Dungeon Survival Reforged - Day 5
Han Harin and I rested deeply in the Rest Area, not venturing out until 10 AM. Our condition was optimal. Among the provisions we'd acquired were several preserved rations, which we'd hidden in a secret location, allowing us to eat whenever we pleased.
With the map and the dwindling number of participants in the dungeon, we've even managed to secure three food crates at times.
Food was no longer a concern for us.
The other teams probably feel the same way.
By now, they've likely figured out the food situation. There are edible monsters, after all. Food no longer holds significant weight in Dungeon Survival.
"Currently, there are 71 participants remaining, forming 27 teams."
Even with aggressive eliminations, this many remain. Among them, Kang Seoksu's team has the highest Survival Points, while we're still in last place.
"Kang Seoksu will find a stronghold today."
Considering Kang Seoksu's personality, he always prioritizes efficiency and thoroughness. He'll likely establish a stronghold somewhere in the Dungeon and hunker down there for the remaining two days.
Kang Seoksu is anticipating the events of the sixth and seventh days: Battle Royale. All participants' locations will be revealed on the tablet's Real-Time Map.
"The stronghold Kang Seoksu finds will likely be near the Rest Area."
In a worst-case scenario, I could always retreat to the Rest Area. While viewers and other participants might see it as cowardly, it's an incredibly efficient strategy. With the massive amount of Survival Points I've accumulated, I could even afford to spend over an hour there.
That strategy can only be used on the final day. I need to eliminate Kang Seoksu today or tomorrow.
There's another crucial factor to consider: Kang Seoksu's treasure, "Resurrection." Even if he's eliminated, he'll immediately get another chance.
Damn it. Why did he have to get that last night?
It's a treasure on par with the "Real-Time Map" I acquired, one of the most coveted items in Dungeon Survival.
"A treasure that would be worthless in the hands of any other nobody... but in Kang Seoksu's hands, it's a different story."
Let's say we somehow managed to eliminate him once by catching him off guard. Kang Seoksu wouldn't stay down; he'd resurrect. And then we'd have to face him head-on, against an opponent who wouldn't let his guard down for a moment.
This is going to be really tough.
Things weren't going well. Before Kang Seoksu acquired the Resurrection ability, I thought our chances of winning were over 70%. Now, I doubted they were even 10%.
"Sung Yujin, what are you doing?"
Han Harin's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Ah. Sorry."
We were currently moving silently to ambush another team. This wasn't the time for deep thinking.
Soon, we spotted two figures resting by the stream. We hid in the trees, observing them.
One of them has already been eliminated. I confirmed it through hacking earlier.
I signaled to Han Harin using Hunter Sign a system of hand signals hunters use when speaking aloud in the Dungeon is prohibited. Every hunter must master it; we simply call it "Hunter Sign."
I struggled for a whole month to memorize these back in freshman year.
Rumor had it that hunters who didn't know Hunter Sign wouldn't be accepted into parties, so I had memorized them desperately.
-Initiate attack.
Reading my signal, she nodded and activated her Gravity Field.
"Hngh?!"
"Gah!"
Two Hunters were caught off guard by the sudden attack. I kicked off a tree branch and leaped toward them, a blue current crackling along the blade in my hand.
"Enemy?!"
"Damn it...!"
They scrambled to draw their swords from their waists.
Too late. They're already within my range. They should have reacted a second earlier.
I activated Momentary.
The world slowed to a crawl. I swung my blade toward their necks a vital point that could kill instantly. But their Energy Protect absorbed the damage. Knowing this, the two Hunters ignored the pain and swung their swords at me.
One more time. Momentary.
Evading their blades, I instantly moved behind them. I slashed at one Hunter's back and grabbed the other's nape with my left hand.
Thunderbolt.
Crackling!
A powerful electric current surged through my left hand.
When the two Hunters' Energy Protects turned crimson, I moved away from them.
"Ugh..."
"Just like that..."
Their faces, as they were escorted away by Association staff, were filled with resentment. It was understandable, considering they had been eliminated from the raid in just five seconds.
Han Harin slows them down with her Gravity Field, and I rush in to finish them off. Even Hunters who can use Mana would struggle to react properly.
Only a handful of Hunters had ever managed to counter this strategy and retaliate.
"You can't win by just dealing with the small fry. You know that, right?" Han Harin said as she approached me.
"Yes, I know."
I couldn't explain my worries to Han Harin. To tell her that Kang Seoksu might be resurrected, I would inevitably have to reveal my hacking abilities.
"First, let's plan..."
I stopped mid-sentence.
One of the Association staff filming us approached and held a speaker toward us.
A male voice came through the speaker:
-Ah, ah, microphone test. Can you hear me clearly?
Unlike the bewildered Han Harin, I immediately understood.
One of the participants is using the Megaphone, one of the treasures.
Just because I could use hacking didn't mean I knew every detail about all the participants. In my mind, the only person I needed to watch out for was Kang Seoksu.
I didn't know much about the other teams.
I should look into this guy later.
-For those who might be surprised, this is the power of my treasure, the Megaphone. Once every three hours, I can broadcast my voice to all participants for one minute.
The Megaphone is a decent treasure.
Every item can be used in various ways. The Megaphone could be used to draw aggro, spread misinformation to incite people, or for many other purposes.
-I am Seo Ojun, leader of the Three Tucks Team. I'm a C-Rank Hunter aiming for victory.
I immediately sensed Seo Ojun's true intentions.
This bastard... he's trying to incite people?
-But if things continue like this, the Aqua Stone Team, Kang Seoksu's team, will win Dungeon Survival Reforged. I trust you all know this without me having to say it.
Yesterday's event was a "Ask Me Anything" session.
By going to the designated location and contacting the organizers, participants could obtain information about Dungeon Survival. Each team was allowed three questions.
Most Hunters likely asked about the most likely winner.
Currently, the Aqua Stone Team has 7,955 Survival Points. The second-place team, the Gari Brothers, has 5,120 Survival Points. The gap between first and second place is nearly 3,000 points. Yes, if things continue this way, Aqua Stone's victory is assured.
I smiled.
Things were going even better than I had anticipated.
Therefore, I propose we all unite to eliminate Aqua Stone. Afterward, we can compete among ourselves to determine the ultimate winner.
In short, it was a temporary alliance.
Just as the top ten Korean guilds had united against the SS-Class monster Red Dragon in the past, they were now banding together to eliminate Kang Seoksu.
In truth, every participant must have considered this at least once. Any proper Hunter would know about the Kang Seoksu Team.
But this was a broadcast program, a fact they couldn't afford to forget.
Dozens of Hunters uniting to eliminate a single opponent? Viewers might criticize the alliance.
Besides, there was no proper way to rally the Hunters. Seo Ojun, with his megaphone, took the lead.
Even if the other Hunters faced criticism, they wouldn't bear the brunt of it like Seo Ojun would.
-Those who wish to join us, please come to A-11 Area tomorrow at 9 AM. Thank you.
Every Hunter will head to Area A-11. I can guarantee that.
Teams with high Survival Points will want to eliminate the Aqua Stone Team for good, while those with low points will see it as their last chance to turn the tide.
Above all, this is a broadcast program. They can't miss such a major event.
Most Hunters participate in Dungeon Survival to promote themselves. They aim to showcase their strength, gain popularity, and ultimately join a prestigious Guild.
Of course, I'm going too.
-Ah, and one more thing! National Heaven Hunter Team, don't even think about coming. Yesterday, I heard that Sung Yujin from your team eliminated the most Hunters. You're untrustworthy bastards. If you show up, I'll attack you without warning.
"..."
The camera is filming my face.
I need to put the dog child, the cow child, and the ten child back where they belong.
"I'll say it again: This is A-11 Area. We'll be waiting for many Hunters to come. Please come."
The Association staff member removed the speaker.
Han Harin frowned at me.
"What are we going to do? At this rate, we'll be completely excluded."
"...We have to go. If we don't go just because they told us not to, we'll have no chance of winning. This is our opportunity."
"Just to be clear, you're not thinking of forming an alliance with Kang Seoksu, are you?"
That's one option.
Having been rejected by the Alliance, we could join forces with the Aqua Stone Team and fight against the Hunter Alliance. The Hunter Alliance might target us next, though the chances are slim.
"Kang Seoksu has little chance of defeating the Alliance. Even if he's the strongest here, he's facing dozens of opponents."
I chuckled bitterly and said to her, "That's one way to handle it. Should we go meet him?"
I had a Real-Time Map. If I wanted to meet Kang Seoksu, I could do so anytime.
Han Harin and I entered a Rest Area in C Zone.
All Rest Areas within the Dungeon were identical huts with the same layout.
Opening the front door led directly into the living room. Two men, Choi Sahyeon and Kang Seoksu, were sitting on the sofa and looked up at us.
"I never imagined we'd meet again in a Rest Area. How peculiar."
"That's exactly what we were thinking."
Peculiar? I came here specifically to see you.
Kang Seoksu wouldn't use the same strategy as on the first day, now that he knew we'd completely abandoned our Survival Points.
Han Harin shot Kang Seoksu a cold glance before heading straight toward the bathroom.
I approached the sofa and sat down across from Kang Seoksu, crossing my legs.
"...Do you have something to say?" Kang Seoksu's eyes were wary.
"No. I just wanted to get a closer look at your sorry face."
"You little...!" Choi Sahyeon started to rise, but Kang Seoksu stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Your language is vulgar."
"That's how everyone talks these days, you Chuunibyou."
"I have no intention of engaging in a war of words with you. State your business. You're just here to propose an alliance, aren't you?"
"Hmm. Want to form an alliance?"
"I refuse. Without Survival Points, you'll have to defeat us to win. You'll inevitably betray us at a critical moment."
"Fine by me."
I stood up.
I knew Kang Seoksu would reject the offer. Beyond the trust issues between us, his fierce pride played a significant role. He probably thought, I can handle this.
"By the way, where's Sister Jungmi?"
"...Sister Jungmi?"
I noticed Kang Seoksu's eyebrow twitch. That wasn't a normal reaction. So, he does have feelings for Yu Jeongmi.
Yu Jeongmi also has feelings for Kang Seoksu, but... it seems like this guy likes her more.
Yu Jeongmi had mentioned before that Kang Seoksu had dumped her two years ago. They had a major fight due to his awkwardness in relationships and broke up.
He doesn't seem like the type to be good at relationships. He probably treated her carelessly, leading to a fight and breakup.
Afterward, Yu Jeongmi, still angry, impulsively started dating another man, but the relationship didn't last long.
"We talked a bit when we met in the Rest Area earlier. Unlike you, we actually had a good conversation. Heh heh."
I closed the door, pulled down my pants, and took out my member.
"Let's do it. We agreed to be fuck buddies that night, remember?"