Chapter 78

Episode 78

[Viewers, did you have a delicious dinner? It’s already been 14 hours since the second preliminary round of Colosseum Survival Season 12 began!]

The caster returned after a short break, his voice brighter than before.

[Time flies when you’re having fun. It’s already past 8 PM! I can’t believe how time has flown by.]

[It’s been truly non-stop entertainment. After all, we’re broadcasting the second preliminary round for all five groups simultaneously. That’s probably why we’ve been focusing on the exciting parts.]

[That’s right! The second preliminary round for groups A to E is currently underway on five different islands near the New Continent.]

The caster glanced at the prompter next to the camera and continued.

[Let’s check how the second preliminary round is progressing in each group. First, Group A!]

[The group that received the most attention due to the clash between Kim Jinsung and Yang Jung-geun, right? It ended with Kim Jinsung’s victory.]

[That’s right! Ah, the data is being displayed on the screen now!]

As the caster said, the TV screen displayed the survival status of Group A.

Current surviving Seekers: 167

Dead Seekers: 73

Thieves caught by Seekers: 2

Preliminary round spots secured by Seekers: 48

Current surviving Thieves: 7

[Hmm… There are still too many Thieves left. They need to catch at least five more for all the Seekers to pass.]

[This group has the most surviving Thieves out of the five! It’s probably because of Kim Jinsung’s performance.]

[After Yang Jung-geun’s death, the Seekers haven’t stepped outside the castle once.]

As the commentator said, the Seekers hadn’t ventured outside the castle since Yang Jung-geun’s death. Of course, there was a reason for their decision.

[It seems they’re all waiting for Seol Daun to make his move. In fact, when listening to their conversations, they mentioned Seol Daun the most.]

[And Seol Daun has finally woken up! He’s currently eating lunch in the castle, as you can see on the screen!]

[He’s so relaxed. The other Seekers are all anxious, but he’s just eating.]

Indeed, Seol Daun on the TV screen was completely focused on eating his lunch, ignoring the other Seekers watching him. The other Seekers had various expressions as they watched him: anxiety, desperation, annoyance, anger. The Seekers who had secured their spots were relaxing and enjoying their break.

[Even through the screen, you can see the stark difference in atmosphere between those who have secured their spots and those who haven’t.]

[…Oh, Seol Daun is finally done eating and getting up.]

[That’s right!]

As the commentator said, Seol Daun, having finished his lunch and water, slowly stood up, rubbing his stomach. The scene was being broadcast on the TV screen.

* * *

“Alright, time to play.”

Seol Daun muttered to himself as he walked towards the front door. The Seekers who hadn’t secured their spot were about to follow him.

Seol Daun waved his hand at them.

“Don’t worry, everyone. Stay here and relax.”

“What? But…”

“I said don’t worry. Don’t make me say it again.”

“……!”

The Seeker who had spoken quickly shut his mouth. Everyone knew how Lee Deokgu had died.

“I hate it when weaklings interfere with my fun. Alright, I’m off!”

Seol Daun waved goodbye and disappeared from the Seekers’ sight. They started murmuring after he had left.

“He really went alone…?”

“Is he gonna be okay? Kim Jinsung is still out there…”

“what are you going to do? Do you want to end up like Lee Deokgu?”

“……”

“Well, we can only hope Seol Daun catches all the Thieves.”

“…Catching Kim Jinsung might be a bit too much for Seol Daun, right?”

The Seeker shrugged at his companion’s question.

“Who knows? Seol Daun’s a monster too, just like Kim Jinsung.”

In fact, even professional hunters and top-tier hunters considered Seol Daun one of the strongest contenders to win Season 12. The Seekers here had all heard about these opinions through various media. That’s why, despite his solo mission, they couldn’t shake off their expectations for Seol Daun.

* * *

‘Finally, night has fallen.’

On the southeastern edge of the island, Thief 5, hiding among a pile of rocks, surveyed the surroundings.

The area was completely enveloped in pitch-black darkness, with no light whatsoever.

‘It’s even a crescent moon.’

Even the moonlight was helping the Thieves today. The moon was a thin crescent, making it difficult for the Seekers to rely on moonlight.

‘This environment is definitely advantageous for those hiding.’

In this darkness, even if the Seekers found the Thieves using their scouting skills, it would still be problematic. It was so dark that it would be difficult to chase the Thieves if they ran away.

Moreover, the Thieves were all skilled in survival and escape. If they wanted to run in this environment, they’d be impossible to catch easily.

‘My chances of passing the preliminary round are increasing…’

Honestly, things were bleak when Yang Jung-geun cut off communication between the Thieves. The Thieves’ smartphones didn’t even have one-on-one chat features, unlike the Seekers’. They felt hopeless, realizing they had to survive without any support.

But now, with the darkness of night, a glimmer of hope had begun to sprout in Thief 5’s heart.

‘I just need to keep hiding and stay silent… ‘

Thud!

Suddenly, a dull thud came from his left. Thief 5 turned his head sharply. He saw that his left arm had vanished as if torn off.

“…What?”

Thief 5 was stunned, too surprised to even feel pain.

“What do you think it is? It’s a hunter who came to catch you.”

A strange voice came from the front. A young man, who had somehow appeared a few meters in front of him, was smiling at Thief 5.

‘Seol Daun!’

Thief 5’s face turned pale as he recognized the stranger. The last person he wanted to see had appeared in front of him.

The image of Seol Daun, effortlessly dismembering and killing the surrounding defense soldiers during the first preliminary round without even touching them, was still vivid.

‘I’m doomed!’

Instinctively sensing danger, Thief 5 used his unique ability. His body split and scattered, transforming into countless insects. They flew in all directions.

“Tsk. Boring.”

Seol Daun, looking bored, waved his hand lightly towards the insects.

Then,

**Poof! Poof! Poof! Bang!**

The scattered insects exploded. Hundreds of insects flying in the air exploded, illuminating the surroundings like fireworks.

After the explosions, only Thief 5’s charred body lay on the ground. Seol Daun turned around.

“I guess I need someone like Kim Jinsung to have some fun…”

As soon as he finished muttering, he disappeared from the surroundings.

A few seconds later, an announcement came from the main castle.

[The Seekers have eliminated a Thief. The Seekers have secured 24 preliminary round spots…]

* * *

[…Seol Daun, who was directly involved, is confirmed to pass the preliminary round.]

The announcement was loud enough to reach Kim Jinsung’s ears in the third underground level.

Kim Jinsung, holding a spoon halfway to his mouth, froze.

‘…He wasn’t caught by the Eye of Surveillance.’

There were over 30 ‘Eye of Surveillance’ familiars scattered throughout the island. Thanks to them, Kim Jinsung could monitor the entire island in real-time. But Seol Daun had appeared in front of Thief 5 without being detected by any of them.

However, Kim Jinsung didn’t seem surprised or confused. It was Seol Daun, after all.

‘He’s dangerous.’

Kim Jinsung put down his spoon and pushed his lunch aside. This wasn’t the time to be enjoying a meal.

‘I need to see Seol Daun’s abilities with my own eyes.’

Kim Jinsung stood up, activated the ‘Shadow Concealment’ skill, and opened a Warp Hole.

‘I’ve gathered a lot of points and finished researching skill fusion. I’m ready.’

Fifteen seconds later, the Warp Hole entrance closed after he stepped inside.

* * *

Ten minutes after Kim Jinsung used the Warp Hole from the third underground level.

[The Seekers have eliminated a Thief. The Seekers have secured 24 preliminary round spots…]

The announcement echoed from the speakers on top of the main castle.

The Seekers all widened their eyes.

“Wow! he caught another one!”

“It’s only been 10 minutes?”

“Is this even possible…?”

It had been about 20 minutes since Seol Daun went out alone. In that short time, two Thieves had died. It was clear that Seol Daun was eliminating the Thieves.

But the real surprise was yet to come.

[The Seekers have eliminated a Thief. The Seekers have secured 24 preliminary round spots…]

“What? Another one?!”

“This is insane…!”

[The Seekers have eliminated a Thief. The Seekers have secured 24 preliminary round spots…]

“What the hell?! What is going on?!”

“Am I dreaming?”

“Is this a prank?”

“Is this a broadcasting error? This doesn’t make sense…!”

The Seekers were beyond shocked, now in a state of denial. But ten minutes later, another announcement cleared up the situation.

[The Seekers have eliminated a Thief. The Seekers have secured 24 preliminary round spots. The number of preliminary round spots secured by the Seekers is now greater than the number of surviving Seekers. Therefore, all remaining Seekers have secured their spot in the second preliminary round.]

“Woooah!!”

“Really? Really? Did I hear that right?!”

“We’re safe!!”

“Damn! Hell yeah! Awesome!”

“Damn! I knew you could do it, Seol Daun!”

The Seekers inside the main castle were ecstatic, celebrating with high fives and hugs. Of course, they knew there was a high chance they would face each other as enemies in the next round, but no one cared about that right now.

* * *

[This means all 167 surviving Seekers in Group A have advanced to the third preliminary round!]

[Wow… I can’t believe it. Was Seol Daun really this strong?]

The commentator, still seemingly in shock, watched the TV screen. Seol Daun, having just killed another Thief, muttered to himself.

[Why is everyone so boring? Where’s Kim Jinsung hiding?]

Seol Daun turned and disappeared from sight again. The commentator continued.

[He’s not just strong; it’s incredible how he can find the Thieves’ hiding spots so quickly. It’s impossible without advanced scouting skills…]

[…Hold on!]

The caster interrupted the commentator.

[Is the red dot on the map being shown on the screen Seol Daun’s location?]

The caster asked, looking at the map that suddenly appeared on the TV screen. The production team immediately responded with a prompt. The caster read the prompt aloud.

[Ah, the production team confirms it! They say they have installed high-tech location trackers on the participants’ clothes, specially procured from the New Continent.]

[They add that this tracker can’t be detected by ordinary scouting and detection abilities… Thank you for the detailed explanation! Now, let’s take another look at the map.]

The commentators began to examine the map, focusing on the red dot. The commentator exclaimed.

[It seems Seol Daun, marked by the red dot, is heading towards Pung Bitgaram’s location!]

[That’s right! Even after securing a spot for all the Seekers, he’s still tracking down the remaining Thieves!]

As the caster shouted, the red dot was nearing the blue dot, which marked Pung Bitgaram’s location. But there was more.

[Oh…? A black dot is approaching both of them from the right, which is Kim Jinsung!]

The black dot, representing Kim Jinsung, was also nearing Pung Bitgaram’s location, having emerged from the underground passage.

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