Chapter 42

<Chapter 42: The Warrior Who Regressed to Level 2>

* * *

[This mission is a survival game.]

Dong! Dong!

As the drumbeats announcing the start of the Colosseum map echoed, Seong Jihan smiled at the corner of his mouth.

Fortunately, the mode selected was survival, one of the three modes: survival, defense, and dungeon.

‘I can verify the story I heard from Seo-a.’

- Ah~~~ It’s survival.

- Hahaha, there’s no doubt about it. It’s going to be another massacre show.

- Isn’t that the fun we watch for now?

- It’s already so frustrating to be crushed by the Sword King; these days, I relieve stress by watching this.

When the survival map was announced, the viewers were confident that Seong Jihan would come in first.

Of course, even in defense and dungeon modes, Seong Jihan had always come in first, but in those modes, there was at least a chance for an upset. In the survival map, there was almost never any surprise.

That’s why...

The viewers were more focused on discussing the issues that arose today rather than the outcome of the game about to start.

- Did Seong Jihan talk about the Korea-Japan match?

- Why would he talk about being crushed? -_-

- Hurry up and get a diamond and show some justice!!!!

- Showing justice to a bronze player? Haha, Seong Jihan has only been on Battle.net for less than a month.

- Seong Jihan has better bronze records than the Sword King?

- Bronze records? Haha, he’s trying to brag about this?

The conversation about the Korea-Japan match naturally led to the Sword King’s interview.

- Is the Sword King’s interview real? I got chills when he said he doesn’t have a daughter. Now, I can even feel his madness.

- Was he really that rude from the beginning?

- How dare you insult the Sword King!!!!

- The Sword King is just a jerk.

- ??? : A jerk! Sue him! PDF also sucks!!!!

- Haha, the Phone King is doing well.

- But, even after today’s match, people who stayed with the Sword King must be in trouble.

- Yeah~ I’m still here~

Before the game started, Seong Jihan, scanning the countless chat messages, could feel that the number of Sword King fans had significantly decreased.

The Sword King’s destruction of the Korean team on Liberation Day had clearly shocked those who still harbored hope.

‘The chat room atmosphere isn’t bad either.’

He had already clearly drawn the line by breaking the dual-sword technique, and the fact that Ito himself said he doesn’t have a daughter seemed to have influenced the change.

People who would have criticized the traitor’s family and daughter in his previous life were now talking about Yoon Seo-a with a sympathetic tone.

‘Of course, the subscribers to this channel are generally friendly to me, so that’s why...’

Still, compared to his previous life, the public’s mood was like night and day.

Satisfied with this reaction, Seong Jihan spoke.

“I won’t mention Ito on the stream. After all, we’re strangers now. However, if there are still people who have expectations for that guy, I hope they snap out of it soon.”

He knew, even as he spoke, that the remaining Sword King fans wouldn’t come to their senses, no matter what he said.

But the reason he said it anyway was...

‘The Sword King’s fans need to hate me.’

To consistently manage the Sword King’s fans’ attention towards himself.

- They won’t listen to that.

- My mom is crazy about the Sword King... She cheers when he wields dual swords??? She was arguing with my dad about how he would destroy Korea.

- That’s understandable. My dad and I fought because of the Sword King too. Crazy people are everywhere.

Despite the Sword King’s destruction of the Korean team, many still cheered for his performance.

It was absurd to Seong Jihan, who knew the future, but...

‘What can you do about those who are blind?’

Of course, not everyone can be convinced.

He just let the crazy ones be.

To change the topic, Seong Jihan clapped his hands.

“Alright. Let’s move on from the Sword King. Starting today, I’ll begin a new challenge in the survival map.”

- A new challenge?

- What else can you do in survival?

“Yes. It’s called... breaking the barrier.”

- Barrier?? No way, hahaha.

- You mean the barrier in the audience?

Nodding, Seong Jihan recalled the story he heard from Yoon Seo-a.

* * *

- The candidates for the Shadow Queen were originally two.

In the Colosseum, various elves are randomly summoned to the audience.

While most elves were served by one or two dark elves, each game had slight differences in their appearances.

However, only three elves appeared the same in every game.

First, the so-called ‘Queen Elf.’

While most elves were served by one or two dark elves, this Queen Elf was served by four.

- This Queen Elf was more elaborately dressed than any other elf. Given the clue of the Shadow Queen, it fits the ‘Queen’ part.

The Queen Elf, sitting in a languid pose in the center of the north side of the Colosseum, was Yoon Seo-a’s first candidate.

- The next candidate is easier to find. The relationship is reversed.

The relationship reversal.

While elves were generally served by dark elves, one dark elf was uniquely served by two white elves and sat in a prominent seat.

- This dark elf is in the south of the Colosseum, directly opposite the Queen Elf in the north.

The dark elf, perfectly symmetrical to the Queen Elf in direction and position.

- I think this dark elf is also a candidate for the Shadow Queen. Unlike the Queen Elf, it focuses more on the ‘Shadow’ part...

The Queen Elf in the north and the relationship-reversed dark elf in the south.

These two appeared consistently in all survival games and were the most frequently captured by interspecies streamers.

They were now widely known on the internet.

- But this much can be found with a simple search... I looked for something more unique.

After watching countless videos by battle streamers, Yoon Seo-a found another unique subject.

- Among the elves... there is a dark elf with black eyes.

The dark elf with black eyes.

While black eyes were rare among elves, they weren’t unheard of.

However, the dark elf Yoon Seo-a referred to had a distinct appearance.

Not just the iris, but the entire eye, including the white part, was pitch black.

- Its appearance changes every time. The hair length varies, and it can be beautiful or ugly.

When Seong Jihan checked the videos, sure enough, a dark elf with completely black eyes was looking at the audience from the back row.

This happened within the first 5 minutes of every game.

- This dark elf is randomly placed in the back row, but there’s a unique point... it always faces the player who will come in first.

- What do you mean?

- When the players are first summoned, the dark elf with black eyes is in the direction where the player who will come in first will look.

Seong Jihan was taken aback by this.

The player who would come in first?

How could anyone know who would come in first and position themselves opposite?

Or, to begin with...

- Did you check all that in recorded games?

- Yes. You have to do this much to call it an investigation, right?

Not only finding the unique elves in the audience but also comparing who the black-eyed dark elf was looking at.

‘I just asked her to do a light investigation to keep her from getting bored... I’m glad I entrusted it to her.’

As a student council president, she didn’t do anything half-heartedly.

Seong Jihan organized the information.

‘If we think about it superficially, the elves from the north and south are the first candidates...’

The north and south, black and white queen elves.

They exuded a presence that clearly marked them as leaders.

It wouldn’t be strange to say either one was the Shadow Queen.

‘If it were a simple quest, I would have thought one of them was the queen.’

Sometimes, simple thinking is the right answer.

But this time, it was an epic quest.

The quest’s rank was high, and the reward was enormous.

Even though it was a quest given in the bronze league, the reward was 50,000 achievement points, and it was a matter of interest to the throne.

Considering all this, the black-eyed dark elf might be the Shadow Queen.

‘I need to see the black-eyed dark elf myself.’

Seong Jihan looked at the audience from his summoned position.

Of course, he would be the one to come in first in this game.

He looked northeast.

It was quite a distance, but with his enhanced vision, the elves were clearly visible.

However...

‘The top row of the audience... is invisible.’

The top row of the audience was hazy, as if shrouded in fog.

Was it intentional to block his view?

A smile formed on Seong Jihan’s lips.

‘I need to get closer.’

As the game started, Seong Jihan closed the chat window and began running, holding the Phoenix Spear.

“Uh!”

“It’s... Seong Jihan...!”

The players standing in his path tried to get out of the way when they saw Seong Jihan.

Swish!

The Phoenix Spear’s tip easily pierced through those players.

“Shit...! What bad luck...”

“Screwed...”

To the players in the survival map in the Gangnam 1 area of the bronze league, Seong Jihan was now treated like a natural disaster.

They had to avoid him at all costs.

They just hoped he wouldn’t come their way and had to jump away to safety.

Seong Jihan’s kill count increased rapidly.

From 3 to 5, from 5 to 10...

The players cowered in fear.

‘That crazy monster!’

‘Don’t come here... Don’t come here...’

‘Omnipotent Lord, protect me with your eternal light and guide me with your holy wisdom...’

Even though Battle.net was a game with no balance, this was too much.

Please level up to 25 quickly and get promoted so we never have to see you again!

This was the common thought of all the players in the game.

Meanwhile,

After easily achieving 10 kills, Seong Jihan stopped attacking.

‘10 kills should be enough.’

Statistically, 10 kills almost guaranteed first place, so further massacres were unnecessary.

Moreover, if too many players died, the game might end too quickly.

“Grr... Stop! Right there!”

When he reached the northeast, a group of orcs tried to block his path.

Crack!

Without a word, Seong Jihan stepped on the orcs’ heads.

Their heads exploded instantly.

Seong Jihan used the orcs’ heads as stepping stones, leaping from one to another.

“Guh...?”

The orc leader, seeing his comrades’ heads explode, was stunned.

Realizing Seong Jihan was an opponent he couldn’t touch, he slowly backed away.

Seong Jihan, a disaster in the survival map, even made monsters classified as enemies flee.

‘Now I can see it.’

Reaching the end of the map, Seong Jihan found the black-eyed dark elf, his original target, beyond the barrier.