World's Strongest Survivor

Chapter 67 - 67

First Locked-In Playthrough.

"Liberitas. Seeing Shin Garyeong and Shin Gijun together... looks like the commander came in person."

At Chilsang's comment, the expressions of the two who had stepped forward before Jeong Soohee immediately twisted with displeasure.

Just as it seemed the four were about to clash, Seowoon stepped in.

"If you want to fight, take it somewhere out of sight. This is private property."

Chilsang looked at Seowoon, amused by the firm line drawn in his glowing gaze.

"So that means you have nothing to do with them?"

"Right. And I'm not going to have anything to do with you either."

"We'll see about that. You never know how things turn out."

"There's a saying—'I can already see the ending like a rerun.'"

"Just five minutes. Let's talk, somewhere away from those Resistance kids. It's nothing bad."

As he finished speaking, Chilsang narrowed his eyes at the three standing behind Seowoon.

In the next instant, the three of them lunged at him—and Chilsang leapt toward them as well, drawing a sword from subspace.

Clang! BOOM!

Just as Chilsang's blade was about to clash with Shin Garyeong's spear, Seowoon stepped between them and blocked both weapons with his bare hands.

The sheer force radiating from his body shoved them both back in an instant.

Even the spells fired by Shin Gijun and Jeong Soohee were blocked bare-handed. Landing on the ground, Seowoon let out an annoyed sigh.

Flick, flick.

Brushing off the residual embers from his shoulder, Seowoon spoke with a hardened expression.

"I told you to take that crap somewhere else."

Chilsang narrowed his eyes as he stared at the man who had just blocked a sword with his bare hand.

Pain throbbed in the hand that held his sword, and as a cold smile crept across his lips, a deadly aura began to leak from him.

Both Shin Garyeong and Shin Gijun flinched and stepped back from the intensity.

"Jin Seowoon... You put your hands on someone from the Department of Homeland Security. You've got guts. Let's postpone that talk."

Seeing Chilsang settle into a stance, his sword dangling loosely, Seowoon's patience snapped.

"Hah. What the hell. You barge in here, run your mouths like you own the place, and now you want to act like you're doing me a favor?"

He tightened the hamit wrapped around his hand, and Jeong Soohee quickly stepped up behind him.

"I'll back you up."

"Don't get it twisted. I'm not fighting your fight. This is my fight. Don't bother tagging along—just stay out of the way."

Soohee's face twisted bitterly at that.

Without sparing her another glance, Seowoon let his posture fall loose, facing Chilsang.

Clang!

Chilsang thrust his sword toward Seowoon, only for it to be deflected effortlessly at close range. His grip tightened in frustration.

Shhk-shhk-shhk!

Rather than backing off, Chilsang swung faster—so fast it looked like eight blades were coming at once.

Faced with pressure like all his acupoints were being targeted at once, Seowoon shifted fully into defense.

Clang-clang-clang-clang!

With a deafening chorus of metal and force, the battle only escalated.

The crowd watched, mouths dry and eyes wide, as Chilsang's blistering swordplay crashed over and over—only to be caught by Seowoon's bare hands.

Kichan, his face stone-cold, pulled out a golden staff and began storing up magic.

As mana pulses rippled outward, a dozen shadowy figures appeared, emerging from the base of the mountain.

"So much for a peaceful talk, huh? You brought a whole damn squad."

Clang!

"Just in case."

With sword and hand pressed tight, the two men began straining to push each other back.

"I'm not really into these childish power struggles," said Chilsang, a sneer on his face.

Seowoon twisted his lips and focused, unleashing a surge of internal energy through his palm.

Their auras clashed, forcing against each other—and soon, their expressions changed in opposite directions.

A smile grew on Seowoon's face. Chilsang's turned pale as he grimaced.

Seowoon, mere inches from his opponent, had never once imagined he'd lose a power struggle against anyone.

CLANG!

Their weapons and limbs finally separated. Bloodshot eyes glaring, a line of blood trickled from Chilsang's mouth.

Even as he stepped back, swinging his sword in a burst of energy, Seowoon didn't retreat. He wasn't about to yield to a mere sword aura.

BOOM.

Just as a red shimmer began to rise from Seowoon's hand, his blood-infused bones tore right through Chilsang's aura.

Chilsang grit his teeth as Seowoon closed in, arm stretched fast toward his face.

KRA-KA-BOOM!

A volley of spells shot in from behind Chilsang.

Of course, Kichan wasn't just standing around—he fired his own spells from behind Seowoon.

As their magic clashed and exploded around them, Seowoon's hand was momentarily pushed back.

Crackle!

With a jolt of sound, the two were forced apart.

Seowoon threw a bloodied chunk of flesh from his hand to the ground and glared.

Chilsang, pale-faced and missing a piece of his ear, stared back with clenched teeth.

"I'll let it go this time. But next time—"

"Who said you could leave?"

Seowoon cut him off coldly and stepped forward.

A dozen figures immediately moved to stand in front of Chilsang, blocking Seowoon's path.

"This is a remote mountain. You came here on your own, but you won't be leaving as you please."

"Hyung..."

Kichan called out to Seowoon with a worried expression.

Seowoon knew. He hadn't forgotten that this was the real world.

But he didn't want to leave any loose ends.

The enemy was Jungjung. These were the kind of people who'd do anything. At the very least, they needed a clear warning.

"Don't worry. I won't go as far as to kill anyone."

The moment Seowoon charged forward, Kim Chilsang and the dozen or so guards surrounding him vanished in a flash, fear gripping their faces.

BOOM!

Seowoon raised his body, his fist having left a massive crater where they once stood.

"Area teleportation. Tch."

Behind him, Kichan, who had just landed with sparks dancing on the tip of his staff, commented,

"We lost them."

Seowoon glanced at Kichan, who had just attacked alongside him despite originally trying to hold him back. Then, with a cold gaze, he turned to the dumbfounded Jung Soohee and her group.

"Thanks to you, I've made unnecessary enemies."

"Th-that's..."

"Save it. Just get lost."

Shin Garyung and Shin Gijun stepped forward in protest, but Jung Soohee raised a hand to stop them.

"Seems today just wasn't our day. We'll meet again... in a better setting."

As the three disappeared, Seowoon let out a deep sigh.

"Haa... I really lost my temper, didn't I?"

"Well, you did just blow off the ear of a bigwig in Jungjung... That's a major incident."

"..."

Seowoon looked up at the sky in silence before speaking again, as if something had just occurred to him.

"By the way, what's this thing called a 'guild'?"

"I don't know all the details. I heard it forms when several fixed quads come together. It's supposed to be an upgraded version of a quad with new rules, but... Even in the community, there's barely any info about fixed players."

"This is a headache. More annoying people just keep showing up."

"Want to ditch training for a bit and clear your head?"

Kichan said with a light chuckle, recalling Seowoon's earlier murderous aura and battle-ready stance.

***

VROOOOM! VRRMMM!

Their destination was a bike shop.

"Welcome!"

A young mechanic, hands stained with grease, looked over the Haabusa with a pitiful expression. Its body was cracked and beat-up in multiple places.

"She's in pretty bad shape."

"Yeah. We're thinking of picking out two new ones. Please buy this one as a used trade-in."

At Kichan's words, a middle-aged man—likely the shop owner—hurried out from the back.

"Do you have any specific models in mind?"

The two followed him inside, and before long, they rolled out of the shop on two different bikes.

Though they were the same model, the contrast was clear: Seowoon sat atop a sleek black bike that gleamed in the light, while Kichan rode a clean white one. The engines roared as they sped down the open road.

-Let's head straight to the electronics store.

-I'll follow behind.

They spent the whole day shopping for appliances and furniture to fill up their empty home.

A few days later, after the deliveries of all the furniture and electronics they ordered were complete, Seowoon pulled out his phone.

"Yeah, hyung."

"It's about time to head back for more training. We've got to prepare for the next game."

"Yes. I'll see you in Wonju, then."

"Alright."

After a short break to refresh themselves, the two returned to their training grounds.

***

"Chief! Other countries are putting national effort into establishing guilds! You're aware of this, right? If we don't act now, Korea will fall far behind in rallying its gifted individuals. Japan and China are—"

SLAM!

"Hey, Jung Suhwa! Who do you think you're lecturing? The higher-ups said it's fine! Stop doing unnecessary crap and just do your job! Or did you forget? Your role is to prevent social chaos caused by ability users—not to go overboard. The folks above you understand the future of the nation better than you do. So just do what you're told."

Jung Suhwa frowned and left the office.

It was frustrating. She had investigated the suspicious movements of clandestine groups protected by the National Homeland Security Division and reported numerous times on guilds being updated under a new set of rules, even comparing their actions to those of other countries. Still, no responses came back.

She believed it was a sound judgment—that if they didn't recruit promising ability users and form government-backed guilds with them at the center, the security of the Korean peninsula would eventually be compromised.

Yet those in power refused to budge.

"Under the name of patriotism, they're just committing unforgivable sins without a shred of guilt..."

The words of her long-lost younger sibling resurfaced, piercing her heart more sharply than ever before.

***

More than two months had passed since they buried themselves deep in the mountains of Wonju for training.

"So ideally, we should be joining quad games as much as possible."

"Problem is, we've only been getting matched for solo or duo games for the past two months."

"Should we just jump into the next one even if it's just a duo?"

"I don't know... It's our first fixed game, and there's way too little information. Best option is to get into a quad and learn from teammates."

"Can't be helped. The matching's getting slower too. For now, let's just get into any game we can..."

Kichan's sentence was cut short by an alert sound.

[Ding! A new game has been matched. Difficulty: Mid-high. Game Version: 20-Quad. Would you like to participate? (O)(X)]

The two stared at each other.

"20... 20-quad?"

"Two thousand participants in total, huh?"

"Should we... join?"

At Kichan's words, Seowoon gave a firm nod, as if he'd made up his mind.

"Excluding us, there are already eighteen people in the team. That's more than enough to gather intel."

Having made their decision, Seowoon reached toward the [O] button—and in that moment, a bright light filled his vision.

—Thank you for participating in Cloyd Survival.

—Number of participants: 2,000. Cloyd Survival is now beginning.

—Language synchronization... 30%... 90%... 100% complete.

—The game will now begin. Difficulty: Upper-Mid. Survive within the Top 1200. Player combat is disabled in the current lobby.

—Designated map: "The Forgotten Hermit's Ascension Grounds." Rewards are tiered starting from the Top 200.

—This game will last for 1,000 days, with daily restrictions placed on map access.

—The repulsion field limiting map travel will grow stronger over time. Please be cautious not to be harmed outside the designated area.

—This version of the game is the "20-Quad" version. You may form Quads by locking eyes and sending a request to another player of your choice.

—The game continues until only one final Quad survives. Eliminated players or those who complete the game will return to their original worlds.

—Players who fail to place within the Top 1200 will be permanently barred from accessing Cloyd Survival again.

—Total number of participants: 2,000.

—We wish you victory.

—Please find your teammates and form a Quad to proceed with the game. Time limit: 180 minutes. Failure to form a team will result in solo play.

The fixed-entry game they had just entered felt vastly different from any game they'd experienced before.

One of the most immediate differences was visible right in the lobby—the map.

"The Forgotten Hermit's Ascension Grounds?"

The unfamiliar name echoed in Seowoon's head as he scanned their surroundings, sensing the subtle shifts from the usual.

The forest had transformed. The trees had become tall, straight bamboo stalks, and in their midst stood a strange, unchanging stone statue.

"Hyung... don't tell me..."

"Looks like it, doesn't it?"

It didn't take much to realize that the map had shifted from a fantasy world to one modeled after the martial world—where warriors roamed and lived by the sword.

And the time allotted to form a Quad had also been extended—to three whole hours.

—22nd time! Third fixed game session! Looking for a Quad!

—35th time! Second fixed game! Need a Quad!

Voices rang out from all directions. Players with faint marks on their shoulders began to recognize each other and gather in groups.

—Ludean Guild, gather over here!

—Muyeong Society, this way!

While trying to make sense of the chaos, someone approached Seowoon.

A hand reached for his shoulder.

Without hesitation, Seowoon twisted his body as his form elongated, dodging reflexively—causing the man's hand to swish uselessly through the air. The man gave a thin, chilling smile.

Seeing him, Seowoon's eyes flared with intensity.

[T/L: Read extra Chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]