Chapter 294
[Quest success: Stats increase.]
[Quest updates.]
"What did you do, exactly?"
"Yes."
"Just… acted like you."
"No need to explain further, big brother."
"Alright."
"Let's go, quickly."
This is what happened.
The one who called Seojun claimed to be from a faction trying to keep Seojun from taking first place, and attempted to demand a share of his reward.
So Seojun killed him.
And completed the quest.
"…"
Thanks to Yon keeping quiet, careful not to strike a nerve, Seojun was able to read through the newly updated quest in peace.
[Craving for Power 2]
==
The seed of power has sprouted.
The larger this seed grows, the more tremendous the power it will grant you.
Objective: On Day 7, kill one hero without being discovered.
Reward: Stats increase
==
'On Day 7? So one per day, then.'
The great upheaval didn't seem to have arrived yet.
The timing was indeed right.
'Should I kill someone the same way tomorrow?'
He wasn't sure.
As a side note, Seojun's stats had increased. His stamina had gone up so much that someone might notice just by glancing. He would need to act in a way that avoided any exchange of blows, which would reveal the health bar. As long as no fight happened, it wouldn't be displayed.
And also.
'There's another problem.'
Earlier, just in case, he'd killed from a distance, which thankfully kept his identity hidden. That was because a motion appeared that looked like he was absorbing the victim's power, like some unknown assailant.
'Even with justification, if there are too many eyes around, I can't kill. Will that be what gives me away?'
Seojun wasn't the type to hold back when provoked. If he did hold back?
Someone might grow suspicious and attack him.
Ridiculous as it was, there might actually be someone who'd suspect him for genuinely restraining himself.
Especially someone like Yon.
"Big brother, let's split up now. I need to farm."
"Sure."
After Yon left, Seojun organized the situation a bit more thoroughly.
Currently, it was the assassination and stockpiling phase.
But no one knew when things might suddenly explode.
Participants from areas other than the train could obtain special items, discover his identity, and come after him.
So.
'I need to finish the train quest quickly.'
Join forces to open the shop.
And do the assassination quest.
'Today counted as an assassination too, I suppose.'
***
Day 6 came to an end.
The train quest was almost finished, with only one processable material remaining. Accordingly, the train's participants displayed a variety of actions.
First, the so-called faction that the person Seojun killed mentioned didn't approach him.
Even though their messenger (?) or friend had died.
The other participants had gotten involved to some degree, and as the end drew near, they stopped entering the otherworld to perform quests.
Instead, they began going to areas connected to the train to gather information.
'Perhaps the train in its original design was never meant to be this peaceful.'
Maybe Seojun's actions had accelerated the involvement of an assailant, or the assault might have originally taken a different form.
But it was all speculation. What was certain was that the assailant who should have stirred a grim atmosphere again today was dead.
By an unfortunate accident.
"I'll get cursed out."
How pitiful.
Whoever it was, I hope they hide well—if they can, that is.
Anyway.
"The people gathered on the train have now scattered, will bring back information, and will all reassemble around the time the quest ends tomorrow."
When and who to kill?
If it's Yon, he'd probably just do as he's told. Even Seojun had some conscience about killing Yon.
Rachel, too, seemed to be on the same side for now.
"And even more might swarm in after hearing the news."
At least for tomorrow.
If that's the case, should he just go to a different area?
"It would be nice if they'd kindly come pick a fight again. If not…"
Even an unexpected event in the otherworld would do.
But no matter how many lucky scenarios could happen, relying on that luck was no different from prayer meta.
"Once the quest ends, would it be fine to just reveal myself as the mastermind and openly hunt?"
There had never been a mastermind like that before, but Seojun wasn't one to base his judgment on what others hadn't done.
Sipping the cola brought by room service as he prepared for the next day, someone knocked on Seojun's door.
Knock, knock, knock.
***
Day 7 began.
The early preparations for the history book were wrapping up, and it was time to head into the main story.
Seojun had the good fortune to encounter a mimic.
"Hey, Sir Cael. Come with me for a moment."
"We can't just hand over first place easily. This much rivalry is a must for a history book. And just so you know, it's two on one."
Mimic.
The word refers to a treasure chest-shaped monster in a game dungeon.
Normally, since they drop rare treasures like a chest would, finding a mimic is considered a windfall. But…
"Wait, why is your health so high?"
"Did you just deliberately get hit? You've already won, and now you're showing me your health bar?"
In the otherworld, Seojun met two pro players who were no different from mimics. And early on, at that.
It was indeed a windfall.
"Good work, both of you."
Two on one?
That kind of fight is a piece of cake.
Gazing at the two pros whose health was almost gone, Seojun used his ultimate.
"Yeah. Good work, us."
"We grinded collection quests for three days straight, only to get eliminated by an amateur in a one-versus-two. We're in top form."
Truly insane.
Anyway, today's quest was taken care of.
As far as Seojun could tell, that group was just the three of them.
Meaning no more mimics.
And the updated quest?
'Gone?'
It disappeared. They'd said there was no cost, but there was no way that was true.
"So it's improvisation from here on out."
Dangerous. He felt he needed to stay sharp.
Seojun met Yon again.
"Ha… Big brother. You do know what cooperation means."
Yon was reprimanding him for having already taken out two participants.
"Don't worry."
"No, big brother…"
"There's a mastermind, you know."
"Yes."
"I'm truly confident."
"In what?"
"In controlling the mastermind."
"Well, of course, with your skills, you could be confident..."
"No, I mean I'm confident I can control it exactly as I want. Isn't that right, everyone?"
Because he is the mastermind.
The chat was visible.
- You absolute madman lolololololol
- Yeah, since you're the mastermind, that's a true statement.
- But you're not actually going to control it, you truly evil streamer lolololololol
"Why are you suddenly communicating right now? Ha, I'm going crazy. For real."
Seojun chuckled and patted Yon on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, just go."
Because I'll kill you last.
Even Seojun had some conscience.
Probably.
***
The train's shared quest was finally completed.
To be precise, it was sealed when Cressit's disciple declared they would no longer accept materials.
"You don't need any other materials, right?"
"No."
"Then why isn't it opening? What are we supposed to do this round?"
"That, we wouldn't know."
"Hmm, I came all the way here out of curiosity, but this is a bit of a letdown. Should I head back?"
After entering his workshop, Cressit did not come back out.
Confused voices from the participants could be heard everywhere.
"And three people died in the middle of all that? Is the assailant active again in the otherworld?"
"No, that Cael…"
"Ah… that Cael…"
What kind of image had been carved into their minds?
Seojun, who was sitting on a bench in the plaza, felt an urge to get up right then, approach them, and change that image.
"Hmm, so there was this assailant fellow? But if he was only there for one day and hasn't appeared even today, isn't it just a one-time event?"
"That attack might have been a preview. Either way, it's good to know, Bernard."
"That's right. Thank you, comrade."
"Shut up."
"So you just followed him around like a servant?"
"Shut up."
Friendly banter could also be heard.
So what were they all doing?
"One day?"
"Huh? Big brother?"
"No, a quest popped up. It says I can enter tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Oh! I got one too. It says the workshop door opens in two days—for me, at least?"
"Ah."
Seojun's expression briefly showed a hint of 'oops.'
But in an instant, every participant's gaze in the plaza turned to him.
He had just spoken of the first-place reward, so it was only natural.
[Cressit's Request]
==
To you, who brought the most materials, Cressit grants the first chance to purchase items from his new workshop.
Objective: Visit the workshop the next day.
Reward: Access to the shop.
==
"Is there no one else who can enter the shop tomorrow? Even second or third place?"
"They might be hiding it. Who would reveal that?"
"As expected, the one who submitted the most gets a special reward."
"Hmm."
With three hours still remaining, wary and ambiguous gazes fixed upon Seojun.
The reason was that Seojun had revealed his benefit.
Getting in a day early—no one knew exactly how that would play out, but surely there was a reason it was given as a reward.
If Seojun hadn't spoken, they might have hesitated to interfere, uncertain of the first-place reward. But Seojun had blabbed.
A novice mistake.
"Cooperation, huh? Is it really?"
"I'd say the odds that it's not have gone up."
"In that case…"
However.
'I leaked it on purpose.'
Seojun recalled his conversation with Team Leader Lee the night before.
'So you've become the mastermind.'
'That's right.'
'Was it intentional?'
'No. Of course not.'
'Knowing you, Seojun, I'd have thought it was intentional.'
'…What do you take me for?'
'The King of Destruction.'
'…'
'Anyway, since you've become the mastermind, there's truly no avoiding it now.'
'What do you mean?'
'A time will come that's even harder than fighting the monsters in the otherworld.'
'I suppose so.'
'Because it's you, Seojun, who became the mastermind, there's a lot of talk among the team leaders right now. If the mastermind loses due to forced termination and the history book ends that way…'
'That does sound like a disaster. Worse than the assailant dying.'
'Exactly. I personally think it can't be helped even if the history book ends that way, but the viewers will see it differently. We need to give this some serious thought. Dying first before getting booted out could be one option.'
The outcome of Seojun becoming the mastermind raised the likelihood that he would later engage in a battle demanding extreme focus.
If before he didn't have to worry much, now he had to prepare in advance.
What Team Leader Lee suggested was simply to deliberately lose before getting kicked out.
No matter how much they explained Seojun's situation to the public, if the ending was ruined, they'd be told, "Why bother showing up if you're just going to cause trouble?"
'It can't be helped.'
So he needed to find a way.
Deliberately losing didn't suit Seojun's temperament.
And after much thought, Seojun found his own method.
Seojun stood up from his seat.
About twenty participants focused on him. Instead of leaving, Seojun spoke up.
To put his plan into action.
The method was simple.
"Everyone currently in the plaza."
Just keep inputting as much combat data as possible, to raise his AI.
"Would you like to spar with me? If I lose, I'll forfeit my entry to the shop tomorrow."
To a level as close to him as possible.