Chapter 82: Perhaps, a National Emergency

Episode 82

Climbing the stairs inside the main castle, you reach the third floor. There, another set of stairs leads to the top of the tower.

At the very top, you arrive at the rooftop, where a giant speaker is installed. It’s the same speaker that broadcasts the announcements whenever a Thief dies.

Two Seekers stood there, facing north. They were the two young men who had shared cigarettes with Lee Deokgu at noon.

“…The battle must be over, right?”

“Yeah, it’s been quiet for too long.”

The two chatted, looking towards the area where Kim Jinsung and Seol Daun had fought.

“But are you sure that was Kim Jinsung? Are you certain?”

“I saw it clearly. When the area was lit up by a giant firestorm, I saw black arrows flying around.”

“…That’s your proof that it was Kim Jinsung?”

“You idiot! The only remaining Thieves were Kim Jinsung and Pung Bitgaram. Who else uses black mana?”

“Ah.”

He nodded, finally understanding. It wasn’t difficult for them to know that the remaining Thieves were Kim Jinsung and Pung Bitgaram.

They had seen a giant cloud forming in the same spot in the north earlier, with lightning striking repeatedly. It perfectly matched the abilities they had witnessed in Pung Bitgaram when they went hunting for Thieves in the afternoon.

“I wonder what the outcome was. Seol Daun must have won, right?”

“Who knows? We can’t be sure until Seol Daun returns to the castle.”

“What if Kim Jinsung won?”

The Seeker’s face turned apprehensive as he asked again.

“And what if he’s seeking revenge and attacks the castle, killing us all?”

“Come on, no way! Everyone knows the Seekers have secured their spots. Why would he risk his life in another battle?”

“But Seol Daun also secured his spot, and he was still hunting down the Thieves.”

“Uh…”

The Seeker fell silent, realizing the truth in his friend’s words.

“…He’s not really going to attack, is he?”

The two looked at each other, exchanging a chilling glance.

“…Let’s tell the other Seekers.”

“Yeah.”

They immediately headed down the stairs towards the first floor of the castle where the other Seekers were gathered.

* * *

But Kim Jinsung wasn’t thinking about the Seekers at all. He was leisurely walking along the edge of the island, looking out at the ocean. His steps were relaxed and carefree.

Yang Jung-geun and the reinforcements, as well as the traitor Pung Bitgaram, were dead. And now, with Seol Daun, the final boss, also gone, there was no one left on this island who could threaten him. Kim Jinsung knew this better than anyone, which was why he looked calm and walked with a light step.

‘That mana shield is incredibly thick.’

Kim Jinsung looked at the massive mana shield that divided the island and the ocean like a boundary.

‘But it’s smaller than the range of mana I can control now. So, if I wanted to, I could escape.’

He was already calculating how to break through the mana shield and escape.

‘Of course, the moment I escape, the staff waiting outside will swarm me like a pack of wild dogs.’

Kim Jinsung had seen a video on Itube titled ‘What happens when the Thieves try to escape?’ It was a promotional video released by the Colosseum. He still remembered the brutal scene of the staff using everything at their disposal to chase down the Thieves.

The video could be summarized in one sentence:

– No one has ever escaped, so if you’re thinking of running away, forget it.

It wasn’t saying that no one had tried. It meant that everyone who had tried had died.

‘If it weren’t for the ocean, I could have escaped using the Warp Hole or Shadow Concealment…’

No matter how he thought about it, the ocean wasn’t a good environment for escaping. Especially with the pursuers, they had access to advanced equipment like ships and helicopters, made with magic stones, which were perfect for chasing. Kim Jinsung, on the other hand, would have to run on foot.

‘Is it really worth escaping in this situation?’

Kim Jinsung’s mind began to lean towards not escaping.

‘It’s more likely that I’ll survive if I stay until the end of the program. And if I survive, the reward is good.’

Those who survived the Colosseum Survival until the final round were usually given this reward:

– Freedom.

– Reinstated as a ‘citizen’ from ‘forced laborer’ status.

– Hunter license. This certificate allows you to enter any country in the world and challenge any dungeon.

– A massive amount of prize money that could set you up for life.

– Global fame. ‘Colosseum Survival Survivors’ are the top recruits for major hunter clans worldwide.

In short, passing meant instant success.

And right now, Kim Jinsung had the highest probability of surviving until the end out of all the participants in Season 12.

‘…No, but you never know with Colosseum Survival. It’s a program where the top contenders die in the next round.’

Kim Jinsung’s mind swayed back and forth.

‘It might be better to escape and go to another country or the New Continent, rather than being trapped in this unpredictable program.’

With his current level, he would be welcomed in any country, including the USA, the strongest nation. Even a B-rank hunter was recognized globally, and Kim Jinsung had easily defeated Yang Jung-geun, a B-rank hunter.

He was only unwelcome in one country, South Korea.

‘What should I do…’

Kim Jinsung continued to walk along the beach, constantly pondering his future.

Then,

‘…Huh?’

His gaze was drawn to a bright light on the horizon, beyond the dark beach.

He stopped in his tracks.

‘…Those are warships?’

Countless massive ships were approaching the island at high speed. They were clearly warships equipped with advanced weaponry, belonging to the South Korean navy.

And one mark was prominently displayed on the ships. It was a mark Kim Jinsung knew well.

‘The Hunter Bureau mark…?’

* * *

At that moment, the monitors in the monitoring room began to show the approaching warships, and the atmosphere became tense. Just listening to the main PD’s urgent instructions through the microphone, you could sense the seriousness of the situation.

“I repeat! Do not broadcast the approaching warships on TV! This is not my order but a direct order from the government! Remember that!”

After repeatedly reminding the staff, the main PD turned to Baek Jun. Baek Jun was on the phone again.

“Yes, Minister. I understand. Please don’t come any closer. Stay at your current distance.”

– Got it. Wait.

The voice belonged to Minister Tak Namgyu, the head of the Hunter Bureau.

After a brief silence, Tak Namgyu spoke again.

– I’ve ordered a complete lockdown at your current location. If you see anyone trying to escape, tell me immediately. Got it?

“…Minister.”

– What?

“It’s not necessary to go this far…”

Baek Jun spoke, looking troubled. Tak Namgyu’s response came immediately.

– Do you think I want to do this? I told you earlier. This is practically a national emergency.

“I know, but…”

– What if a star hunter like Kim Jinsung escapes? It’s not just you who’ll be in trouble; I’ll be finished too. Remember that.

“……”

– It’s better to err on the side of caution. Understand?

“…Yes.”

– Come to my office right after the second preliminary round ends tomorrow. I’ll tell you the full story.

“Yes, Minister.”

Baek Jun hung up the phone and sighed quietly. He looked up at the staff in the monitoring room, who were watching him, and then fixed his gaze on the main PD.

“…Do you have anything to say…?”

“Is the rehearsal ready?”

“Ah! It’s ready. Follow me. Hey, you, take over for me.”

He briefly handed over command to the female PD beside him and left the monitoring room with Baek Jun. The remaining staff naturally turned their attention to Jang Seungwook, the deputy director.

Jang Seungwook shrugged silently. He didn’t know anything about the situation either.

* * *

At the same time, a young man, Kim Jinsung, was also looking at the Hunter Bureau warships with a confused expression.

‘Why is the Hunter Bureau…’

The Hunter Bureau was the most powerful combat force in South Korea, the highest and largest government department. Why would they be surrounding this island with warships?

He didn’t know the reason, but one thing was certain.

‘…I can’t escape now.’

With the South Korean elite force surrounding the island, planning an escape was suicidal.

Kim Jinsung gave up and turned around.

‘Since this is the case, I’ll prepare for the third preliminary round.’

He started walking towards the main castle, where the Seekers were gathered.

* * *

Deep into the night.

The Seekers in the main castle were not sleeping. They couldn’t sleep.

“Where is Seol Daun…?”

Seol Daun, who should have returned long ago after defeating all the Thieves, was still nowhere to be seen. It was making the Seekers extremely anxious, preventing them from sleeping.

“At this point, we should assume he’s dead, right?”

“Come on… Maybe he’s just exploring outside because he doesn’t want to come back…”

“He should have at least shown his face at the castle. It’s been hours since the last battle ended.”

“That’s…”

The Seeker couldn’t answer.

“If Kim Jinsung won, it wouldn’t be strange if he attacked the castle anytime. Yang Jung-geun and the reinforcements are all dead.”

The Seekers looked at each other, their faces filled with fear.

“Let’s take turns guarding. That way, if Kim Jinsung attacks, we can retaliate. We can sleep on the plane, right?”

The Seekers nodded reluctantly.

They took turns guarding, but as an hour passed, then two hours, and finally the sun began to rise in the east, the feared event didn’t happen.

As the sun rose completely above the eastern horizon, an announcement came from the speaker on top of the tower.

[Exactly 24 hours have passed since the second preliminary round of Colosseum Survival began. The second preliminary round is now over. Any casualties from this point onwards will be considered a violation of the rules and will result in immediate disqualification.]

As the announcement echoed,

“Hooray!! We’re safe!!”

“Nice!!”

“Wow, I was so worried Kim Jinsung would attack…!”

“Can we finally sleep now? I’m so sleepy.”

The Seekers’ cheers reverberated around the main castle.

* * *

[This concludes the second preliminary round of Colosseum Survival Season 12!]

[There were some groups that kept us on the edge of our seats until the end. But some groups, like Group A, ended quietly without much drama.]

[Now, let’s announce the final results of the second preliminary round for groups A to E…?]

The caster, about to read the prompt, suddenly changed direction.

[…But first! There’s an announcement for our viewers. In one hour! Colosseum President Baek Jun will personally announce the rules for the third preliminary round!]

[Oh! That’s surprising. Usually, the rules are announced on the day of the event.]

At the beginning of the season, the rules for the preliminary rounds were announced long before the event began. But that led to everyone coming up with similar strategies to survive, which naturally reduced the variables throughout the preliminary rounds and resulted in lower viewership.

So, it became an unspoken rule to announce the rules on the day of the event.

[We’ll find out what the rules are and why they’re being announced so early in President Baek Jun’s announcement in one hour!]

As the caster shouted, the words ‘Third Preliminary Round Rules Announcement Coming Soon’ appeared in the corner of the TV screen.

—