Chương 56: Leader

The fourth stage proved simple enough for Hyun. Since he carried the key card, his only responsibility had been to shadow the man paired with him until they cleared the level. The moment they completed it, Hyun was teleported directly into the safe zone. He materialized inside what appeared to be an upscale skincare clinic. Pristine white marble covered the floors and walls, giving the space a sterile, almost clinical atmosphere.

A sleek reception desk stood at the center of the room, while glossy brochures fanned across a glass coffee table nearby. Their covers featured flawless models gliding handheld devices along their cheekbones, and framed posters along the walls advertised a treatment called HydroFacials. Coincidentally, the System spawned Hyun beside his partner from the previous level. The man wore a sleeveless white martial arts gi stretched across his muscular frame, with ragged seams where the sleeves had been torn away.

A black belt cinched tightly around his waist, and polished brass knuckles gleamed across both fists.

"Haruto, do you want to team up again for the final level?" Hyun asked.

"Absolutely." Haruto flashed him a thumbs-up.

"But could you take the lead this time? It doesn't really suit my style. I'm more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy." Hyun chuckled.

"Yeah, sure thing." Hyun Kim has formed a party with Haruto Sato Thirty other participants occupied the clinic, scattered among the waiting chairs and treatment-room doors. Near one corner, a petite figure in a wizard's robe had been completely boxed in by a desperate crowd. She clutched a long wooden staff topped with a cross while participants talked over one another, practically begging her to join their parties. Curious about the commotion, Hyun approached with Haruto and peered over the surrounding shoulders.

Name: Ariel Miller Class: Bishop Level: 5 Rank: Awakened Ladder Ranking: 280"A healer class. That explains it," Hyun murmured.

"Whenever Gray played those computer games of his, he'd scream into his microphone about killing the healer first at all costs. I can only assume that says something about how important they are."

"Absolutely," Haruto said. He nudged Hyun with an elbow.

"Why don't you flex that rank 80 leaderboard spot of yours and recruit her?"

"Sounds like a plan." A faint smirk tugged at Hyun's mouth. Excuse me. Would you be interested in joining our party? I'm currently ranked 80th on the board. If that appeals to you, I'll be waiting by the reception desk. Hyun transmitted the stiff, email-like message directly into Ariel's mind, then gestured for Haruto to follow him.

"Let's go." They had barely reached the reception desk before Ariel forced her way through the crowd and hurried after them. The surrounding participants groaned and protested as she slipped free, but she ignored them.

"I get thirty percent of the point distribution," Ariel declared the instant she reached them. Hyun raised an eyebrow.

"What a pleasant way to greet your potential teammates." Ariel threw up her arms in an unapologetic shrug.

"Do you want a healer or not? I took a long break, and now I have a massive gap to close if I want to reach the top-one-hundred threshold. To be completely honest, I'm desperate."

"You took a break?" Hyun asked.

"Once I secured a guaranteed job, I figured there was no reason to keep participating in the race." Her grip tightened around her staff.

"Then the safezone disappeared right beneath my feet, and reality hit me pretty damn fast. I realized how important it was to have power of my own—to have some control over my future instead of trusting someone else to decide it for me." Ariel looked between the two men, her expression unwavering.

"So, what do you say? You two are practically guaranteed spots in the top hundred anyway." Haruto offered Hyun a casual shrug.

"Each member would only be giving up around two percent." Hyun nodded.

"That's fine by me. But we still need a fourth member, and they'll have to agree to the terms."

"That sounds dandy to me." The unfamiliar voice carried from the hallway. A moment later, the heavy clank of steel greaves rang against the marble floor, drawing steadily closer from behind Hyun. He turned toward the sound—and his eyes widened as he recognized the newcomer. Name: William Johnson Class: Vanguard Level: 5 Rank: Awakened Ladder Rank: 17 It was the man who had nearly killed Gray. Combat was prohibited within the safe zone, so there was no chance of a physical confrontation breaking out.

Yet even with that absolute guarantee of safety, rage surged through Hyun. His jaw tightened, and his hands curled into fists at his sides. The polite mask he wore so naturally began to crack as a vicious string of curses and insults climbed his throat. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. William spoke first, halting Hyun's outburst.

"You look a little familiar." He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at Hyun.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" He didn't recognize him. In fairness, their only encounter had amounted to William briefly glancing in Hyun's direction before turning around and marching away after being ordered to leave.

"No, I don't believe we've met before," Hyun replied evenly, forcing the anger back down. William tapped a finger against his chin, searching through the fragmented memory.

"Hmm. I swear it's right on the tip of my tongue." After a few seconds, he gave up and lifted both hands in a dismissive shrug.

"Oh well. Anyway, looks like you guys are short a tank. I don't mean to brag, but I did hit rank 17, you know. And I'm perfectly fine with our healer taking thirty percent." Hyun scratched the back of his neck.

"I'm not so sure about that…"

"Oh, come on!" Haruto nudged an elbow into Hyun's side.

"It's always good to have a reliable, trustworthy tank in the party." He punctuated the statement with a hearty slap against William's steel pauldron.

"Trustworthy, huh?" Hyun muttered under his breath. He glanced toward Ariel.

"What do you think?"

"Seems perfect!" Ariel exclaimed.

"What better way to keep a healer alive than having a dedicated tank?" She spread her arms wide, attempting to make her petite frame look far more imposing than it was. Hyun stared at William for another moment, reluctance tightening his expression.

"I guess…"

"Fantastic!" William thrust out a hand. Hyun left it hanging. Instead, he swiped a finger through the empty air and opened his interface. William Johnson has joined the guild. Ariel Miller has joined the guild. Jun's teammate had died early in the escort mission. In truth, she had been nothing but a liability. As the bearer of the key card, her role had been simple: act as bait.

Jun had positioned himself at a distant vantage point while she drew the attention of incoming hostiles, giving him the perfect opportunity to eliminate them from afar. Instead, she had undermined Jun's orders. During one of their first skirmishes, she failed to find a way to stall the opposing duo and panicked. Rather than leading them away, she fled directly toward Jun's hiding place, shrieking and waving for his attention until his position was nearly exposed.

That level of incompetence had been enough for Jun to abandon her. Unable to locate him, the enemy pair eventually killed her and stopped to loot the body. That was when Jun capitalized on her mistake. From more than five hundred feet away, he lined up the shot and released a single projectile. The bone spear tore through the first participant and continued straight into the second, skewering them both before either had time to react. Jun had expected to fail the level the moment his partner died.

To his surprise, however, the key card resting against her corpse began to pulse with a white light. A second later, both the card and its lanyard vanished from her body and rematerialized around his neck. Apparently, he was permitted to continue the round alone after losing his partner. Ironically, Jun found the isolation far more comfortable. Freed from the burden of micromanaging someone else, he could finally devote his full attention to his own survival.

He traversed the city methodically, overwhelming every opponent he encountered until he reached the drop-off point with an impressive 27 key cards dangling from his neck. Name: Jun Song Class: BoneMan Level: 5 Rank: Awakened Ladder Rank: 5 When the level timer reached zero, Jun was teleported into a beauty supply store called Olive Old.

Bright fluorescent lights reflected off polished tile floors and rows of neatly arranged cosmetics, while the faint chemical scent of perfume and skin-care products lingered in the air. Several other participants had already gathered among the aisles. Jun wasted no time. He immediately began evaluating the herd, scanning the profiles of anyone whose abilities might complement his own.

After reading the rules and filtering out the desperate fodder begging to be carried, he assembled the foundation of his team: a tank to hold the front line, a healer to keep them standing, and himself serving as long-range artillery. A scrawny man ranked 101st strode toward the group with his chest puffed out. Two daggers bounced against his hips with every step as he presented himself for the final opening spot.

"You won't find a finer assassin than me—" Jun silenced him with an open palm.

"Tell me, do you possess any concealment abilities? Smoke, perhaps? Anything involving smoke?" The rogue scratched the side of his head.

"It's generally unheard of for an assassin to disclose his arsenal, but I suppose it's only fair. I have an ability that renders me invisible. As for smoke…" He hesitated.

"There's a faint trail when I activate the spell."

"Denied. It won't work out. Sorry." Jun walked past him without another glance. The assassin's shoulders sagged, and a defeated sigh escaped him. Jun led his party deeper into the store until he spotted a man engaged in conversation near one of the displays. The stranger possessed a hulking frame encased from neck to toe in steel plate armor. Two longswords were strapped across his broad back in an X, their hilts rising over either shoulder.

"You'll suffice," Jun announced, placing a firm hand on the warrior's shoulder.

"Excuse me?" The burly, middle-aged man turned, his voice rumbling from somewhere deep in his chest. Jun's arrogance evaporated instantly. He took a small step back as the sheer bear-like mass of the warrior loomed over him.

"I said…" Jun cleared his throat into his fist.

"Would you be interested in joining our party, sir?" The transition from commanding authority to politeness was immediate. The giant looked Jun up and down, his eyes narrowing beneath a heavy brow. Several tense seconds passed before he finally extended a massive gauntleted hand.

"How could I possibly decline an invitation from someone in the top ten?" The man boomed, breaking into a hearty chuckle. His attention shifted toward the armored tank already standing behind Jun.

"Although, are you certain you want two tanks in one squad?" Jun lifted a hand dismissively.

"That won't be a problem. I'll be entirely responsible for our damage output. Your only job is to draw as much aggro as possible and remain alive long enough for me to finish mine." The warrior's smile disappeared. His jaw tightened.

"Watch your tone, sonny." Caught off guard, Jun pressed a hand to his chest.

"My apologies. Did I say something offensive?"

"I don't get offended by anything. I'm not some snowflake like you younger generation." The man rolled his enormous shoulders, steel plates grinding softly against one another.

"Forget I said anything." Jun studied him for a moment, then extended his hand.

"It'll be a pleasure working together."