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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: End of the Second Round
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★ Second Round Sub Quest Results Compilation ★
[All Zones]
└1st. Black Scythe (Lv16 Reaper) 00:39:42
└2nd. Cheonma (Lv10 Dark Knight) 02:36:15
└3rd. Dumb Idiots (Lv10 Shaman) 02:37:17
[Current Zone ESKS45-5]
└1st. Black Scythe (Lv16 Reaper) 00:39:42
└2nd. None
└3rd. None
Everyone who saw the compiled results was shocked.
"First place is... Black Scythe?"
"Black Scythe is the only one in our zone who changed classes?"
Moreover, the class he had chosen was anything but ordinary.
"Reaper? What kind of class is that?"
"It sounds like a really strong class, doesn't it?"
"Is that why he was carrying such a huge scythe?"
Jo Joong-sik, who had checked the results like everyone else, let out a low groan.
'Damn it, of all people, it had to be Black Scythe who changed classes.'
The Right of Command doesn't work on those who have changed classes.
In the end, his plan to make Black Scythe kill himself was a wash.
[The second round was ranked in the order of who completed the sub quest the fastest. It seems the player who changed classes in our zone is Black Scythe.]
The angel, who had been speaking calmly, suddenly wore a surprised expression.
[Oh? To take first place not only in this zone but in all zones? And in less than forty minutes?]
While Ryu Min had changed his class 39 minutes after the second round began, the second-place player had taken 2 hours and 36 minutes.
An enormous gap.
It was a record fast enough to surprise even an angel.
[That's amazing! Black Scythe! Not only is your class the unique class Reaper, but you even matched your nickname to it!]
The angel, genuinely impressed, looked at Ryu Min.
[Answer me! Black Scythe! How did you come up with such a nickname? Did you know beforehand that you would get the Reaper class?]
Ryu Min wasn't flustered by the angel's pointed question.
'The angel doesn't know the process of obtaining the Reaper class. It only knows that it's a unique class.'
It would probably be shocked if I told it I got the class change item by killing an angel.
"I didn't know I would end up with a class that suited my nickname either."
[So you're saying changing to the Reaper class was a coincidence?]
"Yes."
Ryu Min simply answered as he had in his previous life.
And the angel reacted just as it had back then.
[Ah! I see? Is this what they call fate? Kihuhuhut! How amusing.]
The angel smiled, looking pleased.
It would probably let it go without any more questions.
'And now it'll start talking about the Right of Command.'
Sure enough.
[Only one human with a class in this zone. I suppose he'll be the only one unaffected by the Right of Command. Kihuhut.]
"Huh? Unaffected by the Right of Command?"
"What do you mean by that, Angel?"
At the people's questions, the angel gave a mischievous smile.
[Kikik, since I've already started, shall I tell you everything? The Right of Command doesn't work on humans with a class. In other words, the Zone Representative can't order Black Scythe around as he pleases.]
The people were surprised, but the angel wasn't finished.
[Moreover, the Right of Command is limited to ten uses. Even a Zone Representative can't wield unlimited power. Kikik.]
"You can only use it ten times?"
"Is that how it was?"
The people's gazes naturally turned to the Zone Representative.
Jo Joong-sik's expression was one of pure bewilderment.
'Shit! You crazy angel bastard! Why would you tell them that!'
Jo Joong-sik glared at the angel as if he could kill it.
Its spinning smile made it clear that it had said that just to make things difficult for him.
[Well then, I suppose I should give a reward to Black Scythe for changing classes the fastest, right?]
At the angel's signal, a message unfolded before Ryu Min's eyes.
[Congratulations! You have completed the quest in 1st place for this zone!]
[Congratulations! You have completed the quest in 1st place for all zones!]
[Your current rank is 1st in all zones and 1st in this zone.]
[As a reward for ranking 1st in the zone, you will receive a 'Low-Grade Rare Armor Selection Ticket'!]
[As a reward for ranking 1st in all zones, you will receive a 'Special Reward Selection Box'!]
The rewards were sent to his inventory.
Ryu Min immediately used the items.
[You can choose one of the following rare armors.]
[Please touch your desired reward.]
└ 1. Medieval Knight's Plate Armor
└ 2. Veteran Hunter's Leather Armor
└ 3. Well-Ventilated Mage's Robe
'This choice is a no-brainer.'
Ryu Min immediately chose number 2.
Number 1 was heavy and would slow his movements, and number 3 had next to no defense.
Number 2, which was easy to move in and increased his agility stat, was the best option for Ryu Min.
Next, Ryu Min used the Special Reward Selection Box.
[You can choose one of the following special rewards.]
[Please touch your desired reward.]
└ 1. 3x Experience Buff (Round 3 Only)
└ 2. 3,000 Gold
└ 3. Information about Round 3
'This one's the same.'
Without hesitation, Ryu Min chose the experience buff.
There was no reason not to pick the experience buff for Round 3, where many monsters would appear.
◀ END OF ROUND 2 ▶
[All Zones]
└Survivors: 873,500,205
[Current Zone ESKS45-5]
└Survivors: 4,988
[Your soul will now be transferred to your original dimensional body.]
[Round 3 will begin at midnight on March 1, 2022. I will see you in the next round. Congratulations on your survival.]
***
A little past 3 a.m.
"Hah!"
Hwang Yong-min shot up in bed and immediately checked his arms.
'Th-they're here. Both my arms are completely attached!'
When Black Scythe had cut off his arms, Hwang Yong-min had felt nothing but despair.
He had worried about how he would live without both arms.
'I knew it. My prediction was right. As long as I don't die, I can return with my body intact!'
Overjoyed, he jumped up and down on the bed, flailing his arms, but that was short-lived.
As he recalled the player named Black Scythe who had inflicted such extreme pain on him, a cold sweat ran down his spine.
'Never again... I must never mess with Black Scythe again.'
He had no pride left.
He didn't harbor any useless thoughts of revenge or anything of the sort.
Such was Hwang Yong-min, weak to the strong.
'Shit, I never want to get involved with a cold-blooded bastard like that again.'
Hwang Yong-min shuddered, the mere thought giving him goosebumps, and picked up his phone.
He was worried if his friends' bodies were okay.
"Hey, how's your body? You okay? My missing arm is back too. Call the others. Let's meet up."
After contacting his friends, Hwang Yong-min left his house and walked down an alley.
A group was smoking cigarettes in the alley illuminated by a streetlight.
"Yong-min, you're here?"
It was his delinquent friends who had also survived the second round.
"This bastard's arms and legs are really fine, huh?"
"You're completely fine too? Not a single bruise on your face."
"Shit, just thinking about the beating I took from Black Scythe still makes me ache."
"Ah..."
At the mention of Black Scythe, his friends trembled.
"Let's make a promise. We'll never mention the name Black Scythe again."
"Yeah, you saw the final results, right? That guy's level 16 all by himself."
"And we're only level 5, shit..."
"His class is Reaper, too."
"He's a real reaper. A reaper..."
It seemed the incident had left them with trauma.
'Can't blame them, shit. We all almost died with our limbs cut off and barely survived.'
He could confidently say that there was no greater pain.
"See, I told you, didn't I? Trying to rape Seo Ah-rin was a reckless plan. We messed with them for nothing, and look what happened to us."
"Look at this guy. Weren't you all excited when you saw Seo Ah-rin? Now you're trying to back out."
"Honestly, it wasn't a reckless plan. We were almost successful."
"That's right. If we had just killed that bodyguard bastard next to her."
"Hoo... who would've thought Black Scythe would show up there?"
His friends just shook their heads and smoked their cigarettes.
It was too late to regret the past.
"Still, it's a relief. Our real bodies are fine."
"I'm not gonna act up anymore. I'm just gonna live quietly like an extra. Shit!"
"If we'd just hunted in the forest instead of chasing after Seo Ah-rin, we would've at least gotten some rewards, dammit!"
"I know, right. If we'd hit level 10 and changed classes, we could have escaped the Zone Representative's orders."
"By the way, that Zone Representative who was chosen this time looked like a total scumbag."
"I heard he's a gangster from some crew."
"Seeing him take on Black Scythe, he's got guts."
As the topic shifted to the Zone Representative, Hwang Yong-min's face lit up.
"You guys don't know Jo Joong-sik?"
"Who's that?"
"Jo Joong-sik, the boss of the Joong-sik Gang! He's my role model! Ah, you probably wouldn't know if you're not interested in gangsters."
"Kukuk, Yong-min, you said your dream was to be a gangster. You already have a role model?"
"Kukukukukuk."
Hwang Yong-min bristled at his friends' laughter.
"Don't laugh, you bastards! I'm dead serious!"
"Is that why you told him 'Life is a Documentary' when you voted?"
"Yeah. The organization I want to join is the Joong-sik Gang. The problem is, I don't know how to get in touch with them."
"He's the Zone Representative now, so you can just talk to him in the next round."
"That's what I was planning to do."
Hwang Yong-min thought.
He would find Jo Joong-sik as soon as he entered the other world next month.
"I'll go and ask him. To let me into the Joong-sik Gang."
A smile formed on Hwang Yong-min's lips.
Though whether he would be accepted or not was another story.
***
"You've worked hard, Ms. Ah-rin."
"What did I do? You're the one who went through all the trouble, Mr. Bodyguard..."
Seo Ah-rin, having returned from the other world, looked at Ahn Sang-chul with gratitude in her eyes.
Ahn Sang-chul was the one who had drawn his sword to protect her from her pursuers.
Even if it was a business relationship, she was grateful.
Seo Ah-rin's gaze shifted to Ahn Sang-chul's thigh.
"Is your injury okay?"
"Yes. It's perfectly fine. How about you, Ms. Ah-rin?"
"I'm completely fine too, not a single scratch."
"It's just as I expected. It seems that even if you get hurt in the other world, your body in reality remains the same."
"Thank you. For protecting me..."
At Seo Ah-rin's sudden thanks, Ahn Sang-chul gave an awkward laugh.
"Haha, not at all. It's my duty as a manager and bodyguard."
To be honest, Ahn Sang-chul couldn't help but feel a prick of guilt, as he had considered abandoning her.
"I want to express my gratitude to Mr. Black Scythe again... Is there any way to do that?"
At Seo Ah-rin's words, Ahn Sang-chul shook his head.
"We don't know what he looks like in reality, so there's no way to find him. Besides, it seems Black Scythe doesn't want his identity revealed either."
"He doesn't want it revealed?"
"Didn't I ask him for his bank account number to reward him? The fact that he immediately refused shows that he knew. That we might use the account number to track his real identity."
"Ah..."
"If you really want to show your gratitude, how about meeting him in the next round and giving him an item? Or we could find some way to be helpful. Though, it seems like he'll survive just fine without our help..."
"Mmm... I suppose I'll have to do that. I'll have to think about how I can thank him."
"Then please rest well today, and I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Okay."
As Seo Ah-rin turned away in thought after saying goodbye, Ahn Sang-chul left the penthouse and picked up his phone.
It was early morning, but he had an urgent report to make.
"Representative Ma?"
-Ah, Manager Ahn.
"You're still awake?"
-I was having a bit of whiskey as soon as I got back.
"I saw the results compilation this time. Congratulations on changing your class to Dark Knight."
-It's nothing. How did things go on your end?
"Ms. Seo Ah-rin and I only managed to reach level 8. It was harder to level up than I thought. We got injured midway, which hindered our hunting..."
-Injured?
"I was about to report on that... Do you have a moment? It's about Black Scythe."
-Black Scythe?
The voice on the phone turned icy cold.
-Come to the hotel. I'll hear the details in person.
"Yes, I'll be there in twenty minutes."
Ahn Sang-chul hung up and quickly got into his car.
But he didn't know.
That he was being followed.