Those who saw the quest were dismayed—it was a system window unlike any they had encountered before, which usually commanded them to move or block paths.

“Decide the King. The King can assign roles.”

“And the King can issue commands.”

People gathered to start a meeting. Easy or Normal modes were too populous to consider, so they were excluded. The strongest among the Hard Mode players, including Lee Taeyeon, Kang Jun-hyuk, and Kang Taesan, made up the twenty present.

Some expressed discomfort at these three being included, but there was no way to object, so they set up the meeting while cursively mumbling their dissent.

“What do you think?”

Seo Jang-san asked from his chair in the meeting room. Kim Hwi-yeon thought for a moment with her finger on her lip’s end.

“Isn’t it literally as it says? If softened, it means a leader, or perhaps a manager. It’s about formally establishing what we’ve already had through the system, isn’t it?”

“Probably so.”

A group needs someone to lead them, especially when there are many.

With a total of one hundred thousand, someone must inevitably become the leader.

“Then I’ll do it.”

Seo Jang-san declared with an audacious attitude as if it had already been decided.

“Any objections?”

As if naturally expected, the Hard Mode players nodded in agreement. They were all players from Yongin City.

Kim Hwi-yeon was taken aback.

“You’re going to do it?”

“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Not really, but…”

“I do.”

Kang Jun-hyuk interjected with a smirk.

“On what basis do you command us to make you king?”

“Because I am the king.”

Seo Jang-san stated proudly.

“I am the king here. You came here like refugees. Surely you’re not saying you won’t follow the landowner’s words?”

“King? Refugees?”

Kang Jun-hyuk bared his teeth.

“Don’t make me laugh! This place is just the quest’s destination; you don’t have the right to command us!”

“But this has become the destination. Naturally, you must follow my orders.”

His words were filled with unwavering certainty, and Kang Jun-hyuk twisted his lips in scorn.

“I know. You’re already being called the king here, your word is law, right? You don’t want to let go of that, do you?”

“Correct.”

Seo Jang-san looked on indifferently.

Kang Jun-hyuk grimaced.

“So what? The world is chaotic. A strong ruler is necessary, and I’m merely taking on that role.”

“Should it be you, though?”

“And who would do it, you?”

Seo Jang-san scoffed.

“Do people really follow a kid who isn’t even an adult yet?”

At that, Kang Jun-hyuk fell silent. He was indeed one of the youngest players.

His words wouldn’t carry much weight. In a world where strength ruled, it was likely that his youth would lead to him being overlooked and disobeyed.

Seo Jang-san sharply said.

“Or would they follow the words of a woman who can’t even assert herself?”

“Me, me?”

Lee Taeyeon, who had been quietly listening, pointed to herself in shock.

She lacked the qualities of a leader. This had already been proven in the previous world.

“He is… sufficient, though.”

Taesan smirked.

Seo Jang-san reluctantly averted his gaze.

“Who would trust a group with only three proper forces? There are several players in Solo Mode, but they’re all weak. Are you sure you aren’t using us as scapegoats for yourselves?”

“Wait.”

Kim Hwi-yeon frowned as she had been listening quietly.

“That’s too much. Tone it down.”

“Ah, sorry. Got a bit carried away.”

Seo Jang-san abruptly backed off and slammed his palm on the desk.

“No one else is qualified to rule and govern the people but me.”

His statement was full of conviction, and there was no rebuttal. Seo Jang-san looked at Taesan with a furrowed brow.

‘…Why aren’t you saying anything?’

Taesan simply smirked back, unphased. He had prepared, guessing that Seo Jang-san would try to disrupt him in any way, but no movement was shown.

It was uncomfortable, but with no intervention, it worked in Seo Jang-san’s favor.

“I am the king. Any objections?”

“I don’t particularly have any,” Kim Hwi-yeon said, relieved.

Although Seo Jang-san’s words were harsh, they were right. Kang Jun-hyuk was too young, and Lee Taeyeon was too weak in her assertions.

And since Taesan outright rejected it, Seo Jang-san was the rational choice.

[The King has been decided.]

[Hard Mode Player. Seo Jang-san.]

“Good.”

Seo Jang-san lifted the corners of his mouth and gestured.

“Then I will issue a decree.”

“Phew.”

Kim Hwi-yeon exhaled. She was relieved.

‘Finally, I can lessen the burden.’

The role of managing and being responsible for everyone’s lives was a heavy one. Taesan had said she was the only other suitable candidate, but she wanted to lay it down.

Now she could move more freely and leave things to Seo Jang-san.

After making his adjustments, Seo Jang-san declared.

“This is our law.”

[A command has been issued by the King.]

The system window appeared before them. Kim Hwi-yeon’s face hardened as she checked it with a light heart.

[Players in Easy and Normal modes are allowed to eat one meal a day if no special achievements are made.]

[Do not refuse the words of Hard Mode players. Punishment will follow if refused without a valid reason.]

[External scouting and food procurement will be selected from among Easy and Normal mode players. Food will not be provided if not complied with.]

[Show respect and bow your head when you see a Hard Mode player. Punishment will follow if refused.]

And there were over ten more commands, all similar in nature.

“…What is this?”

“Uh…”

Kim Hwi-yeon’s voice trembled as she asked. Geum Jung-geun looked at the system window with a hardened expression. Kang Jun-hyuk distorted his face, and Lee Taeyeon turned pale.

“The first decree of the king.”

“What are you talking about!”

Kim Hwi-yeon stood up from her seat, her eyes full of confusion.

She knew that Seo Jang-san was imposing laws on people, claiming to be the king.

But she hadn’t thought much about it. Managing tens of thousands required someone to take the lead.

All sorts of noise would arise, and thousands of opinions would unfold. Controlling all of that was no easy task.

It might be a bit harsh, but it was necessary to govern the people. That’s what she had thought.

But this was beyond her expectations.

Every command was too harsh and coercive. Limiting meals, not refusing speech, showing respect and bowing the head.

“This, this is a complete caste society! You said you were just assigning roles!”

Kim Hwi-yeon shouted fiercely.

The Easy and Normal mode players from Yongin outright refused to speak with her. She had sensed something was off and had looked into various matters.

But nothing significant came out. The Hard Mode players said there was no problem, and Seo Jang-san had also said, how could one enjoy such a world?

Kim Hwi-yeon had accepted it without much thought.

It wasn’t so much that she was foolish as it was an issue with her values.

She had believed that in a desperate situation, everyone should work together to move forward, so she couldn’t imagine there would be such oppression.

“What’s so strange about that?”

Seo Jang-san looked genuinely puzzled.

“It’s obvious, Hwi-yeon.”

“Seo Jang-san!”

Kim Hwi-yeon’s voice rose. She calmed down and started to explain methodically.

“What does it mean to eat only with permission?”

“We don’t have enough food to provide generously for a hundred thousand. That’s why we’re imposing limits.”

“…And what about not refusing speech?”

“We are protecting them, after all. They need to provide some benefit.”

“There’s no reason to send out Easy and Normal players for that. We can produce results more safely…”

“Why should we do that?”

“What?”

Seo Jang-san looked at Kim Hwi-yeon with an incomprehensible face.

“It’s dangerous outside. Monsters are swarming. Even Hard Mode players can’t guarantee 100% safety.”

“…So you’re going to send others?”

“That’s the only way they can show their worth.”

Seo Jang-san spoke bluntly.

“Easy and Normal mode players can’t win against the monsters. Even if they do, the efficiency is terribly low. So, the only thing they can do is go out and gather food.”

“…And many will die in the process?”

“So what?”

Seo Jang-san looked truly baffled.

At that, Kim Hwi-yeon finally realized.

So far, Seo Jang-san had been extreme but somewhat maintained a line because the counterpart was a Hard Mode player, an equal.

On the contrary, it meant that there was no line for those he didn’t consider equals.

Kim Hwi-yeon clenched her teeth.

“So you’re going to kill them all?”

“Not killing them. Just making them do their job.”

Seo Jang-san spoke calmly.

“We are Hard Mode. We are the leaders. It’s our right.”

“You, you all.”

Kim Hwi-yeon looked at the other Hard Mode players with a horrific face.

“Do you all think the same way?”

“Well…”

“It’s not wrong…”

Most showed signs of agreeing with Seo Jang-san. Only Kim Hwi-yeon and Geum Jung-geun were perplexed.

“Ah…”

Kim Hwi-yeon belatedly realized. The Hard Mode players who had come to Yongin with her had had long talks with Seo Jang-san.

“You guys!”

Kim Hwi-yeon couldn’t hold back and shouted.

“Then what makes us different from beasts! If you discard and use the weak, what’s the difference?”

“We are different. We are human,” Seo Jang-san responded. Kim Hwi-yeon ground her teeth.

“You and I are just different people.”

She realized that her values fundamentally differed from Seo Jang-san’s, a realm where they could not coexist.

“I understand your values. But… treating them like slaves is unacceptable.”

“Suit yourself.”

Seo Jang-san looked at Kim Hwi-yeon expressionlessly.

“But this is the answer. We only need Hard Mode to survive.”

“I wonder.”

Taesan murmured quietly.

Silence fell momentarily. Seo Jang-san asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Really? Is this the right answer? You’re deluded.”

“…Are you saying my words are wrong?”

“I can’t say that. It’s true that Easy and Normal players are weaker. But… are you that much different from them?”

Taesan remembered.

As time went on, stronger monsters appeared. Faced with apostles and S-rank monsters, Hard Mode players couldn’t resist at all.

It was a matter of endurance, and eventually, Hard Mode players were just as useless.

Their goal was victory. In that sense, both sides had failed.

“And it’s stupid. You’re not that strong.”

If it were the end point, maybe, but during the process, the difference between Easy, Normal, and Hard Modes wasn’t that great.

Individually, yes, but not as a group.

Easy and Normal modes vastly outnumbered them. Among a thousand players, finding one Hard Mode player was difficult.

“If Easy and Normal modes all attack you, can you resist? If they trample and bite you, will you really survive?”

Taesan’s murmuring made them flinch.

Without a skill like Shield, even attacks below the defense level would inflict at least 1 damage.

If pushed with sheer numbers,

current Hard Mode players would be helplessly killed.

‘He was a clever guy.’

Easy Mode player, Choi Jung-hyuk.

He united Easy and Normal modes and timed a rebellion, killing several Hard Mode players and even Seo Jang-san.

Easy and Normal also sacrificed a lot, but they could achieve victory.

‘And it was over.’

Countless people had died, especially Hard Mode players. They couldn’t properly block the incoming waves, and only a few survived.

Thus, during the next return, unable to endure, Kim Hwi-yeon sacrificed herself to save people.

Seo Jang-san was left with a terrible failure and was thus forgotten.

In this world, there was no Choi Jung-hyuk, but the accumulated anger and hatred were bound to burst. Seo Jang-san was likely to fail again.

“I… don’t particularly care about your life or death.”

He did not greatly care about the lives of Lee Taeyeon, Kang Jun-hyuk, Geum Jung-geun, Kim Hwi-yeon, and a few others.

Those who realized that Taesan was truly indifferent to their survival felt chills run down their spines.

“But what do you think?”

Facing the gaze directed at her, Kim Hwi-yeon bit her lip.

After much thought, Kim Hwi-yeon spoke.

“Jang-san. I can’t accept this. Therefore, I request a change of king.”

“Sorry, but that’s impossible.”

Seo Jang-san’s attitude was confident.

“You’ve read the explanation, right?”

[There are a few conditions under which the king can be changed.]

[Condition 1: The death of the king.]

[Condition 2: Request by the majority of qualified players.]

[Condition 3: The king’s voluntary resignation.]

“I have no intention of stepping down voluntarily. The same goes for the second condition. All Hard Mode players, except for you two, are on my side.”

Seo Jang-san’s lips curled up.

“Or are you thinking of killing me? Accepting the penalty?”

The quest’s description stated that whoever killed the king would suffer a significant penalty. If the system mentioned it to that extent, it clearly had a major impact.

“Then all Hard Mode players will become your enemies.”

“…I don’t know the way.”

Kim Hwi-yeon bit her lip. There seemed no way to depose the king once he was in power, which is why Seo Jang-san revealed his true nature as soon as he became king.

“But I know someone who does.”

Kim Hwi-yeon turned her gaze somberly.

“This is what you meant.”

As Taesan headed towards Yongin, he had told her. Just because one is strong doesn’t mean they can lead people well. It’s your choice.

She had realized the meaning of his words.

“Now it’s enough. I understand.”

Taesan nodded his head and spoke to the confident Seo Jang-san.

“Why isn’t there a way? There’s the second one.”

“Ha. All Hard Mode players support me except for you two. You’re talking nonsense.”

Seo Jang-san scoffed at Taesan.

“That’s not what I mean.”

Taesan raised his hand as if making an oath.

“I request a change of king.”

Then, a system window appeared before everyone.

[A qualified player has requested a change of king. If a majority of players agree, the request to change the king will proceed.]

[No other qualified players exist. The request has been accepted.]

[Discuss, duel, struggle, and use various methods to change the king. Choose as you wish.]

Seo Jang-san’s pupils dilated at the system window that appeared.

Taesan smiled coolly.

“Didn’t I say? Next time, I’ll kill you.”