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Kill the Hero
Chapter 21
"As you can see from the dungeon report, this dungeon is believed to contain at least 1,000 orcs."
The briefing for the single-floor dungeon, which was held in a university classroom, was clearly different from any other one-floor dungeon briefing meeting.
Its quality was similar to a PPT made by a large company after spending hundreds of billions of won.
"As for the Orc Champion…"
Vibrant data including video clips filled the screen.
Some of them even contained the experience and advice of high level players, which couldn't be purchased with money alone.
However, none of the players here were interested in these preparations.
Among the 20 players from the Phoenix Guild, four were just sleeping with their sleeping mask on, and fifteen had their eyes on their smartphones, their watches, or were dozing off in plain sight.
The one remaining person was interested in preparing for the dungeon but he wasn't interested in the explanations given by the dungeon support team.
'Finally, I see some names I know.'
Kim Woo-jin, the only one who seemed to be burning with an academic passion, was only interested in the name tags that the players were wearing.
'Though there is only one name I'm happy to see.'
He was looking at the profiles of those who participated in the dungeon attack, including the ones from the Phoenix Guild.
Of course, he wasn't looking at them with good intentions.
At the very least, Kim Woo-jin didn't view any of those people as a rescue target.
Instead, Kim Woo-jin was picking his targets.
'At that time, the number of survivors when the dungeon was completed was… I'm not sure. However, there were only around 70 people.'
According to Kim Woo-jin's memory, the survival rate of this dungeon was less than 50 percent. In other words, the death rate was higher than 50 percent.
It wasn't a good figure.
The best of the best players, armed with the best items, shouldn't have had much trouble handling the orcs.
Taking that into consideration, nearly everyone should have survived.
This meant there had to be other variables excluding orcs that was responsible for such a high death rate.
'Though it was announced that nothing happened…'
However, even though they had investigated what happened inside the dungeon after it was cleared, the perpetrators were neither discovered nor published.
Dead people can't talk.
Furthermore, there was no evidence to back it up.
To put it differently, there was only doubt.
'Someone must have gotten rid of their competition.'
Doubts that a guild or multiple guilds took the opportunity to remove other guild's prospects.
It wasn't outside of expectations.
When explained in terms of the Major League, if given a chance to eliminate an opponent's promising player who won 10 times in a row or hit 30 home runs each year and get away with it, they would not give up on that opportunity. Players weren't kind enough to let go of such an opportunity when it's in their grasp.
Above all, the world not mourn over a player's death.
'The fact that the Messiah Guild wasn't harmed was critical. It would be hard to touch the Messiah Guild.'
It only applied to those who weren't from the Messiah Guild.
As a matter of fact, players from the Messiah Guild were not involved and had hunted like usual within the dungeon.
Rather, the Messiah Guild obtaining a legendary item had put everyone in a festive mood.
The Messiah Guild was the biggest beneficiary of this dungeon.
The Messiah Guild had gotten the Orc Lord's Fang, the best item in this dungeon, a legendary item.
'Also, the fact that the fang was in Lee Se-joon's hands was broadcasted live.'
The fact that the Messiah Guild's players offered the legendary item to their savior, Lee Se-joon was broadcasted, resulting in celebrations from all across the world.
'In a nutshell, it was the Messiah Guild and Lee Se-joon who were the ones that had benefited the most from the case.'
However, the Messiah Guild that benefited the most from the dungeon was in the past; it was before Kim Woo-jin managed to return to the past.
They had injured their competitors, secured a legendary item, and proved to the world that the Messiah guild was the best.
'There's something.'
That was the reason why Kim Woo-jin looked over the profiles of the players participating in the dungeon once again.
There is a high possibility that the Messiah Guild used another guild to do something.
He was also considering the possibility of the Messiah Guild doing something without acting themselves and soiling their reputation.
"This concludes the dungeon preparations. See you all tomorrow in front of the dungeon gate."
The dungeon preparations finally concluded.
'The one that is the most suspicious is… the Skull Guild.'
Kim Woo-jin also finished his preparations.
Moments before entering the dungeon gate.
Bugyeongdae, where the dungeon gate had spawned, was in a festive mood.
'With Skull Guild player Kim Tae-jun as the guest today…'
From news to entertainment, various TV programs were filming all over the university, and some people were even throwing a party near the location.
'Let's party without regret!'
'Let's gooooo!"
For players who could die despite being skilled, and could not even have a grave, it was natural for them to be excited and have fun before entering a dungeon.
Of course, Kim Woo-jin was different.
He was not excited.
He checked and calculated it calmly again and again.
'What's the chance I'll die?'
He was calculating while thinking about the likelihood for him to die in the dungeon.
Kim Woo-jin was that kind of guy.
He was willing to die if necessary, but that did not mean to he would act like a mad dog that couldn't wait to die.
That was true now as well.
If this dungeon was risky to the point of being fatal, he was going to give up on clearing the dungeon.
If he did not have confidence, he intended to reconsider.
After careful calculations, he arrived at an answer.
Of course, the answer was obvious.
'There isn't any.'
Kim Woo-jin was confident in clearing the dungeon.
"Players are now entering the dungeon gate."
The atmosphere at the dungeon gate was similar to that of a national soccer team's match.
Commentators explained how players were heading toward the dungeon gate more seriously than ever before, and drones took shots of the scene and broadcasted the videos live.
"The Messiah Guild's heroes have just entered the dungeon gate!"
Moreover, the atmosphere was heated like a match between Korea and Japan rather than a simple match between between two national soccer teams.
The home team was definitely the Messiah Guild.
That was why the players from Messiah Guild were the first ones to enter.
If the Messiah guild entered late and they were attacked by other player due to that reason, wasn't it clear where Koreans will shoot their arrows?
"They got 20 seats without having to bid, and to think they get to enter first as well… There is no better special treatment than this."
"I'd rather have them go in first rather than hear everyone complaining."
For other guilds, it was better to let the Messiah guild enter first.
"Nothing is going to change even if they go in there first anyway."
"I guess so, since we have to catch at least a thousand orcs this time."
Furthermore, rather than being safer, it was likely to be more dangerous for them to enter the dungeon that was home to over 1000 orcs.
"Well, at least there is no reason for the Messiah Guild to wait for us at the spawning point and kill us off one by one."
"That's true."
Above all, they were confident that the Messiah Guild had no reason to attack them.
Therefore, there was no commotion.
Players began to cross the dungeon gate, turning their backs on the crowd of cheers.
Kim Woo-jin crossed the dungeon gate.
The game has started.
One of the most important characteristics for a player was their adaptability.
The ability to adapt to the conditions of a dungeon was essential since nobody knew if there would be forests, mountains, or deserts until they have entered the dungeon.
At the same time, adapting to one's own capabilities was also important.
A player's abilities transcended common sense and acquiring abilities could be surprisingly quick.
Just by changing items, a tremendous amount of bonus stats could be obtained immediately.
Adaptability to oneself and knowing one's strength was indeed very important.
By the time someone approached the level of 20, they would know if they had such adaptability or not.
They would be able to vaguely measure their own strength.
They would be able to gauge whether they were just decent or if they could faceroll and run wild in the dungeon.
The players who entered the Orc Champion Colony dungeon was, of course, the latter.
They had the necessary capabilities and skills to run it down without a care in the world.
"Let's catch them before the others hunt them all!"
"Of course, they're going to give the right to challenge the Orc Champion in the order of who got most slots, right?"
So they did not hesitate a bit when they entered the dungeon.
"Come on!"
They threw themselves into the great forest before them.
Then they began fighting in the forest full of orcs.
Keueo!
"Kill it!"
Soon after, the cries of orcs and players started to emerge from all over the forest, and the fresh smell of blood filled the forest.
"There is an orc!"
"We are the one who found this orc!"
"Don't touch our catch!"
Everyone tried to catch as much they could, revealing their fangs to each other.
Only one person was shying away from all the action.
"It's as I expected."
Kim Woo-jin.
He was the only one missing out on all the action.
No, he wasn't exactly shying away from the battle, but even so, he was standing motionlessly near the starting point.
He spent half of the day standing still at the starting point to assess the situation around him.
He wasn't doing any research, spying, or monitoring either.
If Park Yong-wan, who substantially paid Kim Woo-jin to be his watchdog, knew that Kim Woo-jin was wasting his time in a such a way, he would be baffled.
'They don't look back and are competitively hunting the orcs, with ease as expected too.'
Of course, Kim Woo-jin had no intention of acting as a watchdog for Park Yong-wan from the start.
'They hunt well enough to cause the orcs to be nervous."
Kim Woo-jin was also not interested in hunting orcs.
'It's about time for the orcs to come out from their colony. Then the front line will reach a deadlock.'
Kim Woo-jin's objectives remained the same.
'The Orc Champion will move to the front to break the deadlock.'
Orc Champion, the Orc Lord's Fang was in his possession.
Naturally, Kim Woo-jin planned to go after the Orc Champion.
"Now is a good time."
Finally, Kim Woo-jin moved.