episode_0049

49. Deception.

“”······!””

The team leader’s shocking declaration after only one day of meeting! In an instant, the atmosphere became agitated.

The woman with glasses asked in a cautious tone.

“Isn’t it too sudden? Since there wasn’t really an explanation about the period, a little more slowly······.”

Kim Deok-soo cut off her words with a hearty voice.

“I’m in favor. If we have to acquire a district anyway, it’s always better to strike first.”

“······.”

Sarah didn’t say much from the start. She was just following John’s decision.

Everyone had their own opinions, and their own valid reasons. However, John had no intention of changing his decision.

“A district is a concept that can be seen as a spare life. If there is only one district, we have no escape.

“······.”

“Conversely, if there are two, we can abandon one and save our lives. Also, our activity will naturally widen.”

“Hmm······.”

The woman with glasses made a sound of contemplation. It’s not a bad idea. But······

“But, we don’t know how strong the opponent is, do we? How about scouting first······.”

“Of course. Scouting is essential. I was already on my way back from taking a quick look at the next district.”

“Yes? Already?”

The woman with glasses opened her eyes like a rabbit. She was already pressed for time with terrain exploration and finding food, and he even scouted?

“The opponent was also trying to explore. I probably wasn’t identified by them.”

“How was their armament?”

“About the same as you all. I don’t know about their skills.”

“Hmm······.”

At that time, a sturdy man who had been silent was pursing his lips.

Seeing that, Kim Deok-soo snapped at him.

“Why, what, have something to say? Chang-soo.”

“Ahem, I understand. Team leader? How about this method?”

“What······.”

That’s how Chang-soo’s explanation began, and John listened actively.

Unlike his appearance, he was a man who spoke very articulately. Thanks to that, I could immerse myself more in his story.

A little later, John nodded lightly.

“Good. It’s a plan that is sufficiently at a compromise point. Let’s do as Chang-soo says.”

Starting with him, Deok-soo, the woman with glasses, and Sarah expressed positive intentions.

Now that the opinions have been gathered, all that’s left is to execute.

“Let’s eat enough and go. Before it gets dark.”

“Okay.”

“Yes.”

***

Eating about 7 of the fruits I found earlier filled me with just the right amount of fullness.

‘I could eat up to 10.’

I think that’s how much I should eat before going to bed. But right now was perfect before going into battle.

“Then, let’s enter now. Probably, the moment you enter, a message will pop up saying you have entered District 32, so don’t be surprised.”

“Yes.”

No sooner had John finished speaking than he put ‘only his face’ into the cloudy membrane.

It was much better than awkwardly putting in an arm or ankle. That’s because he’s a mage. Securing a view was more important than anything else.

Swish, swish.

With only his face disappeared, John gestured to the back.

This is because the sound is completely cut off based on the heterogeneous membrane.

As soon as the team members saw the agreed-upon hand signal, they quickly threw themselves in.

“Huuup!”

“Ughhhh······. It’s a strange feeling.”

“Lower your voices a little more. You never know.”

John said that while scanning his surroundings with snake-like eyes.

‘Compared to when I took a quick look earlier, there’s not much difference.’

There was one fact that could be known from this.

‘Even if another player invades someone else’s district, it doesn’t seem like a separate notification goes off.’

Of course, a signal may have been sent, but the other side may not have responded. But it doesn’t matter.

‘If that’s the case, they’re really morons.’

Rather, it was a good thing for John.

“Let’s advance slowly. Don’t forget that our primary goal is conversation.”

“Yes.”

Crunch, crunch.

The place and vegetation they were in were not much different.

John was somewhat used to it, but the other team members’ eyes twinkled like children at a dinosaur museum.

How long had they been walking when Sarah suddenly raised her hand to stop the group.

Sarah whispered softly.

─1 person, approaching.

It was a word choice containing only the minimum information. John also moved his lips accordingly.

─A little more, shout.

Nod.

John and Sarah moved their heads while making eye contact.

The situation was not bad. They continued to advance.

How long had passed when John quickly spread his ring finger.

The sight of this caused Kim Deok-soo’s chest to swell up······

“Hey!! Is there anyone there!! Let’s talk!! Talk!!!”

There······

· · · · · ·

With a flutter, a blue bird that I had never seen before flew up.

Sarah looked at John and said.

“It’s approaching slowly.”

“Yes.”

Soon, a resonant voice was heard from deep in the forest.

─Who are you! Don’t come any closer!!

Sarah frowned at this.

“The presence suddenly disappeared. I can’t even measure the source of the sound.”

“It seems to be a skill or trait. It’s a useful technique.”

John gestured to Deok-soo. It meant to continue.

“You guys must know if you’ve read the rules! Let’s form an alliance! An alliance!! If necessary, let’s have a sincere conversation 5 on 5!!!”

─······.

“Out of 100 teams of humans! There won’t be guys who join forces?! Let’s join hands quickly!!”

─······.

The strange voice was silent. Because of this, we could only stare at the lush forest.

Suddenly, John and Sarah made eye contact. Sarah nodded slightly.

John opened his mouth in a small voice.

“Let’s wait about 5 minutes, and if there’s no response, let’s just charge.”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

Fortunately, John’s team didn’t have to wait 5 minutes.

Clang-

With a heavy metallic sound, the bushes parted and four humans popped out. The stocky man at the very front said. He was wearing knight-like attire.

“I heard you wanted to form an alliance, so I came in a hurry. What district are you from?”

John’s team members all looked at John. From here on, the team leader was supposed to talk. He took about three steps forward.

“District 33.”

“This is District 34······. You came from right next door.”

He was only about 170 tall, but he had a large torso. His roughly angular square jaw further accentuated his imposing presence.

John thought incessantly in his head.

‘Is he the team leader? There’s no way to know.’

“We are also thinking positively about the alliance······. It’s definitely better to have two than one.”

“That’s a relief. But, why are there 4 people? Where is the other one······?”

“Ah, haha. He’ll be here soon. I sent him on a reconnaissance mission a little far away.”

“······I see.”

John slowly wiggled his fingers. He had been moving them so much that his finger flexibility had improved, and now they felt like snakes.

The square jaw said.

“How about we exchange information lightly first? To build trust.”

“Good. First of all, what we’ve found out is······.”

Suddenly, the square jaw stared intently at John’s pupils. What is it? Just now, I felt a strange blue light in his pupils······

“······!”

Clang!!

Sarah, who had suddenly appeared in front of the square jaw like lightning, swung her sword. A long slash extending from the lower left to the upper right.

The square jaw boasted movements that did not match his seemingly dull physique, and parried her attack.

“Kuuuk! What!”

However, he couldn’t even get into the right posture. From the moment he entered the tower, the difference between women and men was almost non-existent due to the transcendent power of ‘stats’.

Sarah had been sucking up karma with a knight on the 1st floor.

An ordinary ability user couldn’t even come close to her. Sarah looked at the square jaw’s exposed armpit.

His center of gravity was floating upwards, and he hadn’t even clearly recognized the opponent’s team members yet. At that moment, the person’s right hand disappeared from everyone’s sight.

Slash-

“······!”

“······!”

Immediately after, the members of both sides had dumbfounded expressions. John’s team members were impressed by her unparalleled prowess that exceeded imagination, and the square jaw’s team members felt bewildered.

They lost one human resource before the battle even properly started! It was a huge loss.

But that was just the beginning. Kim Deok-soo shouted loudly.

“Kill them all!!!”

Thud!

John’s team members, led by Kim Deok-soo, charge all at once.

Only then did the enemies take a defensive stance. But Sarah’s rampant actions had been going on for a long time.

Swoosh-

An almost imperceptible noise, that no one would ever think was made by a blade and fabric touching, echoed through the battlefield. The crazy woman, scattering her long dirt-colored hair, had beheaded yet another person.

The corpse disappeared from view, scattering a white cloud of light.

It was clear that it was the ‘protective measure’ that the tower had announced in advance.

“Crazy!!”

“What the heck are their stats!!!”

Now there were only two left. A man in his early 30s dressed as a swordsman and a man in his mid-20s equipped with a shield warrior.

“Uriaaaa!!”

With a clang, Kim Deok-soo’s greatsword and the shield warrior’s square shield collided. The two seemed to have similar stats, but the number of heads exceeded twice.

“Huuup!”

The figure of the woman with glasses was seen in the periphery of the shield warrior’s vision, and he thought as he looked at the blue shining spearhead.

‘Ah, mom······.’

Poof!