novelraw Chapter 160 : Chapter 160
Chapter 160 : Chapter 160
Chapter 160
As Ian pulled the handle, only one sentence occupied his mind.
- There are no allies among the players.
A sentence left by someone in his strategy guide.
If that statement is true, this place is a battlefield more dangerous than any other.
With a whooshing sound, the massive door opened, and as Ian stepped into the conference room, six pairs of sharp gazes poured onto him.
“…….”
“…….”
Facing the gazes of the six people, Ian gritted his teeth behind his mask.
‘…These are the players.’
The intensity felt in the gazes directed at him made it difficult to even breathe properly.
It was to the point where even greeting them immediately was not easy.
‘Strong. Perhaps as strong as Mireska.’
Just by meeting their gazes, he could be sure.
That each person sitting at that table was a powerhouse capable of killing him like a fly.
‘But I can’t lose here.’
This is the mental world.
The only place where I can stand tall even against those terrifying gazes.
Didn’t I even defeat a demonkin who called himself a Count of the Demon World?
‘Besides, first impressions are always the most important.’
Resolving himself behind the mask, Ian took a step forward, brushing off the pouring gazes.
-Thud.
The reaction was immediate.
The hostility and wariness felt in the woman’s gaze turned into mild interest.
‘It’s clear she’s asking me to prove I’m a player worthy of this place.’
I can’t miss the chance to observe players who might be enemies from the closest distance.
Gritting his teeth and approaching the round table, Ian slumped into a chair and thought.
‘Thank goodness it’s a real mask.’
If it weren’t for the mask, I would have shown them exactly how much effort I was putting into just walking.
‘Well, everyone must have noticed anyway.’
Thinking it couldn’t be helped that his level was exposed given the clear difference in skill, Ian smirked and said.
“Boring.”
Hoping that if he couldn’t be a strong guy, he could at least be an interesting one.
* * *
From the moment White Mask appeared, silence descended upon the conference room.
‘White Mask……?’
The six pairs of eyes, having seen the common White Mask found anywhere on the continent, simultaneously looked up to check the nickname.
《???》
Seeing the three blazing red question marks, their gazes were dyed with shock and disbelief.
‘Red question marks…….’
In the minds of those unaware of the White Mask’s effect, the only possible conclusion naturally took root.
That a nickname displayed as red question marks meant the opponent was an unapproachable powerhouse.
Any experienced player would have faced such an enemy at least once, and the same was true for those gathered here.
‘This can’t be…….’
It started with the Tyrant.
Unconsciously, killing intent surged within him due to a fear he hadn’t felt since becoming the King of Orcs.
‘Ah!’
Even though showing one's will in this mental world was a taboo among taboos, the Tyrant did not withdraw his killing intent.
Because if there was any place where such a powerful being could be killed, it would only be here in the mental world.
The remaining five also reached the same conclusion.
‘A powerhouse who has hidden their identity until now. An existence so strong that their skill is immeasurable.’
‘What if such an existence appears as an enemy?’
‘What if such an existence aims for the clear?’
‘Could we stop them then?’
Never.
Five pairs of gazes entangled in the air reached the same answer, and simultaneously, terrifying killing intent pressed down on White Mask.
‘I decline an enemy who can’t even be kept in check!’
‘A lion only follows the will of God.’
‘Kihehe! If not now, I feel like I won’t even be able to make eye contact later!’
‘No matter how strong the guy is, he can’t withstand the killing intent of all of us with just a mental body!’
‘…….’
And amidst that suffocating killing intent.
-Thud.
White Mask took a step forward.
‘……?’
They thought they had been momentarily mistaken due to being overwhelmed by his aura, but they weren’t.
Trembling as if forcibly suppressing laughter, he walked to the table and nonchalantly took a seat.
‘What……?’
It was a result no one had imagined.
That he wasn’t affected by such fierce killing intent.
And that he, who had practically suffered a surprise attack, would sit down so calmly.
‘Why is he staying still?’
He should have been angry and furious.
Even if he called the manager right now to banish everyone and confiscate all the CP they had collected so far, no one could have objected.
Since their only attack had failed, everything was now up to White Mask.
Mocking everyone who waited breathlessly for the verdict, White Mask’s voice was heard from behind the mask.
“Boring.”
That single word echoed repeatedly in everyone’s ears.
‘Ah.’
What came out of his mouth wasn’t a verdict, but an impression.
An impression asking if that was all.
The full power of the six people who prided themselves on being the strongest in this world didn’t even amount to a laughing matter for the man in front of them.
While everyone remained silent, not knowing how to answer, Petite Princess, whose face had turned pale, approached cautiously and said.
“Uh… really, really, I’m sorry, but may I leave now?”
When Ian looked at him, he hiccuped, stepped back, and quickly continued.
“I-I lack so much compared to you seniors! I realized just now that a top-tier Community is unthinkable for someone like me, and I’m really sorry! I won’t even come near the Community in the future!”
As everyone’s gaze turned to White Mask as if it were naturally his choice, a sentence was handed down from behind the mask.
“Sit.”
* * *
Sitting down, Petite Princess reproached himself for the first time since coming to this world.
‘What’s so great about the Community!’
Thinking he could get better information or live a more fun life if he went to a higher-tier Community, his greed was his sin.
Who knew it would be a place where killing intent was emitted so casually?
‘Leaving the killing intent aside, how on earth do you withstand it!’
Even though the killing intent wasn’t directed at him, tears flowed on their own and his legs gave out to the point he couldn’t walk.
Just when he thought he had adapted to this world a bit, arriving at what he thought was the sky only to realize it was just a hill.
‘Absolutely, absolutely never attending next time!’
As soon as he made that firm resolution, tears of blood flowed inside him.
‘The Community was the only joy in life… If even the Community is gone…….’
Unlike reality where he had to show a strict and solemn appearance, the Community where he could say whatever he wanted was practically his only lifeline.
If he couldn’t speak his mind even here, he might really go crazy in reality.
Just as he was pondering his future plans.
The benevolent-looking old man sitting on his left opened his mouth.
“Hohoho… Since we don’t have much time left, why don’t we start now?”
He seemed to be asking everyone, but his gaze was fixed on the man wearing the White Mask.
‘Wait, wait! What about that killing intent earlier? Just moving on without clearing it up?’
His disbelief turned out to be reality.
When the White Mask nodded, the impossibly beautiful woman opened her mouth.
“Hehe, then since a newbie is here, how about we start with self-introductions?”
“Kihehe. Good, good. Who wants to go first?”
Avoiding White Mask’s gaze, they turned toward him.
‘Me… Me? You really want me to go first?’
Usually, he would have excitedly recited from the origin of his nickname to his bad luck, going on for verses three and four, but he couldn’t do that now.
“H-Hello, Seniors! I am called ‘Petite Princess’!”
“What a cute nickname. Nice to meet you. Please call me Siren.”
“S-Siren-nim?!”
Hearing the name Siren, who was called the goddess of different species, he didn’t even have the chance to convey that he was a huge fan.
“…Tyrant.”
“Gold, call me Gold. If you’re hungry, want some of this?”
“Kihehe! I’m Puppet! You’ve surely heard of me, right? Call this gloomy guy next to me Master!”
From the world’s best Orc player, everyone here was a player who represented 『Lost Chronicle』.
“I was really, really a fan…….”
He could only repeat the same words over and over with unfocused eyes.
“Welcome, brother. I am Priest.”
Finally, after the introduction of the old man who was clearly a priest to anyone’s eyes ended, everyone’s gaze turned to one place.
The figure shrouded in mystery, hiding his face with a mask.
Scanning the group as if amused, White Mask looked into his eyes for a long time and said.
“…Dark.”
Unaware that Ian behind the mask had tried to say ‘Darkness’ from ‘Darkness of Darkness’ and ‘Man of Mystery’ but hastily lowered his voice in embarrassment, he tilted his head.
‘Dark? Why Dark when it’s a White Mask? If he’s going by color, shouldn’t it be White? No, more importantly, what does a question mark have to do with Dark?’
The contemplation about the connection between the question mark and the color black didn’t last long.
Whether it was Dark or White, question mark or exclamation mark, it was far cooler than his own nickname.
“Hohoho! Dark, that’s a very rare nickname!”
When Priest said that and gave a signal to Puppet, the doll naturally shouted.
“Since introductions are over, it’s starting! Start!”
At the word start, eight spheres rose from the table, and six pairs of eyes scanned each other as if checking.
* * *
Sitting with a face more serious than ever, Ian was deep in thought.
‘How do I solve this?’
It seems there was a problem with the first impression.
Eight people were sitting at the table, but not a single person was looking at him.
‘Is it the effect of the title after all?’
Since my actions were natural, it was clear that the title’s debuff had taken effect.
To think it would even affect the players' subconscious.
‘That aside, I haven’t even heard the explanation properly yet…….’
Since no one was looking at him, he couldn’t ask even if he wanted to.
Above all, this blatant disregard was rather familiar to him.
‘If I just follow along, it’ll work out somehow.’
Just as he thought that, the man introduced as Tyrant opened his mouth.
“I’ll go first.”
Finally thinking it was starting, Ian picked up the sphere on the table with expectation, when the Tyrant glared at him and spoke.
“…The World Tree lies.”
“Yeeeah?!”
Petite Princess’s scream-like shriek echoed.
The color of the sphere he held gradually turned red.
‘Oh, does the color change if you hold it?’
Conversely, there was no reaction from the sphere I was holding.
‘Is this broken?’
Wondering if it was broken, he looked at the others and saw the Tyrant sitting with a scowl and the others looking at him in disbelief.
‘…Wh-what is it? Say something, speak up!’