As soon as I returned from the admission ticket scramble, I was met with the sight of Eun Seoryeong, who had lost her left arm. And shocking news…!

“Y-You mean the Soul System also increases stats?”

I barely managed to steady my trembling voice and asked. In that moment, I completely forgot about the Black Dragon RP and switched to a formal tone.

Eun Seoryeong replied.

“I gained enlightenment and overcame the wall. It was the peak wall that had blocked me for ten years.” “…Peak?” “It’s the realm of Murim people. O Great Hero, you might not know about it.”

Eun Seoryeong continued her explanation. The content was easy to understand.

‘So it’s roughly like a second job advancement or awakening… something similar to that.’

But did it really mean stats would increase?

I never considered that there could be a race that could grow in a way other than through bonuses received after passing tests.

‘That’s cheating….’

I finally understood. Why Earthlings were treated like garbage.

‘If it were me, I would have ignored them too.’

From the perspective of another race that could sharpen their skills and grow stronger, there couldn’t be a more pathetic group than the incompetent Earthlings. I gritted my teeth.

‘There has to be a way.’

I firmly believed that there was a means for Earthlings to turn the tide. Otherwise, it would be too unfair.

「I will now settle the admission tickets! Please check the pieces you have collected!」

I rummaged through my pockets and pulled out my admission ticket pieces. The crumpled fragments looked especially pitiful—was that just my imagination?

“I gathered as many as I could.”

Baeksong revealed more than her share. When she was persuaded to participate in the scramble, she had said something like, ‘No matter what, just a bit…’ But it seemed she had gone to town swinging her sword after actually joining.

‘Or maybe she really only killed the bad guys.’

Our gazes soon turned to Eun Seoryeong.

She should also show her admission tickets. Since she reached the peak while fighting, she must have gathered quite a few, right? That was the implication of our looks.

“Hoho. I’m sorry, O Great Hero. Baeksong Dojo.”

Eun Seoryeong awkwardly smiled as she spoke.

“I wasn’t able to collect admission tickets. I was too busy exterminating the evil ones.” “…What?”

That was understandable.

“It’s alright. I collected plenty.” I reached out my hand toward Eun Seoryeong. It meant I wanted the first ticket offered to the participants of the scramble.

As I stared at her intently, she replied with a proud smile this time.

“What I received, I just gave it to someone who couldn’t collect admission tickets and was crying.” “…….”

I almost mocked her without realizing it. Clapping my hands as I spoke.

‘No matter what, she’s on my team. If teamwork breaks, it will only harm me.’

I barely managed to rein in my emotions.

“Well, just one ticket is fine.”

I was relieved that I had gathered more than my share, just in case.

「The number of admission tickets you need to move on to the next stage is 3! Teams that cannot collect 3 will be eliminated!」

Elimination means death. The administrator cheerfully announced something horrific.

「Do you want to live?! I’ve made admission tickets, and it’s unfair to die because of your team?! Alright! Thanks to your support, I’ll give you a small mission!」

As soon as those words were spoken, a television appeared in the waiting room.

「If you don’t have admission tickets, you can’t attend the lecture! The time of the ascenders isn’t that cheap! So what should you do?」 “…….” 「Naturally, you have to reduce the number of people!」

The television screen reflected the scenery of the waiting room. It was a waiting room with the same structure as ours, but it showed other players who were not us.

「The mini-game starts! If you see your team on the television, just leave as many people as you have admission tickets!」

The administrator shouted excitedly.

The first team looked at each other in confusion. Then they started to distance themselves.

─ It’s because you didn’t manage to collect any admission tickets.

Two people met each other's gazes. Together, they teamed up to kill one.

─ Aaaah!

A horrific scene was broadcasted through the television.

“…That’s cruel.”

I sympathized with Eun Seoryeong’s words.

─ Wait, why me! ─ Let’s talk. Maybe if we converse, there’s another way.

The team pointed out by the television began to cut each other one by one. Up to that point, it was not much different from the tests they had faced so far.

Killing and being killed had been the norm since the tutorial. Players from other dimensions might be more accustomed to this than Earthlings.

The problem was with the teams that hadn’t yet taken their turn.

‘…The waiting room for those who couldn’t collect admission tickets must be in chaos.’

In reality, many teams immediately started eliminating one as soon as they appeared on the television. They had already decided who to kill when it came to the turn of the other teams.

That atmosphere. The feeling of a weakling standing alone in front of those who were ready to abandon and kill him.

Just imagining it for a moment made me feel like I would vomit.

‘What if it were me?’

What if two female Murim people formed a temporary alliance and charged at me to kill me?

‘I wouldn’t die quietly.’

Right away, I would unleash Hatchling Breath.

I would turn the tables and kill them all. If it’s for survival, I wouldn’t hesitate even a bit about murder. It would be better for others to die than for me to die.

The mini-game initiated by the administrator progressed rapidly. The players swung their swords toward their teams without hesitation.

It had only been half a day since they formed teams. A hollow team.

‘But would they uphold loyalty?’

It was essentially a mission of killing and being killed.

“……”

I saw a familiar face.

‘Kim Min-seong.’

Was that his girlfriend, Lee Soo-jung, beside him?

─ Mi, Min-seong. Wait a minute.

We had gathered a considerable amount of admission ticket pieces ourselves. However, we couldn’t create several complete admission tickets.

The structure was such that I took the necessary amount first, and then the remainder went to Kim Min-seong. If Kim Min-seong’s team couldn’t find admission tickets, they were bound to be lacking in numbers.

─ You all insisted on participating! I said I didn’t want to!

Kim Min-seong and Lee Soo-jung. And the girl who was facing those two screamed.

Kim Min-seong struggled to ignore her anguished scream.

─ Aaaah! No! Please! I-I’ll do well! ─ I-I’m sorry. “Ugh.”

Before long, it was time to move on to the next turn.

Had about an hour passed? The mini-game of killing and being killed came to an end.

「I thought I distributed plenty of admission tickets, but why did everyone find so few? Too many have died!」

The administrator appeared with a bright smile, capturing the players' attention.

「It’s over now! Players who made admission tickets can ask the ascenders for knowledge! Of course, how much you absorb is up to you, so do your best!」

The waiting room door opened. Outside, a blue light shimmered. It was a portal similar to the white room seen during the tutorial.

“……”

I shot a glance at Eun Seoryeong and Baeksong. Our eyes met, and we each headed toward the portal.

Beyond the portal was a waiting room of the same auditorium shape as earlier. There, an Earthling ascender was waiting.

In a denim jacket and jeans. She was a woman who couldn’t be described as anything other than an Earthling.

「…….」

She sighed as she looked around at the Earthlings pouring out. The sound was loud enough to resonate in my ears.

「First….」

The woman stood at the podium and manipulated something. Then, the positions of the players were rearranged.

「Players standing to my right, go out that door.」

The players began to murmur.

“What?” “Go out? Where to…?”

The woman looked down at them and spoke.

「Blinky said it was an admission ticket, but in fact, that’s not an admission ticket. If you’re a player from another dimension, you might learn something… but for players from Earth, learning something won’t solve the problems.」 “…Then!”

At the woman’s words, someone shouted defiantly. An old man spat as he asked.

“Isn’t that all the more reason to inform us? In this dangerous world, we should help each other as people from the same dimension! We’re all from the same hometown!” “Oh, well said!”

Perhaps inspired by the old man’s courage, the women nearby raised their voices.

There wasn’t only South Korea on Earth. Many other countries existed as well.

Though their skin colors varied, the trials they had endured were the same. They all felt anxiety, and their grievances erupted like a flood.

“Are we asking for too much?” “Weapons! Don’t you have good weapons? Guns?” “We almost died because of those guys from other dimensions! At least you know more than we do! Then you can give us some information! So we can survive!”

Though they were divided into two groups, the people on this side seemed to think similarly.

「You want information?」

“Yeah! Or at least stats or skills!”

They had mostly finished adapting. They also realized they needed to utilize the Soul System and demanded related bonuses.

The adaptability of the elders was anything but slow. They learned new things faster than anyone else.

‘The slow ones are already dead.’

There were many filters along the way. The people standing here could be considered players with proven judgment.

However, the woman seemed to look at Earth-origin players differently.

「Even if I give you information, it won’t matter much. The contents of the test change depending on the will of the floor’s master.」 “…….” 「And even if I send people up that way, it won’t really help Earth. They’ll die sooner or later anyway, so why bother? It’s cleaner to just cut you off here, isn’t it?」 “W-What….”

Some players seemed shocked by the woman’s confident voice.

「Well. You probably don’t understand what I’m saying. That’s fine.」

The woman manipulated something. She was probably working with the Soul System.

Ding-!

A sound rang out, and the players’ gazes turned to the air.

[1st Floor, Prove It.] Ascenders are stepping forward for the growth of players challenging the seat. They will do their utmost to convey their experiences fully.

“……”

[1st Floor, Distribute.] Ascender Jo Seohui has won a bet against the master of the floor and obtained 100 points. How to distribute this is her decision.

People raised their heads. Everyone looked at Ascender Jo Seohui.

「I can’t tell you anything like an ascender from another dimension, and I don’t have anything to share. So I’ve earned some points by doing what I’m good at.」 “…….” 「With this precious point…. Am I going to invest in players who look like they’re going to die? Or am I going to give it to the players who seem to have a chance?」

No one readily answered. They immediately realized what their standing meant.

“Still….” “Hey, giving it to the weak….”

Someone spoke up in a small voice. It was a ridiculous statement but just the right thing to scratch their nerves.

“What kind of nonsense is that!” “Are you asking for points because you’re weak? Are you saying we should all die together?”

The players began to growl at each other. Tensions were high.

「The player on the right has no admission tickets. In fact, they don’t have the right to tell me what to do.」 “…….” 「But I called you here just in case. As expected, there’s nothing special about you.」

It felt cold. Did they sense the chill directed at them?

“W-We want a chance too!” “What do you know about me? Are you trying to kill me as soon as you see me!”

The players struggled. Jo Seohui clicked her tongue.

「Oh? Is that so? Then what? I didn’t want to use the same radical methods as Blinky. But I guess there’s no helping it.」

Muttering this, Jo Seohui delivered a message to the players.

「1st Floor, Reduce by Half.」 Show that you qualify as Earth-origin players to challenge the seat.

A moment of silence. The people were beginning to anticipate what would happen next.

Woosh-!

Someone stabbed their neighbor with a spear. Blood splattered.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

The auditorium turned into chaos and pandemonium.