Chapter 9

Episode 1: New World / Chapter 9: Bonus Game (4)

TL: Myoni

Edited: Myoni, Yoni

7 minutes after the boxes disappeared, the majority of the dropouts had been killed.

It was a gruesome scene.

First, the dropouts were separated into two groups, one with friends that tried to protect them and others without. The dropouts with friends protecting them numbered 7 to 8. It was more than everyone thought.

The rest had to survive on their own.

The moment the boxes disappeared.

“Euahh!”

With a hurried scream, the friendless dropouts ran. The hunters tried to stop their paths but they rolled and pushed their way out.

The dropouts weren’t captured as easily as everyone expected. The hunters were people who had karma and were stronger than the dropouts but they were still students and teachers. They were people who would have a hard time catching a rabbit even while running after it with a sword. It was hard to kill those who struggled to live.

This was why a more gruesome scene unfolded. A round of mixed martial arts was 5 minutes. For the dropouts who didn’t have karma to try their best to run and resist for that time, of course, they were at their limit. The dropouts’ movements became sluggish while the hunters who were pissed became more heartless. A running dropout was hit by a swing of a spear and rolled onto the ground. Someone came running behind him, kicked his face, then grabbed his hair and sliced off his neck. Then the hammer would appear, smash its victim, splattering blood everywhere. Afterwards, an item would appear.

Madness.

The people who didn’t participate but were spectating felt their knees tremble.

And this scene occurred throughout the gym. Many would chase after one and the lucky winner would obtain the item. However, not everyone was like that.

Although everyone had similar stats and karma, the difference between each other started to show and it was greater than the difference among level 1’s in an AOS game^{1}.

There were ‘players’ who particularly shined.

First, the class president Jung Minji. She fought like she was the incarnation of Joan of Arc. Not only did she show that she was physically skilled but she even was outstanding at reading the situation and devising plans. There was no hesitation in her actions.

The moment the box protecting Yoon Girim disappeared, she grabbed her, put her over her shoulders and charged. The 6 people who surrounded Yoon Girim all had dumb expressions like a dog chasing a chicken and couldn’t react in time.

The place she was heading towards was next to Chu Youngjin who was protecting his girlfriend.

Punch!

The moment she slammed her fist into a student’s throat who was approaching Lee Hyejin, his girlfriend, an alliance was formed. Jung Minji didn’t stop there.

“Hey! Baek Saelom! Aren’t you friends with Hyejin?”

Like that, she continued to call out specific people’s names. Although there were some who looked away, there were also some who slowly entered the fray.

As she started to aggressively form a group, the hunters felt uncomfortable facing Jung Minji’s group.

This game was a bonus game. Although an E rank item was enticing, there weren’t many who were willing to risk their lives for it.

Of course, they were some who were still willing to kill even though they didn’t have to put their lives on the line.

The third year, student representative Kim Piljoong was like that. He coordinated with his friend, Son Dukpil, and he differentiated people he knew and didn’t know with a sword. He would save those who he was familiar with but kill those he had only met once. No one was able to block his arrows as he was skilled in archery. He killed 3 dropouts and their friends who tried to protect them. Son Dukpil would take care of those that approached and Kim Piljoong would shoot arrows from behind or stab with his gladius^{2}. Kim Piljoong had obtained a new bow, shoes and a shield. And among those, he gave the shield to his friend, Son Dukpil.

There was even a player who would run around swiftly cutting dropouts’ necks. She was the one known as the Queen Bee among third years, Lee Hyunah. When she ran, her victims wouldn’t be able to react as their heads dropped onto the floor. Even their blood took a while to flow. As if she was kind, she would save those with pretty faces and mercilessly kill those she deemed ugly. She gave swords to those she saved and ordered them to kill others. She had obtained a ring and a throwing knife.

5 teachers died after getting hit by the gym teacher’s iron mace. Among them, three weren’t dropouts but those that hunted dropouts. The gym teacher Hwang Mangi didn’t hesitate to kill his competitors. He had obtained a pill and armor.

Then there was Choi Junsung. As expected, he easily obtained items. While dragging a long two-handed sword behind him.

“Wanna move?”

With those words, even competitors who had caught a dropout would move aside without a word. He was the rumored fighter of the third years so they didn’t have the courage to stand up to him. The first third year who lost his temper was cut in half by Choi Junsung’s lightning fast two-handed sword. Choi Junsung obtained a necklace, helmet and gauntlets.

Who to kill?

Your competitors or to quickly kill the dropouts?

And.

Will you kill only the dropouts or their friends as well?

Or, contrarily, will you kill the hunters and save the dropouts?

Who will you kill and who will you save?

Even in this simple game, there were a few options and the players who shined each had their own style.

Instead of a fight between justice and injustice, it was more a fight between rules. And rules were something only the strong could create.

And among them, Choi Hyuk’s rule was eye-catching.

‘Kill the one who obtains an item.’

There was no one who specifically targeted those who obtained items. Because an E rank was powerful, no one wanted to fight against people with items with unknown effects.

While everyone else was fairly(?) killing dropouts and obtaining items, Choi Hyuk was the only one who solely focused on snatching the items after killing their owners. Because of this, Choi Hyuk’s fights were especially fierce.

Since the necklace he had snatched first was useless as it was already spent, his second fight was fierce as well. His opponent wielded an E rank saber. Every time he clashed with the E rank saber, his F rank Bastard Sword would chip. If he was to receive a hit straight on, it was certain his sword would split in two. Also, the E rank saber increased its owner’s power and speed, so it was difficult for Choi Hyuk to break through. Choi Hyuk sneakily moved back avoiding the slashes as he waited for his opponent to tire out and stabbed right when his opponent showed an opening. His Bastard Sword ripped through his opponent’s armor and Choi Hyuk was able to seize a slightly curved E rank saber from his corpse.

Every fight would be the same, so it took quite a lot of time.

When he seized the Necklace of Protection and the saber, 6 minutes of the Bonus Game had already passed. And by that time, most the dropouts were chased down and killed.

While one side was hunting normally, Choi Hyuk was fighting fiercely by himself.

Smash!

At the same time Choi Hyuk seized the saber, another golden hammer fell to the floor. Shoes that would increase your recovery stat and jumping ability. The student who had obtained them was clearly aware of Choi Hyuk. It was because he had seen Choi Hyuk target other people’s items. As soon as he received the shoes, he ran to the sides and hid among the spectators. However, Choi Hyuk chased after him. The item owner used his increased jumping ability to avoid Choi Hyuk but, eventually, Choi Hyuk’s estoc pierced through his stomach. There were no exceptions to Choi Hyuk’s ‘Kill those that killed first. In the order, I see them’ rule.

Everyone was filled with shock at the scene.

Especially the spectating students who thought they were a safe distance away, they couldn’t help but be terrified of Choi Hyuk’s determination as he moved in between them to kill his target.

“Haa… Ha…”

When he had finally killed his last target, Choi Hyuk’s stamina was at its limit. The karma that was fiercely circulating his body stiffened or relaxed. It seemed he was feeling the effects of his stamina stat.

But still, perhaps it was due to struggling through fights or because of his rule, he wasn’t as uncomfortable as he was when he killed Bae Hyunsung. It was better if his body was uncomfortable than his mind.

He calmed his breath and looked at his surroundings.

‘What a mess.’

Everyone was flashing out a red (hostile) light. Some were even emitting a black (killing) light. Choi Hyuk could see it with his ‘Eyes of Distinction’. Red and black lights flashed on his skin. It was an unpleasant and disgusting feeling.

Many were cautious or envious or hated Choi Hyuk. Although the student body president Kim Piljoong and the gym teacher Hwang Mangi had killed more people than Choi Hyuk, the one who was under the most hostility was him.

It was because, among the players who stood out, Choi Hyuk was a guy that they had never heard of or seen before and he was the only one who targeted those who obtained items. There was no one who doubted that the best fighter in school, Choi Junsung, would kill people. But when a person no one had seen before was doing things even the best fighter Choi Junsung wasn’t doing, he really popped. A lot of hate fell onto Choi Hyuk.

Except for Choi Junsung.

‘Why is he white?’

Only Choi Junsung was emitting a white (goodwill) light to Choi Hyuk. When their eyes met, he would wave. For him to show goodwill when he killed people. For some reason, he felt worse. Choi Hyuk ignored him.

The only surviving dropouts were the four Jung Minji’s group was protecting. Besides them, all the other dropouts either died or, with the help of their friends, killed someone and got rid of the ITEM mark.

As it was tough to face the 15 people in Jung Minji’s group, the hunt for dropouts ended there.

Then, when no dropouts were killed for 2 minutes, the announcement for the next game appeared. There wasn’t even a break.

‘Damn… damn it all…’

‘These fucking dropouts…’

Jung Minji who was unable to obtain any E rank items because she was protecting the dropouts was inwardly grinding her teeth.

However, she was the player who had formed a group faster than anyone else.

And that was how the {Throne Game} began.

^{1} Aeon of Strife, probably better to think of it as a MOBA

^{2} Gladius – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladius