Thud!

Kwang...

Baek Yu-Seol raised his head at the nearby loud noise.

Despite being hidden behind the rubble of ruins and covered by the 'Artifact Concealment Robe,' he couldn't shake off a slight unease.

"Phew."

Fortunately, it seemed they were engaged in combat among themselves, unaware of his presence.

[27/100]

The remaining participants were around thirty.

As the competition entered its later stages and the competition area narrowed, he still couldn't encounter the main villain of this episode.

"Isn't this guide completely fake?"

Baek Yu-Seol heard that if you lure aggro, Berenkal would eventually find you.

[17 KILL]

Baek Yu-Seol’s kill count had surpassed 17 kills.

While he was good at combat, the substantial gap in the skill of handling 'Artifacts' from the start made it possible.

Since he was unable to enjoy 1v1 PVP for a decade, he had explored various content such as tournaments and battle royales, and relying on diverse strategies and 'Artifacts,’ he won with the 'Character Baek Yu-Seol, which had a weak constitution and lacked any long range attack methods.

That knowledge proved useful here, and he was able to survive as a ‘Yeopo Meta’ among strong competitors who were called elites in their own way.

‘Hah, I really thought I was going to die against those Jeremy’s guys back then.’

Even though it was a close call with three people attacking simultaneously, he survived thanks to a natural disaster and sheer luck.

By processing special materials and synthesizing them, he crafted a robe that allowed him to ignore the effects of natural disasters to a minimal extent. It enabled him to handle three opponents one by one.

They were all second-year students, and he barely won, but anyway, he was relieved.

‘Berenkal must still be in the game, but where the heck is he?’

The reason for playing like 'Yeopo Meta' was to draw Berenkal’s aggro before another became victim.

However, the fact that he hadn’t appeared until now could mean he had made another victim. It made Baek Yu-Seol slightly anxious.

It was inevitable that other victims would appear.

Yes, he knew that fact.

Nevertheless... Not being able to prevent damage which might be avoidable was heart-wrenching.

"Phew..."

Checking the Vital Points, he found that they had risen to more than half.

Although potions remained abundant, having defeated another player in consecutive battles had significantly drained his stamina.

"Still, if only I knew Berenkal’s location..."

As Baek Yu-Seol pondered, suddenly…

‘Ah, umm, can you hear me...?’

"Huh?"

Abruptly, someone's voice echoed in Baek Yu-Seol’s mind.

‘It seems you hear me well. Baek Yu-Seol, I'm the academy principal. The competition seems to be progressing well.’

"Principal...?"

Baek Yu-Seol was a bit bewildered as he hadn't expected someone to communicate from outside suddenly.

‘Yes. Normally, I strictly refrain from contacting like this, but... due to the circumstances, it seems inevitable. Baek Yu-Seol, a serious issue has arisen in the tournament.’

As soon as Baek Yu-Seol heard those words, he had a gut feeling.

He didn't know how it was found out, but Eltman Eltwin had discovered that a Dark Mage had infiltrated the Magic Survival.

‘As the principal of Stella, it's an embarrassing situation... but a rat somehow participated in the Magic Survival.’

Suddenly, Baek Yu-Seol felt as if he could hear the sound of teeth grinding, but it couldn’t be possible since they were talking through mental waves.

‘So... I would like to ask for help from student Baek Yu-Seol.’

"What kind of help?"

‘I will tell you the location of the Dark Mage. Can you find and deal with him?’

Baek Yu-Seol never expected to receive such assistance.

Without hesitation, he immediately nodded.

"If you tell me, I will go find him right away."

‘There's no need for that. Thanks to one of our academy student buying time, he is currently located outside the competition area.’

‘He seems to be in a hurry to join the competition area... Someone was slowing him down?’

Since there weren't many participants from Stella, he quickly figured out who bought the time.

'Denmark.'

One of Baek Yu-Seol’s favorite characters from the time he played the game.

Surely, he wouldn't just pass by when he saw a Dark Mage.

‘The location is here.’

A map appeared in front of Baek Yu-Seol, indicating Berenkal’s location.

He was still outside the competition area, but he was rushing towards this location at an incredible speed.

Outside the barrier, Vital Points would be depleted at an incredible rate, but it seemed he had a considerable potion supply.

Then, he caught sight of something noticeable.

While the map displayed the locations of other survivors, Jeliel happened to be positioned right in the direction where Berenkal was heading.

"This is... I need to go there myself."

Jeliel was a villainess.

She was even more malicious than Hong Bi-Yeon. She must have committed countless wrongs until now, and there would be countless more mistakes in the future…

But he couldn’t just leave her to die here.

‘Is it because I'm afraid the future might change?’

‘Perhaps.’

There was also a reason.

He saw the potential for recovery from her.

If she repeated and used her intelligence, wealth, and magical talent to contribute in saving the world…

And, above all, since he wished for someone he knew not to die.

‘... I'll ask a favor. It's really embarrassing to entrust such a matter to a student.’

"It's okay. This is what a magic warrior must do."

Even though Baek Yu-Seol didn’t have a sense of duty as a magic warrior, it was still a good thing to do, right?

Once the decision was made, he acted immediately.

Holding the level 3 'Big and Sturdy Iron Club' obtained from supplies, he stood up from his spot.

"I'll go right away."

————

Shooaah....

A downpour began.

The Magic Survival field often changed its weather in addition to natural disasters.

When the rain fell, the sound was almost blocked, making it difficult to detect the presence of enemies approaching from the surrounding area.

Jeliel crouched under the crumbling roof of a ruined building, and stared into the air.

[3 KILL!]

On the way here, she defeated three enemies.

Although she had little interest in the competition and no ambition to win, she felt even more motivated to get moving now that she had participated.

And…

If she happened to win, it could be a great source of pride for her father.

'Now, what do I do.'

She wouldn’t be able to see her father for three years now.

The more she thought about it, the less she understood.

The magical oath was absolute.

There was always a reason why there were almost no magic users who signed this contract voluntarily.

In other words, through this oath... Baek Yu-Seol could have gained many things.

As the daughter of the Starcloud’s president and blessed by the Heavenly Spirit Tree, the High Elf had various uses.

If asked to move the land, she could do it. She could grant a mine if requested, or arrange meetings with nobles or High Elf elders.

Moreover, even though she knew no concept of sexual perception, she was aware of her beauty through the gazes of others.

Being a keen observer, Jeliel knew well how men usually perceived her.

So, perhaps an ordinary person might have added such conditions…

Baek Yu-Seol didn't want anything.

It was all about changing Jeliel’s heart.

What could be the reason?

Throughout the night, she pondered again and again, but no answer came.

'If I come to dislike my father, is there any benefit for Baek Yu-Seol in return?'

Initially, she considered that perspective.

Since she was intelligent, she thought of various scenarios regarding the benefits Baek Yu-Seol could gain socially or commercially, but...

'There isn't any. If I come to dislike my father, Baek Yu-Seol gains absolutely no benefits. On the contrary, he might even incur losses.'

"Sigh..."

She used to wonder why humans sighed, not knowing that she would actually do it herself.

[The competition area is narrowing.]

As it was time to move slowly, she gathered her staff and belongings, and stood up.

To win, taking a central position was the key.

The problem was that everyone thought the same way.

Unfortunately, she fell on the outskirts of the competition area, and time was unreasonably short to claim a central spot.

So, she planned to roam the outskirts of the competition area and then plunge into the center all at once.

Engaging in frequent battles on the outskirts would undoubtedly attract attention, and there was a risk of defeat as well.

When it rains, visibility drops significantly, so she must be cautious while moving.

She carefully exited the ruins and climbed up a hill.

[Weather: Rainy]

[Time: 21:43]

Inside the virtual space, day and night changed rapidly, and as the competition entered the late stage, the sky darkened.

Even in a situation where nothing could be seen clearly right in front of her, Jeliel swiftly navigated through the hills and trees with the exceptional abilities and agility of a High Elf.

Then...

Kurrung...

Flash!

The sky flashed white, and lightning struck down.

"Uhh...!"

A thousand-year-old tree at the top of the hill caught fire.

Despite the heavy rain, the fire showed no sign of extinguishing.

Jeliel realized that it was an 'event' she had only heard about in words.

Experiencing a special event within the space usually allowed one to obtain artifacts which were typically unattainable.

"Lucky."

Other players around her might have noticed this, but Jeliel was the closest, so she quickly acquired it and escaped.

As she approached the burning tree, something shaped like a staff fell.

[Lv.4 Thousand Year Old Tree Staff struck by Lightning]

It was the highest-grade artifact obtainable within the virtual space.

Thinking that it brought her one step closer to victory, Jeliel held it in her hands.

However, at that moment, sensing a presence from behind, she quickly turned around and aimed the staff.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice if you sneak up quietly? Trying to deceive an elf's ears? Quite a bold move.”

…

The opponent’s entire body was covered in a robe, and observing his disheveled state, he appeared to have engaged in a significant battle.

He should have low Vitality Points.

'Should be easy to defeat. This magical survival could be determined not only by the mage’s individual skill but also by artifacts and equipment.'

Jeliel was confident of victory.

But suddenly, the unknown opponent swiftly tore and discarded the robe.

"Huh...?"

For a moment, Jeliel failed to grasp the situation.

A small horn stood out. The whites of his eyes were dyed dark red, and he even had sharp protruding fangs.

That was... an unmistakable appearance of a dark mage.

'Is this... also an event?'

No.

There was no event featuring the appearance of dark mages.

Why would a dark mage event occur suddenly in a competition solely for mages to test their survival skills?

Moreover, the opponent wasn't wearing the system-assist bracelet reserved for players.

The opponent was a player.

But a dark mage.

The cause-and-effect relationship was beyond Jeliel's comprehension.

"Who are you...?"

She asked cautiously, but the dark mage remained silent.

He revealed his fangs, then conjured crimson flames in both hands.

'Ah...?'

She clearly sensed dark magic.

Intuition kicked in.

He was a 'real dark mage.'

So, if she got hit by that magic...

She could truly die.

'I need to escape.'

She only took about 3 seconds to decide.

However, by the time the decision was made, the dark mage had already sent eerie black flames towards Jeliel.

… Whoosh!!