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Chapter 42: Mock Battle (1)
Thepany’s “aptitude test” evaluates a total of three categories.
The first isbat ability.
In the "Dark Path Mission," the n was to assess innate reflexes and unique skills by limiting vision... or at least, that was the intention.
‘Though I messed it up.’
The second is intelligence.
Specifically, strategic and tactical skills.
It’s not about grading test scores or anything like that.
「Mock Battle」
Participants conduct a mock battle with identical troops.
Victory is achieved by breaking through the opponent''s base and capturing their g.
The identical “troops,” in other words, soldiers, must be strategically maneuvered to seize the gs of others.
Andpared to the other missions, there’s something a bit unusual.
‘You can choose the type of battlefield.’
I spent the night poring over dozens of proposals.
Reading and rereading them, memorizing every detail, analyzing their pros and cons, and contemting what choice would give me the best advantage.
So.
"This is a joke... right?"
"Buried alive? Really...?"
"Could this be some sort of psychological test?"
The moment I saw the question before me:
┌────────────┐
Q. You’re on the verge of being buried alive!
Which of the following locations would you prefer?
City
Mountain
Sea
└────────────┘
"If I had to choose, I’d pick the mou..."
"City!"
I shouted confidently.
"Huh, Eunho?"
"The city. Everyone, choose the city."
"Um, okay?"
Jieun blinked her wide eyes in confusion and reluctantly nodded, lookingpletely unconvinced.
"Right? If we’re going to be buried alive, it’s better to do it together in the city..."
...No, that’s not it.
"It seems like this is actually the location for the next mission—the mock battle."
"What?"
"There are too many people here forbat. It seems they’ve given us the option to choose the battleground to spread everyone out."
My deduction, though spective, made Jieun tilt her head.
"But why would they frame it as something like being buried alive? Couldn’t they just say it’s to choose the mission location?"
"I’m not sure about that part..."
The proposal had clearly stated:
When the mock battle begins, participants will be deployed to the "closest location based on their chosen type."
Which means:
"If you choose the mountain or sea, no one knows where you’ll end up."
In other words, the mission locations are 100% random.
Choosing a bizarre option unnecessarily increases uncertainty in an already unpredictable situation.
"If we choose the city, we’ll likely fight nearby, right, hyung?"
"That’s the most probable oue."
"But... isn’t urbanbat the type with the highest civilian casualties? I heard it’s the hardest to strategize."
Jaehyuk voiced his concerns with a wary tone.
It was a stark contrast to others, who seemed resigned to the chaos—perhaps because of his military background.
But.
"There are no civilians left."
"Ah..."
Seoul had be a ghost town long ago.
There were only a handful of survivors left.
Civilian casualties, protecting people—those weren’t even considerations anymore.
"If things go south, there are plenty of ces to hide."
I added, ncing at Yura.
Jaehyuk nodded as if he finally understood.
"And being close means we can cooperate if necessary."
"Ah! That’s true!"
So.
"Yura, if you ever find yourself alone, use your ability to hide, okay?"
"Okay!"
Even a five-year-old couldn’t escape the necessity of fending for themselves.
This would be their first step toward true independence.
"S, we’ll be okay, right...?"
"Of course. Just don’t die, okay?"
As the two childhood friends held each other’s hands tightly, the end of the selection process approached.
[30 seconds left until selection closes.]
The border of the prompt turned red and started blinking.
Blink!
29 seconds, 28 seconds, 27 seconds...
[If you do not choose within the time limit, an option will be selected randomly.]
"Eunho...!"
Jieun stared at me with trembling eyes.
S clung to Yeojin’s hand tightly.
Hanul hugged Yura and looked at me with pleading eyes.
[10 seconds remaining to respond to the survey.]
I nodded.
Without speaking, but with everyone understanding what it meant.
Then, all at once, everyone opened their mouths.
"City."
[Do you confirm the selection of ''City''?]
Together.
Whether it was burial or a mock battle.
"Yes."
[Selectionplete!]
[The ''Mock Battle'' mission will now begin!]
The announcement signaling the end of everyone’s choices echoed through the air.
— Fwoosh!
A blinding light engulfed us.
So intense it pierced through my eyelids, making everyone groan under its overwhelming brightness.
[Transporting to thebat zone.]
[Brace for impact!]
I opened my mouth, determined to remind everyone once more.
"Oh, and if it gets dangerous..."
Blink.
"I’ll... take care of..."
The world went dark.
No light.
No sound.
No words.
[Subject ''Lee Eunho.'' Transferplete.]
[By the administrator''s authority, ''Eyes'' are now open.]
Hearing returned before sight.
The first thought I had upon realizing I’d been ''moved'' was:
''...Why does it feel so heavy?''
A damp, oppressive sensation pressed down on my entire body, stifling me.
Rough particles assaulted me instead of air, leaving no room to breathe.
And then—
Sssk, ssst.
A chilling sensation, as if something tiny was crawling over my body.
"Haa—"
When I exhaled involuntarily, dry, gritty soil slipped into my slightly open mouth.
Ssshh!
Coarse sand shifted and slid off my body as I lifted my arm with all my strength.
This... this is...
''Was I... buried alive?''
...This system is insane.
【''The Raven of the Administration Bureau'' asks if you were already dead and buried.】
【''The Prince of the Investigation Bureau'' expresses disappointment, saying they were hoping for some real entertainment after a long while.】
In the pitch-ck darkness, where nothing could be seen—not even ''Eyes''—the voices of observers echoed in my ears.
For now, I ignored their nonsense.
Sssk!
Still lying t, I raised my knees as high as I could, like a mountain peak.
With effort, my knees pushed through the dirt, poking above the surface.
Fortunately, theyer of soil on top of me didn’t seem too deep.
Sssssssk!
Gradually, I thrashed my arms and legs, wing my way up until I managed to pull myself upright.
"Phwaaah!"
I spat out soil several times, shaking off the remnants of being buried alive from my hair and clothes.
But then...
''Where is this?''
An unpaved dirt path, a vast grassy field, towering trees, and a giant pond.
The serenendscape of a park.
''If there’s a park thisrge in Yongsan District...''
There’s only one.
The Yongsan Family Park—prime real estate in Seoul.
Breathing in deeply, I took in the open sky and the lush greenery before me.
The grassy field was so vast it could put most school ygrounds to shame.
A t expanse with no slopes offered an unobstructed view of the area.
Standing alone with no allies or enemies in sight, and with no iing attacks, it seemed there were no ambushes.
''The approximate distance...''
As I calcted the surrounding terrain and situation before the real battle began—
[A ''g'' is created in the border zone.]
[Forces are being deployed to both sides.]
A message announcing the start shed before me.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Thunk!
Far off in the middle of the grassy field, a pole as tall as a building’s first floor plunged into the ground like a utility pole.
Ssssssst—!
ck smoke slithered up the solitary pole.
p!
Gathering and coiling, the smoke formed a dull gray g, unfurling with a sharp snap.
As if that wasn’t enough, the writhing smoke burst outward like a sh of light.
Bam!
Like a water balloon dropped from the air, the dark smoke exploded upon hitting the ground, spreading rapidly in a circr motion.
【''The Prince of the Investigation Bureau'' folds his arms and remarks, "So, it''s finally starting."】
【''The Raven of the Administration Bureau'' remarks that a true man should also be able to strategize, unable to hide their anticipation.】
【Many observers demand powerful soldiers!】
It all happened in an instant.
Ssshrrrk—!
Previously just in soil, the ground beneath me absorbed the ck energy like a sponge.
Twitch!
And then, it began to wriggle.
"...!!"
Like sprouts bursting from the earth after a long winter, the writhing soil in several spots suddenly—
Rustle! Crackle!
—emerged with a strange noise.
And then, with a snapping sound—
...White.
"...?!"
[Trantor - Night]
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Skeletons.
[Skeleton Soldier (Lv. 1) acquired!]
[Remaining troops: 100]
"Skeleton soldiers?!"
【''The Ferryman of the Administration Bureau'' tilts their head, wondering if such monsters even existed.】
From the piles of dirt, pale skeletons began rising one by one, rattling their creaky limbs as they stood.
A literal army of white bones.
"Urgh..."
"My... arm..."
—tter!
"My... leg..."
"Graaaargh..."
It wasn’t just burial—it was as if a graveyard of bones hade alive, attaching heads to necks, arms to shoulders, and moving of their own volition.
The skeletal warriors, equipped with rusted armor and chipped swords, were not few in number—they were one hundred strong, rising simultaneously.
[Subject ''Lee Eunho.'' Troop supportplete.]
[Check your troop status!]
"Troop status?"
Muttering the words as if testing them, a translucent window popped up beside the rattling head of a skeleton soldier.
Seventy-two, four, twenty-five...
Each skeleton bore a number alongside the name Skeleton Soldier.
〔Skeleton Soldier (#72)〕
Affiliation: Lee Eunho (Temporary) Guard
Rank: Trainee
Stats: HP (3), Strength (0), Intelligence (2), Judgement (1), Agility (1), Endurance (8)
Traits: Undead
Skills: [Rattle (Lv. 99)], [Dislocation (Lv. 1)], [Bone Bomb (Lv. 1)]
A detailed exnation followed:
-By sheer luck, they crossed the River Styx again, but their senses from life have long dulled.
Theirbat ability is poor, but they might suffice as shields.
-Vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch are all dulled, making them resistant to pain and the fear of annihtion.
''Haa...''
A peaceful park in the city, now swarming with skeletons instead of people, dogs, or bicycles.
—tter! tter! tter!
[Current Loyalty: 50%]
[Remaining Troops: 100]
Thwack!
As I inspected the status screens of the soldiers, the sound of wood colliding echoed all around.
The skeletons, clueless about what to do with their limbs, bumped into one another.
When the shock caused one of them to drop its head...
tter!
Without a care, the creature picked up its head and ced it back on its neck.
Snap!
It shoved it back into ce.
Well, they wouldn’t die that easily.
Or… were they already dead?
…As I was caught up in these thoughts, an announcement red, as if to pull me out of the swamp of my musings.
[You have 3 hours.]
[At the end of the mission, any participant who does not capture the ''g'' will be erased. Rewards will be calcted based on the number of surviving soldiers.]
The objective was clear: capture the ''g'' nted far away.
And the ones I’d bepeting against for that single g were…
tter! tter! tter—!
The deafening, thunderous noise made me look up.
The enemy had already filled the grassy in.
Skeleton soldiers.
Sigh.
‘Are they skeletons too?’
The only difference was that while our side had polished white bones, theirs were jet-ck, as if they''d been painted together.
And theirmander, leading the charge at the front…
“Punish the traitors of death!!!”
…was a skeleton as well.
Wearing a horned helmet crafted from monster bones, radiating an ominous glow from its eye sockets.
“Traitors…!”
“Eradicate… them…!”
On top of that…
“The g’s already been taken, hasn’t it?”
The g had spawned in their camp.
Right in the center of the grassy in.
The very spot where those ck skeletons had emerged from the earth.
[A ''g'' has spawned in the border zone.]
【The ‘Ferryman of the Administration Bureau’ is agitated, questioning how this can be called a border zone!】
【A minority of observers are raising concerns about the unfair conditions!】
【The majority of observers anticipate ‘Lee Eunho’s’ strategy!】
Damn them.
The system''s tant intent to stack the odds against me made me chuckle bitterly.
“Maintain formation!!”
Theirmander shouted with a booming voice.
Perhaps because of the enormous horns on its helmet, it exuded amanding presence.
It carried itself with a dignified air, as though leading the horde was as natural as breathing.
But what shocked me most was…
‘They’re forming a proper battle line?’
The enemymander was setting up a defensive formation, demonstrating a capacity for tactical judgment.
Could that thing be more than just an ordinary monster?
“Lay down your lives to block them!”
Its disy of valor and resolve could’ve convinced anyone it was a general from a great nation.
If only it wasn’t literally just bones.
“Approach… and I’ll detonate them!”
“Uooooaaaahhh!”
“Kyaaaaahhh!”
Its bizarre charisma rallied the ck skeletons, who shook their bones in response.
Each held a fragment of bone in their hands.
‘Are they… threatening us?’
It was clear they intended to use their ‘bone bomb’ skill.
In other words, they were threatening to blow themselves up.
‘If I rush in recklessly, I’ll be caught in a chain explosion.’
Getting too close would only lead to disaster.
“Urgh…?”
“Sc-Scary…”
Think. Think. Think.
Even as my own white skeleton soldiers scratched their innocent skulls in frustration…
[Your skeleton soldiers are overwhelmed by the enemy''s aura.]
[Morale is dropping.]
Morale plummeted.
[Low morale slightly decreases attack power.]
[Fatigue increases easily.]
An already-established defensive line.
An open, empty in with no resources to utilize.
Debuffs from low morale.
It seemed like an overwhelmingly unfavorable start with no room to maneuver.
But.
“Troop status.”
[Checking the status of troops under ‘Lee Eunho.’]
[Remaining troops: 100]
〔Skeleton Soldier (#2)〕
〔Skeleton Soldier (#11)〕
〔Skeleton Soldier (#65)〕
……
Only I could see it.
A ‘gap’ in this battlefield that only I could exploit.
A method those skeletons could never emte, even if they died and came back to life.
“Summon.”
Fwoosh—!
I equipped the round shield and ck sword gifted by the foul-mouthed artisan onto my left arm and right hand, respectively.
Feeling the bnced weight in my grip, I opened my lips again.
Then.
Hoo—!
Drawing in a deep breath, I shouted with all my might.
“Units 1 to 10! Forward!”
“Forward…!”
tter!
Among the skeleton soldiers idly standing around, a few creaked as they dragged their bodies forward.
One, two, three… exactly ten of them.
Now then.
“Let’s break through.”
Both the enemy formation and this cursed system.
[Trantor - Night]
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