20-Quad. Ace.
As the view shifted, mountains and grasslands unfolded before them, carrying a completely different atmosphere from the typical fantasy map.
–I've pinged everything on the map. Don't mess up your drop points. And scouts, make sure to identify any nearby players as we land.
One by one, the players responded to Juriel's orders.
Seowoon and Kichan answered in turn, and right after, the two scouts began reporting in.
–Sixty! Three squads dropping.
–One quad in Seongdo. One near Seohagang. One at Umyo Mountain.
The two scouts quickly delivered the briefing, fulfilling their roles flawlessly—reminding Seowoon once again of the importance of positioning.
–All units, drop!
The brief but precise briefing was immediately followed by the drop command.
Plummeting toward the ground, Seowoon and Kichan didn't scan their surroundings like in their previous match.
They tucked their heads down, accelerating their descent as much as possible.
No sooner had they landed than their eyes darted around, quickly surveying the area.
–We've got one squad overlapping with us!
The moment the scout reported the overlap, Seowoon, who had landed first, charged toward a burning figure that lacked a teammate marker.
Right behind him, Kichan rushed forward, staff in hand.
–Sub-order and mage, engage first!
–Zzzzzzzt!
As they landed, Kichan's Chain Lightning arced through the first fighter's body, shocking the incoming enemies as well.
Seowoon didn't miss that moment of paralysis.
"Ghkk!"
The fighter, trying to shake off the electric surge, barely had time to react before Seowoon grabbed his head.
–Crack!
With a sickening crunch, the skull caved in, and the fighter dropped to the ground, convulsed briefly, and lay still.
Seowoon leapt toward another enemy—but the earth cracked open in front of him, a massive boulder erupting into his path.
–Boom!
Just as he shattered the rock with a powerful blow, a flaming bird riding on blades of wind appeared before him.
And that wasn't all. Behind it, waves of mana signaled a barrage of incoming spells.
As he started to back off—regretfully glancing at a player still stunned from the earlier shock—a strong barrier appeared in front of him, blocking the oncoming spells.
–If you can finish him too, do it!
At Juriel's command, Seowoon's lips curled into a grin as he charged at the mage before him.
–Clang! Crack!
The mage, using a strange footwork technique, managed to create some distance after his barrier stopped Seowoon once.
He was clearly a fixed-role player and had learned decent movement skills.
But not good enough to evade Gale Steps and Bloodbone Claw.
–Crunch!
Seowoon finally jammed his hand into the mage's skull from behind, smashing it completely. A tingling sensation spread from his fingertips.
As the mage's brain matter met Seowoon's hand, he felt Bloodbone Claw absorbing and refining it.
"Hyung! Fall back!"
At Kichan's shout, Seowoon leapt back just in time as spells from both sides collided in front of him in a fiery explosion.
"Nice play, Jin Seowoon!"
Juriel's spirited voice rang out. Seowoon gave a quick nod.
Looking around from his new position, he spotted their rear mage line with shielders, and further out, players fanned out in attacking formation, eyes gleaming with focus.
–Tap.
A woman in a traditional archer's outfit, named Lilingwei, tapped Seowoon lightly on the back.
As he turned, her burning gaze met his as she held something out.
Seowoon accepted the small vial of liquid with a questioning look.
"It's 'corpse poison'—only transmits through blood. I thought it might be useful for you. Just to ask, but… Bloodbone Claw—you didn't learn it directly from him, right?"
"I killed him and picked it up."
He replied to her casual tone in kind. She didn't seem bothered, instead giving him a satisfied smile as the heat in her eyes cooled.
The magic battle that followed didn't favor either side. It turned into a drawn-out war of attrition.
–At this rate, we'll attract other enemies! We either end it fast or retreat!
As Lilingwei warned, it seemed the enemy was starting to think the same.
That's when Seowoon broke formation and gave an order.
–I'll try shaking their flank. If you see an opening, pierce through the front!
Naturally, the enemies weren't going to just watch Seowoon swing wide to flank.
Throwing knives and sword auras flew at him to keep him in check.
But Seowoon deflected everything with ease, then drew a bow from his subspace.
'Hammit!'
–Yeah, I got it, you bastard.–
Hammit transformed into a longbow, and from the subspace, Seowoon pulled out a special arrow he'd crafted himself in the real world.
Carbon shaft, titanium head—each arrow cost a million won. He'd spent a month having an alchemist imbue it with a unique enchantment.
–Screeeee!
The moment the arrow flew, a martial artist dodged, unable to deflect it. He opened his mouth in confusion—
Then the arrow discharged a jolt of lightning, shocking two nearby mages.
The shock wasn't deadly, but enough to stun them briefly.
Immediately after, Seowoon put the bow away and prepared to meet three enemies—two knights and a martial artist—rushing at him.
–Kichan! I need backup!
There was no need to fight 3v1 recklessly.
Until they understood the enemy's level, they needed to leave room for retreat.
–Clatter!
Hammit rewrapped itself around Seowoon's arm. He dropped into his Bloodbone Claw stance.
–Clang!
Seowoon deflected a knight's sword and a flail with his bare hands, then lightly retreated.
–BZZZZT!
Right then, Kichan's Chain Lightning landed cleanly on the trio.
But they weren't pushovers. Despite the jolt, they quickly resumed their assault on Seowoon.
–Don't get too close. Just keep them in check.
–Got it!
For two months, Seowoon and Kichan had drilled countless combo techniques and simulated every possible combat scenario.
They had trained exhaustively for situations exactly like this—outnumbered in melee.
So naturally, the trio that had just met each other recently couldn't compare.
As Seowoon and Kichan moved in a wide arc to avoid obstructing each other's paths, the enemies' movements tangled, exposing gaps.
Into those gaps, Kichan's spells and Seowoon's precise strikes flowed like water.
"I've got a decent read. Somewhere in the middle."
At Kichan's words, Seowoon nodded in agreement.
They were strong, but not unmanageable.
"Watch out for the knights' skills."
Kichan didn't forget to warn Seowoon as he charged forward, gaining momentum.
Sure enough, as Seowoon rushed in with a burst of energy, a knight radiating golden aura dashed toward him.
Fwoosh.
But Seowoon vanished like a mirage in the knight's charge.
At that instant, as red heat shimmered at Seowoon's fingertips, a warrior's sword slashed past his ear, eyes wide in surprise.
As Seowoon passed the shocked warrior, blood burst from the man's torn neck.
The warrior dropped his sword and fell, clutching his neck.
Screech!
Another knight nearby belatedly swung a mace, but Seowoon blocked it with one hand and effortlessly retreated.
The knight's raw strength was still too much to counter directly.
But fights aren't won by strength alone.
With one warrior down in an instant, the remaining knight glanced toward his teammates.
That brief glance sealed his fate.
He raised his shield too late as Seowoon lunged at him—the shield tore like paper under Seowoon's hand.
Riiip!
As the knight tossed the ruined shield and ran toward his teammates, he made a fatal mistake: turning his back on the enemy.
They say a person's true nature is revealed in crisis.
In the knight's case, it revealed nothing but cowardice.
Without putting up any real fight, he spat blood under a blunt strike, ending with his skull crushed.
The knight who had been fighting Kichan, having passed through Seowoon's illusion, didn't last long either.
Kichan skillfully maintained distance, chipping away at the knight's stamina with all kinds of spells.
When the knight was visibly worn down and had no more skills to use, Kichan cast Flame Burst.
The Staff of the Abyss allowed the use of up to three spells, doubled their power, and even doubled casting speed. A mage's dream weapon.
The moment Kichan's Flame Burst hit, the knight was overwhelmed by a shock that rattled his whole body.
Even with fairly high resistance, the knight couldn't get up right away.
Another warrior who had taken a hit and was trembling while trying to rise also reached for a healing scroll—but Seowoon shattered his skull before he could use it.
After eliminating the three enemies, Seowoon and Kichan turned to scan the battlefield.
Not far off, a fierce 15-vs-18 battle was in full swing.
Magic clashed and exploded in every direction as both sides struggled to take out the opposing mages, creating near-chaotic warfare.
The most eye-catching figure was Juriel.
Wielding a charred black staff, she dispersed gathering mana each time a strong magical pulse occurred, swinging her staff with precision.
At first, Seowoon hadn't noticed, but seeing the pattern repeat, his eyes gleamed.
"She's canceling their magic, right?"
"Yeah. Mana cancel. She's specifically canceling large-scale spells. It's a hard technique to pull off even if you've learned it."
Chain Lightning and Rain Arrow!
What was also impressive was her ability to issue precise orders while maintaining such intense focus on casting.
Seeing incoming fire and wind AoE spells, she instantly called for faster-casting magic to counter them.
Ssshhhhhhh.
The combined water-arrow storm and the swelling lightning spell weakened and extinguished the enemy spells before they could fully form.
"Incredible. She used two 5th-circle spells to completely cancel out two AoEs."
Seowoon spoke, watching her in admiration.
"That's enough watching. Let's join in."
Seowoon and Kichan hadn't just been spectating for fun.
They were assessing their team's skills—and more importantly, learning how large-scale fights unfolded.
As they circled wide to target the enemy mages from behind, some knights and warriors picked up on it and moved to intercept them.
Naturally, that weakened the enemy's front line.
That's when Lilingwei, clad in white armor, charged forward.
Fffffffwip!
As a large cloth spilled from her subspace, Juriel timed a powerful wind spell perfectly.
Then, dozens of thin metallic butterflies burst from the cloth and caught the wind.
As nearly a hundred shimmering, erratic butterflies swept through the battlefield, enemies began collapsing, their faces pale and mouths bleeding.
"Kichan! It's poison—don't get caught in those butterflies."
Thanks to their position in the rear, Seowoon and Kichan quickly avoided the cloud of butterflies.
The battle, which seemed like it might drag on, ended in an instant thanks to Lilingwei's move.
Seowoon clenched the Poisoned Needle item she'd given him and looked at her with deepened eyes.
He was forced to reconsider just how terrifying poison could be.
"Nice one, Seowoon!"
Juriel called out brightly as she approached, and Seowoon replied with a smile—his gaze drifting to Lilingwei, who was picking up the butterflies behind her.
Noticing his stare, Lilingwei approached and held out her hand.
"Quite the fun item, isn't it?"
Seowoon accepted the 1-million-won worth enchanted arrow she offered and tucked it into the leather belt at his waist.
It had already been used, so its value had dropped significantly.
"Not quite as fun as your butterflies."
"I call it 'Lethal Contact.'"
At her words, some of the surrounding warriors grimaced and turned their attention to her.
Seowoon had already noticed some of them looking at her warily when the butterflies had first flown.
A promising dark faction heir skilled in poison and hidden weapons—something like that, huh?
Clap clap!
"Let's finish looting and start with the nearby village."
With the battle over, Juriel clapped her hands and got the dazed players moving.
The paved road through the green plains was littered with bloodstains and about twenty scattered loot boxes.
"This one's mine, if you don't mind."
"Wait, I was eyeing that spellbook too…"
"That shield's mine—"
"Hold up! I wanted that one too."
In the middle of the chaotic bickering, Juriel's sharp voice cut through the noise.
"I said loot quickly!"
Though many players looked like they wanted to argue, Juriel wasn't in the mood for a long discussion.
"Whoever grabbed it first gets it. For the next item, they'll pass it to the next person. Done."
Some people smiled; others looked miserable.
"If it's a good item, list it among those who use the same class before you equip it!"
"What a mess."
"Still, this is pretty well-managed. I heard teams often fall apart or even teamkill over loot in squad matches."
Even as he spoke, Kichan studied the spellbook he had picked up, learned the contents, and reduced it to dust.
[Ring of Fire Spirits. Increases resistance to fire and poison. Helps endure summer heat…]
Seowoon quietly slipped the ring he'd taken onto his finger.
"Everyone, we're moving to the loot zone."
With her words, the formation regrouped, and two scouts moved ahead to check the surroundings.
A traditional Chinese village came into view—wooden buildings, like something out of an old martial arts movie.
Seowoon felt a nostalgic thrill.
It felt like stepping into a wuxia film he'd watched countless times—evoking a very different vibe than the usual fantasy world.
"Search in pairs. Scouts, make sure loot is fairly distributed."
Two silent warriors nodded and leapt to the roof of the tallest four-story building, keeping watch.
There were just over a hundred buildings here, and along a small river behind them stood another fifty or so.
Someone had said this area was a red-light district?
In any case, it didn't take long to sweep through the roughly 150 buildings.
Once the looting was complete, the players gathered again—and, as expected, Juriel stepped forward.
"Anyone who received decent items, please disclose them without hiding anything."
It was the most ambiguous moment.
Since they had to distribute the items, there was a high chance people would hide good ones.
The first to report his items was the main shielder.
"Duka's Helmet and the Gloves of Flame. The rest are miscellaneous."
"I got the Phantom of Poison Fog and Yeouk's Whip…"
Many other items were also reported.
Once everyone had finished, Juriel looked at the two Scouters.
"Is there anything you need?"
The two shook their heads.
"We're mainly looking for useful lightfoot techniques, elixirs, and martial arts scrolls."
Their clear response made her nod.
"For the hardworking Scouters, please prioritize giving up any of the items they mentioned. This game is a long one."
Considering the total game duration was three years, it could indeed be long.
Of course, many mechanisms had been set up to speed up the game, so it was unlikely the full three years would be needed.
"Then, those who gave up items earlier, go ahead and choose what you need."
Once they had picked their items, the rest of the players began to collect theirs.
"Let's move according to the previously agreed route."
They began moving along the river.
Naturally, the Scouters split between the front and rear to scout the area.
While moving at a steady pace, Seowoon came up beside Juriel.
"That's some impressive leadership for someone on their first fixed run."
"I've had someone nearby with long experience in Cloyd who gave me lots of advice."
It was more or less what he had expected.
"May I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
Juriel didn't mind answering Seowoon, who had suddenly risen to be the team's ace.
He had helped quite a bit since they formed the squad, after all.
"What are the main quest and item rewards?"
"Oh, fixed runs have predetermined item rewards each game. And they assign specific quests—whoever clears them gets the reward item. The conditions change each time, and so do the items. But I've heard they always make it a hard quest with very appealing rewards to tempt the players. As tempting as the rewards are—you must not get greedy. I'm sure you've noticed, but the conditions are perfect for ruining your strategy or dying from overextending."
Seowoon nodded in agreement.
Even with 2,000 players participating, getting 200 kills was no easy feat.
Trying too hard for kills could easily wipe out your whole team.
'It's a mechanism to speed up the game.'
There were 2,000 players, and the map was massively expanded compared to the previous games.
And the play period was a full 1,000 days. If players decided to bunker down, the game might actually drag on for three whole years.
That's why it made sense to have mechanics that shook things up and pushed the pace.
As Seowoon subtly moved away from Juriel and approached Kichan, Kichan infused mana into his necklace.
"Better to give up on it, right?"
"Probably, yeah… but that item—the Player Resurrection Token."
"Yeah. I think you're right. That was the first thing that caught my eye, too."
"Still, if there's any chance, we should go for it, right?"
"You've got 8 kills now, right?"
"No. That last one got snatched by that brute over there."
Seowoon glanced briefly at the main shielder as he spoke, and Kichan nodded.
"From now on, between the two of us, let's funnel the kills to you."
"Don't forget about the kill rewards. Those coins aren't nothing."
"Still, that item is more important than a few coins. You can split the coin rewards a bit after the game's over."
"You sure about this?"
"Absolutely."
Right after their conversation ended, Kichan stopped infusing mana into the necklace—but many players were already interested in the conversation they hadn't even heard.
It was only natural, given that Seowoon had suddenly risen to be the ace of the team with just one battle.