World's Strongest Survivor

Chapter 68 - 68

20-quad, new rules

"Jo Changjun?"

Wearing a silver-white breastplate and gauntlets, gripping a long spear, the man lifted his helmet to reveal his face. There was no mistaking it—Jo Changjun.

Behind him stood a woman in a robe, holding a staff.

The moment Seowoon saw the pity in her expression, the shock doubled.

"Minah, even you...?"

"Did you think you were the only one who became a special player? After that day, I entered Cloyd with Minah. In the end, even this place is under the influence of money from the real world."

He held his spear up like a trophy, as if to show off. That alone told Seowoon enough.

He had managed to survive somehow, collecting enough items to use the Jump Rule, and climbed his way up to the Fixed stage.

Since Cloyd operated on a time axis separate from reality, it wasn't surprising he had made it that far already.

It was even possible that he had gone through more playthroughs than Seowoon himself.

"That dumbfounded look suits you. I wonder if you can even enter a proper quad in that state. Heh."

Confident and cocky, Jo Changjun strutted past Seowoon toward the recruitment area for forming quads.

Minah looked like she wanted to say something as she passed by Seowoon, but before she could speak, Jo Changjun barked at her.

"Minah! What are you doing?!"

Minah closed her mouth and walked past him, and Seowoon's eyes darkened.

"Hyung, we should start looking for teammates too."

"Yeah."

In the waiting hall, the people split into three main groups:

Those gathered around guilds, those loudly recruiting for quads, and those quietly observing—waiting to join a suitable quad.

Seowoon and Kichan were in the third group.

They wandered around, watching those aggressively forming teams.

"Looks like a knight-heavy quad."

"Yeah. Seems like there's a Sword Emperor among them, but that's about it."

They walked past several groups that had already reached 15 or more members.

Soon, under a bamboo grove, a woman called out to them.

"Excuse me! Would you consider joining us?"

She had large eyes and red hair braided into pigtails, wearing a tattered robe. She looked at Seowoon and Kichan hopefully.

Since they had been scouting around, they decided to ask about her background first.

"How many runs have you completed?"

"I'm on my 15th playthrough, with 1 Fixed." She pointed behind her.

"And she..."

The woman behind her, seated in the shade, wore an elegant white archer's outfit. She looked over and spoke.

"13th run, 1 Fixed. What about you two?"

"20th run, 1 Fixed."

"I'm on my 4th, with 1 Fixed..." Kichan added.

At that, laughter burst from a nearby quad that had just finished forming.

"Pfft! Just your 4th run?! Hahaha!"

Everyone around turned to look at the source: Jo Changjun.

Even though most players were giving him looks of derision, he seemed to think it was all aimed at Seowoon, and laughed so hard he clutched his stomach, mocking dramatically.

Despite that, several players approached Seowoon and Kichan.

"Hey, if you're not in a quad yet..."

"We've got exactly two spots open. Want in?"

"Mind chatting for a moment?"

Before they could respond, the robed woman from earlier spread her arms and blocked the others.

"We're not done talking yet!"

She stood protectively in front of Seowoon and Kichan. The other players stepped back slightly, watching the scene unfold.

"Wait... are you really only on your 4th run?"

"Well... yeah, kind of ended up that way."

"What's your main class?"

"Martial artist."

At that, the woman seated in the back brightened.

"He doesn't seem like someone from our world..."

"No, he's not. But what about you two? Your main classes?"

"I'm a mage, and she's a martial artist," the robed girl said, gripping Seowoon's arm tightly.

Seeing this, Jo Changjun's expression finally shifted. He realized—far too late—that something was off.

One of his teammates walked up to him.

"Changjun, how many runs did you say you've done again?"

"36 runs, 1 Fixed," he said proudly.

The crowd's smirks deepened.

"Right, got it. Let's go talk over there for a bit."

As he followed his teammate, Jo Changjun glanced back at Seowoon, now surrounded by eager players, and scowled.

"Hyung, that guy's not your friend, right?"

"You think I'd be friends with someone like that?"

Even after Changjun left, players kept approaching Seowoon.

"Hey, if you're still open—"

"We've got just two slots left. Join us?"

"Can we talk real quick?"

Seeing the crowd grow, the red-haired woman gripped Seowoon's arm even tighter.

Her expression clearly said: I won't let go of you no matter what.

Seowoon glanced at Kichan.

"A mage and a martial artist—solid base. We can build the rest of the team around that for balance."

Seowoon nodded and looked at the red-haired woman.

He sent the quad request.

[Ding! The character is already part of a quad. You may join someone else's quad, but you cannot be pulled into a newly created one.]

"Ah!"

Realizing that her quad invite had just been nullified, she promptly accepted Seowoon and Kichan into her own quad.

[Would you like to join Juriel's quad?]

As they joined her quad, several players who had been waiting nearby turned away in disappointment.

"Now, let's have a talk. We still have five spots left..."

"We were first. We have eight spots left, plus two alchemists and even a witch!"

A minor scuffle broke out as different groups tried to recruit the same four players.

As the commotion continued, attention naturally spread beyond the immediate area, drawing the gaze of the entire waiting room.

"What's going on?"

"Did some amazing player show up?"

"Looks like a fixed 1st-round player just entered during the 4th round."

"What?!"

"So they secured a fixed slot in just three runs?!"

The growing noise reached the ears of Jo Changjun, who had moved to a secluded corner.

His expression twisted in irritation, and the player who had brought him along finally spoke.

"This place doesn't reward experience. Bragging about how many rounds you've played... that's just plain idiotic."

The bluntness of his words made Changjun's eyes narrow dangerously.

"Hey! I paid you—"

"Yes. The commission you paid was pretty hefty. Not cheap for a bus ride. But I'm telling you now—no matter how much money you give me, if it comes time to drop you, I will. No hesitation. In fixed games like this, power dynamics in the waiting room matter. If you look weak here, the moment the match begins, enemies will come at you full force. And thanks to your blundering, all you did was empower the wrong opponents. So from now on—keep your mouth shut and follow."

Changjun winced at the player's completely different attitude compared to when they had first met in real life, but couldn't talk back.

If this player abandoned him now, he knew he wouldn't survive in this place.

"If that idiot's grudge reaches me too, I'm screwed."

As the player who silenced Changjun looked over to where Seowoon stood, she could barely be seen, now surrounded by players.

Changjun followed his gaze and scowled, jealousy flaring in his eyes.

"So what if he's played fewer rounds?"

Seeing how that trivial detail seemed to matter more than his money, his face twisted even more.

The buzzing quads that had been swarming and vying for attention dispersed instantly with a single sentence from the robed woman.

"We're looking for players who want to join us."

With that, the quads withdrew with regret.

"Isn't it the same whether we join them or they join us?"

"Right?"

In response to the murmurs, she looked around and spoke.

"It's a bit different. I heard that the person who forms the quad holds more sway in discussions. All of us here are fixed 1st-rounders. If we're not careful, experienced players might dominate us into unwanted strategies or even split the team. If the result turns out well, that's fine, but if not..."

Her voice trailed off, and Seowoon and Kichan both nodded in understanding.

"Team politics, huh?"

Kichan had already explained this once before.

They'd both played plenty of team games. They knew all too well how petty and emotional team politics could get.

After their talk, she started forming her quad by asking players about their round counts, and two hours later, the group was finally complete.

"Alright, everyone gather around now."

People who had been scattered in familiar clusters began gathering one by one.

They eyed each other warily, lips tightly sealed.

There were eight mages, including Kichan, five knights, and five warriors including Seowoon. Two alchemists rounded out the total to twenty—forming a full quad.

"Let's each introduce ourselves briefly."

One by one, they introduced their main roles and basic abilities.

Though they were now part of the same squad, no one shared detailed stats or information about their items.

"Warrior and 4th-circle mage. Jin Seowoon."

"Mage. 6th-circle spells. I've also trained a bit in martial arts. My name's Kang Kichan."

When Seowoon's short intro ended, many players turned their eyes to him.

The fixed 1st-rounder who'd achieved that feat in just four runs—it was mainly because of him that most of these players had joined this squad.

In team games, team luck—"riding the bus"—was everything. Even a mediocre player could get a great score if they landed on the right team.

Most of the players here understood that well.

Once introductions ended, a man in an absurdly heavy suit of armor exchanged glances with his companions before stepping forward.

"Then let's pick our main order."

He was proposing to select the squad's main shot-caller—the de facto leader.

The woman who had gathered the squad visibly stiffened.

"Let's be honest. Most of us probably joined this squad for a similar reason. Because of the guy over there who became a fixed player in just three rounds."

His words earned nods from most of the squad.

Before she could even establish her authority, her position as main order was about to be stolen. Her fists trembled as she gripped her robe tightly.

Then she threw the robe off with shaking hands and stepped forward.

Seeing her clad in golden armor and silver-white greaves, the confident knight's expression drastically changed.

"The Ronis crest?"

"Yes. Juriel Hather Ronis. That's me. And I have no intention of giving up the main order. I assembled this squad. If you're unhappy, feel free to leave. There's still time..."

The knight who had spoken first slowly shook his head.

"Damn, I moved too soon."

If he wanted to claim the main order, he should've waited until time was tighter.

Backing down, he muttered, "If you're from House Ronis, I've no complaints."

Watching him yield so easily, Seowoon tilted his head.

"Is that a famous house or something?"

Kichan nodded at his whisper.

"Must be. Either way, squad politics are going to be brutal now. I overheard once—if you give up your speaking rights even once, you'll be dragged around for the rest of the game."

"You two. If you have something to say, feel free to remove your silence filter."

At Juriel's comment, Kichan took his hand off the necklace and smiled.

"Nothing official to say. Since the main order's set, let's move on."

Juriel began tugging her ragged robe back on as she spoke again.

"Let's start with the basic roles. Do we have anyone with experience or interest in being a scout?"

Since there wasn't an archer in the party to begin with, there was no one suited for the scout role.

At her question, two of the warriors raised their hands.

"We played the scout role in our previous game."

"Then please take on scouting duties again."

"Also, is there anyone here with experience as a main shielder?"

This time, the knight who had stood up earlier to claim the main order position raised his hand.

"The knights I came with have plenty of experience as shielders. We'd like to take on all the shielding roles."

That arrangement made sense, as it was natural for knights to act as shielders, so the woman who had secured the main order spot gave a nod of approval.

And so, five knights took on the role of shielders.

"Next, I'll entrust the mages to you all. Among the mages, is there anyone capable of healing?"

Three mages raised their hands.

"Then I'll have you three rotate between healing and offensive magic. The rest of the mages will focus on main damage."

Despite this being her first time participating, she divided the roles smoothly and confidently. Watching her, the players began to build trust in her leadership.

"Lastly, we need a sub-order. Anyone want to volunteer?"

Once again, several people raised their hands.

But as Seowoon raised his hand, most of them quietly lowered theirs.

Only the knight who had taken on the main shielder role kept his hand raised.

Juriel looked between the two of them thoughtfully, when the knight spoke up first.

"I, Kite, have experience as a sub-order. In the game where I served in that role, our team made it into the Top 20."

"I've led up to five players before, and in that game, I survived as the Top 1."

At the mention of "Top 1," the knight's face reddened, and he retorted.

"That must've not been a quad game."

Seowoon didn't bother to argue back.

Juriel looked between the two, then spoke.

"One is a warrior who placed Top 1, and the other is a knight who placed Top 20. All in favor of the warrior, please raise your hand."

It seemed like a fair vote at a glance, but in truth it was tilted. Framing it as a warrior-versus-knight decision based on final placement, most of the warriors and even a number of mages raised their hands for Seowoon.

"Then the sub-order will be Mr. Jin Seowoon."

It was only natural for her to be wary of the knight who had tried to seize the main order position now stepping into the sub-order role.

The knight clicked his tongue and sat back down.

"Well then, let's take a look at the map."

Once everyone spread out their maps, Juriel examined the layout and spoke up.

"Does anyone here know this terrain well?"

Her gaze turned toward the warriors.

"This region centers around Hwagok Fortress, with the surrounding villages split between Yugok Gate and Sanghwa Gate. I'm a disciple of the Sanghwa faction, so I know this geography quite well."

Everyone nodded at the words of the young warrior who had raised his hand.

"Then can you guess what kind of object monsters might appear?"

"According to legend, Jang Docheon, the Yugok Sage who opened Yugok Gate, once slayed an imugi—just before it turned into an evil dragon—on Mount Sangryeong. So I'm certain an imugi ( dragon) will appear, probably right here at Mount Sangryeong. Also, since Sanghwa Gate inherited much of the shamanic traditions of the Mosan sect, it's possible there might be jiangshi wandering around near Sanghwa Gate."

Seowoon and Kichan learned a lot as they watched the players analyze the map and speculate about the situation.

"For someone on their first run, she's awfully competent."

As Seowoon glanced at Juriel, she spoke again while scanning the gathered warriors.

"Anyone else have predictions?"

She continued to pore over the map, carefully checking the villages and terrain features, then began drawing out several route options, anticipating the upcoming shrink zones and coordinating with the team.

Since it was a fixed first run and neither Kichan nor Seowoon had seen this map before, they kept their mouths shut and simply observed the others.

Eventually, the long meeting came to an end.

-The game will begin shortly. We will now reveal the main rewards for this round.

[Right to Exit the World.] [Player Resurrection Token.] [Coin Vending Machine.] [Insight of the Mad Demon.] [Heart of the Red Dragon.]

Each time an item appeared with a resounding boom, the players' eyes lit up.

Especially Insight of the Mad Demon and Heart of the Red Dragon — those two prizes were enough to stir greed in every single player.

-Announcing the Main Quest.

Drumroll... Ding!

Achieve the highest kill count.

Among the surviving players, only the one who achieves the highest kill count (minimum 200 kills) will earn the right to choose one of the above items.

Kichan and Seowoon looked at each other in disbelief, struggling to process the bizarre situation.

Then another message chimed in their ears.

-Through the Eyes of Argas, you will soon be able to share vision.

When you spot the location you want, shout "Descent" to land safely.

Use this opportunity to gather as many items as possible.

Players who do not descend will be automatically dropped at the final stop—be cautious.

-Preparing to start the game...

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