Chapter 109

               

The official start of Theme 2.

First, just as we were, gathered with our chosen teams.

The space began to shake.

Ruuuumble!

At the same time.

The floor, which had been jutting out unnaturally, began to sink back into place as if fitting into a puzzle.

“Ugh!”

“K-keep your balance!”

The team members, who hadn’t even had a chance to greet each other, shouted.

I, too, lowered my stance, centering my weight.

Alright, let’s get a grip.

After taking first place with an overwhelming contribution score, it would be embarrassing to fall over ridiculously here, wouldn’t it?

[Delilah is transforming the dungeon.]

[Participants other than the selected team members will be eliminated and ejected from the dungeon.]

At that moment.

A scene that looked like it was straight out of an ancient magic fantasy movie unfolded before my eyes.

Rumble!

A castle, so tall it was impossible to tell how many floors it had, shot up from the center of the dungeon.

Craaaack!

The floor and the sky rippled like waves.

“Wh-what is this…!”

“Everyone, stick together! Grab onto each other!”

We instinctively grabbed each other’s hands.

The sun rose and set dozens of times as if the world were on fast-forward.

Light and darkness shifted so rapidly that they almost seemed to coexist.

A sight that could never be seen on Earth.

The participants stared blankly at the scene.

How much time had passed like that?

[Transformation complete.]

The vibrations stopped.

The unnaturally churning world returned to normal.

“……”

I looked around.

‘It’s completely changed.’

First of all.

All the participants, except for the 10 team members, had disappeared.

“Phew, that was disorienting.”

“Huh, it’s just us? Did they split up all the teams?”

“It seems they set different starting points. Ugh, I’m dizzy. Is everyone okay?”

The hunters, having regained their senses, began to speak one by one.

Of course, not in loud voices.

They were just murmuring.

Even if they wanted to say something.

Or even if they wanted to voice an opinion.

They just hesitated, unable to take the lead and control the atmosphere.

Why?

Because I was here.

“……”

That’s right.

They were all watching me, gauging my reaction.

‘Well, I guess it can’t be helped.’

I am their Team leader, the leader who must guide them.

For our activities in Theme 2.

I am the one who must give them direction and lead them to victory ahead of the other teams.

Moreover.

I had earned their trust with my overwhelming performance in Theme 1.

Whoever I was.

Whatever my nationality, whatever my personality.

It meant that they were, at the very least, trusting and counting on me.

‘Hmm.’

Honestly, I found their gazes a bit burdensome.

‘Can I do a good job?’

Leading others.

It was something I had never done before, separate from my own personal abilities.

Some might say.

Haven’t you been leading your skeletons?

‘No.’

This is a different matter.

The skeletons are clearly loyal subordinates.

The people here are individual hunters with no close connection to me.

And they are all ranker candidates who were recommended and came here with their own expectations.

“……You’re Skeleton King, correct?”

Just then.

An Asian woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties stepped forward.

“First, I’d like to offer my thanks.”

She bowed her head politely toward me.

“My name is Myoi Hana. I’m a hunter from Hiroshima, Japan. As I was personally chosen by the much-talked-about number one, I will do my utmost to assist you.”

Following her lead.

They began to step forward one by one.

“I’m Olena Zelenska from Ukraine. A water-attribute mage from the Oxford Magic Tower.”

“James from the USA. My unique ability is Martial Artist, and I have a brief history with Hoon, the number one here.”

“I’m Capu from Brazil, a pathfinder.”

I had picked Olena’s group because I had no bad blood with them yet.

Their skills weren’t that far behind the other participants either.

And Zhang Wei had approved of picking them.

Something about none of them having a record of murder?

“I am Zhang Wei, a spearman.”

Perhaps because there was no one around to examiner.

Zhang Wei was also about to step forward and introduce himself without complaint.

Chaaang!

It was then that a middle-aged man who had yet to introduce himself drew his sword.

“You bitch who deserves to be torn to shreds, die!”

He then swung his weapon at another man and woman standing next to him.

“Did you think I’d just stand by? You things worse than dogs?”

It was a sudden movement.

With no Probability whatsoever.

“Hm?”

The first to react was Zhang Wei.

Frowning, he reflexively drew his spear and parried the middle-aged man’s sword.

Claaaang!

The spear and sword clashed violently.

The middle-aged man’s sword strike was no ordinary one.

It held clear killing intent.

“What is the meaning of this all of a sudden?”

Zhang Wei’s eyes turned cold.

“……?”

I, too, stared at the middle-aged man with a dumbfounded expression.

What the?

I’m sure I only picked people with no murder records when I was choosing team members?

“Move.”

The middle-aged man spoke coldly, looking at Zhang Wei.

“Trial, dungeon, whatever. I won’t be satisfied until I kill those two.”

“Those two?”

Zhang Wei glanced to the side.

In his line of sight stood a man and a woman with unreadable expressions.

The woman had her arms crossed and was shaking her head as if displeased.

‘Hmm, what is this?’

I tapped my head where a headache was starting on my left side.

It seems like this.

They’re not even skeletons.

This feels way too rocky right from the start.

* * *

“I don’t know what the situation is, but how about you calm down?”

“That’s right. It seems like something happened during the last theme, but the board has been reset now, right? You need to think wisely.”

The surrounding hunters stepped in to stop him.

But despite that, a cold air still hung over the clearing.

It was because the middle-aged man had not let go of his murderous aura.

Surprisingly.

The middle-aged man’s strength was almost on par with Zhang Wei’s.

‘As expected.’

Is this a dungeon where only elites are gathered?

The level of each and every one of them is extraordinary.

Of course, I’m the top one among them.

“Are you going to keep blocking me?”

The middle-aged man asked Zhang Wei.

“I don’t want to clash with you. But if you want to exchange greetings before the trial, I need to settle things with those two first.”

“……”

Shing.

It was then that Zhang Wei withdrew his spear.

“Well, fine. I only blocked you because it was sudden. To me, you are not yet a murderer who has killed for a trivial reason, so I have no reason to examiner you.”

Really.

Looking at this guy, he sometimes seems like a robot.

A machine that moves according to its programming.

“Heh.”

It was then.

The woman of the pair flinched, her head bowed.

“Wow, look at him putting on a show. An old geezer. Lowering his voice and what? ‘I need to settle things with those two first~’ Oh, for fuck’s sake. Tsk tsk.”

She then sneered as if she was about to die from laughter.

“Why is a guy who doesn’t even understand the game here causing a scene?”

“What did you say?”

“It’s true, isn’t it? It was Theme 1 where murder was possible in the first place, so why are you causing trouble for others after you got screwed over like an idiot? Am I right? Or am I wrong?”

The woman cackled and asked the man next to her.

“Yep, yep, Olivia is right about everything.”

The man nodded in agreement.

‘Hah.’

I sighed.

What in the world are these guys?

What is the relationship between those two, and what on earth happened?

“……”

I had to make a choice here.

Should I, as the Team leader, say a word and sort this out?

Or should I watch a little longer?

‘And.’

I decided to watch their conversation for now.

It was definitely not because I found watching fights entertaining.

It’s just that when things like this happen, I tend to slam the gear into neutral and observe.

Ah, of course.

I mean I’ll listen to the conversation, not that I’ll watch a fight.

“I’m sorry, but fighting is forbidden from now on.”

Thud!

I stepped forward and slammed my staff down.

“The full nature of Theme 2 has not yet been revealed. I cannot allow our strength to be wasted when we don’t know what kind of mission will be assigned. Please understand.”

At my words, Olivia smiled brightly.

“See?”

She then looked at the middle-aged man and sneered.

“This is normal. As expected, the number one ranker isn’t number one for nothing. This is how you play the game. Cleanly and wisely, without emotion. Got it? You stupid bug of a man?”

“Y-you….”

Grind!

At Olivia’s verbal assault, the middle-aged man ground his teeth, his neck trembling with rage.

It seemed he wanted to swing his sword at any moment but couldn’t move because of my warning.

For now.

Because I was the Team leader.

“Hah~ Someone’s lucky, huh? Can’t even play the game for shit but got lucky and hitched a ride on the number one ranker’s team? You’re gonna get a free ride? Honestly, if it were me, I’d be too ashamed to even do anything. Why are you making a fuss and drawing your sword from the very beginning? Don’t you know the saying that if you just stay quiet, you’ll at least be average?”

Wow.

That woman.

Seriously, her provocations are top-notch.

To the point where even I would be a little shaken.

And.

“Y-you damn bitch! Die!”

In the end, the middle-aged man couldn’t hold back.

Fwoosh!

His form cut through the air at an incredible speed as he pushed off the ground!

“Hey, hey, the Team leader said not to fight.”

Just then.

Another person who had been quiet appeared and stretched out his hand.

Woooong!

At that moment, the space in front of the charging middle-aged man distorted.

“Heup?”

Just as the wide-eyed middle-aged man was about to slow down.

Thwack!

With a light impact, he was pushed far back again.

A check that happened in an instant.

“I’m a space-attribute mage. Vladimir Rodygin. A hunter from Russia. I’m a little hurt. Why are you all fighting right when it’s my turn to introduce myself?”

A man with a face as menacing as a mafia boss from the news stuck his hands in his pockets.

“It looks like there’s some kind of misunderstanding, so instead of fighting, why don’t you explain first. Honestly, it’s a bit much, isn’t it? When the Team leader picked me, I thought we’d pass Theme 2 easily. But looking at you guys, that belief is starting to waver a little.”

“That, that damn bitch backstabbed me!”

The middle-aged man shouted as if he had been wronged.

“Backstabbed you?”

“Yeah, I was originally in a team of three with those two damn people.”

“And?”

“I don’t know if they fell for each other or what during the two-week period, but those two took all the food we gathered together and ran! Those shameless thieves.”

“Heh, fell for each other. If you wanted to be a team, you shouldn’t have crossed the line. When were you not hitting on me despite your old age, and now you’re saying this?”

The middle-aged man flared up at Olivia’s sneer.

“What kind of nonsense is that? When did I ever?”

“And you’re getting all worked up just because you got robbed a little in a game where murder was possible. And why are you drawing your sword? Did I try to kill you? Or did I insult your parents? Are you some kind of serious-business freak?”

“Th-th-th-there, look!”

The middle-aged man pointed his finger as if he was flabbergasted.

“She admitted it right there! That’s the kind of bitch she is! She’s a bitch who will be of no help whatsoever even if she’s on our team!”

“Haaah.”

I let out a sigh.

What is this, really.

Is this a conversation between ranker candidates, or a conversation between kindergarteners?

I couldn’t tell the difference at all.

“……”

It’s not like I became a kindergarten teacher.

What should I do about this?

I could understand the middle-aged man’s situation.

But then again, what Olivia said wasn’t wrong either.

‘Honestly, I’d like to just abandon all three of them.’

[Ding!]

[A mission has arrived.]

[Stage: Treasure Hunt!]

[The 10 chosen team members must ‘cooperate’ with each other to find the ‘Legendary Treasure’ hidden in the giant central castle.]

Looking at the message that just arrived.

I couldn’t do that.

‘Cooperate.’

Delilah was clearly emphasizing ‘cooperate.’

Who knows?

What if there’s a penalty for losing or abandoning a team member?

My throat felt tight.

My chest felt as stuffy as if I had eaten more than ten sweet potatoes in a row.

Right, is this also one of the trials I have to overcome?

“First.”

I carved the character for ‘patience’ onto my forehead and opened my mouth.

“Let’s talk about the mission that just arrived.”