Chapter 108: Team Selection
“Lucas…”
“It’s Red-Eyed Lucas!”
The scattered crowd made of the 41 participants who survived The 1 began gathering in the center at the chief judge’s reappearance.
—Tap, tap.
At that mont, soone tapped my right shoulder.
“Where were you? You suddenly disappeared.”
It was Olena, her face full of curiosity. Beside her, Jas and Capu had similar expressions. Even the Spear of Judgnt casually made eye contact with as he tapped his weapon, pretending to be uninterested. They all seed to expect an answer from .
What’s this now? Do I really have to explain sothing like this?
“…Haha, I was just checking out so rewards.”
As I gave a vague excuse, Olena’s eyes sparkled.
“Huh? That staff in your hand! It’s the first ti I’ve seen it. Is it a reward you received? That crimson color makes it look really expensive.”
“Ah, well, yes.”
I had thrown away the E-rank staff I was using before. The staff I now wielded was of the terrifyingly high rank of godslayer. No, to be precise, it was an elent that had transford into a staff.
“Wow, then what rank did you select for your reward? 100% or 30%? Don’t tell you succeeded with 1%?” Olena smiled brightly as she expressed her interest.
“Everyone, attention.”
Lucas’s impactful voice filled the room. His voice was so strong and had such weight that it naturally drew everyone’s gaze.
“…”
The once noisy space fell silent. We, too, stopped our conversation and focused on Lucas.
He seed pleased by the sight. “It’s nice and quiet.” A faint smile appeared on his lips. “Congratulations to all of you who survived The 1. This trial seems to have an unusually high survival rate. Normally, about 40% would have died.”
Hearing Lucas’s cold voice, I nodded.
That’s true.
Recalling the details of The 2, that seed accurate. We would be divided into three teams with a maximum of 10 mbers selected for each. That ant the creator of this dungeon likely anticipated about 30 survivors. If I hadn’t subdued the poison mist, it would have been the sa this ti.
“You’re all relatively lucky. Compared to the grueso previous trials, you reached The 2 much more easily. Thanks to an unexpected rookie, that is.”
Was it just my imagination that Lucas’s fiery red eyes briefly looked my way?
No.
It wasn’t my imagination. The emotion in Lucas’s eyes—I could clearly read the raw emotion he was exuding.
It was curiosity.
How could I be so sure of it, soone might ask? My answer to that question is: because I’ve experienced it. Not just with Lucas but from the Five Stars of Seoul to rank 84, the Thundercry. Every ranker I’d t looked at as if I were a zoo animal.
Really. Living a long life did bring surprises. To think I’d live a life where even rankers took an interest in .
What a dramatic change.
Well done, Joo Donghoon. Compared to when I was an E-rank Hunter, I’d grown a lot.
“However.”
—Swoosh!
At that mont, Lucas raised his right arm. “The number of people who can move on to The 2 is limited to 30. Unfortunately, 11 of you will be eliminated here.”
—Rumble!
The ground began to tremble with a shift in the terrain around .
—Crack! Crrrack!
The ground around began splitting in a circular pattern.
“Wh-What is happening?”
“Hoon?”
“There’s a line drawn around Hoon? Move away for now!”
As Olena and Capu stepped back…
—Thud, thud, thud!
The ground beneath shot into the sky.
Wow.
As gravity pressed down on my body like a ride at an amusent park, I looked around. There were three others besides floating in the air—two participants and the judge, Lucas.
[Three team leaders will be selected for The 2 based on contribution.]
Ah, right, the team leaders. This was another privilege granted to the participants who had contributed greatly in the previous the.
It’s starting now.
Clenching my fists, I focused on the ssage.
[Team 1 – Joo Donghoon, the Skeleton King]
[Team 2 – Chris Larsen, the Slaughterer]
[Team 3 – Wolf, the Illusionist]
Chris Larsen and Wolf.
Those were the nas of those who ranked second and third in contribution after .
I looked them up and down, examining them closely.
First, Chris Larsen.
So that’s the second-place guy, huh?
To , his first impression was terrible. He had golden hair reminiscent of a dieval prince and a gaudy shirt that looked like it belonged to a spoiled rich kid. Despite a month having passed in this dungeon, his slicked-back hair remained impeccably styled.
I hear he’s notorious for picking fights and killing people.
His was the na I heard most frequently after arriving in The 2. Even the Spear of Judgnt showed an intense reaction to him.
Not to ntion…
His alias said it all—The Slaughterer. I was genuinely curious to know how many people one had to kill to earn a title like that.
Next is Wolf.
Truthfully, I couldn’t properly see Wolf’s appearance because he was covered head to toe in a robe with peculiar patterns.
—Ring!
[Team leaders will take turns selecting mbers.]
“Teams? They’re selecting teams?”
“Those guys up there? What, is this a team match now?”
Participants who hadn’t yet received the information murmured below.
“Huh? Wait! So Joo Donghoon is in first place?”
Another person noticed the ssage and began talking about .
[Team 1 – Joo Donghoon, the Skeleton King]
“Who’s Joo Donghoon the Skeleton King?”
“That’s a Korean na, isn’t it? Wow, as expected of the hunter powerhouse known for hermit masters!”
“Ah, so it was thanks to Joo Donghoon that the poison mist was subdued! He’s probably guaranteed to be a ranker.”
“The Skeleton King… Does that an he’s a necromancer? Necromancers are so overpowered!”
So simply acknowledged it. Others looked at with envy. Various emotions mixed and flowed in my direction.
“…Hoon, you’re ranked first?”
Even Olena and her group seed dazed by the unexpected result.
“Impressive. I didn’t expect Hoon to be so strong. Though, his skeletons did seem overwhelmingly powerful.”
While the participants were chattering about , a new ssage appeared.
[Each team leader may select up to 10 mbers.]
[Participants who are not chosen will be eliminated.]
[Eliminated participants will not die and may return under a vow of confidentiality.]
“What? Eliminated?”
“Imdiate elimination?”
“That’s absurd! How is kkthis fair? You don’t even know how hard we tried to get here!”
“Do they expect us to leave it to those three to decide our fate? Hah, so they’re telling us to prove ourselves with results if we don’t like these rules, huh.”
“No way.”
Those who risked their lives and pursued their dreams of becoming rankers couldn’t possibly give up, so they were even more desperate.
“Pick , pick !”
“No, ! Don’t choose that guy. Choose ! I’ll give you 1 billion if I return!”
“You idiot! You’re only offering 1 billion for a spot in the rankings? Team leaders! Let be clear! I’ll prioritize the team’s success over money!”
Each person began appealing to the team leaders floating above. Naturally, the one who drew the most attention was .
“Skeleton King! I’m a mage! You know every party needs a mage…!”
“Mr. Joo Donghoon! If you pick , I’ll not only cook and do dishes, but I’ll also give you massages every night…”
It was so noisy—too noisy to hear properly. The desperation in their actions was evident.
“…”
Would I have been like that if I didn’t make it into the top three? I didn’t know.
“Joo Donghoon.” Lucas the Arcane Swordsman, looked at and spoke, “You’re the first one to choose. Pick soone from down below.”
“…Okay.”
I didn’t look at those pleading desperately. I didn’t even glance at Olena, Jas, or Capu.
We have a connection, but that’s all.
Surviving in a dungeon was a matter of reality. To achieve my goals, I would take the most practical and realistic approach.
First of all, The 2 seed to emphasize cooperation, unlike The 1. Cooperation ant that compatibility mattered more than individual skills. In other words, personality was important.
So I set a standard.
I’ll exclude anyone who has murdered for personal gain.
Such individuals were ticking ti bombs who could betray the team at any mont if tempted. Avoiding such bombs was already half the battle.
“I choose…”
As I opened my mouth, everyone fell silent.
—Gulp.
Each swallowed nervously, waiting for my decision.
I looked down. There, an individual looked up at with an expressionless face.
That’s right. You have to be my first choice; I’m sure you know this too. Because only you can distinguish the individuals to avoid.
“I choose Zhang Wei, the Spear of Judgnt.”
[‘Zhang Wei, the Spear of Judgnt’ has been selected for Team 1.]
—Rumble!
The ground around the Spear of Judgnt cracked just as it had for . Simultaneously, he soared up and landed next to .
“As I expected, you were first place.”
Those were the first words he uttered upon arrival—no thanks for choosing him or asking why, as if being chosen was a given. Really, he was quite the character.
“You knew? You seed to have an idea earlier.”
“I rely speculated. Still, seeing the results surprised . But it makes sense; anyone who can defeat must be exceptional.”
I smirked bitterly.
So that’s why?
The Spear of Judgnt seed pleased. It must have been because I, who defeated him, turned out to be even stronger than expected.
“Anyway, I chose you for one reason.”
“What is it?” The Spear of Judgnt’s ears perked up.
I smiled and pointed below. “Sort those people into those who should and shouldn’t be punished, using your ability.”
“…Sort them?”
“The 2 emphasizes cooperation. Also, only one team can advance to The 3, aning only ten people. I want those who face the trials with to not be villains at least.”
That wasn’t all. Like the Five Stars of Seoul, the team I was about to build could end up being lifelong peers. And there was no way I’d want infamous murderers as peers. I, too, wanted respectable teammates like Gi Soyul or Jang Daewoong.
“Haha, you—!”
“…”
“I knew you were truly a good person! A wicked person could never have such upright and noble thoughts.” The Spear of Judgnt looked at with a resolute expression. Then he nodded. “Leave it to . I’ll judge them with all my heart.”
“…”
It felt like his thought process was a bit simple.
But whatever…
As long as the results were good, I’d be fine with it. In a way, it made him easier to deal with.
Thus began the team mber selection!
[‘Olena Zelenska’ has been selected for Team 1.]
[‘Francis Fred’ has been selected for Team 2.]
[‘Clara Zoomy’ has been selected for Team 3.]
[‘Myoi Hana’ has been selected for Team 1.]
[‘lissa Stone’ has been selected for Team 2.]
[‘Julia Blanchet’ has been selected for Team 3.]
…
I made my selections first, followed by Chris Larsen and Wolf. And accordingly, ssages appeared one by one for everyone.
I referenced the energy of the Great Blue Heart Technique and the Spear of Judgnt’s ability to choose my teammates carefully. And before long…
[Total: 10 mbers]
[Team mber selection is complete.]
Next to stood 10 participants—those who would face the trials of The 2 together with .
“…”
I made eye contact with them. They, too, looked at . A long silence ensued.
[The 2 begins.]
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