Episode 1: New World / Chapter 10: Throne Game (1)

TL: Myoni

Edited: Myoni, Yoni

Sponsored: Arlos

The rules of the Throne Game were partially revealed.

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{Throne Game}

Think of five people. If you gain their support, you can become a king.

Those that become kings will receive 10 free karma points

Time limit: 1 minute

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In under a minute, how many people could gain the support of five people in a single school?

A typical group of friends was made up of 3-5 people and there was bound to be central person in that group. There were more people who attempted to gain five people’s support than they thought.

On top of that, the reward was 10 free karma points. Normally if someone killed a person, a total of 7 karma points would be distributed to each stat, so it was better than killing someone. Since the karma points were able to be allocated however they wanted, it might even be better than killing 4 or 5.

Also, because of the short time limit, there was a rushed side to it like a sale that was about to end.

The students and teachers who were confident in their popularity competitively thought of five people.

{Kim Piljoong wants your support. Do you agree?}

The friends who were asked received a short message.

These people exchanged glances with each other.

It was the same with the class president Jung Minji. However, the ones she thought of weren’t those who trusted and followed her or those who were easy to deal with like Yoon Girim. She thought of nearby leaders who she was friendly with. She picked the third year who fought hard with a firefighter’s axe, Chu Youngjin, the student who was known as the most handsome boy in her class, Kwon Saehyuk and the ethics teacher who helped protect the dropouts with Jung Minji, Park Solam.

Jung Minji said at the same time.

“Carefully think about what that the hidden rule is! ‘Throne Game’, do you think there will be endless thrones? We have to join our strength together.”

The ones who heard her shout were speechless. She was saying that the number of thrones was limited and that the ones who declared themselves as kings would have to fight each other in a battle royale.

‘She thought that far as soon as the message appeared?’

They couldn’t help but be surprised by her intelligence.

“Are you sure?”

The ethics teacher Park Solam asked.

“Rationally, half-half. Emotionally, 100%.”

Jung Minji gave a short answer. Everyone took her words seriously.

Everyone had either fought together with Jung Minji or had seen her actions in the Bonus Game. If they couldn’t trust her judgment, who could they trust?

If what she said was true, it was better to join up as one strong power than be separated into 6 different groups.

Eventually, Jung Minji gained the support of five leaders.

Pahhh!

Light shined from Jung Minji’s body. It wasn’t just her. Shining lights appeared throughout the gym. Among the 797 survivors of the Bonus Game, 42 had become kings.

They stared into space as if there was a message only for the kings. Kim Piljoong looked as if it was only natural, Choi Junsung looked like he was having fun and Jung Minji had a nervous expression, however, the majority had proud expressions as if they had become a special existence.

Then the announcement changed.

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{Throne Game}

Choose your king. Those who aren’t kings must be affiliated with a king.

Time limit: 5 minutes. Those who haven’t chosen a king will cease to exist.

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At this moment, Choi Hyuk recalled the hidden rules he found during the break.

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{Throne Game, Hidden Rule #9}

If a person kills more than 5 people and awakens to an innate skill but is not affiliated with a king, the person receives the rights of the ‘King without Subjects’ and 30 free karma points that can be allocated however they want.

{Throne Game, Hidden Rule #15}

When a ‘King without Subjects’ sits on the throne, the person will be randomly given a D rank or greater weapon.

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‘Good…’

If he hadn’t found these rules, Choi Hyuk would have had to choose a king as well. However, he had found rules related to ‘King without Subjects’. And to achieve it, he had already killed 5 people.

Choi Hyuk crossed his arms and waited. Since the rule about ‘those who haven’t chosen a king will cease to exist’ didn’t apply to him who had found the hidden rules.

But, there was no way the other kings knew that. Choi Hyuk was the most outstanding player in the Bonus Game and it was obvious that no matter what kind of game the Throne Game was; it was necessary to have strong followers.

The first to approach was Jung Minji. Her group was made up of the friends and colleagues of the five who joined her at the start and it could be considered large enough to face off against the school president Kim Piljoong’s group.

“Hyuk. Join me.”

Choi Hyuk turned to look at Jung Minji. A smart and daring girl. The girl who had stood up for him by herself. The girl who had saved Yoon Girim who was abandoned by everyone else. But, she was definitely not a pushover. She was just strangely sensitive to the weak as she unhesitantly stabbed guys like Lee Mingi with an awl.

She was charming. If he hadn’t found the hidden rules, he might have gone under Jung Minji’s command.

Choi Hyuk shook his head.

“I have some circumstances.”

Jung Minji’s expression didn’t change when she heard his refusal and she asked calmly.

“In the very least, I don’t want to become enemies with you. Who are you planning to join?”

Choi Hyuk replied.

“Don’t worry. As long as the situation allows it, I won’t be your enemy.”

Then Jung Minji silently looked at Choi Hyuk before extending her hand. Choi Hyuk examined her hand. The Jung Minji reflected on his ‘Eyes of Distinction’ didn’t reveal any colors. Her suggestion wasn’t made with good or bad intentions. Like she said, she simply didn’t want to fight him. An objective judgment.

In this chaos influenced by madness and confusion, she kept her calm. For some reason, Choi Hyuk liked that calmness. Choi Hyuk grinned as he grabbed her hand.

Besides, there were many guys to fight besides her.

As soon as she left, Choi Junsung approached him. He smiled brightly and abruptly tried to put his arms around Choi Hyuk’s shoulders. Choi Hyuk pushed him away before his arms could wrap around him.

He was the Choi Hyuk who had seen Lee Mingi put his arms around Yang Gilsoo and strangle him.

The fellow known as Choi Junsung looked like he had nothing to be scared of as he acted thoughtlessly.

“What.”

“Hey… Don’t be so cranky. You fight pretty good? Let’s fight together. You have to choose someone anyways.”

The best fighter in school Choi Junsung really liked Choi Hyuk. He who had no friends, only lackeys, felt that he had finally found an ‘equal’. That was why, even though Choi Hyuk pushed him away, he didn’t feel bad.

And he never thought that Choi Hyuk would actually refuse him. It didn’t matter if he liked him or not. If a tiger was to choose a king, it would be another tiger. Choi Junsung was confident that the only tigers in this school were Choi Hyuk and himself.

“Screw off.”

So the next words were particularly unpleasant.

“What?”

“I told you to screw off.”

The only person who thought they were equals was Choi Junsung. Choi Hyuk thought he was nothing more than a ‘shitty bastard’ who only acted tough when he was actually weak.

Choi Junsung’s face distorted.

“Huh. What? So did you really side with that bitch? Fine. I get it. Ptu.”

Choi Junsung spread out his hands before turning around and leaving.

In between the white (goodwill) light his body was emitting, traces of red (killing) light squeezed through. The warm light had traces of clamminess to it.

‘What? How can there be goodwill and killing intent? Is it saying that since he can’t get me, he’ll destroy me?’

Anyways, he was a funny guy.

That was how people with killing intent increased but Choi Hyuk didn’t care. Didn’t he resolve himself? That he would stand at the top. That he would show the most memorable performance.

5 minutes had passed.

When everyone else stood around the 42 kings, Choi Hyuk stood by himself.

Those who approached him with slight expectations all had cold water poured over them. They all thought one thing.

‘Just who is he backed by to act like that?’

Choi Hyuk was a dangerous existence. They never thought of the possibility that Choi Hyuk wouldn’t choose anyone and were curious who Choi Hyuk joined in secret.

Then there was a change.

Paah!

It was the same as when the kings were chosen. Choi Hyuk body emitted a light. But, the color of the light was different. Instead of a white light, a black light was emitted. And above Choi Hyuk’s head, a hidden rule was revealed.

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{Throne Game, Hidden Rule #9}

If a person kills more than 5 people and awakens to an innate skill but is not affiliated with a king, the person receives the rights of the ‘King without Subjects’ and 30 free karma points that can be allocated however they want.

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“Huuh.”

Shouts erupted all around him. No way. For there to be a rule about a 1-person king? Although Choi Hyuk didn’t know this, unlike the other rules which had multiple copies, there was only a single copy of the ‘King without Subjects’ rule. To everyone else, Choi Hyuk’s ascension to ‘King without Subjects’ was something they had never expected.

‘On top of that, 30 free karma points?’

In fact, if they ranked the people who had killed the most, the school president Kim Piljoong, gym teacher Hwang Mangi and Choi Hyuk placed in the top three. For someone like him to receive 30 free karma points to use however he wished meant that he could act with an unequaled strength. And this place was a place where you would get stronger the more you kill. If there was this much difference from the beginning, it might be hard for them to catch up.

Their already heightened alertness against Choi Hyuk further hit their peak when the other rules of the Throne Game were revealed.

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{Throne Game}

There are 5 thrones. You cannot leave unless 5 kings remain.

The only way to end the qualification of a king is to kill them.

From here on out, followers are unable to defy their king and no king is able to kill their followers. If a follower’s king is killed, the follower will join the enemy king’s group.

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Those who had hastily become kings regretted it. It was as if they had voluntarily jumped into a game of death. There were about 30 kings like that while the other 13 had a burning desire to take one of the five seats.

At the same time…

Killing intent poured onto Choi Hyuk who was the strongest by himself but had no strengths in numbers. Choi Hyuk could see the killing intent with his ‘Eyes of Distinction’.

His vision was filled with red lights. A disgusting sticky feeling. Choi Hyuk smiled like a beast.

While smiling, he specifically pointed out kings who were emitting red lights.

“You.”

The first person he pointed to was the student president Kim Piljoong. He had a ‘Who are you?’ expression.

“You.”

The second was Choi Junsung. He just shrugged his shoulders.

“You.”

The third was the gym teacher Hwang Mangi. His facial muscles rippled when he heard a student talking to him impolitely.

“You. You. You.”

The 6 kings Choi Hyuk pointed out were quite high ranked. At the same time, they were those who had the most killing intent towards him. After specifically pointing them all out, Choi Hyuk declared while revealing his teeth.

“I’m going to kill you.”

The other kings were speechless. Even Jung Minji’s expression distorted.

Choi Hyuk unconcernedly started to distribute his free karma points. If he was to include the previous reward for {Danger}, he had 40 free karma points. Choi Hyuk divided it up into 30 and 10 points and put them in Stamina and Recovery.

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{Choi Hyuk}

*Human

*Karma Points

Power: 15 (+5) Speed: 19 (+5) Control: 27

Endurance: 13 Stamina: 45 Recovery: 35 (+10)

*Free Karma Points: 10 *Retribution: 5

{Comparison to his beginning stats}

Power: 5 Speed: 7 Control: 22

Endurance: 7 Stamina: 9 Recovery: 10

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His other stats were higher than others anyways. Even if they were lower, Choi Hyuk was confident he would win. So he believed that the most important stats were Stamina and Recovery.

‘Since I don’t know how many I’ll kill…’

He planned on fully revealing his violent side in this fight.

‘Watch carefully.’

He was planning on appealing to the fucking bastards who created this game.

To what lengths this human known as Choi Hyuk could fight to.

**

{Settings (T/N: Information about how the system works)}

Power: 16 (+5) Stats raised with items will be indicated with a (+5). If you were to take away the increased stat, power would decrease to 11.

Below are the items Choi Hyuk earned in the Bonus Game

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{Necklace of Protection}

Rank: E

Intercepts an opponent’s attack within a certain range.

Remaining interceptions: 0/3

*You will gain an interception every 20 minutes.

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{Tireless Boots}

Rank: E

Recovery +10

Durability: 10/10

Allows you to run faster and jump higher.

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{Fang Saber}

Rank: E

Power +5 Speed +5

Durability: 300/300

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep