Chapter 48. Dragon Badge Exchange (7)

'If only Jerry could work hard and take care of all three of them if possible...'

The "three" mentioned by Yurii were the operators of the multi-level store.

They were the ones who had been running the multi-level store in his place.

And they were also the ones who knew about Yurii's existence as the real owner.

'They must have figured out roughly how many points I have.'

Why wouldn't they?

They had also been siphoning off points little by little, so they must have noticed something.

The points they embezzled alone must amount to several thousand.

So they could have easily inferred how many points the real owner of the multi-level store, Yurii, had.

'Now, it doesn't matter much that I don't know what points are, but if those guys survive and don't fall behind, it could be a problem.'

If they become real initiates and realize the importance of points...

Then Yurii's status, holding a large number of points, would change.

And that would be a significant advantage for those three who knew about Yurii's existence.

Whether they try to cling to Yurii,

Sell information about Yurii,

Or team up with someone else to target Yurii's points.

They would try to use whatever advantage they have.

Tens of thousands of points would be a huge temptation for new initiates, so it's natural that Yurii would face some trouble.

'In that sense, that weak senior, although a bit shaken, didn't target my points.'

When I deliberately showed him the bag of points.

Jerry's eyes did show surprise and greed.

But that greed quickly disappeared.

'He probably realized that there's nothing he can do with his current abilities, so he chose not to be overly greedy.'

That made him useful.

He was quite perceptive and didn't get greedy beyond his capabilities.

'It's better to have one person know about me rather than three. Even better if that person isn't greedy.'

That way, it's easier to control the situation, and if any information about me leaks, I only need to deal with Jerry.

'Originally, I planned to take care of those three later...'

I had been turning a blind eye to their embezzlement and had already found out where they were hiding.

But then, something more important came up.

So I left the task of dealing with the trio to Jerry.

Of course, Jerry wouldn't even guess that what he's doing is for Yurii's benefit.

"Good luck, senior."

Yurii encouraged Jerry.

He hoped Jerry would work hard and take care of those three who would become a nuisance.

With that minor hope, Yurii increased his speed toward the south.

During his run, he occasionally saw the 49th initiates and the prospective initiates, but as he approached the edge of the forest, the signs of life gradually disappeared.

How long did he run?

The dark clouds that had brought a snowstorm to the forest had retreated.

When the stars in the dark night sky began to twinkle one by one.

Yurii, who had gradually slowed down, finally stopped.

What stopped him was the towering city wall in front of him.

The massive wall, 17 meters high, surrounded the starting forest.

Looking up at the wall that had completely isolated the starting forest from the outside world for a long time, Yurii's breath came out excitedly.

"Phew-."

After taking a deep breath, he immediately started moving his legs.

'My destination is not just here.'

Yurii's figure shot forward quickly.

While running, he examined the wall that was gradually getting closer.

A height that an ordinary person wouldn't even dare to climb.

Moreover, the smooth outer wall had only tiny crevices where a single finger could barely fit.

Even someone skilled in martial arts would find it difficult to climb without any preparation.

But Yurii, who had mastered the art of movement, found that sufficient.

* * *

With a slight friction, his leg pushed off the wall.

Bang!

Yurii's body shot upward.

This was the beginning.

Bang- Bang- Bang!

With each step Yurii took, his body rose 1 meter higher, climbing the wall.

It was a spectacle like a human walking on a wall, a kind of acrobatics.

After exactly 15 steps.

Thud.

Yurii's legs landed precisely on top of the wall.

"Huff."

Taking a short breath, Yurii looked beyond the wall.

The view was filled with a gentle plain and a horizon swallowed by darkness in the distance.

According to Jerry, if you sail south for about a day, you'll reach the mainland.

"Once I go down from here... I can't come back."

There were about 28 hours left until midnight on January 1st.

Within that time, he would either succeed or fail in reaching the mainland.

Yurii's future was one of these two, but...

"I don't really think I'll fail."

As long as he doesn't get lost, he should reach the mainland comfortably.

He was confident in his swimming skills.

'The old man's training actually helped in this way.'

Whether it was intentional training or just a lucky break.

It was probably the latter, but the hard work paid off, and he felt a sense of pride.

Calming his excited heart, Yurii checked the point box he was carrying.

To see if it was broken.

To check if the points inside were safe.

After confirming there was no problem, Yurii tightened the box on his back and said,

"Alright, let's go?"

With a faint smile, Yurii threw himself down from the wall.

Thud.

Yurii's figure, moving away from the wall, gradually became smaller.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

Finally, his figure disappeared from the starting forest.

28 hours after Yurii left the forest.

Ding-dong.

The sound of a giant bell echoed throughout the starting forest.

It signaled the end of the month-long survival test and the beginning of the new year.

* * *

Around 1 PM on January 1st.

Three black ships were docked at the pier near the starting forest.

And hundreds of people gathered in front of them.

They could be divided into four distinct groups.

First, the largest group.

They looked gloomy and like defeated soldiers, clearly the dropouts with broken dragon badges.

They were boarding the black ships with weak, shuffling steps, and behind them was the second group.

They looked ragged and exhausted but their faces were filled with joy and a sense of achievement—boys and girls.

Those who were relieved to see that they were not among the dropouts were the successful prospective initiates.

Dropouts and survivors.

Two groups with completely opposite atmospheres.

In between these two groups was another with a different atmosphere.

The 49th initiates, standing in perfect formation with the 7th column and 10th row, were completely still.

Unlike the prospective initiates who were scattered and sitting anywhere, they showed strict discipline and order, wearing yellow badges.

And the last group was the black sword soldiers who were sorting out the situation.

The one-eyed man, who was directing the black sword soldiers, frowned at the report from his subordinate.

"...Only 202 dropouts?"

Out of 503 prospective initiates, 301 survived this survival test.

A 40% dropout rate, but to the one-eyed man, it was "only" that.

This was because the number of survivors had always been around 100.

Occasionally, it might reach 150 at most?

But this time, the number of survivors doubled.

There were a few reasons for this unprecedented outcome.

First, the unusually extreme weather.

Due to the unpredictable weather, the prospective initiates hid, making it difficult for the 49th initiates to find them.

And second,

The number of 49th initiates participating in the dragon badge exchange hunt was only 72.

'Tsk, the 48th initiates, they were too overzealous.'

The current 49th initiates were also survivors of the dragon badge exchange.

However, due to the 48th initiates, who were known as "the most united generation of initiates," only 81 survived after the dragon badge exchange.

Naturally, the number of 49th initiates participating in this hunt was significantly reduced.

This worked in favor of the 50th initiates.

But the fundamental reason why 301 of the 50th initiates survived was due to "a certain someone."

During the period when the prospective initiates were fighting each other.

He suddenly opened a bizarre store, creating a harmonious starting forest where competition was unnecessary.

And he swept up a significant portion of the points scattered in the starting forest.

'Yurii Holland.'

It was because of that guy that 301 of the 50th initiates survived.

'How many of the 50th initiates even realize they survived thanks to him...'

The one-eyed man clicked his tongue in exasperation.

But he also understood why the black sword soldiers couldn't find Yurii.

'If that guy is determined to hide or evade, even the black sword soldiers would have a hard time finding him.'

Not only was he skilled, but he was also unusually cunning.

If they had been tracking him from the beginning, it might have been different, but hiding in the middle would make it difficult to find him.

Understanding this, the one-eyed man gave an order.

"Deploy all black sword soldiers except for the minimum necessary for the search."

"Yes."

"And get rid of those trash immediately."

The one-eyed man pointed at the black ship carrying the dropouts, and his subordinate, slightly flustered, asked,

"Sir? But, the status of Yurii Holland's dropout hasn't been confirmed yet..."

"Enough. That guy won't drop out."

"Understood."

With the one-eyed man's confidence, the subordinate moved without further argument.

Soon, the black ship carrying the dropouts left the pier, and 15 minutes later, the black ship carrying the 49th initiates also departed.

As time passed, around 2 PM.

The other survivors began to notice something was wrong due to the endless waiting.

The one-eyed man clicked his tongue again, as no news of Yurii's discovery came.

"Tsk, if the test is over, he should have come out quickly. What is he doing?"

Is he taking a nap somewhere?

The one-eyed man scratched his chin, thinking.

'That's even more of a problem.'

If the black sword soldiers, who roam the continent and perform well, can't find a guy just taking a nap on a small island...

If it were true, it would be a matter for disciplinary action for all those involved in the search.

'Well, it's unlikely, but...'

Just as the one-eyed man was inwardly chuckling.

A group appeared from the direction of the city gate.

"Huh?"

Turning his head with a puzzled look, the one-eyed man sighed.

"The kid, he's showing up early."

The one-eyed man's gaze was directed at Yurii, who was walking surrounded by black sword soldiers.