[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 42: Mock Battle (1)
The company’s “aptitude test” evaluates a total of three categories.
The first is combat ability.
In the "Dark Path Mission," the plan 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 flag.
The identical “troops,” in other words, soldiers, must be strategically maneuvered to seize the flags of others.
And compared 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 contemplating 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, looking completely 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 for combat. It seems they’ve given us the option to choose the battleground to spread everyone out."
My deduction, though speculative, 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 outcome."
"But... isn’t urban combat 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 become 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 places to hide."
I added, glancing at Yura.
Jaehyuk nodded as if he finally understood.
"And being close means we can cooperate if necessary."
"Ah! That’s true!"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
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.
"Sola, 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.
Sola 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."
[Selection complete!]
[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 the combat 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..."
A peaceful park in the city, now swarming with skeletons instead of people, dogs, or bicycles.
—Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!
[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...
Clatter!
Without a care, the creature picked up its head and placed it back on its neck.
Snap!
It shoved it back into place.
Well, they wouldn’t die that easily.
Or... were they already dead?
...As I was caught up in these thoughts, an announcement blared, 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 'flag' will be erased. Rewards will be calculated based on the number of surviving soldiers.]
The objective was clear: capture the 'flag' planted far away.
And the ones I’d be competing against for that single flag were...
Clatter! Clatter! Clatter—!
The deafening, thunderous noise made me look up.
The enemy had already filled the grassy plain.
Skeleton soldiers.
Sigh.
‘Are they skeletons too?’
The only difference was that while our side had polished white bones, theirs were jet-black, as if they'd been painted together.
And their commander, 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 flag’s already been taken, hasn’t it?”
The flag had spawned in their camp.
Right in the center of the grassy plain.
The very spot where those black skeletons had emerged from the earth.
[A 'flag' 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 blatant intent to stack the odds against me made me chuckle bitterly.
“Maintain formation!!”
Their commander shouted with a booming voice.
Perhaps because of the enormous horns on its helmet, it exuded a commanding 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 enemy commander 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 display 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 black 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 plain 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 emulate, even if they died and came back to life.
“Summon.”
Fwoosh—!
I equipped the round shield and black sword gifted by the foul-mouthed artisan onto my left arm and right hand, respectively.
Feeling the balanced 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...!”
Clatter!
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.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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