The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 108

Bold and grandiose banquet procedures were boldly omitted.

The congratulatory speeches were replaced with a promotional video, and the introduction of the guests in the VIP seats was kept brief.

Of course, there was a burst of cheers when Raul made his appearance. Despite any criticism, he had immediately become the most popular character in Connect.

Next on the agenda was the announcement of the exam details and team arrangements. As the players had been eagerly awaiting this moment, they focused intently, listening carefully.

The one who appeared on the stage was none other than Palmer, the head of the Mir clan. He introduced the ‘Battle’ preliminary rounds through a large magic screen.

“There will be a total of 8 teams divided among the 1,600 applicants. Each team consisting of 200 players will be deployed onto the battlefield simultaneously, engaging in unlimited survival combat until the last one standing.”

Murmurs spread through the crowd.

“We expected this, but is it really a survival match?”

“How will they select the qualifiers then?”

These were some of the questions players were curious about. The criteria for selecting the qualifiers appeared on the screen.

“Each team will have only 8 qualifiers. The last survivor and the top 5 players who eliminate the most opponents will qualify. The remaining 2 spots will be subject to special rules.”

The screen displayed a fragment of the First Knight Order’s emblem, a golden falcon.

“There are small fragments like this scattered throughout the battlefield you will be entering. The two players who collect the first five fragments will qualify. However…”

As the five fragments gathered on the screen, a bright pillar of light shot up into the sky.

“As you can see, when the five fragments are gathered, a pillar of light will appear at that spot for 5 seconds, revealing your location. From then on, if you successfully protect your fragment for 1 minute, you will qualify. If the fragment is seized or if you are killed, the fragment will disappear.”

Then, numbers appeared on the screen.

“The time limit is 100 minutes. If by then there is no final survivor or fragment owner, the qualifiers will be determined based on the kill ranking.”

The numbers disappeared, and Palmer appeared on the screen.

“Lastly, I must remind you that there exist some hidden rules to ensure fair testing. I hope you will experience them firsthand.”

The screen switched, revealing a list of names.

“I will now announce the teams. The team compositions have been fairly arranged based on the players’ nationalities, levels, and entry times. Players belonging to Team A, please follow the instructions to move to the test arena.”

With that, the formal event concluded, and Raul moved to a special booth where the VIP guests could comfortably watch the combat unfold.

* * *

Ilwoo took a deep breath to calm his trembling heart.

‘Of all things, why A group….’

He had done his best to hunt and level up, preparing for this moment. He even resigned from the small company that didn’t pay his salary on time.

Rather than wasting time in an uncertain future, he decided to bet everything on Connect, even if it was considered gambling.

He purchased a month’s supply of capsule-exclusive energy supplements, stayed indoors, and continued to log in to Connect, except for when his avatar was in sleep mode.

Fortunately, his efforts in the virtual world paid off, and he was able to take the exam with some satisfaction. But why did it have to be A group?

‘At least I wanted to watch other groups play and strategize while waiting.’

However, it was a done deal. There was no time to keep expressing his dissatisfaction. While on his way to the exam location, Ilwoo hurriedly searched for the members in the same group as him.

‘The players within the top 100 ranks are the ones that probably matter the most.’

He didn’t think a player’s level necessarily represented their strength, but it was definitely one of the indicators. As Ilwoo scanned the list, he made an ambiguous expression.

The current highest level was Lv. 25, followed by Lv. 24 at second place, and around 30 players were tied for third place at Lv. 23.

It was good that he had avoided the top 1st and 2nd places, but there were more top-ranking players than he had anticipated.

7th, 13th, 16th, 25th, 31st.

Five players at level Lv. 23 were included.

‘There are quite a few players to keep an eye on.’

Luckily, as the vice leader mentioned, there were hardly any players of the same nationality. Apart from two players each from China and Korea in the top 100, the rest were of different nationalities.

For now, there didn’t seem to be much disadvantage in forming a team.

While calculating various scenarios in his mind and walking, someone approached and spoke.

“Excuse me, are you Korean by any chance?”

Ilwoo looked at the person who had approached him after briefly closing the system window and replied.

“Huh?”

The man, who appeared to be in his late twenties, smiled brightly.

“It’s fortunate. Would you mind coming this way for a moment?”

He spoke and gestured to one side, and four players a little distance away were watching them.

“What’s going on?”

Ilwoo asked with a hint of caution, and the man approached, whispering quietly, “Koreans should cooperate with each other. It wouldn’t hurt to hear me out. Come on, follow me.”

As the man pulled his arm, Ilwoo hesitated for a moment before reluctantly following him.

Looking around, Ilwoo noticed that people were already grouping together.

‘The atmosphere is…’

Frankly, he didn’t think it would be a completely fair competition, but he hadn’t expected everyone to gather so openly even before it started.

Out of the 200 members in Group A, there were 20 Koreans, making them the third largest group after China and the United States in terms of national representation. Ilwoo led the Korean players as they gathered in one place.

The friendly man who took the lead in bringing people together was the first to speak up.

“Nice to meet you all. I’m Park Sunho. It feels reassuring to be gathered with fellow Koreans like this.”

‘Park Sunho.’

Ilwoo quickly searched and found that he was at Level 19, ranking 357th overall, 27th among Koreans, and 4th among the Korean members in Group A. Although his rank didn’t seem promising for qualifying, it was hard to judge the actual skills simply based on levels.

Even if the ranking was low, the difference in levels wasn’t significant, especially in low-level gaps, which might not hold much meaning, particularly in a full dive virtual reality like this.

“Most of you may have already realized, but there’s a high possibility that this qualifying round will be a team event. Although it promotes survival, well… how many can really wander around alone?”

The atmosphere around them was already drifting in that direction without him needing to explicitly say it.

“So, what do you suggest?”

A female player pressed with impatience.

“Of course, we should stick together and act. It’s about cooperating. Fortunately, we have a sufficient number of people, so as long as we don’t encounter China and the United States early on, we have a good chance.”

“Well, talking about chances, to be honest, I don’t really see the significance. With only 8 participants, what’s the point of getting along nicely? How meaningful is it to survive in the end?”

Someone expressed discontent, as if finding it difficult to agree. The person seemed like a top-ranking player.

“If most of us move around in groups like this, early kills won’t be crucial. It’s hard to take on a large group alone, and when it turns into group versus group, the kills will be spread out. In the end, it’s about who survives for a long time and consistently gets kills. Isn’t it more likely to be in a group?”

Honestly, it didn’t seem like everyone agreed. But options were limited. If, as Park Sunho suggested, most people formed groups, then solo players had very little they could do.

Ilwoo didn’t particularly have the urge to go against the trend. This place was a full-dive virtual reality closely resembling reality. It wasn’t a place where you could overpower others with items or levels. At least that’s how Ilwoo saw it.

“I believe everyone is in agreement. Then, may I suggest one more thing? Who is Kim Ilwoo here?”

Park Sunho suddenly seeking him out raised suspicions, but in the situation of agreeing to cooperation, he couldn’t hide his identity.

“Yes, that’s me. What is it?”

“Ah, so you are the one. Let’s give a round of applause, everyone. This is the pride of South Korea, Kim Ilwoo, currently ranked 16th globally!”

Clap, clap, clap.

It was a strange atmosphere, but people clapped in sync with Park Sunho’s rhythm.

‘What’s the motive behind this?’

Ilwoo had to bow his head and express gratitude, but he couldn’t shake off the uncomfortable feeling.

And his anticipation wasn’t wrong.

“Ilwoo, as you are no doubt aware, this test also has the aspect of a national competition. Wouldn’t it be better if we had many Koreans among the passers?”

“… And?”

“If it’s not impolite, what do you think about giving some kills to others? Since we are operating as a group, if kills pile up on one person, the chances of reducing the number of passers increase. It’s better to evenly distribute the kills, then verify the overall kill count and solidify our bond internally. Of course, I’m willing to share my kills with others as well. What do you all think?”

There was no need to ask. After all, most of them were at the bottom of the rankings for passing anyway. Who would disagree with fair kill distribution?

“I agree. Since we’re operating as a group, distribution should be fair.”

“I’m fine with that too. With broadcasts going worldwide, shouldn’t we show the unity of Koreans?”

Ilwoo almost blurted out something emotionally but managed to hold back. It was because he knew that getting angry over it would only make him a narrow-minded person.

“Mr. Ilwoo, what will you do? Oh, of course, I’m definitely not pressuring you,” Park Sunho asked, his face looking so smug that Ilwoo wanted to smack him.

His smug thoughts were clearly visible. If the goal was to increase the number of Korean qualifiers, concentrating the kills on one or two individuals would be more effective than spreading them out.

But who would give up on the test to do a favor for others? It was clear from the beginning that he had no such intentions.

‘The reasons put forward are just excuses, trying to restrict me, the most likely qualifying candidate. Will he push me aside in the end? Maybe he’s planning to exclude me from the group.’

Suppressing his rising anger, Ilwoo asked for confirmation, “What will you do if I refuse?”

“Oh, come on, everyone is on board with it. Surely you wouldn’t reject, right? Well, then, nothing can be done. It’s impossible to participate in group activities with someone wanting to play solo, isn’t it? Isn’t that right, everyone?”

People nodded in agreement as if it was obvious. Park Sunho seemed to have become an implicit leader. Ilwoo felt a mixture of awe and scorn as he looked at the players glaring at Park Sunho.

‘Do they really think they can pass the test this way?’

“Understood. I’ll follow the consensus.”

For now, he decided to leave them in their group. There was no intention to genuinely cooperate. Everyone was a competitor. They would use each other to the fullest and cut ties when necessary.

With that settled, the players had arrived at the entrance to the exam site.

‘Ugh, I feel dirty playing politics even before the main game has begun.’

Suddenly, a question arose in his mind. Assuming Park Sunho’s thoughts were correct, he had planned an unlikely plan. But what if the initial assumption was wrong?

What if it wasn’t a team competition but a real individual competition?

‘Kid, I’m curious to see what expression you’ll make.’

And if it came to that, Ilwoo would personally crush his arrogance. With that determination, Ilwoo entered the exam site. The main Group A preliminary round was just around the corner.

(To be continued…)