The second island is larger than the first one.
However, after circling around it, the difference wasn’t significant.

It took about 10 minutes or so, maybe 20 at most.
It didn’t require much time.

‘That’s probably it.’

I soon discovered the dungeon.

The temple was immediately noticeable, entirely out of place on the island.
It didn’t fit the island at all, so it naturally drew my attention.

The problem, though, was the group occupying the temple.

‘Are they with the people mining the magic stones earlier?’

If the boat was large, I could understand having many crew members.
With my raft, three people was the limit, but a warship could carry hundreds.

‘It doesn’t seem like that’s the case…’

There’s no way players could have the technology to manufacture a ship from scratch on bare land.
At most, they could have managed a galley or something like that.

‘The kind that moves with oars.’

Could they have attached a magic stone motor to the back to increase the speed?
I wondered, but I didn’t think too deeply about it.

‘One, two, three...’

The opposing group consisted of dozens of people.
With all my fingers and toes, I could count them.

Exactly twelve.

They had set up camp in front of the temple and were stationed there.
I didn’t get an explanation from them directly, but it was obvious they were guarding the temple.

What should I do?

‘Are they with the same group as the ones mining magic stones?’

What are the odds that different groups would stay on such a small island, with different goals?

I couldn’t say it was zero, but I didn’t think the odds were high.

‘Better be cautious.’

I made my way down from the hill and toward the temple.
One of the guards who had been patrolling the area saw me and approached.

A brown-haired white man.
He looked like a Middle-Earth type at first glance.

“…I haven’t seen you before.”
“I just landed on this island today.”
“Today?”
“I made a raft and crossed the sea.”

I kept my face straight, pretending to be a Murim warrior.
I hadn’t bathed since yesterday, so if I played my part well, I might pass as one.

Earlier, the Orcs and Hybrids didn’t seem to recognize me at all.
And the man didn’t seem suspicious of me either.

“Ah, you just arrived from Island #1?”

His expression softened.
He looked somewhat smug.

‘It’s like welcoming a clueless junior who joined the sports club without knowing anything, and now they think they’re part of the team.’

Once he realized I wasn’t a competitor, his reaction shifted.
The change was amusing.

‘…It’s funny how these people turn ugly when they become competitors.’

I’d seen it before.
When there was a position to fight for, I once saw a senior I thought was kind-hearted show their true, ugly side.

‘What if there’s a limited number of teams that can access the treasure island each season...?’

They could easily become enemies at any moment.
This could be more important than I realized.
The information I heard from the Hybrid earlier was quite helpful.

The race.
Whoever reaches Island #10 first.

If you arrive late, you’ll have to wait for the next chance.
Players eager to get to the 4th floor won’t be happy about waiting.

‘Moreover, with this environment...’

The second island is larger than the first one.
Is the third island even bigger than the second?

If the environment doesn’t improve, what state are the other islands that other teams are staying on in?
The chances are high that they’re not in a good state.

‘A year on an island like this…?’

That would be dreadful.
I didn’t even want to imagine it.

Though I hadn’t been to the military, it would likely be just as unpleasant.

“I’d like to get the coordinates.”

I began politely.
There was no need to be confrontational yet.

“You’ll have to wait a bit. This temple is ours.”

The man grinned as he spoke.

“We’ll probably stay here for about a week.”
“A week?”
“We need to get not just the coordinates, but also the ‘Pirate King’s Biography.’”

Getting to Island #10 wasn’t just about one condition.

‘…Is the magic stone a physical obstacle?’

Breaking through the strong currents.
Magic stones were necessary for that.

It wasn’t over just by breaking through the currents.

Proof.
To meet the qualifications at the treasure island, it had to be done there.

The man continued speaking.

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to return to Island #1 and fix your raft. Make it bigger and sturdier. Or you could wait for other players. On the 3rd floor, your team is crucial.”

The man rambled on.
He seemed like the type who loved sharing information.

“Did you meet your team members on Island #1?”
“A few. The rest joined us while we were sailing.”

While talking with the man, I learned quite a bit.

‘…Can you move up as a team?’

The concept of a group.

This meant that forming a team was a good idea.
No matter how strong someone was, it was impossible to handle everything, including non-combat roles, alone.

The so-called division of labor.

“Franco.”

Someone called the man.
The chatterbox’s name was Franco.

“Who’s this?”

A Black man.
I recognized the language immediately.

It was English.
It took me two seconds to realize he was speaking English.

Franco was about to introduce me but paused as he tilted his head.
He’d just realized we hadn’t even introduced ourselves yet.

“This is a player who just crossed over… What was your name?”
“Iron Man.”
“…Iron Man?”

Thanks to my ragged appearance, the Murim warrior act was holding up.
This time, I had deliberately created my identity.

‘An odd name as strange as my appearance, huh?’

It wasn’t the name that gave me away to Yuki, but still.

I thought it wouldn’t be enough to just mimic the way of speaking.
To deceive them, I had to commit thoroughly to the Murim warrior role.

‘Now that I think about it, the name ‘Error Player’ doesn’t fit the Murim warrior style either.’

If a name like that was a wordplay commonly used in Western languages,
what would others think when they heard it?

‘They’d definitely suspect it.’

Earthlings pretending to be from another world or Murim warriors would be obvious.
If the name sounded too much like an Earthling, people would immediately become suspicious.

Once exposed, the relationship would collapse.
A relationship based on lies couldn’t end well.

‘Either never get caught or reveal I’m Earthling from the start.’

The latter wasn’t an option.
I’d been through too much already, and for both their sake and mine, it was better to hide my identity.

“Your name is Iron Man?”

The Black man chuckled.
He looked at me as if to say, “How could such a name even exist?”

‘Doesn’t look strong.’

That gave me confidence.
I spoke back proudly.

“It’s the name my mother gave me. It means I should become a man as tough as iron.”

I took a brief pause and raised my voice.

“Are you disrespecting my mother’s wishes?”

A typical Murim warrior tactic.
Murim warriors, when they feel slighted, get angry first.

I shrugged my shoulders dramatically, as if preparing to draw a weapon.

An effective strategy for Murim warriors is to start with a bold stance and threaten first.

“Both of you, calm down.”

Franco patted the Black man’s shoulder and stopped him.

“We’re meeting for the first time today, so why would you want to fight right off the bat? What’s good about swinging swords at each other?”

I silently observed Franco’s words and the Black man’s expression.
It didn’t seem like he was intending to fight, just questioning my identity.

Franco continued, playing the mediator.

“Iron Man, you should understand. This friend here was backstabbed by an Earthling on the 2nd floor. He really hates Earthlings now.”

It seemed like they were both convinced by my realistic act.
It was rewarding to see how Yuki’s observation had paid off.

“…I thought you were an Earthling. I’m sorry.”

The Black man bowed his head.
Seeing an apology from a Black man was a fresh scene.

“I understand.”

I accepted his apology enthusiastically.

‘Murim warriors value sincerity.’

When someone apologizes, you accept it.
That’s how Murim warriors are.

“I too have almost died because of an Earthling. So, I can understand.”
“Really?”

The Black man’s attitude softened slightly.

Building rapport.
There’s no better way to become friendly with someone you’ve just met than by sympathizing with them.

I let out some grievances against Earthlings.
From there, the Black man, Brian, began speaking differently.

The overt hostility he had shown me started to peel away.

“Earthlings should never be trusted. They’re the worst kind of assholes.”

Brian had a deep hatred for Earthlings.
It was ironic, considering he looked just like one himself.

“…You’re not Earthling?”
“I may look weak to you, but I’m a psychic too.”

It didn’t look like it on the surface.
That meant his psychic abilities weren’t that impressive.

Brian levitated a dagger with his telekinetic power.

“Telekinesis, huh.”
“It’s only level 3.”

His psychic power was level 3.

‘Level 4 regeneration heals 30 health in 3 seconds, right?’

For an Earthling, that was impressive.
30% in just 3 seconds.

But compared to other races, it seemed a bit lacking.

To be honest, a top-tier martial artist’s stamina stat is about 30.
If converted into health, that’s 300.

‘Regeneration of 30 health in 3 seconds? Honestly, that’s a little weak.’

But even that poor psychic power was better than nothing.
At least it opened up possibilities. The stats could be higher, after all.

“Are you saying you can’t let me into the temple?”
“I’m sorry, Iron Man, but we’re in a hurry too, so we can’t do that.”
“Hm…”

Just then, something exploded.

Boom—!

The sound of an explosion came from the direction of the beach.

Brian spoke in a trembling voice.

“Cannon fire.”
“Brian. Quickly go into the dungeon and tell the captain.”

Without a moment's hesitation, Franco ran toward the beach.
It seemed like he had done this many times before.

I watched them leave and then headed toward the beach.

Boom! Bang—!

The sudden bombardment made no sense.