Crack!
My sword pierced the skeleton's pristine white skull. The skeleton, which had continued to twitch even after losing its arms and legs, finally went still.
The skeleton's body crumbled into dust and vanished. This was proof that the skeleton had been summoned by a Hunter; ordinary skeletons don't disappear like this.
Let's see. 100 Survival Points for defeating the Treasure Skeleton.
Eliminating a Hunter earns 20 Survival Points per person.
I've eliminated 7 Hunters, so that's an additional 140 Survival Points. A total of 240 Survival Points earned.
Still, I'm at -722 Survival Points.
I shook my head, dismissing the thought of Survival Points. No matter how I considered it, I couldn't see how they could win with just Survival Points. There was no hope.
It's a bit of a shame we missed those two, but this is still a decent score.
Battles must have erupted elsewhere too. I estimated at least fifteen more hunters had been eliminated.
I untied the bundle the Skeleton had been carrying.
"Food... three servings of shrimp fried rice. Let's eat it all now."
"All of it? Shouldn't we save at least one serving for emergencies?"
"It's a hassle to carry around, and it might spoil. Let's just finish it. We can get more supplies at 6 PM anyway."
"What if something like yesterday happens again?"
"Meeting Kang Seoksu was just bad luck. With our skills, we're not inferior to any other team."
Han Harin nodded. By eliminating seven Hunters, we had a good sense of the competition's level. Even Hunters who used Mana would struggle to mount a proper defense against our coordinated attacks.
We sat a safe distance away, eating shrimp fried rice while studying the scrap of paper.
L-4
"Is this supposed to be information?"
"Looks like there's something in L-4 Area," I said casually.
I already knew the truth behind this "information."
L-4 Area was a decoy.
The "L" should be interpreted as the Korean consonant "?," which is the second consonant in the Korean alphabet. The second letter of the English alphabet is "B." B-4 Area was the real target.
I knew this because I had already hacked the system to find out.
They've twisted this like a child's game. Any ordinary Hunter would go to L-4 Area, find nothing, and give up. Survival comes first, after all. They wouldn't have time to calmly solve riddles.
Unlike the other information, this particular clue was deliberately convoluted.
The treasure in B-4 Area is so immense, it could shatter the balance of power.
I intend to claim this treasure.
Only then can I execute my plan. Rushing straight to B-4 Area would raise suspicion, so I need to visit L-4 Area first.
The annoying part is that B-4 Area and L-4 Area are located on opposite sides of the map. It's clear the organizers don't want to make this easy, even if they're giving it away.
"Let's head to L-4 Area first."
"The National Heaven Hunter Team has arrived in L-4 Area and is currently searching around... but the L Area is a desert. There's no way anything could be hidden there."
Jo Seok-hu said, glancing at the main screen. The screen showed Sung Yujin and Han Harin wandering through a desert landscape dotted with sand and cacti.
-Could it be hidden inside one of these cacti?
-...Maybe.
"Ah~. They're just destroying innocent cacti! As you can see, there's nothing inside!" Jo Seok-hu said with a laugh. He welcomed such scenes; a broadcast that was too serious would quickly lose its appeal.
"Senior, I've been thinking... it might not be L Area after all. It could be B Zone."
"B Zone?"
"Just hear me out. From what I've seen, the organizers don't seem to have the best temperament."
"Ha ha. You're right. Our director can be a bit temperamental. B-4 Area... Ms. Baek Ji-eun, what do you think of Hunter Sung Yujin's deduction?"
"Uh... I'm not sure?"
"As far as I know, Ms. Baek Ji-eun participated in the production of Dungeon Survival Reforged. Surely you know what's hidden in B-4 Area, don't you?"
Baek Ji-eun was indeed one of the Association's key personnel responsible for Dungeon Survival.
"I was in charge of the monsters... I don't know much about the hidden treasures within the dungeon."
This wasn't a lie. Her ability, "Restraint," allowed her to immobilize targets. Before the Dungeon even began, she had used it to capture all the monsters.
"B Zone was the snowy region, right? Is there a dangerous monster in B-4 Area?" Jo Seok-hu asked.
Baek Ji-eun smiled enigmatically. "Hmm, that's a secret. If I spoil it, the viewers won't enjoy it as much."
"Just tell me. The production team will edit it out anyway."
"But you can't act, Mr. Jo. So I can't tell you."
"Ha ha. I admit, I'm not much of an actor. And that means... there is something in B-4 Area, right?"
"Who knows?" Baek Ji-eun replied with a teasing smile.
Shortly after, the main screen changed again.
It now featured the Aqua Stone Team, led by Kang Seoksu. As a strong contender for the championship, the team appeared on the main screen with remarkable frequency.
"The information the Aqua Stone Team obtained from the Treasure Skeleton was the location of the Boss Monster. They've come to the right place, viewers. That massive tree over there is actually the D-Rank Boss Monster, Woodkeld a tree that breathes fire."
Hong Su-won, who had been watching the screen, spoke up.
"Woodkeld boasts high defense and health, and its resistance to fire is exceptionally strong. However, its mobility is poor it moves at about the pace of a turtle crawling. If they exploit that weakness, they should be able to hunt it down without much difficulty."
Hong Su-won continued, "Even a C-Rank Hunter would struggle to defeat a D-Rank Boss Monster alone, but under Hunter Kang Seoksu's command, the Aqua Stone Team should have no difficulty."
"Ah! Kang Seoksu has just hurled an ice spear conjured with magic! The real battle begins now! Can the Aqua Stone Team successfully hunt Woodkeld, the D-Rank Boss Monster? Viewers, let's watch together!"
Twenty minutes.
That's how long it took to kill Woodkeld.
"Twenty minutes is an excellent time. They've earned an additional 300 Survival Points for defeating a Boss Monster... I dare say, the Aqua Stone Team will be the champions!"
Baek Ji-eun's eyebrows twitched. She quickly composed herself and said to Hong Su-won, "It's only the second day. Isn't it too early to declare a winner?"
"I'm simply stating the facts."
"If you're so confident... how about we make a bet?"
"What kind of bet?"
Interest flickered in Hong Su-won's eyes. He genuinely believed in the Aqua Stone Team's victory or rather, Kang Seoksu's victory. A bet was something he could accept with a smile.
"The loser donates 500 million won and, for ruining the commentary with their poor judgment, kneels and apologizes to the viewers."
"...Hmm. I like it. Very well. But how about this: the loser also apologizes to the winner, in addition to the viewers?"
"Sounds good. The winning condition for the bet is... Hong Su-won, you're betting on the Aqua Stone Team to win. And I'm betting on any team other than Aqua Stone to win. Is that acceptable?"
At first glance, the terms seemed to favor Baek Ji-eun. She was betting on numerous teams instead of just one.
Yet Hong Su-won nodded casually in agreement.
"An interesting wager. Since the cameras are rolling, don't try to back out later."
"Oh my. That's exactly what I was going to say... I'll just return the sentiment to you, Hong Su-won."
Though both were smiling, the atmosphere between them was as cold as a blizzard.
"Ha ha ha. This is quite an amusing bet!"
Jo Seok-hu tried to smooth things over, but it was proving difficult.
Day two of Dungeon Survival.
Han Harin and I secured our 6 AM food drop and spent the rest of the day in a nearby Rest Area.
Our strategy for Dungeon Survival was to abandon monster hunting entirely and focus on maintaining peak condition until day five, when we would begin eliminating other Hunters in earnest.
Having forfeited Survival Points, it didn't matter whether we spent 12 or 24 hours in the Rest Area. Of course, what Han Harin and I did inside remained our secret.
Afternoon of day three of Dungeon Survival.
We reached B-4 Area, a snow-covered region. The landscape was entirely blanketed in white, so blindingly bright it was difficult to distinguish anything. Fortunately, the sky was clear and no snow was falling.
"Senior, please."
"Alright."
Han Harin began using her Gravity powers to clear the accumulated snow. The snow floated upward before being flung far away. After repeating this several times, an ice cave became visible on the ground.
"Senior, here it is. The entrance is blocked by ice, so we can't go down. Can you break the ice?"
???!
A Gravity Orb launched from Han Harin's hand shattered the ice wall. We cautiously entered the cave, followed by an Association staff member with a camera.
Han Harin looked quite tense. Caves like this often contained traps or monsters.
"But there aren't any traps or monsters. This is it."
I mirrored Han Harin's serious expression, knowing that appearing too nonchalant would arouse suspicion.
Zzzzt.
We entered the dark cave, illuminating it with lightning. The cave wasn't deep; we reached the end in less than a minute.
"Oh, a treasure chest! We found the right place."
"Wait! Don't approach it carelessly! It might be a trap!"
My body froze.
A mistake. Hunters are usually cautious around treasure chests...
Even with a low probability, the chest itself could be a trap or a mimic monster.
Every Hunter hears the same warning endlessly: never let your guard down just because you've found a treasure chest.
There's nothing but a single piece of paper inside. Ugh.
Unable to voice my thoughts, I felt a twinge of frustration.
I approached even more cautiously, tapping the treasure chest with the tip of my blade.
...Ha. What am I even doing?
As if that wasn't enough, I channeled a Thunderbolt into the treasure chest.
"Senior, it's just a box. No reaction to electricity, and I don't sense anything special."
"Really? Still, open it as carefully as possible."
"Yes, Senior."
I sliced through the lock with my blade and pried open the treasure chest.
Inside lay only a single sheet of paper.
Check your tablet!
The sentence was written on the paper. I sheathed my sword and picked up the tablet.
The treasure you've found is the Real-Time Map.
For one minute every three hours, the map will display the real-time locations of monsters and participants.
To activate it, shout "Real-Time Map!" at the camera.
"Whoa! Jackpot!"
I grinned.
This gave me a legitimate reason for my actions.
"Senior, it looks like we'll need to adjust our schedule."
"The National Heaven Hunter Team has obtained the Real-Time Map, a hidden treasure, and is now acting without restraint! They're hunting Hunters, not monsters! The Hunters must be terrified!"
Jo Seok-hu exclaimed excitedly.
As Natural Ability Users, Sung Yujin and Han Harin found the battle particularly thrilling to watch. Sung Yujin's Thunderbolt, in particular, was so dazzling it drew gasps of admiration every time.
"Isn't that treasure a bit... too overpowered?" Hong Su-won muttered, looking uneasy.
"...Hmm. Still, the National Heaven Hunter Team won't have an easy time winning. If things continue to go smoothly like this, they'll eventually be left facing only the Aqua Stone Team. And if they fight, the National Heaven Hunter Team will be at a disadvantage."