.’
Seo-un nodded and sent a Quad request to her.
[Ding! This individual is already in a Quad. You may join their Quad, but you cannot recruit them into a newly created one.]
“Ah!”
Realizing the request had been neutralized, she quickly accepted Seo-un and Gi-chan into her own Quad.
[Would you like to join Juriel’s Quad?]
As they joined her Quad, several Players waiting nearby turned away with disappointed looks.
“Now, let’s talk. We still have five spots left…”
“We were first. We have eight spots left, including two Alchemists and a Witch.”
A small skirmish broke out as people tried to take the four of them. As the commotion continued, the attention of the entire waiting room naturally shifted toward them.
“What’s going on?”
“Did some amazing Player show up?”
“I heard a 4th-round Player just entered his 1st Fixed Round.”
“What?!”
“You mean he reached the Fixed tier in just three rounds?!!”
The growing noise reached the ears of Jo Chang-jun, who had moved to a corner. As he stood there with a crumpled expression, the Player who had brought him spoke up.
“This isn’t a place where you’re respected just for having a lot of experience. In fact, bragging about having a high round count… is just acting like a moron.”
At the blatant insult, Chang-jun’s eyes turned fierce.
“Hey! I’m the one who—”
“Yes. The fee you paid is quite large. It’s a significant amount for a ‘bus ride.’ However, no matter how much money you give, I will drop you without hesitation if I think we’re going to fail. In a Fixed Game, the psychological warfare in the waiting room is vital. If you look like an easy target, enemies will scramble to kill you from the very start of the match. But as you can see, thanks to your nonsense, you’ve done nothing but build up a formidable enemy. So… keep your mouth shut and just follow me from now on.”
The man’s attitude was vastly different from when they had first met in reality, but despite his fury, Chang-jun couldn’t talk back. He knew that if he were abandoned, he had no confidence in surviving this place.
‘It’ll be a problem if that brat’s grudge reaches me too,’ the Player who had silenced Chang-jun thought to himself as he glanced toward Seo-un, who was now buried under a crowd of Players.
Following his gaze, Chang-jun’s face flushed red with jealousy as he glared at Seo-un.
‘What’s so great about a round count!’
His face contorted further as he realized that a mere round count was being valued more than his money.
The Quads that had been swarming around them dispersed at a single word from the woman in the robe.
“We will choose the Players who join us!”
With that, all the other Quads scattered, leaving their regrets behind.
“Does it really matter if we join them or they join us?”
“I suppose so.”
At their words, she looked around and spoke.
“It’s a bit different. I heard that the right to speak varies depending on who created the Quad. Both you and I are on our 1st Fixed Round. If we mess up here, we might get pushed around by experienced Players, forced into plays we don’t want, or the Quad might split. Even then, it might be fine if the results are good, but if things go wrong…”
Seo-un and Gi-chan nodded as she trailed off.
“So, it’s team politics?”
Gi-chan had already mentioned this once. Having played many team games, Seo-un knew better than anyone how petty and emotional internal politics could become.
Once the conversation ended, she began forming the Quad by asking passing Players for their round counts. In about two hours, the Quad was full.
“Alright, everyone gather here.”
People who had been clustered in small groups of acquaintances began to gather around her one by one. The Players kept their mouths shut, observing each other awkwardly.
There were eight Mages, including Gi-chan, five Knights, and five Martial Artists, including Seo-un. With two Alchemists, it was a full Quad of twenty people.
“Shall we all do a brief introduction?”
One by one, they introduced their primary classes and basic stats. Even though they were in the same squad, no one revealed detailed stats or items.
“Martial Artist and 4th Circle Mage. Jin Seo-un.”
“Mage. 6th Circle magic. I’ve also learned basic martial arts. I’m Kang Gi-chan.”
When Seo-un finished his short introduction, the eyes of many Players turned toward him. The protagonist of the incredible feat—reaching the Fixed tier by the 4th round. Most of the Players had joined this Quad specifically because of him.
Due to the nature of team games, the quality of your teammates is crucial. Even if your own skills are lacking, you can achieve great results if you get a good ‘bus ride.’ And most of the Players gathered here knew that fact very well.
Once everyone had finished their introductions, a man in massive armor exchanged glances with the Players he had come with and spoke.
“Then let’s start by picking a Main Order.”
At the suggestion of choosing a leader to give orders from the center of the Quad, the expression of the woman who had gathered the squad stiffened.
“To be honest, the reason most of the Players here joined a squad gathered by a 1st-time Fixed Player is probably for the same reason. It’s because of that person over there who became a Fixed Player in just three rounds.”
Most of the Players nodded at his words. The woman’s hands, gripping her robe, trembled. She was on the verge of losing her position as the Main Order before the game even started.
Throwing off her robe with trembling hands, she stepped forward. The triumphant expression of the Knight changed instantly when he saw her clad in golden armor and silver-white greaves.
“The Ronis crest?”
“Yes. Juriel Hader Ronis. That is correct. I have no intention of giving up the position of Main Order. I gathered this squad, and anyone who doesn’t like it is free to leave at any time. There’s still time, so if you want to go…”
The Knight who had stepped forward first shook his head at her words.
‘Dammit, I moved too early.’
He thought he should have waited until time was more pressing to make his move for the Main Order position. He stepped back and said, “If you are of the Ronis family… I have no complaints.”
Seo-un tilted his head as he watched the Knight retreat so submissively.
“Must be a famous family?”
Gi-chan nodded at his whisper.
“Seems so. Anyway, the internal politics are going to be brutal from now on. I heard that once you give up your right to speak, you’ll be dragged around until the game ends.”
“You two over there. If you have something to say, please deactivate your Silence and speak up.”
At Juriel’s words, Gi-chan took his hand off his necklace and smiled.
“Nothing official to say. Since the Main Order is decided, let’s move quickly.”
Juriel began putting her tattered robe back on as she spoke.
“Let’s start by deciding basic positions. Is there anyone who wants to volunteer for Scout, or anyone with experience?”
Since there were no archers in the party, there was no one obvious to assign to scouting. At her words, two Martial Artists raised their hands.
“We held the Scout position in our previous games.”
“Then the two of you will handle scouting.”
“And is there anyone with experience as a Main Shielder?”
This time, the Knight who had first challenged the Main Order position raised his hand.
“The Knights who came with me are very experienced shielders. We would like to handle all the shielder roles.”
Since it was appropriate for Knights to be shielders anyway, Juriel, having secured her leadership, nodded. Thus, the five Knights took on the role of shielders.
“Then I leave the Mages in your care. Are there any Mages who can perform healing?”
Three Mages raised their hands.
“Then the three of you will rotate between healer and magic DPS positions. The rest of you will handle the main assault.”
Seeing her finish the role distribution quite skillfully for a first-timer, the Players began to build trust in her leadership.
“Finally, we will pick a Sub-Order. Any volunteers?”
Several people raised their hands again. However, when Seo-un also raised his hand, most of them lowered theirs. Only the Knight who had taken the Main Shielder role kept his hand up.
As Juriel fell into thought while looking at the two, the Knight spoke first.
“I, Kite, have experience as a Sub-Order. And the games where I was Sub-Order reached the TOP 20.”
“I’ve led up to five Players, and I survived as TOP 1 in that game.”
At the mention of TOP 1, the Knight’s face flushed as he countered.
“That probably wasn’t a Quad game.”
Seo-un didn’t bother to argue. Juriel looked back and forth between the two before speaking.
“On one side, we have a TOP 1 Martial Artist, and on the other, a TOP 20 Knight. Those who support the Martial Artist, please raise your hands.”
It seemed like a fair vote on the surface, but the reality was different. By emphasizing the final rank and framing it as Martial Artist versus Knight, all the Martial Artists and a majority of the Mages raised their hands for Seo-un.
“Then the Sub-Order position will go to Jin Seo-un.”
Juriel was naturally wary of the Knight who had tried to usurp her Main Order position, so she preferred Seo-un as the Sub-Order. The Knight’s lips twitched, but he sat back down.
“Now, let’s look at the map.”
As everyone opened their maps, Juriel examined hers and spoke.
“Is there anyone familiar with this terrain?”
Her gaze turned toward the Martial Artists.
“It’s a terrain dominated by villages centered around Hwagok Castle, split between the Yugok Sect and the Sanghwa Sect. I’m a secular disciple of the Sanghwa Sect, so I know this area quite well.”
Everyone nodded at the words of the young Martial Artist who had raised his hand.
“Then can you predict what kind of Object Monsters might appear?”
“According to legend, it’s rumored that the Yugok Prodigy Jang Do-cheon, who founded the Yugok Sect, defeated an Imugi just before it could become an evil dragon of Sangryeong Mountain. So an Imugi will almost certainly appear, and nine times out of ten, Sangryeong Mountain will be its location. Also, since the predecessor of the Sanghwa Sect was a sect that inherited a significant portion of Moshan sorcery, Jiangshi might be roaming around the vicinity of the Sanghwa Sect.”
Watching the Players gather information about the map and predict the situation, Seo-un and Gi-chan were able to learn a great deal.
‘That woman says it’s her first time, but she’s quite skilled.’
Feeling Seo-un’s gaze, Juriel looked around at the other Martial Artists and spoke.
“Does anyone else have any predictions?”
After spending some time examining the villages and other features on the map in detail, she predicted how the force field would shrink and coordinated with the team to plan several routes.
Being new to the Fixed tier and the Martial Artist map, Gi-chan and Seo-un kept their mouths shut and simply observed. And then, the long meeting came to an end.
— The game will begin shortly. Revealing the main rewards for this game.
[World Escape Ticket] [Player Rights Revival Ticket] [Coin Vending Machine] [Insight of the Mad Demon] [Red Dragon’s Heart]
With a heavy thudding sound effect, each item was revealed, and the eyes of every Player sparkled. In particular, the Insight of the Mad Demon and the Red Dragon’s Heart were enough to fill everyone’s eyes with greed.
— Announcing the Main Quest. Trrrrrrrrrrr. Ding! Achieve the most kills. Among the surviving Players, only the one with the most kills (200 kills or more) will be given the right to choose and take one of the rewards above.
As Gi-chan and Seo-un looked at each other, unable to adapt to this unheard-of situation, the next notification reached their ears.
— Soon, you will share your field of vision through Argas’s Eye. Through the vision of Argas as it soars through the sky, you may shout ‘Descend’ at your desired location to safely land on the ground. We hope you obtain many items at your chosen spot. Please note that those who do not descend will be automatically dropped at the final destination.
— Preparing to start the game…