Thud!

The blond giant slammed his massive fist into the ground.

Of course... They were all hiding their ultimate skills, Eun-Ho thought.

“That monster! He’s insane!”

“Damn it, wasn’t it those bastards who brought up the whole alliance thing first?!”

“I knew this would happen!”

No one could tell who was friend or foe anymore. It wasn’t that some were enemies but everyone was. The battlefield had devolved into utter chaos.

In that chaos, a single medal switched hands.

Swish!

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

[Remaining medals: 21]

“W-what? Is that us?”

“What the hell just happened?!”

“Where are you?! Come out, you bastards!”

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

[Remaining medals: 20]

“Hey! We agreed not to attack each other!”

“Bullshit! The top ranks are already out of reach. Might as well cut down the competition!”

“You traitorous bastard!”

The instant alliance had fallen apart, plunging the arena into pandemonium. Thanks to that, another blind fool’s medal was snatched away. Yet, no one noticed the invisible hand behind it all.

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

[Remaining medals: 19]

[Multiple observers are cheering for your unstoppable momentum!]

Unstoppable momentum... That’s exactly the right phrase, Eun-Ho thought.

If this match had been about killing rather than stealing medals, it would’ve been a one-sided massacre.

[The Crow from the Bureau of Management nods in approval, saying the little ninja is surprisingly useful!]

[A donation of 500 Welfare Points has been made!]

[The Newbie from the Bureau of Corporate Relations lets out a hollow laugh, saying that’s not usefulness but cheating!]

The more Eun-Ho thought about it, the more amazed he was by the limitless potential of Yul’s ability. The condition was tricky, as he had to stay in contact with Yul. At the same time, as long as he maintained that contact, there were no other restrictions at all.

“This is getting crazy. Are we actually gonna sweep the whole thing?” asked Jae-Hyuk.

“I think we just might!” the security guard replied.

“Shh. Don’t let your guard down,” warned Eun-Ho.

Just when Jae-Hyuk and the security guard finally began to relax a little, someone shouted, “H-he was right here a moment ago!” 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

“Invisible! He’s gone invisible!”

“No way!”

The excitement and thrill dropped in an instant. No one questioned whether such a skill could exist nor said it was impossible.

They realized it, Eun-Ho thought.

Their panic was brief and their judgment swift, which was expected from survivors who’d made it this far. Each of them grabbed the medal hanging from their necks, eyes darting sharply around.

“Look over there! Footprints!”

The trampled grass and disturbed dirt exposed the exact spot where Jae-Hyuk and the security guard were hiding.

“H-Hyungnim!” Jae-Hyuk’s panicked voice rang out just as he looked up.

“Ambush them!”

“Haaaah!”

A storm of gleaming steel rained down from above.

“Sir! Use your skill!” Eun-Ho shouted.

“O-okay!” the security guard replied through clenched teeth.

The old man raised a shield almost as large as himself and scowled deeply, as if forcing every drop of energy he could muster. The black shield trembled just slightly. Then, a low, drum-like hum spread through the air.

Fwoosh—!

From the shield’s jagged edge, a translucent barrier rippled outward. Then, a pale, shimmering dome unfolded, surrounding them completely.

Thunk! Thud!

Thuuunk!

Dozens of daggers, arrows, spears, and swords came crashing down all at once.

“What the hell?!”

“T-they blocked it?!”

Most of the projectiles stuck uselessly to the barrier’s surface like trophies of its defense but not all of them were stopped.

Thunk! Crack!

“You think that flimsy shield can hold us off?!”

“Keep firing!”

The security guard was right. The shield could withstand the first volley, but it had limits.

“I-I’ll cover us! H-Hyungnim, get behind me!” shouted Jae-Hyuk.

Then, he moved as if to shield Eun-Ho and Yul behind the guard, ready to become their human wall.

However, Eun-Ho stepped forward instead. “There’s no need for that.”

“They say the best defense is offense.”

“... What?!”

“Young Man!” the security guard cried.

Clang!

Eun-Ho struck aside the remaining blades and shouted, “Blade Wind!”

He swung his sword and a fierce gust burst forth, surging straight into the incoming weapons.

Swooosh!

[Blade Wind Current charges: 2/3]

Arrows split cleanly in half midair, while swords the size of his forearm bent and twisted. Besides, smaller blades shattered, cracked, and scattered like dust.

[Blade Wind Current charges: 1/3]

The fragments were hurled backward by the counterwind straight toward their owners.

[Blade Wind Current charges: 0/3]

The broken weapons turned into razor-sharp shards, spraying in every direction. Like a thousand box cutters bursting apart, the metal fragments struck their enemies in the eyes, hearts, thighs and wherever they could reach.

“Guk!”

“M-my eyes! My eyes!”

Blood splattered across the ground. They were small wounds and not fatal, but still painful enough to halt their assault. Men screamed and stumbled, clutching their faces and limbs.

[The Old Guy from the Sales Department rejoices at discovering how fine of a swordsman you are!]

[A donation of 1,000 Welfare Points has been made!]

Maybe swordsman is too grand a word for it, but still, my attacks have definitely gotten stronger, Eun-Ho thought.

Perhaps his swordsmanship skill had improved. Whatever the case, a few of the enraged survivors gritted their teeth, blood streaming down their foreheads and cheeks. Their faces, streaked red, seemed like demons ready for slaughter.

“You little rat! Show yourself!”

“Yeah! Fight fair!”

“Jae—”

“Hic!”

Eun-Ho was about to tell Jae-Hyuk to cover Yul’s eyes when he hiccuped. Just then, an announcement echoed through the air.

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

Four contestants were eliminated in an instant.

[Remaining medals: 15]

There were only fifteen medals left, meaning the match would end once three more teams were knocked out.

“W-who did that?!”

“Four teams at once?!”

Everyone was in disarray, confusion spreading like wildfire.

Thud!

The colossal giant’s fist slammed into the ground again, and the earth rippled like water. Clods of dirt shot up like spray, raining down on their heads.

Jae-Hyuk nearly lost his footing, but he managed to steady himself just in time.

“Jae-Hyuk! You okay?” Eun-Ho called.

“I’m fine, but... Ugh, I almost made us lose!”

“Careful, boy!” the security guard scolded. “If we lose hold of Eun-Ho, we’re out instantly!”

Jae-Hyuk nodded quickly, still panting. “S-sorry, sir!”

That was when something caught Eun-Ho’s eye.

There it is. I found it!

“Yul, do you want to play with Jae-Hyuk for a bit?” he asked.

“Now?”

“Yeah, now.”

He unfastened the little girl from his back and held her in his arms. Once he handed her over to Jae-Hyuk, her skill would deactivate.

Yul accepted calmly, but Jae-Hyuk panicked, waving his hands. “A-are you sure about this, Hyungnim?!”

“It’s fine.”

“Young man! What are you planning on doing?!” the security guard demanded.

Eun-Ho smiled faintly as it was time for the final sprint. “Use one trial reward to enhance Acceleration.”

[You have used a trial reward point to upgrade the Acceleration(Lv. 6) skill.]

[The level of the skill Acceleration has increased (Lv. 6 to Lv. 7).]

With the upgrade, thirty seconds became thirty-five.

“You’re not seriously going to use that skill, are you?!”

“Hyungnim, you know we have to move together, right? If you touch the ground, you’re out...”

Their concern was understandable.

[Each rider must wear a Victory Medal around their neck. If the medal is lost or if any part of their body touches the ground, they are immediately eliminated.]

That rule meant exactly what they feared. He could not move alone without risking disqualification, but Eun-Ho’s eyes gleamed.

“I just have to make sure I don’t touch the ground.”

“W-what? But we can’t match your speed!”

“There are plenty of others to step on,” Eun-Ho said calmly.

“Wait... You don’t mean stepping on other teams, do you?”

Jae-Hyuk looked utterly lost, and the guard’s mouth fell open.

“You’re really planning to run across them?”

Eun-Ho didn’t answer. He only tightened his grip on his sword.

“Acceleration.”

Thirty-five seconds was all he needed to finish this.

***

Ahmed Jamal, the Iraqi representative, clicked his tongue.

Idiots.

What could those fools possibly gain from ganging up to drag the frontrunner down? Alliances like that never lasted long. What mattered was profit, always.

I need to rack up as many points as possible in this round.

The trial’s rules were simple. As long as he didn’t touch the ground, he only had to steal other people’s medals. He thought it was a task perfectly designed for him.

Fwoosh—!

That was because he had absolutely no intention of stepping off his flying carpet.

The will of God Himself! he thought with reverence.

For Ahmed, staying off the ground wasn’t difficult, falling to it was. He ate on the carpet, slept on it, and even did other things there. Even when he tossed and turned in his sleep, the carpet wrapped around him protectively. There was no need for him to do anything else.

I’ll never rot away in that miserable dorm again, he vowed, tightening his grip on the fabric’s edge.

He gave the carpet a mental command.

Next one’s that guy. Descend slowly.

The carpet dipped toward the earth then shot up again, swift and smooth.

Thud! Fwoosh—!

Ahmed laughed triumphantly, waving the golden medal he’d just stolen, shouting. “Got it!”

“What the?! Hey, you bastard!” a furious white participant screamed up at him, cursing through clenched teeth.

However, Ahmed was already rising high into the sky. Besides, before the man could even take a step the announcement rang out.

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

Then a series of announcements followed.

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

[Remaining medals: 15]

Huh?

He blinked in confusion as he’d only taken one medal, yet four contestants had been eliminated.

Are there others like me? No way... Did someone just take out three at once?

It seemed impossible, still, a strange chill crept up his spine as he urged his carpet forward, faster.

Whoosh—! Thud!

He swooped down again, snatching another medal clean from a man’s neck.

The man’s eyes went wide like a startled rabbit. “Hey! You bastard! Give that back!”

Ahmed laughed. The man flailed his arms helplessly, but he couldn’t reach Ahmed.

“If you want it back, come and get it!” he taunted, exhilarated.

However, just as he shot back into the air, a gust of wind sliced through the air between heartbeats. Then, the medal he had just stolen was gone, vanished without a trace.

Swish—!

“I’ll keep it!”

Swoosh—!

“Thanks!”

What? Where did it go?

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

[A new participant has been eliminated.]

[Remaining medals: 12]

[The match is over.]

[The final count will begin.]

***

We did it, Eun-Ho thought.

Thirty-five seconds was all he had and because everyone had hidden their medals deep inside their clothes, finding them had been a nightmare.

We cut it way too close...

With barely five seconds left, he’d been scouring the field for the final one when luck struck. He spotted a single arm, sticking out from beneath a flying carpet.

“Who’s there?! You little rat!”

That medal had probably been stolen from someone else, yet now he raged as if he were the victim. The hypocrisy almost made Eun-Ho laugh.

“Who are you calling a rat, you bastard?!”

“I-it wasn’t me!”

“You’re the one who took it! Damn it, get down here right now!”

While they shouted at each other, Eun-Ho silently gave the man a grateful look. Thanks to his carelessness, the last medal was very easy to take.

[You have won the round 2 match!]

[You have earned a point as a trial reward.]

“Eun-Ho!”

“Oppa!”

As soon as the end-of-round announcement echoed through the arena, his teammates came running toward him. They must’ve been watching in suspense the whole time.

“Holy shit, that was wild! You were like some kind of master thief out there!”

“What kind of talk is that? Don’t go calling a decent young man a thief!” the security guard scolded, smacking the back of her head.

“Ow! Hey, what was that for! I was complimenting him, dammit!”

[ROK district has acquired a total of 7 medals!]

[70 Training Points have been awarded.]

[All participating employees have received seven Training Points as a 10 percent bonus.]

“Wait, so you got seven out of eleven medals on your own?” Yeo-Jin asked, eyes wide.

“I didn’t do it alone,” Eun-Ho replied. “Everyone worked hard.”

“Still! Come on, admit it! You carried us. We’re basically in first place now, right?”

He shook his head at her overexcitement, but he couldn’t deny that last part.

With seventy points, this one round had been enough to widen the gap completely. Besides, on top of that, another message followed.

[Congratulations!]

[You have received a 10 bonus Training Points as the first kill reward.]

Then another message followed.

[Congratulations!]

[You have received a 10 bonus Training Points for most eliminations.]

Eliminations? It almost sounds like I went monster hunting, he thought bitterly.

A strange mix of emotions welled up inside him. There was relief at surviving, but also a sour taste he couldn’t quite name.

Just as that feeling began to settle, the system rang once again.

[Congratulations!]

[ROK district is currently ranked first in the mid-round tally.]

“Mid-round tally?”

“They have those?”

Then, another system message.

[Mid-round reward will be issued shortly!]