Chapter 86: 8-Quad. Rules of the Game
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 86: 8-Quad. Rules of the Game
—Kuaaaa!
Gi-chan’s Ice Snake lunged at the players plummeting through the air, attempting to pin down the three martial artists who had breached the perimeter first.
—Cr-crack!
A knight lowered his shoulder, meeting the Ice Snake head-on as it tore through his barrier. The spell shattered into a thousand shards.
Having endured the freezing chill, the knight began to move again. The ice frozen onto his armor cracked and fell away with a sharp cr-cr-ck.
In that brief moment, while all eyes were drawn to the tough knight loosening his neck as if warming up, a barrage of magic rained down on the teammates approaching on air boards.
Unable to close the distance, they were forced to respond, and a magical dogfight broke out between the two squads. Trapped in an unfavorable position, the three martial artists could no longer play aggressively.
—Ting! Ting!
“Watch out! That woman uses poison!”
At the shout of a martial artist who had blocked a volley of needles with his barrier, Li Lingwei’s brow furrowed deeply.
Right at that moment, Seo-un and Dump dropped down beside the three.
As Seo-un landed, fully prepared for combat, the enemy players’ momentum visibly faltered the moment they recognized his face. Though no one said it aloud, it was clear they knew exactly who he was.
Dump was the first to move.
He charged recklessly toward the knight who had tanked the Ice Snake. Simultaneously, all the martial artists who had been waiting for a melee opening began their assault.
“Push them back all at once!”
Charging with his arms at an eerie angle and his neck craned forward, Seo-un’s eyes burned with the predatory intensity of a beast closing in on its prey.
“Prepare to pull back! Don’t trade hits if you can help it!”
The moment the shout erupted from the knight—who seemed to be the enemy squad’s leader—the player Seo-un had targeted abandoned his buckling shield and retreated.
Since they were blatantly refusing to engage and were focused entirely on a fighting retreat, even Seo-un found his options limited. If he chased them too deep as they fell back in formation, he risked being sucked into the enemy’s main lines.
Jin Long, Li Min, and Li Lingwei also stopped and gathered by Seo-un’s side once he halted his advance.
—Gi-chan! Hold them down however you can!
The enemies had stopped firing back and were focusing entirely on defense, using their barriers to cover their retreat. Seeing that Gi-chan now had some breathing room, Seo-un gave the order and channeled all his internal power into his legs, bursting forward in an instant.
The other martial artists flinched as they saw him charge into the enemy lines alone, but they had no choice but to wait per Seo-un’s orders.
Seeing Seo-un rushing them in an 8-on-1 situation, the enemies chose to focus their fire on him in a sudden burst of damage rather than continuing to retreat.
Spells and weapon attacks poured down as if they had been waiting for this exact moment.
In that instant, Seo-un’s form blurred and multiplied into twelve.
Having blocked almost all the attacks with his clones, Seo-un broke through the enemy squad’s formation. He tore through them and took up a position at their rear before barking the command.
—Now!
As Seo-un shook the blood from his hands and blocked the enemies' retreat, he gathered his internal power to prepare a killing move with his Blood Bone Claw. At that moment, a mage with five holes in his head collapsed.
It was Seo-un’s handiwork; he hadn't simply passed by the mage whose barrier and shield had shattered when he broke through the formation.
“Scatter and run!”
Seo-un thought the leader’s judgment was quite fast and accurate. Their momentum was crushed, there was a clear gap in actual capability, and now their retreat was cut off. Splitting up was the only way to raise their survival probability by even 1%.
You shouldn't have pushed your luck in the first place.
Though relatively small compared to the Main Island, each cloud island was by no means narrow. Only three squads had landed on this island, so picking a fight so early was a premature gamble.
Their strategy of drawing enemies in to break their formation was good, but their biggest blunder was picking a fight without any information on their opponents.
That’s why they fall into total disarray the moment a Crown rank pops out.
—Shook! Boom!
Seo-un’s pyeonjeon flew into the back of the last retreating enemy and exploded, sending the player tumbling violently across the clouds. Jin Long, who was chasing right behind, didn't miss the opening and cleanly took the enemy’s head.
“Whew. We cleared them out easier than I thought.”
Juriel responded to Gi-chan’s comment.
“The fact that the enemies wavered after Jin Seo-un landed was huge. They weren't exactly a weak squad.”
Group combat was always like this. Victory wasn't decided by combat power alone; group battles were highly susceptible to variables.
Even in AOS games, a single well-executed team fight can flip a losing match on its head.
Seo-un thought of the AOS games he used to enjoy. Being in a losing game meant the enemy had grown faster and was stronger. Yet, the fact that the losing team could still win was proof that team fights were heavily influenced by variables.
Because Seo-un knew this better than anyone, he was able to finish off the enemies easily.
“I’ve felt this before, but that man’s combat sense is extraordinary. It’s like he instinctively knows how to pull the situation in his favor amidst a chaotic battle. And he never hesitates when making those plays.”
At Li Lingwei’s words, all the teammates who had played with Seo-un nodded in agreement.
It wasn't that his individual capability was lacking, but he didn't possess the overwhelming martial might of someone like Ye Haoran or Nam Sa-gwang. Nevertheless, his plays always shone, and he had consistently led the team to victory.
Don’t underestimate the experience of someone who climbed from Bronze all the way to Master.
Seo-un cracked a bitter smile but couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. He couldn't exactly admit that his positioning and split-second situational judgment during combat were forged in AOS games.
“Alright! Let’s loot quickly and move out. As you can see, the terrain is like this… we need to figure out the looting structure too.”
On top of the cloud island, which felt like solid ground, there was nothing but white hills and plains in every direction. Not a single house or village was in sight. It had been the same when they looked down from above before dropping.
Ultimately, this meant that looting on this cloud island map might not involve raiding houses.
Compared to the previous game, the speed of item farming was incredibly fast. Since they were a team with a strong bond, they didn't waste time bickering over item distribution.
“An Iron Path Style Strong Sword Secret Manual dropped. Anyone need it?”
Seo-un shook his head as Li Lingwei held up the manual. Seeing Li Min looking at it enviously, Li Lingwei tossed the manual to him.
“I need manuals focused on hidden weapons or poison techniques.”
Li Min nodded fervently.
“I will be sure to bring you any similar items if they drop.”
The situation was similar for the mages.
“Hyung! This is a lightning magic book. It’s a 4th Circle spell, do you want to learn it?”
Lyle, knowing well that Gi-chan specialized in lightning magic, held out the book with his small hands. Gi-chan smiled as he took it.
“It’s Electric Shock. Thanks.”
While everyone was looting and sharing items quickly, only Dump stood there with an awkward smile. Perhaps because he had monopolized the items from the two knights, his appearance had changed quite a bit after just the first battle.
“It seems I’m the only one hogging the items.”
“Take whatever you need.”
Seo-un waved his hand dismissively as he looked at the absurdly thick plate armor. No one but a knight specialized in strength could move around in such heavy armor anyway.
After finishing the looting, Seo-un activated his map, and his gaze naturally drifted toward a blue dot in the center of the island.
“I don’t know what it is, but it looks very important.”
“Could it be a boss monster for each island?”
Seo-un shook his head at Gi-chan’s question.
“If it were, the monster’s range would be marked too. It’s unsettling that it’s just a marker with no information.”
Jin Long spoke up while looking at the map.
“If it’s an important location, wouldn't it be best to secure it first? There’s only one squad left on this island. Let’s get there before they do.”
Seo-un made his decision based on that opinion.
“Let’s do that. If there are monsters… I’m a bit worried about our rear, but no matter how I look at it, there’s bound to be important information there. Securing it first will likely give us an advantage later.”
His actions were as fast as his decisions. The eight players sprinted across the endless, white expanse of the cloud island.
Seo-un, who was about 100 meters ahead of the others, suddenly skidded to a halt in confusion.
—Everyone, stop!
At his command, the players came to a dead stop, each tensing up and entering a combat stance.
—Is it the enemy?
—No. The terrain…
Seo-un trailed off, scanning the surroundings before taking a cautious step. Unlike other areas, there was a place where white mist rose up to shin-height, triggering a sense of dissonance.
Seo-un slowly extended his foot over it, then pulled back in surprise as he felt it sink right in. His teammates, who had closed the gap behind him, peered at the area ahead.
“Is it a fall-to-your-death zone?”
At Gi-chan’s words, Seo-un extended his leg a bit deeper. After sinking in for a while, his foot hit a solid floor with a damp sensation.
“It feels like a pond.”
He stepped inside with both legs, and the mist submerged him up to his waist.
“It’s amazing!”
Seo-un smiled as he saw Lyle’s eyes sparkling with wonder. At his gesture, Lyle jumped in, the mist rising up to his neck. Recalling how Lyle had acted and looked so un-childlike when they first met, seeing him like this now was heartwarming.
“It might have been prepared as a water source.”
Seo-un nodded at Li Min’s suggestion.
“If there are many areas like this, they’d be perfect for ambushes. From now on, we attack any misty terrain first.”
“Wouldn't it be better to just release poison into them?”
Seo-un’s eyes brightened at Li Lingwei’s suggestion.
“Do you have enough poison to spare?”
They had brought plenty of drinking water, so that wasn't an issue. Li Lingwei smiled and nodded at Seo-un’s question.
“Get out for a second.”
Once Seo-un pulled Lyle out, she lightly nicked her fingertip with a dagger and let a few drops of blood fall into the cloud pond.
The mist wavered for a moment before its color turned a deep red, and a foul toxicity began to rise just from being near it. Jin Long couldn't help but frown at the sight. It was the instinctive rejection of a member of the Righteous Faction seeing the habits of an Unorthodox practitioner.
“It’s so obvious that it’s not very useful, is it?”
At his words, her smile deepened, and a small bottle appeared in her hand. She opened it and added a few more drops of liquid. Miraculously, the palpable toxicity vanished, and the mist returned to its original color.
“It’s a reagent that masks the color and scent of poisonous blood. It’s not perfectly colorless and odorless, but unless someone has an extraordinary sense of smell, it’s not easy to notice.”
“Well, that’s impressive.”
As Seo-un brought his nose toward the mist, she snatched his hand and pulled him back.
“Be careful! My poisonous blood isn't exactly a lethal toxin, but it has an energy-dissipating effect. If you’re poisoned, it’ll be hard to circulate your internal power for at least two hours.”
Seo-un recoiled in shock at the mention of energy dissipation.
“Of course, an expert of the internal arts could overcome it. But there’s no need to take risks.”
She was right. For a martial artist, nothing was more terrifying than having their internal power restricted.
Having finished scouting the new terrain, the squad began running toward their destination again. As they moved at a fast clip, Li Lingwei spoke up.
“You seem to have a grievance with me.”
Jin Long turned his head to look at her at her sharp remark.
“Ah, do not mind me. I am simply not used to it; I do not particularly hold a grievance against you, young lady. I am well aware that although Jindok Valley is of the Unorthodox Faction, it is a place that has not abandoned righteousness.”
The furrow in Li Lingwei’s brow smoothed at his relatively polite words. Her sour mood lifted, feeling as though she had been acknowledged by a martial artist of the Yugok Sect.
Jin Long, noticing her expression, continued.
“My master once owed a debt to the former Master of Jindok Valley. Our Yugok Sect holds no personal grudges against Jindok Valley whatsoever.”
Curiosity flickered in her eyes at the story she hadn't known, but she couldn't voice it. Seo-un had stopped in front of a blue sphere.
After staring at the sphere floating in the air for a long time, Seo-un gave an order.
—I’ll go check it out first, so stay on guard.
As he approached cautiously after finishing the order, the shape of the mysterious sphere became clear. It was about the size of a large boulder. From a distance, the blue sphere looked like a globe, but upon closer inspection, it was carved in the shape of a gray dragon.
The carving of the gray dragon coiling around the blue sphere was so realistic it exuded a strange, heavy pressure. As Seo-un stared at it, entranced, Juriel asked:
—Jin Seo-un? Are you okay?
—Ah, yes. I think it’s safe for everyone to come over.
The teammates rushed to the sphere, and every one of them had a reaction similar to Seo-un’s.
“What on earth is this?”
“I don’t know. Could it be an important item?”
As he spoke, Seo-un took a step forward and placed his hand on the sphere. The moment his hand touched it, a notification rang out.
—Ding! You have discovered a Seondong Stone.
—Ding! Explaining the rules of the Upper Realm map. This map consists of twelve auxiliary islands and one central Main Island. You can travel between islands using a mount called a Seondongun. There are 400 Seondongun in this map. Seondongun can be destroyed. There are a total of 13 Seondong Stones across the auxiliary islands and the Main Island. Once a squad activates a Seondong Stone, they gain a chance at survival. If a squad activates 4 Seondong Stones, including the one on the Main Island, the game ends immediately, and that squad is declared the winner. A Seondong Stone activated by one squad can be reactivated by a new squad.
The expressions of all the teammates turned grim at the notification.
“So… if we occupy three auxiliary islands and activate the Seondong Stone on the Main Island, the game just ends?”
“If the game ends before the survivors drop below 300…”
“Then every squad that hasn't activated a Seondong Stone will be eliminated.”
At Seo-un’s answer, Juriel crunched the numbers and frowned.
“That’s brutal. If that happens, it won't be 300 survivors—only 104 people will survive.”
Seo-un nodded at her words.
“I wondered why the survivor cut-off was so high when the game difficulty is High-Mid.”
The simple-minded Dump racked his brain, struggling to process it, before finally speaking up.
“Then we just have to protect this Seondong Stone, right?”
Seo-un replied with a subtle expression.
“If we just protect it, we might make it into the survival bracket somehow. But we won't make it into the top ranks. Eventually, this island will fall within the magnetic field, and we’ll all get a game over while still alive.”
“Then the Seondong Stone on the Main Island…”
This time, Li Min shook his head, cutting him off.
“Many players will be fighting for the top spots, targeting the Seondong Stone on the Main Island since it’ll be free from the magnetic field. That’s not a safe play either. If you’re pushed off the Main Island, you’re eliminated.”
Juriel nodded as she looked at the map.
“Furthermore, the activation of these Seondong Stones ultimately goes to the last squad to touch them. In other words, just activating it isn't the end. The competition between squads will be intense.”
No sooner had she finished than Gi-chan shouted.
“Ah! The Seondongun! If we don’t have those mounts…”
“We’ll be trapped on an auxiliary island. And the Main Quest is to destroy more than 200 of those Seondongun.”
“No wonder… I thought the quest was strange…”
“The best play is to destroy all the Seondongun, monopolize the remaining ones, and activate the Seondong Stones. And then…”
“Occupy the Seondong Stone on the Main Island.”
Seo-un finished Juriel’s sentence.