Chapter 77: Solo-Quad. Annihilated?!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 77: Solo-Quad. Annihilated?!
Seo-un and Juriel exchanged a look after checking the map.
“It’s less than a day’s journey away,” Seo-un noted.
Juriel nodded, her expression stiff. “Their next target is likely the buff mob. It’s best if we put some distance between us.”
The squad’s current location was roughly halfway between the buff monster and the boss monster. If Nam Sa-gwang headed straight for the buff monster, there was a high chance they would cross paths if their luck turned sour.
Kite, who had been quiet until then, scowled openly and voiced his dissatisfaction.
“We finally have a chance to farm after all this time, and you want to change the route again? I have to wonder if running away from an enemy we might not even encounter is the right move.”
They had just spent ten days surviving in the woods and on the outskirts; towns were finally starting to appear on their path. It wasn't unreasonable for him to complain about pivoting now. As proof, the mages—who would usually have rebuked him—remained silent in agreement.
However, Juriel had no intention of changing her mind. Whether it was farming or hunting, nothing was more important than survival. Even if they had prepared secondary measures just in case, the best outcome was to survive in peak condition.
“The opponent is a powerful enemy who far surpasses our skills,” Juriel stated firmly. “If there is even a slight chance of encountering such a foe, avoiding them is the natural judgment.”
Seeing the other players remain quiet and sensing the shifting atmosphere within the squad, Kite refused to back down.
“On a map this vast, what are the odds of a powerful enemy running into us while heading for a buff mob? And what proof do you have that he’s even going for the buff mob in the first place?”
“He has a point,” one of the mages chimed in. “Thinking that someone who just hunted a boss monster would immediately go for a buff mob is a bit of a stretch...”
“I also think we shouldn't overthink things and end up sabotaging ourselves,” another added.
“The basis for predicting the enemy’s movement is certainly too weak. If we follow the original route from here, we’ll pass through over twenty towns, large and small. Even if we only farm half of them... It’s a fact that our farming has fallen behind. If we keep lagging, we might end up collapsing pointlessly when it really matters.”
The martial artists didn't say a word, but the mages each argued in favor of farming.
It was a cultural difference between two worlds—their standards for visualizing a "powerful enemy" they had only heard about were different. The moment the martial artists imagined someone sweeping through enemies with Hand Aura, cold sweat naturally trickled down their spines.
On the other hand, the people of this world, who hadn't seen it for themselves, merely pictured a very strong Sword Emperor. Whether they had learned a bit of martial arts or not, they came from a different world and had never encountered a martial artist capable of manifesting Aura. In a way, this was an expected result.
Consequently, the looming image of the unseen enemy gradually grew faint and blurred in their minds.
Would we really run into him? Even if we do, we can surely find a way to escape.
Juriel could understand why they were having such complacent thoughts. But while she understood, she had no intention of agreeing.
“I have no intention of taking unnecessary risks when even a one-in-a-million danger can be avoided. The route... is changing.”
The expressions of the mages soured instantly. Kite didn't miss the opportunity.
“This is dogmatic! Even if you are of the Ronis family, this is too much!”
If this were reality and not Cloyd, someone like Kite—who hadn't even become a regular knight—would never have dared to bring up the Ronis family in front of Juriel.
Watching the conflict between Juriel and the players led by Kite, Seo-un shook his head.
What a mess. To be swayed by such petty instigation.
Seo-un stepped into the middle of the uncomfortable atmosphere.
“Senior Brother.”
As Seo-un walked over and called out to Jin Long, everyone’s eyes gathered on him.
“Speak,” Jin Long said.
“If our squad were to fight that man named Nam Sa-gwang, what do you think our chances of winning would be?”
Jin Long, who had been refraining from speaking since he wasn't an official squad member, answered without hesitation.
“Not even a fraction of a percent.”
The mages and the knights, including Kite, stared at Jin Long in disbelief.
“I thought so. Then, if we were to run away from him, how many of us do you think would survive?”
“I suspect five or fewer.”
“Did you all hear that?” Seo-un asked the group.
The mages shut their mouths. They had heard how Jin Long’s squad was annihilated and how he alone survived, but they had convinced themselves they were somehow different. They believed Jin Long’s squad must have been lacking, or that they themselves were more special. It was the kind of self-beautification anyone is prone to.
They believed that their success in surviving so far was due to their own skill. They were under the illusion that Seo-un’s prowess, Juriel’s brilliant orders, and the sacrifices of the scouters were equal to their own abilities.
It was a common delusion in team play. A teammate’s outstanding play starts to look easy and natural, and one’s own contribution to victory isn't judged objectively.
Forgetting how they had been in despair while trapped in a formation just a short while ago, the mages now deluded themselves into thinking they had broken the enemy’s formation through their own unity and magical synergy. Seo-un looked at their dissatisfied faces and then shifted his gaze to Kite.
“Everyone, put your complaints aside for a moment and let’s move safely. We aren't in the safety zone yet.”
“Well, if the team’s leader and sub-leader say so, I guess a teammate with no say has no choice but to follow,” Kite muttered.
Kite’s intention in saying out loud what one would normally only think was transparent, but Seo-un didn't bother dealing with him.
“Now, let’s finish farming quickly and get moving!” Juriel commanded, trying to refresh the atmosphere.
While they quickly looted wooden boxes and houses, the number of players casting Silence increased noticeably.
“Hyung. Isn't the team falling apart too much?” Gi-chan asked with a worried expression. “If we split up like this, the team game is ruined.”
“They’re the type of people who’d ask you to dig a hole and cover them with dirt just because they’re cold,” Seo-un replied.
As the two stood on a third-floor railing watching the burning sunset, the other players gathered nearby. Once the item distribution was finished, the two jumped down to join them.
“For the next route, we will head back toward the outskirts. We will maintain a defensive posture and watch the trends until we reach the safety zone, so let’s depart immediately—”
Kite cut her off. “Right now?!”
His tone was heavily exaggerated.
“Yes. It’s best to leave this place as soon as possible.”
“We’ve been sleeping rough for the past ten days. The sun is setting; wouldn't it be better for the team’s strength and morale to rest in a comfortable bed for just one night and recover our stamina?”
Kite looked around at the mages and glanced at Seo-un as he continued.
“Unlike some people who carry around a comfortable portable bed, we’ve accumulated quite a bit of fatigue from sleeping outside. If it’s this hard for us knights, imagine how much worse it must be for the mages, who have relatively less physical endurance?”
Seo-un, who had set up the Cube Tent he brought from Earth every night for the past ten days, furrowed his brows. Even though it was his personal item, he had shared it with the team and set a rotation for its use.
To hear Kite talk like that, as if they were the only ones sleeping on the dirt, made irritation flare up. Seo-un’s patience was reaching its limit.
“Right now, getting out of here as quickly as possible is—”
“Sigh. Fine. Fine! If that’s what the leader wants, I guess that’s that.”
As Kite sighed and shouldered his shield, the mages flocked to his side.
“Let’s just rest for one day.”
“Juriel-nim. Please consider our stamina as well.”
“As the leader, you should think about the condition of your teammates...”
Not long after Kite’s instigation began, Juriel’s leadership started to waver. Letting out a sigh, Juriel glared at Kite once and then nodded.
“Then we will rest only until sunrise and move quickly. Everyone, get some good rest!”
After she finished speaking, she turned coldly and entered a nearby house. Seo-un followed her in, lightly tapping Jin Long’s arm as he passed. Even Jin Long, who had been watching the dispersing players, entered the house Juriel had gone into.
“Junior Brother. Is there something you want to say?”
Once Li Lingwei, Gi-chan, Kaien, and Ju Yeo-run had gathered behind Jin Long, Seo-un gave a brief explanation about the survival party.
“Hmm... A party prepared for emergencies is certainly important. But is it alright not to consult the other teammates?” Jin Long asked.
“They’re people who know nothing about team play. Even if we told them, they’d probably just protest.”
Unable to refute that, Jin Long nodded silently.
“That knight named Kite is a serious problem,” Jin Long added. “He seems greedy for items but has no sense.”
“Don't worry too much about him. Once we start moving tomorrow, I’ll make him fall in line. The problem is that the mages are starting to find their voices and talk nonsense. Can you control them?”
Juriel nodded at Seo-un’s question. “Don't worry. They aren't fools. They won't do anything stupid out of petty pride.”
“Then it seems our agreement is settled. Let’s just hope the worst-case scenario doesn't happen.”
Everyone scattered to empty houses to end the day early.
The players who had used the excuse of resting to recover stamina remained gathered in Kite’s quarters until late at night. They were in the middle of a heated discussion to give Kite more influence, each voicing their accumulated complaints, when Juriel’s voice rang out over the team chat.
—The alarm is broken! Everyone, gather up!
By the time the players rushed to the meeting point, the faces of the martial artist players were already filled with tension. Seeing them so rattled after sensing a rapidly approaching presence, Kite and the mages finally realized the situation was dire.
—The remaining players will sacrifice themselves for the escape team.
Kite was the first to protest Juriel’s words.
“An escape team at a time like this when every person counts?! You guys made a survival party for yourselves?!”
Amidst the crumbling atmosphere, Juriel spotted a figure appearing in the distance, approaching at a terrifying speed. She looked at Seo-un. The moment Juriel nodded, Seo-un and Jin Long left the squad and sprinted away at full speed.
“Dammit! Come ba—”
“Shut your mouth.”
Gi-chan, gritting his teeth and speaking with suppressed rage, cut Kite off.
The moment the alarm magic Juriel had set went off, she had intended to take the team and leave immediately, but the opponent’s speed was nonsensical. The speed at which the alarms set at intervals were breaking was alarming.
By the time she realized it wasn't the movement speed of a squad, there was no other way. In the end, the decision Juriel made was for all team members except Jin Long and Seo-un to perish.
To tie the enemy down for even one more second—there was no other hope.
Gi-chan also had no choice but to stay with the sacrifice group for the sake of the team’s score. He couldn't stand the sight of Kite, the one who had caused this mess, running his mouth.
“What did you just say—”
“I said shut up. If you fail this game, you will become an enemy of the Ronis family.”
At Juriel’s words, Kite swallowed hard. Kite, who had approached her based only on her innocent-looking exterior, was now seeing a side of her completely different from before.
Her eyes were cold and sunken, her expression icy. Above all, her authoritative, informal speech felt so natural that he was certain this was her true self.
The Ronis family was the greatest family in the Brussels Empire. Even if one had a different nationality, being targeted by such a family was as good as a death sentence.
“G-games are just games...”
“This is the last time. Open that mouth of yours once more.”
Kite couldn't say another word. The moment he shifted his gaze to the player approaching with a pale, hesitating complexion, the final order fell in a chilling voice.
“Hold him back as long as possible!”
Every player lunged at the single player who was charging toward them with a twisted smirk.
The mages poured out spells, and the knights abandoned their defensive positions to charge alongside the martial artists.
Slash.
With a single swing of white Hand Aura, most spells were split in half as if space itself had been severed. The thick armor of the knights meant nothing.
They were no match. If they blocked with a weapon, they were cut down along with the weapon. Even trying to overwhelm him with numbers was meaningless; they couldn't withstand a single exchange.
In the midst of this, Li Lingwei’s eyes flashed. She ducked low past a knight whose waist was being severed and scattered something from her subspace toward the enemy.
The moment the liquid she scattered by crushing the bottle in her palm burned through a transparent barrier in front of the enemy, the enemy left an afterimage and retreated backward as if by magic.
At that sight—as if he had frozen time and moved alone—the remaining melee players stared at the enemy blankly.
“Yong-gol-san? You’re a child of the Jindok Valley. I heard the Valley Master’s youngest granddaughter was exceptionally beautiful. Not bad, indeed.”
Li Lingwei felt a chill as the boy’s eyes blatantly scanned her body. His way of speaking and his actions were definitely not those of a boy.
“I’ve never heard of a master in the Gangho who reached the stage of Rejuvenation.”
As she spoke to buy time, Nam Sa-gwang, in the body of a boy, smiled.
“Child. It is a mistake to think Rejuvenation is strictly a result of martial prowess. Look at that old man from Yugok. Isn't he a wrinkled old man despite being called an immortal?”
The claim that Yugok Ipseon Jang Do-cheon was wrinkled was false, but she didn't bother pointing that out.
“So you’re saying you did undergo Rejuvenation.”
“Yes. I did. Rejuvenation is merely a process, not a result of achievement. To me, it’s just a bothersome side effect. I’ve heard quite a few rumors about you. This worked out well.”
As he finished speaking, he licked his lips with his tongue, looking so repulsive it made her want to gag. The moment she crushed a small shell she had tucked behind her molars, the bitter scent of medicine pierced her nose.
Simultaneously, her hair began to turn white, and her entire body began to turn black. Seeing this, Nam Sa-gwang’s brow furrowed deeply.
“The Mukdok Faction? You carry such filthy things.”
As poison began to waft from her body to the point where even her teammates kept their distance, Nam Sa-gwang moved again.
The way he killed the players with Hand Aura was so one-sided that the word "massacre" was the only fitting description.
The moment the two scouters and Li Lingwei fell helplessly to the Hand Aura, Kite’s eyes filled with terror. He backed away, trembling.
Sensing the scent of fear, Nam Sa-gwang felt a surge of pleasure and lunged toward him.
Caught by the throat in an instant, Kite couldn't even wiggle a finger. He finally understood the feeling of a frog before a giant snake.
“Aaaaaagh!”
As the Hand Aura entered his abdomen slowly, he felt the pain of his internal organs being severed one by one. The moment he let out a gut-wrenching scream of agony, Juriel stopped her magical attacks.
—The moment his life ends, scatter in all directions and run.
She thought that would buy more time than resisting with magic that didn't work anyway.
The mages, pulling out air boards and stepping onto them, began to flee the moment Kite’s head slumped, blood trickling from the seven orifices of his face.
Nam Sa-gwang, who had been wielding his Hand Aura without paying much mind to the spells, stopped moving only because there were no more living players left on the field.
After casually checking the boxes and taking a few items, he looked briefly in the direction where the two players had fled before he arrived.
“Tsk. The buff comes first.”
Having said that, Nam Sa-gwang caught the Red Coin that popped up before him and vanished across the field.
Behind him, only the traces of players who had been full of confidence and complaints just tens of minutes ago remained.
*
The expressions of the players who returned to the bamboo forest waiting area were frozen stiff. Kite’s complexion, in particular, had turned a deathly pale white.
Juriel, radiating a chilling aura, stood before Kite.
“You said this was your second regular round, right? Then you must know. There is a vote once you survive.”
At the mention of a vote, Kite’s legs trembled.
“And you know very well that if you receive an expulsion vote from everyone, you will be dropped with zero coins, right?”
The moment he swallowed hard, she turned to the mages and knights.
“I promise on the name of the Ronis family. If the votes don't go as I intend in the final ballot... I will issue an extermination order against all of you, staking my family’s honor. I will use bounties and every means available to find you and ensure you meet a miserable end.”
Clang!
With the heavy sound of plate armor, Kite fell to his knees. The woman speaking with a chilling voice before him was no longer the youthful novice player she had appeared to be.
She was a noble of a great house. A cold-blooded aristocrat.
“P-please, forgive me...”
“You’d better pray fervently that Jin Seo-un survives until the safety zone. Because if I am dropped here, it won't just end with you being dropped. I promise on my family’s honor.”
As she whispered that into his ear and turned away coldly, the martial artists and Gi-chan followed behind her.
It was the moment his expulsion was confirmed. Even so, he had to pray that Seo-un played well and that the teammates who would expel him survived. Otherwise, his very life would be in danger.
“T-that...”
A mage tried to speak, but none of the players who had already passed turned back.
The remaining players followed and hesitantly approached Juriel’s group. Left alone and frozen on his knees, Kite could foresee the result of the vote without even seeing it.
On a flexible magic screen about 60 inches wide, the figures of Seo-un and Jin Long, who were in the middle of their escape, were shown from a third-person perspective.
Survivors: 1301/2000
.
.
.
Nam Sa-gwang —> Juriel (Killed with Finger Wind.)
Checking the list, Juriel brought her fingertips to her forehead, which had just been pierced. She briefly stroked her forehead, now restored as if it had never been punctured, and watched the screen. A few players from the groups huddled throughout the large waiting room approached her squad.
“Juriel-nim?”
When she looked up, an unfamiliar player smiled at her.
“I’ve been watching you. I’m a member of Jin Long-nim’s squad. If it’s not an intrusion, would you like to watch with us?”
At her words, Juriel welcomed her with a smile and, after a brief glance at the knights and mages, followed her. Naturally, the martial artists and Gi-chan also followed to the place where Jin Long’s squad had settled.