Chapter 30: 30
30. Start of Round 3
★Today's Item★
[Skull Bone Necklace]
-Category: Necklace
-Grade: Epic
-Effect: Intelligence +3, Attack Speed +1% for each kill (up to +25% max, lasts until end of round)
-Durability: 500/500
-Usage Restriction: Apprentice grade or higher
-Description: A necklace made by connecting bones from an unknown skull.
<Purchase Price: 4,600 Gold>
<Remaining Sale Time: 23:59:59>
Skull Bone Necklace.
It's a good item that raises not only Intelligence but also a considerable amount of Attack Speed.
'Moreover, 4,600 gold is a low price compared to its performance.'
Though players who have saved some gold might immediately press the buy button due to its great cost-effectiveness...
'Surprisingly, not many people will buy it. Because it has the Intelligence stat attached.'
If you touch each stat in the status window, a detailed explanation appears.
Intelligence is a useful stat that increases magic damage, mental power, and mental acuity.
'But it often looks useless for physical classes. Because it raises magic damage.'
For this reason, physical job classes will hesitate to buy items with Intelligence attached.
Even though the Attack Speed increase is tempting.
'The opposite case is the same. It's not an appealing item for magic-using jobs either.'
Because it has the Attack Speed option attached.
'There's no need for Attack Speed when hunting mainly with skills.'
That's why this Skull Bone Necklace was an item shunned by both sides.
'But for me, it's an item that couldn't be better.'
For the hybrid job Reaper, both Intelligence and Attack Speed are important.
So it could be seen as a perfectly suitable item for Ryumin.
It was also the item he expected to come out today.
But there was a separate unexpected problem.
'I have more gold left than I thought.'
Originally, he planned to buy other equipment with the remaining gold after buying the epic necklace.
'Helmet, gloves, shoes, two rings. It costs 5,000 gold to buy all normal grade.'
Though he could only buy normal items, it was better than not wearing anything, so that was the plan.
But when he calculated, he had more gold left than expected.
'Even if I buy all the remaining equipment as normal grade, I'll have 9,000 gold left. In previous regressions, I had 2,000 to 5,000 gold left...'
The calculations were off because he unexpectedly hit the jackpot with the gold pouch.
This was why Ryumin was flustered belatedly.
'Wait, if I don't buy normal equipment and only buy the epic necklace...?'
If he uses the 50% discount coupon and only spends 2,300 gold?
'That means I'll have 14,000 gold left?'
Ryumin fell into contemplation at the unexpectedly large amount.
'If I save 6,000 more gold here, it's 20,000 gold. Then I can buy one more common skill.'
Rather than buying normal equipment, he decided to save more gold.
Then he can buy common skills earlier.
'I can also advance future plans.'
Having reached that thought, Ryumin used the discount coupon to purchase the Skull Bone Necklace.
[You have used the Today's Item 50% Discount Coupon.]
[You have purchased Skull Bone Necklace for 2,300 gold.]
13,949 gold remained.
He put buying normal equipment on hold.
He decided to save 6,000 more gold in Round 3 to buy a common skill.
'It shouldn't be difficult to save about 6,000 gold.'
Fortunately, many monsters appear in Round 3.
Meaning there are many opportunities to earn gold.
'Moreover, I can quickly stack the Attack Speed from the Skull Bone Necklace.'
This was the reason for buying the epic item.
The corners of Ryumin's mouth rose deeply.
He looked forward to Round 3 starting soon.
And time passed...
That day inevitably came.
* * *
March 1st.
The time that came unchanged.
'Round 3 has started.'
Jo Jung-sik looked around.
The scenery of the village, no different from ruins, was quite impressive.
'What kind of mission is this round to start in a place like this?'
As he was looking around the village with curious eyes, he saw people appearing with light.
Most expressions were not good at the thought of being dragged to the other world again.
But not Jo Jung-sik.
Rather, he smiled slightly seeing the people.
It was because he had become the representative of this area.
Because he had gained powerful authority.
'If I want, I can control all these people like slaves?'
Jo Jung-sik's mouth corners stretched wide, but only for a moment.
Recalling what the angel did last round, Jo Jung-sik's face suddenly crumpled.
'Damn angel bastard. Doing that to mess with me!'
He was put in a difficult position because the angel blabbed about the restrictions on Command Authority.
'If only it hadn't blabbed about the 10 times restriction, I could have controlled people at will!'
Jo Jung-sik was worried.
That players who learned there was a limit to Command Authority might look down on him.
That they might rebel.
Sure enough.
"Is that person our area representative? Life is a Documentary."
"What was his real name? Some gang boss, right?"
"He threatened us to vote while swinging a knife last time."
"Did he just swing it? He killed people without hesitation."
"And he shamelessly appears to survive."
"Black Scythe should have become representative instead of a murderer like that."
"Quiet, he'll hear. Especially since he has Command Authority."
"So what? There's no need to be afraid since there are restrictions."
"Right. He won't be able to use it recklessly since there are only 10 times?"
People whispered looking at Jo Jung-sik.
Jo Jung-sik glared and shouted at the people.
"Won't you be quiet? I can hear everything, you sons of bitches!"
"Why are you cursing and making a fuss?"
"You think we're not cursing because we can't? Tsk."
"What? Which bastard just now? Who said that?"
Grumbling sounds were heard, but due to the large number of people, it was impossible to know exactly who spoke.
Jo Jung-sik's face contorted as much as possible.
The dignity of the area representative fell to the ground.
It was because the restrictions on Command Authority were exposed.
'Damn, I knew this would happen. You damn bastards, damn angel bastard!'
No one viewed Jo Jung-sik favorably since he obtained the area representative position through forced threats.
Except for one person.
"Um, h-hello!"
Suddenly a large man approached and bowed 90 degrees, and Jo Jung-sik looked at his nickname first.
"Hwang Yongmin? What do you want?"
"Life is a Documentary sir! No, Jung-sik faction boss Jo Jung-sik senior! I respect you!"
"..."
To suddenly bow saying he respects him.
It was absurd, but Jo Jung-sik didn't sneer.
Rather, he asked with wary eyes.
"Who are you? Seeing how you call me senior, you seem to be in this line of work... Whose family are you?"
"Ah, I'm not part of a family yet. I'm a 20-year-old youth hoping to become a gangster."
"What?"
Hoping to become a gangster.
'What kind of idiot is this?'
Even Jo Jung-sik couldn't hide his bewilderment as it was his first time seeing such a guy.
"Senior Jo Jung-sik is my role model. The Jung-sik faction is also an organization I really want to join."
"So? What do you want?"
"I want to serve you as my big brother for life! Please take me in!"
Seeing Hwang Yongmin prostrate with his large body, Jo Jung-sik thought.
'I've seen many idiots in my life, but this is the first time I've seen an idiot like this.'
He's seen guys coming with knives asking to test his skills, but it was the first time someone bowed their head saying they respect him.
'I like his spirit.'
A small laugh escaped from the corner of Jo Jung-sik's mouth.
There was no way he could dislike someone saying they respect him.
"Hey, get up."
"Yes!"
"Can't you see the gazes around?"
"I can see them!"
"Don't you know my image is ruined?"
"Ah, I know."
"And you still want to stick to me?"
Hwang Yongmin looked around.
People were looking with contemptuous gazes.
"Yes! It's fine!"
"Why?"
"Because I respect you, big brother. If I'm with you, I don't care about gazes like that!"
"Really?"
Jo Jung-sik smiled widely.
"I like your answer. Good. I'll take responsibility and raise you."
"Th-thank you! I'll consider it an honor!"
Hwang Yongmin bowed 90 degrees.
When he raised his head, his face was flushed red.
He seemed quite moved to have entered under Jo Jung-sik.
[Have you all gathered? Humans? Kihihi!]
Just then, the angel appeared and drew people's attention.
[Today the number of people has decreased by about 90 compared to before? Did you fight among yourselves?]
"The number decreased?"
As if to answer people's questions, the angel flapped its wings.
<Main Quest>
└Protect the relic for 3 hours
[All Areas]
└Participants: 856,030,200
└Achievers: 0/214,007,550
[This Area ESKS45-5]
└Participants: 4,900
└Achievers: 0/1,225
"Oh? It really decreased?"
The participants in this area decreased from 4,988 to 4,900.
[There's no way humans in their prime suddenly died... It seems you fought and killed each other in reality too. Humans really can't wait to eat each other, can they? Kihihi.]
"Players fought in reality too?"
"I didn't see any articles about that?"
People were perplexed at the angel's words, but Ryumin's reaction was different.
'The articles have already come out. They just didn't get attention because they appeared as simple murder cases.'
Though it hasn't become an issue yet, players were secretly keeping each other in check.
The decreased number of participants is proof of that.
'Soon people will realize. That players are dangerous beings.'
Conflict between players is a foregone conclusion.
In his 99 regressions so far, Ryumin has never seen players unite amicably.
'They were busy pushing each other out, thinking of others as competitors.'
They joined hands when cooperative missions came up, but only briefly.
After it ended, they were contemplating how to drop each other.
Even though they lacked even when cooperating together.
'It's not just our area. The number has decreased worldwide.'
Decreasing by about 90 is mild.
More participants will decrease in the future.
'And periodically at that.'
If they don't like something in reality, they'll immediately pull out weapons.
Various crimes will run rampant and eventually even ordinary people will be harmed.
A world where players run wild is approaching.
'Not much time is left. Until then, I need to build up as much power as possible. Power that can protect me and my brother, that no one can covet.'
As Ryumin was making his resolve, someone shouted.
"W-wait! Look at the number of achievers this round!"
"Angel! This is strange, isn't it? Isn't this an error?"
There are 4,900 participants, but only 1,225 achievers.
The achiever spots that are usually half have been reduced to a quarter.
As people were flustered, the angel burst into laughter covering its mouth with its wings.
[Kihihi! Look at the humans' flustered faces. You're surprised because the number of achievers decreased a lot? An error, you say? No, this is perfectly normal.]
"Wh-what do you mean normal!"
"What's going on, Angel!"
The angel smiled coldly at people's protests.
[Have you all forgotten? That the rule is only half survive each round. But last round everyone survived because of voting, right? So isn't it logical that only a quarter survive this round?]
"Th-that..."
It's not wrong.
If you consider the number of survivors there should have been, it's correct that only a quarter survive.
People know this fact too.
They were just confused because it wasn't told in advance.
"Only a quarter can survive..."
"No wonder last round seemed easy."
"Damn, to think there was such a trap hidden in Round 3..."
It felt like being told this month's credit card bill is waived, only to have it collected combined with next month's.
[There's no need to feel wronged. We're just reducing the survivors we couldn't reduce last time. You just need to work hard and be in the top 25%, right?]
"..."
It was absurd, but no one could argue.
They might have their heads explode if they upset the angel.
They were forced to participate in this survival game from the start.
Being in the position of the weak, they had no choice but to follow the rules.
[Then I'll explain about Round 3.]
◀ ROUND 3 ▶
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone