Translator: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Zywane looked at Kieran with sharp, glowing eyes .
As time passed, his fighting intent and provocation got clearer and clearer .
That was why Kieran had been reluctant to join a team dungeon in the first place . Once there was a conflict of interest, no matter how harmonious the group was, a fight would break out among the team members and things would get hard .
Kieran was sure that if it hadn't been for the Team Contract, Zywane would have already started a fight with him .
Of course, so would Kieran .
It was the strong that had the authority and the right to speak .
Survival of the fittest . The law of the jungle .
Kieran had recently gotten a better grasp of the laws of nature .
Lawless, Zywane and Starbeck all abode by those laws too . Every veteran player in the game obeyed the laws of nature .
Any players who were unable to obey got eliminated from the game .
As long as there was a law or rule, even if that law or rule was unwritten, it was still traceable .
At Zywane's provocation, Kieran turned and looked at Lawless, who acted as the team leader .
He was not just the team leader . He was also the strongest one among them, so he automatically had the authority and right to speak .
Zywane also looked at Lawless, waiting for his decision .
Despite the fact that Kieran seemed to have a closer relationship with Lawless, Zywane still believed that Lawless’s decision would live up to his good reputation among the veterans .
"If two players who were not in team ran into such a problem, they would fight to the death . A long-term team would have a vote, and a short-term team would compete to see who was stronger in terms of skill levels . We fall into the third category . Do you both want to compete?" Lawless asked Kieran and Zywane straightforwardly .
It was not an impulsive decision on his part . The rule had already existed among the players right from the beginning . Although there were three possible scenarios, the essence of those rules still followed the law of the jungle . It was survival of the fittest .
Kieran could sense the hidden meaning behind Lawless' words . It came as no surprise to him, though .
"Yes!" he replied right away .
"Yes, of course!"
Kieran's tone was short and light, while Zywane had replied brightly . Truth be told, Zywane sounded like he thought he had already won before they had even begun .
Kieran had been introduced by Broker, so he had to possess some formidable strength, but he was just a second-timer after all .
Even though he had stated that he could deal with monsters with or without a physical form, that still did not change the fact that this was only his second dungeon .
This was already Zywanne's fourth time . The newbie dungeon plus three more dungeons of experience was not something Kieran’s newbie and first dungeon could compete with .
Plus, Zywane had gotten an S rank clear rating in one of the three dungeons . It was the S rank rating that had boosted his power and eventually gotten Broker to notice him and recruit him for the team dungeon .
He thought that Kieran, who had also been chosen by the Broker, must have gotten an A rating at both the newbie and the first dungeon . Zywane had the utmost confidence that he could beat him .
The possibility that Kieran might have gotten a higher rating than A had never crossed his mind, not even for a second . Zywane knew better than anyone that it was extremely hard to achieve an S rating . One would have to have strength, courage, and luck . All three of them were necessary for someone to get where he was, and Zywane did not believe that Kieran had them .
Lawless explained the rules before the competition started .
"It's a competition of skill levels . As long as two skills are within the same rank, the skill type can be anything . It’s the rank that matters . The skill with the highest rank will be marked as double rank compared to the skill with the lowest rank . Shall we begin?"
Lawless looked at the super confident Zywane and then at Kieran's blank face .
He knew perfectly well what Zywane was thinking . Had he not had a closer communication with Kieran, he would have thought the same, too . After all, that was the logical thing to think .
However, Lawless had had multiple trades with Kieran and had been there while Kieran had traded with others, so he knew very well what Kieran was capable of . He looked at Zywane with a sense of pity, but Zywane missed the sympathy in Lawless’s gaze .
His competitive spirit was burning hot inside his heart as Lawless initiated the competition . He was impatient to bring up his first skill .
[Hand-to-hand Combat (Pro)]!
[Hand-to-hand Combat (Pro)]!
Zywane had opened up his skill window and made the skill visible to everyone . Then he turned and looked at Kieran with a smile, waiting for him to surrender .
[Hand-to-hand Combat (Pro)]!
Kieran replied with a smile of his own as he too opened up the skill window and made his [Hand-to-hand Combat] skill visible to everyone .
Zywane’s smile became a little stiff when he saw his opponent's skill . That Pro Level Skill had cost him half his S rank rating points from his last mission . Zywane had thought that he'd had the win in his pocket . He had not expected Kieran to have a Pro Level Skill as well .
Plus, it was the exact same skill .
How was that even possible? Shouldn’t Kieran have been expanding his firearms skill?
Zywane looked at Kieran’s backpack, which was obviously full of guns .
The man was carrying around a big bag of firearms, yet he had the same [Hand-to-hand Combat] skill as Zywane . Zywane questioned the outcome silently, but he knew the system was always right .
He looked at Kieran’s blank face in confusion before taking a deep breath and quickly opening up his second skill .
[Evading (Pro)]!
As a melee player, [Evading] was a crucial skill for Zywane to level up . Given his Points and Skill Points, that was Zywane’s second and last Pro Level Skill .
He looked at Kieran a little nervously . Deep down in his heart he hoped that Kieran had already played his best card .
However, the very next moment, Zywane’s hopes were shattered to pieces .
[Evading (Pro)]!
Kieran also brought up his second skill, which was the same skill as Zywane's once again . [Evading] Pro Level .
Without even waiting for Zywane’s reaction, Kieran decided to solidify his position in the temporary team so he would not run into any more problems in the future . He brought up a third skill to the table .
[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Pro)]
As he looked at Kieran’s third Pro Level Skill, Zywane’s face went totally pale . He could not even imagine how a second-timer like Kieran could have enough Points and Skill Points to level up all these skills .
As he looked at Kieran’s third Pro Level Skill, Zywane’s face went totally pale . He could not even imagine how a second-timer like Kieran could have enough Points and Skill Points to level up all these skills .
Unless Kieran had cleared all his dungeons with an S rank rating or higher .
Suddenly, the way that Zywane was looking at Kieran changed . He had originally wanted to play his last card, but he gave up that thought . He could not know whether Kieran had any other tricks up his sleeves .
If Zywane did play his last card but still wasn't able to win the competition, his losses would outweigh his gains .
After all, this was just the starting point of the dungeon . The probability of a Sub Mission triggering was extremely low, so it was not worth the fight .
"I surrender!"
Zywane’s mind was full of different thoughts as he chose to surrender .
No one looked surprised by Kieran's victory . Lawless knew a lot about Kieran, and Starbeck, as the employer, had also been informed of his strength after the Broker had introduced him to the team . Otherwise, he would not have paid double the original price to hire him .
In other words, it was only Zywane that had been kept in the dark . Luckily, he was too baffled by Kieran's strength and his own messy thoughts to notice Lawless and Starbeck’s expression . Otherwise, he would have been extremely upset over it .
As soon as Zywane had surrendered, Kieran pushed open the cabin door and exited the cabin . He knew that he had already lost lots of time . If they delayed it any longer, they might have even reached their destination .
As for Zywane? Kieran acknowledged his strength, but he would not comment on it any further . After all, they were still bound by the Team Contract . Zywane was only a short-term team member . After the dungeon, they would never cross each other’s path again .
"May I help you, sir? I am the captain of this ferry, Ralph . "
As soon as Kieran had walked out of the cabin, Captain Ralph, who had been watching his old cabin, came over and introduced himself .
"I’m 2567 . Good day, captain!" Kieren also introduced himself, greeting the captain .
"Mr . 2567, please just call me Ralph!" the captain replied in an awkward, yet reverent manner .
Kieran could sense the reverence in the captain’s words and manner easily . His effect over the man had to be based on the identity that the dungeon had assigned to him .
He had been a refugee in the newbie dungeon, and a detective in the first dungeon, but this time he was a specialized expert .
Kieran had already gone over the dungeon’s background, but he still could not help but smirk . He had been assigned ridiculous identities in the previous dungeons, and this time had proved to be no different . At least his new identity gave him more of an advantage .
He had been a refugee in the newbie dungeon, and a detective in the first dungeon, but this time he was a specialized expert .
Kieran had already gone over the dungeon’s background, but he still could not help but smirk . He had been assigned ridiculous identities in the previous dungeons, and this time had proved to be no different . At least his new identity gave him more of an advantage .
Although he had not acquired any memories like he had in the first dungeon, that still did not stop him from using his character identity to the fullest .
"Ralph, can you tell me more about the Alcatraz Prison? I want your side of the story, not the official one that glosses over everything," Kieran said .
"Of course!" Captain Ralph did not hesitate in granting Kieran’s request . He did not want to offend someone that could solve mysteries by telling him the stories almost everyone knew, or totally unrelated information .
Ralph gathered his thoughts and started his story .
"For us, Alcatraz was a giant graveyard . Although there is now a prison on the island, all the locals still remember the island’s legend . "
"A few hundred years ago, that island belonged to a duke . Back then, it was famous for its variety of different fish and pearls . It was strangely flourishing, and the people living on it led good lives . "
"However, nothing lasts forever . After the duke married his wife, famine struck the land . The mainland people thought the island would have more food, so they sailed towards it . The duke was a charitable person, and he was willing to help them . However, his charitable nature was treated as weakness, and the duke and all the islanders were killed by the outsiders . "
"The duke’s wife was tortured and raped by the raiders next to the duke’s own dead body . Then out of the blue, the duke came back to life! He acted more violent than he had ever been . Controlled by his frenzy, he killed all the raiders and massacred anyone who dared set foot on his island!"
"This lasted for about a hundred years, until suddenly the duke vanished . All that was left on the island were countless bones and skeletons . "
"Some of the duke’s distant relatives inherited the island . Their heir brought a couple hundred people to the island in an effort to revive its glory days, but just as they arrived, everyone fell sick . Luckily, there was a priest among the group and he saved everyone . "
"The priest explained to the heir that the duke’s resentment was gone and his soul had been set free . However, the once flourishing Alcatraz had been violated by the duke’s angry spirit and become uninhabitable . Any common man that set foot on the island was affected . If they wanted to live a peaceful life on the island, the priest said that they had to protect themselves, so he taught them how to make a protective talisman . "
"This is the talisman the first group of people who arrived on the island made!"
While telling his story, Ralph opened his collar and revealed a piece of unfamiliar grass-knitted tasliman . It was only the size of a thumb .
"Can I have a look at it?" Kieran asked .
"Sure!" Ralph generously handed Kieran the talisman he was wearing .
Kieran’s eyes brightened up as he took it .
Chapter 73 Competition Translator Dess Editor Efydatia Zywane looked at Kieran with sharp, glowing eyes . As time passed, his fighting intent and provocation got clearer and clearer . That was why Kieran had been reluctant to join a team dungeon in the first place . Once there was a conflict of interest, no matter how harmonious the group was, a fight would break out among the team members and things would get hard . Kieran was sure that if it hadn 39 t been for the Team Contract, Zywane would have already started a fight with him . Of course, so would Kieran . It was the strong that had the authority and the right to speak . Survival of the fittest . The law of the jungle . Kieran had recently gotten a better grasp of the laws of nature . Lawless, Zywane and Starbeck all abode by those laws too . Every veteran player in the game obeyed the laws of nature . Any players who were unable to obey got eliminated from the game . As long as there was a law or rule, even if that law or rule was unwritten, it was still traceable . At Zywane 39 s provocation, Kieran turned and looked at Lawless, who acted as the team leader . He was not just the team leader . He was also the strongest one among them, so he automatically had the authority and right to speak . Zywane also looked at Lawless, waiting for his decision . Despite the fact that Kieran seemed to have a closer relationship with Lawless, Zywane still believed that Lawless s decision would live up to his good reputation among the veterans . If two players who were not in team ran into such a problem, they would fight to the death . A long term team would have a vote, and a short term team would compete to see who was stronger in terms of skill levels . We fall into the third category . Do you both want to compete Lawless asked Kieran and Zywane straightforwardly . It was not an impulsive decision on his part . The rule had already existed among the players right from the beginning . Although there were three possible scenarios, the essence of those rules still followed the law of the jungle . It was survival of the fittest . Kieran could sense the hidden meaning behind Lawless 39 words . It came as no surprise to him, though . Yes he replied right away . Yes, of course Kieran 39 s tone was short and light, while Zywane had replied brightly . Truth be told, Zywane sounded like he thought he had already won before they had even begun . Kieran had been introduced by Broker, so he had to possess some formidable strength, but he was just a second timer after all . Even though he had stated that he could deal with monsters with or without a physical form, that still did not change the fact that this was only his second dungeon . This was already Zywanne 39 s fourth time . The newbie dungeon plus three more dungeons of experience was not something Kieran s newbie and first dungeon could compete with . Plus, Zywane had gotten an S rank clear rating in one of the three dungeons . It was the S rank rating that had boosted his power and eventually gotten Broker to notice him and recruit him for the team dungeon . He thought that Kieran, who had also been chosen by the Broker, must have gotten an A rating at both the newbie and the first dungeon . Zywane had the utmost confidence that he could beat him . The possibility that Kieran might have gotten a higher rating than A had never crossed his mind, not even for a second . Zywane knew better than anyone that it was extremely hard to achieve an S rating . One would have to have strength, courage, and luck . All three of them were necessary for someone to get where he was, and Zywane did not believe that Kieran had them . Lawless explained the rules before the competition started . It 39 s a competition of skill levels . As long as two skills are within the same rank, the skill type can be anything . It s the rank that matters . The skill with the highest rank will be marked as double rank compared to the skill with the lowest rank . Shall we begin Lawless looked at the super confident Zywane and then at Kieran 39 s blank face . He knew perfectly well what Zywane was thinking . Had he not had a closer communication with Kieran, he would have thought the same, too . After all, that was the logical thing to think . However, Lawless had had multiple trades with Kieran and had been there while Kieran had traded with others, so he knew very well what Kieran was capable of . He looked at Zywane with a sense of pity, but Zywane missed the sympathy in Lawless s gaze . His competitive spirit was burning hot inside his heart as Lawless initiated the competition . He was impatient to bring up his first skill . Hand to hand Combat Pro Zywane had opened up his skill window and made the skill visible to everyone . Then he turned and looked at Kieran with a smile, waiting for him to surrender . Hand to hand Combat Pro Kieran replied with a smile of his own as he too opened up the skill window and made his Hand to hand Combat skill visible to everyone . Zywane s smile became a little stiff when he saw his opponent 39 s skill . That Pro Level Skill had cost him half his S rank rating points from his last mission . Zywane had thought that he 39 d had the win in his pocket . He had not expected Kieran to have a Pro Level Skill as well . Plus, it was the exact same skill . How was that even possible Shouldn t Kieran have been expanding his firearms skill Zywane looked at Kieran s backpack, which was obviously full of guns . The man was carrying around a big bag of firearms, yet he had the same Hand to hand Combat skill as Zywane . Zywane questioned the outcome silently, but he knew the system was always right . He looked at Kieran s blank face in confusion before taking a deep breath and quickly opening up his second skill . Evading Pro As a melee player, Evading was a crucial skill for Zywane to level up . Given his Points and Skill Points, that was Zywane s second and last Pro Level Skill . He looked at Kieran a little nervously . Deep down in his heart he hoped that Kieran had already played his best card . However, the very next moment, Zywane s hopes were shattered to pieces . Evading Pro Kieran also brought up his second skill, which was the same skill as Zywane 39 s once again . Evading Pro Level . Without even waiting for Zywane s reaction, Kieran decided to solidify his position in the temporary team so he would not run into any more problems in the future . He brought up a third skill to the table . Firearm Weapon Light Firearm Pro As he looked at Kieran s third Pro Level Skill, Zywane s face went totally pale . He could not even imagine how a second timer like Kieran could have enough Points and Skill Points to level up all these skills . Unless Kieran had cleared all his dungeons with an S rank rating or higher . Suddenly, the way that Zywane was looking at Kieran changed . He had originally wanted to play his last card, but he gave up that thought . He could not know whether Kieran had any other tricks up his sleeves . If Zywane did play his last card but still wasn 39 t able to win the competition, his losses would outweigh his gains . After all, this was just the starting point of the dungeon . The probability of a Sub Mission triggering was extremely low, so it was not worth the fight . I surrender Zywane s mind was full of different thoughts as he chose to surrender . No one looked surprised by Kieran 39 s victory . Lawless knew a lot about Kieran, and Starbeck, as the employer, had also been informed of his strength after the Broker had introduced him to the team . Otherwise, he would not have paid double the original price to hire him . In other words, it was only Zywane that had been kept in the dark . Luckily, he was too baffled by Kieran 39 s strength and his own messy thoughts to notice Lawless and Starbeck s expression . Otherwise, he would have been extremely upset over it . As soon as Zywane had surrendered, Kieran pushed open the cabin door and exited the cabin . He knew that he had already lost lots of time . If they delayed it any longer, they might have even reached their destination . As for Zywane Kieran acknowledged his strength, but he would not comment on it any further . After all, they were still bound by the Team Contract . Zywane was only a short term team member . After the dungeon, they would never cross each other s path again . . . . May I help you, sir I am the captain of this ferry, Ralph . As soon as Kieran had walked out of the cabin, Captain Ralph, who had been watching his old cabin, came over and introduced himself . I m 2567 . Good day, captain Kieren also introduced himself, greeting the captain . Mr . 2567, please just call me Ralph the captain replied in an awkward, yet reverent manner . Kieran could sense the reverence in the captain s words and manner easily . His effect over the man had to be based on the identity that the dungeon had assigned to him . He had been a refugee in the newbie dungeon, and a detective in the first dungeon, but this time he was a specialized expert . Kieran had already gone over the dungeon s background, but he still could not help but smirk . He had been assigned ridiculous identities in the previous dungeons, and this time had proved to be no different . At least his new identity gave him more of an advantage . Although he had not acquired any memories like he had in the first dungeon, that still did not stop him from using his character identity to the fullest . Ralph, can you tell me more about the Alcatraz Prison I want your side of the story, not the official one that glosses over everything, Kieran said . Of course Captain Ralph did not hesitate in granting Kieran s request . He did not want to offend someone that could solve mysteries by telling him the stories almost everyone knew, or totally unrelated information . Ralph gathered his thoughts and started his story . For us, Alcatraz was a giant graveyard . Although there is now a prison on the island, all the locals still remember the island s legend . A few hundred years ago, that island belonged to a duke . Back then, it was famous for its variety of different fish and pearls . It was strangely flourishing, and the people living on it led good lives . However, nothing lasts forever . After the duke married his wife, famine struck the land . The mainland people thought the island would have more food, so they sailed towards it . The duke was a charitable person, and he was willing to help them . However, his charitable nature was treated as weakness, and the duke and all the islanders were killed by the outsiders . The duke s wife was tortured and raped by the raiders next to the duke s own dead body . Then out of the blue, the duke came back to life He acted more violent than he had ever been . Controlled by his frenzy, he killed all the raiders and massacred anyone who dared set foot on his island This lasted for about a hundred years, until suddenly the duke vanished . All that was left on the island were countless bones and skeletons . Some of the duke s distant relatives inherited the island . Their heir brought a couple hundred people to the island in an effort to revive its glory days, but just as they arrived, everyone fell sick . Luckily, there was a priest among the group and he saved everyone . The priest explained to the heir that the duke s resentment was gone and his soul had been set free . However, the once flourishing Alcatraz had been violated by the duke s angry spirit and become uninhabitable . Any common man that set foot on the island was affected . If they wanted to live a peaceful life on the island, the priest said that they had to protect themselves, so he taught them how to make a protective talisman . This is the talisman the first group of people who arrived on the island made While telling his story, Ralph opened his collar and revealed a piece of unfamiliar grass knitted tasliman . It was only the size of a thumb . Can I have a look at it Kieran asked . Sure Ralph generously handed Kieran the talisman he was wearing . Kieran s eyes brightened up as he took it .Chapter end
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