The Count’s Youngest Son is a Player

Chapter 118

“Is this really the best option?”

“At this moment, there seems to be no other choice.”

At a point where the walls of Sector 1 could be seen on and off. Four players gathered inside a small two-story building, quietly discussing among themselves. They were none other than the Korean players, including Park Sungjun.

Having engaged in combat and increased their kill count adequately, the current situation was starkly different from the previous preliminaries.

The appearance of a formidable presence named Bae Dohyun had rapidly decreased the number of survivors by sweeping through kill counts unexpectedly.

As a result, sector 1, which was supposed to open later in the exam, was opened too soon. Sector 1 was significant in many aspects.

Firstly, it was the only area that did not disappear until the end of the exam, so in order to be the final survivor, one had to enter Sector 1 no matter what.

Moreover, due to the terrain advantage, if one secured a position early on, the probability of surviving until the end was very high.

In fact, most of the final survivors and those who passed by kill counts had come from those who entered Sector 1, highlighting its importance.

“Normally, we should join forces with other national parties and secure a position near Sector 1, but…”

Due to the rapid progress of the exam, they did not have the luxury to do so.

Furthermore, they had to increase their kill count by hunting down separate parties, but with the opening of Sector 1, all parties flocked near Sector 1.

As a result, they were now in a deadlock where it was difficult to move freely.

Fortunately, the Park Sungjun party managed to secure a position near the walls, albeit not directly facing them.

With the distance being less than 150m, they could enter the walls in a blink of an eye if they set their minds to it.

“But can we expect other parties to sit back and watch us head towards the walls?”

“And will Bae Dohyun really accept us without resistance? We didn’t inform him beforehand.”

Park Sungjun argued that it would be better to enter the walls now, but the opinions of the opposing team members were not to be taken lightly.

“However, the longer we wait, the more disadvantaged we become. It’s frustrating, but strategically, Korean teams have failed this time.”

Despite having the strongest ace in Bae Dohyun, sticking to mundane strategies without heeding his words was a failure.

If they had no strategy at all, they would have moved according to the situation, but the Korean teams, who had gathered with the mindset of joining forces and seeing how things went, ended up being defeated one by one.

“It’s my fault. I didn’t prepare properly when variables came into play.”

Was the problem that each individual had fallen into arrogance, thinking their skills were the highest among the participating countries?

In any case, the time for regret had already passed. Out of the 25 who had initially entered the test with a numerical advantage, only eight survivors remained, including Bae Dohyun and Han Seohyun.

The moment they realized that the Chinese party had at least twenty soldiers stationed near the outer walls, their options were limited.

‘Either we stay here and get wiped out by the Chinese, or we secure the strategically advantageous Zone 1 at the risk of danger.’

Park Sungjun naturally thought they should head to Zone 1. In the current situation where players were densely packed, increasing their kill count was nearly impossible.

“Let’s get ready. Han Seohyun made it to Zone 1 alone, but there are at least six of us. If we maintain a good formation, we can reach there with minimal casualties.”

With Bae Dohyun securing Zone 1, the Korean team had essentially become public enemies. If they lingered, not only China but other countries might also collaborate to target them.

“Alright. Since it has come to this, let’s secure Zone 1 and sweep them all.”

“We need to time our departure well to avoid penalties. Let’s set off as soon as the second team arrives.”

And so, the operation to enter Zone 1 commenced. The six members of the Korean team dashed from the residential district in the east of the stronghold towards the castle gates, closely huddled like turtles.

“Hey, are those Koreans?”

“It doesn’t matter where they’re from. Intercept them all!”

“Don’t send them near the castle gates!”

Long-range attacks from players of various countries hiding in buildings and covers around the open field started raining down on the Korean team.

Bae Dohyun witnessed the scene unfold.

“What should we do?”

“For now, defend.”

When Han Seohyun raised her bow at the castle walls and asked, Bae Dohyun also drew his bow, ready to respond in kind. The situation was different from when Han Seohyun arrived.

The border regions surrounding Zone 1 were densely occupied by player parties within the penalty limits, leading to a concentrated volley of arrows and long-range attacks aimed at the Korean team.

While Bae Dohyun intended to provide some help as a fellow Korean player, he had no intention of directly attacking to defend, as he had earlier.

“There’s no loyalty that would save them willingly jumping into a concentrated barrage.”

The skills of Korean players looked more solid than I had thought. The formation made of shield walls effectively blocked the hail of arrows and efficiently countered magical attacks.

At the center of it all was Park Sungjun, as expected. He was dashing behind the shield wall, constantly shooting arrows to restrain the enemies and deflecting magic attacks without missing a single one.

“I guess deflecting magic with arrows must be a skill effect, right?”

Normal arrows couldn’t detonate magic. There must be a skill related to their attributes. And a while later, the Korean players transformed into hedgehogs, holding up shield-like barriers, passing through the gate of immunity.

Fortunately, there were no casualties, but everyone inevitably suffered minor to severe injuries.

“It was a good decision.”

“Phew, it was just luck.”

Park Sungjun sighed in response to Bae Dohyun’s words. Their safe arrival was thanks to the fact that the foreign players only launched long-range attacks.

If even one party had rushed out to engage them directly, they would never have reached the immunity gate.

“It’s because there was no coordination among the parties to directly confront them.”

If they had foolishly rushed out, they would have easily become targets of long-range attacks. Who would willingly put a bell on a cat’s neck?

If there had been some sort of agreement between the parties with a little more time passing, the situation would have been different.

Anyway, the Korean players safely arrived at the immunity gate, and the situation on the battlefield had once again changed.

They would somehow try to recapture Zone 1, and Bae Dohyun was determined to thwart that plan completely.

“What to do now?”

Bae Dohyun chuckled, reminiscing about another old connection in the Chinese formation. And there was something he needed to take care of first.

“Miss Han Seohyun , Mr. Park Sungjun, please come see me for a moment.”

Bae Dohyun called out to the two.

“What’s the matter?”

At Park Sungjun’s question, Bae Dohyun turned his head to look at Han Seohyun and spoke, “Seohyun, you’ve almost collected all the statues, right?”

Seohyun looked slightly surprised but immediately nodded in agreement.

“Yes, I’ve collected four.”

“Do you think we can collect enough to join Sungjun’s party as well?”

Bae Dohyun asked, and Sungjun also nodded in response. Bae Dohyun put his hand into his pocket and smoothly took out two statues.

“I’ll give one to Han Seohyun and one to Park Sungjun.”

Seohyun clapped her hands and asked, “Why would you give it to me? They’re yours, Bae Dohyun.”

“I’m keeping my promise. I told you to gather four statues and come to Area 1,” Bae Dohyun explained, then turned to Park Sungjun and said, “You know time is running out, right?

By now, players from other countries are probably also thinking of gathering statues. Park Sungjun, choose one person to represent you.

If it’s not decided within 3 minutes, I’ll only send Han Seohyun .”

“Understood. Let me coordinate,” Park Sungjun said hurriedly, getting up from his seat. Seohyun bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then spoke with a firm expression.

“I feel like I keep receiving favors and not giving back. Honestly, I don’t think it’s fair to just keep accepting. It’s the right thing to stay until the end and help Bae Dohyun.”

Before Bae Dohyun could respond, Seohyun continued, “But I guess now isn’t the time for me to be stubborn. So today, I’ll accept Bae Dohyun’s kindness. But I’ll definitely repay this debt.”

She then extended her hand for a handshake. Bae Dohyun, looking into her eyes, accepted the handshake after a moment.

“Good luck. I hope you get the result you want, Bae Dohyun.”

“Of course. And Seohyun , I hope you achieve the desired outcome in this test,” Bae Dohyun replied. As the two briefly concluded their meeting, Park Sungjun finalized his decision and returned.

“Wasn’t Sungjun leaving?”

Bae Dohyun chuckled, “I’m good with this.”

Park Sungjun chuckled back, flicking his bowstring lightly. With 5 kills already under his belt, he seemed confident in his skills to pass the remaining battles.

“Let’s get ready. This time, it won’t be easy.”

And then, as Bae Dohyun and the Korean players including Park Sungjun took charge of defending the fortress walls, two bright beams of light suddenly shot up from within the stronghold.

***

“Am I a step too late!”

Go Garyong, a top-ranking Chinese player, clicked his tongue as he looked at the beams of light rising from the stronghold.

“Of all times, it had to be two.”

Judging by the Korea team’s reactions to losing a player while discussing strategies, it seemed like they also had someone in their ranks causing them headaches.

“What should we do, Go Garyong-nim?”

The party leaders gathered around, wearing bewildered expressions, seeking his guidance. He shook his head in response.

“It’s too late. Trying to rush over now won’t align with the timing. Tell everyone to wait.”

“But what if another group manages to take Zone 1 from the others?”

As the beams of light surged, some impatient individuals were already charging towards the stronghold.

Since there was an implicit agreement not to attack each other while preventing the other side from passing the test pieces, many had unsheathed their swords.

“No need to rush. They are already in disarray. Before the united force of China, any individual effort is meaningless.”

The central part of the stronghold was already under the occupation of a Chinese player party, totaling 23 members. Regardless of the faction that captured the fortress, they were confident in their ability to take it back.

Although losing two spots for the test pieces was regrettable, they could claim the remaining five spots by sweeping out all others.

“Come to think of it, did those Korean players already secure three spots?”

He couldn’t help but feel bitter. It was all because of that Bae Dohyun guy.

However, he had no intention of yielding the remaining spots. Even with exceptional individual skills, it was impossible to overcome a unified majority force.

“If the ones who rushed out manage to take the stronghold, there will surely be internal chaos among themselves. If they fail to breach the stronghold, they will be even more disheartened. We will capitalize on that vulnerability and hunt them down. Tell the Southerners if they have any thoughts, to join us.”

“Understood.”

With Southeast Asian players joining in, they would have around 30 individuals. It was a sufficient number to sweep away the chaotic battlefield.

Messengers swiftly relayed orders to each party, and the Chinese and Southeast Asian players began preparing for battle, occupying the strategic points of the city.

“Now, Bae Dohyun. What are you going to do? Can you display your remarkable skills against dozens of opponents?”

Go Garyong watched with keen interest as Bae Dohyun stood alone on the stone bridge.

And finally, around thirty players with various hair colors and skin tones began a full-on attack on Bae Dohyun and the Korean players.

(To be continued…)