“I'll give you some time to discuss among your team as a break!”

The explanation was over.
The rules for the scramble for admission tickets were simple, so there was no need for lengthy discussions.

In the vast waiting room.
Each team gathered together.

“Great hero. I’d like to hear an explanation about the situation from earlier.”

Eun Seoryeong approached me with a gentle voice.
What should I respond with?

‘Honestly?’

Is there any benefit to telling the truth?

‘It seems like there’s nothing but a loss.’

Silence was golden.

“Are you really a black dragon? Not a black dragon chief or a black dragon lord?”
“…And if I am?”

I glanced at the dragon administrator.
I wondered if they would become furious upon hearing a falsehood about a kin pretending to be one.
To be honest, I was a bit scared.

Whether it was a blessing or not, the dragon administrator didn’t seem particularly interested in me.
They looked busy whispering among themselves.

I shot a glance at Eun Seoryeong, putting on the most arrogant expression I could muster.

“Are you thinking of challenging me like the other martial artists?”
“…”

This was a different situation from the crew making.
They had set out to ‘hunt’ the weakest Earthling for a meager stat boost.

‘Are they really challenging me knowing I’m strong? That’s more insane.’

In fact, it was more abnormal on their part.

‘…But she doesn’t look like that type.’

Eun Seoryeong of the Jeomchang faction.
Baeksong of the Hwasan faction.

Both referred to themselves as Taoists.

Taoist.
A person who cultivates the Tao.

‘Something like Siddhartha Gautama.’

Now that I thought about it, Eun Seoryeong's kind demeanor fit perfectly.

Baeksong gave off a similar vibe.
They felt different from the ordinary martial artists who simply wielded swords.

But I couldn’t let my guard down.

“No, I had no intention of doing that.”
When I shot her a sharp glare, Eun Seoryeong waved her hands, fervently denying it.

“Why would I do that when I’m now a companion of the great hero?”
“…”
“I just asked out of curiosity. It’s honestly fascinating, isn’t it? A black dragon, in this world. So let’s not glare at each other like that.”

Eun Seoryeong offered a friendly smile, lightening the atmosphere.
Thanks to that, I could relax my eyes a little.

“So, what should we do now?”

Eun Seoryeong took the lead in the conversation.

“Do you have any intention of participating in the scramble for admission tickets, Baeksong?”

At Eun Seoryeong’s question, Baeksong showed a vague reaction.
He seemed hesitant to respond.

‘He probably wants to opt-out, but he doesn’t think he can handle the consequences of that.’

I could sense that conflict in Baeksong's expression.

‘What should I say to persuade him?’

While I was pondering, Eun Seoryeong spoke first.

“Based on what’s happened in the Tower of Struggle so far and what that administrator said… It seems that those who don’t participate will face severe disadvantages.”

Her gentle tone contrasted with her assertive claim.
Eun Seoryeong shared my thoughts.

“…I know that. But…”
“I think I understand what you’re worried about, Baeksong.”
“…”
“You’re a Taoist of the orthodox martial world. It must be uncomfortable to wield a sword for personal gain, right? Like a thorn stuck in your throat.”

“…”

Eun Seoryeong spoke softly while subtly moving closer to Baeksong.
She patted his shoulder and continued.

“I understand. You are a true practitioner of the Tao.”

Looking purely at appearances, Eun Seoryeong seemed to be about seven years older than Baeksong.

‘There’s a subtle difference.’

I didn’t ask her directly.
Eun Seoryeong felt like she was in her late twenties, while Baeksong seemed to be in his early twenties.

‘An older student and a freshman…’

Maybe that was why.
It felt like a fourth-year student giving advice to a newly admitted freshman.

“We’re not participating in the scramble for admission tickets just to get them.”
“…Huh?”
“Do you see over there?”

I was about to say something nonsensical, but Eun Seoryeong pointed at something.

At the tip of her finger, there was a group of martial artists who clearly looked like bad guys.

“Those are the Heukdo. Scum that has been disrupting the lives of people somewhere in the Central Plains.”
“…”
“As righteous Baekdo martial artists, shouldn’t we stop them? We can’t let those guys take what they want.”

Heukdo, Baekdo.
Bad guys, good guys.

Eun Seoryeong skillfully presented her rationale.

“Baeksong, think about it. What will happen if that band of scum over there gets the admission tickets?”
“…”
“They will become strong beyond our imagination. Then who will suffer? The Jeomchang faction? The Hwasan faction? No, it will be the innocent civilians who will get hurt.”

Are you still not going?
Was it just my imagination, or was there something left unsaid?

“…I understand. Let’s participate in the scramble for admission tickets.”

Before long, Baeksong declared his surrender.

Eun Seoryeong finally heard the answer she wanted.
Out of courtesy, she also asked me.

“What about you, great hero?”
“Of course, I’ll participate.”

I lowered my voice to preserve the majesty of the black dragon.

One hour of rest.
During that time, players made their decisions about participation.

“I see that more players than I expected have expressed their intention to participate. It seems everyone pretended not to want it while secretly longing for the admission tickets. This is why quick-witted folks are so valuable.”

The dragon administrator seemed quite pleased with the situation.

“The size of the field will be adjusted according to the number of participants. So don’t worry too much.”
“…”

No one retorted.
Everyone waited for the scramble with tense expressions.

“Get ready! I wish everyone a safe return!”

Lose the admission ticket, and you are eliminated.
Elimination means death.

But come back safely?
That was ridiculous.

Tzuzut—.

Players were transmitted.
My body, along with Eun Seoryeong and Baeksong, turned into blue particles and scattered.

When I opened my eyes,
I was standing in the field the administrator mentioned.

“Alone?”

I had expected to fall with my teammates.

“Did you think the scramble for admission tickets was a team battle? Ding! Wrong! The scramble for admission tickets is an individual competition! Each of you must gather your own admission tickets!”
“Damn it.”
“Of course, you can stick with your teammates! But who knows if time will allow it!”

With the administrator's words finishing, a timer appeared in my view.

[239:59]

The duration of the scramble for admission tickets is four hours.
But do I have to worry about finding my teammates?

‘…How vast is this field?’

Looking for Eun Seoryeong and Baeksong would be a waste of time.
Securing admission tickets first was the best plan.

I checked the admission ticket in my hand.

[Ultra Ultra Special Lecture Admission Ticket! (Alpha)]

I started with the Alpha ticket, so now I just need to find Beta and Omega.

‘There are two ways.’
As the dragon administrator informed, I could either find the hidden tickets scattered throughout the field.
Or, I could take them from other players.

“Hey.”

Just then, there was a player nearby.
With so many players dropped into the field, it was inevitable to run into someone no matter where I went.

“Hello?”
He approached me, pretending to know me.
His hair was splayed out in all directions, and his bizarrely dyed hair was hard to look at.

‘…Does he not recognize me?’

I thought I had made a strong impression by showing the Hatchling Breath.
Was that just my delusion?

He waved his admission ticket in front of me.

“Could you tell me what part it is?”

His swaggering demeanor felt off.
The casual suit jacket draped over his shoulder and the massive katana looked too strange.

“If it’s the same part as mine, I’ll spare you.”
“…You’ll spare me?”
“Yeah. I’m Beta.”

Looking at his admission ticket, it indeed seemed different from mine.

“Aren’t you going to tell me?”
“It’s a different part.”
“Really?”

His attitude shifted instantly.
He raised the katana and pointed it at me.

“Then I’ll have to kill you.”

A grin twisted on his face.

At that moment,
I felt a vibration under my feet.

I quickly stepped back.

Boom—!

A small explosion.
The ground trembled, and something shot up from it.

‘A mole?’

Following through with my back step, I kicked the mole that appeared right in front of me.

Peurk—!

A light roundhouse kick struck its torso perfectly.
Just because I kicked lightly didn’t mean the damage was light.

‘I kicked it with force.’

The soft texture and the sensation of impact
I felt both simultaneously at my toes.

The mole met its end.

“Reaper!” He screamed in desperation.
“Damn it! My Reaper, my Reaper…!”

Was the mole that had died earlier named Reaper?

“Reaper’s revenge!”
The man crouched down and gripped his katana.
He had a fierce aura, as if he was about to launch an attack at any moment.

‘Ah, this could be dangerous.’
I didn’t feel the same overwhelming pressure as I did with the white man I encountered during crew making.
But my body was warning me not to let my guard down.

‘…I guess I’ll have to use Hatchling Breath.’

The scramble for admission tickets lasts four hours.
The cooldown for Hatchling Breath, which I received as a racial specialization bonus, is three hours.

With this one shot, I can obtain Beta, and with the next one, I can get Omega.
It was a perfect plan.

Fwoosh—!

I put my plan into action immediately.
The darkness enveloped him.

[Absorbing the soul of Kurakane Shuntaro (Psychic).]
[Intelligence increases by 0.01.]

So he was a psychic.
I didn’t know what ability he had, but it was fascinating nonetheless.

At that moment,
A sudden message appeared.

[The Soul System successfully manifests a portion of Kurakane Shuntaro’s soul.]
[You can acquire ‘Animal Empathy (E)’.]
“Eh?”

A status screen popped up.

【Skills Owned - (2/2)】
【Heavy Strike (F)】 【Hatchling Breath (C)】

I hadn’t selected anything, yet things were happening at lightning speed.

[Would you like to delete Heavy Strike (F) and acquire Animal Empathy (E)?]

I shook my head in a panic.
It was a proposal I absolutely could not accept.

‘Animal Empathy? I don’t need something like that.’
[The remnants of Kurakane Shuntaro’s soul scatter away.]
“…”

As I saw the last message, I was struck by a revelation.

“This means that when you kill a player, it doesn’t just grant you stats.”

The will of the Tower, which urges killing, felt too blatant.
I gritted my teeth.